matteo_of_eld's reviews
213 reviews

Against Empire by Michael Parenti

dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

The Far Side of the World by Patrick O'Brian

adventurous dark funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Washington Bullets by Vijay Prashad

challenging dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.

The author is not a scientist of any type, and its increasingly clear this is an extended crackpot rant of a book. Each chapter became more repulsive to read than the last.

The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

If you like Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion, I cannot impress upon you enough how much you should not read this book or Endymion. Stupid retcons that ruin thematic content in Hyperion, weird character arcs, borderline pedophilia, long boring philosophical tracts. One of the worst books I've read in a long time, with a dumb, unearned conclusion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and War

The First World War by John Keegan

informative slow-paced

3.0

Treason's Harbour by Patrick O'Brian

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Crimean War: A History by Orlando Figes

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Not quite as good as the previous 2 entries, but the ending does wonders to make up for it.