mattiedancer's reviews
125 reviews

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.75

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

**SPOILERS**

A Small Note: I can’t imagine the difficulty that Brandon Sanderson had wrapping up a 14-book-plus-a-prequel series in way that was satisfying and respectful to Jordan’s intentions and memory. I think he did a good job – a satisfying job. At times, it edged towards a wonderful job. I found this book very hard to judge overall for the scope of it. Threads that I hoped were wrapped up, simply weren’t, while others were tied up so tightly it felt awkward. But I appreciate how hard this task was to complete and how well he managed in spite of its monstrous scope.

Writing: 4⭐️/5

Overall, the writing is solid bordering on excellent. I appreciated the artistry of The Last Battle chapter, given that it reflected the exhaustion our characters felt. The short glimpses around the battlefield after The Last Battle also worked well to cement the flurry of battle and its effects. The authors maintained tight control of their prose and managed to describe high-level action scenes with clarity and finesse. My critique mainly surrounded the bloat in certain sections – particularly in The Last Battle where a few POVs dragged or meandered costing the scene focus and clarity – and the clunkiness of others – particularly Androl’s disguise scheme and Perrin’s search for Faile.

Characters: 4⭐️/5

Let’s talk positives first: we get a lot of characters, and we settle into most of their POVs very well. I loved the call back to Nynaeve’s wisdom-healing ways, the bold and selfless sacrifices Lan made, and Egwene’s guidance to Rand in his most crucial moments. Many of our core characters came across well in this book, and I loved spending the final book with many characters that I have come to love, and others I have grown to tolerate (looking at you, Perrin). My main critique here comes in with the supporting characters who seemed to have lost a step or two. I was relatively annoyed at Loial and his sudden insistence that he disregard emotional sensitivity for his novel. I also didn’t enjoy Thom’s POV at the end, as he watched people die and wrote his ballad. And while I loved certain characters, it felt like we had to rehash every bit of growth they had had, even stuff that had been long dealt with. My other gripe is our lack of insight into Moiraine; despite her heavy involvement in a pivotal moment, we get more insight into Thom than her.

Plot: 3.75⭐️/5

And here’s where it gets tricky. It’s hard not to consider the plots that didn’t get wrapped up over the course of the series. Trying to focus specifically on plots that did happen in this book, I think Sanderson (and Jordan) did a good job of telling an epic story that offers an ending. And I did, for the most part, like the ending. But, I didn’t love all the choices on how we got there. The start of the book, like much of the books in this series, was significantly weaker than the ending. While I liked the look into the Black Tower, I didn’t love the plotline of how the Tower was reclaimed. Several of the ickier details definitely stuck with me as well, as these didn’t feel necessary. Perrin’s extended plotline to deal with Slayer felt drug out, and I would have loved to see it cleaned up. Lanfear’s sudden obsession with Perrin also felt… odd, as did her appearance in the caves of Shayol Ghul. Most disappointing to me is the lack of conclusion to the Seanchan and the use of the Seanchan as a plot point in Moghedien’s story, almost as a bit of a karmic moment, which felt unnecessary and disgusting. I also would have loved to get a bit more plot given to Faile, as much as I didn’t love her as a character. Overall, the plot was definitely serviceable, even quite enjoyable, but I would have loved more.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those reading the Wheel of Time

Content Warnings?

Toxic relationships, blood, gore, abuse, domestic abuse, war, sexual assault, rape, toxic friendships, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, death, murder, injury, injury detail, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, slavery, pregnancy,

Post-Reading Rating: 3.75⭐️/5

This is not the review. But it is a review.

Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5 (3.875)

Content Warnings

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

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2.25

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 3.25⭐️/5

I think the writing was done well enough. It was a bit more than serviceable and at times bent towards strong. I did actually appreciate that Signa FELT young: she’s only 19 and very naive about the world, so I liked her voice echoing these traits. The repetitive descriptive phrasing was a little irksome, and I do wish the pacing had consolidated into a solid pace instead of bouncing back and forth between everything at once or nothing at all.

Characters: 3.25⭐️/5

I liked Signa, and I liked Death in the first bit (when I was really hoping he was going to be more of a guardian and trainer for Signa). Sylas was a great voice as well and, though several of Signa’s cousins blurred together at times, I did enjoy learning about them. It really fell apart for me in the second half where I felt that several characters were pushed towards development instead of growing there naturally. Plus (BIG SPOILERS) Sylas and Death being the same person was a flop for me, considering they had vastly different voices and personalities.

Plot: 2⭐️/5

The concept is good: a girl who can’t die must solve a murder with Death itself. I’d read another book with a similar concept. The largest plot point I took issue with was the fact that Death watched Signa grow up and then made moves on her. I understand that he’s an immortal entity, but it’s a very odd choice in a novel written for young adults. The bones of this story are good; the details and execution were very much not.

Who Should Read This Book?

Not young adults.

Content Warnings?

Adult/Minor relationship, murder, death, death of a parent, death of a child, gaslighting, domestic abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, misogyny, sexism, fire, injury/injury detail, suicide, suicide attempts

Post-Reading Rating: 0.5⭐️/5

I don’t like the fact that the main love interest met our MC as A FREAKING BABY and watched her grow up, like some sort of creepy uncle. Not a fan of that, nor do I think it was necessary for a Young Adult novel to include and represent as okay.

Final Rating: 2.25⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

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dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 2.5⭐️/5

The writing in this novel was serviceable at time, but lacked any real beauty. At times, the writing felt robotic: the rhythm of the sentences were unvaried, the word choices odd and chunky, and the emotion lacking from vital moments. It’s a shame the writing was so poor, because elements of the story were definitely compelling but lacked execution.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

I wanted to like the characters more than I actually did. Emilia had a very cool conception, but I wanted more depth with her emotions. While her personality itself was interesting, it wasn’t brought to life as well as I would have wanted on the page. I thought there were a couple of great character moments between Emilia and Wrath, yet I wish so deeply there could have been more. I also think that while Emilia’s family was relatively well-rounded, I would have loved more than a passing glimpse at her sister’s personality. It felt mainly like Maniscalco wanted her to be fun and quirky, and yet it came off as a bit chaotic and underdeveloped.

Plot: 3.25⭐️/5

The concept of this story is fascinating. And, while its execution was a little clumsy in spots, it read fairly well. A few snags, slow parts, and plot holes aside, I did fly through the story fairly quickly. At first glance it was fun; on deeper analysis, it’s definitely lacking depth and nuance. I do want to say that if you’re looking for a fun, fast-moving plot, this definitely might be for you!

World: 3.75⭐️/5

The world of this novel really grabbed me. On a personal level, I’ve heard many aspects of Sicilian folklore before, so it was rather fun to see them brought into this world as real-life magic. I enjoyed a lot of the references to Italian culture. I do think certain elements could have been introduced and explored a bit more deeply, but I did have fun with the world.

Who Should Read This Book?

Readers looking for a fast and fun book; Those who know some elements of Italian/Sicilian culture; fans of a decent, fast-paced fantasy romance mystery novel.

Content Warnings?

Blood, murder, injury, injury detail, murder, gore, body horror, sexual content (mild),

Post-Reading Rating: 2.5⭐️/5

The ending felt a bit forced to me. I didn’t enjoy it near as much as I did aspects of the middle, and I don’t feel a huge pull to read the next one.

Final Rating: 3⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 3.75⭐️/5

I do like Ali Hazelwood’s writing. I appreciate that this one – while keeping with the funny, quirky, academically driven voice she’s known for – did venture away from feeling like a copy-paste of her other stories. I like how she brings a sense of humour to her writing without diminishing the story or the characters.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5

Alright, so while, yes, these are very similar characters to her other novels, I appreciated the attempts to move away from her favourite tropes. Our MC is less self-assured than other protagonists in their personality. I loved how Elsie was a self-proclaimed people-pleaser (perhaps just because I definitely related to that). That being said, there are still a lot of similarities to her other protagonists, and I do wish she had stepped even further out of her own shadow with the characters.

Plot: 3.25⭐️/5

I do think Hazelwood tried to venture past her regular tropes here and, while I think that worked well in many sections, there were several portions of this novel that simply seemed to drag. The crux of the conflict in the novel felt slightly forced, and Elsie’s switch from avoiding Jack to running after him felt sudden and out of character. That being said, there are several wonderful sections of this novel’s plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of Ali Hazelwood; nerdy romance fans; fans of Twilight (trust me); someone looking for a quick, mostly lighthearted read.

Content Warnings?

Gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, mentorship abuse, toxic relationship, death of parent, grief, medical trauma

Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5

Awww. I had fun. I also really loved her tongue-in-cheek reference (and avoidance) of her fave trope: fake dating.

Final Rating: 3.5⭐️/5 (3.56)

Content Warnings

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

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adventurous dark sad 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? It's complicated

3.25

Writing: 4⭐️/5

The writing in this story was clear and poetic. At times, I really did love the beauty of the words and how the story was unravelling carefully. I think Underwood writes very cleanly and epically, which served this Greek-myth-inspired story well. The shifting character POVs served the story well, though I do wish each character had a more defined voice during their own section.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

The characters in the story were clear and relatively strong. Or, at least, the main characters – our narrators – were. The side characters felt much more wishy-washy, their personalities left unexplored and undeveloped until the climax of the story, which then felt far too late. Despite our three main characters being clear in their characteristics, they also didn’t develop much throughout the story. The plot took the centrefold of the story, and the characters simply continued along their paths.

Plot: 3.25⭐️/5

I did enjoy reading the story, as the plot felt clear and decided. However, at many points, the plot’s pacing felt incredibly off. I wondered at the stretched out timeline between Menthalo and Leto’s training to the condensed timeline of them returning to Ithaca and crashing into Mathias’ life. Since the timeline felt rushed, many of the plot points felt rushed. Personally, while I enjoyed both of the love stories in the novel, I wondered whether they could have been handled a bit better to make it feel more respectful. I love a good poly relationship, but – while Menthalo and Mathias ended up respecting each other – one was left in the dark about the other, and Menthalo herself never seemed to be settled with the fact that Leto also loved Mathias.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of Greek Mythology looking for something inspired by it; readers looking for a tragedy that isn’t hopeless; those who like LGBTQIA stories;

Content Warnings?

Blood, death, hangings, drowning, murder, injury, injury detail, fire, rape, sexual assault, sexual content, sacrifices, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, abuse, suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression, classism,

Post-Reading Rating: 3.25⭐️/5

I liked the ending, but I wanted a bit more from the lead up into it.

Final Rating: 3.25⭐️/5 (3.38)

Content Warnings

Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 4.75⭐️/5

This is a gorgeously written novel. The only critique I can think of is that sometimes the language was slightly overindulgent, but this is such a small problem in such a decadent novel. I loved how the story was told in between narration and letters. I loved how the letters revealed part of a story that was later explored with narration. I honestly just loved it.

Characters: 5⭐️/5

The depth in which each character was explored in this book was exquisite. I really loved that no one character felt purely good, but instead felt incredibly real. One of my favourite characters in the beginning, Charlotte/Charlie’s father, regressed so naturally into such an unlovable character. Similar but reversed arcs seemed to happen for Charlotte/Charlie’s mother, who seemed like a flippant character who gained character and depth throughout the telling of her tale. This novel has so many well-written characters, and I enjoyed each of them.

Plot: 4.5⭐️/5

This is definitely a slower-paced novel, but in the best way. I loved how indulgent the author was in telling this story, allowing us to grow fond of Fayne and Charlotte before widening the story to other characters. While I wondered, initially, whether the switch to Lady Bell’s point-of-view would be necessary or redundant, it slowly revealed itself as incredibly relevant and wrenching, changing the opinion I held of several other characters with patience and precision. My only critique that held it back from five full stars was the ending. I felt that it dragged both far too long and far too quickly. It was off-putting, and I really think the story could have ended sooner or in a different spot.

Who Should Read This Book?

Readers looking for a slow, well-crafted read that will leave you reeling.

Content Warnings?

Blood, violence, forced institutionalization, misogyny, gaslighting, sexism, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, miscarriage, death of child, suicide, suicidal attempt, drowning, deadnaming, transphobia, homophobia, biphobia, domestic abuse, emotional abuse,

Post-Reading Rating: 4.5⭐️/5

It was definitely a fun read, but the ending fell VERY flat for me.

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5 (4.69)

Content Warnings

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 3⭐️/5

For the first few chapters, the writing was actually quite fun. Not only did I find the pacing and the tone perfect, the humour worked well with the content of the novel. After the first few chapters, the writing definitely started to fall off, slowly declining until it felt kind of forced and very predictable.

Characters: 2.75⭐️/5

Besides our main character, Cassie, most of the other characters fall very flat. Reginald definitely had his own personality, but I can’t say that it was consistent or very solid. Frederick, while a very sweet love interest, seemed to take on whatever characteristics the scenes called for, rather than respond in his own way. He felt so fluid that it was hard to keep a good read on him.

Plot: 2.5⭐️/5

Lots of other reviews mention it, and I have to too: the kidnapping plot made absolutely no sense. Not only did it feel completely irrelevant to the rest of the novel, tonally, the arc of this plot made no sense. I can’t believe these ancient, evil, horrific creatures would fall for a silly trick of a faked TikTok video. In my mind, there was no way these awful vampires who have no problem killing wouldn’t have just.. killed Cassie. It doesn’t make sense.

Who Should Read This Book?

Readers looking for a fun read; readers who like vampire romances; those looking for a light read with lower stakes;

Content Warnings?

Blood, kidnapping, toxic parents, toxic relationships, abuse, murder, death, confinement, sexual content

Post-Reading Rating: 3⭐️/5

It was definitely a fun read, but the ending fell VERY flat for me.

Final Rating: 2.75⭐️/5 (2.81)

Content Warnings

Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous slow-paced

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

3.75

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 3.75⭐️/5

The writing is definitely a combination of two authors. While Jordan and Sanderson seem to mesh together decently well, I do think that at other points they fight against each other. Aviendha’s Rhuidean scene had the potential to be really cool, but it was over explained to us in a way that was unnecessary and stole the beauty of the knowledge from us. Similarly, it felt like Perrin’s character could only circle the same themes, refusiing to grow in a new way, making parts of his internal monologue repetitive and clunky. Overall, it was cleaner and easier to read than several previous instalments, but lacked the strength of voice I would have wanted to see in the penultimate book.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5

On one hand, I appreciate the finesse I think Sanderson has brought to the one-off characters, sparking their characters to life quickly and easily. On the other hand, I really think certain characters have suffered due to his misunderstanding of them. I appreciate the growth we see with Rand, Egwene, Mat, and even Perrin, but at multiple points that growth is repeated so incessantly it’s aggravating.

Plot: 3.75⭐️/5

Again, I feel torn on this mark. The first section moved painfully slow as we waited for Perrin to catch up to everyone else’s storyline. Since we already knew where he ended up as well, his section dragged even more than normal as we waited for new information and events. Once we passed the halfway mark, however, the plot picked up, gaining great speed towards Tarmon Gaiden. Several of the sections held up the right speed and pacing, keeping me engaged and intrigued. I did love that Mat and Thom finally went to the Tower, and that whole section moved with clarity and speed. Even Aviendha in Rhuidean held nuggets of beauty. And of course, everything with Rand has moved quickly and cleanly to its height, honestly charging well towards the final. Without the Perrin section dragging it down, this book could have rated much higher.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those reading the Wheel of Time

Content Warnings?

Post-Reading Rating: 3.5⭐️/5

This could have been so much higher but we ended with Graendal’s rape, Morraine losing all her power so she can be happy with a man and the whole Thom and Morraine ickiness. :/

Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5 (3.625)

Content Warnings

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

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adventurous slow-paced

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

2.5

**SPOILERS**

Writing: 2⭐️/5

The writing itself lacked a little something in this book. The thick paragraphs of pure exposition. The grammatical errors. The repetition of world-building facts that we’ve been told time and time again. All these – and more – really lent themselves to making this book rather hard to get through. At one point, a character was asked a question and two pages of exposition later they finally responded. At another point, Elayne changes her outfit two times in one section and we hear all the finest details about it. And then we have Egwene with about two hundred meetings every day. Honestly, it was simply exhausting to read.

Characters: 2.75⭐️/5

I didn’t have a huge issue with any of the characters in this one, but that’s really because there wasn’t much to work with. While nearly every character made an appearance, the scenes weren’t particularly long or interesting – but they also didn’t take anything away from the characters. I think Perrin’s inconsistency is a bit annoying to read, and I do wish we could see a single character be nice to Nynaeve.

Plot: 2.25⭐️/5

I guess the ending was a bit more interesting than others in the slog? Mat’s storyline definitely hit a high point, and even Perrin had a scene that I (dare I say?) enjoyed. However, other than Mat’s story, everyone else’s stories either felt lacking in any real and thorough interest (Elayne’s, most of Egwene’s, and Rand’s) or felt highly contrived (Perrin’s). All in all, its only real strong plot point was that it ended and I hear Book 11 is better.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those reading the Wheel of Time

Content Warnings?

Toxic relationships, blood, gore, abuse, domestic abuse, war, sexual assault, rape, toxic friendships, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, death, murder, injury, injury detail, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, slavery, pregnancy

Post-Reading Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

Everyone making deals with Seanchan is a bit interesting. Let’s see where it goes, I guess.

Final Rating: 2.5⭐️/5

Content Warnings

The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

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adventurous slow-paced

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

2.75

Writing: 2.5⭐️/5

**SPOILERS**

Oh boy. So. Perhaps it’s me, but it really feels like this one was extra fluffy. The amount of paragraphs that could have been trimmed for brevity and clarity was outstanding. Multiple times it felt like Jordan had written himself into a circle of repetition trying to make a point. This, combined with a very slow-moving plot, really made this a laborious read that did not move smoothly, quickly, or easily.

Characters: 3.0⭐️/5

I liked the glimpses of Rand we got in this book! I feel like his voice and character get stronger and stronger with every installment. I also greatly enjoyed Min’s POVs, but everyone else felt lost in the shuffle. I want to say this is because there were simply too many characters vying for screentime because it really felt like no one really had time to shine – and if they did, they certainly couldn’t shine for long.

Plot: 3.0⭐️/5

Wow. I understand we have a lot of characters to cover, but – oh boy – the best way to describe this book is slog. Sections upon sections of walking and trudging through the snow were intertwined with over-redundant foreshadowing and exhausting “villainous” narratives that added nothing really substantial to the plot.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those who read books one to seven of The Wheel of Time and are able to overlook some misogyny

Content Warnings?

Toxic relationships, blood, gore, abuse, domestic abuse, war, sexual assault, rape, toxic friendships, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, death, murder, injury, injury detail, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, slavery, animal death

Post-Reading Rating: 3.0⭐️/5

Again, we’re lacking a “wow” moment at the end for me. Plus, the whole “stories become rumours” bit at the end is starting to feel very tired.

Final Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

Content Warnings

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mattiedancer's reviews 125 reviews

mattiedancer's reviews
125 reviews