Scan barcode
mav_ka's reviews
29 reviews
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
5.0
One of the best books that takes you from "oh no, poor main character, I hope she gets her justice one day" to "wait, she did WHATTTT??????".
If you like unexpected plot twists and stubborn main characters and some enemies-to-lovers tension sprinkled on top, you will enjoy this book.
If you like unexpected plot twists and stubborn main characters and some enemies-to-lovers tension sprinkled on top, you will enjoy this book.
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
5.0
I read it one time in high school and the only thing I remembered was the sense of calm and slowness that this book brought to me.
I re-read it a second time in university, and I found that I could lean on this book as I hobbled through some pretty dark times.
So glad I picked this book up. Again. As it's the first one in the trilogy, it has a bit of a slower pace, especially since we get to witness Fitz's entire childhood and growing up.
The pace picks up at the end, to the point where I could not put this book down before I knew what happened. The author builds the mystery very masterfully, and I found myself surprised by certain events more than once. Yes, even on my second re-read.
I kind of forgot everything that happened since my first read, so I got to literally live the dream of forgetting everything in the book I loved and experiencing it for the second time. Now that I did live through it, I gotta say, it's not as special as people think. The feelings that I got from my second re-read are fresh, but the feelings I had during my first read have faded. There is nothing to compare my thoughts to because it feels like I've never read the book to begin with.
But I feel like I'll remember this book more fondly now, maybe because my preferences have changed over the years, or maybe because this book helped me get by. Who knows.
This book is definitely for people who love:
- Court intrigue
- Assassins (but not, like, the flashy kind. The realistic royal kind)
- Picking up small details in the book that hint at the bigger picture (and feeling so smug about it when the bigger picture is revealed much later)
- Being surprised
- Not super action-packed (this book really gives you a break and takes you through all the events with calmness and slowness)
I re-read it a second time in university, and I found that I could lean on this book as I hobbled through some pretty dark times.
So glad I picked this book up. Again. As it's the first one in the trilogy, it has a bit of a slower pace, especially since we get to witness Fitz's entire childhood and growing up.
The pace picks up at the end, to the point where I could not put this book down before I knew what happened. The author builds the mystery very masterfully, and I found myself surprised by certain events more than once. Yes, even on my second re-read.
I kind of forgot everything that happened since my first read, so I got to literally live the dream of forgetting everything in the book I loved and experiencing it for the second time. Now that I did live through it, I gotta say, it's not as special as people think. The feelings that I got from my second re-read are fresh, but the feelings I had during my first read have faded. There is nothing to compare my thoughts to because it feels like I've never read the book to begin with.
But I feel like I'll remember this book more fondly now, maybe because my preferences have changed over the years, or maybe because this book helped me get by. Who knows.
This book is definitely for people who love:
- Court intrigue
- Assassins (but not, like, the flashy kind. The realistic royal kind)
- Picking up small details in the book that hint at the bigger picture (and feeling so smug about it when the bigger picture is revealed much later)
- Being surprised
- Not super action-packed (this book really gives you a break and takes you through all the events with calmness and slowness)
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
5.0
The best book in the series. A great conclusion.
A lot of people said that the first 40% or so of the book was boring and repetitive. I didn't see it until I got past that threshold. In the second part of the book, the story really picked up. And oh my. It was wonderful.
A great conclusion to a great series. The ending is the most bittersweet thing I've ever read. And I love it.
All the many mysteries of the series have been unraveled, and it was. Quite something. Hobb is the type of author who weaves her mysteries right under your nose, and then throws them at you when you least expect them.
I have a lot of kind words for this book, but a lot of them contain spoilers, so, I guess this is spoiler territory now.
I absolutely loved Nighteyes in this book. And I loved that everyone also loved Nighteyes. All the subtle interactions and ways that Nighteyes was caring for his pack, which at first consisted only of Fitz, and then expanded to Fool, Kettricken, Starling, and Kettle. That whole adventuring group that they had was delightful. I am sad their adventure is over, but I'm happy at the bond they shared. For as long as it lasted.
And Fool! Oh my goodness, Fool is a highlight of this book for me. I truly believe his "I love you" to Fitz was meant more than in a friendly way. But I also hesitate to call it romantic. It's almost like a bond that transcends those concepts, a kind of love shared between two people who are bound by fate. I absolutely loved how Fool cared for Fitz. And I loved even more how Fitz cared for Fool. Like, the amount of times that Fool fainted/was in a dangerous situation where Fitz had to come rescue him was... a LOT of times. I am not complaining, no. I enjoyed those times. But also, this is the stuff of romance books and novels. Like, the main character faints and wakes up in the arms of their love interest? HECK YEAH.
Now, I don't know what kind of love Fitz and Fool share canonically, but I ship these two. In a respectful manner. Whatever the canon says, I'm happy with it. But my heart will also leap from joy anytime these two fools share a moment.
The amount of PAIN in this book is. Absolutely unbearable. It's not even the pain. Like, I haven't cried even once during the book, even though I am quite an emotional person. No, it's that pain that comes from the realization that all good things must come to an end. Youth. Childhood innocence. Verity and his love for Kettricken. Molly and Nettle, who will never share a family with Fitz again. Fitz himself, who many of his loved ones believe to be dead. Even Nighteyes, who was a graying old wolf by the end of the book. It's not something that we can stop, and it's not something to cry about. It's simply how life is, but something about it still hurts and stings and itches. It's a weird feeling to describe, but somehow I'm sure everyone on this planet has shared it at least ones.
Now, I do not know what awaits Fitz. At the end of the book, he mentioned he already traveled by ship somewhere (which definitely did NOT happen in this trilogy, so maybe it's something from future books?), but he is still young and there are a lot of trilogies after this one that seem to be about him. I am particularly excited about "The Fool and Fitz" trilogy or whatever it's called
A lot of people said that the first 40% or so of the book was boring and repetitive. I didn't see it until I got past that threshold. In the second part of the book, the story really picked up. And oh my. It was wonderful.
A great conclusion to a great series. The ending is the most bittersweet thing I've ever read. And I love it.
All the many mysteries of the series have been unraveled, and it was. Quite something. Hobb is the type of author who weaves her mysteries right under your nose, and then throws them at you when you least expect them.
I have a lot of kind words for this book, but a lot of them contain spoilers, so, I guess this is spoiler territory now.
Spoiler
I absolutely loved Nighteyes in this book. And I loved that everyone also loved Nighteyes. All the subtle interactions and ways that Nighteyes was caring for his pack, which at first consisted only of Fitz, and then expanded to Fool, Kettricken, Starling, and Kettle. That whole adventuring group that they had was delightful. I am sad their adventure is over, but I'm happy at the bond they shared. For as long as it lasted.
And Fool! Oh my goodness, Fool is a highlight of this book for me. I truly believe his "I love you" to Fitz was meant more than in a friendly way. But I also hesitate to call it romantic. It's almost like a bond that transcends those concepts, a kind of love shared between two people who are bound by fate. I absolutely loved how Fool cared for Fitz. And I loved even more how Fitz cared for Fool. Like, the amount of times that Fool fainted/was in a dangerous situation where Fitz had to come rescue him was... a LOT of times. I am not complaining, no. I enjoyed those times. But also, this is the stuff of romance books and novels. Like, the main character faints and wakes up in the arms of their love interest? HECK YEAH.
Now, I don't know what kind of love Fitz and Fool share canonically, but I ship these two. In a respectful manner. Whatever the canon says, I'm happy with it. But my heart will also leap from joy anytime these two fools share a moment.
The amount of PAIN in this book is. Absolutely unbearable. It's not even the pain. Like, I haven't cried even once during the book, even though I am quite an emotional person. No, it's that pain that comes from the realization that all good things must come to an end. Youth. Childhood innocence. Verity and his love for Kettricken. Molly and Nettle, who will never share a family with Fitz again. Fitz himself, who many of his loved ones believe to be dead. Even Nighteyes, who was a graying old wolf by the end of the book. It's not something that we can stop, and it's not something to cry about. It's simply how life is, but something about it still hurts and stings and itches. It's a weird feeling to describe, but somehow I'm sure everyone on this planet has shared it at least ones.
Now, I do not know what awaits Fitz. At the end of the book, he mentioned he already traveled by ship somewhere (which definitely did NOT happen in this trilogy, so maybe it's something from future books?), but he is still young and there are a lot of trilogies after this one that seem to be about him. I am particularly excited about "The Fool and Fitz" trilogy or whatever it's called
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
5.0
Imagine sipping a warm cup of tea, wrapped in a blanket, while autumn rain pitter-patters outside your window. That's what this book feels like.
Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani
4.0
3.8/5
A nice light read. This is the first novella that I don't have any serious complaints about.
That's not saying much because I haven't read that many, but it's nice to finally stumble upon a well-written and relatively short story.
═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══
SO WE'VE GOT:
- A middle-eastern fantasy setting, with a sprinkle of something entirely different in the second half of the novel. (This is where I send you to RAFO, Read And Find Out :))
- Interesting, easy-to-understand plot.
- Vampires! ...wait, vampires?
*biting my cheek to stop myself from making a Twilight joke*
- Good world-building. It does look like the author knew her limits with such a small book size, so she chose to go for simple, sometimes trope-y details. But what's good about the world is that it gets more complex and rich the more you learn about it. There is an infinite possibility for adding more complex details.
- Likeable protagonist. She is witty and resourceful. I admit, sometimes her selfless sacrifices did not make too much sense (why would you risk your life for someone you just met? That kind of thing), but it wasn't too jarring. Not like some other novels I read. Like, I could actually believe that in the spur of the moment, she would choose to sacrifice herself for that person.
- Prose that flows and contributes to the overall atmosphere of the novella. It's not flowery and super detailed like in some books, but it's not choppy, either. In fact, the prose fits the setting very well.
- It took me 3 hours to finish the book. Gotta love a short book in a reading slump, it's like a breath of fresh air.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, I am excited to continue with the series. I wouldn't call anything in the book spectacular. It doesn't have things or details that stand out like in some popular series. But it's a good story, and it's an easy read, so why not.
A nice light read. This is the first novella that I don't have any serious complaints about.
That's not saying much because I haven't read that many, but it's nice to finally stumble upon a well-written and relatively short story.
═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══
SO WE'VE GOT:
- A middle-eastern fantasy setting, with a sprinkle of something entirely different in the second half of the novel. (This is where I send you to RAFO, Read And Find Out :))
- Interesting, easy-to-understand plot.
- Vampires! ...wait, vampires?
"It has been a long time since I was twenty-five."
*biting my cheek to stop myself from making a Twilight joke*
- Good world-building. It does look like the author knew her limits with such a small book size, so she chose to go for simple, sometimes trope-y details. But what's good about the world is that it gets more complex and rich the more you learn about it. There is an infinite possibility for adding more complex details.
These last four years, I have watched the life of the city slowly bleed into the sea. Oh, Mama Ali still laughs and sells her self-fulfilling prophecies in the fish market, children still play, and the motions of life continue because they must, but there is a silence where there were once words.
- Likeable protagonist. She is witty and resourceful. I admit, sometimes her selfless sacrifices did not make too much sense (why would you risk your life for someone you just met? That kind of thing), but it wasn't too jarring. Not like some other novels I read. Like, I could actually believe that in the spur of the moment, she would choose to sacrifice herself for that person.
I look down at my hands, wondering what drives me more: love for my adopted land or loneliness.
- Prose that flows and contributes to the overall atmosphere of the novella. It's not flowery and super detailed like in some books, but it's not choppy, either. In fact, the prose fits the setting very well.
"You haven't considered the benefits of being bald," I tell him. I list the advantages, ticking them off on my fingers, "No lice, no worries about how to tie it up, no need to dry it in winter, nothing for anyone to grab you by, and" I paused, trying to come up with one more reason.
"Nothing to keep your brain warm," Val supplies.
- It took me 3 hours to finish the book. Gotta love a short book in a reading slump, it's like a breath of fresh air.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, I am excited to continue with the series. I wouldn't call anything in the book spectacular. It doesn't have things or details that stand out like in some popular series. But it's a good story, and it's an easy read, so why not.
The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards
4.0
"My name is Rune Saint John. I am, before anything else, a survivor: of a fallen House, of a brutal assault, of violent allies and complacent enemies, of life among a people who turned their back on me decades ago."
═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══
BOOK PREMISE
In a tarot-inspired setting, where Major Arcana are actual people living in a magical city of New Atlantis, we follow the fate of one Rune Saint John, the only survivor and the sole inheritor of the Sun Throne.
Rune and his partner, Brand, are private investigators for Lord Tower. They get hired to look for the missing son of Lady Judgement, yet the deeper they look, the more ancient mysteries they uncover.
WHAT WERE SOME GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE BOOK
Private investigators in action. There is always something so cool about people uncovering mysteries in books, so this plot point fed right into my preferences. As a result, the book is also very fast-paced, and action awaits at every corner. For better or worse (which I'll explain in my "and here is me complaining" part of the review :"D)
Great banter. The author is a funny, funny guy. I was laughing at almost every page. Somehow the author managed to introduce bits of humor into even tense scenes, which I appreciated.
Characters and character interactions. Literally, everything was so good. The book focuses a lot on the characters and how they react to each other, and I think the author did a really good job in that department.
Relationships where two people can still deeply and intimately care for each other without being romantically involved. I'm a person who enjoys romance in my books, and it took me many years to figure out why. Actually, it was this book that made me realize why. Turns out I just love seeing how people care about each other, on a level that goes deeper than a polite "How are you?" once every decade or so. So, seeing Rune and Brand be so in tune with each other's emotions and fears and worries was such a nice thing to see.
(Of course, I couldn't stop myself from shipping them juuust a little, but I realized I didn't need to see these two kiss in canon to be satisfied with their relationship)
LGBTQ+ friendly setting. New Atlantis is a place that views relationships a lot differently than modern humans. In fact, New Atlantis really reminded me of what I think Ancient Greece would have looked like (they have some overlapping concepts, and I do mean it as a compliment, I think Ancient Greece was cool as heck). Except New Atlantis has more magic and more technology and concepts like "talla", aka your soulmate with whom you are tied through super strong feelings (which don't necessarily need to be good feelings, mind you).
I SAID GOOD THINGS, NOW LET ME COMPLAIN A LITTLE
Okay, I didn't expect that I would need to write this section, especially given how much I loved this book, but I think I just need to vent.
I somehow went into full rant mode for some of them, so be warned if you enjoyed the book.
There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way in the book and took away from my enjoyment.
Action scenes. There were a few great action scenes where I was literally on the edge of my seat, feeling ten thousand emotions a minute. But most of the action scenes just fell flat for me. I felt like I was reading an instruction manual sometimes, they were just so boring. There was a scene where a character cast a spell and was literally holding a small sun in the palm of his hand, and I just didn't feel anything.
And I wouldn't even complain about action scenes if the ending didn't literally consist of action scenes on top of action scenes. We are literally jumping from one fight into the next. And this brings me to the next point.
Deus Ex Machina of Rune's Sun powers heritage. This mostly occurred closer to the end (like these things usually do). Here is a thing. Every Major Arcana has an Aspect, an otherworldly form that lets them harness their cool tarot-inspired powers. Rune also has an Aspect related to his heritage, albeit it's not (yet) as powerful as other Arcanas.
Closer to the end, it seemed like whenever they were losing a fight, Rune would just jump in with his Aspect and unleash a new and previously unheard of power that manifested thanks to the ✨power of friendship✨. And that's even when he admitted that he called on his Aspect so much that he was losing contact with it! It's like an equivalent of running a marathon, getting super tired, and then realizing that, heck, let's climb a mountain while we are at it. Like ?????
I'm sorry, but it was just so funny and aggravating that this was the literal order of events:
1) Rune thinks to himself, in the book's actual words, that he's used way too much magic and is losing his connection to his Will (aka this necessary resource for calling on an Aspect or something?)
2) Rune immediately drops to his knees, screams at the clouds, and his Aspect takes care of all of their immediate problems.
I am not a fan of "characters get out of a situation thanks to a mysterious power they don't yet understand." Even if it's something the author plans on revealing later, it just doesn't work that well when you let the characters harness a power they (as readers perceive) shouldn't have.
I don't like these moments because they undermine the capability of the characters. Characters won't get out of tough situations thanks to their wit, they will get out of tough situations thanks to the mysterious powers that only the author of the book knows about. I can't applaud how resourceful and witty the characters are, I can just sigh and think how they got lucky and this shouldn't have ended this well for them.
True seers. Okay this is just a personal pet peeve at this point. Totally not related to the previous point (but kind of totally related to the previous point?).
True seers are characters gifted with magical powers of seeing the future. In this book, seers can see possibilities and calculate the best outcomes.
My personal pet peeve is this: if you have a character that can see all the possibilities of the future, why can't that character reveal all the secrets to the main character and prevent bad things from happening. The author literally addressed it in the book. When the seer character talks to our main character, he says "Time will tell", aka what I took to mean, "I know a terrible secret, but I won't tell you about it because plot reasons."
I think I'm just not happy with true seers in general, not just in this book. Like, seers are a cool concept, and they are cool to include in a story, but they are also a bit too OP so the authors need to tone down their powers a little. And for some reason, everyone thinks that the best way to do that is to have the seer willingly obscure information for mysterious reasons of "It's better this way". I just don't love these kinds of things. Give me an actual reason, godsdamnit!
Adult scenes. I was reading this book mostly in public. Need I say more :"D
On a more serious note, this book doesn't shy away from topics of sex, nudity, and... well, mostly those two. On top of that, the book requires a legitimate trigger warning: this book doesn't shy away from sexual assault, either. While it is mostly hinted at throughout the book, there is one particular scene where we get to actually see it.
I'm not very used to reading books with adult content, so some casual mentions of it were a little jarring. But it wasn't too bad by any means. Just something to look out for if you are like me.
CONCLUSION
3.8/5
I still think it's a good book. I loved the first part. It just happened that after that, I started seeing more and more things that I wasn't a fan of.
Regardless, I will continue with the series in hopes that it will improve. But if it doesn't, I might just ditch it after I finish the original trilogy.
═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══
BOOK PREMISE
In a tarot-inspired setting, where Major Arcana are actual people living in a magical city of New Atlantis, we follow the fate of one Rune Saint John, the only survivor and the sole inheritor of the Sun Throne.
Rune and his partner, Brand, are private investigators for Lord Tower. They get hired to look for the missing son of Lady Judgement, yet the deeper they look, the more ancient mysteries they uncover.
WHAT WERE SOME GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE BOOK
Private investigators in action. There is always something so cool about people uncovering mysteries in books, so this plot point fed right into my preferences. As a result, the book is also very fast-paced, and action awaits at every corner. For better or worse (which I'll explain in my "and here is me complaining" part of the review :"D)
"You saved me," Matthias said to me from behind Brand. I couldn't quite identify the expression that lit up his face, but it wasn't nearly as comfortable as plain gratitude. "You saved my life."
"If we get you killed your first week, people will make fun of us," I said.
Great banter. The author is a funny, funny guy. I was laughing at almost every page. Somehow the author managed to introduce bits of humor into even tense scenes, which I appreciated.
"But--" Addam said. His eyes watered with frustration. "I feel... I should... I should help. I feel very useless."
"The support group meets on Tuesdays," Brand said.
Characters and character interactions. Literally, everything was so good. The book focuses a lot on the characters and how they react to each other, and I think the author did a really good job in that department.
Ten minutes shy of our stop, Brand slid over and angled his phone screen at me. I took it, hit a button, and promptly shut down the web browser. I'd never been very good with technology. I tried to find my way back to the screen. A message popped up asking me if I wanted to begin a factory reset.
"For fuck's sake," Brand said.
Relationships where two people can still deeply and intimately care for each other without being romantically involved. I'm a person who enjoys romance in my books, and it took me many years to figure out why. Actually, it was this book that made me realize why. Turns out I just love seeing how people care about each other, on a level that goes deeper than a polite "How are you?" once every decade or so. So, seeing Rune and Brand be so in tune with each other's emotions and fears and worries was such a nice thing to see.
(Of course, I couldn't stop myself from shipping them juuust a little, but I realized I didn't need to see these two kiss in canon to be satisfied with their relationship)
"I really thought you'd be more impressed than this."
"Oh, absolutely," he said. "It's the same sort of pride I feel when you tie your shoes every morning, or when your spoon makes it all the way to your mouth."
I punched at his shoulder, and promptly slipped on the wet floor. He ended up catching me, like he always did.
LGBTQ+ friendly setting. New Atlantis is a place that views relationships a lot differently than modern humans. In fact, New Atlantis really reminded me of what I think Ancient Greece would have looked like (they have some overlapping concepts, and I do mean it as a compliment, I think Ancient Greece was cool as heck). Except New Atlantis has more magic and more technology and concepts like "talla", aka your soulmate with whom you are tied through super strong feelings (which don't necessarily need to be good feelings, mind you).
The bartender gave us a glance as we approached, and he swiped his way toward us with a dirty rag. He was very handsome and not wearing a shirt. He said, "Hey, love. What's your poison?"
"Something with an antidote," I joked, lamely, because he was handsome and not wearing a shirt.
I SAID GOOD THINGS, NOW LET ME COMPLAIN A LITTLE
Okay, I didn't expect that I would need to write this section, especially given how much I loved this book, but I think I just need to vent.
I somehow went into full rant mode for some of them, so be warned if you enjoyed the book.
There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way in the book and took away from my enjoyment.
Action scenes. There were a few great action scenes where I was literally on the edge of my seat, feeling ten thousand emotions a minute. But most of the action scenes just fell flat for me. I felt like I was reading an instruction manual sometimes, they were just so boring. There was a scene where a character cast a spell and was literally holding a small sun in the palm of his hand, and I just didn't feel anything.
And I wouldn't even complain about action scenes if the ending didn't literally consist of action scenes on top of action scenes. We are literally jumping from one fight into the next. And this brings me to the next point.
"You want us to find a specific summoning circle?" I asked, "Maybe it's in a haystack. Next to a needle."
Deus Ex Machina of Rune's Sun powers heritage. This mostly occurred closer to the end (like these things usually do). Here is a thing. Every Major Arcana has an Aspect, an otherworldly form that lets them harness their cool tarot-inspired powers. Rune also has an Aspect related to his heritage, albeit it's not (yet) as powerful as other Arcanas.
Closer to the end, it seemed like whenever they were losing a fight, Rune would just jump in with his Aspect and unleash a new and previously unheard of power that manifested thanks to the ✨power of friendship✨. And that's even when he admitted that he called on his Aspect so much that he was losing contact with it! It's like an equivalent of running a marathon, getting super tired, and then realizing that, heck, let's climb a mountain while we are at it. Like ?????
I'm sorry, but it was just so funny and aggravating that this was the literal order of events:
1) Rune thinks to himself, in the book's actual words, that he's used way too much magic and is losing his connection to his Will (aka this necessary resource for calling on an Aspect or something?)
2) Rune immediately drops to his knees, screams at the clouds, and his Aspect takes care of all of their immediate problems.
"Sun Estate is yours."
"No. It's not. Sun Estate belongs to the dead. It's very haunted. I don't walk into it unless I'm armed like a tank. Or if I need money for the cable bill."
I am not a fan of "characters get out of a situation thanks to a mysterious power they don't yet understand." Even if it's something the author plans on revealing later, it just doesn't work that well when you let the characters harness a power they (as readers perceive) shouldn't have.
I don't like these moments because they undermine the capability of the characters. Characters won't get out of tough situations thanks to their wit, they will get out of tough situations thanks to the mysterious powers that only the author of the book knows about. I can't applaud how resourceful and witty the characters are, I can just sigh and think how they got lucky and this shouldn't have ended this well for them.
There were many, many boxes of mac and cheese between me and a seat on the Arcanum.
True seers. Okay this is just a personal pet peeve at this point. Totally not related to the previous point (but kind of totally related to the previous point?).
True seers are characters gifted with magical powers of seeing the future. In this book, seers can see possibilities and calculate the best outcomes.
My personal pet peeve is this: if you have a character that can see all the possibilities of the future, why can't that character reveal all the secrets to the main character and prevent bad things from happening. The author literally addressed it in the book. When the seer character talks to our main character, he says "Time will tell", aka what I took to mean, "I know a terrible secret, but I won't tell you about it because plot reasons."
I think I'm just not happy with true seers in general, not just in this book. Like, seers are a cool concept, and they are cool to include in a story, but they are also a bit too OP so the authors need to tone down their powers a little. And for some reason, everyone thinks that the best way to do that is to have the seer willingly obscure information for mysterious reasons of "It's better this way". I just don't love these kinds of things. Give me an actual reason, godsdamnit!
"True seers are not so common a community."
"Really?" Brand said. "Rune can't swing a dead cat without hitting a fucking prophecy."
Adult scenes. I was reading this book mostly in public. Need I say more :"D
On a more serious note, this book doesn't shy away from topics of sex, nudity, and... well, mostly those two. On top of that, the book requires a legitimate trigger warning: this book doesn't shy away from sexual assault, either. While it is mostly hinted at throughout the book, there is one particular scene where we get to actually see it.
I'm not very used to reading books with adult content, so some casual mentions of it were a little jarring. But it wasn't too bad by any means. Just something to look out for if you are like me.
CONCLUSION
3.8/5
I still think it's a good book. I loved the first part. It just happened that after that, I started seeing more and more things that I wasn't a fan of.
Regardless, I will continue with the series in hopes that it will improve. But if it doesn't, I might just ditch it after I finish the original trilogy.
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
3.0
I keep procrastinating on marking books at "read" weeks and weeks after I've read them.
Anyway, this was an excellent book! 3.5 stars, but only because I'm comparing it to some other works that captured my attention more for various reasons.
I would still recommend A Master of Djinn if you are looking for a fun steampunk magic setting! This was a fun light read.
This book also had my favorite type of scenes, where we see mythical creatures (like djinn) adapt to human life and integrate into human society. Like, it just leads to some shenanigans that I absolutely love in books and other media.
Anyway, this was an excellent book! 3.5 stars, but only because I'm comparing it to some other works that captured my attention more for various reasons.
I would still recommend A Master of Djinn if you are looking for a fun steampunk magic setting! This was a fun light read.
This book also had my favorite type of scenes, where we see mythical creatures (like djinn) adapt to human life and integrate into human society. Like, it just leads to some shenanigans that I absolutely love in books and other media.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
2.0
Hi, I'm that rare unicorn of a person who didn't like this book. I know. So weird. Everyone talks about this book like a classic, and I see why, but I also see so painfully clearly why I just did not get into it.
It's been a few months since I've read it at this point, and it actually took a minute for me to remember what the name of the book was. Seems like I am slowly erasing it from my memory.
First, I'll get into the good and neutral things. I will warn you when the rant is incoming so you can jump off the ship if you don't like that sort of thing. I see and appreciate all the people who loved this book and wrote so many good things about it, I just also need a space to shout my frustrations into the void. But don't worry, that time and space is not now. Not yet.
Good and neutral things! So. The last three chapters were actually lowkey amazing. Highkey amazing. The way two different timelines tied together was very neat, and I am a huge fan of that. I can't even think of any plot holes that remained at that point, it was just so neatly cleaned up. I can tell the author thought long and hard about the plot. (or maybe not at all and it's just a natural talent, who knows!) Either way, it was very cool. I'm into that sort of thing so it's double cool in my eyes.
Now, the rant. I know that I just said one good thing, I just couldn't remember anything else. Proceed with caution if you enjoyed the book.
It is my time to rant! Oh my gosh. Those last three chapters were amazing, sure, but getting to them was just so not worth it. It's not a character-driven book, it's not a plot-driven book, it's an idea-driven book. And I just felt so indifferent toward that idea.
The book was exploring different challenges of two different types of societies (and pardon if I butcher any terminology; if it was directly addressed in the book, I already erased it from my memory): one type of society is very communist-like, surviving in harsh conditions, but caring for each other and completely erasing the sense of self. There is no "I" or "my" or "mine", it's all "ours". It's all to be shared and re-distributed amongst the community. And then there is the second community: very capitalist-like, where possession of anything and everything is the exact point, because if you don't hold the rights to an idea then what is the actual point. You naturally have the top 1% ultra-rich or privileged who enjoy all the pleasures of life, then you have the majority of the poor and middle class, and then you have various societal issues that arise from inequality like gender discrimination (no scientist from that community could imagine working with a woman, out of all things).
And then you have the main character. The protagonist. The anarchist in a communist society, the one who does not belong anywhere because he wants absolute freedom to do whatever he wants, because even in his perfect everyone-shares-everything society, a hierarchy naturally establishes itself, and if you find yourself on the wrong side of the hierarchy, then you will have a tough time doing what you actually want and he wants to fight against that.
What a noble cause, right. Wow, even I got excited writing about the description of the book like that. Like, that would be such a cool book, right?
I don't know what happened, but it just felt so... not there. It felt like a philosophical essay disguised as a story, where the characters and the plot really didn't matter, what mattered was the author's ideas and musings. But I could not get behind that, I did not want ideas shoved down my throat, I wanted to be presented with subtle questions that arose from situations the characters found themselves in and find answers to them myself. Instead, I got word dumps of philosophical musings on multiple pages, where the questions and the answers are presented to you right away.
And the story and characters did not help at all. If I cared about at least one of those elements, I could have enjoyed it. I could have gotten behind the idea the author was trying to communicate. I could have warmed up to thinking through what the character was thinking, like, really committing to thinking about it. But no. The main character feels bland. The interactions between the characters are so unrealistic. There was a moment I remember vividly that occurred between the main character and this woman (who will later become the mother of his child), and it went something like this (artistic interpretation from a person who read the book a few months ago, not an actual quote):
Him: 'so all this time, you...?'
Her: 'yes, I did. and you did too'
Him: 'but why didn't you tell me?'
Her: 'because you already knew'
Him: and that's when he realized that yes, he did, he knew
Can't tell what they are talking about? Me neither!! But they basically just agreed to start a family together because they both were crushing on each other for a while or something because they felt they had similarities and wanted the same thing (aka having a family, in this society that actually discourages that bc of the risk of making the child "yours" and not just "community's kid aka everyone's kid"), and I guess that makes sense in the grand context of the general idea, but it makes no sense from the perspective of just two people talking to each other. You can't just know what the other person is thinking, you talk about it! That's what the medium of words is for, you wankers! And that really got to me. If you can't tell. It is very dramatic. And I am normally all for dramatic, I love dramatic, but as I explained, I did not find any personality traits that I liked in the main character, so I just was not feeling it the entire time.
To sum it up, I just did nooot like this book. The first half was the worst. Second half was slightly better. The last three chapters were mind-blowing, but because I feel so salty about the other 6 to 8 hours I had to waste slogging through stuff I did not like, I'm giving this book a 2/5. It would have been a 1 if it wasn't for the last three chapters that saved it.
This book will definitely be better on a re-read, but am I putting myself through that ordeal again? Absolutely not.
Now, what should you take away from this review? Well, for starters, look at the rating and at how many people are praising it. There is a high chance that you will actually like it, especially if you open yourself to a more classic-feeling kind of book, where it's really all about the idea and not so much about the execution (which did get better, especially in the last three chapters, but like I said already, the rest of it just did not sit well with me). It is, at this point, considered somewhat of a classic if I'm not mistaken? I don't know. But I know a lot of the book club people were super hyped about it.
I personally was not hyped because I do not go into books with high expectations just as a general rule. And it still failed me. So yeah, this is a genuine 2/5 stars. Which I am lowkey proud of. The first book that I legitimately didn't like! I typically love every book I read, or I am at least mildly entertained, so finding something different is actually nice now that I think about it. Like, even though I hated some parts, this was the first time I hated them, and for that, I lowkey love this book? Like, thanks for making me feel all these new things! Towards a piece of literature! Like, this is my first dislike towards a book, and such a highly-liked book as well.
Weird ending, right? But it just feels like a right of passage for a typical reader, you know. I talk to so many people who read so many books, a lot more than I've read in my lifetime, and all of them have books they absolutely loathe and hate. And I did not have that because I managed to find something entertaining about every book I read, even some of the worst ones. But this one? This is my first legit disliked book. And that makes it just a little special.
tl;dr: Even though I gave this book a 2/5, I am most likely an outlier, you might still enjoy this book, and if you don't, you can just join me down below here where we can really rant about it so it'll be a win-win :3
It's been a few months since I've read it at this point, and it actually took a minute for me to remember what the name of the book was. Seems like I am slowly erasing it from my memory.
First, I'll get into the good and neutral things. I will warn you when the rant is incoming so you can jump off the ship if you don't like that sort of thing. I see and appreciate all the people who loved this book and wrote so many good things about it, I just also need a space to shout my frustrations into the void. But don't worry, that time and space is not now. Not yet.
Good and neutral things! So. The last three chapters were actually lowkey amazing. Highkey amazing. The way two different timelines tied together was very neat, and I am a huge fan of that. I can't even think of any plot holes that remained at that point, it was just so neatly cleaned up. I can tell the author thought long and hard about the plot. (or maybe not at all and it's just a natural talent, who knows!) Either way, it was very cool. I'm into that sort of thing so it's double cool in my eyes.
Now, the rant. I know that I just said one good thing, I just couldn't remember anything else. Proceed with caution if you enjoyed the book.
It is my time to rant! Oh my gosh. Those last three chapters were amazing, sure, but getting to them was just so not worth it. It's not a character-driven book, it's not a plot-driven book, it's an idea-driven book. And I just felt so indifferent toward that idea.
The book was exploring different challenges of two different types of societies (and pardon if I butcher any terminology; if it was directly addressed in the book, I already erased it from my memory): one type of society is very communist-like, surviving in harsh conditions, but caring for each other and completely erasing the sense of self. There is no "I" or "my" or "mine", it's all "ours". It's all to be shared and re-distributed amongst the community. And then there is the second community: very capitalist-like, where possession of anything and everything is the exact point, because if you don't hold the rights to an idea then what is the actual point. You naturally have the top 1% ultra-rich or privileged who enjoy all the pleasures of life, then you have the majority of the poor and middle class, and then you have various societal issues that arise from inequality like gender discrimination (no scientist from that community could imagine working with a woman, out of all things).
And then you have the main character. The protagonist. The anarchist in a communist society, the one who does not belong anywhere because he wants absolute freedom to do whatever he wants, because even in his perfect everyone-shares-everything society, a hierarchy naturally establishes itself, and if you find yourself on the wrong side of the hierarchy, then you will have a tough time doing what you actually want and he wants to fight against that.
What a noble cause, right. Wow, even I got excited writing about the description of the book like that. Like, that would be such a cool book, right?
I don't know what happened, but it just felt so... not there. It felt like a philosophical essay disguised as a story, where the characters and the plot really didn't matter, what mattered was the author's ideas and musings. But I could not get behind that, I did not want ideas shoved down my throat, I wanted to be presented with subtle questions that arose from situations the characters found themselves in and find answers to them myself. Instead, I got word dumps of philosophical musings on multiple pages, where the questions and the answers are presented to you right away.
And the story and characters did not help at all. If I cared about at least one of those elements, I could have enjoyed it. I could have gotten behind the idea the author was trying to communicate. I could have warmed up to thinking through what the character was thinking, like, really committing to thinking about it. But no. The main character feels bland. The interactions between the characters are so unrealistic. There was a moment I remember vividly that occurred between the main character and this woman (who will later become the mother of his child), and it went something like this (artistic interpretation from a person who read the book a few months ago, not an actual quote):
Him: 'so all this time, you...?'
Her: 'yes, I did. and you did too'
Him: 'but why didn't you tell me?'
Her: 'because you already knew'
Him: and that's when he realized that yes, he did, he knew
Can't tell what they are talking about? Me neither!! But they basically just agreed to start a family together because they both were crushing on each other for a while or something because they felt they had similarities and wanted the same thing (aka having a family, in this society that actually discourages that bc of the risk of making the child "yours" and not just "community's kid aka everyone's kid"), and I guess that makes sense in the grand context of the general idea, but it makes no sense from the perspective of just two people talking to each other. You can't just know what the other person is thinking, you talk about it! That's what the medium of words is for, you wankers! And that really got to me. If you can't tell. It is very dramatic. And I am normally all for dramatic, I love dramatic, but as I explained, I did not find any personality traits that I liked in the main character, so I just was not feeling it the entire time.
To sum it up, I just did nooot like this book. The first half was the worst. Second half was slightly better. The last three chapters were mind-blowing, but because I feel so salty about the other 6 to 8 hours I had to waste slogging through stuff I did not like, I'm giving this book a 2/5. It would have been a 1 if it wasn't for the last three chapters that saved it.
This book will definitely be better on a re-read, but am I putting myself through that ordeal again? Absolutely not.
Now, what should you take away from this review? Well, for starters, look at the rating and at how many people are praising it. There is a high chance that you will actually like it, especially if you open yourself to a more classic-feeling kind of book, where it's really all about the idea and not so much about the execution (which did get better, especially in the last three chapters, but like I said already, the rest of it just did not sit well with me). It is, at this point, considered somewhat of a classic if I'm not mistaken? I don't know. But I know a lot of the book club people were super hyped about it.
I personally was not hyped because I do not go into books with high expectations just as a general rule. And it still failed me. So yeah, this is a genuine 2/5 stars. Which I am lowkey proud of. The first book that I legitimately didn't like! I typically love every book I read, or I am at least mildly entertained, so finding something different is actually nice now that I think about it. Like, even though I hated some parts, this was the first time I hated them, and for that, I lowkey love this book? Like, thanks for making me feel all these new things! Towards a piece of literature! Like, this is my first dislike towards a book, and such a highly-liked book as well.
Weird ending, right? But it just feels like a right of passage for a typical reader, you know. I talk to so many people who read so many books, a lot more than I've read in my lifetime, and all of them have books they absolutely loathe and hate. And I did not have that because I managed to find something entertaining about every book I read, even some of the worst ones. But this one? This is my first legit disliked book. And that makes it just a little special.
tl;dr: Even though I gave this book a 2/5, I am most likely an outlier, you might still enjoy this book, and if you don't, you can just join me down below here where we can really rant about it so it'll be a win-win :3
More...