medievalfantasyqueen's reviews
127 reviews

Final Fantasy VII: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story by Kazushige Nojima

adventurous emotional medium-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

4.25

The Turks and Rufus are my favourite side characters from the FF7 franchise so naturally, this was going to be an eventual must-read. I enjoyed Evan and Kyrie as characters, and I particularly enjoyed seeing Rufus and the Turks from Evan's perspective, including the softer, more emotionally withdrawn side of Rufus after his geostigma, and the odd protectiveness the Turks - particularly Reno - show towards Evan and Kyrie. It is overall, a great read and a nice interlude into the lives of characters we meet in Remake (and later Rebirth), and I do sincerely hope we get to see Evan somewhere later on in the third game. A must read for any FF7 fan!

Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers by Wayne Rée, Benjamin Chee

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

4.0

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

As a vampire fan, I liked the inclusion of vampires being simultaneously powerful and victims - particularly to do with drugged vampires used in colonial battles. Particularly with Arthie's revelation and her parallels to Arthurian legend, and the introduction of half-vampires, I hope we get to see more vampires coming up in the coming sequel and Arthie/Matteo, hopefully!

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I liked how other than Arthie and Jin, I was shoving my suspicions around about the other characters throughout and in the end, when *that scene* happened, I felt satisfied. I wonder if there could have been more foreshadowing done in the initial parts of the books but I understand why the holding back happened. Nevertheless, coming at this as a vampire fan - I adored the vampire lore primed into this story, where they are simultaneously powerful and also victims of their circumstances, particularly the use of drugged vampires in colonial wars. I hope that in the next book, we get introduced to more vampires and perhaps a bit of room for Arthie/Matteo? :) 

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

An excellent end to the duology, with loose ends tied up, and I was especially happy with the inclusion of Altair as a POV character. I adored seeing the development of the inter-character relationships, and Altair's on-the-feet thinking come to light. Particularly stark to me

was the brutal slaughter of the safin, especially after you are told that they only isolated themselves for their own safety due to their personal inability to produce more of their kind, rather than just a selfish reason

. I also wondered if perhaps more could have been revealed about the apparent link Nasir shared with Altair.

Fangs by Sarah Andersen

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.75

A charming little love story between a vampire and a werewolf, with some cute pop culture references tossed in, and funny stereotypes challenged. More like a vignette slice of life type of book.

The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

I adored the lightness of the book - the illustrations, the character dialogue and the overall plot - all of which resemble a moth’s wing in its delicacy and softness. I’m not sure if that’s what the author intended, but nevertheless, that light, gentle warmth that accompanies a cup of fenugreek tea accompanies you as you follow sweet Anya, who grows into her responsibility of being her village’s Moth Keeper. I love how you essentially learn about ecology here - where species and life are intricately interconnected and interdependent, and how in the end, Anya grows into her role - like a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a moth. An excellent read!

The Doll by Ismail Kadare

3.5

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

emotional reflective medium-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

5.0

With a focus on the tumultuous inner life of a Palestinian-American woman, Yara, struggling to come to terms with herself, her traumas and her lives - both as an Arab woman living in America, and as a woman she wants and aspires to be, Evil Eye serves as a reminder to never be afraid to change and break the wheels of generational trauma, and demonstrates that it is never too late to get the life that you want. What I liked most was how every character is so human, including Fadi; it is very easy for authors to depict the husband with whom marriage is not too happy as a straight out evil man, but Fadi was as human as Yara was.

They are both better off separately, and you can see how much Yara tried and tried and then decided to do what she knows is best for herself and her family. I also liked how Silas was a genuine friend, without ending up being an affair.

 
A great and eye-opening read to everyone, especially those who feel that they are trapped somehow.