medievalfantasyqueen's reviews
127 reviews

Blood and Gold by Anne Rice

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

What’s most intriguing about Anne and her vampires is that she does not shy away from exploring pain and problems and extremely messy situations in the world of a vampire - a being who is unperturbed by time. Marius’ and Pandora’s love story here is at the core of the story, stretching across centuries and their meeting at the end, drives home the fact that they are in fact, vampires, facing problems that come with their resistance to time. Immortality isn’t just a characteristic, it is a whole state of being - and Marius is an example of that. 

The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya, Vol I by Reimena Yee

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

5.0

A beautiful and charming story about love and destiny, and its power to pull itself back from even the deepest of despairs. I adored Zeynel and Ayse as characters, especially, and I am incredibly curious to see how the  story continues in Volume 2. 
As a vampire fan, I adored the sprinkling of lore from Eastern Europe and Turkey (and Islamic and pre-Islamic traditions), particularly the inclusion of both the ghul and the djinni, and the contemplation of Zeynel over his morality once he turns into a djinni/vampire. 
It is refreshing to see diversified representations of the much beloved vampire stories, and I hope that more people find this and give it a read.

The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice

4.0

Waking The Dead And Other Stories by Yvette Tan

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

A fascinating collection of Yvette Tan's horror tales, ranging from the supernatural to the horrors humans inflict upon each other, Waking the Dead is its best when operating on retaining the unknown as the unknown, and the mystery as a mystery. My personal favourites were "Stella for Star" and "Kulog", though others were good and unique in their own ways.
A strong recommendation to anyone interested in Filipino horror and folklore, and shoutout to my buddy for gifting this copy to me.

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by Anne Rice

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful addition to Anne Rice’s beloved classic, told from the perspective of one of her most tragic characters, Claudia, in stunningly beautiful graphic novel. 

The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

dark tense slow-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

3.75

Once you get past the structure of the book and the lore drops, the plot is quite thin but Lestat coming from his damsel in distress mode to utterly giddy towards the end in his reunion with Louis, and the messy but creative origin of vampires makes this an interesting addition to the Chronicles.

The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak

emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Set in Ottoman Turkiye, The Architect's Apprentice takes you on a journey through the minarets and streets, and the grandeur of the palaces and harems and the squalor of the commoner streets. I like how Shafak does not shy away from the depiction of the unpleasant aspects of life, including fratricide, plagues and the treatment of those deemed as the Other from the majority. I adored the way the relationship between the protagonist, Jahan and his white elephant, Chota, forms the bulk of the story around which everything else happens. Very touching, very heartfelt, a must-read for any animal-lover out there.

Iron Maiden Legacy of the Beast Volume 2: Night City by Llexi Leon, Ian Edington

adventurous funny inspiring tense medium-paced

4.0

There is seriously no better music genre to be a fan of than metal because the entire band are nerds and they are so in love with their mascot that they make him into a freaking adorably lovable hero and you, being a nerd yourself, and in great need of great on-the-verge of an apocalypse type setting with a toss of sword and sorcery and dark magic thrown in, with a Dungeons and Dragons kind of atmosphere and nerdy references thrown in, cannot help but devour it in moments.
Full of heart, and I can feel the love for us, the fans.

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

I am extremely biased in my rating here because this is all about my bestest boy of the bestest boys, on his journey to becoming good because, Loki my boy, you are good! Glad to see you are noticing that. 
I enjoyed the succinct way the story was told, and how it is so poignant in its simplicity. Cannot wait for the sequel!

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Probably one of the most devastatingly bleak books I’ve read in the year, Dune Messiah makes a startling warning figure out of its protagonist, Paul Muad’dib Atriedes, and is a raw exploration of the utter catastrophe that blind hero worship and the veneration of ideas and ideologies without critical thought can bring upon civilisations, and the battle of free will against preordained destinies.