Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mitzee's reviews
354 reviews
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’ve seen quite a few reviews that say this book is not as good as the first but I don’t think I noticed a difference. (I’ll also say I didn’t find the first to be exceptional to begin with.) I did like how things progressed and I felt there were either fewer cringey sex scenes or perhaps I just got used to them so those aspects were major pluses for me.
Nevertheless I will probably read the next one when it comes out so now I will write a recap for myself:
Violet continues to be an absolute idiot when it comes to relationships and is really lacking self confidence to the degree that I really don’t understand Xaiden’s continued interest. I suppose I will just chalk it up to them being in their early 20s because I guess I didn’t recognize red flag either at that age.
Andarna finally grows up and is revealed to be a seventh type of mysterious dragon - purple! Whatever that means. Apparently she’s been sitting around for a hundred years just waiting for the right human to come along and be her best friend? I still don’t understand why dragons continue to give ANY shits about humans when they seem to be far superior. Although Taryn said that dragons befriended humans because humans can do magic? Or have thumbs? One of those reasons. But if that’s the case then how did the seven dragons put up the wards? Clearly they can also do magic.
Violets mom died which, as a reader, I couldn’t care less about but I assume some emotional growth will come from it. And on the same night Xaiden becomes a venin. So it will be interesting to see how long it takes for Violet to kill him, I assume it will be the entirety of book 3. I don’t know how the dragons haven’t already done this. I assume they know something is up with him, especially Sigail.
Nevertheless I will probably read the next one when it comes out so now I will write a recap for myself:
Violet continues to be an absolute idiot when it comes to relationships and is really lacking self confidence to the degree that I really don’t understand Xaiden’s continued interest. I suppose I will just chalk it up to them being in their early 20s because I guess I didn’t recognize red flag either at that age.
Andarna finally grows up and is revealed to be a seventh type of mysterious dragon - purple! Whatever that means. Apparently she’s been sitting around for a hundred years just waiting for the right human to come along and be her best friend? I still don’t understand why dragons continue to give ANY shits about humans when they seem to be far superior. Although Taryn said that dragons befriended humans because humans can do magic? Or have thumbs? One of those reasons. But if that’s the case then how did the seven dragons put up the wards? Clearly they can also do magic.
Violets mom died which, as a reader, I couldn’t care less about but I assume some emotional growth will come from it. And on the same night Xaiden becomes a venin. So it will be interesting to see how long it takes for Violet to kill him, I assume it will be the entirety of book 3. I don’t know how the dragons haven’t already done this. I assume they know something is up with him, especially Sigail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Torture, Murder
Portrait in Sepia by
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Really enjoyed the calm and familiarity I felt with this book after listening to the first one. It was fun to revisit the characters of Eliza and Dao at different points in their lives and to see them doing well. Also liked the new characters introduced in this book: Paulina, Frederick, Nivea and Severo.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Generally I liked it but the sex and mentally described desire was really cringey and there was SO much in the second half that I only gave it a 4.5 because it was so cringe.
Summary for myself:
Violet is the primary character. Author makes her out to be so weak and mid at the start that you’re supposed to be impressed that she can creatively problem solve. The fact that she can solve problems and had a mild sense of doing what’s right makes her a very special person in this world. So much so that TWO dragons bond with her - the strongest one and the tiniest one (which most people don’t know is actually a baby dragon).
Riders develop mental connections with their dragons and otherwise the dragons can’t speak vocally. There is also no logic as to why intelligent dragons would even want to do this with humans (form a life bond - if the dragon dies so does the rider but I don’t think it works the other way around, dragons just get depressed)
There’s a lot of angry mental flirting between Violet and Zaiden (which gives cringy Millennials naming their kids with unique names vibes but he’s supposed to be insanely hot - much eye roll) then they finally have very detailed sex. Like the entire sex scene is written out and I don’t know how long it is in pages but it feels like I was listening to it for 15 minutes.
Anyway Violet is shunned by her former best friend Dane - but he gives “I’m a nice guy” vibes which, you know, good riddance. He likes her and supposedly wants to fuck her but it’s all from her perspective and she seems to fall for a lot of lies so what does she know? He ends up betraying her by reading her memories/mind with his (signet - everyone who bonds with a dragon has a special power) and uses it to try to kill Zaiden and the kids of people who tried to rebel against whatever this empire led by humans is. The rebels were killed but their children were allowed to either choose death or to be conscripted into their Air Force.
Book ends with Violet, Zaiden, and Zaiden’s crew of rebel babies (formerly thought to be bad) going back to their hideout town (that was thought to be destroyed) and Violet being greeted by her only brother (thought to be dead and died fighting these rebels)
Oh and also magic wizards called Venem? and their wyverns ( which they created and control using powerful magic) are real and not just stories that Violet was told by her father.
Summary for myself:
Violet is the primary character. Author makes her out to be so weak and mid at the start that you’re supposed to be impressed that she can creatively problem solve. The fact that she can solve problems and had a mild sense of doing what’s right makes her a very special person in this world. So much so that TWO dragons bond with her - the strongest one and the tiniest one (which most people don’t know is actually a baby dragon).
Riders develop mental connections with their dragons and otherwise the dragons can’t speak vocally. There is also no logic as to why intelligent dragons would even want to do this with humans (form a life bond - if the dragon dies so does the rider but I don’t think it works the other way around, dragons just get depressed)
There’s a lot of angry mental flirting between Violet and Zaiden (which gives cringy Millennials naming their kids with unique names vibes but he’s supposed to be insanely hot - much eye roll) then they finally have very detailed sex. Like the entire sex scene is written out and I don’t know how long it is in pages but it feels like I was listening to it for 15 minutes.
Anyway Violet is shunned by her former best friend Dane - but he gives “I’m a nice guy” vibes which, you know, good riddance. He likes her and supposedly wants to fuck her but it’s all from her perspective and she seems to fall for a lot of lies so what does she know? He ends up betraying her by reading her memories/mind with his (signet - everyone who bonds with a dragon has a special power) and uses it to try to kill Zaiden and the kids of people who tried to rebel against whatever this empire led by humans is. The rebels were killed but their children were allowed to either choose death or to be conscripted into their Air Force.
Book ends with Violet, Zaiden, and Zaiden’s crew of rebel babies (formerly thought to be bad) going back to their hideout town (that was thought to be destroyed) and Violet being greeted by her only brother (thought to be dead and died fighting these rebels)
Oh and also magic wizards called Venem? and their wyverns ( which they created and control using powerful magic) are real and not just stories that Violet was told by her father.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
I love the connection between creatures and people, something I really enjoyed about The Drowning Empire. Although magic was talked about in this book I felt like it wasn’t heavily featured, I wonder if it will be come more prominent in the rest of the series.
Summary for myself:
Yeeran and Little are sisters who share the same father. Yeeran was a general in the Queen’s Army and Rian is a solder under her command. Yeeran ends up being exiled and sent out of the kingdom, Lettle and Rian go after her. In the wild Yeeran kills an obia (oh-bee-yah - a beast that sounds like a bear+deer, it has both antlers and claws, potentially even sharp teeth but I think they only eat veg) for food or something and that’s when they realize that these animals are bound to a Fae. The Fae and Humans are said to have died off long ago and only elves are left but it seems that Fae were just cursed to live in a secret world (underground?)
While Yeeran, Lettle, and Rian are taken prisoner because Yeeran killed the obia bound to the prince -which then also killed the prince - they end up becoming part of the fae world. Yeeran and Rian find out they have fae blood (they don’t know their parents well) and not only random fae blood but dynastic fae blood. Yeeran fell in love with the queen. Lettle and Rian fell in love with each other. Yeeran wants to leave and only royalty can let them go. Lettle begs her to stay/ not abandon her again for WAR and she basically does not. It’s fucked. Book ends with Yeeran leaving while Rian is king or prince and Lettle is a Seer (like a diviner) and they both stay.
Summary for myself:
While Yeeran, Lettle, and Rian are taken prisoner because Yeeran killed the obia bound to the prince -which then also killed the prince - they end up becoming part of the fae world. Yeeran and Rian find out they have fae blood (they don’t know their parents well) and not only random fae blood but dynastic fae blood. Yeeran fell in love with the queen. Lettle and Rian fell in love with each other. Yeeran wants to leave and only royalty can let them go. Lettle begs her to stay/ not abandon her again for WAR and she basically does not. It’s fucked. Book ends with Yeeran leaving while Rian is king or prince and Lettle is a Seer (like a diviner) and they both stay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Murder
We Unleash the Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Nicole Galland, Neal Stephenson
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Loved this combination of magic and the scientific method! I always like a fish out of water cliche so it was fun to see that element for humor here.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Perhaps being a fan of the Constantine movies really primed me for these books, I really enjoyed both Hell Bent and Ninth House. I don’t care so much for the lore about Yale and New Haven so much as the lore about ghosts, “magic”, demons, and hell. I personally felt the story and characters were able to avoid being cliche and corny for the genre.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Schools for magic but based in the real world and specifically Yale and some real consequences. Kind of feels like a bit of Constantine with all of the references of tools of work they do. Has themes of classism, sexual assault, drug abuse, ghosts and magic school rules.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma
Minor: Vomit
Augustown by Kei Miller
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.75
I enjoyed it okay but too based in reality compared to what I would prefer to read (sci-to/fantasy). One of those books that winds the stories of a few snippets of individual’s lives that all seem to come together at the end. It wasn’t bad necessarily but I did begin to get distracted about halfway through. Definitely cared more about Ma Taffy and Kaia’s stories but less interested with Bedward. I did feel like I learned a bit about lives and cultures that I don’t experience often.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Excrement
Moderate: Death, Violence
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
I really enjoyed all the characters and it helped that they changed location partway through to a city whose history I am familiar with. It was a lovely little series of adventures.