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nicoledrabek's reviews
156 reviews
Ternion of Tarr: A Simgra Series Novel by Bethany Arliss
adventurous
emotional
fast-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? No
3.5
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book!
Overall, this was an fun fast paced, mostly plot driven, fantasy that definitely kept me on my toes. The magic system was interesting, based in the elements and giving those who have magic a numbered rank. I wanted more from the worldbuilding in the magic system, but I'm sure it will be built upon in the following books in the series. The characters were lively and I loved the way the three POV characters work together.
Overall, this was an fun fast paced, mostly plot driven, fantasy that definitely kept me on my toes. The magic system was interesting, based in the elements and giving those who have magic a numbered rank. I wanted more from the worldbuilding in the magic system, but I'm sure it will be built upon in the following books in the series. The characters were lively and I loved the way the three POV characters work together.
A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
thanks to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a review!
tessonja odette you've done it again. written yet another perfectly fluffy romantasy. the lightest enemies to lovers i have ever seen with the cutest banter and our male mc telling edwina "use me". i don't usually love historical romances, but this was a rare one that i truly enjoyed, and i think that is mostly because the historical aspects operate mostly in the background. the romance between edwina and william is front and center. after this one, odette has become one of my auto read authors, everything she puts out is incredible.
tessonja odette you've done it again. written yet another perfectly fluffy romantasy. the lightest enemies to lovers i have ever seen with the cutest banter and our male mc telling edwina "use me". i don't usually love historical romances, but this was a rare one that i truly enjoyed, and i think that is mostly because the historical aspects operate mostly in the background. the romance between edwina and william is front and center. after this one, odette has become one of my auto read authors, everything she puts out is incredible.
Markless by C.G. Malburi
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
5.0
thanks to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a review!
this has everything. royalty. politics. magic. soulmates. enemies to lovers. doomed from the start relationship. happy ever after ending. i ate up every single word. this book was phenomenal, i loved and cared about all of the characters even when they were making poor decisions because i could understand why those decisions were being made.
the world building was great, the character growth was so compelling to read. 10/10 highly recommend.
this has everything. royalty. politics. magic. soulmates. enemies to lovers. doomed from the start relationship. happy ever after ending. i ate up every single word. this book was phenomenal, i loved and cared about all of the characters even when they were making poor decisions because i could understand why those decisions were being made.
the world building was great, the character growth was so compelling to read. 10/10 highly recommend.
Cry of Fangs by Kailey Alessi
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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
4.25
Thanks to BookSirens for providing me with an e-arc of this book, this did not impact my review.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to! This is character driven book standing in the background of a more sweeping political landscape. You get to see the political plot points of this novel unfold and the relationship between these countries dissolve through the lives of the POV characters. The character all have quite different experiences based on where they are, the power they have (or don't have), and what morals are guiding them. These characters are pushed and pulled around by their circumstances and systems around them, rather than having the power to do so for themselves.
I think this world could've used a little more building, which may have pushed this rating a little higher for me because I loveeeee a complex fantasy world. As the story unfolds you learn plenty about how humans and vampires interact in this world, but there is less about how these countries ended up this way or why they are feuding in the first place. Despite this, I never found myself confused while reading, so there's that. The cover is beautiful, the plot isn't overly convoluted, and enjoyable to read.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to! This is character driven book standing in the background of a more sweeping political landscape. You get to see the political plot points of this novel unfold and the relationship between these countries dissolve through the lives of the POV characters. The character all have quite different experiences based on where they are, the power they have (or don't have), and what morals are guiding them. These characters are pushed and pulled around by their circumstances and systems around them, rather than having the power to do so for themselves.
I think this world could've used a little more building, which may have pushed this rating a little higher for me because I loveeeee a complex fantasy world. As the story unfolds you learn plenty about how humans and vampires interact in this world, but there is less about how these countries ended up this way or why they are feuding in the first place. Despite this, I never found myself confused while reading, so there's that. The cover is beautiful, the plot isn't overly convoluted, and enjoyable to read.
Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review!
I loved this book, it's such a sweet sapphic romance, and delivers on its promise of being for fans of Holly Black. It's a cozy little fantasy with the perfect blend of plot and romance, one doesn't overtake the other in importance which I really enjoyed. These characters were sweet, simple but well rounded, and easy to like from the start to the end.
I loved this book, it's such a sweet sapphic romance, and delivers on its promise of being for fans of Holly Black. It's a cozy little fantasy with the perfect blend of plot and romance, one doesn't overtake the other in importance which I really enjoyed. These characters were sweet, simple but well rounded, and easy to like from the start to the end.
The Atrocity Engine by Tim Waggoner
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review!
This book was weird, funny, and so so gory. It really worked for me. I enjoyed the brain game of trying to piece together in the world inside our world, and how things escalated further and further beyond what I could've imagined, to almost campy levels at times. This was really enjoyable as a sci-fi urban fantasy for me.
This book was weird, funny, and so so gory. It really worked for me. I enjoyed the brain game of trying to piece together in the world inside our world, and how things escalated further and further beyond what I could've imagined, to almost campy levels at times. This was really enjoyable as a sci-fi urban fantasy for me.
Curse of the Nautilus by Ralynn Kimie
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review.
This was described as a villain origin story, and boy did it deliver on that front. Anela was an interesting main character to get behind, and my girl was justified in the decisions she made for sure. I found all of the characters interesting and compelling, and there is certainly no clear hero in this story. In terms of storyline and pacing, I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half because the character and world building was so interesting. The pacing at the end felt like we were racing to the finish, but nonetheless, I enjoyed. The tension and darkness worked well together.
Content warning for on page sexual assault, which happens twice during the book.
This was described as a villain origin story, and boy did it deliver on that front. Anela was an interesting main character to get behind, and my girl was justified in the decisions she made for sure. I found all of the characters interesting and compelling, and there is certainly no clear hero in this story. In terms of storyline and pacing, I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half because the character and world building was so interesting. The pacing at the end felt like we were racing to the finish, but nonetheless, I enjoyed. The tension and darkness worked well together.
Content warning for on page sexual assault, which happens twice during the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape
Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.25
This was gut wrenching start to finish for me in the best way. The start of Orphia finding herself, her purpose, and her power is incredibly compelling. The romance between Orphia and Eurydicius was lyrical and heartbreaking. If you've read the original myth, no huge changes there. The way John expands and develops these characters, Orphia especially, through a lens of being a woman with innate power at a time where women were not able to do much of anything at all. I do loveeeeee most modernized myth retellings, and this one hit all the markers for me, especially with the romance and tragedy that comes along with the myth.
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a e-ARC in exchange for a review!
Long story short, this one wasn't for me. This book's setting is as bright and shiny as the cover, a world not entirely unlike ours except for the fact that there is very little land for people to live on so life centers around the water. I found the idea of this story being told through letters intriguing, but I found the plot aimless at times and I didn't seem to really know what was going on.
If you like light academia in a really cool setting, nerdy scholars solving a mystery and also falling in love, and some pretty flowery language, pick this one up.
Long story short, this one wasn't for me. This book's setting is as bright and shiny as the cover, a world not entirely unlike ours except for the fact that there is very little land for people to live on so life centers around the water. I found the idea of this story being told through letters intriguing, but I found the plot aimless at times and I didn't seem to really know what was going on.
If you like light academia in a really cool setting, nerdy scholars solving a mystery and also falling in love, and some pretty flowery language, pick this one up.
The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg
adventurous
funny
tense
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
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review!
I was initially drawn to this book by the cover, which lived up to every expectation I had for it. This book is a thrill ride from start to finish, especially because the plot does not stop. Not for a second. Ex is a fun mc and the cast of characters built around him are just as engaging (I personally have a soft spot for The Hound). The magic system rocks, and I did not find myself confused or unsure of how it worked, so kudos to the author for describing/explaining it well. The part that I found cramped was trying to balance the character growth storylines in a book where the plot is so intense and moves so quickly. In a longer story, you may have some more breathing room to help develop more of the character's emotional states and changes. If you're looking for an in depth character study, this one may not be for you. But if you are looking for a beautiful setting with an equally exciting plot, pick this one up.
I was initially drawn to this book by the cover, which lived up to every expectation I had for it. This book is a thrill ride from start to finish, especially because the plot does not stop. Not for a second. Ex is a fun mc and the cast of characters built around him are just as engaging (I personally have a soft spot for The Hound). The magic system rocks, and I did not find myself confused or unsure of how it worked, so kudos to the author for describing/explaining it well. The part that I found cramped was trying to balance the character growth storylines in a book where the plot is so intense and moves so quickly. In a longer story, you may have some more breathing room to help develop more of the character's emotional states and changes. If you're looking for an in depth character study, this one may not be for you. But if you are looking for a beautiful setting with an equally exciting plot, pick this one up.