nicoledrabek's reviews
177 reviews

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.

Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a review!

This book was very much middle of the road to me in a lot of ways. It was well written, the adventure plot was engaging, and I was rooting for the romance of Ellie and Adam to get together. It was definitely a slowwwww burn which I enjoyed. I don't know if I'll be picking up the next book in the series, but I think I need to sit with this one a little longer before I decide.

The Jaguar Mask by Michael J. DeLuca

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adventurous challenging mysterious 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

3.5

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review!

Boy this story has layers, where the main characters' involvement is only surface level in the grand scheme of the larger systemic issues that are hinted at throughout the book in relation to class and capitalism. I found myself more interested in how these characters were going to get involved with the larger issues happening, which never happened, but I still found this entertaining. The magic in this book is soooo cool. It adds so much to the atmosphere and was one of the main reasons I picked this up in the first place, and it didn't disappoint.

At times I found the pacing of this difficult, as some of the chapters are very long, but if that isn't a bother to you then it won't be an issue!

A Tale of Something New by D.S. McColgan

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read! The two halves of this book felt incredibly different, but connected through the trauma that our fmc experiences at about that point. The first half read like a slice-of-life story, where we followed our fmc through her life as a farmer's daughter and the marriage expectations placed on her. The second half of the book is a story of survival and how far a mother would go to protect her child.

I found the matter-of-fact writing style to be a downside to this. I usually prefer more descriptive, flowery language. This may have something do to with the translation of this work (which I believe was written originally in German) so I'm suspicious that some of that writing style I enjoy may have gotten muddled between the two.

To Cage a God by Elizabeth May

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adventurous emotional hopeful slow-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

4.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of To Cage a God.

I really enjoyed this one! I found all of the characters compelling, the magic system interesting, and boy was I rooting for the romantic relationships involved. The writing itself was lovely, and while I found the pacing slow at times, I don't think that it took much of my enjoyment away while reading but I did find myself skimming some of the longer worldbuilding sections.

Overall, very enjoyable, great LGBTQ+ and disability rep, and interesting plot!

Vultures in the House of Silence by Abdul Latif Abdul Razak

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review!

This book is beautifully written, Latif has real talent in the way they write and it shows through in the richness of this book. The setting is wonderful and unique, I haven't read anything like it before, and the writing style really allowed me to sink into Baghdad with these characters.'

While I found the writing itself beautiful in its detail and ability to help me envision the story, I found the plot itself to not be especially grabbing to me. I enjoyed the book, but am having a hard time thinking about something about the plot that truly stuck out to me.

Mighty Quill by Emmaline Strange

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced