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nikolinaza's reviews
526 reviews
The Silence of Bones by June Hur
5.0
Trigger warnings: violence, misogyny, murder, death, animal abuse (mentioned), suicide (mentioned).
As an indentured servant, Seol is tasked to assist the respectable young Inspector Han to handle a murder case of a noblewoman. The two formed an almost friend-like bond along the way, but when the evidences turned against him and the tangled thread of her past started to unravel, Seol's loyalty is tested to its limit.
This book was as cold as how the cover portrayed it to be.
The era of Joseon, surrounded by cold mountains and misty forests, with a sadistic killer on the loose, June Hur's beautiful phrases did an excellent job to complete its iciness. I don't usually like books with overly long explanations of the settings, but I'm making an exception for this one.
The historical aspect is well researched and written. It was not an usual info-dumping, as a lot of hisfic books does, but it was a great mixture of real historical person and Hur's very own character. It was the first time I've read the explanation of this part of history, written by the author after the epilogue, because it was so intereseting. If only there are fictions about Lady Kang too....
There was no romance, but the Seol's relationships and dynamics with other characters were hard to miss. Safe to say there were no filler characters—even if they only appeared for two seconds, I'm warning you, they have their own important role in the whole mystery. So if you're reading this, watch out.
I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book for weeks.
As an indentured servant, Seol is tasked to assist the respectable young Inspector Han to handle a murder case of a noblewoman. The two formed an almost friend-like bond along the way, but when the evidences turned against him and the tangled thread of her past started to unravel, Seol's loyalty is tested to its limit.
This book was as cold as how the cover portrayed it to be.
The era of Joseon, surrounded by cold mountains and misty forests, with a sadistic killer on the loose, June Hur's beautiful phrases did an excellent job to complete its iciness. I don't usually like books with overly long explanations of the settings, but I'm making an exception for this one.
The historical aspect is well researched and written. It was not an usual info-dumping, as a lot of hisfic books does, but it was a great mixture of real historical person and Hur's very own character. It was the first time I've read the explanation of this part of history, written by the author after the epilogue, because it was so intereseting. If only there are fictions about Lady Kang too....
There was no romance, but the Seol's relationships and dynamics with other characters were hard to miss. Safe to say there were no filler characters—even if they only appeared for two seconds, I'm warning you, they have their own important role in the whole mystery. So if you're reading this, watch out.
I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book for weeks.
Spoiler
This may sound unhinged, for the person was not a totally good man, but I found someone to simp for: Inspector Han Dohyun.
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
5.0
A year after the incident with the aunties, Meddy and Nathan are finally ready to tie the knot. They were expecting the big day to be perfect, of course... but is it even a wedding if nobody gets killed?
Holy hell. This book is a loooooooooot more chaotic than its predecessor. From the beginning to the end, starting from the first page, Meddy, Ma, and the other three aunts had never stopped showing their own antics, making mess here and there, and sparking troubles everywhere. They are the type of people who would attract a lot of disaster, but in the end, they always managed to tackle it so well together. Funny and wholesome, that's what could describe the dynamic of Chan Family.
Just like the first book, the mystery is a bit weak and lacking to be taken seriously, but it was a good recipe for more disasters. A lot more chaos, and also a lot more comedic scenes. I struggled to not burst out laughing in the office while reading this.
Holy hell. This book is a loooooooooot more chaotic than its predecessor. From the beginning to the end, starting from the first page, Meddy, Ma, and the other three aunts had never stopped showing their own antics, making mess here and there, and sparking troubles everywhere. They are the type of people who would attract a lot of disaster, but in the end, they always managed to tackle it so well together. Funny and wholesome, that's what could describe the dynamic of Chan Family.
Just like the first book, the mystery is a bit weak and lacking to be taken seriously, but it was a good recipe for more disasters. A lot more chaos, and also a lot more comedic scenes. I struggled to not burst out laughing in the office while reading this.
The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
3.0
In term of erotic thriller, this books gave the right ambience. Deanna was extremely pretty and sexy, and at the same time, the insides of her mind was extremely disturbing and haunting. She was the epitome of the anti-heroine people will root for, and even though this book definitely has a problem with its pacing, I stayed because of her. She's just that alluring, and leaving me wanting for more.
But for the aspect of thriller itself, this book was so lacking. Deanna was a wasted potential in this one. With a character like her, the author could provide a more brutal and bloody storyline which would suit the intense buildup since the beginning. It's too bad, actually.
Still, I'll read the next two books. I wonder what would became of Deanna and the potential hero.
But for the aspect of thriller itself, this book was so lacking. Deanna was a wasted potential in this one. With a character like her, the author could provide a more brutal and bloody storyline which would suit the intense buildup since the beginning. It's too bad, actually.
Still, I'll read the next two books. I wonder what would became of Deanna and the potential hero.
Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor
4.0
Thank God after all these slow books, I found a fast-paced one.
The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
1.0
OH. MY. GOD. Words could never describe how I LOATHE this book. It should've titled "The Problem With You Two" because I can't even stand the hero and the heroine
Pencapaian by Eve Aulyta, Yuu Sasih
5.0
Trigger warnings: rape (mentioned), drug abuse, murder, suicide attempt, violence, homophobia, kidnapping, death.
Setelah menerima telepon bernada aneh dari Aga beberapa minggu lalu, Aji memutuskan untuk datang ke Jakarta demi menemui sahabatnya. Sementara itu, Nata meminta bantuan Tosan, sahabatnya yang cerdas dan memiliki jabatan tinggi di kepolisian untuk menemukan adiknya yang menghilang hampir tanpa jejak. Pertemuan Aji dan Tosan membuat keduanya terlibat dalam sebuah hubungan yang rumit, dan rupanya masalah mereka jauh lebih besar dibanding sekadar menghilangnya Aga.
Di buku terakhir Trilogi Keris Tiga Naga ini, meski Tosan dan Aji didapuk sebagai dua karakter sentral, tetapi masih ada enam tokoh lain dari buku sebelumnya yang turut memaparkan jalinan cerita. Meski begitu, porsi mereka seimbang, sehingga Tosan-Aji tidak terlalu meng-overshadow yang lain, begitu pula sebaliknya. Kendati ada masalah lain bagi pasangan utama kita di buku ini, tetap saja yang menjadi center adalah si keris bertuah.
Meski baru benar-benar disorot kemunculannya di buku terakhir, tetapi kisah Tosan dan Aji berhasil mencuri perhatian. Kukira Lingga sudah berhasil menyabet gelar karakter terberengsek di trilogi ini, tapi rupanya masih ada Tosan. Tarik-ulur yang dia lakukan ke Aji betul-betul bikin panas dingin sekaligus kesal. Tetapi, melihat latar belakangnya sebagai sosok warga non-sipil, mau tidak mau aku jadi bersimpati. Sebagai seseorang yang hidupnya cukup dekat dengan golongan non-sipil, bukan pertama kalinya aku mendengar kasus diskriminasi karena preferensi seksual. I never understand why a great person got reduced only to their sexuality.
Dan melihat Aji yang sabar dan bucin banget meski setelah lihat tingkah polahnya Tosan... mon chéri, j'espère que tu seras heureux toujours.
Endgame yang disajikan buku ini cukup spektakuler. Bukan tipe-tipe ending yang bikin melongo saking banyaknya plot twist, tetapi ini tipe yang membuat pembaca terdiam sejenak dan berpikir, "Karena satu benda aja masalahnya bisa merambat panjang kali lebar kali tinggi begini, ya?"
Raja Adiwangsa, you dumb. Fucking. Bitch. *insert Maddy Perez's voice here*
Meski begitu, masih ada beberapa hal yang rasanya belum terselesaikan. Contohnya, masa lalu Wara. Sampai pada halaman terakhir, kita tidak pernah tahu apa yang akan terjadi kalau orang-orang dari masa lalunya kembali menemukan dia, apalagi setelah kejadian yang menimpa Lingga, Tosan, dan Aji yang juga berhubungan dengan orang-orang sejenis. Rasanya cerita dibiarkan menggantung begitu saja.
Atau... Ada indikasi kalau kisah Aga-Wara cs akan berlanjut di luar universe Keris Tiga Naga?
Setelah menerima telepon bernada aneh dari Aga beberapa minggu lalu, Aji memutuskan untuk datang ke Jakarta demi menemui sahabatnya. Sementara itu, Nata meminta bantuan Tosan, sahabatnya yang cerdas dan memiliki jabatan tinggi di kepolisian untuk menemukan adiknya yang menghilang hampir tanpa jejak. Pertemuan Aji dan Tosan membuat keduanya terlibat dalam sebuah hubungan yang rumit, dan rupanya masalah mereka jauh lebih besar dibanding sekadar menghilangnya Aga.
Di buku terakhir Trilogi Keris Tiga Naga ini, meski Tosan dan Aji didapuk sebagai dua karakter sentral, tetapi masih ada enam tokoh lain dari buku sebelumnya yang turut memaparkan jalinan cerita. Meski begitu, porsi mereka seimbang, sehingga Tosan-Aji tidak terlalu meng-overshadow yang lain, begitu pula sebaliknya. Kendati ada masalah lain bagi pasangan utama kita di buku ini, tetap saja yang menjadi center adalah si keris bertuah.
Meski baru benar-benar disorot kemunculannya di buku terakhir, tetapi kisah Tosan dan Aji berhasil mencuri perhatian. Kukira Lingga sudah berhasil menyabet gelar karakter terberengsek di trilogi ini, tapi rupanya masih ada Tosan. Tarik-ulur yang dia lakukan ke Aji betul-betul bikin panas dingin sekaligus kesal. Tetapi, melihat latar belakangnya sebagai sosok warga non-sipil, mau tidak mau aku jadi bersimpati. Sebagai seseorang yang hidupnya cukup dekat dengan golongan non-sipil, bukan pertama kalinya aku mendengar kasus diskriminasi karena preferensi seksual. I never understand why a great person got reduced only to their sexuality.
Dan melihat Aji yang sabar dan bucin banget meski setelah lihat tingkah polahnya Tosan... mon chéri, j'espère que tu seras heureux toujours.
Endgame yang disajikan buku ini cukup spektakuler. Bukan tipe-tipe ending yang bikin melongo saking banyaknya plot twist, tetapi ini tipe yang membuat pembaca terdiam sejenak dan berpikir, "Karena satu benda aja masalahnya bisa merambat panjang kali lebar kali tinggi begini, ya?"
Raja Adiwangsa, you dumb. Fucking. Bitch. *insert Maddy Perez's voice here*
Meski begitu, masih ada beberapa hal yang rasanya belum terselesaikan. Contohnya, masa lalu Wara. Sampai pada halaman terakhir, kita tidak pernah tahu apa yang akan terjadi kalau orang-orang dari masa lalunya kembali menemukan dia, apalagi setelah kejadian yang menimpa Lingga, Tosan, dan Aji yang juga berhubungan dengan orang-orang sejenis. Rasanya cerita dibiarkan menggantung begitu saja.
Atau... Ada indikasi kalau kisah Aga-Wara cs akan berlanjut di luar universe Keris Tiga Naga?