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nooralshanti's reviews
161 reviews
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
4.0
A great fantasy tale with a setting that has the feel of the Roman Empire. I was worried about the hints of romance in it as I don't like romance but it wasn't too much. I liked the way the author used various characters to represent the many different kinds of oppression that exist in empires. Overall a great read and if the next one is available I'll read it as well.
Steel, Blood & Fire by Allan Batchelder
I heard so many good things about this book I jumped to get it during a free promo only to realize it was a grimdark type book. It's expertly written, with some very interesting ideas, but just way too much swearing for me personally.
I will say, though, if you're into things like Game of Thrones and don't mind mature content or swearing then you will probably enjoy it!
I will say, though, if you're into things like Game of Thrones and don't mind mature content or swearing then you will probably enjoy it!
Diamond Marked by Melody Klink
3.0
I'd rate it 3.5 stars
Diamond Marked is an enjoyable YA Fantasy read about a girl who gets thrown into a fantastical realm. It's a combination of three different smaller stories, but they all fit together chronologically and revolve around the same characters so I'm glad I read them together!
I wasn't that into it at first when Leigh was still in-between our world and El'Anret and the writing style wasn't working for me, but once the second part/story rolled around it became a lot more fun and I think the author was getting a lot more comfortable in the world she had created. Many more interesting creatures showed up and the family relationships were explored in a deeper way and we started to see a little bit more of the magic and mythology of the world.
Speaking of family relationships I really like that the author didn't go the cliche easy route of having the heroine be a loner or lose her family at the start or anything. She was pulled into a fantastical world, but at the same time her family were still very important to her and she definitely still had to straddle the line between the two worlds and between her roles in both places.
I think the weakest part of it was the start because we weren't really given a reason to root for the main character's quest, I felt a little bit like she just had things handed to her on a golden plate and was just going along with it, but once the backstories of the characters in the world got going it became much more interesting and there were some pretty high stakes and a few surprises as well!
My favorite of the three stories would have to the second one, Jack of Diamonds, even though it ends on a cliffhanger! The focus shifts to a different main character whose struggle and position I found a little bit more interesting. I won't give away any spoilers, because this is when it started getting very interesting and you should read all three of them together just for this part!
Long story short, this story is a pretty good one that kept me entertained this weekend. Check it out if you like YA fantasy.
Diamond Marked is an enjoyable YA Fantasy read about a girl who gets thrown into a fantastical realm. It's a combination of three different smaller stories, but they all fit together chronologically and revolve around the same characters so I'm glad I read them together!
I wasn't that into it at first when Leigh was still in-between our world and El'Anret and the writing style wasn't working for me, but once the second part/story rolled around it became a lot more fun and I think the author was getting a lot more comfortable in the world she had created. Many more interesting creatures showed up and the family relationships were explored in a deeper way and we started to see a little bit more of the magic and mythology of the world.
Speaking of family relationships I really like that the author didn't go the cliche easy route of having the heroine be a loner or lose her family at the start or anything. She was pulled into a fantastical world, but at the same time her family were still very important to her and she definitely still had to straddle the line between the two worlds and between her roles in both places.
I think the weakest part of it was the start because we weren't really given a reason to root for the main character's quest, I felt a little bit like she just had things handed to her on a golden plate and was just going along with it, but once the backstories of the characters in the world got going it became much more interesting and there were some pretty high stakes and a few surprises as well!
My favorite of the three stories would have to the second one, Jack of Diamonds, even though it ends on a cliffhanger! The focus shifts to a different main character whose struggle and position I found a little bit more interesting. I won't give away any spoilers, because this is when it started getting very interesting and you should read all three of them together just for this part!
Long story short, this story is a pretty good one that kept me entertained this weekend. Check it out if you like YA fantasy.
Cursed Legacy (Aeterna Chronicles #1) by Anna K. Lane
3.0
Cursed Legacy started off awesome. A young baker's apprentice Kallum Farron signs up for test that, if he passes it, would allow him to get a good job at the control center. The test is a simulation that is supposed to test his response, if his heart rate goes up too much or he panics then he's not cut out for the job. He's not sure what they'll show him during the simulation and is afraid that he'll have to face a Reaver, one of the monstrous humanoid creatures that live outside the protective dome. This is great world-building.
The problems start when the story goes on because from that point on every time something interesting happens (and there's a lot of interesting in this story) the action is either bogged down by completely unnecessary details or by a very confusing hallucination that Kallum is having. This might have been ok once or twice, but it happens literally every time we have an action scene. The result is that many awesome things were happening and being revealed, but they were difficult to follow.
Suddenly Kallum was in the middle of plots and plans by people that he knew but we never got a chance to get to know. Plans were being made, but they didn't really progress for pages on end. Really interesting things were revealed about Kallum's past but I didn't get a chance to fully appreciate them because I was trying to piece together the random details.
At the end of the day, though, the story remains really good. There's a well-thought out good backbone to this tale that I am interested in seeing through. It mixes science fiction with fantasy and magic in a good way.
I will be reading the next book and hoping that it's been edited for coherence and clarity a bit more so I can enjoy the rest of this awesome story. If you like sci-fi and fantasy check it out because there's a lot to like about it.
The problems start when the story goes on because from that point on every time something interesting happens (and there's a lot of interesting in this story) the action is either bogged down by completely unnecessary details or by a very confusing hallucination that Kallum is having. This might have been ok once or twice, but it happens literally every time we have an action scene. The result is that many awesome things were happening and being revealed, but they were difficult to follow.
Suddenly Kallum was in the middle of plots and plans by people that he knew but we never got a chance to get to know. Plans were being made, but they didn't really progress for pages on end. Really interesting things were revealed about Kallum's past but I didn't get a chance to fully appreciate them because I was trying to piece together the random details.
At the end of the day, though, the story remains really good. There's a well-thought out good backbone to this tale that I am interested in seeing through. It mixes science fiction with fantasy and magic in a good way.
I will be reading the next book and hoping that it's been edited for coherence and clarity a bit more so I can enjoy the rest of this awesome story. If you like sci-fi and fantasy check it out because there's a lot to like about it.
The Sleeping Pool II by P. Zoro
3.0
This story started out rough for me for a few reasons. The main reason is that everything is described in great detail, even in the middle of action, so that instead of action being fast-paced and intriguing, it felt kind of slow and distant. It wasn't as easy for me to connect with the characters, either, and again, I think the description is part of the reason for this.
The characters start out in America, where their company meetings are their main concerns and the big conflict is related to one of the characters, Shaun, wanting to marry someone his mother doesn't approve of. For me, this entire part of the story was uninteresting. Even though there were supposed to be intrigues going on with the company and people trying to take it over from each other and so on I wasn't really given enough reason to care.
When the story finally got to Africa and into the caves it started to become a little more interesting and the writing actually improved a little bit. The mysteries of the sleeping pool, when they were uncovered, were actually interesting. There was a king of allegory/myth feeling to the world-building of that underground world under the sleeping pool, which I don't normally like, but maybe that's because I'm getting tired of the usual myths presented in fantasy. In this case, with these myths which were completely new to me I liked that entire aspect of the story and wished a bit more time could have been spent on it.
Overall, this was a good story that got better towards the end so give it a chance and stick it out.
The characters start out in America, where their company meetings are their main concerns and the big conflict is related to one of the characters, Shaun, wanting to marry someone his mother doesn't approve of. For me, this entire part of the story was uninteresting. Even though there were supposed to be intrigues going on with the company and people trying to take it over from each other and so on I wasn't really given enough reason to care.
When the story finally got to Africa and into the caves it started to become a little more interesting and the writing actually improved a little bit. The mysteries of the sleeping pool, when they were uncovered, were actually interesting. There was a king of allegory/myth feeling to the world-building of that underground world under the sleeping pool, which I don't normally like, but maybe that's because I'm getting tired of the usual myths presented in fantasy. In this case, with these myths which were completely new to me I liked that entire aspect of the story and wished a bit more time could have been spent on it.
Overall, this was a good story that got better towards the end so give it a chance and stick it out.
Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 33: Threats by Yoshihiro Togashi
3.0
The dark continent seems interesting, I just wish they would get there already. Way too much talking and going over information about everyone's plans and motivations. I wish there was an anime version of this arc...
Hunter X Hunter, Vol. 34 by Yoshihiro Togashi
3.0
The Chrollo-Hisoka fight was so boring! However, I did enjoy all the Kurapika parts on the ship.
Target Earth by Scott Spotson, Brian W. Wu
4.0
Target Earth is a well-written science fiction with a touch of fantasy. It's aimed at younger readers so the length and the writing style cater more to a younger audience, but it was still enjoyable as an adult.
When I first started reading it I was a little annoyed by the "typical 13-year old American boy with an alien best friend" thing... it reminded me a lot of those goosebumps/ridiculous alien stories that I really don't like, but the action started quickly and I was soon turning the pages. It's kind of like that Doctor Who episode where the Slitheen invade... the typical alien talks to the president of the US and everyone on earth is immediately scared type of thing... but just like the Slitheen episode of Doctor Who I ended up getting into it and being swept up by the page-turner action and by the interesting characters.
There were all kinds of characters from various backgrounds and ages that contributed to the plot and played important roles which is awesome. I particularly liked the role of Rosalinda and I love that she was there to provide courage, strength and wisdom so that it wasn't just a 13 year old boy trying to survive and save people on his own. The main character's interaction with the younger children in the story is also a great touch.
Overall, this is a great sci-fi for young people who are into the genre that can also be enjoyed by adults. Oh - and I know it's book 3 of a series, but I read it without having read the other two books and was perfectly fine. A definite bonus for me!
When I first started reading it I was a little annoyed by the "typical 13-year old American boy with an alien best friend" thing... it reminded me a lot of those goosebumps/ridiculous alien stories that I really don't like, but the action started quickly and I was soon turning the pages. It's kind of like that Doctor Who episode where the Slitheen invade... the typical alien talks to the president of the US and everyone on earth is immediately scared type of thing... but just like the Slitheen episode of Doctor Who I ended up getting into it and being swept up by the page-turner action and by the interesting characters.
There were all kinds of characters from various backgrounds and ages that contributed to the plot and played important roles which is awesome. I particularly liked the role of Rosalinda and I love that she was there to provide courage, strength and wisdom so that it wasn't just a 13 year old boy trying to survive and save people on his own. The main character's interaction with the younger children in the story is also a great touch.
Overall, this is a great sci-fi for young people who are into the genre that can also be enjoyed by adults. Oh - and I know it's book 3 of a series, but I read it without having read the other two books and was perfectly fine. A definite bonus for me!
Attack on Titan, Volume 13 by Hajime Isayama
3.0
And again, absolutely no information has been revealed. On to the next one, I suppose...