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observerspotter's Reviews (183)

Zero Hour

Mark Walden

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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: No

Rogue

Mark Walden

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted 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: No

Dreadnought

Mark Walden

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

Escape Velocity

Mark Walden

4.0

adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The Overlord Protocol

Mark Walden

4.0

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Another popcorn read, with added *backstory* spice to it. This series is very much a guilty pleasure and I cannot recommend it enough to refresh and relax after a more serious read

H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education

Mark Walden

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted 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: No

Short, fast, snappy, this is exactly the kind of light read you need between giant fantasy epics and large serious novels. It's very cliche and very cheesy, but if you want to have fun I can recommend nothing better. Massively over the top, a great concept, and one of the first books I read as an eleven year old that got me hooked on loveable sarcastic characters. If not for this then I wouldn't appreciate books like Six of Crows nearly as much as I do.

The Way of Kings

Brandon Sanderson

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense 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

The Priory of the Orange Tree

Samantha Shannon

5.0

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

This is probably the longest book I've read in the past few years. It is also the book that has taken me the longest to finish, some two-and-a-bit months. It is also probably one of the best books I've read in that same time. There is such a richness of detail and love in this book that I haven't seen in many places. The world is amazingly built, but not overly explained, such that you constantly wonder what could be happening beyond the bounds of the story.

The characters are wonderfully diverse and act like actual human beings. The near complete absence of the misunderstanding that leads to tragedy trope is my favourite thing in the whole world. Yes, characters still argue, get angry, disagree with each other, but it's resolved so well and with real reactions you would expect. People in this book also learn and accept that what they once knew is wrong, which also amazes me to read.

If I could give this more than five stars I would. It is not the fastest book, nor the most engaging, nor the funniest, but it is absolutely the most compelling and detailed story that weaves together so well.