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paperback_cat's reviews
1429 reviews
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
3.5
This is such a fun high fantasy story.
Originally written as 2 books and then published as one, both 'books' follow a similar structure in which Royce and Hadrian take on a thieving job only to end up stumbling into a bigger political conspiracy with some cool magical elements.
R&H's banter is a great time and I love their apparent moral ambiguity (while also doubting it :P )
And there are lots of other great characters to love too.
I enjoy the way the world (including the magic and the politics) is slowly revealing itself and I'm definitely keen to continue the series to find out what's going to happen next.
I would recommend this to people who like the First World series but with it was a little less grimdark and little more magical with more of a plot. Plenty of dark humour and great lines about life.
Originally written as 2 books and then published as one, both 'books' follow a similar structure in which Royce and Hadrian take on a thieving job only to end up stumbling into a bigger political conspiracy with some cool magical elements.
R&H's banter is a great time and I love their apparent moral ambiguity (while also doubting it :P )
And there are lots of other great characters to love too.
I enjoy the way the world (including the magic and the politics) is slowly revealing itself and I'm definitely keen to continue the series to find out what's going to happen next.
I would recommend this to people who like the First World series but with it was a little less grimdark and little more magical with more of a plot. Plenty of dark humour and great lines about life.
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
I have mixed feelings about the "end" of this series.
There was a lot about the ending that was very satisfying, and I'm already imagining the epic scenes of our characters returning in Stormlight Archive 6.
But...
* there was a lot in this book that didn't seem necessary for THIS story. A lot of extraneous Cosmere things that could have been cut out and then maybe it wouldn't have been quite so long - I like long books but I think this could have been better if it was just a smidge shorter
* the attempts at "therapy" by a certain character felt very disingenuous. I wish I had believed that the character was really interested in helping other people for their sake, rather than being so focused on what it meant for his own identity. Maybe then they would have done a better job...
* a lot of the philosophy could have been great but it was often heavy-handed and lacking subtlety. There were some really great lines but also some really cringey ones.
Anyways, that all sounds very negative but it was still an experience that I'm glad to have had :) Journey before destination!
There was a lot about the ending that was very satisfying, and I'm already imagining the epic scenes of our characters returning in Stormlight Archive 6.
But...
* there was a lot in this book that didn't seem necessary for THIS story. A lot of extraneous Cosmere things that could have been cut out and then maybe it wouldn't have been quite so long - I like long books but I think this could have been better if it was just a smidge shorter
* the attempts at "therapy" by a certain character felt very disingenuous. I wish I had believed that the character was really interested in helping other people for their sake, rather than being so focused on what it meant for his own identity. Maybe then they would have done a better job...
* a lot of the philosophy could have been great but it was often heavy-handed and lacking subtlety. There were some really great lines but also some really cringey ones.
Anyways, that all sounds very negative but it was still an experience that I'm glad to have had :) Journey before destination!
Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
4.0
My favourite characters in this book were the teenage boys! Making me like teenage boys who are making pretty dumb decisions all around is a very impressive feat!
It took me a little while to get into this one, but I think that's how I felt about the whole series except the first book, and I think it's mostly due to the new MCs that each book introduces. However, once it got going I was having a great time :)
As always, Ilona Andrews' humour, action, world-building, and characters are impeccable. Or at least perfectly to my taste when I'm looking for a fun time :)
It took me a little while to get into this one, but I think that's how I felt about the whole series except the first book, and I think it's mostly due to the new MCs that each book introduces. However, once it got going I was having a great time :)
As always, Ilona Andrews' humour, action, world-building, and characters are impeccable. Or at least perfectly to my taste when I'm looking for a fun time :)
Locke & Key: The Golden Age by Joe Hill
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
3.0
Not as good for me as the original Locke & Key series - mostly because I wanted more magical keys and less war - but the new characters did grow on me.
I'm also not much of a Sandman fan, but I still appreciated the crossover and I imagine Sandman fans would like it even more.
I'm also not much of a Sandman fan, but I still appreciated the crossover and I imagine Sandman fans would like it even more.
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this! It made me laugh more than I expected and I loved the post-apocalyptic setting.
The main character is a loveable idiot, but the real star of show is Monono. Any details about her are spoilers, but she is both ridiculous and spectacular.
I do recommend the audiobook for this, because it's written in a strange dialect due to the post-apocalyptic / lack of education situation and it's a bit of a struggle to read with your eyes.I found it easy to listen to though! And the audiobook narrator is great, even with the challenge of voicing Monono.
I was expecting there to a lot more menacing trees than there were, but pleased with the surprising amount of confused AI and misunderstood technology.
The main character is a loveable idiot, but the real star of show is Monono. Any details about her are spoilers, but she is both ridiculous and spectacular.
I do recommend the audiobook for this, because it's written in a strange dialect due to the post-apocalyptic / lack of education situation and it's a bit of a struggle to read with your eyes.I found it easy to listen to though! And the audiobook narrator is great, even with the challenge of voicing Monono.
I was expecting there to a lot more menacing trees than there were, but pleased with the surprising amount of confused AI and misunderstood technology.
Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
This was great but it was a lot!
Firstly, I think I made a mistake by reading this straight after On the Edge because 1. it was too much of the same world/style of story but 2. it took me a bit to get over being disappointed that this wasn't following the same characters. So maybe it's my fault that the pacing felt off the beginning and I was struggling to pick up on what was happening.
But I loved Cerise's family so eventually I did end up enjoying this story. The plot was a rollercoaster with so much going on! I wasn't really into the romance though (but it was fine).
I'm going to take a bit of a break from the series before I continue!
Firstly, I think I made a mistake by reading this straight after On the Edge because 1. it was too much of the same world/style of story but 2. it took me a bit to get over being disappointed that this wasn't following the same characters. So maybe it's my fault that the pacing felt off the beginning and I was struggling to pick up on what was happening.
But I loved Cerise's family so eventually I did end up enjoying this story. The plot was a rollercoaster with so much going on! I wasn't really into the romance though (but it was fine).
I'm going to take a bit of a break from the series before I continue!
On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I love Ilona Andrews, and this has all the things I love about their writing.
The great world, cool magic, relatable characters, great humour, romance with great partnership and trust. In this one I also particularly liked the younger brothers. I'm only sad that the rest of the books in the series don't seem to follow Rose and her family directly.
The great world, cool magic, relatable characters, great humour, romance with great partnership and trust. In this one I also particularly liked the younger brothers. I'm only sad that the rest of the books in the series don't seem to follow Rose and her family directly.
Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 2 by Kamome Shirahama
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I think there is something about the pacing of manga chapters/volumes that doesn't work well for me.
I am enjoying the story. There's a lot to like about it, and a lot that I'm intrigued about. But it was just so short that hardly anything happened ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I am enjoying the story. There's a lot to like about it, and a lot that I'm intrigued about. But it was just so short that hardly anything happened ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Firstly, what I had heard from people was that this was an anthology of connected short stories following a travelling theatre group in a post-apocalyptic, post-pandemic situation. But that's not really what it was. It is more of a multi-perspective story told non-linearly, primarily following an actor, his ex-wives, and other people with some connection to him. There are some parts set in the post-apocalyptic timeframe, but most of the story is actually pre-pandemic or during the pandemic. Obviously, in our post-covid times, this now reads very differently.
My favourite parts were when the post-apocalyptic characters would reminisce about pre-pandemic things like refrigerators and the internet.
Other than that, there were only a few parts really pulled me in. For the most part, the writing style is very high level, often skipping through characters' lives, and I discovered that I find it very hard to connect to the characters with that writing style.
There was also some action type scenes at the end, which I found quite inconsistent with the pacing and tone of the rest of the book.
My favourite parts were when the post-apocalyptic characters would reminisce about pre-pandemic things like refrigerators and the internet.
Other than that, there were only a few parts really pulled me in. For the most part, the writing style is very high level, often skipping through characters' lives, and I discovered that I find it very hard to connect to the characters with that writing style.
There was also some action type scenes at the end, which I found quite inconsistent with the pacing and tone of the rest of the book.
The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
This book uses the concept of a women who can’t be remembered to examine the impact of society’s expectations. The plot also revolves around an app called Perfection, where users give it access to their data and in return get points for being ‘perfect’ as per the apps definition. It’s very thrilling at times, as our main character becomes involved with people trying to destroy Perfection.
The writing style often loses the plot, wandering off into lists of definitions, excepts of historical information, and jarring rants. I think this is what will make this book unreadable for many people.
I did enjoy the way it built atmosphere through this stream-of-consciousness narration style, especially during the more thrilling parts of the book. At times it was difficult for me to put this book down because I NEEDED to know what would happen.
But ultimately, I thought this was a book of amazing ideas that was lacking in execution. My dream would be if this could be adapted into a (well-written) TV show. Regardless of all of my criticisms, this is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.
The writing style often loses the plot, wandering off into lists of definitions, excepts of historical information, and jarring rants. I think this is what will make this book unreadable for many people.
I did enjoy the way it built atmosphere through this stream-of-consciousness narration style, especially during the more thrilling parts of the book. At times it was difficult for me to put this book down because I NEEDED to know what would happen.
But ultimately, I thought this was a book of amazing ideas that was lacking in execution. My dream would be if this could be adapted into a (well-written) TV show. Regardless of all of my criticisms, this is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.