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pencilled_robin's reviews
110 reviews
Mighty Alice Goes Round and Round: A Cul de Sac Book by Richard Thompson
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Unfortunately didn't enjoy this as much as the first one. It's not a bad story, but the plot and dynamics felt repetitive. Loved the addition of Ariadne though, and I'm hoping we get to see more of Emily's relationship with her family in future series.
Free the Darkness by Kel Kade
adventurous
funny
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Mirador by Sarah Monette
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Great book. Definitely the best in the series so far. I loved the addition of Mehitabel's POV - the author writes her narrative voice wonderfully, and it feels completely distinct from the other main characters. The prose is compelling, and with a unique turn of phrase that I love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Incest, and Terminal illness
The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I feel like the author tried to focus on too much here (mourning, finding new love, bigotry, the relationship between humans and advanced AI, all while maintaining a relatively cozy feel) and in the process left me caring about none of it.
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book felt very... fanfic-y, I guess is the best way to describe it? I can't pin down what exactly makes me feel that way but yeah. (And to be clear, I love fanfiction and I read a lot of it, but this book reminded me of all my least favourite tropes.)
It started off interesting, but devolved into endless rehashing of the same dynamics. Kiem starts to fall for Jainan, but pulls back. Jainan blames himself for being inadequate. Jainan starts to open up, but pulls back. Kiem blames himself for not giving him space to mourn. Over and over again, with an incredible amount of angst and self-loathing each time.
Their lack of communication irritated me so much - I spent a lot of time thinking "Oh my god, just talk to each other already!" When they finally got together, it was so sudden and the cycle had dragged on so long that I just didn't care anymore.
The book also spent a lot of time emphasising Jainan's abused-ness, in a way that felt like trauma porn. Almost everything we see about him is related either to that or his romance with Kiem, and as a consequence his character feels underdeveloped.
Aaaargh. Unbelievably frustrating book.
It started off interesting, but devolved into endless rehashing of the same dynamics. Kiem starts to fall for Jainan, but pulls back. Jainan blames himself for being inadequate. Jainan starts to open up, but pulls back. Kiem blames himself for not giving him space to mourn. Over and over again, with an incredible amount of angst and self-loathing each time.
Their lack of communication irritated me so much - I spent a lot of time thinking "Oh my god, just talk to each other already!" When they finally got together, it was so sudden and the cycle had dragged on so long that I just didn't care anymore.
The book also spent a lot of time emphasising Jainan's abused-ness, in a way that felt like trauma porn. Almost everything we see about him is related either to that or his romance with Kiem, and as a consequence his character feels underdeveloped.
Aaaargh. Unbelievably frustrating book.
The Virtu by Sarah Monette
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Rosewater by Tade Thompson
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0