You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
prettyflyforascienceguy's Reviews (287)
I really need to stop reading hyped up books, because they never live up to my expectations.
This book reminded me in a lot of ways of The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. If you liked that book, you’ll probably enjoy this one. I didn’t really love either. However, I will say that the world in this book is more enchanting than the world in the Alchemist.
My biggest issues with books like these is how “preachy” they feel. I feel like I’m being punched in the face by the supposed message in the book; it is not subtle at all. I understand that there are people who need a book like this, but it was not me. It felt like an allegorical self help book to me, and I was disappointed.
This book reminded me in a lot of ways of The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. If you liked that book, you’ll probably enjoy this one. I didn’t really love either. However, I will say that the world in this book is more enchanting than the world in the Alchemist.
My biggest issues with books like these is how “preachy” they feel. I feel like I’m being punched in the face by the supposed message in the book; it is not subtle at all. I understand that there are people who need a book like this, but it was not me. It felt like an allegorical self help book to me, and I was disappointed.
Very engaging read, definitely thrilling. Light on the sci-fi, but it was done well (think “Black Mirror”). I found most of the book to be a little bit predictable, but there were one or two twists that really threw me off. Overall, an enjoyable and quick summer read!
I’ll say one thing about this book, it’s a quick and easy read. But, the beginning and the end felt like totally different books. The way this book was hyped up, I was expecting the darkest, most depraved smut. There are like 2 explicit scenes in the book. I didn’t get a feeling for any of the characters at all. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series.
I found this book to be ver heartfelt and informative for a pocket of history I don’t know much about. The setting was rich and detailed, and I loved reading about it. I enjoyed Richardson’s writing style - beautiful prose, but not so flowery that the meaning is lost. I am very particular about writing style, and this hit the mark for me.
What kept this from being a 5 star was the last 20% of the book. So much happened in such a short amount of time, and it didn’t match the pacing of the rest of the book. I don’t mind a slow paced book, but when the ending goes so quickly, too much gets lost. However, the main characters were so endearing that I do want to read the sequel.
What kept this from being a 5 star was the last 20% of the book. So much happened in such a short amount of time, and it didn’t match the pacing of the rest of the book. I don’t mind a slow paced book, but when the ending goes so quickly, too much gets lost. However, the main characters were so endearing that I do want to read the sequel.
This was a refreshing read in a few different ways. I had just finished reading a book that advertised itself as "queer horror" and did not hit the mark on either aspect. Into the Drowning Deep hit "horror" 100% for me, and "queer" about 75%. The relationship between Olivia and Tori is not the story's focus, but it didn't feel forced and I appreciated that. I love the ensemble cast of characters and how they each play a role in the story.
This book creeped me out. I'm not a huge horror aficionado, so I'm sure others might think this book was weak-sauce. However, there were so many times I was reading and I had to "put the book in the freezer." Sometimes the gore bordered on too much for me, but you get what you pay for.
I am a science person myself, and the science of this book felt real. I could totally see something like this happening, which made it freakerOverall, I would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for horror set at sea.
This book creeped me out. I'm not a huge horror aficionado, so I'm sure others might think this book was weak-sauce. However, there were so many times I was reading and I had to "put the book in the freezer." Sometimes the gore bordered on too much for me, but you get what you pay for.
I am a science person myself, and the science of this book felt real. I could totally see something like this happening, which made it freakerOverall, I would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for horror set at sea.
A great ending to a great trilogy. I really loved the last few chapters about the Hobbits returning to the shire, which we didn’t really get to see in the movies. I think I’m just disappointed in the endings for the female characters, but I don’t know what I expected.
There were some aspects of this book that I enjoyed. First of all, the premise was very enticing. I really loved all of the scenes where Hellevir and Death interact, and I loved all of her interactions with animals. Hellevir overall is an easy protagonist to root for. I even enjoyed Sullivain, which it seems some other reviewers did not. There was a lot about the writing style that I did enjoy, particularly the descriptive prose.
However, some things about the book really hindered my enjoyment. Notably, I felt like a lot of the decisions the characters made didn't make logical sense, and didn't really have compelling explanations in the writing, other than "this is the next plot point." It didn't make sense to me that Hellevir would keep using her power over and over again, even for small situations. I understand maybe one fluke to show her empathy, but homegirl was raising everybody left and right. Also, no spoilers, but the decision that her brother makes at about 80% of the way through the book made no rational sense to me, and it really felt like a plot device.
Another issue I had was with the worldbuilding/lore dumping. I actually enjoyed a lot about the world and the magic system. The religions were very interesting to me. However, a lot of the time we would get lore or important information, it would be through Hellevir reading pages from text books, or overhearing someone who just happened to be saying everything she needed to hear. It didn't feel authentic. A lot of problems in this book could have been avoided if people just didn't have private conversations in other people's earshots.
However, some things about the book really hindered my enjoyment. Notably, I felt like a lot of the decisions the characters made didn't make logical sense, and didn't really have compelling explanations in the writing, other than "this is the next plot point." It didn't make sense to me that Hellevir would keep using her power over and over again, even for small situations. I understand maybe one fluke to show her empathy, but homegirl was raising everybody left and right. Also, no spoilers, but the decision that her brother makes at about 80% of the way through the book made no rational sense to me, and it really felt like a plot device.
Another issue I had was with the worldbuilding/lore dumping. I actually enjoyed a lot about the world and the magic system. The religions were very interesting to me. However, a lot of the time we would get lore or important information, it would be through Hellevir reading pages from text books, or overhearing someone who just happened to be saying everything she needed to hear. It didn't feel authentic. A lot of problems in this book could have been avoided if people just didn't have private conversations in other people's earshots.
A really neat graphic novella. Like most people have mentioned, it really does feel like an episode of Black Mirror. I didn't find myself getting attached to the characters, but I think that's ok because really, they're just plot devices (like in episodes of Black Mirror). I would love to see this story fleshed out more.
Disappointed in this one, it is missing a lot of the heart that I expect from Allende. Her vagueness about the location leaves a lot lost. This book is about Chile and Chilean history, but because of the made up locations and names, not everyone knows that. There aren’t enough Chilean books, and this one could have been great if she had been more explicit in her writing.