raenyreads's reviews
285 reviews

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 1 by Sumiko Arai

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

I don't usually rate individual manga volumes but I'm writing this as I don't think I'll continue the series (though tldr I do think it's a good series).

I did enjoy this first volume, I really liked the characters and the plot set up was cute. The art style is unique and drew me in. However, I just can't get on with episodic style manga. I find the reset every few pages really jarring and it always takes me out of the story. Maybe I'll pick it up again once it's finished if it's not too many volumes in the end.

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

This is such an amazing book. The tension throughout the book comes from the romance and horror in equal measure and I loved all of it. The slow burn romance in this book is pretty much perfect to me, I haven't read one this good in ages. Nena and Nestor have my heart. The horror was also really well written, the vampires really feel like a terrifying presence throughout the book and kept me on the edge of my seat as to what would happen.
Highly recommend this book!

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This is a fun story, and that's about it, but that's all it needs to be. Predictable in its ending but still felt satisfying. A great read for the time of year!

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 I'd had my eye on this book for a while before picking it up. Some editions come with artwork by the author, which drew me in as they are fantastic and really add to the atmosphere (my copy did not have them, boo, but they are google-able, yay). The author also did the cover!

This book was a bit different from what I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a horror book, and there are some great horror scenes. However, from what I'd heard, I expected it to be a lot darker than it is. That being said, I still really enjoyed the journey the story takes us on, and though I wanted it to be a bit darker throughout, the ending the author gives us really makes up for it.

Character wise, I was fully rooting for Abitha the whole way through. I wholly support the decisions she makes given the circumstances, and they made her feel very real to a modern-day reader. This book is full of female rage, and if you support women's rights and women's wrongs, I think you'll love it. Some characters surprised me in that I didn't expect to root for them, but ended up loving them. You'll have to read the book to find out what I mean! Also, if you love to hate a villain, this book definitely provides as Wallace is the worst. Literally. 

The dark fantasy vibes of this book are immaculate. Through the fantastically written descriptions of characters and places, the author creates such immersive scenes that had me captivated throughout. It's a great read as the nights get darker during the autumn/winter season that I highly recommend! 

Weyward by Emilia Hart

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I picked up this book because I tend to like stories where we follow different plotlines which interlink and this was no exception. I enjoyed each of the POVs, though my favourite was Violets. I liked how each story had a similar vibe though were different enough to not feel the same. The plot was quite predictable at times, but I still enjoyed seeing the characters progress. I think the witchy aspect was lighter than I expected though it was still there enough for it to still have a witchy feel for me. Overall I'd recommend this book

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really entertaining book, I flew through it. I enjoyed the plot lines and the characters, the relationship aspect was nice but did happen a bit quickly for me to be invested. I don't think it'll be super memorable for me but I had fun reading it so I would recommend it.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed the story of this discworld entry and am looking forward to reading more in the witches series. However, I wasn't as engaged as I have been in some of the later discworld books. I think Terry Pratchett hadn't quite found the characters voice yet and so I didn't feel as connected to the characters. The plot was still a very fun time though.

The Witches of Kyiv: And Other Gothic Tales by Svitlana Krys, Orest Somov

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.5

I'm glad I read this short story collection. I really enjoyed most of the stories but the last, and by far longest, story was a miss for me.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

A great second book in the series. It didn't have the usual middle book syndrome. The plot and character development kept me hooked throughout, I love both Malini and Priya. I can't wait to see what happens in the third installment.

Lady Susan by Jane Austen

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was really fun. It's super short but manages to pack in so much drama! The letters by Lady Susan and Mrs Johnson were my favourites to read as they were so awful but entertaining! There are some very funny lines. I didn't expect to enjoy this so much but I had such a good time reading it!