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rays_reads's reviews
267 reviews
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
I knew what to expect from this book since I watched the TV show when it first came out. It was a bit different from the book.
An big example is Alinas character. For one, she's not half Shu and another big thing was the fact that she didn't want to be a hero. For Alina, the biggest thing she's always wanted was a home. A home to go back to, a home she can feel safe in. In the TV show it kind of eluded to that as well but Alina then grew to want to become a hero but in the book she doesn't even want it.
And listen, if I had the chance to become one idk if I'd want it either. It's a big responsibility, and I feel like it makes Alinas character much more human. She was given this power by God knows who and was suddenly put in a position to where the only choices she has is to hide for the rest of her life being hunted by everyone or to save the country from the Fold. And Alina is better than what people give her credit for tbh because I'd say "fuck the country" ngl... but thats just me 😀.
Then there's Mal. I feel like he had so much more characteristics in the TV show, but I get that he didn't get too many scenes in the first book. I doubt his bland character will get fleshed out as I read that his TV character was a lot better in terms of personality.
Either way, I wasn't bored by the book, and teenage me would've loved this story! I loved this story even now, and while it's by far from perfect, it's what I expected from a YA fantasy and I enjoyed it.
Overall rating: 4/5
An big example is Alinas character. For one, she's not half Shu and another big thing was the fact that she didn't want to be a hero. For Alina, the biggest thing she's always wanted was a home. A home to go back to, a home she can feel safe in. In the TV show it kind of eluded to that as well but Alina then grew to want to become a hero but in the book she doesn't even want it.
And listen, if I had the chance to become one idk if I'd want it either. It's a big responsibility, and I feel like it makes Alinas character much more human. She was given this power by God knows who and was suddenly put in a position to where the only choices she has is to hide for the rest of her life being hunted by everyone or to save the country from the Fold. And Alina is better than what people give her credit for tbh because I'd say "fuck the country" ngl... but thats just me 😀.
Then there's Mal. I feel like he had so much more characteristics in the TV show, but I get that he didn't get too many scenes in the first book. I doubt his bland character will get fleshed out as I read that his TV character was a lot better in terms of personality.
Either way, I wasn't bored by the book, and teenage me would've loved this story! I loved this story even now, and while it's by far from perfect, it's what I expected from a YA fantasy and I enjoyed it.
Overall rating: 4/5
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
This story was wild... it reminds me of an episode of Criminal Minds, I loved it.
I usually don't care for thrillers as I'm a world building fantasy girly but even I can't resist a good true crime podcast do when I picked this book up so many years ago I was instantly hooked on the story. Coming back to it now, I understand why I was so hooked. The main characters have such fascinating backgrounds and I loved how their backgrounds influenced their thought process and the relationship they had with each other.
Bell was such a sweetheart, and you can tell he is a neutral good kinda character. I felt like having him in the story really balanced out the other serial killers lol.
Then there was Emma. That girl is a survivor and I'm not sure what to make of her character... I feel like she's kinda a chaotic good but her internal struggle with being the sole survivor of a mass kidnapping and murder group then having to work with the minds that made her into a sole survivor is tough. But I feel like her uncertainty and struggle is what makes her real. Nobody who goes through that is put though it again should feel like they need to be 100% ok. They should be feeling uncertain, insecure, sad, etc because they're no longer the person they were before the tragedy occurred. But what I liked about Emma is that she did her best to not make that the determining factor in who she was going to become, uncertainty be damned. I also really liked her relationship with Simon as that reminded me of Silence of the Lambs.
And Simon... who df knows what up with him..... that bitch is psycho.. but his scenes were by far the most entertaining! The only thing that sucked is that the author didn't delve more into Simon's mental state or character... all throughout the story, he was like a mystery... since there's a 2nd book, I'm assuming that's why, but I hope the author shows us more of his characteristics and motivations.
Overall, it was a fantastic story that kept me engaged and that ending WAS FUCKING WILDDDDD like I was scared for Bell and Emma. 💀
Overall rating: 4.25
I usually don't care for thrillers as I'm a world building fantasy girly but even I can't resist a good true crime podcast do when I picked this book up so many years ago I was instantly hooked on the story. Coming back to it now, I understand why I was so hooked. The main characters have such fascinating backgrounds and I loved how their backgrounds influenced their thought process and the relationship they had with each other.
Bell was such a sweetheart, and you can tell he is a neutral good kinda character. I felt like having him in the story really balanced out the other serial killers lol.
Then there was Emma. That girl is a survivor and I'm not sure what to make of her character... I feel like she's kinda a chaotic good but her internal struggle with being the sole survivor of a mass kidnapping and murder group then having to work with the minds that made her into a sole survivor is tough. But I feel like her uncertainty and struggle is what makes her real. Nobody who goes through that is put though it again should feel like they need to be 100% ok. They should be feeling uncertain, insecure, sad, etc because they're no longer the person they were before the tragedy occurred. But what I liked about Emma is that she did her best to not make that the determining factor in who she was going to become, uncertainty be damned. I also really liked her relationship with Simon as that reminded me of Silence of the Lambs.
And Simon... who df knows what up with him..... that bitch is psycho.. but his scenes were by far the most entertaining! The only thing that sucked is that the author didn't delve more into Simon's mental state or character... all throughout the story, he was like a mystery... since there's a 2nd book, I'm assuming that's why, but I hope the author shows us more of his characteristics and motivations.
Overall, it was a fantastic story that kept me engaged and that ending WAS FUCKING WILDDDDD like I was scared for Bell and Emma. 💀
Overall rating: 4.25
A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
This book needs to be yeeted across the room. STAT.
I think this is my first 1 star rating... wow 🤩
But I hated this book... HATED. I think the only redeeming qualities was the beautiful prose that the author wrote, but honestly... wtf was the point of the beautiful writing? It accomplished nothing in this book.
Now to start with the good. Again, the author had beautiful writing, and honestly, I could feel the emotional tension and chemistry between the FMC and MMC. This book gave me so much of Bridgerton vibes that I would honestly recommend it for a teen girl so that they stay away from the adult series lol. The different relationships were described pretty well too as being the first born I could honestly empathize with the prince regent in all his anger, frustration, and hopelessness. Now, would I make the same decisions? Probably not... but I'm not a prince soooo.... yea.
However, unfortunately in the book the bad OUTWEIGHED the good. I'm ngl idk where the plot went in this book. Like was it thrown away somewhere in the middle? Did we even have a plot to begin with? If someone asked me what the plot was I'd say: girl meet prince, girl make prince dress, girl fall in love with prince. 😀 But the author did so much with the political strife then the added terminal or chronic illness from the FMC that I didn't know where df this book was headed.
Also, an added note. How in df was the FMC not angrier at the noblemen for essentially causing a genocide against her people... especially with the grandma that raised her??? How is it an old woman had more spunk and character than the main character?????? Ik the main point of this book wasn't to fight for more rights for her people but... what minority group wouldn't fight for their people.. I feel like the author decided to throw this in as a jab and it was disappointing. After that I didn't really care for the FMC.
The characters were also SOOOOOOO bland. What was the character development you ask? Who knows because I saw 0% of it. The FMC probably frustrated me the most.
The point is.... beautiful writing does not make up for poor story development or characters.
Overall rating 1.5/5
DNF: 91%
I think this is my first 1 star rating... wow 🤩
But I hated this book... HATED. I think the only redeeming qualities was the beautiful prose that the author wrote, but honestly... wtf was the point of the beautiful writing? It accomplished nothing in this book.
Now to start with the good. Again, the author had beautiful writing, and honestly, I could feel the emotional tension and chemistry between the FMC and MMC. This book gave me so much of Bridgerton vibes that I would honestly recommend it for a teen girl so that they stay away from the adult series lol. The different relationships were described pretty well too as being the first born I could honestly empathize with the prince regent in all his anger, frustration, and hopelessness. Now, would I make the same decisions? Probably not... but I'm not a prince soooo.... yea.
However, unfortunately in the book the bad OUTWEIGHED the good. I'm ngl idk where the plot went in this book. Like was it thrown away somewhere in the middle? Did we even have a plot to begin with? If someone asked me what the plot was I'd say: girl meet prince, girl make prince dress, girl fall in love with prince. 😀 But the author did so much with the political strife then the added terminal or chronic illness from the FMC that I didn't know where df this book was headed.
Also, an added note. How in df was the FMC not angrier at the noblemen for essentially causing a genocide against her people... especially with the grandma that raised her??? How is it an old woman had more spunk and character than the main character?????? Ik the main point of this book wasn't to fight for more rights for her people but... what minority group wouldn't fight for their people.. I feel like the author decided to throw this in as a jab and it was disappointing. After that I didn't really care for the FMC.
The characters were also SOOOOOOO bland. What was the character development you ask? Who knows because I saw 0% of it. The FMC probably frustrated me the most.
The point is.... beautiful writing does not make up for poor story development or characters.
Overall rating 1.5/5
DNF: 91%
The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I don't know if this even classifies as a dark romance but this was..... sigh.... perfection in its own twisted way.
Now, some moments did come off as a bit outlandish, but I don't think that took away from the story overall. The story is brutal, and I love how the author chose to tell the story in a badass revenge kind of way because not many people know how to write revenge stories.
Like fr... people on this earth make them fall in love with the person who ruins, and it lowkey puts me off from the story altogether. The only GOOD revenge stories I've seen so far are this story and Revenge the ABC TV show...
BUT BACK TO THE BOOK! Lana and Logan were my absolute favorite characters, Lana especially. She was so strong but so vulnerable at the same time. The author did a perfect job imo by balancing out the hurt and anger of the character after what happened and how those emotions drove her to execute her plan. Then there's Logan. I feel like in a way, he was this naive character who only saw the black and white, but through learning Lana's story he could see just how gray the world could be in terms of behavior, ethics, and morals. Because the world isn't 100% good or evil, and the author did a fantastic job at really trying to get Logan and the readers to understand that.
And tbh.... I wouldn't need much convincing, tbh considering I see myself as a chaotic good or chaotic neutral kind of person.
I support a woman's rights BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY I SUPPORT THEIR WRONGS (even tho in my eyes she did no wrongs)!
Now, some moments did come off as a bit outlandish, but I don't think that took away from the story overall. The story is brutal, and I love how the author chose to tell the story in a badass revenge kind of way because not many people know how to write revenge stories.
Like fr... people on this earth make them fall in love with the person who ruins, and it lowkey puts me off from the story altogether. The only GOOD revenge stories I've seen so far are this story and Revenge the ABC TV show...
BUT BACK TO THE BOOK! Lana and Logan were my absolute favorite characters, Lana especially. She was so strong but so vulnerable at the same time. The author did a perfect job imo by balancing out the hurt and anger of the character after what happened and how those emotions drove her to execute her plan. Then there's Logan. I feel like in a way, he was this naive character who only saw the black and white, but through learning Lana's story he could see just how gray the world could be in terms of behavior, ethics, and morals. Because the world isn't 100% good or evil, and the author did a fantastic job at really trying to get Logan and the readers to understand that.
And tbh.... I wouldn't need much convincing, tbh considering I see myself as a chaotic good or chaotic neutral kind of person.
I support a woman's rights BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY I SUPPORT THEIR WRONGS (even tho in my eyes she did no wrongs)!
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
4.5
Overall rating: 4.5
This story is for those who loved The Time Traveler's Wife but without the creepy aspects of meeting while the FMC is a kid.😃
Adrienne Young does it again! Another masterpiece! I love her prose, and I loved this more than The Spells For Forgetting. This story dives into so much more than the time travel fantasy elements and ventures into love, sacrifice, and generational influences. I loved everything about the Farrow family, and the author did an amazing job connecting everything in the story to make sense. The twists in the story baffled me, and I loved every minute of it.
This story is for those who loved The Time Traveler's Wife but without the creepy aspects of meeting while the FMC is a kid.😃
Adrienne Young does it again! Another masterpiece! I love her prose, and I loved this more than The Spells For Forgetting. This story dives into so much more than the time travel fantasy elements and ventures into love, sacrifice, and generational influences. I loved everything about the Farrow family, and the author did an amazing job connecting everything in the story to make sense. The twists in the story baffled me, and I loved every minute of it.
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
dark
medium-paced
5.0
I've never heard of this series or author, and considering it was published a while ago, I didn't have many expectations as I thought it was YA, but WOW.... I was bamboozled. And I loved every minute of it!
Please note that as the title suggests, the book is about poisons, but it's also about a dictatorship government, corruption, child abuse, rape, and torture. There were so many dark elements, but it matched the overall vibe of the book and the characters' attitudes. Yelena was a closed off and scared individual, as she should be, and I loved her journey in finding herself and gaining the strength to be able to pursue self-defense. Unlike in most fantasy books where the character had no fight experience Yelena was really smart and thorough, she had a survival instinct (which is because of a certain reason but nevertheless it was a really good instinct to have) which helped her overcome hard times in the beginning.
She gets into a lot of shit though since the book is dark, so uhh... don't go into this book thinking it's happy-go-lucky because it's survival of the fittest at least 89% of the time.
Moving onto Valek, his character was super mysterious, which matched his overall character. He kept me and Yelena on our toes because I could never tell if he was happy or angry with her. As a second in command, he's definitely seen some stuff 😂 i hope in the future books we get more depth from him as I do feel like his broody and mysterious stature was kinda getting old towards the end of the book and the author did fix it a bit towards the end but I wish I got more so I'm sure I'll read about it in later books.
Also, Valeks and Yelenas relationship as a whole was an interesting dynamic as I wouldn't say it's enemies to lovers but definitely not friends to lovers. I think it was mainly just girl trying to survive, and boy helps, both characters lie and hide... and then along the way, they scheme and bond through shared trauma. It worked for the book, and I'm excited to see how this dynamic will change now that they trust and love each other.
Overall rating: 5/5
Please note that as the title suggests, the book is about poisons, but it's also about a dictatorship government, corruption, child abuse, rape, and torture. There were so many dark elements, but it matched the overall vibe of the book and the characters' attitudes. Yelena was a closed off and scared individual, as she should be, and I loved her journey in finding herself and gaining the strength to be able to pursue self-defense. Unlike in most fantasy books where the character had no fight experience Yelena was really smart and thorough, she had a survival instinct (which is because of a certain reason but nevertheless it was a really good instinct to have) which helped her overcome hard times in the beginning.
She gets into a lot of shit though since the book is dark, so uhh... don't go into this book thinking it's happy-go-lucky because it's survival of the fittest at least 89% of the time.
Moving onto Valek, his character was super mysterious, which matched his overall character. He kept me and Yelena on our toes because I could never tell if he was happy or angry with her. As a second in command, he's definitely seen some stuff 😂 i hope in the future books we get more depth from him as I do feel like his broody and mysterious stature was kinda getting old towards the end of the book and the author did fix it a bit towards the end but I wish I got more so I'm sure I'll read about it in later books.
Also, Valeks and Yelenas relationship as a whole was an interesting dynamic as I wouldn't say it's enemies to lovers but definitely not friends to lovers. I think it was mainly just girl trying to survive, and boy helps, both characters lie and hide... and then along the way, they scheme and bond through shared trauma. It worked for the book, and I'm excited to see how this dynamic will change now that they trust and love each other.
Overall rating: 5/5
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
4.75
Overall rating: 4.75/5
I didn't expect this book to be as good as it was and boy was I in for a ride. I read the first few reviews that popped up which were not... good, but this book honestly this book did a great job at starting off very lighthearted and then transitioning to something very mythical and heart-wrenching. The ending even made me cry ughhh it was so raw, and I honestly love how authors describe grief and death through their characters.
Lia was such a great character. I assumed she was going to be the Mary Sue naive princess that learns about the struggles of common folk by living as one, but the author did so much more and added onto her character. Ignoring the fact that she was put into a love triangle (and honestly if I read this trilogy and find out she ends with one of the MLs, iykyk, then I will rage one star the entire series), Lia was able to learn so much by venturing outside which developed her character. I also loved how even when she was naive, she had the qualities of an actual princess with her intelligence (we love a multilingual girly), empathy, and observations. I can't wait to see how much more she'll progress and learn about the word around her.
Rafe. I like him. I like him alot. While he's pretty much the same as Lia, naive in some ways, he's definitely gone through stuff, which is normally what prince's go through. The author also does a great job at pointing out his flaw as man is a coward, and I'm glad he realized that... so many men are written proudly and realize it late in the story, but Rafe recognized it and reflected on it. I'm excited to see what his backstory is like and how his relationship with Lia goes... I'm hoping he's endgame with Lia. 😭 Going back to his backstory for a bit, I loved how the author gave him skills to be a survivalist, it gives him alot more depth than a normal princely character as we see, should he be put in a bind, he'll know how to survive which is pretty rare for fantasy books (at least the YA ones that I've read... most of the prince's always have someone else doing something for them or the learn the survival skills along the journey). I hope to see more of his character in future books as I want to see where the political aspects of this world will go since there wasn't much of that in the first book.
Last character is Kaiden.... I don't like him. I hope he falls in a puddle with socks. (Great character but I hate him.) His character is legit soooooo hypocritical it's ridiculous and I'm pretty sure the author did that on purpose. Man is thirsting after our girl Lia but like AAHHHAAA idk... he maybe endgame but if he is.... again.... I will rage one star the entire trilogy. He's smart for sure but he's so set on his ways and is exactly like Rafe in regards to being a coward.... man wants to think he makes hard choices which will protect his loved ones but does it in such a bullshit roundabout way that it doesn't do anything but fuck everyone involved. Like bro make a flipping choice and stick by it... BE DAMNED OF THE CONSEQUENCES! That's what it means to make a hard choice. You need to pick one and stand by the consequences of that choice... if Lia could do it then he should be able to as well. Ugh, I hate him.
Me omw to ready book two IMMEDIATELY 🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾♀️
I didn't expect this book to be as good as it was and boy was I in for a ride. I read the first few reviews that popped up which were not... good, but this book honestly this book did a great job at starting off very lighthearted and then transitioning to something very mythical and heart-wrenching. The ending even made me cry ughhh it was so raw, and I honestly love how authors describe grief and death through their characters.
Lia was such a great character. I assumed she was going to be the Mary Sue naive princess that learns about the struggles of common folk by living as one, but the author did so much more and added onto her character. Ignoring the fact that she was put into a love triangle (and honestly if I read this trilogy and find out she ends with one of the MLs, iykyk, then I will rage one star the entire series), Lia was able to learn so much by venturing outside which developed her character. I also loved how even when she was naive, she had the qualities of an actual princess with her intelligence (we love a multilingual girly), empathy, and observations. I can't wait to see how much more she'll progress and learn about the word around her.
Rafe. I like him. I like him alot. While he's pretty much the same as Lia, naive in some ways, he's definitely gone through stuff, which is normally what prince's go through. The author also does a great job at pointing out his flaw as man is a coward, and I'm glad he realized that... so many men are written proudly and realize it late in the story, but Rafe recognized it and reflected on it. I'm excited to see what his backstory is like and how his relationship with Lia goes... I'm hoping he's endgame with Lia. 😭 Going back to his backstory for a bit, I loved how the author gave him skills to be a survivalist, it gives him alot more depth than a normal princely character as we see, should he be put in a bind, he'll know how to survive which is pretty rare for fantasy books (at least the YA ones that I've read... most of the prince's always have someone else doing something for them or the learn the survival skills along the journey). I hope to see more of his character in future books as I want to see where the political aspects of this world will go since there wasn't much of that in the first book.
Last character is Kaiden.... I don't like him. I hope he falls in a puddle with socks. (Great character but I hate him.) His character is legit soooooo hypocritical it's ridiculous and I'm pretty sure the author did that on purpose. Man is thirsting after our girl Lia but like AAHHHAAA idk... he maybe endgame but if he is.... again.... I will rage one star the entire trilogy. He's smart for sure but he's so set on his ways and is exactly like Rafe in regards to being a coward.... man wants to think he makes hard choices which will protect his loved ones but does it in such a bullshit roundabout way that it doesn't do anything but fuck everyone involved. Like bro make a flipping choice and stick by it... BE DAMNED OF THE CONSEQUENCES! That's what it means to make a hard choice. You need to pick one and stand by the consequences of that choice... if Lia could do it then he should be able to as well. Ugh, I hate him.
Me omw to ready book two IMMEDIATELY 🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾♀️