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rjsetserauthor's reviews
866 reviews
The Alchemy Thief by R.A. Denny
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Alchemy Thief is a well-researched and thoroughly planned story of time traveling amid tumultuous times. It's an example of the classic "accidental hero", as Peri is thrust into a world that she doesn't understand.
While I found the premise and storyline to be engaging and exciting, I regret to say that I did feel bogged down by the writing. There are many info-dumps in strange places and scenes often felt rushed and jumpy. I think one of the biggest turnoffs for me was how the story was heavily "told" and not shown. For example, we didn't get to experience Peri's interactions in ways that allowed us, as the reader, to understand her feelings and choices. Her dates with Liam were summed up with "he made her feel special" or some similar phrase, without even sharing conversations that reflected those feelings. So, to me, Peri often appeared naïve and gullible; and I'm fairly certain she's supposed to be smart.
What I'm pinpointing as the cause of this is that it feels like the author wanted to present only facts or key points relevant to the story, and omitted as much of the "fluff" as possible. So, The Alchemy Thief strikes me as a very bare-bones and to-the-point story, without time spent on emotional or otherwise "fluffy" content. It's presented to you straight like it happened and there's not a word wasted on things that aren't relevant to the plotline. And as I mentioned earlier, the plot itself is very good and well-researched.
As for my personal opinion, however, I prefer writing styles that include the fluff and I would've enjoyed the book a lot more if I had experienced the emotion and character development that I found lacking. If you're a fan of to-the-point stories and typically prefer to skip things like relationship building conversations or prose-heavy descriptions, and you just want an exciting story, this book might be more your style!
I received this book from the author. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.
Content Disclosures: Some heavier topics from action-heavy scenes (t3rrorism, b0mbs, etc). There was no cursing, however, and some minor, undetailed kissing scenes.
While I found the premise and storyline to be engaging and exciting, I regret to say that I did feel bogged down by the writing. There are many info-dumps in strange places and scenes often felt rushed and jumpy. I think one of the biggest turnoffs for me was how the story was heavily "told" and not shown. For example, we didn't get to experience Peri's interactions in ways that allowed us, as the reader, to understand her feelings and choices. Her dates with Liam were summed up with "he made her feel special" or some similar phrase, without even sharing conversations that reflected those feelings. So, to me, Peri often appeared naïve and gullible; and I'm fairly certain she's supposed to be smart.
What I'm pinpointing as the cause of this is that it feels like the author wanted to present only facts or key points relevant to the story, and omitted as much of the "fluff" as possible. So, The Alchemy Thief strikes me as a very bare-bones and to-the-point story, without time spent on emotional or otherwise "fluffy" content. It's presented to you straight like it happened and there's not a word wasted on things that aren't relevant to the plotline. And as I mentioned earlier, the plot itself is very good and well-researched.
As for my personal opinion, however, I prefer writing styles that include the fluff and I would've enjoyed the book a lot more if I had experienced the emotion and character development that I found lacking. If you're a fan of to-the-point stories and typically prefer to skip things like relationship building conversations or prose-heavy descriptions, and you just want an exciting story, this book might be more your style!
I received this book from the author. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.
Content Disclosures: Some heavier topics from action-heavy scenes (t3rrorism, b0mbs, etc). There was no cursing, however, and some minor, undetailed kissing scenes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
War: A Collection of Poetry and Free Verse by Angela R. Watts
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
"I bleed onto the page"
"War" feels like a cry in the middle of the night when you can't sleep. It is a collection of free verse and poetry that truly feels like the author's soul bleeding, but she's still determined to keep going and keep trusting the Lord.
"For I belong to the Lord, and the Holy Ghost has power over the demons that try to break my bones."
It's emotional, but encouraging, and I really enjoyed reading it. It's short, so you can definitely read it in one sitting but despite its length, the emotion is still very present. I would love to see more poetry from this author in the future.
"War" feels like a cry in the middle of the night when you can't sleep. It is a collection of free verse and poetry that truly feels like the author's soul bleeding, but she's still determined to keep going and keep trusting the Lord.
"For I belong to the Lord, and the Holy Ghost has power over the demons that try to break my bones."
It's emotional, but encouraging, and I really enjoyed reading it. It's short, so you can definitely read it in one sitting but despite its length, the emotion is still very present. I would love to see more poetry from this author in the future.
Gossamer Soul: A Poetry Collection by Dawn Dagger
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Steamborn by Eric R. Asher
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Before the Devil Knows You're Here by Autumn Krause
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"When the trees donned their autumnal crowns, it meant winter was circling, waiting to turn the trees to skeletons and the world to ice."
Before the Devil Knows You're Here was everything I'd hoped it would be for an October read! It felt like a dark & spooky Alice in Wonderland, diving into the depths of human desire and motivations with very tangible fiends. I loved the poetic themes and straightforward plotline. I read the majority of this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down and while I did manage to highlight a few of my favorite lines, most of the time I couldn't stop reading long enough to highlight because I needed to know what happened next! I'd love to go back and annotate this beautiful book!
I couldn't believe how short it was when I finished it. There is so much packed in its few pages that I feel as if I just read a 400+ page novel as far as content goes! There were many times that I had to set the book down and take a breath to process what happened in the story.
As for content, there are some spooks (obviously) and mentions of gory scenes, but I wouldn't call the book a "gory horror". As I mentioned before, it gave me Alice in Wonderland vibes, but on a much darker level. There is d3ath and some morbid concepts, but overall, I think Before the Devil Knows You're Here is a poetic story that delves into the darkness that mankind is willing to embrace when afraid of losing our most beloved people. A glimpse at the villainy inside all of us, if you will. If you're a fan of gothic classics, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray and Frankenstein, Before the Devil Knows You're Here belongs on your bookshelf!
Other content: Very mild cursing (less than 5 mild words); one kissing scene (semi-detailed, but doesn't go beyond kissing); and the action/spooks are semi-detailed and while not "terrifying", they are pretty creepy.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. All comments and opinions are entirely my own. This review is voluntary.
Before the Devil Knows You're Here was everything I'd hoped it would be for an October read! It felt like a dark & spooky Alice in Wonderland, diving into the depths of human desire and motivations with very tangible fiends. I loved the poetic themes and straightforward plotline. I read the majority of this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down and while I did manage to highlight a few of my favorite lines, most of the time I couldn't stop reading long enough to highlight because I needed to know what happened next! I'd love to go back and annotate this beautiful book!
I couldn't believe how short it was when I finished it. There is so much packed in its few pages that I feel as if I just read a 400+ page novel as far as content goes! There were many times that I had to set the book down and take a breath to process what happened in the story.
As for content, there are some spooks (obviously) and mentions of gory scenes, but I wouldn't call the book a "gory horror". As I mentioned before, it gave me Alice in Wonderland vibes, but on a much darker level. There is d3ath and some morbid concepts, but overall, I think Before the Devil Knows You're Here is a poetic story that delves into the darkness that mankind is willing to embrace when afraid of losing our most beloved people. A glimpse at the villainy inside all of us, if you will. If you're a fan of gothic classics, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray and Frankenstein, Before the Devil Knows You're Here belongs on your bookshelf!
Other content: Very mild cursing (less than 5 mild words); one kissing scene (semi-detailed, but doesn't go beyond kissing); and the action/spooks are semi-detailed and while not "terrifying", they are pretty creepy.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. All comments and opinions are entirely my own. This review is voluntary.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Murder
Luna Heartstrong & the Whimsical Wormhole by Lyra Brave, Lyra Brave
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
The Backward Kitty by Trista Shaye
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Big the Barn Cat: The Backward Kitty was so fun!
It gave me a lot of nostalgic, Hank the Cowdog vibes- only with cats. I listened to the audiobook, and I thought the narrations were very well done with multiple actors and even a few songs. It was an easy listen and perfect for Autumn reads and Halloween moods.
Recommend to young readers who love animals!
It gave me a lot of nostalgic, Hank the Cowdog vibes- only with cats. I listened to the audiobook, and I thought the narrations were very well done with multiple actors and even a few songs. It was an easy listen and perfect for Autumn reads and Halloween moods.
Recommend to young readers who love animals!