A suburban supernatural mystery with a medium-paced but intense build-up, and truly unsettling and creepy elements of horror. I loved the atmosphere that Kingfisher created in this story, and was surprised by how well it was balanced with humour—though I suppose I shouldn't be, as Kingfisher is particularly gifted in this vein. The character development felt natural across all key characters, and I felt a great deal of kinship with the protagonist, Samantha, who I share so many attributes with: we’re both sceptical, academic-leaning, childfree, fat women who would move heaven and earth to ensure their mothers are safe and happy, and we’re very proud of it, thank you very much. A truly captivating read, and my favourite Kingfisher horror so far.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous dark reflective

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 little book packs an impressive punch on all fronts - a unique and loveable heroine, an unusual quest, and surprisingly detailed world-building given its compact size.

I've learnt over the last few years that any book bearing the name 'T Kingfisher' is well worth a read, and whilst not my favourite Kingfisher story, I'm certain that time will see me read it again and again.

Stiff: An Inanimate Object Shifter Romance by Thea Masen

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Funny, a bit silly, and hot as hell. A great little read with a dash of heart.

The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

It's been a little while now since I read The Bone Shard Daughter , but it's a story that is well and truly ingrained in my memory – it was so good! I had no trouble at all diving into this sequel. Packed with political intrigue, high-stakes action, and events spanning an empire, this is one intense and engaging read.

As with the first novel, Stewart balances the narrative across her characters well, and I particularly enjoyed the growth they each undertook within this book. Their insights build the Empire and events in vivid detail without weighing down the story with long-winded explanations. The five characters form a diverse cast of individuals, all fleshed out and exquisitely flawed, and each with a clear and distinct voice.

Having the established, loving queer couple of Phalue and Ranami featured so prominently is especially wonderful; I would love to read a story (or stories!) about them set pre-trilogy, detailing how they met, right down to the smallest moments that sparked their connection.

This novel brings an additional romance into the mix, as Lin and Jovis navigate their growing feelings for each other whilst still process an array of challenging emotions borne of their individual circumstances. I am pleased to see that the miscommunication trope did not rear it's ugly head to to force tension or unnecessarily pad-out such a well-wrought narrative; certainly, there are misunderstandings and interruptions, but such moments and their resolutions feel natural within the tense setting of the story's events.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 1 (Light Novel) by Fuse

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Having first encountered this series as an anime in 2019, I have always wanted to read the story which has spawned both manga and anime adaptations. The light novel series is the closest to the original serialised web-story that was published from 2013, and the light-hearted nature of the story suits the light novel label; cute, fun, and at times a bit silly.

However, whilst fun, the novel is not without faults. The world-building was somewhat overbearing at times, presented mostly through stilted monologue or dialogue. The frequent reliance on coincidence was also not my cup of tea. I’ll accept a character being blessed with a high-degree of luck, especially in this style of narrative which appears to draw inspiration from gaming, but there has to be a balance between luck and risk. Instead, there is almost a complete lack of narrative tension, as it is clear that no matter the challenge, the MC(s) will be suddenly gifted with the resource/knowledge/skill/etc needed at the time to suitably resolve their issue. Although significant danger/risk is encountered, it's resolved within a handful of pages, and the narrative continues to careen onwards to the next plot point. The pace makes for a fast read, but not a particularly engaging one.

Whilst I enjoyed the overall story, at this stage, I’m unsure if I’ll continue with the light novels. To be fair, the narrator may be to blame, as translations ultimately do lose some of the nuance and minutiae of the original language, but I do feel the story will be better suited to a visual format. I think I will instead look into the manga, which should be able to capture a lot of the visual humour that the story hints at but doesn’t quite capture through the written word.

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

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emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

A heartbreaking and inspirational account of resilience and bravery in the face of corporate greed, corruption, and utter negligence, The Radium Girls is a must read for anyone interested in social and cultural history. Moore paints in vivid detail the women (and their supporters) at the forefront of the movement to hold their employer(s) to account, and whose actions made significant contributions to early workers' rights movements more broadly. It was a privilege to read this book again after first reading it in February 2020.

Content Warnings

Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters by Serhii Plokhy

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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roksyreads's reviews 310 reviews

roksyreads's reviews
310 reviews