Scan barcode
rollie's reviews
27 reviews
Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
4.0
8.5/10 ♡
FINALLY, after three books of sheer character development, humanity’s defiant stand against extermination was worth the (at times) slog through the middle books and wow, was it glorious. Nearly 130 pages of raw, well-written war. It had everything you'd want, insurmountable odds, grand-sacrifice, complex strategy, unlikely heroes, AND interdimensional slugs. What's not to love? It alternates between different perspectives of various characters in the fight. Initially, this annoyed me incessantly because the main story was REALLY heating up, but having all those different perspectives really made it feel all the more grand, and each one contributed something important.
I loved it and am grateful to have stuck it through to the end. This series almost lost me a couple of times.
FINALLY, after three books of sheer character development, humanity’s defiant stand against extermination was worth the (at times) slog through the middle books and wow, was it glorious. Nearly 130 pages of raw, well-written war. It had everything you'd want, insurmountable odds, grand-sacrifice, complex strategy, unlikely heroes, AND interdimensional slugs. What's not to love? It alternates between different perspectives of various characters in the fight. Initially, this annoyed me incessantly because the main story was REALLY heating up, but having all those different perspectives really made it feel all the more grand, and each one contributed something important.
I loved it and am grateful to have stuck it through to the end. This series almost lost me a couple of times.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
4.0
8/10 ♡
Much like Spensa, this book really came into its own in the second half, dragging this review up from three stars to four. Where at first I had no plans of purchasing the sequel, perhaps borrowing it from a library instead, I now will undoubtedly pick up the sequel for myself.
Let my experience be a lesson for this one: when in doubt, just keep reading.
Also, it would benefit immensely from some actual, well-placed curses. And perhaps a bit of something else. The attempts at keeping this accessible to younger readers really did not serve it well.
Much like Spensa, this book really came into its own in the second half, dragging this review up from three stars to four. Where at first I had no plans of purchasing the sequel, perhaps borrowing it from a library instead, I now will undoubtedly pick up the sequel for myself.
Let my experience be a lesson for this one: when in doubt, just keep reading.
Also, it would benefit immensely from some actual, well-placed curses. And perhaps a bit of something else. The attempts at keeping this accessible to younger readers really did not serve it well.
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
4.0
7/10 ♡
This one just made me mad, mostly in a good way. It’s written masterfully. However, I have objections to the direction Sanderson took. A TON of alien political infighting, Spensa being caught in the middle of it all, what they did to M-Bot
This one just made me mad, mostly in a good way. It’s written masterfully. However, I have objections to the direction Sanderson took. A TON of alien political infighting, Spensa being caught in the middle of it all, what they did to M-Bot
What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong
5.0
10/10 ♡
Instant fav, my inner monolog will be ruined for weeks.
Instant fav, my inner monolog will be ruined for weeks.
The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso
4.0
8/10 ♡
My heart HURTS for the Demon of Disaster, Warden of Gloamingard. She walks the razor's edge of fighting for the world she loves and sparing them from her destructive power, both at constant odds with each other, and 4000 years in the making. The author grappled with the conundrum of her own creation to what I suppose is its best end.
The last hundred pages or so felt rushed. After reading the acknowledgements, it seems the author was strapped by deadlines, creativity's greatest threat. Too many story threads were wrapped up in quick succession, and the sheer weight of the implications that defined these books seemed lighter, but never lost. Ryxander and the Rookery clashing with these loose demons could have easily been expanded into another book, or even two, especially when you consider book two was almost entirely devoted to the demons Nightmare and Madness.
(Madness needs to be protected at all costs, I'm eternally grateful Disaster took a liking to her)
I loved this series, and this final chapter meets expectations, but doesn't surpass them. Book one will forever be my favorite, mostly because all the secrets were still hidden and oh so ominous.
Also, I will forever be debating tattooing the Gloamingard lore somewhere on my body
"Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war–nothing must unseal the door."
My heart HURTS for the Demon of Disaster, Warden of Gloamingard. She walks the razor's edge of fighting for the world she loves and sparing them from her destructive power, both at constant odds with each other, and 4000 years in the making. The author grappled with the conundrum of her own creation to what I suppose is its best end.
The last hundred pages or so felt rushed. After reading the acknowledgements, it seems the author was strapped by deadlines, creativity's greatest threat. Too many story threads were wrapped up in quick succession, and the sheer weight of the implications that defined these books seemed lighter, but never lost. Ryxander and the Rookery clashing with these loose demons could have easily been expanded into another book, or even two, especially when you consider book two was almost entirely devoted to the demons Nightmare and Madness.
(Madness needs to be protected at all costs, I'm eternally grateful Disaster took a liking to her)
I loved this series, and this final chapter meets expectations, but doesn't surpass them. Book one will forever be my favorite, mostly because all the secrets were still hidden and oh so ominous.
Also, I will forever be debating tattooing the Gloamingard lore somewhere on my body
"Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war–nothing must unseal the door."
John Dies at the End by David Wong
4.0
7/10 ♡
Reads as though the author has been perpetually under the influence of some controlled substance from an alternate reality for the better part of a decade. If you’re familiar with this series, you’ll understand that is EXACTLY the case. Transitioning from book 3, this experience was slightly jarring, like this is the first book Jason Pargin wrote or something??? It remains hilarious, with the characters employing their patently bizarre methods of saving the world. It’s just about half as good as the rest in the series, which isn’t the slight you'd think it is, because they’re all just delightfully fun. My primary complaint with this one is how much of a complete BUMMER David can be at times
Reads as though the author has been perpetually under the influence of some controlled substance from an alternate reality for the better part of a decade. If you’re familiar with this series, you’ll understand that is EXACTLY the case. Transitioning from book 3, this experience was slightly jarring, like this is the first book Jason Pargin wrote or something??? It remains hilarious, with the characters employing their patently bizarre methods of saving the world. It’s just about half as good as the rest in the series, which isn’t the slight you'd think it is, because they’re all just delightfully fun. My primary complaint with this one is how much of a complete BUMMER David can be at times
This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It by David Wong
5.0
At one point, our hero finds himself completely in the nude, punting a severed head across his driveway.
This book is worth your time.
10/10
This book is worth your time.
10/10
More...