sambrumagin's reviews
230 reviews

Twisted Kingdom by Rina Kent
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

Out of my smut mood for the time being.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

DNF for the time being but I own this on Kindle so I’m sure I will come back to .

101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

This is a come back to when I’m feeling it book and don’t care to track.

A Game of Fate by Scarlett St. Clair
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

DNF for time being. I don’t want to read hades perspective and I don’t think I care how the series ends (for now) may come back to later

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

DNFing at wherever my bookmark is? For now. Too many books on my queue, may pick up later.

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson

5.0

I loved this story. I thought it was very unique how we switched perspectives throughout and how our main character, Ash, was introduced. I really want to read up on Irish folklore now.
 
I was genuinely scared when reading this story. I felt the terror of the characters and the feeling of dread washing over all of them at different points of the story. 
I wish I knew more about the Morrigan and folklore going into this, but that is not a fault of the book but of myself. I still was able to follow the story but felt as if I could appreciate it better if I knew more background. 

This is going right up there with Slewfoot and When Ghosts Call Us Home as a book that has shaped me as a reader and horror fan. 

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

3.0

I can’t think of a good review for this right now, I’m too hype about getting approved for an ACOTAR flash piece. But ending? Lame. Plot twist ? Guessed. Darrow? Self-loathing. I read on for Mustang, Victra, and Sevro. 

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

3.0

This had a lot of elements in it that make me who I am: movies, sound editing, magic…so I should have enjoyed this more than I did. The characters were all interested and fleshed out, but I found the dialogue tiring and the plot dragging. I think it could’ve packed a bigger punch if it was shorter and events took place one after another. I also was unamused with Tristians POV and thought it would’ve read a lot better without it. 
But the overall story was great, it felt like I was reading Archive 81. I love the ideas behind it and the magic “system.”  

Upon further review (looking back at my Mexican Gothic review,) I think this author’s work is just not for me as I had similar feelings for both novels!

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

3.75

I am the world’s worst detective. It was all right there for me, yet I didn’t pick up ANY clues. 
I loved Rune and Gideon and Verity and Alex—characters were great. Magic system….eh. World building? Not complete. But, I will definitely read book 2!

All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The atmosphere and setting was exactly what I was looking for. I really enjoyed the diverse cast of characters. Topics surrounding BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled characters flowed into the plot and felt real world. Sometimes, it can feel forced in a book to prove a point, but this novel did not read that way at all. Instead, these characters’ differences made them unique and fun to follow, not just a cookie-cutter college student with a tragic backstory. The main character was a bit too self-loathing for my taste, but it was necessary for the story.