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sapphirebubble_'s reviews
488 reviews
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Wall by Gautam Bhatia
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Please note this is not an attack on the author's capabilities or body of work. These are just my opinions based on what I have read.
I have seen other people enjoy this book, so I think it just wasn't for me. Maybe I am too stuck in my ways of how stories should be told or something to that effect.
This is in need of a serious restructuring and editing. I don't mean to be rude or explicitly mean, but it reads like a first draft that never passed through a professional editor's hand. It throws too much information at you immediately while giving you no markers that help you remember that scene or even recognise its importance. The prologue was 39 pages long, and it read like a chapter instead of a prologue. With the amount of information that is regularly thrown at you, the worldbuilding becomes too confusing and actually tiring to try and understand. Not only are the characters described in a fashion that allows you to imagine them in your mind's eye, their role in the squad or the story does not become clear. Readers need to be given a reason or curiosity to see the story through, none of which I encountered. I think it has a lot of potential and an editor's careful touch would have brought it out, not only highlighting important parts of the story but also cutting out some unnecessary pages that just padded the book.
I was provided a finished copy of the book by the author. All my opinions are my own and unaffected by this fact.
I have seen other people enjoy this book, so I think it just wasn't for me. Maybe I am too stuck in my ways of how stories should be told or something to that effect.
This is in need of a serious restructuring and editing. I don't mean to be rude or explicitly mean, but it reads like a first draft that never passed through a professional editor's hand. It throws too much information at you immediately while giving you no markers that help you remember that scene or even recognise its importance. The prologue was 39 pages long, and it read like a chapter instead of a prologue. With the amount of information that is regularly thrown at you, the worldbuilding becomes too confusing and actually tiring to try and understand. Not only are the characters described in a fashion that allows you to imagine them in your mind's eye, their role in the squad or the story does not become clear. Readers need to be given a reason or curiosity to see the story through, none of which I encountered. I think it has a lot of potential and an editor's careful touch would have brought it out, not only highlighting important parts of the story but also cutting out some unnecessary pages that just padded the book.
I was provided a finished copy of the book by the author. All my opinions are my own and unaffected by this fact.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Dare I say it, too many em-dashes. And I love em-dashes.
RTC
RTC
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I am actually very conflicted about how and what to rate this novel. But right now I am going with 3.5 stars.
cw// death, guns, abuse, abusive relationship
Winter's Orbit is not an instant favourite, its more of an acquired taste. It is more than its tropes of arranged marriage/marriage of convenience, grumpy-sunshine, stuck on an icy tundra and huddling for warmth, slow burn. It is about two people who have very bad self-esteem issues, perpetrated by the people around them, although in very different circumstances.
The premise of the novel is very interesting. A wayward prince (Kiem) and a dutiful diplomat (Jainan) are forcefully bonded into marriage. Kiem is a happy-go-lucky extrovert while Jainan is shy and pensive. Kiem verbalises every emotion while Jainan keeps everything close to his heart. Kiem is a recently reformed rebellious prince who no one expects much of. Jainan is a grieving widower who has gotten into the habit of making himself smaller. Their relationship is sweet and frustrating. Sweet because they study each other and learn the other's habits, nervous tics and behavioural patterns; frustrating because both of them are swimming in so much self-pity and disdain that they can't see past it. Their relationship does not develop over banter and conversations, but over how they shape themselves around each other to cause the least amount of damage.
Although I really liked the storyline, I think we should have seen Kiem and Jainan interact more. Entire scenes written out for the readers, rather than just mentioned in passing as something that happened in the past. It would have made their attachment more subtle, true and believable.
I was very intrigued by the politics of the Empire and its vassal states, the Auditor and the Resolution, as well as the outer Galatic entities. Since, we do not have prior information about all these entities and their relationships, its hard to understand how they function. We are interested in their history and politics, but since our characters are diplomats, they are not aware of them. So, it leads to situations where we either have an info dump, or a very flimsy understanding of the situation. At times, I most ardently wished for a companion's guide so that I can have a better handle on how the Iskat Empire works. As fun as it is, to watch our protagonists investigate a murder that might bring war upon their empire unless it is solved, it does not reach its full potential because we do not know how this society functions or who is actually supposed to solve the murder. I did not understand what clan duties Jainan had forsaken that made him so ashamed to face his people and why were Unification Day protests on Thea so very concerning.
There are many threads in the storyline and I was able to follow them all pretty easily, which is always a plus point in epic fantasies and space operas. I do believe that the entire book needed a little bit more polishing, to make it palatable to its audience as well as to do justice to its characters.
cw// death, guns, abuse, abusive relationship
Winter's Orbit is not an instant favourite, its more of an acquired taste. It is more than its tropes of arranged marriage/marriage of convenience, grumpy-sunshine, stuck on an icy tundra and huddling for warmth, slow burn. It is about two people who have very bad self-esteem issues, perpetrated by the people around them, although in very different circumstances.
The premise of the novel is very interesting. A wayward prince (Kiem) and a dutiful diplomat (Jainan) are forcefully bonded into marriage. Kiem is a happy-go-lucky extrovert while Jainan is shy and pensive. Kiem verbalises every emotion while Jainan keeps everything close to his heart. Kiem is a recently reformed rebellious prince who no one expects much of. Jainan is a grieving widower who has gotten into the habit of making himself smaller. Their relationship is sweet and frustrating. Sweet because they study each other and learn the other's habits, nervous tics and behavioural patterns; frustrating because both of them are swimming in so much self-pity and disdain that they can't see past it. Their relationship does not develop over banter and conversations, but over how they shape themselves around each other to cause the least amount of damage.
Although I really liked the storyline, I think we should have seen Kiem and Jainan interact more. Entire scenes written out for the readers, rather than just mentioned in passing as something that happened in the past. It would have made their attachment more subtle, true and believable.
I was very intrigued by the politics of the Empire and its vassal states, the Auditor and the Resolution, as well as the outer Galatic entities. Since, we do not have prior information about all these entities and their relationships, its hard to understand how they function. We are interested in their history and politics, but since our characters are diplomats, they are not aware of them. So, it leads to situations where we either have an info dump, or a very flimsy understanding of the situation. At times, I most ardently wished for a companion's guide so that I can have a better handle on how the Iskat Empire works. As fun as it is, to watch our protagonists investigate a murder that might bring war upon their empire unless it is solved, it does not reach its full potential because we do not know how this society functions or who is actually supposed to solve the murder. I did not understand what clan duties Jainan had forsaken that made him so ashamed to face his people and why were Unification Day protests on Thea so very concerning.
There are many threads in the storyline and I was able to follow them all pretty easily, which is always a plus point in epic fantasies and space operas. I do believe that the entire book needed a little bit more polishing, to make it palatable to its audience as well as to do justice to its characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse
Sasha Masha by Agnes Borinsky
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.25
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Whoops, there it is! First disappointing read of 2021.
This was so beyond insta-love-y. I couldn't see a single reason why these guys liked each other, other than maybe that they had no other teenagers around. It was very flimsy and there were all these declarations of love, cue eye-rolls.
The amount of curveballs that this book throws at you, at one point you just want to give up and let it hit you in the face. All the drama seemed so unnecessary and seemed extremely made up to feed the MC's ego. Like, I know that is what books are supposed to do, have the universe revolve around the MC but there is a limit to what I can accept.
Alll the science stuff was pretty fun tho, which bumped my rating from maybe 1.5 stars to 2 stars. It made the entire book bearable and occasionally enjoyable for me.
This was so beyond insta-love-y. I couldn't see a single reason why these guys liked each other, other than maybe that they had no other teenagers around. It was very flimsy and there were all these declarations of love, cue eye-rolls.
The amount of curveballs that this book throws at you, at one point you just want to give up and let it hit you in the face. All the drama seemed so unnecessary and seemed extremely made up to feed the MC's ego. Like, I know that is what books are supposed to do, have the universe revolve around the MC but there is a limit to what I can accept.
Alll the science stuff was pretty fun tho, which bumped my rating from maybe 1.5 stars to 2 stars. It made the entire book bearable and occasionally enjoyable for me.
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Full review to come
12 Jan 2021:
It's 4:42 AM, and HOLY FUCK! This book! I love it's big-and-sad-brain energy. Champagne bubble dreams and girls favoured by the sun.
9 Jan 2021:
After months of saving this e-ARC for a "rainy day", I am finally reading this book! Vindication!!!
2 Sep 2020:
I got e-ARC of this today via Edelweiss! I'm so excited! VEGAS WIVES, I'M SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU!
12 Jan 2021:
It's 4:42 AM, and HOLY FUCK! This book! I love it's big-and-sad-brain energy. Champagne bubble dreams and girls favoured by the sun.
9 Jan 2021:
After months of saving this e-ARC for a "rainy day", I am finally reading this book! Vindication!!!
2 Sep 2020:
I got e-ARC of this today via Edelweiss! I'm so excited! VEGAS WIVES, I'M SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU!