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sarah_cameron's reviews
103 reviews
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
I thought this was a pretty good sequel to Cinder!
The writing was good and Meyer did a great job of introducing new characters without overwhelming the plot. The action scenes were also really well done!
The main reason I didn’t give it 4 stars was that it felt very much like a set-up book, so while a lot happened the plot itself didn’t move forward hugely, with some of the characters being essentially where they were at the end as they were at the end of book 1.
This does however make me excited for book 3 and what it will do with everything that’s been set up!
The writing was good and Meyer did a great job of introducing new characters without overwhelming the plot. The action scenes were also really well done!
The main reason I didn’t give it 4 stars was that it felt very much like a set-up book, so while a lot happened the plot itself didn’t move forward hugely, with some of the characters being essentially where they were at the end as they were at the end of book 1.
This does however make me excited for book 3 and what it will do with everything that’s been set up!
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This was such a fantastic end to the series. I really enjoyed all of the character arcs and the way the resolution came about. As always Maggie’s writing is impeccably done, I feel her style really shine through in this one and I can’t wait to read more of her work! Overall a lovely, comforting, exciting and magical series
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book for sure took me some time to get into, not sure if it was just me being in a bit of a reading slump, or that there was a lot of set up at the start. Once I got going though I plowed through the last 400 pages in just a few days. We’re finally seeing all the threads and povs come together which is really exciting and I’m looking forward to seeing how the dynamics between our characters develop further. A really solid story, and did a great job of wrapping up the first block of the overall journey, and setting us up for the next block, which feels like it is shifting to a much darker tone with higher stakes
A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
A really lovely story, well written, and had a fantastic FMC who was really fun to follow along with. You’re never not rooting for her and she’s so well fleshed out. The world building and secondary characters were also great, I just would have liked to spend a bit more time with them. A sweet and satisfying take on the Hades-Persephone story, which still managed to feel unique
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.25
Such a unique take on the Cinderella story, I really enjoyed it and thought it had loads of relevance to various topics today (ie, pandemics, ableism, prejudice). The characters were super fun and I can’t wait to read more about them
ExtraOrdinary (Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition) by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Loved revisiting the world of The Villains and seeing my favs (hi Victor) again.
This graphical novel did a great job of telling a fresh and interesting story, while still giving loads of nods to the novels. Hope we get to see more of the new characters’ stories soon!
The art and especially the lettering were also really impressive
The short story (Warm Up) included at the end was also masterfully written and deserves a shout out too, 5 stars for David
This graphical novel did a great job of telling a fresh and interesting story, while still giving loads of nods to the novels. Hope we get to see more of the new characters’ stories soon!
The art and especially the lettering were also really impressive
The short story (Warm Up) included at the end was also masterfully written and deserves a shout out too, 5 stars for David
Alien King Crashes the Wedding by Becca Brayden
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Yeah….didn’t vibe with this one
Lots of issues around uninformed decisions and consent (or a lack there of) - like extreme dubcon
Huge power imbalance between the MCs and not in a good way
Really didn’t vibe with any of the characters or even the plot tbh
Also the writing perspective was really unclear
But two stars for lots of smut so there’s that!
Lots of issues around uninformed decisions and consent (or a lack there of) - like extreme dubcon
Huge power imbalance between the MCs and not in a good way
Really didn’t vibe with any of the characters or even the plot tbh
Also the writing perspective was really unclear
But two stars for lots of smut so there’s that!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Wings of the Night Prince by Alessa Thorn
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Great end to the box set, solid pacing, a really lovely couple with cute banter to follow along with, and overall a really solid read
Heart of the Winter Prince by Alessa Thorn
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thought this was a great story! The writing is a lot tighter than the first book and it follows a clear structure. Awesome sequel, and I found the MCs way more loveable than in the first book (and even Elise’s and Kian were more more interesting when they featured imo!)
Kiss of the Blood Prince by Alessa Thorn
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Fun new take on the fated mates trope by setting it in contemporary England, and I thought it was pretty well executed! I really liked the FMC, Elise, and thought it did a good job of setting up a series, but that meant parts of this book felt a bit stagnant. It sometimes fell into a ‘tell don’t show’ trap, and I kept going back and forth liking and hating the relationship between the FMC and MMC. On the whole I think they won out, but I’m mostly excited to see more of Kian’s brothers in the next book!