sarah_sapphire's reviews
379 reviews

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

This book was such an adventure! I found it well paced and I loved the setting and the culture which was prominent throughout! It was refreshing to have an FMC who is a mother in her 40s, with a bad knee and she still is a bad ass. I loved the complex relationships and backstory. It is full of found family and of course pirates! There was more fantasy aspects than I was expecting based on the beginning of the book but I loved that. It also wraps up really nicely while leaving room for more fun stories to come! Highly recommend!

A Symphony of Flesh and Snow by Shaina Anastasi

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.5

I loved diving back into Pandora and Reen's timeline. They are such a feisty pair and the violent banter between them is so good! I loved finding out the background behind them both and how he is trying not to kill her all the time. Pandora is a complex FMC with trama in her past which she is learning to overcome. Reen is also perfectly paired with his equally traumatic past and how they both manage this together. Astin became one of my favourite characters as a knight we found out much more about him and I enjoyed his interactions with Pandora so much! I love how diverse this world is and how it combines aspects of fantasy, paranormal and dystopian vibes all in one. I'm excited to read what happens next after those events at the end! Oh my heart!

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

5.0

I was apprehensive before reading this as I wasn't sure it would live up to the hype, but turns out I loved it!. I found that this was a great fantasy with a unique magic system, I love that it was based on metals and how intricate it was. Each of the characters was so well developed and I loved discovering more and more about them as I read. I did not expect so many twists and turns. The mystery and intrigue was was some of the best parts. And the politics and manipulation so cleverly done. The writing itself wasn't overly complicated and I found myself so immersed that I forgot I was reading. There were many interesting creatures and a tiny little romance subplot I enjoyed. The end wrapped up nicely but I'm looking forward to the next book!

The Calm Before the Storm by Danielle L. Jensen

adventurous challenging funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wild Love by Elsie Silver

challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Elsie Silver strikes again! I loved this book, alongside classic tropes that I just loved, the language is so emotive and funny. I love how serious themes are incorporated but the overall book feels light and funny. The bits of Chestnut Springs coining into this was great and reminded me how much I love those characters. I love a snarky sassy relationship and that's what Ford and Rosie had. I can't wait to see where the next book goes!

Barbarian's Redemption by Ruby Dixon

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted 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

4.0

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

4.5

I was so glad to continue with Lore's story after the big end of the first book and I was not disappointed! This part of the story focused more on the Gods and the legends about them. I found it so interesting learning more about the magic system, the new magic and how it was connected to the Gods. I spent this book unsure of who to trust and being surprised at which sides certain characters were on. I loved the interactions between Lore and Bastian and Alie is also a favourite character of mine. I'm glad of the character arc that Gabe had as well. I was gripped while reading this especially near the end and can't wait to see how things plan out from that ending!

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley

The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-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

4.25

This was such a fun book. It made me giggle and swoon. As an engineer who's just finished a PhD I loved the STEM setting and all the scientific aspects. One of my favourite bits was her sarcastic droid friend just commenting along the way. I love a good billionaire romance and it mixed with engineering was great. If you are looking for a fun easy cute read this is a good one.

I received this as an ARC through Netgalley.

Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

This book was a rollercoaster. I really enjoyed the extra POVs and seeing how all those interwove with eachother, I really like the magic system and love how much we find out about it in this book. Such important themes are explored through the characters and how they overcome certain challenges was done really well. I enjoyed the steady pace at the start which then evolved into frantic reading to find out what would happen next. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Reckless by Elsie Silver

emotional funny inspiring 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

I love Theo! And I love having a an FMC with Winter's spiky personality. think this is my favourite of the series so far, I love the dynamic between characters and how they work through problems. The dialogue had been laughing, crying and swooning. Brilliant!