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sarahgaelsbooks's reviews
143 reviews
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? No
3.5
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
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? No
3.5
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
3.5
The Unflinching Ash by Angela Armstrong
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? No
3.5
I was lucky enough to receive The Unflinching Ash from the fabulous Angela Armstrong. Even though I consider Angela one of my bookish friends, I will always give honest reviews and do my best not to be biased.
With that in mind, I enjoyed The Unflinching Ash. It is a great stand-alone Young Adult fantasy that isn’t too long or hard to sink your teeth into. I really enjoyed the social commentary that runs through the story.
Angela has managed to include a conversation about women’s rights and the influence religions have had on governments throughout history. The fact that females cannot be a Mystic are often hunted, burned, hung, drowned or generally killed by the basilica, that it is something only males can do...
Read my full review here: https://www.sarahgaelsbooks.com/post/review-the-unflinching-ash-angela-armstrong?postId=664dddc21a92bde244b2de7d
With that in mind, I enjoyed The Unflinching Ash. It is a great stand-alone Young Adult fantasy that isn’t too long or hard to sink your teeth into. I really enjoyed the social commentary that runs through the story.
Angela has managed to include a conversation about women’s rights and the influence religions have had on governments throughout history. The fact that females cannot be a Mystic are often hunted, burned, hung, drowned or generally killed by the basilica, that it is something only males can do...
Read my full review here: https://www.sarahgaelsbooks.com/post/review-the-unflinching-ash-angela-armstrong?postId=664dddc21a92bde244b2de7d
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? No
5.0
Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu caught my attention from the moment I saw a dragon on the cover. It hooked me the moment I started reading it. To say it caught my attention is an understatement. I fell in love.
I really loved the way Matharu writes. He has this captivating quality that consistently makes you want to read and wonder what is going to happen next. Dragon Rider is a classic Hero’s Journey plot line, but despite that, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next and how the characters were going to get out of the situations they found themselves in.
There were some beautiful turns of phrase for description, which brought the world and characters to life...
Read my full review here: https://www.sarahgaelsbooks.com/post/book-review-soulbound-dragon-rider-taran-matharu
I really loved the way Matharu writes. He has this captivating quality that consistently makes you want to read and wonder what is going to happen next. Dragon Rider is a classic Hero’s Journey plot line, but despite that, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next and how the characters were going to get out of the situations they found themselves in.
There were some beautiful turns of phrase for description, which brought the world and characters to life...
Read my full review here: https://www.sarahgaelsbooks.com/post/book-review-soulbound-dragon-rider-taran-matharu
Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
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? No
4.5
Let the Storm Break is Shannon Messenger's second book in the Sky Fall Trilogy. I listened to it as an audiobook, which was as captivating as the first book. Once again, I love it when they have a narrator for each character's POV.
If you have read some of my other reviews, you will know that I tend to struggle with second books, but Let the Storm Break was relatively good. The pace was kept up, and the story kept moving forward, which meant that it actually held my attention. There were a few twists I didn't see coming, and I found myself on the edge of my seat, wanting to keep listening to see what would happen next. This unpredictability kept it interesting.
Despite the twists, it was still somewhat predictable...
Read my full review here: https://www.sarahgaelsbooks.com/post/sky-fall-trilogy-shannon-messenger
If you have read some of my other reviews, you will know that I tend to struggle with second books, but Let the Storm Break was relatively good. The pace was kept up, and the story kept moving forward, which meant that it actually held my attention. There were a few twists I didn't see coming, and I found myself on the edge of my seat, wanting to keep listening to see what would happen next. This unpredictability kept it interesting.
Despite the twists, it was still somewhat predictable...
Read my full review here: https://www.sarahgaelsbooks.com/post/sky-fall-trilogy-shannon-messenger