smarmo21's reviews
27 reviews

adventurous dark tense medium-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

4.0

This is a really solid new adult fantasy book. The writing is better than Fourth Wing and we get to see the progression of this tense and exciting story. I did grow a little tired of

the back and forth between Violet and Xaden’s relationship

so I knocked off a point. Overall I’m excited for what the next book in this series brings, whenever we get it.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Overall, an average read. Unfortunately the highlight was

any scene with ACOTAR characters, not the ones in the CC stories

. I found the majority of the middle of the book to be quite boring. The ending was more fast paced and exciting but supremely predictable. These books are the weakest of SJM in my opinion.

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

2.0

An average book with a confusing magic system and lack of world-building/depth. Had some solid tropes

one bed!

but not much else. I don’t recommend the audiobook due to some characters’ accents. I found the narrator’s depiction of those accents to be off putting and took me out of the story.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous fast-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

4.0

This is a great new adult fantasy book. It hits all the classic tropes but in a way that’s still exciting and engaging. Knocking a point off for some severely cringe writing in the first ~150 pages but push through for a really enjoyable story and easy read.

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