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spacerkip's reviews
276 reviews
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's been a while since a book made me immediately run to borrow the sequel from the library. Vibrant and full of lively characters and well-crafted, multi-layered intrigue, I quickly found myself absorbed into this story and its world. I'm so glad I borrowed the physical copy my library had instead of the audiobook through hoopla. It was a lot easier to look up all of the names and words for clothing and architecture I didn't recognize, and my enjoyment was definitely richer because of it. I'm excited to see how our three protagonists (two protagonists and one antagonist? 👀) handle the fallout from the end of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Rape, Torture, and Colonisation
The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
5.0
Woe: A Housecat's Story of Despair by Lucy Knisley
emotional
funny
lighthearted
4.0
Hey! This made me cry.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio
adventurous
lighthearted
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
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
emotional
reflective
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
4.75
The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp
2.0
The story was enjoyable, and the romance made me smile, but the art...
I didn't know "show, don't tell" was a critique one could make in a visual medium. The amount of unnecessary sound effects/descriptions in every single panel bothered me at first, annoyed me by the middle, and had me wanting to chew things by the end. I do not need words across a page to tell me two characters have been surrounded. The many swords pointing at them got that across very well, actually.
The use of flat colors without any shading seems to be an artistic choice, but I really think it made the visuals suffer. There was an overall lack of depth to the art that I eventually got used to, but kept the novel from feeling finished.
I didn't hate it, but I wished I could have enjoyed myself more.
I didn't know "show, don't tell" was a critique one could make in a visual medium. The amount of unnecessary sound effects/descriptions in every single panel bothered me at first, annoyed me by the middle, and had me wanting to chew things by the end. I do not need words across a page to tell me two characters have been surrounded. The many swords pointing at them got that across very well, actually.
The use of flat colors without any shading seems to be an artistic choice, but I really think it made the visuals suffer. There was an overall lack of depth to the art that I eventually got used to, but kept the novel from feeling finished.
I didn't hate it, but I wished I could have enjoyed myself more.
Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Robin Hood has been a favorite story of mine since childhood, and I'm happy to add this novel to the list of adaptations I truly enjoyed.
I thought this was a very clever adaptation, and the way the author reimagined the Robin Hood mythos was genuinely delightful. Mirroring the story into a different part of the crusades really served to bring something new to a story that's been retold countless times - expanding upon the same themes, but adding new insights. I also liked how there were chapters sprinkled in from the pov of important political figures - it provided historical context for a time period I (and likely few other readers) only have a vague impression of, and really made it feel like our heroes were skirting through all these big, moving parts.
Since this was published as part of Macmillan's Remixed Classics series, I don't know if there were any limitations placed on the author in terms of length or page count. However, I think the story would have benefited from being longer. One or two more isolated adventures with the group all together would have helped solidify character dynamics, and would have solidified their reputation before the climax. The "original" Robin Hood is a serial story told across many legends and ballads, and I would have liked to see what else this merry band of misfits could get up to.
Even though this book was historical fiction, I'm more eager to get to all the Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy that's on my tbr. This was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to reading more things that will scratch a very specific itch in my brain.
I thought this was a very clever adaptation, and the way the author reimagined the Robin Hood mythos was genuinely delightful. Mirroring the story into a different part of the crusades really served to bring something new to a story that's been retold countless times - expanding upon the same themes, but adding new insights. I also liked how there were chapters sprinkled in from the pov of important political figures - it provided historical context for a time period I (and likely few other readers) only have a vague impression of, and really made it feel like our heroes were skirting through all these big, moving parts.
Since this was published as part of Macmillan's Remixed Classics series, I don't know if there were any limitations placed on the author in terms of length or page count. However, I think the story would have benefited from being longer. One or two more isolated adventures with the group all together would have helped solidify character dynamics, and would have solidified their reputation before the climax. The "original" Robin Hood is a serial story told across many legends and ballads, and I would have liked to see what else this merry band of misfits could get up to.
Even though this book was historical fiction, I'm more eager to get to all the Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy that's on my tbr. This was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to reading more things that will scratch a very specific itch in my brain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Antisemitism, and Injury/Injury detail
A Thief Among the Trees: An Ember in the Ashes Graphic Novel by Sabaa Tahir
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I picked this up at the library, despite not knowing much about the main series of novels. The art style and character dynamics drew me in, and I'm very interested in diving into the rest of the books. I think I'll wait to read the other graphic novel, as these prequels seem better suited to someone already familiar to the world and the characters. Still, this story painted a vivid picture of the fictional empire and living under its martial law, and I'm eager to see if my library has a copy of the first book.