stardustrohrig's reviews
25 reviews

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

This was such a good book with a lot of great characters besides Silas. While it doesn’t have quite as much gore as the other’s other book, there is some, all with a medical focus this time. I really enjoyed how Silas struggles to work everything out while dealing with everything else going on for him. The plot is very dark and disturbing but I really like how everything plays out. Certain things were not a surprise while others completely were and I really enjoyed it all. And I was really glad a particular plot point was resolved the way it did. The ending is a bit open ended but I think it makes sense given the storyline. 

Be sure to take note of the authors warnings at the beginning of the book. 

Also be sure to read the authors end notes because while this story is fantasy the ugly truth is people always been sent a way because they were deemed unfit by society and many have been experimented on throughout history. 

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! The characters are all great and there are a lot of interesting things going on. I liked the way Malik tried to look out for his brother while still dealing with going to the university and figuring out what happened with his mom. I liked the way history was described and how Malik was able to learn a lot of things through dreams and visions thanks to magic. There were some confusing parts and I felt like some things could have been explained better, such as how the magic works and what kind of things people can do. Everything felt a little random regarding the magic. There's definitely a mix of different cultures being used in the book and I'm not sure how well the author does it with (this is something to check other reviews for). I also wasn't sure if some other issues I did notice were related to the writing or Malik being a teenager with teenage reactions to things. I do think some things could have been improved with a bit more editing and thoughts about how things could be perceived. As to the language and AAVE use I've seen some reviews (all from Black people) that say "no one talks like this" and others saying "yes they do" and it probably comes down to where people live and the ages of the people talking. All that said I did enjoy the book and I'm looking forward to where the story goes next. 

The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense

• 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? It's complicated

4.75

This was such a great book. Zeyn Joukhadar has such a lyrical way with words that fill his stories with a lot of details and descriptions that make for a fun read. I went in expecting alternating chapters but I should have realized that since Nour starts out telling the story of Rawiya it made more sense that each chapter after the first couple would start with a second from Rawiya and then continue on with Nour’s travels. I really enjoyed reading about all of the characters as they made their way across the lands. A lot of things happen along the way and I don’t want to spoil anything but I was happy with how everything ends up for both Nour and Rawiya. Be sure to read the notes chapter at the end for some interesting details as well.

The Exiled Fleet by J.S. Dewes

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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

4.5

This was such a fun read - I really love all the characters. A lot more did get explained in this book than the previous one but some of the terms being used are confusing and could do with more of an explanation. I think a cheatsheet of terms would be helpful at the end of the book to explain the differen types of soldiers as they're referred to a few different ways. There are a few different groups that seem to be controlled by both humans and the aliens? I'm honestly not sure? Regardless it's a good book and I'm looking forward to reading the final book when it comes out.

Children Of Anguish & Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! I didn't mind the shift in plot away from Orïsha because it made sense there was more going on beyond the borders. I did feel like some ideas could have been built up a little more but the world building was still interesting. The ending did feel a little abrupt but overall I liked the story it told. It's been a little too long since I read the previous two books so I'm not sure yet how I feel about it as the conclusion to the trilogy. I'll have to read all three books again at some point. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

I read this for one of my Discord book clubs and it’s ultimately not my cup of tea. I tried to give it a fair chance but the personalities of the main characters and the writing style made it harder to get through than I like. I also ended up needing the Wikipedia for the book series to keep track of all of the characters. All of the characters were referred to by first name, last name, nickname, or sometimes only a description, depending on who was talking and some had similar names, which made it hard to keep track. That said there were some interesting parts, the world building seemed interesting if not fully described, and I did like how the relationship between Gideon and Harrowhark developed despite my frustration with them in the beginning. I don’t believe I’ll continue the series at this time, but you never know. 

Memory's Legion by James S.A. Corey

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a good collection of short stories that take place throughout the timeline of the novel series – with some set pre-series and one post-series. Overall I think they’re good stories but I definitly like some more than others. I especially like the post-series story “The Sins of Our Fathers” as it answers a question about a certain minor character from one of the earlier books. While this collection was published after the final book was published, all but the last story were previously published elsewhere. The included short stories are:

“Drive”
“The Butcher of Anderson Station”
“Gods of Risk”
“The Churn”
“The Vital Abyss”
“Strange Dogs”
“Auberon”
“The Sins of Our Fathers” – this story is new for the collection and is set post-series.

Though some are pre-series like “Drive”, “The Butcher of Anderson Station” and “The Churn” I think they make more sense read later on in the series rather than starting with them. The authors have written one additional short story “The Last Flight of the Cassandra” but it remains exclusive to the Expanse Roleplaying Game. 

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

adventurous challenging emotional reflective

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

4.5

I feel like this book was a good ending for the series (if you choose to continue reading after the end of book six). I did think the first half or so of the book dragged on a bit. There’s a lot of build up and figuring out of what’s happening to read through. Plus a couple side trips as various things are dealt with. The last few chapters are definitely faster as what has to happen becomes clear. I don’t want to completely spoil the plot of what happens but Jim Holden makes a choice that is actually very fitting for him. The epilogue is also a pretty spot on ending for another character. 

Overall I think this is a good series – the crew is great and their adventures are fun to read. I stand by what I said in the first couple reviews about not liking some choices that were made but it’s still good series if one likes epic adventures in space.

Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful slow-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

4.75

Often times the middle book (or movie series) of a trilogy is more of a bridge to fighting the big bad than a story that resolves anything. Not so with this book. Which is why I enjoy it a lot. Granted it has its slow parts and some things are a little tedious but it’s a good book and I enjoy all the different point of view characters. Without spoiling too much a good chunk of the primary problem is resolved. I love the way the crew of the Rocinante are fighting their own fights as they work their way back together. I like that we see one of the pervious characters returned (Elvi Okoye) and a new character (Teresa) who has to figure out where she belongs in the universe. 

Loka by S.B. Divya

adventurous challenging inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This was a great book. It was a very quick read and I enjoyed reading Akshaya and Somya's adventure around the world.  Akshaya is a very typical teenager who wants to be able to make her own choices about everything and not feel forced to conform to what her mother wants for her. Both she and her mother have a lot to learn and do so throughout the course of the book. I really enjoyed the additional aspects of how disability was used. Like her mother Akshaya has sickle cell anemia and must figure out how to work with it on Earth where it's more disabling than it would be on Meru due to different conditions. The entire story is about self discovery and figuring out where you belong in the universe. 

While this book is a sequel to the previous book "Meru" - Akshaya's parents are two of the main characters from that book - "Loka" works well enough as a standalone novel. I think anyone could read it without having read the first book. Though some plot points might be helpful to know for additional context. 


Thank you to NetGalley, 47North and S.B. Divya for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.