steve_recs's Reviews (71)

The Alchemy of Stone

Ekaterina Sedia

3.0

reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Beautiful imagery and fascinating world-building come together in a stunted narrative that doesn't quite deliver the story it's trying to be. This feels like either a polished rough draft or a larger piece that has been crudely hacked down. Dialogue is often meandering and weak, and occasionally the beginnings of conversations prelude to nothing. Scene transitions, in general, are clumsy and jarring, partly because scenes so often felt incomplete, but captivating details about the main character and the world she inhabits are just enough to pull me through to the end. It's a book that will stick with me, even if it's not one I can confidently recommend.

The Cabin on Souder Hill

Lonnie Busch

4.5

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A Gathering of Shadows

V.E. Schwab

4.5

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Hounds of Gaia: The Marrower Saga: Book One

Sean Tirman

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Umbra

Amber Toro

4.0

adventurous emotional 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

Unbreakable

W.C. Bauers

3.5

Control Point

Myke Cole

3.0

Defragmenting Daniel: The Organ Scrubber: A Sci-Fi Thriller

Jason Werbeloff

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Hidden Empire

Orson Scott Card

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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: Yes

Empire

Orson Scott Card

5.0

adventurous challenging dark informative tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated