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stormlightreader's Reviews (936)
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
Complicated
I didn't know what to expect going in and did not expect to like this as much as I did. So, naturally I don't really have a coherent review, but here are my highlights:
- Characters: Sanderson chose to focus on some great characters in Dawnshard. Rysn was an interesting POV to follow - I like her and her ending in Dawnshard. Huio (Lopen's cousin) and Cord (Rock's daughter) were also interesting, particularly Cord. I liked the interactions between Cord and Rysn.
- Lopen (gets his own bullet point): Ah, Lopen, my favourite character in Dawnshard and one of my favourite Stormlight characters overall - I adore him. I'm glad that he got so much attention in this novella. He's so funny and is such an endearing character. I loved his story in Dawnshard but was a little sad at the 'realisation' for him towards the end, because I can totally see why he is the way he is but I also see how it could be perceived, so that was a little bittersweet.
- Magic and world-building: it was interesting to get a more in-depth breakdown of fabrials, particularly the testing process behind them. It's always interesting learning more about the world and science of the Stormlight Archive. The additional worldbuilding in Dawnshard had impact and it's clear how it will fit in with the storyline of the main series.
Overall, a solid novella (better than Edgedancer). This is absolutely essential reading and I hope we keep getting these novellas!
- Characters: Sanderson chose to focus on some great characters in Dawnshard. Rysn was an interesting POV to follow - I like her and her ending in Dawnshard. Huio (Lopen's cousin) and Cord (Rock's daughter) were also interesting, particularly Cord. I liked the interactions between Cord and Rysn.
- Lopen (gets his own bullet point): Ah, Lopen, my favourite character in Dawnshard and one of my favourite Stormlight characters overall - I adore him. I'm glad that he got so much attention in this novella. He's so funny and is such an endearing character. I loved his story in Dawnshard but was a little sad at the 'realisation' for him towards the end, because I can totally see why he is the way he is but I also see how it could be perceived, so that was a little bittersweet.
- Magic and world-building: it was interesting to get a more in-depth breakdown of fabrials, particularly the testing process behind them. It's always interesting learning more about the world and science of the Stormlight Archive. The additional worldbuilding in Dawnshard had impact and it's clear how it will fit in with the storyline of the main series.
Overall, a solid novella (better than Edgedancer). This is absolutely essential reading and I hope we keep getting these novellas!
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Brief synopsis: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Nick Tanner goes undercover to follow up on another agent’s investigation—one that may have led to her murder. Tanner is drawn into a world of a wildlife trafficking family, a crooked sheriff, a white nationalist church, and a killer with the perfect alibi.
Overall thoughts: I found this in the 'Read Now' section on NetGalley and was intrigued by the premise of canned hunting as the basis for a thriller. I am familiar with what canned hunting is, so I'm grateful to Cox for not going into a great amount of detail on the methods used to subdue the animals (the detail we did get was sad enough). It was good to see examples of different wildlife crimes: large mammals (canned hunting) and butterflies (trafficking).
I read this over 2 days and initially I went back and forth on it a lot in the first 100 or so pages, mainly due to lines like: "a bustline that gave the uniform buttons a workout" and (in reference to a climb) "five thousand feet had Tanner panting like a porn star". However, after the first 100 or so pages this became less frequent and the plot picked up. I didn't find Tanner particularly likeable (perhaps due to the aforementioned quotes) but I did like Martinez. Her and Tanner had good banter and she was just more likeable, as was Danni. My favourite character by far though was Ray! The overall atmosphere of the book was probably the best thing about it (besides Ray!). It really did feel like I was reading about a corrupt little town, where people are so detached they just make up their own rules and authority.
I am constantly on the lookout for ecothrillers but my last one (Eden by Tim Lebbon) was a disappointment but this one was way better.
Overall thoughts: I found this in the 'Read Now' section on NetGalley and was intrigued by the premise of canned hunting as the basis for a thriller. I am familiar with what canned hunting is, so I'm grateful to Cox for not going into a great amount of detail on the methods used to subdue the animals (the detail we did get was sad enough). It was good to see examples of different wildlife crimes: large mammals (canned hunting) and butterflies (trafficking).
I read this over 2 days and initially I went back and forth on it a lot in the first 100 or so pages, mainly due to lines like: "a bustline that gave the uniform buttons a workout" and (in reference to a climb) "five thousand feet had Tanner panting like a porn star". However, after the first 100 or so pages this became less frequent and the plot picked up. I didn't find Tanner particularly likeable (perhaps due to the aforementioned quotes) but I did like Martinez. Her and Tanner had good banter and she was just more likeable, as was Danni. My favourite character by far though was Ray! The overall atmosphere of the book was probably the best thing about it (besides Ray!). It really did feel like I was reading about a corrupt little town, where people are so detached they just make up their own rules and authority.
I am constantly on the lookout for ecothrillers but my last one (Eden by Tim Lebbon) was a disappointment but this one was way better.
medium-paced
Gary Ridgway is not a serial killer I knew much about and didn’t realise how long it took to catch him! Ann Rule puts the focus on the victims the fact that there were pictures throughout the book of most of the victims was great - not just a name and a date, but a picture to reinforce the fact that you're reading about actual people. This wasn’t a book about the murderer, it was a book about the murdered, with minimal detail given on the actual murders.
I did not care about any character and Don was absolutely unbearable!
fast-paced
A very tame horror. Nevertheless, I put aside the fact that this is 'based on a true story' (I always have some doubt about any book with that phrase attached).
I've watched and rewatched the film of the same name (the original and the Ryan Reynolds remake) and wanted to see if the book offered any different details. I know the legitimacy of the story is regularly up for debate so I just settled in for a quick read.
The supernatural events are the sort you'd expect, odd noises, doors and windows opening or closing on their own, the persistent chill in a room with a constantly roaring fire, ornaments seeming to shift position on their own - all of which could be easily explained.
Overall, this was a mildy entertaining read but overshadowed by previous knowledge of the story. It is told very matter-of-factly, which I'm not actually bothered about. I wouldn't highly recommend it, but it's a quick read with a bit of atmosphere.
I've watched and rewatched the film of the same name (the original and the Ryan Reynolds remake) and wanted to see if the book offered any different details. I know the legitimacy of the story is regularly up for debate so I just settled in for a quick read.
The supernatural events are the sort you'd expect, odd noises, doors and windows opening or closing on their own, the persistent chill in a room with a constantly roaring fire, ornaments seeming to shift position on their own - all of which could be easily explained.
Overall, this was a mildy entertaining read but overshadowed by previous knowledge of the story. It is told very matter-of-factly, which I'm not actually bothered about. I wouldn't highly recommend it, but it's a quick read with a bit of atmosphere.
A somewhat disjointed book. There was some interesting detail on the behaviour and personal life of Joseph DeAngelo but nothing super enlightening. It does attempt to recount some of the victims of the Golden State Killer but it is a far cry from the well-structured and emotive account written by Michelle McNamara. This book just threw in names, crimes, dates and stats for effect, whereas with McNamara's book I was aware that I reading about real people. This didn't. At the 58% point (through to the 65% point) the author begins randomly talking about Richard Chase (the Vampire of Sacramento) and Kevin Lee Green (the Bedroom Basher), Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgway (the Green River Killer), John Wayne Gacy and almost a dozen other killers who were active around the time that DeAngelo was. With proper writing, structure and analysis, this could have been impactful but just felt out of place and could've (along with a few other chapters) reduced the book by about 50 pages with no impact on the quality.
If you're looking for a slow-paced character study, then this will be for you. For me, this is a big ask. All of the background info (that I read) came in flashbacks that felt overly convoluted (a 10 page chapter 23 pages in detailing her drug-fuelled bar crawls - 😴 interestingly her drug use just stopped too 🤨). Ruby is a very uninteresting POV to follow. A very enjoyable thriller series for me is told through the POV of a funny female serial killer and I was hoping for a similarly likeable character but Ruby is so flat.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Brief synopsis: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
Overall thoughts: The scientific descriptions and explanations were quite enjoyable and easy to follow. There were a couple of inconsistencies between the audio and the hardback but they're really minor. I was engaged enough up until the 50-page mark to keep going and finish it but the introduction of a new character increased my interest massively. I liked the mix of characters and the inclusion of a climate scientist as an opposing viewpoint was really interesting to me.
The book didn't feel predictable and I wasn't sure how it was going to end. Thankfully, it didn't end in the way I was thinking it would (that would've brought the rating right down) but I would've liked the ending to be a bit more fleshed out because it was interesting but too quickly wrapped up. With more tension and if the stakes felt higher this would've been a 5* but overall, definitely better than I expected.
The audiobook narration definitely helped with this book, mainly with Ryland's character but also with the new character and their communication (so adorable). I'd recommend reading with the audio for this reason.
Overall thoughts: The scientific descriptions and explanations were quite enjoyable and easy to follow. There were a couple of inconsistencies between the audio and the hardback but they're really minor. I was engaged enough up until the 50-page mark to keep going and finish it but the introduction of a new character increased my interest massively. I liked the mix of characters and the inclusion of a climate scientist as an opposing viewpoint was really interesting to me.
The book didn't feel predictable and I wasn't sure how it was going to end. Thankfully, it didn't end in the way I was thinking it would (that would've brought the rating right down) but I would've liked the ending to be a bit more fleshed out because it was interesting but too quickly wrapped up. With more tension and if the stakes felt higher this would've been a 5* but overall, definitely better than I expected.
The audiobook narration definitely helped with this book, mainly with Ryland's character but also with the new character and their communication (so adorable). I'd recommend reading with the audio for this reason.
I could sit and listen to Kay's diary entries for hours on end. I really wish somebody would write an account like this about teaching.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Looking forward to book 4.