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strombolibones's reviews
270 reviews
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
4.5
This novella alternates between main POV chapters and these 1-shot Interviews where different Knights tells their stories of how they slayed a dragon, so this Mage can record it in the archives.
This was a super cool way to do world building and it complemented the main narrative's feeling of Horror and Confusion quite well, AND it gave a nice mixup to what otherwise would at first seem like a run-of-the-mill Dragon Slayer story (albeit with a woman instead!)
My only complaint is that after all this creativity with her twist on a classic tale, the author fell back on the ALWAYS lame "exposition dump at the end to explain everything."
So like with Six Crimson Cranes, that's a paddlin. Smh.
Absolute banger otherwise though, super short (sub-5 hours), big rec, onto book 2!
This was a super cool way to do world building and it complemented the main narrative's feeling of Horror and Confusion quite well, AND it gave a nice mixup to what otherwise would at first seem like a run-of-the-mill Dragon Slayer story (albeit with a woman instead!)
My only complaint is that after all this creativity with her twist on a classic tale, the author fell back on the ALWAYS lame "exposition dump at the end to explain everything."
So like with Six Crimson Cranes, that's a paddlin. Smh.
Absolute banger otherwise though, super short (sub-5 hours), big rec, onto book 2!
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang
3.5
A 5-hour novella primarily about finding ones Identity, specifically within the... Confines? of Gender, Family, and Destiny.
Has a bare-bones-but-functional magic system that uses your standard Elemental approach.
I wouldn't stake my whole reputation on it but this gave me The Spear Cuts Through Water vibes big time.
Book 2 in the trilogy next month 🙏
Has a bare-bones-but-functional magic system that uses your standard Elemental approach.
I wouldn't stake my whole reputation on it but this gave me The Spear Cuts Through Water vibes big time.
Book 2 in the trilogy next month 🙏
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
3.0
All you Book of the New Sun and/or Spear Cuts Through Water fans should check this out because I have NO idea what I just read (and it had SCTW Prologue vibes. Not sure how I managed to find 2 books to fit that bill in the same month but.... here we are.)
Somehow I ended up feeling mostly positive, but I'll probably have to watch a summary/review vid before I move onto book 2, because despite my lack of comprehension, I'll definitely be reading book 2 next month, as these books are each 2 hours long.
The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams
4.0
Firstly it's INSANE that this book only has 63 reviews. This series is so criminally underread it's absurd. My review will seem critical but this was a heater.
Jimmy wasn't playing when he said Tad went full Return of the King with this one, and I'm not gonna lie, it lost me a little bit in the end.
Couple final resolutions that didn't quite work for me, which really stinks because this book is long as hell, so I'm a little relieved to be finished.
That being said, I tend to enjoy Tad's books more the further I get from them. I absolutely adored my time in Osten Ard, and I absolutely am gonna miss everyone ❤️ (exceptVorzheva ).
Also, Tad's got a penchant for characters getting kidnapped, for real.
Jimmy wasn't playing when he said Tad went full Return of the King with this one, and I'm not gonna lie, it lost me a little bit in the end.
Couple final resolutions that didn't quite work for me, which really stinks because this book is long as hell, so I'm a little relieved to be finished.
That being said, I tend to enjoy Tad's books more the further I get from them. I absolutely adored my time in Osten Ard, and I absolutely am gonna miss everyone ❤️ (except
Also, Tad's got a penchant for characters getting kidnapped, for real.
The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song
4.0
Another W for Storygraph's recommendations section + great cover art!
A modern retelling of the Legend of Mulan that is essentially the Disney movie Mulan of it was rated R and had magic instead of singing, this book is more or less what you'd get!
Reading a book where the main antagonist is essentially Misogyny was really uncomfortable during the current political climate.
I wouldn't say the book blew me away but it definitely slaps. It's also a Duology with book 2 coming out in August, and I'm really excited.
Extra props for the gangster naming convention: The Dragon Wakes with Thunder
A modern retelling of the Legend of Mulan that is essentially the Disney movie Mulan of it was rated R and had magic instead of singing, this book is more or less what you'd get!
Reading a book where the main antagonist is essentially Misogyny was really uncomfortable during the current political climate.
I wouldn't say the book blew me away but it definitely slaps. It's also a Duology with book 2 coming out in August, and I'm really excited.
Extra props for the gangster naming convention: The Dragon Wakes with Thunder