tallismarlowe's reviews
2 reviews

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-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

5.0

I fell a little in love with the main character a few pages in, and stayed that way until the end of the book. The character dynamics are the highlight of this book, at least for me, and they're not always easy ones. The worldbuilding is good in this one; it never sacrificed plot pacing to infodump, but wove it into the narrative instead. I could see the landscapes and characters in front of me as I read. Pretty sure I finished this in two sittings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Medical content, Violence, and Xenophobia

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious 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

Loved this book; it got me out of my post-graduation reading slump. The backdrop is spectacular, and the character's voices shine through so perfectly. The action starts early on, but goes a little slow, and the stakes are a little off kilter, but I adored how subtle and complex the writing was, and the prose was amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny