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thecaffeinatedlibrary's Reviews (290)

dark mysterious tense

Do you never want to look at insect the same way again? Do you want to be terrified of beautiful old buildings? Do you love feeling a deep rooted terror that keeps you in its clutches from the very first page till the last? Do you also crave cozy moments that remind you that you’re alive? Then you should read She is A Haunting!

I was lucky enough to win an ARC through an Instagram giveaway the author hosted last year, and boy I was not disappointed. I laughed, I cried, I screamed and had to shake off invisible bugs — what more can you ask if a book?

Part horror & part coming-of-age, She is A Haunting will stay with me for a long, long time. This book was just AMAZING, there’s no other word for it. We have a sentient haunted house, ghosts, racist neighbours plus important conversations around generational trauma, colonialism and menstruation. I cannot recommend this enough! 
adventurous dark emotional mysterious
adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging emotional informative tense fast-paced

Wow! What an epic high fantasy this was. 

We follow 9 (I think) POVs through the story, which Kate writes masterfully. Each character has a unique voice, a true talent considering how many characters we focus on. We have intrigue, politics, mystery, romance, epic fight scenes; in short, everything you want a high fantasy novel to be! 

My favourite characters are Ash and Senan, I found them interesting and relatable. Senan is the best boy! Ash is sweet and naive, and terrified of her power. Her arc was full of growth as she came into her own. Some characters irritated me more (like Jarlath and Laeli) & there are a few that are downright despicable. 

I found the majority of the story paced quite fast, without compromising the overall story. I did find the beginning chapters paced a bit slower, which I found myself a little bored in — but those first chapters are full of exposition and incredible world building that is very important later!

I will be starting Heart of Flame asap! 
adventurous challenging dark informative tense

Whoa! This boom blew me away.

It is a a historical fantasy retelling of the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. I was so invested in our main Character Zhu and he’d absolute stubborn WILL for survival and greatness.

The fantasy elements were deftly written, in a way that makes it seem natural. That this all ACTUALLY happened. We have some hard-hitting prose, that captures your heart and then shatters it, and some of the best, most complex,  characters I’ve ever read about.

A humble mention to chapter 21 (iykyk). 
adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

 Being back in this world was so nostalgic, it felt like a warm hug!

I’m so invested in each character. I forgot how effortlessly Cassie can do multi pov stories and keep us HOOKED on each seperate character’s journey without jeopardising their arc. I adore the chemistry between the characters, I can’t even pinpoint a favourite because I would die for each of them!! I will admit, Anna Lightwood has a special place in my heart though 🥰

The little snippets we get of Will and Tess are divine 😭🥺🥹❤️

We have action, mystery, cosy vibes and romance! A brilliant first book in this trilogy, I can’t wait to binge the next two 🥰
reflective sad

This was very enjoyable, cute and melancholy and I absolutely ADORED the commentary on coffee, I found it incredibly fascinating. It was cosy and wholesome!

I think I was expecting a very insightful book, that would make me cry with joy and sadness, and while those themes were there, the execution of them kind of fell flat for me personally.

If you’re after a cute, coffee filled story then check it out! 🥰
challenging hopeful reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

The Dragons of Minyth is stunning (and I don’t just mean the cover). It is filled with beautiful prose, and vivid imagery that paints this world in full colour. 

I saw that the author takes a lot of inspiration from Tolkien in her writing, and that definitely comes through in her writing. I loved the format of this, as if it’s a campfire story! I thought the the twists were hidden in a brilliant, nuanced way that had me gasping!

The only thing I can criticise is that, for me personally, I would have like more depth to the characters and the paced slowed down a little between plot points. 

From someone who has not already read Eonotora (but plans to immediately), the world was slightly confusing to begin with but still very easy to understand as we went along!

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC, I really loved it 🥰