You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
theinquisitxor's reviews
804 reviews
Edit: reread January 2021. 4/5 stars. I read this quick and not super in-depth because I finally bought the second book, but barely remembered anything from the first. Still a fun book, full of tropes I enjoy and a romance I love
4.5/5 stars!
This was so good! I remember seeing it on the new release lists, and I remember reading the blurb about the the story, and just thinking 'sounds alright' and not having much of an inclination to pick this up. Then I started seeing reviews and hearing people rave about it, so I decided to pick up a copy. And omg, this was so good!! I read about 80% of it in one day because I literally could not put it down.
This is a very fast-paced story, and I think if it was any more fast-paced, it would be too much. It's definitely more plot driven, but the characters remain strong and well-developed. This story actually took me the first quarter or so until I thought that it was really good. The very beginning of this story isn't the absolute strongest, and our main character Lou is a little annoying. Every time she made a corset joke a cringed a little. But once she got married to Reid, the story got sooo much better.
Here's some of the stuff I loved: enemies-to-lovers trope, slowburn, witches and magic, witty banter, pub songs, morally grey characters, lots of knives, height difference, hair braiding au and 'there's only one bed oh no' au, sticky buns! and murder!
Lou and Reid are the absolute best. Total Nina and Matthias vibes from Six of Crows. Their relationship might not be the absolute healthiest ever portrayed, but they're still heckin awesome and such a good power couple. While I was reading it was like, "just get together already!!" But the slowburn is totally worth the wait. I'm glad that this didn't end on a big cliff hanger, and the ending sets everything up nicely for the second book (which I already can't wait for)!
One last thing: @ Shelby Mahurin, when will we get the full version of Big Titty Liddy?! I need the full song in my life
4.5/5 stars!
This was so good! I remember seeing it on the new release lists, and I remember reading the blurb about the the story, and just thinking 'sounds alright' and not having much of an inclination to pick this up. Then I started seeing reviews and hearing people rave about it, so I decided to pick up a copy. And omg, this was so good!! I read about 80% of it in one day because I literally could not put it down.
This is a very fast-paced story, and I think if it was any more fast-paced, it would be too much. It's definitely more plot driven, but the characters remain strong and well-developed. This story actually took me the first quarter or so until I thought that it was really good. The very beginning of this story isn't the absolute strongest, and our main character Lou is a little annoying. Every time she made a corset joke a cringed a little. But once she got married to Reid, the story got sooo much better.
Here's some of the stuff I loved: enemies-to-lovers trope, slowburn, witches and magic, witty banter, pub songs, morally grey characters, lots of knives, height difference, hair braiding au and 'there's only one bed oh no' au, sticky buns! and murder!
Lou and Reid are the absolute best. Total Nina and Matthias vibes from Six of Crows. Their relationship might not be the absolute healthiest ever portrayed, but they're still heckin awesome and such a good power couple. While I was reading it was like, "just get together already!!" But the slowburn is totally worth the wait. I'm glad that this didn't end on a big cliff hanger, and the ending sets everything up nicely for the second book (which I already can't wait for)!
One last thing: @ Shelby Mahurin, when will we get the full version of Big Titty Liddy?! I need the full song in my life
2/5 stars. Oh middle book syndrome, oh you-should-have-been-a-duology-not-a-trilogy!
edit March 2021: I’m bumping this down a star rating because after sitting with it for a couple months, my opinion of this book has gone down even more. Sad :/ because I really enjoyed the first book. I also don’t think I’m going to pick up the last book now. This book was just a dumpster fire
Original Review: Serpent and Dove is a book that I enjoyed quite a lot. The first time I read it, I gave it just shy of 5 stars. I liked all the characters, the romance between Lou and Reid, the general set-up and premise. While there was plenty of action in the first book, there were also slower bits where the characters spent time getting to know each other. The story was more focused on one central area, one a few specific characters. And I liked that!
However, this book is different. While it does tie into things discussed and brought up in the first book, it just felt like way too much all the time but also somehow nothing happened? The characters were bouncing all over the place and getting into fights constantly--it became tiresome. Yes, we get to see some of the expanded world (which is really just an island, with one mention of what lies beyond), we see the characters grow and change their beliefs and ideals throughout the story.
While the magic system is still confusing, I enjoyed the notion that if one uses too much magic, they start to lose their humanity. This is something Lou struggles with, and we can see the consequences of when this has happened to other characters. I still found this book very entertaining and I read the majority of it in one sitting. Reading this book reminded me of reading Children of Virtue and Vengeance. I really liked the first book, but the second did not reach the heights of the first. And I feel like I have to finish the last book of each trilogy because I'm too invested to not find out how it ends. At least with this trilogy, the third book had a release date in August, so not too much time will pass in-between.
edit March 2021: I’m bumping this down a star rating because after sitting with it for a couple months, my opinion of this book has gone down even more. Sad :/ because I really enjoyed the first book. I also don’t think I’m going to pick up the last book now. This book was just a dumpster fire
Original Review: Serpent and Dove is a book that I enjoyed quite a lot. The first time I read it, I gave it just shy of 5 stars. I liked all the characters, the romance between Lou and Reid, the general set-up and premise. While there was plenty of action in the first book, there were also slower bits where the characters spent time getting to know each other. The story was more focused on one central area, one a few specific characters. And I liked that!
However, this book is different. While it does tie into things discussed and brought up in the first book, it just felt like way too much all the time but also somehow nothing happened? The characters were bouncing all over the place and getting into fights constantly--it became tiresome. Yes, we get to see some of the expanded world (which is really just an island, with one mention of what lies beyond), we see the characters grow and change their beliefs and ideals throughout the story.
While the magic system is still confusing, I enjoyed the notion that if one uses too much magic, they start to lose their humanity. This is something Lou struggles with, and we can see the consequences of when this has happened to other characters. I still found this book very entertaining and I read the majority of it in one sitting. Reading this book reminded me of reading Children of Virtue and Vengeance. I really liked the first book, but the second did not reach the heights of the first. And I feel like I have to finish the last book of each trilogy because I'm too invested to not find out how it ends. At least with this trilogy, the third book had a release date in August, so not too much time will pass in-between.
2.5/5 stars
This book has been on the periphery of my radar for a couple of years now, and when I saw if for a couple of dollars at a local used bookstore today, I snagged it. And boy was this a bucket of 2014 YA. It was interesting and entertaining, but this type of YA really isn't my cup of tea anymore. If I had read this when I was 15, yeah, I would've loved it. Even if this book wasn't my favorite, it did capture my attention and was highly entertaining (considering I pretty much read it in one sitting) I just couldn't get past the early 2010's young adult fantasy tropes. Not planning on continuing with the series.
This book has been on the periphery of my radar for a couple of years now, and when I saw if for a couple of dollars at a local used bookstore today, I snagged it. And boy was this a bucket of 2014 YA. It was interesting and entertaining, but this type of YA really isn't my cup of tea anymore. If I had read this when I was 15, yeah, I would've loved it. Even if this book wasn't my favorite, it did capture my attention and was highly entertaining (considering I pretty much read it in one sitting) I just couldn't get past the early 2010's young adult fantasy tropes. Not planning on continuing with the series.
This was a lot of fun! Last summer I had watched the first season of The Expanse, and then bought the book soon after. But a 9 book space-opera is a big commitment to take on. And as my physical tbr went down, I was left with this book as one of my last to read. I knew I would like it, and this is only about the second modern sci-fi I've read (first was Paolini's To Sleep in a Sea of Stars). The tv show definitely deviates from this book in the second half, and I can understand why. This entire book in one season of a show would be an overwhelming amount of content.
I really like the premise of this book, and all the characters for the most part. One complaints that I have seen, is that the one main character, Miller, becomes obsessed with this missing woman, to the point where he is in love with and and hallucinating her presence. That was a little icky. But this book was a fun and entertaining crime-noir meets space opera. And by 'fun' I don't mean lighthearted. This book was rather gritty and parts could be classified as horror. It is definitely soft science fiction-- where the technical elements of science are not really explained. I don't really have a preference yet.
I already have the second book, and I think this is a series that I'm going to continue to read, and hopefully I'll be somewhat caught up and ready for the last book's release later this year.
I really like the premise of this book, and all the characters for the most part. One complaints that I have seen, is that the one main character, Miller, becomes obsessed with this missing woman, to the point where he is in love with and and hallucinating her presence. That was a little icky. But this book was a fun and entertaining crime-noir meets space opera. And by 'fun' I don't mean lighthearted. This book was rather gritty and parts could be classified as horror. It is definitely soft science fiction-- where the technical elements of science are not really explained. I don't really have a preference yet.
I already have the second book, and I think this is a series that I'm going to continue to read, and hopefully I'll be somewhat caught up and ready for the last book's release later this year.
4.5/ 5 stars
I'd been putting this series off for several years now, as I wanted to read A Song of Ice and Fire, Brandon Sanderson, and possibly some Robin Hobb first. I was waiting for a time in my life where I would have enough time to read this entire series. And as a college student, time is not something I have a lot of right now. But, my brother recently finished the series, and strongly, strongly, encouraged me to read it. So I started.
I really enjoyed reading this. Yes, this first one is a little tropey, with the 'farmboy from a backwater town realizes he is not who he thinks he is' and the 'dark one threatening to destroy the world' and all that. You can definitely see what influenced this book, but many parts still remained fresh and new and exciting. I love love the worldbuilding and the lore and history surrounding this book. I enjoyed all the characters, and the concept of only women being able to use 'magic' is really neat and original.
If I read roughly one book per month (and maybe two per month over the summer) then I hopefully can get this series done within a year!
I'd been putting this series off for several years now, as I wanted to read A Song of Ice and Fire, Brandon Sanderson, and possibly some Robin Hobb first. I was waiting for a time in my life where I would have enough time to read this entire series. And as a college student, time is not something I have a lot of right now. But, my brother recently finished the series, and strongly, strongly, encouraged me to read it. So I started.
I really enjoyed reading this. Yes, this first one is a little tropey, with the 'farmboy from a backwater town realizes he is not who he thinks he is' and the 'dark one threatening to destroy the world' and all that. You can definitely see what influenced this book, but many parts still remained fresh and new and exciting. I love love the worldbuilding and the lore and history surrounding this book. I enjoyed all the characters, and the concept of only women being able to use 'magic' is really neat and original.
If I read roughly one book per month (and maybe two per month over the summer) then I hopefully can get this series done within a year!
the stand the stand the stand! My first Stephen King book. Way back in January 2020 I set a goal for myself to start reading Stephen King. Then a global pandemic hit, and I was in no way able to read horror, much less a book about a pandemic. Now, as my physical tbr is dwindling, The Stand was one of the last books on my shelf I had yet to read. So I read it. And it was really really good.
I read this edition, the uncut version at a little over 1400 pages. This is the longest (single) book I've ever read, but it doesn't feel like 1400 pages. In fact, the amount of time that passes in the novel is only about a year. The closeness you develop with the characters and the detail of the wold lends to this book feeling shorter than it actually is. But it still feels like an Epic in its scope, the conflicts, ideals and beliefs it tackles.
I wasn't really expecting the way religion plays into the story, but I feel like you can interpret what religion is in several different ways. This book has a lot of Old Testament feeling to it, and Mother Abigail is akin to a prophet. Whether or not you interpret the religion in this book to be actually God is up to you. The way I viewed this book was through the magic in Stephen King's universe. Some characters can use the magic (or Ka in his other works) and they call this religious power.
This book is definitely fantasy, but it is also horror. While it's not necessarily horror in the supernatural sense, it is horror in the grittiness and horrible things that people have gone through and experienced because of the superflu. So just be warned, this book isn't exactly a walk in the park.
I read this edition, the uncut version at a little over 1400 pages. This is the longest (single) book I've ever read, but it doesn't feel like 1400 pages. In fact, the amount of time that passes in the novel is only about a year. The closeness you develop with the characters and the detail of the wold lends to this book feeling shorter than it actually is. But it still feels like an Epic in its scope, the conflicts, ideals and beliefs it tackles.
I wasn't really expecting the way religion plays into the story, but I feel like you can interpret what religion is in several different ways. This book has a lot of Old Testament feeling to it, and Mother Abigail is akin to a prophet. Whether or not you interpret the religion in this book to be actually God is up to you. The way I viewed this book was through the magic in Stephen King's universe. Some characters can use the magic (or Ka in his other works) and they call this religious power.
This book is definitely fantasy, but it is also horror. While it's not necessarily horror in the supernatural sense, it is horror in the grittiness and horrible things that people have gone through and experienced because of the superflu. So just be warned, this book isn't exactly a walk in the park.
What do I say about this beautiful, beautiful, heart-wrenching story? I'm not so sure.
Let's start at the beginning: Portal Fantasy is my favorite trope/genre of fantasy. I heard about this book when it first came out, and I saw a couple of mixed reviews that put me off from reading it right away. I have a bit of a goal to read every portal fantasy out there, and I did just recently buy this. I don't have many books on my physical tbr left, and after reading an 800+ page space opera, I wanted something a little shorter and lighter.
One review I read said that this book is very light on the portal theme, and that it was less portal fantasy and that it was mainly just about January in the Locke house, etc. I don't know what book that person read, because I found this a great mix of portals, exploration and character growth. This book weaves beautiful worlds, and a system of portal magic that makes sense and is not just totally random and unexplained.
I loved, loved the characters. January's character development and growth has been some of the best I've seen in a long time. Who she is at the beginning of the story verses the end is quite remarkable and Alix E Harrow does character development right. I also loved the parental side of this story. How much her parents love and care and never give up. (there is a case of insta-love here, and while I don't like insta-love at all, it was tolerable in this story)
The ending is really beautiful and fitting, and I wish I could just step through the pages of this book and accompany January wherever and goes, and to whatever worlds she visits.
Let's start at the beginning: Portal Fantasy is my favorite trope/genre of fantasy. I heard about this book when it first came out, and I saw a couple of mixed reviews that put me off from reading it right away. I have a bit of a goal to read every portal fantasy out there, and I did just recently buy this. I don't have many books on my physical tbr left, and after reading an 800+ page space opera, I wanted something a little shorter and lighter.
One review I read said that this book is very light on the portal theme, and that it was less portal fantasy and that it was mainly just about January in the Locke house, etc. I don't know what book that person read, because I found this a great mix of portals, exploration and character growth. This book weaves beautiful worlds, and a system of portal magic that makes sense and is not just totally random and unexplained.
I loved, loved the characters. January's character development and growth has been some of the best I've seen in a long time. Who she is at the beginning of the story verses the end is quite remarkable and Alix E Harrow does character development right. I also loved the parental side of this story. How much her parents love and care and never give up. (there is a case of insta-love here, and while I don't like insta-love at all, it was tolerable in this story)
The ending is really beautiful and fitting, and I wish I could just step through the pages of this book and accompany January wherever and goes, and to whatever worlds she visits.