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theinquisitxor's Reviews (804)
Creepy monsters in the forest, Appalachian horror, and a deer that’s not a deer: I enjoyed this one a lot!
Will there every be a Graceling Realms book that doesn't hurt me emotionally???
This book takes place shortly after the events of Winterkeep with Hava's point of view. Hava is such an interesting character that I was excited to get inside her head and see her perspective on things. She is a character who is also dealing with the aftermath of King Leck and is struggling to find her place in the world.
It's no secret that I enjoy seafaring stories, arctic stories, and survival stories. So having all three wrapped up into one book was such a treat. But this book is a survival story, and it is often hard and sad. Cashore sure does love her mountains and snow and caves though! There was a large cast of characters in the book, as we were reading about a ship's crew, but it didn't feel overwhelming.
Like any Graceling Realms book, there is a mystery at the center of the book, and this intrigue follows the characters all across the globe. There is a a good dose of mystery and appearances from characters of previous books. Hava's point of view is different though, in the way she interacts with people and perceives them. This was a welcome difference, but also reflective of who she is as a person, and the struggles she has gone through. She is still dealing with a lot, and her character arc is steeped with her identity and struggles of self.
There were unexpected themes of disability and motherhood, and without getting into spoilers, much more of the wonderful Blue Foxes introduced in Winterkeep . I think the Foxes were my favorite part of this book, and helped make an otherwise bleak and sad book have moments of happiness and humor.
Based off the ending, I expect at least another Graceling Realms book, although from which character's point of view, I can't begin to guess!
This book takes place shortly after the events of Winterkeep with Hava's point of view. Hava is such an interesting character that I was excited to get inside her head and see her perspective on things. She is a character who is also dealing with the aftermath of King Leck and is struggling to find her place in the world.
It's no secret that I enjoy seafaring stories, arctic stories, and survival stories. So having all three wrapped up into one book was such a treat. But this book is a survival story, and it is often hard and sad. Cashore sure does love her mountains and snow and caves though! There was a large cast of characters in the book, as we were reading about a ship's crew, but it didn't feel overwhelming.
Like any Graceling Realms book, there is a mystery at the center of the book, and this intrigue follows the characters all across the globe. There is a a good dose of mystery and appearances from characters of previous books. Hava's point of view is different though, in the way she interacts with people and perceives them. This was a welcome difference, but also reflective of who she is as a person, and the struggles she has gone through. She is still dealing with a lot, and her character arc is steeped with her identity and struggles of self.
There were unexpected themes of disability and motherhood, and without getting into spoilers, much more of the wonderful Blue Foxes introduced in Winterkeep . I think the Foxes were my favorite part of this book, and helped make an otherwise bleak and sad book have moments of happiness and humor.
Based off the ending, I expect at least another Graceling Realms book, although from which character's point of view, I can't begin to guess!
Reread: November 2022. My annual reread (on audio)
Reread: November 2021. I listened to this on audio for the first time, and wow, the audiobook is amazing. It adds a whole other layer of emotion to the story that I wasn’t expecting but loved
One of my all time favorite books. Ever.
If you haven't read this yet, you have to fix that.
Reread: November 2021. I listened to this on audio for the first time, and wow, the audiobook is amazing. It adds a whole other layer of emotion to the story that I wasn’t expecting but loved
One of my all time favorite books. Ever.
If you haven't read this yet, you have to fix that.
After how much I enjoyed Winter’s Orbit , a new book by Everina Maxwell set in the same universe was very exciting. I’ve been waiting for this book for a while now, and I think I will read anything Maxwell writes.
In the same vein of Winter’s Orbit , this is another queer, stand-alone sci-fi. It is technically set in the same universe, however, in two very different areas. I did not enjoy this one as much as Winter’s Orbit (which over time has grown into a favorite) but that comes down to personal preference. Ocean’s Echo is a military sci-fi and the romance isn’t as prominent as in WO. I still had a good time reading this, and would highly recommend it to someone who enjoyed WO
In the same vein of Winter’s Orbit , this is another queer, stand-alone sci-fi. It is technically set in the same universe, however, in two very different areas. I did not enjoy this one as much as Winter’s Orbit (which over time has grown into a favorite) but that comes down to personal preference. Ocean’s Echo is a military sci-fi and the romance isn’t as prominent as in WO. I still had a good time reading this, and would highly recommend it to someone who enjoyed WO
Another solid and enjoyable installment in this series, albeit a little less interesting than the previous two. However, I think I'm really going to enjoy the final two books in this series.
It's safe to say that I devoted my entire weekend to reading this, and nothing else. I managed to do a some laundry, but that is all. This book had me hooked from page 1, and I did not want to put it down. I definitely enjoyed this more than the first book, and I can't believe I have to wait until possibly 2024 for the third.
3.75/5 stars
Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is one of my favorite books of all time. And while I knew this was going to be different, it feels almost like a completely different author wrote A Deadly Education vs Uprooted or Spinning Silver .
It's an entertaining book, and I like what Novik is doing with the typical 'magic school' tropes here. One one hand, the school is Chaos incarnate. It's not your well guided, disciplined magic school taught by seasoned professors. The school is full of monsters trying to kill the students. And the average school day is more like a constant struggle to survive than anything else. Not even graduating seniors have it easier, they are almost more likely to die trying to escape from the school than to actually graduate.
El is such a good narrator. She's unreliable, funny, and you never know or expect what she will do next. I liked the 'chosen one' trope flipped-- El is prophesied to become a dark sorceress. But throughout the book she is stubbornly refusing to give into the prophecy, even though tapping into that dark magic would be easier for her. I think she's truly a great character, and her perspective was refreshing.
The format of this book is different. It is very heavy on exposition, details of world building, and descriptions of the going-ons at school. The dialogue is very minimal, sometimes non-existent for several pages. This wore on me a bit, and while I did like the thorough explanations of things, I just wanted some of the characters to talk!
When this book was released in 2020, I had heard some of the criticisms from readers regarding race that take place in this book. And while I am reading a later edition that has been revised and corrected, I read with the understanding that many found content to be lacking or incorrect. I have seen reviews that Novik handles things better in book 2, and addresses some of the issues she may have created in this book.
It took me a little while to feel immersed in this story and world, but once I did, I was hooked and did not want to put the book down. I truly believe this book (and series probably) is about the power of friendship, and always choosing good, even if it isn't the easiest option. I'm excited to see where the next book goes, especially after the last sentence of this book!
Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is one of my favorite books of all time. And while I knew this was going to be different, it feels almost like a completely different author wrote A Deadly Education vs Uprooted or Spinning Silver .
It's an entertaining book, and I like what Novik is doing with the typical 'magic school' tropes here. One one hand, the school is Chaos incarnate. It's not your well guided, disciplined magic school taught by seasoned professors. The school is full of monsters trying to kill the students. And the average school day is more like a constant struggle to survive than anything else. Not even graduating seniors have it easier, they are almost more likely to die trying to escape from the school than to actually graduate.
El is such a good narrator. She's unreliable, funny, and you never know or expect what she will do next. I liked the 'chosen one' trope flipped-- El is prophesied to become a dark sorceress. But throughout the book she is stubbornly refusing to give into the prophecy, even though tapping into that dark magic would be easier for her. I think she's truly a great character, and her perspective was refreshing.
The format of this book is different. It is very heavy on exposition, details of world building, and descriptions of the going-ons at school. The dialogue is very minimal, sometimes non-existent for several pages. This wore on me a bit, and while I did like the thorough explanations of things, I just wanted some of the characters to talk!
When this book was released in 2020, I had heard some of the criticisms from readers regarding race that take place in this book. And while I am reading a later edition that has been revised and corrected, I read with the understanding that many found content to be lacking or incorrect. I have seen reviews that Novik handles things better in book 2, and addresses some of the issues she may have created in this book.
It took me a little while to feel immersed in this story and world, but once I did, I was hooked and did not want to put the book down. I truly believe this book (and series probably) is about the power of friendship, and always choosing good, even if it isn't the easiest option. I'm excited to see where the next book goes, especially after the last sentence of this book!
4/5 stars
I enjoyed this more than the first book, and I was glued to the page while reading. Like the first book, this story was very entertaining, fun, and full of surprises. Novik only improved on what she started in the first book, fixed some issues, and further developed the world.
The characters and character development have to be my favorite part of this series. Seeing the way the El and her friends grow and change has been so heartfelt and enjoyable to watch. Like I mentioned in my review of A Deadly Education , I believe the heart of this series is about the power of friendship, helping each other, and always choosing to do good.
It ended on such a cliff hanger, I can't wait until September!
I enjoyed this more than the first book, and I was glued to the page while reading. Like the first book, this story was very entertaining, fun, and full of surprises. Novik only improved on what she started in the first book, fixed some issues, and further developed the world.
The characters and character development have to be my favorite part of this series. Seeing the way the El and her friends grow and change has been so heartfelt and enjoyable to watch. Like I mentioned in my review of A Deadly Education , I believe the heart of this series is about the power of friendship, helping each other, and always choosing to do good.
It ended on such a cliff hanger, I can't wait until September!
I decided to read this mainly because I read What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte over the summer, and Catte's book is a response to Hillbilly Elegy . I wanted to have a better understanding of why books like Hillbilly Elegy are detrimental to the people actively doing work in the Appalachian region and beyond.
Vance paints a very narrow and stereotypical portrait of the poor white American living in an Appalachian region. Of course, the reality is much more nuanced than how Vance tells it, completely omitting the history of workers rights, unionization, wars, environmental crises, bad government, and much much more that has contributed to this demographic being is what it is today. Vance just seems to chalk it up to laziness, stupidity, drugs, and hopelessness.
While I don't inherently agree with Vance's political beliefs, I can certainly respect a person who has built themselves up from poverty and hard work. However, Vance's recent spiral down the toilet bowl of Trump makes me unable to look past that. It seems that since writing this he has lost any spark of originality and self, and has just become another hard right-wing zealot.
While this was certainly entertaining (and I can understand how it appealed to audiences in 2016), I really can't stand the hypocrisy of the author, nor the damage that it has done to people actively working on improving Appalachia.
Vance paints a very narrow and stereotypical portrait of the poor white American living in an Appalachian region. Of course, the reality is much more nuanced than how Vance tells it, completely omitting the history of workers rights, unionization, wars, environmental crises, bad government, and much much more that has contributed to this demographic being is what it is today. Vance just seems to chalk it up to laziness, stupidity, drugs, and hopelessness.
While I don't inherently agree with Vance's political beliefs, I can certainly respect a person who has built themselves up from poverty and hard work. However, Vance's recent spiral down the toilet bowl of Trump makes me unable to look past that. It seems that since writing this he has lost any spark of originality and self, and has just become another hard right-wing zealot.
While this was certainly entertaining (and I can understand how it appealed to audiences in 2016), I really can't stand the hypocrisy of the author, nor the damage that it has done to people actively working on improving Appalachia.