thoughtsontomes's reviews
794 reviews

The Queen of Sorrow: Book Three of the Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Overall this final installment felt a bit rushed. It felt like two plots smashed into one book. I still enjoy this world but the ending was a bit lackluster and left a number of questions unanswered. 
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was a lovely academic fantasy with cozy elements. The romance was subtle and believable. The only part that didn’t quite land for me was the very end, as it seemed to all wrap up a bit too quickly. 
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Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This is another one of the retellings that add more context to a little known character from myth, in this case, Medusa's sisters. Medusa is also a character included and that haunts the narrative, as we don't get her POV. Unfortunately, the characters feel rathers flat and the book went on longer than the characters could carry it for. The character development was lackluster, and when it did happen, it was rushed (particularly for one character). 
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Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
This was just fine. It follows a similar pattern to Kaiju Preservation Society but I was actually interested in the Kaiju and I’m not so interested in the super villain universe in the same way. 
Malice by John Gwynne

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There is a lot of setup in this book for the greater conflict of the overall series, and as such it is pretty heavy. There’s a tension building throughout and a lot of characters involved. It can be confusing at first, especially since some storylines are similar, but they start to differentiate as the book goes on. This is a series with a lot of character death though, so be warned. 
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The Reluctant Queen: Book Two of the Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is a solid second book. I’m never quite sure where it’s going. A strong mid level fantasy series. 
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a very solid YA fantasy - light on the romance, a good heist story, and a strong ensemble cast. 
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was a cozy adventure! I loved the narration and all the references to other Cosmere works. It makes me want to dive back into other cosmere things for sure. But even as a standalone, this was so sweet. 
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

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adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was skeptical of this at first but ended up enjoying it in the end. The writing seemed to improve throughout and the slow burn is legit slow burn enemies to lovers. 
Celtic Goddess Grimoire: Invoke the Enduring Power of the Celtic Feminine Divine by Annwyn Avalon

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informative fast-paced

2.75

There were a lot of goddesses covered but the information felt scattered and many of the rituals were  repetitive. The writing was also repetitive and could use a good edit. I’d probably recommend a book on Celtic folklore over this to learn about these goddesses.