tired_cicada's reviews
50 reviews

What Hunts Inside the Shadows by Harper L. Woods

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

If you are interested in this book for the “plot” more than the actual plot I bet you could enjoy it. In reality this book was just so many gratuitous, unnecessary, and repetitive smut scenes one after another in an attempt to move the story along. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love my spice but once you’ve read one of them you’ve read all of them. If I’d had the physical book I would have just read the dialogue for those scenes and moved on. 

If you took out all of these repetitive scenes this book honestly would have been a novella. All they do is
retract their steps back the same way they came
. That was it! This book could have been an email. 

Also, these people are so fucking annoying. I only like ONE of the new characters that were introduced, cause he’s the only one that has any sense and the only one the story takes the time to give an actual personality. The main couples issues are so circular and I just stopped caring after they started arguing over the same talking point for the thousandth time
which the always resolve by fucking every single time, did I mention that it was boring and repetitive yet?
, the dual pov did NOTHING to give us better insight into the character minds. And there were times the Writing got down right preachy. It’s like it was trying to be camp and fun, but also took itself way too seriously. When we transition from one scene to another it is so jarring that I often had to rewind to see WHEN or IF the transition took place. If I didn’t already have the next book downloaded I would not continue, but I have a long drive tomorrow so they are getting that long to hook me into the story before I hang my hat on it.
Which is possible, now that they are actually in the fae realm I’m holding out hope for an actual plot!!
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The beginning was pretty slow but does pick up close to the end. They pay off is nice and I do enjoy seeing how the stories and myths of individual towns change with time.

im not sure I can forgive the author for having a “she’s my girlfriend you intolerant shit” moment while we are worried that a 16 year old boy might have burned to dead in a fear tactic arson strike by a gas company…. Or for having Opal fantasize about “stomping on each of [arthur’] fingers” while they are getting hot and heavy. Genuinely what the fuck was that? That came so far out of left field it hit the umpire in the back of the head


Great gothic vibes! The magic was real and not just a metaphor for changing times which was refreshing as I’ve been bamboozled by too many books like that of late. 

We end
on a very hopeful note
and overall it was a very nice read! 
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

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

2.5

The plot was so circular. It needed to be edited down by at least 2k words. We wouldn’t need a second book if all the fluff had been cut out. 

Is so frustrating, the characters have to go through the same “characters building” situations a hundered times before they even START to develop. It’s the same issue with no real resolution. 

I’m really sad because the world is so fun! The plot has so much potential but then it was so boring in practice. I can’t stand a “travel” book, particularly when all they are doing it wandering, and that’s all this is. 

Also if you are going to kill off a character (like we see them die!! There was a body! He was confirmed dead) then have the guts to actually leave them dead! Don’t pull up with this cowardly resurrection. If the death wasn’t real you have to give me a reasonable reason to believe that! Otherwise I just feel cheated out and lied to
Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Listen I am a simple woman. You give me a sad man who is so unbelievably in love with a woman and I will fold every time.

That said, don’t go into this expecting a romance. It’s a mystery through and through. 

It did start off really slow, but picked up eventually. 

The mystery was done well. I managed to guess the killer but in a way that made me feel accomplished for figuring it out. Not in a “oh this was so predictable” kinda way.

Handles delicate situations like death, social injustice, and the ramifications of war (including but not limited to PTSD) with grace. 

This implication that Damian is on the aroace spectrum (Demi) was so nice to see!


Very good! I enjoyed it! 
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Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Very fun. Could have used some more explanation in some places and told a sum more than it showed.

I do love the Count of Monte Cristo and this was a fun retelling that managed to not feel derivative. 

Dialogue could use so work. 

Not looking forward to the 
inevitable love triangle of the best book, particularly when we got the barest hint that Cayo might lean aroace. That would be a nice way to settle the love triangle I guess. Also, Roth came out of nowhere. There was no satisfying build up to that he was just suddenly THERE with all the answers. 
What Lies Beyond the Veil by Adelaide Forrest, Harper L. Woods

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Lost half a star for the use of the nickname
Little one
for the love interest. Such an ick particularly when
he literally had another nickname for her!!! “My star”? Amazing! Just use that instead of infantilizing her


The plot has potential, I’ll try out book two and see if there is any pay off. The plot twist in this was laughably obvious. Like it was actually painful y’all. 

Lots of shock value deaths that did nothing to the plot. “Oh no my brother died HORRIBLY let me be upset about that for six seconds and then move on to how good this rando I met in a barn looks naked” like, girl!


Furthermore why is EVERYONE so weird and possessive? about the fmc’s body, her knowledge, everything. Everybody wants to keep this girl in a cage!
The mmc (I listened to this book so I don’t know how to spell their names, deal with it) goes on and on about how he gave her choice like that is such a gracious thing to do…. We’ll forget that the entire time they were traveling he was all “I’ll wait until you’re begging for it, but it’s totally inevitable that you’ll come to me. And also I won’t let you be with anyone else if you don’t pick me” yeah, total freedom there pal thanks


Was this great? Nah. Was it entertaining enough? Yeah. 

Had nice line writing, and had the possibility for some fun world building if it goes that direction. 
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Untethered by KayLynn Flanders

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Did not finish book.
Maybe I'm just missing something but is this depressed 20 something going to end up in a romantic relationship with a..... How old was she? 15? His sister was like 17 and she was younger than her. Someone please tell me I missed something cause WHAT???!
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

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adventurous funny slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Everless by Sara Holland

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

3.0

I do love the concept of this book and the world and history is so interesting. That said I couldn't care much less about the charecters. June is clueless, Rowan is boring, Liam has potential but doesnt have enough page time to really capitalize on it. 

I was rushing to finish this, not necessarily because I was interested in the plot but just so I could be done with it. 

The audio book for the next one is super quick, so I'll pick it up in hopes we get a satisfactory conclusion. Thank goodness this is a duology and the story wasn't stretched any more threadbare. Something tells me this could have been a standalone, but we'll see how true that is once I finish Evermore.
The Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Such a fun novella to add on to the story! I've really been enjoying these low stakes add-ons! It's an opportunity to explore more of the magic for this world, and to see how things are going for characters that we've grown to love! 

This man (demon) really put everyone under house arrest cause he he was impatient for his ship to sail and that is such a mood!