totallyshelfaware's reviews
1068 reviews

Sistersong by Lucy Holland

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Sistersong was absolutely gorgeous and haunting — it's been a week since I read this and I still can't stop thinking about it.

I love books that explore the repercussions of Christian missionaries trying to erase the faith and beliefs native to the land and this one handled the conflict between old traditions and the spread of new ones very well. 

The magic and landscape felt really rich and vibrant, and I was immediately invested in the characters, their hopes, and their struggles. Every bond is suffused with so much hope and tension, wildly swinging between the two, and it organically nudges the plot along.

I'm a big believer that the seeds of what could be potential plot twists should be sprinkled into the narrative ahead of time, and the exquisite dread of figuring things out before the characters did only helped me enjoy the pay-off even more.

Overall, I definitely recommend picking up Sistersong, especially if you like retellings!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Transphobia

Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, War

Spear by Nicola Griffith

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape

Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith

informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, Murder

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

adventurous challenging dark medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Colonisation

Trinity Vol. 1: Better Together (Rebirth) by Clay Mann, Francis Manapul

adventurous 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

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker by Matilda Woods

hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two - The Complete Collection by Tom Taylor

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.25