traitorjoe's reviews
280 reviews

The Reckoning of Roku by Randy Ribay

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-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? Yes

3.5

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 13 by Hiromu Arakawa

adventurous dark funny inspiring medium-paced

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

4.25

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

adventurous dark funny informative mysterious 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

4.25

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

How best to describe the experience of reading The Library at Mount Char other than being hit by a literary flashbang? There’s a cult of the extraordinary in service and in fear of a godlike figure who is not capital G god, but might as well be for all intents and purposes. A deity that teaches conquest and resurrection of humanity and all of the natural world, and the world is ending with a plumber named Steve is caught in the middle of the violence and chaos. 

 

I say it’s a flashbang because it is immediately disorienting. There are people called librarians who are not quite human: not out of biology but of ability. They reside largely in a neighborhood that seems to exist only in the corner of your eye, in the back of your mind. There are schemes and bloodbaths, and it’s all coming to an end when the story begins. Finding one’s bearings might be off putting at first, but I think that the thrill is worth it. 

 

The characters are wholly compelling. They may not be the most one-to-one depictions of everyday people, but they invoke such unbridled fascination. And in this way, I feel that this is a more accurate portrayal of what this sort of power and knowledge would exhibit in a person. The main character, Carolyn, is the closest we have to humanity among the librarians, and even her behavior and actions are utterly unstable. 

 

The world that serves as the story’s setting is not too unlike our own, if not dialed to eleven. If you like the graphic, the ruthless, and the incomprehensible, this should be your next read. 

 

In short, I can’t believe they made Good Omens American. 

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 12 by Hiromu Arakawa

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 11 by Hiromu Arakawa

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous dark informative mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.25