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tvislife's reviews
308 reviews
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
medium-paced
4.0
I really, really loved this story but man do I wish the names were easier. It follows a goblin / elven boy, Maia, who is suddenly thrust into the world of politics as the role of emperor when his family is killed.
Maia is such a likable and empathetic character. Throughout the whole novel, I just wanted to hold him and be his friend and protect him from the shitty situation he was in. He wasn’t the only interesting character, The politics were cool, but Jesus. I could NOT keep any of the names straight, or the different factions. Maybe because I read it over a longer period of time than most books I read, but man it could be hard to follow. Other than the main handful of people, I had no who anyone was. But it was still fun! The ending was anticlimactic, but the story was sill worth it, and again, I loved Maia. I recommend, but with the caveat that only hardcore political fantasy fans would probably be able to get into it.
Maia is such a likable and empathetic character. Throughout the whole novel, I just wanted to hold him and be his friend and protect him from the shitty situation he was in. He wasn’t the only interesting character, The politics were cool, but Jesus. I could NOT keep any of the names straight, or the different factions. Maybe because I read it over a longer period of time than most books I read, but man it could be hard to follow. Other than the main handful of people, I had no who anyone was. But it was still fun! The ending was anticlimactic, but the story was sill worth it, and again, I loved Maia. I recommend, but with the caveat that only hardcore political fantasy fans would probably be able to get into it.
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
fast-paced
5.0
Tax the rich!
This book was pretty similar, I think, to his previous book about evictions and poverty. Both books follow the intersection of race and poverty and how America fails our most vulnerable groups.
This book was full of a lot of information that we kind of know, in theory, but it was nice to have all the facts laid out. Like, I knew that people of color, specifically black folks, are more likely to have poorer housing conditions and be living paycheck to paycheck.
Very enjoyable read, I love his voice and the way he presents information. Highly recommend.
This book was pretty similar, I think, to his previous book about evictions and poverty. Both books follow the intersection of race and poverty and how America fails our most vulnerable groups.
This book was full of a lot of information that we kind of know, in theory, but it was nice to have all the facts laid out. Like, I knew that people of color, specifically black folks, are more likely to have poorer housing conditions and be living paycheck to paycheck.
Very enjoyable read, I love his voice and the way he presents information. Highly recommend.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
4.0
At the start of this book, I was like “hm, I wonder what makes this grimdark fantasy!”. Y’all. This is grimdark for sure—if you’re even a little unsure if you want to read something darker, don’t pick up this book, because some of these visuals will never leave my brain. It follows Rin, who tests into a war college and has an odd connection to the gods.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes I did. I think Kuang is an incredibly talented writer, and the stories she weaves are so engaging. I’d want to read anything she writes—but I gotta say, this got to be a little too much for me by the end. The fact that many of the things described in the book actually happened in real life makes it infinitely worse, and I am horrified and disgusted and so so sad that this is the world we live in.
I am very interested to see where the story goes from here, and I want to consume more of Kuang’s writing because I think she just an unbelievable talent—but we’ll see if I can stomach actually continuing.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes I did. I think Kuang is an incredibly talented writer, and the stories she weaves are so engaging. I’d want to read anything she writes—but I gotta say, this got to be a little too much for me by the end. The fact that many of the things described in the book actually happened in real life makes it infinitely worse, and I am horrified and disgusted and so so sad that this is the world we live in.
I am very interested to see where the story goes from here, and I want to consume more of Kuang’s writing because I think she just an unbelievable talent—but we’ll see if I can stomach actually continuing.
Dark Disciple by Christie Golden
5.0
Crying at my desk.
I’ve read very few Star Wars books, and honestly don’t know much about the Star Wars extended universe, but damn was this good. It follows Vos, a Jedi Knight, who is sent to team up with a Jedi-turned-Sith, Ventress, to assassinate Count Dooku.
I loved these characters. The light side vs. the dark side can seem very hokey and lame, but with these characters, it became so much more real and visceral. I mean, you can really see why/how a character could be lost to hate, because the tiny things just end up snowballing, and by the time you notice it happening it can be too late. These people went through dark shit!
It was exciting and heartbreaking and moving seeing these characters wrestle with their humanity and what they owed one another. I love them even when I hate them. I am sad. I want more! I’ll for sure be checking out more Star Wars books from this author.
I’ve read very few Star Wars books, and honestly don’t know much about the Star Wars extended universe, but damn was this good. It follows Vos, a Jedi Knight, who is sent to team up with a Jedi-turned-Sith, Ventress, to assassinate Count Dooku.
I loved these characters. The light side vs. the dark side can seem very hokey and lame, but with these characters, it became so much more real and visceral. I mean, you can really see why/how a character could be lost to hate, because the tiny things just end up snowballing, and by the time you notice it happening it can be too late. These people went through dark shit!
It was exciting and heartbreaking and moving seeing these characters wrestle with their humanity and what they owed one another. I love them even when I hate them. I am sad. I want more! I’ll for sure be checking out more Star Wars books from this author.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
2.0
These people are idiots. Seriously they are so dumb. It follows Rune, a blood witch, who must hide who she is from everyone, especially head of the guard, Gideon. Rune spends the novel as a vigilante and Gideon spends it trying to track that vigilante down.
These two, from the very very beginning, are like “He/She is on to me. Or are they? I wish I could know for sure…” and then spend the next few hundred pages acting in ways that (should have been) sure to get them caught. And then being like “I have to continue to do this dangerous thing even though I’m sure the other person knows, to keep up my ruse (which they aren’t falling for)”.
Like, I get that there’s tension when it’s like “I think he knows..but does he..best keep flirting and hanging out with him just in case..”, and that worked for a bit. But it got so old so fast. Either the author should have made them each less sure in their suspicions, or done something to change the main conflict. I found this so stupid, these people deserve whatever bad things come their way because they acted like total dumbasses. I also didn’t really care about the romance, neither one if them is very likable, and I found Alex super super annoying too.
I’m sorry. Not really fun at all imo.
These two, from the very very beginning, are like “He/She is on to me. Or are they? I wish I could know for sure…” and then spend the next few hundred pages acting in ways that (should have been) sure to get them caught. And then being like “I have to continue to do this dangerous thing even though I’m sure the other person knows, to keep up my ruse (which they aren’t falling for)”.
Like, I get that there’s tension when it’s like “I think he knows..but does he..best keep flirting and hanging out with him just in case..”, and that worked for a bit. But it got so old so fast. Either the author should have made them each less sure in their suspicions, or done something to change the main conflict. I found this so stupid, these people deserve whatever bad things come their way because they acted like total dumbasses. I also didn’t really care about the romance, neither one if them is very likable, and I found Alex super super annoying too.
I’m sorry. Not really fun at all imo.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
2.5
It was nice to follow Easton and Angus again, but this story wasn’t nearly as engaging as the first. It follows them as they return to Easton’s hunting lodge, where they encounter rumors of a woman that steals a person’s breath while they sleep.
It took a while to get to the meat of this story I thought (not literally, because the whole novella is only like 150 pages). It just felt like we were waiting for something creepy or weird to happen, and when it finally did, I was just kinda like, is that it? The first book did a fantastic job of creating a creepy atmosphere and slowly building up the horror and tension for us to figure out what’s going on. For this one, it really just felt more like a random story you’d hear over a campfire at sleepaway camp, not a genuine horror story.
It took a while to get to the meat of this story I thought (not literally, because the whole novella is only like 150 pages). It just felt like we were waiting for something creepy or weird to happen, and when it finally did, I was just kinda like, is that it? The first book did a fantastic job of creating a creepy atmosphere and slowly building up the horror and tension for us to figure out what’s going on. For this one, it really just felt more like a random story you’d hear over a campfire at sleepaway camp, not a genuine horror story.
The Killing by David Hewson
medium-paced
2.5
This was okay! It’s a novelization of the show, which follows Sarah and Jan as they try to solve the murder of a teen girl, Nanna. It’s been a long time since I watched the (American version) show, but this seems to follow the same general plot (or close enough).
I think the story is very compelling, and I love Sarah’s character. I love how bullheaded and one-track-minded she can be, she’s a fantastic crime-drama lead. Jan is a great sidekick to her, with a more childish and mouthy personality. I love their dynamic in the show, and (although it’s different), the dynamic is fun in the book too.
That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. The author seemed to hear “show don’t tell”, and became obsessed with getting unnecessarily descriptive for every sentence. Like, descriptive in a way that it detracts from the story—it felt almost disjointed and choppy, with more focus paid to sentences rather than the actual story progression. I still liked the story, but it was hard to follow sometimes because of the work ring style, especially in the beginning.
I think the story is very compelling, and I love Sarah’s character. I love how bullheaded and one-track-minded she can be, she’s a fantastic crime-drama lead. Jan is a great sidekick to her, with a more childish and mouthy personality. I love their dynamic in the show, and (although it’s different), the dynamic is fun in the book too.
That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. The author seemed to hear “show don’t tell”, and became obsessed with getting unnecessarily descriptive for every sentence. Like, descriptive in a way that it detracts from the story—it felt almost disjointed and choppy, with more focus paid to sentences rather than the actual story progression. I still liked the story, but it was hard to follow sometimes because of the work ring style, especially in the beginning.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2.5
I hate to say it, but I think Neil Gaiman just isn’t for me. I think this is the fourth book of his I’ve read, and just none of them really have done it for me. This book follows Bod, the sole living resident at a cemetery.
I guess this was cute. There’s no one thing I can point to that made it so boring to me, like the story was unique and I liked the setting. I actually love the idea of a boy being raised by ghosts and being able to blend in with them. But despite that, I just could not care about the story at all. The whole time I was like “meh”, and really debated not finishing. The only reason I did was because it was so short. This author just is not for me.
I guess this was cute. There’s no one thing I can point to that made it so boring to me, like the story was unique and I liked the setting. I actually love the idea of a boy being raised by ghosts and being able to blend in with them. But despite that, I just could not care about the story at all. The whole time I was like “meh”, and really debated not finishing. The only reason I did was because it was so short. This author just is not for me.
The Long Walk by Stephen King, Richard Bachman
5.0
Might be my favorite Stephen King book so far. It follows Ray, a boy who signed up (along with 99 other boys) to walk until there is only one left standing.
This is one of those stories that’s going to sit with me for a long time. It’s not a super unique plot, or like brilliantly written, or full of twists and turns. It’s literally just a group of boys walking, and if they stop or slow down, they die. No side plots or anything, just the boys walking, with very little hints on what the world outside The Walk is even like.
That’s it, but that’s not it at all. I don’t know, something about these kinds of stories where you (and the characters) are just wondering “what’s the point of all this suffering?” really speak to me. It reminds me of “I Who Have Never Known Men”. In both books, you see the characters confront their own mortality, through horrific ends mind you, and you’re just left wondering, why did they go through all that just to die at the end? Isn’t there more? There should be more.
Idk. I loved this. I need more books like this.
This is one of those stories that’s going to sit with me for a long time. It’s not a super unique plot, or like brilliantly written, or full of twists and turns. It’s literally just a group of boys walking, and if they stop or slow down, they die. No side plots or anything, just the boys walking, with very little hints on what the world outside The Walk is even like.
That’s it, but that’s not it at all. I don’t know, something about these kinds of stories where you (and the characters) are just wondering “what’s the point of all this suffering?” really speak to me. It reminds me of “I Who Have Never Known Men”. In both books, you see the characters confront their own mortality, through horrific ends mind you, and you’re just left wondering, why did they go through all that just to die at the end? Isn’t there more? There should be more.
Idk. I loved this. I need more books like this.