ursacygni's reviews
346 reviews

The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An excellent story about a young apothecary who is kidnapped and sold to work at the rear palace, the garden that houses the courtesans of the emperor. Strange happenings in the rear palace cause our apothecary to get involved in several mysteries at the behest of an apparently quite important Eunuch. 

Story as excellent as the anime. 

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This is marketed as an Appalachian horror and while there are definitely elements of horror through the narrative I think it better fits in a dark fantasy genre. This book is a little bit Lovecraft and a whole lotta Grimms. After reading Emily Wildes it has a similar feel. Not bad, just weird.

Mouse is a 30 year old copy editor whose grandmother has recently passed away and her father is in ill health and has asked her to take care of her grandmother's house, but reiterates several times that the house may not be worth it and to just let him know if he needs to send bulldozers. In the process of cleaning she finds her step grandfather's journal in which he details some unsettling happenings and facts about "The Green Book" her grandmother has hidden from him. Are these happenings the ramblings of an aging mind or something more sinister?

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Pretty good novel on coexisting with the other and if an exact copy of you exists which you is the real you? 

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

A bit slow at first, and you do begin to get frustrated with Margo in the beginning, but still an excellent spooky tale of justice served after a quarter millennium.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A worthy conclusion to the story of the Scholar and the Golden Prince. In it Emily and Wendell are attempting to retake Wendell's realm. Their success will be determined by how much Emily gets to study and how many stories she needs to tie into neat bows. As the conclusion we get to see many of our favorite characters as well as many new faces. We learn more about fairy and see many new wondrous and terrible things. In here till find: Hidden castles, dark realms of Fairy, so many folktales, footnotes, and a cat getting it's revenge.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

A fortune teller from a far off land, a reformed thief, an apprentice baker, and a gruff old mercenary are the protagonists in this tale. Tao is a teller of small fortunes, those small moments of your life that are as liable to happen as they arent. She travels mainly by herself with her wagon and mule Laohu. This changes one day as she stumbles upon a tree fallen over the road in her way and two men decide to help her out.

This book is about treating those important to you properly. It's about determining if you shape your own destiny and if the fate written in the palms of your hands or the leaves in the dregs of your tea can be changed or if you must rise to meet it. All in all it's a very cozy story with a rich world and a vibrant cast of characters.

A Young Lady Finds Her True Calling Living with the Enemy Volume 2 by Syuu

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

A Young Lady Finds Her True Calling Living with the Enemy Volume 1 by Syuu

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.0

Entertaining, simple, easy to read. Loving the story so far and happy to see where it goes from here

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

 Water Moon is an all out sprint straight into a brick wall, and it makes you love every minute of it. I sprinted through the first half of this book, gluttonously consuming the story, drinking it in like I had never eaten or drank anything so beautiful before. At the halfway point I started to realize that it was almost over, and as with all things, this book would eventually come to an end, just as the journey of our two protagonists, Keishin and Hana, would, and I slowed down. Taking the advice of someone waiting at the train station, and learned to be a bit more patient, savoring the journey without rushing towards my destination. The book discusses grief, the choices we make, and the consequences of them, love, fate, and breaking cycles of cruelty. This is probably one of the best books I have read since A Psalm for the Wild-Built and I have loved some of the recent books I have read.

Simply Water Moon is a piece of art. A beautiful trap to keep yourself in for a time, but eventually you need to walk out of the cage. 

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

House of Frank is a beautiful and heartfelt discussion and reflection on grief. Saika is a witch haunted by the loss of her sister, and finally decides to fulfill her final wishes, to be put to rest at Ash Gardens Arboretum to be turned into a tree. In the process she meets the brother cherubs Merry and Morose, the lovely and artistic Hilde an architectural witch, the chipper and bright Evette a fairy cook, Phil resident ghost, Frank a large beast of a mythical creature wearing a cardigan, and the half gargoyle half witch groundskeeper Olivie, Oli to her friends. 

The book is amazing, the characters are bright and vibrant and lovely, you'll laugh you'll cry a bit, and then you'll probably cry some more. It's a lovely discussion on grief and how it affects us all and leads us to do some fairly crazy things.  I couldn't stop reading this book. Please read it.