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valpyre's reviews
161 reviews
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
in all honesty im finally reading this series because i want to watch the netflix show lol
it captured me in a way that i didnt fully expect? i really struggled with reading books the entirety of last year so this book was really nice bc the structure of the book was yes, a bit predictable, but bardugo infused enough detail and nuance that it didn't bore me and turn me off the entire thing. i also enjoyed the fantasy setting and "magic" abilities -- they were fresh enough that i didn't feel like i had read something exactly like this before.
at the same time, i never felt particularly emotionally invested in the story and the main romance felt very blah to me, but i still understood why the characters would feel the way they do and it was compelling enough objectively.
it captured me in a way that i didnt fully expect? i really struggled with reading books the entirety of last year so this book was really nice bc the structure of the book was yes, a bit predictable, but bardugo infused enough detail and nuance that it didn't bore me and turn me off the entire thing. i also enjoyed the fantasy setting and "magic" abilities -- they were fresh enough that i didn't feel like i had read something exactly like this before.
at the same time, i never felt particularly emotionally invested in the story and the main romance felt very blah to me, but i still understood why the characters would feel the way they do and it was compelling enough objectively.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and War
Soulswift by Megan Bannen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
DNF'd @ 18%.
One of those cases where I was really taken in by the summary and concept before reading, but in actuality, it all felt very rote to me. The fake religion had potential but didn't capture my interest in the end, nor did the conflict/war. Some of the descriptions of characters made me roll my eyes, and in the end, this just wasn't for me.
One of those cases where I was really taken in by the summary and concept before reading, but in actuality, it all felt very rote to me. The fake religion had potential but didn't capture my interest in the end, nor did the conflict/war. Some of the descriptions of characters made me roll my eyes, and in the end, this just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Religious bigotry
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
honestly a lot of my experience re-reading this was just me wanting to get right to specials, the third book in the series. some of the story was a bit frustrating -- i think it was because tally's pov was so limited. as much as she knows/figures out about the world, i always find myself wanting more. i somehow wish we got more interactions with shay as well -- i really found her to be an intriguing character, and tallys relationship with zane wasn't as compelling.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
i first read this in high school and had an urge to do a reread of the series recently. i think it still holds up pretty well. the rampant eco-fascism and other controlling aspects of the futuristic society are still pretty chilling. i also had a weird feeling that the book was moving too fast and too slow at the same time, but maybe that's because i already had a vague recollection of plot points.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Death
Minor: Eating disorder
The Tropic Of Serpents by Marie Brennan
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i finally finished this! i think i originally started it when i had first finished a natural history of dragons a while ago but eventually stalled out and only picked it back up again recently. honestly while i seriously admire brennan's intense worldbuilding and detail in this installment, i felt it hard to get through sometimes. i was personally daunted by the amount of lore in this fictional world -- constantly having unfamiliar names thrown at me made it hard to keep things straight and i always felt like i was missing some of the story because of it. i did really enjoy that brennan wrote a story about scholars who purposefully respected and learned indigenous practices, it was really refreshing to read about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Colonisation and Pregnancy
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
been struggling with reading a lot this year, and ended up pausing halfway through this book before finally continuing it recently. i was actually quite excited to keep going when i got back into it but honestly ended up finding the rest of the story quite lackluster. i think McKinney showed great attention to detail in terms of worldbuilding but while i liked most of the characters, something about many of them also felt flat to me. i probably won't continue the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
[audiobook]
i actually finished this book a while ago, and even then i sort of put it on hiatus midway and finished it quite a bit later. not really the book's fault, i've been struggling with reading/listening to books in general this year.
anyways, from what i remember i thought this was a fine conclusion to the series. i mostly appreciated mahurin's focus on interpersonal relationships and the how the various emotions of her characters were expressed, even from limited povs -- just something that stood out to me personally.
i actually finished this book a while ago, and even then i sort of put it on hiatus midway and finished it quite a bit later. not really the book's fault, i've been struggling with reading/listening to books in general this year.
anyways, from what i remember i thought this was a fine conclusion to the series. i mostly appreciated mahurin's focus on interpersonal relationships and the how the various emotions of her characters were expressed, even from limited povs -- just something that stood out to me personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
[audiobook]
while this didn't end exactly how i hoped it would've, i personally enjoyed it as a sequel and as an ending to the series (and tbf, it wasn't entirely a surprise). i really vibed with gong's writing -- as with the previous book, i think she struck a great balance of emotional resonance and development, along with exposition. both romances were almost exactly my vibe and kept me on my toes in anticipation.
while i admire gong's ability to move the plot along, always having something going on that the characters are inciting or catching up with, i think there was a little too much going on here, and the monster plot suffered a little for it. and though i did really enjoy the multiple pov's, (view spoiler)
also, as with the last book, the audiobook narrator was great, but her choice to harshly whisper dynamic (loud/intense) dialogue was distracting.
while this didn't end exactly how i hoped it would've, i personally enjoyed it as a sequel and as an ending to the series (and tbf, it wasn't entirely a surprise). i really vibed with gong's writing -- as with the previous book, i think she struck a great balance of emotional resonance and development, along with exposition. both romances were almost exactly my vibe and kept me on my toes in anticipation.
while i admire gong's ability to move the plot along, always having something going on that the characters are inciting or catching up with, i think there was a little too much going on here, and the monster plot suffered a little for it. and though i did really enjoy the multiple pov's, (view spoiler)
also, as with the last book, the audiobook narrator was great, but her choice to harshly whisper dynamic (loud/intense) dialogue was distracting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.0
[audiobook]
i really ended up enjoying this more than i thought i would -- the length was really getting to me at first, especially with the secrecy and vagueness of the narration at the beginning of the book. it all pretty much made sense eventually though, and i really liked having multiple povs because it helped me to understand the stakes each person has in the ongoing plot. every chapter felt intentional, giving the reader insight into the values and histories of each character. i'm glad i stuck with it and will probably continue the series.
i really ended up enjoying this more than i thought i would -- the length was really getting to me at first, especially with the secrecy and vagueness of the narration at the beginning of the book. it all pretty much made sense eventually though, and i really liked having multiple povs because it helped me to understand the stakes each person has in the ongoing plot. every chapter felt intentional, giving the reader insight into the values and histories of each character. i'm glad i stuck with it and will probably continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Violence
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i'm always a sucker for a werewolf book! this was really dynamic and easy to read, which might be a given for a graphic novel, but i think sterle's art skill needs to be recognized in this way. the story itself didn't particularly surprise me, but it was interesting nonetheless. i felt like both creators managed to say a lot with what was on the page, but i wish we had room for so much more. i feel like it was almost there with what it wanted to say about the patriarchy, but other nuanced topics suffered for it, particularly regarding the diversity of the characters represented, imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment