vel629vet's reviews
1039 reviews

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon - Eternal Edition 01 by Naoko Takeuchi

4.0

Usagi has big bi energy and I’m really here for it. My first manga and my favorite anime from childhood!

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.75

I loved this duology. Incredibly original and the most ‘vibe-y’ book I’ve read since I don’t know when. Expert story telling and character work, and I want to read everything Gillig writes from now on. Read this if you love fantasy, tarot, spooks, and dark nights in the woods. 

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

My least favorite Brandy Sandy to date, but still a solid 4 stars. I had no idea how the pieces would all come together until there were maybe 40 pages left and then I was of course blown away by how he did it. 
Throughout the book I did feel like this was the ‘magic system’ that was just too much. It took away from the story, and the characters, while well developed, didn’t get enough attention because there were so many POVs we were constantly bouncing between. 
Definitely need a little fantasy break after this one. 

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

medium-paced

3.5

Not my favorite Ali Hazelwood but I still enjoyed it. I like her STEM working characters a little more because they nerd out more. I did enjoy hearing more about diving/swimming, but the relationship didn’t quite hit it for me. 

Spoilers below: 

I really disliked Pen as a character - or at least the way Hazelwood wrote her. She created this constant feeling of unease that led me to think the other shoe would drop and you would realize she actually sucked the whole time. So when she turned out fine - I was confused. What was the point of the other divers who warned the main character about  Pen? I just don’t think it was handled super well. 

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Very very nearly 5 stars. The atmosphere of this book is incredible - the perfect blend of spooky and woodsy and folky. I loved the magic system and the thought put into the history of the magic itself and how it’s tied to the location. Cannot wait to see where book 2 leads. 

Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows by Dan Slott

4.5

Most original and fun Spider-Man story in ages. MJ is a real person!

Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 3: Spider-Verse by Dan Slott

4.0

Great intro to the spider-verse. Loved it, and really well done splitting time between the Spideys. 

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Definitely the weakest Brandy Sandy I’ve read so far - but 4.5 stars is nothing to scoff at. Even with his earliest work you get an intensity to the setting and magic that I’m not getting from other authors right now. The story was slow but the pay-off was great. I want more of this series. 

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

fast-paced

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

4.5

I love how Ali Hazelwood writes. It’s how I think. This book was deliciously filthy and I really appreciated her heads up at the start that this is not going to be a typically rom-com. Now I want to go read her other new one! 

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

 I was incredibly disheartened by how little I was interested in the first two thirds of this book. I couldn't find it in me to care what was happening to anyone in the story at all. I think there was too much going on, the story was getting pulled in too many directions, and the stakes felt too *constantly* high.
Then I hit the avalanche in the last couple hundred pages and I was absolutely hooked. I feel that the final part of Onyx Storm redeemed a lot of the struggles of Iron Flame and the beginning of this book for me, and I really think that Yarros wrote a stellar climax and resolution, with a believable cliffhanger. She's got me ready for more in the Empyrean, which I wasn't sure I would be when I started reading.