virgilsaeneid's reviews
215 reviews

EYETOOTH by Mars Adler

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Extremophile by Ian Green

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

Netgalley ARC, dnf'd at 51%.

I feel literally awful that I dnf'd Extremophile, but I can tell that I'm not the target audience of this book.

The plot moved too slowly for my enjoyment and the writing style caused confusion. I found it hard to keep track of the characters, and I struggled with visualising the world-building. I also have a personal pet peeve regarding books that don't include " " quotation marks around dialogue, because I struggle to read them. All-in-all, dnf'ing this book was very much a it's not you, it's me move.

That being said, I definitely think that there is an audience for this book. If you feel passionately about finding new forms of sci-fi, futuristic literature not set in space and/or environmentalism, Extremophile would be a good suit for you.

Freaky Folklore: Terrifying Tales of the World's Most Elusive Monsters and Enigmatic Cryptids by Darkness Prevails

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dark informative fast-paced

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

4.0

An ARC from Netgalley.

I went into Freaky Folklore a little bit concerned by the title, in all honesty. As a historian and lover of anthropology, with a specific interest in the folklore and mythology of cultural circles, hearing the word freaky be used next to folklore set off some red flags. However, I feel like this book approached the subject of mythology with a delicate and mindful approach. I especially enjoyed how they accredited folklore creatures from Indigenous circles to their specific peoples and didn't lump them under the title of cryptid.

Freaky Folklore has beautiful illustrations and is an excellent coffee table book to flip through. Sitting at a solid 4/5 rating, I wish the book had included excerpts or interviews from real "witnesses" of some of the folkloric figures, rather than fictionalized short stories. These short stories grew repetitive, and largely followed the same pattern of: [person] is in [situation] where [bad thing happens] because they see [folklore figure]. I felt like I started skipping over the short stories after a few of them.

Haunting License by Carol J. Perry

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.5

ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Haunting License is a Summery, cozy murder mystery that was an easy, quick read. It was short and simple, and a lovely introduction into the genre of cozy mystery for me. I hadn't realized Haunting License was the third book in a series until after I started reading it. Luckily, Perry concisely recaps important information in a way that makes this book easy enough to read as a standalone without having read the other books previously. I'd like to read the first two books after having read the third one.

That being said, I didn't feel particularly compelled by the characters, and the plot had a bit of a jarring pace. For a murder mystery, the murder got sidelined and not treated as a major aspect of the story. The main character also appears to exposition in dialogue both to herself and to other characters who are already aware of the information Maureen states- an issue that I believe could be fixed by including more brief, internal monologues, rather than verbalizing everything.

Despite this, Haunting License was still exactly what you would expect from a cozy mystery. I ended up rating it 3.5/5 stars.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Gustave Doré, Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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dark mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

A Dark and Drowning Tide is my new personality trait. I loved every minute of this book. Slightly toxic sapphic romances you will always have my heart.

Saft's worldbuilding was unique, exciting, and whimsical. The storyline was mysterious, exciting and enrapturing. I loved each of the characters as much as I hated them for all (with the exception of Sylvia, she can do no wrong in my eyes) being awful people. It's one of those books I'll be thinking about for a long time even after I've finished it, and I'm definitely planning on re-reading it once it officially releases.

Without a shadow of a doubt this book is a five star read.

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced