whiskedawayreads's reviews
616 reviews

The Witches' Blade by A.K. Mulford

dark emotional sad slow-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

2.5

I wanted to really enjoy this read, but it didn’t meet the expectations elicited by the first novel. While I really wanted to like the characters, it seemed to take the majority of the book for the MCs to get become more one dimensional. I will note that the plot line had some interesting developments, some of which were intriguing. I enjoyed the addition of new characters, such as the blue witches. I also wish there would have been more development between Rua and Remy, but this was a missing component. 

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

dark funny sad slow-paced

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

2.0

As much as I enjoyed the Serpent & Dove, I was disappointed in this follow up novel. The tumultuous relationships between the various characters became laborious to continue sifting through. It seemed to take too long to get from point A to B, which interrupted my interest and focus. Some of the new characters were intriguing. But there was some world building that was missing, limit the impact of these new characters. 

The High Mountain Court by A.K. Mulford

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.5

I was very excited for this read initially, and was finding it quite enjoyable. As the story progressed, I was disappointed to find that it was the quite similar to other recent fantasy  reads. I felt like there was so much focus on the mate bond, to the extent that it became repetitive and a bit annoying. I found the characters to be quirky and enjoyable. The writing was generally good, just with my note about the focus on mates. The world building was well done, keeping it easy to understand.

Charm by Tracy Wolff

emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I would say this was my least favorite book of the series so far, primarily based upon the plot line. A lot of the plot seemed forced and seemed to have little imagination to it. The writing reflected that as well, maybe me wish the book was several hours shorter due to the repetitive nature and contrived narrative. There were some positive pieces, such as the addition of new faces and a new landscape for the story to take place. The umberas were a nice add to the storyline as a new type of mystical creature. 

The Big Four by Agatha Christie

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

Compared to some of Christie’s other novel, this one seemed a bit too slow and drawn out. There were large passages of time but it was difficult to know how much time had passed. The case presented as overly complex at times, but then also amazingly simple with how pieces would fall together. The case did not have the same intrigue as that present in other novels. I also struggle with the character of Hastings as, despite being the MC’s friend, the tone and verbiage used to describe Poirot is less than stellar.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The first 1/4 of the book was a bit slow. I think this was due to continued world building within the novel. However, there are plenty of twists and surprises through the remainder of the read to more than make up for it. The characters remain well developed, with some fun and interesting additions as new cadets join the mix. There are some well done redemption arcs for a few characters as well. Overall, the writing was well down and the plot line was definitely interesting. I’m not sure that I’m a fan of the major cliff hanger at the end. For those you know, it seems a bit out of the character.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

This was such a great YA read. I have throughly enjoyed the progression of world building through the three books in the series. The expansion of worlds, characters, and countries have been very intriguing. There is a good combination of humor, suspense and romance rolled into one. I found the writing enjoyable and entertaining. I would definitely recommend this one!

A Sticky Situation by Jessie Crockett

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

This was a cozy read, and the review reflects such. The characters were charming but without a ton of depth. The plot was interesting but not overly intriguing. I appreciated the new characters for the twists and turns they introduced which complimented the storylines continuing from books 1 and 2. I was disappointed by that lack of wild game present, although Graham was utilized well as a character. 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

dark sad slow-paced

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

1.0

There was a small cast of characters but not many with positive redeeming qualities. The tale was presented as a villain versus villain, with both sides willing to torture, torment and abuse others if they did not meet a need. Perhaps that makes me basic, but I prefer to explore characters with some redeeming or positive qualities. Which was generally lacking. While I typically enjoy non linear timelines and dual perspectives, it was incredibly hard to follow switches between perspectives and to remember the timeline accurately. I imagine some of this is due to the audiobook format, but it was still disappointing.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? No

2.25

I found the plot to be fairly slow, and it was hard for me to get into. I found the characters enjoyable, but also experiencing some age-based immaturity that was repetitive and irritating at times. As the story progressed, particularly toward the end of the novel, created some intrigue. I preferred the end of the novel for this reason. I’m slightly disappointed as I’ve enjoyed other reads by this author, and was expecting more.