wynterstrike's reviews
51 reviews

Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Once again, while this book is not my type of thing on paper, I devoured it. As with Binding 13 I absolutely loved the relationships between all the characters and they felt very organic. The slow burn progression in Johnny and Shannon's relationship was satisfying to read. I also have not cried this much in a while so thanks for that Chloe Walsh!

Similarly to B13, this book was very long and dialogue heavy but it helped to build up the characters personalities. It could be a bit repetitive too with the inner monologues and conversations so some probably could've been edited out.

Either way, I'm looking forward to moving on to Joey and Aoife's story more now following on from this.

*A bit heavier than B13 so check trigger warnings if you need and take care while reading.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

I didn't like this book quite as much as I had hoped. I thought it dragged until the final section and found myself not wanting to pick it up. At the same time, it felt really fast paced as conversations were brief, characters would act immediately after finding information, and scenes were moved on from very quickly.

The characters felt very flat and I found most of them to be annoying. They all seemed a bit inconsistent and reacted to things in ways that didn't fit with their previous characterization. I also didn't find the relationships between any of them organic, aside from the sisterly bond.

The book seemed pretty predictable and I spent most of the time knowing what was coming and just watching the characters blindly hurtle towards it.

However, I did really like the world building and creation lore. The representation was refreshing and I enjoyed how it fit into the story so simply. I may pick up the second book when it comes out to see if more of the history of the world is explored but am currently undecided.

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

I read this between Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire and while I'm not sure how that will impact the rest of the series, it felt like the perfect point to slot it in. We know Celeana and how her past is carried with her and now we get to see the details that impact her on a minute level. Great emotional impact and I think reading it first would've spoiled some things and possibly put me off.

Unfortunately I read this right off the back of Babel which was so good it put me in a bit of a slump. That, combined with the nature of novellas meant it was a little bit tough to get through. However I enjoyed the emotions it pulled up and I'm looking forward to returning back to the main series.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Where to even begin with this book. I felt such a visceral emotional reaction to reading this and know it's going to be taking up space in my brain for a long time to come. Kuangs storytelling is phenomenal and she knows how to keep you hooked in while also analyzing the world around you in far more depth. It's clear a lot of love and research was put into this novel, to the extent that the magic system even seems real.

Reading this after finishing my academic journey in university allowed me to reflect on how the institution served myself and other students and how it exploited us. It was a lot to take in with heavy themes and large chapters and normally I would find myself breaking up similar books with smaller, lighter stories but for whatever reason I kept reaching to pick Babel up and continue.

Regardless, Babel has become an immediate addition to my go-to recommendation list.

"It took him a moment to realize what it was that grated on him, and when he did, it would bother him constantly, now and thereafter; it would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Letty, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comfort."

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Jaw dropping, action packing, heart wrenching sequel. In classic SJM style, this book trumps the first in the series (although I loved TOG and still rate it highly). It was really exciting to see the way the character arcs played out in this one, and I feel like I can now see the overarching series plotline ahead.

The second half of the book was definitely better than the first and I genuinely struggled to put it down once I hit the end of part one (if you know you know). Not sure how I managed to avoid spoilers for so many years.

Figured out that ending twist a good few chapters before the reveal but it still had me gasping.

Not much more to say other than I loved it and bring on the next book!

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

adventurous mysterious 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

4.25

The prologue of this book hooked me in so quickly. It was beautifully written and showed thought and care had been taken in building the world. While the prose of the rest of the book didn't stand up to the prologue, the story was so much fun I hardly noticed. I had seen criticism before starting that there was too much going on and if a book needed such a large glossary, it was probably too much. I wholeheartedly disagree. Not only was the world building reasonably intuitive after a quick skim through the glossary, but I found the unique world sucked me away from reality with ease. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who loves a deep and really fleshed out world though!

The first two thirds of the book were a ride and had great potential, but I felt the final part of the book fizzled a little bit, leaving me kind of just wanting to finish it up and move on. I thought the ending was slightly anticlimactic, but it does also read as the start of a series, with unanswered questions so I'm very excited to see where the next book takes the story as it's not immediately obvious. The book is also quite long and intimidating, and I do feel like certain bits could've been removed with no real impact to the story, but I can't say any significant portions of it dragged.

Overall I thought this was a good romantasy with an interesting world and I don't know how I'm going to wait so long for book 2.

Daydream by Hannah Grace

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

This book unfortunately didn't give me what I was hoping for. At the start I thought Halle was really relatable, and anyone who's read the other MH series books knows Henry is a gem. I found their initial relationship a bit strange

like what do you mean they're just friends but hes pulling her onto his lap and sleeping next to her after only just meeting her

. I thought it was taking a good turn around the half way point but the end really fell over in my opinion. Just as I was getting into a scene and wanting to read more, the chapter would end and it'd be a whole other day. The bits I really wanted to read were instead just described in hindsight which made me feel like I was being robbed a little bit.

I expected Halle and Henry to steal my heart but I can now be certain Russ and Aurora still hold that crown and Wildfire is the better book. In fact, the parts where Russ was present were some of my favourite parts of this book, which is not a great sign. Despite her being relatable in the beginning, Halle quickly did become irritating and I struggled to see her motivations in the second half.

The Wolf and the Witch by Charissa Weaks

adventurous 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

3.5

I read a few books between City of Ruin and this, but still found it easy to pick up from where the plot ended so that wasn't an issue. My opinions on this book changed as it went on though. The start didn't feel like a novella and it was nice to see everyone figuring out how to deal with the fallout of book 2, but by the second half it definitely read as a side plot. The best way I could describe it is like a filler episode in a TV show. I spent the second half wondering what the point of it all was and it felt quite rushed at the end. I really wanted to enjoy Nephelle and Neri's story but I don't think it was given the care and development it deserved.

A few points from the first two books were nicely explained and tied up here, but the slight break from the main plot was refreshing. Regardless, I feel this was a step down from the other books so hopefully Kingdom of the Forgotten brings back that winning formula.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous mysterious 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

4.25

Been looking forward to starting this series for a while. Having read the rest of SJMs series, it's clear this is a debut novel with room for improvement in her writing, but that didn't hinder my reading experience at all. This book feels like a foundation for a good series so I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

I loved the characters and found it easy to resonate with them and keep track of who was who. While it may have started a bit slow, the story's payoff was worth it. Overall an easy and fun read.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.25

Really not sure how I feel about this book. I spent most of the first half considering DNFing, but the second half was interesting enough to stick with. I love Holly Black's style of fantasy and the characters were definitely different from most of what you see in the popular fantasy genre. However, the world building could've been more fleshed out; a lot was unexplained and left up to the reader to figure out.

Unfortunately there was no emotional investment for me and overall it just felt a bit empty. It had all the right elements but none of them were fleshed out enough.

Not a bad book, not a great book. Might continue the series though as I hear it gets better, much like the second half of the book.