zoroco's reviews
14 reviews

mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

felt like i was SCREAMING at everyone by the midpoint; greer was so clearly dodgy from the off. loved lois's journey and the lush detailing though. a real sense of time and place throughout. great at the beginning, sorta derailed itself in the middle, and then came back to just about stick the landing at the end. sometimes terrible things have to happen to you in order for you to change and so on.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Go to review page

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

the first time i heard about this book, it was being hyped as a feminist re-telling of the myth of st. george and the dragon - and it was huge on booktok. i don't really like tales of old being repackaged, and for me booktok is where good taste can be found hung, drawn and quartered.

still, my curiosity persisted; until one day i saw this on sale and thought fuck it. anyway it does slay! ead i love you. loth i love you. tané i love you. niclays i'll let you off the hook i guess. the worldbuilding is incredible, and i am a slut for fictional religions and political systems. the action sequences are great, and the big showdown at the end did genuinely give me chills. it's not just a re-telling of old georgie boy and the dragon: it touches on lots of myth and folklore along the way. the arthurian vibes are strong.

is ms shannon going to win awards for her sex scenes? no. did this book need a slightly firmer editorial hand? possibly. did a bizarrely large number of chapters end with the POV character being rendered unconscious? if in doubt knock 'em out! but i really enjoyed it nonetheless. fantasy doesn't have to be white and heterosexual. what a ride.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

cleo and frank end up being the least interesting people in this book about very interesting, fucked up people. only two zoe POV chapters is a crime - i loved her. great read, loved it even more when it went off-piste, especially with the turn into first person in eleanor's chapters.

Content Warnings

The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.25

my most beloved childhood read. it's hard to say how well it would hold up now, in this age of YA novels that are slicker than an oil spill, but i have the fondest memories of this book. a perfect mashup of historical, fantasy, and magical realism. plus, a cat you will love. three cheers for ms wynne jones!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

a frothy romp through the golden age of rock with a fleetwood mac-lite band who are all largely insufferable. i do like the oral history format, and TJR does a good job of showing just how many people it takes to get that juggernaut of a touring band moving. maybe this is a me problem, but i would have liked to have read more about the music biz and sat with some real nostaglia rather than put up with a dairylea cheese love triangle. a good book to spend an afternoon with, and certainly better than watching it play out for ten episodes on screen.

Content Warnings