Anita
Dick Fuks with son Les Fuks are great character names.
Now that that is out of the way, this was a surprising find that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. This was a cosy fantasy, with an interesting magical system implementation. I enjoyed the differentiation between Witches and Mages, as well as how described the difference between the two were.
Fin was a lovable and flawed character. He has a clear attitude, which rubs people the wrong way, but protects those that he loves. No one in this book are perfect - they each have their clear flaws and (most) try to work through it, whether it be because they want to or because they're forced to do so.
The ending was very sudden, which left me a little empty, but I did end up purchasing the other books so maybe it's a well done marketing strategy.
My first read with KJ Charles, and definitely not the last. This was an enjoyable, well-written novel with a run-of-the-mill plot.
Our characters and their interactions were what kept this book together, providing a very pleasant read. The ending between Marianne and Giles was realistic to say the least - though KJ Charles provided a bit of a window of opportunity to Giles for the off-screen future. Things may have fell into place a little bit too nicely in the end, but it was a wholesome ending.
Yet another mysterious plot, with elements of historical truth noted within. The main character is someone that I would not love to know in real life, with her thinking towards her younger sister's actions sometimes frustrating to read. Yet, the inclusion of her upbringing compared to her sister shows that this disparity in thoughts is because of what was taught to be right or wrong.
Definitely an enjoyable read.
A fresh take into a very saturated genre, especially of recent times.
Though the start was slightly slow, with a lot of world building and character introduction, it soon fell into an intriguing plotline of what the main character could become and what she would learn to get there.
The story ends quite abruptly, where it felt a little rushed to leave setup for a second book. However, overall it was a very pleasant read and I look forward to more of it!
I did enjoy the seeing the 1910s from another perspective than a rich white damsel in distress, and yet it felt a bit messy with the sheer number of characters that the book focused on. There were four main POVs, each with their own love/hate messy love interest, which ended up being a little tiring to follow through.
And then the ending, it was left so open that it made me want to eat the damn book (alas it was an ebook).
A good, introductory novella to the interesting world Aspen Kilgore has introduced us to.
The idea of threads bound to us is an interesting concept, expanding off of the red thread concept for soulmates. I enjoyed the gradual transformation of Eth, becoming more human as he interacts with Elle more and more, almost learning how to be human again.
I love forward to reading the rest of the books, especially with how this one ended.
Oh my gosh, I DEVOURED this book.
I'm not too sure why, but as soon as I picked up this book, I was unable to put it down. I spent an entire sitting reading it, and before I knew it, it was all over. Maybe it just fit with the mood I was in at the time, but it was easy to read and had just enough sprinkled in to keep me hooked on the building relationship between our lovely Rune and brooding Gideon.
Kristen Ciccarelli manages to throw sudden plot twists and scenes at me. While I had an inkling of what was going on behind the scenes, I was not expecting it to go a step further to reveal what it did. It's a darn shame that it ended where it did, because things had been left at such a delicious plot point. But knowing that a sequel will be out keeps me content for now.
Firstly, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Now onto the book.
It started off slow and a little confusing, a few different POVs when going straight in while still trying to set the scene is a little off-putting. However, around 30% into the setup, it starts to pick up when Everly inevitably enters the building. There were a lot of unpredictable twists, the science fiction elements to the plot adding a nice sprinkle of mystery to the growing dark theme.
Overall, it was a good read, something different to my usual genres and definitely met the expectation set. A great debut book for sure!
After coming to this revised series from the Root of Chaos books, I knew that the world building was going to be immense. I think I still severely underestimated it, though, because we were introduced into a reformed/dystopian London and Oxford where those who were different from the norm were to be despised and apprehended. The characters are individually well written, but some characters have a more interesting background than others.
For example, our main character Paige has clearly been through a lot of hardship and turmoil in her life - surviving the Imbolc Massacre, bullying from her peers and authoritative figures growing up attending the Ancroft School, etc. - but it is kind of minimised by the fact that she is the main character and she almost needs to experience these in order to get to the point she is now (mollisher for the White Binder).
I definitely agree with many that there was an overabundance of specific terminology thrown at readers almost from the beginning. While I had read On the Merits of Unnaturalness beforehand, so it wasn't as harsh of an adjustment for myself, it was still a bit difficult to understand certain bits of the book. There was also a lot of new information coming in with the Rephs, Buzzers, etc. which caused some distractions. However, towards the latter half of the book it was difficult to put the book down and as soon as the book ended there was a need to pick up the next.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the revised series.
A decent read, with great descriptions and story potential but a weak execution.
The world building in this book is immense, with vivid descriptions into not only the City of Riz, but into the ‘magic' system - carving into metal. Our protagonist is a teenager that shouldn't have the opportunities that she has, but through lots of luck and talent, Mesny offers her a chance at something more.
I loved the mentor/mentee interactions that the two had, it felt a lot more natural, with Mesny really showing that she cares about Kellan, compared to what I felt between Axel/Kellan. The romantic relationship that was slotted in the midst of the plot didn't feel necessary. Perhaps if we had more of a character development into Axel, then I would root for them more.
The weakest, by far, were the trials. Despite being such a big plot point of whether Kellan will/won't get the spot, they aren't the main focus at all. They felt rushed and sidelined by other action/plot lines to progress into the big build up that the author wanted, when I wanted more description, more stress, more information about them.
In the end, the ending didn't feel great either, finishing with a lot of unanswered questions. Perhaps there will be a sequel to unravel the remain mysteries, but ultimately this book didn't feel complete without them.
A weirdly light-hearted book about a magical sword man and his wielder (who he'd like to be wielded by in a different way...). It was delightful and though the journey could have been cut down towards the end, it was still an enjoyable low stakes fantasy read.
29/10/24 Wow, I need some time to process this.
31/10/24 There was a lot to take in from this final book in the series. A big warning that if you're expecting the light-heartedness from the first two books, you won't find it here. This makes you face some parts of reality that you don't particular want to, and it makes you second guessing a lot of things.
Our dear Pip is clearly broken. Things that she knew - belief in the justice system mainly - aren't what she thought. There's a serial rapist on the streets, a murderer who may not have done a bad thing on the loose, and Pip needs drugs to get even the tiniest bit of rest. And honestly, this is all just in the first half of the book.
After getting anonymous messages, and figuring out that this might not be as harmless as once thought, Pip ends up looking into a case that already has a killer behind bars. Except this guy in prison clearly isn't the right one. I thought we would be in for another ride, especially with poor Daniel da Silva being suspected once again (can this guy catch a break?) but oh no. I was so wrong.
The second half of the book takes such a drastic turn. A beaten Pip can't deal with the lack of justice after watching Max walk free, so one thing leads to another before slowly bits from all three books come together.
Andie Bell comes back into the equation again, knowing things that never made it public.
The break-in at Jason Bell's company all those years ago weren't as clear-cut as expected.
Charlie Green may not have been wrong at all.
Overall, this book was insane. It didn't take a direction that I thought it would at all, and the latter half reminded me of How To Get Away With Murder. It was still a great read, maybe even the big finale that was needed. As sorry as I am to see it all over, it kind of...felt right?
A fun read, set before the events of the trilogy. While it was a bit of a frustrating ending, with Pip's theory making more sense than the actual answer for the Murder Mystery, it did start to introduce us into her personality and critical thinking, as well as the different personalities of her friends.
There was also subtle foreshadowing for different snippets of the following books too, which I found interesting.
An enjoyable read, not as toothache inducing as forewarned but still adorable nonetheless.
I didn't want this to end, even though I have the next book lined up, so I took my sweet time to read. While I am not familiar with The Three Kingdoms, Joan He has left descriptions and clear explanations at the end of the book which helped a lot with what I learnt throughout the book.
Zephyr is a wonderfully flawed character. She is afraid of losing more than she already does and so keeps to herself rather than relying on others. Her backstory was a surprise and unexpected, as well as her actions in the latter half.
I look forward to reading Sound the Gong and wrapping up the cliffhanging plot twist presented!
Firstly, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was an enjoyable read, delving into multiple worlds overlapping and the possible consequences. Spoiler alert, Lahn does have to put on his pants in order to try and save all he loves.
It played with some interesting concepts, especially on the idea of AI and future technology. The entire plot met the expectation set with the description, leaving me with wanting more.
09/06/24 - i'm destroyed
13/06/24 - now I've calmed down, I can give a full review.
The sheer amount of angst in this book, it was just giving everything it could. The wanting, what ifs, bittersweet parting and the reunion. After reading this immediately after finishing STZ, I understand why Joan said you needed the two to have the complete experience.
This entire duology took a turn that I didn't expect. It was an entirely painful read, the two main characters having clear affection for each other that couldn't be explored because of the immense loyalties they had to their person. The thought of knowing the person you could have loved and was beginning to, didn't love you back and was, in fact, yearning and fighting in memory of someone they lost. Losing each other before they could see what could have had.
I am eternally grateful for Joan to give us a closure in the form of “In Another Life”.
May they meet again in another life.
Another enjoyable Lily Adler mystery. We delve into more of her background in this book, as well as a decently thought out mystery to solve. Our beloved characters from the first book return, as well as the introduction of some new ones that I am sure we'll continue to see in other books.
A solid sequel to the first debut novel.
A fierce contender for favourite asian-inspired fantasy author, Elizabeth Lim has given me another interesting concept with a worried by inevitably strong female lead.
I enjoyed the first half of this, with the competition, more than I did the latter half, in which I felt the romance side of the story was rushed, though Maia is young I suppose (Edan shouldn't you know better??)
Overall I good read, looking forward to reading the sequel.
A whimsical read about dreams and those who sell them.
This book was crafted in a way I didn't expect from the blurb - we are introduced into a whole other world where we (humans) are customers only when we sleep. The little stories behind the dreams that we can envision, as well as the little meanings behind them paint a picture of why we have the dreams that we have.
A definite enjoyable cosy read, with some thought provoking snippets.
A decent sequel, focusing on the more character development rather than plot side of things.
While this wasn't an enjoyable as the first book, it was nice to read about the growing bonds within the party. The progression they're making towards being able to hit the Towers, as well as the help they provide Max in order to ensure he doesn't get consumed by his skill is fun to read.
It's interesting to see Max develop as a character. He is clearly young and flawed, combined with an OP skill means he will make mistakes and be overconfident. There are attempts to show how he tries to get through this, showing us he's not just all brawn but has brains too with his meticulous note-taking and investigations into dungeons, but inevitably I fear that he will bite off more than he can chew.
Looking forward to reading Book Three.
A decent follow on from the previous book, with more details revolving around the different political dynamics that the higher levels go through.
Our team wants to enter the Tower soon, which means that preparations must begin. While there are some high stakes involved, ultimately it's another progression book that develops our already beloved characters, both skillwise and character wise. Max is still coping with the dark side of this power, and he finally enters a relationship with Tanila after a bit of push and pull.
Hoping the threat that was introduced in the initial books comes back in Book Four, since there wasn't any mention of them despite it being such a big part of the start.
A uniquely written debut story, with well-developed characters and just enough magic to make it a fantasy.
Like many, I found it a bit difficult to get into with the prose, with it adding an almost sluggish feel to the initial pace of the story. It took a few attempts for it to click, before it finally did around the halfway mark. After that, the plot picked up pace and it became an enjoyable read.