Josie
There isn't a single Nghi Vo book that I've read that I didn't enjoy.
This book had my emotions all over the place. I was angry, sad, joyful, excited for each new development for the city of Azril and to see how everything moved along.
I enjoyed that we saw more of the past at the beginning but as the city grew we got less memories and more of new developments.
The main character, Vitrine was really intriguing and seeing how she viewed her city and its people was fascinating. She loved them but that didn't mean she tried to shield them from everything, she let them grow on their own.
Overall this was another great read from Nghi Vo and she will continue to be one of my insta-buy authors.
This book will not be one of my top reads of the year but I wasn't dissapointed in it. It kept my interest but didnt make me go WOW at any point. Certain scenes got me feeling a bit more than others, but nothing brought me to tears or anything. Over all I'd say this was a solidly average read.
Things I did enjoy though were the wordbuilding aspects, learning more about the magic and religions and other regions. These parts kept me interested and wanting to read more.
The relationships that developed and grew in this book were great. Ridoc is hands down one of my favorite characters now.
The relationship between Violet and Xaden remains feeling shallow for me. I get they are in love but their love only seems to be as deep as their physical connection. There are no moments of tenderness for them, even when opportunities rise, they use it to just be physical, which fine but it leaves the relationship feeling cheap.
I will definitely be reading the next book just to get answers for the plethora of questions Yarros left behind in the wake of this book. Though Onyx Storm will not be a book I'm running to tell people to read.
Last year I read The Unmaking of June Farrow and it was probably a top 5 best book of 2024 for me. I usually read fantasy and avoid anything set in the real world.This was the first book set in the real world that I truly enjoyed, loved even. When I saw Adrienne Young had published a new book I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough.
The suspense of figuring out what happens piece by piece is magical. She does such an amazing job keeping the reader engaged with the world in the book and the mystery unraveling before us.
James is such an interesting character and her twin equally so. The two and their group of friends have a past steeped in secrets that keep us on our toes. The quaint forest town holds twist and turns I would have never seen coming and felt so satisfied when the pieces fell into place.
This will be a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a bit of mystery and a touch of otherworldliness to their stories.
This will end up being one of the best books I will read all year, hands down no questions asked. This is such a warm and cozy read that I didn't know I was looking for. Legends and Lattes has been one of my favorite cozy reads since it came out and I've been chasing the feeling I got when I read it and I have finally found it.
Tao is such a wonderful character, relateable, vunerable, and quirky. The rest of the cast is equally entertaining and well thought out.
The adventure Tao goes on is equal parts funny and emotional. Watching her grow as a character alongside the others was such a heartwarming journey.
The Teller of Small Fortunes will definitely be one of my most recommended books of the year.
What an incredible read to start the new year off! The emotional roller coaster this book put me through was intense. It's so relatable and touching to watch each character devolope. Seeing what each brings to the table and how they grow with each other and become more confident is heartwarming.
The writing is fantastic and kept me wanting to just keep reading and not put the book down.
I found that there is an animal movie based on this book as well and now that I'm done reading this I'm definitely going to check it out!
The Sanderlanche is so real in this one! Momentum just kept building through out the entire book, pieces falling into place pages by page. I loved the character development for Hrathen the most, watching him struggle with his faith and come to learn acceptance. Serene was a great fmc and I adored her the entire book, so clever and brave.
Each Sanderson book I read the more I fall in love with his writing. Definitely one of my favorite authors.
Three books into this quintessential harbor town and I'm still in love with these books. Each one has its own main couple but seeing the previous characters still be relevant and present is so satisfying. The characters are relatable and loveable, I enjoy reading about their growth. What a great Christmas read for this year. Very cozy vibes, still spicy but not as much as Cinnimon Bun.
Enjoyed this read over all, the last 10% I was split with feeling unsatisfied then feeling ut wrapped up nicely. For the first 5% of it I was feeling let down, I wasn't vibing with whwre things were headed, then the last 5% was great! Loved how we slowly learn more and more about the history of the culture and watch each character grow. Definitely a satisfying read and would recommend
I was so excited to finally get to the end of this series and boy was it a read. I loved everything up to the last 10 pages. The reveals of what is happening are fantastic and keep me reading to find out more. The character growth is inspiring and has me cheering for the crew along the way. Those last 10 pages though, right in the gut, release the waterworks. I had gotten so attached to the characters and the ending some got just didn't feel like they got what they deserved, what they worked so hard for. Overall love the first trilogy, great third book, but that ending hurts.
I've always heard about this series, and I've been skeptical of how good they could be, but dang, am I impressed. For the first installment of the Mistborn series, I am hooked. The character development really endears you to them. The pacing is excellent, its world building keeps you engaged, and the action scenes are entertaining and exciting.
This book was such a a great read! It had good pacing for both plot and the development of the relationships which k really appreciated. The overall story was really intriguing and kept me wanting more. The magic system was super interesting and I loved the little tidbits before some chapters giving details about it.
Overall it was an okay read and I'll definitely pick up the second book so I can find out what happens. The last bit of the book was without a doubt the better part and was the redeeming factor for me.
The quick development of the relationship with Freya and Bjorn was a bit too quick for my taste. For the most part I could understand where Freya was coming from but for someone who wanted to be a warrior to be so against what it entails once she sees it was a bit frustrating.
On a more positive note I enjoyed the magic system for this book alot! It's unique and how it manifests is really interesting.
An amazing end to this duology. I'm both happy and sad to have finished this book. I'm so happy that we get the end of Iris & Roman's story but also sad that it's over. The entire read was engaging and kept me on the edge of my seat. There were so many emotional moments and times where I was so worried for our duo.
One of the best books I've read so far this year, honestly don't know what to even read next that will even compare.
Overall I was underwhelmed with this second installment of the Fourthwing series.
TLDR: First 300 pages I'd give a 2... maybe....I hated it. After that I remembered why I love these books.
The first book had such great pacing, strong character development, and an interesting plot that kept me hooked the whole time. Ironflame however did not live up to the hype. The characters didn't feel the same at all, and I understand major events happened that would cause change but for their very core to not even be there still is wild. The first 300 pages of the book felt like a slog, it was painful to get through. After that though things picked up and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed the book again. The characters reemerged and the action and pacing picked up. The plot felt meaningful and it reminded me why I liked this series in the first place.
Having read the third book first and then this book, it was still a delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed! The romance is quite adorable and very lighthearted. I love the little bit of mystery that it's involved in the main plot. Overall this is such a cozy read and left me feeling light and happy.
I overall enjoyed the book a lot and easily found myself excited to figure out what was going on. The best part of the book is how it keeps you on edge of what will happen next, worried for the characters. My only complaint is how the main character interacts with others can be a bit wishy-washy. Something will happen and she'll feel a certain way only for it to change rather quickly to the opposite.
The overall writing was something I couldn't get into. I had a hard time caring about characters without any sense of forward motion from them. Everything I did read seemed pointless fluff. I got that the town is weird and strange things happen but is it necessary to talk about every single mundane task that they perform?