Sasha
The end. So quick yet so sweet.
Again, there's a sense that too many things are happening but because the character is Miyuu it made sense. She is scared, indecisive, not to mention her low self esteem.
But all of these volumes and especially the third one have showed a Miyuu Seno that has come to love herself and made the reader fall in love with her.
The ending could considered too idealistic where everything wraps up nicely but I loved it.
A great short read all in all.
This volume was very quick, viceral, honest and just raw.
Miyuu has gotten out of her mom's control and now she has rediscover a self that she act ally likes and also relearn how to life live and r. A life where she learns how to stay afloat when things don't work out. She at a phase where every descision feels like a mistake.
It was very relatable. I could imagine myself in her shoes. I'm also loving how the author dedicates small chapters to side characters taking the time to show some insight on how these people tick inside or where they've been from and how they got to now. This part did feel too fast paced at first but story wise it really did make sense.
3rd March 2024:
Rifqa is a poetry collection where if you read with the intention to connect and understand the verses gently guide you through the eyes of the people mentioned in them. From the chants of revolution outside a hospital, to the farewell of Palestine's Jasmine, each word is heavier than a mountain.
Final Rating: 5/5
24th October 2023:
I would have liked to give this a 4 but the plot of this book towards the end was very, very lazy.
The strong points were how it didn't shy away from the real and cruel history even at the end. The epilogue for one, was what saved the book for me but not enough to excuse how the middle and last part were written.
Final Rating - 3.75/5
8/10/2023
This was a very short and arbitrary book. Infact it was so short that it suffered extremely from not having any natural progression of events.
Every went like this
Apprentice protagonist meets kind and sweet teacher → crazy lady barges in and steals his heart →protagonist learns about his whole life while getting the heart back and confesses→ fight, gets heart back→ done
To me it read like an outline with sparse details. Things were happening because the author said so, not because it was a natural progression of the story.
I couldn't immerse myself in it despite the interest in the magic system.
Final Rating: 1 Star
26/09/2023
I feared finishing this for the longest time because I thought it was quite the depressing read but actually it was a lot more.
The book alluded to depression and many serious topics like drugs and it was very frank and real in the way only a fantasy book could be when it talks about things in the real world in its own image.
The most worth while aspect of this book was following Arren on his journey. It was not that he grew ultimately wise as he was confronted with each of his weaknesses but rather the admittance that though his journey is great he is also but a man. I couldn't have loved it more.
While I wouldn't recommend someone to read this during a depressive episode like I was in, I would certainly say this is an enjoyable read for those wanting something relatable.
Final rating: 5/5
It was okay. Came for the magic school and cool studies part the book but focused more on the daily life aspect that going into a details about the experience which I wasn't really looking for. The ending was nice but really too late and lots of flaws.
Like, they take the test of loyalty. So why had Alex Munõz betrayed them? What was his reason for the hate??? Totally skipped over the record breaking assessments too in order to get to the actual young boy saving the day scene which thoroughly disappointed me.
Plus the prose needs a lot of editing. Good editing. There's is so much blatant confusion over what is being described or referred to in a scene and took me our of the story repeatedly. Describing swans flying in the sky for example,
“he breathed in deep and watched a flight of black swans streak across a sky the color of marigolds.”
Is the color marigold or the birds???? But the bird were described as black??? Which is which!!!!!?????
And that's just one example.
What I did like was the part where the school and the faculty weren't miserable gits who were unnecessarily mean, especially since these students were children. The school is actually exciting as promised and while there is bullying there is also community.
I think it just could have done better with pacing and figuring where it wants to go. Either really dark or lighter in tone. Would have done the book and story much better.
May 20th, 2023:
A satisfying conclusion to the series and yet a little more.
Every genre has a formula unique to it. Can't write mystery without a mystery obviously and certainly can't write fantasy without an element that's outside the realm of normal possibility.
John Bierce's writing is one that does recognizes the formula but doesn't limit itself in the confines of the formula.
Mage Errant has a consistent theme of drastic situations and yet minimalizing on the depth of emotional angst as much as possible with some characters and balancing it out elsewhere to see what descisions would be made. To see how the story would play out.
It sounds artificial and yet works perfectly for this series and writing style and this conclusion followed the same idea to a T.
Therefore, I don't think this series would work for everyone, it certainly did wonders for me and I'm glad to have found it.
I also can't wait to see what else John Bierce has in store for us.
Final rating: 4.5/5
17th May 2023
Feet clay follows the previous books in city watch series, asking readers to ponder about the same questions but with a twist.
Discrimination is never a one way street. Politics and life are always that tad bit more complicated than one thinks.
And all this was once again brilliantly woven together with the plot. Nothing overtaking the other.
I will say, I love the beginning half of the book better than the later half, because it felt like a lot more happening then.
Nevertheless, Vimes was a badass as usual.
Final Rating: 4.5/5
12th May 2023:
If Guards Guards was about saving a city, that didn't have much worth, from a dragon, then men at arms sets our protagonists against saving a city from its own vices.
I can imagine in any other series or book Vetinari's way of letting things be would be explained away by character quirkiness and left to its own devices.
Men at arms throws itself full force into the problem.
It questions again and again, what does it mean to let things be if the system works. Is no change at all the only way to make things function in a stable environment? Then should everything be changed?
Sir Terry Pratchett never gives out solutions in addressing these question. In fact there's no solutions every provided at all.
He just shows the reader what a person can do if they allowed themselves and others a moment of empathy.
I honestly never expected at all that the book would go in the direction of ethnic differences but it did and everything was depicted so brilliantly. I couldn't believe the time it was written in with how well done it is and had to look at the publishing date twice.
My one teeny tiny grip was just Lady Sybil. I wanted to see how she would address Vimes' silent disgruntlement. But I can also see why the relationship is not addressed because the book is more about individual struggles than focusing on romance.
Final rating: 5/5
12th May 2023:
I throughly enjoyed myself so so much. The well timed hits at cliched trope and even then the clever usage of them. Every story that starts with unlikeliest of heroes has that point to make, ‘don't underestimate what you don't know about well' but Guards Guards is so much more than just unlikelist of heroes. It brings the characters to life so much.
They're lame, they're annoying, angsty, thieving even. But there's things only some can do when even their betters fail. And yet people themselves are not outright villains, not counting some exceptions. Everyone's just angry and scared.
It's all so clevery put that I couldn't have enough of it.
Final rating: 5/5
4th May, 2023:
I have never read a book that uses “the less you say, the more it will be,” this well.
Things introduced always came around full circle. And everything held a good delicate balance. Themes, monologues, flashbacks, action scenes, everything told in the right place, at the right time without being too overwhelming.
It reminded me a little of Ursula K LeGuin's writing even though this wasn't a fantasy read.
Final rating: 4/5
There were some amazing thought provoking moments that got punctuated with some extremely unnecessary details about the sensual. I kept questioning why it was there at all since it had no relationship with the topic being discussed. It could have saved itself with the ending but it didn't.
I hope lit fic authors realise that throwing around random scenes about porn, sex, rape, etc doesn't exactly make your book “mature” or “Avant Garde”. It just looks like a child talking about something they have no idea of.
While there is plenty of humor at play and good relatability factors, there' definitely are moments when things feel too try-hard.
I read it during a time of personal confusion so there is bit of attachment to this book for me.
It is a book who's enjoy or lack of, depends very much on the reader's tastes and mood.
Final rating: 3.75/5.00
28/02/2023:
This is probably gonna be a book that I don't think I'll ever be able to re-read. At least not without erasing my memories of having read it for the first time and also because I am not good at re reading. And it was a complete impulse read.
That aside, this book was honestly really good. It isn't perfect but it is good and solid. Following Remmy as he tried to build Camelot and his Merry Men, I even forgot what Camelot was and Merry Men from initially. It's probably the most real, fun and emotional depiction of a historical setting I have ever read till date personally.
As for the writing, gotta say, this book doesn't hold back on its toilet humor at all. Whatsoever. (So do beware if you get grossed out easily). What it does best though, is show people in a different time and setting as their own thing and not mere clippings from an old newspaper found in the archives of a library. Remmy very much a person living in mid 1900s but he has his own mind and struggles. There's humor to him and there's also deep emotions. I was laughing and crying all while lamenting that the book is going to end at some point. And that's the thing you want from a story. Not just recreation if its drawn from a time past, of confirmation of biases and stereotypes built from uninformed rumors, but letting the characters speak for themselves. That's what happened here.
Objectively speaking the end felt a little lackluster. But this book won't leave my mind any time soon.
Final Rating: 4/5
23/02/23:
It was a fun and okay read. Like not particularly exciting but also not particularly boring. The MC's musing and observations were fun to follow, like comments about bureaucracy. I didn't enjoy the male gaze parts though. Its not at the level of Dresden files but still there, which not going to lie, made me really uncomfortable. Not to say there weren't varied personalities of female character. The MC is just horny and makes it really really obvious. If I could reach inside the book and smack his head I would rate the book much higher. (jk)
Final rating: 3.5/5
13th January 2023:
This was unexpectedly a great read to start off my year. The story follows the tutor of a royal family member navigating the court to help himself and his charge. That said the book doesn't pick up until at least 30% and actually gets going at the half way point.
So while the slow pace maybe a boon it certainly isn't without its enjoyment. There are gritty bits and the setting to explore. A very interesting magic system and equally interesting cast of characters.
Cazaril, the protag, is frankly the exact type of character I like reading about. Cautious to a fault and having his wits about him as much as possible while staying humble. His character is a big part of why this book was as enjoyable for me as it was. The way he's written, he doesn't read like a typical fantasy protagonist. Which works here because then the story sheds light on other characters who feel real and important, and not just there to drive the plot along.
The plot has some spectacular moments and really catches one off guard in the least expected places. Especially towards the end. Everything comes around full circle in a rewarding manner.
The writing style itself is a bit complicated for those like myself who don't have a higher degree of comprehension and native fluency in English but nevertheless it isn't unreadable. Just requires a slower reading pace I would say.
The unsettling parts I would say are the age differences in this book which are admittedly not that great at all. And some queasy descriptions about rape situation and not the act itself.
Other than that I would say it wasn't a half bad read.
Final Rating: 4.25/5.0
23rd december 2022:
Raybearer is full of great lore. I enjoyed some parts of it but truthfully speaking the execution of the story the book was trying to conceive was fatally weak. It builds an interesting foundation but fails to follow through on it.
It tries to tell many things in one book. A civil conflict due to cultural differences between the people, a centuries long conflict with a spiritual kingdom, complicated relationships surrounding the main character, and the main character's personal struggles.
The problem is, while there are parts, one thing seldom connects to the next thing. Issues in some chapters arise suddenly without letting the reader ponder upon the details of the previous scene unless its the end of a part. A lot of things end up being the fault of the MC at the accusation of the other characters, making motive of the story weak. And at one point there is a sudden introduction of romance between two characters that came completely out of nowhere.
The things I did enjoy were the bonds of the main character with her found family but I kept wishing for better explanations for everything else as the flow didn't feel natural.
Final Rating: 2.5/5
17th december 2022:
Legends and lattes had a theme set out and it followed it to the tee. It gives endearing characters the readers can easily relate to and interesting background stories. What's also interesting that a lot of the story has a gamified feel to it. The story does keep the stakes low but it's not boring.
One thing I would have liked a bit more would be a little more description on the world setting and the way magic works being somewhat of a beginner to the fantasy genre.
Otherwise on all parts it was wonderfully delightful through and through.
Final rating: 4/5 stars
17th december 2022:
I would like to say that this book was enjoyable but unfortunately it was just an okay read. The main character was quick to place her suspicions on a character when earlier in the book she mentioned a potential suspect not having a motive. And the motive she does end up finding doesn't seem well founded at all.
I had a problem with that because it was obvious the author was guiding things to happen in a certain way instead of me following the character in her investigation.
I appreciated at least because it was intriguing but that's about it.
Final rating: 2/5 stars
5/12/22:
This was not exactly a cheerful book but not exactly a despairing one either. It is simply an exploration of the choices and circumstances of the characters mentioned. Ursula LeGuin for me is an author who's very good at portraying the themes she wants to explore in her books. In contrast to the previous book where Ged is the protagonist, the reader follows a different character here. We view the world through their lens and see them experiences changes and also coming to terms with those changes.
Its a bit hard to precisely place this book in terms of plot and mood. Some might it's terribly bland and some might say the opposite. I rather just enjoyed it for what it was.
I guess for now I can only say I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
final rating: 4/5