mannis
The first half of this book really drew me in, with a series of connected fairy tale-like stories interspersed with the main narrative about Zachary, a grad student who finds a mysterious book that draws him into a world of beauty and endless stories. The imagery and prose continued to be amazing throughout the book, but by the end I'd gotten a little tired of how much time was spent by characters wandering through various metaphorical/magical landscapes, and the final ending left me feeling a little abrupt and unsatisfied. Erin Morgenstern's other novel, The Night Circus, suffered from similar problems for me. However, this was still a really enjoyable read that made me feel like I was truly living through a mysterious fairy tale.
I liked this book, especially the main characters (Ead, Loth, Tanè) and the romance between Ead and Sabran. The world that Samantha Shannon built up was incredible, and the slow burn story of the first 2/3's of the book was excellent.
That being said, the last 200 pages or so ended up feeling a bit rushed (especially with characters zipping back and forth across the map, and the rather short final confrontation), and this book probably would've been better off as a duology. Certain plot points also relied too much on characters happening to be in the right place at the right time.
Despite these two issues, I still really enjoyed the Priory of the Orange Tree, and I would recommend it to any fan of epic fantasy. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a good read.
Wow. Just wow. I don't usually do written reviews for books, but this one resonated with me so deeply that I might have to start.
The House on the Cerulean Sea made me smile through tears more than maybe any other book I've read. At least in the last year. By the end of it, I just wanted to give every character a hug, and I dreaded the fact that I could never read the book again for the first time. The story and prose aren't anything complicated, but the way I found myself discovering the world and the children of the orphanage alongside Linus consistently felt like being curled up in a warm blanket by the fire, even when I found my eyes welling up with tears.
I will definitely be checking out TJ Klune's other works
After a mediocre middle book, this one really hit it home and at least partially redeemed the trilogy for me. It put more focus on the characters I liked best, the plot felt meaningful and without many dull moments, and the ending was nearly perfect.
Everything about Holland and White London was easily my favorite part, from his flashback chapters to his struggles with the other Antari in the present day. I cried at his ending in the best way
Just like the first book, this one introduced a lot of really cool concepts in the magic and worldbuilding, then spent most of its time not following up on them. It also suffered a lot from middle book syndrome and setting up for the final book, and it didn't help that I don't love either of the main POV characters. However, there was still some stuff to enjoy (especially the White London plot), and I'll probably finish the trilogy.
I really liked the world and magic of Elantris, as well as certain characters (Hrathen, Galloden), and I'm excited to pick up the sequel whenever Sanderson eventually gets to it. However, it was also very clear that this was his first published work. Some of the characters felt rather one dimensional, the pacing was a bit all over the place, and Sarene's POV chapters in particular had a lot of narrating exactly what everyone was thinking/going to do. Definitely still a worthwhile read though. As always with Sanderson, the last 100 pages was a wild ride!
This short story collection was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the “Tower of Babylon,” “Hell in the Absence of God,” and “Liking what you see,” but the rest fell flat. The ones I dislike focused more on the convoluted scientific concepts they were exploring and had rather flat characters, whereas the ones I had an easier time with felt more grounded in human issues.
I found the first 90% of this book fascinating and mysterious, if a little confusing for a while. The ending then seemed fitting, but it felt like there was something missing that I can't put my finger on. The magical atmosphere, poetic prose, and fantastic characters still made the whole thing well worth it though.
My opinion on this book may well change if and when I reread it.
Though not quite as fresh as the first book, this was nonetheless a highly enjoyable read with a colorful cast of characters. Wendell will forever be my favorite male love interest.
This alternate history masterpiece about academia and colonialism was simultaneously moving, engrossing, and so well researched that it somehow made me want to go read nonfiction books about both linguistics and the Haitian revolution.
The mix of Roman mythology and colonial Virginia was really interesting and well done, but the back and forth structure of the timeline never fully clicked for me. In addition, Cora's character fell a little flat compared to the MC. I still enjoyed a lot of the book though.
I went into this book not expecting a lot, only to be greeted with one of the most engrossing mysteries I've read in a long time. The Sherlock Holmes and Watson nature of the two main characters was delightful and kept things interesting even in places where the story slowed down. The world this all took place in was fascinating and exciting in equal measure, with magic based off nature and biological enhancement, and an empire protected from enormous leviathans via three walls in a fashion that reminded me of Attack on Titan. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, interesting characters, or both!
In the end, I LOVED all the reveals about Clef/Cresedes and their backstories and interactions, as well as the final battle of Cresedes literally ripping islands out of the ocean to fling them at Tevanne's flying cities. However, this book really sidelined Sancia compared to the last few books and I didn't find myself caring much at all about Berenice (or the newly introduced Givans) even though I loved Berenice in Shorefall and Foundryside.
There was also big parts of the book where it didn't seem like much was happening despite the breakneck pace, and the epilogue completely lost me. So basically everything that tied heavily into the previous books (Clef, Cresedes, the mysteries of the past) was awesome and everything based off the big tonal shift and time skip (all the Giva/twinning things, the war with Tevanne, how complicated and crazy scriving got) was a bit of a step down.
Foundryside definitely remains my favorite part of the trilogy, as it also had a sense of fun that both Locklands and Shorefall are missing
This was a cute little slice of life book about a former D&D adventurer Orc leaving behind fighting and opening up her own coffee shop instead. It was a bit light on plot and character development, but was a lot of fun to read and didn't overstay its welcome. Recommended to anyone looking for something cozy in a fantasy world
