Emily
Overall, I liked this book, truly, but I'm also frustrated. While The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires takes a minute to really pick up, once it does it grabs your attention and hold it until the very end in a spooky and thrilling ride. But holy hell did I want to reach in and strangle several characters throughout the entire book (starting with Carter and ending with Patricia herself). You know that feeling where you're screaming at people acting dumb in a horror movie, that was me while reading this book. I hated it but also loved it because I couldn't look away without knowing what happened.
Now for a grain of salt. I think this book dropped a major ball on one of its key underlying theme: racism. We're in the deep south in a small rich white town where a monster preys on the poorer black community of Six Mile and our characters turn their backs on the problem. Don't get me wrong Hendrix definitely TRIES to make this commentary, but it's in throw away details and one-liners by the books singular black character whose name we don't even learn until the final arc of the novel. It's simply not enough. I think at it's heart, the novel has potential to be a great commentary on racism and the willingness of privileged characters turning their backs on a problem until it directly involves them, but every time the story sets us up for this commentary, it falls flat and refocuses on how the problem is bad because it involved white women and their equally white children.
This was still a lot of fun but I have no idea what the hell a 3rd book could be about and that's worrying
Listen, SJM has a style and whether you hate it or love it she's damn good at what she does and Crescent City was a start to what I know will be an epic and thrilling tale so tangled with interesting details and characters I'm bound to fall in love with even more. The 4 stars are not because I didn't love every second of this book and wouldn't buy the sequel right here and now (no preorders available yet damn it) but because as with any tale this massive, the start is a lot of slow build up to questions I don't yet have answered which made the story drag just slightly for the first 100 or so pages. Other than that, I loved this book and will be reading the rest of the series without hesitation.
I can't say I'm happy with how everything got tied up by the novel's conclusion and I STILL have many unanswered questions, but this was a thrilling conclusion to what has become one of my top series ever. It had me gripped on the edge of my seat and I loved every second of it. Enough to devour the book in under 8 hours.
This was definitely the most rushed entry of the series which is disappointing because it still has several strong moments.
Yet another stunning addition to the series and a wonderful adaptation of my favorite arc!
I was very privileged in that I got to see this book at its many different stages of development and I must say that every iteration I've seen of these stories are wonderfully written and beautifully crafted and developed. Each story paints a vignette of a person in living in the kingdom and offers a unique perspective on a beautifully complex and magical world. You will certainly find yourself falling in love with each and every character in this book as you learn their hopes and dreams and fears while also getting lost in the easy and humorous banter between characters. What's more, this book is PACKED with diversity in terms of character personality, gender, sexual orientation, and world views without seeming as if the author is pandering to an audience.
To cut myself off before I write a novel, this book was simply amazing and you will be doing yourself a disservice by passing it up. This is Cindy's first book in what I know will be a long and wonderful career of writing and I, for one, and excited to see what comes next!
I don't know how to properly rate this one. It's definitely vibe heavy and at times I was super invested and hooked but there were also long periods where I was just bored and didn't want to pick it up.
I LOVED this! All the LGBTQIA+ rep, the depictions of Black families, POC main character, the magic and whimsy, just EVERYTHING
Okay my love for this series already knows no bounds from the first book alone but to get a SEQUEL and not only that but one following my FAVORITE character? I was already so deeply invested in the book the moment it landed in my hands.
Now that is not to say that I had no hesitations about People Need a Storm because I did. I loved the first book because I loved Silas and Theo and I was heavily connected to them. For as much as I loved and enjoyed Jack I was wary that I may not connect to him as deeply as I did the others, but let me tell you now, I was WRONG.
Jack's story gives this series a breath of fresh air that not only invigorates the story but feels familiar and comforting in a way that is reminiscent of Silas'. I fell in love with the character all over again and this series and I have no doubt that you will as well!
Cindy Paul pulls no punches in this sequel and you simply MUST give it a read if you adored book 1.
3.5 rounded up. The second half of this book is infinitely better than the first but man did they drag the book down
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel), Vol. 1
I just didn't vibe with this book. I'm not sure if it's the characters, the way the story is moving, or simply that it's not the right time for me to give this a read, I'm done trying to force myself
100% worth the read. No questions asked. If you likes the dark nature of C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince trilogy but felt that you wanted the diver deeper in the world itself, then this book is for you. Everything from the magic system to our two protagonists to the mysterious battle between good and evil is so well done and absolutely drew me in from the first page. I will definitely be pre-ordering the rest of this series the MOMENT they are announced because I'm simply HOOKED
Don't let this very spring cover fool you, this book is definitely for Christmas season! Still most of the stories are adorable and sweet. And of course the SnowBaz one is absolutely worth it
The book had a TON of potential but it fumbled the ending HARD. What was the point of building all this tension and grandiose moments if we solve the big issue in not even 2 full pages. Make it make sense