Gina Lucia
Babel is absolutely gorgeous. There's no better way to describe it. R.F. Kuang's writing is fluid and easy while descriptive and emotive. It's one of the most raw and heartwrenching books I've ever read. But let's go into a little more detail.
Everything I just described can only be attributed to R.F. Kuang's writing. I've not been this absorbed in a book for a long time. Some moments within the book, moments of joy, are so beautifully written and in such contrast to the rest of the story that they really stand out. Similarly, moments of trauma and adversity are so stark they feel gut-wrenching.
The depth and complexity of the characters within the book are a highlight. It dives deep into the psyche of the main character. You get what he's thinking and feeling in perfect detail for each and every moment.
The journey the main character goes on throughout this book is complex, emotional, confusing, and incredibly human. It's written so well and clearly comes from a place of emotional experience. Something white people can only understand or try to understand through the written experience of characters in a book like this.
Babel addresses some really important themes throughout the book. One of which is the complicated nature of loving something beautiful that simultaneously profits from the suffering of you and your people.
Or the idealistic nature of academics that speak words of peace and equality while ignoring acts of injustice and erasing past history to suit a pretty story.
Or the illusion of and beauty of academic things. How they seem grand and spectacular, but underneath is a history of pain and suffering that was used to fund it.
I've not even talked about the magic system. While, in reality, this takes a backseat to the politics of the story, it slots right in. It also makes explaining the depth of corruption in the British Empire graspable.
In general, it's incredibly hard to balance a wealth of academic knowledge about language in the plot of your book while also making it interesting to non-language aficionados. But boy has R.F. Kuang done it!
Babel is an emotional, absorbing ride, but boy, is it worth it.
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Blood Scion is an incredibly heavy, angry, and intense ride of a book that will leave you feeling broken or emboldened.
Sloane is a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods. She literally has an immense burning power sitting under her skin. But, under colonial rule, Sloane, and her people, are either forced into hiding or brutally murdered.
Sloane has managed to keep her power hidden, but when she turns 15, she's forced to become a soldier, fighting for the people she hates. While suppressing her power, she's put through trial after trial, all so she can complete her goal of finding out what happened to her mother.
Blood Scion is intense, which is reflected in the content warning at the start of the book (which honestly should be in more books).
The first chapter is a punch in the face. We're given a very quick and effective introduction not only to the world in which our main character lives and tries to survive but to the political situation, her personality, background, and goals all in one. It's very well done.
But while the story is filled with quick-pace violence, oppression, and trauma - once you get past the first chapter, there are a few inconsistencies.
Sloane struggles to control her power because she's never been trained (you know, being oppressed and all), which is understandable and believable. But, her lack of control is not consistent. Particularly when some pretty traumatic stuff happens. She's either able to control it or not, but the level of trauma doesn't correspond to her control.
This seems like a pretty petty thing to say, but when you don't know how a character is going to react, you don't feel the same level of suspense or satisfaction when they do react.
I also had a problem with the logic of the Lucis army. The things they make the cadets and potential cadets do, don't really seem to make a lot of sense. If they're building an army to fight a pretty powerful enemy, then it seems weird that they would purposefully kill off not only a huge chunk of their recruits, but the population too.
There also doesn't seem a build-up to their level of cruelty. It seems irrational and unchecked. Something that doesn't make sense, even for an oppressive and, for lack of a better term, evil operation.
My last gripe was with the level of punishment the main character endures and the timeline this takes place in.
She really gets beat down a lot. Which is believable on its own, but because it happens over such a short period of time, it doesn't quite work.
The story takes place over the course of maybe a month, and in that time, she goes through a huge amount of abuse. She also does a lot in that timeframe. Her rate of healing, or recovering from such trauma would make sense if her magic helps her, but it doesn't. It would have been slightly more believable if instead, this took 6 months to a year.
Again, seems petty, but if, as readers, we don't feel the main character's true pain and humanity through this, or we just don't believe it, then that's a big problem.
Having said all this, I did enjoy the book. Past the halfway point, the book gets 100x better. The emotion the main character feels is more raw and real because she's reacting to injustice in real time. The writing, therefore, is emotionally charged but in the best way. You feel her pain.
It's honestly a pretty traumatic book and does a good job of not shying away from that. There's nothing worse, to me personally than a book that describes trauma-inducing stuff but doesn't reflect the trauma in the characters that have to endure it.
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Welcome to The Locked Tomb experience: what you're reading makes absolutely no sense. Then you read something later, and that thing you read earlier now makes sense. But two pages later, nothing makes sense again.
Oh, but by the way, you love every minute of it.
This review contains spoilers, so watch out
If Harrow the Ninth was traumatic, upsetting, and dark, Nona the Ninth is light and breezy and a little more every day. To start with, anyway, and mostly because Nona herself is clueless.
Which means, like in Gideon the Ninth, we're experiencing everything at the same time as Nona. So all the confusing stuff, while still confusing, doesn't make you feel quite so bad because you at least know a little more than Nona.
Speaking of Nona, I immediately fell in love with her. She has such an endearing personality, and after only a few lines, I knew she was a keeper (ugh).
The whole book is like a mystery novel set within a fantasy sci-fi novel. I read slowly to try and work out what was happening, and I'm glad I did because I feel like I got a good handle on it. But that means nothing really because I could barely guess a thing.
The thing with Tamsyn's writing is that she doesn't spell anything out for you, not at all. I spent almost half the book not understanding certain things simply because she never explicitly explained them - she never does. Normally this would be really annoying, but because the whole book is like that, you just accept you know nothing until your brain catches on and you go ohhhhh.
After the first section of slice-of-life dystopian, we're launched into chapter after chapter of intense scenes. These chapters, while incredible, we're completely overwhelming. I didn't feel there were any breaks or respite. Just tense and emotional twists, one after the other.
I felt like I was in a constant state of unease and emotional distress. Which sounds dramatic, but if you know, you know. Which made reading the book a challenge because not only were you itching to rush through so you could find out what was happening. But you also wanted to go slow so you could actually understand what was going on.
The John chapters, in particular, felt odd to me. I enjoyed the backstory, but like the other later chapters, they were incredibly tense and very rambly. Hearing him explain his past in his voice was weird. Mostly because, as a character, he's not exactly trustworthy. Which left me wondering if what he was saying was legit or not.
And let's just talk about the character changes for a second. Because the arrival of Gideon was so exciting - like it was in Harrow - but her personality change was hard. I feel we'll see a bit more of the parts we love in the next book, but after all the confusion and stress, seeing some classic Gideon would have been such a relief.
Other than these small gripes, I'm not sure Tamsyn can do much wrong. In terms of a series, it's raised the bar for me and will continue to do so.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Mayan gods, trips to the underworld, mythology? Sign me up! But sadly, Gods of Jade and Shadow was not exactly what I was hoping for.
The book started off well. It was super easy to jump right into the story. Didn't mess around and did an amazing job of character-focused world-building, which I personally appreciate. But an enjoyable writing style and atmosphere doesn't make it a winner if the storytelling and pace doesn't grip you.
Because the story is rooted in mythology, there's a lot of info dumping - especially when it comes to the brother Gods. Instead of showing us what happened in their story, it just tells us. But in reality, this information isn't needed for us to enjoy the story anyway, so it just feels like filler. Interesting filler, but filler all the same.
For a book filled with gods, demons, and immortals. It's kind of uneventful. Most of the book is just Hun-Kame and Cassiopeia walking and travelling around and talking over and over. You could skip forward a few chapters in the book, and they'd be back on a train saying the same things to each other.
It didn't feel like there were any stakes. Everything was quite muted, and I didn't ever feel like Cassiopeia was in danger. Which is kind of a big problem.
It also took so long to get going that the last part of the book just didn't feel satisfying to me. I was already irritated by the slow pace, so even though the end was somewhat entertaining, it didn't have as much impact as I'd like.
The writing style was fantastic, the atmosphere was great, and I enjoyed the themes as a mythology lover. But the story and pacing didn't keep me interested.
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The rulers of the six realms (& the realms themselves) are cursed and once every 100 years, they come together to try and break it. This meetup comes in the form of a competition, one that must result in the death of one ruler. Ouchies.
As a note, before I get into my review, I was gifted my copy from a friend so I have no prior experience with the marketing of this book. Essentially I went in completely fresh. Please read until the end of the review for my full opinion.
The beginning of Lightlark is all tell and no show. It's basically an info dump. We get the world's background all in one go from the mind of the main character. It's a lot. A lot to remember and a lot to understand.
This technique is quite annoying in general because once it's done, you have the knowledge, but you feel no connection to the world at all. Because you've just been told it in a few pages.
It's just a shame we didn't get to know the main character and the world before she was thrust into the competition. So we could understand why she acts the way she does or where she comes from, rather than being told as we go. It just doesn't work as well.
There are contradictions throughout that while small, are a bit jarring. At the start of the book, the main character mentions that Wildlings have no modesty and often wear basically nothing. But throughout the book and any time her flimsy clothing is mentioned, she'll blush or shy away from people looking at her, which doesn't make sense.
There's also mention of humans a couple of times but no explanation for where they are or if they even exist in this world. Then they make a flippant remark that there are some humans in a prison and Isla's supply of hearts comes from ‘bad humans'. But it doesn't explain anything other than that, we're just supposed to accept it.
It's all a bit on the nose. The curse means her race can easily beguile men with just a look and then the men die or the women eat their hearts or something. Then she goes to another world and meets this guy who is a nightshade called Grim of all things, and he's immediately flirty which she's not used to because she can't be around men. Talk about tropes!
Once you push past the beginning info-dump and just let the story be what it is, the book does get better. Almost as though the beginning could have just been rewritten and overall it would be a much better book.
It's pretty predictable, has a lot of plot holes, and is full of tropes but it's fun, and an adventure, and I can see the author doing some really great books in the future.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is Vikings, Irish mythology, historical fiction, and fantasy combined and I loved every minute of it!
Oh and this one focuses on the perspective of two mythological and magical women - bonus!
If you're looking to dip your toe in Irish mythology or want more Viking stories - this is your book. Honestly, it's on par and maybe even surpasses some of the Greek Mythology books I love - that's how much I enjoyed it.
The story is split into two perspectives. Fódla, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a gifted healer is sent to spy on the mortal realm. Gormflaith, one of the Fomorians is living among the mortals, trying to keep her fire magic secret.
Both have the weight of their race's survival on their backs, but both are on different sides of the struggle.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men has that really nice balance of historical fiction and fantasy in one. The fantasy elements are kind of minimal in contrast to the story, allowing you to really focus on the personality and character growth of the two women.
If you don't know your Irish mythology, you do have to initially look up a few words to understand the different mythological species/races within the book. But I guess that goes for any type of mythology, especially when you're new to it.
It does however have a section right at the start of the book with character names and how to pronounce them which is amazing!
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is very well written. Easy to read but descriptive and slow when it needs to be, and fast and action-packed when the story requires.
It's incredibly well blended and has some brilliant writing that I very much enjoyed.
Thank you, Head of Zeus, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Neverwhere is a slightly trippy adventure ride through the fantasy world that exists below London.
Honestly, I'm not sure how else to explain it. In Neverwhere, you'll find everything from hidden tube stations to huge beasts, talking rats, and monks. Doors open to once lost places, nothing is explainable, and it's all so very weird.
... in a good way.
The book is incredibly British and not just in its location. For me personally, this made it incredibly entertaining to read.
Neil has a very good handle on dialogue and describing personality through dialogue alone. It makes it extremely easy to grasp onto characters.
He also has personality in his narration style. It's not the personality of the characters' voices but his personality as a narrator, and it comes through beautifully.
There's something incredibly comforting about a British author being British in their writing style. That dry humour comes through and makes me feel at ease.
Neil has this technique to show the flaws of a person first. Make you feel frustrated and annoyed at them and gradually show their good side. Which makes them seem way more human and relatable.
There's also something about Neil's fantastical, almost surreal descriptions that gets me every time. You can tell they're plucked from his brain.
They don't have to make sense, they just exist, and that's okay. It's like walking through a series of surrealist paintings and not knowing what you'll come across next. You just accept what it is and move forward, a bit like the main character Richard, I suppose.
A great read, really absorbing and engrossing. It almost felt like it was written to be a film. Neil's writing throughout was very atmospheric and cinematic. His storytelling is like that too. It's less formulaic and more experimental, so you'll likely predict nothing.
The only reason I bumped it down a star was that I felt the ending was a little too drawn out. Like we'd had the ending already, and it carried on for some reason.
Neverwhere truly is, as Neil says himself, ‘Alice in Wonderland for adults.'
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Ning is a shennong-shi - she performs the ancient and magical art of tea-making. But in order to save her sister from a deadly poison, she needs to win a competition to become the best shennong-shi in the kingdom.
The best way to describe A Magic Steeped in Poison is slice-of-life, meets mythology. Oh, what a beautiful combination!
A Magic Steeped in Poison was a joy to read. It was immediately atmospheric and beautifully written.
The first-person perspective of the main character lets us see a more intimate and almost practical view of what she is experiencing which lends to the atmosphere.
It doesn't linger at all. Gives you just enough information to give you a sense of atmosphere and spends more time focusing on action and key moments in the story. The type of writing that makes for a quick and exciting read.
The book has a whimsical vibe. When Ning is exploring the city and buying tea, I got the same comforting feeling I got when Harry was buying supplies from Diagon Alley.
It was such a pleasing read. With this wonderful balance of action, adventure, and magic but with a slice-of-life element. The downtime between the action is just as good because of this, and boy does it make you hungry.
It reminded me of when I used to watch a lot of anime. There are usually filler episodes that mostly contain slice-of-life stuff. Everyday things that when presented to you in anime, are brought to life and made kind of special. Like cooking a homemade meal, cleaning, and getting chores done. This book sometimes had those vibes, and I loved every second of it.
It hits all the marks. A magical underdog who underestimates her own power, magical competition with cliques and under-the-table corruption, not knowing who is trustworthy and who isn't, alliances, romance, you name it.
It does contain a couple of tropes I don't like, though. But honestly, both these tropes are handled pretty well and don't go into ‘ugh' territory. They're used very lightly. Which is as much as I can say without ruining it.
I really enjoyed the story, it felt like a real adventure. Easy to read, sweet, and entertaining, well worth a read.
Thank you, Titan Books, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Listen, I don't like to compare books, so I won't. But let's just say that THIS is how you write a heist book.
Six of Crows was an absolute joy from start to finish. I don't think I have ever known a more impactful first chapter. Becoming absorbed in this world was incredibly easy because the writing was so free-flowing and descriptive in a relatable way. It packed a punch.
Six of Crows in its basic form is a heist book. With scheming, plan-making, and of course, enacting those plans. Where it works is that the book doesn't linger on the planning stage, it's there, but not for too long. Then we're back into the action, and some things are left revealed when they're actually doing it - which makes for a much more entertaining read.
Each Crow is very distinct. I have the collector's edition, so the illustrations at the back helped me get a quick grasp of their features. But even without those, their personalities, the way they talk, move, and the decisions they make are all different from one another. Which makes the shift in perspective with each chapter actually quite entertaining.
There's something truly beautiful about the found family trope that makes it one of my favorites, and it's done so well in this book. The Crows are all incredibly different and unique in their own way, but when they come together, those parts of themselves come alive even more. Their cultural differences are not only heightened but complimented. Which is just such a joy to read.
I absolutely loved the structure of the book. While the heist is being planned and actually happening, we see from each character's perspective, and while they're doing their part, we're treated to little snippets of their backstory. It's beautifully done.
Six of Crows was excellent and completely lived up to the hype. I'm very much looking forward to reading the second book so watch this space.
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The Secret History is one of those books that if you try to describe, you'll spoil it. So let me just say, it's an almost dark academia mystery, a psychological ride that you won't be able to predict. Oh, and it's completely worth a read.
The writing within The Secret History is beautiful. I'm glad I annotated it so I can go back and read certain passages again. One of the things I like about the author's writing style though is that these beautiful passages aren't constant. You'll have pages of fairly straightforward, but still brilliant writing, and then she'll hit you with something incredibly beautiful which makes you think ‘how'd she do that?'.
The beauty of The Secret History, as I've already mentioned, is that you can't predict where it's going. You're given frequent clues throughout. Some are in your face, others are more subtle, some are hidden under references - but all or none of them might be red herrings.
For this reason, you're unsure if your thoughts on where the plot is going are reasonable or not. Is this fantasy, or just the mind of a teenage romantic? Or are they just a group of eccentric and wealthy friends who have nothing better to do with their time?
The references to ancient Greece and Greek Mythology, in general, were an added bonus for me, and if you know the stories, they act as little treats throughout. Like you're part of this in-crowd. Or at least you get what they're saying, even if your knowledge is, comparatively basic. The same goes for any of the other academic things they mention throughout the book - if you know what they're talking about, it's almost like you get a bonus reward while reading.
The Secret History has a completely engrossing story but that's not the thing that makes this book so good. It's the look inside the mind of the main character, his choices, thoughts, and feelings on some pretty serious stuff. How he changes as those things progress and what happens to his mind and thoughts as things get worse or better.
A fantastic read and one I have a feeling I'll be re-reading some time in the future.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Guys, what the hell? Caraval, for me, started so strong, and then it just flopped.
Our MC (main character) Scarlett grew up in a somewhat fractured household. Her mother, dead or missing, her father, abusive. So Scarlett is forced to dedicate her life to protecting her younger sister.
But Scarlett has a curious side and spends her younger years wishing she could visit the magical Caraval - a one-a-year magical performance that's invite-only (dang!).
Mere days away from an arranged marriage that will change her life forever, you can bet, she gets her wish.
Caraval promised a whimsical Alice in Wonderland-style mystery with a boatload of romance thrown in. Enemies to lovers, magic, a little bit of darkness - yes please!
It did actually start that way. Caraval had a great setup, and the journey throughout Caraval was pretty fun too. It's an easy read with some fairly predictable romance. But that's not what disappointed me.
Our MC, Scarlett, is okay but boy does she make some stupid decisions. There were many moments throughout the book where I just found her to be such a frustrating character. She says one thing and then does another, she repeats herself constantly and is generally a bit flat. I'd compare her to an older Disney princess. Think Snow White and Cinderella.
If we're going to go along these lines, the plot turns into something Disney-like, and dare I say it, pantomime. The reasons for each character's actions don't make sense. They just do and say things because they're good or evil - with no real backstory to justify it.
How magic works in this book is never explained. We're just meant to believe it. Which means, as readers, we don't get the satisfaction of guessing what's real and what isn't, because nothing makes sense and we're just supposed to accept it.
The whole story is cruel, toxic, and messed up. The things that happen are something out of a horror story, but the way the characters react doesn't reflect it. I'm fine with darkness, I'm fine with horror, but the characters have to actually react to it.
The first three-quarters of the book were great, intrigue, romance, mystery, and a bit of magic. But the last quarter, just no.
It's well-written, easy to read, and entertaining. In fact, some of the writing is beautiful and whimsical. But the characters just didn't make sense to me. And let's not talk about the ending.
2.5 stars
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Bear with me while I gush about this amazing book.
The House with the Golden Door is the sequel to The Wolf Den, and for me, it had a lot to live up to because I gave The Wolf Den 5 stars. This book absolutely did not disappoint.
It was so nice to follow just one person's perspective. The books I've been reading recently have multiple perspectives, and while that works well for the most part, I've missed being immersed in one character's thoughts.
There's just something about the simplicity and sole focus of one character. To have enough time not just to see an overarching plot develop but to experience the details of the story too. The seemingly small bits that actually contribute a lot. The little changes in emotion from one conversation or subtle gestures that change decision-making. It's comforting, even when the story itself is distressing and uncomfortable.
Honestly, I always know if I'm so absorbed in a world that I can't stop thinking about it when I put it down, it's probably a 5-star book.
The House with the Golden Door is a masterpiece in storytelling, and it has everything I love in a book. A completely relatable yet unpredictable main character, pain, suffering, loss, and plenty of love. Plus hints at mythology and that ancient history vibe. It's glorious.
It's written with such care, delivering accuracy while giving the reader an emotional story. The skill of doing both these things is honestly remarkable. The author has clearly worked incredibly hard to bring this to life.
The ending actually gave me chills and I just can't wait for the last book in the trilogy.
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Rachel Smythe is such an expressive illustrator. Although the panels are large and appear simple, the expressions of the characters deliver so much personality and emotion, there's no need for more.
It's just such a sweet take on the story. Beautiful illustrations and use of colour. Wonderful storytelling, funny moments, I didn't want it to end.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Before They Are Hanged is the second book in The First Law Trilogy, and while it took me a long time to read, I'm so glad I did.
Before They Are Hanged started kinda slow and slightly boring, if I'm honest. We're in war times now, so that's the focus. Lots of planning and witnessing and talking. For this reason, it took me a little while to get into the swing of things.
I'm going to talk about the things I didn't quite like first, and then I'll get to the positive stuff - bearing in mind I gave this book 4 stars.
A pet peeve of mine in any book is when characters within a group have similar names or names, starting with the same letter. In this case, Logan, Longfoot, and Luther.
I found myself re-reading sentences and sometimes whole paragraphs just to make sure I had the right character in my head. This slowed these chapters right down for me when they really should have been quicker reads.
I also found it frustrating that in the last third of the book, we finally get a description of a flathead. I'm honestly not sure why it took so long to describe one. Perhaps because we were seeing characters' experiences through their eyes and previous characters already knew what they looked like? Either way, it was a weird choice.
The story, in general, is excellent. Each character's perspective is rich, complicated, and believable. But because of this, each time we switched to a new character's perspective, I was left a little disappointed. I wanted to continue the story I was following, and when the switch was made, it took me a little time to switch my brain and adjust to the new perspective. This didn't always happen, of course, but later in the book, it happened in almost every chapter.
Okay, onto the positive.
Glokta's story was by far the most interesting in this book and, honestly, the whole series so far. His evolving personality and moral compass was incredibly entertaining to read. I'd read a whole book just from his perceptive.
I also much preferred how The Bloody-Nine's um, transformation(?) was described in this book compared to the first. It felt way more effective, atmospheric, and intense. It also didn't last long, which I liked.
There are points of truly beautiful writing. Especially simple and slow parts of the book, little pockets of real atmospheric writing that are a joy to read.
This book series honestly needs to be made into a series of films or a TV series because it reads so well, especially when the action comes. Even war scenes that I usually find boring are written beautifully.
Onto the next!
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If you're looking for short vampy tales from a wide variety of perspectives. This book will hit the spot with characters you wish you could see more of in YA fantasy.
Vampires Never Get Old, for me, served its purpose. It gave me a shot of vampiric story from a selection of diverse writers, all writing about diverse characters. It didn't need to be anything more than that.
If anything, it works as a way for the reader to enjoy some stories you may otherwise never come across, and to discover new writers in the process.
My favourite stories in the anthology include:
- Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy - Right into the action, a distinctive style and fun to read. Perfect for a short story.
- The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig - Creepy yet impactful for such a short tale.
- The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton - Left me wanting more. Beautifully written and refreshing.
- First Kill by V. E. Schwab - The reason I bought the book in the first place. It's V. E. Schwab, so it doesn't disappoint.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Ugh, I've missed reading dystopian.
There's something perverse about wanting to read feminist dystopian when similar things are happening in the world, but here we are. Call it my coping mechanism because I think that's what it is.
At least while jumping into another distorted and ruined world, I can see the outcome instead of living in the uncertainty and horror right now.
I loved the setup of When Women Were Dragons. We start by reading pieces of news, speeches, and accounts about how vast numbers of women in the 50s turned into dragons. Some devoured husbands, some destroyed homes, but all disappeared and have not come back.
The world tries to bury it and smother it, but it keeps happening. We follow Alex Green, who grows up in this world's devastating consequences.
When Women Were Dragons took a while to get into, but boy, was it worth it. It's beautifully written and very emotional. Gripping and unexpected and weirdly soothing too.
The concept was a little odd at times (especially the phrase ‘the mass dragoning'), but if you just let go of that, the story is sweet and powerful all at the same time.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
When it comes to Peter Pan retellings or books inspired by Peter Pan, I'm all in!
But, I'm yet to find an adaptation I've enjoyed, and sadly Hooked is no different.
The premise of Hooked is a good one. Captain Hook finally escapes his endless torture in Neverland and makes a home for himself in London. But 22 years later, a beast escapes Neverland and finds him.
This dangerous situation creates a ‘chance' encounter with Wendy and her daughter Jane. The only solution, is to face the monster head-on.
However, this darker tone, which I usually love in an adaptation, just doesn't quite work. It feels too gentle like it's trying to be more adult, raw, and gritty, but it's just not quite there.
It's also described as a feminist take, but I don't really see it. Yes, we see Jane's struggle to be taken seriously in her training to be a doctor, but other than that, it's not talked about at all.
There's also a lot of internal dialogue and not nearly enough external dialogue, outward character description, and world-building. I'd say 50% of the book is internal dialogue rather than action.
The story flicks between the past and the present. London right now, and Neverland in the past. It's the stories involving Neverland that are the most interesting. London, not so much.
I wish the book's latter half was longer and so much of the inner character monologue was removed. So that it could feel like more actually happened. Peter Pan, for me, was all about whimsy and action, a plot that moves fast, and although this is a slightly darker take, it would have been good for that plot style to mirror it.
The end was ultimately satisfying, but it was a bit of a slog to read.
2.75 stars
Thank you, Titan Books, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
Together We Burn is a heated, slightly gritty fantasy ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I've not slid so easily into a first-person perspective book in a long time. It usually takes me a little while to adjust, to get used to it. But this was immediate.
Together We Burn, in its simplest form, is about a family of bullfighters fighting to keep their home and legacy after a terrible incident. Except instead of bulls, they fight dragons.
But in its most complicated form, Together We Burn tackles so many difficult topics. Trauma, children, living in their parent's shadow, identity and how it's shaped.
It's a great example of how someone's upbringing and trauma can lead them to make assumptions about other people (or creatures, in this case). Hatred runs deep when you're conditioned to it.
It also tackles how a woman feels it's her responsibility to pick up the pieces, work harder and give more of herself to her family. Even at the expense of her well-being.
Aside from these hard-hitting topics, which are tackled well. Together We Burn delivers a fast-paced story that doesn't mess around. It lingers on important details but doesn't overly describe anything. Instead, letting the reader fill in the gaps and focuses on the action.
The magic system is also really interesting and one I've not seen before. To use magic, wizards create wands that they imbue with certain ingredients. When these wands are cracked, they release their magic. This can be anything from a simple cleaning spell to something far more powerful. Usually, the more powerful the spell, the more dragon ‘ingredients' are used and the more expensive it is.
This was a fun addition for me, and the way the plot goes makes me want to see a lot more from this world.
There were only two things I felt didn't meet the mark in this book. One was the romance element. It's just not as strong as the plot. Having said this, after a rocky start, it picks up and becomes quite satisfying come the end.
The second was the latter half of the book. The plot's direction change felt odd to me without giving anything away. Having said this, the end still worked and honestly left me wanting more. I want more dragons, more magic, and more from this world.
Thank you, Titan Books, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.
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Legends & Lattes can be best described as Stardew Valley meets DnD and on that front, it absolutely doesn't disappoint.
This book requires nothing from you and in return, it gives you a cozy and comforting read.
Honestly, this book came at the perfect time for me. If you've had a bad day, you're struggling right now, or you just want something sweet to read - this is the book for you.
It's simple and comforting and at times I felt a bit emotional reading it. It's one of those reads that's there for you. A hug in a book.
The only reason I gave it a lower rating was because it felt like it ended abruptly and I could have done with more. But I guess that's the nature of slice-of-life books. They feel like they could go on forever and you could go on forever with them too.
How sweet would it be to have a sequel?
3.75 stars
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3.5 stars
The Blade Itself is my first experience with Joe Abercrombie's writing and let's just say, I'm ready for the ride.
As a reader, I tend to shy away from lengthy fantasy book series, in favour of ones that pack a quick punch. But, a good friend of mine encouraged me to give this a try. So I read with the intention of going slow, and this was the result.
The opening of The Blade Itself packs a real punch - which honestly surprised me! The narration style, particularly at the start is very British in its simplicity of description and casual observation. Filled with humour while still being tense and full of action. It was wonderful.
There's a contrast between the almost humour-filled commentary and the gritty, harsh reality of the characters and their situations. I really like that, it's weirdly comforting.
This book is incredibly character-focused. In other words, there's not a lot of plot. Each character has a very distinct personality which comes through in the narration style and their inner thoughts. It's honestly really well done but to enjoy it, you have to have some patience.
The switch between characters is done perfectly. You don't feel like you're missing out on much at all when the switch happens. This is probably helped by the short chapters, which push you through the lengthy story.
Some of Abercrombie's dialogue gives me the impression that he's either experienced similar things, or he's incredibly observant. Because a lot of it feels so real and relatable.
You can just tell Abercrombie is the type of author who pays attention to how people talk and interact with each other. Then stores it in his brain for later use.
The themes within the book play on social commentary. It tackles politics of all kinds, privilege, sexism, racism, classism, etc, and does it well. It shows the human and emotional side to it, the mistakes people make, and their thoughts in the process.
The style of writing is drawn-out though. You do have to have some measure of patience. In reality, the book could be half the size but that's not the point. The additional information, descriptions, and dialogue help to paint a richer picture not only of the world but the characters too.
It just depends if that's something you like or not. I'm learning to enjoy it and in this case, it works well. There's enough reward throughout to make even the lengthiest of descriptions worth it. When I say reward, I mean clever bits of dialogue, fun character development, and little tidbits of plot.
The only thing I've found slightly jarring was the lack of descriptions for things that could really do with being described. Because the narration follows each character and therefore their thoughts (although still in 3rd person) some things don't actually get described until later in the book. Or they're described in different ways, with additional details.
For example, the city as a whole is never described until halfway through the book. Flatheads and Shanka were barely described, even though we encountered them. Unless I just missed it. Even Logan lacked a detailed description until much later in the book.
It's only really a big deal if how you've imagined character so far, suddenly completely changes halfway through the book.
It does also get a little difficult to keep track of all the characters and their names because there are a lot of them. The book could also have done with a map so you could keep track of all the locations and where the characters are from.
It feels as though The Blade Itself is a big setup for the rest of the series. We know the characters now, so we're (hopefully) going to see some action.
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We're onto book 2 in the Shades of Magic series and it absolutely did not disappoint!
V.E. Schwab has a knack for getting right into the action of her stories and this one is no different. We start with Lila and are reminded of her empowering (and slightly worrying) personality without skipping a beat.
These characters are so memorable that even after a sizeable gap of time in between reading these books, I don't feel like I've missed a thing.
While the first book was more about Kell, Lila, and their relationship, with a small story, albeit one that packs a punch. This one feels vast in comparison. There's a huge amount of world-building that ventures further than the Londons. But it's still done in Schwab's character-focused style.
The book is much longer than the first and a lot more happens. At first, I thought it was perhaps too long, but all the build-up and character development seems necessary. Without it, the impact wouldn't be the same.
The introduction of the Essen Tasch is wonderful. Seeing more of what magic, in these books, can do is honestly thrilling to read.
A Gathering of Shadows was quite the ride. It felt solid, fleshed out, and rich. I loved the short nature of the first book but this one took it to the next level.
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3.75 stars
I've been looking for a dark fairytale and this one hit the spot.
The Path of Thorns is atmospheric, gritty, and nostalgic if you love a good adult fairytale, like me.
One of the things I liked most about this book was its creepy/spooky edge, it was honestly quite refreshing. While marketed as a fairytale, it's more along the lines of the original fairytales. Gritty, imperfect, unsettling, a warning. I really like that and have been itching for more just like this.
I love the darkness towards the end of the book. It almost transforms from day-to-day with nods to dark fairytale, to full-blown in it. This was particularly satisfying to me personally.
The family within the book is complicated and evolving and her addition makes for some interesting situations. It also touches on family trauma, relationships, and familial love quite well.
This, in essence, I feel is the point of the book. As it always was with fairytales, there's a message, and magic is used to deliver it.
The world itself is never really explained or expanded upon and after finishing the book, I'm not sure if I'm upset about that. Sometimes we don't need detailed worlds to get lost in. We just need a stand-alone story to enjoy and then put down.
The Path of Thorns starts without giving the reader a lot of information. We walk with Asher as she arrives and navigates the politics of Morwood House. The book is in 1st person perspective and works almost like a diary of events to start with.
As readers, we don't know a lot to start with. We're seeing things from her perspective but we don't know why she's really there, what she's capable of, or what her ‘mission' is.
Because it's in first-person, I found this a little odd and slow to get into. It felt almost as though information was being kept from me as a reader because I didn't know her plan, even though as a reader, we're essentially in her head.
The first-person perspective did jar at times though. I did wonder if the twists would have had a bigger impact if we walked through the story in third-person.
The writing is easy and atmospheric though. It was a comforting read, which is odd given the book's creepy nature, but a testament to how well-written it is. A perfect length for the story and ultimately a satisfying ending.
Thank you, Titan Books, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel
I have mixed feelings.
Book of Night is Holly Black's (an author I happen to love) first step into the adult fantasy world. For this reason, I was very excited about this book.
Let's just say, it was a mixed bag. But, read until the end because I do have some general thoughts that are worth noting.
Book of Night didn't have the same kind of atmosphere I've come to expect from Holly Black. She usually has a way with words, describing the setting, magic, and feelings in an immersive way. I didn't get much of that from this book. Perhaps because it's set in modern-day (our world), rather than one she's made up or drawn inspiration from?
There was a lot of telling rather than showing throughout the book. It felt kind of like Holly was nervous to write this. The problem with just telling us everything about the main character's personality rather than letting us see it, is that we don't get a chance, as readers, to form our own opinion about them.
We're just being told what she's like. It's as if she's telling us herself, which just doesn't feel believable or a reliable way to develop a character. As a reader, I didn't feel much connection to her to start with.
The present-day stuff is pretty interesting especially when the story gets moving. But as soon as it does, we're thrust into a chapter that shows us more of the main character's past. These chapters might be interesting on their own but simply because they were in the past, I kind of struggled to care. The backstory is important, but I'm not sure it needs to be dragged out like it was.
In terms of the adult fantasy genre, it's kind of in the middle. It's not creepy or unsettling but it's also not got that whimsical and magical vibe we're used to from Holly Black. It's kind of in the middle and it just doesn't work as well as it could.
The book does improve once it gets going. The plot becomes tense and has energy to it. It also gets gritty and dangerous, verging on that adult genre. But it feels a little late in the game. The end was quite satisfying and if this stays as a stand-alone then I don't think it's too bad.
Okay so let me just add a few additional thoughts because I don't feel we should write this off just yet.
My thoughts on this book aren't to say I don't think Holly Black should do adult fantasy. Actually, I think this could be her just getting into her stride. I liked the general idea of this book, the plot was good, and the characters were great too.
There were just a few things missing, and it felt like Holly held herself back. Next time, I have a good feeling, she'll blow it out of the water.
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4.5 stars
Gallant surprised me. Partly because I didn't read the synopsis, and partly because I'm not usually a fan of spooky reads.
There's no messing around with V. E. Schwab's writing. She describes things as simply and as elegantly as she can. Giving you just the right amount of information for atmosphere, but not too much so the book doesn't drag.
You're moved through the plot swiftly but linger for the perfect amount of time on simple things that matter. I love this style of writing. The story doesn't need to take forever and you don't need thousands of words to shape character and setting. You can be more intentional with your words and as a result, have a more impactful effect.
It's creepy that's for sure and if it were a horror film, it would be hard to watch. But written down, we're almost seeing it through Olivia's eyes and as far as a protagonist goes, she's a confident one.
There's a juxtaposition between the soft, almost slow and whimsical writing and the grim and creepy inhabitants of Olivia's life. Which makes this book great for people who want creepy vibes but don't want to be scared.
V. E. Schwab has a way of writing which makes you want to read more of her writing. She doesn't drag a story out, she pushes you through it so you can get to the end and read whatever she has next.
I love this kind of storytelling. I don't need endless details, I need a satisfying and memorable story which takes me on a journey. V. E. Schwab is an expert in that.
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3.5 stars
In a city where the strength of your magic determines your worth and the intention behind each spell could be the difference between success and failure, two siblings attempt to write a wrong.
Wayward, in short, is a gripping, fast-paced, and charming YA fantasy read.
While it's set in London, this London is filled with magic. The magic in this world isn't rigid. It's free-flowing and whimsical, with an almost Alice in Wonderland vibe.
You can create spells to do any number of things based on the intention behind them. The more specific the intention, the better or more likely the spell is to work. It's an interesting magic system and one that has a huge amount of possibility for future books.
I love a good character-focused story, and this one hit the mark. Both main characters are quirky, self-aware, well-rounded, and yet still have a lot of room to grow.
I really enjoyed their sibling dynamic and saw parallels between it and my own. Seeing that progress throughout the story was a lot of fun.
We switch between them throughout the book, seeing events from each of their perspectives. This is done smoothly and is honestly really easy to read.
Having said all this, the plot feels slightly too short for the size of the book. I felt like it needed something extra, an additional element to add to the intrigue. That way, slightly less time could be spent in dialogue-heavy chapters, and slightly more time could be spent on the action.
The book is slightly unsure of which part of the story it wants to focus on. The overarching magic politics and larger story, or the magic went wrong part of the story. Both do come together, but not quite as smoothly as they could have.
This book demonstrates what it's like to be an underestimated young woman. The story is charming and an adventure. The world is one you could get lost in, especially because the possibilities of the magic system are endless.
Thank you, Titan Books, for giving me a free advanced reader copy of this book. I have written this review voluntarily.
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