Melissa

“Just get in the robot Shinji!”
Fairly enjoyable, but Jaric and his reluctance to assume his role can be quite grating.

This book surprised me! I went into it expecting classic sword and sorcery, but this proved to be far more complex. This stands as unique fare even among modern fantasy. Beautifully descriptive writing style and in-depth character study as well!

What a ride. The bitter bleakness is perfectly paired with dark humor for exceptional palatability.

Lynn Flewelling has really outdone herself with this installment. She brings back threads of the past back together and expands greatly on her world lore. An exciting and fulfilling read!

This started off exciting. We finally get to see Talia out in the world! Except shortly into the novel, all forward momentum is lost. It devolves into circular ponderance of ethics and her ability. Stuck in a single spot, rather than getting to see Valdemar.This is the majority of the book. If the characters were more interesting then this could have been okay. The dialogue between characters was pure torture. Attempts at humorous conversation made me feel uncomfortable. There's a problematic mentor/mentee relationship to boot. Not cool.

A very whimsical YA fantasy that sometimes feels closer to middle grade. My biggest criticism is that issues are solved too quickly and conveniently. It's still a lovely, light read. Nothing gritty. The bleakest part of this world is the religious commune she escapes from. Think fundamentalist compound where women are abused and married off in polygamist fashion.

Obviously, this story is a 1980's horse girl fantasy. Exactly as the cover suggests. If this sounds corny to you, it's best to stay away.

I'll be continuing Valdemar as occasional pallet cleanser reads.

This was such a fun read! I love the world Lynn has made. The main characters are a lovable group, both competent and humorous. Contains horror fantasy elements, political intrigue, and fun spy hijinks.

So, so satisfying! Everything really comes together in the final book. The tense moments had my palms sweating. I was excited to finally learn this is a far off prequel to her Nightrunner series. Happy to not have to leave Skala behind just yet.

Very LGBTQ+ friendly and I feel the author handled gender identity with grace.

A coming of age story set in a gothic fantasy. This first installment seems to focus on building up the reader's knowledge of Skalan politics and magics while watching our lead protagonist grow up.

The cast of characters includes frustrating wizards, an earthy witch, an angry ghost, and endearing warriors. I loved seeing the bonds between characters develop. This is a story where I had many favorites.

I could barely put this one down.

She can write novellas just as well! I loved this. It's worthwhile to fully understand the prejudice in the Six Duchies. A satisfying account of the Farseer line.

This sequel didn't need to happen. The flowery descriptions do not make up for the cringe love triangle, flat characters, and repeated villainous monologues. The new threat served no purpose. This sequel's purpose seems to have been to give the heroine a final love interest.

Liwei and Wenzhi have been reduced to feuding man children existing only for Xingyin. The moon goddess herself is still a shallow character despite her having more presence here. The main baddie will not shut up in the middle of battles with his incessant backstory monologues. And the entire plot depends on a single item to save the day.

I loved the first installment, but it should have been a standalone.

A brilliant conclusion.

An incredibly satisfying conclusion!

It's hard to explain just how much I loved this trilogy, yet am so emotionally taxed by it. It's so profoundly sad. Yet, I am so happy to have taken this journey with these characters.

Robin Hobb has made a world and cast of characters I'm now so deeply invested in. I'm appreciative at the depth of her characters, the rich descriptions of their travels, and the history of the world. I want to keep living in it. I can't stop thinking about it.

This is a sci-fi story made possible with a fantasy magic system. It deals with a lot of heavy topics one might see in science fiction that left me with some existential dread I didn't enjoy. It is wonderfully written, but also painful to read the ending.

Spoilers

Being absorbed into hive minds and leaving the planet nearly abandoned is way too much for me. Talk about a nightmarish future.

This story is thick with politics and religion that make it painfully slow.

I disliked every character by the end of this book. The Ali POVs were especially difficult to get through, as he's an incredibly self-righteous religious fanatic.

I wish I had DNF'ed this one. I kept hoping it would turn around, but it did not. The cliffhangers didn't give me any confidence that the second installment would be worthwhile.

I'll give it 2 stars only because it taught me a little mythology I was previously unfamiliar with. Otherwise this story left me in an absolutely terrible mood.

It takes a bit for things to start coming together, but when it does, it takes you for a ride. This was a deeply beautiful story. I loved so many of the characters. They held so much depth in their stories. I felt for them. I laughed and cried.

Trigger warning, though: child abuse

This is a quick paced, easy read. Perfect for when you want something with a straight forward plot, without sacrificing interesting characters. If you enjoy classic fairytales with a darker fantasy twist, this is up your alley.

DNF'ed. This is a painfully predictable anime written as a book. The character tropes are overused and shallow. You have an uwu fox girl and a stuffy ninja boy. They both lack common sense. The story also reminds you constantly that it's Japanese by littering words such as “ne”, “ano”, “sugoi”, etc. The actions of the characters are not well thought out, no matter if you're reading of the wise monk or a highly disciplined Shinobi.