Kristy

Best scifi I've read in a long time. Couldn't put down. Well written and enjoyed reading from the perspective of Had. I'm a sucker for good character development, and this definitely hit the spot for me.

This book felt much more emotional than The Will of the Many and the stakes much higher. 

I didn't mind the switch between characters and found it easy to follow.

The pacing was really well done and I definitely didn't want to put down especially towards the end. 

Many of my questions at the end of the last book were answered, but in finishing tSotF, I have so many new questions that need answering. I immediately looked up to see when the next book is coming out, but sadly there is not a confirmed date, however is expected sometime in 2027. At which time I will do another reread.

Highly recommend! James Islington has definitely made it to my autobuy author's.

This story definitely checked many of the boxes that I've been looking for lately in a good story. It has found family, a cozy setting, and it has tension. It was a lot darker than I was expecting and I found myself wanting to keep turning the page, particularly the parts that focused on Lucretia and her own backstory in mythical Scotland. I sympathised with the villain of the story, and found myself mentally trying to steer her in the right direction. It pulled all the right heart strings for me. Ultimately, I felt like the story was about believing in yourself, realising you have worth and having the courage to stand up for yourself and others. Overall, I really enjoyed The Cafe of Infinite Doors and find myself wishing the cafe was a real place for those in need, as there are many people in the world that would benefit greatly from people like Lucretia, Kilda and Sylvan. 

I really enjoyed the narration of this story which is a mix of scifi, alternate history and climate fiction. Could you prevent climate disaster by changing history. I didn't get jarred or confused by the change in timeliness that sometimes happens in these types of stories. It was done very well.

Enjoyed this more so than GotM. I found it easier to follow along as we were given more time with characters before the story moved along. So much happens in each page, if you're distracted at all reading you'll miss key parts of the plot. I think this book has really hooked me in to the series now.

Very simply, this story involves a man for hire who retrieves lost children from the forest that have been replaced by changelings, which is also wound up in a mystery. There is a fair bit of violence, with the protagonist remembering periods where he fought in a war. It's not violence for violence sake though, and is part of progressing the plot. 

Faerie in this story is definitely not the whimsical type. I think I was expecting the usual faerie that we've seen in so many stories where they can be cruel and callous, but also beautiful and compelling. This felt so much more raw and animalistic. There are also elements to it that just felt believable in terms of humanity and how it has a history of behaving badly. 

It was refreshingly different. You get hints along the way as to where the story is leading, but there are also some surprises that I did not see coming. 

If you're looking for a mystery in a mythical but dark fantasy setting, I would recommend No Man's Land. 

I enjoyed this psychological thriller. I cringed a fair amount at the MFC Carly who made silly decisions, which is part of the fun in reading. You know they're going to do the stupid thing, you're yelling internally not to do the stupid thing, but they do still do the stupid thing! I had some of the plot figured out, but was still surprised by a few twists. Overall this was an enjoyable thriller that kept me reading and would recommend. 

Such a great book. There was a lot packed into this. Great character building with morally questionable intentions. So much philosophical questions woven into the story, some by the MMC and MFC and some by minor characters. This is not a fast action packed book. It's a book that makes you really think. However, there is definitely a lot of action to experience throughout the book, in all it's gory detail. This one will sit with me for a while I think.

Every time picked this us I didn't want to put it down. It's about a boy who's writes stories; fairytales that are dark and twisted and another boy who brings those stories to life in his art.

I felt so emotionally invested in the story and my heart ached for Andrew. 

Loved it 😭

I really enjoyed the originality of the mythical story behind the dragons and the gods. I found Raeve super annoying for most of the book. She's clearly avoidant of getting close to anyone emotionally at almost all costs, and Kaan is oh so patient it hurts. 
The ending felt unfinished and left me wanting more answers.
Overall really enjoyed.

I really loved this. It had all the witchy, feminist, women's empowerment vibes, fighting back against oppression. It had a good diverse set of characters as well. 
Also, I want a familiar, maybe a fox 🦊

Wow, this story really made me ponder humanity and what binds people together. Our social constructs that harm us and those that enrich us. 

This was a lot of fun and different from anthing else I've read for a while. I really enjoyed Davi's humour which was crass, self deprecating and entirely misunderstood by her non human companions. 

I had such a great time reading The Spellshop.  It's cosy and feel good and the characters are quirky and relatable.

I related to Kiela so much. The way she thinks and struggles with social interactions. How she's comfortable in her own company.

The side characters were also quirky and adorable. 

If you are looking for a book to lift your spirits and give you some faith back in the inherent goodness of people, then this fits the bill.

I enjoyed how the book switched between Poppy, Vincent and Olivia's POV. 

I suspected Danny for the most part, thinking he was maybe a serial killer in the making. But once Mr Stewart's nature was revealed it wasn't a stretch to believe that he could've been the killer. I wasn't surprised by Lydia's involvement, given that she abandoned Olivia I thought she must have been involved somehow and had suspected Vincent was covering for her.

Overall enjoyed this one and will recommend.

This was very different from other books I've read by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It was quite clever and thought provoking. It makes you wonder what we're in for in the future. This had some heavy themes it dealt with in quite a light hearted way and it had some good humour. 
I quite enjoyed the banter between the MC Robot and The Wonk. 
Overall recommend if you're looking for a quick scifi read with some light humour.

This was easy to jump back into from book 1. World is very immersive. I loved the interspersed short stories within the book. Pacing was very well done. Good character growth throughout with only a hint of romance. Really enjoyed and would recommend to those looking for a character driven fantasy with little to no romance with an immersive setting.

Really enjoyed the first book of the Mistborn series and so was eager to get started on The Well of Ascension.

In book 2 you see Vin more confident with her abilities and start to believe in herself, but you do go through a journey with Vin in her struggles with self worth.

This is a great fantasy series with some real creativity and depth to the world building and story line and I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

This took me far too long to read. It was sitting on my shelf for ages after it was gifted to me. I thoroughly enjoyed. A couple of good twists in this story about a boy training to become an assassin and attempting to cut ties with his former life.

Really enjoyed the conclusion to the Branded. Again, the plot and pacing was just perfect. I love these characters and the tension between Nara and the Wrangler was just perfect. I'm a sucker for a story heavy on character development and this hits the sweet spot for me between that and plot pacing. I will definitely be looking out for more from Jo Riccioni.

I was pleasantly surprised how good this novel was given that it's Riccioni's debut novel. Loved the plot and the characters, which kept me reading. I couldn't put down and read this almost within a day. Will definitely be eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this duoloylgy.

This is a real treat for anyone who has read Stormlight Archive. Such a unique world that the story is set in. This gave me a real hankering for re-reading Stormlight, which I may do very soon. I 

This was extremely wordy and unnecessarily descriptive. I found the pacing difficult and hence I found it difficult to get into. It took me a good three quarters of the book before I felt like I got into it. 
Some of the plot points felt a bit too convenient and some felt entirely pointless. 

There is a scene about two thirds into the book that I felt quite emotional and became more invested in the story. If it wasn't for that, I may not have been compelled to read the rest.

The story overall was quite interesting if you look at it in its entirety, but I struggled with the style of writing.

A YA fantasy with a splash of romance. The plot was interesting enough and there was a twist that I did not see coming, however I don't think I was the right audience as I am going off YA at the moment and it wasn't enough to hold my attention. I would recommend to those who enjoy YA that is not heavy on the romance.

I enjoyed more than Clockwork Boys. The pacing was better and the character development was more enjoyable for me.