Thank you to Netgalley and Erewhon books for this eARC!
I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but this is going to be a difficult one for meThank you to Netgalley and Erewhon books for this eARC!
I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but this is going to be a difficult one for me to review because I’ve genuinely never read anything like it before. Also because I really liked the first few chapters and loved the end few, but the middle section really didn’t do it for me. - The worldbuilding was a highlight for me. It had a really unique flavour and a lot of depth to it that I really enjoyed reading about. The magic was also really unique in that it had a really detrimental effect on the user and I really liked that aspect of it. - The writing style was another really unique aspect. In places, it was wonderful and impactful (like the opening few chapters, during action sequences and the ending). It was also brilliant during the magic-using scenes as it captured the confusion and fear and feverishness so well. But, it did drag for me a little bit towards the middle and sometimes just made things a bit confusing/blurry when they didn’t need to be. I enjoyed it overall (we have too many books with the same style of writing) but it got a bit much in some places and a bit fluffy. I’ve enjoyed books with similar styles before, but those have all been novellas and so it didn’t get to be too much. - In terms of plot, as I said earlier, I enjoyed some aspects of it and didn’t like others. All the parts focussed on Marney’s vengeance were fantastic, but I’m not a big romance fan so I just didn’t enjoy that aspect of the story at all. I kept waiting for the vengeance plot to get going but the plot just felt like it meandered a bit. Once the romance was moved away from, I loved it! But there was a lot. Take this with a pinch of salt as I’m sure others will love the romantic aspect, but it just wasn’t for me. - I did enjoy most of the characters though, funnily enough, Marney was probably the one I connected to the least, perhaps due to the slightly odd pov style (which I did like, particularly the second person parts). But the diversity of the characters was great to read about and none of the side characters felt flat or boring- in fact, I'd love to hear more about a lot of them! - Overall, this was a really unique read that had great moments, but the more romance/sex focussed sections really dragged for me to the point where I did consider dnfing. I expected something a bit like The Rage of Dragons, but it wasn't, so that's on me I guess! I’m glad I didn’t because the ending was brilliant, but I can’t say I really enjoyed this one overall. - However, that doesn’t mean others won’t so I’d still recommend this to anyone looking for something dark, original and different with a romance element and some pretty great plot twists....more
Thank you to Netgalley & Eclipseborn Publishing for this arc! This was such good fun! 4.5 stars rounded up. - I haven't read anything quite like this bThank you to Netgalley & Eclipseborn Publishing for this arc! This was such good fun! 4.5 stars rounded up. - I haven't read anything quite like this before and I was constantly surprised by how funny, heartwarming and charming it was. - I was also surprised by how much I loved the characters, particularly the mother. It's a trope in mg/ya fiction to have really unlikeable parental figures and I'm so glad this didn't fall into that. I loved her no-nonsense yet caring attitude. The family dynamics as a whole in this were wonderful- found family in the form of Aine and blood family in the form of the siblings, ma and uncle. I loved how they all connected during the story. The main character Ailiss was also a delight. She was clearly her age, yet she still had fantastic determination! - The humour was sort of python-esque and frequently silly, but it never got in the way of the fun of the plot which, though it was mostly shennanigans, was always engaging. Ailiss' quest to find baked goods for her dragon was just delightful. Was it epic and high stakes? No. But it didn't need to be and the author knew it! - Speaking of dragons, I really enjoyed their prescence! While Pilib is quite cat-like at the moment, seeing the intelligent creatures that are in store was really nice and I can't wait to see how he changes as the series continues. - I think perhaps the villains could have done with a little bit of de-sillifying. They were good fun, but I could see some social commentary there that didn't quite land for me because they were so stupid. I feel like a properly sinister inquisitor could have elevated my enjoyment of the story a little bit but, honestly, that might just be personal preference. - Overall, a really fun cosy read that's just perfect for a rainy day (or any day really) when you want to lighten your mood! However, a warning: the baked goods will make you hungry. ...more
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As I’ve said before, reading these books just feels like a big hug! This was pretty slow paced- itI received an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As I’ve said before, reading these books just feels like a big hug! This was pretty slow paced- it even felt like a slice of life story at some points- but I think that really worked in its favour because I really enjoyed all of the characters and just seeing their dynamics with each other. They all felt super unique and like real people! I think my favourite was Ren because I just found her point of view to be really relatable, though I liked Eyvindr’s journey too and Kajsa was also a really fascinating character- I feel simultaneously very sorry for her and dislike her for her choices! I love it when stories can give me conflicting feelings about characters. Though a lot of it felt like set-up, the wider plot of this saga is also becoming more prominent in this second instalment and I can't wait to see how it develops. Jess has done a fantastic job at building tension and intrigue! I love these characters so much I don't want anything bad to happen to them, but I fear my hopes may be dashed. The world as ever is really wonderfully written. I love how a lot of the magic of it is under the surface, but always present and interwoven into the story beautifully. This did mean that some aspects of it were slightly confusing but it is magic so I didn’t mind that too much! I won't say too much about it but ending was that perfect mixture of sad and hopeful- bittersweet! I can’t wait to read more about Ren’s journey and see how the wider plot will develop!
There's a kickstarter for this book running at the moment, so go give it your support- you won't regret it!...more
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for this eARC! Rating: 3.5/5 stars
This was a really cool concept- gods residing in a hollow earth and a war between tThank you to NetGalley and Orbit for this eARC! Rating: 3.5/5 stars
This was a really cool concept- gods residing in a hollow earth and a war between them. Restoration which turns people into god-like creatures, two sisters trying to find each other, etc. I feel like I should have loved it, but I never really connected to the plot or any of the characters. I feel like a lot of the cool ideas were just sort of touched upon, and I really wanted them to be explored in more depth. The world building was so good but I just wanted more!!
The plot was fun for the most part and the action scenes were all well written. The plot twists were mostly pretty predictable though, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily but it didn’t really help me get invested in the story. Some of the characters were also pretty one-dimensional and there was a fair bit of just sort of stating what they’re like without properly showing it.
I will say that Kluehn was a really cool villain! Delightfully creepy and I really loved the scene with him, Rasha and the child god early on.
There was some really great stuff here, but it wasn’t all connected well and, though it was fine overall, I wouldn’t say I really enjoyed it. However, I feel like the series as a whole has a huge amount of potential with the unique ideas. I think I’d still recommend this to fans of modern fantasy with really cool world building, even if it wasn’t necessarily all for me....more
Not a huge amount to say about this one other than it was another really fun murderbot adventure! I loved the team up of murderbot and ART again- theiNot a huge amount to say about this one other than it was another really fun murderbot adventure! I loved the team up of murderbot and ART again- their banter was great to read. I also did like all of the new human characters introduced and murderbot's dynamic with them. A good time!...more
I had a lot of fun with this! It wasn't as tightly plotted as Mistborn era 1, so perhaps not so satisyfing in that regard, but it was still a really gI had a lot of fun with this! It wasn't as tightly plotted as Mistborn era 1, so perhaps not so satisyfing in that regard, but it was still a really good time. The action sequences were all perfect, I loved all of the characters (especiallly Marasi and Wayne), and I also loved the connectivity with other parts of the cosmere! It didn't emotionally affect me as much as era 1 did, but the ending was still really solid and I'm looking forward to era 3!...more
I wasn’t initially convinced by this one in the first half, but once I got into it I had a lot of fun! The action sequences were thrilling as ever, anI wasn’t initially convinced by this one in the first half, but once I got into it I had a lot of fun! The action sequences were thrilling as ever, and (though I wasn’t expecting to at all) I actually really liked the romance that developed between the protagonist Wax and Steris. Speaking of Steris, I really liked her and her sister’s development in this one. They really feel like they’re coming into their own and I’ve grown invested in their journey! Wayne was also a delight, as always. Ironically seeing as he’s the main character, Wax is probably the one I’m interested in the least. He really went through a lot last book, but he felt a bit stagnant here for some reason. The plot twists also didn’t quite do it for me this time- I saw a lot of them coming from a mile away. Though I am still loving the world building and how Scadrial is developing as a whole- I could probably just read a whole book of daily life there and love it to be honest. Perhaps 4.5/5 stars? I loved some aspects of it- the climax was great. But other parts a felt were a tiny bit lacking in places....more
I picked this up because I'd heard everyone absolutely raving about it. While I think perhaps it is a tiny bit overrated, I did end up enjoying it quiI picked this up because I'd heard everyone absolutely raving about it. While I think perhaps it is a tiny bit overrated, I did end up enjoying it quite a bit! Perhaps 4.5/5 stars? - The number of layers of mystery that the plot had was engaging, if a little frustrating at the beginning because it felt like a lot of set up and not a lot of moving. But this was completely thrown aside in the second half with plot twist after plot twist! The action sequences were really well done. - The worldbuilding was also very well done. Again, lots of layers and mystery to it! Will was a very cool magic system but it wasn't explored a lot due to the setting. I wanted more!! I hope it'll feature more in the sequel because it was very, very cool when actually discussed. - I enjoyed the fact that not everything was just shoved in the audience's face- there were no flashbacks, but we still learned enough from small passages and mentions to get a really good picture of Vis' backstory. It never felt like I was being handheld through anything, but everything was still pretty easy to follow and understand! - I did struggle to connect to Vis a bit throughout. He was fine- clever and competent without being flawless and I see why people do like him. But something just didn't work for me- did he feel too competent?? I'm not sure. I didn't dislike him, but I never really warmed to him either. - There was a certain character death that made me feel lots of feelings. I guess I should have seen it coming but aagh that doesn't make me any less sad. - Overall, I liked the second half a lot more than the first half, but I still enjoyed it a lot overall! It wasn't perfect for me but I'll still be picking up the sequel!...more
I enjoyed this more than I expected to! I wasn't entirely convinced by the first half, but the second was pretty great. This was a nice change from tyI enjoyed this more than I expected to! I wasn't entirely convinced by the first half, but the second was pretty great. This was a nice change from typical ya. The protagonist Raine was certainly different to most ya protagonists and I really enjoyed her pov and growth throughout. The magic was also pretty fun! I also liked that the romance subplot wasn't shoved in my face- it was relevant but realistic in that it wasn't just "they're both enamoured at first sight. The action was also really fun- really vivid and exciting. The plot was pretty simply, but satisfying!...more
I don't read a lot of fantasy mystery, and now I really want to try more because I really liked this! The worldbuilding was definitely a highlight herI don't read a lot of fantasy mystery, and now I really want to try more because I really liked this! The worldbuilding was definitely a highlight here- really unique and interesting, and just generally really cool. I loved all of the plant and fungi weirdness. The characters were also a highlight- I loved them all (unless I they were written to be hateable), and they all felt very distinct from one another. Din was a wonderful protagonist to follow and Ana was also great- I can't wait to see more of their shennanigans in the sequel, their dynamic was fantastic. The plot was always fast paced and constantly moving- I basically couldn't put it down and read it in two days flat. The mystery was interesting and satisfying, without feeling too complex to be realistic. Overall, a really fun, enjoyable and unique story! Loved it. I basically only got this because of the gorgeous cover art- but it didn't steer me wrong!...more
A thrilling and exciting look at Dayne's backstory. This got pretty dark in places, but was certainly a worthwhile read! I'm really excited to see morA thrilling and exciting look at Dayne's backstory. This got pretty dark in places, but was certainly a worthwhile read! I'm really excited to see more of Dayne in the next few entries of the series- though I fear of War and Ruin may take me a while to finish!...more
I didn’t like the first one in this series, but I did a book swap with Aquila and she insisted I read this so here we are. I thought this was even somI didn’t like the first one in this series, but I did a book swap with Aquila and she insisted I read this so here we are. I thought this was even somewhat worse than the first one. the writing style was easy to read but not particularly compelling or interesting personally I’m not a big fan of romance, particularly when it’s purely based off of physical attraction as it’s just not relatable to me About half of this book could have been cut. Basically nothing happened for the first 300 pages, just repetitive arguing and fluff. None of these characters behave like they’re in their twenties and character development also wasn’t really a thing, other than people just becoming less mean to Violet. Most plot twists were predictable and even somewhat pointless?? Characters get revealed to have extra powers but then don’t seem to use them. Violet is made extra ✨special✨ again, which doesn’t make her more interesting despite the author apparently believing so. Not really my thing and it just wasn’t very well put together or edited. I will say that the combat scenes were well done though- the fast paced writing style really works for them. But given there was only a 50 page combat at the end of the 600 page book, it wasn’t enough to make me like it...more
Took me a long time to finish, but was definitely worth it! Still love the atmosphere of classic epic fantasy but modernised. The action scenes were rTook me a long time to finish, but was definitely worth it! Still love the atmosphere of classic epic fantasy but modernised. The action scenes were really top notch, I loved every moment. ...more
Very different to era 1 and I had heard it wasn't as good, but I did really enjoy this! I've found that I really enjoy urban fantasy and the developmeVery different to era 1 and I had heard it wasn't as good, but I did really enjoy this! I've found that I really enjoy urban fantasy and the development of the world was really fun to read about, as were the two main characters. The detective/mystery feel was also really fun!...more
4.5 stars rounded up! I really enjoyed this one. It’s the first book I’ve tried by this author, but he’s clearly very talented and I’ll definitely have4.5 stars rounded up! I really enjoyed this one. It’s the first book I’ve tried by this author, but he’s clearly very talented and I’ll definitely have to try more of his stuff. The story was fast paced, and all of the (many) characters felt really unique and interesting in their own way. Part of me wishes the book was slightly longer so I could learn more about them, but that might have wrecked the pacing so I get the author’s decision. The magic in particular was really fun, it was developed without being confusing or boring. Cade and Tenebris’ dynamic was brilliant. So was Cade and Corrigan’s. In fact, all of the character dynamics were great. It felt quite like a fantasy guardians of the galaxy, and I really liked that. Some stuff didn’t vibe with me so much (such as showing the world as “dark” and “mature” mainly through stuff like implied sa which is something that grates on me, though I believe the author’s other books have been marketed as ya so this won’t be present in those) but it didn’t take away from it too much. From the ending, I presume this will be a series and I’ll definitely read the next one!...more
I enjoyed some aspects of this and hated others so it was sort of hard to rate, but I do really like dragons in books, particularly grumpy ones! This I enjoyed some aspects of this and hated others so it was sort of hard to rate, but I do really like dragons in books, particularly grumpy ones! This is why we need half star ratings. It's also worth mentioning that this book just isn't my thing- I don't like large romance plotlines in books, especially those based off of sexual attraction as they just aren't relatable or interesting to me. The first half of the book was definitely better than the second for me as it didn't focus so much on romance and sex scenes, which I don't really care for. The dragons were the best part of the book, I really appreciate it when dragon rider books actually give their dragons personalities rather than them basically being big flying horses! All of the different magics were also quite fun but also quite surface level and it felt like the characters didn't really use it a lot, because the author forgot they could?? The main character was very standard special not like other girls, but she wasn't really annoying so I didn't mind. It did make me laugh though when she bonded with not ONE special dragons but TWO special dragons. Xaden was also fine I guess?? I didn't really care for many of the characters in this, except Rhiannon she was my favourite. The mc also felt much younger than she was supposed to be?? (view spoiler)[ The introduction of the venin was VERY sudden and I'm not really sure how to feel about it, I sort of knew it would happen but it felt a bit meh?? (hide spoiler)]...more
I wasn't initially convinced at the beginning but the climax was absolutely worth it. The action and battle sequences were fantastic and I loved the dI wasn't initially convinced at the beginning but the climax was absolutely worth it. The action and battle sequences were fantastic and I loved the deeper delving into the various magic systems (very intrigued as to what hemalurgy will be in the Hero of Ages). I loved the character development of Elend and Breeze in particular, but Vin was also really fun to read about. I have also grown to like Sazed more than I used to. - The romantic subplot between Elend and Vin is probably why the first part of the book felt so slow to me, because these aren't normally my kind of thing but it didn't take away from too much of the story in the end. - I did not like Zane at all, I just found him really annoying whenever he turned up. - The climax was incredibly chaotic but incredibly engaging! Probably the kind of thing I should have expected from Sanderson by now, lots of twists and turns that kept me up reading way too late. - I can't wait to start The Hero of Ages!...more
I'm not sure what I expected going into this book but what I got wasn't it! I picked it up because it's one of my dad's favourites! - The writing and pI'm not sure what I expected going into this book but what I got wasn't it! I picked it up because it's one of my dad's favourites! - The writing and prose was really wonderful. I get why it's not for some people- he throws around lots of words that you'd normally only ever find in a thick thesaurus- but he gets away with it because the way in which it is crafted still feels deliberate and sharp. The way in which New Crobuzon was described was amazing- I felt like I was there, living in the city and breathing in its stench. The slake-moths and the weaver were also that wonderful mixture of simultaneuosly beautiful and terrifying. - The worldbuilding was also fantastic. It did feel sometimes a bit like the author was just splurging out whatever random thing popped into his head onto the page and the result is that it sometimes feels a bit like a not-quite-fully-conceived fever dream (the handlingers in particular- what were they doing here) but it all came together so well. The steampunk/sciencey/fantasy tone is not something I've read before and I loved it! - The characters, even while in this weird tale of alien moths, scissor-wielding spiders and dogs controlled by undead(?) hands, all felt so human. - The plot was quite slow paced throughout the book, which meant that I did take a while to finish it. But that didn't affect my enjoyment- in some ways it was nice to have a change of pace from what I normally read. Some scenes did feel a bit unecessary (ie. the extended moth sex sequence) but, again, that didn't really affect my enjoyment too much as it all fitted within the odd/experimental tone of the book! - I really enjoyed this one overall! The story was weird, sprawling and surreal but still affecting and, as I said, very human. I'll definitely read more of China Meiville's stuff in the future!...more
Upped everything from the first book- the quality of the characters, the worldbuilding, the stakes as well as the brutality in some places. I really eUpped everything from the first book- the quality of the characters, the worldbuilding, the stakes as well as the brutality in some places. I really enjoyed more time with Valerys as well (I love a dragon in a book) and Dayne was also a really interesting new addition- I'm excited to hear more about him in The Exile. Please, please let Rist's character arc not go where I think it is going aaah ...more
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