4.0 Stars I really enjoyed the dark premise of this fantasy novel. The setup was exactly up my alley and reminded me of some of my other favourite medi4.0 Stars I really enjoyed the dark premise of this fantasy novel. The setup was exactly up my alley and reminded me of some of my other favourite media that have gone to similar dark places.
This might be the first time I have read a fantasy novel translated from Korean. I appreciated the unique perspective but I found myself wondering if any style was lost through the translation. The story was good but the actual narrative style was incredibly straightforward with very plain writing. I wish there had been more nuanced and complexity to the prose because this one had serious five star potential but fell a little flat.
Despite my criticisms, I still enjoyed this one a lot and would highly recommend to readers looking for a dark fantasy story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.0 Stars This was an unexpected gem. I found this book randomly through my library system and requested it on a lark. I didn't realize until later tha4.0 Stars This was an unexpected gem. I found this book randomly through my library system and requested it on a lark. I didn't realize until later that I have read (& loved) this author before.
As a piece of elf fantasy with elements of romance, I didn't think this one would be for me but I'm so grateful I gave it a chance.
This book has so many elements that make a fantasy story work great for me. The characters are well developed and the plotting is compelling. For a story centering around elves, I thought this one would be cutesy but instead it has a serious tone reflective of the brutality of the world.
This is the start of a new trilogy and I am really looking forward to the upcoming volumes. I would recommend this epic fantasy story to those looking to get lost in a lush, yet gritty story....more
3.5 Stars As a huge fan of the Expanse series, this was easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year.
If you share my love for the authors’ writing style, you will find the same prose here. I felt that was one of the best parts.
I did struggle to connect to the characters though. I think most readers will agree that the characters were one of the best aspects of the Expanse so I was disappointed to find these ones to be so flat and forgettable. I never loved the relationships in the Expanse but I found the romance in this one much weaker. With the focus on crushes and kissing, it just felt surprisingly young for a book marketed to an adult audience.
In terms of the scope of the plot, this one was an action packed story that I feel sacrificed worldbuilding for pacing. The story felt extremely narrow in scope with the focus on this small group of individuals. I recognize the same could be said for Leviathan Wakes but when I read that I could clearly see the building blocks of a bigger story.
Despite all my criticisms, I still think it's a decent new release in comparison to the other 2024 science fiction I have been reading. I just don't feel it met my expectations or the level of hype I am seeing online. I would still recommend people try this for themselves but recommend going in with tamed expectations.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
This is a solid sequel in this epic fantasy series. I enjoyed the first book, but I will acknowledge that it was very traditional. As someone who prefers more unique or innovative stories, this one just felt safe and perhaps a bit predictable. The second book is quite similar.
That being said, I think this author has good prose with solid character and worldbuilding. I just wish this series had the uniqueness that made me fall in love with the Gutter Prayer. This series is good but I still prefer the author's first series.
If you are interested in this epic fantasy series, I strongly recommend going back to the beginning with The Sword Defiant.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
3.0 Stars I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I found myself rather bored by this one. I liked parts of it, but found it too long for th3.0 Stars I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I found myself rather bored by this one. I liked parts of it, but found it too long for the amount of plot progression that happened. I'm not sure if I'll continue....more
This is very much a case of a series that becomes stronger with time. I enjoyed the earlier installments in this series but I still had some criticisms.
This most recent book addressed so many of those previous issues. As the second to last book in the series, this one was filled with important plot and character development as the author speeds towards the finale. It felt more like a space opera, rather than sci fantasy.
I look forward to the finale book to see how this author pulls it all together in the end....more
This epic fantasy novel had some early good buzz and so I was pleased to find that it lived up to the hype.
This is a fairly traditional fantasy novel reminding me loosely of other favourites. Normally I prefer more unconventional or unique stories but I can also appreciate when a more traditional story is simply told very well.
I enjoyed the characters. I found the bits of worldbuilding to be enticing. This is the first book in a new fantasy series and I will definitely read the next installment.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher...more
If you have made it this far into the Murderbot series, then you probably know what you are getting yourself into. This book gives you what you would expect.
This one did not have the most interesting plot but, as always, I just enjoyed spending time with the character of Murderbot. Their internal musings were the right balance of amusing as itself. At this point in the series, I wish there was more advancement in the plot. However this series is meant to be more episodic. It's a limitation of the series, but also its strength.
I would recommend this one to fans of Murderbot. If you've never read the series, I would recommend starting back with All Systems Red.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.0 Stars After reading and loving Guild of Tokens several years ago, I was excited to return to this world with a follow up novel. Given the gap in ti4.0 Stars After reading and loving Guild of Tokens several years ago, I was excited to return to this world with a follow up novel. Given the gap in time since reading the first book, I appreciated the recap, but I didn't need it to fall back into this world.
I love the unique premise of building a progression into our world rather than transporting the reader into a secondary world. Since reading Guild of Tokens, I have read so many more progression fantasies but I still find this one to be one of my favourites. This second book did not disappoint. It brought me back into the same world, advancing the plot and growing the characters. I look forward to reading more soon.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author....more
I really loved the first book Age of Ash, so I was very interested to continue on in this series. The first book reads like a standalone so I shouldn’t have been surprised that this one reads more like a companion. Certainly the story does pull together threads from the first book, but it’s a shift to a new character and focus.
My favourite of this book and this series continues to be the worldbuilding. I love fantasy set in a secondary urban setting so this gritty city really appealed to me. I enjoyed the city's ideas surrounding religious tolerance. It felt rather enlightened.
While I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book, I am still interested in reading more entries in this series.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
Gunmetal Gods was one of my favourite debuts when I first read it last year. After having mixed feelings about the second book, I am glad that it was worth it to return back to the third book.
I love the middle eastern focus of this series which is expanded with each book. The world is rich, feeling both familiar and otherly.
The other strength of this series is the characters. I adored the characters in book one and so was taken back when book two focused on new characters. This third book felt like more of a balance between the first two books.
While I still consider the first book to be the strongest, I am very interested to continue on when book four comes out....more
4.0 Stars After being disappointed by the previous book, I was so pleased that this one was back on track. We're back at the school with some solid plo4.0 Stars After being disappointed by the previous book, I was so pleased that this one was back on track. We're back at the school with some solid plot progression. I'm looking forward to the next book....more
4.0 Stars While not quite as good as the first two books, this is still a solid fantasy book. This series is relatively episodic so I have no problems 4.0 Stars While not quite as good as the first two books, this is still a solid fantasy book. This series is relatively episodic so I have no problems reading this series even if it doesn't get completed. It we get more entries, great. If we don't, I am completely satisfied by what I have already read....more
As someone fascinated by Mongolian culture, I was thrilled to read this epic fantasy inspired by this history. I picked up this after finishing a piece of historical fiction based on the life of Genghis Khan so this was the perfect follow up.
Overall I really enjoyed this one. The novel had a good balancing of character development and action. The challenge of rating this novel is that it's clearly the beginning of an ambitious story and it feels unfair to rate it as a standalone. The story is ambitious and I personally felt this first book was too short and too fast to fully flesh out the narrative the way I wanted. I look forward to reading the future entries in this epic fantasy story because we just need more time in this world with the characters.
This novel has received an outstanding amount of early praise and while I affirm its greatness, I encourage readers to go with reasonable expectations. This series has incredibly potential but this is just the start of this epic journey.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.5 Stars I have completely fallen in love with this historical fiction series. I already loved the general story of the Three Kingdoms but after readi4.5 Stars I have completely fallen in love with this historical fiction series. I already loved the general story of the Three Kingdoms but after reading the translated text, I found the narrative to be rather… dry. I love the 2010 adaptation but the written work didn't flesh out the characters the way I wanted it to do.
So for me this series is the perfect solution. It retells the romanticized piece of history in a way that truly brings the characters to life. The character development on this series is top notch. Overall, the writing is quite strong, with an easy polished style.
I really enjoyed this volume and look forward to each subsequent book to come in this series. I highly recommend it to a wide range of readers. This is a great introduction to The Three Kingdoms story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author....more
This was a familiar, yet enjoyable epic fantasy story. The narrative felt a fair bit trope but they happened to be tropes I liked.
As someone who enjoys diverse stories, I enjoyed the Egyptian inspired worldbuilding in this novel.
The characters were fairly interesting but sometimes felt a bit young which made this adult fiction book feel like a YA crossover.
Overall, I liked most aspects of this book and am interested enough to continue on with this series. I would recommend it to readers looking to read a diverse, yet familiar piece of epic fantasy.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
This was a solid piece of debut fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It had an incredibly strong start, giving me A Song of Ice and Fire vibes. The rest of the story was good, but I felt it fell a little short of it's potential. The characters would be good, but certain characters were lacking in development. That being said, I still had a great time reading this one. I usually don't love the action parts of epic fantasy but those scenes were so exciting and vivid that they completely pulled me in.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I would highly recommend this epic fantasy stories to readers looking for a new, slightly gritty, story filled with action and intrigue.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
I'm pleased to say that this debut fantasy lived up to the hype. I don't always connect well with combat based stories but this one worked because the fighting was so intimate and clearly described. I found it so easy to picture what I was reading.
I am also a huge fan of the school settings which was another bonus point for this novel. The story was engaging with the narrative moving at a good, but even pace.
I really enjoyed this novel and am excited for the next volume. I would recommend this novel this one to fantasy stories looking for a fresh fun engaging narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
This is a solid new fantasy story that draws inspiration from ancient Roman culture. I'm not the biggest fan of gladiator action but I really enjoyed it when the story moved on to the magic school setting. The mystery made a fair amount of suspense and intrigue. I read this author's debut and am pleased to see he'd grown in his writing and storytelling. This novel felt much more mature and complex. There were still some slower section, but overall an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the next entry....more
4.0 Stars After loving the original trilogy this year, I have been eager to pick up this newest entry. I do recommend reading the first trilogy first b4.0 Stars After loving the original trilogy this year, I have been eager to pick up this newest entry. I do recommend reading the first trilogy first because you'll get so much more out of this one if you already know the characters.
It's clear how far Weeks has developed as an author since writing the first trilogy. The writing felt much closer to the Lightbringer. Furthermore, he seems to have addressed many of the complaints of the original work, particularly his habit of the male gaze.
I enjoyed the humour and action in this one but I will admit that I found the overarching plot to be underwhelming. I enjoyed going back to this world, but the stakes didn't feel as high as I would have liked. Still, I really enjoyed this one. Weeks has a talent for writing fun, action packed stories with some of the best humor and witty dialogue. I would definitely read more set in this world.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher...more
Rachel (TheShadesofOrange)
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