Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, the web novel by SingShong, embodies everything I love about reading. This isn’t the story I thought it would be—it’s sOmniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, the web novel by SingShong, embodies everything I love about reading. This isn’t the story I thought it would be—it’s so much more than I ever could have imagined.
The following is a spoiler-free review of all volumes of ORV and my attempt to express how grateful I am for this novel.
For a decade, 28-year-old Kim Dokja has been the only reader of his favorite web novel, Ways of Survival. In the novel, the apocalypse descends upon Seoul in the form of the scenarios, brutal challenges that humans are forced to endure. Immensely powerful beings of legend called Constellations watch from above, entertained by the bloodbath. The thousands of chapters of Ways of Survival follow the regressor Yoo Joonghyuk, who is transported back to the beginning of the apocalypse every time he dies. Through Yoo Joonghyuk’s story, Dokja survives his own life, comforted by the fact that the protagonist suffered worse and kept going despite it all.
Dokja’s aimless life grinds to a halt on the day when Ways of Survival is meant to end. Suddenly, the story he’s used to escape from reality for much of his life merges with the real Seoul, and Yoo Joonghyuk himself appears, along with the carnage of the scenarios. As the city descends into the apocalypse, the reader Kim Dokja is the only one who knows how to reach the epilogue of this ruined world.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint succeeds on every level. This story is plot-driven, character-driven, and theme-driven, and it never lets up on any front. In fact, these three aspects are inextricably intertwined in ways deeper than I could have anticipated in the beginning.
Even without delving far beneath the surface, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a masterpiece. The action is exhilarating, intense, and unexpectedly clever, but balanced with plenty of memorable gentle and comedic scenes. Many of the most powerful emotional moments are placed within the choreography of an action scene, and that adrenaline elevates them to impossible new heights. The plot is so satisfying that it almost feels self-indulgent in that it kept evoking emotions I didn’t even know I wanted to feel. Looking back, I can see how every twist is connected in logical but shocking ways that reveal how deliberately the story was plotted from the very beginning.
The core of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint lies in its themes. ORV is a love letter to the power of stories, both regenerative and destructive. The worldbuilding and power system are built on these themes. Likewise, the plot twists are imbued with incredible thematic foreshadowing. Every single scene is thoughtful on levels that aren’t fully apparent until the conclusion. This novel has scenes that are some of the most impactful moments I’ve read in a book, and that’s due in part to the impressive thematic continuity of the story.
Kim Dokja, with his motifs of sacrifice and salvation, is a complicated character. He’s cunning, always scheming and scamming, always prepared to get on someone’s nerves. He’s completely dedicated to creating the ending he’s always wanted to read. He only trusts a select few people, but he loves those companions deeply and will do anything for them. Despite this, he is always unsure of his place among them. He downplays the value of his own presence. He’s very good at some things and terrible at or oblivious about other things. In the scenarios, in his element, he’s brazenly confident and justifiably so. His knowledge gives him an edge, but he can also improvise scarily well, even under immense pressure. From a storytelling standpoint, his power is written very well. He doesn’t have the fighting skills of a regressor or the talent of a protagonist, but his ability to find loopholes is unmatched. He surprises and scares me at every turn. Dokja is an amazing character, so fun to follow, hard to understand, and easy to love.
Dokja’s first-person narration is one notable aspect of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. It’s unclear just how reliable he is, or if he’s more unreliable than he appears to be. The writing frequently played with my expectations and blinded me to the things to which I should have paid more attention. It’s a sneaky type of foreshadowing that I appreciate a lot upon rereading. In addition, Dokja’s narration of his interactions with the other characters is full of subtleties, especially with Joonghyuk (with whom he apparently cannot have a straightforward conversation). Their intentions are not always written out, and on top of that, Dokja often misunderstands their meaning. Trying to understand these characters’ true feelings based on context and knowledge from the amount of time we’ve spent with them is fascinating.
The more I read ORV, the more I appreciate Yoo Joonghyuk. He’s cold and ruthless but probably the biggest idealist of the book, and he cares more profoundly than is immediately apparent. He’s very proud but also honest with himself; he’s willing to work behind-the-scenes if he believes he isn’t the best person for a task. He fights ceaselessly to save the world, even though he feels less and less like a part of that world as he falls into the regressor’s mindset of being the only human in a landscape that continually resets around him. It’s easy to pass him off as a killing machine who’s lost his humanity, especially in the beginning, but there’s much more to him than that. He’s written exactly like a protagonist—stoic, undaunted, stubborn, blunt, somehow still heroic—although he isn’t really the protagonist anymore. We only get glimpses of Joonghyuk in his element, but I think I can understand why Dokja read about him for a decade. In other words, the character work in ORV is outstanding.
There’s a great cast of complex side characters, including many incredible female characters whom I could go on and on about, as well as powerful young and elderly characters. The ways in which they interact with each other are all distinct. Each gets their time to shine and their own driving philosophy; even if they’re not always in the spotlight like Dokja is, they feel like real people with essential roles in the story. Together, they make up my favorite part of ORV, the found family at its heart. I really love them. They’re unlikely companions who would never have befriended each other before the scenarios, but they fit together so well regardless. The growth of that bond of trust is both softly and incisively beautiful.
ORV works because it makes the reader feel everything it expresses, all the emotions around which it revolves: love for a story, desire to see the ending, imagining past the conclusion. This full immersion is possible because the novel is about someone who loves reading. The resonance between Dokja’s feelings and ours as his readers makes the world come to life in electrifying and heartbreaking ways.
As excellent as this web novel is, it’s definitely a commitment. It has 551 chapters and is well over one million words long. I can’t call it anything less than an epic. The epilogues alone are the length of an average book. It’s so long that I feel like I’ve been living it. However, despite its length, this is the only story I’ve started to reread immediately upon finishing. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Whenever I think about this book (which is often), I realize something else about it that amazes me once more. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint gives my imagination limitless fuel in a way that nothing else has before. It calls out to be read.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint by SingShong is a story that means everything to me and so many other readers. Filled with an invigorating sense of defiance, optimism, and fearlessness, it’s often tragic but also unwaveringly hopeful. When I reached the ending for the first time, I was devastated, overflowing with wonder, and overwhelmed by appreciation for the care put into this work. There’s nothing more I could say, except that ORV is truly meant for everyone who’s ever seen themselves in a story. It completely changed the way I consider storytelling itself. I think it will always linger with me.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a whimsical, earnest, and surprisingly crustacean-free surprise novel from Sanderson’s record-breaking Kickstarter. It is Tress of the Emerald Sea is a whimsical, earnest, and surprisingly crustacean-free surprise novel from Sanderson’s record-breaking Kickstarter. It is also one of the best YA fantasy books I’ve read. Every aspect of the book feels balanced and rewarding. Tress is perfectly paced and compulsively readable, full of plot twists that make sense but are still thrilling. I wasn’t sure if Hoid’s narration would be effective, but it definitely is. His commentary strikes the perfect balance between silliness and genuine insight. The familiar adventure structure of the story runs the risk of becoming predictable, but Sanderson doesn’t fall in that trap here. His skill as a storyteller shines in this novel; it is further proof that he doesn’t need thousands of pages to tell a compelling, meaningful story that is also fun and wholesome and heartfelt. I can already tell that this will be a book I look back on with fondness and warm, nostalgic feelings. Tress of the Emerald Sea is one of those gently affecting books that make the world seem a bit less scary.
5 stars
“It’s really not a problem that someone needs to be saved. Everyone needs help. It’s hard to be the person who makes trouble, but the thing is, everyone makes trouble. How would we help anyone if nobody ever needed help?”
Sometimes I think Alice Oseman books have captured a part of my soul that nothing else has managed to describe in exactly the right words. Her storiesSometimes I think Alice Oseman books have captured a part of my soul that nothing else has managed to describe in exactly the right words. Her stories are streams of consciousness, explorations of identity, odes to teenage senescence. Dedicated to kids who have no idea who they are but are figuring it out together, kids who are sad and empty and lost and trying to remember where they used to fit in the world, kids who feel a little bit broken until they find the platonic soulmate who fills the gaps. Solitaire is radiant.
All the people are chatting and laughing and smiling and it sort of makes me feel a bit sad, like I’m watching them through a dirty window.
I find one song that I really love and then I listen to it about twenty billion times until I hate it and have ruined it for myself.
Someone’s banging on the door of the bathroom. I’ve been in here for ages just staring at myself in the mirror, watching my eyes tear up and dry and tear up and dry.
“I’m a little bit in love with everyone I meet.”
I listen to the dark. They’re all coming to get you. Your heartbeats are footsteps.
When Philip's cousin Ambrose dies suddenly, leaving his young heir and his widow Rachel behind, Philip is determined to hate Rachel. She is a mystery,When Philip's cousin Ambrose dies suddenly, leaving his young heir and his widow Rachel behind, Philip is determined to hate Rachel. She is a mystery, always watching, always there, at times comforting or terrifying. She haunts him, some days belladonna and others bella donna.
Is that hatred in Philip's eyes, or infatuation? What is the difference between the two? When you have spent so much energy loathing someone, will your love always be tinged with resentment? For Philip, utterly unversed in interactions with women, malicious motives seem to hide behind Rachel's mocking smile. But his descent into paranoia is offset by his desperate adoration of his cousin's enchanting widow.
This book feels like running down an endless corridor, nothing but emptiness before you. Dusting off old silver, seeing a distorted reflection of your features in the dim light of a candle. Digging up buried hatchets. Cold sweat trickling down your spine. Sensing someone breathing behind you. The silence of shared loss.
Nothing could have prepared me for My Cousin Rachel.
This book is for all my fellow sarcastic, goal-oriented overachievers with unreliable self-esteem, oddly specific obsessions, and unrealistic dreams. IThis book is for all my fellow sarcastic, goal-oriented overachievers with unreliable self-esteem, oddly specific obsessions, and unrealistic dreams. I don't think I'll ever be the same.
In quantum mechanics, a wavefunction describes the probability of where quantum particles could be, so a particle occupies every possible state simultIn quantum mechanics, a wavefunction describes the probability of where quantum particles could be, so a particle occupies every possible state simultaneously (superposition) until it is measured. When a quantum particle is observed, the wavefunction collapses and the particle irreversibly occupies only one state. The specifics of how measurement and observation determine reality are still being researched. To my knowledge, quantum particle behavior is still largely a mystery.
In Book of the Ancestor, quantals use greater magic: they can walk the Path and draw immense power from it. But maybe this “magic” isn’t really magic at all. Doesn’t “quantal” look suspiciously similar to “quantum”? Can quantals control the collapse of a wavefunction? That would begin to explain the mysterious Path. Thread-work could be quantum entanglement on a larger scale, where people are entangled instead of particles. If so, I wonder how quantals obtained these abilities. Radiation, maybe?
Speaking of nuclear radiation, what is Abeth? The result of nuclear war? Take ABETH, cross out the bottom of the B, flip around the letters a bit (EABTH) and you have EARTH. Judging by the map, the world of the Broken Empire trilogies is clearly our world after extreme climate change, nuclear war, or both. Abeth may resemble the far future of Earth, after the events of those trilogies. Maybe the ice is a product of nuclear war: nuclear winter. That would also explain why the Missing left Abeth, the doomed planet they may have destroyed. Additionally, the computer that controls the focus moon is named Taproot, a cryptic recurring character in all of Lawrence’s books (aaand the friendly neighborhood Mark Lawrence expert is John, helping me fill in the blanks with his extensive knowledge).
How do I join a warrior nun friend group? Specifically an incredible found family who have an unbreakable bond of love and support. The relationship between Nona, Ara, and Zole is one of my favorite friendships in all of literature. The way Zole slowly opened up to Nona, the unspoken promise of protection between Nona and Ara—it’s exquisite.
Holy Sister has incredible slow pacing with natural buildup that’s not rushed. Instead, we get to know the characters organically as we walk beside them during their darkest moments. Despite the hopelessness that hangs over Abeth, there are also days when the light of the moon seems warmer on Nona’s skin and the horizon of ice looks more like a blanket of sparkling jewels tossed haphazardly across the poles by the hand of a benevolent god.
In conclusion, Mark Lawrence continues to be a genius.
5 stars
Red Sister: ★★★★★ Grey Sister: ★★★★★ Holy Sister: ★★★★★
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How is it even possible for a book this perfect, this immaculate, this soul-shattering to exist. I'm in awe. I can't find words to properly describe the beauty of this series and of this book. I've been on this journey for so long and been through so much with friends who hold my heart in their blood-stained hands. Mark Lawrence is the Ancestor, confirmed....more
Everyone is talking about how Goodreads needs to add half-stars, but what I need right now is a sixth star specifically so I can give it to this book.Everyone is talking about how Goodreads needs to add half-stars, but what I need right now is a sixth star specifically so I can give it to this book.
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Living in a land with a dying sun and a failing moon, Nona Grey was just a young girl when she was bought from her family and trained as a ring-fighter. But when she defends her friend and almost kills a man, she is noticed by Abbess Glass, head of the Convent of Sweet Mercy. There, she is trained to be a skilled killer as her old blood begins to show itself. But she is hiding a dark past and demons that threaten to destroy her.
Before starting this book, I would recommend making sure you understand what each of the bloods mean. Children of hunska, gerant, marjal, or quantal blood inherit special powers. Hunska = very, very fast Gerant = giant and tall and strong Marjal = can use lesser, more practical or physical magic Quantal = can use greater magic such as thread-work and Path-walking
My favorite part of this book was the character development.
Nona is such an amazing main character. She's fleshed out and realistic but not boring because she has many sides. She has trouble dealing with anger but has great emotional maturity, meaning I was hardly ever annoyed. Lawrence did such a good job writing her. I felt what she felt. She values honesty and friendship more than anything else. I want to give her a giant hug. She does terrifying things, but she's still a really good person. I love her.
[Nona] had vowed that she would never let a friend down, that she would do anything, anything at all, to protect them. A vow more sacred to her than the Ancestor, more holy than the church from tallest spire to lowest crypt.
None of the characters are cliches. Reading books about magic/fighting schools is always a toss-up because sometimes characters fall into the tropes of bully, speshul powerful kid, smart kid, kid who will tell his father about this, et cetera. I love the side characters so much. The relationships between them are complicated and realistic. They all have bad traits and good traits, just like a normal person. They're not perfect at everything. They come from different upbringings and each bring a different point of view to the friend group. Each one has a distinct personality and the way they interact with each other is exquisitely relatable. Certain characters, like Abbess Glass, are written really well. She's smart and sees the whole picture. She always has a plan, even if it doesn't make sense in the present moment.
I would jump in front of a train for so many of these characters. ...more
Jem Carstairs is one of my new favorite characters and I just want to hug him, okay?
This book rises far above Clockwork Angel, which was a true dumpsJem Carstairs is one of my new favorite characters and I just want to hug him, okay?
This book rises far above Clockwork Angel, which was a true dumpster fire and basically a carbon copy of City of Bones. But Clockwork Prince took those same characters, developed them deeply, and added different romantic/angsty subplots that elevated it to a level higher than Clockwork Angel ever was.
Tessa Gray is safe in the Institute--or so she thinks. Mortmain is still on the loose, his clockwork creations wreaking havoc in London. Meanwhile, the Clave is trying to replace Charlotte with Benedict Lightwood, a cunning man who thinks women are incapable of holding leadership positions. They strike a deal--if Charlotte can apprehend Mortmain, she will be able to keep her job. But time is running out, and the mystery just gets more twisted.
There wasn't much plot in this book. In fact, there was hardly any plot at all. Mortmain was barely present. The clockwork creatures only showed up once. There wasn't much tension related to the plot, because this book was basically filler. There was no progression in the plot. There was just one betrayal at the end that this whole book was building up to.
However, plot was never high on my list of things I look for in books. I honestly don't care if the book has a plot or not if I love the characters. And I did love the characters in this book. Well, I loved one of them and tolerated the rest of them, but my love for that one character trumped my mild dislike of the others.
That character is Jem Carstairs.
I love him so much. He's one of my favorite characters of all time. He's a sweet, genuine, precious cinnamon roll and I must protecc.
I want to give Jem a giant hug. He is a kind, sensitive, insightful character who cares so deeply for everyone around him. Everyone thinks he's fragile because he's sick, but he goes through so much without complaining. He tolerates Will's carelessness with his feelings. He tolerates everyone treating him like a porcelain doll. And he does so with grace and love. He never snaps at anyone for no reason. He is calm and clear-headed, unlike Will.
Instead of lashing out at others because of his inevitable fate, he treats them with kindness and care and gentle love. I have so, so much admiration for his character and Jem as a person. I just want him to live happily ever after with his violin and his cat.
Everyone takes him for granted until he's not there. Everyone gives him very little of the true care and attention he deserves beyond "have you taken your drugs." He is not seen. They just accept that he's going to be sweet and precious and they don't appreciate him for it. And it makes me triggered. My poor cinnamon roll deserves the world and they do not see it.
LOOK AT HIM. LOOK AT HIM. ISN'T HE THE MOST PRECIOUS THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN. My heart is bursting.
I am not going to tell you anything about my opinions on Jessa vs. Wessa because I don't have a preference. Will and Tessa were made for each other, and Jem and Tessa don't have that kind of chemistry, but I need Jem to be happy. I don't particularly ship either of them.
Tessa Gray is definitely better in this book than she was in the previous one. She's calmed down a bit and isn't as hypocritical as she was before. She's kind to Jem, and that means I like her.
In general, she's very caring and kind and considerate, and I appreciate that. She's in a love triangle, which automatically makes me a little annoyed, but I really didn't care about that as much as I did in the first book. I... might have even liked it, actually, once I got over my initial annoyance. I love angst.
As always, I don't like Will Herondale. Only now I use the words "don't like" and not "hate," because I guess there was a reason why he was so cold and rude and moody? Although I still dislike him because tortured doesn't look good on him. Will runs away when they need him most. He's kind of a jerk. He's disrespectful to everyone, doesn't think about Jem before he acts, and he's so unbearably angsty and in a bad way. There was a reason for his anger issues, but quite honestly, I don't care. I don't care about whatever bad stuff happened to him in the past.
And then there's this quote from him that I wanted to chuck out the window:
You see it, don't you, James? Without Tessa there is nothing for me--no joy, no light, no life. If you loved me, you would let me have her. You can't love her as I do. No one could. If you are truly my brother, you would do this for me.
Will, honey, you basically ignored Tessa for most of the first book. The gaslighting in this scene is real.
There was a scene where Will brought Tessa tea and she was so shocked that he was being nice to her that she drank all of it, even though she didn't like it.
The villains were the worst part of this book. Mortmain did nothing, and Nate was a terrible antagonist. He's such a 2D villain. What are his motives? Why is he so heartless? No one knows. It felt cheap as a result.
As always, Cassie's writing style is entirely addictive and time passed so quickly while I was reading. I genuinely enjoyed myself reading this, and that's more than I can say for most books.
This book stole my heart and I am pressing charges.
Chain of Iron, the second installment in The Last Hours series, takes everything that Chain of GolThis book stole my heart and I am pressing charges.
Chain of Iron, the second installment in The Last Hours series, takes everything that Chain of Gold did well and adds to it. Layers and layers of character development, mysterious motives, addictive writing style, added to stunning romance and heartbreaking angst. I was literally beaming while reading this book. I felt like my whole body was smiling. There were painful moments, too—many, many painful moments. In fact, the ending made my heart feel like it had been processed through a paper shredder and then stomped on.
This book opens with a murder on the streets of London. Shadowhunters are being killed by a mysterious person—or demon—that is frightening the community. Shadowhunters can no longer go on patrols by themselves. But are these murders connected, or are they simply the product of a killer’s suppressed rage?
While this is happening, Cordelia Carstairs is contemplating her situation. She’s engaged to James Herondale, but it is a false marriage brought about to save her reputation after she sacrificed her social standing to save him from unjust imprisonment. Lucie Herondale is working with Grace Blackthorn, attempting to raise Jesse from the dead in a plot they keep secret from all the others. Matthew Fairchild is struggling with his alcohol addiction and his hatred of himself, despite the love he receives from others. Anna Lightwood and Ariadne Bridgestock are trying to save their love after the heartbreak that happened between them. Thomas Lightwood and Alastair Carstairs have undeniable romantic tension, but neither of them are willing to admit it. Meanwhile, Tatiana Blackthorn is scheming again, and nothing is as it seems…
Cordelia is one of my favorite heroines of all time. She’s probably the best protagonist Cassie Clare has ever written. She’s so insightful and always notices things about people they didn’t know themselves. She puts James’s feelings first, over her love for him, and she doesn’t force him into anything. She knows he loves Grace, and while it pains her and despite her suspicion that he may have been tricked into that love, she accepts him for how he is and doesn’t try to change him. She’s quietly brave, determined, and thoughtful—and actually a strong female character without shoving it in our faces.
James is a character I surprisingly adored in Chain of Iron. I had lukewarm feelings about him in Chain of Gold, simply because he didn’t stand out to me as a very unique character, but I absolutely loved him in this book. I have been converted to a Jordelia shipper. James x Cordelia is my new OTP. James is so wonderful because he’s more mild than typical CC love interests like Jace and Will. He feels deeply, he cares about others in a quiet way, he’s relentlessly loyal to Cordelia despite the fact that their marriage is fake. He is the new Sam Cortland. I need a James in my life. He’s so sweet and intuitive and considerate. He has the emotional maturity that so many characters (*cough* Will *cough*) never had.
"Someone who broke your heart is often not the person who can mend it."
Lucie, unfortunately, is not my favorite character anymore. She’s still ambitious, and she’s still witty, but in this book, she starts to hide things from Cordelia, even though they will eventually become parabatai. She has secrets and never really apologizes for hiding them from her family and friends when they could have helped her. Lucie was the only one in this book besides Jesse who had negative character development. She became almost infatuated with Jesse, and got too caught up with her need to live a fairy-tale life to focus on the feelings of her future parabatai.
Jesse is still my least favorite character. He’s just a ghost. He’s very bland and gets angsty at random moments for no reason. There’s nothing interesting about him, besides the fact that he’s dead, which I think is the opposite of intriguing. He and Lucie have romantic tension that comes out of nowhere. I don’t like it. Unlike all the other relationships in this book, CC was forced to tell us that they were romantically interested in each other. There was no build-up, no small, heartwarming moments between the characters. I have a theory about this, which I will share in the spoiler section.
Matthew is such a sweet cinnamon roll. He always acts like he doesn’t care, but he does deep inside. He struggles with feeling like he’s not wanted, or that he’s isolated because of his alcohol addiction. We learned at the end of the first book that he loves Cordelia, and there are so many little moments that bring this to life. I personally don’t ship Fairstairs because I like them better as friends at this point and I ship Jordelia too hard to give it up, but I also have a theory about this, which, again, will be included in the spoiler section.
Cordelia hesitated. "Sometimes," she said, "it is not enough for others to love you. I do not think Matthew loves himself very well." Lucie's eyes widened. "What is there about him he could possibly not love?" she said.
Grace was one of my least favorite characters in Chain of Gold, but in this book, she’s much better. She has a clear motive and a personality. I’m actually sympathetic towards her. She was forced into this situation by Tatiana. She’s been used her whole life. All she wants is to get her brother back. I still don’t like her, but I appreciate her as a character.
All of the characters in Chain of Iron were perfect. They were fully fleshed-out, each with their own personalities and unique traits. This is the best cast that CC has ever written. I have so much love for each and every character, excluding Jesse.
There was very little plot in the first one hundred pages, but I had no problem with this. This book could be 100% fluff and I would not care. I love the characters so much that the plot was just a nice thing to have on the side. And the plot twist was actually surprising. I didn’t expect it at all.
One thing that stood out was the way the male characters treated Cordelia and Lucie. They respected them but didn’t go out of their way to say “oh, Cordelia, how very strong and female you are” like some characters do, just to emphasize how amazing and independent the women are. They respect the female characters without worshipping them.
As always, Cassie Clare did her research, and Edwardian London was really brought to life in this book. The balls, the dresses, the atmosphere—it was all perfectly written.
Told from the perspectives of two time-travelers on either side of the battlefield, This is How You Lose the Time War is a haunting, lyrical, abstractTold from the perspectives of two time-travelers on either side of the battlefield, This is How You Lose the Time War is a haunting, lyrical, abstract love story for the ages.
Red and Blue, rival agents in a dystopian world, are polar opposites. Red works for the Agency, an ultramodern society where hunger has been eradicated by technology. Blue belongs to Garden, an entity that exists in organic matter everywhere. When Red finds a mocking, sardonic letter from Blue in the ashes of a war zone, they begin to exchange letters in the most creative ways possible. As they slowly get to know each other, they develop a deep bond despite fate's insistence on pulling them apart. Red and Blue play a cat-and-mouse game with their employers as they struggle to keep their connection private. Despite their harsh teasing of each other in the earlier letters, they quickly become friends.
From the very beginning, we are thrown into the story with no explanation. We're left to figure it all out as we go along. The way the story was executed was perfect. We're given tidbits of information at a time and our brains are left to fill the gaps, creating a world that is fantastical and personal.
I have to give the concept credit. It's genius. It may seem repetitive at first, but it builds so slowly to the very satisfying ending that left me wanting more. But I can appreciate the beauty in the briefness of the story. It's over so quickly, a flame that burns brightly and is extinguished quickly.
So in this letter I am yours. Not Garden's, not your mission's, but yours, alone.
This is How You Lose the Time War is a fresh, creative, and intelligent short novel, filled with insight and careful character development.
Funny how I hate angst until it's Cardan being angsty, and that angst involves him scribbling a certain Jude Duarte's name over and over again while iFunny how I hate angst until it's Cardan being angsty, and that angst involves him scribbling a certain Jude Duarte's name over and over again while ink drips onto his clothes but he's too busy pining over Jude to care.
Villains were wonderful. They got to be cruel and selfish, to preen in front of mirrors and poison apples, and trap girls on mountains of glass. They indulged all their worst impulses, revenged themselves for the least offense, and took every last thing they wanted. And sure, they wound up in barrels studded with nails, or dancing in iron shoes heated by fire, not just dead, but disgraced and screaming. But before they got what was coming to them, they got to be the fairest in all the land.
I was captivated by the way Cardan views the world. He was dismissed repeatedly, even as a child, and endured years of abuse before learning how to build a facade. He pretends to have a heart of stone and is bewildered by attachment, but needs someone to love him anyway. He isn't a warrior or a hero or a savior. He was a villain, then a villain in name only, then a king, but he remains a soft, vulnerable character inside.
Cardan had trusted Nicasia not to hurt him, which was ridiculous, since he well knew that everyone hurts one another and that the people you loved hurt you the most grievously. Since he was well aware that they both took delight in hurting everyone else that they could, how could he have thought himself safe?
This book is magical. The art is stunning and mystical and perfect. The writing is beautiful (as always) and depicts the world with such beauty and danger. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a breath of fresh air—the fairy tale atmosphere, the razor-sharp wit, the allure of the fey.
The contempt made him feel as though she saw beneath all his sharp and polished edges. It reminded him of how his father and all the Court had seen him, before he learned how to shield himself with villainy. And doomed as she was, he envied her whatever conviction made her stand there and defy him. She ought to be nothing. She ought to be insignificant. She ought not to matter. He had to make her not matter.
These are definitely some of my favorite characters of all time.
I came in with low expectations, because I wasn't too interested in Ronan in the firsThese are definitely some of my favorite characters of all time.
I came in with low expectations, because I wasn't too interested in Ronan in the first book. He punched walls, crashed cars, had a pet raven named Chainsaw. You know. Normal stuff.
In this book, we learn that he has the ability to take items out of his dreams and turn them into tangible objects. Obviously, this power comes at a cost to the ley line - and might sever their connection to Glendower.
I thought this was kind of a pointless side plot, honestly. Glendower was all but forgotten, and instead, we journey through the minds of a hit man and a bad boy. The plot was very a bit disjointed - there were so many different revelations happening on the side, and I wasn't sure where to focus the whole time. The end reveal felt a little underwhelming, probably because I had guessed it from the start. I didn't understand the motivations of the villains, either. It was convoluted and confusing, but I still liked it, for some bizarre reason.
The relationship between Blue and Gansey and Adam was definitely the best part of The Dream Thieves. Gansey just wants to shove money on Adam, Adam just wants people to stop pitying him, and Blue just wants everyone to calm down and get a life. (Did I mention how amazing Blue is? Because she's awesome.)
Adam really... um... got a whole lot worse. He kicked things. He had temper tantrums because he didn't want Gansey's money. Just take the stupid money. It's not that hard.
He has a strange obsession with his own nothing, as he likes to call it.
"It was nothing. But it was Adam's nothing."
I guess I can understand where he's coming from. He "doesn't want your pity" and also doesn't want to be reliant on his friends. But it got to a point where I just wanted him to take the money and shut up. He lashed out at everyone and wore his insecurities on his sleeve. I got tired of his angst rather quickly.
Blue was the bright spot here. She's so chill about everything. Best friend is dead? Cool. Ronan can bring things out of his dreams? Cool. Mother's dating a hit man? Cool. I wish I had that mentality.
And, of course, Gansey (my cinnamon roll) and Blue belong together. It's obvious. It's so painfully obvious.
I wasn't too interested in Ronan from the start, but I found myself liking him towards the end. He's still not my favorite character of all time, but he's definitely better than he was in The Raven Boys. If only Adam also had that character arc.
This, my friends, is feminist fantasy at its finest.
I still can't come to terms with the fact that it's over. After this whole journey, it seems almoThis, my friends, is feminist fantasy at its finest.
I still can't come to terms with the fact that it's over. After this whole journey, it seems almost impossible that a last page exists. The Priory of the Orange Tree trapped my heart from the very first sentence, and now I'm having trouble distinguishing what's real from what jumped out of the pages.
Sabran Berethnet is Queen of Inys during a time of turmoil and unrest. She has to come to terms with a devastating loss, her own depression, and deception within her court as an ancient force threatens to reawaken. But nothing is as it seems, and history is not often truthful.
Ead Duryan, a mage of the Priory, is assigned to protect Sabran from the Nameless One, who seeks to destroy her and her house. While she longs to return to her duties to Cleolind, the founder of the Priory, she is determined to uncover the twisted secrets of the court of Inys. She has to sacrifice her destiny for the good of the world, but she never bats an eye.
Miduchi Tané, an aspiring dragonrider, makes an error of judgement that changes her future forever. Disgraced and cast out of her homeland, she discovers a hidden force within herself that could destroy the world. Tané, who uses the people around her for her own needs, is forced to overcome her pride and her overwhelming guilt.
Niclays Roos is an alchemist who was banished from Sabran's court years ago. He yearns for his home and his old love, but he knows the only way he could ever return is if he finds the secret of immortality. He dives into a web of treachery and deceit to do so, propelled by his own sorrow and lust for a longer life. Throughout the novel, he comes to terms with his selfishness and cowardice.
Arteloth (Loth) Beck is sent on a mission that will almost certainly lead to his death. Betrayed by his own court, he ventures into the unknown, unaware of the dark forces that are soon to rise. But nothing is as he expects, and his whole religion is turned upside down.
These protagonists, separated by wildly different cultures and religions, find themselves intertwined in a turn of events no one could have predicted.
The worlds of this book are vivid and real and evocative, as are the characters. Each point of view fills me with different fears and biases, and these contentions are what bring them to life. When all their beliefs were overturned, it was so easy to slip in each of their minds and gauge their reactions.
The Priory of the Orange Tree starts out slow, which I like. We’re very gradually introduced to the world--absolutely no infodumps. And by the end, I was completely immersed in the story, characters, and religions.
Speaking of religion, Samantha Shannon crafts three believable faiths, but not a single one of them is immune to the threats that rise again. It’s incredible how much I sympathized with each one; how much I wanted each to succeed. Losses were personal hits. Gains were personal victories.
Every advance in the plot is gradual, natural, and realistic--but not in a predictable way. Everything makes sense once it’s unveiled. The whole scope of things is something that takes time, but it's not out of grasp.
If I were to condense The Priory of the Orange Tree into one sentence (impossible, but whatever) I would say something along the lines of “queer queens, dragons, and ancient magic.” It’s wondrous. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s epic....more
The Lies of Locke Lamora is perfect. Perfect is a strong word to be throwing around, but I will be doing more than just that. I will be hurling it at The Lies of Locke Lamora is perfect. Perfect is a strong word to be throwing around, but I will be doing more than just that. I will be hurling it at high speeds. I will be catapulting it across the interwebs.
The list of things I love about this book is unreasonably long. The biting humor, the grim irony, the poetic use of profanity. The way the Venetian setting builds a vivid atmosphere of intrigue, adrenaline, and exhilaration. Then there’s my beloved found family of rascals and the immense, addictive satisfaction I felt after finishing every chapter. This book has the best heist I’ve ever read and also some of the best characters I’ve ever met. The Lies of Locke Lamora gave me full-body chills on multiple occasions. And if I so much as think about this book for long enough, I will literally start to shake again. I looked at the cover this morning and nearly cried. My emotions range from I will never read another book again to pay for my therapy. My camera roll is just fanart.
You’re probably thinking, Isn’t this just a book about thieves? Why are you so emotionally attached?
It must be the Thorn of Camorr who could pull off the heist of stealing my heart so effectively. Locke Lamora, who is wickedly funny and self-destructive and has an ego big enough for at least three people. Vengeful and anguished and eloquent Locke, who will kill anyone who touches his friends without blinking but would never raise a finger to hurt the people he loves. He’s so full of devastating rage and bitter grief, but he still retains his keen wit and his ability to turn into anyone he wishes with hardly any effort at all. He is a melodramatic thespian and an insufferable but oddly lovable liar. He gets into deep trouble and talks his way out of it with a touch of flair and an adopted accent. His lies will always run deeper.
Words can't even begin to describe the beauty of this book.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a mesmerizing tapestry woven from heartbreak and despeWords can't even begin to describe the beauty of this book.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a mesmerizing tapestry woven from heartbreak and desperation and yet, somewhere in the midst of the suffering, the pure joy of living. This book touched my heart in places I didn't know existed. It tore open the gates of my emotions and ripped them apart mercilessly.
We follow Addie LaRue, a French woman longing for freedom, who strikes a bargain with a god named Luc. She will live forever—for a price. A blink, and Addie LaRue is gone. Turn away, and she is forgotten. Her name chokes in her throat when she tries to speak it. Words she writes are erased by an invisible hand. When she attempts to tell her story, she is silenced. Slowly, she loses hope. In her stubbornness, she refuses to give her soul to Luc, even as she begins to despair and finds herself the victim of blank stares and confused glances. Until she meets Henry Strauss, who speaks three words that change her life forever.
I remember you.
Schwab's writing is dreamy, poetic, lyrical, melancholy—lonely. Addie LaRue is so lonely, and you can feel her sorrow with every word she speaks. Her friendships dissolve overnight, her parents don't remember her face. And it physically pains me. No one but V.E. Schwab could have written such a delicate and pensive novel.
What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?
Addie is a protagonist who lives on despite it all. She leaves her mark where she can, in blurry photographs and wistful song lyrics. She's not remarkable, but this works in the novel's favor. She is always forgotten; it wouldn't make sense for her to stand out. And yet, my soul was touched by her struggles and I saw bits of myself in her.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my favorite books of all time. It's quiet, not showy at all, but beautiful and lyrical and personal. Schwab poured her heart and soul into this novel, and it shows.
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I want to delete my emotions. RIP my heart. RTC...more
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