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baileys_books's reviews
236 reviews
A Little Too Familiar by Lish McBride
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Gothic horror lesbians? I’m sat.
I love a unique narrative structure, and the interludes of the doctor’s notes - and the suggestion that the whole story was pretty much an interview - made it all the more compelling. I think there were times the story started to drag, but was pulled back into a more intriguing narrative thanks to the interludes.
This was an incredible debut, I can’t wait to see what van Veen comes out with next!
I love a unique narrative structure, and the interludes of the doctor’s notes - and the suggestion that the whole story was pretty much an interview - made it all the more compelling. I think there were times the story started to drag, but was pulled back into a more intriguing narrative thanks to the interludes.
This was an incredible debut, I can’t wait to see what van Veen comes out with next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Incest
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gore, Racism, and Vomit
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thrum by Meg Smitherman
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Asunder by Kerstin Hall
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really love how Sanderson creates worlds. The science and magic and ecosystems and water cycles are so incredibly thought out.
I really enjoyed this, it was a really fun time with very endearing characters. It did start to lean a little too ‘quirky’ for me at times, which I’m not a big fan of especially in fantasy stories, but the occasional gruesome reminder about the spores (and the worldbuilding that created them) managed to keep me mostly grounded. I also think the ending was very rushed, especially in contrast to how long it took for the story to really pick up and feel like it started. It felt very unbalanced.
Overall though, this was a fun standalone within the Cosmere, with some cute little cosmere easter eggs. Tress and Huck were delightful, the side characters were unique and well written, and Hoid was Hoid.
I really enjoyed this, it was a really fun time with very endearing characters. It did start to lean a little too ‘quirky’ for me at times, which I’m not a big fan of especially in fantasy stories, but the occasional gruesome reminder about the spores (and the worldbuilding that created them) managed to keep me mostly grounded. I also think the ending was very rushed, especially in contrast to how long it took for the story to really pick up and feel like it started. It felt very unbalanced.
Overall though, this was a fun standalone within the Cosmere, with some cute little cosmere easter eggs. Tress and Huck were delightful, the side characters were unique and well written, and Hoid was Hoid.
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is 30% yearning, 30% heartbreak, 30% war/politics, 9% arm wrestling, and 1% surprisingly blatant typos. I loved it, can’t wait to finish the series.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5