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bybrookenelson's reviews
171 reviews
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
4 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Let me start by saying this is easily one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, and I’m beginning to think I may like the Shadow and Bone trilogy even more than the Six of Crows duology, which is really saying something. I think I could probably go on for a week or so telling you everything this book did right, but I shan’t waste your time. Here is a condensed version of my absolute adoration for this series and, above all, this book in particular.
First of all, I’d like to thank Alina for actually being likable. It is so very rare for me to find a main character I like and feel like I can relate to. They usually feel like too far a stretch from being regular people, especially in the case of YA and fantasy. But with Alina, I instantly liked her. She’s rather ordinary, but not so much that she’s boring. And her thoughts and feelings are always understandable. As much as I like to be confused by a character, it’s sometimes nice to feel like I just get someone.
Then, there’s Mal, another (extremely ordinary but in his own strange way not at all ordinary) gem, and really another thing that makes these books so worth reading. As often as I see complaining about poor writing with female characters in a variety of series (and believe me, I often agree with the critiques), I think there is also so much room for improvement in the writing of men. The Kaz Brekkers of the world provide just the right amount of spice, but the Mal Oretsevs help to ground their stories in reality, which I adore.
I know I have a whole lot to say about the characters today, but can we quick hit on the topic of the Darkling? Because quite frankly, he scares the hell of me. Really, how could I ask for a better villain? While he’s generally horrid in the first book, I like that his utter lunacy and murderous nature are ramped up even further in Siege and Storm. I always like the villains best when they seem truly unstoppable, which is exactly what he appears to be at this point. I can’t even guess where Alina’s headed next to actually take him down. (I mean, I do have a guess, but I’m not going to spoil it because that wouldn’t be very nice.)
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there’s Nikolai. Once I got a bit of the way into Siege and Storm, I suddenly couldn’t even remember what the books were like before he came along. What a boring story the first book must have been without him! (I’m only kidding. I love them both.)
I guess the moral of the story here is that Leigh Bardugo has unstoppable character-writing skills, and we all owe her an immense debt of gratitude for providing us with such an amazing series. I just started Ruin and Rising, so I’ll be sure to leave a review once I finish that one as well. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to everybody who talked about these books so incessantly I couldn’t avoid hearing about them (mostly my sister because we’re in the same house). I owe you all big time.
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Let me start by saying this is easily one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, and I’m beginning to think I may like the Shadow and Bone trilogy even more than the Six of Crows duology, which is really saying something. I think I could probably go on for a week or so telling you everything this book did right, but I shan’t waste your time. Here is a condensed version of my absolute adoration for this series and, above all, this book in particular.
First of all, I’d like to thank Alina for actually being likable. It is so very rare for me to find a main character I like and feel like I can relate to. They usually feel like too far a stretch from being regular people, especially in the case of YA and fantasy. But with Alina, I instantly liked her. She’s rather ordinary, but not so much that she’s boring. And her thoughts and feelings are always understandable. As much as I like to be confused by a character, it’s sometimes nice to feel like I just get someone.
Then, there’s Mal, another (extremely ordinary but in his own strange way not at all ordinary) gem, and really another thing that makes these books so worth reading. As often as I see complaining about poor writing with female characters in a variety of series (and believe me, I often agree with the critiques), I think there is also so much room for improvement in the writing of men. The Kaz Brekkers of the world provide just the right amount of spice, but the Mal Oretsevs help to ground their stories in reality, which I adore.
I know I have a whole lot to say about the characters today, but can we quick hit on the topic of the Darkling? Because quite frankly, he scares the hell of me. Really, how could I ask for a better villain? While he’s generally horrid in the first book, I like that his utter lunacy and murderous nature are ramped up even further in Siege and Storm. I always like the villains best when they seem truly unstoppable, which is exactly what he appears to be at this point. I can’t even guess where Alina’s headed next to actually take him down. (I mean, I do have a guess, but I’m not going to spoil it because that wouldn’t be very nice.)
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there’s Nikolai. Once I got a bit of the way into Siege and Storm, I suddenly couldn’t even remember what the books were like before he came along. What a boring story the first book must have been without him! (I’m only kidding. I love them both.)
I guess the moral of the story here is that Leigh Bardugo has unstoppable character-writing skills, and we all owe her an immense debt of gratitude for providing us with such an amazing series. I just started Ruin and Rising, so I’ll be sure to leave a review once I finish that one as well. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to everybody who talked about these books so incessantly I couldn’t avoid hearing about them (mostly my sister because we’re in the same house). I owe you all big time.
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Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
4.0
I have extremely mixed feelings on this book.
It's probably a 3.5 star book for me. I really liked some parts. I enjoyed the returning characters and some of the new ones. But it was just really, really sad. As in, I feel like it took a little piece of my heart with me when it ended.
So, I really can't give it above three-and-a-half. But it wasn't bad. But it wasn't as good as the first...
My Dune Review
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It's probably a 3.5 star book for me. I really liked some parts. I enjoyed the returning characters and some of the new ones. But it was just really, really sad. As in, I feel like it took a little piece of my heart with me when it ended.
So, I really can't give it above three-and-a-half. But it wasn't bad. But it wasn't as good as the first...
My Dune Review
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The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
5.0
No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This is a five star book. I'm telling you, it's so good I came back from a blogging hiatus just to gush over it.
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The Rose Reaper by Jennifer Hunter, Jennifer Hunter
1.0
*Content Warning: Rape, described in full, from the rapist's point of view.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I could say I don't know what it is about this book that rubs me the wrong way, but that would be a lie. And it all starts with that content warning.
As a woman, maybe that makes me a little more sensitive to how the issue of rape is depicted and described. Maybe it makes me a lot more sensitive. Regardless, the way that sexual assault was depicted in this book gave me a very icky feeling inside.
Rape is obviously a very sensitive topic and should be approached as such, and I don't at all enjoy the way that the very first rape in the book was graphically described from the perpetrator's point of view. I have no doubt that the author thought this would be a creative way to go. I personally found it gross, and it made it difficult for me to get motivated to read past the first chapter.
Beyond this issue, the writing style is very utilitarian, very straightforward, and very much like a typical crime novel. I guess this just didn't do much for me, since I think a story that focuses on rape should focus more on the victim's emotions rather than just the male policeman and how the victim loves her new boyfriend. There is more to women than the men they know!
If the author was a man, maybe I would understand this odd approach to the story, but as a fellow woman, I'm a little disappointed. Sadly, this was just not the book for me.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I could say I don't know what it is about this book that rubs me the wrong way, but that would be a lie. And it all starts with that content warning.
As a woman, maybe that makes me a little more sensitive to how the issue of rape is depicted and described. Maybe it makes me a lot more sensitive. Regardless, the way that sexual assault was depicted in this book gave me a very icky feeling inside.
Rape is obviously a very sensitive topic and should be approached as such, and I don't at all enjoy the way that the very first rape in the book was graphically described from the perpetrator's point of view. I have no doubt that the author thought this would be a creative way to go. I personally found it gross, and it made it difficult for me to get motivated to read past the first chapter.
Beyond this issue, the writing style is very utilitarian, very straightforward, and very much like a typical crime novel. I guess this just didn't do much for me, since I think a story that focuses on rape should focus more on the victim's emotions rather than just the male policeman and how the victim loves her new boyfriend. There is more to women than the men they know!
If the author was a man, maybe I would understand this odd approach to the story, but as a fellow woman, I'm a little disappointed. Sadly, this was just not the book for me.
My Blog | My YA Thrillers | Linktree | Instagram