You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
discardeddustjacket's reviews
317 reviews
Obsidian Feathers by N. Cáceres
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
I have such mixed feelings about my experience with this book, and my thoughts are sort of jumbled. There were some things I really really loved, and some things that disappointed me. (This entire review is going to be spoiler-y so I’m just gonna hide it all, and read at your own risk.)
I should say first and foremost, I really appreciated the focus on Indigenous culture, lore, and characters. Experiencing a glimpse into the lives of Latin American Indigenous people through this story was a treat and a privilege, even if the cultures were somewhat altered to fit in a fictional world. I deeply respect that, and absolutely no criticism of the crafting of this book is meant to reflect anything but the crafting of the book itself.
Now. Having said that. It took me a really long time to actually like and want to root for Sal to be honest. Both he and Xochitl were so all over the place for the first half of the story (maybe intentional? Idk). Sal goes from being this sort of suave, mysterious figure when we first meet him to overbearing, immature, and volatile so suddenly it gave me whiplash. The literal ONLY CHARACTER I liked from the moment they appeared on page to the very end and formed any sort of deep emotional attachment to was César, and I’m so glad that it looks like the next book will center him more (if the final chapter is any indication).
I also feel like there were a lot of plot threads that got dropped in the end (Xochi’s father/grandparents? The neighboring totoco? The broken goddess?) Are these all questions that will get resolved in future books? I know the series will include more, but I’m unsure whether those will be standalones centering different characters or if they’ll be continuations of this particular story.
As far as what I loved about this book, I have to say: it’s like 550 pages long and I managed to read it in basically two days, so. That’s saying something, lol. There was something about this story that had me wanting to keep turning the page, even when I felt tempted to skim, so it definitely managed to capture and hold my attention.
The sex scenes were really good, I’ll say that. And as an avid monster smut reader, the scene where Xochi and Itzatecuani do it while he’s in his spirit form was *chef’s kiss*.
Now. Having said that. It took me a really long time to actually like and want to root for Sal to be honest. Both he and Xochitl were so all over the place for the first half of the story (maybe intentional? Idk). Sal goes from being this sort of suave, mysterious figure when we first meet him to overbearing, immature, and volatile so suddenly it gave me whiplash. The literal ONLY CHARACTER I liked from the moment they appeared on page to the very end and formed any sort of deep emotional attachment to was César, and I’m so glad that it looks like the next book will center him more (if the final chapter is any indication).
I also feel like there were a lot of plot threads that got dropped in the end (Xochi’s father/grandparents? The neighboring totoco? The broken goddess?) Are these all questions that will get resolved in future books? I know the series will include more, but I’m unsure whether those will be standalones centering different characters or if they’ll be continuations of this particular story.
As far as what I loved about this book, I have to say: it’s like 550 pages long and I managed to read it in basically two days, so. That’s saying something, lol. There was something about this story that had me wanting to keep turning the page, even when I felt tempted to skim, so it definitely managed to capture and hold my attention.
The sex scenes were really good, I’ll say that. And as an avid monster smut reader, the scene where Xochi and Itzatecuani do it while he’s in his spirit form was *chef’s kiss*.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, and Fatphobia
Minor: Colonisation and Deportation
Out of the Blue by Jason June
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I have mixed feelings about this one. It was definitely cute, and I did like the characters. It was an interesting story too, I just, wasn’t pulled in.
Maybe it was the pacing; some parts did feel a bit over-written, and the narrator did tend to go on mental tangents a lot, which always makes my focus wander.
But that ending?? UGH. Like yeah, I get it. The point is to not sacrifice who you are for someone else or to build your whole sense of self around a relationship. Sure. That’s a good message. But I still closed the book feeling deeply unsatisfied.
Maybe it was the pacing; some parts did feel a bit over-written, and the narrator did tend to go on mental tangents a lot, which always makes my focus wander.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Mental illness
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Alright, I get it now. I understand. Believe the hype, y’all. If you haven’t read this book, you’re seriously missing out.
This is YA fantasy as it’s absolute finest. What a spectacular story, told in such a gripping and heartfelt way. It was the perfect blend of propulsive action and character development.
And that twist?? I had to put the book down. I had to take a moment to process my emotions. When Bree pulled Excalibur from that stone I about ran out of the house to do a victory lap around the block. Or, at the very least, forcefully thrust my fist in the air “Breakfast Club” style.
This is YA fantasy as it’s absolute finest. What a spectacular story, told in such a gripping and heartfelt way. It was the perfect blend of propulsive action and character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying and Injury/Injury detail
The Fox and the Dryad by Kellen Graves
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I think the more fantasy romance that I read, the less I’m able to overlook the things that tend to bother me about them, and one of those things is a huge factor in my rating of this book.
Nothing yanks me out of a story faster than when an author chooses to devote page after page after page in the middle of a chapter to a character’s inner thoughts. (It’s usually when they’re trying to come to a decision about something, or attempting to process conflicting emotions, etc.)
I understand the need to communicate to your readers what’s happening to your characters internally, but I feel like that can be done without spoon-feeding it to us (often through redundant use of leading, rhetorical questions).
So overall, my main problem with this was that it was over-written. By the end I was skimming. I did like Mal’s character though.
Nothing yanks me out of a story faster than when an author chooses to devote page after page after page in the middle of a chapter to a character’s inner thoughts. (It’s usually when they’re trying to come to a decision about something, or attempting to process conflicting emotions, etc.)
I understand the need to communicate to your readers what’s happening to your characters internally, but I feel like that can be done without spoon-feeding it to us (often through redundant use of leading, rhetorical questions).
So overall, my main problem with this was that it was over-written. By the end I was skimming. I did like Mal’s character though.
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.25
I’m so grateful that books like this exist, and I’m so grateful to Maia Kobabe for giving us such a candid and poignant glimpse into eir experience with gender and sexuality.
As someone who is currently grappling with their gender after having been isolated from the concept of gender non-conforming identities by my evangelical Christian upbringing, there were definitely parts of this book that really resonated and parts that didn’t, and I think that’s wonderful and that’s essential, and absolutely part of the journey.
Sharing our stories is how we better understand not just one another but ourselves, and how we build community, foster togetherness, and cultivate empathy. It’s no wonder that there has been such an effort to ban this book and restrict young people’s access to it.
As someone who is currently grappling with their gender after having been isolated from the concept of gender non-conforming identities by my evangelical Christian upbringing, there were definitely parts of this book that really resonated and parts that didn’t, and I think that’s wonderful and that’s essential, and absolutely part of the journey.
Sharing our stories is how we better understand not just one another but ourselves, and how we build community, foster togetherness, and cultivate empathy. It’s no wonder that there has been such an effort to ban this book and restrict young people’s access to it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Blood, and Medical trauma
Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
I’m sorry, I had to give up pretty early on. This book has a problem that I think a lot of first person POV fantasy and sci-if books have, which is that they spend too much time info-dumping (especially at the start of the story) via the protagonist’s string of consciousness. It’s like for every action statement or piece of dialogue, there are at least three paragraphs of tangential exposition.
It’ll read like: “I stood at the stove and started to prepare dinner like I always do. You see, ever since my mother got sick. . . [Insert whole page about the character’s family drama sparked by the mention of dinner] Once the water in the pot got to a boil, I reached into the cupboard for the vegetables I bought at the market yesterday. I always enjoy going to the market, it’s where. . . [insert side story about the market]” and on and on and on, until you’re 50 pages in and all the character has actually done is made soup.
It’s a lazy way to build the world of your story, and it’s exhausting to endure as a reader.
It’ll read like: “I stood at the stove and started to prepare dinner like I always do. You see, ever since my mother got sick. . . [Insert whole page about the character’s family drama sparked by the mention of dinner] Once the water in the pot got to a boil, I reached into the cupboard for the vegetables I bought at the market yesterday. I always enjoy going to the market, it’s where. . . [insert side story about the market]” and on and on and on, until you’re 50 pages in and all the character has actually done is made soup.
It’s a lazy way to build the world of your story, and it’s exhausting to endure as a reader.
The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
So adorable. It didn’t make the same impression on me as The Tea Dragon Society, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t still love it.
I know this is middle grade reading material, but there’s something so healing about enjoying them as an adult.
I know this is middle grade reading material, but there’s something so healing about enjoying them as an adult.
World Running Down by Al Hess
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This book came out of left field and absolutely blew me away. I knew within the first 30 pages that I was going to love it, and after that I just couldn’t put it down.
I have such a soft spot for A.I. characters, and Osric is so precious and gentle it makes my heart ache. The relationship between him and Valentine is so damn sweet. I would never have expected a Mad Max-style dystopian desert road trip story to be so charming, compassionate, and hopeful.
Not to mention it’s so well-written! And the author’s illustrations of the characters at the front of the book are phenomenal!
My ONLY criticisms are that it could’ve benefitted from some diversity, and the positive representation of the Mormon church made me slightly uncomfortable, especially given that in the afterword, the author states that he wishes for each of his books to be a “safe space for queer readers”—an enormous percentage of which suffer from religious trauma.
But who knows? Maybe that was intentional, like writing a supportive and inclusive religious experience into the story was meant to be a form of healing. I could understand that. All in all, it’s not like I think it severely detracted from the quality of the book. I still rated it 4.75⭐️!
I have such a soft spot for A.I. characters, and Osric is so precious and gentle it makes my heart ache. The relationship between him and Valentine is so damn sweet. I would never have expected a Mad Max-style dystopian desert road trip story to be so charming, compassionate, and hopeful.
Not to mention it’s so well-written! And the author’s illustrations of the characters at the front of the book are phenomenal!
My ONLY criticisms are that it could’ve benefitted from some diversity, and the positive representation of the Mormon church made me slightly uncomfortable, especially given that in the afterword, the author states that he wishes for each of his books to be a “safe space for queer readers”—an enormous percentage of which suffer from religious trauma.
But who knows? Maybe that was intentional, like writing a supportive and inclusive religious experience into the story was meant to be a form of healing. I could understand that. All in all, it’s not like I think it severely detracted from the quality of the book. I still rated it 4.75⭐️!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Trafficking and Kidnapping
The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I’m so angry with myself for not picking this book up sooner, even after seeing so many people recommend it, simply because it’s a graphic novel and I struggle with those.
This was perfection. This was healing. This was cozy and warm and tender and tell me why I SOBBED over these characters. K. O’Neill is now an instant-buy author for me. I will read anything they produce. Sign me up for the fan club, the newsletter, all of it.
This was perfection. This was healing. This was cozy and warm and tender and tell me why I SOBBED over these characters. K. O’Neill is now an instant-buy author for me. I will read anything they produce. Sign me up for the fan club, the newsletter, all of it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.5
This was so sweet, and so full of joy; I blazed through it!
This is a story about identity—about finding yourself, about being unapologetically you, and not feeling the need to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a story about growing up, and about hurting those you love.
But mostly this was, as the author puts it, a story about trans joy. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to throttle Miles at times and keep him from making the mistakes I knew he would, but that’s a part of life, and a part of learning how to be a good person and a good friend.
This is a story about identity—about finding yourself, about being unapologetically you, and not feeling the need to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a story about growing up, and about hurting those you love.
But mostly this was, as the author puts it, a story about trans joy. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to throttle Miles at times and keep him from making the mistakes I knew he would, but that’s a part of life, and a part of learning how to be a good person and a good friend.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia