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eiion's reviews
84 reviews
The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.0
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
adventurous
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? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. Rothfuss has a way with words that is generally unparalleled by other fantasy authors. It had a really gripping storyline, explained well, as if the reader was part of the world. I found myself fascinated by the main character, the choices he made, and how he got where he was going. It felt like I, too, was sitting in the inn with Kvothe, Bast, and the Chronicler, listening to stories by the fire.
There was action, adventure, mystery, and more than one hardship, leading to a gripping story that explains the characters well. I rooted for Kvothe every step of the way, watching him try, over and over again.
However, as much as I enjoyed this book, there were some issues that made me really struggle. Kvothe NEVER catches a break. Every time something good happens to him, something else comes along and whisks it away. It felt like there was nothing that could go right, and even though it all usually worked out in the end, there were times when the problems he faced constantly were enough to make me need to take a break. It was frustrating at best, infuriating at worst, and it felt like so often it wasn‘t even Kvothe‘s fault, the issues he got tossed his way. It made you, as the reader, feel hopeless, because even if you knew it was going to work out, you also knew that present day Kvothe was changed because of it. It was a rough read, and didn‘t make you feel good while reading, or while preparing for his next adventure.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I plan to continue with the series (hoping for a third book release soon!), but this first book felt much more helpless than anything. This book was clearly just the foundation for the next two - and while it was a necessary foundation, it was frustrating nonetheless. Rothfuss has a clear vision for these books and this series, and I‘m excited to see where it goes next.
There was action, adventure, mystery, and more than one hardship, leading to a gripping story that explains the characters well. I rooted for Kvothe every step of the way, watching him try, over and over again.
However, as much as I enjoyed this book, there were some issues that made me really struggle. Kvothe NEVER catches a break. Every time something good happens to him, something else comes along and whisks it away. It felt like there was nothing that could go right, and even though it all usually worked out in the end, there were times when the problems he faced constantly were enough to make me need to take a break. It was frustrating at best, infuriating at worst, and it felt like so often it wasn‘t even Kvothe‘s fault, the issues he got tossed his way. It made you, as the reader, feel hopeless, because even if you knew it was going to work out, you also knew that present day Kvothe was changed because of it. It was a rough read, and didn‘t make you feel good while reading, or while preparing for his next adventure.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I plan to continue with the series (hoping for a third book release soon!), but this first book felt much more helpless than anything. This book was clearly just the foundation for the next two - and while it was a necessary foundation, it was frustrating nonetheless. Rothfuss has a clear vision for these books and this series, and I‘m excited to see where it goes next.
The Last Bear by Hannah Gold
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I picked up this book on a whim, because the book store I was in was running a buy one get one sale, and I am so glad I did, because this book very possibly changed my life.
It is a children‘s book, and it feels almost silly to admit that I cried my heart out while reading this not just once, twice, no, I cried four separate times while reading this. The emotions are so real, so raw, so powerful, and it was a book I did not put down until I was finished with it. It was everything - inspiring, childlike, emotional, and heart-wrenchingly amazing.
April Wood finds herself on a remote island in the Arctic, Bear Island, which used to be full of bears. But after the ice caps melted, leaving just one bear trapped behind, April takes it upon herself to befriend him, and thus begins the story of two unlikely friends, facing the harshness of global warming, and learning how to change the world together.
Gold‘s writing is poetic, and it reads like a book that could be spoken as a bedtime story, or something that a grandparent might tell their children about. Her descriptions are easy to understand, but evoke such raw emotion, and she has a way of understanding how to use format and font to convey her message. It felt like someone was speaking the words to me, telling me a story that I could tell onwards and onwards. It was comforting, and I loved it.
This was a call to arms to save our planet, but it was so much more than that. It was a story of hope, of doing everything in your power to change the world, even if your power isn‘t very much. It was the story of a girl and her bear, and it has changed the way I will look at our world forever.
It is a children‘s book, and it feels almost silly to admit that I cried my heart out while reading this not just once, twice, no, I cried four separate times while reading this. The emotions are so real, so raw, so powerful, and it was a book I did not put down until I was finished with it. It was everything - inspiring, childlike, emotional, and heart-wrenchingly amazing.
April Wood finds herself on a remote island in the Arctic, Bear Island, which used to be full of bears. But after the ice caps melted, leaving just one bear trapped behind, April takes it upon herself to befriend him, and thus begins the story of two unlikely friends, facing the harshness of global warming, and learning how to change the world together.
Gold‘s writing is poetic, and it reads like a book that could be spoken as a bedtime story, or something that a grandparent might tell their children about. Her descriptions are easy to understand, but evoke such raw emotion, and she has a way of understanding how to use format and font to convey her message. It felt like someone was speaking the words to me, telling me a story that I could tell onwards and onwards. It was comforting, and I loved it.
This was a call to arms to save our planet, but it was so much more than that. It was a story of hope, of doing everything in your power to change the world, even if your power isn‘t very much. It was the story of a girl and her bear, and it has changed the way I will look at our world forever.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Having just finished this book and put it down, there is nothing more I want than to pick it back up and read it again. It was FANTASTIC.
I laughed, I cried, I huffed frustratedly at this book and had to shut it to compose myself. It was filled with everything I‘d ever want, and more, and despite my original hesitations, this has been more enjoyable than I can ever explain.
Weir‘s storytelling is literally one of the most creative and entertaining things ever. I‘ve read both this book and The Martian, and he definitely has a „niche“. Middle aged scientist stuck in space just seems to work, and yknow what? I can get behind it. I‘ll never not be interested by the way he uses real, explainable, backed up science, to tell his stories. It‘s not just math, it‘s a device, and more than once, I‘ve found myself picking up a pen to recreate the math (or do it before I get given the answer), and it‘s something that keeps me coming back.
Ryland Grace is a loveable character, who thinks too fast and works too hard. He‘s here to save Earth, and by god he‘ll do it. It was fascinating to get to relive his life with him, to pick apart the pieces in little flashbacks and watch the characters that we never even meet in person develop so much. Watching him develop, watching his science flourish and his mind try and wrap his head around what was happening, it was amazing. The storyline with the Petrova-line, the sacrifices that humanity had to make and were prepared to make, it was harrowing-ly realistic and perfectly terrifying.
There were twists and turns I never saw coming, and in the interest of keeping this section spoiler free: Read the book as blind as possible. It was a delight, and I wouldn‘t trade it for the world.
If you want spoilers, or have already read the book, continue past here.
Meeting Rocky after going through so much with just Ryland was like holding my breath. I was so scared of the all too common alien trope of just making the aliens better than humans in every way. Able to understand their language, able to destroy all their compounds, I expected the worst, and I now know better than to doubt Weir. Rocky was the perfect little mix of „evolved differently“ and „lives differently“, so he knows more than Grace in some areas, and so much less in others. It felt perfectly balanced, and felt like Rocky was one of those Boston Dynamics Robo-Dogs following his scientist around everywhere, which I loved. They were the best of friends, and I was so gutted when it came time for Ryland to leave. I was then even MORE gutted when it came time for Ryland to go back to Rocky. It was a rollercoaster of happiness and sadness, and they overlapped with a perfect margin. Finding out the circumstances surrounding Grace‘s deployment on the ship threw me for such a loop. I knew that trusting Stratt was too good to be true, but I was somehow feeling the same panic as the rest of Earth in this book, and gave her far too much.
Will Ryland ever return to Earth? God, I hope so. Just to see the looks on their faces. But I‘m just as happy if he never does, and I love that Weir never forced it on us. Ryland is doing what he loves, and that‘s what I love.
Go read this. Over and over again, because I can‘t read it enough times for one person‘s lifetime.
I laughed, I cried, I huffed frustratedly at this book and had to shut it to compose myself. It was filled with everything I‘d ever want, and more, and despite my original hesitations, this has been more enjoyable than I can ever explain.
Weir‘s storytelling is literally one of the most creative and entertaining things ever. I‘ve read both this book and The Martian, and he definitely has a „niche“. Middle aged scientist stuck in space just seems to work, and yknow what? I can get behind it. I‘ll never not be interested by the way he uses real, explainable, backed up science, to tell his stories. It‘s not just math, it‘s a device, and more than once, I‘ve found myself picking up a pen to recreate the math (or do it before I get given the answer), and it‘s something that keeps me coming back.
Ryland Grace is a loveable character, who thinks too fast and works too hard. He‘s here to save Earth, and by god he‘ll do it. It was fascinating to get to relive his life with him, to pick apart the pieces in little flashbacks and watch the characters that we never even meet in person develop so much. Watching him develop, watching his science flourish and his mind try and wrap his head around what was happening, it was amazing. The storyline with the Petrova-line, the sacrifices that humanity had to make and were prepared to make, it was harrowing-ly realistic and perfectly terrifying.
There were twists and turns I never saw coming, and in the interest of keeping this section spoiler free: Read the book as blind as possible. It was a delight, and I wouldn‘t trade it for the world.
If you want spoilers, or have already read the book, continue past here.
Go read this. Over and over again, because I can‘t read it enough times for one person‘s lifetime.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I never intended to read ACOTAR. It had always been that cringy tiktok book that was focused on smut and had pretty fae men, and I never really meant to read it. I picked it up partially on a joke, and partially thinking that some shitty writing would get me out of a writing slump.
And you know what? I‘m so glad I did.
Right from the start, I enjoyed it. Feyre wasn‘t a pick-me girl, her motivations were reasonable, and the way we were introduced to Tamlin and the court made sense. The only part that seemed a bit loose-ended to me was that the treaty really didn‘t seem to be well known, nor did it seem to be fleshed out. Of course, now I know why.
I enjoyed watching her grow and getting attached to the characters. Despite knowing a few things about the book (it‘s pretty popular, and I‘m not that good at avoiding spoilers), I was still surprised, pleasantly so, by all of the characters, by Tamlin, and by Feyre. The plot and world fell into place.
I struggled with the reveal of the „prophecy“. The fake treaty that was never really a thing, that was SO CLEARLY a beauty and the beast retelling. That part felt lazily tossed together and rushed, and could have been fixed so easily with just a few sentences at the beginning about what the humans knew and didn‘t know about killing a Fae.
Regardless, I was okay with it. I wanted to like it, and I did, because I fell in love with the characters and the story. It was gripping, and I just kept reading.
And then we met Rhysand.
Make no mistake. I called his role the moment Feyre set eyes on him. I knew, just from his description, the arc that is being set up for everyone involved. It doesn‘t make me like it any more.
Her being marked with his tattoo, a permanent mental connection, one week a month… How much more Persephone can you turn this poor woman? Toss in a little love triangle, and it feels forced. I haven‘t read the second book, but I do plan to. I know for a fact that I will hate whatever they do to Tamlin to make Feyre gravitate towards Rhys. I know for a fact that I will hate whatever builds between her and Rhys. Do not mistake this for me disliking Rhys: he is one of, if not my favourite character in the book. He is not the man for Feyre. And it bugs me that he will be painted to be. It feels as though SJM attempted to set up the classic „Team Edward/Jacob“ divide, and I don‘t agree with it. Feyre risked her everything for Tamlin. I don‘t think either of them can ever forget that.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. SJM has a way of writing that just agrees with me, and I loved her care and attention to the world and to the characters. No one felt left behind because they were a side character. Everyone was fleshed out, and made decisions for themselves, not for the plot. Their development was fantastic, and SJM really captured so many different fantastical ideas while putting her own spin on them.
I looked past the small plotholes and the annoyance I held at small issues, and I‘m glad I did, because for a book that I didn‘t expect much of, it surprised me.
I‘m looking forward to read the second book, despite the fact that I know there will be characters and arcs that I don‘t love, because I want to experience it all the same.
And you know what? I‘m so glad I did.
Right from the start, I enjoyed it. Feyre wasn‘t a pick-me girl, her motivations were reasonable, and the way we were introduced to Tamlin and the court made sense.
I enjoyed watching her grow and getting attached to the characters. Despite knowing a few things about the book (it‘s pretty popular, and I‘m not that good at avoiding spoilers), I was still surprised, pleasantly so, by all of the characters, by Tamlin, and by Feyre. The plot and world fell into place.
I struggled with the reveal of
Regardless, I was okay with it. I wanted to like it, and I did, because I fell in love with the characters and the story. It was gripping, and I just kept reading.
And then we met
Make no mistake. I called his role the moment Feyre set eyes on him. I knew, just from his description, the arc that is being set up for everyone involved. It doesn‘t make me like it any more.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. SJM has a way of writing that just agrees with me, and I loved her care and attention to the world and to the characters. No one felt left behind because they were a side character. Everyone was fleshed out, and made decisions for themselves, not for the plot. Their development was fantastic, and SJM really captured so many different fantastical ideas while putting her own spin on them.
I looked past the small plotholes and the annoyance I held at small issues, and I‘m glad I did, because for a book that I didn‘t expect much of, it surprised me.
I‘m looking forward to read the second book, despite the fact that I know there will be characters and arcs that I don‘t love, because I want to experience it all the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0