Scan barcode
epsyphus's reviews
316 reviews
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.
I don’t know maybe I’ll come back to this? I’m just really bored.
Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
I can see why this series loses a people around this book, but I like it. It was definitely a little slow, but with such a big series there’s a lot of build up and I don’t mind. There was a lot of Aes Sedai to keep track of in this book, but it was interesting to learn more about them and I’m excited to see how the politics of the White Tower will play more into the story.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Nobody gets me the way T. Kingfisher gets me. I know she’s written several children/middle grade books, but I’ve only read one so I was curious to see how she would go about writing a book with a young teenager as the main protagonist, especially given her propensity to take fairytales stories and turn them on their heads with rather unsettling twists. And I don’t know the story of goose girl so I wasn’t sure what to expect anyway. But of course, I liked it. This book was a bit slower pace, but I didn’t mind that. I loved the ensemble of characters she brought together and she builds such an interesting and tense atmosphere. And silly me, when I realized the main protagonist was so young I was sad because it meant that I wouldn’t get that dash of romance she seems to always put in her books (the ones that aren’t explicitly romances anyway) that always leave me wanting more but I shouldn’t have worried. Hester and Richard were so sweet!
Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This is the second book of hers I’ve read and I like them for what they are. She seems to have several series where each book focuses on a different couple but takes place in the same world. I like that because I find the world building and plot are often stronger than in a typical romance book. I don’t think her books are ever going to be 5 stars books for me, but when I’m feeling like a good romantic palette cleanser, these are a good option.
The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O'Keefe
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
A lot happened in this book and it also did the thing where a good amount of time passes (like at least 6 months I want to say), but it doesn’t fee l like it does because it time skips. And I’m not against that in theory, but I find there are very few instances where it’s done well enough that it doesn’t bother me or doesn’t feel jarring. However, there were a lot of twists and turns that I liked and I did enjoy myself. This second book wrapped up a little better than I was expecting so I’m curious to see what conflicts will be the center of the last book.
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I think I liked The Stolen Heir just a bit more, just because I really enjoyed Wren’s perspective, but this was good too! I loved seeing all of their relationships develop and further entangle, not just Wren and Oak’s, but Oak’s with his family. I’m very excited to see what lies in store for Elfhame.
The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
I didn’t realize until I started this book that with the exception of the Murderbot Diaries, the Red Rising Saga was the last sci-fi book I’ve read and that was last year. It took me a minute for my brain to remember that this book wasn’t taking place in that world. The idea of re-printing bodies and downloading neural maps was very interesting. Getting to the point where we realize Naira wouldn’t remember Tarquin was devastating but honestly, it went betting than I thought, especially because I was sure the book would end before they were reunited. I’m excited to see where the series goes. This is one of those books where I don’t feel confident on the rating so that may change, but I did like it.
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This was ridiculously fun. It’s in the same world as A Taste of Gold and Iron (and the Conspiracy of Truths series apparently although I haven’t read them) but it felt very different from that book. It took itself a lot less seriously, which was fine but unexpected. Still, I was genuinely laughing out loud and that was great.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
This was interesting; I found the relationships compelling and I’m fascinated with the idea of plague and the Black Death in particular. I read the book on a recommendation and it wasn’t until after I started it that I realized I had already read a book by Buehlman. I’m kind of glad about that because I don’t know if I would have picked up the book if I had realized before I started. When thinking about this book and his other book I read, The Lesser Dead, the first word that comes to mind to describe the books is vulgar. And I don’t necessarily mean that as a criticism because I think the vulgarity does serve the themes of the books pretty well, but I did feel kind of icky after finishing both books and I think it was a main contributor to my feeling like that. I think that Buehlman is a good writer, but I don't think his books are for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content