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epsyphus's reviews
319 reviews
Radiance by Grace Draven
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This felt very Beauty and the Beast-esque and I loved it. There wasn't a lot of plot or like conflict, but that was fine. It was just a quick and easy romance and it was great. I didn't realize it was a series; I don't know if I'll finish it.
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the worldbuilding, the political intrigue and the back drop of the plague. I loved the main character and I liked the romance. The ending did feel a bit rushed and there were some questions left unanswered that I would have liked to know (like about his being able to see ghosts and even the origins of the plague although I recognize that wasn't necessarily relevant to the events of the book), but I don't mind. I had a really good time reading this book.
(Also did anyone else feel like the name of the book was a little misleading/didn't make sense?? Like I said, loved the book but I finished and was like ?? why did she name the book that?? Anyone else or am I just dumb?)
Reread update: I was thinking about this book again anyway, but after reading Dragonfruit, I had to come back to this one. I originally gave it 4 stars, but I think it’s fair now to say this is a 5 stars for me. I just find the story really compelling, I don’t know how to articulate it.
(Also did anyone else feel like the name of the book was a little misleading/didn't make sense?? Like I said, loved the book but I finished and was like ?? why did she name the book that?? Anyone else or am I just dumb?)
Reread update: I was thinking about this book again anyway, but after reading Dragonfruit, I had to come back to this one. I originally gave it 4 stars, but I think it’s fair now to say this is a 5 stars for me. I just find the story really compelling, I don’t know how to articulate it.
Dark Age by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Damn. Honestly, like what a freaking ride this one was. I'm tempted to just have what surely is at least 4 pages worth of texts I sent Ashlyn (she has already read it) stand as my review. It's a lot of caps lock yelling and demanding Pierce Brown meet me in the parking lot. It was a very brutal book that contained a lot of death and the horrors of war. I knew it would be like that, I knew to expect characters to be introduced only to die, but damn man. Tear my heart out why don't you.
Giving us back Alexander and the hope for him and Rhonna to have time together only to have Lysander shoot him point blank was freaking diabolical. I knew Ephraim would die from the moment he swore to Sefi that he would rather die than have Volga be her heir, but it was so much more devastating and even rather hopeless than I thought it would be.
And yet, throughout all the parts that made me want to scream (and there were a lot) there were moments that were so sweet and had me laughing out loud. This book had me gasping and making faces in public like a crazy person, had me feeling all types of emotions, and I just loved it. I'm getting Light Bringer from the library tomorrow.
And yet, throughout all the parts that made me want to scream (and there were a lot) there were moments that were so sweet and had me laughing out loud. This book had me gasping and making faces in public like a crazy person, had me feeling all types of emotions, and I just loved it. I'm getting Light Bringer from the library tomorrow.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I quite enjoyed this book which is great, but I also feel a rather strong sense of vindication which is even better. This is the 3rd book of hers that I've read and the other two I either didn't like or didn't like as much as I thought I would and that drove me crazy because after hearing about her books I was so certain I would love them when I picked them up. So now I finally get to be like "see?? I knew I would like her work" although I still can't put my finger on precisely why I didn't love her other books. I really enjoyed the whole story within a story aspect and I would really like to read this again after it's settled a bit.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
I was curious to see what all the fuss was about, so I sat down and listened to it in a day. Nothing to write home about, but who doesn't love a story about finding out your soulmate is a big, strong alien who will protect you at all costs? (probably a lot of people don't, but I'm not one of them)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I loved the way these characters developed together. I'm devastated to have read the last of the books in this world so far and absolutely thrilled that the 4th Saint of Steel book comes out in 3 days!!
Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
It was very interesting to finally be reading the first book in what T. Kingfisher refers to as the World of the White Rat. The paladin books mention the clockwork boys and the wonder engines, but they never explain them super well. I'm excited to learn whether that's because we don't really know much about them when it comes down to it or because the information has been lost in the interim (I want to say at least 20 years pass between when Clockwork Boys take place and Paladin's Grace but I could be remembering that wrong). As always, I love her characters and the way she tells the story of these rag-tag people being thrown together. I do love paladins.
The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.5
This wasn't quite as creepy/gory as I was hoping it would be, but it is YA and I knew that going in so I can't really be mad about that. The romance felt rushed though. I can't decide if that's just a symptom of it being YA and a standalone. It feels like the last couple YA books I've read have had that insta love thing going on. I realized I've been slowly and unintentionally reading less and less YA books lately and I wonder if that's part of the reason why. I felt like this had good potential, but I never was invested in the characters or even the plot really. The ending felt untrue to the motivations established earlier for the main character.
Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This was a fun little story about hope and taking your life in you hands. I would love more stories set in this world, it was very cool.