Scan barcode
ladyelfriede's reviews
158 reviews
She Topples Giants by Morgan Stang
3.5
For a debut of Stang, this wasn't too bad!
The dark fantasy vibes he's known for in Lamplight is minor compared to the rest of the book. It's more of a character and political drama, with battle scenes and dry humor with a big dollop of gore.
Prose: it's passable
Worldbuilding: there's not a whole lot but there is some. Not enough to satisfy me so I have to dock it a star here.
Dialog: it's the selling point of the book, though a few times characters go on monologuing for a few pages that it loses meaning.
Vibe: stereotypical medieval town with a dark atmosphere but it changes a few times along the way
Plot: I also need to deduct half a star here. It's entertaining enough but there are times when it's too predictable, however, the major plot twists were a surprise
Pacing: slow as molasses, but picks up around the 150 pg mark then goes through several uptick in the pace
Characters: the other up side to this book is characters, though a ton of them are one dimensional, you get a few multifaceted characters to keep you satisfied
All in all, though this is a 3.55/5, I'm still rating this 4 stars because I still enjoyed it, I don't hate that much to give it a 3. Also it's a huge accomplishment of a debut doesn't go lower than 3.5 stars as their part in quality can only go up from there (and we've seen it in Lamplight)
Go in with low expectations and it's a fun ride on KU!
TW: animal death, gore, violence, sexual assault, minor POC trope
3.55/5 Would love to meet Jim again
The dark fantasy vibes he's known for in Lamplight is minor compared to the rest of the book. It's more of a character and political drama, with battle scenes and dry humor with a big dollop of gore.
Prose: it's passable
Worldbuilding: there's not a whole lot but there is some. Not enough to satisfy me so I have to dock it a star here.
Dialog: it's the selling point of the book, though a few times characters go on monologuing for a few pages that it loses meaning.
Vibe: stereotypical medieval town with a dark atmosphere but it changes a few times along the way
Plot: I also need to deduct half a star here. It's entertaining enough but there are times when it's too predictable, however, the major plot twists were a surprise
Pacing: slow as molasses, but picks up around the 150 pg mark then goes through several uptick in the pace
Characters: the other up side to this book is characters, though a ton of them are one dimensional, you get a few multifaceted characters to keep you satisfied
All in all, though this is a 3.55/5, I'm still rating this 4 stars because I still enjoyed it, I don't hate that much to give it a 3. Also it's a huge accomplishment of a debut doesn't go lower than 3.5 stars as their part in quality can only go up from there (and we've seen it in Lamplight)
Go in with low expectations and it's a fun ride on KU!
TW: animal death, gore, violence, sexual assault, minor POC trope
3.55/5 Would love to meet Jim again
Aching God by Mike Shel
3.5
This is like, the most inoffensive dark fantasy I ever read (that's like, good and bad lol)
I think it's because I had certain expectations that weren't met and felt like we were going to the Barrowlands for the majority of the book.
Not the case.
If I had to describe the book, it's the journey rather than the destination that makes this book. It still is a love letter to Dark Souls lore 100% but can I say 'THIS IS IT!'? No, however I think this book should be read by every dark fantasy fans everywhere. It's hard to believe this was self published.
I have a lot of gripes with this book, but there's so much that Shel did RIGHT.
Go in with no expectations, and you'll be surprised
4/5
Edit: Changed my rating because on second hand: [ Why is the fucking antagonist the only POC in the entire book, like why.
I think it's because I had certain expectations that weren't met and felt like we were going to the Barrowlands for the majority of the book.
Not the case.
If I had to describe the book, it's the journey rather than the destination that makes this book. It still is a love letter to Dark Souls lore 100% but can I say 'THIS IS IT!'? No, however I think this book should be read by every dark fantasy fans everywhere. It's hard to believe this was self published.
I have a lot of gripes with this book, but there's so much that Shel did RIGHT.
Go in with no expectations, and you'll be surprised
4/5
Edit: Changed my rating because on second hand: [ Why is the fucking antagonist the only POC in the entire book, like why.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
5.0
We have the 2nd nominee for Book of the Year for the Golden Sticks, but at the cost of me getting a depression episode after finishing said book
Lemme pre-face by saying this: Do NOT read this book if you're just getting back into reading. You'll be sorely disappointed with anything you read after that.
Read if you've seen the usual tropes and got tired of it all and need to find a way to love fantasy AFTER you read maybe like 5 books before going to this. Thank me later.
Prose: Beautiful. Jimenez reinvented how a book works which I didn't think was possible.
Pacing: Can be slowish but it helps you be in the dream that is this book
Plot: Seems stereotypical at first. Without spoilers, do not let it sway you away, go into this book with the lowest possible expectations.
Vibe: Feels like we're in Pacific Island area of the world with a healthy dose of summer sun. Definitely a summery jungle book.
Characters: I feel this book is where it has it's weakest point. Keema and Jun were good characters but weren't the deepest. They had their fears and insecurities sure, but Jimenez doesn't highlight much about their good qualities and we're on the Depression Wagon for getting to know them.
Worldbuilding: Where it shines most. I also won't spoil it here, but Jiminez found a way to do his worldbuilding that whether he realizes it or not, pays homage to Soulsborne storytelling and it's so fucking beautiful.
Though this book does have rape in it, the first usage of it wasn't a shock factor but somehow... a worldbuilding explanation? (I have no idea if I should be impressed or disgusted) The action is never explicitly described thankfully.
The second time it is mentioned, in my opinion, it was for a shock factor, but he doesn't delve too long about this. It's on a page at most and it passes up to not be mentioned again (same with the first encounter.)
All that said, I do not think we should avoid writing about "TW" topics, but how you use it in a respectful way.
Did Jimenez do it in such manner? Yes and no.
I don't know how I feel about it, but I'm glad none of these two instances ever explicitly described the act nor lasted more than a page so if you want to skip over them, you can without missing much.
So before you get uptight about it, just remember this is a HUGE leap in writing TW correctly. It's not perfect by any means but it is a start and we have to acknowledge it when due and point it out when it's shit.
Anyway, it's 5/5, imagine me being that dumb white bitch slapping the table trying to advocate a dumb book.
That's me, but for this book. I have standards, bitch.
5/5
Lemme pre-face by saying this: Do NOT read this book if you're just getting back into reading. You'll be sorely disappointed with anything you read after that.
Read if you've seen the usual tropes and got tired of it all and need to find a way to love fantasy AFTER you read maybe like 5 books before going to this. Thank me later.
Prose: Beautiful. Jimenez reinvented how a book works which I didn't think was possible.
Pacing: Can be slowish but it helps you be in the dream that is this book
Plot: Seems stereotypical at first. Without spoilers, do not let it sway you away, go into this book with the lowest possible expectations.
Vibe: Feels like we're in Pacific Island area of the world with a healthy dose of summer sun. Definitely a summery jungle book.
Characters: I feel this book is where it has it's weakest point. Keema and Jun were good characters but weren't the deepest. They had their fears and insecurities sure, but Jimenez doesn't highlight much about their good qualities and we're on the Depression Wagon for getting to know them.
Worldbuilding: Where it shines most. I also won't spoil it here, but Jiminez found a way to do his worldbuilding that whether he realizes it or not, pays homage to Soulsborne storytelling and it's so fucking beautiful.
Though this book does have rape in it, the first usage of it wasn't a shock factor but somehow... a worldbuilding explanation? (I have no idea if I should be impressed or disgusted) The action is never explicitly described thankfully.
The second time it is mentioned, in my opinion, it was for a shock factor, but he doesn't delve too long about this. It's on a page at most and it passes up to not be mentioned again (same with the first encounter.)
All that said, I do not think we should avoid writing about "TW" topics, but how you use it in a respectful way.
Did Jimenez do it in such manner? Yes and no.
I don't know how I feel about it, but I'm glad none of these two instances ever explicitly described the act nor lasted more than a page so if you want to skip over them, you can without missing much.
So before you get uptight about it, just remember this is a HUGE leap in writing TW correctly. It's not perfect by any means but it is a start and we have to acknowledge it when due and point it out when it's shit.
Anyway, it's 5/5, imagine me being that dumb white bitch slapping the table trying to advocate a dumb book.
That's me, but for this book. I have standards, bitch.
5/5
Into the Broken Lands by Tanya Huff
1.0
I really wanted to like this book.
This book is an example of a good book in Huff's mind but she executed poorly.
Pace: Almost random
Characters: Literally didn't need the amount of characterization she put in while also making it seem like half of them are surface level. This book could have been cut in half if we left the amount of nonsensical dialouge
Vibe: Hit or miss. It picks up more when you get into the Land
Prose: bluntly, it was trash. Weird way of phrasing and tended to begin sentences with conjunctions, which are fine in dialouge text, but not outside written text. She also uses the same sentence structure every other paragraph that it became obvious.
Plot: it was fine.
Worldbuilding: The biggest missed potential of this book was barely going into worldbuilding. Misadvertised as "environmental fantasy" and barely got into the environment descriptors, which I know readers can imagine but I can save 20 bucks and do the same thing in my head. The worldbuilding itself, when we do get it, is barely even there. Mostly about the relationship between Gateway and Marsanport, the aftermath of the magewar, and two crumbs about the mages.
More notes in rabbit notebook but save your money. Rent from a library, go into it for characters going on a camping trip with a quest in mind and not for an actual fantasy book
1.5/5
This book is an example of a good book in Huff's mind but she executed poorly.
Pace: Almost random
Characters: Literally didn't need the amount of characterization she put in while also making it seem like half of them are surface level. This book could have been cut in half if we left the amount of nonsensical dialouge
Vibe: Hit or miss. It picks up more when you get into the Land
Prose: bluntly, it was trash. Weird way of phrasing and tended to begin sentences with conjunctions, which are fine in dialouge text, but not outside written text. She also uses the same sentence structure every other paragraph that it became obvious.
Plot: it was fine.
Worldbuilding: The biggest missed potential of this book was barely going into worldbuilding. Misadvertised as "environmental fantasy" and barely got into the environment descriptors, which I know readers can imagine but I can save 20 bucks and do the same thing in my head. The worldbuilding itself, when we do get it, is barely even there. Mostly about the relationship between Gateway and Marsanport, the aftermath of the magewar, and two crumbs about the mages.
More notes in rabbit notebook but save your money. Rent from a library, go into it for characters going on a camping trip with a quest in mind and not for an actual fantasy book
1.5/5
A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith
0.0
You have a gorgeous map and a good potential for WB, to only waste it on a lackluster romance that was drier than hardtack.
Characters: Everyone was a trope, sadly, the only POC was comedic relief which is yikes. Descriptions of people were barely done so hard to imagine everyone. So I just put a stereotypical goth with different hair colors because that was the only way I can imagine them.
Pacing is fast.
Prose is OK.
Plot: Predictable
Worldbuilding not original but could had the potential for a female DnD group and did absolutely nothing with.
Thankfully didn't buy the sequel (shame cause it seemed more interesting than this book.)
Really disappointed, could have been a good debut.
1.5/5
Characters: Everyone was a trope, sadly, the only POC was comedic relief which is yikes. Descriptions of people were barely done so hard to imagine everyone. So I just put a stereotypical goth with different hair colors because that was the only way I can imagine them.
Pacing is fast.
Prose is OK.
Plot: Predictable
Worldbuilding not original but could had the potential for a female DnD group and did absolutely nothing with.
Thankfully didn't buy the sequel (shame cause it seemed more interesting than this book.)
Really disappointed, could have been a good debut.
1.5/5
A Canopy of Stars by R.J. Louis
4.5
This was surprisingly a fun read. It is short and sparse on description, it makes up for it by having a rich and creative world building.
Characters: Not the deepest but each unique in their own way and have their own lore that we don't scratch into just yet
Plot: Keeps you on your toes, not predictable
Pacing: Can be fast, but mostly steady and keeps interest
Prose: Nothing special, it is functional a little too much for my liking but does the job
Worldbuilding: People are descended from dead gods and the world is shattered into shards. Oh and it's all steam punk with flying ships
If you have KU or a few bucks to spare, I highly recommend this book if you need something to get lost into and need to be reminded why fantasy is so great
4.5/5
Characters: Not the deepest but each unique in their own way and have their own lore that we don't scratch into just yet
Plot: Keeps you on your toes, not predictable
Pacing: Can be fast, but mostly steady and keeps interest
Prose: Nothing special, it is functional a little too much for my liking but does the job
Worldbuilding: People are descended from dead gods and the world is shattered into shards. Oh and it's all steam punk with flying ships
If you have KU or a few bucks to spare, I highly recommend this book if you need something to get lost into and need to be reminded why fantasy is so great
4.5/5
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
4.5
There are a 4 things I'm certain about this author:
1. She was a pegasister at one point and loved Fluttershy (Shinjiro is literally Fluttershy but transitioned and put a lot of sake in his tea)
2. She played/watched Danganronpa with how the layout of the ship, types of deaths, and doorplates worked.
3. She had some oddly specific food cravings while writing this book.
And 4.
She truly cares about people, the marginalized and POC especially.
It's not a perfect book by any means necessary, the prose feels too modern and it came straight out of Booktok which is jarring as it can take you out of the setting a bit.
But this is still a damn good book.
It's rare to see a white author be respectful about the cultures she's representing in a book but also just treating them like people instead of an ethnic stereotype which a lot of white authors lean into sadly.
White didn't with this book. She understood her audience, the Knives Out mixed with murder and fantasy and LGBT and HORRIBLY needing POC that matter, and you get a near perfect Booktok book that truly deserves its name.
It's fun, she has a really good handle how to pace a book. The beginning was a little slow but once a murder happened, it got the ball rolling HARD.
I feel like this only book that deserves to be hyped up to high heaven and not be ashamed of promoting an author. Toss out your Zionist trash and get this book. It truly deserves it.
This is a NEW ADULT, not an adult fantasy book
4.5/5
1. She was a pegasister at one point and loved Fluttershy (Shinjiro is literally Fluttershy but transitioned and put a lot of sake in his tea)
2. She played/watched Danganronpa with how the layout of the ship, types of deaths, and doorplates worked.
3. She had some oddly specific food cravings while writing this book.
And 4.
She truly cares about people, the marginalized and POC especially.
It's not a perfect book by any means necessary, the prose feels too modern and it came straight out of Booktok which is jarring as it can take you out of the setting a bit.
But this is still a damn good book.
It's rare to see a white author be respectful about the cultures she's representing in a book but also just treating them like people instead of an ethnic stereotype which a lot of white authors lean into sadly.
White didn't with this book. She understood her audience, the Knives Out mixed with murder and fantasy and LGBT and HORRIBLY needing POC that matter, and you get a near perfect Booktok book that truly deserves its name.
It's fun, she has a really good handle how to pace a book. The beginning was a little slow but once a murder happened, it got the ball rolling HARD.
I feel like this only book that deserves to be hyped up to high heaven and not be ashamed of promoting an author. Toss out your Zionist trash and get this book. It truly deserves it.
This is a NEW ADULT, not an adult fantasy book
4.5/5
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
4.5
listened to this on audio book was an enjoyable series WITH NO ROMANCE I'M SO HAPPY
This book is the perfect case study that shows you CAN write POCs and a different culture if you do your research and she's clearly done it.
I do mark some points down as the prose style feels a bit modern to my taste, but I still enjoyed this book anyway. Also could have used MORE fantasy elements but that's just me.
I'm definitely finishing this trilogy!
4.5/5
This book is the perfect case study that shows you CAN write POCs and a different culture if you do your research and she's clearly done it.
I do mark some points down as the prose style feels a bit modern to my taste, but I still enjoyed this book anyway. Also could have used MORE fantasy elements but that's just me.
I'm definitely finishing this trilogy!
4.5/5