meetmeinmalkovich's reviews
801 reviews

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/review-spark-of-the-divine-by-louise-holland?rq=Spark%20of%20the%20divine%20">SFFINSIDERS.COM</a>

I enjoyed this more than I could put into proper words. Sometimes, you find a book that just checks every box, and this one was very much it for me. 

Characters - I would die for them (overall score: 10/10)

Mae is an obvious favorite, but every character, even the ones who had me screaming and throwing this book across the room, breathed life into this story. The dynamics between this found-family gripped me, and I am invested in their stories. (And Camden, my honorable mention of the review because he’s a catalyst, and I loved his character.) The villains – chef kiss. OH AND GRUNDLE. UM, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN MS HOLLAND.

Atmosphere – (overall score: 13/14)

Setting: I want to read more like this (9/10)

Holland mentioned she based this on a DnD campaign, and let me tell you, I NEED MORE OF IT, thanks. 

Mood: I felt all the feels (4/4)

When I say I felt all the feels, trust me. I laughed, I cried, I was enraged, and I was surprised. 

Writing Style – (overall score: 17/18)

Storytelling: Excellent storytelling (9/10)

Had me from page one. I think I highlighted more in this book than I have in a long while. 

Grammar: No issues (4/4)

Formatting: No issues (4/4)

Plot – A pageturner (overall score: 10/10)

While I did try my best to savor this, I devoured it. The book has a few POVs and a few campaigns, and it’s a pretty epic ride, if I do say so myself.  

Intrigue – (overall score: 13/14)

General: Couldn’t put it down (9/10)

This whole book is a pageturner, but during that last third of the book I was flipping pages so quickly, so much was happening that I was gripped. 

Re-Readability: Dying to reread (4/4)

You bet I will be hosting a read-along!

Logic - (overall score: 13/14)

Plot Logic: I understand and want more (9/10)

Character Logic: Characters made sense (4/4)

If I give too much away in this section, it will be too spoiler-filled. As a general rule, I try to keep my reviews spoiler-free, but I will say I love these relationships. I was shocked by others, and one literally made me DM the author. I was so surprised.

Excitement – I’m in the exclusive fan club (10/10)

I bought all the editions, and I am the queen of the fan club. Expect my socials to blow up with quotes. 

Scores:

CAWPILE: 86/90

“The words were spoken. Now it was up to the One who heard”

I was immediately taken by the world-building and eloquent prose of J.L. Odom in By Blood, By Salt, the first installment of the Land of Exile series. As a character-driven book, the multi points-of-view give the reader all the insight we need to weave a unique tapestry. As a fantasy, I will say it’s loosely such, and reads more like a historical/military fiction with fantastical/mythological elements. 

Characters: 9/10

Writing Style: 17/18

Inspired by the Middle East, the military career of the author shines through in her writing. The desert landscape is rich with culture from the inhabitants that we meet along the way, all while working out the political games being played behind the scenes. 

Atmosphere:13/14

The Maurowan army has been sent out to the desert on a mission to capture a Sahr devil, and the desert hands out more than anyone was bargaining for. Especially Azetla. As an outsider, Azetla relied on the acceptance of his fellows in order to survive, but when the commander who favors him is killed, Azetla’s safety is compromised. Is the key to salvation might just be in the desert and the devil he came for? 

Intrigue: 13/14

Odom is a great story-teller, bringing this story to life on the pages. While it does have a slightly slower pace, the plot makes up for it.

Plot: 9/10

Logic: 13/14

Overall, I’m sad this one is over, and will be keeping an eye out for future installments in this series!

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND

Excitement: 8/10

Conclusion

CAWPILE Score: 78/90

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/review-blazing-flux-by-jonathan-weiss">SFFINSIDERS.COM</a>

“To help us is to hurl themselves close to yet another death. I can’t imagine a more terrifying fate than certainty.”

Where once sat a reluctant hero now stands a man on the brink of an existential crisis of epic proportions. Everything in sight is in ruins and on the brink of flux setting itself ablaze while Ryza is doing everything he can to keep himself together. But the pieces of his former self were left in the explosion of Revance, and now, while he spends fruitless days clearing molten flux from the surface, he discovers something he never expected within himself. He’s questioning his own existence (Is he real? Is he not real? ‘If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, is it really a duck’ sort of questions) while all around him his reality sits on very shaky ground. 

“I needed it...I needed someone to just tell me something so I would know what to be.”

Flux is central to this whole story: what is it, how does it act, and why does it act the ways it does? And it’s in this sequel that the flux comes to life on the pages as more than just a silver, volatile liquid pulsing across the world and corrupting people. I do however wish the runics were explored a *touch* more, because the lore around them is interesting. 

“What happens when a Reythurist dies away from the sky?”
A slower start explodes into action and intrigue as these characters discover what it truly means to be alive. 

Breakdown

Characters (9/10)
As a sequel this really builds on the relationships from the previous book. I actually like Holm this time around. She’s still a bit of a wildcard, and proves to be a handful (pun intended) later on but she really helped shape Ryza’s character a bit more. I also liked the villains yet again. They are conniving and propel the story.

Atmosphere (13/14)
* Setting (9/10)
While the characters don’t go too far away from Iroka, they do go deep. A very dusty, dystopian science fiction was brought more to life under the surface. 
* Mood (4/4)
Scenes between Ryza and Holm tugged at me the most. As someone who only started liking Holm in the sequel, I could really understand her this time. On the other hand, the action scenes were short, but impactful and made for a great read!

Writing Style (16/18)
* Storytelling (8/10)
Jonathan has an ease at which he weaves his stories that make them enjoyable, and overall it flowed at a nice pace. 
* Grammar (4/4)
* Format (4/4)

Plot (9/10)
I will admit that when I first began this sequel I was worried it was going to be a bit slower, but I am happily proven wrong. The pace is in the middle range leaning closer to fast with how the plot progressed. What at first seems like “not a lot going on” since the characters stay pretty centrally located albeit on and under the surface, ends up being an exploration of the self, the impressions we make on others, and how that image can shape our perception. 

Intrigue (11/14)
* Overall (8/10)
This book took me out of a five month reading slump and I absolutely want to read more in this series! It simply has that “middle of a series” feel, where the reader is given more information but the story is still reaching for that overall climax. 
* Readability (3/4)

Logic (13/14)
* Plot Logic (9/10)
Ryza navigating his existence in a dying world made for a great subplot, but the overarching story of what molten flux is and learning how it works (while reminiscent of a fever dream) fits the tone. 
* Character Logic (4/4)
While I still don’t see what Ryza sees in Holm, their relationship wasn’t actually the one that gave me pause. I was pleasantly surprised by Ditric, and the way she grounded Ryza when he needed it most.

Excitement (10/10)
Is there a fan club? Because I could head it! Overall I’m hyped about this book and this series as a whole and I cannot wait to see what comes next. Weiss has a way of ending his books on a huge bang and now I’m practically flinging myself off a cliff to find out what happens. 
DEFINITELY RECOMMEND.

Final Scores
CAWPILE Rating: 81/90

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/review-an-exile-of-water-gold-by-joshua-walker-am?rq=Exile%20of%20water">SFFINSIDERS.COM</a>

Two exiles; two destinies lie that along the same fragile thread of light. One a wayward spirit forced to leave. The other forging a path against the odds. 
“But this part of the world wasn’t meant for us, Drift.”

THE THINGS I LIKED
I was immediately enraptured with the easy way Walker introduces us to each character – of which there are five points-of-view, and all a mix of what his constructed universe has to offer. 

Being split up into two parts, the first focuses mostly on Drift, the first exile. And the second half revolves more around Esme, the second exile, who gets far less than she bargains for in the end. I’m heavily invested in both of their outcomes. 
Characters: 9/10
“And if you were to believe the legend that became of the story, you would also expect the ending to be different depending on who told it.”
Throughout the book, Walker weaves a wonderful, glowing landscape, and I can’t help but want more from this series. The lore alone is so fascinating I could read a mythology on it (can we make that happen, Mr. Walker?) and the way the characters are so connected to their environment creates the perfect atmosphere for this high fantasy. 
Atmosphere: 13/14
Writing Style: 16/18
“I wish you luck, Tarri. The kind that does not expire.”
I had a lot of speculations as I read this. I aim to keep this review spoiler-free, but the reason for Drift’s exile and his adventure into the human lands thereafter kept me on the edge of my seat. There’s rogues. There’s deception. There is culture shocks abound. 
The way Tarri relentlessly pursues the truth about the event and uncovers the secrets kept by the Sleepers inspires hope that they will be reunited. She’s so tenacious, and if anyone is going to dismantle the utopia that is Aobia, it’s going to be her. 
On the completely other side is Esme, who is foreign her own path to find out the truth about her father. I loved her chapters and am eager to see what ends up happening to her in the next installment. Another very tenacious woman in this universe. She has VASTLY under-estimated some people, but I have a feeling she will find an ally in a certain ambassador. 
Plot: 9/10
Intrigue: 11/14
Logic: 12/14
“The only stars in Tarri’s sky, extinguished in minutes.”
Overall, I did very much enjoy this story!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Excitement: 9/10

SOMETHING ON MY MIND….
Flow was on the top of my list of “must watch” characters and someone I was very eager to see show up on the page. He was set up with a lot of potential for subterfuge and his character was building, but at some point he pivoted and fell a bit flat. In fact the arc between Flow and Sedulus overall felt cut short when I thought it would take on a larger storyline in conjunction with Tarri/Nischia. It’s one of the few things that I marked against the story. 

Conclusion
CAWPILE Score: 78/90

Kaden's grimdark fantasies need to be on your radar.
As a prequel novella to Elegy of a Fragmented Vineyard, this is a quick read, but it's a detailed, action-packed introduction to this world.

Scores:
Characters: 8/10 The characters are really good

Atmosphere: 13/14
breakdown
- setting: 9/10 I want to read more like this
- mood: 4/4 I felt all the feels

Writing Style: 16/18
breakdown
- storytelling: 8/10 Very good storyteling
- grammar: 4/4 No issues
- format: 4/4 No issues

Plot: 9/10 Unique + paced well

Intrigue: 12/14
breakdown
- overall: 9/10 Didn't want to put it down
- readability: 3/4 Would re-read

Logic: 13/14
breakdown
- plot logic: 9/10 I understand + want more
- character logic: 4/4 The characters made sense

Excitement: 7/10 I had a good time


Totals:
CAWPILE: 78/90
Final Rating: 4 Stars

Ryza doesn't give a flux.
He's been conscripted to the ever-moving fortress known as Revance, but something needs to be fixed with operations, and Ryza is hellbent on figuring it out. I gotta say, this book captured me from the start!


My CAWPILE Scores:
Characters: 9/10 They live free in my head
Ryza is a reluctant hero who slips up, but he's such a cool character, flaws and all. I, of course, LOVE HOLM also.

Atmosphere: 14/14
breakdown
- setting: 10/10 Spot on world-building
- mood: 4/4 Felt all the Feels
This was a mashup of some of my favorite elements in science fiction, so this really hit the nail on the head for me. It was the perfect atmosphere. Chef kiss to making me scream at a character. Haven't done that in a hot minute.

Writing Style: 15/18
breakdown
- storytelling: 8/10 Very good storytelling
- grammar: 3/4 Some grammatical errors
- format: 4/4 No formatting issues
For the most part, the storytelling was engaging and easy to read.

Plot: 9/10 Different and I liked it
From the start, I was enthralled with the idea of a Mad Max + Howl's Moving Castle concept, and Weiss delivered so much more!

Intrigue: 13/14
breakdown
- overall: 9/10 Didn't want to put it down
- readability: 4/4 Gonna start a book club forum

Logic: 13/14
breakdown
- plot logic: 9/10 I understand and want more
- character logic: 4/4 Characters made sense
Even when I wanted to throttle some characters, they do make sense, lol

Excitement: 10/10 I'm in the exclusive fan group
EVERYONE GO OUT AND READ THIS OK? OK.


Totals:
CAWPILE: 82/90
Final Rating: 5 Stars

This was a really immersive, epic generational fantasy mixed with mythology/folklore. I very much enjoyed it and listened to the audiobook in tandem.

My CAWPILE Scores:
Characters: 8/10 Most of them are really good.

Atmosphere: 12/14
breakdown
- setting: 9/10 I want to read more like this
- mood: 3/4 Some scenes had me captivated

Writing Style: 16/18
breakdown
- storytelling: 8/10 Very good storytelling
- grammar: 4/4 No grammar issues
- format: 4/4 No formatting issues

Plot: 8/10 A little different + well paced

Intrigue: 11/14
breakdown
- overall: 8/10 I want to read more like this
- readability: 3/4 Would re-read

Logic: 13/14
breakdown
- plot logic: 9/10 I understand + want more
- character logic: 3/4 Some characters didn't fit

Excitement: 9/10 Have told my friends about it


+


My DP2 Scores:
Dialogue: 4/4 Dialogue flowed naturally
Performance: 3/4 Good performance
Pace: 4/4 Pace flowed naturally


Totals:
CAWPILE: 76/90
DP2: 11/12
Final Rating: 4 Stars

This is a great debut from a Break-ins author! You don't want to miss this one.


CAWPILE REVIEW
** I recently altered some of the tenants and how I break them down. The score with the key phrase plus the further breakdown is now included. Scores are now out of 86 instead of 70. :) **

<b>Characters:</b> 8/10 <i>The characters are really good!</i>
It's not often that I come across a multi-POV book where I like all the characters, but I especially love Roy & Rhaiga.
- third person
- multi-POV

<b>Atmosphere:</b> 8/10 <i>The setting/mood worked</i>

<b>Writing Style:</b> 15/18**
  <u>breakdown</u>
- <b>storytelling:</b> 8/10 <i>Very good storytelling</i>
- <b>grammar:</b> 3/4 <i>Some grammatical errors</i>
- <b>formatting:</b> 4/4 <i>No formatting issues</i>

<b>Plot:</b> 7/10 <i>Not unique but enjoyable</i>
Don't see this as negative! Plot is one I always feel compelled to explain further because I am a character-driven reader, and I read primarily fantasy, so plots do start mirroring each other -- this is natural. <i>Pathlighter</I> may not have a super original storyline, but it's ABSOLUTELY ENJOYABLE, and I am invested in this story.

<b>Intrigue:</b> 11/14**
<u>breakdown</u>
- <b>overall:</b> 8/10 <i>I want to read more from this author/series</i>
- <b>re-readability:</b> 3/4 <i>Would Re-Read</i>


<b>Logic:</b> 13/14**
<u>breakdown</u>
- <b>plot logic:</b> 9/10 <i>I understand the plot and want more</i>
- <b>character logic:</b> 4/4 <i>Characters made sense</i>

<b>Excitement:</b> 9/10 <i>Have told friends about this</i>

Total Score: 71/86
Rating: 4

If ever there was a neutral review from me, it is this one. I will say, however, that I am a bit disappointed. The structure is what made this so unenjoyable. If all the "History" had been put as a forward it may have been better, but I do realize not many people actually read those and thus might have missed the point of the book in the first place. This is why it was hard to review for me.

I liked the concept. I didn't like the execution. I didn't feel anything like I hoped I would, especially because this is an intriguing topic to me. I like the bog bodies, and the idea of telling the fictional, "would-be" story of a real adolescent bog body sounds cool! It just got cut up and made it an odd push and pull between fiction and the author's anecdotes about writing them.



My CAWPILE Scores:
Characters: 5/10 No strong feelings

Atmosphere: 7/14
breakdown
- setting: 6/10 Something is off
- mood: 1/4 I didn't feel a thing

Writing Style: 11/18
breakdown
- storytelling: 5/10 No strong feelings
- grammar: 4/4 No grammar issues
- format: 2/4 Formatting made it hard to read

Plot: 5/10 No strong feelings

Intrigue: 7/14
breakdown
- overall: 5/10 No strong feelings
- readability: 2/4 Unhauling

Logic: 9/14
breakdown
- plot logic: 5/10 No strong feelings
- character logic: 4/4 Characters made sense together

Excitement: 4/10 Eh, I'm ok without it



Totals:
CAWPILE: 48/90
Final Rating: 3 Stars