msrichardsreads89's reviews
2618 reviews

This is such a beautiful start to the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. This is very much a character driven book even though there are plot threads throughout the novel. I loved watching the growth and changing relationships between characters. This is a book that came at just the right time for me, and it was so healing. Out of all the Fitz books so far, I think this one is my favorite. It was well paced and so incredibly touching. The exploration of grief is so phenomenal and realistic. The cliffhanger at the end had me desperately wanting to jump right into the next one!

“I lived my grief; I slept mourning and ate sorrow and drank tears. I ignored all else.”

“There are endings. There are beginnings. Sometimes they coincide, with the ending of one thing marking the beginning of another. But sometimes there is simply a long space after an ending, a time when it seems everything else has ended and nothing else can ever begin.”

“To every creature is given both a place and a time, and when that time is over, we have to let them go.”

"And there it was, that stone-dropping-into-a-well plunge of my heart I kept it from showing on my face or in my eyes...The loneliness that can never be filled by anyone except the one whose loss created the absence; well, then, perhaps it was the same."

Hysterical and so much fun!

This was such a phenomenal sequel! I love the characters so much and their relationships are so much fun to follow. The world building is impeccable and so lush. The plot is intricate and interesting, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to get to the next book! 

This book was wonderful and so completely different from the TV show. Flora Thompson's semi-autobiographical novel is a classic, full of rich prose and vivid imagery. I loved the look at times past and how times changing affected the village of Lark Rise and their customs. This book had such a nostalgic feel and had me wondering down memory lane of my own childhood and the wonder of youth. Flora Thompson included so many historical details of Lark Rise, including housing, clothes, holiday celebrations, childbirth, and social mores. Despite being detailed, the plot is very endearing and charming and urges the reader to continue reading. While this doesn't have an overarching plot, it is a very compelling, cozy read and one that I highly recommend! 

I was craving a space opera, so I was really looking forward to this one. This was a fun, fast paced, thrilling novella. This novel made me uncomfortable with the thought of just floating in deep space without any signs of other human life. It created a very claustrophobic feel. 

The build up of suspense and atmosphere was well done, and the internal and external threats that the crew faced added to the tension. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue of what kind of entity is wreaking havoc on this ship. The ending was very climactic and had me on the edge of my seat. 

That being said, I don't know if this will have much staying power with me. The audiobook was fantastic, and the narrator did a wonderful job. I appreciated that the author used her astrophysics background to add to the science in the novella. If you want something that is pacey and suspenseful, I recommend this one! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing e-and audio ARCs in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I am impressed by Megan E. O'Keefe's ability to write a series that is so pacey and compelling to read. She kept the plot twists coming right up to the end. This book was definitely a bit longer than it needed to be, but I feel as though the ending made it worth it. There is a character in this series that we follow throughout that I just don't care about and could have done without her perspective, but I really enjoyed following the other characters. I wish we got more Grippy in this installment. We got a few quieter character interactions, which I really appreciated. The last part of this one had me on the edge of my seat. While the ending wasn't perfect, I loved the final scene. 

This second book in the Protectorate series hit the ground running. I loved that the story not only continued in this book, but it was also expanded upon and became more complex. There were lots of twists and turns, and it was so fun and kept me guessing. I will say that I think this book was a bit too long. There was a section in the middle that dragged and felt repetitive, but the pacing picked back up and didn't stop until the end. I feel like I got more connected with the characters as we learned more about them and their motivations. While some of the character decisions were unexpected, I had so much fun reading this book, and I was so excited to jump right into Catalyst Gate.