pixxyhex's reviews
272 reviews

The Mapmaker's Apprentice by C.J. Archer

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book follows the same book tropes I have read in other steampunk/romance books.
---------------- Alert, spoiler for those who have not read " The Watchmaker's Daughter "-------------


 Girl from lower class meets rich boy from high society. They fall in love but should not be together for reasons. Girl has some magic powers/abilities in addition to being a bad ass and being witty . They search for magic objects with the help of a roge group of friends. 

But, even with an easy to guess plot, I still really enjoyed myself. Its just a quick and fun read. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh I loved this book soooo much. I adored every single character, and the only negative I can think of,  is that I couldn' stop myself from reading it. This means I finished it way to fast. I wanted it to never end!

The humor is in perfect harmony with some very touching moments. The story is lighthearted and at the same time focuses on some very hard topics. I have no idea how the author was able to accomplish this, but he has. 

It's hard to explain why this book made such an impact. If you try to recommend it to someone,  there is really not much you can mention as attention grabbing. There  is not a lot of action and yet a lot happens.  
I've ended up with just saying.  It's like a hug from a friend, a warm blanket on a cold winters day. Read it and you will understand.

So I will finish with just that. READ IT, you will understand.
Mrs. Wickham by Sarah Page

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hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

You Only Die Twice by Brynn Kelly

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

 
After reading several very emotional and hard hitting books, I was hoping that this would be  fast, fun, action packed and enjoyable to read.  Unfortunately  this book was neither fun  nor enjoyable. The action scenes were interrupted with romantic interludes that just did not work for me. 

I admit that the overall plot was to some extent interesting, however the execution was not great. 

Two thirds of the book are a 2 star rating, the last raises it for me to a 2.5. I admit that the timing I listened to this audio might also have played a part in my negative review as cancer is a big plot point and I just recently lost someone to this horrible disease. If I had known beforehand I might have passed on this title for the time being. 

All in all a disappointing read. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

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emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4,5 stars This is not the normal type of book I go for  so I started it ( knowing the general topics that it would touch ) with a great deal of apprehension. Overall, if I do not like the main character, no matter how well the book is written, I have found I will not enjoy my reading experience. Unexpectedly I loved nearly everyone.

I really got to know these people, and understand why they do what they do.  

The pacing and writing style made it hard to put the book down. 
Overall a very interesting read, and a good example for me that reaching outside of my preferred genre can be an interesting experience. 

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Cat & Vivian by Amanda Eyre Ward

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

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emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Search for Starlight by James Maxwell

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

It was very hard for me to give a rating for this book . In the end I think I will take all the three books into account.  

Why was it so hard to rate? Well I think the author had a fantastic plot idea.  It's in the execution I feel he did not deliver. 
All three books read as a first draft.
The positive:
  • I think the world he built was very unique.
  •  I found the idea od mystics very interesting and what their main purpose was
  • I liked the split in the three books. The ways the world is shown to us in the first book. How we are shown a little more in the second and the final revelation at the end. 
The Negative 
  • I did not get to know any of the characters.  We were shown them from a very basic level. No deep dive to really understand any of them.  Tamain is brave, he fights, he can ignore his pain. That's about it . Selen is at first hesitant about her power but fights through it ( generic descriptions) then is a strong leader. Again that is it.
  • Missed opportunity.  As we did not get to know any of the characters so when they died it did not impact me as it should. 
In Conclusion if this was written by someone else I think this could have been a 5 star series.