roseleebooks's reviews
227 reviews

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg

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adventurous relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

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adventurous relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book was an enjoyable addition to the Whimbrel House series. The introduction of new characters and a new setting was a welcome change, as well as the focus on Owein as a character. The manor house and surrounding locations were well detailed, although the side characters were more one-dimensional. This did allow for more focus on Owein, Hulda, and Merritt, but I wished there had been more tension and rounding out of the suspects leading up to the reveal at the end. The introduction of the Druids was fascinating, and the world expansion was done very well overall. I will definitely read another book in this series if one is planned!
The Lady or the Lion by Aamna Qureshi

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

5.0

This book was such a wonderful read. There are very few authors that can write characterizations in such a real way that you can't step back and see them as anything other than a fully realized person. I found myself becoming frustrated with Durkhanai at the beginning and then very invested in her growth as a person toward the end. She always felt real even when I was annoyed with her. The mystery is well done and I liked that even when given the information through other characters my doubts echoed and were tied to Durkhanai's.

The setting was beautiful and I loved seeing the world through the eyes of the main character. Her love of her home reflects the love that the author has for her own home.

This book is perfect for anyone who likes political intrique and build up of a mystery to the action and reveal at the end. I was so invested that I immediately picked up the next book.
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A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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

5.0

This book encompasses many themes: overcoming trauma, finding connections with others through stories, seeking to change the world for the better. Underlying it all, you can feel the passion and love that Reid has for literature, for the realities inherent in even fanciful tales. I think any person who has been in a field historically dominated by men will feel a deep connection with many aspects of Effy's experience. Her fears and insecurities are in many ways due to the external assumptions and expectations of others. The Fairy King is a villain we will all recognize, the manifestation of those who use their power to control and manipulate but are elevated and celebrated regardless. Effy's growth is central to the book, and it was wonderful to see the internal monologue change as it goes along. Preston is wonderful as well, a character who grew on me over the course of the book.

This book has just the right amount of tension and horror to keep the plot moving quickly. I read the second half in one sitting which is unusual for me. Looking forward to reading more from Ava Reid.
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Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

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

4.5

Rebel Skies is the first book in a series by Ann Sei Lin. This book is an action filled first installment that introduces a unique magic system. Kurara, a girl with the ability to magically control paper, goes on a journey of self-discovery as she seeks to save her friend Haru. From the airships, to the paper shikigami, to the levitated sky-cities, the world building is exquisite. We are seeing this world through Kurara's eyes and discovering secrets about her past and that of the other paper crafters. All the characters felt like real people, well realized and dimensional. There are multiple point of views but they serve to further the story and reveal more about the characters and their motivations.

This is appropriately categorized between middle-grade and YA. There are many unanswered questions at the end of the story and I does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I will be looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
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Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

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challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This historical fantasy set in the 1800s about a translation institute at Oxford is a profound story. It's hard to properly review this because I think it is less a book to be reviewed rather than a book to sit with and think about. 

Kuang centers it on a specific class going through the British translation institute, mostly through the eyes of Robin, a boy brought to England from China by one of the professors of Babel. Robin's experience of England going through a magical version of the industrial evolution is a way to show the reader the realities of that time and our own. How colonial expansion and exploitation were used to build wealth and power for those who already have it, how "progress" was measured by production and wealth rather than the well-being of the people not in power, and how resistance could be met with indifference by those in power.

There were so many elements and moments of this book that reflect clearly into the realities we see today. There is a lot of discussion of colonialism, imperialism, racism, and suppression. Our own refusal to acknowledge the wrongness of how our modern world was built, harming so many so that a small few can "thrive". If we do not learn and grow and seek to change, to support those who suffer concretely, what kind of world are we perpetuating?
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On the subject of blackberries by Stephanie M. Wytovich

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.0

This dark, horrifying, and hopeful book of poetry was meditative to read. It was written as an outlet during the author's postpartum period, and for anyone who has experienced a traumatic delivery or postpartum mental illness it will be a familiar set of ideas. The fear, perseveration on death, deep love for a child - these thoughts carry through the imagery inspired by Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Even without having read that book, the evoked concepts and world are present. This is not an easy set of poems to read, but they may be comforting for those who feel connection to the thoughts of the writer. Parenthood is a lonely endeavor even as it brings people together, and grieving the process of bringing a child into the world is a common but not well recognized reaction. This book is heartbreaking and hopeful, and that contradiction is something I will be thinking about long after reading.

Thank you Netgalley and RDS Publishing for the eBook.
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Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was my first read by Olivie Blake and I found the writing and the story very enjoyable. It's theme is life and what makes it worth living, told via a comedy featuring angels, demons, a vampire, a ghost, gods, and the godson of Death. The dialogue was witty, sharp, and funny. There were some moments in the plot where I had to reread to figure out what was happening, but regardless I found the story engaging. This was a great choice as an early fall read and I would readily reread this in future.
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All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr

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

5.0

This book is the story of a teenage survivor of sexual assault told in verse. Sawyerr's writing is extraordinary. It is painful, hopeful, and honest. There is no shying away from the realities that the story faces, but Sawyerr is successful in making it Amina's story and not that of her abuser. She brings the reader into Amina's emotions and thoughts, the truth of being a survivor. I could see this book being painful for some, and would recommend reviewing the content warnings before reading.
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