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shanaqui's reviews
1148 reviews
Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I love fierce little Jane. <3
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There's not much substance to the Catwings books, but the art is cute. You can tell it's Le Guin by some of the observations -- like fish not saying what they think, and the owl thinking slow and long.
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
In the afterword to The Wood at Midwinter, Susanna Clarke mentions that she sees this as part of the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and I agree that it probably would have made a fun footnote there. And as a physical volume it's quite attractive, with a pretty cover, lovely illustrations, etc.
However, there's basically nothing here but heavily Christian vibes and some pretty descriptions of the wood in winter. The main character, Merowdis, is a saint (because we're told that everybody says so), and in this story she gets granted a vision of her future, which is to raise a bear-cub as her own. She's positioned as a sort of Virgin Mary type figure, but to redeem the relationship between humans and animals, and... mostly it just comes across as very churchy, and mostly just vibes.
It's still an attractive little volume, but I wasn't in love with the story (inasfar as there was any).
However, there's basically nothing here but heavily Christian vibes and some pretty descriptions of the wood in winter. The main character, Merowdis, is a saint (because we're told that everybody says so), and in this story she gets granted a vision of her future, which is to raise a bear-cub as her own. She's positioned as a sort of Virgin Mary type figure, but to redeem the relationship between humans and animals, and... mostly it just comes across as very churchy, and mostly just vibes.
It's still an attractive little volume, but I wasn't in love with the story (inasfar as there was any).
The Potency Of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Received to review via Netgalley
The third book in Malka Older's Mossa and Pleiti series, The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses sticks to the basic formula: an intro where Mossa appears (which gives us something of her situation and thoughts), followed by narration by Pleiti of the main plot.
For a good chunk of this one, Mossa and Pleiti are apart, and feeling more mismatched from each other in the previous book, due to a fit of depression on Mossa's part. Given that the chemistry between them is part of what I'm attracted to in these books (not just in relationship terms, but as two people playing off each other), it's not surprising that things picked up in pace once Mossa arrived in the story, though she and Pleiti continue to be out of step with each other. It feels like there's a reckoning still to come there -- or a constant, ever-shifting dance of adaptation and compromise, which might in the end be more realistic.
One thing I noticed a lot in this installment was the use of language. There were a lot of borrowed words I didn't immediately know the meaning of, which I don't remember happening in the previous two books. Mostly it's clear by context (or similarity to an English word), but once or twice I was stymied enough to try to look up a translation, which I definitely didn't have to do with the previous books. I wonder if I was just flowing with it better, in the past? But it definitely struck me very strongly this time.
My overall impression was that this book was a bit longer than the other two, and the pace didn't quite work for me -- but that should be taken with a pinch of salt since I still read it in half a day, in just four reading sessions! It might not be my favourite of the series, but I enjoyed it.
The third book in Malka Older's Mossa and Pleiti series, The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses sticks to the basic formula: an intro where Mossa appears (which gives us something of her situation and thoughts), followed by narration by Pleiti of the main plot.
For a good chunk of this one, Mossa and Pleiti are apart, and feeling more mismatched from each other in the previous book, due to a fit of depression on Mossa's part. Given that the chemistry between them is part of what I'm attracted to in these books (not just in relationship terms, but as two people playing off each other), it's not surprising that things picked up in pace once Mossa arrived in the story, though she and Pleiti continue to be out of step with each other. It feels like there's a reckoning still to come there -- or a constant, ever-shifting dance of adaptation and compromise, which might in the end be more realistic.
One thing I noticed a lot in this installment was the use of language. There were a lot of borrowed words I didn't immediately know the meaning of, which I don't remember happening in the previous two books. Mostly it's clear by context (or similarity to an English word), but once or twice I was stymied enough to try to look up a translation, which I definitely didn't have to do with the previous books. I wonder if I was just flowing with it better, in the past? But it definitely struck me very strongly this time.
My overall impression was that this book was a bit longer than the other two, and the pace didn't quite work for me -- but that should be taken with a pinch of salt since I still read it in half a day, in just four reading sessions! It might not be my favourite of the series, but I enjoyed it.
The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 1 by Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The first volume of the manga version of The Apothecary Diaries (original story by Natsu Hyuuga, drawn by Nekokurage) was fun; I wonder if I'd be more into the story if I'd read the light novel, though. I'm very curious about Jinshi's motivations and what he's up to, and I feel like maybe the novel goes into a bit more depth.
Maomao's a fun character though, with her fascination with her studies, her stubborn desire to avoid the people who sold her into this situation profiting by it, and her total lack of interest in Jinshi.
I like the art too, it's very clear.
Maomao's a fun character though, with her fascination with her studies, her stubborn desire to avoid the people who sold her into this situation profiting by it, and her total lack of interest in Jinshi.
I like the art too, it's very clear.
Star Collector, Volume 2 by Sophie Schönhammer
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Like the first volume of Sophie Schönhammer and Anna Backhausen's Star Collector, this just feels a bit half-baked and rushed. I like the art and think it's cute, and the enthusiasm and intensity of the crush and their first fumbling attempts to have sex ring very true for teenagers.
Buuut Fynn's headlong rush into things still feels a bit off, even for a teenager. Parts of it make sense, like being mad at Niko not explaining what's going on, but in other ways he's going waaaaay too fast.
It's all very melodramatic and teenage, in any case; it's cute, but too rushed.
Buuut Fynn's headlong rush into things still feels a bit off, even for a teenager. Parts of it make sense, like being mad at Niko not explaining what's going on, but in other ways he's going waaaaay too fast.
It's all very melodramatic and teenage, in any case; it's cute, but too rushed.
Star Collector, Vol. 1 by Sophie Schönhammer
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The first volume of Sophie Schönhammer and Anna Backhausen's Star Collector has cute art and some glimmers of compelling characters -- I love that Fynn's ex is friendly to both of them, not perfectly over the whole situation, but doing her best to be a good and supportive friend.
However, it feels rushed. Fynn's interest in Niko, and then his apparent wish to come out to everybody before it's even clear that he's not just on the rebound or having a temporary fascination... There's something that does ring true in the crush, but it doesn't convince as a basis for a stable relationship.
There's a lot of potential here, though.
However, it feels rushed. Fynn's interest in Niko, and then his apparent wish to come out to everybody before it's even clear that he's not just on the rebound or having a temporary fascination... There's something that does ring true in the crush, but it doesn't convince as a basis for a stable relationship.
There's a lot of potential here, though.
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.0
Received to review via Netgalley
For whatever reason, Amal El-Mohtar's work with Max Gladestone (This Is How You Lose The Time War) left me rather cold, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The River Has Roots. Still, a solo work is quite different to a joint one, and I was curious, so I snagged this one to give it a shot -- and really liked it. Mohtar's style works well in this fairytale retelling (which I ID'd fairly quickly), and the narrative works well with the fairytale style. There's a touch of the Valente/McGuire-style commentary on fairytales (heck, even C.S. Lewis), which never dips into condescension. Just... storytelling, explaining the world, as fairytale narrators can do in a way which adds to the worldbuilding and tone of the story.
Fairytale retellings can sometimes fall down by sticking too close to their origins, but Mohtar is careful to flesh out the two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, and their needs and wants. It stops short of explaining too much (despite the helpful narrator): Rin remains a little bit of a mystery, as does Agnes Crow -- but there's more than enough to tantalise.
I was a bit worried about the pacing given my progress through the book, but all made sense when I realised the review copy also came with a teaser for an upcoming book of short stories. The River Has Roots was the perfect length, I think, with the ending leaving enough questions to leave the reader some work to do with the imagination.
For whatever reason, Amal El-Mohtar's work with Max Gladestone (This Is How You Lose The Time War) left me rather cold, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The River Has Roots. Still, a solo work is quite different to a joint one, and I was curious, so I snagged this one to give it a shot -- and really liked it. Mohtar's style works well in this fairytale retelling (which I ID'd fairly quickly), and the narrative works well with the fairytale style. There's a touch of the Valente/McGuire-style commentary on fairytales (heck, even C.S. Lewis), which never dips into condescension. Just... storytelling, explaining the world, as fairytale narrators can do in a way which adds to the worldbuilding and tone of the story.
Fairytale retellings can sometimes fall down by sticking too close to their origins, but Mohtar is careful to flesh out the two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, and their needs and wants. It stops short of explaining too much (despite the helpful narrator): Rin remains a little bit of a mystery, as does Agnes Crow -- but there's more than enough to tantalise.
I was a bit worried about the pacing given my progress through the book, but all made sense when I realised the review copy also came with a teaser for an upcoming book of short stories. The River Has Roots was the perfect length, I think, with the ending leaving enough questions to leave the reader some work to do with the imagination.
Murder at the Ashmolean by Jim Eldridge
mysterious
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? No
2.0
Murder at the Ashmolean is the third in Jim Eldridge's series featuring the ex-cop Daniel Wilson and the archaeologist Abigail Fenton. I think the second book had a certain charm for me because of the Arthurian link, but I was getting a bit tired of the formula in this book -- I don't think I'll read more of this series, at least not for now.
The books are pretty quick reads, and the mystery is fine (no better or worse than many), but it feels sometimes like a bunch of cardboard cutouts moving around from scene to scene, distinguished by a few key features but ultimately all moving to order. I did like Abigail's insistence on helping the female reporter they encounter -- the two women's interactions gave things a bit more reality.
Mostly, though, it feels a bit... paint by numbers? Which given the author's bio boasts of over a hundred books published, kind of makes sense, unfortunately. There can be such a sameness to very prolific authors' work; if you enjoy their work as it is, then that's fine, but if you find it kind of meh in one book, it's likely to strike you similarly in another.
The books are pretty quick reads, and the mystery is fine (no better or worse than many), but it feels sometimes like a bunch of cardboard cutouts moving around from scene to scene, distinguished by a few key features but ultimately all moving to order. I did like Abigail's insistence on helping the female reporter they encounter -- the two women's interactions gave things a bit more reality.
Mostly, though, it feels a bit... paint by numbers? Which given the author's bio boasts of over a hundred books published, kind of makes sense, unfortunately. There can be such a sameness to very prolific authors' work; if you enjoy their work as it is, then that's fine, but if you find it kind of meh in one book, it's likely to strike you similarly in another.
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I read Amanda Montell's Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism more or less on a whim, and found myself reading it really pretty fast. It helps that she picked some high profile cults to discuss: like it or not, there's a certain fascination surrounding events like the suicides of Jonestown and Heaven's Gate. Most people have also come across the lesser examples she discusses, like fitness groups that seem to have their own language.
All in all, it's a bit of a history of prominent cults and an examination of similar principles in other arenas -- analysing what makes leaders of cults compelling, and how the same tactics work in more prosaic contexts. In and amongst all this, Montell discusses her own brushes with cults: the one her father's family were involved in, and her own experience of an attempted recruitment to Scientology.
I think a lot of this could have been said in a significantly short book, but she did identify some interesting commonalities and ways of speaking, theories about "cultish" speech that do seem to hang together.
All in all, it's a bit of a history of prominent cults and an examination of similar principles in other arenas -- analysing what makes leaders of cults compelling, and how the same tactics work in more prosaic contexts. In and amongst all this, Montell discusses her own brushes with cults: the one her father's family were involved in, and her own experience of an attempted recruitment to Scientology.
I think a lot of this could have been said in a significantly short book, but she did identify some interesting commonalities and ways of speaking, theories about "cultish" speech that do seem to hang together.