smashmo's reviews
295 reviews

The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous emotional 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

I'd rate this one a little higher but it took me so long to finish, and the first half felt really slow for some reason. However, It was a great ending for the series and I wasn't disappointed. 
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

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

4.0

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

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An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
I just couldn't get in to this. I liked the autumn vibes but everything else was just so boring and I don't care. 
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The start was a little slow for me, and Spensas personality at the beginning was a bit much. Over time, though, this story and the characters grew on me; I'm still not crazy about M-bot, but everything else was a great ride.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Jade City by Fonda Lee

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adventurous dark tense 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

4.5

Oh. My. God. I never would have guessed I would love an Asian gangster story, but this was almost perfect in every way. The world, the magic, the characters just all had me. It drags a little here and there due to some of the political intrigue plot points but even then I was having so much fun rooting for our characters. Can't wait to get my hands on Jade War ❤️
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

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

3.5

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

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adventurous lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

It's always such a bummer when you start a series hoping to fall in love, and then you don't. It's partially my fault. I didn't know the book was set in a Victorian-esque setting, and I thought there would be more dragons..or at least more studying of dragons. Instead I got misadventures of a confident, smart, "not like other girls", rich girl. The humor didn't work for me either, and I never felt a sense of excitement at what was happening. 

The characters and story grew on me a bit more by the end, but I'm not sure if I'll continue this series or not.
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous emotional tense 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

5.0

I am IN LOVE ❤️ 
I did have a couple issues with the ending: pacing felt a bit off and
authors should really stop being afraid to kill off characters
but I can forgive those things easily. I can't wait to get my hands on the last one!