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theblacklodgebookshelf's reviews
540 reviews
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
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
4.5
Full of loveable characters, mystery and intrigue from the get go and yet again another creative and unique magic system from Sanderson. Yumi & The Nightmare Painter was everything I was hoping it would be.
My only critique would be that the pacing felt quite slow to start (but this seems to be the standard with this author!) but once we got going everything flowed beautifully and I couldn’t put it down.
I need more fantasy books with art magic!
4.5 stars
Circe by Madeline Miller
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was by no means a bad book, I just don’t think Greek mythology retellings are for me.
It was beautifully written as expected by this author, and Circe as a character was incredibly well developed.
If mythology is your thing – definitely give this a go.
3.5 stars
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The aftermath of Bunny’s body being discovered and the events that followed really let this book down. It just felt – messy? (There is a part of me that genuinely wonders if this is a purposeful ploy from Tartt and she wants you to feel as scrambled as her characters?!) The climax was, well – anticlimactic. I just felt like there wasn’t any justification for Henry’s actions and the group could have easily solved their differences without such a drastic conclusion.
I also felt myself waiting for some big twist that never came? I expected Julian to make more of an appearance, or to be revealed as some kind of evil puppet master who had been secretly manipulating them as a kind of Greek tragedy experiment? It just felt a bit underwhelming.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I have such conflicting thoughts about this one. On the one hand this is a beautifully written, well executed book. The prose is striking and the characters are all so well fleshed out and best of all – flawed. Perfect, clean, characters aren’t interesting to read about (imo).
I could picture everything in my mind (I’ve noticed I say this quite a bit in my reviews). This for me is a big plus as it says to me that the author has taken their time with creating the scene and making sure the descriptions are seamless. There’s no doubt in my mind that Donna Tartt is a superb author.
However – I felt like the story somewhat drooped in the second half. There will be spoilers from here onwards.
I have to mention that I was also surprised at the amount of casual racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism that was present in the book. I’m aware that this book is now 31yrs old, but… really??
With all that said, this book will stay on my mind for a while. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I guess time will tell.
3.5 stars
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
16/03/24 UPDATE - Following recent allegations against one of the audiobook narrators for this book I felt it important to highlight that despite my praise for the audiobook, I would recommend that you consume this via physical or e-format as supported by the author herself.
Original Review Below
Original Review Below
I downloaded this on a whim after seeing two creators on Bookstagram talk about this book (the audio in particular) and absolutely sing its praises. I was 100% influenced and I am not mad about it.
This was so good.
First let’s talk about the audio narration (which I highly recommend) –
This is easily one of the best audio books I have had the pleasure of listening to. It is dual narration, which is *chef’s kiss* for a romance book. The quality of the narration is top tier. The comedic timing and the delivery is superb from both narrators, which considering the subject matter the dialogue revolves around a lot of the time - is crucial to the audio experience.
The sex scenes were incredibly hot. I don’t really need to say more than that.
Now the plot itself -
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CHECK TW’S BEFORE READING THIS.
Yes, this is a rom-com but it is still dark and disturbing. That being said it was seriously funny. I’m never looking at Cookies & Cream Ice Cream the same way again.
In a nutshell, two serial killers (whose targets are criminals) decide to hold an annual tournament to see who can catch & kill their intended target first. However, along the way they soon develop feelings for each other but their professions and past trauma won’t make it an easy journey.
If you love dark romance or even horror, definitely give this a go.
4.5 stars
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley & Quercus Books for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
After reading Spells For Forgetting earlier in the year and now The Unmaking Of June Farrow, I can confidently say Adrienne Young is an auto buy author for me now.
It takes such talent to be able to tell a story that both enchants you and breaks your heart simultaneously.
The writing was seamless and felt effortless to read. I could vividly picture everything in my mind thanks to Young’s atmospheric prose. The plot was captivating and I couldn’t wait to see how June would break her curse or what her inevitable choice would be.
If I had to critique something, I would say that the murder mystery aspect was probably the weakest part of the plot - but the *vibes* of the book more than make up for it in my opinion.
*Excuse me while I now go read Young’s back catalogue
5 stars