thoughtsontomes's reviews
819 reviews

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire

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emotional reflective slow-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

This was a sweet story about grief. I would have liked a bit more fleshing out of the characters but the bits that were fleshed out were fantastic. 
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The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

3.0

This ending fell a little flat for me. Too much was introduced in such a short amount of time and I cared less as the series went on. I found the ending to be unsatisfying for the buildup as well. 
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When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.25

This was fast paced story featuring some of my favorite things: Eastern European folklore, urban fantasy, Chicago, and BABA YAGA (she falls in the first category but is important enough to mention twice). The only downside was the length led to some plot points being less believable - I would have liked it to be a full sized novel. But I’m hopeful the author will return to the world! 
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Projections by S.E. Porter

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

3.0

This book is incredibly slow but also has an extremely interesting premise and setting and I find the undertaking to be noteworthy. The characters are unlikeable, intentionally, and there are parts that are confusing. I do think this could have been edited down a bit, as the ending feels lackluster after such a long book. 
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Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg

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hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

A quick read with a great communication framework. The first half was really good, but the second dropped off a bit and seemed a little redundant. 
The Queen of Sorrow: Book Three of the Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst

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

3.0

Overall this final installment felt a bit rushed. It felt like two plots smashed into one book. I still enjoy this world but the ending was a bit lackluster and left a number of questions unanswered. 
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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

4.75

This was a lovely academic fantasy with cozy elements. The romance was subtle and believable. The only part that didn’t quite land for me was the very end, as it seemed to all wrap up a bit too quickly. 
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Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear

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dark tense 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

2.75

This is another one of the retellings that add more context to a little known character from myth, in this case, Medusa's sisters. Medusa is also a character included and that haunts the narrative, as we don't get her POV. Unfortunately, the characters feel rathers flat and the book went on longer than the characters could carry it for. The character development was lackluster, and when it did happen, it was rushed (particularly for one character). 
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Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
This was just fine. It follows a similar pattern to Kaiju Preservation Society but I was actually interested in the Kaiju and I’m not so interested in the super villain universe in the same way. 
Malice by John Gwynne

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

4.5

There is a lot of setup in this book for the greater conflict of the overall series, and as such it is pretty heavy. There’s a tension building throughout and a lot of characters involved. It can be confusing at first, especially since some storylines are similar, but they start to differentiate as the book goes on. This is a series with a lot of character death though, so be warned. 
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