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wendleness's reviews
329 reviews
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
Nona is a fantastic main character. I was instantly and wholly rooting for her, as she so easily slipped her way into my heart. She is a wonderful person in horrible circumstances, just trying to make the best of it.
I loved the huge array of secondary characters, the vast majority of whom are women, which is a delightful thing to see. As the story progresses we learn more about them, and my feelings towards certain characters evolved and changed. There were no characters that left me feeling ambivalent. Several characters, their story arc, and where they are at the end of the book made me shed a tear.
But if we’re talking about crying there was one particular chapter that left me genuinely sobbing. It upset me deeply and left me feeling upset for days. This is a compliment.
A full review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
I loved the huge array of secondary characters, the vast majority of whom are women, which is a delightful thing to see. As the story progresses we learn more about them, and my feelings towards certain characters evolved and changed. There were no characters that left me feeling ambivalent. Several characters, their story arc, and where they are at the end of the book made me shed a tear.
But if we’re talking about crying there was one particular chapter that left me genuinely sobbing. It upset me deeply and left me feeling upset for days. This is a compliment.
A full review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
It may be a short book, but it is dense. I think a couple of things contribute to that. There is no dialogue, for one. There is also a lot of time and effort made to describe things—the earth, as observed from space; small moments or concepts strung out and closely examined; accuracy to space travel given importance and respect. All of this has led to bigger, longer paragraphs of text with nothing to break things up.
For me the best part of the book was when it slipped into second person narrative. It seemed to happen at random, but effortlessly. Those were the moments I really felt myself getting lost in the book, and I would have easily rated this book higher if it has been written completely in second person. It is an absolutely underused and underrated point of view.
The main themes running through the book were connection and isolation. The astronauts observe the land and sea rotate below them and see it as a whole, as cohesive, as one connected thing. No borders, no division. It is with that isolated and distance they can clearly see how connected everything and everyone truly is.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
For me the best part of the book was when it slipped into second person narrative. It seemed to happen at random, but effortlessly. Those were the moments I really felt myself getting lost in the book, and I would have easily rated this book higher if it has been written completely in second person. It is an absolutely underused and underrated point of view.
The main themes running through the book were connection and isolation. The astronauts observe the land and sea rotate below them and see it as a whole, as cohesive, as one connected thing. No borders, no division. It is with that isolated and distance they can clearly see how connected everything and everyone truly is.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What do you need?
It’s a question that takes Dex and Mosscap on quite a journey. And just as with the previous book, it is a physically and philosophical journey. The pair of them travel from village to town to settlement, and at each one they learn something, decide something, question something.
With a relaxed pace and beautiful imagery, this story takes the reader on a journey along with the characters. It made me happy, it made me sad, it made me think, and it made me content. It was Mosscap, mostly, that made me cry.
A longer review on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
It’s a question that takes Dex and Mosscap on quite a journey. And just as with the previous book, it is a physically and philosophical journey. The pair of them travel from village to town to settlement, and at each one they learn something, decide something, question something.
With a relaxed pace and beautiful imagery, this story takes the reader on a journey along with the characters. It made me happy, it made me sad, it made me think, and it made me content. It was Mosscap, mostly, that made me cry.
A longer review on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Safari Honeymoon by Jesse Jacobs
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A couple and their guide on safari in a very, very strange land. Everything is dangerous and poisonous and fantastically weird. It is so fun and interesting. A lot of the art felt very trippy, which I loved. I also think a video game in this style would be amazing.
A slightly longer review on my blog: Marvel at Words.
A slightly longer review on my blog: Marvel at Words.
Safer Places by Kit Anderson
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Parts of every comic read like poetry, and every comic has a unique style. Rough pencil sketches, neater bright colours, monochrome and moody. Every story its own personality and ambiance, while all quiet and reflective. I adored every single one of them.
A slightly longer review on my blog: Marvel at Words.
A slightly longer review on my blog: Marvel at Words.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While Viv may be young and her zest for violence alive and well, this book is still very much a cosy one, thanks to an injury that forces her to to slow down enough to allow it. Her frustration with having to be careful and rest was palpable early on in the book. Seeing that after knowing how calmly she was moving through life in Legends & Lattes was interesting, and only makes me want to know more about her life, her adventures, and her journey.
I had a few thoughts and theories regarding the plot, how things might shake out, and potential twists and turns. They were all wrong. But I loved that, because things were actually just so much simpler. Which is, again, kind of the point for a low-stakes cosy fantasy. And I absolute love that.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words
I had a few thoughts and theories regarding the plot, how things might shake out, and potential twists and turns. They were all wrong. But I loved that, because things were actually just so much simpler. Which is, again, kind of the point for a low-stakes cosy fantasy. And I absolute love that.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words
Space Story by Fiona Ostby
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
Hannah’s story, for me, was the most intense. We see her slowly coming out of her shell and meeting people, letting people care for her and understand her pain. The emotions in all of that hit me so hard I was actually sobbing at one point. Leah’s story is more one of strength and resilience in the face of hopelessness—a determination to not give up. And setting both amongst the history of their love story was an extra, glorious, punch in the feels.
A slightly longer review can be found on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
A slightly longer review can be found on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One of the overwhelming feelings in the book is loneliness and isolation. For Leah this was quite literal, being trapped as she was and all three of them struggling with the situation in different ways. For Miri it was much more on an emotional level. Leah was there, in body if not in mind, and she had friends to call on. But she didn’t. And this is something that makes her character more interesting, but less likeable. She’s struggling, but doing nothing to help herself.
In both situations the characters are almost haunted by a world outside of the one they find themselves stuck in, a world they’re not quite a part of. Leah with the mysterious noises of something in the ocean around the submarine, and Miri with the constant sound of the neighbour’s television as a constant companion.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
In both situations the characters are almost haunted by a world outside of the one they find themselves stuck in, a world they’re not quite a part of. Leah with the mysterious noises of something in the ocean around the submarine, and Miri with the constant sound of the neighbour’s television as a constant companion.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Kingdom by Jon McNaught
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Immediately the book had feelings of nostalgia. Quiet moments captured in a handful of panels. Memories I would not have thought to remember were pulled from the depths of my mind. And all with such a quiet beauty and fondness.
With a limited colour palette, blocky art style, use of shade, and stylised text, the artwork is simple but beautiful. There is depth and texture. The size and number of panels varies from page to page, but each and every frame is beautiful and worthy of taking several moments to appreciate.
A slightly longer review can be found on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
With a limited colour palette, blocky art style, use of shade, and stylised text, the artwork is simple but beautiful. There is depth and texture. The size and number of panels varies from page to page, but each and every frame is beautiful and worthy of taking several moments to appreciate.
A slightly longer review can be found on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Although the location is lovely, interesting, and important, the biggest setting of the story is inside of Dex. The mental journey they are on is more interesting and intense; the physical journey is one they’re taking to distract themself. Both are equally beautiful in their owns ways.
My heart wasn’t fully captured by the book until we met Mosscap. Splendid Speckled Mosscap. A robot on its own journey to meet humans. A journey it seems to thoroughly enjoy. Mosscap is an absolute delight, and I adore them. Considering Dex is its first interaction with humanity, Mosscap exudes so, so much of it. Above all, it is curious.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
My heart wasn’t fully captured by the book until we met Mosscap. Splendid Speckled Mosscap. A robot on its own journey to meet humans. A journey it seems to thoroughly enjoy. Mosscap is an absolute delight, and I adore them. Considering Dex is its first interaction with humanity, Mosscap exudes so, so much of it. Above all, it is curious.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.