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ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)
Lava Red Feather Blue is a cute and light read with some humorous moments that kept me entertained and interested throughout. Though billed as an adult fantasy, I would classify this as a new adult read as Merrick, one of the protagonists, appears a bit immature for his age and felt more of an early twenties character than near thirties. Based on content, it is a bit above the level of an average YA read, though more mature readers of the YA audience would do fine with it.
The writing was good and comfortable for me. I found it adequately descriptive, though I could have used a bit more world-building and physical character descriptions. This was particularly true for me with regard to the fae world. However, I did very much appreciate the inclusion of different species and their customs. Also of note was the attention to modern conveniences as experienced by Larkin, who had been in a magically-induced sleep for over 200 years. The address of his exposure to technology was both realistically and humorously handled.
The relationship between Larkin and Merrick is cute and fun. It is a bit instalove-y in the fact that it is fairly predictable, but the progression of the relationship is well-handled and interesting. Their interactions gave me a few good laughs along with some warm fuzzies. Their banter was particularly fantastic.
In fact, the majority of the characters and their interactions were great, with Merrick and Larkin being particularly well fleshed out. The only characters that felt extraneous to me were Merrick's sibling and niece, who provided a relationship for Merrick, but not much else. They did not appear to serve the plot in much of a substantial way and could have been utilized more. This also may have helped to expand the importance of Merrick's involvement in the perfumery. I found the occupation interesting, but there wasn't a lot of exposition explaining what he did or showing how they did it. It would have been a fun inclusion for me.
The author handled diversity and LGBT+ representation wonderfully. Unlike a lot of novels with rep, diverse sexuality does not take center stage in a way that works as a plot device, it simply exists as a matter of course. This was pleasantly refreshing and I appreciated the lack of a heavy hand.
Though I enjoyed the world and would definitely be keen on exploring it more, this novel is a standalone and it does well as one. The plot is constructed nicely and the pacing is great. There is enough action to sustain the narrative from beginning to end. The ending is good and wraps up nicely. I will admit that there is some convenience factor in the final pieces of exposition, but it was fun to read and had a very satisfying resolution. Definitely recommend, especially for readers of light fantasy or those who wish to introduce themselves to fantasy.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
The writing was good and comfortable for me. I found it adequately descriptive, though I could have used a bit more world-building and physical character descriptions. This was particularly true for me with regard to the fae world. However, I did very much appreciate the inclusion of different species and their customs. Also of note was the attention to modern conveniences as experienced by Larkin, who had been in a magically-induced sleep for over 200 years. The address of his exposure to technology was both realistically and humorously handled.
The relationship between Larkin and Merrick is cute and fun. It is a bit instalove-y in the fact that it is fairly predictable, but the progression of the relationship is well-handled and interesting. Their interactions gave me a few good laughs along with some warm fuzzies. Their banter was particularly fantastic.
In fact, the majority of the characters and their interactions were great, with Merrick and Larkin being particularly well fleshed out. The only characters that felt extraneous to me were Merrick's sibling and niece, who provided a relationship for Merrick, but not much else. They did not appear to serve the plot in much of a substantial way and could have been utilized more. This also may have helped to expand the importance of Merrick's involvement in the perfumery. I found the occupation interesting, but there wasn't a lot of exposition explaining what he did or showing how they did it. It would have been a fun inclusion for me.
The author handled diversity and LGBT+ representation wonderfully. Unlike a lot of novels with rep, diverse sexuality does not take center stage in a way that works as a plot device, it simply exists as a matter of course. This was pleasantly refreshing and I appreciated the lack of a heavy hand.
Though I enjoyed the world and would definitely be keen on exploring it more, this novel is a standalone and it does well as one. The plot is constructed nicely and the pacing is great. There is enough action to sustain the narrative from beginning to end. The ending is good and wraps up nicely. I will admit that there is some convenience factor in the final pieces of exposition, but it was fun to read and had a very satisfying resolution. Definitely recommend, especially for readers of light fantasy or those who wish to introduce themselves to fantasy.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
This is a soft, cute YA contemporary with sweet cinnamon roll characters that I just wanted to hug and squeeze. It's a bit of a slow introduction to the series, but does lay down some good groundwork. It contains drama, conflict, and emotional struggle, but still manages to be ridiculously heart-warming. The creativity is great and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes.
The drawings are lovely and the storyline is really easy to follow, despite the limitations of the graphic format. This is only my second graphic novel, and I am struggling with adapting to the format. However, this story is helping me become more comfortable, as it does balance the advantages of the format with the limitations fairly well.
There is a semi-predictable progression of the plot, but I found that to be fine. It really just felt like more of a cozy, relaxed read...something that would work especially well as a palate cleanser between genres. Also...did I mention that I love the characters? (They are SUPER adorable!)
The drawings are lovely and the storyline is really easy to follow, despite the limitations of the graphic format. This is only my second graphic novel, and I am struggling with adapting to the format. However, this story is helping me become more comfortable, as it does balance the advantages of the format with the limitations fairly well.
There is a semi-predictable progression of the plot, but I found that to be fine. It really just felt like more of a cozy, relaxed read...something that would work especially well as a palate cleanser between genres. Also...did I mention that I love the characters? (They are SUPER adorable!)
4.5 stars.
I enjoyed this installment more than the first one and felt that the story really gained some traction with this volume. The story has started to build up speed and complexity. In fact, the story gets cuter by the minute. I'm being slowly sucked in more and more and I'm really enjoying getting to know Nick and Charlie. I love how wholesome and kind they are. I love how they interact with one another and how gentle and respectful their relationship is.
This volume presents some really fantastic exploration of sexuality and the process of understanding one's own sexual preferences. It deals with the fact that the work of knowing oneself is complex and can be emotionally overwhelming. I loved how gently this was handled while still being open. It felt incredibly authentic and super accessible.
I love this story as a graphic novel and it does really well in that format. I'm still finding my footing in the format, but I will say that this feels like a really great way to be introduced to graphic novels, as there really is a lot present in the panels and the story feels pretty seamless.
I enjoyed this installment more than the first one and felt that the story really gained some traction with this volume. The story has started to build up speed and complexity. In fact, the story gets cuter by the minute. I'm being slowly sucked in more and more and I'm really enjoying getting to know Nick and Charlie. I love how wholesome and kind they are. I love how they interact with one another and how gentle and respectful their relationship is.
This volume presents some really fantastic exploration of sexuality and the process of understanding one's own sexual preferences. It deals with the fact that the work of knowing oneself is complex and can be emotionally overwhelming. I loved how gently this was handled while still being open. It felt incredibly authentic and super accessible.
I love this story as a graphic novel and it does really well in that format. I'm still finding my footing in the format, but I will say that this feels like a really great way to be introduced to graphic novels, as there really is a lot present in the panels and the story feels pretty seamless.
I enjoy a dark story. I also enjoyed the movie version of this novel. In one of the rare instances where I read the book second, this was a relieving success. While there are certainly noticeable differences between the two media, I found the story quite enjoyable.
Gaiman's writing is a style that I found both entertaining and intriguing. There is a bit of a sinister tone to everything. The atmosphere is magically dark, with fantastic descriptions throughout. The characters are just this side of normal. They have enough to them to hedge that edge between believable and magical. And each character has their own shadowy edges, as if at any moment the shoe may drop in any direction.
A little herky jerky in the pacing and movements, but that does create a good setup for the atmosphere. Adorably creepy and just the right level of scare for an upper level middle grade read. Brilliantly fun.
Gaiman's writing is a style that I found both entertaining and intriguing. There is a bit of a sinister tone to everything. The atmosphere is magically dark, with fantastic descriptions throughout. The characters are just this side of normal. They have enough to them to hedge that edge between believable and magical. And each character has their own shadowy edges, as if at any moment the shoe may drop in any direction.
A little herky jerky in the pacing and movements, but that does create a good setup for the atmosphere. Adorably creepy and just the right level of scare for an upper level middle grade read. Brilliantly fun.
4.5 stars.
This book was a totally wild ride. A complex, but terribly exciting and intriguing fantasy with great writing. This is my first read from Rebecca Roanhorse, but after this experience I will not only be anxiously awaiting the sequel, I will be searching out her backlist as well. Her writing is immersive, descriptive, dark, and just plain enjoyable.
This story is so amazingly intricate and phenomenally constructed. The inclusion of South American forklore influence is something I found both intriguing and new. The atmosphere was rich and beautiful. I was lapping it right up.
The characters are very diverse, with great representation that felt seamless and natural. There are multiple protagonists as well as several important supporting characters and I found them all to be so amazing and tangible. The balance between them is well done as well and the construction of the story for multiple timelines felt fairly seamless in transitions.
I love being able to broaden my horizons with a read that keeps me gripped from beginning to end, which this did. There were admittedly some issues with pacing that slowed a few spots for me and prevented a full 5-star reading experience, but I was so wrapped up in the story and wondering where it would go that I plowed right through the slow parts to get my teeth sunk in a little further. The ending was a complete whirlwind that left me wanting more to the detail, but also left me salivating for the next installment. I mean...wow. I'm going to need this sequel soon.
** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **
This book was a totally wild ride. A complex, but terribly exciting and intriguing fantasy with great writing. This is my first read from Rebecca Roanhorse, but after this experience I will not only be anxiously awaiting the sequel, I will be searching out her backlist as well. Her writing is immersive, descriptive, dark, and just plain enjoyable.
This story is so amazingly intricate and phenomenally constructed. The inclusion of South American forklore influence is something I found both intriguing and new. The atmosphere was rich and beautiful. I was lapping it right up.
The characters are very diverse, with great representation that felt seamless and natural. There are multiple protagonists as well as several important supporting characters and I found them all to be so amazing and tangible. The balance between them is well done as well and the construction of the story for multiple timelines felt fairly seamless in transitions.
I love being able to broaden my horizons with a read that keeps me gripped from beginning to end, which this did. There were admittedly some issues with pacing that slowed a few spots for me and prevented a full 5-star reading experience, but I was so wrapped up in the story and wondering where it would go that I plowed right through the slow parts to get my teeth sunk in a little further. The ending was a complete whirlwind that left me wanting more to the detail, but also left me salivating for the next installment. I mean...wow. I'm going to need this sequel soon.
** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **
3.5 stars
I'm not going to lie, this was a rough read to get through for a few reasons. I knew there was animal cruelty in here, but don't think I expected so much for a middle grade level book. It was gut-wrenching to read through this even though it is relatively short and fairly quick paced. I found that I was having to read it in small sections and then step away for a while.
The writing was good and the book is worth the read, but didn't grip me quite as much as I wanted...I do attribute this slightly to the middle grade level, but even then I just wanted more to it. The story was good, but again, I just felt that it needed to be fleshed out a little more. The pacing made it an easier read than it would have been otherwise, but still may have done it a little of a disservice in the immersion department.
I see value in the read and there is absolutely an audience for this one, it just wasn't quite for me.
I'm not going to lie, this was a rough read to get through for a few reasons. I knew there was animal cruelty in here, but don't think I expected so much for a middle grade level book. It was gut-wrenching to read through this even though it is relatively short and fairly quick paced. I found that I was having to read it in small sections and then step away for a while.
The writing was good and the book is worth the read, but didn't grip me quite as much as I wanted...I do attribute this slightly to the middle grade level, but even then I just wanted more to it. The story was good, but again, I just felt that it needed to be fleshed out a little more. The pacing made it an easier read than it would have been otherwise, but still may have done it a little of a disservice in the immersion department.
I see value in the read and there is absolutely an audience for this one, it just wasn't quite for me.
4.5 stars.
I have loved the Disney movie version of this book for quite a long time, so of course I needed to read the book. Like many adaptations, there are differences between the two formats, but I still felt at the end like the movie I love really did a good representation of the novel.
Pollyanna is like a slightly less mature Anne Shirley and she is utterly adorable. I loved the narrative and her character (though I can see why some readers can find her absolute cheeriness a bit grating). The novel does focus more on the Pollyanna/Polly relationship more than is given in the movie version and I felt that gave things even more heart. The contrast and tension between her and Aunt Polly is well done and I enjoyed reading through the evolution of their relationship.
The writing is comfortable and moves quickly. It is a perfect middle grade level read and balances a happy story with some definite hardships. It may be a little dated, but still holds great messages and a truly wholesome narrative.
I have loved the Disney movie version of this book for quite a long time, so of course I needed to read the book. Like many adaptations, there are differences between the two formats, but I still felt at the end like the movie I love really did a good representation of the novel.
Pollyanna is like a slightly less mature Anne Shirley and she is utterly adorable. I loved the narrative and her character (though I can see why some readers can find her absolute cheeriness a bit grating). The novel does focus more on the Pollyanna/Polly relationship more than is given in the movie version and I felt that gave things even more heart. The contrast and tension between her and Aunt Polly is well done and I enjoyed reading through the evolution of their relationship.
The writing is comfortable and moves quickly. It is a perfect middle grade level read and balances a happy story with some definite hardships. It may be a little dated, but still holds great messages and a truly wholesome narrative.
This was a low 4-star read for me. It was my first experience with Naomi Novik, and from what I heard it is different than her usual writing approach. It's a difficult book to bond with. I had heard prior to reading that it was heavy on info dumping and that CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH. I have never read a book with so much info dumping. That being said, the world and magic specifics are intricate and interesting, very creative and unique. I have to give Novik kudos for being able to come up with it all. However, as a reader it can make the book a bit of a slog and at points the amount of sheer description and spewing of magical mechanics made it feel almost like a textbook. This does take away from the intensity of the plot, making the stakes feel somehow lower.
The writing, to her credit, was still quite good in these sections, but the content organization in this way really held back the pace, especially in the first half. I very nearly DNF'd, but I stuck it out. It did get better in the second half, but the info dumping tendency does continue from beginning to end, be forewarned.
My other difficulty with bonding to the book was the protagonist herself. El is an acquired taste. She is quite snarky, which I loved, but she can also be quite whiny about her loner status. She did admittedly get on my nerves on occasion. I did enjoy the supporting characters and found them much more palatable overall. The choice to create a school where there are no instructors was an interesting choice. I do think there could have been potentially more depth added to the plot had some kind of administrative presence been included.
This all makes it sound like I didn't like the book, so you must be wondering about my rating. Well, I do enjoy this world and I think it does serve as a good introduction to a potentially great series. There was a lot to understand in order to comprehend the universe at work, so I can somewhat give a pass on some of the info dumping nature. I would have preferred more of a show over tell approach, but I'm hoping that now that the basics have been established, the second novel will build on the movement rather than returning to the technical style of delivery. The last third or so of the book really had great action and character interaction. This sucked me in and made me very interested in where this series could go. It demonstrated that Novik does maybe have it in the works to give a more traditional approach from here forward. And the ending...slapped me right in the face. Did not expect that one. Curious to see where this all goes.
The writing, to her credit, was still quite good in these sections, but the content organization in this way really held back the pace, especially in the first half. I very nearly DNF'd, but I stuck it out. It did get better in the second half, but the info dumping tendency does continue from beginning to end, be forewarned.
My other difficulty with bonding to the book was the protagonist herself. El is an acquired taste. She is quite snarky, which I loved, but she can also be quite whiny about her loner status. She did admittedly get on my nerves on occasion. I did enjoy the supporting characters and found them much more palatable overall. The choice to create a school where there are no instructors was an interesting choice. I do think there could have been potentially more depth added to the plot had some kind of administrative presence been included.
This all makes it sound like I didn't like the book, so you must be wondering about my rating. Well, I do enjoy this world and I think it does serve as a good introduction to a potentially great series. There was a lot to understand in order to comprehend the universe at work, so I can somewhat give a pass on some of the info dumping nature. I would have preferred more of a show over tell approach, but I'm hoping that now that the basics have been established, the second novel will build on the movement rather than returning to the technical style of delivery. The last third or so of the book really had great action and character interaction. This sucked me in and made me very interested in where this series could go. It demonstrated that Novik does maybe have it in the works to give a more traditional approach from here forward. And the ending...slapped me right in the face. Did not expect that one. Curious to see where this all goes.
3.5 stars. A marked improvement over the last installment in terms of plot. This one actually had some semblance of a goal and a journey that made a bit of logical sense. The writing is undeniably creative and the descriptions are still very vivid and fun to read. However, more and more these books are reading like random ideas slapped together with the intent of shipping out a new Oz book rather than a planned set to actually get anywhere relevant.
The characters in this one, though definitely not the worst of the Oz series characters, were a motley crew. Despite the cover illustration, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man play quite minor roles. The primary characters for the journey are Dorothy, Toto, the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, and Polychrome.
The premise for Dorothy accompanying the Shaggy Man is seriously circumspect and likely teaches children a quite incorrect way for dealing with strangers. Button-Bright drove me absolutely batty. I have never wanted to remove a child character from a book so intensely. He was a dolt and irritated me to no end. And for some reason Dorothy seems a little more insipid in this installment. She has been a vibrant and interesting character in the past, but this time she came off a bit pretentious and really as something of a know-it-all. She was not as charming as she has been in some of the previous reads.
As with the other reads in the series, this was still a quick one to get through and I do appreciate the creativity. It was moderately entertaining.
The characters in this one, though definitely not the worst of the Oz series characters, were a motley crew. Despite the cover illustration, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man play quite minor roles. The primary characters for the journey are Dorothy, Toto, the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, and Polychrome.
The premise for Dorothy accompanying the Shaggy Man is seriously circumspect and likely teaches children a quite incorrect way for dealing with strangers. Button-Bright drove me absolutely batty. I have never wanted to remove a child character from a book so intensely. He was a dolt and irritated me to no end. And for some reason Dorothy seems a little more insipid in this installment. She has been a vibrant and interesting character in the past, but this time she came off a bit pretentious and really as something of a know-it-all. She was not as charming as she has been in some of the previous reads.
As with the other reads in the series, this was still a quick one to get through and I do appreciate the creativity. It was moderately entertaining.
3.5 stars
This book...well, collection...was not really what I was expecting. I was anticipating a set of short stories that wove together in some way telling the stories of circus performers. That was absolutely not the case. These stories do not really have a cohesive theme, other than being fantastical in nature and having an overall dark tendency. I do like fantasy and I do like dark, so that was good, but there was nothing at all that would lead me to entertain the idea of a circus. I feel that the title and cover (as well as the synopsis and foreword) are wildly misleading. That did put a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, as I like to be able to feel that the reader can trust the author and this felt a little bit like trickery.
Despite getting off slightly on the wrong foot, I do have to say that the writing is quite good. I enjoyed the fairy tale feel to the majority of the stories and I found that Yolen's range of creativity is quite expansive. She is incredibly descriptive in her work and she creates a great atmosphere in the stories she creates. There is also an incredible variety present and it's clear that Yolen is no niche writer, her talent expands much beyond that.
As for the stories themselves, it was a mixed bag. There were a few I really enjoyed (4 - 4.5 star level) and a few I really didn't (1-2 star level). The majority were simply average and didn't really sway me either way. I mentioned that I do enjoy dark stories, but there were some seriously overly dark moments that very much turned my stomach and caused me a lot of pause with continuation of the book. I can handle violent, I can handle creepy, but the sexual exploitation of minors is not something I want in my reads. As a whole, the read was a fairly quick one, with none of the stories feeling sluggish or off-balance in terms of pacing.
Short stories are difficult in that fleshing out a solid ending is not in the cards, so I did expect some semi-open endings going in. This was what occurred for the majority of the tales. However, what I got was more choppy and awkward in some cases. The ends were quite jolting, almost feeling like they left off mid-sentence or mid-paragraph. This made those particular stories feel like a waste of my reading time and created additional feelings of frustration with my read. The content just wasn't sufficient. They read more like writing samples rather than actual tales.
While I very much appreciated her writing and her writing style, there was just a lot of awkwardness to the read and too little that gripped me. That left The Midnight Circus solidly in the average rating area for me. Once again, some of the stories did read much better than others (as you would expect in a short story collection), so there are pieces of this book I would rate much higher. There are absolutely readers for this work who will enjoy it more thoroughly from cover to cover.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
This book...well, collection...was not really what I was expecting. I was anticipating a set of short stories that wove together in some way telling the stories of circus performers. That was absolutely not the case. These stories do not really have a cohesive theme, other than being fantastical in nature and having an overall dark tendency. I do like fantasy and I do like dark, so that was good, but there was nothing at all that would lead me to entertain the idea of a circus. I feel that the title and cover (as well as the synopsis and foreword) are wildly misleading. That did put a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, as I like to be able to feel that the reader can trust the author and this felt a little bit like trickery.
Despite getting off slightly on the wrong foot, I do have to say that the writing is quite good. I enjoyed the fairy tale feel to the majority of the stories and I found that Yolen's range of creativity is quite expansive. She is incredibly descriptive in her work and she creates a great atmosphere in the stories she creates. There is also an incredible variety present and it's clear that Yolen is no niche writer, her talent expands much beyond that.
As for the stories themselves, it was a mixed bag. There were a few I really enjoyed (4 - 4.5 star level) and a few I really didn't (1-2 star level). The majority were simply average and didn't really sway me either way. I mentioned that I do enjoy dark stories, but there were some seriously overly dark moments that very much turned my stomach and caused me a lot of pause with continuation of the book. I can handle violent, I can handle creepy, but the sexual exploitation of minors is not something I want in my reads. As a whole, the read was a fairly quick one, with none of the stories feeling sluggish or off-balance in terms of pacing.
Short stories are difficult in that fleshing out a solid ending is not in the cards, so I did expect some semi-open endings going in. This was what occurred for the majority of the tales. However, what I got was more choppy and awkward in some cases. The ends were quite jolting, almost feeling like they left off mid-sentence or mid-paragraph. This made those particular stories feel like a waste of my reading time and created additional feelings of frustration with my read. The content just wasn't sufficient. They read more like writing samples rather than actual tales.
While I very much appreciated her writing and her writing style, there was just a lot of awkwardness to the read and too little that gripped me. That left The Midnight Circus solidly in the average rating area for me. Once again, some of the stories did read much better than others (as you would expect in a short story collection), so there are pieces of this book I would rate much higher. There are absolutely readers for this work who will enjoy it more thoroughly from cover to cover.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *