ocie's Reviews (413)

Nona the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Madison Square Murders

C.S. Poe

4.5

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

A very tiny review because I'm tired: a gay semi-romantic story about two police detectives developing the healthiest relationship I've ever read while solving a cold case murder? Good Soup. 4.5 🌟

Our Wives Under The Sea

Julia Armfield

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

I enjoyed the slow, mysterious pace of this book, but I don't really have much to say about it. Loved the casual domestic queerness of it. And I enjoyed reading on, waiting to find out what was happening as the events of what happened at the bottom of the ocean were slowly revealed.

The Last Continent

Terry Pratchett

4.25

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Terry Pratchett is, as always, hilarious. We follow the Wizzard Rincewind as he desperately runs away from another adventure which, as it turns out, is the adventure he's trying to avoid.
Meanwhile the other Wizards of Unseen University get stuck back in time (while trying to locate Rincewind) on an island with the god of evolution who is just starting to figure things out.
While this is a top-tier Rincewind-Runs-Away novel, it is, at its core, a book that deals with the myths and stories about the creation of worlds. This is woven in so smoothly with the perspective of the faculty of Unseen University, whose main focus is asking why all the time and not bothering to listen to an answer. So the whys about creation and evolution hang in the air, giving the reader something to think about.

Bonus: I always enjoy the little parodies and references Pratchett slips into his works. My favorite in this one is "Crocodile Crocodile Dongle" (who I gather to be a parody of Crocodile dundee).

When London Snow Falls

Hayden Stone

4.0

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A cute, low-stakes queer romance against a London background, this book was relaxing and easy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

System Collapse

Martha Wells

5.0

adventurous emotional funny 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

Martha delivers again with a great story of navigating corporate exploition and human error. Coupled with secunit error (martha I am holding you personally responsible for giving mb trauma) and team dynamics, it makes for a good read, one I couldn't put down.