raenyreads's Reviews (345)

A good little insight into Paige's life before the events of The Bone Season. Quite interesting and a fun story. It's worth a read if you like the series but having only read The Bone Season so far I don't think it's a necessary read plot wise.

Continuing from my review of the first books I'll reiterate, this book just feels like a hug. I loved how the story progressed in this second installment. I grew to love Mosscap and Dex even more and was intrigued by the worldbuilding we were introduced to. Some of the places are described really beautifully. It's such a simple premise but one that the author executed so well and made me feel quite emotional in such a small amount of pages.

If you want cosy, funny, wholesome, reflective scifi then this is the book for you. The book just feels like a hug. This first book is definitely more of just a set up for the second one but it's great in its own right. I love the main characters Dex and Mosscap, they are really well written and enjoyable to follow throughout.

This book was fine. The plot is interesting and it was easy enough to read but I just don't feel like it made me care enough about anyone. I may continue the series as there is some plot points I'd be interested to see play out, but am I going to care if a character dies? Not at this point.

If you like Game of Thrones you'll probably like the set up for this book as they definitely have the same vibes and multiple POV, medieval, multiple warring families structure.

I really would have appreciated some diversity in the characters and how they were written as many felt like they were the exact same person.

Overall, it was a slow read at times but the plot was interesting and it has the potential to be better in the next installments.

The story is funny and chaotic, as is Nimona as a character, with plenty of jokes and silly moments. However, it is also heartwarming and had an ending which I didn't really expect but enjoyed. Though I would have loved to see it go just a little further because I'm a softie at heart.

The art style isn't the most detailed, but it definitely suits the story in its fast-paced and fun nature. So I think it is perfect, really. 

I was given an ARC of this book for review by NetGalley but that has not affected my opinion stated here.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner is a great start to a series, even from the prologue I was intrigued by the setting and characters we are introduced to and it only got better from there.

The way gods exist in this world I found to be unique and interesting. Requiring shrines to survive, having the power to bend the world to their will but only if they are worshipped and ultimately being able to be killed by humans sets up a great power dynamic which sucked me in from the start. The magic system in this world associated with the gods also added a lot of intrigue to the story.

A big positive for this book is it's characters, a found family situation in which each don't know whether they can trust each other, but ultimately want to, brings along a heart-warming aspect to the story. I found each character interesting and so didn't mind when we switched point of view quite often, though my favourite was Kissen from start to finish. Overall there is 4 POVs, not so many that it becomes confusing but enough that it also keeps it interesting. I'm not usually a fan of child characters in adult fantasy books but Inara had an interesting enough plotline and characteristics that she won me over by the end.

The plot in this first book is solid and allows us to explore the world and characters enough so that we get a good idea of the situation presented along with a backstory to why the world is the way it is. This book is quite short on average for a fantasy instalment and I think due to this I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by what is covered plot wise. The ending was great and I was satisfied by how it rounded up, but felt we could have gone a little further.

Overall, I rated this book 4 stars and I'll definitely be picking up the next instalment in this series. 

A great short story (very short). It explores a Greek myth I hadn't read before in a unique and feminist way. I felt for the main character from the start and liked the plot arc we saw her through. Can't say too much more because of the length but if you like Madeline Millers other books you'll likely enjoy this too.

This is a really great short book, I think it's my favourite in the series so far. The pacing was good and I was satisfied by the ending. Its hard to get depth into such short books but I think the author does it well. I found the plot in this one to be the most intriguing. However I still feel something is missing to give it a higher rating.

The vibes of this book are immaculate. I loved Zoraida Córdova's writing as everything felt so magical and atmospheric. The magical realism sucked me in from the start with it being nature based, which is a favourite of mine. Also, the author is from Ecuador and has used some of the places she knows for parts of the book. I really feel that you can tell her love for these places through her writing.

The book is structured so that the story is told through a dual timeline, which I absolutely love in books. For the most part, each chapter flicks back and forth between the 'present' and Orquídea's past, both of which I found kept my interest, so neither felt boring compared to the other.

The first third of the book was maybe my favourite; in this part, we are introduced to the family and their dynamics and get their backstory before the plot really kicks in. From the start, the characters and relationships feel so real and engaging, and their banter throughout the book is great.

However, it's only not 5 stars because I felt the plot did become a bit less engaging in the later half of the book. I can't pinpoint why, but it just seemed to lose the pacing a bit, though I still felt satisfied by the ending.

Overall, I really recommend picking up this book. It's a great magical realism story surrounding strong family bonds and mysterious antagonist.

This was an interesting book, it went in a way I didn't expect. Most of this rating comes from the concept which is intriguing, magical and has a cat which is always a plus. However, I was still mildly bored throughout. I was just never sucked into the story and didn't really connect with the characters. Also for a book called 'The Cat Who Saved Books' there is not enough cat content and too much teenagers content.