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sarai0410's Reviews (404)
lighthearted
fast-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
About 90% smut, 10% plot - but done well, so I'm not complaining.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know what's coming and I don't like it.. Nanami...my love
adventurous
challenging
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:
Yes
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? I knew I was missing out by having not picked up a book by John Gwynne until now, but holy bananas I didn't realize how badly - shame on me for waiting this long! The Shadow of the Gods is the perfect book for those looking for amazing writing, fascinating world-building, and phenomenal characters. Our three points of view - Orka, Varg, and Elvar - each had their own voice and gripping stories. So frequently in multi-POV books, the reader can find themself really only interested in one or two, just waiting to move on to the ones they enjoy - this was so not the case here. Each character was unique and gripping, making this book nearly impossible to put down.
The Shadow of the Gods is the perfect book for readers interested in Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and Viking history/culture. Gwynne's writing is so intriguing, so captivating that I could feel myself in the shield wall with the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim, traveling with Orka on her quest.
While the first third of this book move along rather slow, the last third and the ending absolutely make up for the slower pace early on. By the end of the book, I felt connected to each character, like I had learned so much about them - consider this is just the first in the trilogy...there's no way I can wait long before moving onto the next installment of The Bloodsworn Trilogy, The Hunger of the Gods.
The Shadow of the Gods is the perfect book for readers interested in Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and Viking history/culture. Gwynne's writing is so intriguing, so captivating that I could feel myself in the shield wall with the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim, traveling with Orka on her quest.
While the first third of this book move along rather slow, the last third and the ending absolutely make up for the slower pace early on. By the end of the book, I felt connected to each character, like I had learned so much about them - consider this is just the first in the trilogy...there's no way I can wait long before moving onto the next installment of The Bloodsworn Trilogy, The Hunger of the Gods.
informative
slow-paced
Fascinating listen and very thoroughly researched. I would have liked more on the current state of the area of Chernobyl, but overall enjoyable.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 ⭐ Firstly, the writing in Hum is fantastic - the author is able to evoke such a feeling of dread and anxiety and confusion that I had to take a couple days break after Part 2 because I was genuinely anxious. I could feel May's desire to give her children the life she felt they deserved, while restricted so heavily by the world around her - between finances, the state of the world, the environmental crisis, everything was against her in different ways, making her feel like she was failing as a mother and partner.
Some spoilerly thoughts:
Some spoilerly thoughts:
Phillips did a phenomenally earie job in demonstrating how freely and openly society judges and villainizes mothers in moments of hardship in parenthood, while father's so rarely feel this judgement and scrutiny despite frequently being involved in those moments just as much as the mother. - After the incident, I couldn't help but agree with how thoroughly May wanted to protect Lu and Sy from every possible instance where they (or their DNA) could be accessed by someone other than herself. That protective instinct going into overdrive when her brain recognized a threat.
- Jem and May's relationship throughout the book was so raw and realistic, each of them just wanting to be better for each other and their children while at the same time unsure of how to just exist together during their struggles.
- What the hell is horsie go round??
Ultimately, a creepy creepy book with some seriously good writing.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Damn 👀 go into this blind - the twist twisted and the spice was spicing 🌶️
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Gods I love these little weirdos. More thorough review to come once my heart stops aching for Evie and Trystan to just get it together.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a tough one for me. The concept and characters were very interesting and the first half of the book had me hooked. Unfortunately, at about half-way through, the pacing changed and it was a slog to get through. I hadn't expected the religious undertones, but found that very interesting when it did come up.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had a ton of fun with this. The 'story within a story' style combined with the eerie writing and continuously mounting tension among the characters - within both stories - had me at the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down (I actually read this in one sitting, so quite literally). While the culprit was in my small group of guesses, the twists and turns that story took were engaging and I was still quite happy with the outcome.
The 'meta' portion of the story - WOW. I'd love to have a whole book of that story. 'Real' Leo sure was...something to say the least. One thing I wish we got a little more of was the 'story' Leo - what was his purpose, who was he, what did the ending mean? The open-endedness of the story did add to the eeriness, so I can't be too upset on the lack of information.
The 'meta' portion of the story - WOW. I'd love to have a whole book of that story. 'Real' Leo sure was...something to say the least. One thing I wish we got a little more of was the 'story' Leo - what was his purpose, who was he, what did the ending mean? The open-endedness of the story did add to the eeriness, so I can't be too upset on the lack of information.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
wow, wow, WOW - literally all the stars ✨
It's been a while since I was drawn into a story so thoroughly like Törzs had me from the very beginning of Ink Blood Sister Scribe. With beautifully evocative writing, characters that feel uniquely themselves, magic system unlike any I've experienced before, Törzs created a story so intriguing that I find myself distraught that this is a standalone novel - I. Need. More.
And yet, this story feels so beautifully complete that I'm happy she ended it there. While I guessed the majority of the plot points and twists before they were revealed, it never felt like the story was spoiled - in reality it felt gratifying and the reveals were just as satisfying as if I had no idea what was happening until the moment it happened.
This is a story that will be sticking with me for a long while ❤️
It's been a while since I was drawn into a story so thoroughly like Törzs had me from the very beginning of Ink Blood Sister Scribe. With beautifully evocative writing, characters that feel uniquely themselves, magic system unlike any I've experienced before, Törzs created a story so intriguing that I find myself distraught that this is a standalone novel - I. Need. More.
And yet, this story feels so beautifully complete that I'm happy she ended it there. While I guessed the majority of the plot points and twists before they were revealed, it never felt like the story was spoiled - in reality it felt gratifying and the reveals were just as satisfying as if I had no idea what was happening until the moment it happened.
This is a story that will be sticking with me for a long while ❤️