zoeelizabethk's Reviews (642)

There was nothing wrong with this, but I did not really care about the characters or the story. I didn’t really care for the flashbacks and I felt like I never got fully settled into the setting. It was an intriguing mix of fairy tale reimagining, a curse, and political mystery. But it just didn’t land for me.

What a great follow up to The War That Saved My Life. I love these characters and their journey. They go through so much but become better humans together.

DNF at 25%. Nothing ever drew me in or kept me intrigued or made me want to keep reading. If you’re a fan of Jack the Ripper and pre WWII Britain history you might be more interested in those aspects. But this was not for me. 

I listened to the new audiobook by Dreamscape and found the narrator engaging. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review. 

 I think Fool's Quest is the most middle-booky middle book of RotE. For me there was just a lot of preparing and planning and talking. In Golden Fool though it felt more domestic in a sense and while it was setting future action up, there was a lot else being discovered and going. And that did happen here, it just felt like Fitz especially was stuck in a rut - which I suppose is almost a character trait in and of itself for him. Some parts were lovely, and others just way too drawn out for me. I think it might have also suffered from immediately following Fool's Assassin, which was full of tension and completely engaging - and FQ just couldn't keep that energy. But the last quarter of Fool's Quest was really engrossing and it has one of my favorite extended quotes from RotE. I'm looking forward to the payoff from all this setup in Assassin's Fate. 

Orconomics won the 4th SPFBO and it was a perfect palatte cleanser for me. A cleverly satirical dnd-esque adventure in which a crew of washed up ex-heroes is assembled for a supposedly prophesied fetch quest. Hijinks and twists ensue. It’s well conceived and well executed. I wasn’t obsessed with all of the plot or all of the characters but theree was plenty to make me care and it has more impact (and heart) than you would expect. Highly recommend checking it out for people who like the Moist Von Lipwig trilogy, fantasy satire, and civil service fantasy. 

I loved the ideas in The Farthest Shore but just did not care about the plot at all and kinda slogged through. 

I really recommend A Rover's Story for people who want a middle grade with a lot of heart that packs an emotional punch. Warga did an excellent job with the composition of this and I think it will touch readers of all ages. That being said, I don't really care about space exploration so I just never ended up emotionally invested very much. And I had trouble suspending my disbelief for a number of character and their thoughts and actions. But I think these are just me. I totally see most people loving this and I would highly recommend it. I enjoyed it, it just wasn't a book I'll love for the rest of my life. 3.5 stars.

The Light of All That Falls for me was the weakest of the series. The climax of Echo of Things to Come felt like a natural climax of the plot, and so I was left feeling a bit driftless, wondering what the end goal of the series was and where Light was going. That said, the second half was a big improvement, the last quarter was very good, and the last few chapters were excellent and very satisfying. I even got a tear in my eye. I've enjoyed my time with Licanius, although I feel like I've enjoyed the series as a whole more than the individual books if that makes any sense. I love the themes and concepts Islington explores, even if these books aren't for everyone. I plan to reread these in the future and I think I'll enjoy them more, understanding more and being less confused throughout the reading process. Overall I recommend Licanius if you like Wheel of Time or are wanting a classic epic fantasy feeling story with a big twist.

Garlic and the Vampire is such a delightfully sweet middle grade graphic novel. And all the more impressive for the amount of worldbuilding that Pree Paulson pulls off in a 150-page graphic novel. I adored this, related to Garlic so much, and was inspired by the story. I can't wait to read the next one.