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zoeelizabethk's reviews
595 reviews
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
4.0
Maybe it was reading these two back to back, but ToM was fairly slow moving and not as well paced as TGS, especially in the first half. I think part of this is that I didn’t love Perrin’s storyline and we obviously had a lot to catch up with him. I did enjoy a lot of moments here then. The glimpses of Lan were great. Great to see Rand come out emerging from the events of last book. I love Mat’s storyline but again it’s a bit scattered till the end. I loved Mat's section near the end as well! I wanted more from Egwene but I did like what we got. This is clearly a situation where Sanderson and Jordan are moving around all the pieces to get to the Last Battle and I’m incredibly excited for next book
Manga Classics Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Crystal Chan
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
This is a very cute and faithful adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. The artwork is beautiful and you really get a sense for Anne as a character. I will say though that it doesn't add much to the story if you're very familiar with the book. So I would recommend reading this if for some reason you struggle with the book, or you're between rereads and want a sweet dose of Anne's charm.
Thanks to Manga Classics and Netgalley for an eARC of the manga in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks to Manga Classics and Netgalley for an eARC of the manga in exchange for an honest review!
The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Swan has done such a neat thing with this series and Trials of Empire was such an experience to read! If you thought book two got dark, strap in and maybe don't read this book before bed, cause Swan fully embraces the horror elements. There's always been a good mix of character work and plotting going on in these books, and while we still get some great character moments and conversations, Trials is definitely more plot-oriented. And wow a lot happens here although I obviously can't say much for plot reasons. There were definitely some twists and turns that I did not expect, and some crazy stuff goes down. And we got a great law scene hallelujah! I have some mixed feelings about the ending, but overall I think it was a good ending for the trilogy.
My favorite part of the book was definitely the philosophical conversations about law and ethics - such wonderfully thought out questions and conclusions here! The main negative for me was that I got a little lost in some of the arcane magik going on and it being so plot heavy, but those were minor negatives for me.
I highly recommend the series and hope more people read it soon!
Thanks to Orbit and to Negalley for an advance eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite part of the book was definitely the philosophical conversations about law and ethics - such wonderfully thought out questions and conclusions here! The main negative for me was that I got a little lost in some of the arcane magik going on and it being so plot heavy, but those were minor negatives for me.
I highly recommend the series and hope more people read it soon!
Thanks to Orbit and to Negalley for an advance eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition by Timothy Zahn
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed Heir to the Empire and feel stupid that I put this one off for so long! I don't tend to enjoy SW stories set in/post Empire, but I loved how many different settings we got and how vibrant everything felt. I do feel that Thrawn's characterization is rather bland - he's basically an Imperial Sherlock who is very rarely outwitted and I don't really feel as if I understand his motivations really. But, to be fair, we are seeing him always through other characters. I do hope his characterization improves, but I enjoyed all the other characters. I will definitely be continuing to see what happens and spend more time with our other characters.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Marc Thompson. My issue with every SW novel is the sometimes excessive background sound effects. It made it hard to hear at times. Marc does a great job overall, but his Han sounds SO different from Harrison Ford that I struggled a bit. It wasn't a big problem, I just never got over it. Overall though, I really enjoyed the audio narration!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Marc Thompson. My issue with every SW novel is the sometimes excessive background sound effects. It made it hard to hear at times. Marc does a great job overall, but his Han sounds SO different from Harrison Ford that I struggled a bit. It wasn't a big problem, I just never got over it. Overall though, I really enjoyed the audio narration!
Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
I had a great time with Ahsoka, and just in general have always enjoyed E.K. Johnston's SW books. I really liked the time Johnston took to develop Ahsoka's character and moitvations, and to explore the fallout of The Clone Wars and the dangers of life in the new Empire. The narrative structure was a little odd maybe 60% in as we had a bit of a plot detour and also introduced some other brief POVs to fill in some gaps. I liked the POVs but felt that it detracted a bit from the primary action of this book. I really liked it though and want to read more from Johnston.
A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I absolutely adored the vibes and setting of A Market of Dreams and Destiny! I'm always chasing that magical setting a la Night Circus, and while this is very much it's own thing, this gave me a similar sense of wonder and magic with the setting. Galey did a really good job giving the Market character, thinking through the worldbuilding, and keeping the dark whimsical tone consistent throughout.
I do feel like the second half of the novel got a bit twisty and Galey tried a little too hard here, and so I had more trouble following everything going on and that hampered my enjoyment a bit. I also just did not buy into the romance. It was absolutely an insta-love setup, and I wish there had been better development as this would have helped with stakes later on.
I do highly recommend this if you're looking for a magical, historical English faerie-esque story. Don't think too hard about all the magic, and don't go in expecting loads of character work, but enjoy being immersed in the setting and magic and you'll have a great time!
I do feel like the second half of the novel got a bit twisty and Galey tried a little too hard here, and so I had more trouble following everything going on and that hampered my enjoyment a bit. I also just did not buy into the romance. It was absolutely an insta-love setup, and I wish there had been better development as this would have helped with stakes later on.
I do highly recommend this if you're looking for a magical, historical English faerie-esque story. Don't think too hard about all the magic, and don't go in expecting loads of character work, but enjoy being immersed in the setting and magic and you'll have a great time!
Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
3.0
DNF at 25%. There's nothing wrong with this or with Tad's writing, I've just not been in the mood for this kind of story at the moment and it wasn't holding my interest. I plan to come back to Memory, Sorrow, Thorn eventually and anticipate that I will enjoy it much more at a different time.
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
3.5
I quite enjoyed Check and Mate. It's Hazelwood's first YA romance, but the main characters are 18 and 20 and out of high school, so it's definitely in between most YA romance and Adult. I've read a few chess-themed books in the past, and while the plot wasn't super original, I had a really fun time with Mallory and Nolen and their relationship. Mallory's relationship with her family is quite complicated and I liked the various layers that Hazelwood explored here. While there was third act tension, I personally felt it was quite justified, but they both learned and the respect they have for each other saved it for me.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
Divine Rivals was an emotional story of star-crossed lovers amidst war. I quite enjoyed Iris and Roman and their love story, but I'm a bit mixed on the execution.
Divine Rivals definitely has the feeling of a WWI style historical novel, but it is set in a fantasy world and there are gods involved somehow, and presumable driving the war. I found the worldbuilding pretty lacking, which doesn't always bother me too much, but ended up causing problems for me later on. I liked our characters, but I didn't quite buy into the star-crossed lovers kind of thing. I think it felt too real world and not mystical enough to work for me quite as well as it might for some other readers. It was also not aided by the way Ross writes time. Sometimes we really linger in moments, then we rush through days and in a sentence we're through the next day. So something about the way all that was written didn't quite gel for me.
To be fair, I've read some excruciatingly slow slow burns lately, so unfortunately Divine Rivals felt a bit rushed for me. It's not really the book's fault as this is written to a difference audience, but even without reading Ruthless Vows yet, I can tell that I would rather this had been a single 600 page book that wove the romance, character work, plot, and worldbuilding together more smoothly. I think for me that would make the war feel more harrowing, the danger more real, and the romance more earned.
I'm honestly pretty mixed on whether I want to read Ruthless Vows or no, which is sad considering that Divine Rivals was a highly anticipated read for me.
3.5 stars
Divine Rivals definitely has the feeling of a WWI style historical novel, but it is set in a fantasy world and there are gods involved somehow, and presumable driving the war. I found the worldbuilding pretty lacking, which doesn't always bother me too much, but ended up causing problems for me later on. I liked our characters, but I didn't quite buy into the star-crossed lovers kind of thing. I think it felt too real world and not mystical enough to work for me quite as well as it might for some other readers. It was also not aided by the way Ross writes time. Sometimes we really linger in moments, then we rush through days and in a sentence we're through the next day. So something about the way all that was written didn't quite gel for me.
To be fair, I've read some excruciatingly slow slow burns lately, so unfortunately Divine Rivals felt a bit rushed for me. It's not really the book's fault as this is written to a difference audience, but even without reading Ruthless Vows yet, I can tell that I would rather this had been a single 600 page book that wove the romance, character work, plot, and worldbuilding together more smoothly. I think for me that would make the war feel more harrowing, the danger more real, and the romance more earned.
I'm honestly pretty mixed on whether I want to read Ruthless Vows or no, which is sad considering that Divine Rivals was a highly anticipated read for me.
3.5 stars