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blyndwolf's reviews
64 reviews
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Absolutely stunningly written (this book has magnificent quotes for days) and heart-wrenchingly emotional, I found this unique retelling of the Trojan War to be exceedingly refreshing.
I read this book as a method of stress-relief during final exams and it just made me feel like all my real-life problems were insignificant as hell. I would give anything to have a love like Achilles and Patroclus; their relationship made me feel SO warm and fuzzy. I definitely squealed with delight on multiple occasions at the cutesy bits, and I loved that their relationship wasn’t perfectly linear. I liked how there was significant and meaningful emphasis on the flaws of the characters, whether they be god, mortal, or somewhere in between.
The ending was absolutely perfect. Thetis’ anger and intervention throughout their relationship paired with her actions in the final pages was just 🤌🏼 *chef’s kiss*.
RATING:
The reason I rated 4.5/5 is because I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I would’ve liked to be near the end – I wanted this book to make me scream in despair and sob until I couldn’t sob anymore, however I had a 2 month break between reading the first 4/5 and the last 5th, which likely ruined my immersion. I also found the pacing to be quite slow in some parts. Everything else was perfect. I definitely think everyone should read this book before they die.
I read this book as a method of stress-relief during final exams and it just made me feel like all my real-life problems were insignificant as hell. I would give anything to have a love like Achilles and Patroclus; their relationship made me feel SO warm and fuzzy. I definitely squealed with delight on multiple occasions at the cutesy bits, and I loved that their relationship wasn’t perfectly linear. I liked how there was significant and meaningful emphasis on the flaws of the characters, whether they be god, mortal, or somewhere in between.
RATING:
The reason I rated 4.5/5 is because I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I would’ve liked to be near the end – I wanted this book to make me scream in despair and sob until I couldn’t sob anymore, however I had a 2 month break between reading the first 4/5 and the last 5th, which likely ruined my immersion. I also found the pacing to be quite slow in some parts. Everything else was perfect. I definitely think everyone should read this book before they die.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Slavery and Cannibalism
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The first third of the book was really fast-paced and super fun to read! I really enjoyed it, however the bulk of the story afterwards was quite slow up until the final two chapters.
The dynamic between Mal and Alina frustrated me to no end. It made me feel despondent, angry and annoyed and I wish they would just TALK to each other!! Proper communication solves everything! Mal was such a broody little ball of angst. I’d feel sorry for him, but it was kinda his own fault that he wasn’t having a great time at the palace lol.
Also — Nikolai!!! Love him, probably my favourite character in the book ❤️ Tolya and Tamar are also *chef’s kiss*
All in all, I decided on a 3.25 ⭐️ rating, as I found majority of the book to be relatively mundane compared to the beginning (hence the long time it took me to finally finish)! Despite this, the ending left me wanting more, so I’m excited to see what the final instalment of the Grisha trilogy has in store!
Also — Nikolai!!! Love him, probably my favourite character in the book ❤️ Tolya and Tamar are also *chef’s kiss*
All in all, I decided on a 3.25 ⭐️ rating, as I found majority of the book to be relatively mundane compared to the beginning (hence the long time it took me to finally finish)! Despite this, the ending left me wanting more, so I’m excited to see what the final instalment of the Grisha trilogy has in store!
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This isn’t the usual type of book I would go for, but my mum bought it for me so I had to give it a read. It absolutely DESTROYED my heart. I typically read for escapism, so in this sense, this wasn’t it… I likely won’t read it again, but I think everyone should read this book before they die. It is so masterfully written.
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Although it took me a while to get into, this was the best book I've read in a long time! It got me out of my 5 year reading slump and is the reason I have started to read books again.
In the beginning, I cringed a little. I wasn't used to SJM's writing style and wasn't sure about Bryce Quinlan as a character, but I'm glad I pushed through!! There is plenty of world-building and depth to this novel, with a huge cast of loveable characters. This book ripped my heart into a million shreds, stitched it back together again, made me scream, cry, laugh, gasp, fall in love - every emotion under the sun. The last quarter of the book is so fast-paced and intense I rifled through the whole thing in one sitting - bearing in mind this book took me nearly a month to read in total. 10/10 would recommend!
In the beginning, I cringed a little. I wasn't used to SJM's writing style and wasn't sure about Bryce Quinlan as a character, but I'm glad I pushed through!! There is plenty of world-building and depth to this novel, with a huge cast of loveable characters. This book ripped my heart into a million shreds, stitched it back together again, made me scream, cry, laugh, gasp, fall in love - every emotion under the sun. The last quarter of the book is so fast-paced and intense I rifled through the whole thing in one sitting - bearing in mind this book took me nearly a month to read in total. 10/10 would recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gore, and Sexual content
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
inspiring
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
5.0