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dannilmp's reviews
63 reviews
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book gives a whole new meaning to the term HMRC and quite frankly I prefer it to the original meaning. A book about a group of grown up childhood friends from very different backgrounds who have to come together once again to prevent world destruction.
While HMRC feels like it has the setting for a pretty used story line, the detail and depth Dawson went into to explore topics including racism, transphobia, cultural differences in magic and how society treats individuals all wrapped into a thrilling tale about magic and world crises makes for a really interesting read!
I loved the depth that the characters had, and the way sensitive topics were covered felt like it was covered in a good way. While this meant I did have to frequently take rest breaks in order to absorb all the information and to think through the implications of certain character's actions or consquences. While the book ended on quite the cliffhanger, I'm looking forward to what the sequel has in stall for these women!
While HMRC feels like it has the setting for a pretty used story line, the detail and depth Dawson went into to explore topics including racism, transphobia, cultural differences in magic and how society treats individuals all wrapped into a thrilling tale about magic and world crises makes for a really interesting read!
I loved the depth that the characters had, and the way sensitive topics were covered felt like it was covered in a good way. While this meant I did have to frequently take rest breaks in order to absorb all the information and to think through the implications of certain character's actions or consquences. While the book ended on quite the cliffhanger, I'm looking forward to what the sequel has in stall for these women!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Animal death and Injury/Injury detail
The Silence Project by Carole Hailey
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
Firstly, I listened to the audiobook version of The Silence Project and if you're interested in a what if human world scenario that you can listen to while getting anything else done then this would be perfect for you!
I truly feel the audiobook is truly the best way to experience this novel. Not only does it mean I didn't have to worry about mispronouncing French or Swahili or place names around the world, I also felt it allowed me to have a better experience with reading. Considering this novel is written as a non-fiction biography written in another fictional instance of our planet, as I was listening it felt like Emilia was speaking her thoughts aloud to me while drafting this biography of Rachel Morris. The ending comments about the prospects of what her world could have been without her mother's influence certainly got me thinking about the current state of our own world too. Certainly a book that has left an imprint on me.
The only thing I really disliked about this book was such comments as 'you know what I'm talking about' or 'as you've seen it everywhere' as obviously I did not know what events or things Emilia was referring to! However this style of writing certainly fit the idea of a biography written in Emilia's universe so I was able to get over my annoance and let it slide.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a feminist book set in our own little planet Earth. Certain events in the book leave you pondering the state of Emilia's world while other comments leave you thinking about our own world. I think the experience of this book will be on my mind for a while yet.
I truly feel the audiobook is truly the best way to experience this novel. Not only does it mean I didn't have to worry about mispronouncing French or Swahili or place names around the world, I also felt it allowed me to have a better experience with reading. Considering this novel is written as a non-fiction biography written in another fictional instance of our planet, as I was listening it felt like Emilia was speaking her thoughts aloud to me while drafting this biography of Rachel Morris. The ending comments about the prospects of what her world could have been without her mother's influence certainly got me thinking about the current state of our own world too. Certainly a book that has left an imprint on me.
The only thing I really disliked about this book was such comments as 'you know what I'm talking about' or 'as you've seen it everywhere' as obviously I did not know what events or things Emilia was referring to! However this style of writing certainly fit the idea of a biography written in Emilia's universe so I was able to get over my annoance and let it slide.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a feminist book set in our own little planet Earth. Certain events in the book leave you pondering the state of Emilia's world while other comments leave you thinking about our own world. I think the experience of this book will be on my mind for a while yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death and Violence
Minor: Rape
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
If you fancy a non-horror based dystopian novel then The Handmaid's Tale would be a good choice for you. Full of scenarios that really get you thinking about women's rights and how different things could be. With the current state of our world some of the topics covered in this book might hit a little too close for comfort though.
One thing I can heavily praise about The Handmaid's Tale is the way in which language is used to truly convey Offred's emotions, thought patterns, hopes and despairs. I felt I could really connect to these emotions and could feel how they affected the character. Additionally the fact the book lingered with me if I put it down to give myself time to think and contemplate on what I was reading made the book feel so much more engaging than just reading a story.
Consequently, while Offred felt sometimes as quite a flat character, I understand that this really helped delve into the mindset of these women and the world they are in, it does make some sections feel more like a chore to read when something interesting isn't going on. The fact the content of the novel is so sad and the idea that something like this is not outside the realm of possibility even for our world can make this a depressing read.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a novel to make you think, anyone interested in women's rights (or I suppose the lack of rights and inequality for women) but be prepared to feel some negative emotions during your reading journey.
One thing I can heavily praise about The Handmaid's Tale is the way in which language is used to truly convey Offred's emotions, thought patterns, hopes and despairs. I felt I could really connect to these emotions and could feel how they affected the character. Additionally the fact the book lingered with me if I put it down to give myself time to think and contemplate on what I was reading made the book feel so much more engaging than just reading a story.
Consequently, while Offred felt sometimes as quite a flat character, I understand that this really helped delve into the mindset of these women and the world they are in, it does make some sections feel more like a chore to read when something interesting isn't going on. The fact the content of the novel is so sad and the idea that something like this is not outside the realm of possibility even for our world can make this a depressing read.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a novel to make you think, anyone interested in women's rights (or I suppose the lack of rights and inequality for women) but be prepared to feel some negative emotions during your reading journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A fast paced, magic and passion fueled book about relationships gone wonky. The Ex Hex is perfect for curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea to read a slice of life romance style novel with magical hijinks involved for good measure.
I really enjoyed the ease I found myself being able to read this book, it felt like flying through the pages while not making the book feel very short overall. I felt like I could relate to the book as not only is it set in our world but also has links to Wales, where I have lived for a short while previously.
On the other hand, I personally don't think the epilogue was necessary to make this story complete, without spoiling anything, I realise without this final chapter the tone of the ending would have been completly different if not totally opposite feeling. But it still would have been a complete book in my eyes.
I would recommend The Ex Hex for anyone looking for a lighthearted, amusing romance story. I feel this book makes a great change of pace for those who tend to read more fantasy and complex stories, in comparision this book feels like a breath of fresh air and a good change of pace.
I really enjoyed the ease I found myself being able to read this book, it felt like flying through the pages while not making the book feel very short overall. I felt like I could relate to the book as not only is it set in our world but also has links to Wales, where I have lived for a short while previously.
On the other hand, I personally don't think the epilogue was necessary to make this story complete, without spoiling anything, I realise without this final chapter the tone of the ending would have been completly different if not totally opposite feeling. But it still would have been a complete book in my eyes.
I would recommend The Ex Hex for anyone looking for a lighthearted, amusing romance story. I feel this book makes a great change of pace for those who tend to read more fantasy and complex stories, in comparision this book feels like a breath of fresh air and a good change of pace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Death and Injury/Injury detail
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A dark academia book unlike anything I have read before. While The Secret History is quite a slow burner to begin with, I found myself reading the latter half in 100 page sections in one sitting. A story about Richard and his discovery of both a new way of thinking and a new way of approaching life thanks to the teaching of his Greek Classics teacher Julian and his small group of classmates.
I enjoyed the fact that through certain paragraph or chapter opening sentences you could tell at what point in time Richard was narrating the details of the book from. To me this whole book had the feeling of suspence, as the main plot point had been introduced in the prolouge that was always at the back of my mind while I was reading. I was absorbing any small detail if I thought it could help me unravel the mystery before the book itself revealed it. I much preferred the second half of the book, espeically watching how the characters developed post major incident for those of you who have read it I am referring to Bunny's murder and how it would affect them in later life.
However, there were some aspects of this book that I didn't enjoy. One was the way such simple aspects or concepts were so detailed that it felt uneccessary at times, activities such as smoking, drug use or even drinking dragged on far longer than they had any right to, or the repeated descriptions throughout the book were a little tiring. I also think without the plot points detailed in the prolouge, I would not have had the interest to keep reading through that first half as there would truly have been nothing to grab my attention. I also felt the ending was a little bit weak considering the build up in those final pages, I expected more of a bang ending and got a whimper.
I enjoyed the fact that through certain paragraph or chapter opening sentences you could tell at what point in time Richard was narrating the details of the book from. To me this whole book had the feeling of suspence, as the main plot point had been introduced in the prolouge that was always at the back of my mind while I was reading. I was absorbing any small detail if I thought it could help me unravel the mystery before the book itself revealed it. I much preferred the second half of the book, espeically watching how the characters developed post major incident
However, there were some aspects of this book that I didn't enjoy. One was the way such simple aspects or concepts were so detailed that it felt uneccessary at times, activities such as smoking, drug use or even drinking dragged on far longer than they had any right to, or the repeated descriptions throughout the book were a little tiring. I also think without the plot points detailed in the prolouge, I would not have had the interest to keep reading through that first half as there would truly have been nothing to grab my attention. I also felt the ending was a little bit weak considering the build up in those final pages, I expected more of a bang ending and got a whimper.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Incest, and Rape
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A mythology re-telling that will inspire people to want to read more about the Ramayana while also offering a different perspective on why Kaikeyi took the actions she did rather than her just being labelled the evil-stepmother. Despite not knowing much about the Ramayana before reading Kaikeyi, there is now an inspiration for me to go and learn more and then most certainly come back here for a re-read (hopefully in audiobook form next time) to see how I feel about the novel then.
One thing I thought was done really well in this novel was the use of the time skips throughout. None of them felt especially forced, or jarring and I was never confused as to whether there had been a time skip or the length as it was clearly stated in the novel. To see what Kaikeyi achieves, especially as a woman in her time was inspiring and motivating. While I never realised that asexuality featured in this story(I just believe that due to it being an arranged marriage, Kaikeyi never developed true romantic feelings) looking back it is a little more obvious, I really enjoyed rethinking about this aspect of Kaikeyi and found it is good and really well written into her character.
On the other hand, it is some of the men that I couldn't stand and am ashamed to say this is why the book won't be a five star for me (at least on first reading) and while I understand that culturally and historically the actions and beliefs of these men would have been written accurately, I still couldn't get over how annoyed and angry it made me feel. But credit given for such writing being able to cause me to emote like it did
One thing I thought was done really well in this novel was the use of the time skips throughout. None of them felt especially forced, or jarring and I was never confused as to whether there had been a time skip or the length as it was clearly stated in the novel. To see what Kaikeyi achieves, especially as a woman in her time was inspiring and motivating. While I never realised that asexuality featured in this story
On the other hand, it is some of the men that I couldn't stand and am ashamed to say this is why the book won't be a five star for me (at least on first reading) and while I understand that culturally and historically the actions and beliefs of these men would have been written accurately, I still couldn't get over how annoyed and angry it made me feel. But credit given for such writing being able to cause me to emote like it did
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Wolf Den was certainly my favourite read of Jan 2023. A heartfelt story about women's history in Pompeii. Certainly this was not a fully relaxing read, there are some major trigger warnings to be aware of and a lot of reflection on human behaviour to be had.
I decided to read this book alongisde a spotify playlist tailored to the book and it was an interesting experience. I thought the music really complemented the story and fit thematically really well. I would recommend to anyone reading to give a playlist a try!
One of my favourite parts about The Wolf Den was the way the emotional scenes in the book really resonated with me, I could feel the women's pain, sadness, joy and heartache all at once. I thought the ending lent itself very well to a sequel and I am really looking forward to reading the second book in the series and the publication of the third book.
I decided to read this book alongisde a spotify playlist tailored to the book and it was an interesting experience. I thought the music really complemented the story and fit thematically really well. I would recommend to anyone reading to give a playlist a try!
One of my favourite parts about The Wolf Den was the way the emotional scenes in the book really resonated with me, I could feel the women's pain, sadness, joy and heartache all at once. I thought the ending lent itself very well to a sequel and I am really looking forward to reading the second book in the series and the publication of the third book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Suicide
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tender is the Flesh is a gripping discussion of what our world could be like if cannabilism was the norm. An interesting read with a lot of potential for reflection on humanity and our morals in general.
While this was still a good read for me, I don't think it lived up to the hyped expectations I had with what I was seeing on social media about this book. When you stop to consider the power differences between people, some actions start to seem a lot worse than others, especially when the topic ofconsent comes into play.
Despite the build up and the shock of the ending, I don't think the build up and the finale lived upto scratch as some other sections of the book. personally I foundthe hunting grounds and especially the want for pregant female "cattle" to be more concerning than the base cannabilism.
I would recommend this book to someone looking for a horror book that really makes you think, especially as this isn't completly outside the realm of possibility for our world.
While this was still a good read for me, I don't think it lived up to the hyped expectations I had with what I was seeing on social media about this book. When you stop to consider the power differences between people, some actions start to seem a lot worse than others, especially when the topic of
Despite the build up and the shock of the ending, I don't think the build up and the finale lived upto scratch as some other sections of the book. personally I found
I would recommend this book to someone looking for a horror book that really makes you think, especially as this isn't completly outside the realm of possibility for our world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Cannibalism, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Dementia, and Death of parent
Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
A Mouthful of Birds is a short story anthology with no concrete answers and leaves you with more questions than you had beforehand. There were a few stories I prefered in this set including:
- Headlights
- Butterflies
- Mouthful of Birds
- The Test
- My Brother Walter
Butterflies was the best story in my opinion, I felt there was so much detail tucked into such a short story but it felt as though I had read a whole novel by the time I got to the end of this one. Other stories were a little bit more disapointing, such as Preserves, mainly due to the content just not making sense at the conclusion of the story. It was so left field that it didn't make sense at all.
Moving onto overall impressions. I feel the author did a lot with such short stories. Despite most of the events feeling as though they could be grounded in our reality, there was always that element of somthing supernatural and other worldly.
Being left without clear answers to the strangeness that was going on in these tales was interesting and left me thinking about some of them long after I had finished reading them.
While I am not the biggest fan of anthologies, this one was one of the better ones I have read. I would recommend this for anyone who loves the supernatural and the unclear, but also for people who only like to read in short bursts as the stories in this are quite easily readable in bite sized chunks.
- Headlights
- Butterflies
- Mouthful of Birds
- The Test
- My Brother Walter
Butterflies was the best story in my opinion, I felt there was so much detail tucked into such a short story but it felt as though I had read a whole novel by the time I got to the end of this one. Other stories were a little bit more disapointing, such as Preserves, mainly due to the content just not making sense at the conclusion of the story. It was so left field that it didn't make sense at all.
Moving onto overall impressions. I feel the author did a lot with such short stories. Despite most of the events feeling as though they could be grounded in our reality, there was always that element of somthing supernatural and other worldly.
Being left without clear answers to the strangeness that was going on in these tales was interesting and left me thinking about some of them long after I had finished reading them.
While I am not the biggest fan of anthologies, this one was one of the better ones I have read. I would recommend this for anyone who loves the supernatural and the unclear, but also for people who only like to read in short bursts as the stories in this are quite easily readable in bite sized chunks.
Finale by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
After I found Legendary weaker in comparison to Caraval, I wasn't expecting much from Finale. I am glad to say I was pleasantly suprised. Following Scarlett and Tella in their biggest game to date, with the entire world and life as we know it at stake. Can they overcome their own weaknesses to combat something greater than both of them?
While the start of this book may feel slower than the pacing of the previous two, it is worth perservering as the second half of the book (at least to me) felt that was where all the action was. The real beauty of this book is the bond that two sisters share and the extents they would go to in order to protect and defend each other. The cryptic mentions of almost and true endings was interesting, however I wish there was moreespecially as I wanted to see the Almost Ending that The Lady Prisoner mentioned that Scarlett could have been heading for when she attempted to escape
Other than feeling very cringe like at some of Tella's actions and choices in the book, there was only one more section that unnerved me and while I will state the specific in the spoiler, it involves a relationship dynamic between two characters later in the book I felt a little uncomfortable that Scarlett didn't even seem to bat an eyelid at the thought of trying to get Gavriel to love her as if she was her mother, I would have thought there would have been some repulsion or at least hesitance going about the plan
While the start of this book may feel slower than the pacing of the previous two, it is worth perservering as the second half of the book (at least to me) felt that was where all the action was. The real beauty of this book is the bond that two sisters share and the extents they would go to in order to protect and defend each other. The cryptic mentions of almost and true endings was interesting, however I wish there was more
Other than feeling very cringe like at some of Tella's actions and choices in the book, there was only one more section that unnerved me and while I will state the specific in the spoiler, it involves a relationship dynamic between two characters later in the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture and Abandonment