frootlupo's reviews
250 reviews

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.5

I think Olivie Blake really let loose with this finale in the best way. This is what I thought/hoped the series could and should be from the beginning.

The book was much more wry and witty than previous instalments - it felt like it had much more momentum and the stakes felt far more personal and real.

If Blake continues to write at this Caliber she’ll have made a solid fan out of me!

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

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sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I struggled to finish this one…

The main character is the most insufferable, petulant, self-victimizing brat I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. He’s constantly blaming everyone and everything but himself for every problem in his life - and it’s not like he grows out of that through the book either! There’s basically no character development, every time I think he has learned any sort of lesson, his literal next decision is to immediately forget any possible positive growth. He is the same morose man-child at the end of the book as he was at the beginning.

Virtually every female character was described by how pretty their face was, their breast size, how often they probably had sex, or some combination of the three.

The pacing was weird and all over the place.

This book clearly wants to compare itself to Harry Potter and Narnia - just go read those instead.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.25

Interesting worldbuilding and compelling characters - I wasn’t sure what to expect but this got me hooked - I’m in for this series

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

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adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.25

This first book in the series follows a series of vignettes that weave together a story that spans a lifetime. That storytelling approach might be hard for some to get into - but I found arcs and stories it was able to tell quite compelling

On Writing and Worldbuilding, Volume II by Timothy Hickson

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informative medium-paced

4.25

Thoughtful and intriguing. Tim brings a wide variety of thought provoking perspectives to storytelling - it’s a definite aid in trying to develop stories and worlds of your own

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Not bad, but definitely suffered from middle book syndrome - it felt more focused on getting the characters in place for the next book vs actually feeling like a whole story in its own right

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The bite-sized nature of the entries in this series leaves it almost feeling tv-show-like. There’s just enough character development to keep me satisfied, and hints at a larger meta-narrative draw me to come back.

Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church: A Novel With Discussion Guide Included by Jeff Christopherson, Jeff Christopherson

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced