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jonmontgo's reviews
147 reviews
The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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
A hidden gem of science fiction. A compelling, well written adventure and mystery. Harkens back to best of early sci-fi epics and space opera.
The Outstretched Shadow by James Mallory, Mercedes Lackey
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Interesting world building and fun as a popcorn read, but repetitive prose, a shallow plot, one dimensional characters and flat themes.
The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Butcher knows how to write a great adventure. It's easy to see this as a culmination of his growth as a writer during the Dresden Files, and while he may not be blazing any new trails he's certainly walking the existing ones with confidence.
Butcher has built an excellent world, and filled it with a myriad cast of character - all with their own motivations, emotions, and flaws.
Most refreshing is his use of humor while avoiding ironic detachment. While there are lighthearted or even quippy moments in the book, it's never out of place or undermines the more serious emotional notes.
While there are undoubtedly comparisons to be made to The Dresden Files, the work compares favorably to his other fantasy work - The Codex Alera. Here we see a more mature writer tackle the genre, and we got something pretty great out of it.
Butcher has built an excellent world, and filled it with a myriad cast of character - all with their own motivations, emotions, and flaws.
Most refreshing is his use of humor while avoiding ironic detachment. While there are lighthearted or even quippy moments in the book, it's never out of place or undermines the more serious emotional notes.
While there are undoubtedly comparisons to be made to The Dresden Files, the work compares favorably to his other fantasy work - The Codex Alera. Here we see a more mature writer tackle the genre, and we got something pretty great out of it.
The Last Swordmage by Martin Hengst
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
An interesting idea, rushed to completion and not fully explored. Characters are props in what is meant to be a fantasy epic, but lack the depth one would expect.
Not bad as a popcorn read, but nothing to write home about.
Not bad as a popcorn read, but nothing to write home about.
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A strong third entry, Jemisin finishes building out her world and characters established in "The Fifth Season".
The main themes of the book - generational trauma and systemic racism - take the front seat of the novel, while the characters increasingly serve as platforms for trauma to rest upon.
Jemisins POV choices leave a lot to be desired. Bouncing from first (the over all narrator) second (the primary protagonist) and third (all other characters) is jarring. Personally, I think the novel exposes the weakness of second person POV overall, and while I appreciate the experiment, I can't say it leads to a better overall story.
The main themes of the book - generational trauma and systemic racism - take the front seat of the novel, while the characters increasingly serve as platforms for trauma to rest upon.
Jemisins POV choices leave a lot to be desired. Bouncing from first (the over all narrator) second (the primary protagonist) and third (all other characters) is jarring. Personally, I think the novel exposes the weakness of second person POV overall, and while I appreciate the experiment, I can't say it leads to a better overall story.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.75
Interesting characters and a well constructed fantasy world serve to explore a character fully.
While I found the book engaging, the use of second person POV and present tense is jarring, and is a choice I personally didn't enjoy.
While I found the book engaging, the use of second person POV and present tense is jarring, and is a choice I personally didn't enjoy.
White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy by Paul Waldman, Tom Schaller
informative
medium-paced
0.25
Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
3.75
The Postmortal by Drew Magary
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25