spootilious's reviews
123 reviews

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.0

Read: March 14,2024
Title: Calling on Dragons
Author: Patricia C. Wrede

Series : The Enchanted Forest Chronicles # 3

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Rating: 2/5
Review:

As a child I loved the entirety of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. As an adult, I feel as if more than anything I enjoy these books for nostalgia’s sake.

I will say Wrede has a unique world and fun characters, and she can definitely put together a one of a kind plot. However, there were a lot of downfalls to this book. Wrede doesn’t seem to have any rhythm, making the writing monotonous and telling, rather than showing experience which I have mention in each of these reviews. It is good for children learning to read but not for those who already enjoy it.

Throughout the book the reoccurring jokes seem to be twofold: Telemain not being understood and Killer being hungry. It got old very quickly. That paired with the unnecessary tangents just to set up these jokes was a bit bulky.

Overall, I loved this book as a child and still recommend it to early readers but for learning purposes not entertainment.

QUOTES: N/A

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Go to review page

funny medium-paced

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

2.5

Read: February 13, 2024
Title: Searching for Dragons
Author: Patricia C. Wrede

Series : The Enchanted Forest Chronicles #2

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Rating: 2.5/5
Review:

As a child I loved the entirety of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. As an adult, I realize that the stories are most certainly a product of their time. With some offensive words (like G*psy) and comedic relief stereotypes it most certainly wouldn’t have been published in todays world.

With that said, however, I still enjoyed the second installment. The unique plays on traditional fairytales and folklore, along with the whimsical humor make the novel fun. Though I will admit that the second book seems far slower than the first, the writing seems to be better. The same writing is simplistic and straightforward, ideal for any growing middle schooler trying to hone their reading skills and move to more advanced series.

Over all, not ideal for adults in the least, a bit archaic but ideal for middle graders still finding their footing.

QUOTES: N/A

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Go to review page

lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Read: February 2, 2024
Title: Bookshops & Bonedust
Author: Travis Baldree

Series : Legends & Lattes #0

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

Rating: 2.5/5
Review:

I really enjoyed reading Legends & Lattes, it was such a delightful and engaging book! Although this particular book had more of a slice-of-life feel and lacked some excitement, I still managed to find some enjoyment in it. At times, it did feel a bit slow-paced, but overall it was a charming read.

I must say, I really appreciated Baldree's use of descriptive language. It's clear that he is refining his skills in this aspect, and it added an extra layer to the book. However, I personally felt that the story itself wasn't as compelling as I had hoped. The only part that truly captured my attention was the epilogue.

Nevertheless, I really appreciate Baldree's writing style, and I'm eager to see more of his work in the future. I also like him narrating his own work, it's always impressive to see him excel in both aspects of storytelling.

QUOTES: N/A

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

Read: January 9, 2024
Title: Dealing with Dragons

Series : Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

Rating: 3/5
Review:

I will be the first to admit that nostalgia really shaded my view on this one. This is a series that I read in middle school (a few decades ago) and absolutely adored. Now, rereading it as an adult I can see where the story may have shaped me here and there.

Let me be clear, I still LOVE this book but I know it is nowhere near as good as I thought it was. Still I’ve never read a book quite like it (then or now) and I think it’s uniqueness is perhaps the most appealing aspect of the book (and by extension the series).

While I wouldn’t say that the novel rejects the traditional view of women, it is, most certainly an ode to finding one’s own place in the world. It is an adorable wakey play on all the fairy tales we know and love, nothing more, nothing less.

The writing is what you would expect from a grade school book and I cannot fault it for that.

There will always be a place in might heart for this work.

QUOTES: N/A

TW (Moderate to Minor): Misogyny, Sexism, Fire / Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Muder

Content Warnings

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Go to review page

reflective 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

Read: January 4, 2024
Title: Station Eleven

Genre: Science Fiction / Dystopia

Rating: 4/5
Review:

To be honest there isn’t much I can say that is bad about this book.

Emily St. John Mandel has a talent for writing that I haven’t seen in quite some time. Her transitions, imagery, voice, pacing… it’s all breathtaking. She could write a dictionary and I doubt I’d be able to pull my gaze away. Granted this is the only book of hers I have read but if this is parr for the course I am not disappointed.

That being said, there were many points in which the supporting characters became a bit blurred, this name or that blending with another until I wasn’t sure who was who. Still, even with this issue it never took away from the story and the characters in question never affected the story enough to really call for such unique-ness. The important supporting characters were always distinct enough that it didn’t matter.

The only other true flaw I could find in this novel was an anti-climatic ending that left me wanting.

Still, this is a unique dystopia that caught me off guard. While there is nothing too unique in the setting the feel of the entire story places a haze of sincerity and empathy that you don’t find often in post-apocalyptic stories. St. John Mandel manages to provide a study in humanity, exploring a devastated world while studying family, the human condition, passion, sanity, home, and grief. It’s a strange mix of concepts that really leaves the reader questioning what it means to be human and how we need those around us.

I am curious as to how I might of reviewed this book before the COVID 19 pandemic but can appreciate how it has become even more impactful since the outbreak.

Station Eleven is simply a beautiful work that I will be recommending for years to come.

QUOTES:

“No one ever thinks they’re awful, even people who really actually are. It’s some sort of survival mechanism.”

"She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infrequently thought of. How without any one of these people the world is a subtly but unmistakably altered place, the dial turned just one or two degrees.”

TW: Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Gun Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Adult/Minor relationship, Pandemic / Epidemic, Grief, Terminal illness, Medical Content, Kidnapping, Death of a parent, child death, blood, injury / injury detail, infidelity, confinement, abandonment, animal death, mental illness, pedophilia, pregnancy, emotional abuse, gaslighting, cursing, misogyny, sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationships, trafficking, child abuse, gore, physical abuse, stalking, suicide attempt, alcohol, ableism, panic attacks / disorders,

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

Go to review page

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Read: December 22, 2023
Title: He Who Drowned the World

Series: The Radiant Emperor #2

Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / LGBT

Rating: 4 / 5
Review:

I occasionally come across a book that I really struggle rating and I was shocked to find that this is one of those books.

I came into He Who Drowned the World with very low expectations. I didn’t care for She Who Became the Sun, for a number of reason listed in my previous review.

However, almost everything that made me dislike She who Became the Sun didn’t make it into the sequel which I am very thankful for. To be honest, I was concerned with the massive amounts of recommendations I received in regard to this series and how many awards She Who Became the Sun has won. I was praying that He Who Drowned the World would make up for what (I felt) was an extremely lacking novel. I was not disappointed.

Parker-Chan is a beautifully talented writer (Which I knew from book 1) and tends to lean towards the very dark and morose. In fact, a bit too dark for my usual taste which may be why I wanted to give this book (He Who Drowned the World) a 3.5 and not a 4. However, Parker-Chan’s ability to write horrific imagery in a such a simplistic and straightforward manner makes the imagery all the more effective. This includes a number of sexually explicit scene, which paints sex as nothing more than a tool, punishment, or means to an end which, while I once again did not like, I can respect. The reader’s response to a story is just as much of a plot device as the sentences on a page. I was appropriately repulsed.

I will also say that I didn’t care much for the lack of morality in ALL the characters in the novel. It left me without a ship to sail and was, perhaps, the main issue that I still hold over from She Who Became the Sun.

All that being said, the fast pace and action-packed plot had me devouring this book, and I could not in good faith rate it lower than 4 simply due to my distaste. (i.e. the 4 star rating is more my personal rating of 3.5 and the acknowledging that some of the reasons it’s a 3.5 is because of my own personal biases against the lack of moral characters, rape, and very dark tones).

Overall, one of the best books I’ve read this year. I will definitely recommend to individuals who love reading Dark Fantasy and Historical Fiction.

QUOTES:

“The most dangerous person in a game is the one nobody knows is playing.”

“Nobody would lift a finger to change the world for us. To make a place for us. What choice did we ever have, but to do it ourselves?”

Content Warnings

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Go to review page

dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Read: December 17, 2023
Title: She Who Became The Sun

Series: The Radiant Emperor #1

Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / LGBT

Rating: 3 / 5
Review:

I went into this book looking to expand my reading to other cultures and in that aspect I wasn’t disappointed.

From the beginning this book had an entirely different feel than the fantasy novels I have been used to. There’s such a beautiful cadence to it and the cultural aspects from names and titles to imagery are breath taking. Shelley Parker-Chan is a stunningly talented artist!

With that being said there were some ups and downs with this book. First and perhaps my biggest complaint is the marketing (which has little to do with the book but) it was pitched as Song of Achilles meets Mulan. If you go into this book with the hope of that kind of story you be SORELY DISAPPOINTED. This is no love story, there are no ‘feel good’ moments. This is pain, sorrow, duty and ambition. There is no sugar or softness.

That isn’t to say there isn’t a romance, simply that the romance in the book is in the background and has very VERY little to do with the story.

Now, the thing I loved most about the novel is the exploration of the gender spectrum and the comparison and contrasting roles of the two main characters. I found it intriguing and something I haven’t seen in many books. Being cis I am curious how individuals that identify with these characters feel about their representation. I for one and simply happy to see it in a (for the most part) positive light.

I also feel that while Parker-Chan’s writing is what had me turning the pages, the plot was inconsistent and left something to be desired. The beginning and the end were certainly a meal but the middle felt like a fasting that lasted far too long. The book became very politically focused and with so many names to characters that weren’t very distinguishable that it all just formed into one incoherent blob I was forced to trudge through.

Again, that is not to say it was bad, simply that it was a struggle.

In fact, most of the characters were a bit formless, fading into the background until something important happened and I was forced to try and recall who they were. This also left the feeling of a disconnect with the characters. I never really warmed up to anyone or felt on edge. I don’t think I would have shed a tear if either of the main characters or their loved ones died and for me that it a tragedy when examining how stunningly well written this book is.

I hold out hope that book 2 will change my mind but regardless I recommend this book for anyone looking for stunning writing, multi-culturalism, beautiful imagery, and LGBT representation.

QUOTES: N/A

Content Warnings

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Go to review page

reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

Read: December 12, 2023
Title: The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Series: The Singing Hills Cycle #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3 / 5
Review:

This was a very beautiful read. It wasn’t exciting or thrilling. It was a simple and beautiful story with a wonderful aesthetic and a folklore feel. The writing was soft and the imagery stunning. No real twists or turns but a story that is meant to be admired like a painting rather than devoured like a meal.

QUOTES:

“Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves.”

“Honor is a light that brings trouble. Shadows are safer by far.”

Content Warnings

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Go to review page

reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Read: December 4, 2023
Title: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Review:

I’ve noticed with this book that people either love it or they hate it and I can definitely see why.

This novel has been recommended to me so many times in the last few years that we I finally found a moment outside of work, school, family functions, and kids I had to pick it up. I have to admit I made quick work of the novel once I started, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed in the recommendation even if I usually don’t find myself reading Science Fiction.

The plot was… decent. I didn’t hate it but I don’t believe that is what is alluring to this novel. The plot is more of a roadway for everything else in this novel. The writing is very technical, which I am not quite use to but was extremely fitting for the POV of the main character which I very much appreciated. There was also a distinct lack of emotional awareness throughout the book making it a poor pull on the reader’s heart strings but also fitting to the POV and relieved somewhat by some of the supporting characters. There were also some very large chucks of information, statistics, physics etc information that were very difficult to digest and not adding much to the story.

With all that said, the mix of cultures in both the language used and the people described is fascinating and while I have always been aware that this is a trademark of Heinlen, seeing it in action is a work of art. His ideas of what the future would look like in this scenario are intriguing and, what I believe, are the causes for this novel winning so many literary awards and having such a large following. It’s not the plots or the characters, it is the questions it forces its readers to ask.

The original ideas of how relationships unfold, like the one the main character is in, the optimistic view of women’s power in a society where they are now so very rare. The gender roles of these women these are all very intriguing.

I also had the privilege of reading this novel for the first time in 2023. Fifty-eight years after the book was written and Fifty-two years before the book is said to take place. This gave me such a strange look into the past’s possible future and an examination of our own future. Obviously, there are things that will most likely never be and things that we’ve already surpassed which makes it all that much more interesting. Asking questions like why he considered a certain tech and not another, or where did we branch away from the foundation of the technology, he was seeing progress?

This work, more than anything, asks some hard-hitting political questions, especially about America. Heinlen paints a very stereotypical America from the 60’s still present and prideful in 2075. Is America this way today? Possibly… Will it be in fifty years? Also Possible… What will that look like? What are we today?

Bottom line: I loved this book. It is a conversation started and a question poser. Two of my favorite things.

QUOTES:

“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

“Easier to get people to hate than to get them to love.”

TW: Child Death, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical Trauma, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial Slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery Violence, War, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Incest, Infertility.

Content Warnings

More...

spootilious's reviews 123 reviews

spootilious's reviews
123 reviews