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theinquisitxor's reviews
805 reviews
Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
5.0
5 stars
The basic premise of this book is: A couple of years after the events of Brave, Merida must make a bargain with two gods to save her home. She must travel to three different kingdoms and help guide her family to change, or else her entire home and family will be destroyed
Even if you feel indifferent about the movie Brave, this book is definitely doing its own thing. I know sometimes the Disney books aren't great, but this really felt fresh and new and good. You don't even need to know the plot of the movie to still read and understand this. This book could exist on its own. It doesn't feel weighed down by the film, and feels like a more mature and realized next adventure, and it's written by Maggie Steifvater, so really, I shouldn't need to say anything more
The basic premise of this book is: A couple of years after the events of Brave, Merida must make a bargain with two gods to save her home. She must travel to three different kingdoms and help guide her family to change, or else her entire home and family will be destroyed
Even if you feel indifferent about the movie Brave, this book is definitely doing its own thing. I know sometimes the Disney books aren't great, but this really felt fresh and new and good. You don't even need to know the plot of the movie to still read and understand this. This book could exist on its own. It doesn't feel weighed down by the film, and feels like a more mature and realized next adventure, and it's written by Maggie Steifvater, so really, I shouldn't need to say anything more
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
5.0
5 stars
Here are my random thoughts on this book because wow, this is probably going to be one of my favorite books of the year. And I don't think I can articulate a full review on how wonderful and excellent it is.
The basic premise of this book is about a princess who has watched her older sister be abused by the prince she is married to, and she says, "enough" and decides to kill him
If that hasn't sold you on reading this book, then:
-Our princess, Marra, is thirty, and reading about a character that age is very refreshing
-she also lives at a convent and just wants a simple, fulfilling life. no grand political schemes or glory. But circumstances force her to try to save her sister
-she is faced with three impossible tasks: sewing a cloak made of nettles, making a dog from bones, and catching moonlight in a jar
Our group of characters include:
a dust-wife, a witch who can communicate and guide the dead
a reluctant fairy godmother
an ex-knight who is in exile
a bone dog
and a chicken possessed by a demon
-This book is surprisingly funny and had me smiling throughout even though the subject matter can be dark
-This book is like if Juliet Marillier and Naomi Novik had a child. This would be it
-The core of this book is about fairy tales
-goblin market GOBLIN MARKET
I love when books feature a goblin market omg
-It also contains: a labyrinthine burial chambers, angry ghosts, a toothdancer, cannibals, curses and blessings, a grumpy old lady, found family
-a very sweet and subtle romance
Overall I just loved the writing, the characters and the storyline. This type of fantasy if definitely my favorite and I will be rereading this!
Here are my random thoughts on this book because wow, this is probably going to be one of my favorite books of the year. And I don't think I can articulate a full review on how wonderful and excellent it is.
The basic premise of this book is about a princess who has watched her older sister be abused by the prince she is married to, and she says, "enough" and decides to kill him
If that hasn't sold you on reading this book, then:
-Our princess, Marra, is thirty, and reading about a character that age is very refreshing
-she also lives at a convent and just wants a simple, fulfilling life. no grand political schemes or glory. But circumstances force her to try to save her sister
-she is faced with three impossible tasks: sewing a cloak made of nettles, making a dog from bones, and catching moonlight in a jar
Our group of characters include:
a dust-wife, a witch who can communicate and guide the dead
a reluctant fairy godmother
an ex-knight who is in exile
a bone dog
and a chicken possessed by a demon
-This book is surprisingly funny and had me smiling throughout even though the subject matter can be dark
-This book is like if Juliet Marillier and Naomi Novik had a child. This would be it
-The core of this book is about fairy tales
-goblin market GOBLIN MARKET
I love when books feature a goblin market omg
-It also contains: a labyrinthine burial chambers, angry ghosts, a toothdancer, cannibals, curses and blessings, a grumpy old lady, found family
-a very sweet and subtle romance
Overall I just loved the writing, the characters and the storyline. This type of fantasy if definitely my favorite and I will be rereading this!
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
5.0
Kristin Hannah you've ripped out my heart and handed it back to me again....
This book was easily 5 stars (I listened on audio and would highly recommend) and I didn't think any other Kristin Hannah book would triumph how much I loved The Great Alone but this book got me. The sheer desperation and hardship the Martinelli family goes through, while still loving and caring for each other was beautiful. The setting and time period is haunting, and this book is incredibly bleak while being incredibly hopeful.
This book was easily 5 stars (I listened on audio and would highly recommend) and I didn't think any other Kristin Hannah book would triumph how much I loved The Great Alone but this book got me. The sheer desperation and hardship the Martinelli family goes through, while still loving and caring for each other was beautiful. The setting and time period is haunting, and this book is incredibly bleak while being incredibly hopeful.
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
4.0
This was fun! As someone who studied History and English, and currently works in libraries, I enjoyed the setting very much. It's a fun spin on a concept in mapmaking, and I enjoyed the story all around!
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
4.0
This book was lovely.
Why you should read A Far Wilder Magic :
-atmospheric and cottage-core, set in a small seaside town that leaves you longing to visit
-Definitely inspired by The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. And while the writing styles are different, the vibes are the same.
-Jewish coded MC who has to face discrimination and hate for her identity. Other religious and ethnic disparities.
-Realizing and leaving abusive relationships, and all the complexities that go along with such a topic
-Sunny/happy-go-lucky boy and grumpy/standoff-ish girl
-the romance is lovely and the characters help themselves grow and evolve as people
-old manor house
-alchemy! and a hunt for a mythical creature that our two characters team up for!
-this book is so soft it's like hearing a piano playing from another room
-but I'm appreciative of how it takes on and handles the more difficult and uncomfortable subjects
It took me a little while to get into, and I thought the beginning was a little slow (but I was also busy and didn't have much time to read). I think I enjoyed this about the same as Down Comes the Night , and Allison Saft is definitely an author that I will read whatever she writes!
Why you should read A Far Wilder Magic :
-atmospheric and cottage-core, set in a small seaside town that leaves you longing to visit
-Definitely inspired by The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. And while the writing styles are different, the vibes are the same.
-Jewish coded MC who has to face discrimination and hate for her identity. Other religious and ethnic disparities.
-Realizing and leaving abusive relationships, and all the complexities that go along with such a topic
-Sunny/happy-go-lucky boy and grumpy/standoff-ish girl
-the romance is lovely and the characters help themselves grow and evolve as people
-old manor house
-alchemy! and a hunt for a mythical creature that our two characters team up for!
-this book is so soft it's like hearing a piano playing from another room
-but I'm appreciative of how it takes on and handles the more difficult and uncomfortable subjects
It took me a little while to get into, and I thought the beginning was a little slow (but I was also busy and didn't have much time to read). I think I enjoyed this about the same as Down Comes the Night , and Allison Saft is definitely an author that I will read whatever she writes!
In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman
4.0
Tess of the Road has been one of my favorite books since it was released in 2018. I've been eagerly awaiting the sequel since then. Despite the awkward title change, different book size, and different style cover art, I was excited to pick this up.
I really enjoyed this book! However, it feels quite different from Tess of the Road. It almost feels like a completely new project, not the sequel/continuation. Tess of the Road is a slower, character driven story about Tess's physical and emotional journey. This was more of a high seas adventure. The two didn't quite mesh as well as they should have, but each on its own is very good.
This book expands on the world building a lot. It also diverts from the main quest and gets bogged down in sideplots. A large part of this novel is examining colonialism and imperialism (in a 15th-16th cen. setting). While this is definitely important, the whole narrative took away too much from what should have been the main quest. From about the 30%-80% was away from Tess and Pathka trying to reach the Polar Serpent.
This novel also introduces a bunch of new characters, and expands on old ones. I never would have guessed that Spira would become a favorite, but I was always looking forward to their chapters. Every time it was a Spira chapters, I knew to expect to get emotional.
This series also has some of the best casual diversity and inclusion that I have come across. One of the main characters is a disabled non-binary person. Actually, Hartman has a lot of interplay with gender in this series. It's quite enjoyable. There are also a number of characters we would consider lgbt+.
I wish the ending was more wrapped up, and less open ended. I would have liked an epilogue set some time after the main events of the books, and with more closure on what happens to the characters. However, it does leave open more for Hartman to write about in this universe.
I really enjoyed this duology. I wish it was more popular and that more people have read it. Tess is a character I think about a lot, and her emotional journey as a young woman is so important. You do not need to have read Seraphina to read these books too. I think this series will sit up in my favorites for a long time.
I really enjoyed this book! However, it feels quite different from Tess of the Road. It almost feels like a completely new project, not the sequel/continuation. Tess of the Road is a slower, character driven story about Tess's physical and emotional journey. This was more of a high seas adventure. The two didn't quite mesh as well as they should have, but each on its own is very good.
This book expands on the world building a lot. It also diverts from the main quest and gets bogged down in sideplots. A large part of this novel is examining colonialism and imperialism (in a 15th-16th cen. setting). While this is definitely important, the whole narrative took away too much from what should have been the main quest. From about the 30%-80% was away from Tess and Pathka trying to reach the Polar Serpent.
This novel also introduces a bunch of new characters, and expands on old ones. I never would have guessed that Spira would become a favorite, but I was always looking forward to their chapters. Every time it was a Spira chapters, I knew to expect to get emotional.
This series also has some of the best casual diversity and inclusion that I have come across. One of the main characters is a disabled non-binary person. Actually, Hartman has a lot of interplay with gender in this series. It's quite enjoyable. There are also a number of characters we would consider lgbt+.
I wish the ending was more wrapped up, and less open ended. I would have liked an epilogue set some time after the main events of the books, and with more closure on what happens to the characters. However, it does leave open more for Hartman to write about in this universe.
I really enjoyed this duology. I wish it was more popular and that more people have read it. Tess is a character I think about a lot, and her emotional journey as a young woman is so important. You do not need to have read Seraphina to read these books too. I think this series will sit up in my favorites for a long time.
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
5.0
Reread: March 2022: I still adore this book, and I think of has such important messages and themes in it. I’ll be starting the second book soon!
This was a great book! Everything Emily May said about it basically sums up my thoughts on the book so go read her review! I hope Rachel Hartman writes another Tess book. I feel like the novel ended in a way it could be continued easily. I would love to continue on Tess’s journey!
This was a great book! Everything Emily May said about it basically sums up my thoughts on the book so go read her review! I hope Rachel Hartman writes another Tess book. I feel like the novel ended in a way it could be continued easily. I would love to continue on Tess’s journey!
Matrix by Lauren Groff
4.0
I’m not entirely sure where my rating falls on this book. It’s a high rating, for sure, but I’m not quite set on how I feel just yet. This is a beautifully written novel, with some amazing prose, quotes that are cry worthy, and a unique and refreshing writing style.
It’s historically rich and I can see it easily making my list of favorite historical or literary fiction. It does take liberties with it’s history, however. It falls back on medieval cliches which historians have been painstakingly trying to correct over many years. It takes liberties with historical figures and the work that historians have done to piece together about their lives.
Despite these nitpicks, this is a deeply gorgeous novel and I almost want to dive back in, to pick on more that I missed, make connections to the Lais, and relish in the imagined world Groff created.
It’s historically rich and I can see it easily making my list of favorite historical or literary fiction. It does take liberties with it’s history, however. It falls back on medieval cliches which historians have been painstakingly trying to correct over many years. It takes liberties with historical figures and the work that historians have done to piece together about their lives.
Despite these nitpicks, this is a deeply gorgeous novel and I almost want to dive back in, to pick on more that I missed, make connections to the Lais, and relish in the imagined world Groff created.
Beyond the End of the World by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
4.0
4/5 stars
This was a good wrap-up to The Other Side of the Sky, it answered questions and gave a satisfying ending, while introducing new things and keeping a steady plot. If you're looking for a duology with very unique world building, this is the series for you. It is very fresh and original and was probably my favorite part of these two books.
This was a good wrap-up to The Other Side of the Sky, it answered questions and gave a satisfying ending, while introducing new things and keeping a steady plot. If you're looking for a duology with very unique world building, this is the series for you. It is very fresh and original and was probably my favorite part of these two books.