tien's reviews
3860 reviews

I'm not a huge fan of this author but I thought I might find this era fascinating. However, I had to listen to the first chapter a few times and just couldn't really get into it and decided to just keep going and see if I can pick up on the story anyway. I must admit that while I liked some of the characters and the setting, I wasn't enamoured with the rest of it. It just felt too long and that ending just didn't make the whole 16hours of listening worth it.

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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3.0

Before I started reading this novel, I didn't realise that this trilogy is actually a spin-off of author's earlier trilogy, The Dark Elements, of which I've only read book 1. I'm not particularly fond of paranormal novels featuring angels and/or demons but what I found interesting in these trilogies are the twist on gargoyles being shape-shifter protectors of humankind. Oh, and of course, usually they're pretty hot in human form 😜

In Storm and Fury, we meet Trinity. She's rather special and have lived in a very protected & protective remote community of Wardens (what those gargoyle protectors are called). Her time of hiding is running out though as for somehow, someone found out and she is wanted for some nefarious reason or another. Her bonded guardian was kidnapped and she has to place her trust in another Warden from another clan, Zayne (him from The Dark Elements trilogy). Sparks flew, complications arose, twists abound, and a broken ending promising more doom in sequel.

I wasn't really that keen on Trinity as a character to begin with but I do like Zayne very much 😬 Understandably, Trinity's sheltered life made sure that she's rather innocent and yet, this naivety sometimes makes me want to shake her. Zayne has his own set of baggage, if you've read The Dark Elements. Though if you're like me, it's not necessary to have read that earlier trilogy as whatever you need to know is told to you in this novel. This also means that I'll probably never read the rest of The Dark Elements.

Storm and Fury is straight out YA paranormal romance. It's fluff for a grey day with sparky snarky dialogs between romantic protags and a fast paced twisty plot that makes the day go quickly by.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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funny lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

I picked up this book with some reservations. I wasn't a huge fan of the first book due to the miscommunication trope and the slapsticks but this was gifted to me by an Ind0-Aussie friend so I thought I'd give this one another chance. I do love the pairing but not the execution of this series of novels. The miscommunication trope isn't so bad in this one but slapsticks still played a big part and I struggled through those pages. The humour I found mostly in the understanding the protagonist's point of view having grown up in Indonesia myself but now am more Aussie than Indo.

If you loved the first book, you would love this one. If you are like me, however, no matter how good the author's intentions (author's note at the beginning of the book) are, the content is <i>not</b> for me. You really have to suspend disbelief (and there is a particular part of the novel which I just couldn't get over) though I did like the ending when the protagonist outlined why she loved her crazy family and it was all wrapped up quite neatly though again, suspend disbelief.

Spy x Family, Vol. 3 by Tatsuya Endo

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funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

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tien's reviews 3860 reviews

tien's reviews
3860 reviews