valerixia's reviews
145 reviews

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

Go to review page

challenging dark tense fast-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

4.0

Fast paced, Dark and compelling. I found the characters true and intriguing, their actions weren't predictable and very unsettling at times. Made me never want to drink dark fruits ever again (not that I ever wanted to spend money on it anyway!) 
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Written in short punchy sentences. With bits added for no reason. Like this. So, kinda annoying. The only male character is the killer, it is focused mainly on the female detective tracking him and the families of his victims. Very much blames the parents for his crimes. 
Victory City by Salman Rushdie

Go to review page

Did not finish book.
This felt culturally significant after the attack on the author, but it's not for me. Written as a retelling of an Indian fable, it seems to empower women by letting them do the job  of men rather than anything else. Meh.
Silk: A History in Three Metamorphoses by Aarathi Prasad

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Interesting, but really only about colonialism and moths, little about the fashion or uses of silk apart from in asides. The arrowproof stuff was I teresing but it's presented as an aside from the rest of the chapters.
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Go to review page

adventurous challenging inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Convoluted but interesting concepts. Think I can leave the series here at present. Did enjoy the book, but worried the rest might get preachy, and most of the main characters have been killed off - feels like an end.
The Dark Side of Love by Rafik Schami

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Was leant by a friend, I wasn't enjoying the misogyny in the language or the banality of the characters, then one of them fucked a donkey. Called it there ta.
The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Brilliantly written, fast paced. The characters are true and raw, the heartwrench in the middle hurt ! Set in a variety of Shakespearean London, birdworshipping cultists exist, and so do hotpotch groups of theatre performing orphans. A truly great book.
The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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? No

4.0

Really enjoyed it, but not as much as the first in the series. Many of the same characters but off on a new adventure. I felt the main character spent a lot of time whinging about the same thing all the way through...
Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black

Go to review page

informative fast-paced

5.0

Excellent book about anthropological forensics. Very sciencey and matter of fact.
Frontier by Grace Curtis

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

A solid romantic fantasy, a gunslinger off tk rescue to the woman of her dreams against a spacey background, and via several amusing side quests.