pepper_mind's reviews
341 reviews

The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud

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adventurous emotional lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.75

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring sad slow-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? N/A

4.0

First I couldn't get into this book and had difficulty connecting with the characters. But now (a couple of days after finishing) this boon stilö lingers in my head. The end made me emotional and... I think this was a really good book...

Zimmer 103 by Simone St. James

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dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

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dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Mists of Memory by N.C. Scrimgeour

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adventurous dark sad 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

4.0

What it is about
Mists of Memory is the second book in the Sea of Souls Saga.
Isla continues her fight for what is right, always trying to discover the secrets her ancestors have left her. Anything more I could say would spoil this for you—read Sea of Souls!

What I liked
I Love a good recap. Thanks to Scrimgeour, who thoughtfully included a recap for forgetful readers.
Mists of Memory continued where Sea of Souls left us: with great writing and that sweet pain this series caused. All the themes were on point, but I loved the strong exploration of what it means to have a home and family the most. And don’t get me started on the writing...
“It was the memory of violence made real, a rupture into the soulless realm.”
The relationships between the characters were even stronger and well crafted. Most of all I loved Isla’s connection to Eimhis, but also with Lachlan.

What I didn’t like as much
Maybe I liked the first one better because the world was all new to me. I don’t know, but in the end, we are talking about nuances and preferences. This book remains a great novel, made with the high skill level I learned to appreciate in indie books.
Mists of Memory took me a while to read, it certainly is a slower read. And as I liked that and it allowed me to slow down, the amount of despair was sometimes a little much for me.
I also missed a more in-depth exploration of Auld magic. Maybe we’ll get that in the next book? I can’t wait to continue.

Final Words
Sea of Souls blew me away as I read it and Mists of Memory was the right sequel. I highly recommend reading the whole saga.
It is cold, wet and misty and you will feel the could crawl up your spine while reading. Have fun!

Content Warnings