sarai0410's reviews
322 reviews

Cold Clay by Juneau Black

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I just love this series - I think I actually enjoyed this one more than the first too! Is it pretty predictable? Sure, but it's a fun time and the characters are entertaining. 
North Is the Night by Emily Rath

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adventurous dark hopeful medium-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

5.0

Stunning, spectacular, vibrant - all the stars ✨ Mythology-based fantasy is my bread and butter, but that doesn't meant they are always done well; this however, was exactly what I look for in a fantasy. The writing was beautiful and Rath painted the picture of her world so beautifully that I was sucked into not only the land of the living, but also Tuonela and didn't want to leave. Our two main characters, Siira and Aina, and their perspectives told a story of friendship, love, and devotion that had me hoping beyond hope throughout the story that we would see them together again.
 
The way love was depicted here was so well done and really highlighted the different types of love one person can have in their heart for others, from platonic and familial, to within the heart and very soul of yourself. Not only was this shown via our FMCs, but throughout the various relationships they forged with those around them -
I was especially fond of the parental-relationship Siira found with Väinämöinen💔 and Aina's friendship with Loviatar.


 "..You gave me the hope to stand to keep fighting." "You already had hope. I just reminded you of where you'd temporarily misplaced it." 

All souls exist in three pieces, Aina. Only three. Always three. It's the pieces that loves you so fiercely, and will do anything to be your side again. Being with you now, I finally understand the truth of my life. I don't know what magic is, but I know without a doubt that my soul exists in four pieces.
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

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

3.5

I have very back and forth feelings for this book - on one hand, I enjoyed the writing and the way the plot was setup as well as the look into the FMCs unique (and frequently annoying) stance on feminism, racism, and language; however, on the other hand the FMC, Anisa, is unbearably unlikeable, and the pacing/timeline is wacky to the point that I have no idea if the story occurred over the course of two months or 10 years. A large part of my annoyance with Anisa, and in part the writing, was that she was supposedly around her mid-thirties, but she acted like a nineteen or twenty year old throughout the story - and so did Shiba to be honest.

I saw in several reviews that this had been compared to Vita Nostra (which I have read and it was mind-blowing in the oddest way) and Babel (which I have not read, but have heard many things about) and beyond the obvious plot elements - focus on language (Babel) and a secret organization (Vita Nostra), I don't really see the comparison.

Ultimately, the book was enjoyable and a very quick, bingeable read, but I do feel like it could have been more. 
The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris

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hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

While there was more of a focus on World War I battles than I was expecting, this was incredibly interesting. The writing and the way in which the author told Gillies' story was fantastic. I do wish there was more of a focus on the surgeon and his surgical innovations - especially his work on gender-confirming surgery later in life - but this was a great introduction into how plastic surgery evolved due to the horrific trauma soldiers faced during/after war. 

I've been eyeing Fitzharris' other book, The Butchering Art, for quite sometime - I think it's time to pick that up. 
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright

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

1.5

If I read the words demure or blood and steel (as a curse) one more time, I was legitimately going to stab myself with one of Shan's claws.

I wanted to like this so badly, and it genuinely had an interesting concept, but the execution was terrible. Non-existent world-building, lackluster characters, the worst case of 'telling, not showing' in writing that I have seen in a long time, and dialogue that made me want to gouge my eyes out. Nothing about this book was believable.

After the first 40ish pages, it felt like the author dropped us into book two or three in the series and just expected us to just get it. 
Critical Role: Vox Machina — Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp

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adventurous medium-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

4.0

As a huge Critical Role fan that has only casually enjoyed Campaign 1, I really enjoyed this look into the Twin's backstory. Going into this I knew to not expect a ton of magic as Vex and Vax aren't magic users at this age, so this really wasn't something that was missing for me. The only thing I wanted more of was the flashbacks to their years in Syngorn as this was where they had so much of their character development that shaped their Campaign 1 characters.

For the full experience, I highly recommend the audiobook (I mean it obviously has to be good considering Liam and Laura both voice their characters) as Robbie gives a phenomenal performance as the narrator. 
The Fury by Alex Michaelides

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medium-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

2.0

Well that was certainty a book. A good book? Nah - definitely not. Despite disliking almost everything about this story, the thing that killed it for me was how every chapter ended in a faux-cliffhanger; really killed the vibe after following the exact same format for every chapter. 
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I picked this up at a library book sale (very appropriate for obvious reasons) and enjoyed the writing style and story. Honestly, I just wish it were a full length novel because this odd futuristic world that Gailey created had so much going on that I was interested in learning more about and I wanted to stay with the characters longer.

She wanted that satisfaction. She wanted it for herself wanted it like a half-starved alley-rat watching that table through a window on a bellyaching night. She didn't know how to get it—but she had a feeling that if she stuck with the Librarians for long enough, she might be able to figure it out. How to feast instead of starving...How to like the person who she was instead of fighting it.
 
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

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adventurous funny medium-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

4.5

While I'm not as well versed in Egyptian mythology as I am in Norse and Greek, I've always found the history and culture of Ancient Egypt fascinating, so I was ready to dive into another Riordan interpretation of mythology. The strongest bits of this story were the relationship between Carter and Sadie and their individual personalities. I enjoyed their interactions as practically strangers at the start of the book and how that developed into a more solid sibling relationship towards the end. 

The overall story felt more mature than the PJO series, which I actually really liked and ultimately made sense for the characters: with Carter being raised by his dad, traveling the world, and not experiencing a traditional childhood, it made sense that his actions and personality are older than his age; the same could be said for Sadie, being raised by her grandparents. While there were still the classic 'silly goofy' times/references I've come to expect with a Riordan novel, the plot felt more high risk and I think we felt that risk at the end. 

I'm super behind in enjoying Riordan's novels, but I am loving getting to do so now. 
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

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dark funny mysterious medium-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

4.5

Having really only picked the book up because I thought the title was funny (who need synopses anyway?), I was very happy to find that I thoroughly enjoyed this book - and it was indeed funny inside as well! The writing style and way in which the story was told felt unique; while we technically had three main characters to follow in their journey (Cliff, Gemma, and Dorie), each perspective was done differently in both style and personality, so I was never bored of the writing. While the middle section (around 45-60%) was a little slow and could be considered drawn out, I was still quite fascinated to find where the story would take us. The humor throughout the story was amazing and I was constantly giggling with the little puns and jokes that were tossed around. 

Couple spoilery thoughts about the ending: 
  • When we were introduced to the characters by our narrator, we were told that not all of them will be successful in their thesis/deletion. Because of this, I was expecting their failures to be more traditional and for McMasters to ensure they were deleted themselves. However, I was very happy with the way in which the 'failures' were handled - specifically with Gemma coming on as a faculty member (McMasters really does value their morals!).
  • I liked how each character came to a different conclusion with their thesis also, nothing felt repetitive and each student had their our unique outcome and sense of purpose following their thesis'.
  • Learning who Cliff's sponsor was, Jaeck's wife Lilliana, felt so good as well - that she had such faith in Cliff and really valued him as a son was a wonderful way to do justice for her husband.
  • Finally, the last few pages of the book and the Dean's letter - I'm so curious to see if he actually survived or if there will be a new Dean for McMasters.

When I bought this, I hadn't realized it was the start of a series, and now I can't wait for the release of Murder Your Mate (according to the snippet at the end of the book) - I haven't found any publishing information, but hopefully we'll see it sooner rather than later.