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whatellisreadnext's reviews
625 reviews
Nevertell by Katharine Orton
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Obviously, I am not the target audience for this, even though I am a 30 year old smol girl. I enjoyed it for what it was, a wintery middlegrade, which was educational in its depiction of labour camps under Stalin, but perhaps fell short a little with its fantastical elements. The characterisation was okay, although I guessed the twists, but again, I'm not a child. I could see a kid of 7-10 absolutely loving this story. Mountainfell by this author was a big win for me, so I'm excited to see what Katharine writes in the future.
A Loving, Faithful Animal by Josephine Rowe
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Josephine Rowe is clearly a skilled storyteller. We follow the voices of a family affected by the ptsd of their father, getting to hear from each member. Rowe created such unique voices for each of the characters. They are vivid, which makes the narrative all the more harrowing. The majority of the story takes place over New Years Eve and New Years Day, making it a very sombre seasonal story full of inner monologues and musings on life. Would recommend to all of my fellow heavy slice of life lovers.
Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
I'm feeling pretty mid about this instalment, unfortunately, but very willing to give the last book a chance. I want to see where this will end for Spensa.
All of the big reveals felt like reaches rather than clever twists. The whole book ended up feeling kind of pointless, which is a shame. Too many characters were introduced to an already massive cast. I just wanted Spensa and Mbot and Doomslug, and then it turned into something too meta. My brain is fried.
All of the big reveals felt like reaches rather than clever twists. The whole book ended up feeling kind of pointless, which is a shame. Too many characters were introduced to an already massive cast. I just wanted Spensa and Mbot and Doomslug, and then it turned into something too meta. My brain is fried.
The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
4.0
Even though I'm not Canadian, the nostalgia in this one goes hard. Oh, to be a kid again, riding around on my bicycle. Even though the narrative didn't reach autumn until the very end, it felt like the perfect little read for October. A brain surgeon tells the story of a year in his childhood whilst also giving us his dark little musings on life. This was actually a lot darker than I thought, which was a nice surprise, but I could have honestly done with it leaning into that a bit more with the ending. All in all, it's a great read to get lost in, easy reading with fantastic characters and an interesting narrative. Would recommend to all 🍂
Cold Skin by Albert Sánchez Piñol
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book gave me the ick. Lots of horrible nonconsensual sex scenes with a lizard woman being held captive and then a weird ass ending that I think was trying to be clever, but just ended up being sh*t. I'm over it, and whoever compared this to Annihilation is stupid. The only similarity is the lighthouse.
Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
This is definitely my second favourite after Age of Myth. It went back to its cosy roots, whilst simultaneously blowing my tiny mind. Plus, it had one of my favourite tropes; an unlikely band of heroes going on a quest to save their friend. I can't believe I've only 2 books left. Legends of the First Empire 100% my emotional support fantasy series.
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
3.0
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Incredible.
There are only 3 states of being, before Way of Kings, during Way of Kings and mourning Way of Kings. I can't tell you how much of a comfort blanket this book became for me that as soon as it ended, I felt its loss so heavily. Every moment I had spare was spent either reading this book or chatting about it with @chaosofcold. I miss it so.
2024 has definitely been the year of Brando Sando for me, having completed the first three Mistborn books earlier in the year, I felt I was ready to finally give the 1000+ page behemoth my time. And I'm so glad I did. The world is vast and vivid, with character development and political intrigue beyond my wildest dreams, not to mention the drama and how well Sanderson writes his action scenes. I was in awe.
I think Mistborn is definitely a good place to get your bearings with his writing if you're thinking about delving into some Brando. That series now feels like the tester series, whereas The Way of Kings feels like a book he put everything into, which may overwhelm if not used to the way he tells his stories. It is a masterpiece, and I can't wait to read the rest of the Stormlight Archive in 2025.
There are only 3 states of being, before Way of Kings, during Way of Kings and mourning Way of Kings. I can't tell you how much of a comfort blanket this book became for me that as soon as it ended, I felt its loss so heavily. Every moment I had spare was spent either reading this book or chatting about it with @chaosofcold. I miss it so.
2024 has definitely been the year of Brando Sando for me, having completed the first three Mistborn books earlier in the year, I felt I was ready to finally give the 1000+ page behemoth my time. And I'm so glad I did. The world is vast and vivid, with character development and political intrigue beyond my wildest dreams, not to mention the drama and how well Sanderson writes his action scenes. I was in awe.
I think Mistborn is definitely a good place to get your bearings with his writing if you're thinking about delving into some Brando. That series now feels like the tester series, whereas The Way of Kings feels like a book he put everything into, which may overwhelm if not used to the way he tells his stories. It is a masterpiece, and I can't wait to read the rest of the Stormlight Archive in 2025.