Scan barcode
ashley_mrose530's reviews
433 reviews
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
First of all, I have to thank NetGalley for providing me with the e-ARC of this book just in time to get it done before it comes out. This is my first ARC review!
This was a beautiful written character study thriller with a little bit of paranormal fantasy mixed in.
In this book, James is facing the grief of losing her twin brother and having to go back to their hometown which she has always avoided. But as she works on finishing her brother's project, it turns out that he might have had a lot of secrets to uncover as well. James must deal with her own sordid past while she works through the secrets her brother was keeping from her before she can let him go.
Immediately when I started it, I loved the atmospheric writing and the way Young described this town through the main character. It definitely gave me creepy vibes which is what it set out to do.
But as the story went on, I realized that there wasan unreliable narrator aspect to it that was actually really working. I could not decide if I wanted to agree with James and believe her brother was a decent person, or if I believed that he could do some of the terrible things that the story was making it seem like he did. It was so well done.
I also loved the plot twists. I was surprised by all of them and I'm usually pretty good at predicting things, so it takes a good book to surprise me.
I will say that I think the pacing might have been a little slow for me. It kind of dragged at the beginning, but the end did pick it up quickly and I couldn't put it down for the last half.
Overall it was a really good book and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys mystery thrillers.
This was a beautiful written character study thriller with a little bit of paranormal fantasy mixed in.
In this book, James is facing the grief of losing her twin brother and having to go back to their hometown which she has always avoided. But as she works on finishing her brother's project, it turns out that he might have had a lot of secrets to uncover as well. James must deal with her own sordid past while she works through the secrets her brother was keeping from her before she can let him go.
Immediately when I started it, I loved the atmospheric writing and the way Young described this town through the main character. It definitely gave me creepy vibes which is what it set out to do.
But as the story went on, I realized that there was
I also loved the plot twists. I was surprised by all of them and I'm usually pretty good at predicting things, so it takes a good book to surprise me.
I will say that I think the pacing might have been a little slow for me. It kind of dragged at the beginning, but the end did pick it up quickly and I couldn't put it down for the last half.
Overall it was a really good book and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys mystery thrillers.
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This is honestly a really poorly written book.
I'll start with what it got right. The tension between the female main character and the love interest at the beginning was spot on. I love the enemies to lovers trope and I think it was done pretty well here. Their banter and physical tension was perfect at the beginning and had me invested in their relationship.
Unfortunately it did kind of fall apart toward the end as they got closer. I didn't feel the tension anymore and I think their banter was supposed to be more humorous at times, but it didn't work. As they got closer, I started getting bored with their relationship. I wasn't even happy when they finally kissed.
That wasn't where my main issues lie though. My main gripe with this book comes down to the world building. It was so convoluted. Now fantasy as a genre is allowed to confuse you at the beginning so that it can all come together at the end, but this wasn't that. At all.
There were too many moving parts here. Too many countries (I think they were all different countries?) were mentioned and their leaders put in as secondary characters. There were apparently two rebel groups of Jasadi plus one person who was going against both of them and I couldn't keep all of them straight at all. There were so many words that were native to this land that I couldn't fully understand even with context clues.
And then there's the magic. Apparently at one point everyone had it but somehow it got bred out with evolution? (I think?) But somehow it stayed in the Jasadi longer than the others and then all those who didn't have magic suddenly decided magic was bad and outlawed it and began killing anyone who still had it. I really don't know how it got from one thing to the next. It might have been explained but I was too confused and bogged down by the prose and bad pacing that I was too bored to listen to it.
That was another thing that this book suffered from. The pacing was everywhere. For the most part, it was too slow. Too much explaining the wrong things that the prose gets lost in itself and I got so bored with it. It kept explaining random wars that didn't even need to be mentioned and refused to explain things that were important.
Anyway, long story short, this book could use some heavy editing and I don't think I'm going to even try reading the second one.
I'll start with what it got right. The tension between the female main character and the love interest at the beginning was spot on. I love the enemies to lovers trope and I think it was done pretty well here. Their banter and physical tension was perfect at the beginning and had me invested in their relationship.
Unfortunately it did kind of fall apart toward the end as they got closer. I didn't feel the tension anymore and I think their banter was supposed to be more humorous at times, but it didn't work. As they got closer, I started getting bored with their relationship. I wasn't even happy when they finally kissed.
That wasn't where my main issues lie though. My main gripe with this book comes down to the world building. It was so convoluted. Now fantasy as a genre is allowed to confuse you at the beginning so that it can all come together at the end, but this wasn't that. At all.
There were too many moving parts here. Too many countries (I think they were all different countries?) were mentioned and their leaders put in as secondary characters. There were apparently two rebel groups of Jasadi plus one person who was going against both of them and I couldn't keep all of them straight at all. There were so many words that were native to this land that I couldn't fully understand even with context clues.
And then there's the magic. Apparently at one point everyone had it but somehow it got bred out with evolution? (I think?) But somehow it stayed in the Jasadi longer than the others and then all those who didn't have magic suddenly decided magic was bad and outlawed it and began killing anyone who still had it. I really don't know how it got from one thing to the next. It might have been explained but I was too confused and bogged down by the prose and bad pacing that I was too bored to listen to it.
That was another thing that this book suffered from. The pacing was everywhere. For the most part, it was too slow. Too much explaining the wrong things that the prose gets lost in itself and I got so bored with it. It kept explaining random wars that didn't even need to be mentioned and refused to explain things that were important.
Anyway, long story short, this book could use some heavy editing and I don't think I'm going to even try reading the second one.
The Valkyrie's Daughter by Tiana Warner
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
4.0
This was such a cute book. It really reminded me of the Percy Jackson series except sapphic and with Norse mythology instead of Greek. It was also maybe a little darker, or at least not as lighthearted as The Lightning Thief.
I really liked the main character Sigrid. She was determined and caring. She wanted to be someone who mattered and could help other people and she would do anything to get to that point. And I loved the arc that she went through in this book. Not just the hero's journey but also her learning thatmaybe she doesn't want all of that power anyway.
I also really enjoyed the sapphic storyline. They were so cute and their tension was perfect. Definitely a classic slow burn romance.I'm just so sad that they separated at the end. I know there's a second book so I'm holding out hope for that, but I'm still so sad about it.
I will say that the pacing seemed a little off towards the end.She supposedly spent at least five days with her mom in hell, but it felt like that time went by so quickly and she had her realization of what her mom was doing too soon. I felt like that should have been more gradual especially since she had always wanted to know where she came from.
I also did enjoy the found family trope here, it's actually once of my favorites, but I do think it has been done better in other books. I felt like Sigrid and Miriam were close but the elf was clearly closer to Miriam and I wanted a few more interactions between him and Sigrid to grow their friendship more on the page.
In all it was a really cute story. I enjoyed the Norse mythology and the sapphic romance and I would love to read the next one if one of my libraries ever gets it.
I really liked the main character Sigrid. She was determined and caring. She wanted to be someone who mattered and could help other people and she would do anything to get to that point. And I loved the arc that she went through in this book. Not just the hero's journey but also her learning that
I also really enjoyed the sapphic storyline. They were so cute and their tension was perfect. Definitely a classic slow burn romance.
I will say that the pacing seemed a little off towards the end.
I also did enjoy the found family trope here, it's actually once of my favorites, but I do think it has been done better in other books. I felt like Sigrid and Miriam were close but the elf was clearly closer to Miriam and I wanted a few more interactions between him and Sigrid to grow their friendship more on the page.
In all it was a really cute story. I enjoyed the Norse mythology and the sapphic romance and I would love to read the next one if one of my libraries ever gets it.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
dark
emotional
tense
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
This book deserves every bit of hype that it has gotten.
To start off, Wang's writing is so poetic and detailed, it left me in awe in the very first chapter. She had a way of making me feel for these characters that I didn't even know yet as I watched them all die, in the first chapter! The imagery was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time in that chapter and it just kept on going from there. The world building was also fascinating. The magic system was set up almost like a computer animation programming system which was so interesting and inventive. I loved learning more about it as I read.
The character arc that Sciona goes through is phenomenal honestly. She starts the book of completely driven and focused on one thing to the point that she ignores everything else including her family and even her own self - her emotions as well as her well-being. But as she gets closer to Thomil, she develops more empathy for those around her and starts paying attention to the structures her society has in place and how they affect people who are different from them and that changes how she sees everything. Her arc is just perfect.
I also really loved the book ends and full-circle feel we had at the end.At the beginning we had Thomil and his tribe running toward Tiran under a barrage of blight killing them. It was chaotic, tense, and heartbreaking, but Thomil and Kara made it so there was a little bit of hope there too. And at the end we have a very similar scene where Thomil and Kara are running with their tribe, but this time they are running away from Tiran and the guards that are trying to stop them and it's still chaotic, but it's much more hopeful as you wish for them to be able to start a new life without the plague of blight and all the harm the Tiranish had caused. It was really poignant and beautiful to have those two scenes match and book end the story.
In short, Wang's writing and storyline kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I loved every minute of it.
To start off, Wang's writing is so poetic and detailed, it left me in awe in the very first chapter. She had a way of making me feel for these characters that I didn't even know yet as I watched them all die, in the first chapter! The imagery was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time in that chapter and it just kept on going from there. The world building was also fascinating. The magic system was set up almost like a computer animation programming system which was so interesting and inventive. I loved learning more about it as I read.
The character arc that Sciona goes through is phenomenal honestly. She starts the book of completely driven and focused on one thing to the point that she ignores everything else including her family and even her own self - her emotions as well as her well-being. But as she gets closer to Thomil, she develops more empathy for those around her and starts paying attention to the structures her society has in place and how they affect people who are different from them and that changes how she sees everything. Her arc is just perfect.
I also really loved the book ends and full-circle feel we had at the end.
In short, Wang's writing and storyline kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I loved every minute of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Sexual harassment
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The only reason I kept reading this book is because the premise was interesting. The mystery of the puzzles and why Avery was chosen for all of this. The rest of it is... not good.
The writing is rudimentary and filled with cliches. The characters aren't really interesting and honestly some of them just get forgotten about throughout the book. There were too many to keep track of and that's probably why half of them got lost.
I didn't really like Avery as a main character. She was trying to be a "good person" who cares about systemic things like homelessness and the individual people affected by it, but yet she's so self-absorbed that she didn't care about what was happening in her best friend's life or her sister's. I get that it's a big change for her and she's only seventeen, but she never even thought about her sister and her friend Max rarely crossed her mind at all.
Also, the no swearing thing was so cringe-worthy. Every time it happened I died a little bit inside. It was mostly kept to one character, but at the beginning Avery was also doing it and it was just too much. I almost DNF'd just because of that.
Anyway, I think I'll try to continue the series, just to see if the mystery and the premise keep me interested again and go from there.
The writing is rudimentary and filled with cliches. The characters aren't really interesting and honestly some of them just get forgotten about throughout the book. There were too many to keep track of and that's probably why half of them got lost.
I didn't really like Avery as a main character. She was trying to be a "good person" who cares about systemic things like homelessness and the individual people affected by it, but yet she's so self-absorbed that she didn't care about what was happening in her best friend's life or her sister's. I get that it's a big change for her and she's only seventeen, but she never even thought about her sister and her friend Max rarely crossed her mind at all.
Also, the no swearing thing was so cringe-worthy. Every time it happened I died a little bit inside. It was mostly kept to one character, but at the beginning Avery was also doing it and it was just too much. I almost DNF'd just because of that.
Anyway, I think I'll try to continue the series, just to see if the mystery and the premise keep me interested again and go from there.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.75
I honestly think it's impossible for me not to love a T. Kingfisher novel. Her imagery is so creepy and sometimes disgusting and it's so good to help set the vibes of the book. I love that they're a cross between horror and fantasy so you never know exactly where it's going to go. And she always has some kind of found family aspect which is my favorite trope. And this book is no exception.
I really liked the magic system in this book. It seemed realistic and the idea of a person who can control other people's bodies is creepy and fascinating at the same time.
I really enjoyed Cordelia's POV. She was so naive and sweet as well as determined and smart. I felt for her almost immediately especially after learning what her mother was doing to her.
Hester was also good to have as a POV too. Cordelia was a bit of an unreliable narrator and Hester helped put things into perspective a little bit. She helped mellow out Cordelia's anxiety-filled scenes which was very necessary.
I loved watching Hester and Cordelia become closer and then she was adopted into the rest of the group as well. It was heartwarming, as it always is when Kingfisher writes it.
Anyway, all of this to say, I will always pick up anything Kingfisher writes and more than likely thoroughly enjoy it as well.
I really liked the magic system in this book. It seemed realistic and the idea of a person who can control other people's bodies is creepy and fascinating at the same time.
I really enjoyed Cordelia's POV. She was so naive and sweet as well as determined and smart. I felt for her almost immediately especially after learning what her mother was doing to her.
Hester was also good to have as a POV too. Cordelia was a bit of an unreliable narrator and Hester helped put things into perspective a little bit. She helped mellow out Cordelia's anxiety-filled scenes which was very necessary.
I loved watching Hester and Cordelia become closer and then she was adopted into the rest of the group as well. It was heartwarming, as it always is when Kingfisher writes it.
Anyway, all of this to say, I will always pick up anything Kingfisher writes and more than likely thoroughly enjoy it as well.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was pretty good. I thought it was really well put together and it did have some surprises in there though I did predict a few of them.
I think the premise of this was a really good idea. It was a new direction that I haven't seen before. A high school student wanting to do a project on an old crime case that she believes caught the wrong killer. It was intriguing and different and I like how it was portrayed.
I did find Pip's motivations a little lacking though. I wasn't really sure why she was so interested in this case in the first place. And I know she said that she found some inconsistencies and that's why she believed Sal could be innocent, but I don't remember her ever really describing those inconsistencies. It just seems odd for how strongly she felt about it.
The mystery itself kept me interested quite a bit throughout though. I started realizing it was very similar to Pretty Little Liars. The murder victim was pretty much exactly like Allison - beautiful and popular because of it, but a terrible bully who was mean to everyone including her friends. And everyone's secrets coming out and the threats that Pip got were also similar to PLL.
But this book didn't have as much of the absolute craziness and unpredictability that PLL had. In fact, I did end up predicting some of the twists throughout the book.By the time I had read half way through, I had guessed that everyone at that party had been lying about when Sal left and that Mr. Harding was the secret older man Andie had been seeing. My guess was either that Mr. Harding had killed her or kidnapped her or that Naomi had. I was happy when I realized that I was only half right by the end and it still managed to surprise me with the real killer. It makes me wonder if the author had meant to make it that way or not.
Anyway, this book was well thought out and I like Pip and Ravi. Watching them both grow and get to know each other was definitely a highlight of the novel. I really liked whenPip tried to get him to give up the case but he came back because he realized that the killer had probably been the one to kill her dog and that was the only reason why she was giving up. It really showed how much he had come to know her as a person even besides the case. He knew she would never give up on finding the answers unless she was forced to. I thought it was a good little detail to show how their relationship had progressed since their meeting.
Overall this was a good book but it's not my typical favorite genre and I'm not sure if I really need to continue with the rest of the series. Maybe I will if I need to find something else to read one day.
I think the premise of this was a really good idea. It was a new direction that I haven't seen before. A high school student wanting to do a project on an old crime case that she believes caught the wrong killer. It was intriguing and different and I like how it was portrayed.
I did find Pip's motivations a little lacking though. I wasn't really sure why she was so interested in this case in the first place. And I know she said that she found some inconsistencies and that's why she believed Sal could be innocent, but I don't remember her ever really describing those inconsistencies. It just seems odd for how strongly she felt about it.
The mystery itself kept me interested quite a bit throughout though. I started realizing it was very similar to Pretty Little Liars. The murder victim was pretty much exactly like Allison - beautiful and popular because of it, but a terrible bully who was mean to everyone including her friends. And everyone's secrets coming out and the threats that Pip got were also similar to PLL.
But this book didn't have as much of the absolute craziness and unpredictability that PLL had. In fact, I did end up predicting some of the twists throughout the book.
Anyway, this book was well thought out and I like Pip and Ravi. Watching them both grow and get to know each other was definitely a highlight of the novel. I really liked when
Overall this was a good book but it's not my typical favorite genre and I'm not sure if I really need to continue with the rest of the series. Maybe I will if I need to find something else to read one day.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-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
4.5
This is honestly such an important book. Babel is set in a magical realism world of London in the 1800's and tackles so many important topics like racism, imperialism, colonialism, and poverty while also analyzing how all of those interconnect and impact people in different ways.
It starts off with a feeling of wonder at this new and different world. One that is so similar to ours, but yet so different. And even as it manages to keep that wonder, the dread of these isms still creeps in until you're no longer reading a story about a magical London with silver bars that can do almost anything through the power of translation, you're reading a story about colonialism and the destruction of cultures and languages.
Kuang has such a great way of starting and finishing a book at almost two completely different feelings but yet making them connect gradually and even though you can see the harsh realities of Robin's situation from the beginning, you're willing to overlook them just like he did because of the fascination with that magical world.
I will say that I had a hard time getting through this one. I started it as I was coming out of a reading slump and it promptly put me back in one. It was slow to start for me. The time Robin spent learning and growing became a little boring at times, but I knew that it was necessary for the pacing of the book as well. The ending was phenomenal though. It was one thing after the next and so fast paced that it made up for the beginning being a little slow.
I think this is a necessary read for everyone especially those who don't know the harms that colonization and imperialism can cause and how they can't affect entire cultures. It was truly a well-written book.
It starts off with a feeling of wonder at this new and different world. One that is so similar to ours, but yet so different. And even as it manages to keep that wonder, the dread of these isms still creeps in until you're no longer reading a story about a magical London with silver bars that can do almost anything through the power of translation, you're reading a story about colonialism and the destruction of cultures and languages.
Kuang has such a great way of starting and finishing a book at almost two completely different feelings but yet making them connect gradually and even though you can see the harsh realities of Robin's situation from the beginning, you're willing to overlook them just like he did because of the fascination with that magical world.
I will say that I had a hard time getting through this one. I started it as I was coming out of a reading slump and it promptly put me back in one. It was slow to start for me. The time Robin spent learning and growing became a little boring at times, but I knew that it was necessary for the pacing of the book as well. The ending was phenomenal though. It was one thing after the next and so fast paced that it made up for the beginning being a little slow.
I think this is a necessary read for everyone especially those who don't know the harms that colonization and imperialism can cause and how they can't affect entire cultures. It was truly a well-written book.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.5
I really enjoy the depth that Emily Henry puts into her books. They're not rom-com lighthearted fluffy things that are only surface level. They always have an underlying theme and plot separate from the romance that just takes everything to the next level and I really like that.
This one is about two friends who are completely different but are attracted to each other anyway and they have to decide, separately as well as together, if they want to act upon that attraction and see where things go. But again, it's not just about the relationship and the will-they-won't-they scenario, it's also about the idea of happiness and personal goals. What does one do when they have reached all of their professional goals, but still find themselves unhappy? This is the question that comes up throughout this book and I think it does a pretty good job of answering it for the main character by the end.
I do like Poppy and Alex. I loved their banter. Poppy is so funny and I love how Alex feeds off of her sarcasm and jokes too. I think they have great chemistry because of this and I do enjoy a friends to lovers troupe.
But this book relies so heavily on them just not talking about anything important. The miscommunication troupe is probably my least favorite of all time because a good relationship needs good communication in order to last and it would be especially necessary for Poppy and Alex since they are so different and thought they wanted such different things. They would need to make sure they're talking about all of those things in order to make sure one doesn't end up resenting the other. And I am not entirely sure if I see that happening for them so I don't know if I really believe they would be a good couple in the long run. They're a good "happy for now" couple and if Alex doesn't just let Poppy take the reins and make every decision, they might last, but I'm not fully convinced of it after this book.
Overall, I enjoyed the depth and the banter in this book, but I am not sure about the longevity of the main couple.
This one is about two friends who are completely different but are attracted to each other anyway and they have to decide, separately as well as together, if they want to act upon that attraction and see where things go. But again, it's not just about the relationship and the will-they-won't-they scenario, it's also about the idea of happiness and personal goals. What does one do when they have reached all of their professional goals, but still find themselves unhappy? This is the question that comes up throughout this book and I think it does a pretty good job of answering it for the main character by the end.
I do like Poppy and Alex. I loved their banter. Poppy is so funny and I love how Alex feeds off of her sarcasm and jokes too. I think they have great chemistry because of this and I do enjoy a friends to lovers troupe.
But this book relies so heavily on them just not talking about anything important. The miscommunication troupe is probably my least favorite of all time because a good relationship needs good communication in order to last and it would be especially necessary for Poppy and Alex since they are so different and thought they wanted such different things. They would need to make sure they're talking about all of those things in order to make sure one doesn't end up resenting the other. And I am not entirely sure if I see that happening for them so I don't know if I really believe they would be a good couple in the long run. They're a good "happy for now" couple and if Alex doesn't just let Poppy take the reins and make every decision, they might last, but I'm not fully convinced of it after this book.
Overall, I enjoyed the depth and the banter in this book, but I am not sure about the longevity of the main couple.
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
This one was just really funny. I think it was good for what it was: a comedy about pirate adventures.
Sometimes I did find the sexual innuendos and the overt comments about sex a little too much but I learned to love Avra anyway and I'm glad he was able to find some people who also loved him for who he is by the end.
I felt like Julian was the only one who really understood him through the book and I liked that a lot. And I loved that he helped Captain Teveri understand him more too. I felt like they could be a really great throuple.
I will say that the ending was a little bit more ambiguous than I would like. It left a lot of things up to you to decide even big plot points. The whole book was about trying to figure out this secret formula to keep the sea serpents away from ships andthough it seems like they were close to figuring that out completely, they never actually show on the page that they do and that kind of bothers me. It's fine to leave some things up to speculation but I feel like leaving the main plot up to interpretation shouldn't be one of them.
I think the pacing was a little off too. I remember looking at the percentage sometimes and realizing I had only made it through a little bit but so much happened or the beginning was dragging on or there was only an hour left and still so many things left to tie up. It was just odd.
Either way though, I had fun with it and I would probably recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh and likes pirate books.
Sometimes I did find the sexual innuendos and the overt comments about sex a little too much but I learned to love Avra anyway and I'm glad he was able to find some people who also loved him for who he is by the end.
I felt like Julian was the only one who really understood him through the book and I liked that a lot. And I loved that he helped Captain Teveri understand him more too. I felt like they could be a really great throuple.
I will say that the ending was a little bit more ambiguous than I would like. It left a lot of things up to you to decide even big plot points. The whole book was about trying to figure out this secret formula to keep the sea serpents away from ships and
I think the pacing was a little off too. I remember looking at the percentage sometimes and realizing I had only made it through a little bit but so much happened or the beginning was dragging on or there was only an hour left and still so many things left to tie up. It was just odd.
Either way though, I had fun with it and I would probably recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh and likes pirate books.