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booksandbongs's reviews
155 reviews
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“You think you know hardship, but men have a gift for finding new ways to make women suffer.”
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo is a historical fantasy set in Spain during the inquisition. The story follows scullion Luzia Cotado, who is hiding a gift for little miracles.
This is my first book by Bardugo, I have several by her on my TBR but something compelled me to pick this one up first, and I really enjoyed it. Her prose is beautiful, I found myself rereading passages often. This was an immersive adventure into 16th century Spain, and I loved Luzia’s character and her embodiment of hope despite everything. The undertone of her growing female rage was really impactful to the story. I enjoyed that Bardugo created the main characters to all have very different lives - but all of them are still difficult lives.
The history is well researched - I was really interested by the Hispanic and multicultural focus, which I think helped emphasize the treatment of non-Catholic cultures at the time. I love the magical realism elements as opposed to pure fantasy - the magic blends seamlessly with the historical beliefs at the time - everything feels very plausible.
4 stars mainly because the pacing felt a little off/the last 10% of the story felt rushed, and the supporting characters didn’t feel quite as detailed as I would’ve liked - but I did enjoy the ambiguous ending. I think it would’ve been stronger as a duology. I definitely recommend for historical fantasy lovers!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
“Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope”
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson is the first book in the Mistborn trilogy.
What a fun take on a heist trope, I really didn’t want to put this one down!! I feel like the pacing was perfect, reading this felt like a really long movie - everything unfolded at just the right moment. The worldbuilding was very immersive, and Sanderson does a great job of being descriptive enough to throw you into the scene with the characters.
The magic system was fantastic, really well thought out and so detailed - Sanderson really is the king of creativity. I also liked how it didn’t seem entirely unrealistic, I could see allomancy being real. Sazed was definitely my favorite character, I loved his knowledge and mysterious magic.
My one minor critique is on occasion the dialogue felt very YA, despite clearly not being a YA novel. Some of the things Vin said or her reactions to some encounters with Elend, I just felt like it was out of character for everything else Vin was doing. Not to the point of taking away from the plot, some dialogue just felt a little out of place at times.
The last quarter of the book is packed full of action that has steadily been building through out the novel - which resulted in a badass climax at the end that has left me feeling triumphant for the characters and excited to start the next book. The hype for this is totally justified, I love everything about it. Immediately starting Well of Ascension!
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
“Enjoy memories, yes, but don't be a slave to who you wish you once had been”
💚🌊REVIEW🌊💚
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a standalone epic fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. The story follows a girl who leaves home on a quest across the spore seas.
This was my first Brandon Sanderson book, and I was blown away. I know that there’s a lot of Cosmere references I missed, but the writing and story were so GOOD! I definitely see why Sanderson is so revered for his world building and character creation. I feel like all the characters, even supporting ones, are well fleshed out and detailed. I also feel like it is a feat to fit such a rich world in a relatively short book!
I loved that he drew inspiration from The Princess Bride - this feels like a whimsical, adult fairy tale. It is also one of the most unique worlds I have come across, the concept of the spore seas is equal parts insane and enchanting.
Tress is an absolutely incredible main character, I loved everything about her. Her transformation into a determined heroine was really compelling, and I loved that her growth was a culmination of multiple plot arcs.
Tress brought me so much joy to read, and made me laugh out loud so many times. This book really has it all, and is one I look forward to re-reading. I could talk about this one for ages — whatever you do, make sure you read this book 💚
“We always pretend the ideals and culture of the past have aged like wine, but in truth, the ideas of the past tend to age more like biscuits. They simply get stale.”
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“I think of his riddle. How do people like us take off our armor? One piece at a time.”
The Queen of Nothing is the third and final book in the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black.
I think out of the three in the series, this one is my favorite. Black’s writing is at its best. The pacing of this was brilliant, and there was good buildup to the action. I love everything about Jude as a character, so smart and badass and witty. However, I’m never forgiving Taryn lmao. Jude and Cardan are going to be my holy grail standard for enemies to lovers now, and talk about slowburn!!!
The ending was really satisfying and tied up the storylines nicely — both surprising and heartwarming. This was definitely one where I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the world and characters though. This was such a fun and wonderful series to read, it will have a special place on my shelf forever!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“To family and Faerieland and pizza and stories and new beginnings and scheming great schemes. I can toast to that”
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Will maybe circle back at another time.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
4.75
“The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn't quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”
✨REVIEW✨
The Women is a historical fiction novel by Kristin Hannah set during the Vietnam war.
The story follows 20 year old Frankie as she follows her brothers path to Vietnam and volunteers for the Army Nurse Corps. After returning from the horrors and injustices in Vietnam, Frankie and her veteran friends struggle in a divided nation that wants to forget about the war.
I have loved every historical book by Kristin Hannah, and The Women is no exception!
The female friendships really make this story shine - I loved Ethel, Barb, and Frankie together. I was definitely craving more of Barb’s POV. The writing style is beautiful and there are so many emotional layers to the story.
The research and attention to detail are some of my favorite things about Hannah’s work. I always learn something from her books and that is especially the case with this one. While it is painfully real and hard to read at times, The Women is an incredible and powerful read that I highly recommend! A must read for those who enjoy well researched and engaging historical fiction.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5