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hann_cant_read's reviews
450 reviews
The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I was so intrigued by the premise, but the execution fell flat for me.
I had such a hard time getting invested in the story. It almost felt like I was reading a detailed outline, or that I was being told <i>about</i> the story rather than being immersed in it.
There was so many extra details that did nothing to drive the plot or story - it felt like the author wanted us to know how much research was done for this story. So we got detailed descriptions of architecture or clothing or food, but surprisingly little about the actual magic system except when it was directly relevant - which in turn made the ending much more predictable. (Although I'd rather the ending be predictable and actually make sense than it be a twist with no lead up, so there's that.)
The timeline bouncing was also very weird, and made the pacing that much more strange. Bouncing back to her origins didn't build any suspense about how she was sent away / we didn't learn anything extra from it because she also thought about those events in the later timeline.
The random POV's from Lucia and Piero thrown in when it was convenient for the plot was also a little jarring since we had been exclusively with Ginevra up until those two random chapters.
This is probably a problem related to the inability to immerse myself in the story, but the relationships all felt extremely one dimensional. Taddea and Ginevra were friends I guess? I was told they were,until they had their falling out. But then they made up, but then Taddea blamed her again I guess for some reason. I don't know why any of these things happened.
Lucia as an entire character felt more like a plot device than a person. Their friendship was just Ginevra explaining what she needed to do to her and by extension the audience.
Zenobia / that family storyline was such a roundabout way for her to accidentally discover the cure. The gravedigger coming out of nowhere to save them at the trial with his jokes...okay, sure?
I read and loved The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, and this book did have a lot of similarities when it came to themes (religious persecution, the intertwining of magic and luck) I just wish it had been executed better.
I had such a hard time getting invested in the story. It almost felt like I was reading a detailed outline, or that I was being told <i>about</i> the story rather than being immersed in it.
There was so many extra details that did nothing to drive the plot or story - it felt like the author wanted us to know how much research was done for this story. So we got detailed descriptions of architecture or clothing or food, but surprisingly little about the actual magic system except when it was directly relevant - which in turn made the ending much more predictable. (Although I'd rather the ending be predictable and actually make sense than it be a twist with no lead up, so there's that.)
The timeline bouncing was also very weird, and made the pacing that much more strange. Bouncing back to her origins didn't build any suspense about how she was sent away / we didn't learn anything extra from it because she also thought about those events in the later timeline.
The random POV's from Lucia and Piero thrown in when it was convenient for the plot was also a little jarring since we had been exclusively with Ginevra up until those two random chapters.
This is probably a problem related to the inability to immerse myself in the story, but the relationships all felt extremely one dimensional. Taddea and Ginevra were friends I guess? I was told they were,
Lucia as an entire character felt more like a plot device than a person. Their friendship was just Ginevra explaining what she needed to do to her and by extension the audience.
I read and loved The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, and this book did have a lot of similarities when it came to themes (religious persecution, the intertwining of magic and luck) I just wish it had been executed better.
Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli
Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.
DNF at 58%
I just couldn't keep going. It was dragging so much and the plot wasn't going anywhere. The back and forth between the different timelines just kept ruining any momentum I gained (albeit not much, because I was not invested in either timeline.)
The whole story just feels like fanfiction and a trope checkbox list. I had issues with the first in this series but I really believed it had potential if the author could get a better editor / plot out the full story, but I'm giving up hope.
The characters are so flat - the trauma is used to manufacture drama and it's just not believable nor am I particularly invested in it. The relationships are volatile for no reason - they have blow ups that come out of nowhere and make up so quickly with no real depth.
I found myself hate reading / dreading going back to finish so I'm just calling it quits.
I just couldn't keep going. It was dragging so much and the plot wasn't going anywhere. The back and forth between the different timelines just kept ruining any momentum I gained (albeit not much, because I was not invested in either timeline.)
The whole story just feels like fanfiction and a trope checkbox list. I had issues with the first in this series but I really believed it had potential if the author could get a better editor / plot out the full story, but I'm giving up hope.
The characters are so flat - the trauma is used to manufacture drama and it's just not believable nor am I particularly invested in it. The relationships are volatile for no reason - they have blow ups that come out of nowhere and make up so quickly with no real depth.
I found myself hate reading / dreading going back to finish so I'm just calling it quits.
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake is about a Vampire real estate agent trying to sell a haunted house. Except, not at all, really. It’s actually layers and layers of what it means to be mortal, what makes life worth living, and the human condition as seen through the eyes of humans and celestial beings alike.
I loved this book. But I can see why it’s not for everyone. While there is an overarching plot, it is the characters ultimately that drive the story forward, which usually is not my cup of tea! But these characters? Their morals and motivations and interpersonal dynamics? I couldn’t get enough.
The writing felt very Shakespearean, with lyrical banter and descriptions. It’s very theme focused, so at times it was a little tricky to follow along, and I found myself having to re-read a passage or two to try and decipher all the subtext. Like a lot of fantasy, there are certain elements that you just have to know will click at some point if you keep going - which in a weird inception / breaking the 4th wall kind of way ties back to her reoccurring theme of what it means to be mortal in an immortal world.
This was my first Olivie Blake book, so I don’t know if that style is consistent across the board with her, but I’ll find out soon.
I loved this book. But I can see why it’s not for everyone. While there is an overarching plot, it is the characters ultimately that drive the story forward, which usually is not my cup of tea! But these characters? Their morals and motivations and interpersonal dynamics? I couldn’t get enough.
The writing felt very Shakespearean, with lyrical banter and descriptions. It’s very theme focused, so at times it was a little tricky to follow along, and I found myself having to re-read a passage or two to try and decipher all the subtext. Like a lot of fantasy, there are certain elements that you just have to know will click at some point if you keep going - which in a weird inception / breaking the 4th wall kind of way ties back to her reoccurring theme of what it means to be mortal in an immortal world.
This was my first Olivie Blake book, so I don’t know if that style is consistent across the board with her, but I’ll find out soon.
The Blood Orchid by Kylie Lee Baker
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved the Scarlet Alchemist, this one took me a little longer to get into. Once I hit about 50% though I breezed through the remaining half.
I really really loved the conclusion of the Empress' story, but the way the two story lines ended separately felt kind of disconnected. The Alchemy/Penglai Island conclusion felt like it was an extended epilogue more than an actual conclusion of the entire story.
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Wicked King by Holly Black
- 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? Yes
4.5
Foxglove by Adalyn Grace
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I had tried to read this traditionally and ended up dnfing because I wasn't in the right headspace for it. I just re-picked it up, but went with the audio this time and it was a game changer. I ended up falling in love with the story, and I actually liked it better than the first one by the end.
Some points were predictable (but I'm a firm believer that predictable doesn't always mean bad - better a predictable storyline than a wild twist that makes no sense...aka my issue with the first book)
Some plot points I didn't predict and I was pleasantly surprised with the reveals. They were set up so nicely!!
All in all, I recommend the audio version and that's definitely how I will be reading Wisteria when it comes out.
Some points were predictable (but I'm a firm believer that predictable doesn't always mean bad - better a predictable storyline than a wild twist that makes no sense...aka my issue with the first book)
Some plot points I didn't predict and I was pleasantly surprised with the reveals. They were set up so nicely!!
All in all, I recommend the audio version and that's definitely how I will be reading Wisteria when it comes out.
Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was really excited about getting this arc with where the first one left off, and while ultimately I did enjoy it, it took me a while to get into it / get through it.
In defense of the actual book vs the arc, the formatting for the arc was terrible. Sentences would be broken into multiple paragraphs, words between two lines would be mixed up, it was rough and choppy and didn't help me get into the story when I was trying to figure out the sentence structure.
That being said, I think the beginning was still a little slow. Once I got to about 30-40% through I sped through it muuuuch quicker.
I think the characterization seems a little two dimensional - Io tries to see Thais and Ava as multi-faceted people when they aren't directly in front of her, but the minute she's interacting with them they fall back into their specific archetypes (not just how Io sees them, but literally in how they act.)
The ending, however, picked up really really well. I was getting extremely frustrated with Io and how long it took her to realize thatthat she needed to use her fate thread to kill the gods but I absolutely loved the callback to the fate thread existing "outside time" and so not only was it able to kill the god's of time, but also immediately grow back
Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc.
In defense of the actual book vs the arc, the formatting for the arc was terrible. Sentences would be broken into multiple paragraphs, words between two lines would be mixed up, it was rough and choppy and didn't help me get into the story when I was trying to figure out the sentence structure.
That being said, I think the beginning was still a little slow. Once I got to about 30-40% through I sped through it muuuuch quicker.
I think the characterization seems a little two dimensional - Io tries to see Thais and Ava as multi-faceted people when they aren't directly in front of her, but the minute she's interacting with them they fall back into their specific archetypes (not just how Io sees them, but literally in how they act.)
The ending, however, picked up really really well. I was getting extremely frustrated with Io and how long it took her to realize that
Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc.