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lyonsdenprojects's reviews
118 reviews
Babel by R.F. Kuang
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
There's so many layers of thought and discussion this book evokes. I could probably talk out it for hours. I think it's a very appropriate book for the time we're living in. It is a slow start however I realized that the first half of the book is purposely written in a way that evokes some of the English classics of the period it's set in, such as Charles Darwin as referenced in it, and that makes it terribly clever. R.F. Kuang is always so very clever in how she is really able to bring the reader along the protagonist's emotional journey through her style and pacing. Babel and definitely made me look long and hard about my own views of the post-colonial world and how the colonial powers' impacts have left such deep scars in it.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-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
This was a surprise, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it nearly as much as I did! The characters are all distinct and memorable. The more I read the more I wanted to know what happened next. I loved the setting and the subtlety of the magic. I'll definitely have to read more from this author.
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is just so absolutely delightfully creepy and yet also somewhat fun. I love how the author plays with the presentation of words on the page. We know very quickly, of course, the narrator is unreliable but the formatting really helps pull the reader into his mind set. I'm also in love with the ace representation and the depiction of that frustrating blend of wishing you could feel like everyone else but not understanding them either. Living in the edges of the social scene but everyone still knows who you are. This deserves all its accolades.
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
dark
emotional
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
5.0
I keep accidentally finding books that make me cry! But this is so beautiful, a dark, creepy, mysterious story with amazing lore and deep deep love for the mythology of its homeland. From first to last page it gripped me with his mysteries and fascinating characters. I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
This was my second read through and it may have been ever better than the first time. I love this series so much and revisiting this first book after reading the sequel added so much more depth to the story. I love these characters so much, I love that some characters she let's be cynical due to their trauma and other characters she allows to be hopeful and optimistic despite their trauma. And the interactions between the different types of reactions just makes it so rich.
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love Alexis' writing. She grabbed me with The Year of the Witching and this book did not disappoint. A richly dark and doomed gothic horror, I enjoyed it from beginning until end. I appreciate how the world building is not hugely complicated and yet still robust enough to make a well rounded metaplot and the ending satisfying. It's one of those endings that leaves you with enough understand that the repercussions will be hugely impactful to world even after we, the readers, leave it.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The final paragraph made me cry. All of that happened and in the end it was the potential of after that got me. This truly is done in the style of an old horror gothic, it's really amazing how it evokes feelings of Shirley Jackson and Guillermo del Toro (he's modern yes but also works in the style) while still remaining distinctly its own. Wow.
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
This book was even better than the first honestly. Somehow the author's writing improved tenfold between the two and I loved her writing already! I appreciated that she did not shy from the dark and did not pull punches. And honestly the ending was so perfect. I love this so much!
Book of Night by Holly Black
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.0
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0