maddy707's reviews
122 reviews

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

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dark funny hopeful tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

After discovering that Freddy Carter voiced part of this audiobook I immediately ditched my physical copy to listen to the audio. 1 star for him alone.

I enjoyed the banter between the main characters and felt the enemies to lovers plot was done well. I liked Ransom as a character. Sera was also good but felt a little flat for most of the book.

My biggest gripe with this book is the plot twist. It just came out of nowhere and made no sense to me. I can’t remember the book ever hinting at it before it was revealed. Luckily it worked out in the end. It just felt wedged in there when it was revealed. 

This book balanced fantasy and romance well and I look forward to a sequel.
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Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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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? It's complicated

5.0

 Emotionally devastated and happy at the same time. 
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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is my second time reading this duology. Truly perfection. The universe, the characters, the relationships, they all have my heart. 
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Dead Jack and the Case of the Amorous Ogre by James Aquilone

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2.0

Dead Jack and the Pandemonium Device by James Aquilone

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

 This is something Nick Miller would write. It was short and entertaining, but not well written. There is way too much simile repetition and the story/world is not well thought out. The villain was lacklustre. However, the story moves at such a fast pace that it doesn’t really matter. At its surface this was an entertaining listen, and therefore I enjoyed it. Btw the audiobook narrator says “fuck” like “fook” and it distracted me everytime. 
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The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Format of these books is getting a little boring and repetitive. 
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The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

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sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

All the adults in this series suck. 
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Stealing Sorcery by Andrew Rowe

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adventurous slow-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

1.5

I enjoyed the friendship between Velas, Landon and Taelien in this book. The different Paladin challenges were interesting. But, I listened to this book over such a long time that I honestly spent all of it confused about what was happening. Too many characters and too much going on for me. 
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The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

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mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 Not pulling me out of my slump yet but still good. 
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The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

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mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 I’ve decided to re-read this series to try to pull me out of a massive reading slump. This was the first series I ever read as a child and I loved it. All these years later and I loved this book just as much. I love the writing of this series, I love the Baudelaire siblings, I love the mystery of VFD. The nostalgia is just what I needed. 
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