sauvageloup's reviews
519 reviews

a brilliant romp, feeling new and fresh even when treading on well worn paths, and with emotional depth.

pros:
- the writing flows well, is light and amusing and plows along with all Eddie'  eagerness. I liked the banter and the dialogue, the descriptions were visual and conjured up vivid scenes, especially Saint Bede's island in the dark, Rose's appearance, the clothing, the crumbling house, etc.
- I really liked Eddie and Rose as main characters, and all the side characters are fleshed out and real, with all their depths and foibles.

Eddie is very much an unreliable narrator and its through her eyes we get to realise that Albert is a decent guy and Nash is the worst. Though the signs for the reader are all there, it's still gripping to see how itll unfold and satisfying when Eddie realises.

- the characters of Kitty, Valentine, Dayo, Liza, Albert, etc. all had their own motivations and quirks, and their own relationship with the other characters, including Nash. Dayo's campaign to bring about abolition was a good inclusion, and we got to hear about Kitty's passion for painting, Albert's rabbits (a reoccurring joke that I nonetheless thought wholesome). Juno the dog was even a fun character in herself, though I rather expected her to dig up some ominous bone or get stuck or find a ghost in the forest.
- I liked the setting and the Regency time period, with the contrasts of different levels of proprietary and the dropping in of real historical people, like Shelley and Byron.
-

Even though I feel most twists were fairly evident: that Nash only wanted to have sex with Eddie, that she and rose were in love, that Nash had stolen the manuscript, the maid being murdered by Nash's father, etc..  I still managed to be surprised by others, like Albert being gay (which I really should have seen coming), the murdered maid being Henry's mother, Nash publishing Eddie's manuscript, etc. which were fun to discover.

- I liked Eddie and Rose's different journeys and how they found themselves at different times. their friendship/budding romance was so well written, i loved the ebb and flow and the depiction of their tension, quarrels, intimacy, sexual attraction, forgiveness, etc. That was so well done.

cons:
- the start felt slow and a bit shallow. I didnt much like Eddie at all and it was all too Brigerton at that point. it really picked up for me as Eddie got drawn in and the stakes went up, with more dark edges to Nash and debauchery.
- I thought there was a real lack of resolution with Henry and Nash both. I wish Henry could have challenged Nate about the locket, his mother, and the assault. I felt it was glossed over that Nash sexually assaulted Henry, though that threat lingers in the latter half of the book against Eddie. It was left unclear whether anyone got shot with the pistol and I'm not sure Eddie got to see Henry after that. that was a bit of hanging loose end unless we're meant to think that Nash murdered Henry and just cleared him away, which doesn't seem likely, but if it was then....
- it's frustrating that Nash never got any more severe punishment for stealing Eddie's manuscript, lying, cheating on Liza, verbally abusing Eddie, nonconsensually kissing her, and force feeding her drugs... she should have slapped him at least, and then got him denounced in the papers. instead we get a lacklustre end note. guess I'm more vengeful but I definitely didnt feel he got taught any lesson!

but overall, this was a thrilling and gripping ride with great writing and I enjoyed it :)

a moving and sincere autobiography that left me feeling more at peace about life's difficulties and my ambitions to care for people and animals.

pros:
- I knew quite a bit already about the dogs and Niall's work from his Instagram, so the story of his life was the most interesting and also very heart wrenching. You can feel his past pain and struggling through the page, though he tells it quite factually.
- I was surprised by his employment and business past, mixing with the rich and being a chef and business owner, which showed how he's always been a  massive go getter and extremely determined, even when dealing with his own demons. his self reflection and plainness in facing his dark side is humbling to read.
- his love of the dogs shines through and I liked reading about how he keeps his spirits up when things go wrong with the dogs. you really root for his success, as his real passion is evident.

cons:
- only slight con was a bit of repetitiveness I felt in how each section discussed the dogs, and the timeline was a little confusing at times. But otherwise, the story was clear and touching.

overall, enjoyed it and appreciated the message of hope and perseverance. definitely invested in Niall's work and appreciate him even more.

a strange but striking book, with some 5 star parts and some 2 star parts, for me. rated up for originality and being thought provoking.

pros:
- the language and descriptions and some dialogue is just beautiful. its like poetry, the turns of phase and the raw appreciation of life and nature the symbiotic relationship between humans and earth, and how death feeds life. 
- connecting to, the kakuy being a wonderful creation, and i liked how North stressed how they simply *were* nature, in all its indifferent glory, and not gods that cared or noticed humans at all. but that humans should care for them, simply because they come from the earth that gives us life. they make for a great vehicle for metaphor and musings on protecting nature and climate change, and being a tiny part of a huge thing, but also becoming that huge thing itself by being subsumed by it.
- the complicated and very human relationship that Ven had with Georg was powerful, how he completely disavowed his tormentor, his enemy, his captor, and everything Georg stood for, and yet still had a connection with him as a fellow human and could see who Georg might've been in a different life. it showed how the worse evil is created by normal men.
- the other worldbuilding was fascinating, with the eco tech, some of which is familiar and some not, but feels realistic. there is a kind of speculative fiction feel to it, as well as magical realism. also seeing our own time (or a hundred years in our future) through their eyes was really interesting and I liked how they talked about both the sacredness of normal human belongings and rubbish, as well as the pollution of those same things. 
- I liked the nonbinary chatacter Lah very much

and got emotional when they were murdered and poor Ven was left with their body. that was viscerally and disturbingly describe 

- I liked the way Ven's quiet strength and persistent compassion was described and emerged later in the book (I loathed him as a spineless traitor at the start, hes a very unreliable narrator), and there is a thread of hope that it is the character who sees the humanity in everyone and resists destruction as far as possible is the one to survive all the atrocities he suffers. 

cons
- my biggest issue was the slowness. whilst i loved sections of the descriptions and contemplation, it was repeated too often for me and it dragged the pace. the only times i was absolutely engaged was during the action scenes, everything else felt like a sometimes frustratingly slow meander through plot points.
- i also got confused. it didnt help that i had gaps in between reading, so I'm sure i forgot stuff, but i wad very lost near the beginning

when Ven suddenly has a name and personality  change for apparently no reason, plus a rushed through history of his middle years and a bunch of new characters. I didn't care about his fat  at all during this because I didn't know why it was important and thought he was terrible.  of course that may be the point, but it didnt make it easier to read.

- I got confused with names in general, there are a LOT and place names. a map would have been so helpful. 
-

I did guess who Pontus was as soon as they were mentioned, Yue seemed fairly obvious as the most emotionally invested council character. but it was still interesting seeing how ven worked it out. bit underwhelming how he didnt seem angry at her at all, though it did fit with his character.

overall, a tricky and slow, but also beautiful, original and poignant novel about humanity and the environment. 

amazing, stunning, funny, poignant, I loved it!

pros:
- the characters are all so loveable, their dialogue feels realistic as well as witty.

The development from enemies to friends (Art and Gwen) and acquaintances to lovers (Art and Gabriel and Gwen and Bridget) felt well written and not rushed.

- I loved how their flaws were written and developed throughout, Gwen being cowardly/afraid, Gabriel very rigid in his ideas of kingliness, Art's recklessness and difficulty in talking about his feelings, and Bridget.. well she doesnt have any major flaws I think! 
- it's a chunky book but feels the exact right length and i loved the whole story with its twists and turns.
- i felt especially for Art,

who suffers from depression, coming from an abusive father and his previous lover who rejected him cruelly, and Art's struggle to keep his head above water, while being so daring and loving and big hearted, was both so painful and emotional.

- the shameless trope inclusive of gays with swords and fake dating was brilliant, while other tropes were flipped a bit, with Gabriel being both bookish and badass with a sword.
-

I was really relieved they all made it at the end, I dont think my heart could've taken it otherwise!

- I also loved the inclusion of Bridget and Art not being white, with representation of how the middle ages wasnt a white wash. I wouldve maybe liked a bit more information on their backgrounds and families.
- I loved the setting too, with the mix of medieval times but not the "real" king Arthur characters, how their mythology had carried on till their time.

I also really enjoyed how magic was hinted at buy never confirmed, with the helpful magician and the crow and the protective amulets from Elaine.

- there was also disability rep with Bridget suffering from what I assume was endometriosis, and I felt like Gwen had some signs of autism, with her desire to stick to routines and her difficulty understanding Art's motives at times.

Also Gabriel ends up having part of his arm amputated after the battle and this is never brought up negatively, or like Art might not love Gabriel any more

- they all struggle with accepting their homosexuality (though I think it's more internal for Art) in the time period, but I love how this was handled, and how interpretations of the arthurian lore and characters was incorporated and used by Croucher.

cons:
- I think only negatives was that I felt some things weren't quite concluded, like Art didnt seem to find help for his depression or therapy-like treatment or meds, just that he was meant to be healed by getting away from his dad (valid) and Gabriel's love (less valid). 
- I felt we saw less of Art and Gabriel's romance overall than Gwen and Bridget's, but that might be wrong.

but overall, I adored the book and the writing and seeing that Croucher also uses all pronouns made me love them more! will definitely read more of their books.

I think I'll abstain from a star rating on this one considering I've forgotten the stories in the first half

Pros:
- there are some compelling stories in here, which were really creative and unusual.
- I especially liked Reap by Sami Shah (very gripping), The Jinn Hunter's Apprentice by E J Swift (the spaceship element was rly cool), Message in a bottle by K J Parker (premise was great, inconclusive end) and Bring Your Own Spoon by  Saad Z Hossain (enjoyed the post apocalyptic vibes and the hopeful note).
- probably others from the start I liked but I forget, since this book was a year in reading (whattttt)

cons:
- i think maybe the format isnt for me, or not stories this short. i never wanted to carry on reading, and invest in a new story all over again. they were over too soon for me to have any attachment, and jumping straight from one story to another didnt appeal.
- some stories were very misogynistic and grim and i just didnt enjoy them

overall, a mix of great and mediocre stories, also my problem because I didnt gel with short stories format.

a solid fun romp with some emotional bits and lots of humorous banter. more sexual content than expected but done well.

another extremely gripping read!

pros:
- the writing is just addictive, even though 600+ pages of small text, I didnt want to put it down.
- overall, i enjoyed this more than the first i think, there were less tropes i didnt like and the writing felt better.
- xaden does finally tell violet his secrets which was character growth.
- the twists and turns were fun to read and I didnt predict many, if any, of them.
- while impulsive, violet does show her intellect in figuring shit out and I liked

how protective she was of Sloane and that she confided in her friends despite xaden's reservations.

- I like the reveal about

andarna being a whole different species, even if it did make violet even more of a "Special" woman, in that andarna picked her out of everyone. And I liked andarna's sass and rebellion as a teenage dragon, as well as her wing being damaged by her disruptive sleep. that felt like good consequences for how Andarna saved violet's life

 
- I liked the bits of humor, with ridoc and tairn's sarcastic sass, as well as Andarna's.
- the angst overall was excellent, there was all different types and all of the characters went through the wringer in one way or another!
- I also liked the team dynamics a lot, with ridoc, imogen, rhiannon and the rest banding round violet and teasing her.

cons:
- biggest issue was just how many names there were. i just lost track. needed a list of characters and their roles desperately. I couldnt remember who garrick was, was still learning dragon names at the end, and thought Tairn was the biggest dragon. i did read it fast, but it did suffer from the fantasy book disease of an overstuffed cast (imo).
- the argument between xaden and violet was repetitive, which was noted but still a bit frustrating. like, the growth in xaden finally revealing his big secret(s) seems to just be that violet wore him down and he was worried they'd die. so.
-

I didnt like violet's mum being redeemed tbh. I prefer the message that it's ok not to reconcile with abusive parents, and I didnt really enjoy the revelations about her mum making xaden protect violet and her mum dying for her. maybe a personal preference tho.

- Cat was an annoying development and I didny really enjoy any of her sections. I think women managing to work together and get on dispite history involving a man is far more interesting than being petty. I know its brought up that Cat just wants xaden's crown, but it still felt like the catty (hah) ex trope.
- also, just personally, I skipped some of the sex. i thought the sexual tension between them was written great, but I would have been happy with a fade to black. but that's just how the book is.

all in all, this was highly addictive and I loved a lot of the ideas and the bits of humour. despite some significant flaws, definitely want to read the next!

a really beautiful read with a lot of poignancy.
pacing felt a little slow in a couple of places but that was part of the charm.
loved the mix of depicting the time periods racism, lily dealing with the loss of her mother, the goings on with August, may and June, and the beautiful descriptions of them and the surroundings and the bees.

hard to rate this one since I read it rather piecemeal and I cant hold a coherent sense of it in my head

pros:
- the characters all have distinct personalities and dialogue, which is written well. Penelope is focused, hera is snippy, telemachus is foolish, etc. but they're all complex too. there were some nice additions to the canon, kenamon and teodora (or I didnt remember them anyway), and it was nice having some decent characters.
- there is dry humor, especially in here's perspective 
- I like the concept on focusing on outwardly quieter female power, and looking at hera and penelope, and the other women from a different angle than the mythology does.

cons:
- it did feel too slow a lot of the time, with a lot of meandering and introspection. 
- it was frustrating seeing telemachus ignore his mother repeatedly, and aspects of the myths play out, but that's not a book criticism, just that inevitable tragedy isnt rly my genre.

so overall, I appreciated the writing quality and definitely enjoyed meeting Claire North and hearing her discuss her work, but this wasnt quite my type of book, a bit too slow.

reread 20/09/2024
- I think I pretty much agree with my previous review, though a bit less harsh on the tropes - if they work, they work! and they're fun to read.
- Also interesting to read it again after hearing Yarros discuss Dane and her opinion that he was just being overprotective and not the Bad Guy. I still don't really agree but it was interesting to see him from that angle.
- also I quite liked the Xaden POV in the last chapter this time around, good to see his thought process.
- I did stall just before the end this time, maybe bc I already knew the big twist, but the rest was v gripping.
- still a 4/5

giving a four for pure grippingness, as I was totally glued to this. fair bit of unoriginality though.

pros:
- it's pretty unputdownable, constantly keeping the tension high and the ball rolling. very good writing and pacing in that sense as there was never a dull bit.
- the different scenes were written well too, the fighting, dialogue, reflection and romance were all solid.
- I liked the setting, the dragons, the politics and worldbuilding, but the characters were the strong point. xaden and violet were both compelling and conflicted in their own ways.
- especially liked the fleshing out of the side characters. I was definitely emotional when

Amber's dragon grieved and Liam died.

. Yarros does a good job of giving enough details about side characters to make them feel real. 
- I hear from my friend with Eds that Violet's was written well and it's great to see more disability representation, since its sadly lacking. great that she wasnt magically cured of it, and was supported by others throughout the story even as others tried to take her out.
- focus on sibling relationships was cool too, great to see mira and violets positive sisterhood and rhiannon and her sister.
- a fair number of twists were unpredictable, like

getting 2 dragons, xaden taking her to the rebuilt city and brennan being alive

- I also liked that the characters were 20y/o plus, and the women were called that, not girls.
- inclusion of queer side characters was great to see too, including rhiannon and Heaton, neither of which faced any discrimination for it.

cons:
- it was all very classic YA tropes with an adult bent. Dane and xaden were immediately obviously love interests (twilight)

though I'm glad Dane was revealed as shitty pretty fast.

, we have a murdery military school and a catch the flag games (like divergent and percy jackson), untrustworthy leadership and rebellion (hunger games). also knife throwing and the MC getting

the best dragon and the best magic and the hot unavailable older man, whilst being a tiny little pixie girl with silver hair. and enemies to lovers of course

- though called clever, violet does have some dim moments for sure,

like she really didnt expect xaden to be part of a rebellion at all?? honestly.

- also didnt like the last chapter being xadens POV. it sounded the exact same to violets which was disappointing and was unneeded. he was better just through violets eyes.
- overall, I would have liked some more real failures for violet, and less cliches. plus some more real violence rather than the squeamish stuff. go big or go home for the morally grey characters is what I say.

but it still gets a four because it was very gripping, I did like xaden and violet and their chemistry, plus the side characters and the dragons.