spootilious's reviews
140 reviews

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Read: January 9, 2024
Title: Dealing with Dragons

Series : Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

Rating: 3/5
Review:

I will be the first to admit that nostalgia really shaded my view on this one. This is a series that I read in middle school (a few decades ago) and absolutely adored. Now, rereading it as an adult I can see where the story may have shaped me here and there.

Let me be clear, I still LOVE this book but I know it is nowhere near as good as I thought it was. Still I’ve never read a book quite like it (then or now) and I think it’s uniqueness is perhaps the most appealing aspect of the book (and by extension the series).

While I wouldn’t say that the novel rejects the traditional view of women, it is, most certainly an ode to finding one’s own place in the world. It is an adorable wakey play on all the fairy tales we know and love, nothing more, nothing less.

The writing is what you would expect from a grade school book and I cannot fault it for that.

There will always be a place in might heart for this work.

QUOTES: N/A

TW (Moderate to Minor): Misogyny, Sexism, Fire / Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Muder

Content Warnings

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read: January 4, 2024
Title: Station Eleven

Genre: Science Fiction / Dystopia

Rating: 4/5
Review:

To be honest there isn’t much I can say that is bad about this book.

Emily St. John Mandel has a talent for writing that I haven’t seen in quite some time. Her transitions, imagery, voice, pacing… it’s all breathtaking. She could write a dictionary and I doubt I’d be able to pull my gaze away. Granted this is the only book of hers I have read but if this is parr for the course I am not disappointed.

That being said, there were many points in which the supporting characters became a bit blurred, this name or that blending with another until I wasn’t sure who was who. Still, even with this issue it never took away from the story and the characters in question never affected the story enough to really call for such unique-ness. The important supporting characters were always distinct enough that it didn’t matter.

The only other true flaw I could find in this novel was an anti-climatic ending that left me wanting.

Still, this is a unique dystopia that caught me off guard. While there is nothing too unique in the setting the feel of the entire story places a haze of sincerity and empathy that you don’t find often in post-apocalyptic stories. St. John Mandel manages to provide a study in humanity, exploring a devastated world while studying family, the human condition, passion, sanity, home, and grief. It’s a strange mix of concepts that really leaves the reader questioning what it means to be human and how we need those around us.

I am curious as to how I might of reviewed this book before the COVID 19 pandemic but can appreciate how it has become even more impactful since the outbreak.

Station Eleven is simply a beautiful work that I will be recommending for years to come.

QUOTES:

“No one ever thinks they’re awful, even people who really actually are. It’s some sort of survival mechanism.”

"She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infrequently thought of. How without any one of these people the world is a subtly but unmistakably altered place, the dial turned just one or two degrees.”

TW: Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Gun Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Adult/Minor relationship, Pandemic / Epidemic, Grief, Terminal illness, Medical Content, Kidnapping, Death of a parent, child death, blood, injury / injury detail, infidelity, confinement, abandonment, animal death, mental illness, pedophilia, pregnancy, emotional abuse, gaslighting, cursing, misogyny, sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationships, trafficking, child abuse, gore, physical abuse, stalking, suicide attempt, alcohol, ableism, panic attacks / disorders,

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

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dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Read: December 22, 2023
Title: He Who Drowned the World

Series: The Radiant Emperor #2

Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / LGBT

Rating: 4 / 5
Review:

I occasionally come across a book that I really struggle rating and I was shocked to find that this is one of those books.

I came into He Who Drowned the World with very low expectations. I didn’t care for She Who Became the Sun, for a number of reason listed in my previous review.

However, almost everything that made me dislike She who Became the Sun didn’t make it into the sequel which I am very thankful for. To be honest, I was concerned with the massive amounts of recommendations I received in regard to this series and how many awards She Who Became the Sun has won. I was praying that He Who Drowned the World would make up for what (I felt) was an extremely lacking novel. I was not disappointed.

Parker-Chan is a beautifully talented writer (Which I knew from book 1) and tends to lean towards the very dark and morose. In fact, a bit too dark for my usual taste which may be why I wanted to give this book (He Who Drowned the World) a 3.5 and not a 4. However, Parker-Chan’s ability to write horrific imagery in a such a simplistic and straightforward manner makes the imagery all the more effective. This includes a number of sexually explicit scene, which paints sex as nothing more than a tool, punishment, or means to an end which, while I once again did not like, I can respect. The reader’s response to a story is just as much of a plot device as the sentences on a page. I was appropriately repulsed.

I will also say that I didn’t care much for the lack of morality in ALL the characters in the novel. It left me without a ship to sail and was, perhaps, the main issue that I still hold over from She Who Became the Sun.

All that being said, the fast pace and action-packed plot had me devouring this book, and I could not in good faith rate it lower than 4 simply due to my distaste. (i.e. the 4 star rating is more my personal rating of 3.5 and the acknowledging that some of the reasons it’s a 3.5 is because of my own personal biases against the lack of moral characters, rape, and very dark tones).

Overall, one of the best books I’ve read this year. I will definitely recommend to individuals who love reading Dark Fantasy and Historical Fiction.

QUOTES:

“The most dangerous person in a game is the one nobody knows is playing.”

“Nobody would lift a finger to change the world for us. To make a place for us. What choice did we ever have, but to do it ourselves?”

Content Warnings

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Read: December 17, 2023
Title: She Who Became The Sun

Series: The Radiant Emperor #1

Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / LGBT

Rating: 3 / 5
Review:

I went into this book looking to expand my reading to other cultures and in that aspect I wasn’t disappointed.

From the beginning this book had an entirely different feel than the fantasy novels I have been used to. There’s such a beautiful cadence to it and the cultural aspects from names and titles to imagery are breath taking. Shelley Parker-Chan is a stunningly talented artist!

With that being said there were some ups and downs with this book. First and perhaps my biggest complaint is the marketing (which has little to do with the book but) it was pitched as Song of Achilles meets Mulan. If you go into this book with the hope of that kind of story you be SORELY DISAPPOINTED. This is no love story, there are no ‘feel good’ moments. This is pain, sorrow, duty and ambition. There is no sugar or softness.

That isn’t to say there isn’t a romance, simply that the romance in the book is in the background and has very VERY little to do with the story.

Now, the thing I loved most about the novel is the exploration of the gender spectrum and the comparison and contrasting roles of the two main characters. I found it intriguing and something I haven’t seen in many books. Being cis I am curious how individuals that identify with these characters feel about their representation. I for one and simply happy to see it in a (for the most part) positive light.

I also feel that while Parker-Chan’s writing is what had me turning the pages, the plot was inconsistent and left something to be desired. The beginning and the end were certainly a meal but the middle felt like a fasting that lasted far too long. The book became very politically focused and with so many names to characters that weren’t very distinguishable that it all just formed into one incoherent blob I was forced to trudge through.

Again, that is not to say it was bad, simply that it was a struggle.

In fact, most of the characters were a bit formless, fading into the background until something important happened and I was forced to try and recall who they were. This also left the feeling of a disconnect with the characters. I never really warmed up to anyone or felt on edge. I don’t think I would have shed a tear if either of the main characters or their loved ones died and for me that it a tragedy when examining how stunningly well written this book is.

I hold out hope that book 2 will change my mind but regardless I recommend this book for anyone looking for stunning writing, multi-culturalism, beautiful imagery, and LGBT representation.

QUOTES: N/A

Content Warnings

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Read: December 12, 2023
Title: The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Series: The Singing Hills Cycle #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3 / 5
Review:

This was a very beautiful read. It wasn’t exciting or thrilling. It was a simple and beautiful story with a wonderful aesthetic and a folklore feel. The writing was soft and the imagery stunning. No real twists or turns but a story that is meant to be admired like a painting rather than devoured like a meal.

QUOTES:

“Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves.”

“Honor is a light that brings trouble. Shadows are safer by far.”

Content Warnings

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Read: December 4, 2023
Title: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Review:

I’ve noticed with this book that people either love it or they hate it and I can definitely see why.

This novel has been recommended to me so many times in the last few years that we I finally found a moment outside of work, school, family functions, and kids I had to pick it up. I have to admit I made quick work of the novel once I started, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed in the recommendation even if I usually don’t find myself reading Science Fiction.

The plot was… decent. I didn’t hate it but I don’t believe that is what is alluring to this novel. The plot is more of a roadway for everything else in this novel. The writing is very technical, which I am not quite use to but was extremely fitting for the POV of the main character which I very much appreciated. There was also a distinct lack of emotional awareness throughout the book making it a poor pull on the reader’s heart strings but also fitting to the POV and relieved somewhat by some of the supporting characters. There were also some very large chucks of information, statistics, physics etc information that were very difficult to digest and not adding much to the story.

With all that said, the mix of cultures in both the language used and the people described is fascinating and while I have always been aware that this is a trademark of Heinlen, seeing it in action is a work of art. His ideas of what the future would look like in this scenario are intriguing and, what I believe, are the causes for this novel winning so many literary awards and having such a large following. It’s not the plots or the characters, it is the questions it forces its readers to ask.

The original ideas of how relationships unfold, like the one the main character is in, the optimistic view of women’s power in a society where they are now so very rare. The gender roles of these women these are all very intriguing.

I also had the privilege of reading this novel for the first time in 2023. Fifty-eight years after the book was written and Fifty-two years before the book is said to take place. This gave me such a strange look into the past’s possible future and an examination of our own future. Obviously, there are things that will most likely never be and things that we’ve already surpassed which makes it all that much more interesting. Asking questions like why he considered a certain tech and not another, or where did we branch away from the foundation of the technology, he was seeing progress?

This work, more than anything, asks some hard-hitting political questions, especially about America. Heinlen paints a very stereotypical America from the 60’s still present and prideful in 2075. Is America this way today? Possibly… Will it be in fifty years? Also Possible… What will that look like? What are we today?

Bottom line: I loved this book. It is a conversation started and a question poser. Two of my favorite things.

QUOTES:

“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

“Easier to get people to hate than to get them to love.”

TW: Child Death, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical Trauma, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial Slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery Violence, War, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Incest, Infertility.

Content Warnings

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

Read: November 29, 2023
Title: Iron Flame

Series: The Empyrean #2

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating: 1.5 / 5
Review:

Let me start by saying, I’ve been trying…. SO HARD… to like this book and I just… Can’t.

I didn’t care much for the first either, but I’ve been hoping that the series will redeem itself… so far that has not happened.

Did I enjoy reading the book? I suppose so. Is the book good? Absolutely not.

There are two issues more than anything that stand out before I simply provide a list of what I liked and did not like about the book: 1. Yarros seriously needs to find an editor the writing is just terrible! And 2. There is ZERO originality in the series.

Okay… Onto the list of this I liked:
1. The story concept is a good one. And if another author (a skilled one) had written this story I’m sure I would have LOVED it.

2. I like Dragons.

Onto the list of things I didn’t like:

1. I don’t think Yarros understand that in order to build the climax of a story you have to have a consistent baseline that is lower than the climax itself. If the punches never stop then the ‘final blow’ won’t feel any different than the first 100 jabs. There is absolutely zero downtime between ‘big’ events throughout this book and thus the ending (and everything really) wasn’t memorable in the least. Yarros didn’t get herself space to build on when she set the base line on the same level as the climax of the book. Honestly, I’ve never read an author who wasn’t self aware enough (or skilled enough… whatever the case may be) to realize this and it’s EXTREMELY disappointing.

2. Almost all the characters (minus a small handful) weren’t memberable and very flat. I can’t even remember all of Violet’s squad members… I might be able to name… 3? And that’s after the merge. All the characters are 1 dimensional and unremarkable… Too many names not enough characters.

3. As mentioned in the things that I liked, the story is good. Which is a problem because Yarros isn’t. It makes the story disproportionate to the author’s skill level. Which is nothing against Yarros, no one starts off skilled, but when your story is better than your abilities it causes problems.

4. This, like Fourth Wing, felt like a young adult novel wanting to be adult by adding sex and violence. Not a good mix.

5. The main character is EXTREMELY hypocritical, expecting so much from so many people when she does the same exact things with no consequences.

6. There is no real character development for any of the main characters.

7. Violet once again gets away with EVERYTHING with practically no consequences, and conveniently finds the solution to all their problems every time just in time. (superman syndrome) Which is amusing considering this isn’t a ‘chosen one’ series.

8. The pacing is TERRIBLE. Which goes back to the whole jab jab punch thing. All jabs… no punches.

9. Every female character in this series are defined by male characters, with the exception of maybe 2 (Mira and Ri which are in the background).

10. Yarros keeps telling the reader how smart and strong and unique violet is but violets actions never really show it. She always has to be saved or comes to these big epiphanies when guided but not on her own. She doesn’t stand out.

11. Toxic relationship(s) on both (and every) side

12. So repetitive both in dialog and plot points.

13. The hole book felt like a scramble to try and fill in every plot hole found in book 1 while ignoring all the ones in book 2. Which means book 3 will probably be the same.

14. Honestly the entire novel felt like a regurgitated version of Twilight but with Dragons.

15. Which brings us back to the first issue of being completely unoriginal.

Content Warnings

No One Saw a Thing by Andrea Mara

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Read: November 6, 2023
Title: No One Saw a Thing

Author: Andrea Mara

Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3 / 5
Review:

I have to admit, I HATED this book AT FIRST. I recently read The Coworker by Freida McFadden which I would have given 0 stars if I could, but I’m getting off track. Like The Coworker, No One Saw a Thing didn’t have a single character I could root for (at first). Every single person introduced was just terrible people! So, I was really REALLY worried that this was going to be a repeat. I was very pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t.

Granted, the novel wasn’t a homerun, but I really enjoyed it. The writing was very repetitive (If I had to read ‘And then everything changed’ or ‘Everyone found out’ or [insert the same idea in different words here] I think I was going to rip the book apart), and a lot of the smaller ‘plot twists’ were extremely predictable (especially if you have kids). There were too many names thrown about all at once, so it was easy to get them all confused (though later in the books it’s a bit easier), and it was obvious that Mara had absolutely 0 trust in her audience to come to their own conclusions (though I have found this to be the case with most Mystery/Thriller writers today). And the main character is unrealistically dense when it comes to questioning some pretty big things.

All that being said, there were a few main plot twists that I wasn’t expecting (nothing earth shattering but enough to make me go ‘Ah, I see now’). The character development of Jude honestly made the whole book worth it for me. The plot was fairly neatly done, despite the cliffhangers being annoyingly (and unnecessarily) placed. The writing style was decent, and the pace was practically perfect. I’m definitely going to recommend this novel to others in the future.

Quotes:
“Just because someone else suffers more, it doesn’t mean we’re not suffering too. There’s always someone worse off and, by that logic, we’d never be allowed to admit to finding anything difficult at all.”

TW:
Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic Friendship, Toxic Relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of Parent, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, Violence.

Content Warnings

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

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reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

Read: October 29, 2023
Title: The Blue Castle

Author: LM Montgomery

Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 2.5 / 5
Review:

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this novel. I have never read Anne of Green Gables, then again from what I have heard, this book is nothing like those. So, I suppose that is a good thing. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised by The Blue Castle. It is certainly quaint and adorable but feels far different from any other historical piece I’ve read.

The Blue Castle and may things about it that I do not care for of course. The representation of woman alone is enough to have me sighing (though it was expected, the cruelty of these women were not), the beauty standards as well were repetitively shoved in the readers’ face and the amount of time the main character was called ‘Not pretty’ to her face was quite annoying. The story line was extremely predictable and at points the author grew a bit longwinded on subject that weren’t relevant to the plot; and many of the characters were interchangeable to the point I couldn’t remember who was who.

All that being said, I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing was beautiful. Despite the lengthy bits, the story only seemed to drag in the first half of the novel but really picked up midway. The premise was adorable and I love the moral even if the ending was utterly unrealistic.

Quotes:
“Fear is the original sin. Almost all of the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that someone is afraid of something. It is a cold slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading.”

TW:
Body Shaming, Chronic Illness, Classism, Cursing, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting, Religious Bigotry, Terminal Illness.

Content Warnings

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spootilious's reviews 140 reviews

spootilious's reviews
140 reviews