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the_rabble's reviews
123 reviews
Dungeon Born by Dakota Krout
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
The identity death up top is disconcerting and (after jumping to the last few chapters) doesn't seem to be addressed. Then there is a lot of rankings talk that's just not my jam for an audiobook.
Seems like good DnD inspo but doesn't seem like I need to listen to the whole thing to catch the vibe.
Narrator does a great job and is the reason I initially picked it up.
Seems like good DnD inspo but doesn't seem like I need to listen to the whole thing to catch the vibe.
Narrator does a great job and is the reason I initially picked it up.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I really like this one. It deserves the LeGuin comparisons on vibes alone.
1 POV, 1st person, past tense. Imperial conquest & military revenge plot, with a frame that explores the nature of fractured and unified consciousnesses and identity.
Breq is great. She's going through it, and Leckie writes reactions to Breq's behavior by other characters in a really compelling way.
Breq's friends are great. I don't think this AI character would feel as vivid if she didn't have important relationship toeholds. Community in scfi can be hard to pull off and Leckie does it.
Gender: the "refers to everyone as a single pronoun" situation is good. I'm a fan of the POV choice. The worldbuilding choice is interesting, bc it still seems to be on a binary. I think I prefer a Becky Chambers/Martha Wells gender cloud of chaos but the "this ship doesn't super care" and the importance of language was a fun bit of worldbuilding.
Narrator: song is really important in this book and it was wonderful to have the songs sung. Adjoa Andoh does a great job with a challenging catalog. And her voices elevated the emotional journey of several characters and settings.
1 POV, 1st person, past tense. Imperial conquest & military revenge plot, with a frame that explores the nature of fractured and unified consciousnesses and identity.
Breq is great. She's going through it, and Leckie writes reactions to Breq's behavior by other characters in a really compelling way.
Breq's friends are great. I don't think this AI character would feel as vivid if she didn't have important relationship toeholds. Community in scfi can be hard to pull off and Leckie does it.
Gender: the "refers to everyone as a single pronoun" situation is good. I'm a fan of the POV choice. The worldbuilding choice is interesting, bc it still seems to be on a binary. I think I prefer a Becky Chambers/Martha Wells gender cloud of chaos but the "this ship doesn't super care" and the importance of language was a fun bit of worldbuilding.
Narrator: song is really important in this book and it was wonderful to have the songs sung. Adjoa Andoh does a great job with a challenging catalog. And her voices elevated the emotional journey of several characters and settings.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This shit will give you "INTENSE SHARED TRAUMA" to "extremely good, sweet romance" whiplash, but it's good.
Contemporary romance, NJ/NYC->LA bicoastal trauma bonding, spicy, 2 POVs, 3rd person, present tense.
Both protagonists are relatable with distinct voices and their own issues. No one is bringing a secure attachment style to the party and that's okay.
I burned through this book after a certain point. TraumaTraumaTrauma isn't my flavor of choice (bc I'm a weenie) and the first few chpts kept this book on my TBR longer than it should have, but there's so much rock solid other shit Kuang pulls. She's a master of casual, escalating intimacy- both physical and emotional. The dialogue is excellent. Sex scenes are very hot and organic.
If she writes more romance (or adventure- Kuang vibes like someone who'd nail a buddies-against-a-big-bad situation) I'm fucking there.
Rating: Higher rating than I thought I'd land on bc Kuang is so fucking good at organic intimacy (there arecuddle scenes), honest characters, and when she writes the big feelings they hit. The HEA has some banger passages.
Book about "The Industry"/Hollywood - this was the best version of "Hollywood" I've read or seen- it felt more like a description of a real job, workplace, and industry than the otherizing depictions that usually make it to us normies.
Narrators: Voice actors slapped. Katherine Chin was amazing and has a stable of voices that rules. Chpt 33made me laugh harder than anything I've read in a while- Andrew Eiden is always solid, but his take on that killed me.
Overall, Chin and Eiden's pacing made the book really beautiful.
Contemporary romance, NJ/NYC->LA bicoastal trauma bonding, spicy, 2 POVs, 3rd person, present tense.
Both protagonists are relatable with distinct voices and their own issues. No one is bringing a secure attachment style to the party and that's okay.
I burned through this book after a certain point. TraumaTraumaTrauma isn't my flavor of choice (bc I'm a weenie) and the first few chpts kept this book on my TBR longer than it should have, but there's so much rock solid other shit Kuang pulls. She's a master of casual, escalating intimacy- both physical and emotional. The dialogue is excellent. Sex scenes are very hot and organic.
If she writes more romance (or adventure- Kuang vibes like someone who'd nail a buddies-against-a-big-bad situation) I'm fucking there.
Rating: Higher rating than I thought I'd land on bc Kuang is so fucking good at organic intimacy (there are
Book about "The Industry"/Hollywood - this was the best version of "Hollywood" I've read or seen- it felt more like a description of a real job, workplace, and industry than the otherizing depictions that usually make it to us normies.
Narrators: Voice actors slapped. Katherine Chin was amazing and has a stable of voices that rules. Chpt 33
Overall, Chin and Eiden's pacing made the book really beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Car accident
Moderate: Mental illness
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Bonkers fast paced fantasy action-romance.
Victorian era UK rigidity meets Howl's Moving Castle but, make it pirates. Light spice.
Prose is very Pride and Prejudice and Zombies adjacent. Very fun and lots of action.
Victorian era UK rigidity meets Howl's Moving Castle but, make it pirates. Light spice.
Prose is very Pride and Prejudice and Zombies adjacent. Very fun and lots of action.
Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
Solid contemporary fantasy romance.
1 POV. 1st person. Spicy. 1st book (and thus far the only book) in a pending series of at least 3 (one for each sister running a magic shop in Ohio.)
This is the youngest sister, Romina- 29, a flower focused witch. While trying to be a bro to her bud and business partner, she runs into her highschool sweetheart, Alex.
Alex is a very fun love interest, but does have some light stalker/lurker tendencies that are glossed over.
Classic "revisited youthful miscommunication" is in play, but there's also some unexpected heavy content- particularly around baby fever, parenting, and children. Hogle handles what I can oft find to be a frustrating shoehorn in romance with a lot of skill in a way that fits the plot.
Sex scenes were great. From what I recall, Hogle did a lot of fade to black or very light spice in the past and she does a great job being more graphic and creative.
This will be a fun world to come back to as Hogle continues. Hogle builds a good setting, and this is no exception.
1 POV. 1st person. Spicy. 1st book (and thus far the only book) in a pending series of at least 3 (one for each sister running a magic shop in Ohio.)
This is the youngest sister, Romina- 29, a flower focused witch. While trying to be a bro to her bud and business partner, she runs into her highschool sweetheart, Alex.
Alex is a very fun love interest, but does have some light stalker/lurker tendencies that are glossed over.
Classic "revisited youthful miscommunication" is in play, but there's also some unexpected heavy content- particularly around baby fever, parenting, and children. Hogle handles what I can oft find to be a frustrating shoehorn in romance with a lot of skill in a way that fits the plot.
Sex scenes were great. From what I recall, Hogle did a lot of fade to black or very light spice in the past and she does a great job being more graphic and creative.
This will be a fun world to come back to as Hogle continues. Hogle builds a good setting, and this is no exception.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexism
Neither protagonist is a perpetrator of warning-worthy behavior. It's almost all limited to Romina's horrible ex-"boyfriend" and his nightmare level weaponized incompetence.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Cute Duke romance to add to your shelf.
2 POVs, spicy, 3rd person with a lot going on and it all works. Both protagonists are very fun and the prose slaps.
Emma is incredibly compelling and Ash is a fun flavor of asshole. Dare gave Ash an amazing subplot that skews in a very charming and unexpectedvigilante direction.
This may be the best Book #1 of a series (Girl Meets Duke) I've read in a long time.
2 POVs, spicy, 3rd person with a lot going on and it all works. Both protagonists are very fun and the prose slaps.
Emma is incredibly compelling and Ash is a fun flavor of asshole. Dare gave Ash an amazing subplot that skews in a very charming and unexpected
This may be the best Book #1 of a series (Girl Meets Duke) I've read in a long time.
Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
3.75
Funny, cute "discovering your x factor" story about a 20 year old man dealing with undiagnosed anxiety.
The twin plotlines that drive conflict with the mental health factor are (1) Paris going through the Not-Great-British-Bakeoff, and (2) a romance with a very cute guy (Tariq.)
I like this book a lot, but it's definitely a (safe and kind) tale of mental health more than it is a traditional swoony romance. A lot of that vibe is living 100% in a character with crippling anxiety's head (and the prose is wonderful at recreating circular reasoning and feedback loops.)
Zero spice, 1 POV, 3rd person.
Wish these mental health journey of self discovery, but very funny and messy with a HEA were their own thing.
Narrator: Ewan Goddard crushed it. This would have been a hard book to get through without the tone and pacing being driven by skilled narrator.
The twin plotlines that drive conflict with the mental health factor are (1) Paris going through the Not-Great-British-Bakeoff, and (2) a romance with a very cute guy (Tariq.)
I like this book a lot, but it's definitely a (safe and kind) tale of mental health more than it is a traditional swoony romance. A lot of that vibe is living 100% in a character with crippling anxiety's head (and the prose is wonderful at recreating circular reasoning and feedback loops.)
Zero spice, 1 POV, 3rd person.
Wish these mental health journey of self discovery, but very funny and messy with a HEA were their own thing.
Narrator: Ewan Goddard crushed it. This would have been a hard book to get through without the tone and pacing being driven by skilled narrator.
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.75
Extremely cute single POV, no spice Yuletide flavored romantic comedy about a down on her luck influencer (late 20s) and a physical embodiment of secular holiday cheer (think Ghost of Christmas Present, but no time "one night" limit.)
Our narrator Betty is designed with rough edges and serious problems- fairly celeb culture focused. There is a solid chance you'll fall in love with Hall, King of the Soft Boys, very quickly.
Magic system is sort of a whimsical Disney/Hallmark movie mash-up and that's totally fine.
There's a lot of pop culture references and some cartoon physics, so it won't be for everyone.
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert does a great job voice acting. The energy is high, the voices are solid, and the prose has some Sam Bee-esque energy that's really charming.
Our narrator Betty is designed with rough edges and serious problems- fairly celeb culture focused. There is a solid chance you'll fall in love with Hall, King of the Soft Boys, very quickly.
Magic system is sort of a whimsical Disney/Hallmark movie mash-up and that's totally fine.
There's a lot of pop culture references and some cartoon physics, so it won't be for everyone.
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert does a great job voice acting. The energy is high, the voices are solid, and the prose has some Sam Bee-esque energy that's really charming.
The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
Hot tall fat kinky black British lady falls for hot tall kinky Danish dude.
It's all very hot and heartwarming. Extremely charming side characters and one very scary villian.
2 POVs, 3rd person, past-tense. Spicy. Light kink (d/s scenes- not 24/7 dynamic.)
Audiobook is a delight. Cornell Collins does fun voices and gives Hibbert's already excellent prose a cheeky incongruity with a neutral prose voice of "calm upright English gentleman." It fucking rules and his pacing is on point.
It's all very hot and heartwarming. Extremely charming side characters and one very scary villian.
2 POVs, 3rd person, past-tense. Spicy. Light kink (d/s scenes- not 24/7 dynamic.)
Audiobook is a delight. Cornell Collins does fun voices and gives Hibbert's already excellent prose a cheeky incongruity with a neutral prose voice of "calm upright English gentleman." It fucking rules and his pacing is on point.
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Masterclass in pining.
Everybody is pining in this book. The prose is good. The communication/emotional intelligence is bad.
1st person, 1 POV, present tense.
Cover art is not reflective of characters or vibe. Much darker and scrappy. MC is goth photographer/biker bartender.
Everybody is pining in this book. The prose is good. The communication/emotional intelligence is bad.
1st person, 1 POV, present tense.
Cover art is not reflective of characters or vibe. Much darker and scrappy. MC is goth photographer/biker bartender.