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tiffanysmith's reviews
262 reviews
Master of Crows by Grace Draven
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? No
4.25
Happy Place by Emily Henry
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
sad
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
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.75
I have to say, although I find myself very wrapped up in the adventures of Claire, Jamie, and their family, The Fiery Cross was not my favorite. At almost 1000 pages, the pacing for this one was slow. Part of me was relieved that everybody finally got a rest from the relentless adventures they found themselves on, but on the other hand, this one took me some time to read. You really got a good idea about what the day-to-day life is like on Frasers Ridge, but I think a lot of chapters could have been cut.
Perhaps it was just me, but for most of the book, I could not determine what the plot was. Gabaldon would start on interesting points and then wouldn't follow up on them. It was only toward the middle that I became to suspect what path she was taking us toward, but it really was not clear enough. Most of the chapters were about the day-to-day life in Frasers Ridge. Fortunately, the plot thickened at the end of the book and the ending was worth the challenge, but you have to earn it!
I think Roger had the most character growth. He had a lot of challenges throughout and it provided a great insight into the roles he has taken on throughout the series. I didn't particularly like Brianna as much in this one, but I respect her role and can't wait to see how her character develops in the later books.
Overall, this one was not my favorite. It was much too long and took a great amount of time to get to the point. The ending was really intriguing. I'm just going to take it as it is though and on to the next!
Perhaps it was just me, but for most of the book, I could not determine what the plot was. Gabaldon would start on interesting points and then wouldn't follow up on them. It was only toward the middle that I became to suspect what path she was taking us toward, but it really was not clear enough. Most of the chapters were about the day-to-day life in Frasers Ridge. Fortunately, the plot thickened at the end of the book and the ending was worth the challenge, but you have to earn it!
I think Roger had the most character growth. He had a lot of challenges throughout and it provided a great insight into the roles he has taken on throughout the series. I didn't particularly like Brianna as much in this one, but I respect her role and can't wait to see how her character develops in the later books.
Overall, this one was not my favorite. It was much too long and took a great amount of time to get to the point. The ending was really intriguing. I'm just going to take it as it is though and on to the next!
Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer
dark
tense
slow-paced
4.0
The Relic by Douglas Preston
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-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
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
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
4.5
My sister recommended this to me and I intended to listen to the audiobook version as a background book. I didn't expect it to be so captivating! It started innocently enough, but the house grew to be quite terrifying. At first, I thought the characters were pretty average for an ensemble, but they became much more complex as hostility developed between them. Also, the ending left me in deep contemplation. I didn't expect it at all.
It was a good and quick read, but it turns dark fast, so beware!
It was a good and quick read, but it turns dark fast, so beware!
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m feeling torn between wanting to have enjoyed this and not really having enjoyed the experience of reading this. It’s a great plot with some potentially interesting characters, but the quality of writing really put me off. This is a classic example of showing, rather than telling. Most of the book was Poppy asking questions about the world, lore, et cetra and somebody answering her. The story was very dialogue driven, which was disappointing as this is supposed to be a fantasy and even after the second book, I feel like I’ve hardly experienced the world they navigate through. There wasn’t even any action until much later in the book, and I thought about DNRing it so many times, because I was exhausted from reading the dialogue and thoughts of Poppy and those who occupied her time.
I really enjoyed the scenes where there was action, as in the characters were actually doing something other than talking to move the plot along. Those were written quite nicely, but they were far and few between.
I was happy to see the direction that her and Casteel’s relationship went, however, as it was becoming alarmingly violent in the first one.
A part of me wants to continue the series, just to see what happens in the third installment. Time will tell, I suppose. I think this book would have benefited in being half of the size because of the writing style.
I really enjoyed the scenes where there was action, as in the characters were actually doing something other than talking to move the plot along. Those were written quite nicely, but they were far and few between.
I was happy to see the direction that her and Casteel’s relationship went, however, as it was becoming alarmingly violent in the first one.
A part of me wants to continue the series, just to see what happens in the third installment. Time will tell, I suppose. I think this book would have benefited in being half of the size because of the writing style.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75