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zsabella's reviews
135 reviews
Prosper's Demon by K.J. Parker
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
had an interesting premise that deflated instantly for me as a reader who struggles with talky, stream of conscious-like, unreliable narration. the disappointment I felt when I realized the exorcist didn't actually carry out an exorcism stunned me a little!
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
northanger abbey was a very breezy introduction to jane austen for me. I loved the tone and sharpness of her writing style, but quickly realized the story itself makes it difficult to rate higher than a weak 3 stars. the plot reads almost like a novella as I was surprised to find out that most of the story and build-up takes place outside of northanger abbey. I wasn’t totally invested in the romantic pairing as I wanted to be, and craved more moments of henry and catherine together. despite the ending feeling so abrupt and reliant on key events that happen off-page, I don't regret reading this since I really enjoyed the memorable cast of characters and their motivations and interactions with one other.
The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
having been a long-time fan of the hannibal television series multiple times, reading red dragon made sense for the completionist in me and it didn’t disappoint. not only was the plot just as fresh and thrilling, but reading hannibal’s advances towards will got me kicking my feet in delight. dr. lecter really was that interested will graham—it’s not even subtext, it’s just text!
and when the source material already comes preloaded with quotes like: “Why shouldn't [killing] feel good? It must feel good to God—He does it all the time, and are we not made in His image?”, it makes perfect sense for a screen adaptation to take all of its darkness and drama and run with it. props to thomas harris for knowing exactly what he was doing writing iconic characters like dr. lecter and francis dolarhyde from the start, all while ensuring the tension and dread leaps off the pages.
and when the source material already comes preloaded with quotes like: “Why shouldn't [killing] feel good? It must feel good to God—He does it all the time, and are we not made in His image?”, it makes perfect sense for a screen adaptation to take all of its darkness and drama and run with it. props to thomas harris for knowing exactly what he was doing writing iconic characters like dr. lecter and francis dolarhyde from the start, all while ensuring the tension and dread leaps off the pages.
God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
outdated sexual identity politics aside, herbert clearly had a lot of sympathy for leto ii’s journey following children of dune as leto takes on the role as the tyrant to end all tyrants while giving up his own humanity to save all of humanity in the process. I just wish frank herbert wasn’t so rambley about it. a more insistent editor could have helped him gotten the point across in half the length, but unfortunately what’s left is a lot of pontificating between interesting plot beats that makes this a little underwhelming for me.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
god emperor is more tonally inconsistent than I expected, which makes the audiobook an even wilder experience. I was not prepared for the level of insta-lust so many female characters had for duncan idaho, like frank, this is a wendy’s.
outdated sexual identity politics aside, herbert clearly had a lot of sympathy for leto ii’s journey following children of dune as leto takes on the role as the tyrant to end all tyrants while giving up his own humanity to save all of humanity in the process. I just wish frank herbert wasn’t so rambley about it. a more insistent editor could have helped him gotten the point across in half the length, but unfortunately what’s left is a lot of pontificating between interesting plot beats that makes this a little underwhelming for me.
Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
didn’t feel as invested in the plot as much as I wanted to be, but if this is pratchett at his most messy and tangential, it’s still a breezy read brimming with fun references to ancient civilizations. it was a little disappointing to see ptraci’s true role be treated as a bit of an afterthought at the very end of the story, but I did like teppic more as a teenage protagonist than what mort had going on in his own introductory book.
The Sandman Book Three by Neil Gaiman
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Idol, Burning by Rin Usami
dark
emotional
sad
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
I expected more based on the jacket blurb and praise attached to this. idol, burning’s “white-hot spotlight” on fandom feels inaccurate--it gives off the intensity of a flickering flashlight instead. while the author gives an unflinching, interior look into the main character, I feel like the clunky translation hinders the story’s full impact. if you’re a veteran tumblr and twitter fandom user, the plot is only vaguely interesting and won't likely do enough to keep you thinking about parasocial relationships, cancel culture, stan obsession, etc. for more than a couple hours after reading.