Genre: Fantasy

Fierce Like a Firestorm by Lana Popović

Characters: 6, it’s not fair to compare the sequel to the first book, but I was much more invested in the characters in book 1 because they were so very fleshed out. That said, a lot of the story revolves around Malina in this book, and there’s huge character growth for a number of characters, in a way that didn’t undermine or excuse past bad behavior. Atmosphere: 6, the language in both books is evocative, bordering on florid. But either I stopped noticing it after the first quarter of the book, or it wasn’t used as much. Certainly the tension […]

Posted November 18, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Characters: 7, the character of David was outstanding- relatable, realistic, but I still wanted him to succeed. The secondary characters were less developed but still on the complex side. Given this is written like a fairytale, and includes some very grimdark stuff, I didn’t feel like the lack of complete secondary character development in any way subtracted from the story. That isn’t to say there’s no development there- both the Woodsman and the Knight, for example, have unspoken but suspected motivations behind their help, and some of the villains appear to be acting against their will or in short-sighted ways. […]

Posted November 11, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

Letalis by Rishika Porandla

Characters: 5, well I definitely didn’t find them lovable, but then, I was not meant to. Antares is the closest to human, I think. Eris and Ceres both unleash hurt onto other people in order to live with the weight of their magic. Ceres apparently has no moral compass nor compassion; Eris conveniently loses hers in favor of bitter jealousy, for two days. But mostly the characters are one-dimensional and revolve around their defining tragedy. Atmosphere: 4, I couldn’t really picture much aside from stark details: Solarians have platinum hair and brown skin, Sun District has a desert near it […]

Posted October 21, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments

Hook & Jill by Andrea Jones

Characters: 7, Wendy was sometimes relatable and sometimes confusingly obtuse, but Hook, Smee, Peter, Tink, Rowan, and the Lost Boys were more or less their own independent characters with (at least a little bit) personalities distinguishable from the others. The writing tends to be explicit about action, but less so about character thoughts so I didn’t feel confident about any single character. Atmosphere: 7, the setting is well described and I could easily picture most of the Neverland as it was written. It doesn’t hurt that this is a retelling/twist on such a beloved classic, that anyone can picture the […]

Posted October 4, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Characters: 5, the characters weren’t developed, but I did care what happened to them. This story didn’t seem to be meant to be deep or emotionally moving, more of a slice-of-life urban adventure built on a cute premise, with a dash of romance and a large helping of found family. But all the secondary characters, including the love interest, were plot functions only and their personality was largely “humans discriminate against me for my race”. Atmosphere: 8, I was definitely craving coffee (and pastries) while reading this! The description of the coffee house, the town, and the power politics at […]

Posted September 16, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

The Other Doctor and The Girl Who Ran Away by Dave Matthews

Characters: 5, I couldn’t tell any of the characters apart, other than Alice being 13 and the MC, and Valeria being the villain whose motivation is to be eeeeeevil. Atmosphere: 6, I could picture the buildings, because I bought this book from the author in Stratford-on-Avon and, like Wizard’s Thatch, a lot of it appears to be halted in time around the Elizabethan era. However, the emotional atmosphere of the book fell flat for me, with no tension or mood building. Writing: 5, this really could’ve used an edit. There was shifting tense all over, it was tell-not-show style (I […]

Posted September 8, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments

Godlings and the Gates of Chaos by Luke C. Jackson

Characters: 7, several of the characters immediately had personalities that shone through (Chaac and Ra, most notably), and I could distinguish between them. Some, such as Tiamat, had an intriguing backstory that was glazed over, but I found myself rooting for them all anyway. Atmosphere: 7, the graphics are vividly colorful and engaging. I tend to prefer more subtlety in my graphic novels (artwork and story), but I think this is aimed at YA readers and it definitely has a “classic superhero” vibe to it, so that fit. I wished we could’ve explored the underwater base more, because the possibilities […]

Posted September 4, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember

Characters: 5, very meh. There’s a lot of telling, not showing, when it comes to character motivation and none of them felt well established to me (Ragna least of all). Atmosphere: 5, although the iceberg and warming process is well described, it didn’t feel immersive (likely because of that tell-not-show approach, and not being invested in the MC). Writing Style: 6, I’ve read better, but there were several confusing points where a character was doing something and then abruptly something else was going on and I couldn’t tell if any time had passed or what. Plot: 7, I will give […]

Posted July 22, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments

In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard

Characters: 6, Vu Côn had a personality and I’d be able to describe it to a friend. But Yên’s personality was “worried about Mother, grew up poor, thinks dragon is sexy” which is more traits that a developed personality. And the secondary characters were entirely plot devices. Atmosphere: 7, the palace especially was well-described in it’s MC Escher-esque oddness. I think de Bodard’s strength is in describing visuals with impact. That said, I didn’t feel immersed in the environment, only that I could understand why it was dizzying because I could more or less picture it. Writing: 6, I struggled […]

Posted July 8, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

Shaman’s Crossing by Robin Hobb

Characters: 9, I could easily describe the MC and almost all the secondary characters to someone and they were distinguishable from each other despite the majority of them being young men at a military academy in similar political situations. I also felt like I understood (even when I didn’t agree with) their motivations, concerns, and fears. Atmosphere: 10, whether it was the desolate arid Plains, the loamy sun-dappled forest, the stinking smoggy city, or the austere military academy, ever place felt tangible and immersed me in the immediacy of the action. Writing: 10, I adore Robin Hobb (even though it’s […]

Posted June 17, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments