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madmadmaddymad's reviews
193 reviews
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a three star book, honestly, because it was agony to read with the pace of the storytelling and how each time the characters triumphed or overcame something intense or dangerous, there would be another, even worse thing right around the corner. They never had a break, and it actually started to get a little boring, how SJM would constantly try to raise the stakes, but never anything actually would happen. Sometimes Rowan expends all of his magic, but then the next time you see him, he’s fine. Or sometimes Lysandra transforms into a dragon and gets badly injured, but then the next time you see her, she’s fine. Or Manon could take a near fatal wound to the abdomen, but then a few chapters later, she’s healthy and having sex with Dorian.
I give it an extra star for the romantic part of this book. The STORYTELLING portion of this book pissed me off and left me feeling bored or frustrated more often than not, but the romantic storyline and the consummation of relationships made it an enjoyable read.
I wish the characters could stop fighting all the time and just be happy and in love. I’m getting so sick of having to read about saving the world and defeating evil. I can’t BELIEVE the cliffhanger she wrote into this one. Who let her get away with that! It’s almost worse than what went down at the end of Heir of Fire.
I give it an extra star for the romantic part of this book. The STORYTELLING portion of this book pissed me off and left me feeling bored or frustrated more often than not, but the romantic storyline and the consummation of relationships made it an enjoyable read.
I wish the characters could stop fighting all the time and just be happy and in love. I’m getting so sick of having to read about saving the world and defeating evil. I can’t BELIEVE the cliffhanger she wrote into this one. Who let her get away with that! It’s almost worse than what went down at the end of Heir of Fire.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s really good. It reminds me of Mulan, but she’s a lesbian.
I love the themes and the storytelling, and how fate takes such a big impact on the story. Most of all I loved the characters. Especially Zhu and Ma. I love how they understood each other and how their whole relationship played out. It’s really hard to be a woman in the early 14th century in China, and they really made each other’s lives to the fullest, I’m so glad they found each other.
Not to boil this book down to the lesbian fisting scene, but…. That was such a beautifully depicted sequence!!!!! I want to find a love like theirs, so powerful and so emotional.
I love the themes and the storytelling, and how fate takes such a big impact on the story. Most of all I loved the characters. Especially Zhu and Ma. I love how they understood each other and how their whole relationship played out. It’s really hard to be a woman in the early 14th century in China, and they really made each other’s lives to the fullest, I’m so glad they found each other.
Not to boil this book down to the lesbian fisting scene, but…. That was such a beautifully depicted sequence!!!!! I want to find a love like theirs, so powerful and so emotional.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize I was reading a Rumplestiltskin retelling. I was all the way at the wedding of Miryem’s cousin, and watching the fight between the demon and the Staryk before “Tell me your name!” “Never!” Felt like anything other than a quirk of their fantasy race. That being said, I loved the way all the pieces of this story unfolded and came together.
Wanda’s story moved me to tears at several points. I loved when she first learned from Miryem how to do the debt collecting, and she called adding numbers together “magic.” For Wanda, anything sufficiently remarkable is magic, and Miryem, even in the mortal world, was a sufficiently remarkable woman. The book had a really good juxtaposition of the ordinary with the fantastic, and Wanda, watching it all come to pass really made me feel like lots of things can be magic… I was crying during the entire last chapter, when Miryem called her “sister” and Sergey and Stepon “brothers”
Oh, and I LOVED the love story and how it genuinely snuck up on me. I am a simp for fae and monsters, and even though I got to the wedding and the three storerooms of silver-to-gold, the fight between the two evil husbands, and watching the demon carry the Staryk away, I thought, “Oh. Bummer.” Because I was a little bit rooting for them to fall in love.
AND THEN. Like I was having a dream…!
Miryem returns to free the Staryk!
And he *asks* to court her in the mortal way!
Oh! And Irina and Mirnatious! The way she saved him with the silver ring was so satisfying!!!!!!!! AND HE THOUGHT SHE WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD!
Just such a wonderful, wonderful read. Definitely a top 10 of all time for me. 5 stars, and it deserves more, to be honest.
Wanda’s story moved me to tears at several points. I loved when she first learned from Miryem how to do the debt collecting, and she called adding numbers together “magic.” For Wanda, anything sufficiently remarkable is magic, and Miryem, even in the mortal world, was a sufficiently remarkable woman. The book had a really good juxtaposition of the ordinary with the fantastic, and Wanda, watching it all come to pass really made me feel like lots of things can be magic… I was crying during the entire last chapter, when Miryem called her “sister” and Sergey and Stepon “brothers”
Oh, and I LOVED the love story and how it genuinely snuck up on me. I am a simp for fae and monsters, and even though I got to the wedding and the three storerooms of silver-to-gold, the fight between the two evil husbands, and watching the demon carry the Staryk away, I thought, “Oh. Bummer.” Because I was a little bit rooting for them to fall in love.
AND THEN. Like I was having a dream…!
Miryem returns to free the Staryk!
And he *asks* to court her in the mortal way!
Oh! And Irina and Mirnatious! The way she saved him with the silver ring was so satisfying!!!!!!!! AND HE THOUGHT SHE WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD!
Just such a wonderful, wonderful read. Definitely a top 10 of all time for me. 5 stars, and it deserves more, to be honest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Misogyny, and Violence
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
It’s really good, but it’s really long, and it does drag on in places.
No romantic culmination in this one, STILL, but it has a good deal of action.
I found it just kind of middle of the road for this series. You can tell that there is more action and romance impending in the next three books, and SJM probably didn’t want to include too much excitement in this edition.
Good guys seem to be coming out on top in the end - so - it actually is better than Heir of Fire in that aspect, and the resolution of some of the mini boss bad-guys is badass! And I can tell there’s a lot more in store for Dorian. He’s probably what inspires me most to keep continuing reading, at this point!
No romantic culmination in this one, STILL, but it has a good deal of action.
I found it just kind of middle of the road for this series. You can tell that there is more action and romance impending in the next three books, and SJM probably didn’t want to include too much excitement in this edition.
Good guys seem to be coming out on top in the end - so - it actually is better than Heir of Fire in that aspect, and the resolution of some of the mini boss bad-guys is badass! And I can tell there’s a lot more in store for Dorian. He’s probably what inspires me most to keep continuing reading, at this point!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Murder
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
This book!
I am rooting so hard for Lila. She’s a hero. She’s my hero. I love how ruthless and unstoppable she is.
This book did not FEEL like 500 pages. The pace is AMAZING. I’m so captivated I want to proceed immediately to book three. But oh, I love this world, and how rich and magical it is and how HIGH the STAKES ARE.
(Also I’m so here for Rhy the bisexual disaster prince. RHY. you are my favorite character and that’s saying a LOT since Lila and Kell are both so wonderful.)
I am rooting so hard for Lila. She’s a hero. She’s my hero. I love how ruthless and unstoppable she is.
This book did not FEEL like 500 pages. The pace is AMAZING. I’m so captivated I want to proceed immediately to book three. But oh, I love this world, and how rich and magical it is and how HIGH the STAKES ARE.
(Also I’m so here for Rhy the bisexual disaster prince. RHY. you are my favorite character and that’s saying a LOT since Lila and Kell are both so wonderful.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, and Blood
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was hovering between four and five stars for this one, but I think I’ll give it five stars, since it’s a really powerful read.
Don’t read it first. It’s much better when you already have some slight familiarity with the characters, and the tone of this one is REALLY DARK, so, I wouldn’t recommend it as a kick off for the Throne of Glass series
That being said, I still found it an incredible read, and I really do understand Celaena more now than I did before. Why love is so scary for her, and why she takes her time with friendship and falling in love and everything else. I wanted to proceed to Queen of Shadows instantly after Heir of Fire because of that cliffhanger-ass-ending, BUT! I’m really glad I took a moment to read this book in it’s entirety.
Don’t read it first. It’s much better when you already have some slight familiarity with the characters, and the tone of this one is REALLY DARK, so, I wouldn’t recommend it as a kick off for the Throne of Glass series
That being said, I still found it an incredible read, and I really do understand Celaena more now than I did before. Why love is so scary for her, and why she takes her time with friendship and falling in love and everything else. I wanted to proceed to Queen of Shadows instantly after Heir of Fire because of that cliffhanger-ass-ending, BUT! I’m really glad I took a moment to read this book in it’s entirety.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Grief
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-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? No
5.0
This is the best book of the series so far! Rowan is in this book. He is the fae heartthrob, and he’s much more entertaining than the other boys from book one and two.
I will say that this series itself is much more focused on the plot and the story than the characters and the romance. But this book had a few instances of sweet romance and it was good enough for me!
I liked getting introduced to Manon in this book too.
I feel very bad for Dorian! I hope his dad burns in hell for what he did. It’s always so rough for an SJM man with daddy issues - and Dorian kind of has it the worst right now.
I will say that this series itself is much more focused on the plot and the story than the characters and the romance. But this book had a few instances of sweet romance and it was good enough for me!
I liked getting introduced to Manon in this book too.
I feel very bad for Dorian! I hope his dad burns in hell for what he did. It’s always so rough for an SJM man with daddy issues - and Dorian kind of has it the worst right now.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-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? No
4.0
This series is really shaping up to be something special. I think the first book works better as a cohesive story, and this one feels like setup for a larger narrative, and not as cohesive as a stand alone book, but it was still an enjoyable read.
It suffers from pacing issues and is very boring and plot laden at times. The romance of this book is not as good as the first one, but that’s ok, because not every book has to be romantic.
I liked getting to know the characters a little more. I liked the reveal at the end, but honestly, it just makes me mad that we had to spend so much time being bait-and-switched by the author to in the name of worldbuilding rather than start in the faerie realm and have the actual story play out!
Still!
I’m looking forward to book three!
It suffers from pacing issues and is very boring and plot laden at times. The romance of this book is not as good as the first one, but that’s ok, because not every book has to be romantic.
I liked getting to know the characters a little more. I liked the reveal at the end, but honestly, it just makes me mad that we had to spend so much time being bait-and-switched by the author to in the name of worldbuilding rather than start in the faerie realm and have the actual story play out!
Still!
I’m looking forward to book three!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Three Swedish Mountain Men by Lily Gold
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sexy!
Good smut!
I feel there is no point to rank the boyfriends, since by the end, I was in love with all three of them. But I will say I began the story with Riv as a clear favorite, graduated to Eli, and then fell in love with Cole when he softened up in the snow storm.
Ahem ahem, there is also a polyamrous four way. This book is amazing, and exactly what I needed this month. I could do with more “why choose” stories that include a full-on gang bang. *phew* So steamy!!
Good smut!
I feel there is no point to rank the boyfriends, since by the end, I was in love with all three of them. But I will say I began the story with Riv as a clear favorite, graduated to Eli, and then fell in love with Cole when he softened up in the snow storm.
Ahem ahem, there is also a polyamrous four way. This book is amazing, and exactly what I needed this month. I could do with more “why choose” stories that include a full-on gang bang. *phew* So steamy!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
I feel kind of similarly about it as I did when I read ACOTAR - in that I am not overly inspired to pick up the sequel, but I know that it’s probably worth my time to do it anyway.
Celaena is a top tier YA protagonist. And I found Dorian and Nehemia and Chaol similarly likeable. There’s a little bit of a love triangle plot, with not much of a payout, I imagine things will pick up more in book two.
The story itself was entertaining, and I enjoyed the action elements, and getting to see Celaena kick ass against a bunch of sexist men and take the title of Champion. I want to know more about her past, it seems like it was hinted at, but never necessarily disclosed because it seems to be part of a bigger mystery.
I rated it four stars because I liked it, but didn’t LOVE it. I guess we’ll see where this series takes me.
Celaena is a top tier YA protagonist. And I found Dorian and Nehemia and Chaol similarly likeable. There’s a little bit of a love triangle plot, with not much of a payout, I imagine things will pick up more in book two.
The story itself was entertaining, and I enjoyed the action elements, and getting to see Celaena kick ass against a bunch of sexist men and take the title of Champion. I want to know more about her past, it seems like it was hinted at, but never necessarily disclosed because it seems to be part of a bigger mystery.
I rated it four stars because I liked it, but didn’t LOVE it. I guess we’ll see where this series takes me.