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marimoose's reviews
1423 reviews
Armada by Ernest Cline
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I remember enjoying Ready Player One, so I figured I'd like this as well? But the problem is that this pretty much read EXACTLY like Ready Player One...except then it tried to glom together several scifi pop culture references and pretended it wasn't a big deal. Like...if I wanted to read Ender's Game again, I'd actually read Ender's Game again (which I won't). Not whatever this was.
And while I found the protagonist in RPO entertaining enough in large part due to the general plot of the book (the '80s being an integral part of the man behind OASIS, with Wade being an exceptional player in said game), reading about the same kind of guy in Armada was just boring and self-serving. Getting a blast of '80s nostalgia was fun the first time around. Getting more '80s scifi pop culture references again and again when it makes ZERO sense within the context of the story was just tiring. And on a normal day I LOVE scifi references. But this was just ridiculous.
Don't even get me started on how bored I got halfway through. Kind of like how Zach usually gets for the most part, which is why he's amounted to practically nothing. Good thing playing video games is his saving grace, I suppose. But again, he's another character with little depth to him besides his skill to call up scifi references and win at simulations.
And while I found the protagonist in RPO entertaining enough in large part due to the general plot of the book (the '80s being an integral part of the man behind OASIS, with Wade being an exceptional player in said game), reading about the same kind of guy in Armada was just boring and self-serving. Getting a blast of '80s nostalgia was fun the first time around. Getting more '80s scifi pop culture references again and again when it makes ZERO sense within the context of the story was just tiring. And on a normal day I LOVE scifi references. But this was just ridiculous.
Don't even get me started on how bored I got halfway through. Kind of like how Zach usually gets for the most part, which is why he's amounted to practically nothing. Good thing playing video games is his saving grace, I suppose. But again, he's another character with little depth to him besides his skill to call up scifi references and win at simulations.
A Fire in The Sky by Sophie Jordan
adventurous
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
3.5
I think this was fairly entertaining at some points, but also dragging in others. Per usual with what I've seen in the romantasies I've read lately, there's a lot of trying to establish some sort of story, but somehow this attempt sacrifices the character interaction and development. Which imo, is the WHOLE EFFING POINT of being a romantasy in the first place. Sigh.
Things I liked
- the establishment of Tamsyn and her social standing with her family. I liked that she's working through things, and eventually finding herself at odds with what she thought she knew versus what actually is. It does get a bit annoying at times (because GURL, open your eyes, watch, listen.), but it's by far more endearing than off-putting.
- Fell just being weirdly Fell. I wish we actually had more of his character development and thought process because outside of his constant thoughts of Tamsyn, I thought he was interesting. I liked his ambitions and reactions to the nonsense in court, and I kind of wished we had more actual banter versus the stilted dialog he has with Tamsyn.
- the foreshadowing and hints of magical shenanigans in the background. The author drops a lot of hints on the way about how the world works in the book, and seeing it start to actually unfold to what it truly was is fascinating. By the end, I actually want to know what happens next.
Things I did not like
- the pacing was off. After the wedding, we spend at least two parts just going from one location to another with hardly anything happening. And when things finally do happen, it was just...okay, and? Yes, things pick up eventually, but I wish these stories would just stop dragging shit out for the sake of stretching the plot to a gazillion books later *coughIRONFLAMEcough*. Aint nothing wrong with a standalone or duology imo. I much prefer those tbh.
- Stig. Because fuck him.
Things I liked
- the establishment of Tamsyn and her social standing with her family. I liked that she's working through things, and eventually finding herself at odds with what she thought she knew versus what actually is. It does get a bit annoying at times (because GURL, open your eyes, watch, listen.), but it's by far more endearing than off-putting.
- Fell just being weirdly Fell. I wish we actually had more of his character development and thought process because outside of his constant thoughts of Tamsyn, I thought he was interesting. I liked his ambitions and reactions to the nonsense in court, and I kind of wished we had more actual banter versus the stilted dialog he has with Tamsyn.
- the foreshadowing and hints of magical shenanigans in the background. The author drops a lot of hints on the way about how the world works in the book, and seeing it start to actually unfold to what it truly was is fascinating. By the end, I actually want to know what happens next.
Things I did not like
- the pacing was off. After the wedding, we spend at least two parts just going from one location to another with hardly anything happening. And when things finally do happen, it was just...okay, and? Yes, things pick up eventually, but I wish these stories would just stop dragging shit out for the sake of stretching the plot to a gazillion books later *coughIRONFLAMEcough*. Aint nothing wrong with a standalone or duology imo. I much prefer those tbh.
- Stig. Because fuck him.
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
challenging
dark
tense
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
4.0
This book took me so long to finish, but holy hell, it was good! I think, however, it did take a while for me to actually warm up to the story, and I still at this point am lukewarm when it comes to Kidan as a main character. Sometimes I am 100% in support of all her wrongs. But other times, I question the decisions she makes, and I guess that's the point of her being such a morally gray antihero.
This book definitely pushes the boundaries between YA and adult really easily. It is hella dark. And the contents, including portions of the romance, were surprisingly risque. I don't know why I was honestly surprised, considering this is a vampire enemies to lovers book, but all the same. And yes, we can definitely say this is the slowest of the slow burns when it comes to enemies to lovers. It is definitely Jude and Cardan, only much more violent and on an initial level of toxicity I'm not quite sure I was behind at times.
I do think that there was a lot of worldbuilding involved, and it was to an impressive amount. I both loved and hated having to immerse myself so much into this world and this academy, only to find myself still glazing over the histories. Honestly I found myself skimming through most of the beginning because there was so much exposition to be had. I guess this is mostly from the fact that I'm not really a dark academia girly, and thinking and talking philosophically through the plot slowed things down for me.
All that said, by the last 30% of this book, I'm here to support all of Kidan's and Susenyos' wrongs. ALL OF IT.
This book definitely pushes the boundaries between YA and adult really easily. It is hella dark. And the contents, including portions of the romance, were surprisingly risque. I don't know why I was honestly surprised, considering this is a vampire enemies to lovers book, but all the same. And yes, we can definitely say this is the slowest of the slow burns when it comes to enemies to lovers. It is definitely Jude and Cardan, only much more violent and on an initial level of toxicity I'm not quite sure I was behind at times.
I do think that there was a lot of worldbuilding involved, and it was to an impressive amount. I both loved and hated having to immerse myself so much into this world and this academy, only to find myself still glazing over the histories. Honestly I found myself skimming through most of the beginning because there was so much exposition to be had. I guess this is mostly from the fact that I'm not really a dark academia girly, and thinking and talking philosophically through the plot slowed things down for me.
All that said, by the last 30% of this book, I'm here to support all of Kidan's and Susenyos' wrongs. ALL OF IT.
Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
emotional
funny
slow-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
4.0
The audiobook definitely reminded me of the copious amount of spice in this book. And for that I am glad. Josh's date is still my favorite in the Twisted series, and I love how very slice of life the characters kind of are for the most part. I still do think this book drags in places, and my interest honestly waned knowing when and what the third act breakup would bring, but it's still a fairly great read overall.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
I have completely forgotten how utterly wild the end of this book was. I am also now mildly traumatized again, and if I didn't already plan a mushroom dish for this coming week, I would forego it entirely.
This book still held up its star raring like before, though I do think it was definitely more creepy and more disturbing reading it in print than listening to it at 2x the speed on audiobook. Also, the way this book is emulating life atm is uncanny. Pity we can't just burn our problems away with a bit of fire and feminine rage. Just saying.
This book still held up its star raring like before, though I do think it was definitely more creepy and more disturbing reading it in print than listening to it at 2x the speed on audiobook. Also, the way this book is emulating life atm is uncanny. Pity we can't just burn our problems away with a bit of fire and feminine rage. Just saying.
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Okay this book had a lot of physics that went way over my head, but the overall premise--and philosophical output--was absolutely wild. I had to look up the three-body problem (mostly because while the book did explain it a bit, I like being to conceptualize in text form) because it was a fascinating concept, and my inner math kid leapt at the chance to read about it. The book itself had a lot of buildup to get through, so it was a slow process to get to the interesting parts. I can't say I remember most of the characters mentioned in the book (Ye, Wang, and Da Shi were the ones that clearly stood out), as I felt most of them represented just a general faction of beliefs about humanity and alien life. And boy, this book definitely touched on A LOT of philosophical and scientific outlooks regarding humanity in a historical and futuristic context. Also, I feel like a lot of this buildup hints towards a long game, and oh man, it's gonna get even wilder moving forward.
Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver
emotional
funny
tense
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? No
4.5
I love that the start of this book was Halloween night, and I am actually finishing this on Halloween night. There's poetry in reading about two murderers in love 😂.
This was another banger of a dark romantic comedy. I said what I said! I knew going in that it'd give me the hate to love trope and I was already eager to read about the enigmatic assassin that is Lachlan Kane after his introduction in Butcher and Blackbird. But damn, we got forced proximity AND arranged marriage on top of that too? Did Brynne Weaver bless us with this trifecta? Why yes. Yes she did.
And unsurprisingly, I ate it all up. Lark has a lot of damage behind her usually cheerful facade, and I support all her wrongs (because fuck all those guys to hell). And I support all of Lachlan's wrongs that help support Lark's wrongs. Because these two are absolutely adorable. Freaks, but still adorable.
To be fair, I did find the beginning to be slow, and it took maybe the 50% mark for me to get fully invested in the story. I thought the overall plot outside of the romance--the mystery behind the killings, the reveal of the big bad, etc--felt a bit rushed. Unlike L&L's predecessor, we already did have an idea who the true antagonist was, which took away the suspense that was still fairly prevalent in B&B up until the story's climactic breaking point. Instead, it felt like a forced conflict that carried over from B&B. I did love that there was no third act breakup, and the spice? Once again, the spice was top notch.
Also, tattooed Lachlan Kane cursing profusely (or reading smut out loud) in his Irish accent with his glasses on. That's it. That's living rent-free in my head forever.
This was another banger of a dark romantic comedy. I said what I said! I knew going in that it'd give me the hate to love trope and I was already eager to read about the enigmatic assassin that is Lachlan Kane after his introduction in Butcher and Blackbird. But damn, we got forced proximity AND arranged marriage on top of that too? Did Brynne Weaver bless us with this trifecta? Why yes. Yes she did.
And unsurprisingly, I ate it all up. Lark has a lot of damage behind her usually cheerful facade, and I support all her wrongs (because fuck all those guys to hell). And I support all of Lachlan's wrongs that help support Lark's wrongs. Because these two are absolutely adorable. Freaks, but still adorable.
To be fair, I did find the beginning to be slow, and it took maybe the 50% mark for me to get fully invested in the story. I thought the overall plot outside of the romance--the mystery behind the killings, the reveal of the big bad, etc--felt a bit rushed. Unlike L&L's predecessor, we already did have an idea who the true antagonist was, which took away the suspense that was still fairly prevalent in B&B up until the story's climactic breaking point. Instead, it felt like a forced conflict that carried over from B&B. I did love that there was no third act breakup, and the spice? Once again, the spice was top notch.
Also, tattooed Lachlan Kane cursing profusely (or reading smut out loud) in his Irish accent with his glasses on. That's it. That's living rent-free in my head forever.
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I feel so betrayed by this book that I'm now taking it personally. It's being marketed as a murder mystery meets Great British Bake Off, and on paper this sounds SO GOOD. But it took 80% of the book to build up to a murder that was so anticlimactic.
Did I care about the murder by that point after learning about the really annoying character POVs I had to sit through? No. Lottie and Peter were pretty much the only characters I'd been invested in, up until Peter's "oh well, what the hell, life's unfair anyway" attitude pissed me right the eff off at the end of the book. I absolutely hated Hannah. This entire book took the charm of the bakeoff and tuned up the reality TV drama that I never cared about in reality TV shows in the first place. I was absolutely FINE not needing to know too much about the bakers' lives like that. And when they're pretty unlikable? Zero interest.
Did the end feel like a satisfying return on all that time building up character plot lines? No. We started off with a body in the beginning, but then we don't get back to it until all these POVs started muddling the waters with their unnecessary shenanigans. I also felt like the story itself was still unresolved and rushed, and seriously, did I just read that ending? Because that ending didn't even feel remotely satisfying.
Should this be considered some kind of whodunnit with a set of distinct characters? No. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. Knives Out is a whodunnit. The Glass Onion is a whodunnit. Every frigging iteration of Clue and most all of Agatha Christie's books are whodunnits. WITH ENGAGING, LIKABLE CHARACTERS. At this point in my rant I am also now feeling robbed of my time. I hate it here.
Did this audiobook just become one of my hate listens of the year? Well yes. The only reason there's one star here is because the food descriptions were good. Otherwise it would have been a straight up 0.
Did I care about the murder by that point after learning about the really annoying character POVs I had to sit through? No. Lottie and Peter were pretty much the only characters I'd been invested in, up until Peter's "oh well, what the hell, life's unfair anyway" attitude pissed me right the eff off at the end of the book. I absolutely hated Hannah. This entire book took the charm of the bakeoff and tuned up the reality TV drama that I never cared about in reality TV shows in the first place. I was absolutely FINE not needing to know too much about the bakers' lives like that. And when they're pretty unlikable? Zero interest.
Did the end feel like a satisfying return on all that time building up character plot lines? No. We started off with a body in the beginning, but then we don't get back to it until all these POVs started muddling the waters with their unnecessary shenanigans. I also felt like the story itself was still unresolved and rushed, and seriously, did I just read that ending? Because that ending didn't even feel remotely satisfying.
Should this be considered some kind of whodunnit with a set of distinct characters? No. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. Knives Out is a whodunnit. The Glass Onion is a whodunnit. Every frigging iteration of Clue and most all of Agatha Christie's books are whodunnits. WITH ENGAGING, LIKABLE CHARACTERS. At this point in my rant I am also now feeling robbed of my time. I hate it here.
Did this audiobook just become one of my hate listens of the year? Well yes. The only reason there's one star here is because the food descriptions were good. Otherwise it would have been a straight up 0.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-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? No
3.5
So I actually liked this as an epistolary novel, and the writing itself was just beautiful and poetic. I'm still just not sure what on earth was actually happening plotwise if that makes sense? As a love story between two agents on warring sides of a time war, it was adorable and a little sad, but I felt like because most of the story unfolds in letters, everything outside of that love story is useless background noise. That said, for the length that it was, I'd have to give kudos to the way the romance played out.
Dreadful: A Dark Retelling by Greer Rivers
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I think a lot of my expectations came from the fact that this was pushed as first and foremost a Sweeney Todd retelling. But then, it instead is mostly a Hamlet retelling which just happens to share characteristics of the Sweeney Todd tale. And honestly, we didn't need another Hamlet retelling. The Lion King was already peak Hamlet retelling.
Which, okay, fine. So it's a Hamlet retelling. And if that was the only issue I took with the book, then it wasn't too bad. But this was kind of dreadful by the end, and I think I know why most of these dark romances are not really doing their thing for me. They take themselves way too seriously, and the disturbingly dark background content and trauma dumping isn't exactly my cup of tea. And as far as characters go, the two main characters we're fairly forgettable after everything that's happened. Even the spice was fairly tame, compared to the previous books of the Tattered Curtains series. Overall, I just didn't get that invested. Which is a shame, considering I was here for the revenge-murder spree that Talia was getting herself into. I only wished there was much less Hamlet and more focus on the two characters actually holding a shop together where they bickered like a married couple and exacted sweet vengeance together to right the world and get rid of all the assholes in their neighborhood. Like Dexter but a more organized crime network sort of thing.
Um, okay, maybe not.
Which, okay, fine. So it's a Hamlet retelling. And if that was the only issue I took with the book, then it wasn't too bad. But this was kind of dreadful by the end, and I think I know why most of these dark romances are not really doing their thing for me. They take themselves way too seriously, and the disturbingly dark background content and trauma dumping isn't exactly my cup of tea. And as far as characters go, the two main characters we're fairly forgettable after everything that's happened. Even the spice was fairly tame, compared to the previous books of the Tattered Curtains series. Overall, I just didn't get that invested. Which is a shame, considering I was here for the revenge-murder spree that Talia was getting herself into. I only wished there was much less Hamlet and more focus on the two characters actually holding a shop together where they bickered like a married couple and exacted sweet vengeance together to right the world and get rid of all the assholes in their neighborhood. Like Dexter but a more organized crime network sort of thing.
Um, okay, maybe not.