Search

Search only in certain items:

The Anubis Gates
The Anubis Gates
Tim Powers | 1983 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The idea (0 more)
slow (1 more)
a bit disjointed
It was an ok book. A bit slow at places and the main character could be a bit dense at times. If you want a time travel book that has science and explanations on the difference between free will and predetermination, this isn't your book at all. Magic! Not the answer to everything but yeah. There are a few surprises and twists that are fun. Doyle is a good lead. The clown terrifying.
It is a bit disjointed but starts to smooth out after a bit.
Not a bad read but not anything amazing.
  
Lots of BTS anectodes from key people (1 more)
Talks about key problems that needed solved during each phase
Not really a deep dive into design choices. Mostly storytelling. (0 more)
As excited as I was for an "Art of the movies" book(retroactively, maybe I should've read the synopsis more carefully.),this is NOT that book. However, it still hosts a treasure trove of knowledge once you accept that. It's still super fascinating to read all about the creation of an interconnected movie franchise, because rather you love or hate Marvel movies, there's just no denying that what they've accomplished is nothing short of magic.
  
40x40

Merissa (13382 KP) rated Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy, #1) in Books

Jun 8, 2023 (Updated Jun 8, 2023)  
Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy, #1)
Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy, #1)
Penelope King | 2012 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a light-hearted story about magic with a side interest of romance. The story and relationships in the book flow very naturally but don't expect everything to be straightforward! There are some twists and turns in this book, some that are explained and some that aren't. This book drew me in from the start and the time passed very quickly whilst I was reading it. Very enjoyable both as Young Adult and as a Paranormal. Further books in this series are now on my wish list.

* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 14, 2013
  
40x40

Ali A (82 KP) rated Unseelie in Books

Jan 19, 2023  
Unseelie
Unseelie
Ivelisse Housman | 2023 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A few years ago, there was an accident in Seelie and Isolde’s home village and ever since, they’ve been on the run. Seelie is an autistic changeling trying to understand and control her unpredictable magic - it doesn’t help that she finds it almost as difficult to fit in with the humans around her. Her sister Isolde, is an amazing pickpocketer and uses her skills to keep them alive. When a heist goes wrong, the twins find themselves in a larger mystery than they expected and discover secrets of the history of both faeries and humans. With new companions on their adventure can Seelie get control of her magic in time to protect her sister.

“The perfect start to any morning. Who needs coffee when you have the icy shock of mortal terror?”

I was pretty excited to read this book portraying an autistic main character written by someone who is on the spectrum themselves. It is a wonderful portrayal for children and young adults to see themselves represented, especially in a fantasy, magic filled world like we see in Unseelie. Seelie’s character is honest and true, and you see this world through her eyes - with and without overstimulating events.

Each of the four main characters were fun to meet and learn about - though I am hoping we get to see more flushed out history of both Raze and Olani in the next book.

The pacing of this novel was a bit slow in places, especially in the middle and then the ending kind of hit you fiercely. I didn’t realize this would be a duology until the last few pages, especially since nothing really wrapped up and you were kind of left with unexplained events and a cliffhanger. That being said though, I am super excited for the next book in the series and will for sure be waiting for that to hit the shelves.

*Thank you Inkyard Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
  
40x40

Jamie (131 KP) rated Red Sister in Books

May 18, 2017  
Red Sister
Red Sister
Mark Lawrence | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Excellent writing style (2 more)
Well developed characters
Fascinating world and magic system
After a while feels a little drawn out (0 more)
A fun dark fantasy with an interesting world
Nona has a natural ability to fight and at nine years old she’s already convicted of murder. She finds herself whisked away to a special covenant that trains young girls to become assassins, and herein lies the base of the plot and all I can say is WOW. I was absolutely blown away by Red Sister.

The world building in this book is phenomenal and I want to know so much more about it. The sun is dying, the planet is slowly being enclosed in ice and with it humanity is changing, becoming desperate and looking to prophecies. There is a focus on the four races, each with unique talents in combat. The magic system is complex and is split between two schools of magic, and there is a plethora of diverse specializations for both.

On top of the detailed world, the book also nailed atmosphere. I felt a sense of wonder as Nona learned not just about fighting, but about magic and the world around her through her classes. It gave me a nostalgic feeling about a certain school of magic that I had also enjoyed in the past. I actually liked Nona a great deal. Even though she is a tiny little ass kicker she’s also extremely flawed and has a difficult time dealing with interpersonal relationships. Having a heroine who wasn’t perfect in every way was really rather refreshing. Experiencing her school days as she befriended other girls at the covenant was just plain fun and I liked most of the characters.

As Nona’s opinions of certain friends fluctuates as the story goes along, I found my opinions of those same characters changing as well. Does Nona hate this girl because she’s truly awful? Or is it because of petty jealousy and pressure from friends that her view of this other girl is distorted? I found these subtle details about Nona’s change of heart to be clever – it really shows how her character develops over the course of the story while also making me as a reader realize just how invested I was in the character.

Oh and of course, this book is full of action. Lawrence truly has a gift with words and reading descriptions of action sequences was exhilarating. The fights are extremely violent and rather brutal. I love the way this author writes. I couldn’t get enough of it!

I think the only thing that I found frustrating was how slow the characters were to seek help when faced with danger much larger than themselves. There were several points where it was obvious certain characters were up to no good, but no one ever went to the abbess or the other sisters with information. I’m talking about the kind of danger that can get someone killed. Even worse, several characters even mention to Nona that she should tell someone and she never does. I can kind of forgive the characters because all of them are young but it’s just frustrating because it feels intentional in order to draw out the story.

Overall, Red Sister has become both one of my favorite reads of the year and now one of my favorite fantasy books. I’m excited for the rest of the series and I’m very interested in exploring more of Lawrence’s work. I may have a new favorite author!