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booksonmars's reviews
538 reviews
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire
emotional
reflective
5.0
beautiful, haunting, and mesmerising.
Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
update: i just found out on tumblr there’s no sequel and that i can be read as a standalone wtf?? there’s so many questions left at the end of this book if it’s true then i have to drop another star i’m sorry
disclaimer: i would've given this book four stars if i had known before going in that it wasn't a standalone, and that the ending sets up for another book. which is strange because i can't find any info on what the next book is and when it will be released.
besides that, the book was easy to read, with a magic system that was easy to follow. i enjoyed violet's character, finding similarities between her and jude, both opportunistic and determined to look out for themselves instead of the greater good. i found the fairytale world beautiful and the side characters fleshed out and engaging to read, particularly in relation to violet. cyrus and violet's relationship was at times fun and captivating to read but it also felt like the author kept being aggressively showing us how much they 'hated' each other. the last few chapters were rushed and the way cyrus acted towards the end was very out of character, again making it seem like the author really wants to push the cruel prince vibes.
although i loved the world, i'm not very interested in reading the second book only because i didn't think there'd be one and i didn't think it was necessary. i think they could've wrapped up the story in one book, kind of like the fairy tale the author wants to have the atmosphere of.
disclaimer: i would've given this book four stars if i had known before going in that it wasn't a standalone, and that the ending sets up for another book. which is strange because i can't find any info on what the next book is and when it will be released.
besides that, the book was easy to read, with a magic system that was easy to follow. i enjoyed violet's character, finding similarities between her and jude, both opportunistic and determined to look out for themselves instead of the greater good. i found the fairytale world beautiful and the side characters fleshed out and engaging to read, particularly in relation to violet. cyrus and violet's relationship was at times fun and captivating to read but it also felt like the author kept being aggressively showing us how much they 'hated' each other. the last few chapters were rushed and the way cyrus acted towards the end was very out of character, again making it seem like the author really wants to push the cruel prince vibes.
although i loved the world, i'm not very interested in reading the second book only because i didn't think there'd be one and i didn't think it was necessary. i think they could've wrapped up the story in one book, kind of like the fairy tale the author wants to have the atmosphere of.
Owed by Joshua Bennett
A witty yet wistful look on a man's relationship between being black and being American, how they can complement yet contradict each other.
4.5
When I think of America, I think of my father's loneliness.
A witty yet wistful look on a man's relationship between being black and being American, how they can complement yet contradict each other.
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
the pacing was off, the beginning was way too info dumpy, the plot devices were obvious, the dialogue was bland….i could go on
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
more whimsy, more magic and more fun in this delightful sequel. i liked the development of characters like cadence and the rest of unit 919, and i’m starting to see the foundations of a found family. nevermoor itself is a vibrant and beautifully described place that almost feels real when reading, so much so i get nostalgia even though i’ve never been. i’d definitely substitute this for harry potter and wish i had read these as a kid, so excited for the next one!
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
wow i enjoyed this way more than the first book, i'm so glad it didn't suffer from second book syndrome. rf kuang establishes and delves deeper into the world but in particular the characters, which i have something to say about for nearly all of them.
starting with, of course, rin. i really enjoyed being in rin's head for this book, and seeing how much anger shapes her other emotions as well as her thoughts and actions. it's interesting because there are times when her anger is justified and times when they are not, but you can see how much it builds her character. i loved that despite her anger she still has that vulnerable side: she's grieving, suffering from her actions of the last book, and is still desperately craving some sense of belonging, validation and order in her life, which i think is why she so readily affiliates with vaisra. she's very much led by her emotions, and i hope in the next book she rule her emotions instead.
next, kitay, a very different character from the start of the first book. i think he's the character that's been changed the most from this war: he's bitter and broken, but his mind is still several steps ahead than everyone else. his and rin's relationship is repaired quickly however, and i'm glad rin had someone to fall back on as well as to keep her in check.
now nezha. hmm. i did like reading more about him in this book, and we definitely get to see a calmer side to him in comparison to the hothead he was when they were at sinegard. i just wish we had more of that anger too, because it feels too abrupt of a personality change. nezha is almost a disciple to his family: he believes blindly in their greatness and is, unfortunate for some, loyal to a fault to them. i did like seeing his and rin's relationship develop more from the first book, and the way rf kuang shows they're more alike than they both think.
okay a kinda quick fire round: loved that venka had more agency in this book and that she's determined to not let others treat her different, su daji can step on me, and the fact that i was attracted to vaisra until the end is...concerning. i think the other members of the cike could've gotten more scenes; it felt like suni and baji were kind of grouped together so much that i forgot who was who, ramsa was mostly there for the humour and it felt like chaghan was the only one who had a vivid enough character, although his relationship with rin has always been complicated. another thing that occured a lot was that the characters would get a few paragraphs worth of development in themselves and their relationship with rin before their death, like qara and the other cike, which i found made their deaths more predictable.
all in all it was a superb and thrillingly paced sequel, and i'm almost too nervous to pick up the final book.
starting with, of course, rin. i really enjoyed being in rin's head for this book, and seeing how much anger shapes her other emotions as well as her thoughts and actions. it's interesting because there are times when her anger is justified and times when they are not, but you can see how much it builds her character. i loved that despite her anger she still has that vulnerable side: she's grieving, suffering from her actions of the last book, and is still desperately craving some sense of belonging, validation and order in her life, which i think is why she so readily affiliates with vaisra. she's very much led by her emotions, and i hope in the next book she rule her emotions instead.
next, kitay, a very different character from the start of the first book. i think he's the character that's been changed the most from this war: he's bitter and broken, but his mind is still several steps ahead than everyone else. his and rin's relationship is repaired quickly however, and i'm glad rin had someone to fall back on as well as to keep her in check.
now nezha. hmm. i did like reading more about him in this book, and we definitely get to see a calmer side to him in comparison to the hothead he was when they were at sinegard. i just wish we had more of that anger too, because it feels too abrupt of a personality change. nezha is almost a disciple to his family: he believes blindly in their greatness and is, unfortunate for some, loyal to a fault to them. i did like seeing his and rin's relationship develop more from the first book, and the way rf kuang shows they're more alike than they both think.
okay a kinda quick fire round: loved that venka had more agency in this book and that she's determined to not let others treat her different, su daji can step on me, and the fact that i was attracted to vaisra until the end is...concerning. i think the other members of the cike could've gotten more scenes; it felt like suni and baji were kind of grouped together so much that i forgot who was who, ramsa was mostly there for the humour and it felt like chaghan was the only one who had a vivid enough character, although his relationship with rin has always been complicated.
all in all it was a superb and thrillingly paced sequel, and i'm almost too nervous to pick up the final book.
Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Katherine J. Chen
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
i’ve always wanted to read more about joan of arc and this is the perfect retelling for it. the writing flowed like poetry, and joan was such an intriguing character to follow. i loved that the author wrote her stark and simple, but wrapped in beautiful language: joan is a woman of ambition and because of both we get to witness her glorious rise and sudden fall.
pls pls read!
pls pls read!
Letters to Véra by Vladimir Nabokov
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
not because it’s bad but because it’s so big 🥲
The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Eklöf
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
i love reading a non fiction and seeing how much the author loves and has passion for the subject in question. i picked this up because i’m taking a module this year that discusses circadian rhythms and how light affects them, so it was interesting to see just how deep light is rooted in our daily lives. i learned so much about biological systems and the meaning of natural darkness in a surprisingly poetic way. a scientific read that’s easy to follow with beautiful writing.