sphynxreads's reviews
698 reviews

Locke & Key: Master Edition, Volume Three by Joe Hill

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

Wow! My jaw is on the floor because of how everything came together in this finale. I honestly want to read the whole series again! This last volume was absolutely thrilling and had tons of action, magic, tragedy, and heart—all the workings of a great story! This definitely makes my top graphic novel series list.

Please Come Off-Book by Kevin Kantor

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Wow, what an absolutely hard-hitting collection of poems! It has so much to say and gives you so much to think about regarding queerness, abuse, and identity. Highly recommend.

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

I feel a bit conflicted about this book, mainly because I picked it up expecting a lot from it because it has been so hyped up by many reviewers whose opinions I trust and I ended up getting a lot less than I anticipated. See, I thought this would make me cry, wreck me to my core, and make me think about it for a long time, but alas, that hasn't been the case.

But that's not to say I didn't love this book. It is so heartfelt and the character work is probably the most exceptional I've read this year. There were many passages that I wanted to highlight and annotate in my copy, but I'm glad now that I didn't because it's looking like I'll unhaul it eventually. The parts that are strong are really strong, but the rest of the story feels like nothing particularly new to me.

If Tolkien (2019), All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Julie Berry's Lovely War, and Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles had a child, it would be this book. A lot of it feels a bit formulaic, but that doesn't mean that the depiction of war, brotherhood in the military, and subdued queer romance weren't all great. Everything was done excellently; it just didn't feel very unique. All that to say, I did enjoy my time reading this, and Gaunt and Ellwood and all the other boys herein have my heart. If you are looking for a moving queer romance set during World War I, look no further than this book.

Nightwing, Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light by Tom Taylor

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

Ladies, gents, and non-binary friends, after 27 reads this year so far, I finally have a five star read! Took me long enough and I'm so glad I picked this up! This is my first foray into superhero comics and wow, was I utterly delighted! I honestly think I am entering my comics era because I loved this volume so much. The art is magnificent, the characters are compelling (read: Dick Grayson is incredibly hot), and the story was just solid from the worldbuilding to the heartfelt emotional moments. Absolutely brilliant! Definitely ordering the next volumes soon.

Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

A solid short read that's a lot better than the other short stories I've read from this world. I was reminded of why I love the magic in this series so much.

Special Delivery by Arnold Miles

hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first real foray into gay erotica and I suppose I got pretty much what I expected. At its heart it's quite a sweet wholesome story about a man learning more about himself and a main character that a lot of gay people can only dream of encountering in that he is incredibly understanding, kind, and compassionate towards the love interest. I appreciate that this was a pretty straightforward light read that didn't have an annoying third act conflict, but I feel like I would have liked there to be more of an emotional punch because otherwise it wouldn't be that memorable of a story.

But alas, one doesn't really read erotica for the harrowing stuff. I really enjoyed the spice in this bkok. The sex scenes were pretty hot, but at times the descriptions felt rather repetitive, some of them didn't land quite well, and I was a bit annoyed whenever the narrator would break the fourth wall.

Overall a solid read but I wouldn't be rushing into anyone's DMs to recommend it.

A Hero for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

adventurous hopeful mysterious relaxing medium-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

Absolutely captivating! I need more people to read this series because there's so much creativity put into it, from the world-building to the art itself. The story itself is not only engaging but thoughtful in its messaging. Can't wait to read the finale!

Baby Reindeer by Richard Gadd

dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

With such a short page count, I thought this would have significantly less impact on me than the show did. But it's almost just as brilliant and stunning.

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Maybe it's because I've already seen the film, but I thought this short story packs a real punch. Beautifully written.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

funny inspiring mysterious reflective medium-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

4.5

This was such a charming book that very slowly won me over, and by that I mean if you find it mildly boring even by the midway point you just have to stick it out to the end because the story just might delight you. I quite liked the almost academic style of writing which, though at times grew to be a bit tiresome, was often remedied by a healthy dose of humor. Emily Wilde is such a wonderful character to follow that the more I got into her mind, the more I fell in love with her. (Honestly, Wendell, I get it.) She's just so in love with her work that I was in turn inspired to seek out whatever thing sparks a similar passion in me.

The romance in this feels very grounded and I think what I loved about it most is that the two love interests feel like true equals, with neither really dependent on the other to hold their own in terms of scholarship but both equally enamored and affectionate towards the other. Truly a rare and beautiful thing in literature and in real life. Definitely continuing the series!