tyriek's reviews
74 reviews

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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

4.25

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious fast-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

4.5

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

3.25

I really enjoyed this, loved the mystery and concept, and Love Ross' way of playing with fantasy and history- making the fantasy elements a distinct part of the world without it being completely out of this world and making it immersive. Unfortunately, everything felt a little undercooked. The characters seemed realtively watered down with little to no depth to them, and the world building wasn't very fleshed out. The writing style is lovely and easy to read and I had fun reading this, but I was disappointed as I LOVED Divine Rivals

Hex by Jenni Fagan

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Beautiful and sad. The last moments of a young woman's life following abuse and torture, after being accused of witchcraft. Told from the perspective of a modern woman, which allows for more poignant and on-the-nose analysis without the contemporary perspective feeling out if place. Parallels drawn between the violence against women then and now, and how far we've come yet how similar it still is. Empowering in a more real way- while her autonomy and life was taken from her, this book thinks about what men cannot take from us.

Rizzio by Denise Mina

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

I had a loved this book, and only struggled because, to be honest, I'm not used to more literary works which require more thought. Maybe it's closer to 5 stars, just not for me at this stage in my reading journey. Having said that, this was an awesome entry into more thoughtful books on my current journey to read include more critically acclaimed books. It balanced a contemplative, irreverent, and heartbreaking mood throughout the book, and was really fun once I figured out the format of the book which takes a bit of time to get used to. I loved the banter and relationship between two of the narrators, and how grief impacts us differently. Excellent book.

The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

It was enjoyable, but didn't hit as hard as the first book. By the end the 
I loved Wren, and her arc in the first book. Her character was what I wanted of Nesta in ACOTAR. She was a bit feral and affected by trauma, but still was loyal and craved love, while rejecting it because she didn't believe she deserved it. I loved the alegory or her using her power hurting her. I loved the ending for her. It all felt a bit predictable and formulaic and by the end I was ready for it to wrap up but overall really enjoyed it!

All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

I LOVE this series. As much as I love medieval and high fantasy, most of it is dominated by european folklore and inspired by medieval Europe. BORING! The Persian-inspired setting is far richer and the writing more tactile. There is a scene at the very start of the scent of orange oil in the air which remined me of the tactile nature of 'The Blue Kaftan'. The writing is floral and beautiful, without being overdone or hard to read.
I love that Alizeh is a soft, yet strong main character. At times it bothers me a little that she is so soft, and it almost comes across as weakness or 'self insert'. I think it's just her personality, though, and I really appreciate it. She's a bit of a Mary Sue, but I can forgive that. She's quite forgiving of red flags which isn't a great message for younger readers, but her teeth come out a little more in this book and it makes a beautiful story.
It has a little spice in it, but nothing explicit, and it is well-written and worked into the story rather than feeling shoehorned in for the sake of it.
It's a beautiful book and I love this series.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

adventurous 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75