artemine's reviews
140 reviews

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare

never well written but near always compelling. very frustrating book to read, feels like she really struggled to write it and gave up editing parts of it. don't like the weird narrative construction of it, but the overall plot was interesting, the last 25% were really engaging and i remain excited for book 3 so i think that's mission successful? bizarre to have not liked much about it but to appreciate the story a lot still, rare enough but it is what it is. kinda feels like nothing happened and also it was convoluted, it's also like deeply uninspired at time while having brief moments of genius. likely thing from cassie clare. i do like what's being set up a lot and was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the story. book 3 i will be there conor PUT ME IN COACH

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin

incredible on every aspect. completely blown away by it, and only mad at myself that it took me this long to get around to it. deliciously slow, while reading i thought it was kind of like watching water boil in that you know it will happen it is inevitable the water is on the stove and yet looking at it unfold you would think nothing is moving and how are we ever gonna get there. admittedly bizarre review in that SOMEHOW emery robin has managed to make that a delicious experience and a 5 stars read for me, i just long for slow-paced character driven slightly philosophical extremely horny and just a little bit deranged of this variety and there's so little of it. character trio of all times, the best fictional caesar there ever will be, a morally questionable female protagonist to die for, and then of course a faggy butch - what else could science fantasy want?! disappointed by how little of a splash this book made when to me it deserves all the flowers for committing to its vision, its pace, its worldbuilding and its languidness and delivering on it so well. just a very unique book, so clever, so full of heart and that thin line between rage and desire. highly recommend it!! (the male narrator of the audiobook has the best voice i've heard in a very long time, as a bonus)

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

some real good stuff, some real bad stuff. appreciated its kinkiness, the two characters' distinct and engaging narratives, the plot machinations and the direction the story took. i do wish, however, it had taken itself more seriously. at times it read really immature, with the sense no one edited it properly (some really funny anachronisms), and the pace was kind of all over the place. definitely needed a lot more work but i enjoyed the vision and i support debauched homosexuality on shelves at waterstones and other locations so i'm not too mad. only wish it had done more with its solid foundations!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

such a good surprise. walks the line between thriller and litfic incredibly well, and pulls off a slow, thoughtful depth mixed with quite actiony bits i wasn't expecting. loved the characters a lot and was very moved by the ending (phenomenal author's note). excellent OCD writing. overall i have a lot of respect and admiration for what was done in this book and the stubbornness throughout, it could have coped out of its own inexorable tragedy many times and provided the reader and characters with easier, prettier solutions but never once faltered, which is something i find lacking in a lot of similar comps to this book. great audiobook as well, but the prose was a strong base for it. will be looking for the rest of the author's works, truly loved this one

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

 well. a masterpiece innit. beautifully narrated, even better written, will stay with me for a long long time. very the goldfinch meets sharp objects <- one line review written by normal man, not completely devastated and weeping at all 

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson

pleasantly surprised by this one. sometimes corny but never trite, and with a core of fierce tenderness i found very moving. it starts a bit too slow, and could have done with another round of tightening both pace and writing, but i don't think it's anything that truly takes away from a lovely story. it's original in very quiet ways, with a nice balance of popular lore and new angles on it. loved the characters, phenomenal children and endearing cast. a nice surprise overall!

Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

what a wonderful and satisfying  conclusion to this series 🥹 it had everything i hold dear about it – wit, battles, chess moves, gen flinging himself off a great height, attolia beating her husband's stupid ass, COSTIS!!! and a new unique voice to tell the story. i was surprised at how moved i was by parts of it, i feel like she truly hit the spot with the balance of emotions/depth/gravity here. it's never a tragedy but it manages to hit some very sad notes without taking away from the overall enjoyment and fun of the story. gen is the protagonist of all times to me. UGH i think this one is tied 2nd favorite overall. 

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

to me like watching a good action movie – a mix of surprising narrative depth packed in between gimmicky twists you have to suspend disbelief for, but then you knew what you were getting into from the start. it shows the author is a screenwriter/movie guy, the cinematic influences are very vivid here and as a book it comes out uneven. the prose is sometimes quite poetic, sometimes it's heavy handed, sometimes it hits just right. i was quite moved by the exploration of bad father/bad son relationship here and while at times its metaphors/facts/plot points felt very "cameo for whale enthusiasts", i am a whale enthusiast and i enjoyed every cameo. so there is that. overall well done book, i would have enjoyed it more if the protagonist had died but i understand that's not at all what we were going for here. James Franco's 127 hours performance really did a number on Daniel Kraus i wonder if James Franco read Moby Dick in turn. i enjoyed both and hold the superior more correct enjoyment of all 3 as a result

Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde

what a wonderfully unique collection of stories. loved everything about this, the ebbs and flows of the narratives, the coming together of it all, the beauty and the horrors. especially moved by all the thinking done on faith and the depth of its pains and glories. took me a while to read yet it feels like it was short and sweet but also could have dreamily gone on forever. very special 

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

one of the love stories of all time. so much heart, passion, thoughtfulness and grit in this book i honestly want to just quote maggie o'farrell's blurb that's like "will live in your mind long after you've closed the final pages" soooo true. a harrowing read but such a vivid and beautiful one, truly not much to say besides the fact it will indeed stay with me for a long time, was better than i had even hoped for, and has such a specific red-hot pulsing core of love and rage that i find myself incredibly inspired and awed by it. STUNNER