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columnclub's reviews
498 reviews
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed this, on the whole. The characterisation was a strong point, particularly Amina herself, and I loved what was done with Jamal. I'm personally not a fan of modern slang or phrasing in historical settings, so sentences like "Let us check it out" were a bit jarring to me, but it was still a fun and refreshing read.
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley
slow-paced
3.0
I'm still sitting with my feelings on this one, because it did have a lot of the things I usually love about Pulley's writing, but her recurring habits in writing female characters keep sticking in my throat. Takiko Pepperharrow was by far the most interesting character in this book for me, but I get the sense that Pulley is always fundamentally more interested in her male characters, and expects that they will be more sympathetic. Thaniel, though, is frequently jealous and resentful of Takiko in ways that only served to make me dislike him. I wish we'd had a novel that had been focused on Takiko, and that had shown her friendship with Countess Kuroda and explored in full the science Grace is doing in the mountains. It's a real shame we didn't get much of any of that. Between this, the meandering plot and the dull miscommunication trope that splinters the central romance, this has easily been my least favourite of Pulley's novels so far.
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
slow-paced
3.0
This felt a lot clunkier than the first one, and the plotting/pacing didn’t feel as tight. I hope someone takes the phrase “in the moment” hostage so Sando can’t use it going forwards
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
I'd never have picked this up if not for a very enthusiastic recommendation from a friend, but I was pleasantly surprised! The prose can be really clunky, but I can usually gloss over that if I'm enjoying a story enough. Vin was a fantastic character and I'm excited to see where things go in the sequel.
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
I really enjoyed the first half, but my personal preference is for plot to take precedence over romance rather than the other way around, and I cringe a little when a book feels too much like a fanfic. There are some lovely character moments, but for me the worldbuilding and politics didn't have enough meat to them.