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galaxiesofbooks's reviews
305 reviews
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
4.0
i was obsessed with this book. flipping pages after pages & telling myself every single night before bed "one more chapter" thing. it was soooo damn addicting 😩 i'm a chicken when it comes to ghost stories, so it's not surprising that i was unnerved reading this, but i never usually get creeped out over books, only movies lmaoo, but this one legit done the trick. several times i actually got jump scares, one of them when my cat started suddenly scratching the door to get in the room while i was reading 😂
what i also liked about the book was that the author put twists on twists on twists. like, he lets u think one thing then boom turns out it's the other, but then it's not the other, but comPLETELY different one, yk what i mean??? he always does u dirt like that 😂 i didn't see anything coming tbh, so that thrilled me.
also, can we just praise Riley Sager for writing short chapters? i love it. damn much. thank u. from the bottom of my heart.
anyway, the beginning & the middle part got me proper ✨OBSESSED✨, i couldn't put it down 😩
and the book within the book?? LOVE THAT.
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but then... i've seen loads of people say that the ending disappointed them. i was like how?? how can it disappoint w a story line like that?? but disappoint it did... i won't tell u why cuz all the things started unraveling then & it'd be spoiled, but yeah, i'm with u guys. i wasn't a fan AT ALL of the ending although it all added up so nicely. it'd of been more thrilling and horrific if it kept going on the way it did.
what i also liked about the book was that the author put twists on twists on twists. like, he lets u think one thing then boom turns out it's the other, but then it's not the other, but comPLETELY different one, yk what i mean??? he always does u dirt like that 😂 i didn't see anything coming tbh, so that thrilled me.
also, can we just praise Riley Sager for writing short chapters? i love it. damn much. thank u. from the bottom of my heart.
anyway, the beginning & the middle part got me proper ✨OBSESSED✨, i couldn't put it down 😩
and the book within the book?? LOVE THAT.
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but then... i've seen loads of people say that the ending disappointed them. i was like how?? how can it disappoint w a story line like that?? but disappoint it did... i won't tell u why cuz all the things started unraveling then & it'd be spoiled, but yeah, i'm with u guys. i wasn't a fan AT ALL of the ending although it all added up so nicely. it'd of been more thrilling and horrific if it kept going on the way it did.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
3.75
whAT IS THIS ENDING HOLY SHIT. i didn't see certain plot twists coming at all lmaoo, it got me thinking about how can someone even do such a thing. also it's crazy how the name of this book has such a double meaning, it's just horrible istg.
anyway, i did enjoy this story, it's unique and involves books/writing/publishing which is always something i absolutely love to read about. and it's a thriller, a huge bonus. the idea of it all is so well thought of, i hardly know any mystery/thriller books similar to this one.
i also really felt for Jake, all he's been thru and how he felt about it all throughout the book.
however... i didn't really vibe with the writing style. i don't even know how to explain it but it's just not something i personally like. the main character also kept repeating himself all the time about some things which i also found annoying. tbh, it was mainly the writing style and protagonist's inner thoughts what made me give such rating. it was good, but not my all time favorite!
anyway, i did enjoy this story, it's unique and involves books/writing/publishing which is always something i absolutely love to read about. and it's a thriller, a huge bonus. the idea of it all is so well thought of, i hardly know any mystery/thriller books similar to this one.
i also really felt for Jake, all he's been thru and how he felt about it all throughout the book.
however... i didn't really vibe with the writing style. i don't even know how to explain it but it's just not something i personally like. the main character also kept repeating himself all the time about some things which i also found annoying. tbh, it was mainly the writing style and protagonist's inner thoughts what made me give such rating. it was good, but not my all time favorite!
Elemental Links by M.A. Leon
3.0
i liked the writing style. it was easy to understand, switching between the brothers' povs.
also, can we talk about the cover??? it's freaking GORGEOUS!!
the characters were well developed, i especially loved Jake and Louie's relationship, caught myself smiling at certain types of the way they were sarcastic and funny w each other lol!
i also really loved the magic system, kinda reminded me of Avatar by the way Louie controlled air and stuff.
i also liked that the romance was only slightly mentioned. it's not a book focusing on it, it's more focused on the magic itself.
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however, i did have some issues with this. i'm certainly not a long chapter person, so i took longer reading this book as a whole than i had expected.
i found Louie at some points sooo naive, it did my head in. i screamed at him not to do certain shit in my head, it was just so frustrating reading about his actions.
also, since i'm an avid fantasy reader, i can certainly say this book is more for beginners. if you wanna try this genre, i would REALLY recommend reading this book, it would be soo good to start with. as for myself, i found nothing unique (apart from magic), the war started and ended abruptly, not fully elaborating the action or the consequences. idk, i found myself wanting MORE. wanting more revenge, action, betrayals, deaths. i guess i'm too much of a drama queen 🤷♀️
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readers who wanna try out fantasy - this one's for you, hands down. it would be perfect to start with.
also, can we talk about the cover??? it's freaking GORGEOUS!!
the characters were well developed, i especially loved Jake and Louie's relationship, caught myself smiling at certain types of the way they were sarcastic and funny w each other lol!
i also really loved the magic system, kinda reminded me of Avatar by the way Louie controlled air and stuff.
i also liked that the romance was only slightly mentioned. it's not a book focusing on it, it's more focused on the magic itself.
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however, i did have some issues with this. i'm certainly not a long chapter person, so i took longer reading this book as a whole than i had expected.
i found Louie at some points sooo naive, it did my head in. i screamed at him not to do certain shit in my head, it was just so frustrating reading about his actions.
also, since i'm an avid fantasy reader, i can certainly say this book is more for beginners. if you wanna try this genre, i would REALLY recommend reading this book, it would be soo good to start with. as for myself, i found nothing unique (apart from magic), the war started and ended abruptly, not fully elaborating the action or the consequences. idk, i found myself wanting MORE. wanting more revenge, action, betrayals, deaths. i guess i'm too much of a drama queen 🤷♀️
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readers who wanna try out fantasy - this one's for you, hands down. it would be perfect to start with.
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
4.0
i loved this book! the characters were realistic & i found myself praying that they get out of all this mess unscathed. i loved that they had such different personalities. Spar is a gem 🥺 Aleena is this bad bitch who swears too much even for my liking, Carillon fearless saint, Eladora bit of a drama queen & Rat the ghoul who doesn't like literally anyone (which is mood).
the plot was action packed, fast paced. sooo many twists that i didn't see coming! & also SUCH unique story?? who would of thought that city bells could be one of the most important things in high fantasy?
i really loved the fact that the city Guerdon had two worlds: the surface (where humans live & other creatures) and underworld (ghouls & other nasty, dark & slimy creatures). it was fascinating to read about it!
the writing style was also easy to follow & i loved how the author didn't mind putting in some really nasty things from "underworld" that just make u wanna proper GAG 🤢
gotta love a city that is fucked up place to live in, full of thieves & monsters & corruption!!
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the reasons for me to take a diamond off were that the beginning was slow for me, i was bit confused by the prologue until like page 50 & it just really picked up from there.
imo this book would be also so much better with a map of the city in it so u can just follow the characters as they go, now i'm still all over the place with the city parts 😂
and the last thing was that it had many povs which weren't necessary, i'd of liked it better if it were only main 3 characters: Carillon, Spar & Rat.
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so yup, these are my thoughts! i really do recommend picking this one up, u won't regret by the end of it! it's SO good!
the plot was action packed, fast paced. sooo many twists that i didn't see coming! & also SUCH unique story?? who would of thought that city bells could be one of the most important things in high fantasy?
i really loved the fact that the city Guerdon had two worlds: the surface (where humans live & other creatures) and underworld (ghouls & other nasty, dark & slimy creatures). it was fascinating to read about it!
the writing style was also easy to follow & i loved how the author didn't mind putting in some really nasty things from "underworld" that just make u wanna proper GAG 🤢
gotta love a city that is fucked up place to live in, full of thieves & monsters & corruption!!
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the reasons for me to take a diamond off were that the beginning was slow for me, i was bit confused by the prologue until like page 50 & it just really picked up from there.
imo this book would be also so much better with a map of the city in it so u can just follow the characters as they go, now i'm still all over the place with the city parts 😂
and the last thing was that it had many povs which weren't necessary, i'd of liked it better if it were only main 3 characters: Carillon, Spar & Rat.
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so yup, these are my thoughts! i really do recommend picking this one up, u won't regret by the end of it! it's SO good!
A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy
3.0
i don't even know where to start with this book lmaoo anyway, i felt like this is a great story and i will continue with the series cuz it is such a unique north african inspired fantasy novel about sisters who are enemies and crowns and magic and betrayals and lies and so on!
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what i loved about this book was the magic system. i don't think i ever read about magic like the one in this story. we have humans, bloodkin, khimaer & fey. all of them with different abilities (except humans i believe? i forgot lmaoo) and it was so fascinating!
i also enjoyed the friendships between Baccha, Aketo, Mirabel, Falun, Anali and Eva - they were a whole gang tryna make it thru till Eva's nameday lool.
i was also fascinated by Eva's relationship with her father, however little we had of it 💜
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what i did not enjoy was mostly the romance. at first i liked it cuz it was sarcastic and Eva was playing hard to get yk & then it just flopped by becoming so cheesy... like, nooo pls there's too much sugar in it :(
and the story itself was lacking more plot to it.. like, nothing really important happened. only few things came out that i didn't expect, but overall nothing really changed.
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i do recommend this for readers who want to try fantasy genre, but as an avid fantasy reader myself, it didn't impress me. it was good, but not my favorite xx
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what i loved about this book was the magic system. i don't think i ever read about magic like the one in this story. we have humans, bloodkin, khimaer & fey. all of them with different abilities (except humans i believe? i forgot lmaoo) and it was so fascinating!
i also enjoyed the friendships between Baccha, Aketo, Mirabel, Falun, Anali and Eva - they were a whole gang tryna make it thru till Eva's nameday lool.
i was also fascinated by Eva's relationship with her father, however little we had of it 💜
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what i did not enjoy was mostly the romance. at first i liked it cuz it was sarcastic and Eva was playing hard to get yk & then it just flopped by becoming so cheesy... like, nooo pls there's too much sugar in it :(
and the story itself was lacking more plot to it.. like, nothing really important happened. only few things came out that i didn't expect, but overall nothing really changed.
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i do recommend this for readers who want to try fantasy genre, but as an avid fantasy reader myself, it didn't impress me. it was good, but not my favorite xx
Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christopher Golden, Rachel Caine, Theodora Goss, Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Autumn Deering
3.5
this was such a fun short story collection about witches, witchcraft, ghosts and all sorts of magic. when i saw the description i was like yep, i'm definitely getting this!!
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anyway, i loved all these different stories, all unique in their own ways, i had such a fun time reading them & i think i've just come to love short stories. especially from different authors cuz they're never the same. each story has its own meaning, writing style and idea which i found really amusing.
however, i didn't really enjoy those stories:
▪️The Debt
▪️Toil & Trouble: A Dark-Hunter Hellchaser Story
▪️Where Relics Go To Dream And Die
▪️This Skin
others i found stunning & i really loved reading them!!
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i do recommend reading this if u love short stories, all things witchcraft & magic!!
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anyway, i loved all these different stories, all unique in their own ways, i had such a fun time reading them & i think i've just come to love short stories. especially from different authors cuz they're never the same. each story has its own meaning, writing style and idea which i found really amusing.
however, i didn't really enjoy those stories:
▪️The Debt
▪️Toil & Trouble: A Dark-Hunter Hellchaser Story
▪️Where Relics Go To Dream And Die
▪️This Skin
others i found stunning & i really loved reading them!!
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i do recommend reading this if u love short stories, all things witchcraft & magic!!
Muddle School by Dave Whamond
2.5
let me tell u, i think i finally understood that middle grade is definitely not for me lmaoo. i can never enjoy them to the fullest bc i just find them too cringy or childish (ofc, bc it's a middle grade innit).
i thought i was gonna give it a try but *sigh*... it's just too cringy man, eyeroll after eyeroll for me.
i'm not gonna lie, i still found some parts where i found the protagonist funny or at times a bit cute, but it just still didn't work out for me. i suppose whoever loves middle grades would enjoy this one, but Dave's story was definitely not for me :/
i thought i was gonna give it a try but *sigh*... it's just too cringy man, eyeroll after eyeroll for me.
i'm not gonna lie, i still found some parts where i found the protagonist funny or at times a bit cute, but it just still didn't work out for me. i suppose whoever loves middle grades would enjoy this one, but Dave's story was definitely not for me :/
Stealing Home by J. Torres
3.0
this was a quick read set in one of the most tragic times in human history - WWII. i love everything that's related to this period so no wonder i picked this graphic novel up!
it was more of a story about the relationship between a child and his father & also baseball so if u love baseball - u will love this more than i did cuz i don't really care about sports 😂 also this was set on a camp which just brought the memories of what people told on the internet about what they actually endured there... i do recommend reading this!
it was more of a story about the relationship between a child and his father & also baseball so if u love baseball - u will love this more than i did cuz i don't really care about sports 😂 also this was set on a camp which just brought the memories of what people told on the internet about what they actually endured there... i do recommend reading this!
One Good Lie by Jane Isaac
3.0
this book was a good one. not my favorite thriller ever, but not bad either. and i would say it has stalker/obsession over people kinda vibe which is always creepy af.
however, i found Sophie, one of the 2 sisters, sooo annoying and naive at some parts. i also didn't really like the idea of this particular person being resposible for the deaths, it just didn't hit right. like it was meh for me, yk? and the whole ending wasn't really as good to me tbh, the way everything unfolded. i wanted to be shocked, confused, played with (like some thrillers do with readers' heads), but i was reading it with such a poker face lmaoo.
i think the start of the book to the middle were the parts that really made up for it.
and PLEASE can they not spoil anything in the synopsis??? i think i would of liked it SOOO much better if i didn't already know that Ewan was a dickhead & has something up his sleeve. so disappointed about that :/
however, i did enjoy the book, i loved how close the sisters Sophie and Ruby were and their relationship with their mother as well. the family drama is everything to me lmaoo.
i do recommend this if u wanna get into this genre, but avid thriller readers won't find anything marvelous in this book 🤷♀️
however, i found Sophie, one of the 2 sisters, sooo annoying and naive at some parts. i also didn't really like the idea of this particular person being resposible for the deaths, it just didn't hit right. like it was meh for me, yk? and the whole ending wasn't really as good to me tbh, the way everything unfolded. i wanted to be shocked, confused, played with (like some thrillers do with readers' heads), but i was reading it with such a poker face lmaoo.
i think the start of the book to the middle were the parts that really made up for it.
and PLEASE can they not spoil anything in the synopsis??? i think i would of liked it SOOO much better if i didn't already know that Ewan was a dickhead & has something up his sleeve. so disappointed about that :/
however, i did enjoy the book, i loved how close the sisters Sophie and Ruby were and their relationship with their mother as well. the family drama is everything to me lmaoo.
i do recommend this if u wanna get into this genre, but avid thriller readers won't find anything marvelous in this book 🤷♀️
Encapsulated Emotions by Rha Arayal
3.0
this was such a beautiful poetry collection! it wasn't my all time favorite, but i still enjoyed it a lot. i really loved the way the author rhymed those words so stunningly and in such a beautiful way. this collection is really about everything: humanity, love, feminism, contemplation & so much more. i do recommend reading this if you want a short, beautiful, lyrical piece of literature to spend your lazy evening with!