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kristinhunziker's reviews
432 reviews
The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair
adventurous
dark
This book's prose is obnoxiously juvenile and over-explains obvious things. I'm looking for something more nuanced.
The Councillor by E.J. Beaton
adventurous
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
I DNF'd this book at 20%. I don't particularly care for or about Lysande. She wants to figure out who killed the queen and who she should pick as the next ruler, but the book hasn't convinced me I should care about those things. I feel no connection to Lysande, so I don't care about whether she fails. She doesn't have any particular internal conflict or arc, so the characterization feels shallow. The Machievellian mindset can be interesting to plumb for its own ends, but that's not really what this book is doing. We never made a connection to the dead queen, so I don't care about solving that mystery. I don't feel a connection to the world, so I don't care about the outcome of who rules the state next.
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay
adventurous
3.75
2/4/2023
I finished reading all of Guy Gavriel Kay's backlist! It took me 13 months, but I did it! I've read 11 of his books.
(Technically, there are 4 I still haven't read, but I deliberately excluded them from my backlist project because they are widely considered his weakest works.)
I thought all the Seas of the world had by far the strongest opening and first act of any of Guy Gavriel Kay's books. I was hooked so immediately with the assassination of the khalif and the theft of the diamond and the fancy book.
I was happy to follow the story of Folco Cino d'Acorsi and Danio Cerra. They both remain melancholy about the loss of Adria di Rippoli.
I really liked Lenia Serrana's and Rafel's personalities.
After an absolutely firecracker first act, however, this book settled into a much statelier pace. The rest of the book is spent gathering for and executing Christendom's invasion of Asharite Tihon.
I loved the diverse complexity of the world and the epic scale of the events.
The title of the book, All the Seas of the World, encapsulates the theme of an individual feeling restless and homeless, proverbially lost at sea. Pretty much every character in this book is a dissatisfied wanderer. I really like the theme, and I think GGK executed it well. He's very, very good at thematic writing. But in the end this particular theme only somewhat resonated with me, it didn't have that X-factor that really made me love the Lions of al-Rassan or A Song for Arbonne.
Lenia found a home with her brother in Bischio. Rafel reunited his family in Marsena and lived happily ever after. Ibn Tihon got what he deserved. Even secondary characters like Folco Cino and Skandir had upward arcs.
Overall: ★★★¾
Character: ★★★★☆
Plot: ★★★☆☆
World: ★★★★★
Literary: ★★★★☆
I finished reading all of Guy Gavriel Kay's backlist! It took me 13 months, but I did it! I've read 11 of his books.
(Technically, there are 4 I still haven't read, but I deliberately excluded them from my backlist project because they are widely considered his weakest works.)
I thought all the Seas of the world had by far the strongest opening and first act of any of Guy Gavriel Kay's books. I was hooked so immediately with the assassination of the khalif and the theft of the diamond and the fancy book.
I was happy to follow the story of Folco Cino d'Acorsi and Danio Cerra. They both remain melancholy about the loss of Adria di Rippoli.
I really liked Lenia Serrana's and Rafel's personalities.
After an absolutely firecracker first act, however, this book settled into a much statelier pace. The rest of the book is spent gathering for and executing Christendom's invasion of Asharite Tihon.
I loved the diverse complexity of the world and the epic scale of the events.
The title of the book, All the Seas of the World, encapsulates the theme of an individual feeling restless and homeless, proverbially lost at sea. Pretty much every character in this book is a dissatisfied wanderer. I really like the theme, and I think GGK executed it well. He's very, very good at thematic writing. But in the end this particular theme only somewhat resonated with me, it didn't have that X-factor that really made me love the Lions of al-Rassan or A Song for Arbonne.
Lenia found a home with her brother in Bischio. Rafel reunited his family in Marsena and lived happily ever after. Ibn Tihon got what he deserved. Even secondary characters like Folco Cino and Skandir had upward arcs.
Overall: ★★★¾
Character: ★★★★☆
Plot: ★★★☆☆
World: ★★★★★
Literary: ★★★★☆