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nclcaitlin's reviews
1731 reviews
Dark Town by Palmer Pickering
2.25
Your hangover cure for Legends and Lattes and Dungeon Crawler Carl, and the Wandering Inn.
Missing her brothers and dad and yearning for more than helping out at the tavern, Temerity ventures into the Dragon’s Game, a Lit RPG world come to life.
Inside her bag are useful items: clothes, weapons, matches, and a house goblin, Half-pint.
The audiobook was great! The kind of thing I can picture listening to whilst cozying up to a fire.
Half-pint and Temerity make a fun duo and a great team - naive young girl and an older, experienced goblin who knows how to navigate the world.
The first half was definitely more entertaining for me as we learn the world and get more quiet moments as the two explore the ‘safer’ levels. After that, it becomes more Lit RPG focused - fighting, collecting items, levelling up.
My brothers have already expressed their interest after overhearing a snippet and then the premise - LIT RPG books with funny characters are their favourites! So whilst this might not have worked well for me towards the end, I am sure this will find its audience!
P.s. the book has GORGEOUS illustrations!
Thank you to the author for providing me with the audiobook and physical book in exchange for a review!
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
1.75
The Bee Sting reminds me of a cross between My Brilliant Friend, Derry Girls the Tv show, and Sally Rooney.
Unfortunately, this was a waste of 26+ hours audiobook….
It is a story about the dysfunctional, hapless lives of the Barnes family of Ireland, once wealthy, now facing financial difficulties. Each portion of the book is dedicated to the lives of each of the four family members.
Cassie is the daughter who attends university at Trinity College in Dublin, excited to escape the small town in which she grew up.
12 year old PJ is feeling lonely and worried about his parents relationship.
Dickie, the father, operates a chain of car dealerships that he inherited from his father, but he is struggling to sell cars and is dealing with a blackmailer.
Imelda, the mother, is used to money and is reluctantly sells the family's possessions online.
I was most enamoured by Cassie who seems quite unlikeable and whiney - so like an actuall teenager - and her story revolves around a toxic friendship and growing up as a girl in Ireland who wants more from her life.
I suppose that’s what everybody wants, isn’t it. To be like everybody else. But nobody is like everybody else. That’s the one thing we have in common.
Everyone acknowledges this book is long, but that the end makes it worth it. To me, that's not how a book should work. Why should I slog through 20 hours to reach the looming satisfaction?
The first 1/3 I found myself enjoying the relationships between the family members and their unique experiences. However, the next part became tedious and I couldn’t bring myself to care for what happened. There was two minutes just talking about Dicky’s yucky feet.
To be honest, I just really wasn’t a fan of Dicky and his narrative. The overly description and physicality of the sex scenes. The cold heartedness and callousness of what he calls his ‘fantasy’.
There were just too many tangents which seemed like the author trying to insert social commentary.
And then the ending….
I had to google what on earth I was missing. Apparently, it is supposed to be ambiguous, but there is so much foreshadowing to read into to allow the reader to decide the truth. Perhaps because I was listening to it and felt like this was a chore, I didn’t pay enough attention.
This was a bit more of a rant compared to a review, but I feel strongly this is why certain people like ‘reading isn’t for them’. This book won a lot of awards, but I feel new readers who pick this up might be put off by continuing to read based on this long, wafting narrative. Even tried-and-tested readers like me.
Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson
Lift prepared to be awesome. She had rescued the emperor, been pardoned, and had now run away to find someone else’s breakfast to steal and eat.
Lift believes Wyndle is a Voidbringer, but perhaps a vegetarian one. She doesn’t know what her place is in the world, but she knows Darkness, the assassin who tried to kill her, is not making the world a better place.
No, I do not recommend reading this without reading the first two books in the Stormlight Archive.
"You know, the day the Almighty was handin' out brains to folks? I went out for Abread that day."
Once again, Sanderson proves he can create a unique character and voice and also an immersive culture in such a short book!
Now I want to have nine different types of pancakes.
Lirael by Garth Nix
3.0
Edgy, introverted teenager makes a magic death dog to be her friend.
Contemplating death after not receiving the Sight like everyone else around her, Lirael uses Charter magic to create a companion - Disreputable Dog whose sarcasm and observations keeps Lirael afloat working in the library and discovering new threats that she is forced to face.
Then, part two completely changes the story and switches us to the pov of Prince Sameth - son to Sabriel and Touchstone who doesn’t want to be the new Abhorsen.
Of course, their paths cross to stage a rescue against the evil necromancer Hedge.
“I am the Disreputable Dog. Or Disreputable Bitch, if you want to get technical. When are we going for a walk?”
I was kind of disappointed by this one. Sabriel was not a new favourite when I read it last year but this book got very good reviews.
However, I found Lirael felt like a more meek Sabriel and Sameth spent most of his time self-pitying or wallowing.
Not to mention, it feels like the book was cut in half. Both in the sense of the five year time jump, but also that it ends with not much resolved. Obviously, this sets us up for Abhorsen which is book 3, but I felt there should have been more resolution for a 500-page book.
The best part was the Disreputable Dog who is more concerned about being fed rather than Lirael or anyone else defeating evil.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
4.5
FINALLY. Be prepared to be blown away (Storms? Get it?).
The King of Alethi is murdered hours after the signing of a treaty with a peaceful people setting up a siege war of vengeance between them and the Parshendi.
Kaladin, once a promising surgeon and a soldier, is betrayed and sold into slavery. He is forced to work as a bridgeman, a position with a high mortality rate, and is contemplating his useless and luckless existence.
Dalinar, the uncle of the new King, dislikes the dishonorable tactics used by his fellow highprinces in their quest for power and is driven to unite the Alethi. But there is no profit in peace.
Shallon (my favourite at the moment) is a young woman from a fallen noble house. She seeks to become an apprentice to Jasnah Kholin, a renowned scholar, sister to the King. However, Shallan is also secretly trying to steal a valuable artifact from Jasnah in order to save her family from financial ruin.
Those candle flames were like the lives of men. So fragile. So deadly. Left alone, they lit and warmed. Let run rampant, they would destroy the very things they were meant to illuminate. Embryonic bonfires, each bearing a seed of destruction so potent it could tumble cities and dash kings to their knees.
The world-building is too complex to even get into in this review, but it is brilliant!There’s fauna, gem, a past history hinted at in the prologue and built upon as we start to see the scope the series promises.
Sanderson knows how to deliver incredible character arcs.
Kaladin, despite his constant losses and knock downs, is a natural leader and a beacon of hope. Through flashbacks, we see how he had two paths ahead of him - become a surgeon and heal people as his father wanted or become a soldier to protect people, and seek glory and camaraderie.
Dalinar remains steadfast in his commitment to honor and justice despite doubts from everyone, including his sons and his nephew, the King.
He is worries he is merely an old, tired soldier who fancies himself a philosopher.
Shallan is extremely witty and resourceful delivering biting sarcasm and shrewd observations.
Also, shout out to the Wit (Hoid) who delivers the best one-liners in the Cosmere. He reminds me of the Fool from the Realm of the Elderings!
Sadeas flushed, but kept his temper. "A whore joke, Wit? Is that the best you can manage?"
Wit shrugged. "I point out truths when I see them, Brightlord Sadeas. Each man has his place. Mine is to make insults. Yours is to be in-sluts."
Overall, I am so glad that this did live up to my expectations and the hype. I would have been devastated if it this was anything lower than a four stars.
Sanderson is an incredible storyteller and I am always left feeling I have learnt something about myself and the world after closing his books.
"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that."
Paragon Exordium by Mikel Melwasul
3.0
The end of the world brings more than anyone thought.
Set in modern-day Georgia, one day the earth shook and the sky shattered, leaving the citizens ruined after explosions, debris, injured, and dead. As if things weren’t bad enough, there are mysterious, talking predators roaming the city of Paragon. There is no power and no means of communication.
Captain Peter from a private military organisation is the one to take control, unbelievably killing a basilisk with a strange sword gifted by Dr. Walker, an old lady and family friend. As it turns out, she is an ancient dwarf thousands of years old.
This follows an adventurous story of good vs evil where dwarves, elves, orks, vampires, and tree people suddenly exist, armed by their own form of magic, spells, and traditions. The humans must learn to adapt and learn to navigate the new world.
The book combines classic magical elements with a modern-day setting full of non-stop action and more touching, primal, humane character moments.
I did find the military expeditions sometimes dragged on too long and certain explanations were delivered in information dumps with the wise old dwarf educating the new mage. However, there is light humour throughout which keeps it more engaging.
I do think the first 2/3 felt a lot tighter than the last 1/3.
I preferred the quieter moments where characters had to envision their future, or connect to others, or learn to use the new world to their advantage such as in weapon making, healing, agriculture, etc.
The narrator does a phenomenal job giving accents, personality, and distinct voice to each character!
Thank you to the author for providing me the audiobook in exchange for a review!
Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London
3.5
This reads like Twilight of Buffy fanfiction in the best way possible.
This follows Tess, grad-school dropout who discovers that the world of her favourite vampire books is a real place when she's sent to rescue the sexy villain.
Visiting the world of your favourite story is any fan's dream, but will Tess be able to outrun the demons of her past (and vampires of her present) before it becomes a nightmare?
Tess is shy, a constant reader, dreamy, romantic, and a little bit goth; attaching her literary fantasies to her latest crushes. Soooo, Tess is us.
This book was so fun!
There are excerpts from the fictional book, podcast snippets, a curated book playlist, gossip websites, etc.
Was this really cringey at times? Yes. Incredibly so.
There are so many pop culture references - Twilight, Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalemet, etc.; but it appeals to fandom culture and how we can be comforted by another world and find a community surrounding it.
“The whole idea of a 'hero' is so complicated, because heroes put other people before themselves, which is actually a very feminine quality. But heroes are usually men who wouldn't be able to pull off their heroic feats if it weren't for the support and sacrifices of women. And when a woman prioritizes herself in that way, she tends to be portrayed as a villain. So if you're a woman reader who's interested in strong female characters...”
"You tend to get stuck rooting for the villain," Octavia completed the thought.
There are also certain grimacing dialogue moments - ‘puh-lease’, ‘By the way, did I not mention I'm a big giant lesbian?’, ‘mate’ - but honestly, this just made it lean into the feeling of indulgent fanfiction even more!
This isn’t all fun, fang, and fic! It also covers a journey of recovery following a sexual assault and learning that running away and foregoing connections is not a self-loving life. This was handled with great care and you can just tell the author has such empathy and compassion to make sure everyone knows they deserve to be heard.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood, Love Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan.
Thank you to Penguin Random house for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review!
This follows Tess, grad-school dropout who discovers that the world of her favourite vampire books is a real place when she's sent to rescue the sexy villain.
Visiting the world of your favourite story is any fan's dream, but will Tess be able to outrun the demons of her past (and vampires of her present) before it becomes a nightmare?
Tess is shy, a constant reader, dreamy, romantic, and a little bit goth; attaching her literary fantasies to her latest crushes. Soooo, Tess is us.
This book was so fun!
There are excerpts from the fictional book, podcast snippets, a curated book playlist, gossip websites, etc.
Was this really cringey at times? Yes. Incredibly so.
There are so many pop culture references - Twilight, Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalemet, etc.; but it appeals to fandom culture and how we can be comforted by another world and find a community surrounding it.
“The whole idea of a 'hero' is so complicated, because heroes put other people before themselves, which is actually a very feminine quality. But heroes are usually men who wouldn't be able to pull off their heroic feats if it weren't for the support and sacrifices of women. And when a woman prioritizes herself in that way, she tends to be portrayed as a villain. So if you're a woman reader who's interested in strong female characters...”
"You tend to get stuck rooting for the villain," Octavia completed the thought.
There are also certain grimacing dialogue moments - ‘puh-lease’, ‘By the way, did I not mention I'm a big giant lesbian?’, ‘mate’ - but honestly, this just made it lean into the feeling of indulgent fanfiction even more!
This isn’t all fun, fang, and fic! It also covers a journey of recovery following a sexual assault and learning that running away and foregoing connections is not a self-loving life. This was handled with great care and you can just tell the author has such empathy and compassion to make sure everyone knows they deserve to be heard.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood, Love Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan.
Thank you to Penguin Random house for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review!
Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
2.75
A cozy romance set in Ireland with heart-warming and empowering ADHD representation and a theme of following your dreams!
Raine is a wandering singer-songwriter American who is robbed and left with little more than the clothes on her back. Stopping at an Irish pub called the Local, she meets Jack who is part owner of the charming pub (and a cat called Sebastian). Jack and Raine get to talking, feel akin, and Raine finds herself accepting Jack’s offer of a temporary job at the pub to help her get back on her feet.
I liked the depiction of different kinds of OCD and ADHD and how people can support others.
However, this didn’t feel complete as a romance and this aspect felt either too slow or then way too rushed.
But my problem isn't that I don't think. It's that my brain only has two modes: think everything all at once and make sense of none of it, or think about one thing obsessively at the expense of whatever actually needs my attention. The point being, I am always thinking. Just never about the right things.
There was no third act break-up but there was something else which… kinda felt like the same thing? And I also feel this undermined all the support and progress they had made???
I don’t know, I liked the representation and the way it was written and portrayed, but I couldn’t get behind the story and the development.
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
4.0
And so the Wheel turns for one final book.
Do I recommend reading it?
This is hard.
Yes, if you have read Malazan or the Stormlight Archive and you want something that is similarly big to sink your teeth into. Or if you want a classic fantasy with many moving parts and you have time to dedicate to fourteen long books.
No, if you are new to the genre.
No, if you need your books to be fast-paced or consistently paced throughout.
No, if you can’t deal with tedious amounts of descriptions. Sighing, smoothing, tugging, sniffing, and a lot of focus on cleavage and clothing.
My Wheel of Time Rankings:
1. The Gathering Storm
2. A Memory of Light (Highest rated on GR)
3. Lord of Chaos
4. The Eye of the World
5. Towers of Midnight (2nd Highest rated)
6. Knife of Dreams
7. The Dragon Reborn
8. The Fires of Heaven
9. The Great Hunt
10. The Shadow Rising
11. Crossroads of Twilight (Lowest rated)
12. Winter’s Heart (2nd Lowest rated)
13. A Crown of Swords
14. The Path of Daggers
Final book review:
Camelyn has fallen to Trollocs, the Black Tower has been overtaken by Dark forces and the Gap is being overrun by Shadow spawn.
Every major ruler has been gathered for a meeting to hear Rand’s proposal. He means to break the seals. There will be a Breaking, and the Dark One will try to grind the world to dust unless Rand can unite the nations together.
This includes the Seanchan which is where our very own Prince of Ravens Mat comes in.
Rand aims for lasting peace if there is an after. Rand doesn’t want to die for the nations of humanity, only to have them turn upon one another the moment the last Trolloc falls.
This felt so nostalgic whilst being so epic. A culmination of so many threads and moving parts.
“I thought you had grown up while I was away," Moiraine said.
“Only Perrin grew up," Rand said. "Mat and I have simply learned to pretend to be grown up." He hesitated. "Mat did not learn it so well."
If you have been following my reviews for any length of time, you know that I am not a fan of prolonged battle scenes. This entire book is The Last Battle. It is made up of skirmishes and fights on all fronts.
I did find myself skimming extended fighting scenes, but for the most part my eyes were drinking in the words addictively fast. I needed to know what happened.
The tactics, the ploys of the Dark One, the genius of a certain Mat Cauthon… Incredible.
“Darkness cannot push back Light. Darkness exists only when Light fails, when it flees.”
I don’t know how feel about the ending. I don’t think Sanderson could have written an epilogue that fully satisfied everyone, so I understand why he left it as he did, leaving the tapestry finished with the finer ‘after’ details smudged.
Overall, I am glad I continued with this series.
I loved seeing everything brought together and I loved the political manoeuvring of the Aes Sedai and the White Tower.
Ultimately, I did enjoy the final message of this series and it left me feel fulfilled.
Do I recommend reading it?
This is hard.
Yes, if you have read Malazan or the Stormlight Archive and you want something that is similarly big to sink your teeth into. Or if you want a classic fantasy with many moving parts and you have time to dedicate to fourteen long books.
No, if you are new to the genre.
No, if you need your books to be fast-paced or consistently paced throughout.
No, if you can’t deal with tedious amounts of descriptions. Sighing, smoothing, tugging, sniffing, and a lot of focus on cleavage and clothing.
My Wheel of Time Rankings:
1. The Gathering Storm
2. A Memory of Light (Highest rated on GR)
3. Lord of Chaos
4. The Eye of the World
5. Towers of Midnight (2nd Highest rated)
6. Knife of Dreams
7. The Dragon Reborn
8. The Fires of Heaven
9. The Great Hunt
10. The Shadow Rising
11. Crossroads of Twilight (Lowest rated)
12. Winter’s Heart (2nd Lowest rated)
13. A Crown of Swords
14. The Path of Daggers
Final book review:
Camelyn has fallen to Trollocs, the Black Tower has been overtaken by Dark forces and the Gap is being overrun by Shadow spawn.
Every major ruler has been gathered for a meeting to hear Rand’s proposal. He means to break the seals. There will be a Breaking, and the Dark One will try to grind the world to dust unless Rand can unite the nations together.
This includes the Seanchan which is where our very own Prince of Ravens Mat comes in.
Rand aims for lasting peace if there is an after. Rand doesn’t want to die for the nations of humanity, only to have them turn upon one another the moment the last Trolloc falls.
This felt so nostalgic whilst being so epic. A culmination of so many threads and moving parts.
“I thought you had grown up while I was away," Moiraine said.
“Only Perrin grew up," Rand said. "Mat and I have simply learned to pretend to be grown up." He hesitated. "Mat did not learn it so well."
If you have been following my reviews for any length of time, you know that I am not a fan of prolonged battle scenes. This entire book is The Last Battle. It is made up of skirmishes and fights on all fronts.
I did find myself skimming extended fighting scenes, but for the most part my eyes were drinking in the words addictively fast. I needed to know what happened.
The tactics, the ploys of the Dark One, the genius of a certain Mat Cauthon… Incredible.
“Darkness cannot push back Light. Darkness exists only when Light fails, when it flees.”
I don’t know how feel about the ending. I don’t think Sanderson could have written an epilogue that fully satisfied everyone, so I understand why he left it as he did, leaving the tapestry finished with the finer ‘after’ details smudged.
Overall, I am glad I continued with this series.
I loved seeing everything brought together and I loved the political manoeuvring of the Aes Sedai and the White Tower.
Ultimately, I did enjoy the final message of this series and it left me feel fulfilled.