rozarka's reviews
804 reviews

Blood of the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart

4.0

I feel like I should complain about the book. It has a weird pacing where absolutely nothing happens for 100 pages and then we have a plot and a cliffhanger, and both characters behave very young, especially the MC who is bored and irritable and doesn't think ahead. But somehow I didn't care about any of that? It was cosy, in some ways it felt more realistic that other books with more competent protagonists, and I just chilled out.

Claimed by the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart

4.0

Surprisingly cute and sweet. But with a cliffhanger!

Ve stínu apokalypsy by Jan Kotouč, Míla Linc, Dalibor Vácha, Petr Schink, František Kotleta, Hanina Veselá, Julie Nováková, Kristýna Sněgoňová, Petr Stančík, Martina D. Antonín, Oskar Fuchs, Leoš Kyša, Markéta Klobasová, David Šenk, Petra Lukačovičová, Boris Hokr, Roman Bureš

1.0

Když člověk otevře antologii povídek od různých autorů, tak nějak očekává, že kvalita bude kolísavá. Že najde pár povídek dobrých, pár špatných, většinu průměrných, a když bude mít štěstí, objeví i nějakou výbornou. Musím říct, že tahle antologie mě překvapila. Našla jsem sice jednu výbornou povídku (Dlouhá noc na Japetu od Julie Novákové) a jednu průměrnou (Čtyři králové od Petry Lukačovičové), ale ten zbytek, to byl odpad. Všudypřítomná misogynie zažraná do podvědomí autorů tak hluboce, že vybublávala všude a pořád; ženy jako oběti nebo jako odměny pro hlavní hrdiny, ženy jako záporačky (ale bohužel bez nějaké zajímavé agendy, vždy jen jako prostředek, jak vyzdvihnout hlavního hrdinu), ženy jako comic relief, ale nikdy ženy jako lidi. Říkám si, že jsem asi už moc stará na to číst podobně klišovité a nudné zápletky, a nechápu, proč jsem to vlastně vůbec dočetla. Mám doma půjčenou ještě jednu antologii z této serie, ale tu vrátím s omluvou, že nervy mám jen jedny. Mrzí mě jen to, že jsem se po dlouhé době odhodlala zkusit českou fantastiku místo zahraniční, a odnáším si z ní pocit, že tuzemští autoři poněkud zaspali dobu. Asi tak o 30 let.

The Mutt by Kasia Bacon

1.0

I didn't expect much and was still let down.

The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul by Victoria Goddard

adventurous emotional reflective sad

4.0

I don't know how to rate this book. 1 star for Pali, 5 stars for everything else?

Let me elaborate. Until now I have been under impression that I can handle an unlikable character if the story or the themes are interesting. Or that I can handle an unlikable person if the character is interesting (hello Dalinar). Well, I have found my limit here. Pali is an extremely obnoxious person. Her ego is as vast as the former empire, every scene that happens she twists so that it's about her (even when in fact it's NOT), she treats everything as a fight (if you have to remind yourself that your friend is not your enemy, you have a problem), and every fight she has to win (even if it's waiting for a bird to pick a bread crumb; it just had to be a crumb *she* offered). Girl...

I did not enjoy the story from her POV, but I must admit she is written well. And I also admit that the last scene with Pali and Fitzroy was excellent.

Everything else was amazing. And heart-wrenching (Terec, Basil, every mention of Kip, especially one of the last ones, my heart!).

Terec and the Wild by Victoria Goddard

adventurous emotional reflective

4.0

The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

The Hands of the Emperor was mostly about Kip's family finding out who Kip actually is, and this book is the same, just for the emperor and his (long lost) friends. It was funny and over the top at times (which I expected) and incredibly sad and painful at others (which I didn't; but without it it wouldn't be a five star book).

Paladin's Faith by T. Kingfisher

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Probably my favorite book in the series so far. It was definitely the funniest one. The last fourth was completely unexpected (in a good way! I was worried it would end the same way Clockword Engine did) and I can't wait to see what the author will do with it next. And I hope we will see Davith again (we probably won't, but he was so damn entertaining... one can only hope).

Rhythm of War Part Two by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I am not OK.

Rhythm of War Part One by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

At first, I thought I would give it only 3 stars; the book is long and almost nothing happens. But for Kaladin and Navani's arcs alone it deserves another one. And the interludes at the very end were intriguing.