seyoban's reviews
201 reviews

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I don’t think this book is appreciated enough for its humour. I literally laughed out loud at some of the conversations and petty arguments between the gods, and the constant mockery of Perseus by the narrator was hilarious. 

I can imagine this being a confusing book for anyone not already familiar with some of the main gods and stories within Greek mythology, it definitely helps to have some background knowledge as Haynes doesn’t do much hand-holding. I really enjoyed it though, and was genuinely moved by the empathetic perspective towards the Graiai and Gorgons. 

The Book of Eve by Meg Clothier

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I found myself being very confused during the first half of this book about what was actually going on and I thought it was my reading comprehension but I’m happy to read that others felt the same. The prose felt needlessly complicated at times which makes sense in the first-person narrative of a character who prides herself on her intelligence, but it really felt like a chore to get through at times. There was a point a little later in the book where Beatrice just comes out directly and states

that the book helps women who are under threat

and it was like a lightbulb moment where I finally got a sense of what was going on - I could have done with more of that directness.

I enjoyed the core characters and personalities but again some editing could have helped. There were lots of nuns who were named without much scope for allowing us to get to know them, so some of the names became interchangeable. I enjoyed Beatrice’s character progression and how her story ended. 

Despite the slow and confusing start, the last 100ish pages were so much better and I wish the whole book had the tone/pacing of them. 

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m happy with how many questions were answered in the final book of the trilogy, though I do wish some of it had been spread through the previous two books to reduce some of the confusion and mystery around magic/orogeny. I didn’t like this one as much as the previous two as I found it a bit slower and I had some petty complaints, namely: Nassun is NOT written like a 10 year old and the whole desert struggle didn’t have to happen when Hoa could have transported people. 

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Shirley Jackson’s writing is just so beautiful. This book was weird and creepy in the best way. Strangely cathartic to read as a person who’d also like to hide away from the world with a cat and vegetable patch (but without the murder). 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

The kind of book that makes you want to step into the author’s brain to try and figure out how a person can be so imaginative and talented. So glad I went in blind and avoided spoilers.  

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0