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thecanadianbookworm's reviews
592 reviews
Chasm by Stacey McEwan
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Still a really strong book, I just often find book 2's in trilogies the weakest and this holds true here. There's lots of character exploration and set up for book 3, which is standard imo.
I loved where the story went, and I'm excited to see what happens next! Immediately jumping into my copy of Valley.
I loved where the story went, and I'm excited to see what happens next! Immediately jumping into my copy of Valley.
Ledge by Stacey McEwan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5.75 because it's the most stars you can give a book.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
The writing style is so beautiful and poetic, yet doesn't sacrifice pacing for prose. The plot moves rapidly, while being delivered in a lovely way.
I'd constantly be shocked at how much had happened in so few pages when I'd stop and check where I was.
It's one of those books where I was so lost in the story, I forgot I was even reading.
I was *right there* with the characters the whole time, not sitting my my library with a book in my hands.
This was the first time in ages that I was so into a book that I procrastinated bedtime, and read an entire evening straight to be able to finish a book.
I love these characters, and I love this world. Yes there are some common tropes, but somehow I found myself thinking "I've never read a book like this" so often.
The author took romantasy genre "favourite ideas" and bent them into a new and fresh take.
I was crying, I was laughing, I was giggling and rolling my eyes. It was perfection.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
The writing style is so beautiful and poetic, yet doesn't sacrifice pacing for prose. The plot moves rapidly, while being delivered in a lovely way.
I'd constantly be shocked at how much had happened in so few pages when I'd stop and check where I was.
It's one of those books where I was so lost in the story, I forgot I was even reading.
I was *right there* with the characters the whole time, not sitting my my library with a book in my hands.
This was the first time in ages that I was so into a book that I procrastinated bedtime, and read an entire evening straight to be able to finish a book.
I love these characters, and I love this world. Yes there are some common tropes, but somehow I found myself thinking "I've never read a book like this" so often.
The author took romantasy genre "favourite ideas" and bent them into a new and fresh take.
I was crying, I was laughing, I was giggling and rolling my eyes. It was perfection.
The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I liked this book just as much as the first one. I'm a sucker for an enemies/rivals to lovers, and this was a great one!
Both books had such great tension, I devoured them.
Dialogue is quick paced, and the book reads so smoothly.
Both books had such great tension, I devoured them.
Dialogue is quick paced, and the book reads so smoothly.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much! It's my first Sanderson book, and it was beautiful.
So funny, so cute, so light-hearted and magical.
If you want to see a wonderful woman go on a "sea" (but no water lol) voyage, save her friends and her lover, and be hilarious and adventurous while doing so: read this.
The narrator is hilarious too 😂😂.
So funny, so cute, so light-hearted and magical.
If you want to see a wonderful woman go on a "sea" (but no water lol) voyage, save her friends and her lover, and be hilarious and adventurous while doing so: read this.
The narrator is hilarious too 😂😂.
The Cursed by Harper L. Woods
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I read to page 160ish, and that took weeks.. so I just skipped a bunch and read the last 30 pages. Interesting ending, but by god.. how can a 280ish page book drag on so long?!
It felt drastically longer than it actually was, and this book was a major downgrade from book one sadly.
It felt drastically longer than it actually was, and this book was a major downgrade from book one sadly.
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté
emotional
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Heathen, Vol. 1 by Natasha Alterici
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
" 'Sometimes the power of a story is greater than anything else on earth.' "
Our Kehanni, Sabaa has brought us this beautiful bounty in the form of Story! 🤤❤️ So worth the wait.
It's hard to imagine a book could be as wonderful as the Ember In The Ashes quartet was, but this was like coming home... Yet discovering so much as happened since you left!
Heir takes place 20 years after the events in A Sky Beyond The Storm.
We mostly follow four POVs in this book, and all of them are strong, have a distinct voice, and add to the story well.
Quil, Helene's nephew and the reluctant Heir to the Empire.
Sufiyan, Laia and Elias' eldest son, who is deeply impacted by grief and struggling to find his way.
Sirsha, a tracker on the run from her past, who barrels headlong into her future.
Aiz, an orphan who is willing to die to avenge her people.
There's almost no one who writes multiple POV books as well as Sabaa does. The threads weave together so perfectly (and painfully) as we get deeper into the story.
This book broke me, in so many wonderful ways. Right near the beginning I had many sad tears brought on by memories of the last series, and my broken hopes for these characters.
(I know it's marketed that you can read this as a standalone, but so much of the emotional impact wouldn't hit imo)
It isn't all sad tears, there were moments of reminiscent family love between Helene, Elias and Laia that also had me sobbing in a good way! I don't want to scare you lol.
This book, as always with Sabaa's work, blends tragedy on a nationwide scale, with the humanity of personal suffering, while being comforted by the blanket of familial love.
I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this book. Every star in the sky for this one, 5 stars doesn't cover it. My expectations were so high, and I was not disappointed.
Our Kehanni, Sabaa has brought us this beautiful bounty in the form of Story! 🤤❤️ So worth the wait.
It's hard to imagine a book could be as wonderful as the Ember In The Ashes quartet was, but this was like coming home... Yet discovering so much as happened since you left!
Heir takes place 20 years after the events in A Sky Beyond The Storm.
We mostly follow four POVs in this book, and all of them are strong, have a distinct voice, and add to the story well.
Quil, Helene's nephew and the reluctant Heir to the Empire.
Sufiyan, Laia and Elias' eldest son, who is deeply impacted by grief and struggling to find his way.
Sirsha, a tracker on the run from her past, who barrels headlong into her future.
Aiz, an orphan who is willing to die to avenge her people.
There's almost no one who writes multiple POV books as well as Sabaa does. The threads weave together so perfectly (and painfully) as we get deeper into the story.
This book broke me, in so many wonderful ways. Right near the beginning I had many sad tears brought on by memories of the last series, and my broken hopes for these characters.
(I know it's marketed that you can read this as a standalone, but so much of the emotional impact wouldn't hit imo)
It isn't all sad tears, there were moments of reminiscent family love between Helene, Elias and Laia that also had me sobbing in a good way! I don't want to scare you lol.
This book, as always with Sabaa's work, blends tragedy on a nationwide scale, with the humanity of personal suffering, while being comforted by the blanket of familial love.
I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this book. Every star in the sky for this one, 5 stars doesn't cover it. My expectations were so high, and I was not disappointed.
Ambrosia by C.N. Crawford
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The graphic audio production is great, but I definitely wouldn't have read this if it wasn't for that. It's a serviceable book, but nothing special.
If you're looking for fun romp of a fantasy book, this is good for that.
If you're looking for fun romp of a fantasy book, this is good for that.
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The ending of this had me 😱. A well paced story, an interesting world with unique ideas. I immediately picked the ARC for book two off my shelf and started it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Death of parent
Minor: Kidnapping and Injury/Injury detail