Even though this is called The Haar, it doesn't play into the story very much at all. I expected an atmospheric horror tale, but instead got a B-movieEven though this is called The Haar, it doesn't play into the story very much at all. I expected an atmospheric horror tale, but instead got a B-movie shlock fest.
That isn't to say the book is all bad, it does have its moments. When Muriel first discovers the "creature", it is fascinating, and I loved the description of it and its shimmery lights. However, the characters are just so, so flimsy. The villains are cartoonishly evil with zero nuance. There is no real conflict here, just a creature going ham on some bad guys.
And the ending...come on now. It just bursts into ridiculousness and erases any of the scant charm it established previously. ...more
This is really all I want from a novella, it sets a beautiful, dark scene and builds a great atmosphere. There's not a ton of story here, it's really This is really all I want from a novella, it sets a beautiful, dark scene and builds a great atmosphere. There's not a ton of story here, it's really a foray into an evil-tinged medieval pastiche. I still felt a good connection the characters even for how short it was. It is definitely creepy! ...more
Firstly, just be aware that this is a very short novella (63 pages on Kindle). I was able to read it in about 30 minutes.
This is a story about a younFirstly, just be aware that this is a very short novella (63 pages on Kindle). I was able to read it in about 30 minutes.
This is a story about a young Viking woman who goes on a journey after her village is raided. She meets a Celtic woman on her way, and they both find a place in a new village. It's a pretty simplistic story, and it reads more like a Norse Saga than it does a typical novel. While, this does give it a legend-like feeling, it does make a bit hard to connect with the characters.
The book being so short as well really condense the time of the story. It does feel like everything happens very quickly and with very little time passage.
If you are looking for a quick, refreshing read to get out of a slump, it's a nice option. ...more
Well, it was extra ordinary alright. What starts off as an interesting premise with two academic rivals, who both admire and resent one another, embarWell, it was extra ordinary alright. What starts off as an interesting premise with two academic rivals, who both admire and resent one another, embarking on a thesis experiment that involves essentially killing themselves and then quickly reviving in order to gain a superpower, to become ExtraOrdinary.
The beginning of the book is good, and I enjoyed the building complexity of Victor and Eli's relationship. However, from the moment they become ExtraOrdinary, it all goes downhill. Almost every major (and many minor) events of the book are incredibly convenient. People are exactly where they need to be, and things happen exactly when and how they should. For example: a character needs to display that she has the power to raise the dead? Well, hey there's an injured dog. Kill it, and I'll bring it back. The dog appears literally after the question is raised. It feels absurd.
The story takes place in Merit, which we're told contains millions of people, yet you'd think it encompasses a single city block. Every single character is on top of each other. The setting feels microscopic.
The characters are one-dimensional and there's no compelling motivation for anyone. I often asked myself, Why do I care? What's the point? Side characters exist solely as convenience for the main guys and do little else. Serena in theory is interesting, but I feel her powers would match Eli better and would have made Eli more interesting.
(view spoiler)[Also, the ending is just bleh. What the hell was Victor's plan? It's a good thing he found a guy who can move secretly in shadows and condense time, otherwise he couldn't have even gotten near Eli. And what's the point? To go and stab him a bunch? There's also no stakes with Victor dying, because we know Sydney is right there and alive. (hide spoiler)]
Needless to say, I will not be continuing. I had previously read Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic, which I liked quite a lot, so this was disappointing....more
The premise for this book actually isn't terrible (at least, for this type of book): a mysterious witch is kidnapped by a group of pirates, and she scThe premise for this book actually isn't terrible (at least, for this type of book): a mysterious witch is kidnapped by a group of pirates, and she schemes to seduce them in order to free herself. However, she just abandons that quickly and basically takes any and all shit from these guys. They are deceitful, mean, abusive, and don't show a lot of care for her. I really didn't understand how it's supposed to be this one big happy family when obviously Queressa is on the bottom of the food chain with them.
It is very short though, and the plot can only be so convoluted due to that, so I'll give it that.
(view spoiler)[Also, I love the idea of the Captain promising his wife he'll never love or touch another woman then proceeding to fuck every single one of male crew (and fall in love with them) and he still believes he's honoring her wish. (hide spoiler)]...more
This is a fun palate cleanser if you just take it for what it is. The premise is ridiculous: generic fantasy setting where young women of a certain agThis is a fun palate cleanser if you just take it for what it is. The premise is ridiculous: generic fantasy setting where young women of a certain age are trained to be good at sex by basilisks (don't worry, they're in sexy human male form) in order to be married to the prince à la The Bachelor style, where he eliminates one or more potential queens-to-be each week.
Surprisingly, it's not as silly as you might think, but also don't approach it too seriously either. While the speech is mostly modern, the author does a good job as to not being too anachronistic. The pacing is mostly good, it does start to meander a bit too much at the end, and the plot itself starts to show cracks with more characters and twists being added.
As for characters, Caspen, the handsome human-basilisk sex trainer, is pretty bland, honestly. He's the classically stoic, protective romantic male lead (think Tamlin from ACoTaR). Leo, the rakish prince (who's actually misunderstood), is better, and I wanted more scenes with him.
The female lead, however, is insufferable. This is another book where I can understand why the FMC falls for the male leads, but I cannot for the life of me understand what they see in her. She is petulant and pissy almost non-stop.
Overall, it's a good book to read if you're in a slump or want a spice-heavy book (we're talking ghost pepper level here). This was definitely a FOMO read for me (I'm weak, I can't help it) and I had a generally fun time but don't think I would read the next one when it comes out....more
I really thought I was gonna hate this one, not gonna lie. I typically don't read a ton of contemporary fiction, and the premise did not sound interesI really thought I was gonna hate this one, not gonna lie. I typically don't read a ton of contemporary fiction, and the premise did not sound interesting to me. But something about this book just clicks and within 15 minutes of reading, I was locked in.
Rooney's style of writing is detached but also very intimate, giving an overall almost voyeuristic feel while reading it. The characters of Connell and Marianne feel very realistic, if not very frustrating at times. The miscommunications don't feel like plot devices, but part of their messy pairing.
I will say that the last half of the book starts to fall off, and doesn't feel as engaging as the first half. Also, I do wish I felt the settings more in the book. I got somewhat a sense of Carricklea, but everywhere else feels the same and not modeled in any way.
The differences of class between Connell and Marianne was particularly interesting to me, and I think it was done really well. It reminded me a bit of the ending of Jane Eyre, where the characters have to go through so much to end up on equal footing.
Overall, a quick, engaging, and very surprising read for me. ...more
This is a mystery set in a summer camp in the Adirondacks in Upstate NY in the 1970's. I love the setting, and the author does a good job at setting tThis is a mystery set in a summer camp in the Adirondacks in Upstate NY in the 1970's. I love the setting, and the author does a good job at setting the scene of the camp. The pacing is very gradual, and the POV's shift between present and past to varying degrees of success.
There are some characters I really liked; I thought Tracy and Judyta's sections were the standouts. The other character POVs really bogged things down, especially Alice and Louise. I just never connected to these characters or felt that their sections added a lot for me.
While I liked the idea of the mystery with Barbara, I just didn't feel like I knew Barbara enough to care deeply. I wished some of the parts (especially the Jacob Sluiter stuff) would have been nixed so that I could get a better feel for things.
While the pacing was generally good, it is slow to start and the ending is far from satisfying. (view spoiler)[The idea that Barbara living off the grid for several years is a happy ending is laughable. (hide spoiler)] I also thought the author really wanted me to get the whole "self-reliance" thing. It was a bit too heavy handed, especially towards the end where sh literally just spells out her thesis. I want to come to those connections and conclusions on my own, that have someone pointing and waving at it.
Overall, the book's setting is unique and compelling, but the payoff for the mystery falls short. ...more
It pains me to give such a low rating on this book, but I truly have a hard time justifying anything higher. I, like most non-Estonian readers of thisIt pains me to give such a low rating on this book, but I truly have a hard time justifying anything higher. I, like most non-Estonian readers of this book, came to this from Disco Elysium. Disco Elysium has hands down, some of the best writing I've ever experienced in a game so when I saw that multiple translations of Kurvitz' book that inspired the game were out, I immediately wanted to read it. I started reading both translations, but settled on the Ibex translation, as I thought it was a bit more readable.
The book is both dense and shallow. The story follows (mostly) three men unable to move past a disappearance of four local girls that they had interactions with in their youth. The author moves around from time period without clear indication, which while I can understand what he was trying to do, it makes for a very confusing experience.
While I could navigate the strange time space of the book, the characters are just abysmal. There is not a single likable character in this book. It really lacks the heart that Disco Elysium has. A big motivating force of the game is wanting to help Harry and build Harry's relationship with Kim and talk to all these interesting individuals. Sacred and Terrible Air has none of that. You will not root for anyone. The missing Lund girls are interchangeable and have zero personality.
I think there's some good ideas in this book, and every now and then I would get pulled into a section and charmed by the writing and Kurvitz' unique voice, but I felt like I was fighting the book to get to that. Disco Elysium really took the seeds here and grew them into something beautiful. I would say if you're really curious, give it a read, but don't expect any of the same magic of the game....more
2 stars feels harsh for a series that I generally enjoyed, but this was such an unsatisfying and frankly, messy ending.
In The Raven King, we finally 2 stars feels harsh for a series that I generally enjoyed, but this was such an unsatisfying and frankly, messy ending.
In The Raven King, we finally remember that Gansey is supposed to die. Yes, this was discussed towards the end of the last book, but not in earnest. It was more about Blue having a secret than an actual imminent threat. We also remember that Gansey is supposed to be searching for Glendower...kinda?
There's a lot that happens in this book and some of it is so out there that I have a very hard time believing that Stiefvater planned it this way in the beginning. I knew Ronan had a connection with Cabeswater, but to have him have dreamt it? Really? And then Blue is half tree? What?
One of my biggest issues with this book is that there's too many characters. And so many of them add nothing. It's such a strange thing because Stiefvater has created some amazing characters and the way they interact is wonderful. It's really the only reason I continued the series. But the other characters...why? Gwenllian, Artemus, Mr. Gray, Piper, Neeve (who's back again for whatever reason), Jimi, and now Henry Cheng - it's too much! Especially Henry. I don't necessarily mind his character; he just doesn't belong here. And the RoboBee...just no. I would have been fine with Henry being relegated to the toga party, which I thought was a really nice scene, but we didn't need him to be shoved in with the gang.
Then it ends up with Glendower being dead, which I actually don't hate...except why the hell have Gwenllian and Artemus then? And then Gansey doesn't even die! He's revived by something so convoluted it's literally skipped over. I didn't want Gansey to die, but I think he should have died. It would have been more poignant, in my opinion. If he lives, I at least want a better answer to everything.
At least Adam's story I felt very satisfied with. I think he had a lot of growth and came to a better understanding of himself and his circumstances. I think Gansey finally realizing how awful pity can feel was nice as well. I particularly loved the scene with Adam at the Barns wandering around the upper floor and listening to everyone downstairs. Stiefvater really does these small, intimate glimpses into the characters' lives really well.
This book gets a low rating, but the series as a whole I would say is 4 stars. I do think it's a bit of a messy and confusing series, but that's also partially why it works so well. The ending falling apart doesn't negate all of that.
Series as a whole:
Positives: - The characters (I'm Team Adam) and their interactions - The characters actually being portrayed as their age (they really do act like teenagers) - The settings (I particularly loved 300 Fox Way, it feels zany and charming) - The dream abilities (really shines in the 2nd book) - Character growth
Negatives: - The villains (Kavinsky was the best in a bad lot) - Identical plot structure in each book - Muddled and confusing concepts (Glendower especially) - Stiefvater deciding she likes certain characters better and changing course (RONAN) - Stiefvater sticking in her personal interests which doesn't do anything for me (classic cars, old English)...more
A brief overview of the history of the Goths. Nothing in-depth, but if you're looking for a primer or just a basic understanding, it does the job wellA brief overview of the history of the Goths. Nothing in-depth, but if you're looking for a primer or just a basic understanding, it does the job well. ...more
I think this book is fine if you a) want a book you can read in 1 to 2 sittings and b) completely do not want to think at all. I think it is a fine boI think this book is fine if you a) want a book you can read in 1 to 2 sittings and b) completely do not want to think at all. I think it is a fine book to get into reading or out of a reading slump. It's easy to read and the stakes are generally pretty low (for a thriller). That's where my compliments end though.
This book has so many plot holes that I honestly thought more about what didn't make sense than the actual story. So here's my list of huh?s in The Housemaid: (view spoiler)[ - Nina gets punished for using air freshener, but not for cooking or cleaning for months?
- Also, he just "gets over" her gaining weight?
- Am I to believe the biggest house in the neighborhood only has one guest room? (Nina's justification to convince Andrew to let Millie stay in the attic)
- What was Millie's plan before Nina came back onto the scene? Was she just going to let him go at some point?
- The detective being the ex-fiancée's father is the biggest stretch of all time, but also obviously there is more involvement needed besides one detective to cover up something like that.
- Also what was Nina's plan? She's just going to go to psych hospital and not be charged with Andrew's murder? Good thing that deus ex machina saved her, I guess.
- It's never really explained why Nina and Andrew were so lovey-dovey in the beginning (though you could justify that she is trying to be on his good side, but we know it was just to amp up the whole why is he with her stuff)
- Also, Cece is a brat because...she knows her mom is trying to appease Andrew? What? Look, we know that kid is just an asshole, let's be real.
- Nina's entire reason for putting up with Andrew's torture is for Cece, and to get her free, which then she decides to risk in order to help out Millie, because Enzo convinces her.
- Why does Enzo pretend to not know English with Millie whom he's apparently so concerned with?
- I know the author wanted this to be like Gone Girl, but that book's plan was actually believable. Nina's plan requires so much to go perfectly well that no one would ever concoct such a scheme. It required: - Andrew to first be ok with a maid - Both Andrew and Millie to fall in love (or lust) with each other and go through with it - Andrew to want to then break up with Nina - Andrew to kick Nina out of the house - Andrew to start torturing Millie - Millie to kill Andrew (which should be easy, I mean she left her pepper spray, right?)
- Nina had to be the world's biggest asshole because Millie wouldn't sleep with Andrew unless she hated her (lol)
This book reminded me a lot of the show Lost. In the beginning, when you barely know anything, every mystery feels thrilling. You hang onto every littThis book reminded me a lot of the show Lost. In the beginning, when you barely know anything, every mystery feels thrilling. You hang onto every little morsel of information, hungry to start to figure it out. And then, after all those mysteries, the show has to start revealing some of it, and the more it has to reveal, the more it becomes obvious that there wasn't a clear plan for most of it in the beginning.
For the first 50% of this book, I was pretty riveted, honestly. The story begins with Lennon, a young woman who is feeling very trapped in her life due to an impending marriage that she doesn't want, a history of mental health issues, and no career. She gets a mysterious call from "Drayton College", inviting her for an interview. We find out that this college is no ordinary college, but a place of training of people who have a knack for "persuasion", which is essentially mental manipulation (amongst other things).
I liked that when Lennon first begins at school, she's still quite a mess. She's basically at the bottom of her class and doesn't seem to fit in very well. It very much goes against the trope of the "chosen one". However, that quickly subsides and nope, she is unusually special. I wouldn't have actually minded that so much if the story made any sense. There are so many things that happen early in the book that are never explained or seemingly go against the later narrative. There's constantly this "but actually...this is what was really going on!" that happens that it just becomes exhausting.
One of the worst parts of the book has to be the romance. In the beginning, we have Lennon being largely defined by a man, and at the end, we have Lennon being largely defined by a man. And neither of these men are good. I can't say I ever particularly liked the romantic lead even when I imagine we're supposed to like him, and I liked him far less than that by the end of the book.
It's a story that dangles a lot over your head, but never reveals anything in a satisfying way.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book!...more
(Spoilers for the tv show are in this, just be warned)
I picked this up because, like many others, I watched the show and wanted to see the source mate(Spoilers for the tv show are in this, just be warned)
I picked this up because, like many others, I watched the show and wanted to see the source material. After reading Volume 1, I have to give the writers an immense amount of credit for being able to take this and turn it into what they did.
One of the most intriguing parts of The Boys show isn't even present in the comic: a group of individuals without powers going against superheroes. From the get-go, the titular "boys" are taking Compound V right along with the superheroes.
There are some plot points here that are in the show, but in the show, they are highly elevated. All the characters here are one-note and frankly, boring. Butcher is a 14-year-old boy's (or maybe an out of touch boomer's) idea of what a bad-ass tough guy is, fucking every female with any sort of power, and constantly cursing and using slurs. Rape is used as a gag here, multiple times. The only woman not sexualized in this comic is a nameless killer just called "the Female", so yaaay, thanks for that one, Ennis.
The story itself is also just poorly written. The pacing is all over the place, there's massive things left out, humongous sections of info-dumping, and it's just boring. It takes a sort of interesting premise (what if superheroes were bad?) but doesn't do anything interesting with it. It's just having another group of superheroes, but these ones are cool and they curse.
But maybe the art's ok? No! It's awful. It's ugly and the characters are drawn differently all the goddamned time. Why are all the women child sized? Why does the colorist use the same goddamn blue for every wall? And sometimes the same blue for the sky? The action shots are bland and most of the comic book is people's head and shoulders and giant speech clouds.
The only good thing to come from this is the tv show. Awful, terrible stuff. ...more
I just want to preface this review stating that I loved the First Law trilogy, and really liked Best Served Cold as well (The Heroes wasn't my favoritI just want to preface this review stating that I loved the First Law trilogy, and really liked Best Served Cold as well (The Heroes wasn't my favorite, but I liked it). So it was a real shock to me that I could ever rate an Abercrombie book so low.
I found this book to be such a meandering, uneven, and quite frankly, just strange book. The story takes place roughly 10 years after The Last Argument of Kings, and the world is starting to industrialize, as we hear from characters. Well, parts of it, at least. This story takes place in the literal Wild West of the world, far from the trappings of Adua and Styria. This book is a Western, albeit a medieval-ish, fantasy one, but it's a Western.
The plot is as Western as it gets: a farm is razed and children captured and the fighter who's out of the game is pulled back in, alongside a scrappy gal and others to sojourn the West in their journey for revenge. I really could not get into this story. It felt like First Law fanfic. The main POVs for this book are Temple, an inconstant but intelligent man, and Shy, the aforementioned scrappy gal. I couldn't connect with these two, especially Shy. She feels like such a trope and even the attempts to give her a dark past fell flat with me. With Temple, I felt his story was rather muddled and the book just constantly beats you over the head telling you that he's a coward.
Now let's get into spoiler territory: (view spoiler)[ There's two notable characters from previous books that are here, Nicomo Cosca and Logen Ninefingers (who is now "Lamb", and the sort-of father to Shy and the stolen children). I was excited at first to realize that Lamb is Logen, but there's just not a lot that happens that hasn't been established before: Logen wants to be better, he wants to escape from his past, but his true bloody nature always pulls him back. I didn't feel like this book showed me anything new or interesting about Logen. I didn't feel an actual connection of his character with others, even the ones we were supposed to, which is strange as his relationships with the other characters in the First Law trilogy were so strong.
As for Cosca, really, I had no want for his character to return. Abercrombie obviously likes him, but I felt exhausted every time he was on the page. And again, nothing new here. Oh, wait, he's actually a bad guy? Well, we knew that, maybe not as explicitly, but we knew it.
The other characters making a return here are Shivers (really, what's the point?) and Glama Golden (alright). Honestly, having these characters show up made this whole "far country" not seem very far at all. I know the main characters have this long, arduous journey, but then everyone else just shows up. Just like that. (hide spoiler)]
The conflicts and showdowns just didn't hit the mark for me. The Dragon People seemed entirely out of place and their whole thing was just a confusing mess. The ending was a letdown, but there's not really anything that would have saved it for me honestly. I'll still read the Age of Madness, no worries there, but this standalone was a letdown....more
This is a collection of "folk horror" short stories, though I would note that this is used somewhat loosely with some of the stories. Generally, it's This is a collection of "folk horror" short stories, though I would note that this is used somewhat loosely with some of the stories. Generally, it's a good collection, but none of the stories really stood out to me. I felt there were far too many based on Celtic folk. The older stories in the collection have not aged well and can be quite a slog. The more recent stories fare better and are pretty fun to read. The woodcuts complement the stories well. It's a good book to have out during spooky season....more
I liked this series at first, but it just has meandered too far at this point. It's just dragging out the main storyline to the point where it does stI liked this series at first, but it just has meandered too far at this point. It's just dragging out the main storyline to the point where it does start to feel like torture porn with how much Jeremy is suffering. The side stories with Jeremy are also uninteresting. Beautiful art, and I love psychological horror, but it's just too drawn out. ...more
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