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"we are all pieces of what we remember"
- City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
![this series lost it’s tension and character focus (imo)
my current thoughts on the stormlight archives by brandon sanderson (spoiler-free but note context)
[preface: i finished OB a few months ago and even though there were parts i liked, it felt like i was dragging my feet, i started a few chapters of book 4 but put it on hold]
one of my main gripes with OB and where i stopped in RoW is how i feel like characters i was invested in for the first 2 books have been sidelined. while i do love Kaladin, there are other central figures that have been built up that aren’t getting the chapters they should have at this height of the plot
moreover, the tension doesn’t feel proportional to the conflict. it’s hard to internalize the danger and i’m finding it to difficult to pull from my emotional bank during action scenes — like i’m just watching them go through the motions. the tension died down the more that POVs outside the kholinar family, kaladin, and shallan were added. i felt it most while reading OB but it’s as if we’re being overstuffed with what to feel about the antagonists through chapter povs that don’t feel like they’re adding much that we don’t already know from what has been established/implied in previous interactions and arcs. the more i’m separated from the characters in books 1-2, the lower my investment, especially when i don’t feel the weight of the plot.
this isn’t necessarily about the length bc u can have a long and slow-paced book without losing focus on the plot and its characters... but i may be on the side that thinks some of these chapters don’t need to be as long as they are. i also think BranSan’s use of in-world scholars to info dump tech functions is done a few too many times.
i’m putting RoW on the backburner bc maybe i need to recaliberate what i’m expecting from this series. it does seem like a lot of ppl loved RoW but i’ve seen some who also favored WoR, rate RoW lower than OB…
while i do love these characters, life is short. Mistborn still has the crown.](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/571998250_18072388157349188_1836042811910489482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=y9xn0FiokrUQ7kNvwEoSO_D&_nc_oc=Adlr5rHFsBm5O1omPBRHASDjEu0Xo5zDpv4XTPevXnT8vby1PcCCYIF2Qpzgg-rJOTk&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=JkKoIkFCqmFGcYAUUKLSZQ&oh=00_AfhgCjqNNQ7z0HuAIRhFeij0dtTBAxBjK95BWPYdA5nXSA&oe=690D4347)
![some recent reads + mini reviews
i don’t track my monthly reads (highly recommend) but it’s that time of the year where i get the “so many books, so little time” feeling but i like to remind myself it just means that i’m excited to be reading the books i got
——
favorite of the batch: [too hard]
• 4 out of 6 of these books are from the same two authors and the genres are too different so it’s difficult to pick faves. one thing i appreciate in reading authors’ works back to back is seeing how their writing style and approach to the genre develops in between releases. i also realized that i actually do like mystery crime fiction, i may have just been reading the wrong kind of mystery books. i’m currently reading The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo and i’m liking it! it has more character development than uketsu’s works for those who are looking for that.
p.s. i always debate putting my star ratings because it’s so subjective and based on my style/preferences. i do end up still adding them since i think it helps ppl judge whether or not a book might be for them relative to my taste :>
books mentioned:
strange houses by uketsu
strange pictures by uketsu
thornhedge by t. kingfisher
the factory by hiroko oyamada
the song rising by samantha shannon
what moves the dead by t. kingfisher](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/568153060_18071617139349188_215219860620482587_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Qo0yRhrBoTwQ7kNvwHyfT6c&_nc_oc=AdnozAeRvNgLnJjNoOsgZdfQMhuV6cBlfU5eVHIRuJU6pPGT6mzsGYYY6-omLBfY6kw&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=JkKoIkFCqmFGcYAUUKLSZQ&oh=00_AfgxUqeJ1EdlNDGYwtSpdfERhqgImzn2VBfjmj9bXwXG-w&oe=690D3959)
![bone season and it’s portrayal of media & literature as propaganda — a review
[note: i read the revised editions, the old editions are there since i already bought them heh]
in honor of the past banned book week: bone season series — a dystopia inspired by greek myths highlighting the use of literature and media as propaganda while blending old to modern england aesthetic — might be one of the most creative crossovers i’ve seen
the series brims with tension and exhilarating moments but i wanted to spotlight how effectively samantha shannon depicts propaganda through in-world literature. you see how, when dressed up in flair and drama, propaganda is that more subtly persuasive and effective.
the layers of censorship is subtly done, shaping their current cultural ecosystem — from music to art. all this is wrapped into a story full of tension and well-placed exhilarating moments. despite being caged in the middle of a crime syndicate… the beats of warmth, the tender relationships, and dynamics between various characters make them so deeply addicting to read about.
samantha shannon’s writing only gets better with every arc, and with it, my curiosity + investment on the overall lore and character motivations grows. i’ve been told that it only gets more stressful from here and i’ve already gone ballistic so… i know i’m doomed.
p.s. Arcturus should be on all those list of yearners!
#altheasreviews](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/565523100_18071040887349188_4928364282055757674_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=6NiRSuu82rYQ7kNvwGSQ61A&_nc_oc=AdklCJySdgO4OHhVhHw5XEhNwl8S46iHhEZrp8m2ris-b0ygR7RWKaanZVmDqtxvkXg&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=JkKoIkFCqmFGcYAUUKLSZQ&oh=00_Afgz2iR0DCa61Ahs5ojxO_HQcIlV88sE-7JaTYbL82fcLg&oe=690D671B)
![— there’s no stronger bond than a girl and the 14-book series that got her out of a reading slump (it wasn’t really a slump i was just busy)
[ A WHEEL OF TIME CHAT: no spoilers ]
the reason we’ve gathered here today is because i feel the need to tell people that one episode in season 3 of The Wheel of Time (iykyk — the one with the harvest song) managed to rewrite my brain chemistry. i was really just there for funsies (s1-s2 wasn’t really the best) but it ended up dragging me through the dirt bc of how limp i was from my neurons not comprehending why i didn’t see it coming. i gotta give them credit where credit is due.
about the actual book: this isn’t my book review yet but i need to say that this might be the first book/series where i 100% agree with the criticisms and praises.
it it wordy? yes.
but is it immersive? also yes.
is there a lack of female characterization? yes.
but is there a point to it? also yes.
are there scenes that i think it could have done without? yes.
but am i hooked? also yes.
yes, i genuinely see why robert jordan is so loved for this series and also why he is criticized for certain parts of it. BUT I SEE THE VISION! I SEE THE LIGHT!! (lol)
after being so back and forth about starting it for years bc of the dedication needed, i don’t regret the time i’ve allowed myself to be fully immersed and invested.
robert jordan’s writing style is a lot more digestible than i thought. i’m told it builds up well and i appreciate that i don’t need to stretch my brain too much. his writing style makes me feel i’m lying at the back of a wagon, slowly getting pulled into the depths and weaves of the pattern of the wheel of time. slowly and surely.
this is a beginning.](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/531512122_18063989231349188_1572549592666384780_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=4Q-MeRxGS_QQ7kNvwFaM-nD&_nc_oc=AdnsA8BXbvyLK84rhpETUhNuNPnvDo0z6NnYq9mmrlyzzwvzBVm9o785pJrCzwCqDJw&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=JkKoIkFCqmFGcYAUUKLSZQ&oh=00_AfhK9Kqb2ZWJWKdPU2SIqdeSUr6LAILN7BZ2sreLcJBh0g&oe=690D3FD5)
![thoughts on blood over bright haven by m.l. wang (spoiler-free review) 📖✏️ + annotations
this is feminine rage that actually demonstrates the full arc of being faced with a system that is built against you, including the turmoil and crash outs that come with it
it explored the very real fact that when a system falls and fails, the people who suffer the most are the ones who have already been oppressed in the first place (i.e. the women + Kwen/minority)
I am convinced M.L. Wang has unlocked the formula to slicing out a part of a fantasy world within a much bigger world while feeling like all you need is right here — the secret formula to writing Standalone Fantasy that is, in every sense of the word, complete. This is apparent in both Sword of Kaigen and Blood Over Bright Haven wherein you feel a story has begun before we started reading and there will be a story that continues on even after turning the last page. It’s very realistic in the sense that we know, in our own real life, how there’s so much to explore but we have a place right here that’s brimming with experiences and love. It made the characters and who they are relative to their setting feel that much more real
it exemplified systemic injustice to the dot. IN A STANDALONE FANTASY!!! It did in one binding what takes other series 3+ books to do… sometimes not even that well
it also highlights a discussion on privilege and how we aren’t absolved from one kind of prejudice just because we experience another – through complex characterizations through morally complicated characters that you also can’t help but get attached to 🫂 *breathes*
I can scream and cry about this all day but really all i want is to relive this book and i’m glad i took my sweet time reading. She was very clear with what she wanted out of this story and her ability to flush out incredible characterizations within limited settings and pages is incredible. If you haven’t already read it, this is required reading. Go read it right now. But if you want my opinion: take your time reading it as I did.
a customary: *chef’s kiss*
[swipe for full review —>]
5.0
#altheasreviews fantasy bookstagram](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/498698648_18054974867349188_2670736918283753105_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=ghjvdNrfl1IQ7kNvwFDEsKP&_nc_oc=AdmDwi6lwfBG9h2bxi1WlXp_1wNFGQ2qwM5-5HDSSwGGle8NY__wQVTqZBuHSYsL74Q&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=JkKoIkFCqmFGcYAUUKLSZQ&oh=00_Afi9AXrWBuvGKzVkEswBE3isHCYAL57Nyrcnc7Axk-Undg&oe=690D4C00)
![thoughts on Oathbringer by bransan — #bookreview #altheasreviews 📖✏️ [some contextual spoilers ahead!]
it took me literal years to get through the last half of this book because of how slow paced this book was compared to the first two but it did have the steepest sanderlanche of them all
Adolin and Shallan here gave me LIFE!!
— Stars: 3.5 (fun but WoR was too much of the *chefs kiss, kneeling on the ground* kind) —
Though, I really wish Adolin’s potential wasn’t wasted. He’s one of my favorite characters but he barely gets enough page time and focus. He’s being wasted as a “side character” in my opinion (I do know that he gets more page time in the next novels), even Bridge Four got more scenes than Adolin combined 😭
My irk lies in how long the build up took, i know we’re used to the sanderlanches but this was one was especially dragging
Shallan and the way she is written is off to me and I still have no reason why even tho i find her and Adolin beyond cute and amusing.
The ending really saved this book for me but I kept thinking that this could have happened 200 pages ago. The character dynamics and relationships were already established in WoR so i didn’t feel like there needed to be so much time/writing between what happened at the end of WoR to the end of OB.
Dalinar’s character development was by far the best thing that happened and it was so satisfying to see where he ended up. It makes so much sense but again… I wish it didn’t take so long!!
I do acknowledge that insane world-building was needed so maybe I just wasn’t as invested in what was going on in the first part of OB.
I was here for Dalinar and the tidbits of Adolin and Shallan. I missed Kaladin a lot but as I’m currently reading RoW while writing this, I can say I’m satisfied a lot more with the beginning of RoW.
In this essay I conclude, not my top Stormlight Archives book of the moment and it felt more like a filler to me but I’m happy with how Rhythm of War is going right now so I’m glad I powered through it 🥴
*3 stars is NOT a bad rating (for me), it literally means i liked it 🙂↕️
#oathbringer #brandonsanderson #fantasybookstagram #bookrecommendations #stormlightarchive](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/484027135_18049044851349188_3030946699678134816_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=066vJRx18SoQ7kNvwFCtbPa&_nc_oc=AdkBE7B-7xquxLGuKFYJN4Pk8-uQ3HRpvZZrFHG154CE5kPfy3fOmnvbcWcpFayIq0w&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=JkKoIkFCqmFGcYAUUKLSZQ&oh=00_AfilqdyUTZQxSU9fzWETRkAAstcdiydD9HyYrk9HjH0JBQ&oe=690D53DA)
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An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson | Spoiler-free Book Review
If you like politically intriguing urban fantasy that centers around morally questionable characters with complicated pre-established relationships that find themselves in the middle of inter-clan conflict but still sticks together in the end because they are family… this is the book for you.
~ Althea ~
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Jade City by Fonda Lee | Spoiler-free Book Review
If you like politically intriguing urban fantasy that centers around morally questionable characters with complicated pre-established relationships that find themselves in the middle of inter-clan conflict but still sticks together in the end because they are family… this is the book for you.
~ Althea ~
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Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee | Spoiler-free Book Review
The Green Bone Saga is heavily political, brutal, intense, fight scenes that will give you a heart attack… but also heart-warming, emotional, detail-oriented and sincere down to it’s core. It’s as much about family as it is about everything else related to it. The most satisfyingly beautiful and painful conclusion I could have ever asked for. If you want something emotionally investing, I think it is an understatement to say that I highly recommend. My new favorite series of
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Eye of the World by Robert Jordan | Spoiler-free Book Review
this is for those looking to immerse themselves in a classic epic fantasy — because there are moments when you just want to feel like you’re sitting on the shoulder of a farm boy and slowly trudging into a world that has yet to know who you are
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Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee | Book Review
I place this in the same category as The Sword of Kaigen and Attack on Titan with it’s ethereal and rustic tone. A standalone novella that’s captivating and heart wrenchingly brutal wrapped up in a nice little falcon-shaped bow. Getting sucked in felt like I’m in a cabin in the woods with the sound of birds softly chirping at the background or in an open field with trees running as far as the eye can see.
~ Althea ~
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The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archives, #1) by Brandon Sanderson | REVIEW
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One of the Good Ones | ARC REVIEW & EXCERPT
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ARC Review | Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera, Celia Moscote
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In Tune by Yeyet Soriano | REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY
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ARC REVIEW | Toro by Andrew Avner
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Review | A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson | a small town murder mystery
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Review | Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1) by Seanan McGuire | after narnia?
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Review | The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) by Neal Shusterman | thought proving dystopia
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