‘Five Broken Blades’ turned out to be quite different from what I expected, with a heavy focus on the main characters and their romantic relationships. Sadly, I was not fond of the characters or romance.
Fiction
Fiction book reviews
- Book reviews
- ...
DEFY THE NIGHT by Brigid Kemmerer
‘Defy the Night’ presents an entertaining blend of political intrigue and romance, although the character-driven storyline is fairly simple.
- Book reviews
- ...
DRAGON RIDER by Taran Matharu
Despite the slow start, I eventually became captivated by the high tension and action in the second half of ‘Dragon Rider’.
- Book reviews
- ...
NEARLY ALL THE MEN IN LAGOS ARE MAD by Damilare Kuku
‘Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad’ was a quick and enjoyable read, with twelve different drama-filled short stories.
- Book reviews
- ...
THE LAST BLOODCARVER by Vanessa Le
A simple, casual writing style with good prose and details smoothly brings this story to life. I was particularly impressed by the bloodcarving ability of the main character, which was brilliantly presented and explored. However, the worldbuilding felt somewhat thin and underdeveloped, especially since some concepts, like the constabulary, were mentioned but played no role in the story.
- Book reviews
- ...
THE FAMILIAR by Leigh Bardugo
The formal, beautiful writing style smoothly establishes an atmospheric world with historical, religious, and magical aspects. Direct foreshadowing is also neatly used to build intrigue and suspense. Sadly, I was underwhelmed by the world-building and magic system, which could have used more depth. The multiple points of view also added little to the story, and the third-person narrative made me feel distanced from the characters.
- Book reviews
- ...
WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
The descriptive writing style is simple yet filled with vivid descriptions that make the narrative eerie and atmospheric. However, the heavy-handed foreshadowing made some of the tension and suspense fall flat for me.
- Book reviews
- ...
THE PRISONER’S THRONE by Holly Black
The casual, easy-to-follow writing style contains vivid descriptions that smoothly establish the fascinating world of Elfhame, with its various creatures and landscapes. The narrative is also presented from Oak’s witty point of view, which constantly brought a smile to my face, but I craved Suran’s perspective as well.
