Vivid descriptions and details smoothly bring this story and world to life. I also loved how the complex world-building was delivered in bite-sized pieces and merged with the unfolding story.
Fantasy
All posts that feature a book from genre fantasy
November 2023 Monthly Spotlight
Every year, I am surprised by the cold wind and dark evenings as winter approaches here in the UK. Even more baffling is that some parts of the world are experiencing summer and high temperatures right now! The good news is that whatever the weather you are experiencing, there are new releases for that season this month! Here are a few to check out:
- Book reviews
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ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN by Hannah Nicole Maeher
Writing: 🌟🌟
With a loose historical setting, random creatures and unexplained magical powers, the world-building in this story lacked the depth needed to make much of an impression on me. I also struggled to find the simplistic, fairytale-style narrative engaging, especially since the humour fused into it generally fell flat for me. Despite all this, there were some vivid scenes that stood out to me, and it was very satisfying to have dual points of view from both Evie and the Villain.
- Book reviews
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THE FINAL STRIFE by Saara El-Arifi
Despite feeling overwhelmed by initial waves of worldbuilding information, I was soon captivated by the expansive and brutal world that emerged. Even more impressive were the intricate layers constantly added to the worldbuilding throughout the story. All this is delivered with a simple yet rich writing style that brings the world and story to life.
- Book reviews
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MALICE by John Gwynne
I completely adored the descriptive writing style with its simple, vivid prose. Multiple points of view (POVs) are also neatly used to introduce the world’s rich history, mystical creatures and political landscape. However, I initially struggled with the constantly shifting POVs and information dumps, though these gradually became less jarring as the story progressed.
- Book reviews
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A DISCOVERY OF SECRETS AND FATE by Sawyer Bennett
A casual writing style packed with extensive descriptions brings this story to life and expands the worldbuilding. However, I felt the excessive details made the story less engaging, as it caused a lot of telling and little showing.
October 2023 Monthly Spotlight
Just because it is October does not mean it is too late to completely smash your 2023 reading goals! With three months left to the year, why not check out some of these new releases to rejuvenate your reading:
- Book reviews
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FABLE by Adrienne Young
This story is brought to life with a picturesque writing style and beautiful prose. A unique, gritty world with fascinating character types is also nicely established, though the scope is relatively small.