reviews overview
Starting in 2024, I put a sticky note inside every book I read, writing a little mini review of it. Here's everything I wrote in chronological order. (They get better with time, I promise). The left column is 2024 reviews, and
2025 is on the right. This isn't everything I read during this time frame, as sometimes I'd forget, or just not feel like I had much to say about the book.
There may be spoilers, but nothing that will ruin your experience, I don't think.
autonomous
by annalee newitz | aug 2024 | 11/10
Suffers from grizzled bocce ball syndrome for the opening stretch, and the ending is somewhat less climactic than I'd hoped, but an otherwise flawless work of art. Fascinating plot, complex and rich characters, and excellent worldbuilding. Utterly without compare.
scythe
by neal shusterman | aug 2024 | 10/10
Very easy read. I blistered through it in record time, both a testament to its style and the quality of the plot/characters. I don't like how Rowan and Citra are flipped in characterisation after
Faraday's death. Citra is more violent and prone to action; why isn't she the one apprenticed to Goddard? (I know why.) Excited to read the later entries.
thunderhead
by neal shusterman | aug 2024 | 9.5/10
Expanding the scope of the world both greatly improves the narrative and shows some cracks in the worldbuilding. The introduction of Greyson is genius, and a perfect expansion upon the Thunderhead's outsized influence over
both the novel and its setting. It felt maybe a little too absent in the last book. Does suffer the typical pains of middle book syndrome, but only in fleeting moments. It's not as tight, but it has substantially more heart.
hitagi crab
by nisiosin | aug 2024 | 10/10
Forgive me if most of my Monogatari reviews compare the stories to their animated counterparts. A strangely dense work; one could say it has weight. I suppose a more literal translation of Japanese sentence structure ends up like
that. I really enjoy a lot of odds and ends that got cut for time. The sense of humour is stellar: I had several laugh-out-loud moments, and the repartee of Koyomi and Hitagi is top notch. Lacking the visual elements
lends itself to feeling less grand and exciting, but certainly more human for it. You also feel the romance more, I think. What a great first story.
mayoi snail
by nisiosin | aug 2024 | 10*/10
An otherwise stellar book marred by a character that I despise. Hachikuji will never be interesting. The medium mitigates it somewhat but the final conversation between her and Koyomi bored me to tears. Even still, I find it
hard to rate below a 10. Hitagi's love of language and wordplay mirrors my own, and Koyomi bringing it full circle at the end smelted my heart, too. Also, Nisio's afterword blew my mind. The idea that an author's strength is
to mislead you, to make you misunderstand, it's really something I will carry forward in future, and more than relevant to Mayoi Snail itself.*(Would be an 11 if not for Mayoi)
artemis
by andy weir | aug 2024 | 7/10
Andy Weir has a lot to learn about humanity. Especially women. But even disregarding the prevalent misogyny, occasional racism, and baffling anti-union sentiment, it's an overall less coherent and less thrilling space adventure
than The Martian. It buys into its own hype and leans too much on the science as a crutch. The introduction of more human elements is somewhat appreciated, though. I like Jazz and her dad, and Svoboda and Rudy, but this book would
be so much better if the entire cast wasn't slutshaming Jazz at every opportunity.
the toll
by neal shusterman | aug 2024 | 10/10
Excellent work of art. Possibly the pinnacle of YA sci-fi, maybe YA lit in general. Juggling a massive world and cast of characters, the conclusion of this trilogy is certainly on par with the first novel, if not better.
Some may yearn for the tighter plotting and smaller scope, but I've always preferred an ambitious story over one that flawlessly executes on a smaller number of ideas. The introduction of Jerico really makes this book for me,
I think. Citra and Rowan taking a backseat to (or, more accurately, becoming smaller pieces in) such a grand narrative is susprisingly welcome. I'm not sure what else to say. I have no real criticisms here, other than maybe
the book being far less dense than I would've hoped. It's still a light and breezy read, when maybe I would've wanted something with a little more meat on its bones.
a court of frost and starlight
by sarah j. maas | aug 2024 | 3.5/10
I think the kindest thing I can say about this book is that I don't hate it. It could've been a lot worse, all considered. It surprised me that a more low stakes slice of life story was what she needed. Plus, the PoV changes
breathed a lot of life into a group of characters that all talk and act the same. I could praise the miniscule improvements all I want, but it's still polishing a turd at the end of the day. It still took me two weeks to muster the will
to work through a 200 page, YA reading level book. It's bad, but it at least gives me a small flicker of hope the next book won't be unadulterated, distilled pain in the form of 700+ pages.
suruga monkey
by nisiosin | aug 2024 | 8/10
I'm a sapphist; a lesbian. Despite that, I didn't enjoy this arc as much as I thought I would. It drags near the end, and Kanbaru, while a good character, doesn't get to do or say much besides calling Koyomi a bottom.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, just that the latter half gets bogged down in minutiae and discussions on abberations that weren't exactly needed, and obfuscate the interesting reveal of Kanbaru's malice. The resolution
is somewhat earned, and while I'm sad it didn't truly soothe my lesbian heart, I think maybe it's more interesting that way? I do also do think it's a sign that Kanbaru, a lesbian, shows so much interest in Koyomi.
Literally the most tgirl character ever written.
nadeko snake
by nisiosin | aug 2024 | 10/10
Surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Kanbaru was amazing, Koyomi egg momence, the Oshino segment wasn't too long, I liked Hanekawa here too, and while Nadeko herself is somewhat weak as a character, I already like the seeds
this arc planted for her future development. Even if she were completely without interesting character, which I must stress is not the case, the other elements more than make up for it. As a whole, it's not particularly deep, but
there's a satisfying amount of story here for me to chew on.
tsubasa cat
by nisiosin | aug 2024 | 11/10
What a fucking book! What it lacks in spectacle it makes up in pure emotion. The Koyomi/Hitagi date is one of the most romantic moments ever written, and if that were all this book was, it would be flawless. There's a few minor
criticisms I do have, but I feel litigating them here would be a waste. The radio caller gag is genius and almost every scene, line, and character is perfectly executred. I keep wanting to say 'flawless!', like it's
the only adjective in my vocabulary.
koyomi vamp
by nisiosin | sep 2024 | 11/10
Phenomenal book. While it does have weak points, (the fights are subpar, the setting is boring) I feel the weak points are only weak in the context of such a stellar book. While it didn't reach the sublime peaks of some earlier
arcs, it's hard to deny such a cavalcade of great characters, dialogue, and scenarios. I only ache for the missing scale and spectacle of the movies because I've seen them already.
a court of silver flames
by sarah j. maas | aug/sep 2024 | 2.5/10
Dogshit book. Unbearably bloated, devoid of characters, setting, anything and everything one might find interesting in a work of art. Even the sex is just boring. I can't comprehend what one would enjoy other than the
cis/het female power fantasy and granted I am none of those things, but as those go, this one is just subpar. By a wide margin. Sure, there's more texture and substance in this one than in the earlier ACoTaR books, but not by
much, and it's diluted by 400+ pages of filler. How is this woman a New York Times Bestseller. The American people are not intellectual, to put it mildly.
karen bee
by nisiosin | sep 2024 | 9/10
Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Great character moments all around, and I quite like the sisters. While it's meandering and slightly out of character, it's significantly less gratuitous than its adaptation, which
buys it a lot of goodwill in the end. Kaiki is a fascinating 'villain', and I think he plays his part here very well. Even the humour in this book is quite well done; I had a few laugh-out-loud moments. Overall, very solid.
tsukihi phoenix
by nisiosin | sep 2024 | 5.5/10
[Unwritten]
nekomonogatari (black)
by nisiosin | sep/oct 2024 | 7/10
Not bad, but still with serious flaws. The opening drags, the ending drags, and the middle isn't too special either. There's certain standout moments, as the final line draws the whole story together (and bumps this up by two whole
points in the process), but even if I wasn't hugely busy with moving and reading other things, it would still have taken ages. This is also made so much worse by directly following the snoozefest that was Tsukihi Phoenix.
I know Second Season is amazing but I've been reading little else since August, and the sizable price tag means this series is going to get shelved for a bit.
mistborn
by brandon sanderson | oct 2024 | 9/10
Not sure I have much to say here. It's a clever book and it gives me hope he can pull off a 1k page novel like TWoK, but it's not really that special.
the lathe of heaven
by ursula k. le guin | oct 2024 | 11/10
Hideously prescient, joyously anachronistic. I've never read a book like this. It's beautiful in all the best ways and ugly in all the ways it needs to be. Plaintively melancholic, the relentlessly breakneck pace drops into
subdued contemplation at the drop of a dime. It's, I think, genuinely without flaw. A science fiction masterpiece, nobody has done it like her, or I suspect ever will again. I wish I read this when I was ten years younger.
the way of kings
by brandon sanderson | oct/nov 2024 | 11/10
Nothing will ever be like Way of Kings. It may be long, and it may start slow, but those are pebbles in the mountain that is this book. I didn't love the Dalinar/Adolin PoVs for a long time, but I slowly grew to love them.
GRRM fucking wishes he was writing this shit. I loved Shallan to death, and Kaladin too, after a moment's hesitation. The worldbuilding is cool on its own, but without the flawless character work, a story just doesn't stick
with me. Mistborn was good, but its characters felt somewhat half baked. I bought Words of Radiance before I even started the final stretch, and I only wish I could pick it up right this very second.
system collapse
by martha wells | nov 2024 | 8/10
Solid book. I enjoyed it, but I felt like it was somewhat lacking. The action was hard to follow and the conflict felt disjointed and lopsided. I still liked what was here though, even if I felt it didn't live up to the rest
of the entries in the series. Can't wait to read more.
equations of life
by simon morden | jan 2025 | 6/10
Disjointed, uncomfortable prose, a gordian knot of plot threads, jarring and indecipherable heterosexuality. Could've used several editing passes for both moment to moment and scent to scene
comprehensibility. But... I didn't end up hating it? Part of that is a solid ending, and part is that I'm not immune to a fun cyberpunk romp with a sexy nun. Even still, I'm surprised I came out of it
more positive than not. I'll pick up the later books if I find them, but I won't go out of my way. A good palate cleanser.
the traitor baru cormorant
by seth dickinson | jan/feb 2025 | 9/10
Phenomenal opening, phenomenal ending, a midsection that drags immensely. Everything after the timeskip felt unnecessary, and the extended battle was utterly incomprehensible. That being said, this book has more than enough going on
for me to pick up the sequel. Even a few missteps aren't enough to ruin the mountains of goodwill this story has bought.
ender's game
by orson scott card | feb 2025 | 11/10
Truly a book that will live forever. It's timeless for a reason, but I suspect for reasons that largely escape the author's grasp. Like most of his books, he loses the plot about halfway through, but all you can ask is that
it's entertaining until he finds it again, which I think he accomplishes. He does occasionally get a little too excited about his own ideas, but to no great loss. At the end of the day, though, any criticism is window dressing.
An undisputed masterpiece.
ender's shadow
by orson scott card | feb 2025 | 9/10
I find that when an artist is in conversation with themself, you get the same two things, more often than not, and the ratio of those two things is the largest determinate of the work's quality. The first is addition; adding
substantial depth and meaning to their old ideas, building additional complexity. The second is buying into bullshit. Whether it's their own, as is the case for this book at times, or that of their audience. I quite enjoyed this
book and all it has to say about the original, but there's so much padding that it's hard to take on its own merits, especially coming directly off the heels of its predecessor, which says so much more with so much less.
shadow of the hegemon
by orson scott card | feb/mar 2025 | 10/10
Solid read. It knows what it wants to do and say, accomplishing it without any major issues. Great pacing that never lags or strays, and in my opinion, only one emotional beat that lands off tempo. It flies by, a perfect mix of
rest and action. Its wide scope adds something to the universe that was only present in the periphery of Ender's Game/Shadow, and treated largely as a plot device. Even if Valentine isn't present, I still greatly enjoy the
political machinations of Peter and the others.
pathfinder
by orson scott card | mar 2025 | 9.5/10
It's so hard to look at a book like this without rose-tinted glasses. It's, in my mind, such a phenomenal work of art, but I read it young, and so it will forever colour my relationship with the science fiction genre
from that time onwards. Things it did are still marvelous to me, narrative sleight of hand it pulls I am still attempting to replicate to this day, and probably will be until the day I die. That's not to say it's perfect; the
midsection does drag slightly, but that's almost nothing in my book. The Ram Odin epigraphs do so much to ameliorate the monotony and other miscellaneous pacing issues. It just doesn't have as much to say, compared to some
of Card's other novels.
ruins
by orson scott card | mar 2025 | 8/10
A good book, but not without its flaws. Poor pacing, incessant squabbling, and a lack of true progress, the plot amounts to a massive lore dump, punctuated with tedious and unnecessary drama. Param especially gets the short end of
the stick, and unless she plays a major role in the next book, I'll consider it a strike against this one as well. Despite my gripes, I still quite enjoyed the read. The ideas posited are fascinating, the
worldbuilding is solid, and the pieces put in play here are ones I am anxious to see actually on the board. It could've been way shorter, but I don't begrudge an artist for not killing their darlings, especially darlings
as pretty as these.
visitors
by orson scott card | mar 2025 | 8/10
I don't know how much I have to say here. I guess now I know why I barely remembered anything that happened in this book. There's so much gesturing at interesting thoughts and ideas, so many moments or chapters that, if they were
their own book, would be 11/10, but that book already exists and it's called The Worthing Saga, and it's way better than this one. Even the "aliens all along" twist is sprung 100 pages before the end, and it only gets
one chapter which barely explores the concept! I don't think I'm inherently opposed to the idea of the walls on other worlds, but after chapters of philosophical debates about erasing potential futures, it does feel like a major
copout to just say, "oh they were going to kill us first, so we're completely fine with wiping out ten thousand years of history and shaping all future technological development and ALSO TAKING 4/5THS OF THEIR PLANET FOR OURSELVES".
I don't know why I expected at least a small amount of anti-colonialist discussion from the mormon missionary, but at least the first two books played with the idea of the walls and expendables being so sinister. Scratch that,
I'd fucking call it the main theme! So why is it ok to do it to the aliens, then?!? And god, what a rushed ending. It really felt like his publisher cut him off from a fourth book, or maybe he just got bored or tired of writing it.
Despite the anticlimax and the complete whiplash between the pacing of each half, it would be a lie to say I didn't enjoy what was there, and me not agreeing with the moral conclusions it reaches doesn't prevent it from
being an interesting story.
if on a winter's night a traveler
by italo calvino | mar 2025 | 9.5/10
One of those books I was very scared I wasn't getting until I reached the end, and everything fell into place. I'll admit certain sections dragged, and for a book like this, the pacing is almost everything. But the novelty, (no
pun intended) did buy it enough goodwill to carry me to the end. I'm definitely picking up any Calvino novels I find... for a reasonable price. Twenty-two-ish bucks was a little steep.
the terraformers
by annalee newitz | mar 2025 | 9/10
A book that is absolutely carried by the abundance of ideas it puts forth rather than the strength of its moment to moment plot. But damn, what ideas! I will admit, I went into this hoping for a more character centric story,
so the switching of narrators kinda put me off. But even more than Autonomous, The ideas put forth are startlingly original. I'll admit, I'm no sci-fi scholar, but I've read a lot of SF over the years and I was consistantly blown
away by the amazing ideas on display. I've disparaged the actual plot but it isnt exactly weak - I just didn't get the chance to get attached to the main cast, and it's hard to care about the stakes when the people it affects
seem like strangers. Excellent read, even if it's not all for me.
camp damascus
by chuck tingle | mar/apr 2025 | 8.5/10
What a great, short book. Snappy pacing, great characters, and fun concepts. But then, of course, comes the flaws. First off, I wouldn't call it a horror book, which is not necessarily bad; I'm not too big on horror. But everything
about the jacket and the marketing and even the opening just screams horror, and I think I was a little disappointed. Second, it's too heavy handed for my taste; but I could also say the same of virtually any queer story. All the
way through the end, the characters look you in the eye and state the exact intended message. Which is, I guess, Chuck Tingle's brand. But it's not something I enjoy in fiction, despite enjoying that in real life. The 'real world'
as it stands is already too subtle, and fiction too blunt. What else is new. Lastly, I've never been a fan of stories about systemic problems ending with killing the CEO of Racism, it's just easy catharsis. But the narrative
does somewhat require it, and it's addressed in story, and the catharsis is, nonetheless, earned. It feels good, man!
the house of the scorpion
by nancy farmer | apr 2024 | 8/10
Such a fascinating book. I'm very glad I read it as young as I did initially, even if some parts messed with my head; the sawdust scene in specific either tapped into or awakened my latent disgust of rotten things. I'm not sure I
have much to say. The points this book makes are so clear cut that belabouring them would be a waste of my time. I'm just really looking forward to the sequel, more than anything. I picked it up when it first came out, but
lost it not long after, and never got to finish it, and for that I've always been quite sad.
the left hand of darkness
by ursula k. le guin | apr 2025 | 8.5/10
Fascinating, understated book. I feel it had a lot to say at the time, but in the modern day a lot of the commentary somewhat falls flat, at least for me. The more peripheral aspects are what I enjoyed the most. The culture
of Gethen, the psuedo-romance between Genly and Estraven, the trek across the ice, they were so clear and beautiful in my mind. Still an excellent read, but it's no Lathe of Heaven.
the magic of recluce
by l.e. modesitt jr. | apr 2025 | 9/10
Joke review: More books should have 100 page tangents where the protagonist gets really into carpentry. 10/10.Real review: Excellent read, with some minor flaws. Very weak beginning, dull characters, lots of details that come out of nowhere... but it's a read that gets better with time. I feel nit-picky for listing the flaws, as they clearly aren't the author's main focus. In fact, I very much enjoy the actual philosophical and social meat to the story, but it does feel like the story was built to prop up the ideas, instead of them reinforcing one another. Also, I love a good magic system, and as soft magic goes, this is just about as good as it gets.
ancillary justice
by ann leckie | apr 2025 | 9.5/10
Great fucking read. Glad I found this cheap in a goodwill, otherwise I might not have picked it up. The swap between past and present is a little frustrating at first, but the tension eases up before long. The culture of the
Radch is utterly fascinating, and I love the characters. I found the gender politics of this one far more interesting than The Left Hand of Darkness, in part because it builds on the legacy of that novel. Ancillary Justice is a
great standalone read, so I'm not chomping at the bit to get to the sequels, but it was good enough that I'll definitely pick them up when I've got the chance.
piranesi
by susanna clarke | apr 2025 | 11/10
Phenomenal book. An easy read, but no less impactful for it. Genuinely one of the greatest things I've read in recent memory. I picked this up at the behest of a friend who said something along the lines of, "I can't explain it,
I can't communicate it, you just have to read it", and I'm struggling to say any more than that. The definition of modern art is eiliciting a strong emotional response, but you can no longer understand or articulate why.
It's just so powerful, I can't stare at it directly.
the shadow of the torturer
by gene wolfe | apr 2025 | 7.5/10
A very interesting read, truly unlike anything else. While I didn't love the confusing and circuitous prose (and plot), it was very intruiging, and I'm excited to dive into more... except I need a break. I can't believe it
took me a week to read 250 pages. This thing is fucking dense.
hot sleep
by orson scott card | apr/may 2025 | 9.5/10
Feels like slipping into an old pair of shoes. The beginning is definitely the roughest; some of my gripes weren't even ironed out in the revised versions of this story, but I'm also sad for some of the things that got removed.
I really liked Noyock and Arran's journey on the surface of Capitol. The book really picks up when they get to Worthing though, and everything from then on is stellar. I like the skipping of the early years and the epistolary
nature of the early life on the colony. The Dilna/Hoom/Wix plotline isn't nearly as punchy as it is in TWC/TWS, but it does its job more than well enough. I also like the excerpts from historical documents. The ending is a bit
weak, with the abrupt reveal of Worthing Farm, but that might just be because I know there's more. So close to a masterpiece.
the hero of ages
by brandon sanderson | may 2025 | 9/10
Note: I did actually read The Well of Ascension, and was surprised to discover I didn't review it, considering that it's my favourite of Era 1. Definitely a 10/10An interesting one. I wish I read it closer to book 2, because I'd love to compare them. A bit of a bloated plot, but with characters and craft to make up for it. A bevy of excellent twists: some I predicted and some I didn't. I'm not raving here, but it's a good read. I might dive into Elantris or Warbreaker before moving on to Era 2.
the future of another timeline
by annalee newitz | may 2025 | 11/10
Annalee Newitz does it again! I was a little afraid I would be more middling on it like I was with The Terraformers, but christ in heaven, this book never stops swinging! The characters were excellent, and even if the
1800s plotline was a little muddled, everything else more than makes up for it. God, that twist? That ending? I really wanna get my hands on their most recent novel.
closing note
It was at this point that I, unfortunately, stopped writing sticky reviews, mostly because I was so busy writing my own novel. And I've been so busy in 2026 that I only finished my first book at some point in mid-May. But I did
continue to read through October of 2025, so here's some scores that I remembered to write down. I may fill these out with reviews at some point soon, but no promises.
the hound of rowan
by henry h. neff | 9/10
the second siege
by henry h. neff | 9/10
the magicians
by lev grossman | 11/10
ancillary sword
by ann leckie | 10/10
ancillary mercy
by ann leckie | 11/10
provenance
by ann leckie | 7/10
translation state
by ann leckie | 11/10
project hail mary
by andy weir | 11/10
the alloy of law
by brandon sanderson | 9/10
shadows of self
by brandon sanderson | 11/10
the bands of mourning
by brandon sanderson | 11/10
the lost metal
by brandon sanderson | 9.5/10
the towers of the sunset
by l.e. modesitt jr. | 8/10
the mountain in the sea
by ray nayler | 10/10