Graceling
Very pleasantly surprised by this one! I've actually been putting off reading it because I worried from the book blurb that the main character might be a little too ~special for me, but once I got into reading this I stopped worrying about it. Very engaging reading.
A Confusion of Princes
I thought the world was really interesting. I thought that the Prince's court with the Master of Assassins and all of priests was really neat, and though Khem was incredibly naive (and protagonists that miss the obvious usually annoy me) I still found myself rooting for him and enjoying his eventual success.However, I thought the romance was barely fleshed out. I don't feel like I know Raine at all. There's just really not much character development in general (though the Master of Assassins was really cool and I'd loved to have learned more about him). And Khem's transition in thinking was pretty quick and not very believable.
Despite that, I enjoyed the world and the sense of humor a lot.
House of Shadows
The book blurb is quite misleading - the story doesn't really center around the two sisters so much as it does around a political intrigue. The main povs are Taudde, a foreign sorceror, Leilis, a woman working in the flower house, and Nemienne, studying sorcery.I enjoyed the lovely prose and the intricate worldbuilding. However, I didn't really feel emotionally engaged. The novel didn't really explore the character's feelings much or even the romances. So while I enjoyed the book enough to finish it quickly, I can't say that it made me feel anything in particular.
Archangel (Samaria, Book 1)
I like Sharon Shinn's writing, but this one didn't work for me. Partly because I didn't really like Rachel that much, and it's hard for me to get into a novel where I don't emphasize with the main protagonist. I also wasn't drawn in by the main relationship, since it was dominated by arguing and misunderstanding.
The Safe-Keeper's Secret
(3.5 stars)I liked the writing and I enjoyed the worldbuilding. It is a very quiet novel though, and the romance and plot feel very understated. It would have been nice to see more of a central conflict, or maybe more of her and Reed.
Vampire High: Sophomore Year
Hmm... I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. I'm a lot older now than when I read the first Vampire High, which has something to do with it, but another part of this is that the major characters from Vampire High took a dramatic backseat to new characters. I did like Turk a lot when she and Cody had their bonding moment, though.
A Posse of Princesses
I really enjoyed this! Rhis starts out as a little silly, swept up in dreams of romance, but she comes into her own as a genuinely kind person. I love how she reaches out to people. I also quite enjoyed the romantic plot, and how it developed over mutual interests and such rather than instant attraction.Ending spoiler: I agree with not getting married right away, but I would have liked to see more of Rhis and Lios actually together, for a stronger ending. The one letter a year thing was ridiculous - at least let them talk regularly, to keep the romance alive. It didn't really mesh well with the romance and suspended disbelief of the rest of the novel, imo.
Anyway, if you're looking for something light to cheer you up, I recommend this.
Princess Academy
Very sweet! I like how the focus is really on their learning and the friendships among the girls.
My Life Next Door
I was pleasantly surprised by this one - engaging, easily read, and a romance that's pretty sweet and doesn't rely just on physical attraction. I like that the love interest is a very genuine nice guy.
The Goblin Wood
Very enjoyable. The heroine, Makenna, is competent and kickass. Not much romance, but I appreciate the building of Makenna and Tobin's genuine respect for each other much more than insta-romance. I really like the goblins and their loyalty to Makenna.
So You Want to Be a Wizard (20th): Twentieth-Anniversary Edition
A great fantasy series. I love the magic system. It's so believable and plausible and fits so seamlessly into the real world. And I really enjoy Kit and Nita and the friendship they develop.
Seraphina
I enjoyed this a lot. The worldbuilding was excellent - I love the world and the races and how they interacted. I really love all of the characters and their interactions - it's nice to have a protagonist that never once makes me yell at them for being implausibly obtuse in order to keep the plot alive. I loved her relationship with Orma, and I like how her feelings for Lucian don't interfere in anyway with her friendship with Glisselda. And speaking of Lucian, I like how her feelings build up slowly, with discussion of philosophy and such instead of instant lust.The one thing that I wanted and didn't get was a more satisfying romantic conclusion with Lucian, though I think the way it ended was both realistic and fitting. I'm just a romantic. :P But maybe that'll be resolved in a sequel for something.
Into Deep Waters (Love is Always Write)
One of the best of the Love is Always Write stories that I've read so far! I'm not normally into historicals, but this was really sweet and well-written. I love how it covered an entire life of enduring love.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
I forgot to review this when I first read it, so some of the details are fuzzy with me now, but I will say that I really loved the trans character.
Solo Command (Star Wars, X-Wing #7) (Book 7)
Fun and feel-good adventure, which is really what I'm looking for when I read Star Wars novels. I love the idea of Wraith Squadron and Allston's sense of humor, and I like the Lara subplot a lot.