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Tag: 4 stars

Book Review: The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Book Review: The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub


The Talisman by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been reading a lot of King lately. Very rarely do I binge read a particular author. I feel the need to mix things up in my reading life or I find myself burned out and unable to appreciate a book I should love because I’ve consumed too much of the same thing in a row. I might love pizza, but I would find it far less palatable if I had to eat it for every meal. I feel the same way about my literary diet. So I’m a readerly butterfly, flitting from author to author and genre to genre as they grab my attention. However, this is my fourth King novel in a row, and it’s the fourth in a row I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I think that’s because each of these four novels, whether King penned them alone or with the aid of a co-author as with this book, vary drastically from everything else I’ve read by him. And yet what makes them so incredible is the way they tie into each other and refer back to things King wrote before them and foreshadow books he would write after.

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Book Review: The City We Became (Great Cities, #1) by N.K. Jemisin

Book Review: The City We Became (Great Cities, #1) by N.K. Jemisin

ARC received from publisher, Orbit UK, in exchange for an honest review.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Great Cities (Book 1)

Genre: Urban fantasy, horror

Published:  24th March 2020 by Orbit US & 26th March 2020 by Orbit UK


The City We Became is a unique take on urban fantasy that reaffirms N.K. Jemisin as a brilliant author of imaginative and original fantasy fiction.

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Book Review: Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4) by Jim Butcher

Book Review: Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, #4) by Jim Butcher

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #4 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 379 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 4th March 2010 by Orbit (UK) & 3rd September 2002 by Roc (US)


Summer Knight was super fun, and I expect the quality of the series can only stay consistently good or better from here on out.

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Book Review: Mage’s Blood (The Moontide Quartet, #1) by David Hair

Book Review: Mage’s Blood (The Moontide Quartet, #1) by David Hair

Mage’s Blood by David Hair

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Moontide Quartet (Book #1 of 4)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 704 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 27th September 2012 by Jo Fletcher


The first half of Mage’s Blood challenged my patience, but the pay-off—and hopefully the rest of the series—in the second half was bloody rewarding.

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Book Review: A Chorus of Fire (The Sorcerer’s Song, #2) by Brian D. Anderson

Book Review: A Chorus of Fire (The Sorcerer’s Song, #2) by Brian D. Anderson

ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.

A Chorus of Fire by Brian D. Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Sorcerer’s Song (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy

Pages: 448 pages

Published: 4th August 2020 by Tor Books


A great page-turning sequel that’s incredibly easy and comfortable to read.

“The scales of mortal hearts are tilted in favor of love. It is in this their virtue is made manifest.”

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Book Review: The Hunger, by Alma Katsu

Book Review: The Hunger, by Alma Katsu


The Hunger by Alma Katsu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Readers know how this book will end before even starting the first chapter. After all, the Donner Party is one of the most famous factual examples of cannibalism in the Western world. If you’re reading a book about the Donner Party, you know without a doubt that things aren’t going to end well. No matter how these characters strive toward their goal, you know most of them will not only not make it to the end, they will end up being eaten by the members of the party who remain. Because of this, every page of Alma Katsu’s The Hunger ratchets up the tension and unease as you close in on the inevitable outcome.

“Evil was invisible, and it was everywhere.”

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Manhwa Review: Solo Leveling (Season 1) by Gi So-Ryeong & Jang Sung-Rak

Manhwa Review: Solo Leveling (Season 1) by Gi So-Ryeong & Jang Sung-Rak


Solo Leveling by Gi So-Ryeong & Jang Sung-Rak

Series: Solo Leveling (Season #1)

Genre: Fantasy, LitRPG, Progression Fantasy, Urban Fantasy


Petrik’s Review: 5 of 5 stars

I will level (pun fully intended) myself with you; this was by far the most badass and engaging LitRPG I’ve ever read.

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Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, by Ken Liu

Book Review: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, by Ken Liu


The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I chose to read The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories solely for the title story, which is one of Petrik’s most beloved short stories he’s ever read. Thankfully, Ken Liu proved to be an astonishingly gifted writer. I’ve heard his work referred to as graceful, and I can’t think of a more apt description. The man has a marvelous way with words. You can tell that every single sentence was crafted with care. This collection of stories is unlike anything else I’ve ever read in my life. While I didn’t love every single story, those I did love had a profound effect on me, and I honestly believe that I will still be thinking about them for months, if not years, to come. Below are my (very random) thoughts on each story. I’ve left said thoughts in their raw state. While I wanted to share quotes from the stories themselves, I highlighted far too many to sift through. I highly recommend this collection if you want something that will make you think deeply and treat others with greater kindness. More of Liu’s work is definitely in my future.

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Book Review: Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S. A. Corey

Book Review: Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S. A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Expanse (Book #1 of 9)

Genre: Science fiction, Space opera, mystery

Pages: 592 pages (UK paperback edition)

Published: 15th June 2011 by Orbit (UK) & 2nd June 2011 by Orbit (US)


Leviathan Wakes was so good; a character-driven space-opera that combines sci-fi, noir, mystery, and a slice of horror into one.

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Book Review: Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain

Book Review: Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain


Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not, nor have I ever been, a foodie. I wish I was. I wish I had a more adventurous palette that loved encountering new things. But alas, such is not my lot in life. However, I’ve always loved cooking shows and food-based travelogues for reasons that honestly elude me. I still remember watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations on the Travel Channel when I was in high school and losing myself in daydreams of exotic locales and finding my way off of their beaten paths and into locals-only areas. I thought Bourdain had one of the most fascinating jobs on the planet. Because of this, I was intrigued by his early life and decided to read my first ever foodie memoir about how he got started in the business.

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