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Shanah

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Shanah is Currently Reading

Shanah is currently reading

The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

by R.F. Kuang (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in July 2018

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Shanah said: " For this review and many others, please visit - https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com

This is definitely a case where book blogs came through for me. I hadn’t heard of this book before, until Justine from I Should Read That mentioned it in her blog For this review and many others, please visit - https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com

This is definitely a case where book blogs came through for me. I hadn’t heard of this book before, until Justine from I Should Read That mentioned it in her blog and in her YouTube Channel video. This book is right up my fantasy loving alley!

This is the type of book that feels slow moving. Like nothing is happening until all of a sudden everything is happening. But in reality, it’s one of those books where it’s all in the details. The plot is a slow and steady machine, constantly moving and building pieces and parts to make a whole. The details may seem small and inconsequential yet, when something happens, you’re never confused and asking questions. Instead, your mind recalls all those interesting tiny details, and you sit there for a minute, book open in front of you, while you recount and visualize as every detail falls into place. This made both the plot and the world building easier to build in your mind.

The story is split into three parts. Part one follow’s Rin as she studies for a test that will get her into the most prestigious school in the country where she will train to be a soldier. Only the best are accepted and only the best of the best remain. Once she made it to the school I was entranced. The setting was incredible and felt very ancient. The politics between the students and teachers were equally entrancing. And it was brutal. The things they had to do, their ways of learning, the lessons themselves – it wasn’t easy that’s for sure! And as one of the few females there, she was forced to work harder and make some insanely awful decisions. I fell in love with their lessons and was itching to see who placed on top and what they would pledge when they were done.

Part two and three were after the school and the beginnings of war. These parts were difficult for me. The pace seemed very stop and go and I ended up listening to the audio book for a while. My other issue with these parts were the introduction of more characters. There were already so many in part one, and then there were more, all with equally difficult names to pronounce. Since some of them seemed close to others in their spelling and pronunciation, I would get them mixed up and confused. The audio book definitely helped straighten them out a bit! These last two parts were still interesting, but it had a totally different feel from the first part. If I’m being honest, I preferred the atmosphere and writing in the first part.

Possibly my favourite part of this story is the folklore and inclusion of Gods. The stories that were told of these Gods throughout the book were so rich! I honestly could have used more of this. The way that they were explained and weaved throughout the story made you sit and wonder if the stories were real. And even if they weren’t, it made you consider what had happened in the past and how it was used as a cautionary tale. The added atmosphere that these tales brought to the story made the war seem ancient in origin. Also, the wars wouldn’t truly end until all was right with the gods.

I feel the need to also mention that this book is not young adult. Shortly before the release, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this book flying around on Twitter. Yes, the main character is a teenager, but that doesn’t automatically make this young adult. There’s a lot of mature content (violence, rape, etc) and is recommended for more mature audiences.

All in all, this book was very well written, rich and descriptive, and action packed. I did struggle at times, but it was well worth the read in the end! I can’t wait to continue the series! ...more "

progress:

(page 105 of 527)
— Feb 17, 2026 12:37PM

Aug 01, 2018 06:47PM · see review

Shanah is currently reading

Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)

by Travis Baldree (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in January 2023

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Shanah said: " If there were 50 starts available to rate this book, it would have all 50 and more! This is easily my new all time favourite!!!!!

I can’t even begin to describe why either. Partly because of spoilers, and partly because this isn’t really the type of b If there were 50 starts available to rate this book, it would have all 50 and more! This is easily my new all time favourite!!!!!

I can’t even begin to describe why either. Partly because of spoilers, and partly because this isn’t really the type of book that you can describe. You FEEL it more than anything. And this book feels nothing but cozy, inviting, comforting, and beautiful?

We have an Orc who’s tired of fighting. While in her travels, she found a little cafe that offered coffee, a delicacy from the gnomes. It’s like tea but not like tea. It’s bean water. But it’s delicious, warming, and a hug for the soul. She wanted more than anything to recreate that feeling. So, one day, out of nowhere, she decides to do just that.

This is where we would normally see a character trying to find the funds to afford such an expensive goal. Starting a cafe from scratch isn’t a cheap endeavour! But she saved and all the funds were available. So, instead of the struggle, we got to read about the actual building of it all. Preparing the building, making plans, buying the equipment and supplies - it was all so detailed and uneventful. Some people will hate that, but I fucking loved it! I loved being a part of the building of a thing from the ground up.

Sure the cafe was great, but the characters and the bonds they formed had my heart! These creatures who may never have come together if it wasn’t for coffee and pastries. Creatures who took a mere moment of their day to rest and enjoy this simple thing in life. Creatures who came together in times of silence and a portion of their busy lives. And even some that came together, to help build someone up for the sake of being able to, knowing that your help was needed, and nothing was asked for in return.

But it was Thimble - I cried. I love this character so much I cried on multiple occasions! My whole heart was given to Thimble and I will never ask for it back. The pure joy in baking treats, the excitement of simple pleasures, and the happiness of making others happy - Thimble, you are a cinnamon roll (wink, wink 😉)

I love that the characters weren’t human. We had orc’s succubui, gnomes, and so much more. The world itself was very high fantasy… but never truly felt like it. It was a relatable world but with people that had tails and horns.

If you love all things cozy and comforting - something to settle in with and not expecting a grand adventure, then this is your new home.

Enjoy! ☕️ ...more "

progress:

(page 195 of 305)
— 19 hours, 1 min ago

Jan 16, 2023 10:52PM · see review