Review - Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

 

 

 Title: Alien Clay

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Pages: 396

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: 28th March 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 They travelled into the unknown and left themselves behind...

Alien Clay is a thrilling tale of alien encounter – from the acclaimed Arthur C. Clarke Award-winner Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Professor Arton Daghdev has always wanted to study alien life in person. But when his political activism sees him exiled to the planet Kiln, condemned to work under an unfamiliar sky until he dies, his idealistic wish becomes a terrible reality.

Kiln boasts a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem. Its monstrous alien life means Arton will risk death on a daily basis – if the camp’s oppressive regime doesn’t kill him first. But, if he survives, Kiln’s lost civilization holds a wondrous, terrible secret. It will redefine life and intelligence as he knows it – and might just set him free.

 

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop 

 

 

 

 

My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan*

-DNF @55% -

Professor Arton Daghdev has been sentenced to a one-way trip to the deadly planet Kiln because of his political views.
Working in the labour camp on Kiln, Arton studies the unusual alien life and ruins, which is unlike anything he has ever seen before.
Life in the camp is harsh, and Arton soon finds himself falling back into old ways and joining with others to form a revolutionary group.
Can Arton survive life on Kiln?

I had never read a book by this author before, but I'd heard good things about their previous novels. As a sci-fi fan, I was keen to give this a try, but ended up being disappointed, unfortunately.
Arton was a mixed protagonist for me - I felt sorry for him ending up in a labour camp on Kiln, but I felt that he could have been more fleshed out, and that I didn't really know much about him as a person.
The world of Kiln was interesting and the life there.
I found the plot to be very slow and I struggled to stay invested or interested in what was happening. The writing style didn't help with this, and I ended up deciding not to continue reading.

Unfortunately, this ended up not being for me. 

 

  

Review - A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

 

 Title: A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Pages: 434

Publisher: Del Rey

Release Date: 27th February 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya's dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region's jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest She possesses a drop of a goddess's blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he's destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

 Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

My Review:

 - DNF @35% -

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Cornerstone and NetGalley*

 

 
Stuck in an unhappy marriage, Freya yearns for more in life.
When the secret magic that Freya has concealed since childhood is revealed, her life changes, but not necessarily for the better.
Freya finds herself in possession of a man who is intent on using Freya and the prophecy concerning her to convince others to unite under his rule as king.
Now with a target on her, Freya must do all she can to survive, and to resist the pull she feels to Bjorn, the would-be king's heir.

The blurb for this book intrigued me as I liked the sound of the mix of Vikings, gods and magic. However, I ended up being disappointed.
Freya was a mixed protagonist for me as there were times I felt sorry for her - people thought of her as a thing to own, and she didn't have any say in what was happening. However, she frustrated me with how often her thoughts turned to mentally undressing Bjorn, and while I didn't dislike that she was attracted to him, it was overused and made it feel like she had no personality.
The concept of people having a drop of a god's blood and being able to use their power was interesting.
The plot was not enjoyable for me and didn't hold my attention or make me care about what would happen at all. I'm not sure if it was a mix of the plot with the writing style, but I really didn't like the way the story was handled. It got to the point where I couldn't bring myself to read anymore, and I decided to stop.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, as I thought it had a lot of potential.

Overall, this wasn't for me.

 

 

DNF Review - The Hurricane Wars (The Hurricane Wars, #1) by Thea Guanzon

 

 

 

 Title: The Hurricane Wars (The Hurricane Wars, #1)

Author: Thea Guanzon

Pages: 480

Publisher: HarperVoyager

Release Date: 12th October 2023

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

The Night Empire will rule all.
Nothing can stand in the way of its might and power.
Little by little, year by year, the Hurricane Wars take more and more from those who resists the empire’s supremacy.
And yet, there is hope in the darkness.
One lone light stands against the empire.

Talasyn was left on the steps of a Sardovian orphanage as a baby. All she has ever known are the Hurricane Wars, as her people fight for freedom from the tyranny of the Night Emperor Gaheris. But are they her people? Talasyn dreams of one day finding where she comes from – her true place, family, and the source of the Lightweave magic that flows through her veins like sunlight.

Alaric of House Ossinast, Master of the Shadowforged Legion and Gaheris’s only son and heir has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating the Sardovian Allford alliance with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, all Alaric can see is their goal: extinguish all threats to the empire.

That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. He tries and fails to kill her, his now greatest enemy slipping through his fingers.

But a greater threat is coming. One that will overshadow the Hurricane Wars.
Will these mortal enemies be able to come together to confront it or is everything that has been fought over for so long about to be destroyed?

  

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley*

- DNF at 25% - 

 

 

Talasyn fights in the Hurricane Wars, trying to save her homeland from being taken over by the ruthless Night Emperor.

But, Talasyn is hiding secrets - a magic runs through her veins that hasn't been seen in years, and she feels a strange connection to a foreign land that refuses to aid in the war.

Alaric is the son of the Night Emperor and carries out his father's orders, killing and taking land as he wages war.

When Talasyn and Alaric's paths cross on the battlefield, a chain of events unfolds that will change their lives forever.

Having heard good things about this book, I was intrigued to give it a try, but I ended up being disappointed.

Talasyn was a mixed protagonist for me - while I felt sorry for her having been left at an orphanage and not knowing her parents or where she came from, the author tried too hard to make Talasyn witty and funny, which I didn't find her to be particularly. This was especially the case when Talasyn and Alaric bantered/exchanged verbal barbs when fighting. I rolled my eyes at those scenes.

I couldn't help but think of the Grishaverse books when reading this, and comparing Talasyn to Alina, and Alaric to the Darkling. However, this book did have the interesting concept of aether ships and the aether coming from different dimensions.

The plot was enjoyable to begin with, but I soon began to lose interest due to a mix of info dumps, the pacing, the previously mentioned thoughts on Talasyn, and the writing style overall (which I found hard to connect with, and there were some scenes that felt a little like they had come from a fanfiction).

Whilst this had potential, I couldn't bring myself to keep reading and stopped at 25%.

Overall, this was a disappointed read.

  

DNF Review - Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

 

 

 

Title: Poor Things

Author: Alasdair Gray

Pages: 339

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: 1st August 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 One of Alasdair Gray's most brilliant creations, Poor Things is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter - a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. Godwin Baxter's scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of Bella, but his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless's jealous love for Baxter's creation.

The hilarious tale of love and scandal that ensues would be "the whole story" in the hands of a lesser author (which in fact it is, for this account is actually written by Dr. McCandless). For Gray, though, this is only half the story, after which Bella (a.k.a. Victoria McCandless) has her own say in the matter. Satirizing the classic Victorian novel, Poor Things is a hilarious political allegory and a thought-provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women, from one of Scotland's most accomplished author.

  

 Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

My Review: 

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ)*

 

- DNF at 42% -

Doctor Godwin Baxter revives the body of a dead woman using the brain of her unborn baby, and names her Bella Baxter.

Godwin's friend Doctor McCandless meets Bella and instantly falls in love with her.

Both Godwin and McCandless have plans for Bella, but those are torn up when Bella takes matters into her own hands.

I hadn't heard of this book prior to the film adaptation, and while the concept is somewhat disturbing, I was intrigued to see what would happen. Unfortunately, I ended up not enjoying it and did stop reading at 42%.

Part of the book is told from the perspective of McCandless, who I didn't like - the first time he saw Bella he supposedly fell instantly in love with her and wanted to marry her. He knew nothing about Bella except what Godwin had told him.

I felt sorry for Bella, and the circumstances of her creation.

The Victorian setting was interesting.

The book is told from several perspectives and with some very long letters interspersed between these. It was during one of these long letters that I began to skim read. Not invested and uninterested in what was happening, I decided to stop reading. I don't think the writing style helped, as I didn't find it engaging.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this, but it really bothered me the way Bella was treated and portrayed.

Overall, this was not an enjoyable read.

 

 

DNF Review - The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost, #1) by C.L. Clark

 

 

 Title: The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost, #1)

Author: C.L. Clark

Release Date: 23rd March 2021

Pages: 528

Publisher: Orbit

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale. 

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

 My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley*

-DNF @62% -

Touraine was one of many children taken from their homeland and trained as soldiers for the empire. Now a lieutenant, Touraine and her company are being sent back home to quell the rising rebellion.

Luca needs to convince her uncle that she is ready to take her rightful place as queen. She is determined to make peace with the rebels and needs someone to act as an intermediary.

Luca's intentions may be good, but can she bring peace when tensions are rising?

Will being back in her homeland make Touraine question where her loyalty should lie?

This is one of the fantasy novels that I have seen around a lot this year, and as a fantasy fan I was excited to read it. However, it ended up being not for me.

Touraine and Luca were protagonists that I felt sorry for, but I didn't feel that I really connected with them properly, which meant that I wasn't invested in what happened to them.

The setting was interesting, as was one of the main themes of colonialism, which we got to see from both points of view.

The plot was enjoyable to begin with, but rather slow, which after a while, led to me becoming bored. It got to the point where I didn't want to pick the book back up and I decided to DNF.

I'm really disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as the diversity appealed to me.

Overall, this unfortunately wasn't for me.

 

DNF Review - The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

 

 

Title: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

Author: Garth Nix

Pages: 416

Publisher: Gollancz

Release Date: 24th September 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

A girl's quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of fantasy, Garth Nix.

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn't get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.

Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.

Susan's search for her father begins with her mother's possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan's. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley*

-DNF @38%-

Susan Arkshaw is in London trying to find out the identity of her father. She has only a handful of clues as to who he could be and one opportunity is taken away when Susan's 'uncle' Frank is literally turned to dust by a silver hat-pin.

The wielder of the hat-pin is a bookseller called Merlin, who is a left-handed bookseller - someone who polices the creatures of the Old World, alongside the right-handed booksellers (the left-handed booksellers being the fighting ones and the right-handed booksellers being more intellectual). Merlin has been attempting to uncover who killed his mother after a failed investigation by the police.

Could Susan and Merlin's quests be linked?

Who is Susan's father?

I've grown up loving Garth Nix's books and I'm always intrigued to see what he will release next. However, unfortunately, I haven't enjoyed his most recent releases as much.

Susan and Merlin were okay characters but I didn't particularly connect to either of them or any of the other characters.

The plot gets going straight away, and while there were moments that piqued my interest, overall I really struggled to get into what was happening.

The writing style didn't work for me on this occasion and it was a forced effort to continue reading. It got to the point where I'd put the book down and then couldn't bring myself to pick it back up.

I absolutely loved the premise for this book and expected to enjoy it, but it ended up being a book that just wasn't for me. I might try giving this another go at some point in the future, but for now I've decided to stop reading.

Overall, this wasn't for me, unfortunately.

DNF Review - The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

 

 

Title: The Once and Future Witches

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Pages: 529

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: 13th October 2020

Blurb from Goodreads:

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

 

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley*

- DNF @50% -

It's 1893 and it is not a good time to be a woman - they don't have the right to vote and their magic has been reduced to small, useful spells which are nothing like the powerful witching that was once around.

The Eastwood sisters have grown apart and are living different lives, but James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth and Beatrice Belladonna find themselves drawn back together and seeking the power of the old witching.

However, there are forces at work that intend to stop them.

Will the sisters triumph?

Having enjoyed the author's previous novel, I was excited to read this one, especially as the time period and the magic intrigued me. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed.

The sisters were fairly interesting protagonists and they were very different from one another. While Agnes was my favourite, I'm not left with overly strong feelings about any of the characters.

The setting of New Salem didn't feel very fleshed out to me and I would have liked some more information/detail about it.

My main issue with the book was that it was far too long. I don't mind character-focused books when I love the characters and enjoy the plot and setting, but in this case I found the storyline almost achingly slow and the other aspects of the book were not enough to save it. I read over two hundred pages of this book and it could quite easily have been cut in half given how little actually happened.

I liked that nursery rhymes were used as spells and the fairy tales that were included throughout the book.

I might have another go at reading this at some point, but on this occasion I couldn't bring myself to pick up the book to read more and decided to DNF it.

I can definitely see other people enjoying this book, but, unfortunately, this wasn't for me.

DNF Review - The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

 

 

Title: The Angel of the Crows

Author: Katherine Addison

Pages: 448

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: 23rd June 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads: 

A fantasy novel of alternate 1880s London, where killers stalk the night and the ultimate power is naming.

This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the book you are expecting.

In an alternate 1880s London, angels inhabit every public building, and vampires and werewolves walk the streets with human beings under a well-regulated truce. A fantastic utopia, except for a few things: Angels can Fall, and that Fall is like a nuclear bomb in both the physical and metaphysical worlds. And human beings remain human, with all their kindness and greed and passions and murderous intent.

Jack the Ripper stalks the streets of this London too. But this London has an Angel. The Angel of the Crows.

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley*

- DNF @20% -

It's London in the 1880s, but not as we know it.

Supernatural creatures roam the streets, coexisting with humans, but there is also a killer on the loose.

An angel works to catch the killer with help from a human sidekick. Can they stop the killer together?

The premise of this book really intrigued me - Sherlock + Supernatural + Jack the Ripper should have been something right up my street and been something that I loved, but unfortunately this wasn't for me.

I did enjoy the first few chapters, but then I found myself losing interest and I couldn't get back into what was happening.

The characters were okay but I didn't really connect with or care about any of them.

This did feel a bit like fan-fiction rather than an original novel.

The descriptions of the victims bothered me. It's a misconception that Jack the Ripper's victims were all prostitutes, but this book (what I read, at least) did nothing to contest that misconception.

This was a book where I couldn't get on with the plot or writing style and in the end I decided to stop reading, which was disappointing as I'd been looking forward to reading it.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me.

 

 

 

DNF Review - A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians (The Shadow Histories, #1) by H.G. Parry

 

 

Title: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians (The Shadow Histories, #1)

Author: H.G. Parry

Pages: 544

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: 23rd June 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

A sweeping tale of revolution and wonder in a world not quite like our own, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is a genre-defying story of magic, war, and the struggle for freedom in the early modern world.

It is the Age of Enlightenment -- of new and magical political movements, from the necromancer Robespierre calling for revolution in France to the weather mage Toussaint L'Ouverture leading the slaves of Haiti in their fight for freedom, to the bold new Prime Minister William Pitt weighing the legalization of magic amongst commoners in Britain and abolition throughout its colonies overseas.

But amidst all of the upheaval of the early modern world, there is an unknown force inciting all of human civilization into violent conflict. And it will require the combined efforts of revolutionaries, magicians, and abolitionists to unmask this hidden enemy before the whole world falls to darkness and chaos.

For more from H. G. Parry, check out The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley*

 

-DNF @28%-

 

Change is in the air.

Prime Minister William Pitt works to change the laws relating to the commoners' use of magic in Britain.

In France, revolution is in the air as a man called Robespierre uses his outlawed magic alongside a mysterious benefactor.

Slaves in Haiti fight to be free, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, a weather mage.

But a shadow is falling over the land, one that everyone will have to join together to fight against if they are to have a hope at surviving.

As a fan of the author's previous book, The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep, I was excited to read their latest release. However, it ended up not being for me.

There are several main characters, but in what I did read most of the chapters were about William Wilberforce and William Pitt. I enjoyed reading about their friendship, but I didn't feel that I particularly connected to either of them, or any of the other characters.

The premise of the commoners and the aristocrats having different laws when it came to magic was interesting, as was the magic itself.

The plot was way too slow paced for me. Not much happened in what I read and the book felt very character-driven, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case the characters were not enough to keep me interested or to keep me reading.

I'm really disappointed that I didn't end up enjoying this as I was really looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, this ended up not being for me.

 

My Most Disappointing Reads and Books I DNF'd in 2020

 

 

Let's get straight to the tea with

  MY FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING READS OF 2020

 

5. Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

3/5 stars

I had been excited to read Autoboyography for ages but I ended up having mixed feelings about it, although I did enjoy it overall.

 

 

 4. The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow, #1) by Kalyn Josephson

2.5/5 stars

The premise of The Storm Crow really intrigued me and I loved the idea of crow riders, but I ended up losing interest.

 

 

3. Viper (Isles of Storm and Sorrow, #1) by Bex Hogan

2.5/5 stars

Having seen a lot of love for these books, I was excited to read Viper, but I ended up really disappointed by it. I got bored and wasn't a big fan of the writing style.

Read my review here.

 
 

2. Havenfall (Havenfall, #1) by Sara Holland

2/5 stars

Havenfall was a book that I was really looking forward to reading, but I ended up really disappointed by it. The setting was interesting, but the plot was predictable and the pacing was too slow at times.

Read my review here.

 

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

3/5 stars

It's not unusual for me to have unpopular opinions and I definitely have one of the most unpopular opinions of 2020 - I was really disappointed by The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I didn't like the characters and preferred the first half of the book.

Read my review here.

 

 

 

BOOKS I DNF'D IN 2020

 

I'm a big believer in DNFing books that I'm not enjoying, so it's not really a surprise to me that I ended up DNFing nine books this year.

A lot of these were books that I was really looking forward to reading, so I was incredibly disappointed that I ended up not liking them.

Here are the books I DNF'd and why . . .

 

 My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

DNF at 34%

I really struggled with the writing style and to stay interested in what was happening. I also couldn't connect with the characters.

Read my review here.

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, #1) by Hafsah Faizal

DNF at 34%

Oh boy. I was so excited to read this but straight away I struggled with the story and writing style. The pacing was also off for me and I couldn't connect to the characters.

 Read my review here.

 

 

 The Rage of Dragons (The Burning, #1) by Evan Winter

DNF at 12%

Going into The Rage of Dragons I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it, but the blurb intrigued me so I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, I became confused and wanted more description than I was given. I struggled with the writing and decided to stop reading because I wasn't enjoying what I was reading.

Read my review here.

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle, #1) by Adam Silvera

DNF at 39%

Going into this book I had seen a lot of mixed reviews, so I wasn't expecting to love it. While there were aspects that I did like, the pacing was too slow for me and I couldn't connect with the characters or the writing style. In the end, I decided to stop reading.

Read my review here.

The Never Tilting World (The Never Tilting World, #1) by Rin Chupeco

DNF at 27%

Having been disappointed by one of the author's previous books (The Bone Witch. Controversial I know), I was a bit hesitant going into this one. While the concept was intriguing, I found there to be too many points of view. I also didn't really care about the characters or the romance. I struggled to stay interested in the plot and decided to DNF rather than force myself to read on.

Read my review here.

The Black Hawks (Articles of Faith, #1) by David Wragg

DNF at 34%

I was really looking forward to some good action scenes going into this book, but none of the characters stood out for me and I didn't feel invested in the storyline. I also struggled with the writing style and decided to stop reading.

 

Read my review here.

 

 

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

DNF at 32%

I really liked the sound of this book, but I found parts of it confusing and couldn't connect with the characters. This was another case where I struggled with the writing style and the plot and ended up deciding to stop reading.

Read my review here.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

DNF at 39%

I'd heard a lot of good things going into this book, so I was excited to read it. However, I found the main character very frustrating at times and not much happened plot-wise. I felt like I might have gotten more into the book if it had been written in first person instead of third person.

Read my review here.

 

 

Circle of Shadows (Circle of Shadows, #1) by Evelyn Skye

DNF at 194

 

I actually enjoyed this to start with, but after a while I lost interest and couldn't get back into the storyline.

  What are your most disappointing reads of 2020?

Did you DNF any books this year?