Tag: 2024 audiobook challenge

Book Review | Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Posted August 13, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #46: Featuring Indigenous culture )
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

This has been on my shelf for ages. I heard so much praise for it and I finally decided to read it.

The Quotes

“In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”

“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”

“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.”

The Narrator(s)

Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her voice is so gentle and soothing, I absolutely loved listening to her. She made me feel so connected to her, to the earth, to the stories she was telling.

My Thoughts

This book was longer than I expected, but it was such a beautiful meandering journey. It was really soothing to listen to and I felt like I was in another dreamy and idealistic world. I felt really connected to the earth and nature listening to it, but there were also parts that made me sad and angry about the state of the world now because we don’t honor and appreciate the earth the way we should be. I loved the journey and one day I’ll take it again.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown

Posted August 13, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown

In April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of emigrants led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and fourteen others set out for California on snowshoes and, over the next thirty-two days, endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.

In this gripping narrative, Daniel James Brown sheds new light on one of the most infamous events in American history. Following every painful footstep of Sarah’s journey with the Donner Party, Brown produces a tale both spellbinding and richly informative.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Reading Challenge

The Reason

I’ve been curious about the Donner Party for a while, but I recently listened to The Last Podcast on the Left’s episodes on the Donner Party and that made me even more interested in reading more.

The Quotes

“Science is not the truth. Science is finding the truth. When science changes its opinion, it didn’t lie to you. It learned more.”

“Choosing to be curious is choosing to be vulnerable because it requires us to surender to uncertainty. We have to ask questions, admit to not knowing, risk being told that we shouldn’t be asking, and, sometimes, make discoveries that lead to discomfort.”

“In fact, research shows that the process of labeling emotional experience is related to greater emotion regulation and psychosocial well-being.”

The Narrator(s)

Michael Prichard. His narration was clear and easy to listen to, it was good.

My Thoughts

I never knew their ordeal lasted so long! Things just kept getting worse and worse and they never got a reprieve. A lot of it happened because of bad decisions made by stubborn and egotistical men, but there was also so much bad luck involved that made bad situations worse. I’m also aware of the Andes plane crash incident and the cannibalism that happened due to desperation, but it felt so much worse here with the Donner Party, probably because their ordeal lasted a lot longer, but some of it was just cruelty and depravity. It is absolutely horrifying to read about.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

Posted August 13, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.

Over the past two decades, Brown’s extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as on Brown’s singular skills as a storyteller, to show us how accurately naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice.

Brown shares, “I want this book to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves.”

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Reading Challenge

The Reason

I love all of Brene Brown’s works, and I’ve had this book on my shelf for ages.

The Quotes

“Science is not the truth. Science is finding the truth. When science changes its opinion, it didn’t lie to you. It learned more.”

“Choosing to be curious is choosing to be vulnerable because it requires us to surender to uncertainty. We have to ask questions, admit to not knowing, risk being told that we shouldn’t be asking, and, sometimes, make discoveries that lead to discomfort.”

“In fact, research shows that the process of labeling emotional experience is related to greater emotion regulation and psychosocial well-being.”

The Narrator(s)

Brene Brown. I love listening to her reading her own books. She’s so warm and genuine and you really feel like she’s talking directly to you.

My Thoughts

So I actually started reading the physical book a long time ago but I kept getting stalled because there were so many parts that hit me in the gut and I just had to stop and think about them. I finally finished this book because I got it on audiobook and decided I was going to listen all the way through. There were still many parts that hit me in the gut and made me want to stop and think about them, but it was also much easier to let the audiobook keep playing, so I did.

My Feels

Gut punch after gut punch after gut punch. It’s so interesting how putting our feelings into words can help so much. I still feel like I need to come back to this book over and over again and really think about all these emotions and their definitions and all the times I’ve felt them. It’s incredible.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Clocktaur War Series by T. Kingfisher

Posted August 6, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Clocktaur War Series : Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine

A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a scholar), thrown together in an attempt to unravel the secret of the Clockwork Boys, mechanical soldiers from a neighboring kingdom that promise ruin to the Dowager’s city.

If they succeed, rewards and pardons await, but that requires a long journey through enemy territory, directly into the capital. It also requires them to refrain from killing each other along the way! At turns darkly comic and touching, Clockwork Boys puts together a broken group of people trying to make the most of the rest of their lives as they drive forward on their suicide mission.

Pull three people out of prison–a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy.

What could possibly go wrong?

In the sequel to CLOCKWORK BOYS, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys. But the secrets they’re keeping could well destroy them, before the city even gets the chance…

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

I’m a fan of T. Kingfisher and I’m making my way through her books. I got these on audio s

The Narrator(s)

Khristine Hvam. I enjoyed her narration.

My Thoughts

It was just what I needed. I enjoyed the story; I love when we see different people who otherwise wouldn’t be friends come together for a specific reason, because the story is as much their relationship dynamics as well as what happens in the plot. Caliban and Slate reminds me a little of Joscelin and Phedre in Kushiel’s Dart, and the whole band reminds me of Bayaz’s band in Before We Are Hanged. I also really enjoyed the element of Slate’s allergies/powers, I thought that was hilarious and interesting.

My Feels

I have a lot of feels about a certain ship with Caliban and Slate. I love how it develops and how they are with each other. I wish I could see more of them and apparently there are more books set in the same world, but they feature different characters and I’m not sure if any of the characters from this series appear again. I may revisit in the future.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. 4 stars for both these books and the series as a whole.

Have you read this series? Would you read this series? Did you like it or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Posted August 6, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

I’ve read this book in print but people keep saying how good it is on audio and FOMO got me, so I signed up for Audible just to get the audiobook.

The Quotes

“Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.”

“Fist my bump.”

“Grumpy. Angry. Stupid. How long since last sleep, question?”

“Good. Proud. I am scary space monster. You are leaky space blob.”

The Narrator(s)

Ray Porter. He has been praised so much as a narrator and I can certainly see what the fuss is about. He’s great!

My Thoughts

It hasn’t been that long since I read this book the first time, but I am blessed/cursed with a short-term memory when it comes to book details so I had forgotten a lot of what happens and how. I did remember some of the big details though, and as I was reading I kept looking forward to them, and was still very delighted to be reminded of how it all happens.

Since I’ve read this before I’ll also add my initial thoughts here for reference, written July 2021:

I loved this book so much! I loved The Martian, but this one completely surpasses it in so many ways. I feel like I cannot write a review that adequately describes my feelings right now. The Martian was a really smart book, and hilarious, and it appealed to me because of all the problems Mark Watney faced and the innovative solutions he came up with – and Andy Weir is also such a great writer in the way he makes it easy to understand all the science-y stuff.

But this book. This book has got all of that – the science-y stuff, the life-threatening problems, the innovative solutions, the humor… but it has also got feels! So much feels. ALL the feels! How do I even start?

The mystery he woke up with, the confusion of how everything worked, the loneliness, the excitement, the frustration, the friendship, the camaraderie, the anguish, the acceptance, the bittersweetness, the determination, the trust, the betrayal, the love, the fear, the choices… (no spoilers – it’s just how good the book is!)

I love this book so F**KING much!

My Feels

I will never not love Rocky and Ryland’s relationship. I love seeing how their relationship develops, how they learn from each other, how they communicate about cultural stuff, laugh with each other, respect each other.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. Of course 5 stars, and yes, the audiobook was such a great way to experience the book the second time around!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Posted July 20, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

When Love cast me out, it was Cruelty who took pity on me.

The land of Terre d’Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good…and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission…and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel’s Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair…and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel’s Dart – a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #11: Title starting with the letter “K”)
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

I’ve tried reading this book before but gave up a long time ago. Some book buddies of mine were reading it recently and their discussion piqued my interest and so I decided to try again.

The Quotes

“That which yields is not always weak.”

“It’s funny, how one can look back on a sorrow one thought one might well die of at the time, and know that one had not yet reckoned the tenth part of true grief.”

“It is my observations, though, that happiness limits the amount of suffering one is willing to inflict upon others.”

“If I had to fall from Cassiel’s grace, at least I know it took a courtesan worthy of Kings to do it.”

The Narrator(s)

Anne Flosnik. She did a great job, I have no complaints.

My Thoughts

Funny story; I’d picked this book up so many times before but just couldn’t get into it. I was disappointed because I’d heard so much praise about it and I really wanted to like it, but it felt like such a chore to read it so I finally decided that it was not for me. I marked it as dnf, and not as something I would try again in the future, but something that I had made my peace with never reading again. That was in 2020.

Well… recently a couple of my book buddies decided to read it and I was not interested in reading the book with them, but I was interested in their thoughts about it because I wanted to know what I was missing. I never got past Chapter 5 the last times I read it, but the conversations between my friends got me more and more interested the further they got into the book, and as luck would have it, Kushiel’s Dart (and the other books in Kushiel’s Legacy) are currently free on the Audible Plus catalogue, so I thought I might as well try again.

Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I remembered but I still wasn’t very invested during the first third of the book. I kept on with it because it was easy to keep going on audio, and I did enjoy it but I wasn’t enthralled by it or anything. The second third of the book was amazing though. It was my favorite part of the book; it was thrilling, adventurous, the stakes were high, and I enjoyed seeing Phedre and Joscelin navigate their treacherous circumstances. The final third of the book was also interesting, but not as exciting as the middle, but at that point I had become invested.

And again, to be fair, this last couple of months have been weird for me so I’m not as present as usual with my reading. But I think that this book is a success for me and I’m so glad that I finally read it. I think I might even keep going with the rest of the books!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. I’m only rating it three stars because it was still difficult to get into and even though I loved the middle part of the book, I have to rate it as a whole. Hopefully if I reread in the future when I’m more present, I might end up rating it higher.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte

Posted July 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte

The dinosaurs. Sixty-six million years ago, the Earth’s most fearsome creatures vanished. Today they remain one of our planet’s great mysteries. Now The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs reveals their extraordinary, 200-million-year-long story as never before.

In this captivating narrative (enlivened with more than seventy original illustrations and photographs), Steve Brusatte, a young American paleontologist who has emerged as one of the foremost stars of the field—naming fifteen new species and leading groundbreaking scientific studies and fieldwork—masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. Captivating and revelatory, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book for the ages.

Brusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers—themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period—into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, T. rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs’ peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth’s history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a “sixth extinction.”

Brusatte also recalls compelling stories from his globe-trotting expeditions during one of the most exciting eras in dinosaur research—which he calls “a new golden age of discovery”—and offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable findings he and his colleagues have made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs; monstrous carnivores even larger than T. rex; and paradigm-shifting feathered raptors from China.

An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs’ epic saga, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs will be a definitive and treasured account for decades to come.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

Our in-person bookclub decided we wanted to go on a road trip to the Royal Tyrrell Museum this summer and thought we should read a book that was related to the dinosaurs.

The Quotes

“There is a dinosaur outside my window. I’m watching it as I write this.”

“You could call T. rex the James Dean of dinosaurs: it lived fast and died young.”

“A new species of dinosaur is currently being found, on average, once a week.”

The Narrator(s)

Patrick Lawlor. No complaints, it was great!

My Thoughts

So I had actually bought a physical copy of this book but ended up also borrowing the audiobook through my library. The audiobook went a lot faster and I occasionally refered to the physical book for pictures and illustrations, but I mostly finished it on audio. I thought about writing this review after I reread through the physical book again because I’m not sure I absorbed everything I wanted through audio, but life has been hectic and I don’t think I’ll be able to absorb everything even if I reread in print, so I’m letting it be.

Accepting that, I must say that this was a very interesting book and I really enjoyed listening to it. One of the things that delighted me the most is that I live in Alberta and we have an amazing dinosaur museum and history here that is also referenced in the book.

I’ve actually been to the Royal Tyrrell Museum three times before but the last time was at least five years ago and it’s time to go back and learn more, and hopefully remember more! I do intend to read this book again, eventually, but even if I don’t remember the details, I remember enjoying the process of listening to the book.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Posted July 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

It’s one of my most anticipated books this year and the audiobook finally became available on Libby, so I read it!

The Quotes

“Language creates possibility. Sometimes by being used. Sometimes by being kept secret.”

“You think you know hardship, but men have a gift for finding new ways to make women suffer.”

“It is a danger to become nothing. You hope no one will look, and so one day when you go to find yourself, only dust remains, ground down to nothing from sheer neglect.”

“Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing, is opening doors to others lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.”

The Narrator(s)

Lauren Fortgang. She was pretty good. There were some parts I couldn’t make out very well, and names and pronunciation of certain words were hard to get too, but that’s not unusual for sci-fi and fantasy stories.

My Thoughts

I’m a fan of Leigh Bardugo, but I don’t always enjoy all her books. Some I love, some are just okay, but they are always worth reading to find out! As a story, I loved this one. I thought the premise was very interesting and I didn’t expect the book to go where it did. That’s one of the things I enjoyed most about this book, that it was not very predictable. Some of the elements are familiar, but told in such a new and different way.

My Feels

To be fair, I read this book during a tumultuous time and wasn’t paying a hundred percent attention to it, so I think I didn’t get immersed into the emotional aspect of it as much as I would’ve been. Even so, there were parts where I did get hit in the feels, and they were great, but I think if I had been paying full attention, I might have been more affected by the story. It’s still a great read and I believe I’ll come back to it again one day when I can be more present. I also plan to read it on print so that I won’t get confused by the names and characters!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Posted July 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity.

Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one’s own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard.

With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

This was my bookclub’s Book of the Month for June, with the theme being LGBQT+ books/writers.

The Quotes

“They say nothing lasts forever but they’re just scared it will last longer than they can love it.”

“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.”

“I am writing because they told me to never start a sentence with because. But I wasn’t trying to make a sentence—I was trying to break free. Because freedom, I am told, is nothing but the distance between the hunter and its prey.”

“Perhaps it was not a destination I sought, but merely a continuation.”

The Narrator(s)

The writer himself, Ocean Vuong. The book was absolutely beautiful and he was the perfect narrator for it.

My Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect going into this book but suffice to say I didn’t know it was going to be so beautiful and lyrical. The book talks about a lot of difficult things, awkward things, painful things, but with such beautiful words and flow that makes it feel like a magical fever dream. I don’t know how to describe it but it’s just one of the most amazing reading experiences and it moves you to the core.

My Feels

I loved it, and I love it some more. There’s so much complexity in this story and the way the story is told. I’m just so blown away.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Posted July 19, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

Nobleman Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he’s about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

My online bookclub had a disagreement about the books, with some saying they loved it and some saying they hated it. I had to see what the fuss was about and where I stood on the matter.

I finished these books way back in May and June, and hadn’t gotten around to reviewing them so I decided to review them as a series and not as individual books.

The Quotes

“You have to be realistic about these things.”

There are so many great quotes in this series and I had a whole post about it a couple of months ago. Check it out for more amazing quotes from the books!

The Narrator(s)

Steven Pacey. He is an amazing narrator for these books! I have to admit that he makes me want to reread the books again just to hear his narration. His portrayal of Glokta is particularly good, but he does a great job with all the characters throughout and I’m really curious to try more of his works.

My Thoughts

The Blade Itself
I started this book not really liking any of the main characters, and ended up loving them all! I think it’s brilliant that they are all so flawed and yet so relatable. I also love the “taglines” and repetitive quotes many of the characters use throughout the book. Some people criticise it as being lazy writing, but I feel like it’s actually quite true to real life because we repeat quotes and sayings all the time, and these characters and this world happen to have their own set of quotes and sayings they use all the time. I loved the first book and it left me wanting more.

Before They Are Hanged
I started the second book almost immediately after, and I loved it even more. I especially love the quest that Logen and his team go on, and the way they all bonded through that journey. A lot of second books aren’t the best, but I think this one might be my favorite book in the trilogy. The stakes get higher, and it’s so thrilling to see some of the ways they resolve their issues. Glokta’s story was very exciting too, and he’s easily one of my favorite characters.

Last Argument of Kings
It took a while to get to the final book because I had to wait on some book buddies, but I’ll be upfront and say I’m not completely satisfied with the resolution of the story in this book. I’m happy with most of it, but I have a problem with Logen’s storyline because I didn’t feel it was consistent what we’ve seen of him before. It’s a whole thing and I could get into it, but I won’t for now (unless provoked! 😂) so I’ll just focus on the positives. Overall, I loved the whole trilogy, and if I can find more audiobooks in set in this world narrated by Steven Pacey, I’m definitely going to read more!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars

Have you read this series? Would you read this series? Did you like the books or do you think you would like them?

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