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hs_bookdragon

2220 points

0% overlap
Universe Quest: Maasverse
Games & Trials
Level 5
My Taste
Fourth Wing
An Ember in the Ashes
Outlander
The Summer Queen (Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)
A Discovery of Witches
Reading...
A Desperate Fortune (Mary & Hugh, #1)
63%
Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess
0%
  • A Desperate Fortune (Mary & Hugh, #1)
    Thoughts from 63% (When Mary & Co. arrive in Valence)
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  • hs_bookdragon made progress on...

    1w
    A Desperate Fortune (Mary & Hugh, #1)

    A Desperate Fortune (Mary & Hugh, #1)

    Susanna Kearsley

    63%
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    A Desperate Fortune (Mary & Hugh, #1)

    A Desperate Fortune (Mary & Hugh, #1)

    Susanna Kearsley

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    hs_bookdragon wrote a review...

    2w
  • As Many Souls as Stars
    hs_bookdragon
    Aug 13, 2026
    As Many Souls as Stars
    4.0
    Enjoyment: 3.0Quality: 4.0Characters: 3.0Plot: 3.0

    I have mixed thoughts on this book, largely thanks to a publisher blurb that gives away entirely too much. If you're interested in reading this, skip the inside cover, as it spoils the entire first third of the story. Because I made the mistake of reading it, I was bored through the first section of the book. I started getting into it during the second section, but it wasn't until the third section that the narrative finally hooked me.

    Additionally, the romance subplot feels forced. While I could understand an attachment forming because of their deal, the central dynamic felt off—either neither character actually knows what love is, they're mistaking other feelings for affection, or the relationship is just plain toxic. Fortunately, the romance isn't central to the main plot, making it easy enough to dismiss for the most part.

    To be clear, my early boredom was the fault of the blurb's spoilers, not the writing itself. The evolution of the push-pull conflict between Miriam and Cybil is genuinely compelling, and it truly shines in the third section when Cybil takes matters into her own hands with a badass confidence reminiscent of how she started. Ultimately, the strong writing elevates what would otherwise be a middle-of-the-road 3-star read into a solid 4-star review.

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  • hs_bookdragon finished a book

    2w
    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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    2w
  • As Many Souls as Stars
    Thoughts from 66% (page 222) (Miriam in a pants role at the Carroway Ball)
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    2w
  • As Many Souls as Stars
    Thoughts from 60%
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    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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  • As Many Souls as Stars
    Thoughts from 54% (page 182) (Learning magic in Life #2)
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    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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    2w
  • As Many Souls as Stars
    Thoughts from 36% (page 126)

    I feel like it took 126 pages just to get beyond what’s stated in the synopsis… but enjoying it so far!

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    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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    3w
  • The Long Game
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    3w
    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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    hs_bookdragon commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    3w
  • Why does art feel cringe in so many books?

    Now this could just be me and I'm a terrible person but I find that authors have a really hard time making art or music seem authentic. It often just feels kinda cringy but I can't put my finger on why?!

    For example if a character likes drawing an author will be like "I got lost in the beauty of my own work, sketching those pools of ocean blue I dreamt of nightly. I drew page after page, by the time I finished the sun was coming up, my pencils were just nubs, my thumbs bled from the exertion."

    Or if the character is a musician they'll be like "I felt the vibrations of the strings into the core of my aorta" or something lol.

    It sometimes feels like the author is almost oversimplifying what it means to be an artist (which is odd because a writer is an artist).

    The most "popular" example I can think of is Feyre randomly whacking out her painting kit at any given opportunity in ACOTAR.

    The only time I've found it done well is in Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. The artist wasn't just lustfully sketching their muse, but making interesting mixed media pieces, the meaning of which was very pertinent to the story.

    Am I making any sense?? It just often feels very difficult to take these representations seriously. Whereas I feel like when characters have other hobbies or jobs, they are more normal about it.

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  • hs_bookdragon started reading...

    3w
    As Many Souls as Stars

    As Many Souls as Stars

    Natasha Siegel

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