User Profile

Azalea Forrest

azaleaforrest@bookrastinating.com

Joined 1 year, 4 months ago

Author of Witch in the Lighthouse, fantasy || Lover of cats, wine, & video games || she/her || Living Ghibli Character || Big fan of shorter fantasy novels

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Katie O'Neill: Tea Dragon Tapestry (2020, Oni Press, Incorporated) 5 stars

Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon …

Review of 'The Tea Dragon Tapestry' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

What a beautiful, loving story. So many wonderful life lessons wrapped in such a tasteful, gorgeous comic. The tea dragons are as adorable as always, and I love seeing certain characters return in this tale.

Review of 'Metanoia' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Metanoia is a dark fantasy for sure: the world is bleak, violent, and oppressive. You must conform to the Temple's ways, and questioning their laws can lead to death. But there is a nomadic sect that fights against the Temple's laws, full of people capable of magic and communication with the gods. Branded as heretics, any association with the group could ruin you.

Despite all the darkness in the world, there is a shining light that is the character Ohkai. Somehow, despite it all, he can see the good in people, much to the chagrin of his best friend, Loba.

I really love the characters in this book, and am excited to see more of them. The friendships that grow and develop as the book progresses are probably my favorite parts, and I found myself laughing along with them as they tease each other.

There were some parts that felt …

Ursula K. Le Guin: The Tombs of Atuan (Paperback, 2001, Aladdin Paperbacks) 4 stars

The Tombs of Atuan is a fantasy novel by the American author Ursula K. Le …

Review of 'The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The Tombs of Atuan is Book #2 in The Tales of Earthsea, a high fantasy series by Ursula K. Le Guin. Tombs is about a young girl named Tenar, who is taken from her home to become a priestess in the middle of a desert, where nothing ever seems to change, and the world outside is something evil, and to be feared.

I would have at first complained that the first 40% or so of The Tombs of Atuan is quite slow. And it’s true, I struggled to push forward. Comparing it to Ged’s adventure in The Wizard of Earthsea, to see a young girl taken from her home and turned into the head priestess/human goddess of darkness, things were bleak, and slow, and dull. But that was the point.

As I got to the middle, I ate the rest of the book up with vigor. I love Tenar. She …

Andrzej Sapkowski: The Last Wish (Paperback, 2008, Orbit) 4 stars

Geralt de Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded …

Review of 'The Last Wish' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Geralt is gruff and sarcastic, and yet he's a loveable character. His sense of humor and moralistic approach to his life and his job is something to admire in a character. Despite being in the middle of playing Witcher 3, and having already seen the show, I found myself still wanting to read on.

The Last Wish is a collection of short stories that comprises most if not all of Geralt's scenes in the first season of the Netflix adaptation, and more. As usual, I prefer the books to the adaptations, because there is so much more nuance and other characters that turn this world into something you can really feel yourself falling into. Sapkowski's lore and worldbuilding is absolutely phenomenal, and I love how he ties in real-world fairytales into the witcher world's reality. A Grain of Truth and The Edge of the World were my favorite of these …