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Adriana

@roll.for.reading

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ARC/Book Reviews (mostly SF&F) • A bit of gaming content • A cat or three

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As You Wake, Break The Shell by Becky Chambers
Publication date: 13-October-2026

I'm blown away.
Let me start with a brief plot summary because that's the easy part.

Book 1 of a planned duology, As You Wake, Break the Shell follows 2 FMCs: Signy - a reclusive botanist/bioengineer whose purpose in life is helping people, and Cora - a pilot facing serious health issues because she is bonded to a giant alien creature (essentially serving as a spaceship), whom she loves dearly, but takes a toll on her brain. Through a dual-POV and dual-timeline, we see how Signy and Cora's lives get intertwined on a planet where humanity has established a space colony, left to fend for itself.

This has to be one of the most beautifully writtten, romantic, sad but hopeful pieces of literature I've ever read. I didn't expect it to connect with me so deeply and I find it really hard to put into words why it did. Raw and vulnerable, every emotion was laid out bare for us to witness, especially at the times when Cora talks to her alien and needs to explain all kinds of confusing human concepts to her.

I was trying to explain it to my boyfriend and at some point I said "well..nothing Really happened" because there weren't epic battles, action scenes, murder mysteries and all that..and yet the story kept progressing, diving deeper into these characters psyche (and my own) and I couldn't stop flipping the pages (or..well..tapping the screen).

It was solemn..melancholic..reflective.. and captured an entire universe within two ordinary lives. (If living in space is ordinary).
There were moments that hurt quite deep and moments that made me feel grateful for what I have, and I kinda shed a few tears but don't tell anyone !!

Its my first Becky Chambers, and I don't know if it's her best work, but if I'm craving to read more of hers, then I think it's a great place to start for new readers like me.

Thank you for the eARC @hodderscape ! @netgalley

#fantasybooks #newbooks #booksta #bookreview by @roll.for.reading

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2 days ago

Q: Which book has your favourite dragons?

I hear it's dragon .. week..weekend? Dragon days?
I got many books with dragons! So far my favourite dragons are written by some queens in the genre ! But I also have a horrible memory so Im sure I've missed something from my shelf and I'll have to remedy that next time.

The Dragon Spirits Trilogy by @_llmacrae I read recently and I loved the complicated personalities of each dragon. I think its the only story I've seen so far that really depicts them as untameable forces of nature that are neither good nor bad.

The Roots of Chaos by @say_shannon was something I picked randomly from the library years ago and those are probably the books I want to reread the most right now out of everything I own. I don't remember almost anything from the plot anymore, but I remember the beautiful writing !

A Language of Dragons trilogy by @sfwilliamsonauthor - last book to be released in January. I've read only the first one and I loved the story - lots of politics and action and Bulgarian dragons!! You don't see that every day.

#fantasybooks #booksta #shelfie #books #dragons by @roll.for.reading

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4 days ago

Another Saturday, another silly little post!

Some authors I like and why I like them, and maybe you'll find something new for you. Or not because who hasn't heard of Red Rising :)

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! For me, it's garden harvesting time so I can hole up all winter with not just my books but also lots of potatoes 😁

#booksta #bookrecs #fantasybooks #scifibooks
#booksbooksbooks by @roll.for.reading

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5 days ago

Beasts of the Wild Black by @rj.barker
Release date: 06-Oct-2026

"It was harder to mistreat animals when they could talk back to you. Harder to destroy their environment when those who lived there could tell you how much it hurt them"

Bringing genetically enhanced animals into space battles sounds like a super fun premise so I didn't expect to tear up a few times during this short novella (I should have known better since animals are my soft spot).
How do you handle the ethics of making animals more intelligent just because we think higher intelligence is a good thing? How do you make sure they have a say in how they participate in the world?

The story is about Captain Min Law and his crew of humans, bears, rooks and cats, who receive a distress signal from a supposedly unexplored planet. They soon discover wrecked ships, dead bodies, and technology that seems disturbingly familiar..and basically end up fighting for their own lives.

I did struggle a bit to stay engaged with the plot and I was lacking a bit more character work (hence the imperfect score) but I loved the message of hope and values RJ tried to bring with it. With how humans treat other humans and turn a blind eye, I feel like the care for our nature and animals has taken a backseat. It was nice for a moment to be in a world, where humanity has evolved past its horrible, abusive practices and strives for a future that's beneficial for all. I hope to see at least some of that in my lifetime.

And sometimes, a tiny cat can indeed make all the difference.

Thank you @podiumentertainment for the ALC!

#audiobook #fantasybooks #books #scifibooks #newreleases by @roll.for.reading

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9 days ago

I don't have commitment issues UNLESS we're talking about stickers ! So I picked up these acrylic stands and now I can display the stickers I'm currently not using or I find too precious to use. They just slot between the plates and I can rotate them forever.

There's probably a diagnosis for this.

Happy Sunday !

#sundayshelfie #shelfie #booksbooksbooks #booksta #homelibrary by @roll.for.reading

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a month ago

The Lost Spectacular - by @zoe.duhaime
Release date: 29-09-2026

The story follows childhood friends Noon and Munro, who discover a magical festival containing everything humanity has ever lost. As adults, their opposing views on loss put them against each other: Noon wants to protect the Spectacular, while Munro wants to recover and preserve its treasures.

I don't usually read for the vibes (gimme maps, politics, strategy, etc), but I loved being immersed in this world! The comp to The Night Circus (one of my fav books) is quite spot on, and set my expectations for that kind of dreamlike story.

I read this right after a particularly exhausting work week and during the first pages I was worried Im too tired to figure out what the hell is going on, so my only option was to just go with it. Its a lyrical, beautiful story about loss, grief and the magical moments captured within pages. You won't understand what's going on right away, so it really is something you need to be in the right whimsical mood for, and to take your time savouring it.

I have not given it a perfect score because it did almost lose me completely several times, so I understand why people either love it or DNF it. I think the vagueness could have been toned down without ruining the poetry of it, and would have helped me with connecting to the characters and the story more.

Thank you @netgalley @solarisbooks for the eARC!

#fantasybooks #newrelease #booksta #books #bookreview by @roll.for.reading

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17 days ago

Hi frens,
September has been busyyyyyyyy!
Didn't do as much reading as I wanted to, but this time of year is always tough at work. Thankful to have a job that pays for my expensive hobby though 🙏
Been having some friends over incl. this weekend, which is lovely too!

Q: I know everyone is reading spooky stuff this season, but I have nothing like that planned. If you could recommend one spooky/horror book, what would it be? Preferably with a nice audiobook :)

Have a lovely spooky October ! 👻

#booksta #wrapup #reading #books #fantasybooks by @roll.for.reading

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13 days ago

I couldn't be more excited for this upcoming release! One of the best series I've discovered this year! It will be bittersweet to get to the end of the Memories of Kenjir trilogy by @theabelmontero but still - I'm very much looking forward to doing a reread of Books 1 and 2 and the finale next April!

#fantasy #newreleases #newbook #bookrec by @roll.for.reading

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20 days ago

The Tethered God by Noah Brisk
Release date: 22-09-2026 (so, today)

In theory, this book is exactly what I like to read - interesting magic system, gore, profanity (yeah, I know thats an odd one to say:D) characters that are far from perfect...But something just didn't click for me.
I think its fair to acknowledge here that this is a bit of an odd case of reviewing an author who is a well-known voice in this community. To me, the hype around his debut has for the first time ever affected my expectations of a book. I had preconceived notions of what this book is about, because of all the comps floating around - to other books, games, movies - you name it.

I felt like many of the comparisons this book had received were true, but to the point where I couldnt hear Noah's voice but instead think "oh yeah that does indeed remind me of XYZ". The more flowery polished prose was nice, but combined with a very rough unpolished dialogue wasn't somehow fitting for me. It definitely starts off strong, and continues to amp up the action and I especially liked the way he set up the worldbuilding from the start. From the moment Brann and Serene meet, you begin learning bits and pieces of the magic system, the characters past and who they are up against. Its just the right amount of complexity for us to easily get into it, without being bored.

Normally, I'd also add some of the blurb here, but you can hear the pitch from the man himself :)

There is a lot to like and lots of potential, and I'd like to see how Noah grows as an author with his own signature voice.

As always - thankful for the ARC !

#booksta #bookreviews # by @roll.for.reading

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23 days ago

Saturdays are for making my own trends and silly little posts !

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend and reading something really good! by @roll.for.reading

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a month ago

Happy Sunday!

Okay, this is maybe technically not highlighting the shelfie, but I'm actually packing everything away today for some house work next week, so I improvised! I hate the thought of having to put all the books back 😫 but I love the thought of having aircon installed in the house!

I try to not have duplicate copies of the same book, but it happens ! The fairyloot edition is second-hand and the standard one has lovely deckled edges so I must keep them both!

Which book do you have most copies of? Or do you keep them to 1 only (which is the normal thing to do if you ask me, but for most of us - show us a bit of cool artwork and it all goes downhill 😅) ?

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and reading some lovely books ! I am very behind on my ARCs so today is kinda the day to catch up!

#shelf #bookshelf #shelfie #fantasybooks #booksta by @roll.for.reading

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25 days ago

*Credit for The Story Scale - created by @kjmelendy - go check out her awesome book recs and writing projects 🫶. And in case it isn't clear - the scale is not a measure of quality. Its just about the pace or complexity you can expect :) *

A Soul Divided by @danielmquilter is the epitome of a hidden gem!

In a galaxy divided between a technologically advanced Human Empire and the magically enhanced Mystic Empire, Princess Olivia is kidnapped by a powerful enemy. Unfortunately for her, her only hope is Drake Ashbell - a rebellious space pirate, former Mystic prince, and someone with...shall we say a darker side. And as if having to save one damsel in distress wasn't enough, Drake accidently ends up saving a random girl, Angela, from slavery. They all get on each other's nerves and we get to enjoy all the banter! And when I say a damsel in distress it is only a figure of speech because those ladies are not to be messed with!

Take a wild guess what I'll say next..? Yes, The 👏 Character 👏 Work ! All of the main or supporting characters are written so well, that you get to understand their motives and personality even from a few lines. I have rarely seen a multi-POV book with a large and diverse cast, where I just can't pick a favourite.

The blend of sci-fi and magic worked really well in the story too - you got your fancy weapons and space travels, but also the myths and legends of gods who have granted powers to specific races and to those they deem worthy.
Unless.. you commit some sins...then things will get pretty interesting for you.

I read this during a very busy work week, which is the only reason why it took me several days and not just devouring it in one sitting. The mini-cliffhangers at the end of almost every chapter had me hooked!

If you needed something more upbeat that takes you on a wild adventure, then I have solved your problem with this rec.

#review #booksta #fantasybooks #scifibooks by @roll.for.reading

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a month ago