Some of My Favourite Media:
Robin's Latest Highly Rated:
ROBIN
Hi, I’m Robin! I’m a twenty-something year old who loves all things bookish. As a child, I liked nothing more than to disappear completely into the magical worlds of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and so many others. While the bulk of my reading right now tends to be in genres other than speculative fiction (mostly contemporary fiction), I still regularly love to dive into a good Fantasy or Science-fiction book to take a break from real life.
The one thing that really makes or breaks a story for me are the characters. I can accept pretty much anything from a book as long as the characters are well written. Because of this, I tend not to be a very picky reader: I can appreciate almost all genres (except horror/thriller), and I am rarely put off by flaws that others might consider quite major (like plotholes). However, if I can’t connect to any of the characters in a story, I will have a hard time engaging with it no matter how well-crafted it is.
While books are definitely my main area of expertise, I do also love to play board games, listen to audio dramas, and watch a movie or tv-show whenever I can find the time. I am not a gamer, so you probably won’t be seeing many video game reviews from my end. Luckily we have several other curators who can fill in that gap!
I think that’s everything you need to know about me for now. I hope my reviews will help you find something you enjoy, because life’s too short to read bad books!
Diverse representation
Fantasy blended with real-world mythology
Intertexuality
Natural settings/elements
Strong (realistic) female characters
Beautiful book covers
Stories with little or no plot that focus only on the characters
Graphic violence
When scars/disfiguration are used to mark a character as evil
Depressing characters with no redeeming qualities
Endless and needlessly detailed fight/battle scenes
When a conflict between two characters is caused by an obvious misunderstanding that would be solved by a simple conversation
Dust jackets
Reviewing common Fantasy/Sci-fi tropes
- The Chosen One – ★★★ – Overdone, I know. And yet, even now there remains something alluring about the idea of being chosen for greatness, so I cannot bring myself to really hate this trope.
- The Mentor Character – ★★★★★ – It’s hard not to love someone whose sole purpose is to guide the main character to fulfil their true potential. If only real life could be that simple and comforting.
- The Evil Overlord – ★★ – I prefer my villains to have a bit more depth and ambivalence.
- The Quest – ★★★★ – A trope so classic it goes all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia, and yet a good quest still never fails to satisfy.
- Enemies to lovers – ★★★ – While you can often see the ending coming from a mile off, it is still far better than the kind of instalove where two people can’t bear to be separated after knowing each other for like five minutes.
- Damsels in distress – ★ – I don’t think it is necessary to elaborate on this one any further.
- Sentient spaceships – ★★★★ – Yes, please! What is even the point of a spaceship if it doesn’t talk?
- Found family – ★★★★★ – Heart-warming, every time.
Recent Contributions
Review: The Beast – Bertrand Bonello
In a near future where artificial intelligence reigns supreme, human emotions have become a threat. To get rid of them, Gabrielle must purify her DNA by going back into her past lives. There, she reunites with Louis, her great love. But she’s overcome by fear, a premonition that catastrophe is on the way. (Official cinema blurb)
Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi – S.A. Chakraborty
Part one in the Amina al-Sirafi Trilogy – Retired pirate captain Amina al-Sirafi is called back to the sea when she is recruited to investigate the kidnapping of the daughter of a wealthy merchant from the city of Aden. While she struggles to leave behind her daughter, she gathers her old crew around her and sets out to find the cruel Frank mercenary Falco Palamenestra. The quest takes a dark turn, however, when rumours reach Amina that the Frank is an occult sorcerer with dangerous magic…
Review: Poor Things – Yorgos Lanthimos
In this thought-provoking twist on Frankenstein, the drowned body of a young woman is brought back to life with the brain of her unborn infant. The result of this scientific experiment is Bella Baxter (portrayed by Emma Stone). Unbound by the societal norms of her era, Bella becomes resolute in her mission to advocate for equality and freedom.
Review: Poor Things – Alasdair Grey
In Alasdair Gray’s thought-provoking twist on Frankenstein, the drowned body of a young woman is brought back to life with the brain of her unborn infant. Through humor and satire, Gray pokes fun at the classic Victorian novel while offering a profound commentary on politics and gender dynamics.
Curator Question: Do you prefer books or films?
Another question for our curators: would they rather read or listen to a book, or have the story told through a television screen?