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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Marabel and the Book of Fate in Books
Jul 12, 2018
This was the first Tracy Barrett novel that I have read and I have to say I'm really impressed. This book has all of the elements I love mashed into one story. On this middle grade adventure book you get to explore the kingdom of Magikos. Magikos is a magic free kingdom. The only magic that is allowed are the "Evils" (AKA magical creatures) that are kept in Zoos, and stables. If you want to experience magic you have to go to the Barrens. The Barrens are where you'll find all sorts of fantastical creatures including but not limited to faeries, ogres, dragons, and giants.
The plot was well thought out and developed and it was fun to join Marabel on her journey through the Barrens. I could go into more depth but I fear that it might contain spoilers so I will just say, that I enjoyed the girl power nature of this book.
Something else that I liked were the characters. Many times an author will make the rightful heir hated and a jerk, what I liked is that Marco was lovable. He seemed to truly care about Marabel and was a good brother. I loved it. Marabel was lovable as well and though there were times where she could have been self pitting she never once stopped with her adventure. My only issue was that the characters didn't have much depth to them. I would have loved to see more growth in all of the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I loved the fast paced nature of the book but I also wanted a little more depth.
The plot was well thought out and developed and it was fun to join Marabel on her journey through the Barrens. I could go into more depth but I fear that it might contain spoilers so I will just say, that I enjoyed the girl power nature of this book.
Something else that I liked were the characters. Many times an author will make the rightful heir hated and a jerk, what I liked is that Marco was lovable. He seemed to truly care about Marabel and was a good brother. I loved it. Marabel was lovable as well and though there were times where she could have been self pitting she never once stopped with her adventure. My only issue was that the characters didn't have much depth to them. I would have loved to see more growth in all of the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I loved the fast paced nature of the book but I also wanted a little more depth.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) in Books
Sep 29, 2019
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.
I am enjoying the books more than the tv series. I find myself getting frustrated at Clary,Jace and Simon even without knowing some of the outcome. I love having a visual reference for the characters taken from both the TV series and the film to fit in as im reading. Highly recommend the books I find them a lot better than both film and TV. On to Book 3!

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.
I am enjoying the books more than the tv series. I find myself getting frustrated at Clary,Jace and Simon even without knowing some of the outcome. I love having a visual reference for the characters taken from both the TV series and the film to fit in as im reading. Highly recommend the books I find them a lot better than both film and TV. On to Book 3!

Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Kiss of Vengeance in Books
Mar 3, 2020
Too much slow burn for my taste
3 1/2 Caffeinated Stars
Kiss of Vengeance is the second book in the True Immortality series by S. Young. As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Samantha Young & I thoroughly enjoyed War of Hearts. When I received this book in exchange for an honest review, I was extremely excited to dive into it, but it just wasn't my favorite. It had many of the elements I love, but at times it fell flat.
This book was a slow burn with an enemy to lover trope feel. Unfortunately, it was indeed a slow burn. There was nothing more than one-sided flirting for over 50% of the book. When I'm reading a romance, I want it to be the focal point, and it didn't feel like a focal point until 70% into the book.
Though the slow burn romance wasn't my favorite, I loved the world that S. Young created. The fantasy aspects were what kept me going. Learning about the fae & seeing their abilities kept me thoroughly entertained. I enjoyed seeing Rose learn her skills, and it was fun to see her interact with Fionn as her mentor. I do have to say that at times, her fixation on Fionn and flirting felt like her sole personality trait.
I would have loved to see more of Rose's interaction with any character that wasn't a "hot guy." When Rose wasn't flirting, I loved her strength and determination. Her joy for her abilities was something I loved about her. Fionn was a complex character. I loved learning about his background & seeing his struggle.
Even though I didn't enjoy the book as much as I liked, I'll be continuing on in the series. The fantasy and world-building were fantastic, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the series goes.
Kiss of Vengeance is the second book in the True Immortality series by S. Young. As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Samantha Young & I thoroughly enjoyed War of Hearts. When I received this book in exchange for an honest review, I was extremely excited to dive into it, but it just wasn't my favorite. It had many of the elements I love, but at times it fell flat.
This book was a slow burn with an enemy to lover trope feel. Unfortunately, it was indeed a slow burn. There was nothing more than one-sided flirting for over 50% of the book. When I'm reading a romance, I want it to be the focal point, and it didn't feel like a focal point until 70% into the book.
Though the slow burn romance wasn't my favorite, I loved the world that S. Young created. The fantasy aspects were what kept me going. Learning about the fae & seeing their abilities kept me thoroughly entertained. I enjoyed seeing Rose learn her skills, and it was fun to see her interact with Fionn as her mentor. I do have to say that at times, her fixation on Fionn and flirting felt like her sole personality trait.
I would have loved to see more of Rose's interaction with any character that wasn't a "hot guy." When Rose wasn't flirting, I loved her strength and determination. Her joy for her abilities was something I loved about her. Fionn was a complex character. I loved learning about his background & seeing his struggle.
Even though I didn't enjoy the book as much as I liked, I'll be continuing on in the series. The fantasy and world-building were fantastic, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the series goes.
A few years ago, there was an accident in Seelie and Isolde’s home village and ever since, they’ve been on the run. Seelie is an autistic changeling trying to understand and control her unpredictable magic - it doesn’t help that she finds it almost as difficult to fit in with the humans around her. Her sister Isolde, is an amazing pickpocketer and uses her skills to keep them alive. When a heist goes wrong, the twins find themselves in a larger mystery than they expected and discover secrets of the history of both faeries and humans. With new companions on their adventure can Seelie get control of her magic in time to protect her sister.
“The perfect start to any morning. Who needs coffee when you have the icy shock of mortal terror?”
I was pretty excited to read this book portraying an autistic main character written by someone who is on the spectrum themselves. It is a wonderful portrayal for children and young adults to see themselves represented, especially in a fantasy, magic filled world like we see in Unseelie. Seelie’s character is honest and true, and you see this world through her eyes - with and without overstimulating events.
Each of the four main characters were fun to meet and learn about - though I am hoping we get to see more flushed out history of both Raze and Olani in the next book.
The pacing of this novel was a bit slow in places, especially in the middle and then the ending kind of hit you fiercely. I didn’t realize this would be a duology until the last few pages, especially since nothing really wrapped up and you were kind of left with unexplained events and a cliffhanger. That being said though, I am super excited for the next book in the series and will for sure be waiting for that to hit the shelves.
*Thank you Inkyard Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
“The perfect start to any morning. Who needs coffee when you have the icy shock of mortal terror?”
I was pretty excited to read this book portraying an autistic main character written by someone who is on the spectrum themselves. It is a wonderful portrayal for children and young adults to see themselves represented, especially in a fantasy, magic filled world like we see in Unseelie. Seelie’s character is honest and true, and you see this world through her eyes - with and without overstimulating events.
Each of the four main characters were fun to meet and learn about - though I am hoping we get to see more flushed out history of both Raze and Olani in the next book.
The pacing of this novel was a bit slow in places, especially in the middle and then the ending kind of hit you fiercely. I didn’t realize this would be a duology until the last few pages, especially since nothing really wrapped up and you were kind of left with unexplained events and a cliffhanger. That being said though, I am super excited for the next book in the series and will for sure be waiting for that to hit the shelves.
*Thank you Inkyard Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely, #5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The final book in the Wicked Lovely series, this book does a thorough job of wrapping up all of the sub-plots that were left hanging throughout the books. As with any decent book series, there were lots of what-ifs that I never got to see play out, but Marr's focus seemed to be on resolving the obstacles that blocked a number of romantic relationships within the series, such as Donia and Keenan's. Many of the main players made an appearance in the book, with quite a number of them exchanging point-of-view for the benefit of the reader. A few new characters were even introduced, such as the king of the water fey that Keenan sought out.
With the build-up to Aislinn deciding between Keenan and Seth in the previous books, her final decision seemed sort of anti-climactic, though I still liked her decision. I also really liked what followed, though I get the feeling that this series was more about female power, than a balance of power between male and female.
Reading about Niall's disconnection and madness was quite fascinating, though I believed for most of the book that it was for reasons other than what was revealed. I was quite thrilled when Leslie showed up, though her part seemed rather short and abrupt. Seth's part in the book also seemed stilted. For all his talk and potential, he is not allowed to do much due to poor circumstances, and I was really quite disappointed, as he has always been my favorite character in the series.
The final battle in the faery war was gruesome, but short and filled with more talk than necessary. The two faeries whose specialty was death seemed to have much potential for creating obstacles, but in the end they just seemed to have rather simple lives - even to the point of ignorance.
I actually would love for this series to continue, if only to focus more on the politics and power games, since this book seemed to be all about everyone's romantic happily ever after.
With the build-up to Aislinn deciding between Keenan and Seth in the previous books, her final decision seemed sort of anti-climactic, though I still liked her decision. I also really liked what followed, though I get the feeling that this series was more about female power, than a balance of power between male and female.
Reading about Niall's disconnection and madness was quite fascinating, though I believed for most of the book that it was for reasons other than what was revealed. I was quite thrilled when Leslie showed up, though her part seemed rather short and abrupt. Seth's part in the book also seemed stilted. For all his talk and potential, he is not allowed to do much due to poor circumstances, and I was really quite disappointed, as he has always been my favorite character in the series.
The final battle in the faery war was gruesome, but short and filled with more talk than necessary. The two faeries whose specialty was death seemed to have much potential for creating obstacles, but in the end they just seemed to have rather simple lives - even to the point of ignorance.
I actually would love for this series to continue, if only to focus more on the politics and power games, since this book seemed to be all about everyone's romantic happily ever after.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely, #4) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
This book continued with the theme of each book focusing on different pivotal characters in the world of Faerie by focusing on Devlin and Ani and their respective roles and impact. I loved how different these two were and yet had such a strong connection right from their first meeting. As usual with this series, I could not predict the ending, which makes it all that much more satisfying.
The spectral girl Rae was a very interesting character in that she seems to be an orchestrator of much of Devlin and Ani's relationship, even though she behaves as if she is in love with Devlin. Only once is jealousy even mentioned on her part in the entire book, and it is so brief I almost missed it. This reminds me of the triangle of Niall, Irial, and Leslie, as well as the two triangles that Keenan seems to be a member of. The fact that Marr pulls all of these off so seamlessly marks her as an excellent writer, in my opinion.
The High Queen Sorcha becomes quite a sorry excuse for a queen through most of the book because of her inability to handle all of the new emotions she possesses for her "son" Seth. I find it quite ironic that though she is the creator and controller of Faerie and one of the first two faeries to exist, she is still dependent upon things she can not control in order to continue to exist.
I was very disappointed in the near absence of Aislinn and any information regarding her relationship with Seth. In addition, Keenan seems to have disappeared with no explanation, and apparently very little concern on anyone's part throughout the book. While I never liked the guy, he is kind of important in the world of Faerie.
Another loose thread that really bugged me was the outcome of Irial's injury - one minute he is dying and the next everyone is behaving as if nothing is wrong and he's not going anywhere. So which is it??
The outcome of Devlin and Ani's budding relationship was thoroughly satisfying and exactly what the world of Faerie needed, but now I am wondering what will happen with an odd number of courts. The logical response is that yet another court will be created to restore balance, but Marr rarely sticks to the easy solutions with this series. I can not wait for Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely).
The spectral girl Rae was a very interesting character in that she seems to be an orchestrator of much of Devlin and Ani's relationship, even though she behaves as if she is in love with Devlin. Only once is jealousy even mentioned on her part in the entire book, and it is so brief I almost missed it. This reminds me of the triangle of Niall, Irial, and Leslie, as well as the two triangles that Keenan seems to be a member of. The fact that Marr pulls all of these off so seamlessly marks her as an excellent writer, in my opinion.
The High Queen Sorcha becomes quite a sorry excuse for a queen through most of the book because of her inability to handle all of the new emotions she possesses for her "son" Seth. I find it quite ironic that though she is the creator and controller of Faerie and one of the first two faeries to exist, she is still dependent upon things she can not control in order to continue to exist.
I was very disappointed in the near absence of Aislinn and any information regarding her relationship with Seth. In addition, Keenan seems to have disappeared with no explanation, and apparently very little concern on anyone's part throughout the book. While I never liked the guy, he is kind of important in the world of Faerie.
Another loose thread that really bugged me was the outcome of Irial's injury - one minute he is dying and the next everyone is behaving as if nothing is wrong and he's not going anywhere. So which is it??
The outcome of Devlin and Ani's budding relationship was thoroughly satisfying and exactly what the world of Faerie needed, but now I am wondering what will happen with an odd number of courts. The logical response is that yet another court will be created to restore balance, but Marr rarely sticks to the easy solutions with this series. I can not wait for Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely).
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Magic Unleashed in Books
Mar 12, 2020
Fast Paced with some problems
TW: Sexual Assualt, Child Abuse, Abuse, mention of slavery, mention of forced prostitution, Victim blaming verbiage.
When I was approached about this book tour, I knew I needed to jump in. Magic Unleased is right up my alley, and I couldn't wait to get started. I ended up low on time, so I snagged the audiobook so that I could read it while reading a few other books in between. The narrator did a good job of portraying the characters, though, at times, his voice bordered on monotone.
Devri Walls sure knows how to write a vast world. The descriptions were great, and at times I felt like I was walking around with Rune & Grey. The setting itself was well done, and I liked to see the author's interpretations of the supernatural characters. My favorite was how the fae were portrayed. They weren't sweet, helpful things but tricksters. I just loved it.
The characters were also well done. I wanted to get to know more about Grey and Rune, and I liked seeing how they interacted with all of the characters. I enjoyed the side characters, as well. It seems like everyone, for the most part, was three dimensional. I will admit, I struggled with how young Grey & Rune acted though this is more of a me issue and not a book issue.
The one thing that didn't sit well with me was some of the victim-blaming verbiages in a specific scene. I felt that the character had every right to be upset, and I feel like she was gaslit because she didn't just accept that something "had" to happen. This scene soured me on the book, and I have to admit, I almost DNFd right then and there. After that scene, I started to notice just some of the ways that Rune was treated, and I hated how she was consistently berated instead of helped.
Though I did find some faults with this book, I ended up pushing through. In the end, I enjoyed the world that created. It was fun to see a more sinister side of faeries, and I enjoyed how fast-paced the plot was. I'm not sure that I will continue in the series, but I do understand why so many people have enjoyed it.
When I was approached about this book tour, I knew I needed to jump in. Magic Unleased is right up my alley, and I couldn't wait to get started. I ended up low on time, so I snagged the audiobook so that I could read it while reading a few other books in between. The narrator did a good job of portraying the characters, though, at times, his voice bordered on monotone.
Devri Walls sure knows how to write a vast world. The descriptions were great, and at times I felt like I was walking around with Rune & Grey. The setting itself was well done, and I liked to see the author's interpretations of the supernatural characters. My favorite was how the fae were portrayed. They weren't sweet, helpful things but tricksters. I just loved it.
The characters were also well done. I wanted to get to know more about Grey and Rune, and I liked seeing how they interacted with all of the characters. I enjoyed the side characters, as well. It seems like everyone, for the most part, was three dimensional. I will admit, I struggled with how young Grey & Rune acted though this is more of a me issue and not a book issue.
The one thing that didn't sit well with me was some of the victim-blaming verbiages in a specific scene. I felt that the character had every right to be upset, and I feel like she was gaslit because she didn't just accept that something "had" to happen. This scene soured me on the book, and I have to admit, I almost DNFd right then and there. After that scene, I started to notice just some of the ways that Rune was treated, and I hated how she was consistently berated instead of helped.
Though I did find some faults with this book, I ended up pushing through. In the end, I enjoyed the world that created. It was fun to see a more sinister side of faeries, and I enjoyed how fast-paced the plot was. I'm not sure that I will continue in the series, but I do understand why so many people have enjoyed it.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Onward (2020) in Movies
Mar 25, 2020
Fun...but..."lesser" PIxar
I am a big fan of the PIXAR films. I am a big fan of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland. I am a big fan of Fantasy films (wizards, elves, dwarves and so on...) So when I heard there was going to be a Pixar flick featuring the voice talents of Pratt and Holland about characters in a Fantasy world, I was excited to check it out.
I should have lowered my expectations.
Don't get me wrong, ONWARD is a good film. It is whimsical, fantastic and fun. It just could have been better.
Set in a time where Elves, Faeries, Unicorns and Wizards exist, but they exist as "regular" people, going to jobs, going to school, living their lives...ONWARD tells the tale of 2 brothers (Pratt and Holland) who go on a magical quest to bring back their dead father - at least for one night.
It's a fun romp, but it's not a REALLY fun romp. And that's the issue with this film. It is all lower case - where the film could have been UPPER CASE (if you know what I mean). Holland and Pratt are good together, they are not GREAT together (like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in TOY STORY or Billy Crystal and John Goodman in MONSTER'S INC.). Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is off-beat as their mother, but she isn't over-the-top WACKY as the mother. Octavio Spencer is "octane" as a former mythical creature that aids the boys - but she's not HIGH-OCTANE.
You get the drift.
I lay the fault of this on Director Dam Scanlon who's other Pixar Directorial effort, MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY suffered from a similar malaise. It was fun...not AWESOME FUN. The pacing of the film doesn't really help as there is no strong push to the goal in this film. I caught myself stirring in my seat as the film progressed...never a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, it is still a good film - the kids will like it. I just have come to expect more from PIXAR. I put Pixar films on 2 levels - GREAT Pixar films (the TOY STORY films, UP, WALL-E) and LESSER Pixar films (MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY, CARS 2, BRAVE).
I would put ONWARD in the LESSER category.
Letter Grade: B (even a "lesser" Pixar film is still above average)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
I should have lowered my expectations.
Don't get me wrong, ONWARD is a good film. It is whimsical, fantastic and fun. It just could have been better.
Set in a time where Elves, Faeries, Unicorns and Wizards exist, but they exist as "regular" people, going to jobs, going to school, living their lives...ONWARD tells the tale of 2 brothers (Pratt and Holland) who go on a magical quest to bring back their dead father - at least for one night.
It's a fun romp, but it's not a REALLY fun romp. And that's the issue with this film. It is all lower case - where the film could have been UPPER CASE (if you know what I mean). Holland and Pratt are good together, they are not GREAT together (like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in TOY STORY or Billy Crystal and John Goodman in MONSTER'S INC.). Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is off-beat as their mother, but she isn't over-the-top WACKY as the mother. Octavio Spencer is "octane" as a former mythical creature that aids the boys - but she's not HIGH-OCTANE.
You get the drift.
I lay the fault of this on Director Dam Scanlon who's other Pixar Directorial effort, MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY suffered from a similar malaise. It was fun...not AWESOME FUN. The pacing of the film doesn't really help as there is no strong push to the goal in this film. I caught myself stirring in my seat as the film progressed...never a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, it is still a good film - the kids will like it. I just have come to expect more from PIXAR. I put Pixar films on 2 levels - GREAT Pixar films (the TOY STORY films, UP, WALL-E) and LESSER Pixar films (MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY, CARS 2, BRAVE).
I would put ONWARD in the LESSER category.
Letter Grade: B (even a "lesser" Pixar film is still above average)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Morrigan in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review Posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-tour-morrigan-by-laura-deluca-review-and-guest-post.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>.
Note: Formatting has been lost due to copy and pasting.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> I received this book from YANR Blog Tours for free in exchange for an honest for the blog tour. This does not influence my review in any way.</i>
I think 3 words grabbed my attention: Tir na NOg. Only because the place was familiar from another series (I'll leave it for you guys to ponder on that). Okay, not just Tir na NOg. The blurb grabbed me as well. *o* So with that concept, I thought it might have something to do with faeries and would you be glad to know I was wrong.
I haven't read anything about Celtic mythology, or any books about it (I usually stick to Greek and Roman myths...), so Morrigan was made much more interesting to read knowing that fact. I love the fact that the author placed a glossary at the very beginning of the book - it was very helpful (hey, I'm pretty sure I'll be pronouncing everything foreign-like wrong in the end anyways, regardless of glossary there or not. But I'm sure it'll be helpful for the majority of us).
Here, we have a girl named Morrigan, who's an orphan and moving from home to home constantly. Until one day, she finds out her world isn't what it seems... AND she's different than what she thought she was. She can control fire, read the future (at least a glimpse), and move things... with her mind.
I find Morrigan an enchanting read. Like any fantasy book, we enter a different world that's "parallel" to our modern day world. I love the way Tiarn reacts to Morrigan's technological knowledge/use of modern items in Tir na NOg. However, I did find some things a bit confusing and didn't really make sense. I also loved the choice of words, especially in transitions.
I also loved the way the villains are formed. The author is descriptive and detailed with them (trust me... I had the shudders. No Nightmares though). Just when you think someone is a villain, it ends up being another... (which is a good thing, in my humble opinion). I'm also curious if there's going to be a sequel... due to the way the book ends. ;)
By the way, just because there's a werewolf, does not mean this story is going to be Twilight fashioned. It's not. ;)
Note: Formatting has been lost due to copy and pasting.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> I received this book from YANR Blog Tours for free in exchange for an honest for the blog tour. This does not influence my review in any way.</i>
I think 3 words grabbed my attention: Tir na NOg. Only because the place was familiar from another series (I'll leave it for you guys to ponder on that). Okay, not just Tir na NOg. The blurb grabbed me as well. *o* So with that concept, I thought it might have something to do with faeries and would you be glad to know I was wrong.
I haven't read anything about Celtic mythology, or any books about it (I usually stick to Greek and Roman myths...), so Morrigan was made much more interesting to read knowing that fact. I love the fact that the author placed a glossary at the very beginning of the book - it was very helpful (hey, I'm pretty sure I'll be pronouncing everything foreign-like wrong in the end anyways, regardless of glossary there or not. But I'm sure it'll be helpful for the majority of us).
Here, we have a girl named Morrigan, who's an orphan and moving from home to home constantly. Until one day, she finds out her world isn't what it seems... AND she's different than what she thought she was. She can control fire, read the future (at least a glimpse), and move things... with her mind.
I find Morrigan an enchanting read. Like any fantasy book, we enter a different world that's "parallel" to our modern day world. I love the way Tiarn reacts to Morrigan's technological knowledge/use of modern items in Tir na NOg. However, I did find some things a bit confusing and didn't really make sense. I also loved the choice of words, especially in transitions.
I also loved the way the villains are formed. The author is descriptive and detailed with them (trust me... I had the shudders. No Nightmares though). Just when you think someone is a villain, it ends up being another... (which is a good thing, in my humble opinion). I'm also curious if there's going to be a sequel... due to the way the book ends. ;)
By the way, just because there's a werewolf, does not mean this story is going to be Twilight fashioned. It's not. ;)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Last Sanctuary (The Last Sanctuary, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
This review is also on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>
The Last Sanctuary is such a sweet story! I enjoyed it very much. It also has faeries in it which I'm obsessed with =D
The Last Sanctuary by P.S. Mokha is a middle grade fantasy story. It's about three twelve year old girls, (Lily, Olivia, and Rose) who have been orphaned and their adventures trying to find the Hidden Room. On the way, they learn a lot about themselves and get themselves into many dangerous predicaments as well as finding out that they're part of a prophecy "Three will arrive. One to give...One to die...One to Live."
My favourite character was Lily. I could relate a lot to her. She seemed to be the most empathetic. I like the way she's cautious about everything and worried about getting into trouble. She's also aware of everyone's feelings. Rose was great as well. She is the brains behind the group, always working out problems and finding a way out of them. She's the one with a good head on her shoulders. Olivia is the one who's always more worried about her stomach than anything else. Of this, I can relate with her. She's always wanting to eat something and is always snacking. She, to me, seems to be the more funnier one.
I thought the world building was fantastic! The school is set in London but is hidden from the outside world. It sounds ridiculous, but the author made it believable in this book. The description of London is perfect. You can definitely tell the author lived in London. The world of Amassaya was also built beautifully. It actually sounded like a place I'd love to visit. It sounds so magical as it's supposed to.
I found the pacing to be just right for a middle grade book. It's just the right pace to keep the reader interested.
The dialogue was easy to understand. However, there were a few words, and when I say few, I mean about 5 or less, that would probably be a bit difficult for middle graders to understand. Most could be understood using context clues though.
Now I have to talk about the cover - How cool does that cover look!?! I love the faery that's on fire on the cover!!! I don't want to give too much away, but the cover shows some of the main elements of the book. The title of the book also fits the plot as well.
This book left me with a magical feeling. It had perfect comic timing but knew when to be serious. This book definitely made me feel warm =)
I'd definitely recommend this book to all those that are fans of middle grade or YA fantasy.
The Last Sanctuary is such a sweet story! I enjoyed it very much. It also has faeries in it which I'm obsessed with =D
The Last Sanctuary by P.S. Mokha is a middle grade fantasy story. It's about three twelve year old girls, (Lily, Olivia, and Rose) who have been orphaned and their adventures trying to find the Hidden Room. On the way, they learn a lot about themselves and get themselves into many dangerous predicaments as well as finding out that they're part of a prophecy "Three will arrive. One to give...One to die...One to Live."
My favourite character was Lily. I could relate a lot to her. She seemed to be the most empathetic. I like the way she's cautious about everything and worried about getting into trouble. She's also aware of everyone's feelings. Rose was great as well. She is the brains behind the group, always working out problems and finding a way out of them. She's the one with a good head on her shoulders. Olivia is the one who's always more worried about her stomach than anything else. Of this, I can relate with her. She's always wanting to eat something and is always snacking. She, to me, seems to be the more funnier one.
I thought the world building was fantastic! The school is set in London but is hidden from the outside world. It sounds ridiculous, but the author made it believable in this book. The description of London is perfect. You can definitely tell the author lived in London. The world of Amassaya was also built beautifully. It actually sounded like a place I'd love to visit. It sounds so magical as it's supposed to.
I found the pacing to be just right for a middle grade book. It's just the right pace to keep the reader interested.
The dialogue was easy to understand. However, there were a few words, and when I say few, I mean about 5 or less, that would probably be a bit difficult for middle graders to understand. Most could be understood using context clues though.
Now I have to talk about the cover - How cool does that cover look!?! I love the faery that's on fire on the cover!!! I don't want to give too much away, but the cover shows some of the main elements of the book. The title of the book also fits the plot as well.
This book left me with a magical feeling. It had perfect comic timing but knew when to be serious. This book definitely made me feel warm =)
I'd definitely recommend this book to all those that are fans of middle grade or YA fantasy.