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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Anointed in Books
Sep 6, 2019
The cover grabbed my attention straight away when I saw this in the Netgalley catalogue. You should know by now that I like a good cover.
Then comes the story... Well. I read books for the romance aspect and it took a little too long, in my opinion, for anything even slightly romantic to happen. Yeah, I get she's on a mission to save the world and everything but surely she's allowed a little fun? Nevertheless, when it did happen. Phew! It was scorching. The attraction between Alana and Gaelen was hot from the very first meeting...and his eyes! The only problem with their attraction is that they don't particularly like or trust each other so they fight it, which results in some hot scenes.
There was a lot of description, which I will honestly say bores me to death sometimes and I skip over large areas. In this I scanned it, looking for important stuff that I might need to know.
It had a fair share of location changes; going from London to Wales to Italy to Ireland, as Alana hunted for the items and the information she needed to stop the demons from coming through the rift.
Not really for me, but if you like Urban Fantasy, lots of description, or some steamy sex scenes and attraction then this is probably for you.
Then comes the story... Well. I read books for the romance aspect and it took a little too long, in my opinion, for anything even slightly romantic to happen. Yeah, I get she's on a mission to save the world and everything but surely she's allowed a little fun? Nevertheless, when it did happen. Phew! It was scorching. The attraction between Alana and Gaelen was hot from the very first meeting...and his eyes! The only problem with their attraction is that they don't particularly like or trust each other so they fight it, which results in some hot scenes.
There was a lot of description, which I will honestly say bores me to death sometimes and I skip over large areas. In this I scanned it, looking for important stuff that I might need to know.
It had a fair share of location changes; going from London to Wales to Italy to Ireland, as Alana hunted for the items and the information she needed to stop the demons from coming through the rift.
Not really for me, but if you like Urban Fantasy, lots of description, or some steamy sex scenes and attraction then this is probably for you.
Cage of Deceit (Reign of Secrets #1)
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The Source of Magic (Academy of Falling Kingdoms #1)
6.0
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I can speak to demons. The punishment is death. The mission: put on a dress, pretend to be a...
Bandits And Ball Gowns (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #5)
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One Prince Finds True Love ... And Risks It All Elle Cynder has fallen hard for Alec, the...
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A Paradox of Fates (Prevent the Past #1)
8.0
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One woman bred to save the world… Dr. Elaine “Lainey” Randolph was born with one sole...
Science Fiction Time Travel Romance
Seeds of Sorrow (Immortal Realms #1)
Elle Beaumont and Christis Christie
8.0
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Life for Eden is simple—until she's given to the nightmare king. Wishing for more adventure in...
Dark Fantasy Mythology
Merissa (11800 KP) rated Naked Choke (More Than A Cowboy #1) in Books
May 23, 2023
I will start this review by stating that it takes something to get me to read and review Contemporary. I don't know why, but I'm more Paranormal or Fantasy. However, something about this synopsis caught my eye and I decided to give it a go. I am very glad that I did!
To start with, Emory is in her late 30s and has all the doubts that go with that, especially when she is out in the field for the first time in a long time. Stuck talking to someone she has absolutely no interest in, she is more than happy when the man who caught her eye before, comes to her rescue.
On the surface, Gray and Emory probably don't make the most obvious couple. However, I loved their every interaction as they melded together in more ways than one. They completed each other perfectly, which set my sappy heart racing!
Fast-paced, romantic, hot, and with a dash of mystery and suspense thrown in, this is one contemporary novel that hooked me from the first page, much to my surprise and delight. I will definitely be reading more of Vanessa Vale's work - just in the name of research, of course 😉
Absolutely and definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 24, 2016
To start with, Emory is in her late 30s and has all the doubts that go with that, especially when she is out in the field for the first time in a long time. Stuck talking to someone she has absolutely no interest in, she is more than happy when the man who caught her eye before, comes to her rescue.
On the surface, Gray and Emory probably don't make the most obvious couple. However, I loved their every interaction as they melded together in more ways than one. They completed each other perfectly, which set my sappy heart racing!
Fast-paced, romantic, hot, and with a dash of mystery and suspense thrown in, this is one contemporary novel that hooked me from the first page, much to my surprise and delight. I will definitely be reading more of Vanessa Vale's work - just in the name of research, of course 😉
Absolutely and definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 24, 2016
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Beyond the Red Mountains in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Kelvin has lived all his life in the city of Triopolis, a peaceful place between the mountains and the sea. After all there are no other towns or civilisations on the planet, not since the Dark Days when everything changed.
Kelvin's first clue that all might not be as he has been taught when he discovers an old book warning about a mysterious figure called Luther who seems to have been carefully erased from the history of Triopolis. And it is clear that he is not the only one who is aware of secrets.
Elizabeth is the princess of Westville, the centre of a civilisation that has conquered every other city in the world - there are not many. She is locked in a loveless and arranged marriage but is determined to find some way out.
When fate brings Kelvin and Elizabeth together they realise there is a lot more going on than the elders of either city would have them believe. Before long they are on the run, desperately trying to save themselves and their cities from dark forces. They have allies and enemies, but telling one from the other is only half the battle...
Beyond the Red Mountains is a fantasy novel that is of epic proportions but avoids all the tropes and cliches of 'epic' fantasy. There isn't really a great quest, there isn't a dark lord threatening all of existence. All of the characters seem very real and all have their own reasons for their actions, whether these are with or against the main protagonists.
There are many twists and turns and the story doesn't let itself get too bogged down in long conversations or descriptions, letting the story unfold to reveal the narrative and the history. Not every decision Kelvin and Elizabeth make is the right one, but it is always made with the best intentions. The characterisation really does stand out, with a lot of care taken to make the characters believable. I was particularly struck by one of the characters who are opposed to Kelvin and Elizabeth but the reader ends up feeling enormous sympathy for.
There is a (perhaps inevitable) romantic connection between Kelvin and Elizabeth but this is well played and unfolds very realistically and is never overplayed or overstated. Some of the keepers of ancient wisdom they meet are perhaps a little to forthcoming about forbidden knowledge but this means the story doesn't slow but can take the next step so this can be forgiven.
The prose is very simple, clearly aimed at a young adult audience, although some of the themes and scenes are perhaps not for the very young end of the spectrum. As an introduction to lengthy fantasy tales this works very well though. The ending is a real cliff hanger and definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
There were a few more spelling mistakes and incorrect (or plain missing) words in the eBook version I read but this wasn't really a problem, it was always clear what was intended.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to tackle a human-scale epic fantasy novel with a difference, one that cared about all of its characters, even the ones nominally pitched against the 'heroes'.
Kelvin's first clue that all might not be as he has been taught when he discovers an old book warning about a mysterious figure called Luther who seems to have been carefully erased from the history of Triopolis. And it is clear that he is not the only one who is aware of secrets.
Elizabeth is the princess of Westville, the centre of a civilisation that has conquered every other city in the world - there are not many. She is locked in a loveless and arranged marriage but is determined to find some way out.
When fate brings Kelvin and Elizabeth together they realise there is a lot more going on than the elders of either city would have them believe. Before long they are on the run, desperately trying to save themselves and their cities from dark forces. They have allies and enemies, but telling one from the other is only half the battle...
Beyond the Red Mountains is a fantasy novel that is of epic proportions but avoids all the tropes and cliches of 'epic' fantasy. There isn't really a great quest, there isn't a dark lord threatening all of existence. All of the characters seem very real and all have their own reasons for their actions, whether these are with or against the main protagonists.
There are many twists and turns and the story doesn't let itself get too bogged down in long conversations or descriptions, letting the story unfold to reveal the narrative and the history. Not every decision Kelvin and Elizabeth make is the right one, but it is always made with the best intentions. The characterisation really does stand out, with a lot of care taken to make the characters believable. I was particularly struck by one of the characters who are opposed to Kelvin and Elizabeth but the reader ends up feeling enormous sympathy for.
There is a (perhaps inevitable) romantic connection between Kelvin and Elizabeth but this is well played and unfolds very realistically and is never overplayed or overstated. Some of the keepers of ancient wisdom they meet are perhaps a little to forthcoming about forbidden knowledge but this means the story doesn't slow but can take the next step so this can be forgiven.
The prose is very simple, clearly aimed at a young adult audience, although some of the themes and scenes are perhaps not for the very young end of the spectrum. As an introduction to lengthy fantasy tales this works very well though. The ending is a real cliff hanger and definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
There were a few more spelling mistakes and incorrect (or plain missing) words in the eBook version I read but this wasn't really a problem, it was always clear what was intended.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to tackle a human-scale epic fantasy novel with a difference, one that cared about all of its characters, even the ones nominally pitched against the 'heroes'.
Nadia (1 KP) rated A Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
Aug 16, 2018
Beautiful characters (1 more)
Interesting fantasy world
Falling back in love with fairies.
When I first picked up this book, I was expecting it to be just another book about a teenage girl falling in love with some irresistible fairie. Although I didn't expect much as I haven't really enjoyed many YA novels about fairies in a few years, I fell in love myself with the protagonist, Feyre, and many of the other characters.
Feyre's character reminds me of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. She is strong and independent with clear motivations and her progression towards a softer, more gentle character throughout the book never takes away that strength. My favourite thing about her character is that she finds love but she never stops relying on herself.
Leading on from that, the main romance in this book is very believable and real, developing over time, with Maas presenting Feyre and Tamlin as equals, helping each other to grow. This is a refreshing change from many YA romances, where a man swoops in to save a damaged woman from all of her problems. Plus, there are many non-romantic relationships that really lighten up the novel. An example of this is Feyre's friendship with Lucien which, although purely platonic, is just as inspiring and lovely as any romance.
My only criticism of this novel is that it could have been longer. I really enjoyed the final part of the story, where Feyre goes through a lot for her relationship, because it really showcases her strength. However, it felt slightly rushed at some points, considering it is meant to take place over around 3 months. The final confrontation near then end seemed to be very quick and I can see how this makes sense with the story but I still would have liked to have a bit more to read.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes YA fantasy with romance, politics and magic. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Feyre's character reminds me of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. She is strong and independent with clear motivations and her progression towards a softer, more gentle character throughout the book never takes away that strength. My favourite thing about her character is that she finds love but she never stops relying on herself.
Leading on from that, the main romance in this book is very believable and real, developing over time, with Maas presenting Feyre and Tamlin as equals, helping each other to grow. This is a refreshing change from many YA romances, where a man swoops in to save a damaged woman from all of her problems. Plus, there are many non-romantic relationships that really lighten up the novel. An example of this is Feyre's friendship with Lucien which, although purely platonic, is just as inspiring and lovely as any romance.
My only criticism of this novel is that it could have been longer. I really enjoyed the final part of the story, where Feyre goes through a lot for her relationship, because it really showcases her strength. However, it felt slightly rushed at some points, considering it is meant to take place over around 3 months. The final confrontation near then end seemed to be very quick and I can see how this makes sense with the story but I still would have liked to have a bit more to read.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes YA fantasy with romance, politics and magic. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Restore Me: Shatter Me Book 4
8.3
Rate It
Book
The book that all SHATTER ME fans have been waiting for is finally here. The fourth incredible...
science fiction fantasy young adult