Search
Dana (24 KP) rated A Court of Mist and Fury in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Wow. Just wow. There are going to be spoilers in this review, so read at your own peril.
I have actually read this book three times cover to cover since I got it. You could say that I love it, just a bit.
I absolutely adored the character developments. Yes, they were heartbreaking at times (I'm looking at you Feyre), but they were so necessary to be able to move the story along. At first, I was kind of upset that we didn't get all of the mushy romance between Tamlin and Feyre, especially not seeing their engagement, but it all turned around from there. I loved being able to see Feyre struggling with her new body as well as her new mental state. I appreciate Sarah J Maas because she isn't sugar coating the trauma these characters went through. We are living in their heads, so we should expect to see the consequences of what happened Under the Mountain.
That being said, my initial ship of Tamlin and Feyre completely sunk at page 120. I was starting to dislike Tamlin since the beginning of the book since he was so overprotective and he was basically smothering Feyre, but I didn't start to hate him until he locked her up. The literal hate fire that was ebbing off of me while I was reading that was just too much. He disregarded her as being a person who had hopes and dreams and flaws just to make himself feel better about himself.
But now, I am totally team Rhysand!!!! Oh my god, actual knight in shining armor right here. I think he has gone through an amazing character arc as well. In the first book, he was more the arrogant, cocky asshole who seemed to only do things for himself, but in this book, he has become a real person. I loved being able to see his soft side whenever he is around his Inner Circle. His happiness around them is almost infectious! And then him around Feyre is just the cutest thing in the world. I just can't with him. He loves her to a point where he would be willing to make himself suffer to see her happy, which is something Tamlin I don't think would ever do. And then the tension between him and Feyre, holy cow. I loved those scenes. (Especially the more blush worthy scenes, those make me really happy [The Court of Nightmares, the Inn, the Cabin, Starfall, etc.]). It was amazing to see how they complimented each other and actually worked together to make things better. His power is phenomenal and I would not want that going against me, ever.
I really enjoyed how both Rhysand and Feyre have moments where they have to use each other to get out of their nightmares. That is the kind of relationship she needs, someone who helps her deal with her issues while also needing the same help for himself. Being able to see the parallels between the two moments was really cool.
Ugh, and Feyre not being able to paint for the majority of the book was heartbreaking. I loved how it was Rhys who was the one to get her to paint again.
The Inner Circle makes me laugh whenever they are in a scene.
Cassian is adorable. I think he would be like a Labrador puppy just following them around, but being able to get very protective when he needs to be. When he trains Feyre and she breaks down, that broke my heart. Here was a guy who didn't really know her very well, but was willing to stand up for her in ways that Tamlin and Lucien would do. Plus, him and Nesta are going to be a thing, I just know it.
Amren is not someone I would want to get on my bad side. She is intense in all of her feelings, loyalty included. She would kill for any of her friends and would never feel bad about it. I loved how much she stood up for Feyre, even when Feyre didn't really notice her being that kind. I want to know how much power this girl holds, though.
Mor is my spirit animal. She keeps getting up whenever she is kicked down. She stands tall against her family and I appreciate that. And on top of it all, she is still able to smile and be an overall amazing person. Yes, she has made mistakes in the past, but she is living with them and dealing. I want her and Azriel to just be together all ready!! Her moments with Feyre are really sweet because she is constantly reaffirming the feelings without making Feyre feel bad about any of it.
Azriel is intimidating as hell. He honestly terrifies me, but he is still so sweet. Sarah, why do you keep making such amazing characters?!?!?
I love Velaris. I want to live there forever. It was described so beautifully that it was easy to see exactly what they were seeing.
The story line move along very well. I loved how the plot developed. I honestly have no complaints about this book at all.
Like I said, I thought it was necessary for the story to start where it did, especially with the bad relations between her and Tamlin. The wedding was important too because it showed how much she had changed, how much she didn't want to be in that relationship any longer. When Rhys showed up, he was her savior, but she didn't know it at the time. She didn't know that they had more of a connection than she thought. I don't like what Tamlin and Lucien forced her to do. They didn't think about any of her issues with anything they may have done--especially forcing her to spy for them on Rhys, the only person besides Alys who cares about her well being.
Her learning how to read was just like I thought it would be. Rhys' sentences he made her copy were adorably brilliant.
I honestly think my favorite part of this novel would have to be a tie between Starfall, the Court of Nightmares, and the cabin in the woods. Each of these scenes were, in their own right, moments where Feyre finally let herself be happy, let herself feel more than despair and hatred for what she had done. You can feel a shift in her in each of these moments as well.
I think the major plot movements went very well. Starting with Feyre having to prove to herself that she wasn't a porcelain doll to be able to use her powers to be able to go against the King of Hybern. All of it was connected and based on what she had previously gone through. Even the relationships had to be fleshed out enough in the beginning to get to the ending in a realistic and understandable way.
And OH MY GOD MATING BOND!!!!!!!!!! So freaking great. I loved being able to see it in action. ;D
If you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, you are going to like this one even more. The story is much more fleshed out and the characters feel more realistic.
Overall, I think I am going to be reading this book over and over again for the foreseeable future!! (Also, can someone get me a Rhys? I need one. Now.)
I honestly cannot stop reading this book. As of 22 Mar 2018, I have read it about 10 times
I have actually read this book three times cover to cover since I got it. You could say that I love it, just a bit.
I absolutely adored the character developments. Yes, they were heartbreaking at times (I'm looking at you Feyre), but they were so necessary to be able to move the story along. At first, I was kind of upset that we didn't get all of the mushy romance between Tamlin and Feyre, especially not seeing their engagement, but it all turned around from there. I loved being able to see Feyre struggling with her new body as well as her new mental state. I appreciate Sarah J Maas because she isn't sugar coating the trauma these characters went through. We are living in their heads, so we should expect to see the consequences of what happened Under the Mountain.
That being said, my initial ship of Tamlin and Feyre completely sunk at page 120. I was starting to dislike Tamlin since the beginning of the book since he was so overprotective and he was basically smothering Feyre, but I didn't start to hate him until he locked her up. The literal hate fire that was ebbing off of me while I was reading that was just too much. He disregarded her as being a person who had hopes and dreams and flaws just to make himself feel better about himself.
But now, I am totally team Rhysand!!!! Oh my god, actual knight in shining armor right here. I think he has gone through an amazing character arc as well. In the first book, he was more the arrogant, cocky asshole who seemed to only do things for himself, but in this book, he has become a real person. I loved being able to see his soft side whenever he is around his Inner Circle. His happiness around them is almost infectious! And then him around Feyre is just the cutest thing in the world. I just can't with him. He loves her to a point where he would be willing to make himself suffer to see her happy, which is something Tamlin I don't think would ever do. And then the tension between him and Feyre, holy cow. I loved those scenes. (Especially the more blush worthy scenes, those make me really happy [The Court of Nightmares, the Inn, the Cabin, Starfall, etc.]). It was amazing to see how they complimented each other and actually worked together to make things better. His power is phenomenal and I would not want that going against me, ever.
I really enjoyed how both Rhysand and Feyre have moments where they have to use each other to get out of their nightmares. That is the kind of relationship she needs, someone who helps her deal with her issues while also needing the same help for himself. Being able to see the parallels between the two moments was really cool.
Ugh, and Feyre not being able to paint for the majority of the book was heartbreaking. I loved how it was Rhys who was the one to get her to paint again.
The Inner Circle makes me laugh whenever they are in a scene.
Cassian is adorable. I think he would be like a Labrador puppy just following them around, but being able to get very protective when he needs to be. When he trains Feyre and she breaks down, that broke my heart. Here was a guy who didn't really know her very well, but was willing to stand up for her in ways that Tamlin and Lucien would do. Plus, him and Nesta are going to be a thing, I just know it.
Amren is not someone I would want to get on my bad side. She is intense in all of her feelings, loyalty included. She would kill for any of her friends and would never feel bad about it. I loved how much she stood up for Feyre, even when Feyre didn't really notice her being that kind. I want to know how much power this girl holds, though.
Mor is my spirit animal. She keeps getting up whenever she is kicked down. She stands tall against her family and I appreciate that. And on top of it all, she is still able to smile and be an overall amazing person. Yes, she has made mistakes in the past, but she is living with them and dealing. I want her and Azriel to just be together all ready!! Her moments with Feyre are really sweet because she is constantly reaffirming the feelings without making Feyre feel bad about any of it.
Azriel is intimidating as hell. He honestly terrifies me, but he is still so sweet. Sarah, why do you keep making such amazing characters?!?!?
I love Velaris. I want to live there forever. It was described so beautifully that it was easy to see exactly what they were seeing.
The story line move along very well. I loved how the plot developed. I honestly have no complaints about this book at all.
Like I said, I thought it was necessary for the story to start where it did, especially with the bad relations between her and Tamlin. The wedding was important too because it showed how much she had changed, how much she didn't want to be in that relationship any longer. When Rhys showed up, he was her savior, but she didn't know it at the time. She didn't know that they had more of a connection than she thought. I don't like what Tamlin and Lucien forced her to do. They didn't think about any of her issues with anything they may have done--especially forcing her to spy for them on Rhys, the only person besides Alys who cares about her well being.
Her learning how to read was just like I thought it would be. Rhys' sentences he made her copy were adorably brilliant.
I honestly think my favorite part of this novel would have to be a tie between Starfall, the Court of Nightmares, and the cabin in the woods. Each of these scenes were, in their own right, moments where Feyre finally let herself be happy, let herself feel more than despair and hatred for what she had done. You can feel a shift in her in each of these moments as well.
I think the major plot movements went very well. Starting with Feyre having to prove to herself that she wasn't a porcelain doll to be able to use her powers to be able to go against the King of Hybern. All of it was connected and based on what she had previously gone through. Even the relationships had to be fleshed out enough in the beginning to get to the ending in a realistic and understandable way.
And OH MY GOD MATING BOND!!!!!!!!!! So freaking great. I loved being able to see it in action. ;D
If you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, you are going to like this one even more. The story is much more fleshed out and the characters feel more realistic.
Overall, I think I am going to be reading this book over and over again for the foreseeable future!! (Also, can someone get me a Rhys? I need one. Now.)
I honestly cannot stop reading this book. As of 22 Mar 2018, I have read it about 10 times
Dana (24 KP) rated A Court of Mist and Fury in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Wow. Just wow. There are going to be spoilers in this review, so read at your own peril.
I have actually read this book three times cover to cover since I got it. You could say that I love it, just a bit.
I absolutely adored the character developments. Yes, they were heartbreaking at times (I'm looking at you Feyre), but they were so necessary to be able to move the story along. At first, I was kind of upset that we didn't get all of the mushy romance between Tamlin and Feyre, especially not seeing their engagement, but it all turned around from there. I loved being able to see Feyre struggling with her new body as well as her new mental state. I appreciate Sarah J Maas because she isn't sugar coating the trauma these characters went through. We are living in their heads, so we should expect to see the consequences of what happened Under the Mountain.
That being said, my initial ship of Tamlin and Feyre completely sunk at page 120. I was starting to dislike Tamlin since the beginning of the book since he was so overprotective and he was basically smothering Feyre, but I didn't start to hate him until he locked her up. The literal hate fire that was ebbing off of me while I was reading that was just too much. He disregarded her as being a person who had hopes and dreams and flaws just to make himself feel better about himself.
But now, I am totally team Rhysand!!!! Oh my god, actual knight in shining armor right here. I think he has gone through an amazing character arc as well. In the first book, he was more the arrogant, cocky asshole who seemed to only do things for himself, but in this book, he has become a real person. I loved being able to see his soft side whenever he is around his Inner Circle. His happiness around them is almost infectious! And then him around Feyre is just the cutest thing in the world. I just can't with him. He loves her to a point where he would be willing to make himself suffer to see her happy, which is something Tamlin I don't think would ever do. And then the tension between him and Feyre, holy cow. I loved those scenes. (Especially the more blush worthy scenes, those make me really happy [The Court of Nightmares, the Inn, the Cabin, Starfall, etc.]). It was amazing to see how they complimented each other and actually worked together to make things better. His power is phenomenal and I would not want that going against me, ever.
I really enjoyed how both Rhysand and Feyre have moments where they have to use each other to get out of their nightmares. That is the kind of relationship she needs, someone who helps her deal with her issues while also needing the same help for himself. Being able to see the parallels between the two moments was really cool.
Ugh, and Feyre not being able to paint for the majority of the book was heartbreaking. I loved how it was Rhys who was the one to get her to paint again.
The Inner Circle makes me laugh whenever they are in a scene.
Cassian is adorable. I think he would be like a Labrador puppy just following them around, but being able to get very protective when he needs to be. When he trains Feyre and she breaks down, that broke my heart. Here was a guy who didn't really know her very well, but was willing to stand up for her in ways that Tamlin and Lucien would do. Plus, him and Nesta are going to be a thing, I just know it.
Amren is not someone I would want to get on my bad side. She is intense in all of her feelings, loyalty included. She would kill for any of her friends and would never feel bad about it. I loved how much she stood up for Feyre, even when Feyre didn't really notice her being that kind. I want to know how much power this girl holds, though.
Mor is my spirit animal. She keeps getting up whenever she is kicked down. She stands tall against her family and I appreciate that. And on top of it all, she is still able to smile and be an overall amazing person. Yes, she has made mistakes in the past, but she is living with them and dealing. I want her and Azriel to just be together all ready!! Her moments with Feyre are really sweet because she is constantly reaffirming the feelings without making Feyre feel bad about any of it.
Azriel is intimidating as hell. He honestly terrifies me, but he is still so sweet. Sarah, why do you keep making such amazing characters?!?!?
I love Velaris. I want to live there forever. It was described so beautifully that it was easy to see exactly what they were seeing.
The story line move along very well. I loved how the plot developed. I honestly have no complaints about this book at all.
Like I said, I thought it was necessary for the story to start where it did, especially with the bad relations between her and Tamlin. The wedding was important too because it showed how much she had changed, how much she didn't want to be in that relationship any longer. When Rhys showed up, he was her savior, but she didn't know it at the time. She didn't know that they had more of a connection than she thought. I don't like what Tamlin and Lucien forced her to do. They didn't think about any of her issues with anything they may have done--especially forcing her to spy for them on Rhys, the only person besides Alys who cares about her well being.
Her learning how to read was just like I thought it would be. Rhys' sentences he made her copy were adorably brilliant.
I honestly think my favorite part of this novel would have to be a tie between Starfall, the Court of Nightmares, and the cabin in the woods. Each of these scenes were, in their own right, moments where Feyre finally let herself be happy, let herself feel more than despair and hatred for what she had done. You can feel a shift in her in each of these moments as well.
I think the major plot movements went very well. Starting with Feyre having to prove to herself that she wasn't a porcelain doll to be able to use her powers to be able to go against the King of Hybern. All of it was connected and based on what she had previously gone through. Even the relationships had to be fleshed out enough in the beginning to get to the ending in a realistic and understandable way.
And OH MY GOD MATING BOND!!!!!!!!!! So freaking great. I loved being able to see it in action. ;D
If you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, you are going to like this one even more. The story is much more fleshed out and the characters feel more realistic.
Overall, I think I am going to be reading this book over and over again for the foreseeable future!! (Also, can someone get me a Rhys? I need one. Now.)
I honestly cannot stop reading this book. As of 16 May 2016, I have read it 4 times.
I have actually read this book three times cover to cover since I got it. You could say that I love it, just a bit.
I absolutely adored the character developments. Yes, they were heartbreaking at times (I'm looking at you Feyre), but they were so necessary to be able to move the story along. At first, I was kind of upset that we didn't get all of the mushy romance between Tamlin and Feyre, especially not seeing their engagement, but it all turned around from there. I loved being able to see Feyre struggling with her new body as well as her new mental state. I appreciate Sarah J Maas because she isn't sugar coating the trauma these characters went through. We are living in their heads, so we should expect to see the consequences of what happened Under the Mountain.
That being said, my initial ship of Tamlin and Feyre completely sunk at page 120. I was starting to dislike Tamlin since the beginning of the book since he was so overprotective and he was basically smothering Feyre, but I didn't start to hate him until he locked her up. The literal hate fire that was ebbing off of me while I was reading that was just too much. He disregarded her as being a person who had hopes and dreams and flaws just to make himself feel better about himself.
But now, I am totally team Rhysand!!!! Oh my god, actual knight in shining armor right here. I think he has gone through an amazing character arc as well. In the first book, he was more the arrogant, cocky asshole who seemed to only do things for himself, but in this book, he has become a real person. I loved being able to see his soft side whenever he is around his Inner Circle. His happiness around them is almost infectious! And then him around Feyre is just the cutest thing in the world. I just can't with him. He loves her to a point where he would be willing to make himself suffer to see her happy, which is something Tamlin I don't think would ever do. And then the tension between him and Feyre, holy cow. I loved those scenes. (Especially the more blush worthy scenes, those make me really happy [The Court of Nightmares, the Inn, the Cabin, Starfall, etc.]). It was amazing to see how they complimented each other and actually worked together to make things better. His power is phenomenal and I would not want that going against me, ever.
I really enjoyed how both Rhysand and Feyre have moments where they have to use each other to get out of their nightmares. That is the kind of relationship she needs, someone who helps her deal with her issues while also needing the same help for himself. Being able to see the parallels between the two moments was really cool.
Ugh, and Feyre not being able to paint for the majority of the book was heartbreaking. I loved how it was Rhys who was the one to get her to paint again.
The Inner Circle makes me laugh whenever they are in a scene.
Cassian is adorable. I think he would be like a Labrador puppy just following them around, but being able to get very protective when he needs to be. When he trains Feyre and she breaks down, that broke my heart. Here was a guy who didn't really know her very well, but was willing to stand up for her in ways that Tamlin and Lucien would do. Plus, him and Nesta are going to be a thing, I just know it.
Amren is not someone I would want to get on my bad side. She is intense in all of her feelings, loyalty included. She would kill for any of her friends and would never feel bad about it. I loved how much she stood up for Feyre, even when Feyre didn't really notice her being that kind. I want to know how much power this girl holds, though.
Mor is my spirit animal. She keeps getting up whenever she is kicked down. She stands tall against her family and I appreciate that. And on top of it all, she is still able to smile and be an overall amazing person. Yes, she has made mistakes in the past, but she is living with them and dealing. I want her and Azriel to just be together all ready!! Her moments with Feyre are really sweet because she is constantly reaffirming the feelings without making Feyre feel bad about any of it.
Azriel is intimidating as hell. He honestly terrifies me, but he is still so sweet. Sarah, why do you keep making such amazing characters?!?!?
I love Velaris. I want to live there forever. It was described so beautifully that it was easy to see exactly what they were seeing.
The story line move along very well. I loved how the plot developed. I honestly have no complaints about this book at all.
Like I said, I thought it was necessary for the story to start where it did, especially with the bad relations between her and Tamlin. The wedding was important too because it showed how much she had changed, how much she didn't want to be in that relationship any longer. When Rhys showed up, he was her savior, but she didn't know it at the time. She didn't know that they had more of a connection than she thought. I don't like what Tamlin and Lucien forced her to do. They didn't think about any of her issues with anything they may have done--especially forcing her to spy for them on Rhys, the only person besides Alys who cares about her well being.
Her learning how to read was just like I thought it would be. Rhys' sentences he made her copy were adorably brilliant.
I honestly think my favorite part of this novel would have to be a tie between Starfall, the Court of Nightmares, and the cabin in the woods. Each of these scenes were, in their own right, moments where Feyre finally let herself be happy, let herself feel more than despair and hatred for what she had done. You can feel a shift in her in each of these moments as well.
I think the major plot movements went very well. Starting with Feyre having to prove to herself that she wasn't a porcelain doll to be able to use her powers to be able to go against the King of Hybern. All of it was connected and based on what she had previously gone through. Even the relationships had to be fleshed out enough in the beginning to get to the ending in a realistic and understandable way.
And OH MY GOD MATING BOND!!!!!!!!!! So freaking great. I loved being able to see it in action. ;D
If you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, you are going to like this one even more. The story is much more fleshed out and the characters feel more realistic.
Overall, I think I am going to be reading this book over and over again for the foreseeable future!! (Also, can someone get me a Rhys? I need one. Now.)
I honestly cannot stop reading this book. As of 16 May 2016, I have read it 4 times.
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Unfaithful: The Deception of Night in Books
May 23, 2019
As I look back at Unfaithful, all I can think is wow. This book had some unexpected twists and turns, that leave you breathless and riddled with anxiety. It was a nice continuation from the first book with some real anxiety ridden situations. I loved that we got to see more of the others: Ginerva, Simon, and Drake. I loved getting to know these character more. However, I found that not everything as it seems to be. I guess that is to be expected when you are dating an Angel of Death. I also enjoyed learning more about how the Evan and his brothers are created and chosen. There was so much information in this book, that at times it was hard to absorb it all, while continuing the story without pausing to take a moment to think about what you just read.
Let me first discuss Evan. Though we don't see a whole bunch from his point of view this time around, it was definitely nice to learn about his past and how his kind works. Although, I wished we could have had more of him in the book, it was nice to learn more about the others in his family. I think I really enjoyed learning about how he met each member in his family after his death. I also very much enjoyed learning about how each member had an impact on the others. Seeing how he was saved by a Witch, Ginerva, who was with Simon, was amazing to see. I also enjoyed him explaining how the forbidden fruit that Eve ate was the same that gave Evan and his kind the nutrition they needed to stay alive and how without consuming it they would just end up dead, instead of becoming the angels they were destined to become to pay their way into Eden.
Evan had even explained some of his family to Gemma, which helped shed a new light on them. I believe what little information was given, really helped give these characters a better feel. It made you feel sorry or sad for how things had come to be. To even see how close to Gemma that they had grown to be, was a pleasant sight to see. It made the character intertwine together better than before. However, with Drake's crazy antics and the ever threatening danger around the corner, you can't help but wonder what was really going on.
At one point, you are introduces to Eden and the details to describe it left you breathless. I can't help but wonder if my imagination even done it justice. I believe the details were amazing and definitely breathtaking. However, I think even with the details, that I would have loved to see more of it. Though it was very hard to believe such a place could exist, after all it is supposed to be our Heaven, I think I would have definitely needed to see more to be satisfied. This is on of the things in the book that made me want more of it, knowing I may never be able to visit it again.
--This next part is a spoiler so please read at your own risk.--
I have to say that the ending with Evan dying has me extremely upset. I am not sure what happened and even now I am sitting her unsure of what happened. I had cried out in frustration. It was definitely not a satisfying ending. With what Gemma tells Evan as he dies, and what happens with their supposed threat, I can't help but count down the minutes until I can start the next book. This book definitely gave me lots to think about. For example, how nothing is certain in life. There are many things, people and situations that can lead you to the wrong conclusions or paths to take. I feel this book had given so many things to be processed and though about, that people could easily lose themselves in thought, just from the situations, like deception, and ideas of places unseen by us alone.
Overall I would rate this book five stars out of five stars. It was breathtaking, detailed, and kept you in suspense. There were a few very sweet moments that made you long for romance like that in your personal life, but kept everything in the right perspective. I definitely think that I learned that I should live to the fullest, for you never know when death is waiting for you. I think this series has been amazing so far and can't wait to finish it. It definitely makes you want more and with and ending that doesn't answer the important questions, it definitely feels like the cliffhanger at the end of your favorite show to keep you waiting for the next season to figure out what the next thing is going to be.
Let me first discuss Evan. Though we don't see a whole bunch from his point of view this time around, it was definitely nice to learn about his past and how his kind works. Although, I wished we could have had more of him in the book, it was nice to learn more about the others in his family. I think I really enjoyed learning about how he met each member in his family after his death. I also very much enjoyed learning about how each member had an impact on the others. Seeing how he was saved by a Witch, Ginerva, who was with Simon, was amazing to see. I also enjoyed him explaining how the forbidden fruit that Eve ate was the same that gave Evan and his kind the nutrition they needed to stay alive and how without consuming it they would just end up dead, instead of becoming the angels they were destined to become to pay their way into Eden.
Evan had even explained some of his family to Gemma, which helped shed a new light on them. I believe what little information was given, really helped give these characters a better feel. It made you feel sorry or sad for how things had come to be. To even see how close to Gemma that they had grown to be, was a pleasant sight to see. It made the character intertwine together better than before. However, with Drake's crazy antics and the ever threatening danger around the corner, you can't help but wonder what was really going on.
At one point, you are introduces to Eden and the details to describe it left you breathless. I can't help but wonder if my imagination even done it justice. I believe the details were amazing and definitely breathtaking. However, I think even with the details, that I would have loved to see more of it. Though it was very hard to believe such a place could exist, after all it is supposed to be our Heaven, I think I would have definitely needed to see more to be satisfied. This is on of the things in the book that made me want more of it, knowing I may never be able to visit it again.
--This next part is a spoiler so please read at your own risk.--
I have to say that the ending with Evan dying has me extremely upset. I am not sure what happened and even now I am sitting her unsure of what happened. I had cried out in frustration. It was definitely not a satisfying ending. With what Gemma tells Evan as he dies, and what happens with their supposed threat, I can't help but count down the minutes until I can start the next book. This book definitely gave me lots to think about. For example, how nothing is certain in life. There are many things, people and situations that can lead you to the wrong conclusions or paths to take. I feel this book had given so many things to be processed and though about, that people could easily lose themselves in thought, just from the situations, like deception, and ideas of places unseen by us alone.
Overall I would rate this book five stars out of five stars. It was breathtaking, detailed, and kept you in suspense. There were a few very sweet moments that made you long for romance like that in your personal life, but kept everything in the right perspective. I definitely think that I learned that I should live to the fullest, for you never know when death is waiting for you. I think this series has been amazing so far and can't wait to finish it. It definitely makes you want more and with and ending that doesn't answer the important questions, it definitely feels like the cliffhanger at the end of your favorite show to keep you waiting for the next season to figure out what the next thing is going to be.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Gold Manor Ghost House in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I have to admit that the blurb is what drew me in to this book. While it wasn't really that ghostly, it was still a good book.
Usually any title with the word "ghost" in it captures my attention, and it was no different for this book. The title references the name of the tv show the characters are in. It also reflects real life for them.
I don't like the cover at all. It's not very captivating nor does it tell us anything about the book besides one of the characters is a girl. There's so many different covers this book could've had, so why settle on a boring photo of some girl. I just hope the cover doesn't put others off because this is a good read.
The world building, while believable, was confusing at some points in the book. I don't know if it's because a lot of questions will be revealed in the next book (if there is one) or what. There were times when I had no idea what was going on. I even would go back a few pages and reread them in case I had missed something, but I hadn't. I don't really know how to describe it other than to say the world building was choppy at times. Besides being confused, I found myself drawn to the world which the author created for this book. There were times when I felt like I was even one of the characters.
I enjoyed the pacing. Once you get past the confusing bits of the story, the pacing is done rather well. I was totally immersed in this book, and I could've wait to read the next chapter to find out what the characters would experience next.
The plot was interesting albeit confusing since we don't really know where and what Anna is yet. It's the typical good versus evil story, but written in a very interesting way. We're not sure who to trust yet, and we're left wondering with whether Anna is good or evil. The plot thickens...in the next book. (At least, I hope there's a next boo since so many questions are left unanswered).
I liked the character of Anna. She's been through a traumatizing experience, yet she's a strong person. I felt bad for her with what she was going through, and I loved her feelings for Adam! I enjoyed Adam. He's still a very mysterious character, not because he wasn't written well, but because I think the author wants to save what he's really about for another book (hopefully) and because she wants her audience to make up their own mind about him. I love how protective he is and how sexy he sounds! He's British (like my husband) so he instantly scored points with that one! I felt bad for Corey when it came to his unrequited love from Anna. He's her best friend, yet he yearns for more. I was Team Corey all the way even though I liked Adam. I wanted Anna and Corey to become a couple all throughout the book! He comes across as being a tad more sweet than Adam, and I don't know what it is about Corey, but I just loved him a lot. To me, he was better boyfriend material.
The dialogue didn't really sound like it was teenage like. It sounded more like the way adults would talk, not a bunch of teenagers. However, I did enjoy the dialogue but kept forgetting that Anna was meant to be only sixteen. It annoyed me how Adam kept saying "love" though. I found it to be too stereotypical. Yes, some British people do say "love," but Adam seemed to say it an awful lot. Having lived in England for 6 years, I can tell you that British people do not say "love" all the time. However that's just a me thing and shouldn't affect the book for others. I enjoyed the scenes Corey was in the most though as his dialogue was the most enjoyable in my opinion. I didn't notice any swearing in this book.
Overall, Gold Manor Ghost House by Merry Brown is an enjoyable book despite some of its confusing scenes and minor faults. I really hope there's a second book in the works because I enjoyed the first one and am wanting my questions to be answered. The way the first book is written, it seems like there will be a second book which I will most definitely read!
I'd recommend this book for those aged 14+ who are fans of the paranormal that are also looking for a bit of romance.
I'd give Gold Manor Ghost House by Merry Brown a 3.75 out of 5.
(I received a free ecopy of this book from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I have to admit that the blurb is what drew me in to this book. While it wasn't really that ghostly, it was still a good book.
Usually any title with the word "ghost" in it captures my attention, and it was no different for this book. The title references the name of the tv show the characters are in. It also reflects real life for them.
I don't like the cover at all. It's not very captivating nor does it tell us anything about the book besides one of the characters is a girl. There's so many different covers this book could've had, so why settle on a boring photo of some girl. I just hope the cover doesn't put others off because this is a good read.
The world building, while believable, was confusing at some points in the book. I don't know if it's because a lot of questions will be revealed in the next book (if there is one) or what. There were times when I had no idea what was going on. I even would go back a few pages and reread them in case I had missed something, but I hadn't. I don't really know how to describe it other than to say the world building was choppy at times. Besides being confused, I found myself drawn to the world which the author created for this book. There were times when I felt like I was even one of the characters.
I enjoyed the pacing. Once you get past the confusing bits of the story, the pacing is done rather well. I was totally immersed in this book, and I could've wait to read the next chapter to find out what the characters would experience next.
The plot was interesting albeit confusing since we don't really know where and what Anna is yet. It's the typical good versus evil story, but written in a very interesting way. We're not sure who to trust yet, and we're left wondering with whether Anna is good or evil. The plot thickens...in the next book. (At least, I hope there's a next boo since so many questions are left unanswered).
I liked the character of Anna. She's been through a traumatizing experience, yet she's a strong person. I felt bad for her with what she was going through, and I loved her feelings for Adam! I enjoyed Adam. He's still a very mysterious character, not because he wasn't written well, but because I think the author wants to save what he's really about for another book (hopefully) and because she wants her audience to make up their own mind about him. I love how protective he is and how sexy he sounds! He's British (like my husband) so he instantly scored points with that one! I felt bad for Corey when it came to his unrequited love from Anna. He's her best friend, yet he yearns for more. I was Team Corey all the way even though I liked Adam. I wanted Anna and Corey to become a couple all throughout the book! He comes across as being a tad more sweet than Adam, and I don't know what it is about Corey, but I just loved him a lot. To me, he was better boyfriend material.
The dialogue didn't really sound like it was teenage like. It sounded more like the way adults would talk, not a bunch of teenagers. However, I did enjoy the dialogue but kept forgetting that Anna was meant to be only sixteen. It annoyed me how Adam kept saying "love" though. I found it to be too stereotypical. Yes, some British people do say "love," but Adam seemed to say it an awful lot. Having lived in England for 6 years, I can tell you that British people do not say "love" all the time. However that's just a me thing and shouldn't affect the book for others. I enjoyed the scenes Corey was in the most though as his dialogue was the most enjoyable in my opinion. I didn't notice any swearing in this book.
Overall, Gold Manor Ghost House by Merry Brown is an enjoyable book despite some of its confusing scenes and minor faults. I really hope there's a second book in the works because I enjoyed the first one and am wanting my questions to be answered. The way the first book is written, it seems like there will be a second book which I will most definitely read!
I'd recommend this book for those aged 14+ who are fans of the paranormal that are also looking for a bit of romance.
I'd give Gold Manor Ghost House by Merry Brown a 3.75 out of 5.
(I received a free ecopy of this book from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Rules for Disappearing (The Rules for Disappearing, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I first read about The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston, I knew I had to read this book. I was thrilled when I won an ARC copy from a blog giveaway. I was even happier that the book was even better then I thought it was going to be.
Thankfully, the book synopsis does an excellent job in describing what the book is going to be about. I'm super thankful because a lot of book blurbs these days tend to just give you the bare minimum of what the book will be about or something completely different. Anyway, since you've read above what the book is about, I won't try to tell you again since most people find it boring.
I absolutely love the title! It screams out at you to check this book out (okay, it did to me). The title is also what the chapter names are called. With each chapter, you also get a rule for disappearing, so this title is perfect!
Whilst I loved the title, I wasn't thrilled with the cover. I just felt that with what this books about and everything contained within the pages, the cover would've been better. Yes, I get that it's about up and leaving, but just showing a pair of legs running is a bit too bland. In fact, I wasn't going to bother with this book when I saw the cover, but I thought I'd give the book blurb a read which is what changed my mind. So please don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a dull book because it's not.
I thought the world building was fantastic. I enjoyed reading about how it'd be living in the Witness Protection Program, and I must say, I'm glad that I never had to do something like that even if it would be cool to pick your own name. Elston gives us an up close and personal look into the life of someone who has to deal with this. I felt, at times, that it was me in the place of Meg. That's how real the world building felt. One thing that bothered me though was how trusting one of the adults was in this book. I won't go into details because I don't want to go into spoilers, but I just couldn't imagine any adult would let someone take off with hardly any questions asked.
The pacing was absolutely perfect! This whole book was one big page-turner. I kept telling myself I'd only read one more chapter and then get back to real life. Before I knew it, I'd finished the book. I had to know what was going to happen next. Not once does the pacing become dull.
The plot was fantastic! I'd never read a book that had to do with the Witness Protection Program. I loved the way the plot was written and the predicament of Meg getting close to Ethan. It was very interesting to read about everything and to see how things would play out. I did, however, predict who the baddie really was, and I was right. I had pretty much seen it coming since that character was mentioned, but the story was still interesting to read. I just wish the ending would've explained a bit more, but I've just read that there will be a sequel out next year so hopefully things will be explained more then.
I absolutely loved the characters! Meg was a very strong character throughout the whole book. The way she handled things was very interesting to read about. I liked how she was torn and how she'd rationalize things especially when it came to getting close to Ethan. I enjoyed how much Ethan was willing to put on the line to get close to Meg. He was a true gentleman, but not over the top like you get in cheesy romance novels. I loved his dedication to Meg. Teeny seemed to act like that of an 8 year child instead of an 11 year old girl. The book says she acts younger because of what she's been through with having to move house and change lives every so many weeks. I just didn't buy it. She acted too young almost all the time! While I did enjoy the character of Teeny, I just wish she would've acted her age a little more throughout the book. Pearl was definitely my favorite character, and while she isn't mentioned a lot, I still loved whenever she'd show up in the book. I loved her sweet nature and how she was willingly to help anyone out.
The interactions between the characters was very believable and never felt forced. Even the swearing never felt forced. The dialogue is very enjoyable, and I enjoyed it the most when Meg was forced with a problem. I loved reading about how she was going to solve it. Like I said, there is some bad language, but I'd say it's only moderate.
Overall, The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston is an interesting, refreshing read as well as a book that keeps you hooked until the very end.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who just want a good book to read.
I'd give The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston a 4.5 out of 5.
When I first read about The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston, I knew I had to read this book. I was thrilled when I won an ARC copy from a blog giveaway. I was even happier that the book was even better then I thought it was going to be.
Thankfully, the book synopsis does an excellent job in describing what the book is going to be about. I'm super thankful because a lot of book blurbs these days tend to just give you the bare minimum of what the book will be about or something completely different. Anyway, since you've read above what the book is about, I won't try to tell you again since most people find it boring.
I absolutely love the title! It screams out at you to check this book out (okay, it did to me). The title is also what the chapter names are called. With each chapter, you also get a rule for disappearing, so this title is perfect!
Whilst I loved the title, I wasn't thrilled with the cover. I just felt that with what this books about and everything contained within the pages, the cover would've been better. Yes, I get that it's about up and leaving, but just showing a pair of legs running is a bit too bland. In fact, I wasn't going to bother with this book when I saw the cover, but I thought I'd give the book blurb a read which is what changed my mind. So please don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a dull book because it's not.
I thought the world building was fantastic. I enjoyed reading about how it'd be living in the Witness Protection Program, and I must say, I'm glad that I never had to do something like that even if it would be cool to pick your own name. Elston gives us an up close and personal look into the life of someone who has to deal with this. I felt, at times, that it was me in the place of Meg. That's how real the world building felt. One thing that bothered me though was how trusting one of the adults was in this book. I won't go into details because I don't want to go into spoilers, but I just couldn't imagine any adult would let someone take off with hardly any questions asked.
The pacing was absolutely perfect! This whole book was one big page-turner. I kept telling myself I'd only read one more chapter and then get back to real life. Before I knew it, I'd finished the book. I had to know what was going to happen next. Not once does the pacing become dull.
The plot was fantastic! I'd never read a book that had to do with the Witness Protection Program. I loved the way the plot was written and the predicament of Meg getting close to Ethan. It was very interesting to read about everything and to see how things would play out. I did, however, predict who the baddie really was, and I was right. I had pretty much seen it coming since that character was mentioned, but the story was still interesting to read. I just wish the ending would've explained a bit more, but I've just read that there will be a sequel out next year so hopefully things will be explained more then.
I absolutely loved the characters! Meg was a very strong character throughout the whole book. The way she handled things was very interesting to read about. I liked how she was torn and how she'd rationalize things especially when it came to getting close to Ethan. I enjoyed how much Ethan was willing to put on the line to get close to Meg. He was a true gentleman, but not over the top like you get in cheesy romance novels. I loved his dedication to Meg. Teeny seemed to act like that of an 8 year child instead of an 11 year old girl. The book says she acts younger because of what she's been through with having to move house and change lives every so many weeks. I just didn't buy it. She acted too young almost all the time! While I did enjoy the character of Teeny, I just wish she would've acted her age a little more throughout the book. Pearl was definitely my favorite character, and while she isn't mentioned a lot, I still loved whenever she'd show up in the book. I loved her sweet nature and how she was willingly to help anyone out.
The interactions between the characters was very believable and never felt forced. Even the swearing never felt forced. The dialogue is very enjoyable, and I enjoyed it the most when Meg was forced with a problem. I loved reading about how she was going to solve it. Like I said, there is some bad language, but I'd say it's only moderate.
Overall, The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston is an interesting, refreshing read as well as a book that keeps you hooked until the very end.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who just want a good book to read.
I'd give The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston a 4.5 out of 5.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Her Wicked Ways in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Genre: Historical
Word Count: 101, 790
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62/ 5 stars
My rating: 4/ 5 stars
This book has a slightly shaky start, like most romance novels do, but it pulls me in pretty quickly. It starts off with Montgomery “Fox” Foxcroft committing highway robbery to save an orphanage. Yeah, starts off like your run-of-the-mill soap opera.
The job is supposed to be simple for Fox. Rob a corrupt MP to support the orphanage he runs. Unbeknownst to him, this MP is carrying something even more precious than money. He’s transporting a disgraced heiress named Miranda Sinclair. Miranda’s a beautiful woman who distracts Fox so much that he forgets he’s committing a crime to save some kids and ends up making out with her. Not his finest moment. But it does give him an idea. To seduce Miranda and marry her for her money. But when she starts volunteering at his orphanage, he realizes that she’s not just a spoiled heiress, but also likeable, capable, and someone that he might even grown to love.
This story is fantastic! I re-read it when I realized I hadn’t written a review for it, and it was good even the second time around. Both Miranda and Fox are excellent and the chemistry between them is spot-on.
Miranda comes off as entitled at first, and she is, but she grows out of that pretty quickly. In truth, she’s a very strong person who regularly rebels against the restricting rules of London Society, because come on, why would anyone want to live by those rules? Despite everyone calling her incompetent and useless, she’s smart and very capable. She steals a kiss out of Fox the first time she meets him, and she raises more money for the orphanage in one night than Fox managed to raise in an entire year.
Where I shall stay when we get there. Is this Stratham’s house adequate?” (Her brother asked)
“Yes, more than. You’ll be quite comfortable. Are you sure you’re allowed to stay there?”
“Ah, sweet sister, when will you realize the rules are not the same for you and me?”
But Miranda knew all too well. Perhaps that was why she always broke them.
The only irritating thing about Miranda is that she bends easily to her parents’ will. And while I get that they are her parents, it frustrates me to no end that she complied so quickly, even when it hurt Fox and she didn’t agree with them to begin with. I also hate that she didn’t figure out that Fox was the highwayman. Sure, she might not associate a random, masked stranger with the impoverished owner of an orphanage right away. But then she meets the highwayman again… and then sees Fox again…. she knows she feels the same lust with both of them, and she still doesn’t figure it out? Oh please, she’s smarter than that.
Fox is incredibly lovable, despite his ridiculous jealousy over just about every man that Miranda comes in contact with. He gets jealous over Miranda’s former lover who’s so unimportant he doesn’t even turn up, and he gets jealous over Stratham. He even gets jealous over one of his charges when Miranda compliments the boy’s new haircut. Possessive much?
However, I do like how wonderfully insecure Fox is. Despite being confident in most areas of his life, and refusing to think people in higher class were better than him, Fox is constantly unsure around Miranda. He thinks she’s totally out of his league, even at the end.
“That you would give yourself to me is incredibly humbling.”
A twinge of embarrassment heated her face. “Why?”
He smiled. “Because you’re Miranda. A goddess to my mere mortality. I am a beast beside you.”
Damn. Montgomery Foxcroft sure knows how to woo a woman.
And he is so hopelessly in love with her. Even when he was desperate for money, he wasn’t willing to force Miranda to marry him by compromising her because he didn’t want her to hate him. And even though his original intention in courting her was to get her money, he started appreciating her for much more. Unlike her parents, he saw her for the brilliant woman she was and was quick to defend her to anyone who said otherwise.
Love.
The word drove a knife clean through his heart. Did he love her? He didn’t know, but he wanted her for more than money. More than desire. He wanted her here. With him. With all of them. He’d never seen the children so happy. So light. He’d never felt so happy or light—and that said a lot given his cursed financial woes.
He also doesn’t ever want her change. Unlike everyone else in this story, including her brother, the only immediate family member she has who is remotely nice to her, Fox doesn’t think she has to change, and doesn’t even want her to.
“You’re staring at me like I’m food again.” His words heightened her arousal and further emboldened her.
She feasted on his male beauty. “I’ve never seen anything as delicious as you.”
“Christ, Miranda. Ladies don’t talk like that.”
She traced her fingers around his nipples and watched them tighten. Her own hardened in response. “You don’t like it?”
He swallowed audibly. “I like it fine.”
Word Count: 101, 790
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62/ 5 stars
My rating: 4/ 5 stars
This book has a slightly shaky start, like most romance novels do, but it pulls me in pretty quickly. It starts off with Montgomery “Fox” Foxcroft committing highway robbery to save an orphanage. Yeah, starts off like your run-of-the-mill soap opera.
The job is supposed to be simple for Fox. Rob a corrupt MP to support the orphanage he runs. Unbeknownst to him, this MP is carrying something even more precious than money. He’s transporting a disgraced heiress named Miranda Sinclair. Miranda’s a beautiful woman who distracts Fox so much that he forgets he’s committing a crime to save some kids and ends up making out with her. Not his finest moment. But it does give him an idea. To seduce Miranda and marry her for her money. But when she starts volunteering at his orphanage, he realizes that she’s not just a spoiled heiress, but also likeable, capable, and someone that he might even grown to love.
This story is fantastic! I re-read it when I realized I hadn’t written a review for it, and it was good even the second time around. Both Miranda and Fox are excellent and the chemistry between them is spot-on.
Miranda comes off as entitled at first, and she is, but she grows out of that pretty quickly. In truth, she’s a very strong person who regularly rebels against the restricting rules of London Society, because come on, why would anyone want to live by those rules? Despite everyone calling her incompetent and useless, she’s smart and very capable. She steals a kiss out of Fox the first time she meets him, and she raises more money for the orphanage in one night than Fox managed to raise in an entire year.
Where I shall stay when we get there. Is this Stratham’s house adequate?” (Her brother asked)
“Yes, more than. You’ll be quite comfortable. Are you sure you’re allowed to stay there?”
“Ah, sweet sister, when will you realize the rules are not the same for you and me?”
But Miranda knew all too well. Perhaps that was why she always broke them.
The only irritating thing about Miranda is that she bends easily to her parents’ will. And while I get that they are her parents, it frustrates me to no end that she complied so quickly, even when it hurt Fox and she didn’t agree with them to begin with. I also hate that she didn’t figure out that Fox was the highwayman. Sure, she might not associate a random, masked stranger with the impoverished owner of an orphanage right away. But then she meets the highwayman again… and then sees Fox again…. she knows she feels the same lust with both of them, and she still doesn’t figure it out? Oh please, she’s smarter than that.
Fox is incredibly lovable, despite his ridiculous jealousy over just about every man that Miranda comes in contact with. He gets jealous over Miranda’s former lover who’s so unimportant he doesn’t even turn up, and he gets jealous over Stratham. He even gets jealous over one of his charges when Miranda compliments the boy’s new haircut. Possessive much?
However, I do like how wonderfully insecure Fox is. Despite being confident in most areas of his life, and refusing to think people in higher class were better than him, Fox is constantly unsure around Miranda. He thinks she’s totally out of his league, even at the end.
“That you would give yourself to me is incredibly humbling.”
A twinge of embarrassment heated her face. “Why?”
He smiled. “Because you’re Miranda. A goddess to my mere mortality. I am a beast beside you.”
Damn. Montgomery Foxcroft sure knows how to woo a woman.
And he is so hopelessly in love with her. Even when he was desperate for money, he wasn’t willing to force Miranda to marry him by compromising her because he didn’t want her to hate him. And even though his original intention in courting her was to get her money, he started appreciating her for much more. Unlike her parents, he saw her for the brilliant woman she was and was quick to defend her to anyone who said otherwise.
Love.
The word drove a knife clean through his heart. Did he love her? He didn’t know, but he wanted her for more than money. More than desire. He wanted her here. With him. With all of them. He’d never seen the children so happy. So light. He’d never felt so happy or light—and that said a lot given his cursed financial woes.
He also doesn’t ever want her change. Unlike everyone else in this story, including her brother, the only immediate family member she has who is remotely nice to her, Fox doesn’t think she has to change, and doesn’t even want her to.
“You’re staring at me like I’m food again.” His words heightened her arousal and further emboldened her.
She feasted on his male beauty. “I’ve never seen anything as delicious as you.”
“Christ, Miranda. Ladies don’t talk like that.”
She traced her fingers around his nipples and watched them tighten. Her own hardened in response. “You don’t like it?”
He swallowed audibly. “I like it fine.”
Roar started off slowly, but before long I was completely enamoured by the story. I personally love stories where elemental powers are part of the lore. Roar had a similar, yet unique take on those special abilities.
There are people in the world, called Stormlings, who are able to use their affinities to battle storms. In this land, those abilities relate to the storms that plague the kingdoms and towns. A Stormling may have an affinity for sky fire and be able to battle lightning - or they may have an affinity for tornados. Many battle storms not only to protect their lands but in the attempt to gain more affinities. If strong enough, a Stormling could take the heart of the storm (which manifests as a rock or gem) and use it to channel their abilities.
Aurora is the future Queen of Pavan, but she has yet to show any hint of the power needed to protect her people. As a result, her mother sets up an arranged marriage with the second born son of a neighboring kingdom. Not all is as it appears and Rora sets out to discover the truth. She soon learns that Stormlings are not the only people with the ability to fight storms and realizes that she must learn from these storm hunters so that she can avoid the path her life is currently on.
Aurora begins the book as a strong female character despite the fact that she is forced into a more meek, agreeable role in order to secure the marriage, so it may not seem that way. Although she has not been able to access the magic her blood should give her, she has not rested on her laurels. Rora occasionally trains with the guards in swordsmanship, reads whatever books she can get her hands on, is quite skilled in a number of languages and can chart her course by the stars. While she is not the typical heroine we might expect to save the day, she does grow over the course of the novel and will continue to do so in the second book.
As the majority of the book does not take place in the palace, we do not see much from the Locke family but I am incredibly intrigued by their familial relationships and the Prince himself. He is a dark, strong and imposing figure who is out to claim the throne - but may be less ruthless than he seems. While we do not such much of him, I expect there will be a lot more character development in the second book and I'm looking forward to that.
Locke, the storm hunter, was probably my favourite main character - although I loved the storm hunter crew as a whole. They had such unique personalities, tales and roles in the group and who wouldn't join a group of storm hunters? That would be amazing. Anyway, Locke started to remind me after a while of that over-protective Fae male personality that we see so often in Sarah J Maas' books (which can become tiresome) but his storm hunting prowess won me over. The author wrote each storm, its feeling and the hunters fighting it so brilliantly that those were definitely my favourite scenes in the novel.
This book seemed to set up the world, the magic system and the main characters well but leave plenty of room for development. We don't even see the character who is likely to be the villain until about 75% of the book is over. I'm intrigued by the villain's story and abilities, and can't wait to see where it goes in the second book.
The world is what drew me in and kept me wanting more, despite the cliches, tropes, and mid-level character development. The romance itself was probably the most off-putting because it was so unbelievable to me. It's not necessarily the chemistry and interactions between the two, but rather the way the author writes the male's point of view. To me, it just didn't sound like a guy was thinking those thoughts. Both of her main male characters became almost immediately obsessed with Aurora, wanted to protect her at any cost, thought about her all of the time, etc. As I mentioned before, that overprotective Fae male mentality. While it may seem sweet that they want to be protective, it borders on being too much (and sometimes crosses the line), which is not a healthy relationship dynamic to romanticize. I don't want to give more specific examples and spoil anything. This is not to say that men cannot be emotional and effusive because they can, but for me, just the way that it was done didn't read authentically. Those were the times I felt most drawn out of the narrative.
This book ends with the type of cliffhanger that most books should end on. You are not utterly destroyed and heartbroken that the author has ended this book with such big questions and yet the next is not due out for another year - you are completely in love with the story and the final scenes just make you excited to continue reading.
For me, the book was a little slow to start but once Rora goes on the journey with the storm hunters I think the book picks up a lot. I've seen a few people put the book down because they couldn't get into it and I would just recommend trying to push through a little longer and see if that changes for you. This is an upper-YA novel that I would recommend to ya/teen readers who enjoy fantasy and character growth in their novels.
There are people in the world, called Stormlings, who are able to use their affinities to battle storms. In this land, those abilities relate to the storms that plague the kingdoms and towns. A Stormling may have an affinity for sky fire and be able to battle lightning - or they may have an affinity for tornados. Many battle storms not only to protect their lands but in the attempt to gain more affinities. If strong enough, a Stormling could take the heart of the storm (which manifests as a rock or gem) and use it to channel their abilities.
Aurora is the future Queen of Pavan, but she has yet to show any hint of the power needed to protect her people. As a result, her mother sets up an arranged marriage with the second born son of a neighboring kingdom. Not all is as it appears and Rora sets out to discover the truth. She soon learns that Stormlings are not the only people with the ability to fight storms and realizes that she must learn from these storm hunters so that she can avoid the path her life is currently on.
Aurora begins the book as a strong female character despite the fact that she is forced into a more meek, agreeable role in order to secure the marriage, so it may not seem that way. Although she has not been able to access the magic her blood should give her, she has not rested on her laurels. Rora occasionally trains with the guards in swordsmanship, reads whatever books she can get her hands on, is quite skilled in a number of languages and can chart her course by the stars. While she is not the typical heroine we might expect to save the day, she does grow over the course of the novel and will continue to do so in the second book.
As the majority of the book does not take place in the palace, we do not see much from the Locke family but I am incredibly intrigued by their familial relationships and the Prince himself. He is a dark, strong and imposing figure who is out to claim the throne - but may be less ruthless than he seems. While we do not such much of him, I expect there will be a lot more character development in the second book and I'm looking forward to that.
Locke, the storm hunter, was probably my favourite main character - although I loved the storm hunter crew as a whole. They had such unique personalities, tales and roles in the group and who wouldn't join a group of storm hunters? That would be amazing. Anyway, Locke started to remind me after a while of that over-protective Fae male personality that we see so often in Sarah J Maas' books (which can become tiresome) but his storm hunting prowess won me over. The author wrote each storm, its feeling and the hunters fighting it so brilliantly that those were definitely my favourite scenes in the novel.
This book seemed to set up the world, the magic system and the main characters well but leave plenty of room for development. We don't even see the character who is likely to be the villain until about 75% of the book is over. I'm intrigued by the villain's story and abilities, and can't wait to see where it goes in the second book.
The world is what drew me in and kept me wanting more, despite the cliches, tropes, and mid-level character development. The romance itself was probably the most off-putting because it was so unbelievable to me. It's not necessarily the chemistry and interactions between the two, but rather the way the author writes the male's point of view. To me, it just didn't sound like a guy was thinking those thoughts. Both of her main male characters became almost immediately obsessed with Aurora, wanted to protect her at any cost, thought about her all of the time, etc. As I mentioned before, that overprotective Fae male mentality. While it may seem sweet that they want to be protective, it borders on being too much (and sometimes crosses the line), which is not a healthy relationship dynamic to romanticize. I don't want to give more specific examples and spoil anything. This is not to say that men cannot be emotional and effusive because they can, but for me, just the way that it was done didn't read authentically. Those were the times I felt most drawn out of the narrative.
This book ends with the type of cliffhanger that most books should end on. You are not utterly destroyed and heartbroken that the author has ended this book with such big questions and yet the next is not due out for another year - you are completely in love with the story and the final scenes just make you excited to continue reading.
For me, the book was a little slow to start but once Rora goes on the journey with the storm hunters I think the book picks up a lot. I've seen a few people put the book down because they couldn't get into it and I would just recommend trying to push through a little longer and see if that changes for you. This is an upper-YA novel that I would recommend to ya/teen readers who enjoy fantasy and character growth in their novels.
Naomi Forrest (42 KP) rated The Toy Makers in Books
Jan 2, 2019
The first thing on the very first page that I loved was the narrator setting the scene and talking directly to you:
‘See the woman with the cage of pipe-cleaner birds, the vagrant soldier marvelling at the stuffed dogs lounging in their baskets? Keep a careful eye on them; you will see them again’.
I knew just from this descriptive ‘setting the scene’ chapter this book was going to be amazing, there was so much magic encapsulated in those first five pages. Papa Jack’s Emporium is the most wonderful shop you could imagine, a labyrinth of joy, surprises around every aisle and so much more. If you have ever seen the toy shop on Home Alone 2 that looked so amazing as a child, it has nothing on this! I was pretty sure for at least half of the book that Papa Jack was indeed Father Christmas.
After the initial chapter, the reader is introduced to Cathy, a fifteen year old who, shamefully (the year is 1906), is unmarried and pregnant. Plans are made for her to go to a special home where she will give birth and her child will be adopted. However, Cathy spots an advert looking for staff for the Emporium and runs away and so, the magic begins! The reader is catapulted into the world of the emporium and soon meets Papa Jack’s sons, Emil and Kaspar, who assist their father in the running of the store and the making of the toys, which are so much more than toys as we know them. People flock from far and wide to the emporium for it’s sublime creations and the memories and pleasures that they evoke.
The first half of the novel was like a fairytale, building beautifully to a gorgeous climax, full of wonder, friendship and subtle romance (perfectly done, so as not to detract from more pressing themes). In my head, toy soldiers and paper trees were everywhere and the wendy house is the stuff that dreams are made of. I loved observing (as I stood in the corner of the emporium, I’m sure, so convincing is Dinsdale) the relationships the built between Cathy and Emil and Cathy and Kaspar, though at times I felt sorry for Emil, never quite catching up to Kaspar as he wishes. If only the story had ended at page 187. And yet, that would not have been satisfying, not enough, so really, I’m glad it didn’t.
The second part of the novel, that is where Dinsdale really takes us on a journey. A couple of darker themes are touched upon in part one, where we learn of Jekab’s history (Papa Jack) but it ramps up in the second part, which ties in with World War I and beyond. You would think going from such wonderment and happiness to a bleak world of misery and reality would make you want to stop reading but I could not put this book down. I read 3/4 of it in one go! It is in the second part that Dinsdale brings in themes of shell shock, betrayal, sibling jealousy, bitterness and true, deep, familial love. Without spoilers, some characters truly lose everything and I cried during and after the book as it moved me so greatly (I mean, I am a crier anyway but not usually with books!). The entire novel is shaped around the ‘war’ between the brothers with some shocking twists along the way. Though part two draws in more realities, more brutalities and some heartbreaking moments, magic still punctuates and carries the reader through to the end. The ending is bitter sweet and my emotions were cloudy here, anger, joy, sadness and warmth all merging into a big teary mess.
I won’t say too much about specifics because some kinds of magic need to be discovered for yourself. The most beautiful sentiment in this novel though is that toys can’t save a life but they can save a soul, because toys transport many of us back to times of happiness, of wonder and of innocence, when things were simpler and problems remedied more easily. Times change but the joy of toys doesn’t. I can recall going through toy exhibits at both the castle museum in York and a toy museum in Edinburgh and it was so thrilling not only to see toys from my childhood but toys from before. Toys have the power to make magic we never knew existed, even if it is only in our head. The Toy Makers has yielded many comparisons with Erin Morgensten’s The Night Circus but for me, this novel surpassed anything I have read before in a similar vein. I have truly been blown away into a world that I honestly believe I will carry with me forever more. If, like me, you are a Harry Potter fan, you will know what I mean when I say that this book matches up to that first trip to Diagon Alley, to Hogwarts and to Honeydukes or that journey up Enid Blyton’s faraway tree as a child but it is even more exciting as an adult. It isn’t only the description that is first rate though; Dinsdale’s narrative style and use of language pulls you in and flows so smoothly, you are carried away from the first page whether you are prepared for it or not. Some reviews have said it is too fantastical but I cannot rate this book highly enough. It isn’t always easy reading – prepare to have your heart broken in several places- but go in looking for magic. You won’t be disappointed!
‘See the woman with the cage of pipe-cleaner birds, the vagrant soldier marvelling at the stuffed dogs lounging in their baskets? Keep a careful eye on them; you will see them again’.
I knew just from this descriptive ‘setting the scene’ chapter this book was going to be amazing, there was so much magic encapsulated in those first five pages. Papa Jack’s Emporium is the most wonderful shop you could imagine, a labyrinth of joy, surprises around every aisle and so much more. If you have ever seen the toy shop on Home Alone 2 that looked so amazing as a child, it has nothing on this! I was pretty sure for at least half of the book that Papa Jack was indeed Father Christmas.
After the initial chapter, the reader is introduced to Cathy, a fifteen year old who, shamefully (the year is 1906), is unmarried and pregnant. Plans are made for her to go to a special home where she will give birth and her child will be adopted. However, Cathy spots an advert looking for staff for the Emporium and runs away and so, the magic begins! The reader is catapulted into the world of the emporium and soon meets Papa Jack’s sons, Emil and Kaspar, who assist their father in the running of the store and the making of the toys, which are so much more than toys as we know them. People flock from far and wide to the emporium for it’s sublime creations and the memories and pleasures that they evoke.
The first half of the novel was like a fairytale, building beautifully to a gorgeous climax, full of wonder, friendship and subtle romance (perfectly done, so as not to detract from more pressing themes). In my head, toy soldiers and paper trees were everywhere and the wendy house is the stuff that dreams are made of. I loved observing (as I stood in the corner of the emporium, I’m sure, so convincing is Dinsdale) the relationships the built between Cathy and Emil and Cathy and Kaspar, though at times I felt sorry for Emil, never quite catching up to Kaspar as he wishes. If only the story had ended at page 187. And yet, that would not have been satisfying, not enough, so really, I’m glad it didn’t.
The second part of the novel, that is where Dinsdale really takes us on a journey. A couple of darker themes are touched upon in part one, where we learn of Jekab’s history (Papa Jack) but it ramps up in the second part, which ties in with World War I and beyond. You would think going from such wonderment and happiness to a bleak world of misery and reality would make you want to stop reading but I could not put this book down. I read 3/4 of it in one go! It is in the second part that Dinsdale brings in themes of shell shock, betrayal, sibling jealousy, bitterness and true, deep, familial love. Without spoilers, some characters truly lose everything and I cried during and after the book as it moved me so greatly (I mean, I am a crier anyway but not usually with books!). The entire novel is shaped around the ‘war’ between the brothers with some shocking twists along the way. Though part two draws in more realities, more brutalities and some heartbreaking moments, magic still punctuates and carries the reader through to the end. The ending is bitter sweet and my emotions were cloudy here, anger, joy, sadness and warmth all merging into a big teary mess.
I won’t say too much about specifics because some kinds of magic need to be discovered for yourself. The most beautiful sentiment in this novel though is that toys can’t save a life but they can save a soul, because toys transport many of us back to times of happiness, of wonder and of innocence, when things were simpler and problems remedied more easily. Times change but the joy of toys doesn’t. I can recall going through toy exhibits at both the castle museum in York and a toy museum in Edinburgh and it was so thrilling not only to see toys from my childhood but toys from before. Toys have the power to make magic we never knew existed, even if it is only in our head. The Toy Makers has yielded many comparisons with Erin Morgensten’s The Night Circus but for me, this novel surpassed anything I have read before in a similar vein. I have truly been blown away into a world that I honestly believe I will carry with me forever more. If, like me, you are a Harry Potter fan, you will know what I mean when I say that this book matches up to that first trip to Diagon Alley, to Hogwarts and to Honeydukes or that journey up Enid Blyton’s faraway tree as a child but it is even more exciting as an adult. It isn’t only the description that is first rate though; Dinsdale’s narrative style and use of language pulls you in and flows so smoothly, you are carried away from the first page whether you are prepared for it or not. Some reviews have said it is too fantastical but I cannot rate this book highly enough. It isn’t always easy reading – prepare to have your heart broken in several places- but go in looking for magic. You won’t be disappointed!
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Vixen (Flappers, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>3.75 stars</i>
<b><i>Once upon a time there were three beautiful girls who went to the best schools (and speakeasies), and they were each assigned booze and clothes that are the cat's meow. But the flapper lifestyle took them into different directions and now they work to find out who they are and what makes them truly happy. My name is Vixen.</i></b>
And so you've been introduced to the first installment of The Flappers series Charlie's Angels' style (the best I was able to come up with anyway).
<b>Meet our <s>Angels</s> Vixens:</b>
<u><i>Gloria</i></u> - She's the one who has it all: <i>the</i> name, riches, looks, clothes, a handsome fiancee, everything comes easily to her, and everybody seemingly loves her. But this poor little rich girl isn't so happy after all and so she begins to rebel.
<u><i>Clara</i></u> - Burned by her former flapper lifestyle, she's now trying to start over as "Country Clara" without her sordid past coming to light. So has she turned into a goody-two shoes or is it just part of a grander scheme? Only time will tell.
<u><i>Lorraine</i></u> - Jealous of best friend, Gloria, she's desperate to step out of Glo's shadow to become the center of attention as an individual.
<b>Before getting to my review, there are a few questions that should be addressed:</b>
Is this great literature? <i>No.</i>
Will this book change your life? <i>No.</i>
Will you learn anything from reading this book? <i>No. Well, maybe some twenties' slang.</i>
Is this book accurate to the period? <i>No, there are some liberties, but it's good enough as wallpaper to the players and scenes.</i>
Is this book entertaining beyond belief? <i>A resounding YES!</i>
VIXEN is very easy to read and captured my attention from the first page, and while it may not be the best book ever, I had a lot of fun reading it. While there's nothing glaringly obvious anachronism-wise, I did question some word choices, phrases, and actions, but overall they were easy to overlook and I likened it to watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger. Written in third-person, each chapter focuses on one the three girls' point-of-view, starting with Gloria and continuing with Clara and then Lorraine, throughout the book until the end.
As for the characters, Clara (named after Ms. Clara Bow?) was definitely my favorite to read about, she's recovering from the aftereffects of her life in New York City (which includes a boy, of course), and is trying her best to leave the past behind and move on with her life. Her story had a lot to offer and she felt like a real person who had made mistakes and was now left dealing with the repercussions. Lorraine was a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of, and while I can't say I liked her, I felt sorry for her. She tries way too hard to stand out and ends up making herself look pathetic; if she keeps it up she'll turn into a very ugly person whom everyone hates. Forget Gloria, Lorraine is the "real" poor little rich girl of the book. She's in the middle of making all the wrong decisions and we're along for the journey, which made her multidimensional and interesting to read about as well. Gloria was my least favorite, mainly because I don't think the author knew quite how to write her. At one moment Gloria seemed like a good girl rebelling, but then there would be moments where she was a real bitch and those two aspects just didn't gel into a cohesive whole. Now if she was seemingly sweet on the outside and really was a conniving bitch underneath, then I'd be on board or at least would get it. But she wasn't that type of bitch and she wasn't Alexis Carrington-bitchy (or insert less-dated reference here) either. How she was written made her look more like Sybil and didn't render me to sympathize with her at all. It didn't help that I felt she was too close to a Mary-Sue for my liking. I don't like perfect or near-perfect characters, they're boring and so was she. What was her motivation for anything, such as singing? Was that always a dream or did it just now come about? Is her recent behavior only happening because she's unhappy? Sorry, but there's just not enough there to make me care about this character. Gloria needed to be more fleshed out to make her feel like a real human, with real thoughts in her head and real feelings, and not a cliched cardboard cut-out.
The love aspects of the novel were fairly glossed over, mainly Gloria and Jerome's story, and felt more like teenage hormones than actual real love.
<i>"I don't know you but you're hot and I love you."
"Nothing will keep us apart!"
"We'll be together forever!"</i>
Which is too bad because I like the idea of an interracial romance taking place in the 1920's, it could have been fantastic, but instead was tepid and generally unromantic. It didn't help that half the duo was boring old Gloria and the other half never developed beyond the fact that he's a black musician who's forbidden to her due to the color of his skin. I wished for more impact and still hope for that in the next installment of the series. Clara's budding relationship with Marcus was far more realistic because they actually had conversations *gasp* and was well-paced. The relationships between the girls were touch and go, sometimes they felt authentic, then at other times interactions appeared too advanced to where the relationship had last left off; it was like there were scenes edited out in chunks. The same could be said of the developing romance between Gloria and Jerome.
So a few things bothered me in the book, such as the issue I had with every girl who wasn't one of the main trio being cattily described, i.e. eyes are close together, that color makes her look sallow, etc. Can we get over doing that already? That's not encouraging good behavior. A little more positivity would be a refreshing change. Another thing that annoyed me was at one point, the crap hit the fan and *minor spoiler* <spoiler>Gloria's career as a torch singer, which she's naturally perfect at (of course), came out into the open. So who does she immediately blame? Her best friend, Lorraine of course, whom she slaps! And who to this point Gloria had no provocation to even think it'd be her who had spilled the beans. Lorraine had not done anything to deserve Gloria's wrath, or at least nothing she knew about yet, so I don't know if the author had forgotten that fact or what. It did not make any kind of sense because there were other people who knew what Gloria was up to and others who could have easily found out. To me it was sloppy writing. What kind of friend does that make Gloria anyway? Not one I'd like, who always thinks the worst of her best friend without any miniscule proof of guilt. Told ya she was a bitch</spoiler>. There were some minor editing inaccuracies, such as when Gloria's dress goes from gold sequined to red in less than a page (pages 74-5) but nothing too overt to jar me out of the book altogether. Lastly, perhaps there was a bit too much twenties' slang that wasn't always incorporated into the text as smoothly as possible.
Overall, the plots were well-done and moved along at a brisk enough pace that I never got bored. The ending unfolded so that it tied up the multiple plotlines while still keeping plenty of loose ends for the sequel. So, a lot of the book is superficial, in some cases there are caricatures instead of characters, and it is a shallow interpretation of the Roaring Twenties, I don't care, the book is just plain fun and sometimes that's all I need. And while I can't say I loved this book and it totally lived up to its beautiful cover (seriously that dress is gorgeous, though I could do without the pit shot), I was suitably entertained and will read the sequels to find out what happens next, while I keep up the hope that Gloria will turn into a real, live girl.
<b><i>Once upon a time there were three beautiful girls who went to the best schools (and speakeasies), and they were each assigned booze and clothes that are the cat's meow. But the flapper lifestyle took them into different directions and now they work to find out who they are and what makes them truly happy. My name is Vixen.</i></b>
And so you've been introduced to the first installment of The Flappers series Charlie's Angels' style (the best I was able to come up with anyway).
<b>Meet our <s>Angels</s> Vixens:</b>
<u><i>Gloria</i></u> - She's the one who has it all: <i>the</i> name, riches, looks, clothes, a handsome fiancee, everything comes easily to her, and everybody seemingly loves her. But this poor little rich girl isn't so happy after all and so she begins to rebel.
<u><i>Clara</i></u> - Burned by her former flapper lifestyle, she's now trying to start over as "Country Clara" without her sordid past coming to light. So has she turned into a goody-two shoes or is it just part of a grander scheme? Only time will tell.
<u><i>Lorraine</i></u> - Jealous of best friend, Gloria, she's desperate to step out of Glo's shadow to become the center of attention as an individual.
<b>Before getting to my review, there are a few questions that should be addressed:</b>
Is this great literature? <i>No.</i>
Will this book change your life? <i>No.</i>
Will you learn anything from reading this book? <i>No. Well, maybe some twenties' slang.</i>
Is this book accurate to the period? <i>No, there are some liberties, but it's good enough as wallpaper to the players and scenes.</i>
Is this book entertaining beyond belief? <i>A resounding YES!</i>
VIXEN is very easy to read and captured my attention from the first page, and while it may not be the best book ever, I had a lot of fun reading it. While there's nothing glaringly obvious anachronism-wise, I did question some word choices, phrases, and actions, but overall they were easy to overlook and I likened it to watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger. Written in third-person, each chapter focuses on one the three girls' point-of-view, starting with Gloria and continuing with Clara and then Lorraine, throughout the book until the end.
As for the characters, Clara (named after Ms. Clara Bow?) was definitely my favorite to read about, she's recovering from the aftereffects of her life in New York City (which includes a boy, of course), and is trying her best to leave the past behind and move on with her life. Her story had a lot to offer and she felt like a real person who had made mistakes and was now left dealing with the repercussions. Lorraine was a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off of, and while I can't say I liked her, I felt sorry for her. She tries way too hard to stand out and ends up making herself look pathetic; if she keeps it up she'll turn into a very ugly person whom everyone hates. Forget Gloria, Lorraine is the "real" poor little rich girl of the book. She's in the middle of making all the wrong decisions and we're along for the journey, which made her multidimensional and interesting to read about as well. Gloria was my least favorite, mainly because I don't think the author knew quite how to write her. At one moment Gloria seemed like a good girl rebelling, but then there would be moments where she was a real bitch and those two aspects just didn't gel into a cohesive whole. Now if she was seemingly sweet on the outside and really was a conniving bitch underneath, then I'd be on board or at least would get it. But she wasn't that type of bitch and she wasn't Alexis Carrington-bitchy (or insert less-dated reference here) either. How she was written made her look more like Sybil and didn't render me to sympathize with her at all. It didn't help that I felt she was too close to a Mary-Sue for my liking. I don't like perfect or near-perfect characters, they're boring and so was she. What was her motivation for anything, such as singing? Was that always a dream or did it just now come about? Is her recent behavior only happening because she's unhappy? Sorry, but there's just not enough there to make me care about this character. Gloria needed to be more fleshed out to make her feel like a real human, with real thoughts in her head and real feelings, and not a cliched cardboard cut-out.
The love aspects of the novel were fairly glossed over, mainly Gloria and Jerome's story, and felt more like teenage hormones than actual real love.
<i>"I don't know you but you're hot and I love you."
"Nothing will keep us apart!"
"We'll be together forever!"</i>
Which is too bad because I like the idea of an interracial romance taking place in the 1920's, it could have been fantastic, but instead was tepid and generally unromantic. It didn't help that half the duo was boring old Gloria and the other half never developed beyond the fact that he's a black musician who's forbidden to her due to the color of his skin. I wished for more impact and still hope for that in the next installment of the series. Clara's budding relationship with Marcus was far more realistic because they actually had conversations *gasp* and was well-paced. The relationships between the girls were touch and go, sometimes they felt authentic, then at other times interactions appeared too advanced to where the relationship had last left off; it was like there were scenes edited out in chunks. The same could be said of the developing romance between Gloria and Jerome.
So a few things bothered me in the book, such as the issue I had with every girl who wasn't one of the main trio being cattily described, i.e. eyes are close together, that color makes her look sallow, etc. Can we get over doing that already? That's not encouraging good behavior. A little more positivity would be a refreshing change. Another thing that annoyed me was at one point, the crap hit the fan and *minor spoiler* <spoiler>Gloria's career as a torch singer, which she's naturally perfect at (of course), came out into the open. So who does she immediately blame? Her best friend, Lorraine of course, whom she slaps! And who to this point Gloria had no provocation to even think it'd be her who had spilled the beans. Lorraine had not done anything to deserve Gloria's wrath, or at least nothing she knew about yet, so I don't know if the author had forgotten that fact or what. It did not make any kind of sense because there were other people who knew what Gloria was up to and others who could have easily found out. To me it was sloppy writing. What kind of friend does that make Gloria anyway? Not one I'd like, who always thinks the worst of her best friend without any miniscule proof of guilt. Told ya she was a bitch</spoiler>. There were some minor editing inaccuracies, such as when Gloria's dress goes from gold sequined to red in less than a page (pages 74-5) but nothing too overt to jar me out of the book altogether. Lastly, perhaps there was a bit too much twenties' slang that wasn't always incorporated into the text as smoothly as possible.
Overall, the plots were well-done and moved along at a brisk enough pace that I never got bored. The ending unfolded so that it tied up the multiple plotlines while still keeping plenty of loose ends for the sequel. So, a lot of the book is superficial, in some cases there are caricatures instead of characters, and it is a shallow interpretation of the Roaring Twenties, I don't care, the book is just plain fun and sometimes that's all I need. And while I can't say I loved this book and it totally lived up to its beautiful cover (seriously that dress is gorgeous, though I could do without the pit shot), I was suitably entertained and will read the sequels to find out what happens next, while I keep up the hope that Gloria will turn into a real, live girl.
Versusyours (757 KP) rated The Karate Kid, Part III (1989) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019 (Updated Nov 7, 2019)
War on bonsai and sporting decency
Contains spoilers, click to show
I remember this film from a trip to the cinema on its release in 1989 and I recall fly kicking my way out of the cinema and into the mean Scottish streets. I am now at an age where fly kicking would be an effort in itself I decided to review it from my older and more critical eye.
It begins with a return to Part 1 to re-establish the bad blood Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and his aging sidekick Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) have with John “I saw things in Vietnam” Kreese. This part I couldn’t let slide with me this viewing as the attempted punches by Kreese to contact Mr. Miyagi were as expected as Xmas day falling on the 25th of December each year. One failed attempt was followed by the same type of punch and the same outcome of bloody and smashed knuckles and an insurance claim for the car owners. After this we return to the present and a skulking and hobo like Kreese seeks the refuge of his ponytailed, rich and so 80s stereotyped “you know he is evil due to his involvement in toxic waste” comrade from the past Terry Silver.
Possibly due to giving him his shampoo and conditioner in Vietnam to maintain his ponytail or his heroics in battle, this remains unknown at this time.
What about Daniel and Miyagi you may ask well they are in for an unwelcome surprise when the housing complex they live in has been earmarked for redevelopment. To make matters worse unbeknown to Daniel his Uncle is ill and his mum must have been too busy with this to let Daniel know he is homeless as well as heartbroken after his holiday romance turned sour. Great use of a sentence to end a previous films love interest and subsequent relationship, one of films greatest tricks. At least he has a wad of money for college in his pocket to repair his broken heart. Spoiler alert neither the wad of money and the broken heart are the same for long.
So as it stands not much karate from Daniel but the use of Mr. Miyagi’s subtle use of Daniel as a glorified maid still exists as they branch out in the cutting world of Bonsai. Remember that college money well now its rent and utilities money after luckily realising there are no more Bonsai shops in the street and even luckier there is a pottery shop with a young lady for Daniel to obsess over and fight for her honour as he shows a propensity for in the previous films. The fact that she has a boyfriend only spurs Daniel on like the initial film in the series and makes her more desirable in his lusting eyes.
Enter the 80s Dragon it a supped up Zach Morris Karate Bad Boy, Mike Barnes who is wearing black to dictate his evil intentions. This guy could spell trouble for Daniel as he has links to Silver and thus the plot to ruin Daniels life and happiness for winning a local karate competition the year before takes seed. As someone who has played sports the format of the All Valley Karate Championship, which has been inexplicably changes to allow the defending Champion to only fight in the final where his battle wary and exhausted opponent will be easy prey for a crane kicking Daniel, makes no sense. Maybe Daniel is sick of being typecast as The Karate Kid but this area of the story annoyed me more than a grown man should as initially Daniel can’t even be bothered to sign up for this one fight but after some lying and coercion and some innocent Bonsai paying the price for The Karateless Kid.
More pressure from Barnes and his goons and more Bonsai casualties before Daniel and Mr. Miyagi are split between the tournament and after Daniel decided he will fight that 10 minutes if his life for another sweet trophy. With his training regime disguised as housework and child labour now running low, Miyagi wont train Daniel and thus pushing him into Silvers ponytailed clutches. The once meek and defensive Daniel learns that attack is more effective than Miyagi’s training and with another wooden victim (a repeating plot line in this film) being pummelled and the wax punched off it, Daniel is ready to be the badass he always threatened to be. A night out ends in a broken nose of a Silver bribed punk, Daniel questions who he has become and changes his mind about the tournament once more, only for Silver to admit his true intentions to ruin Daniel as a human being and to avenge John Kreese who is not dead as first explained but high on revenge and the smoking of broken kids karate trophies. They give the new and improved Daniel a beating until appearance of Mr. Miyagi, who may or may not be stalking Daniel, who uses his small but deadly side step and legs to defeat the 3 grown men with ease. There is nothing like a good beating to mend a relationship and together the Bonsai Brothers are back and for the umpteenth time Daniel IS going to defend his title and we all hoped that Barnes would make it through the many rounds to get to the final. Hollywood prevails and after relaxing and watching his potential opponents tiring and having their face smashed in, Daniel like and later day Elvis gets on the stage for a quick round of his greatest hits. In Karate Kid tradition Daniel is good and Cobra Kai are bad, he has honour they are sneaky, they will cheat Daniel wont. Daniel wins as usual and takes his hollow victory and Cobra Kai is no more or until the invention of YouTube at least.
Overall this film fondly remembered until I watched it again. The lack of new ideas left me disappointed and broken like the cliff Bonsai and like that tree I will heal and grow but I will be left with the scars of the better and simple life I used to live. The inclusion of Glen Medeiros on the soundtrack was almost enough to save it and keep it respectable but alas it was not to be, this film is the 80s ponytail of memories; best left cut off.
It begins with a return to Part 1 to re-establish the bad blood Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and his aging sidekick Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) have with John “I saw things in Vietnam” Kreese. This part I couldn’t let slide with me this viewing as the attempted punches by Kreese to contact Mr. Miyagi were as expected as Xmas day falling on the 25th of December each year. One failed attempt was followed by the same type of punch and the same outcome of bloody and smashed knuckles and an insurance claim for the car owners. After this we return to the present and a skulking and hobo like Kreese seeks the refuge of his ponytailed, rich and so 80s stereotyped “you know he is evil due to his involvement in toxic waste” comrade from the past Terry Silver.
Possibly due to giving him his shampoo and conditioner in Vietnam to maintain his ponytail or his heroics in battle, this remains unknown at this time.
What about Daniel and Miyagi you may ask well they are in for an unwelcome surprise when the housing complex they live in has been earmarked for redevelopment. To make matters worse unbeknown to Daniel his Uncle is ill and his mum must have been too busy with this to let Daniel know he is homeless as well as heartbroken after his holiday romance turned sour. Great use of a sentence to end a previous films love interest and subsequent relationship, one of films greatest tricks. At least he has a wad of money for college in his pocket to repair his broken heart. Spoiler alert neither the wad of money and the broken heart are the same for long.
So as it stands not much karate from Daniel but the use of Mr. Miyagi’s subtle use of Daniel as a glorified maid still exists as they branch out in the cutting world of Bonsai. Remember that college money well now its rent and utilities money after luckily realising there are no more Bonsai shops in the street and even luckier there is a pottery shop with a young lady for Daniel to obsess over and fight for her honour as he shows a propensity for in the previous films. The fact that she has a boyfriend only spurs Daniel on like the initial film in the series and makes her more desirable in his lusting eyes.
Enter the 80s Dragon it a supped up Zach Morris Karate Bad Boy, Mike Barnes who is wearing black to dictate his evil intentions. This guy could spell trouble for Daniel as he has links to Silver and thus the plot to ruin Daniels life and happiness for winning a local karate competition the year before takes seed. As someone who has played sports the format of the All Valley Karate Championship, which has been inexplicably changes to allow the defending Champion to only fight in the final where his battle wary and exhausted opponent will be easy prey for a crane kicking Daniel, makes no sense. Maybe Daniel is sick of being typecast as The Karate Kid but this area of the story annoyed me more than a grown man should as initially Daniel can’t even be bothered to sign up for this one fight but after some lying and coercion and some innocent Bonsai paying the price for The Karateless Kid.
More pressure from Barnes and his goons and more Bonsai casualties before Daniel and Mr. Miyagi are split between the tournament and after Daniel decided he will fight that 10 minutes if his life for another sweet trophy. With his training regime disguised as housework and child labour now running low, Miyagi wont train Daniel and thus pushing him into Silvers ponytailed clutches. The once meek and defensive Daniel learns that attack is more effective than Miyagi’s training and with another wooden victim (a repeating plot line in this film) being pummelled and the wax punched off it, Daniel is ready to be the badass he always threatened to be. A night out ends in a broken nose of a Silver bribed punk, Daniel questions who he has become and changes his mind about the tournament once more, only for Silver to admit his true intentions to ruin Daniel as a human being and to avenge John Kreese who is not dead as first explained but high on revenge and the smoking of broken kids karate trophies. They give the new and improved Daniel a beating until appearance of Mr. Miyagi, who may or may not be stalking Daniel, who uses his small but deadly side step and legs to defeat the 3 grown men with ease. There is nothing like a good beating to mend a relationship and together the Bonsai Brothers are back and for the umpteenth time Daniel IS going to defend his title and we all hoped that Barnes would make it through the many rounds to get to the final. Hollywood prevails and after relaxing and watching his potential opponents tiring and having their face smashed in, Daniel like and later day Elvis gets on the stage for a quick round of his greatest hits. In Karate Kid tradition Daniel is good and Cobra Kai are bad, he has honour they are sneaky, they will cheat Daniel wont. Daniel wins as usual and takes his hollow victory and Cobra Kai is no more or until the invention of YouTube at least.
Overall this film fondly remembered until I watched it again. The lack of new ideas left me disappointed and broken like the cliff Bonsai and like that tree I will heal and grow but I will be left with the scars of the better and simple life I used to live. The inclusion of Glen Medeiros on the soundtrack was almost enough to save it and keep it respectable but alas it was not to be, this film is the 80s ponytail of memories; best left cut off.