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Debbiereadsbook (1149 KP) rated Married to the Vampire King (Blood Bonded Mates #2) in Books
May 6, 2024
longer, but so much better than book one!!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Blood Bonded Mates series. While not strictly necessary to read book one, Snowed In With The Vampire Prince, it will give you a better understanding of Pierce and James who play a huge part here. And you know, it was rather good! I thoroughly enjoyed that book. But this book??
Freaking LOVED this book!
Ethan is a with without any gifts. Nathaniel is the reigning Vampire King. The witches and vampires will kill each other, if Ethan doesn't do something, and that something is marry Nathaniel. The mirror told him so. What could possibly go wrong?? Well, turns out, feelings could get involved!
What I especially liked was how Ethan's secrets, and Nathaniel's, took time to come out, and they came out to each other slowly. I'm gonna be vague here, cos spoilers, but I loved this, I really did.
Nathaniel knew who Ethan was, right from the start, but he didn't know what would happen. He wanted to spring the idea at Ethan in good time, but things had a way of sending plans out the window!
I loved that we got to catch up with Pierce and James from book 1. They both play a huge part here and it was fab how they seamlessly slotted into this book. I hope they pop up in follwoing books too.
I loved how Ethan and Nathaniel surprised each other, at every turn. Me too, to be fair!! It's a lot longer than book one, some 300 odd pages, and I think this book needed those extra pages. The story was very multi layered.
There is romance and love, and betrayal of the highest order and I loved that I did not see who was the bad guy here! Totally sideswiped with that one, so well played there Mr castle, very well played.
I am loving wathcing these people develop and grow, and as the author puts out more stories, I wanna read them! I can't see who might be next, but I need, NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED to read it!
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Blood Bonded Mates series. While not strictly necessary to read book one, Snowed In With The Vampire Prince, it will give you a better understanding of Pierce and James who play a huge part here. And you know, it was rather good! I thoroughly enjoyed that book. But this book??
Freaking LOVED this book!
Ethan is a with without any gifts. Nathaniel is the reigning Vampire King. The witches and vampires will kill each other, if Ethan doesn't do something, and that something is marry Nathaniel. The mirror told him so. What could possibly go wrong?? Well, turns out, feelings could get involved!
What I especially liked was how Ethan's secrets, and Nathaniel's, took time to come out, and they came out to each other slowly. I'm gonna be vague here, cos spoilers, but I loved this, I really did.
Nathaniel knew who Ethan was, right from the start, but he didn't know what would happen. He wanted to spring the idea at Ethan in good time, but things had a way of sending plans out the window!
I loved that we got to catch up with Pierce and James from book 1. They both play a huge part here and it was fab how they seamlessly slotted into this book. I hope they pop up in follwoing books too.
I loved how Ethan and Nathaniel surprised each other, at every turn. Me too, to be fair!! It's a lot longer than book one, some 300 odd pages, and I think this book needed those extra pages. The story was very multi layered.
There is romance and love, and betrayal of the highest order and I loved that I did not see who was the bad guy here! Totally sideswiped with that one, so well played there Mr castle, very well played.
I am loving wathcing these people develop and grow, and as the author puts out more stories, I wanna read them! I can't see who might be next, but I need, NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED to read it!
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Coldest Girl in Coldtown in Books
Apr 27, 2018
There were a lot of things about The Coldest Girl in Coldtown that I liked. There was only one thing I didn’t like.
1. I liked that Vampires were both romanticized, and despicable. They were beautiful, physically, but they were ugly and awful and broken and were the worst thing to happen to the world. I liked that even though there was a love story, it wasn’t a “Turn me into a vampire so I can be with you forever” story.
2. I loved the plot. It was action packed from the first chapter, easy to follow, but still complicated. The amount of twisting and changing and plotting it must have taken is astonishing, and I have become a fan of Holly Black simply because of her artistry of working this plot.
3. I absolutely loved the protagonist, Tana. She is awesome. She is brave, kick-ass, hard working, she loves passionately in her own way, she is broken and imperfect, and she makes hard choices. She’s stubborn in a good way. She’s wonderful. I want to be like her when I grow up.
4. I liked all the characters. They were all well developed and unique. I would have liked to get to know Pearl, her sister, a little more. I would have liked more relation between Tana and Aiden pre-vampiric adventures, but all things considered, all the other characters were still awesome.
5. The writing itself was lyric, descriptive, and engrossing. It was almost impossible to put down (I only stopped because my ipod died…)
The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. It was beautiful and excellent and sweet and nerve wracking… but the very last bit, the conclusion, the “now what,” was frustrating. I didn’t know what was going to happen and that irritates me. (HGHLIGHT TEXT FOR SPOILERS: does she sweat out the cold, or not? does she stay human? or forever cold? does she age? so many unanswered questions.) I know the open ending lends itself to the feel of the novel. You know it ends one of two ways, and you know both options are equally possible. That keeps it in your mind. It makes you wonder. It lends itself to a sequel, if the publishers decide to pursue one. But it still annoyed me because I like to know what happens!
All that being said, It was an excellent book, and I would re-read/listen to it in a heartbeat.
*pun intended.
1. I liked that Vampires were both romanticized, and despicable. They were beautiful, physically, but they were ugly and awful and broken and were the worst thing to happen to the world. I liked that even though there was a love story, it wasn’t a “Turn me into a vampire so I can be with you forever” story.
2. I loved the plot. It was action packed from the first chapter, easy to follow, but still complicated. The amount of twisting and changing and plotting it must have taken is astonishing, and I have become a fan of Holly Black simply because of her artistry of working this plot.
3. I absolutely loved the protagonist, Tana. She is awesome. She is brave, kick-ass, hard working, she loves passionately in her own way, she is broken and imperfect, and she makes hard choices. She’s stubborn in a good way. She’s wonderful. I want to be like her when I grow up.
4. I liked all the characters. They were all well developed and unique. I would have liked to get to know Pearl, her sister, a little more. I would have liked more relation between Tana and Aiden pre-vampiric adventures, but all things considered, all the other characters were still awesome.
5. The writing itself was lyric, descriptive, and engrossing. It was almost impossible to put down (I only stopped because my ipod died…)
The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. It was beautiful and excellent and sweet and nerve wracking… but the very last bit, the conclusion, the “now what,” was frustrating. I didn’t know what was going to happen and that irritates me. (HGHLIGHT TEXT FOR SPOILERS: does she sweat out the cold, or not? does she stay human? or forever cold? does she age? so many unanswered questions.) I know the open ending lends itself to the feel of the novel. You know it ends one of two ways, and you know both options are equally possible. That keeps it in your mind. It makes you wonder. It lends itself to a sequel, if the publishers decide to pursue one. But it still annoyed me because I like to know what happens!
All that being said, It was an excellent book, and I would re-read/listen to it in a heartbeat.
*pun intended.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Fantasy (Includes: Leopard People, #0.5; Midnight, #0.5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The fantasy theme was heavy with all four of the stories in the book. The first story is The Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries. In this novella, a young widow is convinced that it is in her favor to auction off one night with her in return for a large sum of money that she can use to benefit her work with a all-boys' school. Of course, she secretly just wants to know what it's like to actually enjoy the bedtime act. In the realm of make-believe, this was quite the enjoyable mix of lust and romance with no negative consequences.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Mortal Instruments 1: City of Bones in Books
Jan 31, 2018
City of Bones is the book that started the phenomenon that is the Shadowhunters world and fandom. The book introduces us to a beloved cast of characters and the fascinating Shadow World that will be developed over the course of the future novels. We discover the world through the eyes of Clary Fray, a girl who always thought she was normal but discovers that she is actually part of a race of people who are part-angel and spend their days fighting back the demon hordes.
Clary and her best friend Simon are thrust into a world full of werewolves, vampires, warlocks, fairies and demons. They meet three Shadowhunters around their age: Jace, Izzy and Alec who live in the New York Institute. The first book has a number of different action scenes, but I think it shines most in the world-building department. Cassandra Clare develops an intricate world that you can easily imagine and yet is infinitely more complex than our own familiar one.
While there is some character development, the book only takes place over a period of two weeks. We are just getting to know the characters and that development or growth will come in later books. For now, we are learning about these characters and their secrets. Having read the series before, I am already in love with certain characters so it's strange seeing their early personas. They grow so much over the course of the six books that there are some that I don't particularly connect to, yet absolutely adore them later on.
Although I relate most to Clary, Jace is by far my favourite character in the series. He is witty, sarcastic and has the best lines in any scene. Some of the other characters have hilarious, memorable lines as well because Cassie writes fantastic dialogue - but Jace is the star. He can cause you to laugh out loud, which might garner you strange looks if you're in public reading.
This book is fantastic, but you can definitely see the difference in writing quality between this book and Cassie's most recent series. I think the writing is well done, the world building is immersive and the characters are relatable. I adore this book because it is what introduced me to the Shadow World and my beloved Shadowhunters, but I can admit that her writing has come so far in the last ten years. Regardless, I cannot recommend this series more to young adult/teen fans of fantasy, books with unique and immersive world building and if you're willing to continue with it fantastic character building throughout the series.
Clary and her best friend Simon are thrust into a world full of werewolves, vampires, warlocks, fairies and demons. They meet three Shadowhunters around their age: Jace, Izzy and Alec who live in the New York Institute. The first book has a number of different action scenes, but I think it shines most in the world-building department. Cassandra Clare develops an intricate world that you can easily imagine and yet is infinitely more complex than our own familiar one.
While there is some character development, the book only takes place over a period of two weeks. We are just getting to know the characters and that development or growth will come in later books. For now, we are learning about these characters and their secrets. Having read the series before, I am already in love with certain characters so it's strange seeing their early personas. They grow so much over the course of the six books that there are some that I don't particularly connect to, yet absolutely adore them later on.
Although I relate most to Clary, Jace is by far my favourite character in the series. He is witty, sarcastic and has the best lines in any scene. Some of the other characters have hilarious, memorable lines as well because Cassie writes fantastic dialogue - but Jace is the star. He can cause you to laugh out loud, which might garner you strange looks if you're in public reading.
This book is fantastic, but you can definitely see the difference in writing quality between this book and Cassie's most recent series. I think the writing is well done, the world building is immersive and the characters are relatable. I adore this book because it is what introduced me to the Shadow World and my beloved Shadowhunters, but I can admit that her writing has come so far in the last ten years. Regardless, I cannot recommend this series more to young adult/teen fans of fantasy, books with unique and immersive world building and if you're willing to continue with it fantastic character building throughout the series.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Tormented (The Gates Legacy, #2) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
If you follow my reviews then you'll know I loved Hunted and I'm a sucker (pun intended) for anything connected to vampires. That said, I always worry with series that they won't match up to the hype or the quality, but rest assured, Font hit the ground running with this one and it does not disappoint.
It continues on flawlessly from the first book, with a odd bod gang of vamps and humans still reeling from the twists and turns they've been subjected to (apologies for the vagueness, but I loathe spoilers). As always with Font's writing, there are many perspectives from which to tell a story, but as always, she's written it splendidly and it's always clear exactly which POV and which character you're following - a skill of hers I've loved since the first piece of writing I sampled. I love how we see the perspectives of new characters in this book, namely more of Tor and Ally, alongside familiar favourites Harrow and Jordan.
The character development, as a whole, is fabulous, Font is skilled in showing such growth in all characters in such a short space of narrative, but Tor in particular really stands out for all the right reasons in this story. His growth as a character is phenomenal, and the changes are superbly written. As a reader, you want to be able to get into the heads of the characters and Font does just that for us with Tor.
She writes in the same vein of twisting and turning and never quite fully letting you know what's going to happen. As a result, the plot twists are fabulous and completely unexpected. Furthermore, the way the information is drip fed, oh so slowly, keeps you completely hooked, like an addict after their next fix you turn each page and devour it in no time. You feel everything that happens - the thrill of the battle, the horror of loss, the sorrow for thee deaths which come thick and fast. It's all brilliantly done.
This is a stunning piece of storytelling and a series I have added to my favourites list. I cannot wait to see what Font does next with these characters, but I have a feeling I should heed the warnings of a friend and not get too attached to anyone. A very worthy 5 stars and an excellent continuation of what promises to be a phenomenal series.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
It continues on flawlessly from the first book, with a odd bod gang of vamps and humans still reeling from the twists and turns they've been subjected to (apologies for the vagueness, but I loathe spoilers). As always with Font's writing, there are many perspectives from which to tell a story, but as always, she's written it splendidly and it's always clear exactly which POV and which character you're following - a skill of hers I've loved since the first piece of writing I sampled. I love how we see the perspectives of new characters in this book, namely more of Tor and Ally, alongside familiar favourites Harrow and Jordan.
The character development, as a whole, is fabulous, Font is skilled in showing such growth in all characters in such a short space of narrative, but Tor in particular really stands out for all the right reasons in this story. His growth as a character is phenomenal, and the changes are superbly written. As a reader, you want to be able to get into the heads of the characters and Font does just that for us with Tor.
She writes in the same vein of twisting and turning and never quite fully letting you know what's going to happen. As a result, the plot twists are fabulous and completely unexpected. Furthermore, the way the information is drip fed, oh so slowly, keeps you completely hooked, like an addict after their next fix you turn each page and devour it in no time. You feel everything that happens - the thrill of the battle, the horror of loss, the sorrow for thee deaths which come thick and fast. It's all brilliantly done.
This is a stunning piece of storytelling and a series I have added to my favourites list. I cannot wait to see what Font does next with these characters, but I have a feeling I should heed the warnings of a friend and not get too attached to anyone. A very worthy 5 stars and an excellent continuation of what promises to be a phenomenal series.
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Rest of Us Just Live Here in Books
Jun 24, 2019
This is the second book I've read by Patrick Ness, the first being More Than This which I adored. So I was really looking forward to The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I was not disappointed!
The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?
At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.
Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.
I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.
The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.
As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.
The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?
At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.
Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.
I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.
The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.
As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated Avoiding Alpha in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
So Tessa is now a Werewolf, Human and Bruja (Witch in Spanish) She has accepted the fact she is one and can't do anything about it. She has also accepted that Dastien is her mate. But what she hasn't accepted is that she is going to have to change into a wolf... And that scares her.
With the Vampires gone, and her and Dastien enjoying life as mates. Things couldn't be better (other than the changing into a Werewolf part) However there is a Tribunal approaching because of the whole Dastien biting her thing... (Because wolves aren't allowed to bite human and Dastien broke that rule. They have to have tribubal. Although he bit her due to her being his mate, it still has to happen) She is terrified of what might happen to them both.
Then Meredith her best friend and room neighbor. Was cursed a few years ago so her wolf can't come out and she is never about to change into one again. This curse is now breaking. With Meredith finding her mate in Donovan, who is one of the seven (one of the high Werewolves, who are in charge of all Were.) She freaks and her wolf tries to break out and this gets her really ill. So ill she could die.
Tessa tries to find away to help her by breaking the curse and freeing her wolf. She tries magic and asks for her cousins help. But unfortunately there is no way to break another Witches curse. So Tessa suggests trying to keep the curse to save her life and then working on away to stop this curse later. Once Meredith is better.
We then find out who cursed her and why, Tessa then tries to talk to this Witch and get her to break that curse. But this Witch the leader of the Coven hates all Werewolves and will only break this curse (put the curse back on her and stop the wolf coming back) if she can do the same to Tessa and she joins the Coven she is destined to lead. But Tessa won't join.
Tessa tries to break the curse again and tries to keep Meridith's wolf at bay. But is unsuccessful in doing so. She goes back to the Coven ready to make a deal, but in going there she learns how to break the curse completely. But in order to break this curse she needs to accept she is going to have to change to become a wolf. Which she finally does.
With the Tribunal approaching Tessa has so many emotions. She needs to relax and save Meredith and become one with who she is.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
With the Vampires gone, and her and Dastien enjoying life as mates. Things couldn't be better (other than the changing into a Werewolf part) However there is a Tribunal approaching because of the whole Dastien biting her thing... (Because wolves aren't allowed to bite human and Dastien broke that rule. They have to have tribubal. Although he bit her due to her being his mate, it still has to happen) She is terrified of what might happen to them both.
Then Meredith her best friend and room neighbor. Was cursed a few years ago so her wolf can't come out and she is never about to change into one again. This curse is now breaking. With Meredith finding her mate in Donovan, who is one of the seven (one of the high Werewolves, who are in charge of all Were.) She freaks and her wolf tries to break out and this gets her really ill. So ill she could die.
Tessa tries to find away to help her by breaking the curse and freeing her wolf. She tries magic and asks for her cousins help. But unfortunately there is no way to break another Witches curse. So Tessa suggests trying to keep the curse to save her life and then working on away to stop this curse later. Once Meredith is better.
We then find out who cursed her and why, Tessa then tries to talk to this Witch and get her to break that curse. But this Witch the leader of the Coven hates all Werewolves and will only break this curse (put the curse back on her and stop the wolf coming back) if she can do the same to Tessa and she joins the Coven she is destined to lead. But Tessa won't join.
Tessa tries to break the curse again and tries to keep Meridith's wolf at bay. But is unsuccessful in doing so. She goes back to the Coven ready to make a deal, but in going there she learns how to break the curse completely. But in order to break this curse she needs to accept she is going to have to change to become a wolf. Which she finally does.
With the Tribunal approaching Tessa has so many emotions. She needs to relax and save Meredith and become one with who she is.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Kelly (279 KP) rated The Passage in Books
Dec 4, 2018
In depth, well thought out characters (2 more)
Intelligent plot
A nobody is safe story line!
A ‘could not put it down’ read.
The passage is the first of three books which span centuries, covering before, during and after a vampire apocalypse.
I have to say, I was hooked on this novel from the start. Originally picking it up, without even reading the synopsis or reviews, I was surprised to find out that this is actually a novel about vampires (which I did not expect from the title). The build up to the vampire apocalypse is well thought out, flawless planned and written, demonstrating expert skill by Justin Cronin.
The characters are complex, and demonstrate both strengths and flaws, nobody is perfect in this novel not even Amy or Peter, who are the main characters the story centres around. We grow to love these characters, just as much as we grow to strongly dislike characters such as Babcock and Grey. I believe that the emotional connection that I was able to apply to these characters, is what drew me further into the novel. Equally all characters face hardships during the novel, some worse than others, but I found myself wishing that those characters I deemed to be good, would face better times, and those who I felt were bad individuals would soon face their comeuppance. Good or bad however, Cronins’ concentration on the back grounds of the characters does allow us to emphasise and understand why the primary characters within the novel act the way they did, even if this was in conflict with our own values and morals.
As the story unravels, Cronin does jump between different time periods (pre, during and post apocalypse). Although Cronin does give each period a fair amount of time within the book, I did find it difficult to leave the characters from one period behind, in order to move onto another, partially due to the attachment that I had created with the characters. Although the time jumps were carried out at deliberate timings and are not too frequent, I did find them a little distracting.
The story itself makes sense as a stand alone novel, but makes even more sense when read with the rest of the series. When read with the other two novels, The Passage is merely a scene setting novel, for the books that are to come, and as such, has a lot less of a biblical undertone than the series as an entirety (there are a lot of references to the Old Testament in the books that follow). Despite this, the book is a highly enjoyable read, and is not your usual vampire/ apocalyptic novel.
I have to say, I was hooked on this novel from the start. Originally picking it up, without even reading the synopsis or reviews, I was surprised to find out that this is actually a novel about vampires (which I did not expect from the title). The build up to the vampire apocalypse is well thought out, flawless planned and written, demonstrating expert skill by Justin Cronin.
The characters are complex, and demonstrate both strengths and flaws, nobody is perfect in this novel not even Amy or Peter, who are the main characters the story centres around. We grow to love these characters, just as much as we grow to strongly dislike characters such as Babcock and Grey. I believe that the emotional connection that I was able to apply to these characters, is what drew me further into the novel. Equally all characters face hardships during the novel, some worse than others, but I found myself wishing that those characters I deemed to be good, would face better times, and those who I felt were bad individuals would soon face their comeuppance. Good or bad however, Cronins’ concentration on the back grounds of the characters does allow us to emphasise and understand why the primary characters within the novel act the way they did, even if this was in conflict with our own values and morals.
As the story unravels, Cronin does jump between different time periods (pre, during and post apocalypse). Although Cronin does give each period a fair amount of time within the book, I did find it difficult to leave the characters from one period behind, in order to move onto another, partially due to the attachment that I had created with the characters. Although the time jumps were carried out at deliberate timings and are not too frequent, I did find them a little distracting.
The story itself makes sense as a stand alone novel, but makes even more sense when read with the rest of the series. When read with the other two novels, The Passage is merely a scene setting novel, for the books that are to come, and as such, has a lot less of a biblical undertone than the series as an entirety (there are a lot of references to the Old Testament in the books that follow). Despite this, the book is a highly enjoyable read, and is not your usual vampire/ apocalyptic novel.
RavenclawPrincess913 (253 KP) rated A Multitude of Dreams in Books
Sep 10, 2023
Favorite book of this year
Title: A Multitude of dreams
Author: Mara Rutherford
My favorite read of the year would be A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford. In the beginning of this book it takes place during the after math of a horrible plague called the Mori Roja which basically causes the patient to bleed out and die. Only ways people can survive the mori Roja are to die and be reborn, never come in contact with the plague or be immune.
Princess Imogen of Goslind has been locked in the palace with many other higher born citizens for the past four years during the plague she wants to be set free same with many others but the king will not allow that. After Nico impersonating a prince shows up they quickly learn being locked up is what helped them survive so long but it is no longer possible when the food runs out.
When Nico realizes that Lord Crane is a reborn and learns of his plans he decided to impersonate a prince who died on his way to meet the princess for a marriage agreement. He died by a reborn. He does this to try to warn and save the people of the palace but he has no success when Lord Crane and other reborns invade the palace killing many.
This being the best book I read of 2023 I am having a hard time choosing just one part I loved the most in it. I did enjoy that Princess Giselle got the karma that was coming for her it was one hundred percent deserved. The story was really well written and extremely hard to put down. Another part I loved were all the moments between Jocelyn and Princess Imogen. Honestly only part of this book I disliked was that Jocelyn and Imogen didn't end up together. I thought they would because they were giving off more that friend vibes with the kisses and stuff.
When it comes to the characters my favorites were Jocelyn and Princess Imogen. I loved them from the beginning. One character who gave bad vibes and I knew couldn't be trust was Lord Crane. I could just tell there was something up with him. On the other hand Nico and Colin were both very trustworthy from the beginning. I didn't like Giselle, Henry or Branson either. Princess Giselle I could tell she was a backstabber. Henry I could tell he had an alternative motive and couldn't be trusted. Same with Branson. This book had a very good character development.
I recommend reading this if books based during or after a plague interests you. I also recommend if you enjoy books about vampires.
Author: Mara Rutherford
My favorite read of the year would be A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford. In the beginning of this book it takes place during the after math of a horrible plague called the Mori Roja which basically causes the patient to bleed out and die. Only ways people can survive the mori Roja are to die and be reborn, never come in contact with the plague or be immune.
Princess Imogen of Goslind has been locked in the palace with many other higher born citizens for the past four years during the plague she wants to be set free same with many others but the king will not allow that. After Nico impersonating a prince shows up they quickly learn being locked up is what helped them survive so long but it is no longer possible when the food runs out.
When Nico realizes that Lord Crane is a reborn and learns of his plans he decided to impersonate a prince who died on his way to meet the princess for a marriage agreement. He died by a reborn. He does this to try to warn and save the people of the palace but he has no success when Lord Crane and other reborns invade the palace killing many.
This being the best book I read of 2023 I am having a hard time choosing just one part I loved the most in it. I did enjoy that Princess Giselle got the karma that was coming for her it was one hundred percent deserved. The story was really well written and extremely hard to put down. Another part I loved were all the moments between Jocelyn and Princess Imogen. Honestly only part of this book I disliked was that Jocelyn and Imogen didn't end up together. I thought they would because they were giving off more that friend vibes with the kisses and stuff.
When it comes to the characters my favorites were Jocelyn and Princess Imogen. I loved them from the beginning. One character who gave bad vibes and I knew couldn't be trust was Lord Crane. I could just tell there was something up with him. On the other hand Nico and Colin were both very trustworthy from the beginning. I didn't like Giselle, Henry or Branson either. Princess Giselle I could tell she was a backstabber. Henry I could tell he had an alternative motive and couldn't be trusted. Same with Branson. This book had a very good character development.
I recommend reading this if books based during or after a plague interests you. I also recommend if you enjoy books about vampires.
Merissa (11869 KP) rated Relentless (Relentless, #1) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
Have you ever picked up a book and thought that you knew exactly where it was heading before you even started it? Well, that's what I thought about this book. I thought it would be a light, easy read where the story follows the 'set' pattern and it would while away a couple of hours. Boy, was I wrong!!!
This story is simply fantastic. It is fresh and incredibly well-written. There aren't many books out there that can blend fantasy with paranormal but Karen Lynch can and does with aplomb. The synopsis states that vampires are involved so fair enough but I certainly wasn't expecting trolls, imps, sylphs, undines and demons - to name but a few! There are enough characters in here so that everyone can have their favourite although I suspect I'm in the majority for thinking that Nikolas is just "Oh Yeah!". The relationships between Sara and her two best friends, Roland and Peter, are not only believable but also in the minority in books. Yes, people, you can be friends with a guy without any benefits apart from a solid friendship. It was so nice to read this part even with the explanation given by Aine as to the why.
Sara has special gifts, some of which can be explained by Nikolas and some that remain a mystery. Sara states that she is not a warrior. Warriors come in different shapes and sizes but Sara definitely is. She has much to learn and I'm really hoping that Nikolas will be there to help her.
Relentless is full of secrets which I loved reading about, it is also full of humour. Sara is a strong female lead and she is not afraid of speaking her mind, especially to Nikolas. One of my favourite parts is when she speaks to Nikolas on the phone and calls Chris "Dimples". It may not be funny here but read the story and you'll see what I mean.
This is book 1 of a trilogy with book 2 (hopefully) due out late this year. I am now stalking, I mean, following 😉 Karen Lynch on Facebook and GoodReads so that I can see it as soon as it's available. Good things come to those that wait and if this book is any indication, book 2 is going to be even better. So many things that I want to see happen. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes YA, Fantasy or Paranormal. Excellent!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 9, 2014
This story is simply fantastic. It is fresh and incredibly well-written. There aren't many books out there that can blend fantasy with paranormal but Karen Lynch can and does with aplomb. The synopsis states that vampires are involved so fair enough but I certainly wasn't expecting trolls, imps, sylphs, undines and demons - to name but a few! There are enough characters in here so that everyone can have their favourite although I suspect I'm in the majority for thinking that Nikolas is just "Oh Yeah!". The relationships between Sara and her two best friends, Roland and Peter, are not only believable but also in the minority in books. Yes, people, you can be friends with a guy without any benefits apart from a solid friendship. It was so nice to read this part even with the explanation given by Aine as to the why.
Sara has special gifts, some of which can be explained by Nikolas and some that remain a mystery. Sara states that she is not a warrior. Warriors come in different shapes and sizes but Sara definitely is. She has much to learn and I'm really hoping that Nikolas will be there to help her.
Relentless is full of secrets which I loved reading about, it is also full of humour. Sara is a strong female lead and she is not afraid of speaking her mind, especially to Nikolas. One of my favourite parts is when she speaks to Nikolas on the phone and calls Chris "Dimples". It may not be funny here but read the story and you'll see what I mean.
This is book 1 of a trilogy with book 2 (hopefully) due out late this year. I am now stalking, I mean, following 😉 Karen Lynch on Facebook and GoodReads so that I can see it as soon as it's available. Good things come to those that wait and if this book is any indication, book 2 is going to be even better. So many things that I want to see happen. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes YA, Fantasy or Paranormal. Excellent!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 9, 2014