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Merissa (12934 KP) rated Bittersweet (Faerie Song Trilogy #2) in Books
Apr 12, 2023
Just like the first book, this one is incredibly fast-paced and full of detail. The triangle that was hinted at in book 1 becomes stronger for a time before fading away to just two, but which two and will it last? This book is full of action and betrayal. It is hard to know who to trust and that is as a reader! I don't think I could cope with it for real.
One thing that I have to say is that it does become disjointed in places - and this is not me saying it due to being interrupted whilst reading because I wasn't - but at times, I did have to go back a page or two, just to see if I had missed something out.
On the whole, though, this is a very well-written, imaginative and descriptive piece of work. Having read books 1 and 2, I stand by my recommendation to all fans of YA Fantasy.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
July 29, 2016
One thing that I have to say is that it does become disjointed in places - and this is not me saying it due to being interrupted whilst reading because I wasn't - but at times, I did have to go back a page or two, just to see if I had missed something out.
On the whole, though, this is a very well-written, imaginative and descriptive piece of work. Having read books 1 and 2, I stand by my recommendation to all fans of YA Fantasy.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
July 29, 2016
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Once Upon a Winter's Night (Faery, #1) in Books
Nov 21, 2021
Makes you think (2 more)
Vocabulary
Riddles
But of a mary sue (1 more)
Sometimes drags
This is a good book based on a Norse fairytale. The main character is a bit of a Mary Sue. But it does have some deep subject matter. I'd file it as a winter book. Makes you think and can challenge some views.
The book can be somewhat draggy, as an epic fiction it's alright and doesn't kill itself in. Purple prose.
It's a good book if you want to expand your vocabulary or have High School assignments that are like "pick a book and write the sentence when it uses a word you don't know." Or was that just my english class? Anyway, I'd say it's good for ages 14 and up if they are tired of the kids section and not ready for the bloody. hardcore adult or too snooty (or hate the love triangles) for the ya fantasy. Its pretty easy to follow so if you want to put your toe in for epic fantasy but aren't sure if you want to start you can start here. It's part of a series but can be read alone.
The book can be somewhat draggy, as an epic fiction it's alright and doesn't kill itself in. Purple prose.
It's a good book if you want to expand your vocabulary or have High School assignments that are like "pick a book and write the sentence when it uses a word you don't know." Or was that just my english class? Anyway, I'd say it's good for ages 14 and up if they are tired of the kids section and not ready for the bloody. hardcore adult or too snooty (or hate the love triangles) for the ya fantasy. Its pretty easy to follow so if you want to put your toe in for epic fantasy but aren't sure if you want to start you can start here. It's part of a series but can be read alone.
The Chasm (Finding Humanity, #2)
Book
They thought the biggest problem they faced was each other. After Bleu, Rana, and their new...
Young Adult (YA) Science Fiction
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Fire in Books
Nov 23, 2023
175 of 235
Book
Fire (Graceling Realm 2)
By Kristin Cashore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
She is the last of her kind...
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.
This was really good. I was expecting it to carry on from Book1 but it doesn’t it follows the story of Fire and another world we do get a mention of Graceling which is how we find it’s another world but not till the end. So this is Fires story and she’s considered a monster in a world where the monsters are beautiful and bright but deadly. She has the power to control minds and is feared she goes to help the king and all sorts of events unfold. It’s a really good YA and I’m starting to like this writers style.
Book
Fire (Graceling Realm 2)
By Kristin Cashore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
She is the last of her kind...
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.
This was really good. I was expecting it to carry on from Book1 but it doesn’t it follows the story of Fire and another world we do get a mention of Graceling which is how we find it’s another world but not till the end. So this is Fires story and she’s considered a monster in a world where the monsters are beautiful and bright but deadly. She has the power to control minds and is feared she goes to help the king and all sorts of events unfold. It’s a really good YA and I’m starting to like this writers style.
Academy Arcanist (Astra Academy #1)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Hopes. Dreams. And literal nightmares out to kill a young boy. Gray Lexly, son of a candlemaker,...
Young Adult (YA) Fantasy
Merissa (12934 KP) rated The Hunter's Moon (The Secret Warrior #1) in Books
May 20, 2023
The Hunter's Moon is a young adult paranormal romance that starts with Morgan and her brother, Jimmy, on the run from mobsters who are trying to kill them. They shouldn't have been found as they are in the Witness Protection Program, but hey, they were. The reasons for this become clear as the book progresses.
This is a smooth-flowing book where the seventeen-year-old main female is thrust into the world of the paranormal, not knowing a single thing about it. Her ten-year-old brother is a delight to read about and certainly deserves the nickname of Batboy. Her doubts and fears about what is to come are completely relevant, and not out of character. The supporting characters are mainly a quiet bunch, with the spotlight on Okema, Miriam and Hawthorne. That being said, this is a series with a whole bunch of potential and I can't wait to read more. Definitely recommended for all fans of YA/Paranormal.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 5, 2016
This is a smooth-flowing book where the seventeen-year-old main female is thrust into the world of the paranormal, not knowing a single thing about it. Her ten-year-old brother is a delight to read about and certainly deserves the nickname of Batboy. Her doubts and fears about what is to come are completely relevant, and not out of character. The supporting characters are mainly a quiet bunch, with the spotlight on Okema, Miriam and Hawthorne. That being said, this is a series with a whole bunch of potential and I can't wait to read more. Definitely recommended for all fans of YA/Paranormal.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 5, 2016
Her Good Side
10.0
Rate It
Book
Love this cover and I am so happy to have won a copy from bookish first to review. I used to play...
TE
The Encanto's Daughter
Book
Although the cover isn't one I am drawn to, I love latin reads and I am in a YA competition at work...
ClareR (5885 KP) rated The Bell Witches in Books
Mar 16, 2025
I don’t read much YA anymore, but when I do I realise just how much I enjoy it (and wonder why I don’t read more of it 🤷🏼♀️).
A winning combination for me is the supernatural and coming of age.
Emily is recently orphaned and has been taken to live with her rich grandmother in Savannah. She learns that her fathers side of the family has an unusual and rich family history. On her 17th birthday, Emily will become a fully fledged witch at a special ceremony. However her new boyfriend may risk everything.
There are some great characters: a haughty, glamorous grandmother, a resentful aunt, a very attractive boyfriend, and some great new friends.
This is the start of a new series, which I hope will be as exciting as this first book. Ashleigh Haddad narrated this so well - although I feel an accent for Emily might have helped show just how much out of her comfort zone she was (she had never lived in the US, she’d last lived in Wales).
If you’re a fan of all things witchy, then you’ll probably enjoy this as much as I did!
A winning combination for me is the supernatural and coming of age.
Emily is recently orphaned and has been taken to live with her rich grandmother in Savannah. She learns that her fathers side of the family has an unusual and rich family history. On her 17th birthday, Emily will become a fully fledged witch at a special ceremony. However her new boyfriend may risk everything.
There are some great characters: a haughty, glamorous grandmother, a resentful aunt, a very attractive boyfriend, and some great new friends.
This is the start of a new series, which I hope will be as exciting as this first book. Ashleigh Haddad narrated this so well - although I feel an accent for Emily might have helped show just how much out of her comfort zone she was (she had never lived in the US, she’d last lived in Wales).
If you’re a fan of all things witchy, then you’ll probably enjoy this as much as I did!
A Bibliophagist (113 KP) rated The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) in Books
Feb 5, 2020
Characters (3 more)
Worldbuilding
Plot
Pacing
A fantasic finale
After the amazing cliffhanger of Thunderhead, I rushed to pick up this because I just HAD TO KNOW. This cover is even prettier, they really nailed this series (sans the transformers font) and I hope it inspires more YA books to hire illustrators and not photo manip garbage. I'm an Illustrator though, so I'm biased. This review will have spoilers for Thunderhead, so don't read if you haven't read that!
The Toll picks up immediately after Thunderhead. Goddard has returned the MidMerica, no one knows that he was demoted to apprentice and with the death of Scythe Curie he stands uncontested for replacing Xenocrates. Anastasia and Rowan rest at the bottom of the ocean, and Goddard has made the site a site of remembrance to avoid any evidence being drudged up. The sinking of Endura is also squarely blamed on Rowan, and the world suffers as the Thunderhead punishes everyone, marking them unsavory. Cutting off communication with all but one, our former unsavory, Greyson.
With the rise of Goddard, the Schism amongst the Scythedom widens. He seizes more power, overturns rules and makes new ones and slowly starts taking control of other nations. Dubbing himself the Overblade. The story arches over 3 years post Thunderhead, and we jump around a little bit. During the three years Goddard continues to take a chokehold on the world, Greyson suddenly finds himself a living god amongst the tonists and humanity, as the only one able to speak to the thunderhead, he takes on the role of the Tonist's mythological figure, The Toll. Acting as a go-between, and manipulating those around him to fulfill the Thunderhead's goals.
Meanwhile, Faraday continues his search for the land of nod, making serious headway and discovering something that makes the Thunderhead uncertain. So the Thunderhead starts making plans. Faraday finds himself stranded with his helper, far away from the Scythedom, the Thunderhead and the horrible things that have been happening far away. He knows nothing of the fate of Marie, Goddard, Citra, Rowan, or the world. Finally, in the third year since the sinking of Endura, Rowan and Citra are raised from the depths, squirreled away by the Amazonian Scythes before Goddard knows they aren't dead. Being raised from the dead did wonders for Goddard's cause, so can Anastaisa's return do wonders for the plight of the old guard? But first Anastasia must plan and play her cards right, digging deep in the Thunderheads back brain to piece together mysteries long since written off and uncover the secrets of the Scythedom.
This book was really good, and a very satisfying finale to the series. The already rich worldbuilding is made richer by his choice to cut the world off from the Thunderhead, showing us what happens when people lose their connection to the world. He believably shows the influence one charismatic politician can have, and how easy it is for things to fall into disarray. You can tell he had a gameplan when he wrote these books, because everything comes together just right, not loose ends, everything had a purpose. Characters are tested, grow and develop. New parts of the world are further explored, completing the picture he begun in the other two books. I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the age-old sci-fi trope of "How does the benevolent computer protect humans from themselves". Well written, and elevated, especially in terms of other YA fiction. Shusterman really wrote a fantastic series. Once again, the romance is understated, but the emotions run deep enough at this point to pull at your heartstrings and make you believe in their love, even if it came from somewhat unbelievable beginnings.
This series is well worth the read, and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale and formulaic YA world.
The Toll picks up immediately after Thunderhead. Goddard has returned the MidMerica, no one knows that he was demoted to apprentice and with the death of Scythe Curie he stands uncontested for replacing Xenocrates. Anastasia and Rowan rest at the bottom of the ocean, and Goddard has made the site a site of remembrance to avoid any evidence being drudged up. The sinking of Endura is also squarely blamed on Rowan, and the world suffers as the Thunderhead punishes everyone, marking them unsavory. Cutting off communication with all but one, our former unsavory, Greyson.
With the rise of Goddard, the Schism amongst the Scythedom widens. He seizes more power, overturns rules and makes new ones and slowly starts taking control of other nations. Dubbing himself the Overblade. The story arches over 3 years post Thunderhead, and we jump around a little bit. During the three years Goddard continues to take a chokehold on the world, Greyson suddenly finds himself a living god amongst the tonists and humanity, as the only one able to speak to the thunderhead, he takes on the role of the Tonist's mythological figure, The Toll. Acting as a go-between, and manipulating those around him to fulfill the Thunderhead's goals.
Meanwhile, Faraday continues his search for the land of nod, making serious headway and discovering something that makes the Thunderhead uncertain. So the Thunderhead starts making plans. Faraday finds himself stranded with his helper, far away from the Scythedom, the Thunderhead and the horrible things that have been happening far away. He knows nothing of the fate of Marie, Goddard, Citra, Rowan, or the world. Finally, in the third year since the sinking of Endura, Rowan and Citra are raised from the depths, squirreled away by the Amazonian Scythes before Goddard knows they aren't dead. Being raised from the dead did wonders for Goddard's cause, so can Anastaisa's return do wonders for the plight of the old guard? But first Anastasia must plan and play her cards right, digging deep in the Thunderheads back brain to piece together mysteries long since written off and uncover the secrets of the Scythedom.
This book was really good, and a very satisfying finale to the series. The already rich worldbuilding is made richer by his choice to cut the world off from the Thunderhead, showing us what happens when people lose their connection to the world. He believably shows the influence one charismatic politician can have, and how easy it is for things to fall into disarray. You can tell he had a gameplan when he wrote these books, because everything comes together just right, not loose ends, everything had a purpose. Characters are tested, grow and develop. New parts of the world are further explored, completing the picture he begun in the other two books. I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the age-old sci-fi trope of "How does the benevolent computer protect humans from themselves". Well written, and elevated, especially in terms of other YA fiction. Shusterman really wrote a fantastic series. Once again, the romance is understated, but the emotions run deep enough at this point to pull at your heartstrings and make you believe in their love, even if it came from somewhat unbelievable beginnings.
This series is well worth the read, and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale and formulaic YA world.