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Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated The Lies We Tell in Books
Jul 11, 2023
dark and deadly but oh so good!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Nate is a police detective tasked with taking down the local gang leader. Ollie witnesses a murder by said gang leader and Nate is tasked to keep him safe. Even if it costs him his own life.
This is a decidedly darker book by Adams, and I loved it!
Nate is a jaded police detective, facing the end of his marriage. He is a grumpy git, with good reason. Meeting Ollie gives him a teeny tiny light to hang on to. Ollie, in turn, comes to rely on Nate to keep him safe. I loved that neither saw the other coming. I mean, Nate thought he was straight, and here is is, drooling over a PICTURE of a possible lead on the gang leader he wants to take down.
I loved that it all crept up on them, Nate and Ollie both. And I loved the way Nate's soon-to-be-ex wife dealt with everything. She could have been a nasty b8tch but I'm glad she wasn't.
Although the blurb says spice and steam, I didn't think it overly explicit, indeed it's quite some time before Nate and Ollie get physical. It's more about the powerful emotions they evoke in each other than the smex.
It is, as I said, on the darker side. Some on page torture of a police officer is described, and on page kidnapping. (Did not see that one coming, I tell ya!) There is Ollie's abuse at the hands of the gang leader (some off and some on page) Gang activities are talked about too. Be midnful of these, if you have triggers.
Pushing my personal boundaries in the best way, an excellent read. I am loving watching Ms Adams grow and develop her skill. It's been a crazy ride so far, but I do not wanna get off!
5 full but dark stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Nate is a police detective tasked with taking down the local gang leader. Ollie witnesses a murder by said gang leader and Nate is tasked to keep him safe. Even if it costs him his own life.
This is a decidedly darker book by Adams, and I loved it!
Nate is a jaded police detective, facing the end of his marriage. He is a grumpy git, with good reason. Meeting Ollie gives him a teeny tiny light to hang on to. Ollie, in turn, comes to rely on Nate to keep him safe. I loved that neither saw the other coming. I mean, Nate thought he was straight, and here is is, drooling over a PICTURE of a possible lead on the gang leader he wants to take down.
I loved that it all crept up on them, Nate and Ollie both. And I loved the way Nate's soon-to-be-ex wife dealt with everything. She could have been a nasty b8tch but I'm glad she wasn't.
Although the blurb says spice and steam, I didn't think it overly explicit, indeed it's quite some time before Nate and Ollie get physical. It's more about the powerful emotions they evoke in each other than the smex.
It is, as I said, on the darker side. Some on page torture of a police officer is described, and on page kidnapping. (Did not see that one coming, I tell ya!) There is Ollie's abuse at the hands of the gang leader (some off and some on page) Gang activities are talked about too. Be midnful of these, if you have triggers.
Pushing my personal boundaries in the best way, an excellent read. I am loving watching Ms Adams grow and develop her skill. It's been a crazy ride so far, but I do not wanna get off!
5 full but dark stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Idriel's Children (Odriel's Heirs #2) in Books
Jul 29, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
IDRIEL'S CHILDREN is the second book in the Odriel's Heirs series although you could read it as a standalone, I would recommend you read the series.
Aza is the Shadow's Heir's Heir - in other words, she is Kaia and Klaus' daughter, and will become Heir after Klaus. Her older brother, Zephyr, will pick up the reins for Kaia. At sixteen, she is a typical teenager in that she thinks she knows best but is atypical in how she has grown and the skills she has. When trouble strikes, Aza knows what she has to do, but doesn't count on Witt, Makeo, or Shad tagging along with her.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. This book is just as good as the first! The danger isn't over, as Kaia and Klaus well knew, but now it's up to their children to fight it. We don't see much of Zephyr in this book, so I am greedily hoping to find out more about him. Aza has her own lessons to learn, and she pretty much always takes the hard path. There were a few times when I wanted to slap Aza upside the head, but then I realised she is only two years older than my daughter, and that made her more relatable.
The emotions are rife again - yes, it made my eyes leak, and no, I won't say anymore!
Whilst Aza's story is (sort of) completed, the overall story arc is left wide open. I can't wait to find out what happens next. This is a fantasy world I lose myself in, and I love every word, every scene. If you like YA Fantasy, then you will love this! Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Jul 29, 2021
Aza is the Shadow's Heir's Heir - in other words, she is Kaia and Klaus' daughter, and will become Heir after Klaus. Her older brother, Zephyr, will pick up the reins for Kaia. At sixteen, she is a typical teenager in that she thinks she knows best but is atypical in how she has grown and the skills she has. When trouble strikes, Aza knows what she has to do, but doesn't count on Witt, Makeo, or Shad tagging along with her.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. This book is just as good as the first! The danger isn't over, as Kaia and Klaus well knew, but now it's up to their children to fight it. We don't see much of Zephyr in this book, so I am greedily hoping to find out more about him. Aza has her own lessons to learn, and she pretty much always takes the hard path. There were a few times when I wanted to slap Aza upside the head, but then I realised she is only two years older than my daughter, and that made her more relatable.
The emotions are rife again - yes, it made my eyes leak, and no, I won't say anymore!
Whilst Aza's story is (sort of) completed, the overall story arc is left wide open. I can't wait to find out what happens next. This is a fantasy world I lose myself in, and I love every word, every scene. If you like YA Fantasy, then you will love this! Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Jul 29, 2021
Ali A (82 KP) rated A Multitude of Dreams in Books
Sep 6, 2023
Trigger Warnings: plague, death, blood, racism, murder, self harm, genocide, survivors guilt
A Multitude of Dreams is a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Four years ago, King Stuart gathered his royals, noblemen, and daughters and locked them into the safety of the castle walls. Every window was boarded up and every door sealed shut - all to protect those within of the horrible mori roja plague ravaging the land outside.
Told in third person, this novel follows Seraphina, a Jewish girl, who is also the (fake) Princess Imogene, and Nico, who once lived a comfortable life but now works for Lord Crane, the man who saved his life after he lost everything. When Lord Crane sends Nico and two others on the search for survivors, Nico meets a princess who wants out. But both are living in giant webs of lies and deception that they must unravel if they’re going to survive.
I wanted this title because I read The Poison Season and I really enjoyed it. So, when I saw Mara Rutherford had another YA novel coming out, I immediately put it on my TBR list. It’s also listed as Fantasy Gothic and
I was all about it and also the cover - like, I love it!
There were a few twists in here I didn’t quite see right away, which was nice. And, even some of the ones that I did see coming, I still enjoyed Rutherford’s storytelling and it kept me interested. And yes, there is some romance in this, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story - surviving and getting out of the castle was.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who’s in need of a good gothic fantasy with a hidden identity, Jewish representation, a masquerade, and the fight of survival.
*Thank you Inkyard Press and BookishFirst for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
A Multitude of Dreams is a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Four years ago, King Stuart gathered his royals, noblemen, and daughters and locked them into the safety of the castle walls. Every window was boarded up and every door sealed shut - all to protect those within of the horrible mori roja plague ravaging the land outside.
Told in third person, this novel follows Seraphina, a Jewish girl, who is also the (fake) Princess Imogene, and Nico, who once lived a comfortable life but now works for Lord Crane, the man who saved his life after he lost everything. When Lord Crane sends Nico and two others on the search for survivors, Nico meets a princess who wants out. But both are living in giant webs of lies and deception that they must unravel if they’re going to survive.
I wanted this title because I read The Poison Season and I really enjoyed it. So, when I saw Mara Rutherford had another YA novel coming out, I immediately put it on my TBR list. It’s also listed as Fantasy Gothic and
I was all about it and also the cover - like, I love it!
There were a few twists in here I didn’t quite see right away, which was nice. And, even some of the ones that I did see coming, I still enjoyed Rutherford’s storytelling and it kept me interested. And yes, there is some romance in this, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story - surviving and getting out of the castle was.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who’s in need of a good gothic fantasy with a hidden identity, Jewish representation, a masquerade, and the fight of survival.
*Thank you Inkyard Press and BookishFirst for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Requiem (Tales of the Five Realms #1)
8.0
Rate It
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In a world where light and shade battle for hearts and minds, young rebel, Hagar, earns a...
Paranormal Romance
Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated Sloane's List in Books
Dec 19, 2023
high on the cute scale!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Sloane is now an empty nester, after sending her 18 year old daughter off to college. She has a list of ten things she wants to do. She just needs a man to help her. Enter Oscar. He meets her the day before Paige goes off, and is smitten from then on. But Oscar is younger than Sloane, and has a bit of a reputation. What's a girl to do, eh?
Bar one thing, and I will come back to that, I loved this!
It's a really easy read, and I mean that in a very VERY good way.
There were some plot lines I did not see coming, so well played there, but the penny did drop really fast! And some coming at ya like a freaking freight train, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. But I loved that! Sometimes, it really is lovely to see it all laid out for you.
It's not overly explicit, and I loved that here, for these two. I was expecting it to be, for some reason, and I loved being proven wrong about what I needed to read at this point in time.
Fairly low on the angst scale, but high on the cute scale and scorching on the warm and fuzzy scale!
I loved that we got to hear from both Sloane and Oscar, but also from Paige (Sloane's daughter) Alex (Oscar's brother) and the mother hen in the apartment complex, Auntie Ernie.
So, what didn't I like? Simple. First person, present tense AND multi point of view. In fact, I very VERY nearly dumped this, once I saw how it was written. So very VERY glad I didn't!
I haven't read anything by this author before, and I think I'd like to read something with a bit more bite.
But still, a very VERY good, 4 star read.
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Sloane is now an empty nester, after sending her 18 year old daughter off to college. She has a list of ten things she wants to do. She just needs a man to help her. Enter Oscar. He meets her the day before Paige goes off, and is smitten from then on. But Oscar is younger than Sloane, and has a bit of a reputation. What's a girl to do, eh?
Bar one thing, and I will come back to that, I loved this!
It's a really easy read, and I mean that in a very VERY good way.
There were some plot lines I did not see coming, so well played there, but the penny did drop really fast! And some coming at ya like a freaking freight train, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. But I loved that! Sometimes, it really is lovely to see it all laid out for you.
It's not overly explicit, and I loved that here, for these two. I was expecting it to be, for some reason, and I loved being proven wrong about what I needed to read at this point in time.
Fairly low on the angst scale, but high on the cute scale and scorching on the warm and fuzzy scale!
I loved that we got to hear from both Sloane and Oscar, but also from Paige (Sloane's daughter) Alex (Oscar's brother) and the mother hen in the apartment complex, Auntie Ernie.
So, what didn't I like? Simple. First person, present tense AND multi point of view. In fact, I very VERY nearly dumped this, once I saw how it was written. So very VERY glad I didn't!
I haven't read anything by this author before, and I think I'd like to read something with a bit more bite.
But still, a very VERY good, 4 star read.
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Once Dead, Twice Shy (Madison Avery, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Madison Avery doesn't believe in fate—until a combination of fate and free will brings her to live with her dad (which her mom thinks is a good thing for her since she can't stay out of trouble at home), gets her a pity-date ("you got your boss to get his son to ask me out? what?"), and kills her (at her junior prom. On her seventeenth birthday. of all the luck.). Now, after having claimed the amulet of the timekeeper who killed her (which is the only thing that keeps her looking like she's alive), she has to learn how to live with death. If that's even possible.
But the dark timekeeper who killed her isn't happy, because she's got his amulet, and she's not all the way dead (just sort of dead). Teaming up with Barnabas—who may or may not be a fallen angel—and the light time keeper, Chronos (or Ron for short), a guardian angel (who she forces to guard someone else) and enlisting the human help of her ex-prom date Josh (who she didn't realize she had a crush on), she has to attempt to save her soul.
All in a day's work for a dead high-schooler… right?
This was the second time I've read Once Dead, Twice Shy. I still can't figure out what the title means. Whatever it means, it was a pretty exciting book. There wasn't a second of "down-time." Madison was always up to something, learning something, running to—or from—something, or saving someone. Every chapter had little pieces of the puzzle, and the way it all fit together at the end, was priceless, hilarious, and promising.
I will say that I don't like where the story picks up. I think Harrison should have actually included the beginning of the story, where she gets killed. I read it before I read this book and I would have been rather lost without it. It was a short story included in Prom Nights from Hell. I don't care if this is technically a "book 1" in the series. It should have been book 2, or at least had the beginning of the story included in it.
I really liked Madison. I liked her character (though not some of her choices—but hey, if I was a dead seventeen year old trying to keep her dad from knowing that she could bend time, I probably would have made those same choices) and I liked her interior monologue. She was serious enough to be nerve-wracking and exciting, but sarcastic enough to give everything a touch of comic relief. I really didn't like Josh in the short prequel to this book, but as his character began to be more clear, I really started to like him. I hope things turn out well between him and Madison. I would have liked a little more romantic tension between them, but what was there was clean and innocent—a little too innocent for Madison Avery.
I don't particularly like Kim Harrison's writing style. It's very casual, it has those dreaded fragments, and it's nothing out of the ordinary. However, her way of describing both physical images and emotional feelings was very good, and I could see everything, hear everything, and feel everything her characters were experiencing. As I mentioned above, I liked the comic relief. I also liked her lack of language through the story. Madison had her own set of "words" and phrases that she used that weren't offensive in any way, and it made the story much more enjoyable. However, the only word I can think of to describe her writing is mediocre, and that and the lack of tension between Madison and Josh are the only reasons I don't give this book five stars.
Content: clean of language, violence, and sexuality of any kind. Thank you Harrison, for writing clean YA fiction!
Recommendation: Ages 12+ to lovers of sci-fi, fantasy, and general YA fiction.
This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Night Owl Reviews.
But the dark timekeeper who killed her isn't happy, because she's got his amulet, and she's not all the way dead (just sort of dead). Teaming up with Barnabas—who may or may not be a fallen angel—and the light time keeper, Chronos (or Ron for short), a guardian angel (who she forces to guard someone else) and enlisting the human help of her ex-prom date Josh (who she didn't realize she had a crush on), she has to attempt to save her soul.
All in a day's work for a dead high-schooler… right?
This was the second time I've read Once Dead, Twice Shy. I still can't figure out what the title means. Whatever it means, it was a pretty exciting book. There wasn't a second of "down-time." Madison was always up to something, learning something, running to—or from—something, or saving someone. Every chapter had little pieces of the puzzle, and the way it all fit together at the end, was priceless, hilarious, and promising.
I will say that I don't like where the story picks up. I think Harrison should have actually included the beginning of the story, where she gets killed. I read it before I read this book and I would have been rather lost without it. It was a short story included in Prom Nights from Hell. I don't care if this is technically a "book 1" in the series. It should have been book 2, or at least had the beginning of the story included in it.
I really liked Madison. I liked her character (though not some of her choices—but hey, if I was a dead seventeen year old trying to keep her dad from knowing that she could bend time, I probably would have made those same choices) and I liked her interior monologue. She was serious enough to be nerve-wracking and exciting, but sarcastic enough to give everything a touch of comic relief. I really didn't like Josh in the short prequel to this book, but as his character began to be more clear, I really started to like him. I hope things turn out well between him and Madison. I would have liked a little more romantic tension between them, but what was there was clean and innocent—a little too innocent for Madison Avery.
I don't particularly like Kim Harrison's writing style. It's very casual, it has those dreaded fragments, and it's nothing out of the ordinary. However, her way of describing both physical images and emotional feelings was very good, and I could see everything, hear everything, and feel everything her characters were experiencing. As I mentioned above, I liked the comic relief. I also liked her lack of language through the story. Madison had her own set of "words" and phrases that she used that weren't offensive in any way, and it made the story much more enjoyable. However, the only word I can think of to describe her writing is mediocre, and that and the lack of tension between Madison and Josh are the only reasons I don't give this book five stars.
Content: clean of language, violence, and sexuality of any kind. Thank you Harrison, for writing clean YA fiction!
Recommendation: Ages 12+ to lovers of sci-fi, fantasy, and general YA fiction.
This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Night Owl Reviews.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Protector in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Girl Doesn’t Take Her Mate’s Crap in this YA Fantasy Romance Novel
Contains spoilers, click to show
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Word Count: 86,170
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Faith thought she was a normal human girl. Then she turned 18 and started developing abilities. Around the same time, a mysterious girl named Belle showed up and explained to Faith that she was really a Halfling, who belonged to an alien planet. Not only that, but she had the powerful ability of Forewarning, a skill that was highly coveted, especially by the Loverias and the Wincrests, two rival royal families on the brink of going to war with each other. Things get even more complicated when Faith forms a mated bond with Prince Davio Loveria– right before finding out her long-absent father is Prince Alexo Wincrest, Davio’s sworn enemy.
Caught in an impending war on a foreign planet, Faith must think and learn fast to keep herself from becoming a political pawn while also keeping her family safe.
Faith is a fucking badass and I love her. She acts like a teenaged girl, with all the angst and drama that comes with it, but at the same times she’s smart, and she won’t take shit, especially not from Davio. I love how resourceful she is and how quickly she’s able to adapt to a foreign planet with different cultures and abilities. But at the same time, she’s not a Mary Sue. She does have issues with learning the culture and controlling her abilities. She also doesn’t deal well with having her world turned upside down but her reactions aren’t unrealistic and they make me love her that much more.
Davio, however, is a piece of shit. I knocked off a star just because he exists. He’s a pompous brat with less maturity and poise than a two-year-old. When he finally accepts that he’s mated to Faith, he shows his “love” by controlling her and ordering her around. He doesn’t let her be alone because she needs to be protected. He demands that she either be with him or one of his bodyguards at all time, effectively keeping her a prisoner. This is supposedly because she has Forewarning, which makes her likely to get kidnapped or killed. I would have an easier time believing that if she had ever gotten attacked in the book. But the only people who attack her are Davio’s own bodyguards. No one else gives a shit.
He also loves ordering her around. He’ll order her to get showered and dressed in two minutes. He also orders her to betray her father. Davio is actually shocked when Faith won’t give him intimate secrets about how to take down her father. He accuses her of being a traitor when she refuses to be part of any plan that will get her father killed or kidnapped.
Davio hates Faith’s father for being from the wrong country, he always thinks he’s right, and he’s controlling to boot. He’s basically teenaged Trump.
Davio is the biggest problem in the book. Almost everything else I enjoyed. I loved the world building and how the mated bond was portrayed. Even though Faith and Davio were connected through the bond and couldn’t be apart very long without feeling anxious and depressed, they weren’t brainwashed by it. They still didn’t trust or even love each other for most of the book and they could identify what feelings were real and what was from the bond. It’s rare when a book can have soulmates without having insta-love, but Protector pulled it off.
I’m still confused by Faith’s parents, however. Faith’s mother raised her by herself on Earth after getting abandoned by Alexo. But when he shows up eighteen years later and has a brief conversation with her, she’s completely willing to travel to a foreign planet, be banned from going back to Earth. She also needs to pretend to be his wife despite hating him for abandoning her. I honestly have no idea why but that might get explained in later books.
Word Count: 86,170
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Faith thought she was a normal human girl. Then she turned 18 and started developing abilities. Around the same time, a mysterious girl named Belle showed up and explained to Faith that she was really a Halfling, who belonged to an alien planet. Not only that, but she had the powerful ability of Forewarning, a skill that was highly coveted, especially by the Loverias and the Wincrests, two rival royal families on the brink of going to war with each other. Things get even more complicated when Faith forms a mated bond with Prince Davio Loveria– right before finding out her long-absent father is Prince Alexo Wincrest, Davio’s sworn enemy.
Caught in an impending war on a foreign planet, Faith must think and learn fast to keep herself from becoming a political pawn while also keeping her family safe.
Faith is a fucking badass and I love her. She acts like a teenaged girl, with all the angst and drama that comes with it, but at the same times she’s smart, and she won’t take shit, especially not from Davio. I love how resourceful she is and how quickly she’s able to adapt to a foreign planet with different cultures and abilities. But at the same time, she’s not a Mary Sue. She does have issues with learning the culture and controlling her abilities. She also doesn’t deal well with having her world turned upside down but her reactions aren’t unrealistic and they make me love her that much more.
Davio, however, is a piece of shit. I knocked off a star just because he exists. He’s a pompous brat with less maturity and poise than a two-year-old. When he finally accepts that he’s mated to Faith, he shows his “love” by controlling her and ordering her around. He doesn’t let her be alone because she needs to be protected. He demands that she either be with him or one of his bodyguards at all time, effectively keeping her a prisoner. This is supposedly because she has Forewarning, which makes her likely to get kidnapped or killed. I would have an easier time believing that if she had ever gotten attacked in the book. But the only people who attack her are Davio’s own bodyguards. No one else gives a shit.
He also loves ordering her around. He’ll order her to get showered and dressed in two minutes. He also orders her to betray her father. Davio is actually shocked when Faith won’t give him intimate secrets about how to take down her father. He accuses her of being a traitor when she refuses to be part of any plan that will get her father killed or kidnapped.
Davio hates Faith’s father for being from the wrong country, he always thinks he’s right, and he’s controlling to boot. He’s basically teenaged Trump.
Davio is the biggest problem in the book. Almost everything else I enjoyed. I loved the world building and how the mated bond was portrayed. Even though Faith and Davio were connected through the bond and couldn’t be apart very long without feeling anxious and depressed, they weren’t brainwashed by it. They still didn’t trust or even love each other for most of the book and they could identify what feelings were real and what was from the bond. It’s rare when a book can have soulmates without having insta-love, but Protector pulled it off.
I’m still confused by Faith’s parents, however. Faith’s mother raised her by herself on Earth after getting abandoned by Alexo. But when he shows up eighteen years later and has a brief conversation with her, she’s completely willing to travel to a foreign planet, be banned from going back to Earth. She also needs to pretend to be his wife despite hating him for abandoning her. I honestly have no idea why but that might get explained in later books.
Amy Christmas (170 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Dec 24, 2017 (Updated Dec 24, 2017)
Expansive and immersive world (3 more)
Doesn't constantly focus on love
Lies, deceit and betrayal
MC is human
Use of clichés for quick character building (2 more)
Abrupt climax
Unfulfilling ending
Can't wait for more
I received this for free for an honest review.
In The Cruel Prince we follow Jude a human in a fearie world along with her twin sister Taryn and her fearie sister Vivienne. Vivo is the son of the high kings general Madoc who had Vivi stolen from him by his ex-wife who he murdered in front of them.
Jude has grown up in this fearie world and has adapted to it's customs and seeks favour among one of the royal family courts by way of a knighthood. All in an effort to amass power to protect herself from people like Prince Cardan who bully and attack her.
We watch Jude struggle as she goes way in over her head and may be a little to bold and blunt when it comes to standing up to royalty and in some cases bending a knee to it.
I loved this book, there were times it had me grinding my teeth and sitting there talking to myself asking questions and complaining about people dying.
However I have to take marks away for Blacks use of clichés with some of the characters like Cardan and his cruel group for a quick character build. I understand that sometimes clichés are needed but Black could have made the characters more unique in their backstories.
The story is a good first book in a new series as it builds the world well and how the politics work. I do feel as though the climax was too short and could have been expanded on in an extra chapter as things seemed a little too rushed. The epilogue as well left me feeling a little underwhelmed after reading the last chapter, which left me wanting more.
Overall a good read if you enjoy YA fantasy, I've read better, but it's still good and I will be following up on this series.
In The Cruel Prince we follow Jude a human in a fearie world along with her twin sister Taryn and her fearie sister Vivienne. Vivo is the son of the high kings general Madoc who had Vivi stolen from him by his ex-wife who he murdered in front of them.
Jude has grown up in this fearie world and has adapted to it's customs and seeks favour among one of the royal family courts by way of a knighthood. All in an effort to amass power to protect herself from people like Prince Cardan who bully and attack her.
We watch Jude struggle as she goes way in over her head and may be a little to bold and blunt when it comes to standing up to royalty and in some cases bending a knee to it.
I loved this book, there were times it had me grinding my teeth and sitting there talking to myself asking questions and complaining about people dying.
However I have to take marks away for Blacks use of clichés with some of the characters like Cardan and his cruel group for a quick character build. I understand that sometimes clichés are needed but Black could have made the characters more unique in their backstories.
The story is a good first book in a new series as it builds the world well and how the politics work. I do feel as though the climax was too short and could have been expanded on in an extra chapter as things seemed a little too rushed. The epilogue as well left me feeling a little underwhelmed after reading the last chapter, which left me wanting more.
Overall a good read if you enjoy YA fantasy, I've read better, but it's still good and I will be following up on this series.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Heights in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Heights—a contemporary imagining of Wuthering Heights
by Brian James
Genre: YA Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4, DNF
Ah. Again. A high rated book that I did not finish. “Haley what is wrong with you?” Haley stop talking to yourself.
Let me start with the positive: This book is all about the characters. James has taken characters that were only mildly relatable in Wuthering Heights and made them so realistic that you feel everything they feel. This is a mark of a good writer… but also a very painful book. The viewpoint alternates between Henry and Cathy, but it’s not distracting. It’s so easy to get inside their heads and live their lives. Almost too easy.
The negative: It was too painful to finish. I know what’s going to happen because I know the story of Wuthering Heights… and I don’t think I want to live through that. Because I know if I read it, it will feel 110% real. And I don’t think I could handle that.
This book has taken me two days to read… and each time I could only get a little bit farther before I had to stop because I was so angry at the characters for being stupid and prideful and selfish and mean and hateful, that I threw the book across the room. Twice.
I guess this sad love story is just not my kind of love story. Let’s hope I’m not jinxing myself (Haley you know you don’t believe in such things). If you love sad romance stories or love Wuthering Heights, you’ll love this—because this one hurt. I’ll save it for a rainy day when I need to force myself to break down and cry…
Content: Henry has a dirty mouth, but it’s not overdone. No sexual content, and all romance is appropriate
Recommendation: Anyone who wants a good cry… ages 13+
Cover: I know I usually don’t say anything about the cover… but really they could have done better. Henry (Heathcliff) is supposed to be dark skinned with dark hair. The guy on the cover looks nothing like him.
*angry and sad Haley now goes to the corner and pouts and finds a lighter romance to cheer herself up*
by Brian James
Genre: YA Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4, DNF
Ah. Again. A high rated book that I did not finish. “Haley what is wrong with you?” Haley stop talking to yourself.
Let me start with the positive: This book is all about the characters. James has taken characters that were only mildly relatable in Wuthering Heights and made them so realistic that you feel everything they feel. This is a mark of a good writer… but also a very painful book. The viewpoint alternates between Henry and Cathy, but it’s not distracting. It’s so easy to get inside their heads and live their lives. Almost too easy.
The negative: It was too painful to finish. I know what’s going to happen because I know the story of Wuthering Heights… and I don’t think I want to live through that. Because I know if I read it, it will feel 110% real. And I don’t think I could handle that.
This book has taken me two days to read… and each time I could only get a little bit farther before I had to stop because I was so angry at the characters for being stupid and prideful and selfish and mean and hateful, that I threw the book across the room. Twice.
I guess this sad love story is just not my kind of love story. Let’s hope I’m not jinxing myself (Haley you know you don’t believe in such things). If you love sad romance stories or love Wuthering Heights, you’ll love this—because this one hurt. I’ll save it for a rainy day when I need to force myself to break down and cry…
Content: Henry has a dirty mouth, but it’s not overdone. No sexual content, and all romance is appropriate
Recommendation: Anyone who wants a good cry… ages 13+
Cover: I know I usually don’t say anything about the cover… but really they could have done better. Henry (Heathcliff) is supposed to be dark skinned with dark hair. The guy on the cover looks nothing like him.
*angry and sad Haley now goes to the corner and pouts and finds a lighter romance to cheer herself up*
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated What Curiosity Kills (The Turning, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Turning: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis
Genre: YA, paranormal, romance
Rating: 4
Mary Richards always knew she didn't fit in exactly with everyone else, but she always attributed that to the fact that she and her sister were adopted. But when her long time crush suddenly starts showing interest in her, she randomly starts sleeping and purring in class, and she starts to turn into a cat, she knows things are never going to be the same.
I was instantly pulled into The Turning. The story starts and progresses quickly, and I read the whole thing in one day, almost fully in one sitting. It's the kind of book that you don't realize you've gotten to the next page, or the next chapter, and before you know it, you're done… but the adventure was so engaging, you forgot who you were for a while, because you were living solely in the character's shoes.
The writing was casual, but good. I rarely felt out of place or confused by what had just occurred. One of the only things that really bothered me about this book was the fact that Nick and Mary's relationship was very fast, and seemingly out of nowhere but lust. The ending, also, didn't quite have enough closure on the relationship aspect, nor on the actual story. It directly after the final exciting scene, with no smooth curve down. My heart was still racing when I got to the last page, and I felt like it should have lasted a little longer. Lastly, I wasn't sure if this book was for pre-teens, ages 12-14, or older. It would probably appeal to both age groups.
My favorite part was watching the characters show themselves for who they were. Yoon being more than what meets the eye, Octavia confessing her secrets and being willing, for love, to face her fears, and all the others, too. They were all very unique. I loved the characters and their interaction and dialogue.
Overall, I enjoyed The Turning, and look forward to the rest of the series.
Content: Some language, no sex
Recommendation: Ages 14-18, or if offended by language 16+
Genre: YA, paranormal, romance
Rating: 4
Mary Richards always knew she didn't fit in exactly with everyone else, but she always attributed that to the fact that she and her sister were adopted. But when her long time crush suddenly starts showing interest in her, she randomly starts sleeping and purring in class, and she starts to turn into a cat, she knows things are never going to be the same.
I was instantly pulled into The Turning. The story starts and progresses quickly, and I read the whole thing in one day, almost fully in one sitting. It's the kind of book that you don't realize you've gotten to the next page, or the next chapter, and before you know it, you're done… but the adventure was so engaging, you forgot who you were for a while, because you were living solely in the character's shoes.
The writing was casual, but good. I rarely felt out of place or confused by what had just occurred. One of the only things that really bothered me about this book was the fact that Nick and Mary's relationship was very fast, and seemingly out of nowhere but lust. The ending, also, didn't quite have enough closure on the relationship aspect, nor on the actual story. It directly after the final exciting scene, with no smooth curve down. My heart was still racing when I got to the last page, and I felt like it should have lasted a little longer. Lastly, I wasn't sure if this book was for pre-teens, ages 12-14, or older. It would probably appeal to both age groups.
My favorite part was watching the characters show themselves for who they were. Yoon being more than what meets the eye, Octavia confessing her secrets and being willing, for love, to face her fears, and all the others, too. They were all very unique. I loved the characters and their interaction and dialogue.
Overall, I enjoyed The Turning, and look forward to the rest of the series.
Content: Some language, no sex
Recommendation: Ages 14-18, or if offended by language 16+