H. Cat

First off, the art for this is beautiful. I mean, look at that cover!

As for the story, I enjoyed it. Two troubled souls finding each other and lighting up each other's worlds.

I would definitely read more from this author.

Steamy and fun. Not sure the blackmail was necessary, but it was an enjoyable read for an hour or so.

This is basically straight up pr0n. Non-con included.

Status as of 7/24/24: Pg 207 / Ch 21

I'm debating on if I should DNF this book, which is really disappointing since I was looking forward to it when I first heard about it. I mean, a god of mischief and a gumiho pitted against each other?? How can that not be awesome???

Unfortunately, the gumiho is my least favorite part of this book.

The world we are dropped in is fantastic. I love how it's steeped in Korean mythology without any hand-holding or excuses. A lot of books with more widely familiar mythologies make assumptions that the reader knows who the book is talking about. (At this point who doesn't know who Loki is? Or certain Greek gods? Or hell, how about Christian mythology?) It's high time other cultures were able to do that as well. In this book we get brief descriptions with details that are pertinent to the story, but anything beyond that will have to be researched separately.

One thing I do know - if not specifically from Korean culture - is that gumiho, or fox spirits, are mischievous creatures. They are also cunning and can live for a very long time. The impression I have also gotten from other stories is that their scheming gets more skilled as they get older.

So why does the older fox spirit in this book act like a 16-year-old brat? Her attempts to annoy Seokga are childish, and I cannot put faith in her thwarting him when her thinking is along the lines of a high schooler assuming they can outwit a seasoned veteran in his field. There is a particular scene with a younger gumiho involving food that I really did love. Her instincts there were alien to a human's POV and she disregarded consequences b/c in her mind she should be above them. That attitude totally made sense to me for her character, especially for someone who has lived a long time, but then why does all of that history disappear when faced with Seokga and the rest of the book's plot?

I was also annoyed with the portrayal of Seokga at first, but I've gotten over that one. Granted, I know nothing about the trickster god in Korean mythology, but the fact that he's a trickster god gives me some clue as to what to expect. Except my expectations are nowhere to be seen. In this book he's more of a grumpy old man in a hot young body than a trickster. Though, given he is fallen and really wants to go home, I realize he has priorities to focus on, so the lack of mischief isn't so off for him. It would be cool to see his nature come through somewhere, perhaps even to the (brief or permanent) detriment of his goals b/c he can't help himself, but I don't think this is that kind of book, and that's OK. I totally get the “I just want to go home” feeling. The man has my sympathy, and I wish him success.

From the looks of it, the romance is about to start. Given how much Hani (the gumiho) annoys me, this doesn't bode well for my enjoying it, but we'll see.

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EDIT: 7/25/24

Skimmed the rest of the book last night. There were definitely points I liked with the mystery, and I loved the solution and negotiations of the ending. I really loved the author's choices with the ending. If I had been more emotionally invested in the main characters and their relationship it would have been even better, but even without that, I can appreciated the way the book went. Good choices.

Other points only added to my frustration with the book. Little things here and there, but in particular the scene with the fairy.

I did pick up on the fact that certain scenes were supposed to be amusing and were structured well for that, but overall I'm sad I couldn't enjoy this book more. I really wanted to.

This was a great addition to the Magpie trilogy, a fantastic exploration of the relationship between Lord Crane and Stephen. It had its funny moments mixed with a realism that tested the main characters' choices for what they wanted in life. Add in some steamy sex and you have a perfect recipe for a story that I look forward to reading again in the future.

This book was really cute and a lot of fun. I have a theory about where it is going to go with its overarching plot, but I am looking forward to seeing how it gets there (or maybe it'll prove me wrong. ^_^). I would recommend this to anyone looking for an adventurous fantasy, particularly if they are a lover of books in printed form.

I loved this story. I hadn't expected to like it as much as I did, but it was really good. Not only dark, kinky, and titillating, but it had good plot and character development as well. I'm going to have to get a copy in print.

Ok, first things first. I'm not even going to touch on the pronunciation guide. Didn't read it. Didn't look at it, and I think I'm better off that way.

As for the rest of the appendix, I glanced at the character list, but didn't read the glossary. With a story like TGCF and its abundance of characters, I think the glossary and character bios are a great idea. I am looking forward to seeing if/how the character bios change as the story goes on. Will Seven Seas add people? Will the details be updated for those already included as we learn more about them and the notes are no longer spoilers?

Any, let's get to the main part of the book: the story. As expected, since this is a reread for me, I freaking loved it. (Such a change from the first time I read TGCF and was completely confused during volume one, LOL) TGCF is a novel that begs to be reread. With so many characters, such history, and so many events going on, it's understandable to be confused at the beginning the first time. Also, there's so much you learn!!! It creates a totally new experience for that second read, and I'm loving it.

In terms of the Seven Seas release. I really like the translation. Leaving aside a few typos and grammar errors, I think it was done really well. 5 stars.

I liked the story in this book, the concept of it, and even the execution. The similarities and influence of Howl's Moving Castle is strongly evident, but didn't take away from the story overall, and I'm glad I read the book.

Reading the book, though, was a struggle, and this is for two reasons:

First, what is with the overabundant use of similes??? Yes similes can be a useful tool in descriptions, but they shouldn't be the main tool in descriptions, and there were SO MANY OF THEM. Half the time they detracted from the perfectly good description the author already had going. Sometimes they didn't even make sense, but the overall annoyance was the fact that they were EVERYWHERE. The repetition of simile usage pulled me out of the book so many times. :-(

Second was the main character. Foss's character is mainly built around the fact that she considers herself terribly ugly and has experienced trauma because of that fact. She is insecure and feels unworthy of the things she would like to pursue in life (love, marriage, kids, etc) and has resigned herself to being alone and unloved. Understandably, this perception and experience has colored her view not only of herself, but the world around her. It doesn't help that in this universe there are sorceresses who are magicked to look otherworldly beautiful, which only heightens the contrast between them and herself, leading her to see everything through a superficial and negative lens. All of this makes sense, fits the character and the story, but the way it is handled made me not like the character at all.

For one thing, the fact that Foss is ugly is told to us, REPEATEDLY, throughout the book. Yes, I can understand that that fact is constantly on her mind, especially when we are surrounded by beautiful sorceresses and a sorcerer, but do we need to hear it EVERY TIME? How about you SHOW it to us instead of telling? And when you do tell us, please do so in different ways. I felt like I was being beaten over the head with the repetition.

Add to that Foss's casual negativity. Excluding her father, everyone in the world is a POS. She immediately assumes the worst in everyone she meets at all times. I get that this is a defense mechanism and a result of her experiences (and I love a good unreliable narrator), but she clings to these assumptions so adamantly that we get tunnel vision, and she never considers anything else about a person. This is a problem because we then get no character development for her. No little breadcrumbs that sow the seeds of change so that when it actually happens or starts to happen it isn't coming completely out of left field. Or happening through the magic of sex.

I will admit, that although her change was sudden, it was incredibly well done, especially with the aftermath feelings. I loved that scene. For the character it was my favorite (and shockingly didn't have similes!)

Overall, I really liked the story of this book, but it was a frustrating read, so although I'm glad I read it, I'm never putting myself through that again.

This was the best book of this series so far! It was exciting and fun. I listened to it partially in audio. If you get the chance to do the same I would highly recommend it. The narrator is superb!

This was a cute quick read.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love the cross-dressing disguise for a purpose thing. It's steampunk and a mystery. All of that is right up my alley, but I just couldn't get into the story. At page 95 I still wasn't hooked by the plot, and I had no interest in the main character. Perhaps it's timing and my mood isn't right for this book, but I'd prefer to spend my time reading something that grips me and makes me want to leave work early just so I can read more.

This was a cute story and I liked listening to it in audio format.

This book made me cry, and I'm not mad about it.

Definitely going to look into reading Erin's other books now.

This book was not flawless by any means, but I LOVED it. I'd even be OK with it being a standalone, but I'm curious to see where it goes in the sequel.

LOVED IT.

I was ensnared by the vines of this story from the first word to the last. Even when I realized what was happening, even when I got a little impatient, it had its thorns sunk deep. Even now they still cling.

I think this book will stay with me for a long time. It's already on my favorites shelf in my room, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

3.5

All I'm going to say about this is, I was supposed to do things today. Errands, writing, wash my hair. Instead, I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down, and I am now kicking myself for not buying book two when I initially bought it.

This story is a fun premise, but I'm too old to read this book. I just can't get into it at all. Some YA works for me, some doesn't, and this is in the latter category.

I loved this book. I don't even know what to say about it beyond that. Immediately going on the favorites shelf, and I need more from this author please.

I was lucky enough to read an arc of this, and I devoured it in two days. The perfect mix of bloody and amusing. I loved the characters, and there were lines that literally made me LOL. Particularly, "I forgot all about the body in the other room until a scream split the morning air."

Can't wait to read the next one!

Edit: Also wanted to add that although this book is said to be darker than the authors' other books, I didn't feel that way at all. Yes, certain characters are more violent/darker than usual (Ex: Misha has a casual attitude about killing people for insults), but the overall storyline felt right in line with the other books I've enjoyed from these authors.

I really wanted to like this book. Many of the world building ideas drew me in, like the way humans have arrived here, the oppression against them, the different fae types, and the general setup for the plot and potential conflicts. I loved the library part of the story, the problem with making deals with fae, and generally the whole beginning of the book, but once we get the grimoire things begin to go downhill.

The plot seems to lose its way, or at least it's momentum. We are given an intense situation, but big conflicts are solved easily. We do have a good learning curve with the MC's magic, but how she learned how to use a sword after one lesson with a dagger is beyond me. She is also prone to making stupid, impulsive, or nonsensical decisions and being surprised by things she already knows. For example, she is told that someone who eats fairy food will inevitably be like a drug addict and think of nothing except eating more fae food. This is something that is used in many fae stories, but she is still surprised when someone who has eaten the food doesn't pay attention to her or recognize her. The romance subplot annoyed me more than anything else. The way the main character falls in love is to notice that there are two hot men in her vicinity and whenever she looks at them she feels a fire or a stirring in her “core”.

Speaking of her core, this book could have used another run through by an editor. The repetitive descriptions about the MC's core and how one of the fae smelled like blackberries or whatever berries got tiresome.

Overall I was disappointed. There was so much in this book that had the potential to be great, but the execution missed the mark.

I really liked the variation on vampires in this series. I think it was a really good short story, well contained in two volumes, but I would love to see more in this world. The lore is really interesting and I would love for it to be explored more in further stories.

This was a very enjoyable read, but towards the end I did find myself having to push a bit to finish it. Yet when I was actually reading, it wasn't always what I expected which was great. The FMC did make a couple of stupid choices which made me go O_o but overall I like it. Glad I read it.

I LOVED the concept of this book. I loved the execution of that concept. The main character is adorable when it comes to reading his letters, and I was highly amused by some of those scenes.

There is a lot going for this story, and I am a bit curious about the hints of the inevitable plot that would have come into play if I'd kept reading, but I am not in the mood for this much smut. From the reviews I have read, it seems the majority of the book is smut, and I don't feel like wading through that to get to the high points I would enjoy.

If you're all for lots of smut in your danmei then I say give this book a shot! What I read of vol one was a lot of fun.

3.5

This book was utter chaos, and although I loved its ultimate purpose, the love stories (all of them), and way things resolved, sometimes it felt a little too meandering in its path to get there.