Cass Yaga
This was a fun read. I really enjoyed having a FMC that was able to use her artistic abilities to be a hero. She didn't need to pick up a sword and become a mighty general to save the world and the ones she love. I also love that I was kept guessing about who was the traitor the whole time. I can gladly say that I was wrong. I wish we could have gotten a little more of the romance to really make it feel like it wasn't rushed but given that this was a stand alone, I understand why it had to hurry along. It had a cute explanation of why it seemed so sudden. Overall, this book was good. It wasn't groundbreaking but I had fun (and maybe shed a few tears) and that's what really matters!
The MMC, Cade aka CT, made me mad so many times throughout this entire book. Poor Dani really had her hands full. There were times that I thought maybe this wasn't the first in the series and that I had somehow missed the first book with the way parts were written. Things were sort of skimmed over as if it was a refresher and not something brand new to the story... this is in fact the first of the series. The plot almost gets lost too. Like the villain gets sort of forgotten then is brought back up sporadically about half way through only to be ignored again with a sort of resolution in the EPILOGUE!!!! I'm not sure if the author wrote it this way so that the next book could have the same villain but it was definitely odd to be hearing about the villain after the book has technically finished. Weird. Still a fun read if you're on a cowboy kick!
There was some awkward writing throughout the book such as almost identical sentences being repeated multiple times on the same page. It made me think that I kept accidentally rereading the same paragraph.
Be that as it may, this was still a really fun read! Ancient Rome? Yes, please! A fun Medusa-inspired retelling? Amazing! Dragon shifters? Say no more! The world building was relatively easy since it was based on real history but with a little twist. I loved all the side characters and wish the best for them. Also really hate all of the villains and wish the worst for them. Exactly how I should feel while reading the book. There wasn't a single character that I didn't care about what happened to them. Can't wait for the next one!
I'm going to be very honest, the writing was not very good. There were so many times I cringed at how bad it was. The first 3 pages was full of variations on the word "Knot" like we get it, the book is called "Knotted" but you could have used a word that fit better here. The plot was barely there and full of plot holes. If I'm reading a dark cowboy romance, I want my cowboy to do cowboy shit and not just every 100 pages so that we remember he is a cowboy. I finished the book quickly, felt really bad for the FMC Connor but other than that it was just an okay kind of book.
Also, if anyone is going through the same traumatic issues that she is, please seek professional help. It's okay to not be okay after going through that. It honestly feels like every man in Connor's life forgot that a therapist is an actual occupation? Like seriously dude, you can be her support system but she need professional help.
Contains spoilers
Not going to lie, I picked this book up thinking it was something else with a very similar title... but this book was still okay! I finished it in a day even after realizing it was not what I originally wanted. The plot was easy enough to guess. The characters were nothing overly original but still entertaining. It had dragons and magic so I can't really complain. It was a fun quick read.
*Spoiler here*
Stig is officially waaaaaaayyyyy worse than Dain Aetos. So kudos to the author for making a much worse childhood best friend to jealous love rival to enemy. Cause Stig can get eaten by a dragon for all I care.
Better than book 2. You can really tell she took her time getting this one right and going through multiple edits. There weren't a whole bunch of side quests to distract from the main goal. Each character was used for their strengths and not thrown in for the plot or just because they're a fan favorite. I do like that we got to see more of the bonds between the other riders and their dragons this time. Everyone was used wisely and the plot flowed well. I still love my dragons and their riders and can't wait to read what happens next !As excited as I am for book 4, I want her to take her time so that we get a strong story.
Good but not the best. The "plot twist" was not that twisty. In fact, I called it right off the bat but I digress. The 2 main characters were extremely familiar... Valen was basically just a mix of Rook and Cardan but still a loveable fae princling. Tania feels more like if Poppy actually took her sacred duties seriously. Still a badass but also understood her responsibilities to her people. This was still a fun read for the winter storm but was definitely nothing new. A good time and a quick read.
I can't believe it took me so long to finally read this book. The eerie snow covered setting, the mystery, the characters! All of it was well written. Perfect for the first snow day of the year! Honestly, I wish I was Nora Walker. Though I do wish there was a little bit more of the after. I really want to know what happens to some of the other supporting characters and how they get along with Nora.
But seriously, if it is snowing near you or you live near some spooky old woods. Please read this book. Made me want to pack up my life and go live in the woods forever.
I admit that I was confused at the start of this story because I thought it was going to be a western romance but the main character is only 12 at the start of this book. The story does progress without drastic time jumps in order to get to the romance. It is very slow burn, there's a lot of trauma and back story that needs to be addressed by the main duo and I appreciate the author taking her time and not doing a skip from 12 to 20 so we can see them heal and grow. I also appreciate how the author makes us understand that this time period wasn't black and white. Both main characters have to accept that their cultures aren't perfect and that humans will do terrible things to each other. That cliff hanger ending though. I need the second book like right now!
A lot of flowery prose that I found myself skipping over and could have been left out. But I still enjoyed the story and Beulah as the main character was absolutely fascinating. I almost wish the story was only told from Clyde and Beilah's POVs.
Wasn't really sure how the 2 opposing characters would be able to come together after the whole I slept with your husband and then my husband killed him sorry about that situation but it felt like a natural progression. Obviously forced but the wild west will do that to you I suppose. I do really wish we would have gotten more from this story. Like it felt like it just kind of ended. I hope there will be a sequel but I doubt that we will get one.
A cute little western romance. This one actually had plot that wasn't just the romance. I did expect a red herring and was surprised that the story finished without much tension. Overall I enjoyed the plot and the characters. None of them were overly annoying though some could've been left out and the story wouldn't have really changed all that much.
A warning to society to not let a central government rule through lies and fear and ignorance. A critical message delivered in an easy to digest manner that every person should read in their life.
Poor Boxer just wanted to create a better society for his fellow animals and believed that his leadership would never betray him. And poor Old Benjamin who saw through the lies but did not want to abandon his friends and so suffered through the injustice. And Clover who realized when it was too late that she had been fooled the entire time.
A good addition to the World of All Soul's and I'm excited for the rest of the trilogy. Although a lot happened in this book, it felt like not much happened at all until the very end. More witchy and less academia for this series so I do enjoy that.
Unfortunately, some of the characters that I loved from the original seriesfelt kind of annoying in this one (Sarah and Stephen and sometimes Matthew). Hopefully that changes as the story developes but it was something that I noticed while reading. Diana also made some questionable choices that I didn't really understand given her character growth previously.
Overall, I enjoyed this and it got me in the mood for some witchery. It really made me want to create my own oracle deck which if you read this you'll understand what I mean.
A surprisingly enjoyable book. The characters were flawed but still likeable, it's a familiar story of ragnarok from an unexpected point of view, and overall I kept reading until well into the night. Nothing really bad to say, the author's writing was very good and I didn't find myself cringing a lot like I've come to expect from fantasy writers.
Not just a fun little witchy read but a brilliant masterpiece with all of your favorite fairytale elements.
I loved this story and all of the characters. There were well thought out mysteries and clues to pick up throughout the entire story. From the first page until the big reveal. Each character had their own backstory and purpose to help the story and nothing felt like a waste of time. Even the ghosts were so much fun!
I was expecting a cozy little story about a monk and a robot going on an adventure so I was pleasantly surprised by how this book made me feel and think. Everyone has times where they feel like they've lost their purpose in life and go into a downward spiral struggling to understand what to do next to give their life meaning. And this book answers that question brilliantly, just be. That's it. Go on one adventure at a time even if it's as simple as learning to make a cup of tea.
I love the Emily Wilde series and the sequel did not disappoint. We have our favorites returning for another adventure and a new cast to aide them! There were more mishaps in this adventure but I loved that Fawcett used Emily's relationship with the small folk to help them more than Wendell's royal fae blood. I always loved Poe and I was delighted that he would make an appearance in this book!
I feel like this book needed more Slavic mythology or just more to it in general. I really hope there's a sequel so that my questions can be answered.
It was still a very beautifully written book. The way the creatures and their otherness were described makes it very easy to picture each species. And the rituals that are practiced for different spells are also well written into excruciating detail. Made me wince a few times reading them.
I was able to download the ARC for this book after having it on my want to read list since I saw it on the author's Instagram promotions almost a year ago and it definitely lived up to my expectations!
Slavic monsters, a slavic witch, and one hell of an adventure! The characters were fun and I found myself trying to sort through all the clues to piece the mystery together just to be surprised that only some were correct and completely wrong about others that I though were super obvious! If you know your slavic monsters, then this book is definitely for you. If you love The Witcher and going monster hunting, this book is for you. If you love a good heist, then this book is for you! After all, what's a bigger heist than trying to steal from the Tsar of Monsters himself? I thought this was going to be just a monster hunting extravaganza but it was so much more and I loved every second of it!
