Lili V
I'm not sure I can fully express my impressions of this book without spoiling all the good bits. This book was far beyond what I expected after reading the conclusion of the 4th book. I really thought that the book would go in a completely different direction. I can't say what direction it took, or what direction I thought it would take because they would both be spoilers. What I can say is that whatever you think is going to happen probably won't happen. I think you'd probably be as shocked as I was.
So once Kara is in the demon world, the plot explores why she was summoned there and the many, many battles and trials she goes through as she tries to get back to Earth. What she soon ends up figuring out is that there's more to summoning and being a summoner than she was originally trained for.
Without giving away too much, I can without a doubt say that her interactions with Mzatal and Rhyzkahl were the most surprising moments in the book; both for their own reasons. The writing of the characters in this installment was brilliant and flawless. Kara didn't lose who she was as a person when faced with truly horrific moments and the strength she showed was believable and inspiring. I fully cheered her own throughout the whole book. I really liked the new characters introduced in this book–demons, humans, and demonic lords. I really fell in love with the romance in this book because it was unexpected but grown so organically. I'm not sure you can classify it as a love triangle by the end because clear lines are drawn as to who Kara has the deepest connection with.
The plot had a lot of balls in the air that it had to juggle but overall did a fantastic job of not dropping any. By the end, previous questions brought up were answered and many new revelations for later books were introduced. This book sets up a long-running story line that I can't wait to read about in the next book.
This was longer but more enjoyable than I expected. I took a break while reading this, so I didn't read it all in one sitting. I think I preferred that because it let me fully appreciate the adventure of the hunt instead of dwelling on my initial feelings of Jackaby's ridiculous dealings.
Definitely recommend as a fun read.
Really enjoyed this read! Needed a definite Leckie fix after finishing the trilogy but it just left me wanting me so I have to read the other short novella prequel to see if that will quench hunger. I sincerely think it will have the opposite effect. xD
While I definitely enjoyed this novella (if that's not the right terminology, someone correct me) I wish I knew more about how this fell into the scheme of the Radchaii overhaul. I have to go back and check where this is mentioned in Ancillary Justice. I also would like to dissect how the construction of this novella because Leckie's writing is genius. The mention of Kels' Vonda experience and the ending were just beautifully paralleled.
Really solid read! I'm coming back to this series after I don't know how many months. I knew that I had enjoyed the initial three in the series and couldn't wait for the next in the series but the wait inevidentably felt too long, and I didn't keep up with the fourth book's release. Now I've acquired the next 3 in the series and am set to marathon them.
This installment was a great reintroduction to the world because it was one of the series shortest novels and had a simple plot line but an amazingly entertaining cast. I enjoyed the fact that the plot was reminiscent to a linear murder-mystery story line because I was more focused on Kara and remembering everything that had occurred in the first 3 books. As a fourth book, I think it stands on pretty steady ground but I wouldn't say that it advanced the overall storyline of the series. However, what I appreciated most about the book and what contributed to my overall rating and enjoyment was the character development and how effortless the writing felt. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get back into the flow of the pacing and the narrative. The writing wasn't flawless and it really held my attention and didn't let me put the book down. Since I was taking a bit of reading hiatus because of my working schedule, I can definitely appreciate how easy it was to reintroduce myself to reading.
I'm not sure if I'm a fan of either of the Kara's love interests but I can understand both relationships for what they are. The author did an excellent job introducing the new twist about Kara (won't reveal anything, no worries). She was able to tie it to the unbelievable cliffhanger at the end of the 3rd book that left me wanting to tear apart anything between me and the fourth book. Overall, an incredibly satisfying read and I can't wait read the rest.
I enjoyed it. I didn't think that I would initially because I thought it was some contrived retelling of Cinderella but oh, how wrong I was! I loved the prose and the seamless incorporation of dark, visceral aspects. I can appreciate how the story relates to Eastern fairytales and that was one of the things that ultimately kept me reading. The fact that it wasn't like any of the fairy tales I've read before. I hope to read more by this author and other Asian inspirations.
I would give this 3.5 stars.
The beginning had a lot of promise but I soon learned that the MC was too in the dark about everything going on around her that when it finally came to the big reveal, I couldn't care less. There's barely any background made up for any of the characters; the author focuses more on the lackluster world-building than anything else. The most you learn about the characters is their family history and their role in the book, Sin Eater, Queen, Daunen Embodied, Prince, etc.
The ending was so unsatisfactory I'm beyond disappointed. To say the least and not spoil anything, it was not an ending at all. It only had enough answers to satisfy the meager plot line that ran throughout the novel but anything beyond that was left in the air. Anything the reader actually cared about was left unanswered. Very frustrating. Feels like I just wasted a day of reading.
Man this book was frustrating. Like everyone else I think the world-building is quite spectacular and descriptive enough for the reader to clearly visualize this city in the sky. The writing of the flying was awe-inspiring. The characters were part of the frustration I had with the book but by the end I just accepted them for who they were.
For the majority of the book I felt like I was waiting. Waiting for someone to explain why there was a need for so much secrecy. Since the MC was in the dark about pretty much everything throughout about the first half, I was in the dark and not lovin' it. It constantly felt like I was only able to appreciate the parts of the world accessible to Kirit and I knew there was a lot that was just out of my reach.
I also didn't love any of the characters because they seemed so detached from each other. The only insight into any familial love was between Kirit and her second mother and wing-brother. Any other relationship–whether it be between Kirit and her actual mother, or Kirit and Wik–seemed lackluster and solely there to establish allies in order to accomplish the final revolution against ‘big brother'. Basically the finale was as predictable as any other dystopian YA, going against the established organization.
Overall, this was a rough read with a lot left to be desired.
Kind of a spoilery review (Nothing specific is mentioned, I mostly gloss over certain things.)
Really flew through this one but I have to say that with all the hype I expected a bit more.
However, that is not to say that the world-building wasn't rich and the characters undynamic but overall the ending was a let down. It didn't resolve anything and didn't answer any of the million of the burning questions created throughout the book.
I didn't expect for the book to be so heavy on the politics and the royal family but it was a nice surprise. What I didn't enjoy was the time the protagonist wasted on miscellaneous activities. I understand that they served their purpose of introducing her to the troll city but it seemed wasteful because of the fact that it didn't serve any purpose for advancing the plot line or being useful to the reason why she was there.
While having said that, I really did like Cecile's character, far more than I liked Tristan's. I wished the author had utilized her singing more in this book because why else introduce us to her amazing talent in the beginning and then use it as infrequently as possible? I didn't like Tristan as much because even though he could acknowledge his flaws in the brief snippets from his perspective, he did nothing to rectify them. Prime example being his secret-keeping. I despise nothing more than misunderstandings between the main character(s) and their circle. This seems a tad ironic since I really do enjoy politics in my fantasy books. I just don't like easy misunderstandings that lead to stupid, well-intentions-gone-awry actions when they can just as easily be avoided by telling the truth. (Another irony, seeing as the trolls can't lie.) That is one of my biggest pet peeves in books: when STUPID STUPID actions can be avoided just by telling the truth, just by showing a little faith that the person you are telling it to won't stab you in the back.
Although, I went off on a tangent there it still applies to Stolen Songbird. For goodness' sake, Tristan and Cecile are bonded, they can feel what the other is feeling and while it many not be wholly reliable, wouldn't Tristan be able to feel if Cecile had any malicious intent towards him? And he even follows her and can know where she is, and yet he still thinks she would rat him out at the drop of a hat?
Again I digress. I have to give Stolen Songbird its proper props. (If you've read the book, do you think Vincent and Victoria would like that little bit of alliteration?? :) I fundamentally believe that if the book didn't have the solid foundation of world-building that it does I wouldn't be able to go on and on about its flaws. There can only be this amount of passion if I really thought the book deserved better. Otherwise, why would I bother?
I do recommend this book to fantasy lovers, and those that enjoy poli-fan will get an additional kick out of it. I've only put off reading this for so long because I didn't think that there was a sequel due to the cancellation of titles from Strange Chemistry. But I believe that Angry Robot published the rest of the trilogy due to high demand. (If anyone knows the specifics, I'd love to know.)
I honestly don't know if I'm going to pick up the rest of the trilogy, anyway, because the ending did not satisfy me at all. And I didn't get enough of the side characters to really fall in love with any of them. I really wish there had been more about them because I loved the snippets of Vincent and Victoria's antics, and I loved learning about the miners. Sigh, more potential lost.
Another read I had to stay up half the night for. Damn Darynda Jones and her addictive writing and characters. Even though I was so not a fan of the ‘amnesia' trope in this book, I'm glad the book had a solid ending. Overall Ms. Jones knows how to jungle a lot of plot lines in one book and wrap them up with their due diligence. She ended this installment with her famous “give them just enough to be hooked on for the next book” ending. This book in particular made me cry, a lot, for happy moments and sad. If you're deep enough into this series already I would highly recommend reading this book because you will just fall further in love with the characters and the fantastic world Ms. Jones built around them.
Sidenote: I've been thinking this since the first book but could I please have all the quotes at the beginning of the chapters on a t-shirt? They always make me laugh and I feel it is my civil–no, divine–duty to share her humor with the world.
Really enjoyed this one. Glad that it started out by throwing us straight into the action. Really enjoyed the fact that we got a lot of answers that were left up in the air from the first few books in the series when Jane started working for Leo. Loved the fact that Jane is developing her own family and I hope she gets to keep them for a long time.
My only gripe is that the last action sequence was slow-going and could have been sped up a bit. It was kind of boring to read about the witches but overall I don't like any of the New Orleans witches just because they are only peripherally integrated into the plot of most of the books.
This installment was a nice conclusive piece and I'm not sure how many more books there are going to be but I'm definitely onboard.
This is rock-your-world good.
So I read this all in one day because nothing and no one could stop me. The writing is unbelievable, the characters indescribable, but suffice it to say that there are so many quotable moments it would take forever to catalog them all.
I loved this love story. I couldn't get enough of it and it was absolutely perfect because the character's knew that in order to fall in love, stay in love, and be in love they had to come to the realization that life doesn't have to be perfect but it can be better. I'm paraphrasing the heck out of a good quote and ultimately recommending that you read this story right now.
So I've finished the first trilogy in the Forever Evermore series and I think that's where I'm going to stop for now.
I didn't initially want to read this installment of the series because of the ending of the previous book but I really wanted to know that the characters would get back together and how that would play out. I was not disappointed. I was sad to see the old versions of the characters transform into the cold hard shells they had to become in order to deal with their war setting but I concede that it was a genuine response. I liked how the plot played out and I was always enjoy some badass-ness in any character I read about so that was definitely enjoyable. As the ending to the trilogy I think it did a great job of wrapping up loose ends and providing a glimpse of the future our favorite four.
This installment was like three books in one due to the quantity of emotional roller coasters, plot twists and overall drama. That, however, did not stop me from reading this book in one sitting. Yep, stayed up all night when I really, really shouldn't have and I read the first two of this series back-to-back. Took two full days and now I'm almost done with book 3.
Anyway, the setting in this installment was completely different from the first book as we know that the Coms are dickheads and the Mys must hide until they can decide their next step. And on the the whole other side of the plot, the dynamics between our four main characters has progressed into relationships beyond friendship.
I loved all the antics in this book as Ezra and Lily try and–completely–fail to hide their blooming relationship and serious sexual chemistry. (For those who have read, can we please talk about that scene in Antonio's office?????? I squealed like a little girl for a good five minutes. I mean, I thought it would just be Antonio hiding but NO it was EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!)
I liked the fact that Lily and Ezra were getting together but did not appreciate how uninvolved the other half of their four. It's like they weren't even a part of the story until the very end, and even then in a fairly predictable way. I mean, who didn't see them getting together after the end of book 1?
So many of the plot twists were cliche and predictable, and the ending most of all did not make me want to read the third book at all at first. In all honesty, if this weren't cheap on Amazon I would not be flying through it like I am. One of the main reasons I'm still reading this series is because of the brutal honesty the characters share with each other. I love how there's zero bullshit when they talk to each other, no misunderstandings.
So she's been hiding the fact that she's a hybrid all her life–an automatic death sentence in her Mystical community–and now that she's mated and in a secure home, she feels she can get comfortable with her new life. But life's a bitch so it throws a hell of a curve ball.
Loved the friendships developed between the main characters because they form so organically that their bond is obvious to any who see their group together. Loved the background because it even though it's too convenient at times it provides a solid base for the plot. Loved the pacing and writing style because it was solidly spaced throughout the book the fun lighthearted getting-to-know-each-other moments with the action-packed, stealthily-placed curve balls.
Only gripe about this book is that there were some jumps in the plot info that could have done with a bit more explaining about the world and not so much just thrown out fly-by-seat-of-your-pants style.
Some things that I love about this series so far: I love that pretty much everything is foreshadowed but nothing is predictable. I love that there are so many perspectives that contribute to the plot of the world and that the viewpoint is not narrowed to one person or location. Consequently, I love how expansive the world while simultaneously appreciating the intricacies of the budding relationships between humans and the Others.
Kind of wish that Alyssa had embraced her “dark” side sooner because it fit her character more perfectly than the finicky, gullible attitude she had throughout the majority of the book.
Overall, I loved the ending because she finally came to her senses and all the secrets were revealed (the buildup was driving me a little mad).
I don't think there's anything more enjoyable than a well-thought out Victorian mystery with just a touch of the supernatural.
The characters were absolutely magnificent, very well fleshed-out and had lovely banter. I couldn't get enough of their witty repartee.
Besides the characters, the most interesting part of this book was the writing. It fit the atmosphere to a degree but there were certain turns of phrase that didn't click in meaning for me. I had to rely heavily on context clues for some parts. The execution however, was a different story from the writing style. I greatly appreciated the fact that the author built the world and characters up as the plot went along. There's no heavy exposition to bog down the beginning of the novel and stump the reader.
The murder mystery plot was done fantastically well and the dissemination of the investigation was thrilling and compelling to read about. The combination of her majesty's Psychic Serivce working with Scotland Yard made for a hilarious pairing for solving crimes.
This novel ended with ‘no she didn't!' and ‘haha wait, are you serious? Haha excellent!' moments that perfectly wrapped up the all the loose threads. I can't say more or I will end up spoiling something but suffice to say that this book set up a potential series quite nicely.
I would no doubt want to read more about this world and Alex's position in it but I'm not sure if there will be more books to come. In any case, this was an amazing romp of a book and just what I needed.
Read this in one day because I absolutely loved the writing and reverse harems just do it for me; which, if you've seen what I typically like to read, is not a big surprise.
The biggest problem I had was how secretive the boys were when it came to explaining what they were and the connection they had to Seph. One of the main reasons I initially liked this book was because Seph is quietly strong in her own way but the the author strips that away from her when the boys are introduced. There's absolutely no world building in this book because the author spends too much time trying to develop chemistry between characters who is deliberately kept in the dark about each other's feelings.
The author seemed to prioritize developing an evil villain than explaining the basis of what the villain is fighting against. I wanted to root for the characters to connect and become stronger as a group but I literally have no idea of what to root for because the main character doesn't know what's happening around her most of the time.
This book had all the convenience and benefits that is shown in The Academy series of a damaged girl rescued by a harem of boys but it has none of its amazing background development and relationship building.
Overall, I was disappointed because this could have been another favorite series of mind but the ending seemed so half-assed that I don't want to continue it.
This one definitely deserves 5 stars. The characters were consistent, distinctive and I loved reading the multiple POVs because as whole it gave the reader a bigger scope to see the world through. I'm very picky when it comes to books with more than one POV but this one I just couldn't put down. I gulped down the chapters like they were the very air I breathe.
Despite the horror stories that surround the Courtyards where the Others reside within human cities, it's easy to get lost in the playfulness that Meg introduces to the Lakeside Courtyard and its many wild inhabitants. I wasn't expecting Meg's character to be so innocent in some ways but experienced in others. It is welcoming to read a community of characters that strive to survive in a habitant that didn't need them but recognized–tolerated–their existence.
The humans are not the natives in this story and that, more than anything else, was refreshing to read a story about.
The connection that sprouted between Meg and everyone in the Courtyard was so pleasant and unexpected that it was fun to read how it developed. The Others are known for not going out of their way to encourage relationships with beings they consider prey but in the Lakeside Courtyard it was clear to see how kindness inspired more kindness. The playful relationship between Meg and the little pup was adorable and the budding romance with Simon is just barely there but no less adorable.
Written in Red is the first book I have read in a while that inspired daydreams about different aspects in the story. I love the feeling of when I'm reading a book and I can pause for a moment and just speculate about the characters' lives and how they would react to different situations. These types of wondrous daydreams are only possible when the characters are so amazingly carved out and detailed that it is easy to imagine their reactions. I love when authors can illicit this feeling within me.
Grade: A
God this was a hard one to read. I don't even know what to say about it that could possibly help another potential reader except, I would highly suggest not going in this book completely blind. There are so many triggers towards the end that I suggest looking up some detailed reviews to see if that is something you could stomach because some of this is really hard to read.
Overall, my favorite parts of this book were the meta portions because it showed how well Tiffany Reisz could manipulate her characters to mimic how obvious and cliche some tropes in romance stories can be.
I actually really really loved this book. I'm only giving four stars because I didn't understand half of it. By this I mean the writing was too impeccable for me but God I loved the Goldmans. I dare anyone to introduce me to a more wonderful family. This is one of those book club books that would probably serve best in audio format because it deserves discussion and to be heard with the native accent.
So this definitely took me a while to finish but I'm glad I followed through with it because it was a really good story. I mostly enjoyed the latter half of the novel because the first half had a lot of pacing and execution issues. It was very stop-and-go in the beginning; there was a burst of action and then the plot dwindled to a crawl then another burst and another crawl.
I liked the fact that since Agnieszka was introduced as the Dragon's latest captive it served as a catalyst in questioning the routine that was settled on the relationship between the Dragon and the villages he protects. Nieshka's involvement produces an awakening in the Dragon and his methods. Her unique power and straightforward personality was able to infiltrate the Dragon's dogged attitude and stiff mannerisms.
I had a love-hate relationship with the writing due to its inconsistent prose. I loved the fluidity of the author's writing when she was describing anything, the scenery, the action, character's feelings, etc. I hated when she tried to convey emotions via dialogue. In that instance, it was missing that fluidity and she wasn't able to fully get across the passion in the emotion the character was trying to express.
I enjoyed the characters for the most part and believed they developed quite nicely throughout the story. However, I didn't get attached to any of them because of their development that they each went through was restricted to the circumstances they were in. Like the main character for example, Agnieszka, she turned out to be an amazing character but beyond the scope of the plot of fighting against the Woods, there was no substance to her. The Dragon was the same. His grumpiness was mostly just irritating to read about and his development was very slow-going.
The best parts of the story were mostly when the characters interacted with one another. They showed a depth in feeling was easily captured and conveyed to the reader. Agnieszka's friendship with Kasia was one of favorite parts to read about. And the relationship between Agnieszka and the Dragon was fun to witness develop because of the polarity between them was comical.
Another aspect that I found fascinating was the character of the Woods and how elaborate the author made it. The entire world-building that the author constructed was magnificent and very fairy tale-esque. That may be the biggest reason this book wasn't a five stars for me. I don't enjoy the linear plots of fairy tales. There's just something very constricting about the plots of fairy tales that limits the characters personalities by tying their development to their determination of confronting the Big Bad, in this case the Woods.
Grade: B