Shaelinsan
it IS a beautiful book, i will not lie about it.
i had not expected romance but it was my bad for not reading the covers but then again, i like reading blindly with only a little hint from the synopsis.
for someone who disliked "smut", i don't really enjoy the scenes. i wouldn't consider it smut per se, but there are quite descriptive but very short sex scenes here and there. although, it doesn't take up much of the whole story and you'd forget about it throughout the whole plot. but i like everything clean so it did bother me.
nevertheless it is still a great book and i could see why a lot of people recommended it. Definitely not a five star but still a great, heartwarming (and very heartbreaking) book indeed.
took me a while because of real life stuff, but this one is absolutely enjoyable
its definitely on the "darker" side of a children's story (with all the killing and stuff)
i love how real Mona is and how she's not this short of girl suddenly playing hero. she started off wanting to clear things up for herself, trying to protect herself from a psychotic killer and ended up (unwillingly) became a hero because she was the only wizard available.
i also love how the duchess isn't depicted as this all-perfect leader, and how Mona's disappointment and understanding of her were both very justified.
the only downside of it was probably how i hoped for more of the Spring-green man. for a somewhat mysterious villain, he had this air of elusiveness and sinister that i had hoped for more of him and at the end of the day, he wasn't exactly the main villain. the Carex also didn't have much depth because they're basically just faceless mercenaries that attacked the city.
all and all, this one is very enjoyable to read.
having love M.L Wang's previous work and writing, i had a lot more expectation for this one. i was so excited on that first chapter, but after that? not so much. especially all the info-dumping in the first chapters for the magic system. i saw a lot of people appreciating it and i know its not for everyone, but for me i do prefer building up the knowledge as we go deeper into the book, so this one bores me in the first chapters that i had to pause reading for 3-4 days.
i love complex, flawed, very-much human characters but its very, very hard to like Sciona. she's selfish, egotistical and i very much think that even in the end, she did everything for herself. to leave a mark in the world with her own name.
yes, she felt horrible knowing they siphoned living being. yes, she tried making things better. but she wasn't a "good person" per se.
the romance is...questionable to say the least. why it happened? i have no idea. even i don't like Thomil that much. he feels like a "luke-warm" character. but Carra? badass. i love her. and she might be the only character i liked.
the ending was inevitable, i think. and it was alright.
i think i would've enjoyed this more if it was a multiple povs. seeing everything for Sciona's eyes felt very one-sided (obviously) when the problem didn't just happen because A leads to B.
so yep, this is a mild rating for me.
its very heavy on science but the first person pov is actually very enjoyable and its like we're going through his thought process.
i love love loveee the relationship of grace and rocky.
and surprisingly, i love the ending.
i would give this 4.25-4.5 actually. some chapters just drags on the science and it made my head hurts sometimes (lol) but other than that, great story, great characters, and very funny.
it's definitely a "feel good" book. everything is cozy, dreamy, and magical. but that is it.
i can sense the whole thing has been taught well by the author. they don't talk about just selling "good dreams", but they also talked about the uses of "nightmares" and dreams that came from passing loved ones. i think it's all very touching.
i think the book is more about the dream and the customers itself rather than penny's journey as a new staff. i had hoped to see more of penny interaction with the customers and how she grows with what she learned. i feel we only see glimpses of her journey.
it was nice to see a little snippet in the epilogue of penny's stolen Flutter, but i had hoped the book solved another problem that was brought up during the dinner about the no-show customer. but then again, i knew now its more about the dreams and the customers.
so overall, its a nice, cozy book with vivid atmosphere. i do love easy writing style. not a five star but a pretty enjoyable one so I'll be looking for the second book
So thankful to the people who told me to keep reading the book.
Because the first chapters were a whole lot of "what the hell is this book about?" "where is the author going with this?"
Even reading the synopsis and genre tags didn't really help me grasp the general idea of the book.
But it is really a book you have to experience yourself to really get it.
I would describe it as a mix of mystery and surrealism, but also a journey in self-discovery all over again.
The main character almost has a "clean-slate" of heart, like a child-like innocence and you would only understand why after you read through. Sometimes he could be annoying and dense but after you realized what had befallen to him, you can't help but sympathize and rooted for his journey.
I don't really say this often, but if you read the book and thinking to DNF, I hope you push through and read to the end. Even if its not going to be a five star read for you like mine, I still think you will find it a pleasant read.
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
"For anybody who doesn't know where they're going."
I think its such a perfect timing—personally for me—to be reading this book.
"They still loved performing tea service—or at least, they loved what it had been. But as they tried to connect to what had once been so captivating, they felt nothing but yawning absence."
How relatable, to be burnt out by something you once loved and lived to do, and feeling guilty about it. But they taught me that its okay to crave for comfort and rest even when you think you haven't "earned" it. Not everything is give and take. And being kind to yourself is just as important as being kind to others.
Such lovely and comforting book.
it is definitely a fun read and a promising start to the series.
sometimes the mc can be a bit annoying and confusing. i get that she wants to go “home” back with the syndicate where she feels like she belongs, but the motive doesnt feel strong enough especially when Jaxon treated her like a mere object that works for him. i also don't see her relationship much with the other members of the syndicate (except Nick) that made her that attached to
the group.
i wouldn't say this is enemies to lovers. i do like Warden's characters but i don't know his motive for going against Nashira back in Bone Season VIII. i hope this will be explained more on the next books.
and this is just my preference but i never really liked first person pov. sometimes the writing can be a bit “cringe” but not too much. only in bits of it and by the time ive went past a few chapters, i just forget about
it lol
also i feel like the huge part of it happens in the last 2 or 3 chapters. the rest...well. not much happening tbh
overall this book made me want to keep reading the next book in the series but i may need to take a break in between.
what a delightful, cozy read!
i do like how Mosscap is depicted as a curious but not gullible. i like how the stories flowed, although i do feel like they haven't reached their purpose by the end of the stories which (i hope and guessed) might come up in the second book. but no kidding, this is great for someone who needed a break (literally from anything: including reading heavy stuff because this is such an easy read.)
looking forward to the next one!
always a pleasant journey in the roots of chaos series. made me want to read the priory of the orange tree all over again.
samantha shannon is a great storyteller. she went in-depth of the characters story and backgrounds without them being overwhelming. the story just flowed on despite the multiple povs which i always enjoyed.
i cant help but love the characters and samantha shannon knows how to make lovable yet realistic characters. because not all heroes or heroines need a sword to be badass. sometimes their strength lies in their quietness and gracefull way of life, in their despair and hopelessness. and it is beautiful to watch them as the story progresses.
this one is not a full five stars but i would always recommend this whole series to anyone who love full-on fantasy book with bad-ass heroes and heroines.
i just dislike it. stopped at the “afraid of needles” scene. not the most cringy stuff ive read but still made funny feelings in my skin that i dislike.