rose
⟡˖ ࣪ 6.75/5 ⟡
OMG I have so many reviews to write but this one I just had to write first. Gosh I'm reeling because this book is everything and more to me.
Now, some very chaotic thoughts:
♥ Shannon Lynch is the most me core to ever me core. Like seriously I relate to this girl so much.
♥ I don't get how people say this book is too long, imo it was too short and my copy was over 700 pages
♥ JOHNNY THE MAN YOU AREEEEEEEEEEEEEE
♥ I actually was hit on the head with a volleyball and almost got a concussion (Temu Shannon Lynch moment)
♥ THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHINGGGG
im sorry i have no thoughts expect for READ THISSSSSS
⚝ rating: 4/5
⚝ review:
Now... this book took me a WHILE. And it wasn't because it was bad, I was just in a weird sort of slump were my kindle became a possessed demon I didn't want to even be near. My expectation where pretty low after the drag-a-long of the 4th book but MY this was different and in a good way.
The plot actually had a clear line but plenty of plot twists. I thought the whole breaking Victor out of jail and finding a cure for Strigoi was insane in the best way. The Dimitri plot broke my heart and I actually had tears in my eyes. My baby Rose went through so much. The Tatiana plotline was so unexpected like I was actually gaping and the cliffhanger LIKE NOOOO WTF.
So even though I took a massive break from this book I really enjoyed it and this series is starting to become one of my favorites.
⚝ characters:
⤿ Rose: I love her character development in this book, she's still our reckless, sarcastic queen but she's grown so much as a person and its hard not to love her. She's the type of main character you want to see in every book and see them interact with every character you know.
⤿ Dimitri: He's a really tragic character. Him being depressed after turning back Moroi and not wanting anything to do with Rose made my heart psychically HURT.
⤿ Lissa: PEOPLE HATE HER WTFFFFFF? I'm sorry she might be my favorite character. She's smart, kind, calm and caring and the water to Rose's fire. People who think she's selfish need to realize that the way she and Rose grew up and trained were very different and she tries to help her friends but sometimes she just doesn't know HOW with her current position in the world. She wasn't trained to be a guardian so there are things she just can't do but she still loves her friends and cares for them.
⚝ So yeah I love this book and will defend these characters with my last breath.
⚝ rating: 3.5/5
⚝ review:
There is nothing worse then not loving a book so many people enjoyed. My feelings about this book are so conflicting. First of all I loved the writing style but it wasn't page-turning. I think a lot of the things I didn't like about this book were personal preference and not because the book itself was bad.
For example I loved the mood and magic system, it was so creative but I found a lot of the characters forgettable. For me Elm, Emory and Hauth kind of blended into one and I think that's also because the names where very similar. I also felt like I was just waiting for this big thing to happen and it just didn't. I just feel so bad for not enjoying this book as much as everyone else because so many people gave it 5 stars.
⚝ characters:
⤿ Elspeth: I really enjoyed her but I feel she as a character has a personality that's hard to describe (I'm not sure how to say it)
⤿ Ravyn: I LOVED HIM! I WILL READ ANOTHER 10 BOOKS IF HE'S IN THEM
⤿ Ione: I liked her, she was cool though at some point I was so tired of the phrase “yellow hair” because I just kept imagining mustard strands.
⚝ So again I feel like my brain wasn't working and maybe in a different point in time I could have really loved this book. But objectively this is an amazing book.
⚝ rating: 3/5
⚝ review:
So this book was a lot. It followed a smaller cast of characters and a really interesting setting and offered plenty of plot twists. The premise was really cool. One of the main positives of this book was the immersive atmosphere and spooky tone. I haven't read a book like this in a while where I felt like I was actually in the story.
Now the actual plot: the start was slower with a lot of exposition and getting used to the setting. The book started to pick up at around page 190 but mind you this book is only 300 pages. The plot twist was so unique and I really enjoyed the explanation. The whole mushroom, family thing was both disturbing and creative. The writing style was so beautiful and I really slowed down to properly enjoyed it. That being said it's not really a book that will stick with me for long or really changed me in a way.
⚝ characters:
⤿ Noemí: She was amazing! She was smart, pretty and feminine without being helpless or dumb, which is often protrayad in media. I would definitely read another book from her POV.
⤿ Catalina: I really liked her and thought she was a very interesting character, I would have liked to see more of her.
⤿ Francis: He switched between NPC and helper really fast and the romance at the end was so sudden it almost made me laugh. But he was fine I guess.
⚝ So my first gothic book and I kind of liked it but there isn't that much to say.
⚝ rating: 4/5
⚝ review:
I really liked this collection! I'm a big fan of short novellas in one big story to deepen the characters and give some fun moments and this one did that really well! I honestly would love a second one with more Rebecca and Max.
⚝ Short stories:
⤿ A Night in Prague: Why do I not like Jameson or Avery anymore? I'm sorry, maybe some of my bias from the previous book affected my view of them in this one but I was kinda bored. Also I get it but why wouldn't Jameson tell the thing to Avery.
⤿ The same forward as backward: I need therapy now, thank you Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This story was just everything, Toby and Hannah are Avery and Jameson in a different universe. The ending had me almost sobbing during math class (I'm a very emotional person, what can I say). This was definitely my favourite.
⤿ The Cowboy and the Goth: I NEED MORE LIBBY AND NASH. Nash is my favourite Hawthorne, he is literally so sweet and he calls her Darlin'
⚝ rating: 3.5/5
⚝ review:
I'm so so sorry! I really wanted to love this book because it's The Inheritance Games but if I'm being honest the entire book ran in circles without a real point. Grayson's mission half made sense but I had no idea what Jameson was doing. I feel like this book would have been better as a short story about Grayson and his sisters in Games Untold.
And I hate to say this but Avery and Jameson? What happened to the cute, sweet couple from The Final Gambit? They had no chemistry and it just felt like they were lusting after each other. It didn't feel like the Brothers Hawthorne it felt like Grayson, Jameson and the two other ones (justice for Nash and Xander)
I did have a good time reading it, the writing was amazing as always, the puzzles made me feel dumb (also as always) and I was happy to be back in this universe.
⚝ characters:
⤿ Grayson: I've always been a Jameson girly (after how Grayson treated Avery in the Final Gambit) but I loved his character arc and story in this one! I liked his POV the most and his relationship with Gigi was so fun.
⤿ Jameson: Either his entire character was winning or lusting over Avery (the amount of times he mentioned how the dress looked on her body, just no). I'm sorry but this book butchered his personality.
⤿ Avery: Never thought I would say this but she also felt like she had no personality.
⤿ Gigi: My favourite character by far. I liked how she was bubbly and energetic but not dumb, so many books have that cliche that the extroverted and fun character is stupid so I really enjoyed her. I heard she's in the Grandest Game so I'll read that just cause of her.
⤿ Eve: GET THIS B!TCH OUT OF HERE! (Yeah that's all I have to say)
⚝ So even if it sounds like it, I didn't hated this book, I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes and she will always be be one of my fave authors. I just thought it had more flaws than the other ones.
⚝ rating: 3.5/5
⚝ review:
This book was by no means bad. After DNFing my last book, I really needed to have something a little fun. And this book totally did that. The world building was great, and the writing style kept me hooked from page one. The characters were great (Nyx supremacy) and as a Greek and Roman mythology lover I was quite literally captivated by the lore.
However because of the crucible Alexis (the main character) was often starved, dehydrated or sleep-deprived and the writing reflected that as if she was going crazy. While this was realistic it was sometimes so confusing and made the story hard to get through because I had no idea what was really happening. Some of the other characters (like Helen, who I LOVED) didn't have enough page time.
⚝ characters (the some I have a lot of thoughts about):
⤿ Augustus: WHO THE F DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS?? If I was supposed to want to rip each bone from his body individually then the mission was successful because just URGH. I'm sorry but if he's actually going to be a love interest in Book 2 I'm going to FLIP (though I'm all for all a good redemption arc)
⤿ Alexis: Main character, girl boss what more do I need to say? Sometimes she infuriated me a tiniest bit but I overall I loved her!
⤿ Nyx: This snake could make any book a five-star. She's so funny, witty and the perfect animal side-kick without feeling to much like a typical animal side-kick.
⤿ Helen: Ok she did not have that much page-time but she was one of my favourite characters. She was supposed to be this bubbly, sweet, energetic character and a lot of people probably find her annoying (from my experience with fandoms lol) but that's what was so amazing about her. She needs to have more page-time in book 2.
⚝ Lastly that ending. GIVE ME BOOK 2 NOW!
Rating 4.5/5
This book was so long, but totally worth it.
It's one of my first dark academia books and I really, really loved it. The characters were so intricate and intriguing, especially Henry and Camilia.
The plot was so interesting and the twists OMG. The writing was really great and once I kinda got into it I couldn't put it down. I just needed more information and appearances of Julian, I felt like I didn't get enough of him.
But overall, this is such an amazing book!
3.5/5
This book was very disappointing. I felt like the entire first half was just Rose stumbling around from town to town. It could have easily been a hundred pages shorter. I'm honestly so glad Lissa and Christen broke up (he gives me the ick ngl)
The amount of times there was a dramatic Rose with a stake scene and Dimitri died and then was actually alive was 2. Which isn't that much but still one too many for me.
I still had fun and I love this series, just not this book.
I don't know what to think of this book. I really liked the concept and the start of the story and it was very Caraval-esque. But the world building really fell flat and I don't remember anything from the levels except the Lust one because that one was.... special
I had really high hopes for this book tbh. Blackwell and Ophelia had no emotional connection just well having fun. I will be reading the second one though.