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abby_ace_of_books
Literally, all of my annotations on this except one (and I'm not kidding) are me pleading for Cole to live...
City of Rain is an epic fantasy set in a world of wizards and temples and magic. There are a lot of political fantasy elements as well, which isn't usually my thing, but they were balanced well with the other fantasy aspects.
The story follows four POVs, starting with Summer - a young mage who comes across the murder of an older wizard and is entrusted with carrying a dangerous parchment to another wizard. However, she is framed for murder and pursued by Fenya (another student and lady of a house) and Arlen (basically a detective). The final POV is Cole, who is also a mage and student but who falls in with the wrong crowd through a series of unfortunate events. There's plenty of betrayal, a lot of political scheming, and a handful of action scenes. My only complaint is that it was a bit slow at times, especially when certain POVs tended to end on cliffhangers and others felt so incredibly long. However, the ending was very fast-paced at about the 85% mark and there were exciting parts throughout.
There were so many characters, so I'll stick to the I POV characters. Of the POV characters, Fenya was probably my least favorite just because I found her a bit boring until the end. However, her moral grayness and potential character arcs are intriguing. I also didn't love Arlen that much, but I think if we get more of his backstory in future books, I'll like him more. Summer was pretty cool, and I liked her as a main character, although I do wish she had a bit more initiative besides staying in the same town for, like, four months. Cole was my favorite (because he was a scholar, maybe), and I thought he had an interesting backstory plus a good deal of action throughout the book, and I'm excited to see him reach his destiny. As far as villains go, I did find Vasqo a bit disappointing just because he wasn't really relevant after the first chapter.
City of Rain is the first novel in a new epic fantasy series filled with realistic characters, plenty of turmoil, and the beginnings of an exciting adventure (and maybe found family?).
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
City of Rain is an epic fantasy set in a world of wizards and temples and magic. There are a lot of political fantasy elements as well, which isn't usually my thing, but they were balanced well with the other fantasy aspects.
The story follows four POVs, starting with Summer - a young mage who comes across the murder of an older wizard and is entrusted with carrying a dangerous parchment to another wizard. However, she is framed for murder and pursued by Fenya (another student and lady of a house) and Arlen (basically a detective). The final POV is Cole, who is also a mage and student but who falls in with the wrong crowd through a series of unfortunate events. There's plenty of betrayal, a lot of political scheming, and a handful of action scenes. My only complaint is that it was a bit slow at times, especially when certain POVs tended to end on cliffhangers and others felt so incredibly long. However, the ending was very fast-paced at about the 85% mark and there were exciting parts throughout.
There were so many characters, so I'll stick to the I POV characters. Of the POV characters, Fenya was probably my least favorite just because I found her a bit boring until the end. However, her moral grayness and potential character arcs are intriguing. I also didn't love Arlen that much, but I think if we get more of his backstory in future books, I'll like him more. Summer was pretty cool, and I liked her as a main character, although I do wish she had a bit more initiative besides staying in the same town for, like, four months. Cole was my favorite (because he was a scholar, maybe), and I thought he had an interesting backstory plus a good deal of action throughout the book, and I'm excited to see him reach his destiny. As far as villains go, I did find Vasqo a bit disappointing just because he wasn't really relevant after the first chapter.
City of Rain is the first novel in a new epic fantasy series filled with realistic characters, plenty of turmoil, and the beginnings of an exciting adventure (and maybe found family?).
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
So it took three books but I think I finally figured out March's eye color (is it silver?)
I read The Burning Kingdoms in less than 24 hours and I'm still trying to figure out why and how. It's not a short book (even though I had an ebook, which generally makes me read faster), and as much as I want to say it was action-packed...it wasn't? I mean, I read it in practically four sittings, but I still feel like I have another half of a book to read.
The thing I've realized about this series is that it somehow manages to be incredibly fast-paced while simultaneously doing very little plot-wise. I think part of the reason I read this so quickly is because I saw a review saying Edyon suffered so much, and I was excited to get to that part...only to never find it, so I guess I tricked myself into reading fast. Overall, I just felt like a lot of this book was "filler" in the sense that everyone is constantly preparing for a battle that never really arrives. The ending also felt very anticlimactic because the solution to everyone's problems came out of nowhere, and suddenly, the day was saved...
Maybe it's the characters that kept me intrigued, but when I say characters, I mean March and Edyon. Catherine and Ambrose are still very "meh" to me, although Ambrose finally realized he's in the friend zone and decided to stop being a child predator, so congrats to him for that character arc. I see a lot of people saying they love Tzsayn and Garatan, and I don't really care for either of them nor did I care for Byron because I knew better than to get emotionally attached. Last book, I really liked Tash, but she didn't get a ton of attention in this one, so I didn't care for her. March and Edyon were really the only ones I cared for, mostly because of the angst and also because they have ended up in prison in every single book.
The Burning Kingdoms is the fast-paced conclusion to The Smoke Thieves trilogy, and it definitely closes the series in a way that answers most of the questions.
Link to Libby Annotations
3.75/5
I read The Burning Kingdoms in less than 24 hours and I'm still trying to figure out why and how. It's not a short book (even though I had an ebook, which generally makes me read faster), and as much as I want to say it was action-packed...it wasn't? I mean, I read it in practically four sittings, but I still feel like I have another half of a book to read.
The thing I've realized about this series is that it somehow manages to be incredibly fast-paced while simultaneously doing very little plot-wise. I think part of the reason I read this so quickly is because I saw a review saying Edyon suffered so much, and I was excited to get to that part...only to never find it, so I guess I tricked myself into reading fast. Overall, I just felt like a lot of this book was "filler" in the sense that everyone is constantly preparing for a battle that never really arrives. The ending also felt very anticlimactic because the solution to everyone's problems came out of nowhere, and suddenly, the day was saved...
Maybe it's the characters that kept me intrigued, but when I say characters, I mean March and Edyon. Catherine and Ambrose are still very "meh" to me, although Ambrose finally realized he's in the friend zone and decided to stop being a child predator, so congrats to him for that character arc. I see a lot of people saying they love Tzsayn and Garatan, and I don't really care for either of them nor did I care for Byron because I knew better than to get emotionally attached. Last book, I really liked Tash, but she didn't get a ton of attention in this one, so I didn't care for her. March and Edyon were really the only ones I cared for, mostly because of the angst and also because they have ended up in prison in every single book.
The Burning Kingdoms is the fast-paced conclusion to The Smoke Thieves trilogy, and it definitely closes the series in a way that answers most of the questions.
Link to Libby Annotations
3.75/5
So apparently I need to get back into the apocalypse genre because I forgot how enjoyable it can be, especially when paired with mild horror...
Take All of Us is a story about an apocalypse and what it means to take up space as a person. While I think the "horror" aspects were more "gore" than anything, I did really enjoy the world and the messages the story shared.
We follow Ian, an epileptic teen who just happens to hit his head and die at the beginning of this apocalypse, transforming him into what is basically a zombie-in-progress. He teams up with the handful of others left behind in the evacuation as they try to save their town - and Ian - from turning completely into the undead. There was a lot of build-up to an ending that might be considered by some to be unsatisfying or abrupt, but because it wraps up most of the loose ends, I was willing to accept it. (However, I do think it could be more in-depth because there are some moral issues that we just gloss over and accept without considering the consequences).
I really liked the found family vibes that developed throughout the story. Ian's personality reminded me a lot of some of my favorite characters, although I can't pinpoint exactly who. Angel was a bit annoying at times, but I didn't mind her or Monica and their developing friendship. Zoey didn't get much development, so I can't say much about her. However, I didn't trust Eric for, like, the whole story, and I see everyone else saying he's amazing, but I still got bad vibes from him that I struggled to ignore as the story progressed.
If you're looking for a YA sci-fi with apocalypse and found family elements with bits of romance, horror, and action, look no further than Take All of US.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
Take All of Us is a story about an apocalypse and what it means to take up space as a person. While I think the "horror" aspects were more "gore" than anything, I did really enjoy the world and the messages the story shared.
We follow Ian, an epileptic teen who just happens to hit his head and die at the beginning of this apocalypse, transforming him into what is basically a zombie-in-progress. He teams up with the handful of others left behind in the evacuation as they try to save their town - and Ian - from turning completely into the undead. There was a lot of build-up to an ending that might be considered by some to be unsatisfying or abrupt, but because it wraps up most of the loose ends, I was willing to accept it. (However, I do think it could be more in-depth because there are some moral issues that we just gloss over and accept without considering the consequences).
I really liked the found family vibes that developed throughout the story. Ian's personality reminded me a lot of some of my favorite characters, although I can't pinpoint exactly who. Angel was a bit annoying at times, but I didn't mind her or Monica and their developing friendship. Zoey didn't get much development, so I can't say much about her. However, I didn't trust Eric for, like, the whole story, and I see everyone else saying he's amazing, but I still got bad vibes from him that I struggled to ignore as the story progressed.
If you're looking for a YA sci-fi with apocalypse and found family elements with bits of romance, horror, and action, look no further than Take All of US.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
I was addicted to this series as a kid (and have since then apologized to my parents for making them buy, like, fifty of them), but I never got to read the first one.
Well, now I have. My life is complete. I know how Kirsty and Rachel met, and I know how they got roped into all that fairy business.
No thoughts, just the goblin illustrations having ruined my imagination of goblins for the rest of my life.
Well, now I have. My life is complete. I know how Kirsty and Rachel met, and I know how they got roped into all that fairy business.
No thoughts, just the goblin illustrations having ruined my imagination of goblins for the rest of my life.
Rivals to lovers will always be a million times better than enemies to lovers.
A Dark and Drowning Tide is a dark fantasy story that borders on dark academia and romance, but it's full of whimsical magic and plenty of rivalries. I think a lot of the actual "lore" and histories for some of the folklore were lost on me, but if you like what I think is German folklore, you'll probably be less confused than I was.
I think the main issue I had with the book was the pacing. Given that this was described as a murder mystery-type adventure expedition, I was expecting a little more action. However, most of the book just seemed to be the characters insulting and accusing each other. The actual "mystery" aspect was very minimal, as was the adventure. While the plot picked up in the second half, there were only three scenes I genuinely enjoyed. That being said, the "big reveal" in this book was amazing, and I really enjoyed the tension following it. I sort of called the plot twist, but the reason I accused my guess was completely unrelated to actual reasons, and I still kind of got it wrong?
Besides the reveal, the character dynamics are the reason this book got a rating as high as it did. I'm a big fan of rivalries between all of the characters, and this book delivered on the tensions. However, I think it would have been more effective if I could actually tell the difference between half the characters because it took me nearly 50% of the book to know who was who. I didn't know much about Heike or Adelheid, so I don't have many comments. I thought Johann was kind of neat for no reason at all, and I started to appreciate Ludwig at the halfway point as well (and he ended up being my favorite, I guess?) As far as Lorelei and Sylvia go, I thought they were interesting, but I didn't love them. Their romance made sense; it just wasn't all that enticing to me, despite the rivals to lovers. I liked their backstories, but I was more intrigued by everyone except Lorelei and their combined histories.
For fans of academic rivals to lovers, gothic sapphics, and academic tensions, A Dark and Drowning Tide is an interesting read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!
3.5/5
A Dark and Drowning Tide is a dark fantasy story that borders on dark academia and romance, but it's full of whimsical magic and plenty of rivalries. I think a lot of the actual "lore" and histories for some of the folklore were lost on me, but if you like what I think is German folklore, you'll probably be less confused than I was.
I think the main issue I had with the book was the pacing. Given that this was described as a murder mystery-type adventure expedition, I was expecting a little more action. However, most of the book just seemed to be the characters insulting and accusing each other. The actual "mystery" aspect was very minimal, as was the adventure. While the plot picked up in the second half, there were only three scenes I genuinely enjoyed. That being said, the "big reveal" in this book was amazing, and I really enjoyed the tension following it. I sort of called the plot twist, but the reason I accused my guess was completely unrelated to actual reasons, and I still kind of got it wrong?
Besides the reveal, the character dynamics are the reason this book got a rating as high as it did. I'm a big fan of rivalries between all of the characters, and this book delivered on the tensions. However, I think it would have been more effective if I could actually tell the difference between half the characters because it took me nearly 50% of the book to know who was who. I didn't know much about Heike or Adelheid, so I don't have many comments. I thought Johann was kind of neat for no reason at all, and I started to appreciate Ludwig at the halfway point as well (and he ended up being my favorite, I guess?) As far as Lorelei and Sylvia go, I thought they were interesting, but I didn't love them. Their romance made sense; it just wasn't all that enticing to me, despite the rivals to lovers. I liked their backstories, but I was more intrigued by everyone except Lorelei and their combined histories.
For fans of academic rivals to lovers, gothic sapphics, and academic tensions, A Dark and Drowning Tide is an interesting read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!
3.5/5
This is the first Sanderson series I've completed, and as much as I want to keep diving into his books, the sheer amount of them terrifies me and that's not a rabbit hole I'm ready to go down...
The thrilling conclusion to the Skyward series, Defiant, picks up right where the previous book left off and, for the first time, does not introduce an entire new found family. My main complaints about the last two books were that Spensa kept creating new found families and that we never followed up with old ones. This novel tied all the other ones together in terms of characters, which I really appreciated.
For that reason, I think this was my favorite book in the series besides the first one, which will always have a special place in my mind. There were parts that felt a bit slow, and I can honestly say that I think the "big scene" dragged a lot as well, mostly due to a sudden integration of multiple POVs, but there was enough action to keep me occupied. I also liked the tensions between Spensa and Jorgen, as well as Spensa and her morals. While the ending did feel a little rushed, I am excited for the sequel series, which I am hoping will elaborate on the implications of this ending.
This series has so many characters, and I'm pretty sure most of my favorites died in the first one, but I still love the remaining cast. The banter and internal monologues are great. Spensa is a wonderful example of a protagonist who changes in a realistic way, and her narration is hilarious. I also really like Jorgen, although he didn't feel as present in this book. I still wish we got more from Rig, FM, and Kimmalyn, but it looks like that's the plan for the sequel series? I didn't remember much about Chet going into this book, but his dynamic with Spensa and M-Bot was very enjoyable. Overall, the dynamics of the cast were great, and I can't wait to see it hopefully continue.
Defiant is the satisfying conclusion to the Skyward series, and now we'll have to wait and see if it pushes me into another sci-fi binge.
4/5
The thrilling conclusion to the Skyward series, Defiant, picks up right where the previous book left off and, for the first time, does not introduce an entire new found family. My main complaints about the last two books were that Spensa kept creating new found families and that we never followed up with old ones. This novel tied all the other ones together in terms of characters, which I really appreciated.
For that reason, I think this was my favorite book in the series besides the first one, which will always have a special place in my mind. There were parts that felt a bit slow, and I can honestly say that I think the "big scene" dragged a lot as well, mostly due to a sudden integration of multiple POVs, but there was enough action to keep me occupied. I also liked the tensions between Spensa and Jorgen, as well as Spensa and her morals. While the ending did feel a little rushed, I am excited for the sequel series, which I am hoping will elaborate on the implications of this ending.
This series has so many characters, and I'm pretty sure most of my favorites died in the first one, but I still love the remaining cast. The banter and internal monologues are great. Spensa is a wonderful example of a protagonist who changes in a realistic way, and her narration is hilarious. I also really like Jorgen, although he didn't feel as present in this book. I still wish we got more from Rig, FM, and Kimmalyn, but it looks like that's the plan for the sequel series? I didn't remember much about Chet going into this book, but his dynamic with Spensa and M-Bot was very enjoyable. Overall, the dynamics of the cast were great, and I can't wait to see it hopefully continue.
Defiant is the satisfying conclusion to the Skyward series, and now we'll have to wait and see if it pushes me into another sci-fi binge.
4/5
So. Many. POVs. (Let's see... Lax, Val, Ilumi, Dawb, Aiana, that random Razu guy, the Duke, and then the two prologues and the epilogue)
Grieving Gold is an epic fantasy with multiple POVs and one of the coolest magic systems I've ever seen. Characters can either "find" or "lose" aspects of themselves, such as courage, strength, lies, and even who they are as a person. The way this was portrayed was very intriguing, and I also liked the mixture of sci-fi elements and fantasy elements. Honestly, the worldbuilding was what kept me reading in the beginning.
My biggest issue with this book was the plot and the lack of direction for the first half. I know multiple POV stories in which characters don't immediately meet can feel slower, but this one genuinely confused me at points. Not only are there five "main" POVs to keep track of, but the reader frequently goes more than five chapters without hearing back from some of the characters. While I found the ending more interesting, I still feel like the majority of this book was set up for the sequel, and while that isn't an inherently bad thing, I think some pacing issues could be resolved.
Because there were so many characters, I'll focus on the main ones. I think Ilumi was my least favorite just because she never really got "involved" with the other characters (besides Dawb), and I still don't understand how she ties in completely. I also had issues connecting with Aiana, but she is probably one of the more intriguing characters, given where she lives. I liked both Val and Lax a lot, although I went back and forth between who I liked more (and I think I decided on Val?). Dawb gave major Fishcake from Mortal Engines vibes, and I think he was probably my favorite.
Fans of epic fantasies with unique magic systems and what I presume will be a found family of some sort will enjoy Grieving Gold and all of its twisty character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
Grieving Gold is an epic fantasy with multiple POVs and one of the coolest magic systems I've ever seen. Characters can either "find" or "lose" aspects of themselves, such as courage, strength, lies, and even who they are as a person. The way this was portrayed was very intriguing, and I also liked the mixture of sci-fi elements and fantasy elements. Honestly, the worldbuilding was what kept me reading in the beginning.
My biggest issue with this book was the plot and the lack of direction for the first half. I know multiple POV stories in which characters don't immediately meet can feel slower, but this one genuinely confused me at points. Not only are there five "main" POVs to keep track of, but the reader frequently goes more than five chapters without hearing back from some of the characters. While I found the ending more interesting, I still feel like the majority of this book was set up for the sequel, and while that isn't an inherently bad thing, I think some pacing issues could be resolved.
Because there were so many characters, I'll focus on the main ones. I think Ilumi was my least favorite just because she never really got "involved" with the other characters (besides Dawb), and I still don't understand how she ties in completely. I also had issues connecting with Aiana, but she is probably one of the more intriguing characters, given where she lives. I liked both Val and Lax a lot, although I went back and forth between who I liked more (and I think I decided on Val?). Dawb gave major Fishcake from Mortal Engines vibes, and I think he was probably my favorite.
Fans of epic fantasies with unique magic systems and what I presume will be a found family of some sort will enjoy Grieving Gold and all of its twisty character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
Between my cousin's chaotic accusations annotations, whatever the heck was going on romance-wise, and the weird vampire/demon/Strega Nona lore...this felt like a fever dream.
To be honest, if Kingdom of the Wicked hadn't been a book-swap book, I never would have picked it up, and if I did, I probably would have hated it. That being said, I managed to read it in, like, two days? And I kept going back to it even when I had other things to do? It might have been my amusement at the annotations, but for some reason, I didn't despise it as much as I normally would have.
I say this because, until the last section of the book, nothing really happens. Vittoria's murder is early on and then Emilia meets Wrath...and then they just kind of argue for a while. Obviously, other things happen but there wasn't really much action or plot advancement. I don't know how to count whether or not I called the plot twists...because the one thing I did call wasn't really a "twist" and the thing I didn't "call" is stupid (I literally thought to myself "this character reminds me of this other evil character"...and then I ignored that and continued trusting them). And I need answers...but I really don't want to continue the series that much.
I also didn't really feel attached to any of the characters. Emilia might be on the list of one of the least observant protagonists I've ever come across, but I didn't hate her. I didn't really care for Wrath as far as love interests go, although I'd be interested to see more of his dynamic with his brothers. Speaking of his brothers, they're all creeps. The rest of the "human" characters weren't that special to me either; for the most part, I wouldn't have cared if they lived or died.
I'm debating if I should continue the series to get the answers I want or if I should wait for my cousin to read it and have her spoil it for me. Kingdom of the Wicked is the first book in a fantasy series with elements of mystery and romance, and I can see the appeal even if I personally didn't connect.
3.5/5
To be honest, if Kingdom of the Wicked hadn't been a book-swap book, I never would have picked it up, and if I did, I probably would have hated it. That being said, I managed to read it in, like, two days? And I kept going back to it even when I had other things to do? It might have been my amusement at the annotations, but for some reason, I didn't despise it as much as I normally would have.
I say this because, until the last section of the book, nothing really happens. Vittoria's murder is early on and then Emilia meets Wrath...and then they just kind of argue for a while. Obviously, other things happen but there wasn't really much action or plot advancement. I don't know how to count whether or not I called the plot twists...because the one thing I did call wasn't really a "twist" and the thing I didn't "call" is stupid (I literally thought to myself "this character reminds me of this other evil character"...and then I ignored that and continued trusting them). And I need answers...but I really don't want to continue the series that much.
I also didn't really feel attached to any of the characters. Emilia might be on the list of one of the least observant protagonists I've ever come across, but I didn't hate her. I didn't really care for Wrath as far as love interests go, although I'd be interested to see more of his dynamic with his brothers. Speaking of his brothers, they're all creeps. The rest of the "human" characters weren't that special to me either; for the most part, I wouldn't have cared if they lived or died.
I'm debating if I should continue the series to get the answers I want or if I should wait for my cousin to read it and have her spoil it for me. Kingdom of the Wicked is the first book in a fantasy series with elements of mystery and romance, and I can see the appeal even if I personally didn't connect.
3.5/5
Steampunk vibes, a mini murder mystery, angsty princes with mysterious motives, and metallic dragons? This book really took a bunch of my favorite book tropes and tossed them into one story.
Of Jade and Dragons is a "silkpunk" retelling of Mulan with plenty of action, mystery, and banter. I'm a big fan of steampunk/silkpunk settings, so I really enjoyed the vibes of the worldbuilding. The only thing I would suggest is possibly a family tree written out for the High Commander and his fourteen sons...because all of the names blurred together after a while. Also, I noticed a lot of the biggest complaints about this book involved it feeling very YA, but I didn't mind it as much.
The story begins with the murder of Ying's father, who was once a famous engineer for the empire. Determined to uncover the assassin, she swears to infiltrate the Engineer's Guild (as they left a note warning her not to investigate) disguised as her brother. Between a handful of engineering trials, Ying's alliance with the mysterious prince Ye-yang, and several more assassination attempts, I found the story to be paced quite well. I saw a review saying there should have been a higher focus on mystery than the engineering trials, which I agree with a little bit given the ending, but I still enjoyed it. Also, the ending and the implications set up for a very interesting sequel.
As far as characters go, there were a fair amount of them who weren't super relevant, so I didn't really care for them. Of the main three, Ye-yang was probably my least favorite. I liked him at first, but then I kind of got bad vibes from him (although I'm excited about his character arc). I liked Ye-kan much more because of his banter with Ying and how he acted like a younger brother. I also liked Ying as a protagonist, although I'm more excited about her arc in the sequel as well.
Of Jade and Dragons is a YA "silkpunk" Mulan retelling with plenty of drama, intrigue, and mystery that acts as the beginning of a promising new series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
Of Jade and Dragons is a "silkpunk" retelling of Mulan with plenty of action, mystery, and banter. I'm a big fan of steampunk/silkpunk settings, so I really enjoyed the vibes of the worldbuilding. The only thing I would suggest is possibly a family tree written out for the High Commander and his fourteen sons...because all of the names blurred together after a while. Also, I noticed a lot of the biggest complaints about this book involved it feeling very YA, but I didn't mind it as much.
The story begins with the murder of Ying's father, who was once a famous engineer for the empire. Determined to uncover the assassin, she swears to infiltrate the Engineer's Guild (as they left a note warning her not to investigate) disguised as her brother. Between a handful of engineering trials, Ying's alliance with the mysterious prince Ye-yang, and several more assassination attempts, I found the story to be paced quite well. I saw a review saying there should have been a higher focus on mystery than the engineering trials, which I agree with a little bit given the ending, but I still enjoyed it. Also, the ending and the implications set up for a very interesting sequel.
As far as characters go, there were a fair amount of them who weren't super relevant, so I didn't really care for them. Of the main three, Ye-yang was probably my least favorite. I liked him at first, but then I kind of got bad vibes from him (although I'm excited about his character arc). I liked Ye-kan much more because of his banter with Ying and how he acted like a younger brother. I also liked Ying as a protagonist, although I'm more excited about her arc in the sequel as well.
Of Jade and Dragons is a YA "silkpunk" Mulan retelling with plenty of drama, intrigue, and mystery that acts as the beginning of a promising new series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
Luca might be the most "damsel-in-distress" character I've ever read about at this point.
This is my third time reading The Princess Will Save You, and I don't care how cheesy it may be; it's still an entertaining read. While it isn't anything particularly new or nuanced, the story is fast-paced and filled with enough tension to keep the reader intrigued.
Basically, Amarande is a princess about to take the throne following her father's sudden death, only her stableboy and childhood friend, Luca, is kidnapped and held hostage in exchange for her marriage to a prince from a neighboring kingdom. The stakes are high throughout the story, and there is almost never a moment without danger, which is honestly probably why I enjoyed it so much. There's a bit of political maneuvering, plenty of romance, and some fun plot twists, and I've seen some people compare it to The Princess Bride, but as the uncultured reader I am, I have not seen the movie or read the book to agree or disagree.
My only issue with this book is that the characters tend to lack depth. I found Taillefer to be the most intriguing due to his ruthless nature and potential for some interesting arcs in book two, whereas Renard was much less fun to read about. I liked Ula and Urtzi the most out of the side characters, and while I didn't like Osana as much, I'm excited to see what's in store for all of them. Amarande is a very strong female protagonist, but she lacks motivation besides her love for Luca, and I just wish she had a bit more personality. The same goes for Luca, who doesn't do much except get knocked out, kidnapped, and poisoned repeatedly. I wish he had a bit more fight to him, although I think book two might help with that.
The Princess Will Save You is a high-stakes YA action adventure tinged with romance and politics and perfect for anyone looking for a quick, easy fantasy read.
3.75/5
This is my third time reading The Princess Will Save You, and I don't care how cheesy it may be; it's still an entertaining read. While it isn't anything particularly new or nuanced, the story is fast-paced and filled with enough tension to keep the reader intrigued.
Basically, Amarande is a princess about to take the throne following her father's sudden death, only her stableboy and childhood friend, Luca, is kidnapped and held hostage in exchange for her marriage to a prince from a neighboring kingdom. The stakes are high throughout the story, and there is almost never a moment without danger, which is honestly probably why I enjoyed it so much. There's a bit of political maneuvering, plenty of romance, and some fun plot twists, and I've seen some people compare it to The Princess Bride, but as the uncultured reader I am, I have not seen the movie or read the book to agree or disagree.
My only issue with this book is that the characters tend to lack depth. I found Taillefer to be the most intriguing due to his ruthless nature and potential for some interesting arcs in book two, whereas Renard was much less fun to read about. I liked Ula and Urtzi the most out of the side characters, and while I didn't like Osana as much, I'm excited to see what's in store for all of them. Amarande is a very strong female protagonist, but she lacks motivation besides her love for Luca, and I just wish she had a bit more personality. The same goes for Luca, who doesn't do much except get knocked out, kidnapped, and poisoned repeatedly. I wish he had a bit more fight to him, although I think book two might help with that.
The Princess Will Save You is a high-stakes YA action adventure tinged with romance and politics and perfect for anyone looking for a quick, easy fantasy read.
3.75/5