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abby_ace_of_books
"'No,' said Callum patiently. 'My answer is to pin his murder on his actual murderer, so we can both go home, book therapy appointments, and carry on with our lives.'"
These Deadly Prophecies has only solidified my belief that one of the best genres is fantasy-mysteries. I don't typically enjoy contemporary fantasy settings, but I really enjoyed this book and the world it took place in.
Yes, it's a good old-fashioned murder mystery with a rich, magical family, but it's filled with so many twists and turns. While I didn't manage to figure out the murderer, I didn't really have any theories to begin with (I made one guess at the beginning as a joke, and for a moment I thought I'd somehow guessed right, but nope) and I was satisfied with how the mystery played out. Overall, it's super fast-paced and there's rarely a dull moment. My only complaint was that I could've asked for a little more action and danger. The handful of action scenes were written very well and I would've loved to see more.
I really liked the cast of characters as well. Each member of the family had good reasons to be suspects, and I will say the only one I had an opinion about was Felix...I didn't like him (probably because I thought there was gonna be a love triangle). The story really focuses on Tabatha, who reminded me a lot of Pip from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder but with magic, and Callum, who reminded me a lot of Ravi from the same book. Unlike everyone else apparently, I thought their relationship was well done considering the story takes place over a week or so, and also, YA isn't meant to be spicy... Besides, the training scene? I liked it more than I should've.
These Deadly Prophecies is an exciting, fast-paced magical murder mystery with lovable characters and a great story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.25/5
These Deadly Prophecies has only solidified my belief that one of the best genres is fantasy-mysteries. I don't typically enjoy contemporary fantasy settings, but I really enjoyed this book and the world it took place in.
Yes, it's a good old-fashioned murder mystery with a rich, magical family, but it's filled with so many twists and turns. While I didn't manage to figure out the murderer, I didn't really have any theories to begin with (I made one guess at the beginning as a joke, and for a moment I thought I'd somehow guessed right, but nope) and I was satisfied with how the mystery played out. Overall, it's super fast-paced and there's rarely a dull moment. My only complaint was that I could've asked for a little more action and danger. The handful of action scenes were written very well and I would've loved to see more.
I really liked the cast of characters as well. Each member of the family had good reasons to be suspects, and I will say the only one I had an opinion about was Felix...I didn't like him (probably because I thought there was gonna be a love triangle). The story really focuses on Tabatha, who reminded me a lot of Pip from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder but with magic, and Callum, who reminded me a lot of Ravi from the same book. Unlike everyone else apparently, I thought their relationship was well done considering the story takes place over a week or so, and also, YA isn't meant to be spicy... Besides, the training scene? I liked it more than I should've.
These Deadly Prophecies is an exciting, fast-paced magical murder mystery with lovable characters and a great story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.25/5
REREAD REVIEW:
I stand firm in my belief that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than enemies to lovers.
This was my second time reading Divine Rivals, and it was every bit as enchanting as I remember. The prose is beautifully written (I am so jealous of Iris and Roman and their ability to write amazing sentences on a whim) and the story is wonderfully done. Set in a fantasy world similar to the WWI era and filled with rich mythology that reminded me a bit of the Persephone myth, it's probably the only "romantasy" I actually enjoyed.
Iris and Roman are journalists competing for a columnist section in their newspaper, but their journey takes them to the war front. While it's not a story filled with action-packed explosion scenes, I actually preferred its slower pacing and focus on fleshing out Iris and Roman as characters. (Also, the ending is cruel...)
There's a handful of side characters, but the main focus of the novel is clearly Iris and Roman. I really liked Iris's character. She's strong but still relatable and I enjoyed reading her articles as well as her internal monologues. Roman's POVs are less frequent but just as enjoyable, especially because he falls for Iris long before she falls for him. The way he describes her...Roman Kitt is setting the standards way too high. Their romance is well-written and based on genuine love and not lust.
Divine Rivals is a beautifully written novel about the truths of war and the strength of love in the face of darkness, and I am so excited to read the next one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roman. Crazy. Kitt.
There is no way that everyone is fighting over Rhysand and Xaden when Roman Kitt exists.
"She and Roman would survive this war. They would have the chance to grow old together, year by year. They would be friends until they both finally acknowledged the truth. And they would have everything that other couples had---the arguments and the hand-holding in the market and the gradual exploration of their bodies and the birthday celebrations and the journeys to new cities and the living as one and sharing a bed and the gradual sense of melting into each other. Their names would be entwined---Roman and Iris or Winnow and Kitt because could you truly have one without the other?---and they would write on their typewriters and ruthlessly edit each other's pieces and read books by candlelight at night"(425).
The worldbuilding is exquisite, the writing is divine (get what I did there?), and the characters and romance are so amazingly well-written.
"'It's not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless. Iris, look at me. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And I intend to see that you have it'"(508).
Link to Libby Annotations
I stand firm in my belief that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than enemies to lovers.
This was my second time reading Divine Rivals, and it was every bit as enchanting as I remember. The prose is beautifully written (I am so jealous of Iris and Roman and their ability to write amazing sentences on a whim) and the story is wonderfully done. Set in a fantasy world similar to the WWI era and filled with rich mythology that reminded me a bit of the Persephone myth, it's probably the only "romantasy" I actually enjoyed.
Iris and Roman are journalists competing for a columnist section in their newspaper, but their journey takes them to the war front. While it's not a story filled with action-packed explosion scenes, I actually preferred its slower pacing and focus on fleshing out Iris and Roman as characters. (Also, the ending is cruel...)
There's a handful of side characters, but the main focus of the novel is clearly Iris and Roman. I really liked Iris's character. She's strong but still relatable and I enjoyed reading her articles as well as her internal monologues. Roman's POVs are less frequent but just as enjoyable, especially because he falls for Iris long before she falls for him. The way he describes her...Roman Kitt is setting the standards way too high. Their romance is well-written and based on genuine love and not lust.
Divine Rivals is a beautifully written novel about the truths of war and the strength of love in the face of darkness, and I am so excited to read the next one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roman. Crazy. Kitt.
There is no way that everyone is fighting over Rhysand and Xaden when Roman Kitt exists.
"She and Roman would survive this war. They would have the chance to grow old together, year by year. They would be friends until they both finally acknowledged the truth. And they would have everything that other couples had---the arguments and the hand-holding in the market and the gradual exploration of their bodies and the birthday celebrations and the journeys to new cities and the living as one and sharing a bed and the gradual sense of melting into each other. Their names would be entwined---Roman and Iris or Winnow and Kitt because could you truly have one without the other?---and they would write on their typewriters and ruthlessly edit each other's pieces and read books by candlelight at night"(425).
The worldbuilding is exquisite, the writing is divine (get what I did there?), and the characters and romance are so amazingly well-written.
Spoiler
Also...that ending? I am so freaking excited for book two. Hopefully it gives me what I wanted from Marie Lu's Steelstriker but didn't get."'It's not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless. Iris, look at me. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And I intend to see that you have it'"(508).
Link to Libby Annotations
When I saw that She Who Rides the Storm was compared to There Will Come a Darkness, it immediately moved to the top of my TBR and less than a day later my hold was ready from the e-book library.
I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, it was a bit of a slog to get through. Some of the chapters in the e-book version I had were 68 pages long. Parts of it were relatively fast-paced while others I had to force myself to continue reading. But then I got to the end...
I did call one of the plot twists for ironic reasons (), but the other one I was completely blindsided by and I still can't believe it.
I think the main issue I had with the book was that it was advertised as a "heist" novel, so I had very high expectations going into it. However, the heist itself was a very small percentage of the novel...like, there was never a "big heist."
The characters themselves were probably my favorite part of the book. I liked the backstories because they were very intricate and all tied together in unexpected ways. I will say that my opinions on the POVs shifted throughout the book, but Anwei's was probably my least favorite, followed by Lia. I liked Knox a lot at first, but he was steadily replaced by Mateo by the end of the book (because apparently, I have a type in favorite book characters ... sarcastic sad boys).
While She Who Rides the Storm isn't exactly the grand heist novel that I expected, it still packs a punch with crazy plot twists and really intriguing worldbuilding. YA fantasy readers looking for a gateway into adult fantasy should check out this duology.
3.75/5
Link to Libby Annotations
I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, it was a bit of a slog to get through. Some of the chapters in the e-book version I had were 68 pages long. Parts of it were relatively fast-paced while others I had to force myself to continue reading. But then I got to the end...
I did call one of the plot twists for ironic reasons (
Spoiler
I made a highlight saying that it was nice that Mateo's dad actually cared about him and then realized there was probably a reason for thatI think the main issue I had with the book was that it was advertised as a "heist" novel, so I had very high expectations going into it. However, the heist itself was a very small percentage of the novel...like, there was never a "big heist."
The characters themselves were probably my favorite part of the book. I liked the backstories because they were very intricate and all tied together in unexpected ways. I will say that my opinions on the POVs shifted throughout the book, but Anwei's was probably my least favorite, followed by Lia. I liked Knox a lot at first, but he was steadily replaced by Mateo by the end of the book (because apparently, I have a type in favorite book characters ... sarcastic sad boys).
While She Who Rides the Storm isn't exactly the grand heist novel that I expected, it still packs a punch with crazy plot twists and really intriguing worldbuilding. YA fantasy readers looking for a gateway into adult fantasy should check out this duology.
3.75/5
Link to Libby Annotations
So...I read this in less than 24 hours.
I'm really not sure what to think about Dark Heir. It was at the top of my TBR and I got it from the eBook library literally the moment they acquired it. The first book had set up for one heck of a sequel...and now I feel like the sequel is just set up for a killer finale.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. I read the first 65% in one sitting and the rest the next morning. There was angst, plenty of plot twists, and so many cliffhangers that I kept telling myself "one more chapter" only to read five more.
That being said, I don't know if I liked it as much as book one. Was the angst much better? Yes, I savored every interaction between James and Will, and I highlighted every single one of Will's Sad Thoughts.
But this book was a bit slower. The first book had several instances where I really felt the "danger," and got nauseous worrying for the characters. There were significantly less of those moments in the sequel, which is something I definitely anticipated.
I also got bored of some POVs. Will is still my favorite character, so his POVs were my favorite, and Violet and Cyprian's were okay but I still just don't like Elizabeth or any of her family.
I can't say much without spoiling the first book, but I am super excited for book three (it's going to be so angsty!). I'm hoping the Dark Rise series proves to be one that gets better with time.
4.25/5
Link to Libby Annotations
I'm really not sure what to think about Dark Heir. It was at the top of my TBR and I got it from the eBook library literally the moment they acquired it. The first book had set up for one heck of a sequel...and now I feel like the sequel is just set up for a killer finale.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. I read the first 65% in one sitting and the rest the next morning. There was angst, plenty of plot twists, and so many cliffhangers that I kept telling myself "one more chapter" only to read five more.
That being said, I don't know if I liked it as much as book one. Was the angst much better? Yes, I savored every interaction between James and Will, and I highlighted every single one of Will's Sad Thoughts.
But this book was a bit slower. The first book had several instances where I really felt the "danger," and got nauseous worrying for the characters. There were significantly less of those moments in the sequel, which is something I definitely anticipated.
I also got bored of some POVs. Will is still my favorite character, so his POVs were my favorite, and Violet and Cyprian's were okay but I still just don't like Elizabeth or any of her family.
I can't say much without spoiling the first book, but I am super excited for book three (it's going to be so angsty!). I'm hoping the Dark Rise series proves to be one that gets better with time.
4.25/5
Link to Libby Annotations
Surprisingly, this is not the first time I've hated a character and then been guilt-tripped for it.
When I saw the description for Fragile Remedy, it reminded me a lot of Victoria Lee's Fever King but even angstier, and it immediately got put at the top of my TBR. Do I regret it? I don't think so.
The story follows Nate, who is a genetically modified boy (a GEM) whose body can be used to heal the sick. Unfortunately, he's also dying because the government withholds "Remedy" to make sure GEMS can't survive without them. Simply put, it was a survival story and there wasn't any other overarching plot. If this had been any other story, I probably would not have enjoyed it but this book had a constant sense of danger. Like, I kid you not, Nate was always either a) on the verge of passing out, b) passing out, or c) wounded in some other way. It escalates the stakes immensely and was probably the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did.
My main issue was with the characters and their depths. Although we're given the basics of a found family with the gang that Nate is a part of, we get very little information on Sparks and Brick. I didn't love Reed just because we didn't get to see why Nate loved him, but I didn't dislike him. I didn't mind Pixel, and later on, I didn't hate Juniper either. As far as main characters go, I didn't dislike Nate but he definitely lacked the characteristic strength of a protagonist. The only character I really had strong opinions on was Alden...and I hated him. I don't care that he was sad and cared about Nate, I found him to be a manipulative jerk with fancy hair and I will stand by my hatred.
If you're looking for a short, fast-paced sci-fi story, Fragile Remedy is the story for you.
3.5/5
Link to Libby Annotations
When I saw the description for Fragile Remedy, it reminded me a lot of Victoria Lee's Fever King but even angstier, and it immediately got put at the top of my TBR. Do I regret it? I don't think so.
The story follows Nate, who is a genetically modified boy (a GEM) whose body can be used to heal the sick. Unfortunately, he's also dying because the government withholds "Remedy" to make sure GEMS can't survive without them. Simply put, it was a survival story and there wasn't any other overarching plot. If this had been any other story, I probably would not have enjoyed it but this book had a constant sense of danger. Like, I kid you not, Nate was always either a) on the verge of passing out, b) passing out, or c) wounded in some other way. It escalates the stakes immensely and was probably the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did.
My main issue was with the characters and their depths. Although we're given the basics of a found family with the gang that Nate is a part of, we get very little information on Sparks and Brick. I didn't love Reed just because we didn't get to see why Nate loved him, but I didn't dislike him. I didn't mind Pixel, and later on, I didn't hate Juniper either. As far as main characters go, I didn't dislike Nate but he definitely lacked the characteristic strength of a protagonist. The only character I really had strong opinions on was Alden...and I hated him. I don't care that he was sad and cared about Nate, I found him to be a manipulative jerk with fancy hair and I will stand by my hatred.
If you're looking for a short, fast-paced sci-fi story, Fragile Remedy is the story for you.
3.5/5
Link to Libby Annotations
"Love breaks many rules, Kaylin, but not this one."
Why did I wait so long to read Curse of Shadows? I mean, I'm glad I only have to wait 4 months for the book instead of several years, but I am so emotionally distraught right now and I just...so many things happened that I was not prepared for and my roommate probably thinks I'm insane because I was screaming at one point.
This book picks up right after the last one in the Amassia series with Marcus having returned home the bearer of bad news. Now charged with a quest to collect the remaining whistle bones and basically save the world, he and the original cast of characters set off on an action-packed journey. And when I say action-packed, I mean so many different things happened. There was rarely a dull moment, especially past the 60% mark. While most of the plot twists are fairly predictable due to foreshadowing, I still got surprised by the direction the plot turned multiple times. And the ending? Emotionally damaging.
The list of POVs expands in this book two (although I would've much rather heard from Belair, Samsen, and Piper, but whatever) and I actually don't think I had a least favorite POV in this one...actually, probably Salila. Of the main cast, Salila is my least favorite; I think she's cool but I don't like her and Marcus. Samsen, Piper, Belair, and Tyche all had their good moments and I'm excited to see more. I liked Marcus too, but honestly, Ash and Kaylin took the cake here. I didn't love them in the first book but the angst at the end of this one? It hurts so much.
The Amassia series is one of those series that gets better with each book, and considering I read Curse of Shadows in less than 24 hours, I'm super excited for the next book.
4.5/5
Link to Libby Annotations
Why did I wait so long to read Curse of Shadows? I mean, I'm glad I only have to wait 4 months for the book instead of several years, but I am so emotionally distraught right now and I just...so many things happened that I was not prepared for and my roommate probably thinks I'm insane because I was screaming at one point.
This book picks up right after the last one in the Amassia series with Marcus having returned home the bearer of bad news. Now charged with a quest to collect the remaining whistle bones and basically save the world, he and the original cast of characters set off on an action-packed journey. And when I say action-packed, I mean so many different things happened. There was rarely a dull moment, especially past the 60% mark. While most of the plot twists are fairly predictable due to foreshadowing, I still got surprised by the direction the plot turned multiple times. And the ending? Emotionally damaging.
The list of POVs expands in this book two (although I would've much rather heard from Belair, Samsen, and Piper, but whatever) and I actually don't think I had a least favorite POV in this one...actually, probably Salila. Of the main cast, Salila is my least favorite; I think she's cool but I don't like her and Marcus. Samsen, Piper, Belair, and Tyche all had their good moments and I'm excited to see more. I liked Marcus too, but honestly, Ash and Kaylin took the cake here. I didn't love them in the first book but the angst at the end of this one? It hurts so much.
The Amassia series is one of those series that gets better with each book, and considering I read Curse of Shadows in less than 24 hours, I'm super excited for the next book.
4.5/5
Link to Libby Annotations
I was really hesitant about the book in the first half, but once we hit 50%...wow did it go fast.
The Blood Vier is a fantasy story about identity, politics, and betrayal. I'm not usually a fan of fantasy books with "court intrigue" plots, but the second half of the story was more of an adventure, which I enjoyed immensely.
We follow Taryn, the daughter of a famous military leader, as she tries to uncover her father's murderer while simultaneously navigating the dangerous politics of a royal court. It took a bit for me to get into, and then I was scared when a "big reveal" happened at around 40%, but then the story took off from there and there were several instances where I had no idea where the story would go from there. It had danger and action in nearly every chapter in the second half and I loved that.
Honestly, I'm a bit wary of trusting any of the characters in particular. The story has two POVs - Taryn and Vladimir, who I assumed would be the love interest but doesn't seem to be (and that's probably for the best). Both of them felt like unreliable narrators at times just because I could see them possibly withholding information. Similarly, I didn't trust Katherine and I still don't...I don't know why I just have a gut feeling. The only character I genuinely trusted was William because he didn't really do anything suspicious. I liked him the most, but Taryn was a solid main character.
If you're looking for a Russian setting, a fantasy with a political focus, or tons of suspicious characters, The Blood Vier is an exciting mix of adventure and intrigue.
3.75/5
The Blood Vier is a fantasy story about identity, politics, and betrayal. I'm not usually a fan of fantasy books with "court intrigue" plots, but the second half of the story was more of an adventure, which I enjoyed immensely.
We follow Taryn, the daughter of a famous military leader, as she tries to uncover her father's murderer while simultaneously navigating the dangerous politics of a royal court. It took a bit for me to get into, and then I was scared when a "big reveal" happened at around 40%, but then the story took off from there and there were several instances where I had no idea where the story would go from there. It had danger and action in nearly every chapter in the second half and I loved that.
Honestly, I'm a bit wary of trusting any of the characters in particular. The story has two POVs - Taryn and Vladimir, who I assumed would be the love interest but doesn't seem to be (and that's probably for the best). Both of them felt like unreliable narrators at times just because I could see them possibly withholding information. Similarly, I didn't trust Katherine and I still don't...I don't know why I just have a gut feeling. The only character I genuinely trusted was William because he didn't really do anything suspicious. I liked him the most, but Taryn was a solid main character.
If you're looking for a Russian setting, a fantasy with a political focus, or tons of suspicious characters, The Blood Vier is an exciting mix of adventure and intrigue.
3.75/5
Welcome back to Unpopular Opinions With Abby.
I read A Court of Thorns and Roses for the first time about three years ago, and I decided to reread it recently because everyone loves this book, and y'know maybe my opinions have changed...spoiler alert: they haven't. I tried. I really did. I wanted to have an open mind, but I just...I have so many issues with this book. Do I understand why some people like it? Yes, but it's not for me.
First of all, the plot doesn't really "start" until 68% of the way through the book. Until then, we just get glimpses of Feyre's life in Prythian and her series of very stupid decisions. Every time someone told her not to do something - for her own safety - she would then proceed to do it. It happened with the Suriel, it happened with the Fire Night thing, and it happened when she went Under the Mountain. She also gets a lot of things handed to her. Will I admit she suffered? Yes. But that riddle was so incredibly easy (and so out of character for Amarantha) and also she didn't even have to do the second riddle because Rhys did it for her, and the whole "we're going to kidnap you as punishment" wasn't really a punishment thanks to Tamlin.
I could've tolerated this book because the last 30% was admittedly okay, but the characters annoyed the heck out of me. Tamlin is...everyone who has read the series knows what Tamlin is. I'm probably going to get crap for this, but I'm gonna say it: Rhys is creepy. I know he explains his actions in book two, but if your actions need explaining... Feyre also annoys me so much for no reason at all. The only one I liked was Lucien, and only in the second half.
If you liked ACOTAR, then I'm happy you found something you like, but personally, this series is not one I enjoy and I don't know if I want to go any further in a reread because of how mad the characters make me.
2.75/5
Link to Libby Annotations
I read A Court of Thorns and Roses for the first time about three years ago, and I decided to reread it recently because everyone loves this book, and y'know maybe my opinions have changed...spoiler alert: they haven't. I tried. I really did. I wanted to have an open mind, but I just...I have so many issues with this book. Do I understand why some people like it? Yes, but it's not for me.
First of all, the plot doesn't really "start" until 68% of the way through the book. Until then, we just get glimpses of Feyre's life in Prythian and her series of very stupid decisions. Every time someone told her not to do something - for her own safety - she would then proceed to do it. It happened with the Suriel, it happened with the Fire Night thing, and it happened when she went Under the Mountain. She also gets a lot of things handed to her. Will I admit she suffered? Yes. But that riddle was so incredibly easy (and so out of character for Amarantha) and also she didn't even have to do the second riddle because Rhys did it for her, and the whole "we're going to kidnap you as punishment" wasn't really a punishment thanks to Tamlin.
I could've tolerated this book because the last 30% was admittedly okay, but the characters annoyed the heck out of me. Tamlin is...everyone who has read the series knows what Tamlin is. I'm probably going to get crap for this, but I'm gonna say it: Rhys is creepy. I know he explains his actions in book two, but if your actions need explaining... Feyre also annoys me so much for no reason at all. The only one I liked was Lucien, and only in the second half.
If you liked ACOTAR, then I'm happy you found something you like, but personally, this series is not one I enjoy and I don't know if I want to go any further in a reread because of how mad the characters make me.
2.75/5
Link to Libby Annotations
Most of my annotations for this book are "no no no no no no go away"...
Relics of Ruin was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I am so glad that I got to read it early. I loved the first book and I was super excited to return to the archives and mysteries. While I still enjoyed this one, I will admit that I think I liked the first one better.
While the first book focused on a murder mystery, this one is about theft (which isn't as fun of a crime, in my opinion). The mystery was good and I really liked the additional POVs that we got this time. I also think it will make more sense when I inevitably reread it because some of the dots didn't connect right away. I didn't call the main "plot twist," but I did enjoy just riding along with the flow of the books. I think my favorite parts were probably the scenes with Richa, Amadea, and Ibramo at about the 85% mark, just because they were the closest to the danger from the end of the previous book.
This series excels at making me care more about characters than I should. I'm still not sold on Ibramo, but I think he was the only main character I didn't like. I had issues with Tunuk at first but he grew on me. Quill is still my favorite, and I was kind of sad we didn't get as much of him as in the first book, but it looks like that might change in book three? Yinii and the other archivists are still very interesting to be and I love their dynamic. But Richa and Amadea? I love them so much, mostly Richa. We got more of his backstory and let me just say that if Stellano Zezurin shows his nasty little face again, I will personally find a way to enter the book and punch him so hard. I hate him.
Even though I found it to be a little less fast-paced than Empire of Exiles, Relics of Ruin still packs a great mystery with lots of twists and some really great found family dynamics. I don't want to wait for book three.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
Relics of Ruin was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I am so glad that I got to read it early. I loved the first book and I was super excited to return to the archives and mysteries. While I still enjoyed this one, I will admit that I think I liked the first one better.
While the first book focused on a murder mystery, this one is about theft (which isn't as fun of a crime, in my opinion). The mystery was good and I really liked the additional POVs that we got this time. I also think it will make more sense when I inevitably reread it because some of the dots didn't connect right away. I didn't call the main "plot twist," but I did enjoy just riding along with the flow of the books. I think my favorite parts were probably the scenes with Richa, Amadea, and Ibramo at about the 85% mark, just because they were the closest to the danger from the end of the previous book.
This series excels at making me care more about characters than I should. I'm still not sold on Ibramo, but I think he was the only main character I didn't like. I had issues with Tunuk at first but he grew on me. Quill is still my favorite, and I was kind of sad we didn't get as much of him as in the first book, but it looks like that might change in book three? Yinii and the other archivists are still very interesting to be and I love their dynamic. But Richa and Amadea? I love them so much, mostly Richa. We got more of his backstory and let me just say that if Stellano Zezurin shows his nasty little face again, I will personally find a way to enter the book and punch him so hard. I hate him.
Even though I found it to be a little less fast-paced than Empire of Exiles, Relics of Ruin still packs a great mystery with lots of twists and some really great found family dynamics. I don't want to wait for book three.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
I want my Swift spinoff immediately, thanks. I would love a prequel story about him, hint hint.
Masquerade of the Heart was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 because Garden of the Cursed was quite frankly amazing and I wanted to finish Marlow and Adrius's story ASAP. And while I had my reservations in the first half...wow does the second half make up for it.
I think this was one of those cases where my expectations got the best of me. The part of the plot that I was most excited to see more of in book two (Adrius's curse) was resolved fairly early on, so I was a bit disappointed. Followed immediately by a ton of rich people drama, I had my doubts about the direction the plot was going. But there were several scenes that genuinely surprised me towards the end, and the action definitely picked up as the story progressed. The final scene was pretty good and, once again, there were a bunch of plot twists to keep me on my toes.
Our cast of important characters really expanded in this one, but I'll keep this short. Vale reminded me a little too much of Lehrer from The Fever King for my liking, and I hated him. Gemma reminded me a lot of Biana from Keeper of the Lost Cities and she grew on me. The same goes for Silvan and his little snake. Adrius got on my nerves a few times in this one, but I still think he's a really good book boy and Marlow is still one of my favorite main characters of all time. Swift, though, if you couldn't tell, is my favorite by far, and no, I don't take criticism.
Although I think I like the first book just a tad better, Masquerade of the Heart was definitely worth the wait and I'm so glad that I got to finish this amazing duology early.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.25/5
Masquerade of the Heart was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 because Garden of the Cursed was quite frankly amazing and I wanted to finish Marlow and Adrius's story ASAP. And while I had my reservations in the first half...wow does the second half make up for it.
I think this was one of those cases where my expectations got the best of me. The part of the plot that I was most excited to see more of in book two (Adrius's curse) was resolved fairly early on, so I was a bit disappointed. Followed immediately by a ton of rich people drama, I had my doubts about the direction the plot was going. But there were several scenes that genuinely surprised me towards the end, and the action definitely picked up as the story progressed. The final scene was pretty good and, once again, there were a bunch of plot twists to keep me on my toes.
Our cast of important characters really expanded in this one, but I'll keep this short. Vale reminded me a little too much of Lehrer from The Fever King for my liking, and I hated him. Gemma reminded me a lot of Biana from Keeper of the Lost Cities and she grew on me. The same goes for Silvan and his little snake. Adrius got on my nerves a few times in this one, but I still think he's a really good book boy and Marlow is still one of my favorite main characters of all time. Swift, though, if you couldn't tell, is my favorite by far, and no, I don't take criticism.
Although I think I like the first book just a tad better, Masquerade of the Heart was definitely worth the wait and I'm so glad that I got to finish this amazing duology early.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.25/5