Take a photo of a barcode or cover
652 reviews by:
abby_ace_of_books
I don't think I'll ever get over that ending. Ever.
The Silvered Serpents is the second book in The Gilded Wolves series, and it's filled with just as much angst, drama, and adventure as the first. It also happens to have probably one of my favorite plot twists of all time.
Instead of France, the story now takes place in Russia as Séverin's team searches for a hidden palace and a book with the secrets to immortality. While it feels less like a heist and more like an adventure, I enjoyed this book just as much as the first. Some points in the story feel a bit slower, but the last 25% completely makes up for that. There's a fair amount of action, a bunch of puzzles, and a ton of angst (especially due to the ending of the last book).
Once again, I absolutely love the cast of characters and their interactions, even though some of them really got on my nerves in this one. Enrique and Zofia are my favorites by far and I love both their partnership and their POVs on their own. For this reason, I'm still not a Hypnos fan because he feels like a homewrecker and I just don't like him that much. Séverin and Laila are still super neat characters, but their relationship arc made me dislike reading some of their chapters because they were constantly focused on hating each other and that annoyed me. And then there's Eva, who I hate so much for a lot of reasons (similar to why I don't like Hypnos) and I just wish she didn't exist.
This series does not disappoint, and I honestly don't remember anything that happens in the next one (I think there's a gondola ride at one point and that's the extent to what I remember) so I'm excited to reread it.
4.75/5
The Silvered Serpents is the second book in The Gilded Wolves series, and it's filled with just as much angst, drama, and adventure as the first. It also happens to have probably one of my favorite plot twists of all time.
Instead of France, the story now takes place in Russia as Séverin's team searches for a hidden palace and a book with the secrets to immortality. While it feels less like a heist and more like an adventure, I enjoyed this book just as much as the first. Some points in the story feel a bit slower, but the last 25% completely makes up for that. There's a fair amount of action, a bunch of puzzles, and a ton of angst (especially due to the ending of the last book).
Once again, I absolutely love the cast of characters and their interactions, even though some of them really got on my nerves in this one. Enrique and Zofia are my favorites by far and I love both their partnership and their POVs on their own. For this reason, I'm still not a Hypnos fan because he feels like a homewrecker and I just don't like him that much. Séverin and Laila are still super neat characters, but their relationship arc made me dislike reading some of their chapters because they were constantly focused on hating each other and that annoyed me. And then there's Eva, who I hate so much for a lot of reasons (similar to why I don't like Hypnos) and I just wish she didn't exist.
This series does not disappoint, and I honestly don't remember anything that happens in the next one (I think there's a gondola ride at one point and that's the extent to what I remember) so I'm excited to reread it.
4.75/5
"'Apotheosis draws nearer, but I am afraid that heaven is crowded...and I am told there is only room for one god.'"
The Bronzed Beasts is the final installment to the Gilded Wolves trilogy...and it is just as emotionally devastating as the first two. I went into it remembering nothing but gondolas and staircases from my previous read, and honestly, I think I liked not remembering what would happen next.
While the first book focuses on heists and the second on excavating a hidden palace, this third book takes place in Venice with Séverin trying to become a god while the rest of his team searches for him. There are puzzles, there is action, and there is still that enchanting mix of angst, humor, and genre that made me fall in love with this series. Admittedly, this is probably my least favorite of the series, but I still really enjoyed it and the ending is so...emotional? There were good emotions and bad emotions and I still don't know how I feel.
As I've said before, the characters are the highlight of the story for me. Séverin is very interesting because his motives and backstory make so much sense, but he also is so stuck in his ways and his flaws that his arc is truly intriguing, especially when compared to the antagonist's. Laila was probably my least favorite of the POVs just because I don't love her personality at times. I still don't love Hypnos, even though he's grown on me. And, once again, Enrique and Zofia were my favorites. I love their blossoming romance and their banter. These characters have my heart.
The Bronzed Beasts is a great conclusion to an amazing series, and I recommend this to any fantasy lovers who enjoy a good series filled with puzzles and heists and "be gay, do crime" antics.
4.5/5
The Bronzed Beasts is the final installment to the Gilded Wolves trilogy...and it is just as emotionally devastating as the first two. I went into it remembering nothing but gondolas and staircases from my previous read, and honestly, I think I liked not remembering what would happen next.
While the first book focuses on heists and the second on excavating a hidden palace, this third book takes place in Venice with Séverin trying to become a god while the rest of his team searches for him. There are puzzles, there is action, and there is still that enchanting mix of angst, humor, and genre that made me fall in love with this series. Admittedly, this is probably my least favorite of the series, but I still really enjoyed it and the ending is so...emotional? There were good emotions and bad emotions and I still don't know how I feel.
As I've said before, the characters are the highlight of the story for me. Séverin is very interesting because his motives and backstory make so much sense, but he also is so stuck in his ways and his flaws that his arc is truly intriguing, especially when compared to the antagonist's. Laila was probably my least favorite of the POVs just because I don't love her personality at times. I still don't love Hypnos, even though he's grown on me. And, once again, Enrique and Zofia were my favorites. I love their blossoming romance and their banter. These characters have my heart.
The Bronzed Beasts is a great conclusion to an amazing series, and I recommend this to any fantasy lovers who enjoy a good series filled with puzzles and heists and "be gay, do crime" antics.
4.5/5
Enemies to lovers? No, enemies and lovers.
Archenemies is the second book in the Renegades trilogy, and the tension only increases from here. As I've said before, my favorite part of this series is the escalation of the stakes, and apparently, I also just love the secret identity trope. I'm not really a huge fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope anymore, but I don't mind it too much in this series.
With Nightmare presumed dead, the Renegades have moved on to bigger plans involving Agent N. Nova still intends to follow through with her plans to infiltrate the Renegades, and she has a new goal in mind involving Ace Anarchy's helmet. I've seen other reviews saying this one has a slower pace than the first, but, honestly, I didn't notice much difference. Admittedly, there is less action overall, but it's replaced by other forms of tension. It was also nice to see a more domestic side of the Renegades. I don't know whether I prefer this book or the first one because I prefer the tension of this one but the twistiness and action scenes from the first.
I really enjoyed getting to see more of some of the side characters in this book. Callum is super cool because of the unconventionality of his ability. Danna stresses me out constantly, which is probably why she isn't my favorite. I love seeing Ruby and Oscar's relationship progress and I would totally read a prequel about them. Adrian is a bit boring in this one because his investigation into his mother's killer takes a backseat to the rest of the story, but I still like his character. Nova is, once again, my favorite just because she's cool and her perspective mixed with her internal conflict is intriguing.
Archenemies is the exciting sequel to Renegades, perfect for fans of YA sci-fi novels and superheroes.
4.25/5
Archenemies is the second book in the Renegades trilogy, and the tension only increases from here. As I've said before, my favorite part of this series is the escalation of the stakes, and apparently, I also just love the secret identity trope. I'm not really a huge fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope anymore, but I don't mind it too much in this series.
With Nightmare presumed dead, the Renegades have moved on to bigger plans involving Agent N. Nova still intends to follow through with her plans to infiltrate the Renegades, and she has a new goal in mind involving Ace Anarchy's helmet. I've seen other reviews saying this one has a slower pace than the first, but, honestly, I didn't notice much difference. Admittedly, there is less action overall, but it's replaced by other forms of tension. It was also nice to see a more domestic side of the Renegades. I don't know whether I prefer this book or the first one because I prefer the tension of this one but the twistiness and action scenes from the first.
I really enjoyed getting to see more of some of the side characters in this book. Callum is super cool because of the unconventionality of his ability. Danna stresses me out constantly, which is probably why she isn't my favorite. I love seeing Ruby and Oscar's relationship progress and I would totally read a prequel about them. Adrian is a bit boring in this one because his investigation into his mother's killer takes a backseat to the rest of the story, but I still like his character. Nova is, once again, my favorite just because she's cool and her perspective mixed with her internal conflict is intriguing.
Archenemies is the exciting sequel to Renegades, perfect for fans of YA sci-fi novels and superheroes.
4.25/5
Wow, yet another epilogue that I'm going to pretend doesn't exist because it makes me mad.
Supernova is the third and final installment to the Renegades trilogy, and this one is 100% my favorite of the series, no contest. Not only is it much faster paced, but the tension is strong enough that the first time I read it, I actually remember being nauseous. It's not perfect, but I find it to be a great conclusion to this enjoyable YA sci-fi series.
With Ace Anarchy captured and Renegades HQ having suffered a drastic attack, both the Anarchists and Renegades are growing desperate. I can't say too much about the plot points in this book due to spoilers, but trust me when I saw the tension escalates to extreme levels very early on, and it's off to the races from there. The pacing is significantly faster than the previous two books, which I enjoyed, and most of the previously established plot armor is disregarded. Do I think the ending could've been a bit more thought out? Probably. Do I despise the epilogue? A little bit. But did I have fun? Absolutely. As I said before, the first time I read this I was practically breathless (literally) because I was so worried about the characters. Marissa Meyer stepped up her game with this one.
I also enjoyed seeing where various character arcs went. Ruby and Oscar are adorable and deserve the world, and while Danna is still hit or miss for me, I appreciated the extra page time. Nova did get on my nerves a bit with her internal conflict in this one (it's been three books, please make a decision), but I still enjoy her as a character. Adrian's arc was more intriguing in this one, but I can't say much for spoiler purposes. I do wish there'd been a little more of Max, but I did like Narcissa's return. I'm also glad that the characters finally embraced a bit more complexity in terms of black/white and good/evil thinking.
Supernova is the stunning conclusion to the Renegades trilogy, perfect for fans of superheroes, enemies to lovers with secret identities, and fun found families.
4.5/5
Supernova is the third and final installment to the Renegades trilogy, and this one is 100% my favorite of the series, no contest. Not only is it much faster paced, but the tension is strong enough that the first time I read it, I actually remember being nauseous. It's not perfect, but I find it to be a great conclusion to this enjoyable YA sci-fi series.
With Ace Anarchy captured and Renegades HQ having suffered a drastic attack, both the Anarchists and Renegades are growing desperate. I can't say too much about the plot points in this book due to spoilers, but trust me when I saw the tension escalates to extreme levels very early on, and it's off to the races from there. The pacing is significantly faster than the previous two books, which I enjoyed, and most of the previously established plot armor is disregarded. Do I think the ending could've been a bit more thought out? Probably. Do I despise the epilogue? A little bit. But did I have fun? Absolutely. As I said before, the first time I read this I was practically breathless (literally) because I was so worried about the characters. Marissa Meyer stepped up her game with this one.
I also enjoyed seeing where various character arcs went. Ruby and Oscar are adorable and deserve the world, and while Danna is still hit or miss for me, I appreciated the extra page time. Nova did get on my nerves a bit with her internal conflict in this one (it's been three books, please make a decision), but I still enjoy her as a character. Adrian's arc was more intriguing in this one, but I can't say much for spoiler purposes. I do wish there'd been a little more of Max, but I did like Narcissa's return. I'm also glad that the characters finally embraced a bit more complexity in terms of black/white and good/evil thinking.
Supernova is the stunning conclusion to the Renegades trilogy, perfect for fans of superheroes, enemies to lovers with secret identities, and fun found families.
4.5/5
Surprisingly, this is only my second time reading Stellarlune, and it kind of felt like I was reading this again for the first time (I remembered about 2 details from it). That being said, I still won't officially be rating it, although I will say that it probably stands with Flashback in terms of my least favorite Keeper books. I still enjoy them, but apparently, I don't enjoy when Sophie spends half a book complaining about her boy problems. And don't hate me for this, but I think it has the most underwhelming "ending" of the series (I'm not referencing the cliffhanger; I'm talking about the events leading up to it).
I'll be making my bingo boards for Keeper 9.5 and 10 soon with my predictions.
But here are my notes on Stellarlune, and just a warning, there may be spoilers for this book and others in the series:
-(22) Love that Sophie didn't bother to ask why Dex was crying and moved on to her worry about Keefe
- (54) Gisela IS a Conjurer, and the wiki lied to me because I could've sworn she was, but it said no
- (55) Gisela recruited Umber and Glimmer more recently because she says she needs to recruit a Flasher and a Shade at a point when Keefe is alive and causing mischief ... so I'd assume that Umber and Glimmer have only been around for like 8 years max
- Realistically speaking, anyone who doesn't have a photographic memory probably doesn't have exact line-for-line scenes memorized, so what Cassius just revealed could technically be entirely fabricated/off (especially because memories change each time you think about them)
- Could Conjurers conjure something - a knife, per se - inside a person's body? Asking for science
- (134) Rayni must've only joined the Neverseen 1-2 years ago, which makes me wonder why Gisela waited so long to find a Flasher
- (154) Umber has a tragic backstory?
- Shouldn't the memories recovered from the cashes be in first person?
- (384) I can't believe it took the Neverseen 9.5 books to build a bomb
- (386) Brumevale used to belong to an ancient couple that died before having kids, but Forkle claims to know nothing else about it
- (406) What is Sophie's elementalism mentor's problem with Gusters?
- (436) Is Jensi ever going to manifest, and if so...is it going to be something big and useful? Not another pyrokinetic, but we know he's good at channeling if that's relevant
- (491) Emery had a Cognate once
- (527) Deep Voice #6?: Trix
I'll be making my bingo boards for Keeper 9.5 and 10 soon with my predictions.
But here are my notes on Stellarlune, and just a warning, there may be spoilers for this book and others in the series:
-(22) Love that Sophie didn't bother to ask why Dex was crying and moved on to her worry about Keefe
- (54) Gisela IS a Conjurer, and the wiki lied to me because I could've sworn she was, but it said no
- (55) Gisela recruited Umber and Glimmer more recently because she says she needs to recruit a Flasher and a Shade at a point when Keefe is alive and causing mischief ... so I'd assume that Umber and Glimmer have only been around for like 8 years max
- Realistically speaking, anyone who doesn't have a photographic memory probably doesn't have exact line-for-line scenes memorized, so what Cassius just revealed could technically be entirely fabricated/off (especially because memories change each time you think about them)
- Could Conjurers conjure something - a knife, per se - inside a person's body? Asking for science
- (134) Rayni must've only joined the Neverseen 1-2 years ago, which makes me wonder why Gisela waited so long to find a Flasher
- (154) Umber has a tragic backstory?
- Shouldn't the memories recovered from the cashes be in first person?
- (384) I can't believe it took the Neverseen 9.5 books to build a bomb
- (386) Brumevale used to belong to an ancient couple that died before having kids, but Forkle claims to know nothing else about it
- (406) What is Sophie's elementalism mentor's problem with Gusters?
- (436) Is Jensi ever going to manifest, and if so...is it going to be something big and useful? Not another pyrokinetic, but we know he's good at channeling if that's relevant
- (491) Emery had a Cognate once
- (527) Deep Voice #6?: Trix
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Honestly, props to Lykou for not getting tired of everyone and not eating them all 100 pages in cause, like, I totally would have...
Daughter of Sparta is a YA fantasy novel that acts as a very loose retelling of Daphne and Apollo's story from Greek mythology. This was my third time reading the book, as I now own the rest of the series and intend to finish it, but I didn't remember much of the plot going into this. Readers looking for a direct retelling of the Daphne/Apollo myth might want to look elsewhere, as the Author's Notes section clarifies that she took a lot of creative liberty with the mythology she used. But, as someone who isn't super familiar with the original Daphne/Apollo story, I didn't mind the author's approach and thought it was a good story on its own.
Trained as a Spartan but still an outsider, Daphne is issued a quest by Artemis: she must retrieve nine treasures and return them to Olympus, or the gods will fall. Accompanied by cocky Apollo, god of prophecy, and her childhood friend turned wolf, Lykou, Daphne embarks on a journey to save Olympus that will lead her through all sorts of trials. The pacing is quite quick (I read this in less than 24 hours) and very action-packed, so even when there were slower/less eventful sections, I felt inclined to keep reading. The main twist isn't too unpredictable if you've read anything about Greek mythology before, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I thought there was a good level of tension throughout, almost to the point where there were very few moments where something major wasn't happening. The ending is satisfying on its own, so you don't have to continue the series if you didn't enjoy book one. It's definitely a plot-focused adventure-y book, but there are some romance subplots as well to keep readers engaged.
Because the book is so plot-heavy, some of the characters don't get as much attention, so I struggled to connect to some of them. Daphne is an okay protagonist; I've read a lot of "feminist" retellings, so the strong, female protagonist can feel overdone at times. I didn't mind her, and I appreciated her curiosity about her past and her love for her brothers. The romance was also pretty light, which was nice as well. I've seen people considering it enemies-to-lovers, but I think the main romance is more of just people with grudges to light lovers. Apollo was pretty much your typical Apollo, although he definitely felt more human than godlike at times. I liked Lykou a lot, and I'm hoping he gets more page time in future books. Lyta and Theseus are minor characters that I didn't really care for, but I liked the crossovers from other Greek myths. I'm also hoping the future books spend more time on developing the side characters.
Daughter of Sparta is the first book in a YA Greek mythology-based trilogy that follows the story of Daphne and Apollo in a more feminist light.
3.75/5
Daughter of Sparta is a YA fantasy novel that acts as a very loose retelling of Daphne and Apollo's story from Greek mythology. This was my third time reading the book, as I now own the rest of the series and intend to finish it, but I didn't remember much of the plot going into this. Readers looking for a direct retelling of the Daphne/Apollo myth might want to look elsewhere, as the Author's Notes section clarifies that she took a lot of creative liberty with the mythology she used. But, as someone who isn't super familiar with the original Daphne/Apollo story, I didn't mind the author's approach and thought it was a good story on its own.
Trained as a Spartan but still an outsider, Daphne is issued a quest by Artemis: she must retrieve nine treasures and return them to Olympus, or the gods will fall. Accompanied by cocky Apollo, god of prophecy, and her childhood friend turned wolf, Lykou, Daphne embarks on a journey to save Olympus that will lead her through all sorts of trials. The pacing is quite quick (I read this in less than 24 hours) and very action-packed, so even when there were slower/less eventful sections, I felt inclined to keep reading. The main twist isn't too unpredictable if you've read anything about Greek mythology before, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I thought there was a good level of tension throughout, almost to the point where there were very few moments where something major wasn't happening. The ending is satisfying on its own, so you don't have to continue the series if you didn't enjoy book one. It's definitely a plot-focused adventure-y book, but there are some romance subplots as well to keep readers engaged.
Because the book is so plot-heavy, some of the characters don't get as much attention, so I struggled to connect to some of them. Daphne is an okay protagonist; I've read a lot of "feminist" retellings, so the strong, female protagonist can feel overdone at times. I didn't mind her, and I appreciated her curiosity about her past and her love for her brothers. The romance was also pretty light, which was nice as well. I've seen people considering it enemies-to-lovers, but I think the main romance is more of just people with grudges to light lovers. Apollo was pretty much your typical Apollo, although he definitely felt more human than godlike at times. I liked Lykou a lot, and I'm hoping he gets more page time in future books. Lyta and Theseus are minor characters that I didn't really care for, but I liked the crossovers from other Greek myths. I'm also hoping the future books spend more time on developing the side characters.
Daughter of Sparta is the first book in a YA Greek mythology-based trilogy that follows the story of Daphne and Apollo in a more feminist light.
3.75/5
