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abookapothecary's Reviews (356)
This is a perfect low-stakes love story of a magical dress-maker hired at court to tailor for a Prince and his arranged marriage.
Elements you might like:
- Court intrigue / politics
- a gossip tabloid
- uncommon magic
- queer representation
- forbidden romance
- hidden identity
- found family
Narration:
There was a single narrator throughout the story who used different voices / accents for each character so it was easy to differentiate who was speaking. The narration gives a sense of “fairytale” vibes that fits very well with the book being YA and the main characters personality. At times I felt the narration was a little too young/niave, but this may be the authors intention as a YA book and it still left mystery and plot twists to be a surprise.
Pacing / Flow:
The story was paced mostly well. The first 25% we learned a lot about the world and were quickly swept into Niamh’s story. It was hard to gauge where the plot was going about 40% in, and the middle dragged on a bit. I had to pause listening around that point, but after continuing it later with refreshed ears the rest of the story picked up and stayed interesting until the end.
Overall thoughts:
I enjoyed this story a lot as a cozy read. The characters are all lovable and I would enjoy reading spin offs of the side characters. The romance was everything I hoped for and more. There are some very, very, sweet relationships (and friendships) in this. The overall plot was pretty predictable, but there were side plot twists and events that surprised me and kept the story enjoyable. The world building, magic, politics, and history in this were well explained as a background for the plot, but it remained as a backdrop, and I do wish we got a little more into fixing the political issues. Maybe that will be explored in sequels if this is continued.
4.5 stars for the story, 4.5 stars for the narration / audio book. I would recommend the audiobook for those that like low stress plots / less complex worlds but still want lovable characters and a sweet romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Elements you might like:
- Court intrigue / politics
- a gossip tabloid
- uncommon magic
- queer representation
- forbidden romance
- hidden identity
- found family
Narration:
There was a single narrator throughout the story who used different voices / accents for each character so it was easy to differentiate who was speaking. The narration gives a sense of “fairytale” vibes that fits very well with the book being YA and the main characters personality. At times I felt the narration was a little too young/niave, but this may be the authors intention as a YA book and it still left mystery and plot twists to be a surprise.
Pacing / Flow:
The story was paced mostly well. The first 25% we learned a lot about the world and were quickly swept into Niamh’s story. It was hard to gauge where the plot was going about 40% in, and the middle dragged on a bit. I had to pause listening around that point, but after continuing it later with refreshed ears the rest of the story picked up and stayed interesting until the end.
Overall thoughts:
I enjoyed this story a lot as a cozy read. The characters are all lovable and I would enjoy reading spin offs of the side characters. The romance was everything I hoped for and more. There are some very, very, sweet relationships (and friendships) in this. The overall plot was pretty predictable, but there were side plot twists and events that surprised me and kept the story enjoyable. The world building, magic, politics, and history in this were well explained as a background for the plot, but it remained as a backdrop, and I do wish we got a little more into fixing the political issues. Maybe that will be explored in sequels if this is continued.
4.5 stars for the story, 4.5 stars for the narration / audio book. I would recommend the audiobook for those that like low stress plots / less complex worlds but still want lovable characters and a sweet romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a blast – following Phoebe and her unexpected sidekick, Maeven, on their action-packed journey was a joy. The world-building was vivid without being overwhelming, and each character played key roles in the plot. The narrator nailed it, giving each character a unique accent that added to the overall experience. The story had me hooked with its constant challenges, but I had to take a breather now and then to process and gear up for what's next. The pacing was non-stop, and I wished there was more inflection in the narrators cadence of those chill moments. I don't usually read in the middle-grade genre, but this one felt like a refreshing re-entry into this genre for me.
4/5 for the story
4/5 for the narration.
This book was a blast – following Phoebe and her unexpected sidekick, Maeven, on their action-packed journey was a joy. The world-building was vivid without being overwhelming, and each character played key roles in the plot. The narrator nailed it, giving each character a unique accent that added to the overall experience. The story had me hooked with its constant challenges, but I had to take a breather now and then to process and gear up for what's next. The pacing was non-stop, and I wished there was more inflection in the narrators cadence of those chill moments. I don't usually read in the middle-grade genre, but this one felt like a refreshing re-entry into this genre for me.
4/5 for the story
4/5 for the narration.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!
Regrettably, this book didn't resonate with me. My anticipation for a strong female protagonist was prolonged, and the strength arc took longer to materialize than expected. The unique approach to seasons and gods in its world building and political structure felt somewhat distant, hindering my connection to the story. The audiobook's narrator conveyed a beautiful, autumnal tone, but the somber and willowy voice made it challenging to discern emotions, and certain parts seemed to drone on. Both the narration and story pacing felt rather casual, prioritizing mood and world-building over plot progression. The third-person perspective made it difficult to distinguish intentional sadness in the world from potential bias stemming from the main character. Although various characters were well-explained, I struggled to form a strong connection with any. While appreciative of the uniqueness and contemplative nature of the story, the overall vibe and lack of action left me somewhat disengaged.
2/5 stars for the story
3/5 stars for the narration
Regrettably, this book didn't resonate with me. My anticipation for a strong female protagonist was prolonged, and the strength arc took longer to materialize than expected. The unique approach to seasons and gods in its world building and political structure felt somewhat distant, hindering my connection to the story. The audiobook's narrator conveyed a beautiful, autumnal tone, but the somber and willowy voice made it challenging to discern emotions, and certain parts seemed to drone on. Both the narration and story pacing felt rather casual, prioritizing mood and world-building over plot progression. The third-person perspective made it difficult to distinguish intentional sadness in the world from potential bias stemming from the main character. Although various characters were well-explained, I struggled to form a strong connection with any. While appreciative of the uniqueness and contemplative nature of the story, the overall vibe and lack of action left me somewhat disengaged.
2/5 stars for the story
3/5 stars for the narration
sjm really made me enjoy an urban fantasy…
and wrote about a healthy romantic relationship…
and another badass strong fmc…
i ate this up but the more i think about this the more I can’t believe that SJM. really. did this.
and wrote about a healthy romantic relationship…
and another badass strong fmc…
i ate this up but the more i think about this the more I can’t believe that SJM. really. did this.
(reread) This is supposed to be a book about an assassin competition, but boy is it so much more. Knowing what I know, everything pissed me off (a good thing) the friendships, the love triangle, the secrets... There are glimpses of what's going on behind the scenes but there is still so much to be answered in the next books. The love triangle did not do it for me this time. One of the mmc’s give's me the ickiest icks and this reread only strengthened those feelings. The other mmc can eat my heart for breakfast. The friendship in this... my feelings are more conflicted and probably always will be. It’s obvious how naive the cheracters are at this point which mokes me more excited to witness the growth again. The naivety, weird romance situation, and withholding knowledge aspect is why I can’t give it a 5, but this is still so sooo epic and makes me so excited to continue the series.
Quotes:
i didn’t get a lot of swoon worthy quotes in this one. most of my highlights were plot / world-building / theories / reactions but i did love this gem:
He was done with politics and intrigue. He loved her, and no empire, no king, and no earthly fear would keep him from her. No, if they tried to take her from him, he’d rip the world apart with his bare hands. And for some reason, that didn’t terrify him.
ratings:
plot: 4
characters: 3
spice: 0
romance: 3
pace: 4
writing: 4
world: 4
recommend: yes
overall: 4
Quotes:
i didn’t get a lot of swoon worthy quotes in this one. most of my highlights were plot / world-building / theories / reactions but i did love this gem:
He was done with politics and intrigue. He loved her, and no empire, no king, and no earthly fear would keep him from her. No, if they tried to take her from him, he’d rip the world apart with his bare hands. And for some reason, that didn’t terrify him.
ratings:
plot: 4
characters: 3
spice: 0
romance: 3
pace: 4
writing: 4
world: 4
recommend: yes
overall: 4
