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booksarethenewblack
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I’m giving five big and beautiful stars to The Fury of the Gods. It was such an amazing ending! I loved how Gwynne finished off this series. It will be up there as one of my favorite series. Orka is one of the best characters I’ve ever read. Fury of the Gods was my most anticipated book of the year, and it lived up to everything and more.
We start where the second book ends. One of the coolest things Gwynne does is add a recap to the beginning! He also has an index, which I appreciated tremendously. Sometimes I forget certain places or characters. I loved that all that information was right there at the beginning. More authors should do this!
The writing and flow of these books are perfect. I was immediately hooked and didn’t want to stop reading. These are over 500 pages, and it does not feel that way. His writing is just so immersive, and the characters are all amazing. There are several POV’s, and what I enjoy is that we get both sides of the story. Characters are from all over, and you get to see what’s going on from the “good” and “bad” side.
Now, I want to talk about the characters. Gwynne has so many complex and amazing characters. Orka is my favorite because who doesn’t love a lethal mom on the hunt for revenge AND her child? She is living a farmer’s life and ends up being so much more. There are so many characters to love and hate. Even following characters from the “bad” side, I could see a different perspective. You understand where they are coming from and what they truly believe. So many characters are just trying to stay alive. I loved seeing this side of several characters and their complexity. There are so many grey areas and it made the ending so impactful.
There was a moment when I was completely stunned. I had to step away from the book for a couple of days. Everything makes sense and falls into place, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t painful. The battle scenes were so descriptive that I felt like I was there.
Overall, this is a brilliant ending to a great series. Some moments will shock you and make you cry and laugh, but the ending was tied up well. This series is one of the best epic fantasy series I’ve read. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I promise you will not be disappointed!
Thank you to Orbit for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m giving five big and beautiful stars to The Fury of the Gods. It was such an amazing ending! I loved how Gwynne finished off this series. It will be up there as one of my favorite series. Orka is one of the best characters I’ve ever read. Fury of the Gods was my most anticipated book of the year, and it lived up to everything and more.
We start where the second book ends. One of the coolest things Gwynne does is add a recap to the beginning! He also has an index, which I appreciated tremendously. Sometimes I forget certain places or characters. I loved that all that information was right there at the beginning. More authors should do this!
The writing and flow of these books are perfect. I was immediately hooked and didn’t want to stop reading. These are over 500 pages, and it does not feel that way. His writing is just so immersive, and the characters are all amazing. There are several POV’s, and what I enjoy is that we get both sides of the story. Characters are from all over, and you get to see what’s going on from the “good” and “bad” side.
Now, I want to talk about the characters. Gwynne has so many complex and amazing characters. Orka is my favorite because who doesn’t love a lethal mom on the hunt for revenge AND her child? She is living a farmer’s life and ends up being so much more. There are so many characters to love and hate. Even following characters from the “bad” side, I could see a different perspective. You understand where they are coming from and what they truly believe. So many characters are just trying to stay alive. I loved seeing this side of several characters and their complexity. There are so many grey areas and it made the ending so impactful.
There was a moment when I was completely stunned. I had to step away from the book for a couple of days. Everything makes sense and falls into place, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t painful. The battle scenes were so descriptive that I felt like I was there.
Overall, this is a brilliant ending to a great series. Some moments will shock you and make you cry and laugh, but the ending was tied up well. This series is one of the best epic fantasy series I’ve read. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I promise you will not be disappointed!
Thank you to Orbit for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
Oh, Doors of Midnight, you were such a beast. I had a love/relationship with this book. I found some of the same issues in book one appearing in book two. Mostly, it's slow and has terrible pacing.
We start pretty much where we left off in book one! I was so into this book for the first 35%. My favorite parts of the story are by far, when he's in the Ashram and his present circumstances. The characters in this book are fantastic. I love how they all intertwine and bring important lessons to each other.
I think that Virdi has such amazing and beautiful prose. This book is full of beautiful and quotable moments and lessons. It is where his writing shines. At times, it can get repetitive and becomes too much. Virdi also has a lot of humor, which I'm glad he does. It's needed throughout many instances in Ari's life lessons. One thing to note- he's narrating this story from the present, so you know he doesn't ever die during all his "close calls." My biggest issue with the writing is that Virdi does too good of a job making things so slow and hard to read. The middle of this book is arduously slow. I'm a huge mood reader and it is hard to continue.
The dessert is where he spends most of this time and it just didn't seem all that important. Sure, he learned a lot of lessons, but it was so boring. Even though it was hard to get through, I adored Enshae. She was an amazing character, and I was glad to see their 'one hundred and one' nights together. The doors at midnight section of the book was fascinating but also felt slow. The last 20% of the book is where it picked back up for me.
The characters will keep me coming back for more. The plot and story we are chasing is fascinating, and want to know more about. Ari's story and all the stories told about him were so fun to see. It's so interesting how stories take off, and he didn't have to do much. One of the things I adore is that Ari is always about rooting for the underdog. Ari doesn't move away from that, and it's appreciated.
Again, this book is too long. It is the biggest and same issue I had with book one. There are so many fascinating things going on, plus complex and interesting characters. We have a book of over 800 pages and little movement in the plot, which is frustrating. I do want to see where this story goes, and will probably pick up the next.
Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
Oh, Doors of Midnight, you were such a beast. I had a love/relationship with this book. I found some of the same issues in book one appearing in book two. Mostly, it's slow and has terrible pacing.
We start pretty much where we left off in book one! I was so into this book for the first 35%. My favorite parts of the story are by far, when he's in the Ashram and his present circumstances. The characters in this book are fantastic. I love how they all intertwine and bring important lessons to each other.
I think that Virdi has such amazing and beautiful prose. This book is full of beautiful and quotable moments and lessons. It is where his writing shines. At times, it can get repetitive and becomes too much. Virdi also has a lot of humor, which I'm glad he does. It's needed throughout many instances in Ari's life lessons. One thing to note- he's narrating this story from the present, so you know he doesn't ever die during all his "close calls." My biggest issue with the writing is that Virdi does too good of a job making things so slow and hard to read. The middle of this book is arduously slow. I'm a huge mood reader and it is hard to continue.
The dessert is where he spends most of this time and it just didn't seem all that important. Sure, he learned a lot of lessons, but it was so boring. Even though it was hard to get through, I adored Enshae. She was an amazing character, and I was glad to see their 'one hundred and one' nights together. The doors at midnight section of the book was fascinating but also felt slow. The last 20% of the book is where it picked back up for me.
The characters will keep me coming back for more. The plot and story we are chasing is fascinating, and want to know more about. Ari's story and all the stories told about him were so fun to see. It's so interesting how stories take off, and he didn't have to do much. One of the things I adore is that Ari is always about rooting for the underdog. Ari doesn't move away from that, and it's appreciated.
Again, this book is too long. It is the biggest and same issue I had with book one. There are so many fascinating things going on, plus complex and interesting characters. We have a book of over 800 pages and little movement in the plot, which is frustrating. I do want to see where this story goes, and will probably pick up the next.
Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I enjoyed my time with The Lost Story and was surprised at the intensity. There were times when it felt geared towards a younger audience. I keep going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars. I'll probably round up to 4 stars, but think it's more of a 3.5.
I want to start with the writing and world-building. I think this is where this book suffers the most. I got lost because it began with one mystery and jumped into another. We then get the boys 15 years later, and things are in disarray, and someone is asking for help to find their sister. We were missing so much information and then given to us quickly. It just felt a bit disjointed and "info-dumpy." I'm honestly still a bit confused about the actual world. There's a lot of conversations about Narnia and so on. I felt like it was a bit of a copy throughout some of the elements. It reminds me of the Wayward children's books too.
One of my favorite things about this book is Rafe. Oh my gosh! He is why I've rated this book so high. I adored him and felt so bad for him. He doesn't remember the time when he was "lost." Throughout the book, he starts to remember more and more. I figured out what had happened pretty early on, and it was so stressful. His relationship with Jeremy was so sweet! I thought that Emilie was a great addition. I loved how she was sassy because it helped in more intense moments.
My second favorite thing about this book was the storyteller. After a chapter or a few chapters, we have the storyteller. They give us little tidbits or extra information. I loved that voice because it helped break up some dark moments.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! There were times I laughed and cried. It was such a quick read, and that can be because of the writing style. I did think the world-building was lacking, but it didn't take from the friendships. The relationships are what stand out and where the real magic is.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed my time with The Lost Story and was surprised at the intensity. There were times when it felt geared towards a younger audience. I keep going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars. I'll probably round up to 4 stars, but think it's more of a 3.5.
I want to start with the writing and world-building. I think this is where this book suffers the most. I got lost because it began with one mystery and jumped into another. We then get the boys 15 years later, and things are in disarray, and someone is asking for help to find their sister. We were missing so much information and then given to us quickly. It just felt a bit disjointed and "info-dumpy." I'm honestly still a bit confused about the actual world. There's a lot of conversations about Narnia and so on. I felt like it was a bit of a copy throughout some of the elements. It reminds me of the Wayward children's books too.
One of my favorite things about this book is Rafe. Oh my gosh! He is why I've rated this book so high. I adored him and felt so bad for him. He doesn't remember the time when he was "lost." Throughout the book, he starts to remember more and more. I figured out what had happened pretty early on, and it was so stressful. His relationship with Jeremy was so sweet! I thought that Emilie was a great addition. I loved how she was sassy because it helped in more intense moments.
My second favorite thing about this book was the storyteller. After a chapter or a few chapters, we have the storyteller. They give us little tidbits or extra information. I loved that voice because it helped break up some dark moments.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! There were times I laughed and cried. It was such a quick read, and that can be because of the writing style. I did think the world-building was lacking, but it didn't take from the friendships. The relationships are what stand out and where the real magic is.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I did not know anything about the legend of Xishi when starting this book. She’s this beautiful face, and her purpose is to be married off. Quickly, things were much darker than they seemed. Xishi is also much more than she looks.
I won’t shy away from the fact that this book was heartbreaking. It ripped my heart to shreds, and I was not expecting it. The writing was fabulous! It was so descriptive and beautiful. I was instantly in love with this story, and it was hard to put down. Xishi is trained to be a spy for the opposing king. She doesn’t expect to fall in love, but she finds more than that. I was so worried we were going to have a love triangle. It’s my least favorite trope, and we get a slight one. Xishi sees a side to her enemy that she doesn’t understand. Things are not so black and white. I loved how deep and complex all three of these characters are. It made for such an impactful story.
I want to take a minute and talk about the romance. The actual longing for one another in this book is so agonizingly beautiful. It was felt with every part of me! This is where her writing was just outstanding. The way that Xishi and Fanli love each other and pine for each other is beautiful. Again, I’m glad we didn’t get a full-on love triangle because it would have taken so much away from the longing.
This book does many things at once. Not only does it rip out your heart and stomp on it, there are many tones and themes. We get to see two sides of the enemy. There are many sides to a person. It makes us question who is on the right side. Are they fighting to become the same thing they were against? There is love, but there is also sacrifice.
Overall, this was a fantastic read! It’s a deep story that will make you question things. It’s full of beautiful writing and prose. I am happy to have buddy-read this one (thanks, Julie @OneBookMore) because we had some great discussions. It was also great to have someone commiserate with my heartbreak!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I went into this book without knowing anything but my love for Andrea Stewart's work. If you haven't read The Drowning Empire series by her, please do so. I recommend starting there. She's also a gem on Twitter(X). You should give her a follow. :)
Now, I want to start with the best part of this book- the world Stewart creates. It's so interesting, unique, and easy to follow. The world-building is captivating from the start! The magic was cool but very brutal. Throw in some gods and their ploys, and there is more chaos. I do want to know a little more about them and what happened. If we don't get that throughout the series, maybe a good prequel book about how that all went down.
I've seen a lot of reviews talking about character development, and I agree. There are several POVs thrown at you quickly. It was hard to follow some because we were just thrown into their subplot without any warning. I would have liked more development with our main two before jumping into so many characters. In this case, adding them in slowly would have helped others a lot. After getting used to their POVs, I didn't have an issue with it. I loved seeing how things are working on different sides of this story. I do think some of the POVs were much stronger though. Hakara and Thassir are my favorite POV to read about.
The romances in this book were harder for me. I am not a fan of instant love and we get a case of it here. It was so fast, and I had a harder time connecting to their relationship. I'm sure in fantasy world it was much longer, but it didn't translate. On the other hand, another romance is slow-build, and I loved it so much. I cannot wait to see where that one goes. It was well written, and it's much deeper. I don't want to delve into that anymore since I'm spoiler-free.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and cannot wait to get my hands on the second book! I understand that some people don't like the many POVs, but it's just timing. In time, they do help with the overall plot. I can't wait to see how many of the characters grow. I liked a lot of unique aspects of this fantasy. I think Stewart gave us a great start to this series!
I want to thank Orbit and Netgalley for an ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I went into this book without knowing anything but my love for Andrea Stewart's work. If you haven't read The Drowning Empire series by her, please do so. I recommend starting there. She's also a gem on Twitter(X). You should give her a follow. :)
Now, I want to start with the best part of this book- the world Stewart creates. It's so interesting, unique, and easy to follow. The world-building is captivating from the start! The magic was cool but very brutal. Throw in some gods and their ploys, and there is more chaos. I do want to know a little more about them and what happened. If we don't get that throughout the series, maybe a good prequel book about how that all went down.
I've seen a lot of reviews talking about character development, and I agree. There are several POVs thrown at you quickly. It was hard to follow some because we were just thrown into their subplot without any warning. I would have liked more development with our main two before jumping into so many characters. In this case, adding them in slowly would have helped others a lot. After getting used to their POVs, I didn't have an issue with it. I loved seeing how things are working on different sides of this story. I do think some of the POVs were much stronger though. Hakara and Thassir are my favorite POV to read about.
The romances in this book were harder for me. I am not a fan of instant love and we get a case of it here. It was so fast, and I had a harder time connecting to their relationship. I'm sure in fantasy world it was much longer, but it didn't translate. On the other hand, another romance is slow-build, and I loved it so much. I cannot wait to see where that one goes. It was well written, and it's much deeper. I don't want to delve into that anymore since I'm spoiler-free.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and cannot wait to get my hands on the second book! I understand that some people don't like the many POVs, but it's just timing. In time, they do help with the overall plot. I can't wait to see how many of the characters grow. I liked a lot of unique aspects of this fantasy. I think Stewart gave us a great start to this series!
I want to thank Orbit and Netgalley for an ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I had so many high hopes going into this one. What’s not to love about a librarian finding love? Not only that, but they were in San Antonio?! It’s where I was born, but now live in Ohio. I thought I was going to love this so much.
To me, this was just a fine romance. There are things I liked about it and things I didn’t like. I’m going to start with the things I didn’t like. This way, we end with the good stuff. I know miscommunication is a huge part of romance books, but this was too far. The lack of communication was frustrating as all get out. There are instances where characters walk away from a situation and go radio silent. Umm… excuse me, what? How immature are you?! A lot of this plot felt all over the place. The characters were just okay and a bit too surface-level. I expected so much more from Alice!
Marcela was a character that I liked and disliked. I loved her passion for her work. Being a librarian and donating her books, making sure kids can read is amazing. Her issues with her body and second-guessing why someone likes her were so valid. I thought she was such a sweet and endearing character, most of the time. Her obsession with Ben (I sort of get it) was too much. She changes her personality and the things she likes based on his opinions. I know a lot of people do this in real life. I’ve probably done it a time or two in High School. I am disappointed in her best friend for not pointing this out years ago.
Theo was flawed and dreamy, at the same time. I might like the “let’s like each other to get over others” trope. They are much more honest about who they are in the beginning. It’s such a great base to start a friendship that turns into a relationship.
Ben is Ben. He will be what you assume, and that’s all I’ll say.
I did like the representation we had with Marcela and the librarian aspect! As a bookworm, when will that not be something I love?! It brings me back to the days I worked in a library. I loved her friendship with Angela and her relationship with Theo, for the most part. There are many sweet moments to counteract the frustrations.
Overall, I thought this was just fine. It wasn’t the best or worst I’ve read. I hate that I’m so neutral, but it’s where I’m landing with this one. It made it so hard to review!
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had so many high hopes going into this one. What’s not to love about a librarian finding love? Not only that, but they were in San Antonio?! It’s where I was born, but now live in Ohio. I thought I was going to love this so much.
To me, this was just a fine romance. There are things I liked about it and things I didn’t like. I’m going to start with the things I didn’t like. This way, we end with the good stuff. I know miscommunication is a huge part of romance books, but this was too far. The lack of communication was frustrating as all get out. There are instances where characters walk away from a situation and go radio silent. Umm… excuse me, what? How immature are you?! A lot of this plot felt all over the place. The characters were just okay and a bit too surface-level. I expected so much more from Alice!
Marcela was a character that I liked and disliked. I loved her passion for her work. Being a librarian and donating her books, making sure kids can read is amazing. Her issues with her body and second-guessing why someone likes her were so valid. I thought she was such a sweet and endearing character, most of the time. Her obsession with Ben (I sort of get it) was too much. She changes her personality and the things she likes based on his opinions. I know a lot of people do this in real life. I’ve probably done it a time or two in High School. I am disappointed in her best friend for not pointing this out years ago.
Theo was flawed and dreamy, at the same time. I might like the “let’s like each other to get over others” trope. They are much more honest about who they are in the beginning. It’s such a great base to start a friendship that turns into a relationship.
Ben is Ben. He will be what you assume, and that’s all I’ll say.
I did like the representation we had with Marcela and the librarian aspect! As a bookworm, when will that not be something I love?! It brings me back to the days I worked in a library. I loved her friendship with Angela and her relationship with Theo, for the most part. There are many sweet moments to counteract the frustrations.
Overall, I thought this was just fine. It wasn’t the best or worst I’ve read. I hate that I’m so neutral, but it’s where I’m landing with this one. It made it so hard to review!
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I find that I hardly ever read novellas. Many recommend that I read this before starting book two, Ashes & the Star-Cursed King. I’m glad I did! It was such an excellent novella!
At just around 200 pages, this novella packed so much inside it. It was such a hauntingly beautiful love story. I feel like we learned so much about Lilith! For most of this book, you feel stressed and anxious for her. Her life has been hard, and she’s giving her all to save her sister. She happens to make a huge jump in her research by finding Vale. It’s against everything, and she doesn’t care. She will do anything to find a cure for her sister and her people. I think it sets up what happens to her perfectly. She attacks her life with tenacity because she’s been a ticking clock since birth.
The romance that blooms between Lilith and Vale is beautiful! It might be one of my favorites to date. It was the perfect amount of friendship built into a romance. I could guess what was going to happen, but that’s okay! She was barely living until she found the life she was meant to be living. This is one of the best novellas I’ve ever read. I highly recommend reading this one before book two. If not, go back and read it now! My neighbor read the books but not the novella. I recommended she read it & she did yesterday and loved it!
I know this has been published before and is now being re-published by Bramble. I did get two months of KU to read it ASAP. I then got an email with the approval e-arc a few days later. Thank you, Bramble and Tor!
I find that I hardly ever read novellas. Many recommend that I read this before starting book two, Ashes & the Star-Cursed King. I’m glad I did! It was such an excellent novella!
At just around 200 pages, this novella packed so much inside it. It was such a hauntingly beautiful love story. I feel like we learned so much about Lilith! For most of this book, you feel stressed and anxious for her. Her life has been hard, and she’s giving her all to save her sister. She happens to make a huge jump in her research by finding Vale. It’s against everything, and she doesn’t care. She will do anything to find a cure for her sister and her people. I think it sets up what happens to her perfectly. She attacks her life with tenacity because she’s been a ticking clock since birth.
The romance that blooms between Lilith and Vale is beautiful! It might be one of my favorites to date. It was the perfect amount of friendship built into a romance. I could guess what was going to happen, but that’s okay! She was barely living until she found the life she was meant to be living. This is one of the best novellas I’ve ever read. I highly recommend reading this one before book two. If not, go back and read it now! My neighbor read the books but not the novella. I recommended she read it & she did yesterday and loved it!
I know this has been published before and is now being re-published by Bramble. I did get two months of KU to read it ASAP. I then got an email with the approval e-arc a few days later. Thank you, Bramble and Tor!
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
If you need a heartwarming and cozy book then this is for you! It does have a slow start, but I’m glad that I didn’t give up. I think that had more to do with my mood than anything. Once you get past a lot of the technical zoo jargon, there’s a charming story told.
One of my favorite things about this book is how Aila’s anxiety is front and center. She is much more comfortable around animals than people. Her lifelong dream has been to bring the Phoenix back to glory at her zoo. She has to learn that sometimes it takes a group effort, and being in front and center. We get to see her struggle and feel it. Not only is she a great character, but all of them. Maclean has the most wonderful supporting characters, which is why this works so well.
The slower start for me had a lot to do with the slower pace. We are introduced to her and she’s doing her zoo routine. There are many predictable moments, but I think it’s okay in this case. It sure didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Once some of the other characters come into play, even some animals, it picks up. This isn’t your everyday zoo either because these animals are magical. It was so fun seeing all the different magical creatures in this book and how well they cared for them. I will say that the Kelpie pages terrified me. haha. Not only do we have some of your typical creatures, but she also makes up many of her creatures. I bet that had to be such a fun process!
The romance in this book was so good! There is an enemies-to-lovers trope, and that’s my favorite trope! I did not like the miscommunication, but I’m glad it was handled quickly. I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want to give spoilers. I will say that I enjoyed watching it play out.
Overall, I rather enjoyed this one! Besides the tiny issues, I would highly recommend it! It had some amazing heartfelt moments between friends, animals, and even lovers. The world and creatures are so fun and unique. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Thank you, Orbit for a physical arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you need a heartwarming and cozy book then this is for you! It does have a slow start, but I’m glad that I didn’t give up. I think that had more to do with my mood than anything. Once you get past a lot of the technical zoo jargon, there’s a charming story told.
One of my favorite things about this book is how Aila’s anxiety is front and center. She is much more comfortable around animals than people. Her lifelong dream has been to bring the Phoenix back to glory at her zoo. She has to learn that sometimes it takes a group effort, and being in front and center. We get to see her struggle and feel it. Not only is she a great character, but all of them. Maclean has the most wonderful supporting characters, which is why this works so well.
The slower start for me had a lot to do with the slower pace. We are introduced to her and she’s doing her zoo routine. There are many predictable moments, but I think it’s okay in this case. It sure didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Once some of the other characters come into play, even some animals, it picks up. This isn’t your everyday zoo either because these animals are magical. It was so fun seeing all the different magical creatures in this book and how well they cared for them. I will say that the Kelpie pages terrified me. haha. Not only do we have some of your typical creatures, but she also makes up many of her creatures. I bet that had to be such a fun process!
The romance in this book was so good! There is an enemies-to-lovers trope, and that’s my favorite trope! I did not like the miscommunication, but I’m glad it was handled quickly. I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want to give spoilers. I will say that I enjoyed watching it play out.
Overall, I rather enjoyed this one! Besides the tiny issues, I would highly recommend it! It had some amazing heartfelt moments between friends, animals, and even lovers. The world and creatures are so fun and unique. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Thank you, Orbit for a physical arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved the world that Enright has created. It’s dark, full of lies, deceit and mystery. I enjoyed all the blood working and how the “magic” works. I think the strongest part of the book was the characters. I loved Shan and how she’s living two lives. I was stressed for her throughout the book! I think it is so intriguing when a character lives a double life. I was much more interested in her life living in the shadows. I would love a prequel or novella about how she started all that and found all her birds.
Samuel was a bit of a conflicting character. He’s living a life in the slums and trying to stay alive. Samuel ends up on the noble path, and I was disappointed that he was so lost. You would think, with all the street smarts, he would have been a smarter player. This is where I found his character confusing. I’m hoping he finds his way in the second book. He was my favorite character because he will be Shan’s moral compass. Isaac is a character with great representation. I didn’t trust him throughout this book, and it was harder to love him. We will see what happens there. In my opinion, most of these characters fell too flat for me.
The plot of this book was so slow. There were times I had to force myself to jump back into this book. It had been a long time since anything had happened. The beginning was so promising though because the first line felt like it would be so promising! Throughout the book, we have many side plots, and several are not developed. It made the plot feel so disjointed and hard to keep up.
I liked the relationships stirring between Isaac, Samuel, and Shan. I do think it took over a lot of the book. There were so many different things going on, and it felt flippant to their relationship status. I missed the opportunity for them to really look into the murders.
Overall, this was an okay read for me. I have read much better fantasies. Maybe the second book will delve deeper into the side plots and politics. I did enjoy the characters the most, but they were so one-dimensional that it made it hard to love them.
Thank you to Orbit for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I was highly anticipating this book, and it did not disappoint! I loved this world and these characters so much. I loved the first book, Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but I loved this one a bit more. I buddy read this with Julie (1bookmore), and we both loved it.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is the dragons. Bannen created an interesting world, and I love how she used the dragons. It took me a little bit to understand how she would utilize them in the story, but it was worth it. I have been loving all the dragon stories lately!
Another thing I enjoyed was the ages of Twyla and Frank. It was refreshing to see their perspectives when their kids are grown, about to retire, and just in the middle of life. Twyla is a wonderful mother, but the kids took too much from her. The way her kids treated her for most of the book drove me nuts. There needed to be more respect because they used her as a babysitter for most of their adult lives.
The relationship between Twyla and Frank was just too sweet and pure. I loved seeing how their friendship came about. Their commitment to each other was inspiring. They had some deep bonds, and it took them so long to see what was going on. Their friendship alone was just so beautiful to see. I loved how gentle and forgiving they were with each other.
Many of the characters were great in this one. I was glad to see Duckers, and I'm sure it won't be the last of him. He likes to add dramatic flair. haha. I loved the baby dragon, Mary Georgina! She was a great addition, and I loved her bond with Frank.
Overall, this was a great addition to the series. I loved so much about this one! I think that Bannen had the pacing and world-building down in this book. Twyla and Frank were just too sweet! We also get a little glimpse at our original characters from the first book! I thought this was very charming, heart-warming, and fun.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was highly anticipating this book, and it did not disappoint! I loved this world and these characters so much. I loved the first book, Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but I loved this one a bit more. I buddy read this with Julie (1bookmore), and we both loved it.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is the dragons. Bannen created an interesting world, and I love how she used the dragons. It took me a little bit to understand how she would utilize them in the story, but it was worth it. I have been loving all the dragon stories lately!
Another thing I enjoyed was the ages of Twyla and Frank. It was refreshing to see their perspectives when their kids are grown, about to retire, and just in the middle of life. Twyla is a wonderful mother, but the kids took too much from her. The way her kids treated her for most of the book drove me nuts. There needed to be more respect because they used her as a babysitter for most of their adult lives.
The relationship between Twyla and Frank was just too sweet and pure. I loved seeing how their friendship came about. Their commitment to each other was inspiring. They had some deep bonds, and it took them so long to see what was going on. Their friendship alone was just so beautiful to see. I loved how gentle and forgiving they were with each other.
Many of the characters were great in this one. I was glad to see Duckers, and I'm sure it won't be the last of him. He likes to add dramatic flair. haha. I loved the baby dragon, Mary Georgina! She was a great addition, and I loved her bond with Frank.
Overall, this was a great addition to the series. I loved so much about this one! I think that Bannen had the pacing and world-building down in this book. Twyla and Frank were just too sweet! We also get a little glimpse at our original characters from the first book! I thought this was very charming, heart-warming, and fun.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.