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charliauthor's Reviews (531)
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was included in the Audible library so i thought id have a re read. It was only 5 hours so i listened at work lol
The magic that was present when i was 11 was still there and I can see all the reasons why we we fell in love with it as children.
Fast paced, magical, exciting and to the point. A fun little read and cant wait to read again in a few years with my daughter
The magic that was present when i was 11 was still there and I can see all the reasons why we we fell in love with it as children.
Fast paced, magical, exciting and to the point. A fun little read and cant wait to read again in a few years with my daughter
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Before the last ten or so pages this journey into the Red Rising saga was going to be a 3 star.
While at no point, I was struggling to read or wanted to put it down, there was something lacking by way of emotional reaction and complete devastation that I had come to expect from the series.
After the insanity that was Dark Age, I went into Light Bringer, expecting to be completely derailed by anything that would take place. However, as its title suggests, this book is full of light and hope, and the possibility of liberation.
Now, I will sound like a complete bitch for saying this, but I found that incredibly boring.
I completely understood that, after all his transgressions, Darrow needed to have a redemption. He needed to understand the error of his ways and be able to be the hero that the Reds and the Rising need him to be. But after the first part of the book - of which there are 4 - it felt repetitive, and superfluous. Like if you’re not actually going to do what needs to be done to make the change, then constantly saying how sorry you are doesn’t mean much.
Not to say that he doesn’t act towards the liberation of the republic, but it just took entirely too long to get there. In many ways, Darrow is still fuelled by revenge and his lust for war, which is evident throughout the book and got me annoyed a number of times.
Without going into too much detail then, I also wasn’t happy with the lack of Victra and Sevro content and also the fact that the deaths in the book were quite predictable.
Overall, I enjoyed this for what it is, and in helping me to understand the bridge between DarkAge and the final book.
The ending was phenomenal and Lysander deserves to be skinned alive and then set alight but this was the weakest link in an otherwise amazing chain of books.
While at no point, I was struggling to read or wanted to put it down, there was something lacking by way of emotional reaction and complete devastation that I had come to expect from the series.
After the insanity that was Dark Age, I went into Light Bringer, expecting to be completely derailed by anything that would take place. However, as its title suggests, this book is full of light and hope, and the possibility of liberation.
Now, I will sound like a complete bitch for saying this, but I found that incredibly boring.
I completely understood that, after all his transgressions, Darrow needed to have a redemption. He needed to understand the error of his ways and be able to be the hero that the Reds and the Rising need him to be. But after the first part of the book - of which there are 4 - it felt repetitive, and superfluous. Like if you’re not actually going to do what needs to be done to make the change, then constantly saying how sorry you are doesn’t mean much.
Not to say that he doesn’t act towards the liberation of the republic, but it just took entirely too long to get there. In many ways, Darrow is still fuelled by revenge and his lust for war, which is evident throughout the book and got me annoyed a number of times.
Without going into too much detail then, I also wasn’t happy with the lack of Victra and Sevro content and also the fact that the deaths in the book were quite predictable.
Overall, I enjoyed this for what it is, and in helping me to understand the bridge between DarkAge and the final book.
The ending was phenomenal and Lysander deserves to be skinned alive and then set alight but this was the weakest link in an otherwise amazing chain of books.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So i went into this relatively blind and while i enjoyed it immensely, there were a few things that left me a little wanting.
DR is set up as a romance of sorts, in that two people share letters to each through a magical doorway but dont know each others identity. I was intrigued by this concept, as i wanted something to deliver in the way that The Undertaking of Hart and Mercydid not. While there was a lot more pining in this one and a MMC that was so sweet and good looking and kind, the rather sharp turn towards a fantasy heavy plot got a little jarring at the end.
The first two thirds of the novel are great. The letter sending, the rivalry between the main characters, as well as their backstories are all really well done. The soft magic system was nice too but there was a sense of it being forgotten once it was explained why they could send letters to each other. There were too many strings left untied which left me a little annoyed. It almost distracted me from the final reveals, simply because i didnt expect to be there.
I didnt understand what the grandmas having a special typewriter did for the story if it wasnt going to be revisted? The lengthy descriptions of the God's war, while informative felt a little vague with the music and the being buried in various places. It didnt seem to fit. How did Roman just leave his family and break off his engagement if his father was so set on him marrying the girl. It just seemed too easy
I'm invested enough to read the next book as i did enjoy the love part of the novel. The remaining fantasy plot, while seemingly shoe horned in at the end, im intrigued to have the rest of my questions answered.
DR is set up as a romance of sorts, in that two people share letters to each through a magical doorway but dont know each others identity. I was intrigued by this concept, as i wanted something to deliver in the way that The Undertaking of Hart and Mercydid not. While there was a lot more pining in this one and a MMC that was so sweet and good looking and kind, the rather sharp turn towards a fantasy heavy plot got a little jarring at the end.
The first two thirds of the novel are great. The letter sending, the rivalry between the main characters, as well as their backstories are all really well done. The soft magic system was nice too but there was a sense of it being forgotten once it was explained why they could send letters to each other. There were too many strings left untied which left me a little annoyed. It almost distracted me from the final reveals, simply because i didnt expect to be there.
I'm invested enough to read the next book as i did enjoy the love part of the novel. The remaining fantasy plot, while seemingly shoe horned in at the end, im intrigued to have the rest of my questions answered.
Wow wow wow!
This is what sequels are meant to be. Even finishing and realising this is a trilogy/series, im not even mad at it. A gloriously dark, gritty, scary continuation of Ninth House that doesnt drag or feel like filler.
Characters from NH make a return in a positive way and its great to see Alex build a circle for herself, even as she feels so lonely. Growing as a character but still remaining flawed is a great part of her make up and i really enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster she goes on.
Loving my boy Darlington but imma need he and Alex to get together asap cause i mean…why you taking so long!? Lol
Great series!
This is what sequels are meant to be. Even finishing and realising this is a trilogy/series, im not even mad at it. A gloriously dark, gritty, scary continuation of Ninth House that doesnt drag or feel like filler.
Characters from NH make a return in a positive way and its great to see Alex build a circle for herself, even as she feels so lonely. Growing as a character but still remaining flawed is a great part of her make up and i really enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster she goes on.
Loving my boy Darlington but imma need he and Alex to get together asap cause i mean…why you taking so long!? Lol
Great series!
I enjoyed this. When I was rushing to find every waking moment to be able to read it, it shows that I was invested in the story lol
Where I felt the book was let down a little, was just the ambiguous nature of the writing in an attempt to make it mysterious when most of it was pretty straightforward.
That being said, while a lot of things were obvious, in terms of figuring out the plot twists/surprises, there was still some confusion with certain names, regions, magic, etc.
I came away, finally understanding, what was going on, which was great, but there was still some levels of explanation to be desired.
Now, I did enjoy the main characters. Sometimes when a book has a dual POV or multiple POVs, there are characters you like better than others, and therefore some of the chapters will drag. This was not the case with Furyborn, and I was just as excited to read about Rielle as well as Eliana, which was a positive.
Eliana, however, did have a bit of attitude at the beginning, which I didn’t think was particularly warranted. When another character spat in her face, i actually rejoiced 😂
Also, i will say that her relationship with Simon is a tad confusing. Considering the nature of their initial relationship, I was concerned by the romantic development. Surely this isnt legal?! Lol
Corien is definitely an interesting character and a good example of the dark and mysterious sexy bad boy that we all know and love. I’m interested to see more of him and his development as well as Rielle’s, in relation to him.
Overall, some great worldbuilding, a interesting magic system and characters that you can get behind. This was an enjoyable read and definitely a recommendation for YA but with a fair amount of adult and spice to keep it interesting.
Where I felt the book was let down a little, was just the ambiguous nature of the writing in an attempt to make it mysterious when most of it was pretty straightforward.
That being said, while a lot of things were obvious, in terms of figuring out the plot twists/surprises, there was still some confusion with certain names, regions, magic, etc.
I came away, finally understanding, what was going on, which was great, but there was still some levels of explanation to be desired.
Now, I did enjoy the main characters. Sometimes when a book has a dual POV or multiple POVs, there are characters you like better than others, and therefore some of the chapters will drag. This was not the case with Furyborn, and I was just as excited to read about Rielle as well as Eliana, which was a positive.
Eliana, however, did have a bit of attitude at the beginning, which I didn’t think was particularly warranted. When another character spat in her face, i actually rejoiced 😂
Also, i will say that her relationship with Simon is a tad confusing. Considering the nature of their initial relationship, I was concerned by the romantic development. Surely this isnt legal?! Lol
Corien is definitely an interesting character and a good example of the dark and mysterious sexy bad boy that we all know and love. I’m interested to see more of him and his development as well as Rielle’s, in relation to him.
Overall, some great worldbuilding, a interesting magic system and characters that you can get behind. This was an enjoyable read and definitely a recommendation for YA but with a fair amount of adult and spice to keep it interesting.
Yet another outstanding trip through the world of the red, rising saga!
When I first started this book, in 2021, I did take a bit of a break simply because of how emotional it was for me and how angry I was getting by Darrows actions. I was literally in angry tears, because of how frustrated the character was making me that I had to take a break.
After my friend started reading the series, and I remembered how good it was. I started a re-read and fell easily into the world again, and I am so glad I did.
This is a 4.5 only because of the additional POVs that took a while to get into. While they have a great pay off by the end, the initial feel of them wasnt great so took a while to get my head around meeting new people, wanting to get back to old faves.
It was great to see the voices of people effected by Darrow’s rising and by extension, expand the world and its inhabitants. Give me more Telamanuses and Raas!
Sevro continues to be a giant among men. An amazing example of the loyal sidekick while making his own mark on the book with his moral standing and emotional range. Darrow on the other hand is the most frustrating, egotistical, stubborn bastard that ever graced the pages of a book but despite this, i still love him. His choices are terrible, his morality and sanity questionable and i just dont know what ti do with him! 🤦🏾♀️
The ladies stole the show in this one whether it was Mustang and her upstanding moral code and genius or Holiday’s loyalty or Seraphina’s honour, there was so much to unpack. Victra storming a warship while 8 months pregnant is the shit im here for and i couldnt get enough!
As always the stakes are high and i cannot wait to get to Dark Age after all that drama!
When I first started this book, in 2021, I did take a bit of a break simply because of how emotional it was for me and how angry I was getting by Darrows actions. I was literally in angry tears, because of how frustrated the character was making me that I had to take a break.
After my friend started reading the series, and I remembered how good it was. I started a re-read and fell easily into the world again, and I am so glad I did.
This is a 4.5 only because of the additional POVs that took a while to get into. While they have a great pay off by the end, the initial feel of them wasnt great so took a while to get my head around meeting new people, wanting to get back to old faves.
It was great to see the voices of people effected by Darrow’s rising and by extension, expand the world and its inhabitants. Give me more Telamanuses and Raas!
Sevro continues to be a giant among men. An amazing example of the loyal sidekick while making his own mark on the book with his moral standing and emotional range. Darrow on the other hand is the most frustrating, egotistical, stubborn bastard that ever graced the pages of a book but despite this, i still love him. His choices are terrible, his morality and sanity questionable and i just dont know what ti do with him! 🤦🏾♀️
The ladies stole the show in this one whether it was Mustang and her upstanding moral code and genius or Holiday’s loyalty or Seraphina’s honour, there was so much to unpack. Victra storming a warship while 8 months pregnant is the shit im here for and i couldnt get enough!
As always the stakes are high and i cannot wait to get to Dark Age after all that drama!
This was a good one!
Super cute, kinda hot and the plot actually went a different way then i expected which was great!
I love a cinnamon role jock type and Garrett definitely stole the show!
What i really enjoyed about this aside from the smut and decent storyline was that these were college kids acting their age. They read like real 20/21 year olds rather than just oversexed pre teens and this was more realistic.
I liked that there was so deeper emotional backstory for hannah and garrett but felt there could have been a bette resolution for them both. Maybe just a little more comeuppance but thats just.
Definitely one to recommend if you want a steamy cleanser before your next big read.
Super cute, kinda hot and the plot actually went a different way then i expected which was great!
I love a cinnamon role jock type and Garrett definitely stole the show!
What i really enjoyed about this aside from the smut and decent storyline was that these were college kids acting their age. They read like real 20/21 year olds rather than just oversexed pre teens and this was more realistic.
I liked that there was so deeper emotional backstory for hannah and garrett but felt there could have been a bette resolution for them both. Maybe just a little more comeuppance but thats just.
Definitely one to recommend if you want a steamy cleanser before your next big read.
Hmm, where to begin…?
Two people exchange emails and fall hard for each other even though they’ve never met. The girl is a girl next door, bookish type and the guy is a pessimistic and self deprecating author under a pen name.
Cue the meet cute and they like each other in real life but dont know they are the email lover they had before - he broke it off for a shit reason - until he does realise who she is and breaks it off - again for the shit reason.
Aaanyway, what ensues is them falling in love with the guy - Nick - trying desperately not to get too close to Lily - the girl - while do everything he can to entice her. What annoyed me here was that he was giving introverted loser at the start but then hes pushing her against walls and kissing the life out of her. Which man are you?! Soft gooey type or dark and broody type. Make up your mind!
The best thing about this was 1. That the characters are bookish (shes an assistant in publishing and hes a fantasy author) and 2. The Black Excellence throughout. Im always a sucker for Black families shown as happy and successful with no drama and this was great in that regard.
I wasnt a fan of the hidden identity element not because its not fun but simply his reasons were pretty weak to hide himself from the world and Lily. He could have told her ages ago then we could have got to the smut faster lol
All le smut is concentrated at the end which is fine and was a decent outing lol when he wasnt being a bitch ass Nick could be quite hot and this definitely came out in the bedroom lol
Despite some basic metaphors, similes and rookie cliches throughout, i would recommend for a fun, cute, sweet romance. Bonus that its Black Love too ❤️💯
Two people exchange emails and fall hard for each other even though they’ve never met. The girl is a girl next door, bookish type and the guy is a pessimistic and self deprecating author under a pen name.
Cue the meet cute and they like each other in real life but dont know they are the email lover they had before - he broke it off for a shit reason - until he does realise who she is and breaks it off - again for the shit reason.
Aaanyway, what ensues is them falling in love with the guy - Nick - trying desperately not to get too close to Lily - the girl - while do everything he can to entice her. What annoyed me here was that he was giving introverted loser at the start but then hes pushing her against walls and kissing the life out of her. Which man are you?! Soft gooey type or dark and broody type. Make up your mind!
The best thing about this was 1. That the characters are bookish (shes an assistant in publishing and hes a fantasy author) and 2. The Black Excellence throughout. Im always a sucker for Black families shown as happy and successful with no drama and this was great in that regard.
I wasnt a fan of the hidden identity element not because its not fun but simply his reasons were pretty weak to hide himself from the world and Lily. He could have told her ages ago then we could have got to the smut faster lol
All le smut is concentrated at the end which is fine and was a decent outing lol when he wasnt being a bitch ass Nick could be quite hot and this definitely came out in the bedroom lol
Despite some basic metaphors, similes and rookie cliches throughout, i would recommend for a fun, cute, sweet romance. Bonus that its Black Love too ❤️💯
This was a steamy one! Dont let the cheeky rom com cover fool you, Tessa Bailey knows how to do some prime mainstream smut and it was super fun!
I really enjoyed this, mostly for burly, muscular, baritone sexy fisherman Brendan Taggart who for the most part, you would think is going to be a supreme dullard. But when he gets behind closed doors, its a whole other story and im entirely here for it!!
Piper, while having all the makings to be an annoying FMC considering her circumstances, was actually quite funny.
The story itself was sweet enough even though their choices at the end seemed a bit silly since they werent really choices. We know what you're going to do mate, why play games?!
One thing i didnt think really worked was that Brendan's wholesome fisherman routine didnt really mesh with his bedroom behaviour. The two elements of the character werent particularly consistent. Despite that, the smut was smutty and the steamy scenes didnt feel forced or unnecessary.
I really enjoyed this, mostly for burly, muscular, baritone sexy fisherman Brendan Taggart who for the most part, you would think is going to be a supreme dullard. But when he gets behind closed doors, its a whole other story and im entirely here for it!!
Piper, while having all the makings to be an annoying FMC considering her circumstances, was actually quite funny.
The story itself was sweet enough even though their choices at the end seemed a bit silly since they werent really choices. We know what you're going to do mate, why play games?!
One thing i didnt think really worked was that Brendan's wholesome fisherman routine didnt really mesh with his bedroom behaviour. The two elements of the character werent particularly consistent. Despite that, the smut was smutty and the steamy scenes didnt feel forced or unnecessary.