chloefrizzle's Reviews (993)

"We often see vulnerability as a weakness, but the truth is that strength is about being honest, authentic, and brave enough to show people who we are." -from chapter 34

And this is also why the book succeeds. It takes the time to show us not only what the characters are doing, but what emotionally drives them to do it. Even better, this is typically done through delicious subtext.

My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://youtu.be/u59KqqJaLEw?t=798

In this book, Joseph Bridgeman is still picking up the pieces from his previous time travel adventures when he is recruited to a new mission. This one involves a 1873 opera house fire (yes, the opera does have a phantom, yes that phantom may or may not be a time traveller).

One of the frameworks of this book is putting together pieces without full context. And that is a compliment! This creates many little mysteries in this book (in how time travel really works, in character motivations, etc). Every time I figured out one of these little mysteries, I got such a thrill (and even when it turned out that I had reached the wrong conclusion, that did not lessen my delight). The main character is living a life in a parallel dimension than the one he is used to (kind of, it’s time travel after all), and having to adjust again and again to the curveballs that life throws at him. He is constantly dealing with situations without the right context, and having to work through it anyway. This gives the book such a rich layer of emotional complexity. It’s further impressive that these layers are a direct fallout of character actions in a previous book (and real consequences in a story are one of my favorite things).

(Coincidentally, my experience of reading this book was also one lacking proper context. This is the third in the series, and I haven’t read books 1 or 2. Being confused with the details of time travel ALONGSIDE the narrator was such a pleasure, and helped me feel like I was still along for the adventure. It’s okay to be a little confused in this book, because that’s part of the ride.)

AUDIOBOOK:
The audiobook was well done. The narrator, Ray Porter, provides an appropriate amount of emotion to the book (I especially appreciated the gravitas in the dramatic moments), and gives each character a distinct voice. However, I feel that this narrator was miscasted. Our main character is very British (in hometown and vocabulary used), and the audiobook narrator is American. No matter how talented the narrator is (and he is), that doesn’t stop the dissonance in my ears from hearing the story through the wrong accent.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Solid. It's got the themes and pacing of the best Urban Fantasy books.

I absolutely love how this story turns being Aggressively Nice into a realistic superpower.

1st read;
I was blown away by this book. It has the closeness of a magical-psychic-bond without the tropes of a romance. Instead, that closeness and friendship is used to work through character arcs and themes of letting people in.

2nd read:
I originally gave this book 4 stars. Months later, I'm still thinking about it and it was just as good the second time. So I've upgraded it to 5 stars.
Check out my full video review at:
https://youtu.be/Ds-Kr7YsD78

Lyss is training in magic and the sword to become strong enough to kill her father’s murderer. Skaar is a magical monster who has recently escaped from captivity. When they collide, they accidentally get tangled up in a blood pact that both forces them to stick together and is likely to drive them insane.

I think the moment when I fully realized how magnificent this book is this: we are introduced to a new POV character. He is likeable and relatable. Then we figure out that he is our villain. And his Point of View chapters throughout the book were utilized just as well as that first one, both to help us understand him and to up the stakes for the protagonists.

This book is rich with character development and dramatic moments. The emotional moments with the characters are wonderfully balanced with action scenes and a quest. I loved every scene from beginning to end. Even more impressively, this book wraps up nicely while also leaving room for an engaging sequel.

Thanks to The Parliament House and Netgalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

I enthusiastically recommend this book to fans of [b:The Scorpio Races|10626594|The Scorpio Races|Maggie Stiefvater|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1461209661l/10626594._SY75_.jpg|15535056]. It has an old-timey small-town setting, some dangerous magic, a perfectly balanced double-narrator romance, a daring traditional competition, and is beautifully written without being overly flowery.

Here's a link to my full video review: https://youtu.be/QsG0bWsA6AM

This is a story of Margaret and Wes, two young people who get tangled up in the world of alchemy, a demon foxhunt, and each other's emotional vulnerabilities.

I appreciate the way that this book so delicately explores a cultural/religious identity. Both of the protagonists are part of marginalized religious ethnic groups, and this fact both brings them together and provides higher stakes to the plot of the book. I also appreciated that their identities were Irish-Catholic & Jewish coded, because it felt like an extension of our own world (and history). Without spending a long time explaining why these groups were discriminated against, I could understand the big picture of it.

Additionally, the main characters are layered in their flaws and mental struggles. They find it difficult to open up to anyone, and so their romance is driven by their character growth. They (between them) have PTSD, dyslexia, ADHD (at least, that’s how I would armchair diagnose them). And while sometimes this is a thing for them to work through, most of the time it is just how they are, with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like in this book. It’s flawless.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

For how Artsy these books are, it's a shame that the covers are so monochromatic and boring.

Why did I wait so long to pick this one up? Because I was scared I wouldn't like it.

I loved it.

This book delivers exactly what you need it to. A conclusion to Catalina's growth. A conclusion to Alessandro's quest. Beautiful romance. Mystery and action. Family bonding and family drama. Teasing future books in the series.

A video review including this book will appear on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, at https://www.youtube.com/chloefrizzle

Thanks to Avon Books for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.