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cunningempress's Reviews (526)
This is an amazing fantasy book!
First of all, I want to run diplomatic summit between magical realms too! That sounds like everything I could ever want. I love how this book is set up.
This book got the perfect mystery. I love it when there's just enough clues and general mess about what's going on so you can make your own predictions and damn, I even got something right. But not in a way that would make me think this book is stupid or predictable.
I like the characters. And there's plenty of possible love interest too so I bet you could start shipwars over them if you wanted to.
It's perfectly paced and there's never a dull moment but there's enough time for the emotional and meaningful bits too and the main character actually feels like a real person. I think this would be a perfect book to read even during a busier time in your life when you only have a little spare moment here and there to read. The problem most likely would be not getting enough sleep when you pick this before bed. Oh well, 305 pages isn't that long
It's also got just the right amount of magic and fantasy mixed with mystery. And I guess this qualifies as "low-fantasy" since it's on Earth but Havenfall really feels like it's own magical land.
Also the cover is so damn beautiful and I will be buying this book for myself. I almost just wanna read this again right away but I have other books I need to read before their due date.
First of all, I want to run diplomatic summit between magical realms too! That sounds like everything I could ever want. I love how this book is set up.
This book got the perfect mystery. I love it when there's just enough clues and general mess about what's going on so you can make your own predictions and damn, I even got something right. But not in a way that would make me think this book is stupid or predictable.
I like the characters. And there's plenty of possible love interest too so I bet you could start shipwars over them if you wanted to.
It's perfectly paced and there's never a dull moment but there's enough time for the emotional and meaningful bits too and the main character actually feels like a real person. I think this would be a perfect book to read even during a busier time in your life when you only have a little spare moment here and there to read. The problem most likely would be not getting enough sleep when you pick this before bed. Oh well, 305 pages isn't that long
It's also got just the right amount of magic and fantasy mixed with mystery. And I guess this qualifies as "low-fantasy" since it's on Earth but Havenfall really feels like it's own magical land.
Also the cover is so damn beautiful and I will be buying this book for myself. I almost just wanna read this again right away but I have other books I need to read before their due date.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I read this in a day because I've been dreading about tomorrow. My family went to bed and I stayed up as late as I can so I can sleep in late and won't have to worry about the university entrance exam results that'll probably be published tomorrow.
From the beginning it's clear this might not be my favorite thing in the whole world. I don't usually read young adult mysteries because I'm often let down by them. And at first this seems like another let down but as the story goes on I find myself liking it more. It takes a while for the story to really start to pick up so this won't be the book you should read when you're trying to get out of a reading slump. But once the pace picks up the book starts to get darker in a good way.
This book has tons of LGBTQ+ representation. I'm pretty sure none of the main characters are straight. And bonus points for actually using the words asexual and aromantic! Those one's are hardly ever mentioned.
I think part of the reason this was such a nice read for me during a really stressful time is because the characters dealt with a lot of teenage angst. They're trying to figure out themselves and I can relate to that instead of thinking about the exam results.
Describing this as "Pretty Little Liars"-esque is pretty on point. I kinda get the same vibe although I'm always horrified by the last seasons of that show and how bad it turned out. This doesn't turn out as bad.
One of the pet peeves I have with young adult mysteries is teenagers trying to investigate murder without parental supervision. Just seems overly stupid and reckless. Adults aren't really present in this book anyway (which in a way makes it easier to look over the fact how stupid this would be in real life).
All in all, I'd say this was a simple read that you should definitely read if this sounds like something you'd be interested in and I'd be interested in reading the sequel.
I read this in a day because I've been dreading about tomorrow. My family went to bed and I stayed up as late as I can so I can sleep in late and won't have to worry about the university entrance exam results that'll probably be published tomorrow.
From the beginning it's clear this might not be my favorite thing in the whole world. I don't usually read young adult mysteries because I'm often let down by them. And at first this seems like another let down but as the story goes on I find myself liking it more. It takes a while for the story to really start to pick up so this won't be the book you should read when you're trying to get out of a reading slump. But once the pace picks up the book starts to get darker in a good way.
This book has tons of LGBTQ+ representation. I'm pretty sure none of the main characters are straight. And bonus points for actually using the words asexual and aromantic! Those one's are hardly ever mentioned.
I think part of the reason this was such a nice read for me during a really stressful time is because the characters dealt with a lot of teenage angst. They're trying to figure out themselves and I can relate to that instead of thinking about the exam results.
Describing this as "Pretty Little Liars"-esque is pretty on point. I kinda get the same vibe although I'm always horrified by the last seasons of that show and how bad it turned out. This doesn't turn out as bad.
One of the pet peeves I have with young adult mysteries is teenagers trying to investigate murder without parental supervision. Just seems overly stupid and reckless. Adults aren't really present in this book anyway (which in a way makes it easier to look over the fact how stupid this would be in real life).
All in all, I'd say this was a simple read that you should definitely read if this sounds like something you'd be interested in and I'd be interested in reading the sequel.
There were plenty of things in this book that I liked
SOME SPOILERS, but nothing that wouldn't already be clear by reading the book description.
1. The Finnish names (that I'm sure most will butcher but whatever).
2. The LGBTQ+ representation. The main character's sexual/romantic orientation is not questioned even once during the whole book when she chooses a bride instead of a groom. It seems that in this magical land people are quite liberal about these sort of things. Not once do any of the characters make a point about the gender of her partner.
Also, one of the ministers is always referred to as they/them despite having a traditionally female name. No one ever makes a point about that either and at first I was a little confused before I realised that the book is talking about a single person, not multiple because no one in the book explains it. I think it's refreshing having LGBTQ+ rep that isn't explained or judged. It just is.
3. The main characters relationship with her bride is casual. A lot of YA books have very intense romantic and/or sexual relationships that sometimes seem out of place in regard to the time span of the book and the characters ages. These two are together for political reasons first and their relationship grows as they spend more time together.
4. There's plenty of politics. The main character is actually involved in the politics in a way that I don't often see in books. There are trade agreements, competition over the crown and demands for a democracy.
But I do have some pet peeves about this book too.
One thing I can't stand in books like this is characters who are born into royalty and despite that know nothing about politics. They don't know about the current state of affairs with foreign countries and their representatives, they don't keep up to date on trade agreements or any gains or losses in possible wars.
Also I find it funny that this dukedom regards a sixteen-year-old getting married so normal. Even if it's the duke and the marriage is political. You'd think her advisors and ministers would find it smarter to wait a while, maybe an engagement at best but their shoving marriage down her throat.
SOME SPOILERS, but nothing that wouldn't already be clear by reading the book description.
1. The Finnish names (that I'm sure most will butcher but whatever).
2. The LGBTQ+ representation. The main character's sexual/romantic orientation is not questioned even once during the whole book when she chooses a bride instead of a groom. It seems that in this magical land people are quite liberal about these sort of things. Not once do any of the characters make a point about the gender of her partner.
Also, one of the ministers is always referred to as they/them despite having a traditionally female name. No one ever makes a point about that either and at first I was a little confused before I realised that the book is talking about a single person, not multiple because no one in the book explains it. I think it's refreshing having LGBTQ+ rep that isn't explained or judged. It just is.
3. The main characters relationship with her bride is casual. A lot of YA books have very intense romantic and/or sexual relationships that sometimes seem out of place in regard to the time span of the book and the characters ages. These two are together for political reasons first and their relationship grows as they spend more time together.
4. There's plenty of politics. The main character is actually involved in the politics in a way that I don't often see in books. There are trade agreements, competition over the crown and demands for a democracy.
But I do have some pet peeves about this book too.
One thing I can't stand in books like this is characters who are born into royalty and despite that know nothing about politics. They don't know about the current state of affairs with foreign countries and their representatives, they don't keep up to date on trade agreements or any gains or losses in possible wars.
Also I find it funny that this dukedom regards a sixteen-year-old getting married so normal. Even if it's the duke and the marriage is political. You'd think her advisors and ministers would find it smarter to wait a while, maybe an engagement at best but their shoving marriage down her throat.
For once I'm hiding the whole review because of spoilers because I need to vent.
WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCKERY IS THIS!???? My inner feminist is screaming!
I have no fucking idea if Hawke is actually a good person or not because WHY THE FUCK WOULD HE EXPECT HER TO MARRY HIM WHAT THE HELL??!!?
WHERE THE HELL IS THE CONSENT??? I saw it once or twice but then it absolutely disappeared in the end. No, you can't just bite someone and then have sex with them when they're emotions are altered by the bite. It's the same as having drunk too much to realise what's happening and it's called rape.
At this point I'm pretty sure they're relationship is just about sex. Never once did either of them actual confess any feelings and what Poppy might've felt no longer matters because Casteel really seems like an asshole and a cold-blooded killer. I thought the Dark One would've turned out to be compassionate but I guess not.
But yes I gave this 4 stars because I couldn't stop reading and I was thoroughly entertained. I just hope that other readers - especially any men and young girls - realise how many questionable bits this book has and this doesn't turn into another Twilight where girls start romanticizing a toxic relationship.
Yes, I already picked up the sequel.
WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCKERY IS THIS!???? My inner feminist is screaming!
I have no fucking idea if Hawke is actually a good person or not because WHY THE FUCK WOULD HE EXPECT HER TO MARRY HIM WHAT THE HELL??!!?
WHERE THE HELL IS THE CONSENT??? I saw it once or twice but then it absolutely disappeared in the end. No, you can't just bite someone and then have sex with them when they're emotions are altered by the bite. It's the same as having drunk too much to realise what's happening and it's called rape.
At this point I'm pretty sure they're relationship is just about sex. Never once did either of them actual confess any feelings and what Poppy might've felt no longer matters because Casteel really seems like an asshole and a cold-blooded killer. I thought the Dark One would've turned out to be compassionate but I guess not.
But yes I gave this 4 stars because I couldn't stop reading and I was thoroughly entertained. I just hope that other readers - especially any men and young girls - realise how many questionable bits this book has and this doesn't turn into another Twilight where girls start romanticizing a toxic relationship.
Yes, I already picked up the sequel.
I don't know if I should give this just two stars instead because of the very questionable relationship. If it wasn't so questionable I might actually be able to admit I like this series without cringing.
The first half felt like it kept going in circles. Cas and Poppy were having pretty much the same conversation the whole and it went nowhere.
This book is so clearly just setting up the next one. The ending was the best part. A good chunk of this book was just smut without too much plot.
The first half felt like it kept going in circles. Cas and Poppy were having pretty much the same conversation the whole and it went nowhere.
This book is so clearly just setting up the next one. The ending was the best part. A good chunk of this book was just smut without too much plot.
I honestly paid no attention to this when I listened to the audiobook and idk if I even should consider it read.
I was pretty skeptical about this because I wasn't too excited about Shadow and Bone and then I realised this is the same author.
But I like this so much better than S&B and I'm bummed there's no sequel.
But I like this so much better than S&B and I'm bummed there's no sequel.
I really enjoyed this retelling of Little Mermaid and I think the story will never be the same to me again. I liked this way more than the Disney version.
This is really a nice book if you're looking for something entertaining, kind of like a fairy tale. Or maybe you're looking for a fantasy that isn't seven books and two novellas and you'd prefer a standalone that you can finish in a couple of days.
Slight spoiler, if you've heard talk about this book before you're fine:
This is really a nice book if you're looking for something entertaining, kind of like a fairy tale. Or maybe you're looking for a fantasy that isn't seven books and two novellas and you'd prefer a standalone that you can finish in a couple of days.
Slight spoiler, if you've heard talk about this book before you're fine: