ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5 stars.

A Witch in Time is an interesting mash up of genres, with historical fiction, some romance, and some paranormal scifi. A little Moulin Rouge, a little Daisy Jones & the Six, and just a dang good time to read.

This was so much fun! A super intriguing premise with ridiculously rich historical detail. I loved the story and enjoyed the movement from time period to time period. Sayers's ability to set a scene is just plain magical. In addition, the construction of the plot with the use of dreams and flashbacks could have been corny, but it is so well done and super effective.

For some readers, the story may seem mildly contrived in places, but I DIDN'T CARE. I was totally here for ALL of it.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

3 1/2 stars.

So...my first reaction at completing this book was "WTF did I just read?". I had to go back and reread the last 10 or so pages because my mind was at such a loss. The reread didn't help all that much...I'm still so terribly conflicted and confused.

I have never read anything quite like Follow Me to Ground. This book is creepy, dark, and weird. Seriously weird. But I was REALLY liking it for a good majority of the narrative (partially because of the creepy oddball factor). The layout was equally strange and unique with writing that was both very atmospheric and at the same time limited in scope, making it feel like I had blinders on as a reader. Still...the narrative is flowing and beautiful in it's own dark way.

Follow Me to Ground is a case where the ending unwound quite a bit of enjoyment for me. The book was on track for at least a 4 star rating, if not a 4.5 until the last little bit. I enjoyed the darkness, felt substantially disturbed by the actions in the plot, and liked the writing, but the ending just left me so confused and feeling like I ended on something of a cliffhanger. Regardless...I will admit that it is sticking with me hard and I am looking forward to seeing what Rainsford has in store for her next novel, due out later this year.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

This was SUCH a fun read! It's a bit of a cross between a mystery, chick lit, and magical realism--interesting and entertaining. I would definitely recommend this as a beach read or a travel read as it is easy to drop into and speed right through. The writing is comfortable and unpretentious while still having great wit, charm, and comedic relief. I will admit that I'm not a huge fan of one of the more major characters due to his attitude, but that is addressed as an issue within the narrative, so it works. There are a few morally gray characters who add to the spice and I enjoyed the playful attitude of the narrative. I am diving right into the sequel!

3.5 stars.

A fantasy romance that I would classify as new adult due to some mature content, The Path Keeper has a dual story line construction based on the idea of reincarnated souls. This was a little confusing at first, but once it became clear how things were somewhat linked, the story started rolling pretty well.

The overall premise of the novel is that humans are on fated paths that they choose prior to birth. Ella is supposed to be kept on her path...redirected as needed if she gets off course...by Zac. Unfortunately, he instead interferes and drives her off the path and more or less into his arms. This situation disturbs the balance of her fated destiny and leads to severe consequences.

The writing in this book is overall good, easy to follow, and entertaining to read. There is definitely some corniness in some of the plot structure and the dialogue, but some of this can be chalked up to the intended audience and the fact that this is a more romance driven fantasy. I know there have been several who voice that they could not finish the book...I had no problems in this department. I admittedly struggled a little for the first quarter or so, but not enough to consider shelving the entire book. And once I understood where the plot was headed, things rolled quick and easy.

Overall, I enjoyed my read and found its premise to be intriguing. I also found it to have a nice and solid ending for a series starter. (Admittedly it would have been a bit of a cliffhanger for a standalone or those who choose not to continue with the series.) In fact, I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel.

This autobiography spans the full life of the rock legend up to 2019. It starts off a bit slow, but soon falls into a good rhythm with lots of acerbic wit, great humor, and extremely candid storytelling. A great view into both his professional and private life, including both highs (literal and figurative) and lows. Lots of famous name dropping and lots of response to the deaths of those around him who passed away over the years. Interesting, entertaining, eye opening, amazing, and wonderful. Also at times gut wrenching and heartbreaking. A very full and eventful life told in the perfect voice.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

The Multiplication of Elmer Whit was something akin to an attempted mixture of Wonder by R.J. Palacio and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It had promise, but unfortunately failed in execution for my liking.

Elmer Whit is a neglected child from an abusive home, further burdened by a developmental disability and a facial birthmark that makes him a target of bullying. He is a likable character and he is well-constructed. He is looking for a friend and trying to find...something...perhaps a path for himself in life.

His compatriot in adventures, Elena, was similarly well-developed, a shy girl with developmental issues of her own, but who came from a family ripe with love and affection. Her circumstances could not have been more opposite those foisted upon poor Elmer. Together, they made a perfectly awkward pair and one that could have proven even more fabulous with a more cohesive storyline.

I liked the premise and I enjoyed the characters of Elmer and Elena, but I just could not get on board with the book. There were several moments where I felt dragged down by the narrative and lost in its purpose. In all honesty, if this had not been an ARC, I would have likely placed this one in my DNF pile. It has great bones, but seems to have potentially sent to publication too soon. It could have benefited from further critical revision.

The writing overall is okay, with clear potential present. There did seem to be an inconsistency in voice, with the narrative sometimes feeling age appropriate and sometimes feeling too mature for both the storyline and the intended audience. The occasional footnotes were a bit too kitschy and tended only to distract from the narrative, oftentimes seeming to push some sort of outside political agenda. Regardless, these were not helpful to the book as a whole...though I typically enjoy this kind of random interjection.

For me, the narrative was where the problems were concentrated. There were a few chapters that could have simply been left out and the book would have likely been better off without them. Indeed, there was too much of the plot that felt forced, trying to angle things in order to deliver a particular message and moral. With a few basic changes, I think this could have been more smoothly delivered and resulted in a far more successful product.

I wanted very much to like this one. It had a good central message and likable characters. The writing was good and could have been made great with a bit more editing. The narrative just needed some assistance and reworking. I am sad to say that I was only able to give The Multiplication of Elmer Whit two stars.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Havenfall is a YA fantasy centered around a mysterious inn in the mountains of Colorado. Maddie's Uncle Marcus is the Innkeeper at Havenfall, a remote location where worlds converge. When Marcus is injured, Maddie must take over and manage the delegates at the annual multiverse summit. It is a job she has dreamed of obtaining, but her desire is diminished and her mettle challenged when some troubling circumstances arise.

Havenfall is a great YA fantasy read. It's imaginative, has good writing and interesting characters, and holds so many possibilities. The narrative reads easily and has a fascinating premise, along with good execution of that premise. The plot moves well and there were good moments of intrigue. I enjoyed the cast of characters and felt the central focus to be well-developed for a first novel in a series with plenty of room to grow and continue.

Admittedly, the "twists" in the plot were mostly easy to foresee, but I still enjoyed the journey from beginning to end. There were definitely a few pieces that contained plot holes...or maybe rather just ignorance on the part of the characters, but overall it was still and entertaining and enjoyable read and there are still things that I want to know more about.

The world development has a lot of potential and starts off nicely for the first in what I hope will be more than a duology. The ending of this installment was satisfying, but definitely leaves a lot of room for additional series plots. There is so much here to explore! I will definitely be continuing the series and I am curious as to where the author will take things.

I understood going in that this was a bit of a farce--making fun of the whole "Chosen One" plot and mixing elements from several modern series using the trope, most notably Harry Potter. Most of these "borrowed" pieces were entertaining, but the silly spells annoyed me to no end. Every time one was used I was pulled out of the plot. The rest of the story moves so well, but that felt a little like beating a dead horse as things went on. It was just too much.

The relationship between Simon and Baz was very well done, in true Rainbow Rowell fashion. I enjoyed the character interaction throughout. I also enjoyed the usage of multiple POVs. This brought a lot of extra to the story.

I enjoyed the read and found humor in the construction, but it wasn't as impactful as her other novels; nor was it a full exploration of the magical elements of the story. This is primarily a character study--which I enjoyed, but wasn't fully fulfilled by.

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold follows Fetch Phillips, a "man for hire" in post-Coda Sunder City. The Coda was the result of an ongoing war between the Humans and the Opus, which resulted in the destruction of all magic. As a result, Elven individuals have grown exceedingly old or crumbled to dust, Vampires have lost their fangs and ability to be satiated by blood or be susceptible to sunlight, and creatures like Wyverns and Angels have lost their wings. No magical creature has been left unaltered, only the Humans remain the same.

Edmund Rye is a fading Vampire, grown old and weak as a result of the Coda. He has been a highly respected teacher working to help the species intermingle, but now he cannot be found. Fetch is hired by the principal of the species-inclusive school where Rye has been employed in order to find the missing teacher.

This was something completely different for me. I've never read a genre mix like this and I found it quite enjoyable. A lot of readers have compared it to Jim Butcher's work, so I may need to check that out. For me it felt like a mashup of fable fantasy, John Grisham detective/mystery, and some kind of western adventure. It was an odd combo, but it totally worked for me.

The whole story is gritty and dark, a bit of an underdog style story without being overly in the "hero" category. Fetch is a morally gray character with definite faults and vices. He's like a private eye verson of House, but without the ragtag support team. His supporting characters were also a lot of fun.

The world building was fun and intriguing. I loved the character descriptions and the different magical beings included in the population. I really appreciated the specifics and minor details that were peppered in along the way. I wanted to know more about these characters, which seems to be possible as this book is the first in a series. That makes me excited to see what else Arnold can add to his world.

The plot was good, but there were places where it wandered a little and/or felt a bit slow. A couple of sections felt extraneous and there probably could have been some tightening in the prose. The writing was direct and descriptive without being flowery. It fit the character of Fetch and the gray of Sunder City. The flashbacks were well done and woven into the story in a way that acted a little bit like an info dump without being boring or overwhelming. They added a lot to the understanding of Fetch's character and his personal conflicts.

Overall, the story was intriguing and I liked reading and watching how the pieces slowly came together. I will definitely be looking to pick up the sequel.

There is certainly value in classics and I can very much appreciate the writing talent in the plot and character development, but I did not enjoy this as much as the other Austen novels I have read. The language is definitely a bit stiff and flowery -- to be expected from a 200+ year-old novel -- and that does make it a bit more difficult to become involved in the story as much as something with a more modern feel.

Perhaps my biggest issue though, lay within Emma herself. I did not particularly like her. In fact, I found her to be a bit of a (to borrow the term) flibberty-gibbet: flighty, immature, and meddlesome. The constantly changing relationships were a bit of a whirlwind and I frequently felt sorry for poor Harriet.

There were definitely some well-constructed quirky characters and Austen's society is very well put together. Her writing talent is definitely not in question. I just found the overall theme to be less interesting.