Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)
4.5 stars.
A good followup/wrapup to the Fable duology. The great writing continues and the atmosphere is a lot of fun. I love the world and it's darkness, the pirate nature of things, and everyone conniving to win.
Fable is a great character and I love the strength that she has continued to develop. Her relationship with West does result in some internal conflict for her that I feel she works through quite well in this book, though I do wish that we had more of West's background. I'm not going to lie...more books from the backstories of several of these characters would be awesome.
The "bad guy" in this one is fantastic. I love the greed and the absolute determination of these characters to squash their rivals and take on everything. It's just such a brutal all-or-none situation that raises the stakes and makes these characters nicely dark and sometimes an even more intriguing morally gray. The plotting and scheming from every side, the attempts to use Fable in many situations as a pawn, the cutthroat interaction of the traders...ah...it's all just fantastic.
There is less seafaring action in this novel than in Fable, as it focuses more on political intrigue and strategy, but I still freaking loved it. It was admittedly a little less tense and had less in the action department than the first novel, but it still held it's own.
I craved more of the side characters and really wish that there was more exposition that looked at the crew of the Marigold. I feel like those characters had so much potential and I wanted to know more about them. They were left standing around like cardboard cut-outs for most of the narrative and that stung.
The ending. It was a mixed bag. And endings are always the hardest for me. I enjoyed the narrative and its exploration of the world, but I do wish that there had been more from the final scenes. Without being spoilery, I feel like Fable's understanding is not as quick or strong as it should be and that was somewhat frustrating. For as smart as she is, it feels like she totally misses the obvious. Because of this, the ending did lose a little bit of luster for me. However, I really loved the way everything wrapped up and that loose ends were pretty well managed.
I will say again...I would LOVE to see more of this world, with backstories for West, Saint, Koy, and the ENTIRE CREW of the Marigold. Adrienne Young...I am NOT above begging. I need more of this world.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
A good followup/wrapup to the Fable duology. The great writing continues and the atmosphere is a lot of fun. I love the world and it's darkness, the pirate nature of things, and everyone conniving to win.
Fable is a great character and I love the strength that she has continued to develop. Her relationship with West does result in some internal conflict for her that I feel she works through quite well in this book, though I do wish that we had more of West's background. I'm not going to lie...more books from the backstories of several of these characters would be awesome.
The "bad guy" in this one is fantastic. I love the greed and the absolute determination of these characters to squash their rivals and take on everything. It's just such a brutal all-or-none situation that raises the stakes and makes these characters nicely dark and sometimes an even more intriguing morally gray. The plotting and scheming from every side, the attempts to use Fable in many situations as a pawn, the cutthroat interaction of the traders...ah...it's all just fantastic.
There is less seafaring action in this novel than in Fable, as it focuses more on political intrigue and strategy, but I still freaking loved it. It was admittedly a little less tense and had less in the action department than the first novel, but it still held it's own.
I craved more of the side characters and really wish that there was more exposition that looked at the crew of the Marigold. I feel like those characters had so much potential and I wanted to know more about them. They were left standing around like cardboard cut-outs for most of the narrative and that stung.
The ending. It was a mixed bag. And endings are always the hardest for me. I enjoyed the narrative and its exploration of the world, but I do wish that there had been more from the final scenes. Without being spoilery, I feel like Fable's understanding is not as quick or strong as it should be and that was somewhat frustrating. For as smart as she is, it feels like she totally misses the obvious. Because of this, the ending did lose a little bit of luster for me. However, I really loved the way everything wrapped up and that loose ends were pretty well managed.
I will say again...I would LOVE to see more of this world, with backstories for West, Saint, Koy, and the ENTIRE CREW of the Marigold. Adrienne Young...I am NOT above begging. I need more of this world.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
4.25 stars. This is an intense and complicated high fantasy. It normally takes me about 4 days to get through a 350 page novel. This is about twice that size, so I figured it would take me about a week. Nope. It took me THREE WEEKS to read. There is just so much jam packed in this book. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Political intrigue and power-grabbing are not usually intriguing to me in a read, but HOLY CRAP this one sucked me in. There is a lot at play and it is woven together fantastically. So many balls in the air in this narrative, but not a single one drops. It is masterfully crafted.
Expect to be really pulled in and held captive. You will need to move slowly and focus. This is not a breezy read. Hence the reason my read was so long. It is necessary to pay attention to detail and there is a lot of intricate world building. But boy is it magnificent. I love the world that has been created.
The protagonist is a strong and smart female who keeps track of her own scheming SOOOOO much better than I could ever manage. Honestly, EVERYONE in this book has something up their sleeve and it is freaking awesome. There is so much backstabbing and alliances for the sake of achieving something nefarious. Darkness and deception are around every corner and from every angle.
The magic system is super cool and I LOVED the transporting/underworld type scenes. It felt like existing in a mist or a dreamlike state and just added to the complexity in a fantastic way. There was so much darkness and intricate workings at play. I will admit that it was hard to keep up with what was going on now and then, but when it all fell into place it was amazing. This will definitely be one of those books where I read it again to really understand everything going on. And I'm totally cool with that. This world and its characters are fun, intriguing, and just morally gray enough to totally have me hooked.
I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Political intrigue and power-grabbing are not usually intriguing to me in a read, but HOLY CRAP this one sucked me in. There is a lot at play and it is woven together fantastically. So many balls in the air in this narrative, but not a single one drops. It is masterfully crafted.
Expect to be really pulled in and held captive. You will need to move slowly and focus. This is not a breezy read. Hence the reason my read was so long. It is necessary to pay attention to detail and there is a lot of intricate world building. But boy is it magnificent. I love the world that has been created.
The protagonist is a strong and smart female who keeps track of her own scheming SOOOOO much better than I could ever manage. Honestly, EVERYONE in this book has something up their sleeve and it is freaking awesome. There is so much backstabbing and alliances for the sake of achieving something nefarious. Darkness and deception are around every corner and from every angle.
The magic system is super cool and I LOVED the transporting/underworld type scenes. It felt like existing in a mist or a dreamlike state and just added to the complexity in a fantastic way. There was so much darkness and intricate workings at play. I will admit that it was hard to keep up with what was going on now and then, but when it all fell into place it was amazing. This will definitely be one of those books where I read it again to really understand everything going on. And I'm totally cool with that. This world and its characters are fun, intriguing, and just morally gray enough to totally have me hooked.
I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm glad I stuck it out with this book. For the first thirty or so pages the writing came off as too pompous and I thought it was just going to be dry and boring. I very nearly stopped reading. The writing style seemed to shift slightly after the start and I was able to get involved in the plot rather than feeling like I had to find the definition for a word on every page. Nothing makes me want to get rid of a book faster than having it make me feel dumb.
The plot took a little time to get going, but did quite well after the first few sections. I quickly became involved in the book and I got to the point where I couldn't put it down. I would have given it 4 stars, but the ending just didn't suit me. It seemed that it would have been more powerful to end it a few chapters before the end. The last few chapters weren't written with the same care and detail that seemed prevalent through the rest of the book. I ended up feeling a little bit let down.
The plot took a little time to get going, but did quite well after the first few sections. I quickly became involved in the book and I got to the point where I couldn't put it down. I would have given it 4 stars, but the ending just didn't suit me. It seemed that it would have been more powerful to end it a few chapters before the end. The last few chapters weren't written with the same care and detail that seemed prevalent through the rest of the book. I ended up feeling a little bit let down.
4.5 stars. Dark, creepy, and an abandoned ghost town. A perfect premise to suck me right on in. I dove into The Lost Village at night after the rest of my family had gone to sleep. That might have been a poor decision. Well...bad for my nerves, great for the book. I read this almost entirely in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. It was highly intriguing and I was also afraid that if I did put it down without resolution it would result in some plot-inspired nightmares.
Told in a dual narrative style, the creep factor is set up right away with the establishment of the situation that led to the discovery of the abandoned mining town in the Swedish wilds. The timeline then moves back and forth between a documentary film crew in the present and the town in the months and days leading up to the disappearance of the townspeople. I loved this approach and found it fun to get little tidbits back and forth, but I did feel like I could have used more of the past and a more detailed exploration of the town and its dynamics in the final days. The bones of the story were there, but I just wanted a harder examination. The events in the present day were fantastic and the story in these parts was full of tension, jump scare moments, and that wonderful creep factor.
I loved the setting and found it incredibly atmospheric. The town came across wonderfully dark and the use of the nighttime and inclement as the primary setting for a lot of the present day action was a very effective tool for ratcheting up the tension. The effects of time and the explanation of the disintegration of the buildings felt realistic and tangible. The descriptions of the old buildings presented a great juxtaposition of sweet little town and haunted house feel. Giving the village a Stepford feel was also a lovely touch.
I enjoyed the characters, but did feel that a few of them could have used a little more development. The protagonist and her history were examined fairly well, but I would have loved to have a little more about her relationships with the other crew members. I also would have enjoyed a deeper investigation into the backgrounds of the other crew members and some of the original townspeople.
The pacing was perfect. I was propelled through the plot and completely hooked by the narrative. I couldn't read fast enough and putting it down was NOT an option. I needed to know what was going to happen and I needed to know what happened to Silvertjarn! I loved the narrative and really enjoyed my overall experience. There were a couple of instances where the logic didn't quite work, but for the most part the pieces of the story fell into place very well. The ending was pretty solid and wrapped up both story lines pretty nicely.
A good, quick, and creepy read with an incredibly fun setting.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Told in a dual narrative style, the creep factor is set up right away with the establishment of the situation that led to the discovery of the abandoned mining town in the Swedish wilds. The timeline then moves back and forth between a documentary film crew in the present and the town in the months and days leading up to the disappearance of the townspeople. I loved this approach and found it fun to get little tidbits back and forth, but I did feel like I could have used more of the past and a more detailed exploration of the town and its dynamics in the final days. The bones of the story were there, but I just wanted a harder examination. The events in the present day were fantastic and the story in these parts was full of tension, jump scare moments, and that wonderful creep factor.
I loved the setting and found it incredibly atmospheric. The town came across wonderfully dark and the use of the nighttime and inclement as the primary setting for a lot of the present day action was a very effective tool for ratcheting up the tension. The effects of time and the explanation of the disintegration of the buildings felt realistic and tangible. The descriptions of the old buildings presented a great juxtaposition of sweet little town and haunted house feel. Giving the village a Stepford feel was also a lovely touch.
I enjoyed the characters, but did feel that a few of them could have used a little more development. The protagonist and her history were examined fairly well, but I would have loved to have a little more about her relationships with the other crew members. I also would have enjoyed a deeper investigation into the backgrounds of the other crew members and some of the original townspeople.
The pacing was perfect. I was propelled through the plot and completely hooked by the narrative. I couldn't read fast enough and putting it down was NOT an option. I needed to know what was going to happen and I needed to know what happened to Silvertjarn! I loved the narrative and really enjoyed my overall experience. There were a couple of instances where the logic didn't quite work, but for the most part the pieces of the story fell into place very well. The ending was pretty solid and wrapped up both story lines pretty nicely.
A good, quick, and creepy read with an incredibly fun setting.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
An okay read, but fell a little flat for me.
The premise for this novel was intriguing, something different and new. Rarely are there pieces of modern historical fiction that cover musicians in this vein. The story was presented a bit differently than I expected, giving a good insight into the relationship between Katherine "Kay" Swift and George Gershwin, but only truly following Kay in terms of her relationships with her husband, James, and George. There was a lot of focus on James's familial background in the beginning that overshadowed Kay's own past. There wasn't a focus on Kay and her own full life beyond her emotional conflict once she and George meet. Instead, it was merely a story of how she felt about each man and her attempt to determine how to live her life in terms of them. Because of this, the story didn't feel quite full. She became less of a powerful character, despite her obvious talent and musical genius. I needed the tale to be more fully about her, rather than how other men defined her. The fact that the story then ends without following out Kay's life makes this even more blatant and, for me, took something away from the integrity of the tale.
The historical accuracy of the novel feels true to form, and the events and characters were presented in a way that fits to the information available. It is clear through the story and the author's note that there was a lot of care taken to try and make the novel as accurate as possible. Because of this, there are definitely moments where it can take on a bit of a more stiff, educational tone, but the information given is honed to moments that feel important. I found myself intermittently grasped by the plot and did want to finish the book out, but will admit that the pacing wasn't consistent for me and I did have a hard time finding myself truly invested in the story. There are certainly readers out there who will find greater enjoyment in the work than I did, as I do think that there are valuable pieces of story and writing present throughout the book.
The writing is good and flows fairly well, but can come off a bit pretentious. The author is a clear academic and this comes out in word choice and sentence structure. This may make the book slightly more inaccessible for some readers and might have played a part in why I was not able to fully emotionally connect to the story and characters. Something about the tone made the story feel a bit more sterile than I would have liked. There are also a lot of places where names are dropped simply to drop them, not really involving these characters in the scenes in any way other than having been there and potentially adding to the celebrity of Gershwin. I would have rather they were kept only to those characters who truly played a part.
The best part of the novel was the atmosphere of the era. There was good attention to the opulence afforded the upper crust, with a nod to the fact that the Great Depression occurred mid-tale. There was great discussion of the style of New York and the contrasting style developing on the West Coast. There was a lot of inclusion of new inventions and technology of the age and these were sprinkled in to the narrative in a fairly subtle way. The description of clothing and style were also well done and helped to round out the encapsulation. The setting was extremely well established and I enjoyed the inclusion of different facets of society, discussing Tammany Hall, Harlem, the Broadway set, and so much more. The attention to these pieces really brought a lot of color to the narrative and helped to give it a lot of grounding.
All in all, this was an okay read for me. As stated, there are those who would be a better audience. I don't regret my read...I just wish it had pulled me in a little harder.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
The premise for this novel was intriguing, something different and new. Rarely are there pieces of modern historical fiction that cover musicians in this vein. The story was presented a bit differently than I expected, giving a good insight into the relationship between Katherine "Kay" Swift and George Gershwin, but only truly following Kay in terms of her relationships with her husband, James, and George. There was a lot of focus on James's familial background in the beginning that overshadowed Kay's own past. There wasn't a focus on Kay and her own full life beyond her emotional conflict once she and George meet. Instead, it was merely a story of how she felt about each man and her attempt to determine how to live her life in terms of them. Because of this, the story didn't feel quite full. She became less of a powerful character, despite her obvious talent and musical genius. I needed the tale to be more fully about her, rather than how other men defined her. The fact that the story then ends without following out Kay's life makes this even more blatant and, for me, took something away from the integrity of the tale.
The historical accuracy of the novel feels true to form, and the events and characters were presented in a way that fits to the information available. It is clear through the story and the author's note that there was a lot of care taken to try and make the novel as accurate as possible. Because of this, there are definitely moments where it can take on a bit of a more stiff, educational tone, but the information given is honed to moments that feel important. I found myself intermittently grasped by the plot and did want to finish the book out, but will admit that the pacing wasn't consistent for me and I did have a hard time finding myself truly invested in the story. There are certainly readers out there who will find greater enjoyment in the work than I did, as I do think that there are valuable pieces of story and writing present throughout the book.
The writing is good and flows fairly well, but can come off a bit pretentious. The author is a clear academic and this comes out in word choice and sentence structure. This may make the book slightly more inaccessible for some readers and might have played a part in why I was not able to fully emotionally connect to the story and characters. Something about the tone made the story feel a bit more sterile than I would have liked. There are also a lot of places where names are dropped simply to drop them, not really involving these characters in the scenes in any way other than having been there and potentially adding to the celebrity of Gershwin. I would have rather they were kept only to those characters who truly played a part.
The best part of the novel was the atmosphere of the era. There was good attention to the opulence afforded the upper crust, with a nod to the fact that the Great Depression occurred mid-tale. There was great discussion of the style of New York and the contrasting style developing on the West Coast. There was a lot of inclusion of new inventions and technology of the age and these were sprinkled in to the narrative in a fairly subtle way. The description of clothing and style were also well done and helped to round out the encapsulation. The setting was extremely well established and I enjoyed the inclusion of different facets of society, discussing Tammany Hall, Harlem, the Broadway set, and so much more. The attention to these pieces really brought a lot of color to the narrative and helped to give it a lot of grounding.
All in all, this was an okay read for me. As stated, there are those who would be a better audience. I don't regret my read...I just wish it had pulled me in a little harder.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
3.5 stars.
Not bad for a debut novel. The writing style is fun and there is some good suspense built into the atmosphere. I loved the premise, but it just didn't pan out how I had imagined, so that was a bummer. I had a fun time with my read though. The tension was great until about the last third. After that the pacing somewhat dragged and I just lost my fervor for the plot. The twists were decent, but I did guess the ending pretty early on. I will read Sarah Pearse again, but this was was just an okay read for me.
Not bad for a debut novel. The writing style is fun and there is some good suspense built into the atmosphere. I loved the premise, but it just didn't pan out how I had imagined, so that was a bummer. I had a fun time with my read though. The tension was great until about the last third. After that the pacing somewhat dragged and I just lost my fervor for the plot. The twists were decent, but I did guess the ending pretty early on. I will read Sarah Pearse again, but this was was just an okay read for me.
Whelp. I have found myself sucked in by the hype. I'll be honest...I was not feeling the premise on this one. I really didn't think I'd like it much. But there were so many people talking about it that I just had to jump on that hype train. And I was not disappointed.
This is a super fun read with a completely unique atmosphere and plot. I have ZERO familiarity with fencing, so there was some technical talk that left me in the dust, but the narrative itself was enjoyable. The characters are super diverse and fun. I love the attitudes and the friend groups. The art is adorable and captures the story well, including those things that are left unsaid.
Hype worth listening to.
This is a super fun read with a completely unique atmosphere and plot. I have ZERO familiarity with fencing, so there was some technical talk that left me in the dust, but the narrative itself was enjoyable. The characters are super diverse and fun. I love the attitudes and the friend groups. The art is adorable and captures the story well, including those things that are left unsaid.
Hype worth listening to.
Graphic novels are funny things. They're almost TOO accessible, if that's possible. By this I mean that they read quickly and I find myself sucked in so fast that I then have to read the next volume, and the next, AND the next in quick succession...often in one sitting or one day. That was the case here. A total Fence binge occurred.
There is a lot more character introduction and development in this installment. It's also where the fencing fun really begins. The series is full of fun and diverse characters and I found myself really just falling in love them...even the annoying ones.
A quick, fun read. A great way to have a relaxing read or just cleanse your reading palate after some heavier reads.
There is a lot more character introduction and development in this installment. It's also where the fencing fun really begins. The series is full of fun and diverse characters and I found myself really just falling in love them...even the annoying ones.
A quick, fun read. A great way to have a relaxing read or just cleanse your reading palate after some heavier reads.
4.5 stars.
The tension ratcheted up in this volume, with a lot on the line for several characters. It got a little aggressive and gritty, but still held so much heart. I'm still really loving the characters and they keep things interesting even when I'm totally lost in the fencing technicalities.
Loving these reads and realizing that there will never be enough story to satisfy me. Oh no...
The tension ratcheted up in this volume, with a lot on the line for several characters. It got a little aggressive and gritty, but still held so much heart. I'm still really loving the characters and they keep things interesting even when I'm totally lost in the fencing technicalities.
Loving these reads and realizing that there will never be enough story to satisfy me. Oh no...
4.5 stars.
Yep. I'm fully invested in this series. And of course, now there are no further installments to currently read. Ugh...the waiting...
Great 4th volume with some good action, great tension, and a lot of critical character interaction. There are so many things still left to explore in this series, but I love all of the side plots as well as the main focus of the narrative. Once again, loving this read. Quick, easy, and relaxing, but also a lot of fun.
Yep. I'm fully invested in this series. And of course, now there are no further installments to currently read. Ugh...the waiting...
Great 4th volume with some good action, great tension, and a lot of critical character interaction. There are so many things still left to explore in this series, but I love all of the side plots as well as the main focus of the narrative. Once again, loving this read. Quick, easy, and relaxing, but also a lot of fun.