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*Thank you Voracious Readers and Robin Martin for the copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
"My Alien" is a book that revolves around a girl named Zoe, who while strolling at the beach, becomes an involuntary host to an alien in the form of a bubble inside her head. Rion (the alien) is a sassy know-it-all who seems to make Zoe's life a mess, even though he claims otherwise. One night, he materializes and takes the form of a 17 year old boy and Zoe's troubles are just about to begin.
My general opinion on the book is that it is funny and an exciting read. I loved Rion and his bossy personality and I couldn't help but sympathize with Zoe, because he could be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Zoe and Rion had a very quirky and often hilarious banter, because even though Rion claimed to know almost everything, he was pretty clueless regarding basic stuff, leading to an exasperated Zoe and funny predicaments. The book goes by very fast, it's an easy and relaxing read and I found myself not able to stop reading!
My only problem with the book was how everything revolved around the characters' appearance. For example, Zoe said many times how incredibly handsome Rion is and how she found herself attracted to him because of that. Also, she commented on Harry Crosby's appearance, saying he's a bit fat and that losing some pounds suits him, adding a little later that she only likes him as a friend. I think it's a bit insensitive saying that you can be attracted to a person only based on how he/she looks. Of course, it doesn't hurt if a person looks cute, but there are other things that matter, like personality. What more, I believe that degrading a person who's fat, for example, has a negative impact on a reader that has a similar appearance.
All in all, "My Alien" is a book that I enjoyed very much! Zoe and Rion's relationship is sweet and funny and evolves naturally, their romance didn't feel forced at all! It ends with a mild cliffhanger and I'm anxious to read the next installment to find out what will happen to our beloved and slightly annoying, Alien!
"My Alien" is a book that revolves around a girl named Zoe, who while strolling at the beach, becomes an involuntary host to an alien in the form of a bubble inside her head. Rion (the alien) is a sassy know-it-all who seems to make Zoe's life a mess, even though he claims otherwise. One night, he materializes and takes the form of a 17 year old boy and Zoe's troubles are just about to begin.
My general opinion on the book is that it is funny and an exciting read. I loved Rion and his bossy personality and I couldn't help but sympathize with Zoe, because he could be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Zoe and Rion had a very quirky and often hilarious banter, because even though Rion claimed to know almost everything, he was pretty clueless regarding basic stuff, leading to an exasperated Zoe and funny predicaments. The book goes by very fast, it's an easy and relaxing read and I found myself not able to stop reading!
My only problem with the book was how everything revolved around the characters' appearance. For example, Zoe said many times how incredibly handsome Rion is and how she found herself attracted to him because of that. Also, she commented on Harry Crosby's appearance, saying he's a bit fat and that losing some pounds suits him, adding a little later that she only likes him as a friend. I think it's a bit insensitive saying that you can be attracted to a person only based on how he/she looks. Of course, it doesn't hurt if a person looks cute, but there are other things that matter, like personality. What more, I believe that degrading a person who's fat, for example, has a negative impact on a reader that has a similar appearance.
All in all, "My Alien" is a book that I enjoyed very much! Zoe and Rion's relationship is sweet and funny and evolves naturally, their romance didn't feel forced at all! It ends with a mild cliffhanger and I'm anxious to read the next installment to find out what will happen to our beloved and slightly annoying, Alien!
"Veridan" is the second book in the Hleo series and picks up a little while after the events of the first book. Hannah's dad returns from England, Ethan and Hannah still keep their relationship a secret, and also, they are trying to figure out Hannah's gift and learn how she can control it.
Plot wise, it had a lot more action than the first installment. Exposition was still present, but on a lower scale. The story felt like it was progressing a lot faster and it had a nice pace, it didn't make me bored at all! Some new characters were introduced, both good and evil, and that made the story so much more intresting!
What I Liked most about this book were definitely the action sequences and Simon! Simon is a new character that acts as Ethan's new Hleo partner. He's English and has such a funny and cute personality, that I kept wishing he had a more major role in the novel. At first, I was a bit suspicious of him, he seemed way too good and I thought that maybe he was a member of the Bana, trying to jeopardise Ethan's work! Thankfully that wasn't the case and I sighed with relief! Another aspect I loved, was that we got to learn more about Hannah's real parents and that insight was quite delightful.
This time around, my problem was Hannah. While I completely sympathize with her regarding her father's affair with her teacher, her general behavior was quite immature for me. For example, she lashed out at her best friend (who knows nothing about the whole Hleo business) and then she was convinced that the only way to determine if Ethan really loves her, is to have sex with him! What more, she demanded to see The Three and everyone made it seem so simple, like the Hleo organization isn't, I don't know, secret or something? I think it would have been more plausible if The Three took and interest in her, because of her unusual gift and asked her to come to them, not the other way around.
Generally, "Veridan" continues the intresting story of Hannah while she's navigating the mysterious world of the Hleo, trying to figure out how she fits into all this. I am very curious to read the third installment too, to see how the story continues and what will become of Ethan and Hannah's relationship!
Plot wise, it had a lot more action than the first installment. Exposition was still present, but on a lower scale. The story felt like it was progressing a lot faster and it had a nice pace, it didn't make me bored at all! Some new characters were introduced, both good and evil, and that made the story so much more intresting!
What I Liked most about this book were definitely the action sequences and Simon! Simon is a new character that acts as Ethan's new Hleo partner. He's English and has such a funny and cute personality, that I kept wishing he had a more major role in the novel. At first, I was a bit suspicious of him, he seemed way too good and I thought that maybe he was a member of the Bana, trying to jeopardise Ethan's work! Thankfully that wasn't the case and I sighed with relief! Another aspect I loved, was that we got to learn more about Hannah's real parents and that insight was quite delightful.
This time around, my problem was Hannah. While I completely sympathize with her regarding her father's affair with her teacher, her general behavior was quite immature for me. For example, she lashed out at her best friend (who knows nothing about the whole Hleo business) and then she was convinced that the only way to determine if Ethan really loves her, is to have sex with him! What more, she demanded to see The Three and everyone made it seem so simple, like the Hleo organization isn't, I don't know, secret or something? I think it would have been more plausible if The Three took and interest in her, because of her unusual gift and asked her to come to them, not the other way around.
Generally, "Veridan" continues the intresting story of Hannah while she's navigating the mysterious world of the Hleo, trying to figure out how she fits into all this. I am very curious to read the third installment too, to see how the story continues and what will become of Ethan and Hannah's relationship!
*Thank you NetGalley and Zoe Blessing for the copy of this book, in exchange with an honest review*
"Siena" follows the story of a young girl, named Siena, who has a secret power, she can heal people with just a touch. She is a slave to the Zurbo tribe, where they use her as a tool, until one day, a neighboring tribe raids the Zurbo tribe and she manages to flee to the woods. There she meets the Forest people, a peaceful tribe of misfits and people who are gifted, just like Siena is.
Plot wise, I loved the feeling this book created. The Foresthome seemed like such a nice place and its inhabitants were so unique and intresting. The Gifted all had very intriguing abilites, with my favourite definitely being Remi's, he could camouflage himself as easily as a chameleon! The story progressed so smoothly and I loved that everything seemed to be evolving organically, nothing felt forced or out of place.
Character wise, Siena was a very down to earth girl, with a very nice personality. Despite being a slave for most of her life, she treated the Forest people with kindness and respect and was completely enarmored with their way of life, after being eith them for a couple of days. I really liked and admired her, and I can't wait to read more of her adventures!
I also loved Remi and Siena's relationship! He's so sweet to her and it's a bit funny how clueless she is sometimes, regarding love and those type of feelings! There was a very slight love triangle for a short period of time and, usually I'm not a big fan of them, but that particular one helped in making Siena realise her true feelings, so I think it was pretty useful for the story!
All in all, "Siena" is a very enjoyable read! I liked the tribes and the whole setting and it has intresting and relatable characters, which I believe is incredibly important for a good book!
"Siena" follows the story of a young girl, named Siena, who has a secret power, she can heal people with just a touch. She is a slave to the Zurbo tribe, where they use her as a tool, until one day, a neighboring tribe raids the Zurbo tribe and she manages to flee to the woods. There she meets the Forest people, a peaceful tribe of misfits and people who are gifted, just like Siena is.
Plot wise, I loved the feeling this book created. The Foresthome seemed like such a nice place and its inhabitants were so unique and intresting. The Gifted all had very intriguing abilites, with my favourite definitely being Remi's, he could camouflage himself as easily as a chameleon! The story progressed so smoothly and I loved that everything seemed to be evolving organically, nothing felt forced or out of place.
Character wise, Siena was a very down to earth girl, with a very nice personality. Despite being a slave for most of her life, she treated the Forest people with kindness and respect and was completely enarmored with their way of life, after being eith them for a couple of days. I really liked and admired her, and I can't wait to read more of her adventures!
I also loved Remi and Siena's relationship! He's so sweet to her and it's a bit funny how clueless she is sometimes, regarding love and those type of feelings! There was a very slight love triangle for a short period of time and, usually I'm not a big fan of them, but that particular one helped in making Siena realise her true feelings, so I think it was pretty useful for the story!
All in all, "Siena" is a very enjoyable read! I liked the tribes and the whole setting and it has intresting and relatable characters, which I believe is incredibly important for a good book!
This is probably the best book I read in 2018. No kidding. It elicited solid reactions from me, there were times where I'd almost shout at the book or others when I had to restrain myself and not throw the book across the room. Not because it was bad, but because I was so into the story and the events that when something big happened, I couldn't take it! So if you ask me whether I recommend this book or not, my answer is "hell yeah"! Be prepared to feel confusion, anger, sorrow and overall excitement about this story. Nathan Hill really knows what he's doing, every major and minor character is written so well, that you don't feel bored for even a second!
Samuel is a college professor that has his life not figured out at all. His mother left him when he was a child and he never really recovered, he has no chance to win the love of his life over and he loathes his job. So one day, a lawyer calls to say that his mother attacked a politician and really needs his help. Samuel can't help but visit her and he leaves with more questions than answers. In an attempt to write a book about her, he takes a crazy journey to his and his mother past, trying to find the root of all their mishaps.
I had no favourite character in this book. None. But there were three characters that I loathe with all my heart! First and foremost, we have Faye's father. I knew something was fishy about him and the further into the book we got, my sucpisions where coming true. In the end, just a few pages before we learn his life story, I thought that maybe I was wrong and he could be redeemed, but no! My hatred was simply solidified after reading about his life before he had Faye and I believe that he truly is a bad person, not a person made bad because of circumstance. Next on my list is Officer Charlie Brown, who destroyed Faye's life simply because he was an obsessive and lust-driven man, borderline crazy, filled with hatred about a girl he didn't actually know. Just because he didn't want to return back to his boring, stupid family, he had to completely change Faye's future! I think he got what he deserved though and very early on! Last but not least, we have dear Bishop Fall, who even though I sympathasized with, as he went through a lot as a kid, I completely lost it when I read the letter he left for Samuel. I closed the book at that point, because Samuel's decision was so obvious and I hated Bishop for making him do that, even though he knew that it was killing Samuel inside.
Regarding the previous paragraph, I've left things quite vague on purpose, since I don't want to spoil anything from the book, as I believe it should be read with as little information as possible. Another aspect I really liked is how every character was so well rounded and you could sense that Hill had a very specific plan in his mind about them, he wasn't just throwing characters in the book to fill a blank space.
All in all, The Nix is an amazing book that had me thinking about it long after I finished it. I love books that not only make me think, but also make me react to the plot, as I believe it's quite difficult to elicit a proper reaction from a reader that's more than a frown or a smile. This book has the ability to completely engorss you in its story and I think it's going to be loved by many in the years to come.
Samuel is a college professor that has his life not figured out at all. His mother left him when he was a child and he never really recovered, he has no chance to win the love of his life over and he loathes his job. So one day, a lawyer calls to say that his mother attacked a politician and really needs his help. Samuel can't help but visit her and he leaves with more questions than answers. In an attempt to write a book about her, he takes a crazy journey to his and his mother past, trying to find the root of all their mishaps.
I had no favourite character in this book. None. But there were three characters that I loathe with all my heart! First and foremost, we have Faye's father. I knew something was fishy about him and the further into the book we got, my sucpisions where coming true. In the end, just a few pages before we learn his life story, I thought that maybe I was wrong and he could be redeemed, but no! My hatred was simply solidified after reading about his life before he had Faye and I believe that he truly is a bad person, not a person made bad because of circumstance. Next on my list is Officer Charlie Brown, who destroyed Faye's life simply because he was an obsessive and lust-driven man, borderline crazy, filled with hatred about a girl he didn't actually know. Just because he didn't want to return back to his boring, stupid family, he had to completely change Faye's future! I think he got what he deserved though and very early on! Last but not least, we have dear Bishop Fall, who even though I sympathasized with, as he went through a lot as a kid, I completely lost it when I read the letter he left for Samuel. I closed the book at that point, because Samuel's decision was so obvious and I hated Bishop for making him do that, even though he knew that it was killing Samuel inside.
Regarding the previous paragraph, I've left things quite vague on purpose, since I don't want to spoil anything from the book, as I believe it should be read with as little information as possible. Another aspect I really liked is how every character was so well rounded and you could sense that Hill had a very specific plan in his mind about them, he wasn't just throwing characters in the book to fill a blank space.
All in all, The Nix is an amazing book that had me thinking about it long after I finished it. I love books that not only make me think, but also make me react to the plot, as I believe it's quite difficult to elicit a proper reaction from a reader that's more than a frown or a smile. This book has the ability to completely engorss you in its story and I think it's going to be loved by many in the years to come.
*Thank you Net Galley and Tiffany Reisz for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review*
I will have to admit that erotic books are not my go-to options, but I thought I'd venture out of my comfort zone and read "The Chateau". Overall, I have to say that it is quite an enjoyable read, with intresting plot and intriguing charatcters!
Plot wise, I was very eager to see what would Kingsley eventually do, because he seemed completely transfixed by the mysterious world of the chateau and that was clouding his judgement. I liked the fact that we learned a lot about his past, it helped me understand him and his motives better. Also, I found the insipiration for the chateau (which is the "Book of O") to be very alluring and the way the chateau worked was a genius interpretention of the book!
Character wise, my favourite character has to be Madame! She was so secretive adn had a dark past and I admired the way she run the whole place.
Regarding Kingsley, at first I wasn't really sure whether I liked him or not. He was made out to be this cocky, over-confident and sexy special operative and I was waiting fro him to prove himself, I didn't want to base my opinion on a third party's description of him. Eventually towards the end of the book, I managed to warm up to him!
All in all, "The Chateau" is a riveting story with many twists and turns! If I had to choose my favourite thing about it, that would be that variety of characters and character development. With that being said, I recommend this book to anyone out there who's intrested in that kind of story!
I will have to admit that erotic books are not my go-to options, but I thought I'd venture out of my comfort zone and read "The Chateau". Overall, I have to say that it is quite an enjoyable read, with intresting plot and intriguing charatcters!
Plot wise, I was very eager to see what would Kingsley eventually do, because he seemed completely transfixed by the mysterious world of the chateau and that was clouding his judgement. I liked the fact that we learned a lot about his past, it helped me understand him and his motives better. Also, I found the insipiration for the chateau (which is the "Book of O") to be very alluring and the way the chateau worked was a genius interpretention of the book!
Character wise, my favourite character has to be Madame! She was so secretive adn had a dark past and I admired the way she run the whole place.
Regarding Kingsley, at first I wasn't really sure whether I liked him or not. He was made out to be this cocky, over-confident and sexy special operative and I was waiting fro him to prove himself, I didn't want to base my opinion on a third party's description of him. Eventually towards the end of the book, I managed to warm up to him!
All in all, "The Chateau" is a riveting story with many twists and turns! If I had to choose my favourite thing about it, that would be that variety of characters and character development. With that being said, I recommend this book to anyone out there who's intrested in that kind of story!
*Thank you Net Galley and B.A. Williamson for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review*
I really really loved this book! I had no set expectations going in, but the writing really grabbed me from the first pages! I know that you may be wondering, why an adult would read a children’s book? Well, if every children’s book was as good as this one, more adults would read them!
The plot was fast, with the right amount of adventure and humour and with very nice vocabulary, which is something I always look for in children’s book especially. I believe that when a kid reads a book he ought to have fun, but he also ought to learn something from it, whether that’s the moral of the story or the chance to expand his vocabulary.
Gwendolyn and Sparrow were my two favourite characters in the book, they were funny, adorable and fearless and overall, I loved them so much! Sparrow made my laugh countless times with his antics and as an older sister myself, I could really relate with Starling’s (Sparrow’s older sister) exasperation regarding him!
“The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray” is the kind of book I wish I read when I was 11, because I found Gwendolyn very similar to myself when I was her age. I loved the message of the book, how it tells you that no one’s weird and having traits that separate you from the group, doesn’t mean you are abnormal or an oddity.
Summing up, I urge everyone with a younger sibling or any parent to gift this book to their loved ones. It is and amazing adventure, filled with many twists and exciting themes, like pirates and airborne ship battles, which are sure to enchant any child!
I really really loved this book! I had no set expectations going in, but the writing really grabbed me from the first pages! I know that you may be wondering, why an adult would read a children’s book? Well, if every children’s book was as good as this one, more adults would read them!
The plot was fast, with the right amount of adventure and humour and with very nice vocabulary, which is something I always look for in children’s book especially. I believe that when a kid reads a book he ought to have fun, but he also ought to learn something from it, whether that’s the moral of the story or the chance to expand his vocabulary.
Gwendolyn and Sparrow were my two favourite characters in the book, they were funny, adorable and fearless and overall, I loved them so much! Sparrow made my laugh countless times with his antics and as an older sister myself, I could really relate with Starling’s (Sparrow’s older sister) exasperation regarding him!
“The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray” is the kind of book I wish I read when I was 11, because I found Gwendolyn very similar to myself when I was her age. I loved the message of the book, how it tells you that no one’s weird and having traits that separate you from the group, doesn’t mean you are abnormal or an oddity.
Summing up, I urge everyone with a younger sibling or any parent to gift this book to their loved ones. It is and amazing adventure, filled with many twists and exciting themes, like pirates and airborne ship battles, which are sure to enchant any child!
*Thank you Voracious Readers and Brian Paone for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review*
My general impression of the book is that it has an interesting theme and that I would love it way more if it managed to convince me about everything that happened in it more. If the plot is convincing enough, I can believe even the most outrageous thing and go with it. But this book didn't manage to convince me about almost anything, if everything is justified properly... Most importantly the character motive's and their ever-changing opinions, especially Jeff, not only I couldn't figure him out, but he also outraged me at some points!
Now that we touched Jeff, let's talk a bit more about him. at first I was on his team, because he was stranded in a different year thanks to his cruel great-great-grandson and he was trying to find his way home. Understandable. But then, he started supposedly having feelings for J0 (the robot that looks like his wife) and starting trusting her more and he eventually develop feelings about her! But it was not justified! At all! One minute he was talking about time travel and then he was like: "I think J0 is changed, I think I love her, do I really want to go back to Julie?" What the heck dude?
The next topic is the million music references. And I'm not exaggerating. It felt like a trip down to memory lane that although I enjoyed, didn't feel like it fit well with the whole theme of the book. It felt a little bit forced for me... What more, there was an ongoing pattern where jeff would see his wife Julie in his dream, every single night. Like literally every night. The first two times I though it was pretty clever, but then it became pretty tiring.
Summing up, "Yours Truly, 2095" is a book with great potential and a very interesting theme, that I believe could have been executed a little bit more effortlessly.
My general impression of the book is that it has an interesting theme and that I would love it way more if it managed to convince me about everything that happened in it more. If the plot is convincing enough, I can believe even the most outrageous thing and go with it. But this book didn't manage to convince me about almost anything, if everything is justified properly... Most importantly the character motive's and their ever-changing opinions, especially Jeff, not only I couldn't figure him out, but he also outraged me at some points!
Now that we touched Jeff, let's talk a bit more about him. at first I was on his team, because he was stranded in a different year thanks to his cruel great-great-grandson and he was trying to find his way home. Understandable. But then, he started supposedly having feelings for J0 (the robot that looks like his wife) and starting trusting her more and he eventually develop feelings about her! But it was not justified! At all! One minute he was talking about time travel and then he was like: "I think J0 is changed, I think I love her, do I really want to go back to Julie?" What the heck dude?
The next topic is the million music references. And I'm not exaggerating. It felt like a trip down to memory lane that although I enjoyed, didn't feel like it fit well with the whole theme of the book. It felt a little bit forced for me... What more, there was an ongoing pattern where jeff would see his wife Julie in his dream, every single night. Like literally every night. The first two times I though it was pretty clever, but then it became pretty tiring.
Summing up, "Yours Truly, 2095" is a book with great potential and a very interesting theme, that I believe could have been executed a little bit more effortlessly.
*Thak you Voracious Readers and Elizabeth Stevens for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review*
I have to admit I had high expectations for this book! What I mean with that is that I wasn't expecting to be anything close to Austen's work, but I was expecting to find all the characters I already love in a new background, but with the same personalities in the original book. "Netherfield Prep" managed to live up to my expectations and I devoured the book in two days' time!
I won't say that there weren't some things that I didn't particularly like, but I won't focus on them, because overall I really enjoyed the book. There's one thing that I want to point out though. Lily is extremely liked by everyone and also everyone seems to be attracted to her! If I remember correctly, there are 4 boys in total that fall in love with her and I thought that it feels a bit too much and a bit unrealistic. It's like there weren't other girls in that school and everyone loved Lily as soon as she came in and all the boys were in her feet, begging her to spend some time with them.
My favourite character has to be Jax, he was simply the cutest little bean ever! He's relationship with Anne and I think it really captured Bingley and Jane's relationship. he was so spontaneous and fun, the total opposite of his moody brother. Together they had the funniest exchanges, with Jax trying to get Austin to loosen up and Austin being the ever sarcastic teenager!
The book is written in two different POV's. It interchanges between Lily and Austin and it's something I really liked, because it gives us insight in both their views of the same event and we can understand better what they think of each other. I also liked their relationship a lot and I'm so glad because Elizabeth and Darcy are my favourite and I wanted to love them in this reimagining too!
All in all, "Netherfield Prep" is a very good reimagining of "Pride and Prejudice" that I read as fast as I could, since I wanted to see how the events would unfold next! Even though I knew the plot and how it would end, that didn't lessen my enthusiasm for the book at all!!
I have to admit I had high expectations for this book! What I mean with that is that I wasn't expecting to be anything close to Austen's work, but I was expecting to find all the characters I already love in a new background, but with the same personalities in the original book. "Netherfield Prep" managed to live up to my expectations and I devoured the book in two days' time!
I won't say that there weren't some things that I didn't particularly like, but I won't focus on them, because overall I really enjoyed the book. There's one thing that I want to point out though. Lily is extremely liked by everyone and also everyone seems to be attracted to her! If I remember correctly, there are 4 boys in total that fall in love with her and I thought that it feels a bit too much and a bit unrealistic. It's like there weren't other girls in that school and everyone loved Lily as soon as she came in and all the boys were in her feet, begging her to spend some time with them.
My favourite character has to be Jax, he was simply the cutest little bean ever! He's relationship with Anne and I think it really captured Bingley and Jane's relationship. he was so spontaneous and fun, the total opposite of his moody brother. Together they had the funniest exchanges, with Jax trying to get Austin to loosen up and Austin being the ever sarcastic teenager!
The book is written in two different POV's. It interchanges between Lily and Austin and it's something I really liked, because it gives us insight in both their views of the same event and we can understand better what they think of each other. I also liked their relationship a lot and I'm so glad because Elizabeth and Darcy are my favourite and I wanted to love them in this reimagining too!
All in all, "Netherfield Prep" is a very good reimagining of "Pride and Prejudice" that I read as fast as I could, since I wanted to see how the events would unfold next! Even though I knew the plot and how it would end, that didn't lessen my enthusiasm for the book at all!!
*Thank you NetGalley and Karen Gregory for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review*
This is the first LGBTQ+ novel I've ever read and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was pretty fresh and it really dealt with the struggles gay people encounter when their close ones and society in general, doesn't approve of their relationship.
The way the divide between middle and upper classes was portrayed was pretty nice and well thought out. Nothing was exactly as it appeared, every situation had more than one layer and the girls' perspectives were very well examined and explained. Also, what I liked bout this book is how organically everything unfolded. It didn't feel rushed and on the same time, it didn't fell like it was taking ages for the story to progress.
Lastly, I loved the love story a lot! I think this book paves the way for f/f relationships, as it portrays Joni and Annabel's relationship in a sweet, yet realistic way. The author doesn't shy away from the hardships gay people experience and how they are not able to live freely and love whoever they want. I think it's important to have more books like this out there, that not only are a comfort to gay people, but also act as an information source to everyone who's interested to familiarize himself with that topic.
This is the first LGBTQ+ novel I've ever read and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was pretty fresh and it really dealt with the struggles gay people encounter when their close ones and society in general, doesn't approve of their relationship.
The way the divide between middle and upper classes was portrayed was pretty nice and well thought out. Nothing was exactly as it appeared, every situation had more than one layer and the girls' perspectives were very well examined and explained. Also, what I liked bout this book is how organically everything unfolded. It didn't feel rushed and on the same time, it didn't fell like it was taking ages for the story to progress.
Lastly, I loved the love story a lot! I think this book paves the way for f/f relationships, as it portrays Joni and Annabel's relationship in a sweet, yet realistic way. The author doesn't shy away from the hardships gay people experience and how they are not able to live freely and love whoever they want. I think it's important to have more books like this out there, that not only are a comfort to gay people, but also act as an information source to everyone who's interested to familiarize himself with that topic.
*Thank you Voracious Readers and Daccari Buchelli for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review*
Okay, I have two major problems with this book. The first is the utter and complete lack of world-building. We learn that there are four magical realms, but that's it. No specific information about the creatures that live in each of them, no talk about what abilities, laws, style of life they have. Nothing.
The second is the fact that the main characters (Violetta and Ryore) are stupid. Especially Violetta, I've never met a character who makes so many stupid decisions in one book! She's completely immature and I'll prove it in the following paragraphs.
Let's talk a bit about Ryore. Ryore Frost is the King of the Frost Realm and is completely infatuated with Violetta and will stop at nothing to marry her. Let's now address why he's stupid.
1.He sees Violetta once and falls so completely in love that he can't help himself but have her.
2.On a ball in Violetta's honor, his brother's fiance tries to kill Violetta. Does he even try to arrest the girl? NO!
3.On his wedding with Violetta he suspects that his brother and his fiance along with Arlas (who's the prince of the Air realm and conspires with Ryore's brother and his mistress) are going to try to kill her AGAIN. Does he make any move to avert that from happening? NO!
4. When they indeed sabotage the wedding, does he arrest them? NO!
5. When Ryore and Violetta are struggling with infertility, Ryore takes his brother's advice to make a ritual with a magical being. WHO TAKES ADVICE FROM THE PERSON THAT TRIED REPEATEDLY TO KILL HIS WIFE? Ryore apparently thinks it's a good idea to trust him, so he ends up stripped of his powers, BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A TRAP!
Now moving on to darling Violetta, who's supposed to be the main protagonist and she ends up becoming the Phoenix who saves herself and everyone else. Let's examine why she is the most immature person on this whole book. Note that there is an attempted love triangle between Violetta, Xyhoni and Ryore. I'll get back to in a second.
1. She meets Ryore only once and they don't even converse for 2 minutes, before her father takes her away. Then her father explains to her that she cannot marry him, because he is the Frost King and she's going to become the Fire Queen. But Violetta acts like a spoilt child and storms off. Then in her room she contemplates how amazing a conversationalist Ryore is! BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN TALK!
2. Violetta decides that her freedom is above all duties. So she abdicates her throne and decides that marrying the king of the neighboring realm is the best option. She thinks that she'll leave all the work to Ryore, while she will be lounging in bed all day, being "free"!
3. Ryore and Violetta are courting while engaged and Violetta isn't so sure about how fast they should be moving, and then barely three lines later, she asks Ryore to take her here and there. LIke, girl, weren't you saying a millisecond ago that you think it's best to go slow?
4. Violetta cannot produce an heir to the throne and Ryore starts abusing her because of that. Then she wonders, if she should have waited and get to know him better before they were married! Girl, you though he was a great conversationalist because he f*** greeted you at the ball, I didn't expect anything more from you!
5. The moment, THE EXACT MOMENT, things go awry with Ryore, Violetta starts thinking about Xyhoni (a family friend) and how nice it would be if she was with him.
6. The moment, THE EXACT MOMENT, Ryore is killed, Violetta is wondering what it would be like to be kissed by Xyhoni.
7. The moment, THE EXACT MOMENT, Violetta returns home, she nearly on top of Xyhoni, wondering when will it be right for them to be together, CONSIDERING HER HUSBAND JUST DIED.
I could be ranting hours about Ryore and Violetta, especially Violetta. I think she's a character that doesn't deserve to be a protagonist in the series, because she has almost no good qualities about her. The book will completely infuriate anyone who's read proper fantasy books before, because the plot is inconsistent and the characters seem to do things just because it helps the plot, not because their personality demands it.
Okay, I have two major problems with this book. The first is the utter and complete lack of world-building. We learn that there are four magical realms, but that's it. No specific information about the creatures that live in each of them, no talk about what abilities, laws, style of life they have. Nothing.
The second is the fact that the main characters (Violetta and Ryore) are stupid. Especially Violetta, I've never met a character who makes so many stupid decisions in one book! She's completely immature and I'll prove it in the following paragraphs.
Let's talk a bit about Ryore. Ryore Frost is the King of the Frost Realm and is completely infatuated with Violetta and will stop at nothing to marry her. Let's now address why he's stupid.
1.He sees Violetta once and falls so completely in love that he can't help himself but have her.
2.On a ball in Violetta's honor, his brother's fiance tries to kill Violetta. Does he even try to arrest the girl? NO!
3.On his wedding with Violetta he suspects that his brother and his fiance along with Arlas (who's the prince of the Air realm and conspires with Ryore's brother and his mistress) are going to try to kill her AGAIN. Does he make any move to avert that from happening? NO!
4. When they indeed sabotage the wedding, does he arrest them? NO!
5. When Ryore and Violetta are struggling with infertility, Ryore takes his brother's advice to make a ritual with a magical being. WHO TAKES ADVICE FROM THE PERSON THAT TRIED REPEATEDLY TO KILL HIS WIFE? Ryore apparently thinks it's a good idea to trust him, so he ends up stripped of his powers, BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A TRAP!
Now moving on to darling Violetta, who's supposed to be the main protagonist and she ends up becoming the Phoenix who saves herself and everyone else. Let's examine why she is the most immature person on this whole book. Note that there is an attempted love triangle between Violetta, Xyhoni and Ryore. I'll get back to in a second.
1. She meets Ryore only once and they don't even converse for 2 minutes, before her father takes her away. Then her father explains to her that she cannot marry him, because he is the Frost King and she's going to become the Fire Queen. But Violetta acts like a spoilt child and storms off. Then in her room she contemplates how amazing a conversationalist Ryore is! BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN TALK!
2. Violetta decides that her freedom is above all duties. So she abdicates her throne and decides that marrying the king of the neighboring realm is the best option. She thinks that she'll leave all the work to Ryore, while she will be lounging in bed all day, being "free"!
3. Ryore and Violetta are courting while engaged and Violetta isn't so sure about how fast they should be moving, and then barely three lines later, she asks Ryore to take her here and there. LIke, girl, weren't you saying a millisecond ago that you think it's best to go slow?
4. Violetta cannot produce an heir to the throne and Ryore starts abusing her because of that. Then she wonders, if she should have waited and get to know him better before they were married! Girl, you though he was a great conversationalist because he f*** greeted you at the ball, I didn't expect anything more from you!
5. The moment, THE EXACT MOMENT, things go awry with Ryore, Violetta starts thinking about Xyhoni (a family friend) and how nice it would be if she was with him.
6. The moment, THE EXACT MOMENT, Ryore is killed, Violetta is wondering what it would be like to be kissed by Xyhoni.
7. The moment, THE EXACT MOMENT, Violetta returns home, she nearly on top of Xyhoni, wondering when will it be right for them to be together, CONSIDERING HER HUSBAND JUST DIED.
I could be ranting hours about Ryore and Violetta, especially Violetta. I think she's a character that doesn't deserve to be a protagonist in the series, because she has almost no good qualities about her. The book will completely infuriate anyone who's read proper fantasy books before, because the plot is inconsistent and the characters seem to do things just because it helps the plot, not because their personality demands it.