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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Ruthless Magic is a lot of fun and has some really great characters. A brief overview of the book is young magic users are either accepted by the Confederation or not. The ones who aren't can accept being dampened (losing their powers) or take the exam to become a Champion. As one would expect, the exam is not a straightforward test and pits students against various trials of magic, and very dangerous ones at that.
The story follows two main protagonists, Finn and Rocio, and alternates views each chapter. I was worried Finn would be the great White hope, a magic user who is struggling to accept that his family name alone with get him accepted considering his magic is very weak. Thankfully this is not the case, where the super powerful magic user is the young Latina, Rocio. I absolutely loved her, and I loved her outlook on everything. Considering she is considered new magic, and not trusted by the Confederation, it was nice to see how she handles the various situations without being the stereotypical "fiery" Latina role we see too often.
The book had a mix of predictability and some surprising twists. Considering all the young magic users are tossed together, you knew some of the character archetypes to expect. The bully, the person who finally has no one holding them back, the paranoid, etc. The twists were well done, and for the most part unexpected. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I'll just say those in charge of the exams are twisted bastards.
The ending of the book sets up the sequel, without being an in your face cliffhanger. I definitely can not wait for the second in the series, and this is easily a new favorite. Highly recommended.
Ruthless Magic is a lot of fun and has some really great characters. A brief overview of the book is young magic users are either accepted by the Confederation or not. The ones who aren't can accept being dampened (losing their powers) or take the exam to become a Champion. As one would expect, the exam is not a straightforward test and pits students against various trials of magic, and very dangerous ones at that.
The story follows two main protagonists, Finn and Rocio, and alternates views each chapter. I was worried Finn would be the great White hope, a magic user who is struggling to accept that his family name alone with get him accepted considering his magic is very weak. Thankfully this is not the case, where the super powerful magic user is the young Latina, Rocio. I absolutely loved her, and I loved her outlook on everything. Considering she is considered new magic, and not trusted by the Confederation, it was nice to see how she handles the various situations without being the stereotypical "fiery" Latina role we see too often.
The book had a mix of predictability and some surprising twists. Considering all the young magic users are tossed together, you knew some of the character archetypes to expect. The bully, the person who finally has no one holding them back, the paranoid, etc. The twists were well done, and for the most part unexpected. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I'll just say those in charge of the exams are twisted bastards.
The ending of the book sets up the sequel, without being an in your face cliffhanger. I definitely can not wait for the second in the series, and this is easily a new favorite. Highly recommended.
Cute and definitely creepy middle-grade story about a girl and her ghost that encounter other ghosts. Really enjoyed the back stories and the ghosts they encountered. Also Harry Potter fans will love the constant nods to the series. Honestly can't wait for the next adventure.
K-pop, Gumihos, ghosts, psychics, and more? Freaking amazing. Not to mention the book isn't scared to approach problems within the Korean entertainment industry.
Loved it!
Loved it!
Been branching out to more light novels lately, and this one is really good. It is super chill and funny. Very little action, and mostly slice of life in a fantasy setting. I am definitely continuing this series going forward. It is a nice break from other books I've been reading.
I absolutely loved Warcross. The virtual world that was created, the competitive sport that was spawned form it. Sadly Wildcard doesn't hold up to the greatness of the first book. It's got some odd pacing, and sometimes I felt like I was reading sentences that were trying to mimic how movie screens play out on screen. The sport is also pretty non-existent in this sequel as well. The twists and turns are many, and probably the best part if not a bit cliche. While reading I was shocked at times, but looking back I probably shouldn't have been as surprised. It followed a specific formula seen many times before. It is still a fun ride to cap off the story and get some closure on everything, but I must say I'm sad it ended this way. Normally I round up if I think a book is a 3.5, but I don't think a 4 feels honest.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for this honest review
I flew through this book in one sitting. Sky had me hooked from the get go. She shares a lot of similarities to Pearl, the main character of Durst's novel Drink, Slay, Love. I just loved how she is easy to connect and is legit funny. Durst does a great job all around with nailing quick humor in, even during tense situations. That is never an easy thing to do. I'd find myself tense one moment waiting for the next moment, but laughing at a quick quip.
The story is mostly fast paced and fun, with my biggest issue coming from around the halfway point after Sky's first heist. The pacing slows down a little and I found myself getting a little bored even though much of what was going is relevant to the story.
Durst also does the relationships between characters really well. You can truly feel the connections between Sky and everyone around her. Finally, the whole idea of Wyverns/were-dragons is so damn fun in this novel, and I now want more of this in my life.
If you liked Drink, Slay, Love, well I can't recommend Fire & Heist enough. It's a great one off story that is perfect for a single sitting. It provides great banter, relationships, and action. It also has a nice message to wrap it all up.
I give Fire & Heist a 4.25 out of 5, and I wouldn't mind more of Sky to return in the future.
I flew through this book in one sitting. Sky had me hooked from the get go. She shares a lot of similarities to Pearl, the main character of Durst's novel Drink, Slay, Love. I just loved how she is easy to connect and is legit funny. Durst does a great job all around with nailing quick humor in, even during tense situations. That is never an easy thing to do. I'd find myself tense one moment waiting for the next moment, but laughing at a quick quip.
The story is mostly fast paced and fun, with my biggest issue coming from around the halfway point after Sky's first heist. The pacing slows down a little and I found myself getting a little bored even though much of what was going is relevant to the story.
Durst also does the relationships between characters really well. You can truly feel the connections between Sky and everyone around her. Finally, the whole idea of Wyverns/were-dragons is so damn fun in this novel, and I now want more of this in my life.
If you liked Drink, Slay, Love, well I can't recommend Fire & Heist enough. It's a great one off story that is perfect for a single sitting. It provides great banter, relationships, and action. It also has a nice message to wrap it all up.
I give Fire & Heist a 4.25 out of 5, and I wouldn't mind more of Sky to return in the future.
This was the most twisted rom-com I've read, and I need more of it. lol
A bunch of murderer's in a "reform school" and its a rom-com... what!?!? I need to get Volume 2 soon! lol
A bunch of murderer's in a "reform school" and its a rom-com... what!?!? I need to get Volume 2 soon! lol
Having a hard time deciding how to rate this one. There are some really good things about this book, and then some things that I found a bit on the meh side. I like Jacob and Emma as characters, and Millard was funny. I like the overall aesthetic and settings of the story. I think the premise is interesting and I kept wanting to know more about Miss Peregrine and the children.
As for what I was meh about. The strained relationship of Jacob and his parents felt forced, especially with his father. The pictures didn't really do it for me as I expected them to have more impact. The pacing during the beginning and middle of the book at times felt choppy.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I'll be giving this a three star rating. I'm intrigued enough that I will continue the series to see if it gets better with the second book.
Side note: Comparisons to X-Men feels so cheap from other reviews I read. "They have powers and are in a home, so X-MEN!" Like try a little harder, but then again I find a lot of people use cheap comparisons a little too often in their reviews.
As for what I was meh about. The strained relationship of Jacob and his parents felt forced, especially with his father. The pictures didn't really do it for me as I expected them to have more impact. The pacing during the beginning and middle of the book at times felt choppy.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I'll be giving this a three star rating. I'm intrigued enough that I will continue the series to see if it gets better with the second book.
Side note: Comparisons to X-Men feels so cheap from other reviews I read. "They have powers and are in a home, so X-MEN!" Like try a little harder, but then again I find a lot of people use cheap comparisons a little too often in their reviews.
This novella has an interesting concept, but only a decent execution. 2.5 out 5.
