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heartbrekker's Reviews (797)
3.5
A quick read that really flew by, and by quickly, I mean maybe a bit TOO fast for my taste.
I really think I didn't get much time to truly connect with Cassidy and the other characters. I also didn't feel much horror or suspense throughout the novel.
The plot was incredibly fascinating. I adored how Victoria added this lore to the story in terms of the villain, which made the experience more palpable. It was nerve wracking to learn her backstory and then see their acts because of their wrongdoings.
I honestly believe I'm not a middle grade fan because I do love the tones and atmosphere of YA and Adult lit, so this may just be a cautionary tale for me in the inevitable future.
A quick read that really flew by, and by quickly, I mean maybe a bit TOO fast for my taste.
I really think I didn't get much time to truly connect with Cassidy and the other characters. I also didn't feel much horror or suspense throughout the novel.
The plot was incredibly fascinating. I adored how Victoria added this lore to the story in terms of the villain, which made the experience more palpable. It was nerve wracking to learn her backstory and then see their acts because of their wrongdoings.
I honestly believe I'm not a middle grade fan because I do love the tones and atmosphere of YA and Adult lit, so this may just be a cautionary tale for me in the inevitable future.
I really should've DNFed this book, but I have the greatest qualms in doing so.
I was just taken aback with how disappointing it was for me, which was incredibly sad considering the fact that it was one of my most anticipated.
I was just taken aback with how disappointing it was for me, which was incredibly sad considering the fact that it was one of my most anticipated.
“Today is done, the time has come for little birds to fly. Tomorrow is near, the time is here for old crows to die.”
Ash Princess has a lot of depth to it. It holds a realism to how prisoners of war and conquered people are treated. It’s not pretty. It hurts to read, but I found it to be done incredibly well. Do not go into this story expecting a relief because it is gruesomely dark and upsetting, but at the same time, I really love the hope the author weaves into the story. It’s powerful.
Theo is a complex character that at first struggles between staying weak, since it is easier due to her situation, and becoming the queen she was meant to be. Those contrasting sides to her were one of my favorite parts to the story. She makes tons of mistakes and tons of errors in her journey to finding a semblance of her wants/ sense of self, but in my opinion, it was realistically done.
Laura adds an amazing eloquence through her writing, and she took the plot places I wasn’t expecting. In this story, I wanted to find a way for some shred of happiness to bloom, but in a cruelty like this- there is no reprieve or at least for very long.
There are trigger warnings for massive abuse, torture, racism, genocide, etc. These elements are important to know going into the story, but I, personally, believe Laura did them right. It wasn’t a trivial usage of these topics.
Now they’re dosages of jokes to counteract the intensity of the story, and it reminds you of how young these characters are. You just want to save Theo and the others from all their pain.
There is representation in this story. The main character and her friends are POC, and there is LGBTQ+ rep too.
Lastly, the political intrigue was STUNNING. I applaud Laura with all the stars on that front.
Ash Princess has a lot of depth to it. It holds a realism to how prisoners of war and conquered people are treated. It’s not pretty. It hurts to read, but I found it to be done incredibly well. Do not go into this story expecting a relief because it is gruesomely dark and upsetting, but at the same time, I really love the hope the author weaves into the story. It’s powerful.
Theo is a complex character that at first struggles between staying weak, since it is easier due to her situation, and becoming the queen she was meant to be. Those contrasting sides to her were one of my favorite parts to the story. She makes tons of mistakes and tons of errors in her journey to finding a semblance of her wants/ sense of self, but in my opinion, it was realistically done.
Laura adds an amazing eloquence through her writing, and she took the plot places I wasn’t expecting. In this story, I wanted to find a way for some shred of happiness to bloom, but in a cruelty like this- there is no reprieve or at least for very long.
There are trigger warnings for massive abuse, torture, racism, genocide, etc. These elements are important to know going into the story, but I, personally, believe Laura did them right. It wasn’t a trivial usage of these topics.
Now they’re dosages of jokes to counteract the intensity of the story, and it reminds you of how young these characters are. You just want to save Theo and the others from all their pain.
There is representation in this story. The main character and her friends are POC, and there is LGBTQ+ rep too.
Lastly, the political intrigue was STUNNING. I applaud Laura with all the stars on that front.
“A person was never truly dead as long as someone, somewhere, remembered them. Memories made you immortal. This is why men went to war.”
TBM was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018, and that stemmed a lot from it being a retelling of Beowulf. I read the original story in my senior English Literature class, and I love this old story of English heroism even amongst all its problems (it’s fun to critique and discuss!).
Sadly, I was ultimately disappointed. There was great female representation in the fact that nearly all the heroes/ villains were female. I felt it was truly genderbent because almost every character is switched besides Hrothgar and his men. I loved how this book showed a nod to strong feminism and womanhood, and it was, quite frankly, beautiful to read.
Now my issues arise with the slow pacing. It felt like I was, at first, dragging my feet, and then it eventually felt as if a snail was moving faster than me. I love details and I love world building, but so many words and moments to me felt irrelevant. Freya is our main character of the group, and she just repeated her thoughts and complaints wayyyy to much for my liking. It started to get a tad old.
Then my skimming began.
I even skimmed handfuls of pages because the details weren’t relevant or at least to me they weren’t. Due to this, I wasn’t able to connect with these characters. Emotional scenes fell flat, and my disappointment just grew greater in me. Characters even made decisions that made no sense to me, and I was left scratching my head. I’m so sad that this book didn’t live up to my expectations, and maybe they were too high to begin with. That could be my issue. I’ll own up to it 100%.
I think this book is the final nail in my coffin that I shouldn’t read classic retellings. First it was The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein and now it’s The Boneless Mercies. The English major in me needs to stop.
If you decide to pick it up, I hope you enjoy it much more than I did. The writing via pacing just isn’t for me sadly. Though I will say the quotes from this novel are ASTOUNDING
Thanks to FSG/ Macmillan for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
TBM was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018, and that stemmed a lot from it being a retelling of Beowulf. I read the original story in my senior English Literature class, and I love this old story of English heroism even amongst all its problems (it’s fun to critique and discuss!).
Sadly, I was ultimately disappointed. There was great female representation in the fact that nearly all the heroes/ villains were female. I felt it was truly genderbent because almost every character is switched besides Hrothgar and his men. I loved how this book showed a nod to strong feminism and womanhood, and it was, quite frankly, beautiful to read.
Now my issues arise with the slow pacing. It felt like I was, at first, dragging my feet, and then it eventually felt as if a snail was moving faster than me. I love details and I love world building, but so many words and moments to me felt irrelevant. Freya is our main character of the group, and she just repeated her thoughts and complaints wayyyy to much for my liking. It started to get a tad old.
Then my skimming began.
I even skimmed handfuls of pages because the details weren’t relevant or at least to me they weren’t. Due to this, I wasn’t able to connect with these characters. Emotional scenes fell flat, and my disappointment just grew greater in me. Characters even made decisions that made no sense to me, and I was left scratching my head. I’m so sad that this book didn’t live up to my expectations, and maybe they were too high to begin with. That could be my issue. I’ll own up to it 100%.
I think this book is the final nail in my coffin that I shouldn’t read classic retellings. First it was The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein and now it’s The Boneless Mercies. The English major in me needs to stop.
If you decide to pick it up, I hope you enjoy it much more than I did. The writing via pacing just isn’t for me sadly. Though I will say the quotes from this novel are ASTOUNDING
Thanks to FSG/ Macmillan for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.25
It’s been a while since I’ve read anything urban fantasy much less realistic fiction, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this story. It certainly was a surprise.
This book is very short, so I was worried the plot would move too quick. Now my fears were correct in certain situations, but ultimately, it flowed pretty smoothly.
I loved the friendship between Nor and her best friend. They truly reminded me of my best friend and I. Her mature/ realistic relationship with her love interest also added to my enjoyment.
The familial relationships (the good ones) were by far my favorite. Sometimes I forget how powerful family storylines are until a book like this comes along. Nor’s grandmother and those who cared for her really added a depth/ love only a family can give. Obviously, Nor does have a strong family she made on her own through friends, but having the two together in this story was a wonderful thing to read.
I was horrified reading this story. There’s a lot of darkness and a lot of pain.
It discusses heavy topics like parental abuse and self hate/ self harm. It’s something I cannot personally relate too, but I’ve had close friends that have discussed it with me. I think Leslye did a powerful job in writing that part of the book, especially her note at the end, which went into much more detail.
Now my only issues were the slow beginning and a few scenes that felt awkwardly executed. Pacing and emotions are really important to me in books, and those few instances made me get taken out of the experience/ action.
It’s been a while since I’ve read anything urban fantasy much less realistic fiction, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this story. It certainly was a surprise.
This book is very short, so I was worried the plot would move too quick. Now my fears were correct in certain situations, but ultimately, it flowed pretty smoothly.
I loved the friendship between Nor and her best friend. They truly reminded me of my best friend and I. Her mature/ realistic relationship with her love interest also added to my enjoyment.
The familial relationships (the good ones) were by far my favorite. Sometimes I forget how powerful family storylines are until a book like this comes along. Nor’s grandmother and those who cared for her really added a depth/ love only a family can give. Obviously, Nor does have a strong family she made on her own through friends, but having the two together in this story was a wonderful thing to read.
I was horrified reading this story. There’s a lot of darkness and a lot of pain.
It discusses heavy topics like parental abuse and self hate/ self harm. It’s something I cannot personally relate too, but I’ve had close friends that have discussed it with me. I think Leslye did a powerful job in writing that part of the book, especially her note at the end, which went into much more detail.
Now my only issues were the slow beginning and a few scenes that felt awkwardly executed. Pacing and emotions are really important to me in books, and those few instances made me get taken out of the experience/ action.
I’ve tried and failed numerous times to write a review for ARATG, but words seem to fail me whenever I do.
It certainly was worth the long year (and nine months?) wait for its release. You really see the depth and precision within Sabaa’s writing after reading this novel. Her storytelling just blows me away into the space time continuum.
She threw out so many seedlings to her true intentions within the first two novels, and I’d highly recommend rereading them before ARATG. You have the full picture, and it helps to delve through her foreshadowing.
It’s so exciting to see people still posting their thoughts about Reaper even weeks later, and I’m so happy to see people picking up the first book because of the buzz.
Nothing has made me happier than seeing a book deservedly get love and appreciation. There’s a reason my expectations for novels are so high, and it comes down to stories like this one.
If you didn’t already guess, I did give Reaper an “ALL THE STARS” rating. It most definitely is a solid choice for my “Favorite Reads of 2018.”
P.S. Did I mention I cried?
It certainly was worth the long year (and nine months?) wait for its release. You really see the depth and precision within Sabaa’s writing after reading this novel. Her storytelling just blows me away into the space time continuum.
She threw out so many seedlings to her true intentions within the first two novels, and I’d highly recommend rereading them before ARATG. You have the full picture, and it helps to delve through her foreshadowing.
It’s so exciting to see people still posting their thoughts about Reaper even weeks later, and I’m so happy to see people picking up the first book because of the buzz.
Nothing has made me happier than seeing a book deservedly get love and appreciation. There’s a reason my expectations for novels are so high, and it comes down to stories like this one.
If you didn’t already guess, I did give Reaper an “ALL THE STARS” rating. It most definitely is a solid choice for my “Favorite Reads of 2018.”
P.S. Did I mention I cried?
♔
To start off this review I just want to say Samantha Shannon really put her all into this series. I’ve always been impressed by her writing and characters, but this world truly obliterated me in the best way possible.
Second thing. The amount of diversity in this story- sexuality, race, age- is ASTOUNDING. It is beautiful, and I was squawking the entire time with joy. There’s nothing as perfect as a diverse fantasy book, and Samantha brought it ALL.
Third aspect. The world building. AGAIN, WOW. I will recommend you take notes for the first 100ish pages because it can feel overwhelming, but once that 100 page marker hits, everything and everyone makes sense. It’s incredible! The world is one of the most detailed and lush ones I’ve ever read in my life. I’m not exaggerating AT ALL. To me her level of precision and depth really shows her passion for the world/ story and that realization for me made it even better.
Now the characters were phenomenal . Ead was by far my favorite. Her storyline just had me sitting on the edge of my seat either pacing or screaming. I felt ALL the emotions, and to me she felt like a really unique character we don’t see often. She follows her morals/ beliefs very closely, and she’s so confidant in them. Specific scenes especially made me so proud of her. Then of course she’s a perfect morally grey character, which is MY FAVORITE.
Tané is the other POV the synopsis on the back mentions, and she took me more time to warm up to. Once the middle hit, I really did cherish her like treasure. She’s such a strong willed character, and her passion/ drive is amazing. All I wanted to do was tell her that she is enough. What’s great about Tané is that you watch her fall and scream and fight and build and that is how you really fall in love with her character. I need to applaud Samantha for the incredible character development.
They’re two other point of views, but personally, I’d like y’all to go in not knowing about them just like I did. There’s a certain sassy individual who really added SOMETHING to the story haha.
You learn a lot of real life realities in this story. So many events lead to different perspectives and thoughts characters would’ve never come to. That’s just another reason this book is so enchanting and amazing. It’s powerful and sends a message.
BATTLE SCENES. Samantha Shannon is a perfect writer when it comes to battles and fights. It’s as if you’re watching a movie! It was also a sweet detail to see the different fighting styles between characters that were from different regions/ backgrounds.
Slight warning: A lot of characters die in The Priory of the Orange Tree, so be prepared to have your heart RIPPED out A LOT! But in the best way possible because it feels realistic and not overdone in the slightest. No one was safe!
Now there’s a million other aspects I could talk about, but the fantasy/ magic system was incredibly interesting. The folklore and myths especially took all my attention. I’m not really going to say their names or anything because that would be a spoiler I feel haha.
I recommend this book to all of you, and do not let the size intimidate you. I took my slowwww time with this story because I didn’t want it to end. It took me 22 days to read, but I read the last 4/5th’s in about four to five days. It’s the biggest novel I have ever read, and one of my top favorites- not just in terms of this year but of all my read books. I love Samantha’s writing!
To start off this review I just want to say Samantha Shannon really put her all into this series. I’ve always been impressed by her writing and characters, but this world truly obliterated me in the best way possible.
Second thing. The amount of diversity in this story- sexuality, race, age- is ASTOUNDING. It is beautiful, and I was squawking the entire time with joy. There’s nothing as perfect as a diverse fantasy book, and Samantha brought it ALL.
Third aspect. The world building. AGAIN, WOW. I will recommend you take notes for the first 100ish pages because it can feel overwhelming, but once that 100 page marker hits, everything and everyone makes sense. It’s incredible! The world is one of the most detailed and lush ones I’ve ever read in my life. I’m not exaggerating AT ALL. To me her level of precision and depth really shows her passion for the world/ story and that realization for me made it even better.
Now the characters were phenomenal . Ead was by far my favorite. Her storyline just had me sitting on the edge of my seat either pacing or screaming. I felt ALL the emotions, and to me she felt like a really unique character we don’t see often. She follows her morals/ beliefs very closely, and she’s so confidant in them. Specific scenes especially made me so proud of her. Then of course she’s a perfect morally grey character, which is MY FAVORITE.
Tané is the other POV the synopsis on the back mentions, and she took me more time to warm up to. Once the middle hit, I really did cherish her like treasure. She’s such a strong willed character, and her passion/ drive is amazing. All I wanted to do was tell her that she is enough. What’s great about Tané is that you watch her fall and scream and fight and build and that is how you really fall in love with her character. I need to applaud Samantha for the incredible character development.
They’re two other point of views, but personally, I’d like y’all to go in not knowing about them just like I did. There’s a certain sassy individual who really added SOMETHING to the story haha.
You learn a lot of real life realities in this story. So many events lead to different perspectives and thoughts characters would’ve never come to. That’s just another reason this book is so enchanting and amazing. It’s powerful and sends a message.
BATTLE SCENES. Samantha Shannon is a perfect writer when it comes to battles and fights. It’s as if you’re watching a movie! It was also a sweet detail to see the different fighting styles between characters that were from different regions/ backgrounds.
Slight warning: A lot of characters die in The Priory of the Orange Tree, so be prepared to have your heart RIPPED out A LOT! But in the best way possible because it feels realistic and not overdone in the slightest. No one was safe!
Now there’s a million other aspects I could talk about, but the fantasy/ magic system was incredibly interesting. The folklore and myths especially took all my attention. I’m not really going to say their names or anything because that would be a spoiler I feel haha.
I recommend this book to all of you, and do not let the size intimidate you. I took my slowwww time with this story because I didn’t want it to end. It took me 22 days to read, but I read the last 4/5th’s in about four to five days. It’s the biggest novel I have ever read, and one of my top favorites- not just in terms of this year but of all my read books. I love Samantha’s writing!
“But eyes couldn’t stay closed forever, unless one was dead. And the dead never dreamed.”
Hello, hi, Hafsah Faizal has writing like poetry, and no one can tell me otherwise. I tabbed my copy like there was no tomorrow because these quotes shook me to my core or left me thinking deeply about humanity, individuality, etc.
Now let’s get into some favorite parts:
One of the main points of contention within this world is the sexism against women. Women are immediately looked down upon and seen as malevolent if they choose to do typical male jobs/ activities. There’s this deep rooted ideology that these ancient/ magical women destroyed magic and set the world into a chaos of suffering. Jump to present day, the main character Zafira hides her identity as a huntress because it could hurt her loved ones, herself, and women all across the caliphates, but she secretly wishes for recognition. She wishes for the day where she can become her true self and show it to the world. Eventually she is thrown into a quest to bring back magic, and she sees it as her chance to break this stigma against women, as well an opportunity to gain this recognition she so desperately desires.
Then there’s Nasir who is the literal definition of a brooding prince. He’s gone through a lot (hi, brutality didn’t know you’d be showing your face today), and his answer is in obedience and blood. In a world where a once beloved father destroys you limb for limb, what else is there left to do than listen? As humans it is hard to break away from that desire to make your loved ones proud, and Nasir’s journey towards his sense of self is a grueling but necessary event. It’s powerful.
The side characters within this world were a huge 10/10 for me. Altair, specifically, is my favorite character within the entire book because I can’t tell y’all the amount of times I cackled. He has my sass and humor 110%, and he needs to be protected at all costs. Hafsah, for future reference, please don’t destroy my heart in destroying him. I really don’t think I can take losing him anytime within this series.
Yasmin, Zafira’s best friend, is another character that really stands out. She’s the foil to Zafira because she takes strength in her femininity while Zafira shies away from hers. She isn’t in much of WHTF, but I can’t wait to see her role in the sequel.
Lastly, WHTF teaches us to be ourselves and not those others want us to be. We only have one life, and it’s meant for our choices. Also to want more in life is perfectly human. It seems a trend in our lives as humans to shy away from recognition and pride in our deeds, but I think Hafsah shows us through these characters that is okay to do that. We’re made to feel less and immoral if our deeds weren’t purely for others, but most humans aren’t like that. We’re built of a complexity no one understands but us, and we have emotions at a range of a thousand. Nothing is purely one feeling. I honestly don’t know if I’m describing this right, but it’s impactful in WHTF. Hafsah is a million times better at describing this idea.
The story’s barely begun but already so many pieces are set in motion. Hafsah is a detail extraordinaire, and I cannot wait to see where she takes this wondrous story next.
Thank you Macmillan for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hello, hi, Hafsah Faizal has writing like poetry, and no one can tell me otherwise. I tabbed my copy like there was no tomorrow because these quotes shook me to my core or left me thinking deeply about humanity, individuality, etc.
Now let’s get into some favorite parts:
One of the main points of contention within this world is the sexism against women. Women are immediately looked down upon and seen as malevolent if they choose to do typical male jobs/ activities. There’s this deep rooted ideology that these ancient/ magical women destroyed magic and set the world into a chaos of suffering. Jump to present day, the main character Zafira hides her identity as a huntress because it could hurt her loved ones, herself, and women all across the caliphates, but she secretly wishes for recognition. She wishes for the day where she can become her true self and show it to the world. Eventually she is thrown into a quest to bring back magic, and she sees it as her chance to break this stigma against women, as well an opportunity to gain this recognition she so desperately desires.
Then there’s Nasir who is the literal definition of a brooding prince. He’s gone through a lot (hi, brutality didn’t know you’d be showing your face today), and his answer is in obedience and blood. In a world where a once beloved father destroys you limb for limb, what else is there left to do than listen? As humans it is hard to break away from that desire to make your loved ones proud, and Nasir’s journey towards his sense of self is a grueling but necessary event. It’s powerful.
The side characters within this world were a huge 10/10 for me. Altair, specifically, is my favorite character within the entire book because I can’t tell y’all the amount of times I cackled. He has my sass and humor 110%, and he needs to be protected at all costs. Hafsah, for future reference, please don’t destroy my heart in destroying him. I really don’t think I can take losing him anytime within this series.
Yasmin, Zafira’s best friend, is another character that really stands out. She’s the foil to Zafira because she takes strength in her femininity while Zafira shies away from hers. She isn’t in much of WHTF, but I can’t wait to see her role in the sequel.
Lastly, WHTF teaches us to be ourselves and not those others want us to be. We only have one life, and it’s meant for our choices. Also to want more in life is perfectly human. It seems a trend in our lives as humans to shy away from recognition and pride in our deeds, but I think Hafsah shows us through these characters that is okay to do that. We’re made to feel less and immoral if our deeds weren’t purely for others, but most humans aren’t like that. We’re built of a complexity no one understands but us, and we have emotions at a range of a thousand. Nothing is purely one feeling. I honestly don’t know if I’m describing this right, but it’s impactful in WHTF. Hafsah is a million times better at describing this idea.
The story’s barely begun but already so many pieces are set in motion. Hafsah is a detail extraordinaire, and I cannot wait to see where she takes this wondrous story next.
Thank you Macmillan for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I think this is the final nail in the coffin in that I am not a fan of Tricia's writing style. It just takes me forever to sort through it, and I never seem to build any connections with the characters.
Rasmira is going through a lot throughout this story and in her life. Her village and others around them are governed by this malevolent god who takes whatever he wants whether thats through crops, minerals, or women, and people are filled with fear. Rasmira stumbles upon this and is forever scarred by what she witnesses.
Then in the test of her life, Rasmira is betrayed and cheated out of her title as heir. She is banished into the wilderness, which is basically a death sentence, and it's her initial experiences that really lead the reader to truly be set against the villagers old ways. You feel for Rasmira because the system was messed with and ultimately ruined her life.
The story then follows her journey in the wild, trying to win back her honor. Along the way she meets her love interest and a good friend, and they all call into play what this honor system really means. Why were they banished? What did they really do wrong? They all have an interesting dynamic, but the friend of the love interest was ultimately my favorite.
The romance for Rasmira I don't think needed to be there because it felt forced and unnatural. Instantaneous, to be honest. I'm incredibly picky with romances, which I always seem to state in reviews haha, but this one annoyed me to no end. Rasmira has major trust issues. I understand that completely, but at times her struggles just didn't seem real. They felt stretched out to new lengths that should never have been made. You know when you just can’t agree with how a character acts? That was me. I know she was healing, but eventually, she was just being distrustful for the plot, not for her.
The story ultimately was predictable, and while the strong female message is great, it didn't feel as impactful as most. It was just there to be there, in my opinion.
I'd skip out on this book if I were you. My journey to find a great viking/ Norse influenced book continues.
Thank you to Macmillan for sending me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rasmira is going through a lot throughout this story and in her life. Her village and others around them are governed by this malevolent god who takes whatever he wants whether thats through crops, minerals, or women, and people are filled with fear. Rasmira stumbles upon this and is forever scarred by what she witnesses.
Then in the test of her life, Rasmira is betrayed and cheated out of her title as heir. She is banished into the wilderness, which is basically a death sentence, and it's her initial experiences that really lead the reader to truly be set against the villagers old ways. You feel for Rasmira because the system was messed with and ultimately ruined her life.
The story then follows her journey in the wild, trying to win back her honor. Along the way she meets her love interest and a good friend, and they all call into play what this honor system really means. Why were they banished? What did they really do wrong? They all have an interesting dynamic, but the friend of the love interest was ultimately my favorite.
The romance for Rasmira I don't think needed to be there because it felt forced and unnatural. Instantaneous, to be honest. I'm incredibly picky with romances, which I always seem to state in reviews haha, but this one annoyed me to no end. Rasmira has major trust issues. I understand that completely, but at times her struggles just didn't seem real. They felt stretched out to new lengths that should never have been made. You know when you just can’t agree with how a character acts? That was me. I know she was healing, but eventually, she was just being distrustful for the plot, not for her.
The story ultimately was predictable, and while the strong female message is great, it didn't feel as impactful as most. It was just there to be there, in my opinion.
I'd skip out on this book if I were you. My journey to find a great viking/ Norse influenced book continues.
Thank you to Macmillan for sending me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
