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1.26k reviews by:
inkandplasma
My blog tour review will be live 06/05/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/05/06/misrule/
Character - 10
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.43 / 5 stars
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I have, unfortunately, had a few months of disappointing sequels, so when I got sent the absolutely stunning physical ARC of Misrule, I was equal parts excited and scared. I loved Malice the first time I read it, and when I reread it in preparation for Misrule, I loved it even more. And Heather Walter? She knocked it out of the park. This sequel absolutely stuck the landing.
Thanks to Del Rey for the ARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
There’s a fairly significant time jump in Misrule, which matches the original Sleeping Beauty myth, and I think it suited this book very well. I loved getting to explore the Dark Court and the ruins of Briar after the ending of Malice. It was an absolutely fascinating world and developed on the world we saw in Malice in a really interesting way.
Ultimately, the best part of this book was Alyce’s relationships with the people around her. As opposed to book one, in Misrule we get to see Alyce surrounded by her own people – her court comprised of all sorts of people from shifters to demons – and I loved seeing her try and handle coming to terms with the fact that the beliefs she was raised with are wrong. I also loved the members of her court. Her whole council were lovable in their own ways, we got to see Alyce with a complicated relationship with her best friend.
And, of course, there’s Aurora. Aurora and Alyce’s relationship has been heavily complicated by the events of Malice and the subsequent sacking of Briar. And the hundred years that Aurora was in a cursed sleep. I was absolutely obsessed with the way that Alyce and Aurora circled each other, trying to find middle-ground between the love they feel for each other and the way they both feel wronged by each other’s actions. I loved the fact that the political intrigue felt well balanced with the romance, and Aurora surprised me in the best ways possible as she developed from the Princess of the first book into a strong and outspoken woman fighting for right in every way she can.
The plot is hard to talk about without spoiling it, especially as I felt like it built on Malice in a fantastic way, but I really enjoyed it and I felt like the ending was incredibly satisfying and tied everything up in a very complete way. I continue to adore duologies, and Heather Walter books are an insta-buy for me now.
Character - 10
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.43 / 5 stars
--
I have, unfortunately, had a few months of disappointing sequels, so when I got sent the absolutely stunning physical ARC of Misrule, I was equal parts excited and scared. I loved Malice the first time I read it, and when I reread it in preparation for Misrule, I loved it even more. And Heather Walter? She knocked it out of the park. This sequel absolutely stuck the landing.
Thanks to Del Rey for the ARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
There’s a fairly significant time jump in Misrule, which matches the original Sleeping Beauty myth, and I think it suited this book very well. I loved getting to explore the Dark Court and the ruins of Briar after the ending of Malice. It was an absolutely fascinating world and developed on the world we saw in Malice in a really interesting way.
Ultimately, the best part of this book was Alyce’s relationships with the people around her. As opposed to book one, in Misrule we get to see Alyce surrounded by her own people – her court comprised of all sorts of people from shifters to demons – and I loved seeing her try and handle coming to terms with the fact that the beliefs she was raised with are wrong. I also loved the members of her court. Her whole council were lovable in their own ways, we got to see Alyce with a complicated relationship with her best friend.
And, of course, there’s Aurora. Aurora and Alyce’s relationship has been heavily complicated by the events of Malice and the subsequent sacking of Briar. And the hundred years that Aurora was in a cursed sleep. I was absolutely obsessed with the way that Alyce and Aurora circled each other, trying to find middle-ground between the love they feel for each other and the way they both feel wronged by each other’s actions. I loved the fact that the political intrigue felt well balanced with the romance, and Aurora surprised me in the best ways possible as she developed from the Princess of the first book into a strong and outspoken woman fighting for right in every way she can.
The plot is hard to talk about without spoiling it, especially as I felt like it built on Malice in a fantastic way, but I really enjoyed it and I felt like the ending was incredibly satisfying and tied everything up in a very complete way. I continue to adore duologies, and Heather Walter books are an insta-buy for me now.
This was completely adorable. Loved it.
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 10
Writing - 8
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 8.71 / 4 stars
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 10
Writing - 8
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 8.71 / 4 stars
Character - 8
Atmosphere - 10
Writing - 8
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 8
Rating: 8.71 / 4 stars
Atmosphere - 10
Writing - 8
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 8
Rating: 8.71 / 4 stars
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 10
Writing - 9
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
Atmosphere - 10
Writing - 9
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
Review live on my blog from 28/03/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/03/28/good-neighbors/
Character - 8
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 7
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 7
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 7.57 / 4 stars
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I read Stephanie Burgis’ Harwood Spellbook Series before, and I loved them. They were super cozy romances, so when I was offered a review copy of Good Neighbors – all I had to hear was metal mage/necromancer and I knew I had to have it. I picked these up one night before bed and ended up reading the entire collection in one sitting, I just couldn’t look away.
Thanks to Stephanie Burgis for the review copy of this collection, it has not affected my honest review.
One of my absolute favourite things about Stephanie’s romances is how easy they are to read. I read this whole collection of four stories in one sitting because once I started it was impossible to put down. The world-building isn’t overwhelming, but neither was I left feeling like I didn’t understand what was going on in the setting. In fact, the balance was really good to make sure readers are anchored in the world without info-dumping – a real skill in a novella. I love the writing in this book because it isn’t over-complicated like some fantasy novellas can be. It’s simple in the best way, highlighting what we really care about as a cozy romance reader – the fantastic character writing. Mia and Leander are everything to me and I absolutely loved the grumpy mage/ostentatious necromancer combination. Talk about opposites attract!
As a collection of short stories and novellas, we saw snippets of their developing friendship and relationship rather than the entire relationship but to me their relationship still felt like it was developing in a realistic and authentic way. It was really satisfying, and I didn’t feel like we’d missed too much in the time skips. Also, it would be remiss of me not to point out that there’s fake married and only one bed trope in one of these stories. Obviously, this was my absolute goddamn favourite of the lot. It hit a lot of my favourite buttons, including the delight that is character A being blatantly in love with character B and character B being totally oblivious to it. The tropes were so good and I was getting the same giddy feeling as when I’m reading a really good fanfiction, the highest praise I can give a romance tbh.
It isn’t just Leander and Mia’s relationship that made me fall in love with this book. All of the character relationships gave me Big Feelings. Mia and her father had the parent/child friendship of dreams and Leander and Carmilla? Found family vibes forever. The latter part of the book was absolutely full of found family vibes, actually, with Leander and Mia’s alliance turning into a community of outcasts that made my little queer heart soar. There are also f/f and m/m background relationships in this book – the latter of which was a delightful surprise to me when it was revealed. The last book had a surprisingly tense plot compared to the earlier ones, and I think it was a nice balance to the fluffy earlier stories; and showed off all the character development that we’d watched flourish as Mia and her gang of magic users came together. I’m really hoping we get a spin-off about some of the characters in this book, because I would love to explore more of their relationships (and, okay, I want more Carmilla in my life.)
Character - 8
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 7
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 7
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 7.57 / 4 stars
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I read Stephanie Burgis’ Harwood Spellbook Series before, and I loved them. They were super cozy romances, so when I was offered a review copy of Good Neighbors – all I had to hear was metal mage/necromancer and I knew I had to have it. I picked these up one night before bed and ended up reading the entire collection in one sitting, I just couldn’t look away.
Thanks to Stephanie Burgis for the review copy of this collection, it has not affected my honest review.
One of my absolute favourite things about Stephanie’s romances is how easy they are to read. I read this whole collection of four stories in one sitting because once I started it was impossible to put down. The world-building isn’t overwhelming, but neither was I left feeling like I didn’t understand what was going on in the setting. In fact, the balance was really good to make sure readers are anchored in the world without info-dumping – a real skill in a novella. I love the writing in this book because it isn’t over-complicated like some fantasy novellas can be. It’s simple in the best way, highlighting what we really care about as a cozy romance reader – the fantastic character writing. Mia and Leander are everything to me and I absolutely loved the grumpy mage/ostentatious necromancer combination. Talk about opposites attract!
As a collection of short stories and novellas, we saw snippets of their developing friendship and relationship rather than the entire relationship but to me their relationship still felt like it was developing in a realistic and authentic way. It was really satisfying, and I didn’t feel like we’d missed too much in the time skips. Also, it would be remiss of me not to point out that there’s fake married and only one bed trope in one of these stories. Obviously, this was my absolute goddamn favourite of the lot. It hit a lot of my favourite buttons, including the delight that is character A being blatantly in love with character B and character B being totally oblivious to it. The tropes were so good and I was getting the same giddy feeling as when I’m reading a really good fanfiction, the highest praise I can give a romance tbh.
It isn’t just Leander and Mia’s relationship that made me fall in love with this book. All of the character relationships gave me Big Feelings. Mia and her father had the parent/child friendship of dreams and Leander and Carmilla? Found family vibes forever. The latter part of the book was absolutely full of found family vibes, actually, with Leander and Mia’s alliance turning into a community of outcasts that made my little queer heart soar. There are also f/f and m/m background relationships in this book – the latter of which was a delightful surprise to me when it was revealed. The last book had a surprisingly tense plot compared to the earlier ones, and I think it was a nice balance to the fluffy earlier stories; and showed off all the character development that we’d watched flourish as Mia and her gang of magic users came together. I’m really hoping we get a spin-off about some of the characters in this book, because I would love to explore more of their relationships (and, okay, I want more Carmilla in my life.)
Full review on my blog 01/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/01/judgement-dave/
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 8.29 / 4 stars
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I read and reviewed THE LEFT HAND OF DOG when it came out, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I was offered a chance to review JUDGEMENT DAVE, I jumped at it. These are strange little favourites of mine, perfect to curl up with and lose myself in for a few hours of sci-fi escapism.
Thanks to S.I. Clarke for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
I actually think I enjoyed JUDGEMENT DAVE even more than I liked THE LEFT HAND OF DOG. We have established characters now and lots of delightfully queer found family, and they warmed my gay little heart. On top of that, while JUDGEMENT DAVE managed to uphold the comedy and pop culture references of the first book, we also got to see a much deeper and complicated conflict in this one. I ended up reading the whole thing in two sittings, getting through half of the book on each of my lunch breaks because I couldn’t put it down.
It’s not easy to balance humour in a book with heavy topics like slavery and genocide, and I felt like SI Clarke did an impressive job with this one. Particularly I loved Lem’s feelings of helplessness in the face of a huge problem that seemed too big for them to handle. It resonated with me very heavily as someone who often looks at the state of the world and struggles with knowing how to even start helping. Even if it did ache to read about people just denying and ignoring a crisis (a bit too real, ouch). I also really liked that we got to see Lem realising and acknowledging their biases. There’s very little I love more than a character with human flaws learning to do better.
We got to see more creatures from across the galaxy in this book, as well as exploring more of the relationships between Teapot crew members, and I love the sheer breadth of characters and how different they all are – though I can’t help but find it hilarious that the cat-like creatures are the ones who are disorganised, elitist and oppressive. I love cats, but that? That’s pretty accurate.
I maintain that SI’s books are perfect for anyone who loves Becky Chambers or SJ Whitby and wants to read something fun, a little wacky and ultimately emotional and moving. I can’t wait to read more about my favourite rag tag crew of warm-hearted space travellers.
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 8.29 / 4 stars
--
I read and reviewed THE LEFT HAND OF DOG when it came out, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I was offered a chance to review JUDGEMENT DAVE, I jumped at it. These are strange little favourites of mine, perfect to curl up with and lose myself in for a few hours of sci-fi escapism.
Thanks to S.I. Clarke for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
I actually think I enjoyed JUDGEMENT DAVE even more than I liked THE LEFT HAND OF DOG. We have established characters now and lots of delightfully queer found family, and they warmed my gay little heart. On top of that, while JUDGEMENT DAVE managed to uphold the comedy and pop culture references of the first book, we also got to see a much deeper and complicated conflict in this one. I ended up reading the whole thing in two sittings, getting through half of the book on each of my lunch breaks because I couldn’t put it down.
It’s not easy to balance humour in a book with heavy topics like slavery and genocide, and I felt like SI Clarke did an impressive job with this one. Particularly I loved Lem’s feelings of helplessness in the face of a huge problem that seemed too big for them to handle. It resonated with me very heavily as someone who often looks at the state of the world and struggles with knowing how to even start helping. Even if it did ache to read about people just denying and ignoring a crisis (a bit too real, ouch). I also really liked that we got to see Lem realising and acknowledging their biases. There’s very little I love more than a character with human flaws learning to do better.
We got to see more creatures from across the galaxy in this book, as well as exploring more of the relationships between Teapot crew members, and I love the sheer breadth of characters and how different they all are – though I can’t help but find it hilarious that the cat-like creatures are the ones who are disorganised, elitist and oppressive. I love cats, but that? That’s pretty accurate.
I maintain that SI’s books are perfect for anyone who loves Becky Chambers or SJ Whitby and wants to read something fun, a little wacky and ultimately emotional and moving. I can’t wait to read more about my favourite rag tag crew of warm-hearted space travellers.
Full review on my blog 04/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/04/the-thousand-eyes/
Character - 10
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 10
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 9.43 / 5 stars
--
I absolutely adored THE UNSPOKEN NAME when I first read it, and loved it even more on the reread. This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases, so I was delighted when Tor sent me a finished copy to read and review. I started reading the audiobook, but ended up swapping to the physical copy because I felt the overwhelming urge to tab as I went – which I have only ever done for Harrow the Ninth before. That should tell you how much I loved this sequel.
Thanks to Tor for the review copy of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
There was not a single moment in this book where I knew what was going to happen next. Not one solitary second did I even have a prediction for what would happen next, let alone an accurate prediction. And I loved every second of it. I read this one slowly over a few days, savouring the story, and I already want to reread both of them back to back to pick up any hints that I’ve almost certainly missed and to tab them to hell. The writing in this book is equal parts beautiful and hilarious, and I tabbed so many moments where I outright laughed out loud. As much as I loved THE UNSPOKEN NAME I do think that this was my favourite in the duology. Why? Tal fucking Charossa.
Tal was my favourite character in the first book, and I only fell more in love with him in this book. A Tal book is all I could have ever hoped for, and not even in my wildest dreams would I have hoped for Tal Charossa as the grumpy reluctant mentor-slash-parent with the peppy sunshine child. I would like to read approximately 400 books about Tal and Tsereg just living their sassy lives. Tal’s character arc was phenomenal, honestly. He is rapidly climbing the list of one of my favourite characters ever, and I think he’d be just as shocked to be loved that much as I am to suddenly be obsessed with him. It’s difficult to talk in detail without spoilers, but there were so many moments in this book where I felt ridiculously proud of his choices. Look at my grouchy gay go. And fuck you Belthandros, even if you are kind of badass.
This book also explored Shuthmili’s character a little more, and I really liked getting to learn more about her and Zinandour. I wasn’t super interested in Shuthmili in the first book, though I did like her and Csorwe’s relationship, and the depth of her character arc (without going into details again) was really interesting to me and I enjoyed it a lot. Csorwe and Shuthmili’s relationship is beautiful and I loved their loyalty to each other and the way they were very much ride or die, for better or for worse. Through their relationship, and especially Shuthmili, we got to learn more about the magic system and divinities and I really hope there are more books in this universe because I absolutely adore the divinity system. The Serpent’s Gates duology is, in my opinion, a fairly unusual fantasy and rejuvenated my love for this genre.
The plot went in a way I couldn’t have predicted, and I was desperate to find out more as I went along. And ultimately I was so satisfied with the ending of this duology. I’ve been a little disappointed by sequels lately, so my expectations weren’t high, and instead I was blown out of the water. I loved the way that this ended and I can see myself reading this duology over and over again.
Character - 10
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 10
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 9
Rating: 9.43 / 5 stars
--
I absolutely adored THE UNSPOKEN NAME when I first read it, and loved it even more on the reread. This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases, so I was delighted when Tor sent me a finished copy to read and review. I started reading the audiobook, but ended up swapping to the physical copy because I felt the overwhelming urge to tab as I went – which I have only ever done for Harrow the Ninth before. That should tell you how much I loved this sequel.
Thanks to Tor for the review copy of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
There was not a single moment in this book where I knew what was going to happen next. Not one solitary second did I even have a prediction for what would happen next, let alone an accurate prediction. And I loved every second of it. I read this one slowly over a few days, savouring the story, and I already want to reread both of them back to back to pick up any hints that I’ve almost certainly missed and to tab them to hell. The writing in this book is equal parts beautiful and hilarious, and I tabbed so many moments where I outright laughed out loud. As much as I loved THE UNSPOKEN NAME I do think that this was my favourite in the duology. Why? Tal fucking Charossa.
Tal was my favourite character in the first book, and I only fell more in love with him in this book. A Tal book is all I could have ever hoped for, and not even in my wildest dreams would I have hoped for Tal Charossa as the grumpy reluctant mentor-slash-parent with the peppy sunshine child. I would like to read approximately 400 books about Tal and Tsereg just living their sassy lives. Tal’s character arc was phenomenal, honestly. He is rapidly climbing the list of one of my favourite characters ever, and I think he’d be just as shocked to be loved that much as I am to suddenly be obsessed with him. It’s difficult to talk in detail without spoilers, but there were so many moments in this book where I felt ridiculously proud of his choices. Look at my grouchy gay go. And fuck you Belthandros, even if you are kind of badass.
This book also explored Shuthmili’s character a little more, and I really liked getting to learn more about her and Zinandour. I wasn’t super interested in Shuthmili in the first book, though I did like her and Csorwe’s relationship, and the depth of her character arc (without going into details again) was really interesting to me and I enjoyed it a lot. Csorwe and Shuthmili’s relationship is beautiful and I loved their loyalty to each other and the way they were very much ride or die, for better or for worse. Through their relationship, and especially Shuthmili, we got to learn more about the magic system and divinities and I really hope there are more books in this universe because I absolutely adore the divinity system. The Serpent’s Gates duology is, in my opinion, a fairly unusual fantasy and rejuvenated my love for this genre.
The plot went in a way I couldn’t have predicted, and I was desperate to find out more as I went along. And ultimately I was so satisfied with the ending of this duology. I’ve been a little disappointed by sequels lately, so my expectations weren’t high, and instead I was blown out of the water. I loved the way that this ended and I can see myself reading this duology over and over again.
Full review on my blog 11/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/11/the-undiscovered-deaths-of-grace-mcgill/
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
--
I was auto-approved for this one and I impulsively accepted it because I liked the idea of a story from the perspective of a crime scene cleaner. That is what this book is, but it’s also very much not. I could never have predicted the way that this book turned out and I loved every page-turning moment of it.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
I couldn’t predict a single second of the book. The synopsis is very vague, and that is definitely the right way to read this book. I went knowing very little and it ended up surprising me enough that it earned a rare 5 stars. If you like thrillers with dark secrets buried in the past, and a complicated and difficult female protagonist, you’ll love this book as much as I did. Grace is not remotely likeable and that made me love her.
The twist in this book pulled the rug out from under my feet then kicked me in the teeth for good measure. That’s all I’m willing to say about the twist, because that’s all I knew going in and I had so much fun reading this that there was a point where I was sat at my desk with my head in my hands as I listened, utterly focused on the audiobook. I probably looked unhinged. Which was okay, because I felt unhinged listening to parts of this book. I’ve been reading more horror and thrillers lately, and while I was expecting a kind of murder mystery thriller, what I got was a psychological thriller more on par with My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Majesties. Intense and a little overwhelming, but in the best way.
I loved the atmosphere in this book. As the book progressed, it became progressively intense and unnerving until I was desperate for answers and equally desperate to look away before things got any worse. This book wasn’t for the faint at heart and even with my usual soft spot for intense thrillers and gross fiction, I found myself a little shivery at the descriptions of the death scenes. This is going to be one of those novels that sticks with me for a long time, haunting my thoughts, and a lot of that is due to Grace as an incredibly unreliable and uncanny narrator. I have no doubt I’ll be looking out for more from C.S. Robertson.
Character - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.29 / 5 stars
--
I was auto-approved for this one and I impulsively accepted it because I liked the idea of a story from the perspective of a crime scene cleaner. That is what this book is, but it’s also very much not. I could never have predicted the way that this book turned out and I loved every page-turning moment of it.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
I couldn’t predict a single second of the book. The synopsis is very vague, and that is definitely the right way to read this book. I went knowing very little and it ended up surprising me enough that it earned a rare 5 stars. If you like thrillers with dark secrets buried in the past, and a complicated and difficult female protagonist, you’ll love this book as much as I did. Grace is not remotely likeable and that made me love her.
The twist in this book pulled the rug out from under my feet then kicked me in the teeth for good measure. That’s all I’m willing to say about the twist, because that’s all I knew going in and I had so much fun reading this that there was a point where I was sat at my desk with my head in my hands as I listened, utterly focused on the audiobook. I probably looked unhinged. Which was okay, because I felt unhinged listening to parts of this book. I’ve been reading more horror and thrillers lately, and while I was expecting a kind of murder mystery thriller, what I got was a psychological thriller more on par with My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Majesties. Intense and a little overwhelming, but in the best way.
I loved the atmosphere in this book. As the book progressed, it became progressively intense and unnerving until I was desperate for answers and equally desperate to look away before things got any worse. This book wasn’t for the faint at heart and even with my usual soft spot for intense thrillers and gross fiction, I found myself a little shivery at the descriptions of the death scenes. This is going to be one of those novels that sticks with me for a long time, haunting my thoughts, and a lot of that is due to Grace as an incredibly unreliable and uncanny narrator. I have no doubt I’ll be looking out for more from C.S. Robertson.
Full review available on my blog 15/04/2022: https://inkandplasma.com/2022/04/15/only-a-monster/
Character - 8
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 6
Plot - 4
Intrigue - 5
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 6
Rating: 5.86 / 3 stars
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I honestly requested this one based off the tagline, ‘Only a monster can kill a hero’. I’m a sucker for villainous characters, as you can tell from my reviews of All of Us Villains and Beyond the Ruby Veil. This book wasn’t what I expected, more good-guy-monster than monster-monster, but I had so much fun reading it. Once I got started I read the whole thing in one day, kept entertained enough to chase through each page, though unfortunately the ending didn’t really land with me.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
I honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I did not expect it to be a wild chase through time – time travelling monsters? genius – and I didn’t expect to have so much fun with a warm-hearted monster girl who was desperate to be good against a villainous hero. The writing is pretty simplistic, but I didn’t mind that. It was easy to read and I had a lot of fun with it. I liked Joan’s character. She’s young and idealistic, coming to terms with her family being completely different from what she believed – and discovering that she is completely different from what she ever believed. That development was amazing, and I was really pleased with the character arc that Joan went through. I also loved the magical worldbuilding. The way that the magical powers work, and the different powers for each family of monsters, was really interesting and I’d love to know more about the different families if we get more books in this universe.
Unfortunately, this book lost a fair amount of points from me in the last few chapters. In vague terms, the ending felt a little cheap and a significant plot point came out of absolutely nowhere. It’s a shame because I would rate the first seventy-five percent of the book four stars but I couldn’t rate the whole book that overall. I will be reading the sequel because I’m intrigued to see where we will go from this ending, but my expectations are a little lower than they could have been.
The next paragraph contains spoilers!
Character - 8
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 6
Plot - 4
Intrigue - 5
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 6
Rating: 5.86 / 3 stars
--
I honestly requested this one based off the tagline, ‘Only a monster can kill a hero’. I’m a sucker for villainous characters, as you can tell from my reviews of All of Us Villains and Beyond the Ruby Veil. This book wasn’t what I expected, more good-guy-monster than monster-monster, but I had so much fun reading it. Once I got started I read the whole thing in one day, kept entertained enough to chase through each page, though unfortunately the ending didn’t really land with me.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
I honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I did not expect it to be a wild chase through time – time travelling monsters? genius – and I didn’t expect to have so much fun with a warm-hearted monster girl who was desperate to be good against a villainous hero. The writing is pretty simplistic, but I didn’t mind that. It was easy to read and I had a lot of fun with it. I liked Joan’s character. She’s young and idealistic, coming to terms with her family being completely different from what she believed – and discovering that she is completely different from what she ever believed. That development was amazing, and I was really pleased with the character arc that Joan went through. I also loved the magical worldbuilding. The way that the magical powers work, and the different powers for each family of monsters, was really interesting and I’d love to know more about the different families if we get more books in this universe.
Unfortunately, this book lost a fair amount of points from me in the last few chapters. In vague terms, the ending felt a little cheap and a significant plot point came out of absolutely nowhere. It’s a shame because I would rate the first seventy-five percent of the book four stars but I couldn’t rate the whole book that overall. I will be reading the sequel because I’m intrigued to see where we will go from this ending, but my expectations are a little lower than they could have been.
The next paragraph contains spoilers!
Spoiler
My biggest criticism with this book? Until the very end, the romantic arc felt completely unnecessary. Even now, at the end, the love triangle felt completely pointless. It was very… YA. We’ve got the mean-at-first, grouchy monster boy and the sunshine hero boy. But the hero boy is indirectly responsible for the murder her entire family in like, chapter five, and we’re supposed to believe that the love triangle makes sense? The romance between Aaron and Joan didn’t really feel like it was based on anything, but I liked it a hell of a lot more than the romance between Nick and Joan. I absolutely hate the destined star-crossed lovers thing, and there was a moment where the book said (paraphrased) ‘they say the hero has one weakness. once he was in love with a girl’ and I rolled my eyes so hard that I nearly strained something. I understand why that romantic arc was present by the time we got to the end, but ugh. Aaron forgot her and Nick was ‘unmade’ and I just wanted to see Joan become powerful and confident. I guess to me ‘it never happened’ feels cheap and dissatisfying, and we didn’t get to see what happened to Aaron.
Character - 4
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 6
Plot - 4
Intrigue - 4
Logic - 4
Enjoyment - 4
Rating: 4.57 / 2 stars
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 6
Plot - 4
Intrigue - 4
Logic - 4
Enjoyment - 4
Rating: 4.57 / 2 stars