You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lisashelves's Reviews (976)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the debut novel of Sue Lynn Tan. It is a take on the Chinese Mythology story about Chang’er, the Chinese moon goddess.
This book has been on my most anticipated releases for 2022 from the moment I learned of its existence, and it did not disappoint!
This book is one wild ride and I loved every second of it! The book starts off with Xingyin hiding on the moon together with her mother, but that soon changes when she accidentally uses her powers. From there on, the story takes you on a journey together with Xingyin in a quest to free her mother from the moon.
The plot is very fast-paced, but it fits perfectly with everything that happens. If the plot would’ve been slower, it wouldn’t have reached me and grabbed me as it did now. There is a sense of urgence because of the fast-paced plot and it fits perfectly with Xingyin’s mission of wanting to free her mother.
The attention to details everywhere gives you a cinematic feeling. I’m familiar with c-dramas, so I could perfectly picture the setting, clothing and everything around it. But even if you aren’t familiar, the details given, the world-building, everything makes it very easy to do so. The little bits of information given here and there aren’t disrupting the flow of the story, but adding to it.
Together with the attention to details, the writing is very poetically done. It was beautifully written, in a way that just flows off the pages. It reminded me a bit of music, the way it was written, with build-ups and it slowing down. Even when reading battle scenes, it didn’t take away from the writing style or the battles being harder to understand. It just worked the whole time and it gave me a very satisfying feeling while reading this story.
Xingyin is truly a wonderful character to follow. She is a bit timid and unknowing about the world at the beginning, which is completely understandable. Seeing her grow up and becoming the woman she is at the end was very satisfying to read. I loved how she grew into herself, her power, grew in the relationships she has, in everything. She is strong and relatable. Prince Liwei and captain Wenzhi are both awesome strong male characters that really make you feel a lot of things and both in other ways. While they didn’t really develop as much as Xingyin, they were more rounded as characters already from the very start.
The relationships in this book are just as beautifully written as everything else. The main focus of this book is the journey Xingyin goes on, so I was very happy that the romance didn’t overpower that point or was too much. The mother-daughter relationship between Xingyin and Chang’er was the whole drive of this book, and I loved it. Xingyin would do anything for her mother, and that love was beautiful to see. The many friendships she has were really sweet to read. While I’m usually not a fan of love triangles, the way it was written in this book, with her two love interest, it wasn’t as annoying as I would’ve thought. I did have a favourite I was rooting for, but the way it was written it really made me doubt my own preferences at some points, which is really amazing looking back at it.
Overall, it was a captivating debut book with a beautiful journey and I can’t wait to see what more is going to happen in this world! The cast of characters is just amazing and I'm excited to see what journey they'll take us on in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the debut novel of Sue Lynn Tan. It is a take on the Chinese Mythology story about Chang’er, the Chinese moon goddess.
This book has been on my most anticipated releases for 2022 from the moment I learned of its existence, and it did not disappoint!
This book is one wild ride and I loved every second of it! The book starts off with Xingyin hiding on the moon together with her mother, but that soon changes when she accidentally uses her powers. From there on, the story takes you on a journey together with Xingyin in a quest to free her mother from the moon.
The plot is very fast-paced, but it fits perfectly with everything that happens. If the plot would’ve been slower, it wouldn’t have reached me and grabbed me as it did now. There is a sense of urgence because of the fast-paced plot and it fits perfectly with Xingyin’s mission of wanting to free her mother.
The attention to details everywhere gives you a cinematic feeling. I’m familiar with c-dramas, so I could perfectly picture the setting, clothing and everything around it. But even if you aren’t familiar, the details given, the world-building, everything makes it very easy to do so. The little bits of information given here and there aren’t disrupting the flow of the story, but adding to it.
Together with the attention to details, the writing is very poetically done. It was beautifully written, in a way that just flows off the pages. It reminded me a bit of music, the way it was written, with build-ups and it slowing down. Even when reading battle scenes, it didn’t take away from the writing style or the battles being harder to understand. It just worked the whole time and it gave me a very satisfying feeling while reading this story.
Xingyin is truly a wonderful character to follow. She is a bit timid and unknowing about the world at the beginning, which is completely understandable. Seeing her grow up and becoming the woman she is at the end was very satisfying to read. I loved how she grew into herself, her power, grew in the relationships she has, in everything. She is strong and relatable. Prince Liwei and captain Wenzhi are both awesome strong male characters that really make you feel a lot of things and both in other ways. While they didn’t really develop as much as Xingyin, they were more rounded as characters already from the very start.
The relationships in this book are just as beautifully written as everything else. The main focus of this book is the journey Xingyin goes on, so I was very happy that the romance didn’t overpower that point or was too much. The mother-daughter relationship between Xingyin and Chang’er was the whole drive of this book, and I loved it. Xingyin would do anything for her mother, and that love was beautiful to see. The many friendships she has were really sweet to read. While I’m usually not a fan of love triangles, the way it was written in this book, with her two love interest, it wasn’t as annoying as I would’ve thought. I did have a favourite I was rooting for, but the way it was written it really made me doubt my own preferences at some points, which is really amazing looking back at it.
Overall, it was a captivating debut book with a beautiful journey and I can’t wait to see what more is going to happen in this world! The cast of characters is just amazing and I'm excited to see what journey they'll take us on in the future.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Gallant is the new novel written by V.E. Schwab, about Olivia, and girl who only has her mother’s journal and receives a letter inviting her to Gallant.
I discovered V.E. Schwab last year and read multiple books by her, which I all enjoyed a lot. Knowing a new stand-alone novel was coming out I couldn’t wait to buy it and start reading it.
From the very first start this story was super intriguing to read for me. The way Olivia couldn’t talk, I wanted to know more about why that was, about her surroundings, about the Ghouls she could see, about everything. I just wanted to keep on reading and learn more about it all. Especially the little pieces from her mother’s journal and the drawings added between the chapters.
While all of the book was intriguing, it still was slow paced, but not in a way that became boring. The characters developed and grew a lot despite the slow plot and it seemed to fit perfectly with the story.
Olivia is just an amazing character! While she can’t speak, she has humor and I found her funny. I loved reading about her curiosity and how she just couldn’t “sit down”. I also love how her absence of speech was represented and not seen as a “problem” for her.
This book has a very distinguished feeling when reading it, and I feel like this is a perfect book to read during October, or the haunting season. It is almost a shame I didn’t read it during that time, because I think I could’ve appreciated the vibe and atmosphere created even more then.
Overall, Gallant was a haunting but very fun book which I very much enjoyed reading! I would have loved reading more about this world, these characters and this plot.
Gallant is the new novel written by V.E. Schwab, about Olivia, and girl who only has her mother’s journal and receives a letter inviting her to Gallant.
I discovered V.E. Schwab last year and read multiple books by her, which I all enjoyed a lot. Knowing a new stand-alone novel was coming out I couldn’t wait to buy it and start reading it.
From the very first start this story was super intriguing to read for me. The way Olivia couldn’t talk, I wanted to know more about why that was, about her surroundings, about the Ghouls she could see, about everything. I just wanted to keep on reading and learn more about it all. Especially the little pieces from her mother’s journal and the drawings added between the chapters.
While all of the book was intriguing, it still was slow paced, but not in a way that became boring. The characters developed and grew a lot despite the slow plot and it seemed to fit perfectly with the story.
Olivia is just an amazing character! While she can’t speak, she has humor and I found her funny. I loved reading about her curiosity and how she just couldn’t “sit down”. I also love how her absence of speech was represented and not seen as a “problem” for her.
This book has a very distinguished feeling when reading it, and I feel like this is a perfect book to read during October, or the haunting season. It is almost a shame I didn’t read it during that time, because I think I could’ve appreciated the vibe and atmosphere created even more then.
Overall, Gallant was a haunting but very fun book which I very much enjoyed reading! I would have loved reading more about this world, these characters and this plot.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 3 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Shadow Kissed is the first in its series; Marked by Blood. It is a story about Olivia, a sorceress. When her guild is attacked and she is taken by the vampire, Sebastian, who says he is protecting her.
I am always down for a book containing vampires, as they are one of my favourite creatures and I have many books involving them. This book, unfortunately, didn’t quite meet the expectations I had.
The plot seemed okay, I liked the direction it went, but felt like it lacked a bit in execution. A lot of the world building was unclear to me. Two examples; Sebastian has wings, why? Do all vampires have them? It just seemed out of nowhere that he has them. The second which was just confusing and seemed out of place was the modern technology. While in the Vampire City there was hardly any technology at all, the little mentions of them seemed just out of place and weird. I think it would’ve been better for the story if this book was just written as fantasy and not urban.
Olivia, was someone I couldn’t really connect with. While I thought she would bloom into some kind of badass character who didn’t need others, that didn’t really happen. She did grow, but not in the way I expected. I would’ve liked to see more growth and more of her powers, which are also not really clear to me. Sebastian was a more developed character from the beginning, but his growth wasn’t really noticeable. Same with the side characters, they weren’t really memorable.
The chemistry between the two was good, but not really acted upon. The slow burn and one bed trope were not executed very good I believe, which made the chemistry good, but the romance which bloomed slowly not really likable for me.
The ending was quite unexpected, but since I didn’t really connect with the book it didn’t really make me excited or feel anything as other books have. It was written well.
Overall, the book had a lot of potential, but the way it was executed didn’t really make me feel anything. It felt a bit “meh” overall to me. I don’t know yet if I’ll be picking up the second book.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Shadow Kissed is the first in its series; Marked by Blood. It is a story about Olivia, a sorceress. When her guild is attacked and she is taken by the vampire, Sebastian, who says he is protecting her.
I am always down for a book containing vampires, as they are one of my favourite creatures and I have many books involving them. This book, unfortunately, didn’t quite meet the expectations I had.
The plot seemed okay, I liked the direction it went, but felt like it lacked a bit in execution. A lot of the world building was unclear to me. Two examples; Sebastian has wings, why? Do all vampires have them? It just seemed out of nowhere that he has them. The second which was just confusing and seemed out of place was the modern technology. While in the Vampire City there was hardly any technology at all, the little mentions of them seemed just out of place and weird. I think it would’ve been better for the story if this book was just written as fantasy and not urban.
Olivia, was someone I couldn’t really connect with. While I thought she would bloom into some kind of badass character who didn’t need others, that didn’t really happen. She did grow, but not in the way I expected. I would’ve liked to see more growth and more of her powers, which are also not really clear to me. Sebastian was a more developed character from the beginning, but his growth wasn’t really noticeable. Same with the side characters, they weren’t really memorable.
The chemistry between the two was good, but not really acted upon. The slow burn and one bed trope were not executed very good I believe, which made the chemistry good, but the romance which bloomed slowly not really likable for me.
The ending was quite unexpected, but since I didn’t really connect with the book it didn’t really make me excited or feel anything as other books have. It was written well.
Overall, the book had a lot of potential, but the way it was executed didn’t really make me feel anything. It felt a bit “meh” overall to me. I don’t know yet if I’ll be picking up the second book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Daughter of Smoke & Bone is a story about Karou and Akiva. Karou, a girl part of our world and the Other World, raised by Brimstone. And Akiva, an angel who is trained to fight the chimaera’s Karou loves.
I have known about this book for ages, but never managed to pick up a copy. When I finally went to the bookstore and saw this book, I couldn’t resist. I’m almost hitting myself for not picking this book up sooner, because it was just THAT GOOD! I loved it from the moment I picked it up to the moment I finished it a day later.
I always thought this book took place in a fantasy world, so I was pleasantly surprised by how it took place in our world, but with another world added! The world woven by the author was just magical. I’ve been to Prague before, but never did it seem so magical as when reading this book.
The magic system and creatures in this book were so vastly different from what I thought they would be, I loved it! The mythology, the growth, the prejudices and lore told in this book were just amazing to read and I want to learn more! The plot was so intriguing, I couldn’t stop reading it. Also, the teeth… who would’ve thought they were used for THAT! I certainly never would've guessed...
Karou is such a funny character! I would love to be her friend hahaha. Her sarcasm and humor are just on point and made me laugh so much during reading. Add the way she looks and how badass she is and what more could you wish for! I rooted for her from the beginning and can’t wait to see how she’ll grow in the other books! The chimaera’s we meet in this book are also very interesting and I really wanna learn more about them and everything! Also, the angels! Akiva is such an interesting character and I love how he and Karou navigate towards each other. Their chemistry really punches you in the face while reading haha.
I really liked the flow of this story! It was honestly soooo damn good. The only thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the part after they snapped the wish bone. It seemed a bit too long, but at the same time it all was information I wanted to have. I feel a bit torn about how that part was delivered.
Overall, I absolutely loved every minute of this book and immediately ordered the second book hahaha.
Daughter of Smoke & Bone is a story about Karou and Akiva. Karou, a girl part of our world and the Other World, raised by Brimstone. And Akiva, an angel who is trained to fight the chimaera’s Karou loves.
I have known about this book for ages, but never managed to pick up a copy. When I finally went to the bookstore and saw this book, I couldn’t resist. I’m almost hitting myself for not picking this book up sooner, because it was just THAT GOOD! I loved it from the moment I picked it up to the moment I finished it a day later.
I always thought this book took place in a fantasy world, so I was pleasantly surprised by how it took place in our world, but with another world added! The world woven by the author was just magical. I’ve been to Prague before, but never did it seem so magical as when reading this book.
The magic system and creatures in this book were so vastly different from what I thought they would be, I loved it! The mythology, the growth, the prejudices and lore told in this book were just amazing to read and I want to learn more! The plot was so intriguing, I couldn’t stop reading it. Also, the teeth… who would’ve thought they were used for THAT! I certainly never would've guessed...
Karou is such a funny character! I would love to be her friend hahaha. Her sarcasm and humor are just on point and made me laugh so much during reading. Add the way she looks and how badass she is and what more could you wish for! I rooted for her from the beginning and can’t wait to see how she’ll grow in the other books! The chimaera’s we meet in this book are also very interesting and I really wanna learn more about them and everything! Also, the angels! Akiva is such an interesting character and I love how he and Karou navigate towards each other. Their chemistry really punches you in the face while reading haha.
I really liked the flow of this story! It was honestly soooo damn good. The only thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the part after they snapped the wish bone. It seemed a bit too long, but at the same time it all was information I wanted to have. I feel a bit torn about how that part was delivered.
Overall, I absolutely loved every minute of this book and immediately ordered the second book hahaha.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
When Wishes Bleed is a Cinderella retelling with a forbidden romance, magic and witches added into the mix.
I am an absolute sucker for retellings, and Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are my favourite (also the most common ones haha). While I knew it was a retelling some time before I started reading the book, I had forgotten this while I started reading the book. I have to say, looking back I can see some similarities but it is not really noticeable it is a retelling. I actually like this more, as it somehow gives the book a more unique feel.
The book starts of very interesting, in sector 13 where the witches live. The sectors have me a bit of The Hunger Games vibe, which I liked. The idea that the witches had their own sector, the four houses and how Fate played a role really set the tone from the very beginning. I was super intrigued and wanted to keep on reading! I also got quite strong The Selection vibes with the prince who holds a competition to chose a wife and queen.
The worldbuiling could’ve been a bit more, but I didn’t mind how not everything was known or just small details were given. I did wonder how big or small the country was, since it was shaped as a shell with the different sectors. It seemed a bit small, but with how it was written the country actually felt really big and vast.
Sable was a really interesting character to follow. She had a really strong personality from the beginning, which I really liked. She didn’t really grow a lot, but I didn’t really mind as she was already a pretty amazing character from the beginning. Tauren was also someone I liked! He knew what the wanted and just went for it haha. The side characters were also really complimenting the flow of the story and the main characters, which I really liked!
The romance was written so well in this book!! Not to fast-paced or insta-love like. It gradually grew as the story continued. The chemistry was really noticeable and I was rooting for the two from the very beginning until the end! I especially love how deeply their love for each other went at the end of this story.
Overall, I really loved this book in spite of the similarities with other books. It was funny, intriguing and had an amazing cast of characters.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
When Wishes Bleed is a Cinderella retelling with a forbidden romance, magic and witches added into the mix.
I am an absolute sucker for retellings, and Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are my favourite (also the most common ones haha). While I knew it was a retelling some time before I started reading the book, I had forgotten this while I started reading the book. I have to say, looking back I can see some similarities but it is not really noticeable it is a retelling. I actually like this more, as it somehow gives the book a more unique feel.
The book starts of very interesting, in sector 13 where the witches live. The sectors have me a bit of The Hunger Games vibe, which I liked. The idea that the witches had their own sector, the four houses and how Fate played a role really set the tone from the very beginning. I was super intrigued and wanted to keep on reading! I also got quite strong The Selection vibes with the prince who holds a competition to chose a wife and queen.
The worldbuiling could’ve been a bit more, but I didn’t mind how not everything was known or just small details were given. I did wonder how big or small the country was, since it was shaped as a shell with the different sectors. It seemed a bit small, but with how it was written the country actually felt really big and vast.
Sable was a really interesting character to follow. She had a really strong personality from the beginning, which I really liked. She didn’t really grow a lot, but I didn’t really mind as she was already a pretty amazing character from the beginning. Tauren was also someone I liked! He knew what the wanted and just went for it haha. The side characters were also really complimenting the flow of the story and the main characters, which I really liked!
The romance was written so well in this book!! Not to fast-paced or insta-love like. It gradually grew as the story continued. The chemistry was really noticeable and I was rooting for the two from the very beginning until the end! I especially love how deeply their love for each other went at the end of this story.
Overall, I really loved this book in spite of the similarities with other books. It was funny, intriguing and had an amazing cast of characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Zodiac Academy: Origins of an Academy Bully is a companion novel set place before the events of the first book The Awakening.
It clearly was a short novel which shed some light on one of the main characters from Zodiac Academy. I really wasn’t a fan of Darius in the first book, so I’m a bit torn after reading this.I know he’s had a tragic past and all to make him who he is, but it doesn’t excuse anything in my eyes.
You can read why in my review of the first book:
Review of The Awakening
While I did like him more and thus enjoyed this novel more, it was a bit short and I don’t yet understand or see how this will play out or add to the main story line of the series.
Overall, it is a good example of a companion novel to a series to give more insight in one for the characters.
Zodiac Academy: Origins of an Academy Bully is a companion novel set place before the events of the first book The Awakening.
It clearly was a short novel which shed some light on one of the main characters from Zodiac Academy. I really wasn’t a fan of Darius in the first book, so I’m a bit torn after reading this.I know he’s had a tragic past and all to make him who he is, but it doesn’t excuse anything in my eyes.
You can read why in my review of the first book:
Review of The Awakening
While I did like him more and thus enjoyed this novel more, it was a bit short and I don’t yet understand or see how this will play out or add to the main story line of the series.
Overall, it is a good example of a companion novel to a series to give more insight in one for the characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!|
Hotel Magnifique is story about a whimsical traveling hotel where guests go to have their dreams fulfilled. Jani and her sister, Zosa, go looking of a job inside the hotel, where not everything is a magical as it seems.
I won an ARC of this book via a giveaway the author did and I was so excited! This book has been on my radar for quite a while and I couldn’t be more excited to have an early copy!
The prose of this book is what drew me in from the beginning! A magical traveling hotel, sign me up haha! As someone who loves traveling (and hasn’t been able to go much due to the pandemic) I love getting lost in stories like this one! From start to finish I enjoyed this so very much that I really wanna book a stay, or win a ticket to stay, in Hotel Magnifique!
A world were magic isn’t really accepted with a hotel where suminaires, those who have magic, can live freely and safely was really intriguing. Jani wanting to better her situation for her sister and herself was really admirable as well.
The worldbuilding wasn’t needed much when most of the story took place in this whimsical hotel, but the details and description of this hotel made it sounds amazing and very magical. The way this book was written really submersed me into this world I wanted to be a part of. The cast of characters added to the hotel and it was just amazing to read this wonderful book. The writing was also really easy to follow along and it was really engaging to read as well.
Jani was a really interesting main character and very relatable. She’s very stubborn, which you notice every time she does what she wants or acts on her own thoughts and feelings. While she is stubborn and a bit rash sometimes, her devotion to her sister and those she comes to see as friends is what makes her a really admirable character.
All the characters are what really brought this book to a whole new level. The hotel and the prose in itself were magical to read, but the cast of characters really completed this story. All of them were vastly different but so essential to the story and development. Beatrice really stole my heart and Hellas and Frigga were super intriguing as well! All these character were so well written and developed with really rich background stories.
Her chemistry with Bell and the tension that springs off the pages is really fun to read. You just keep turning the pages to see how those two will evolve and how they push each other to grow. I like how their friendship started off and gradually grew, but I wished it was explored a bit more as if felt a bit to fast sometimes.
Overall, I immensely enjoyed this journey throughout a whimsical hotel with an amazingly rich cast of characters that really carried this story along.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!|
Hotel Magnifique is story about a whimsical traveling hotel where guests go to have their dreams fulfilled. Jani and her sister, Zosa, go looking of a job inside the hotel, where not everything is a magical as it seems.
I won an ARC of this book via a giveaway the author did and I was so excited! This book has been on my radar for quite a while and I couldn’t be more excited to have an early copy!
The prose of this book is what drew me in from the beginning! A magical traveling hotel, sign me up haha! As someone who loves traveling (and hasn’t been able to go much due to the pandemic) I love getting lost in stories like this one! From start to finish I enjoyed this so very much that I really wanna book a stay, or win a ticket to stay, in Hotel Magnifique!
A world were magic isn’t really accepted with a hotel where suminaires, those who have magic, can live freely and safely was really intriguing. Jani wanting to better her situation for her sister and herself was really admirable as well.
The worldbuilding wasn’t needed much when most of the story took place in this whimsical hotel, but the details and description of this hotel made it sounds amazing and very magical. The way this book was written really submersed me into this world I wanted to be a part of. The cast of characters added to the hotel and it was just amazing to read this wonderful book. The writing was also really easy to follow along and it was really engaging to read as well.
Jani was a really interesting main character and very relatable. She’s very stubborn, which you notice every time she does what she wants or acts on her own thoughts and feelings. While she is stubborn and a bit rash sometimes, her devotion to her sister and those she comes to see as friends is what makes her a really admirable character.
All the characters are what really brought this book to a whole new level. The hotel and the prose in itself were magical to read, but the cast of characters really completed this story. All of them were vastly different but so essential to the story and development. Beatrice really stole my heart and Hellas and Frigga were super intriguing as well! All these character were so well written and developed with really rich background stories.
Her chemistry with Bell and the tension that springs off the pages is really fun to read. You just keep turning the pages to see how those two will evolve and how they push each other to grow. I like how their friendship started off and gradually grew, but I wished it was explored a bit more as if felt a bit to fast sometimes.
Overall, I immensely enjoyed this journey throughout a whimsical hotel with an amazingly rich cast of characters that really carried this story along.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
A Forgery of Roses is a book with Myra, an artist with a dangerous talent. When she is employed to help bring someone back to live, she goes to Rose Manor, in the hope to solve the mystery of what happened to Will.
A Forgery of Roses has been on my radar for some time. After reading Sing Me Forgotten I became a fan of Jessica’s writing style and the synopsis for this book had me curious immediately.
The book begins of very, very strong! You immediately get a feel for Myra, her situation and those around her. The pages turn very easily and before I noticed it, I had already read the scheduled chapters for that day. I had a hard time keeping to this schedule because I just wanted to keep on reading! The writing style, fun and easy to follow along, and the pacing really made it so.
The world-building and magic system in this book were really interesting. The world wasn’t as big as it could’ve been, but the town, “religion” and mind frame from the citizens were clearly sketches in the beginning of the book. The sense of foreboding whenever Myra used her powers in fear of discovery was a good example of the world so clearly created. Also, the magic itself was super unique and not something I’ve seen before. It sounds like an amazing way to have magic as Myra has!
Myra is such an inspiring character to read about! She and her sister have faces many hardships even before the start of this book, but still she does everything for those she cares for and it is very inspiring to read about. The lengths she’ll go for her sister. There is a particularly passage in chapter 23 where she talks passionately about Lucy being the powerful one is a perfect example of Myra’s character
“Take Lucy as an example. Yes, she has an illness, and fools may claim that makes her weak, yet she is the furthest thing from weak I’ve ever known.” ... “As far as I am concerned, I may be the one with magic, but she’s the truly powerful one. Because she’s fought where I have never had to.”
Also how she tries to help August with his anxiety and how she supports him every step of the way and learns him he is not lesser of weaker for having that. I think these representations are beautifully portrayed in this book and I really give high marks to Jessica for doing that so well. Especially now, when it isn’t really a taboo to talk about things you struggle with, seeing these traits portrayed in a healthy way and in a way where you can see these traits be accepted is really important. Overcoming and accepting them is really important, as shown in this book.
The romance in this book hasn’t been very advances, but I love how the real focus hasn’t been on the romance as it would take away from the more important points and power of the story told. I did love how the feelings steadily grew for each other in a natural way, even though they hadn’t known each other for very long haha.
Overall, I really loved this book. It was a very easy and fun read which combined my two favourite genres; fantasy and a murder mystery!
A Forgery of Roses is a book with Myra, an artist with a dangerous talent. When she is employed to help bring someone back to live, she goes to Rose Manor, in the hope to solve the mystery of what happened to Will.
A Forgery of Roses has been on my radar for some time. After reading Sing Me Forgotten I became a fan of Jessica’s writing style and the synopsis for this book had me curious immediately.
The book begins of very, very strong! You immediately get a feel for Myra, her situation and those around her. The pages turn very easily and before I noticed it, I had already read the scheduled chapters for that day. I had a hard time keeping to this schedule because I just wanted to keep on reading! The writing style, fun and easy to follow along, and the pacing really made it so.
The world-building and magic system in this book were really interesting. The world wasn’t as big as it could’ve been, but the town, “religion” and mind frame from the citizens were clearly sketches in the beginning of the book. The sense of foreboding whenever Myra used her powers in fear of discovery was a good example of the world so clearly created. Also, the magic itself was super unique and not something I’ve seen before. It sounds like an amazing way to have magic as Myra has!
Myra is such an inspiring character to read about! She and her sister have faces many hardships even before the start of this book, but still she does everything for those she cares for and it is very inspiring to read about. The lengths she’ll go for her sister. There is a particularly passage in chapter 23 where she talks passionately about Lucy being the powerful one is a perfect example of Myra’s character
“Take Lucy as an example. Yes, she has an illness, and fools may claim that makes her weak, yet she is the furthest thing from weak I’ve ever known.” ... “As far as I am concerned, I may be the one with magic, but she’s the truly powerful one. Because she’s fought where I have never had to.”
Also how she tries to help August with his anxiety and how she supports him every step of the way and learns him he is not lesser of weaker for having that. I think these representations are beautifully portrayed in this book and I really give high marks to Jessica for doing that so well. Especially now, when it isn’t really a taboo to talk about things you struggle with, seeing these traits portrayed in a healthy way and in a way where you can see these traits be accepted is really important. Overcoming and accepting them is really important, as shown in this book.
The romance in this book hasn’t been very advances, but I love how the real focus hasn’t been on the romance as it would take away from the more important points and power of the story told. I did love how the feelings steadily grew for each other in a natural way, even though they hadn’t known each other for very long haha.
Overall, I really loved this book. It was a very easy and fun read which combined my two favourite genres; fantasy and a murder mystery!