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lisashelves's Reviews (976)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
A Shadow in the Ember is the prequel book to the story of From Blood and Ash. In this book we follow Sera, who was promised to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
So, when I found out that a prequel duology was coming, set in the same world as From Blood and Ash, I couldn’t pre-order this book fast enough! Fast forward to the release date, and the book is not available for delivery. Fast forward a few months and it is still unknown when the book will be delivered. I wanted to read this book so bad, I bought the ebook version while still waiting for the hardcover to be delivered (still unknown when though… gotta love living in The Netherlands…)
I loved the From Blood and Ash books, devoured all three books in a week haha. The same world, the same magic, but many years before. Just like most of JLA’s books, I had such a hard time putting this book down once I started reading it! It is action packed, spicy and super addicting!
The beginning wasn’t as slow as a lot of the world already was sort of known to me. The focus was a bit more on character-building and I loved it. Very quickly the paced picked up and more and more happened and I got more and more invested. I really liked seeing how the world was similar, but very different at the same time. It felt like looking in those weird mirrors who change your shape. You recognize yourself, but don’t at the same time.
I loved Sera and Nyktos! The way they met and the chemistry they had! It really sparked and was seen from miles away. It was a perfect combination of banter, sexual tension and vulnerablilty. What is really fun is you sort of have a mindset about Nyktos before reading this book, because of the snippets from the From Blood and Ash series, which is kind off hilarious seeing as all those thoughts are quickly thrown out the window.
Sera is really similar to Poppy, which I believe was intentionally done, but I loved Poppy for how strong she was, how she wouldn’t back down, those fierce and outspoken powerful women are just everything to me and Sera definitely belongs with those women. I also really enjoyed the development of the characters in this book.
The small twists were really fun to read and I didn’t see most of them coming! I always expect the unexpected when reading JLA’s books, so everything that happened kept me on my toes in the best way hahaha. Also, something I REALLY loved was the little snippets to the From Blood and Ash series and books, some foreshadowing so what has already happened and what will come! I loved it! Also, damn that ending though. I can’t! Really! Ending the book in that way! WHY?! It truly gave me a good book hangover… HOW CAN YOU END IT LIKE THAT!! T_T (luckily, we don’t have to wait ages for the sequel and The War of Two Queens is coming soon as well!)
Overall, absolutely loved this book, I am obsessed with this world and all these amazing characters! Can’t wait to explore more of this world in all future books.
Read my reviews on the From Blood and Ash series here:
From Blood and Ash review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Crown of Gilded Bones review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Shadow in the Ember is the prequel book to the story of From Blood and Ash. In this book we follow Sera, who was promised to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
So, when I found out that a prequel duology was coming, set in the same world as From Blood and Ash, I couldn’t pre-order this book fast enough! Fast forward to the release date, and the book is not available for delivery. Fast forward a few months and it is still unknown when the book will be delivered. I wanted to read this book so bad, I bought the ebook version while still waiting for the hardcover to be delivered (still unknown when though… gotta love living in The Netherlands…)
I loved the From Blood and Ash books, devoured all three books in a week haha. The same world, the same magic, but many years before. Just like most of JLA’s books, I had such a hard time putting this book down once I started reading it! It is action packed, spicy and super addicting!
The beginning wasn’t as slow as a lot of the world already was sort of known to me. The focus was a bit more on character-building and I loved it. Very quickly the paced picked up and more and more happened and I got more and more invested. I really liked seeing how the world was similar, but very different at the same time. It felt like looking in those weird mirrors who change your shape. You recognize yourself, but don’t at the same time.
I loved Sera and Nyktos! The way they met and the chemistry they had! It really sparked and was seen from miles away. It was a perfect combination of banter, sexual tension and vulnerablilty. What is really fun is you sort of have a mindset about Nyktos before reading this book, because of the snippets from the From Blood and Ash series, which is kind off hilarious seeing as all those thoughts are quickly thrown out the window.
Sera is really similar to Poppy, which I believe was intentionally done, but I loved Poppy for how strong she was, how she wouldn’t back down, those fierce and outspoken powerful women are just everything to me and Sera definitely belongs with those women. I also really enjoyed the development of the characters in this book.
The small twists were really fun to read and I didn’t see most of them coming! I always expect the unexpected when reading JLA’s books, so everything that happened kept me on my toes in the best way hahaha. Also, something I REALLY loved was the little snippets to the From Blood and Ash series and books, some foreshadowing so what has already happened and what will come! I loved it! Also, damn that ending though. I can’t! Really! Ending the book in that way! WHY?! It truly gave me a good book hangover… HOW CAN YOU END IT LIKE THAT!! T_T (luckily, we don’t have to wait ages for the sequel and The War of Two Queens is coming soon as well!)
Overall, absolutely loved this book, I am obsessed with this world and all these amazing characters! Can’t wait to explore more of this world in all future books.
Read my reviews on the From Blood and Ash series here:
From Blood and Ash review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Crown of Gilded Bones review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
A Light in the Flame is the second book in the Flesh and Fire series. The story continues right after the end of A Shadow in the Ember (thank God because that cliffhanger!)
“I never wanted to love. Not until you, liessa.”
A Shadow in the Ember review|⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let’s start off with the fact that the duology has become a trilogy and the only thing going through my mind the whole time: please, don’t end like the first book… yeah, well, it did…
Remembering how hangover I was after the first book; I couldn’t wait to dive into this book! Since delivering the physical copy took so long for the first book, I ordered the ebook right away. Good thinking on my part, since once again the delivery date for my hardcover copy is unknown…
The world and its characters were already known to us, so a whole lot of world-building wasn’t present. Still there were quite a lot of small bits of information given, like the whole prophecy, powers, things as a Kardia etc. I hadn’t expected to still learn so much more hahaha.
The writing and story did seem to start off a bit slow to me. I loved diving right back into the story, with the way the book started. As if the scene was cut in two; one part the ending of book 1 and the second part the beginning of this book. But after that scene was over, the pacing seemed to slow down a little bit. Still, I could very easily keep on reading, which I wanted!
Some new characters were also introduced or we got to know others better. Kolis is seen and spoken to for the first time. We get to know Attes (love him!) Jadis is just downright adorable and I loved the character growth Sera and Nyktos had.
The growth in relationship between Sera and Nyktos was just beautiful to see! Their chemistry was there from the very first page of the first book and it didn’t dim in this one! I loved seeing them grow and the spicy was *chef’s kiss*
I also really loved the small titbits of information given about what’s to come, it really got me speculating about what could possibly happen in future books hahaha. Also, damn that ending though. I can’t! Really! Ending the book in that way! WHY?! HOW CAN YOU END IT LIKE THAT AGAIN!! T_T And that while knowing the third book will come in SPRING 2024! (with three other books coming next year so we won’t have to wait all too long hehe)
Overall, I absolutely loved reading this book! After this book I honestly don’t even know which couple I love more hahaha.
Read my reviews on the From Blood and Ash series here:
From Blood and Ash review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Crown of Gilded Bones review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Light in the Flame is the second book in the Flesh and Fire series. The story continues right after the end of A Shadow in the Ember (thank God because that cliffhanger!)
“I never wanted to love. Not until you, liessa.”
A Shadow in the Ember review|⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let’s start off with the fact that the duology has become a trilogy and the only thing going through my mind the whole time: please, don’t end like the first book… yeah, well, it did…
Remembering how hangover I was after the first book; I couldn’t wait to dive into this book! Since delivering the physical copy took so long for the first book, I ordered the ebook right away. Good thinking on my part, since once again the delivery date for my hardcover copy is unknown…
The world and its characters were already known to us, so a whole lot of world-building wasn’t present. Still there were quite a lot of small bits of information given, like the whole prophecy, powers, things as a Kardia etc. I hadn’t expected to still learn so much more hahaha.
The writing and story did seem to start off a bit slow to me. I loved diving right back into the story, with the way the book started. As if the scene was cut in two; one part the ending of book 1 and the second part the beginning of this book. But after that scene was over, the pacing seemed to slow down a little bit. Still, I could very easily keep on reading, which I wanted!
Some new characters were also introduced or we got to know others better. Kolis is seen and spoken to for the first time. We get to know Attes (love him!)
Spoiler
I am a big believer he WILL redeem himself!!!!The growth in relationship between Sera and Nyktos was just beautiful to see! Their chemistry was there from the very first page of the first book and it didn’t dim in this one! I loved seeing them grow and the spicy was *chef’s kiss*
I also really loved the small titbits of information given about what’s to come, it really got me speculating about what could possibly happen in future books hahaha. Also, damn that ending though. I can’t! Really! Ending the book in that way! WHY?! HOW CAN YOU END IT LIKE THAT AGAIN!! T_T And that while knowing the third book will come in SPRING 2024! (with three other books coming next year so we won’t have to wait all too long hehe)
Overall, I absolutely loved reading this book! After this book I honestly don’t even know which couple I love more hahaha.
Read my reviews on the From Blood and Ash series here:
From Blood and Ash review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Crown of Gilded Bones review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
Five Survive is a brand-new mystery book by Holly Jackson, where six friends are stranded in the middle of nowhere in a RV with a killer out there.
“Everybody had secrets, though, didn’t they?”
I immensely enjoyed reading the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and had thought this book would have the same feeling as those books, especially the first two, had. I have to say that this book has a very different feel.
The writing is very fast paced, seeing as the whole story essentially takes place in about 8 hours total. A lot keeps happening and because it is fast-paced, it sometimes seems a bit rushed. I had also expected there to be more humor or sarcasm present, as that was one of the parts I loved so much about AGGGTM, aside from the writing format. I have to be honest, there was little humor to the whole story, which made it feel a little static due to that. It was high intensity, fast-paced, constant high tension, fear, etc. It felt a little too much of everything sometimes.
The characters were a bit difficult to like for me. Red seemed very detached to me and a bit two-dimensional. I had a hard time connecting to her and I didn’t really feel much for her. Olivier was just very annoying overall and I didn’t like his personality, but it fitted the story perfectly. Maddy was kind off not present most of the time. I often kept forgetting she was there if Red hadn’t mentioned her for a while. I only like Arthur to be honest, as he came across as a very sweet boy.
The whole feel of the book seemed to lean more towards horror that mystery thriller for me, maybe due to a bit of humor missing and the overall feeling the book gave. It is a young adult book, but I feel like a bit more balance in the high intensity would’ve fitted the story better.
Despite all this, it is a very easy and enjoyable read. While a bit predictable and not as mind blowing as AGGGTM, I still enjoyed seeing all play out during the time it takes place. The ending, while not entirely satisfying in my opinion, was a fitting one for the story.
Overall, it is a good mystery book with an enjoyable plot. While I don’t believe it is as good as AGGGTM, it is a good book.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
Five Survive is a brand-new mystery book by Holly Jackson, where six friends are stranded in the middle of nowhere in a RV with a killer out there.
“Everybody had secrets, though, didn’t they?”
I immensely enjoyed reading the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and had thought this book would have the same feeling as those books, especially the first two, had. I have to say that this book has a very different feel.
The writing is very fast paced, seeing as the whole story essentially takes place in about 8 hours total. A lot keeps happening and because it is fast-paced, it sometimes seems a bit rushed. I had also expected there to be more humor or sarcasm present, as that was one of the parts I loved so much about AGGGTM, aside from the writing format. I have to be honest, there was little humor to the whole story, which made it feel a little static due to that. It was high intensity, fast-paced, constant high tension, fear, etc. It felt a little too much of everything sometimes.
The characters were a bit difficult to like for me. Red seemed very detached to me and a bit two-dimensional. I had a hard time connecting to her and I didn’t really feel much for her. Olivier was just very annoying overall and I didn’t like his personality, but it fitted the story perfectly. Maddy was kind off not present most of the time. I often kept forgetting she was there if Red hadn’t mentioned her for a while. I only like Arthur to be honest, as he came across as a very sweet boy.
The whole feel of the book seemed to lean more towards horror that mystery thriller for me, maybe due to a bit of humor missing and the overall feeling the book gave. It is a young adult book, but I feel like a bit more balance in the high intensity would’ve fitted the story better.
Despite all this, it is a very easy and enjoyable read. While a bit predictable and not as mind blowing as AGGGTM, I still enjoyed seeing all play out during the time it takes place. The ending, while not entirely satisfying in my opinion, was a fitting one for the story.
Overall, it is a good mystery book with an enjoyable plot. While I don’t believe it is as good as AGGGTM, it is a good book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
The Ones We Burn is a story about Ranka, a blood-witch, sent as a bride to the human prince to honor the treaty.
“The family you choose are the ones who leave the deepest mark.”
I love a good story about witches, and I loved every minute of reading this one! I dove into this story and had such a hard time putting it down!
The writing and plot were basic, but so good! It has the typical fantasy tropes and characters, but so much lore and worldbuilding was put into this world! The different types of covens, witches, powers and the humans made the world feel wholesome and big. I loved getting to know the world.
The plot was very good as well. Ranka going under the guise of marrying Galen and killing him to save the problem of suppression of the witches. It is something I’ve seen before, but the execution was done so well. The political unrest, the plague killing witches and the tensions were written so well. I just wanted to keep on reading to find out what would happen next.
The characters were really well developed and I loved them. They are noticeably teenagers and often act without thinking, but I loved the development and growth they went through. Ranka especially grew so much. I loved how she went from blindly following to really standing up for herself and becoming confident in who she is (she really reminded me of Zuko so much). I also really liked how kind-hearted and gentle Galen was. Percy was just so funny and Aramis really stole my heart.
I loved the found family aspect of this book so much! While Galen, Aramis and Percy were a bit established already, Ranka fitted in perfectly. They found a safe place in each other while trying to solve the problems kids shouldn’t have to deal with. I also really loved the little bits of romance that lifted the book to a higher level for me. it developed from “hate” to mutual respect and them needing each other to love.
Overall, The Ones We Burn is a great story with a full plot and story, fun, humor, heartbreak and mind-blowing moment.
PS: anyone spotted the avatar reference at the start?? I laughed so hard when I read it, loved it hahahahaha
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
The Ones We Burn is a story about Ranka, a blood-witch, sent as a bride to the human prince to honor the treaty.
“The family you choose are the ones who leave the deepest mark.”
I love a good story about witches, and I loved every minute of reading this one! I dove into this story and had such a hard time putting it down!
The writing and plot were basic, but so good! It has the typical fantasy tropes and characters, but so much lore and worldbuilding was put into this world! The different types of covens, witches, powers and the humans made the world feel wholesome and big. I loved getting to know the world.
The plot was very good as well. Ranka going under the guise of marrying Galen and killing him to save the problem of suppression of the witches. It is something I’ve seen before, but the execution was done so well. The political unrest, the plague killing witches and the tensions were written so well. I just wanted to keep on reading to find out what would happen next.
The characters were really well developed and I loved them. They are noticeably teenagers and often act without thinking, but I loved the development and growth they went through. Ranka especially grew so much. I loved how she went from blindly following to really standing up for herself and becoming confident in who she is (she really reminded me of Zuko so much). I also really liked how kind-hearted and gentle Galen was. Percy was just so funny and Aramis really stole my heart.
I loved the found family aspect of this book so much! While Galen, Aramis and Percy were a bit established already, Ranka fitted in perfectly. They found a safe place in each other while trying to solve the problems kids shouldn’t have to deal with. I also really loved the little bits of romance that lifted the book to a higher level for me. it developed from “hate” to mutual respect and them needing each other to love.
Overall, The Ones We Burn is a great story with a full plot and story, fun, humor, heartbreak and mind-blowing moment.
PS: anyone spotted the avatar reference at the start?? I laughed so hard when I read it, loved it hahahahaha
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Sorcery of Thorns is a book about a magical library apprentice, Elisabeth, who most save the kingdom from an evil sorcerer together with Nathaniel.
“Knowledge always had the potential to be dangerous. It is a more powerful weapon than any sword or spell.”
I’ve listened to the audiobook on Storytell and to be honest I really developed a love for audiobooks hahaha. I really enjoyed the voice actress, who did a very good job in selling the story. The only thing I found a bit irksome was the big difference in volume between some parts. Silas for example had a really silent voice, which sometimes made it a bit harder to understand what he was saying.
The book starts of in the Great Library, where we meet Elisabeth in her natural habitat haha. I liked this slow glide into the story, where we gradually learn about the world, the library and the grimoires in it. The beginning is quite fun and I really liked the first meeting between Elisabeth and Nathaniel. Aside from this it is such a full book that it hardly feels as a standalone.
Elisabeth is a character that was really likeable in the beginning of the book, became more annoying and towards the end once again likeable. She really fluctuated for me to be honest. I liked her at the start, but once she went with Nathaniel, her naivety and unknowing grew a bit annoying in the way she went about it all. It is very understandable that she is that way, but it just annoyed me. Luckily that resolved itself as she grew more confident and learned more about the world. Nathaniel was truly a great character. I especially loved how nonchalant he was and his attitude had me laughing a lot.
It is a really slow-burn type of love that gradually keeps growing and growing into more between the two. I really liked the chemistry that they had and how their relationship developed in a beautiful and believable way. The same can be said about the friendship between Silas and Nathaniel, which is truly heartwarming, and the friendship between Silas and Elisabeth. All the relationships in the book were done really well!
While I liked how the book ended, the ending itself felt very rushed in a few chapters. A lot at the ending also seemed rather convenient somehow. With how well written the whole book is, is seemed like a pity for the book to end like that. I think the ending could’ve easily been fleshed out more and not seem so rushed.
Overall, it is a unique story that I really enjoyed a lot! Especially as a fantasy book lover, this book is a must read. I know a sequel novella is coming in January, which I will be checking out!
Sorcery of Thorns is a book about a magical library apprentice, Elisabeth, who most save the kingdom from an evil sorcerer together with Nathaniel.
“Knowledge always had the potential to be dangerous. It is a more powerful weapon than any sword or spell.”
I’ve listened to the audiobook on Storytell and to be honest I really developed a love for audiobooks hahaha. I really enjoyed the voice actress, who did a very good job in selling the story. The only thing I found a bit irksome was the big difference in volume between some parts. Silas for example had a really silent voice, which sometimes made it a bit harder to understand what he was saying.
The book starts of in the Great Library, where we meet Elisabeth in her natural habitat haha. I liked this slow glide into the story, where we gradually learn about the world, the library and the grimoires in it. The beginning is quite fun and I really liked the first meeting between Elisabeth and Nathaniel. Aside from this it is such a full book that it hardly feels as a standalone.
Elisabeth is a character that was really likeable in the beginning of the book, became more annoying and towards the end once again likeable. She really fluctuated for me to be honest. I liked her at the start, but once she went with Nathaniel, her naivety and unknowing grew a bit annoying in the way she went about it all. It is very understandable that she is that way, but it just annoyed me. Luckily that resolved itself as she grew more confident and learned more about the world. Nathaniel was truly a great character. I especially loved how nonchalant he was and his attitude had me laughing a lot.
It is a really slow-burn type of love that gradually keeps growing and growing into more between the two. I really liked the chemistry that they had and how their relationship developed in a beautiful and believable way. The same can be said about the friendship between Silas and Nathaniel, which is truly heartwarming, and the friendship between Silas and Elisabeth. All the relationships in the book were done really well!
While I liked how the book ended, the ending itself felt very rushed in a few chapters. A lot at the ending also seemed rather convenient somehow. With how well written the whole book is, is seemed like a pity for the book to end like that. I think the ending could’ve easily been fleshed out more and not seem so rushed.
Overall, it is a unique story that I really enjoyed a lot! Especially as a fantasy book lover, this book is a must read. I know a sequel novella is coming in January, which I will be checking out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Wrath & Mercy is the sequel to The Bright & The Pale. After surviving Knnot and having freed her people from the ice, Valeria works toward freeing them from the Czar and the Bright God.
“You are not people to be broken and used!”
The Bright & The Pale review|⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wrath & Mercy is the sequel to The Bright & The Pale. After surviving Knnot and having freed her people from the ice, Valeria works toward freeing them from the Czar and the Bright God.
“You are not people to be broken and used!”
The Bright & The Pale review|⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 3 stars
The Whispering Dark is a story about a deaf student, Delaney, who has a connection with the afterlife and is accepted into a prestigious and supernatural program at university.
“I dragged myself out of Hell to you.”
I’ve started reading this book over a month ago and finally finished it today. I have to be real; it was a struggle to read this book. Some hours later, when writing this review, I already had to look up names because I forgot. That kinda wraps this story up for me. It was forgettable and confusing.
I got a gorgeous edition of this book in my October Owlcrate box and was very exciting to start reading this, but from the very beginning I just had a lot of questions that weren’t answered. The first part that confused me was Delaney herself. It was said she was deaf, but I was so confused about how she could hear and talk if she was. It wasn’t until 50 pages in somewhere that it was mentioned she has an implant to help with that. This is just one example of the little things that kept on confusing me, because they weren’t explained or much later in the story.
The writing itself was good with a nice pacing to follow along the storyline. I also liked that the chapters weren’t that long, since it was a bit of a grapple for me to read this book, the shorter chapters helped.
The plot itself just confused me and I still feel like I don’t understand half of what I’ve read. I don’t really understand the supernatural part that played in the story. While the plot confused me and left me with a lot of answers, I still see a lot of potential in the book itself.
The characters were a bit hard to like. Delaney and Colton came across quite repetitive overall, also in how they were constantly mentioned. It also didn’t really feel like they grew much throughout the story. I also would’ve liked for the other characters such as Adya and Mackenzie to be more present.
The romance felt a bit forced somehow and I didn’t really find it believable. I think it would’ve been better if the focus would’ve been on friendship instead of romance. It wouldn’t have felt as rushed.
Overall, the book overall just confused me and it didn’t really click for me as I also didn’t really connect with the characters themselves.
The Whispering Dark is a story about a deaf student, Delaney, who has a connection with the afterlife and is accepted into a prestigious and supernatural program at university.
“I dragged myself out of Hell to you.”
I’ve started reading this book over a month ago and finally finished it today. I have to be real; it was a struggle to read this book. Some hours later, when writing this review, I already had to look up names because I forgot. That kinda wraps this story up for me. It was forgettable and confusing.
I got a gorgeous edition of this book in my October Owlcrate box and was very exciting to start reading this, but from the very beginning I just had a lot of questions that weren’t answered. The first part that confused me was Delaney herself. It was said she was deaf, but I was so confused about how she could hear and talk if she was. It wasn’t until 50 pages in somewhere that it was mentioned she has an implant to help with that. This is just one example of the little things that kept on confusing me, because they weren’t explained or much later in the story.
The writing itself was good with a nice pacing to follow along the storyline. I also liked that the chapters weren’t that long, since it was a bit of a grapple for me to read this book, the shorter chapters helped.
The plot itself just confused me and I still feel like I don’t understand half of what I’ve read. I don’t really understand the supernatural part that played in the story
Spoiler
I don’t understand what was in her head in the end, how it would’ve somehow solved the immortality issue they were looking for, what all the students were learning aside from stepping through the ripples and a lot more…The characters were a bit hard to like. Delaney and Colton came across quite repetitive overall, also in how they were constantly mentioned. It also didn’t really feel like they grew much throughout the story. I also would’ve liked for the other characters such as Adya and Mackenzie to be more present.
The romance felt a bit forced somehow and I didn’t really find it believable. I think it would’ve been better if the focus would’ve been on friendship instead of romance. It wouldn’t have felt as rushed.
Overall, the book overall just confused me and it didn’t really click for me as I also didn’t really connect with the characters themselves.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Heart of the Sun Warrior is the sequel story to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. The peace on the moon is threatened by a strange magic and Xingyin is determined to keep clear of whatever is coming, without success.
“Family, whether through blood or bond, who gave a place its heart. And that was more important than any tile or brick, whether of gold, silver, or jade.”
Daughter of the Moon Goddess review|⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 2021, I read the amazing story of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I couldn’t believe it when a sequel was announced. The story itself felt very complete so I was really curious to see where this story would take me. But I never doubted it would be as beautifully written as the first.
The book, in style of writing and pacing, is very similar to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, it is very fast-paced in a perfectly fitting way. The beginning is slower than the rest of the book, which perfectly resonates with the story and the setting. As the sense of danger and urgency arises, so does the pacing of the plot and the writing. It is super cleverly written. Aside from the story being cleverly crafted, the attention to details is still very much present!
I loved the exploration of more parts of the Celestial Kingdom and the Mortal Lands in this story. While always having known the world was bigger than what we’d already seen, now it became a little bit bigger by learning about these new places in a very intimate way. Especially the parts in the sea, I really loved reading about live there and the structures build.
Xingyin is very much a woman in this story and continues to be just as badass as she was. She is still strong and perhaps has a bit more temper showing in this book that in the first haha. Prince Liwei was still a very well-rounded character that really grew more into his role during the story. Wenzhi will always be my favourite of the males hahahha and I loved his presence in this book so much!
The relationships are once again beautifully written.. The parental bonds were once again very present and the reason for many things that happened in the book. I loved how not only Xingyin’s parental bonds, but also Liwei’s and Wenzhi’s parental bonds were mayor building stones of this book.
I had also thought that the love triangle would’ve been resolved and Xingyin would remain with the one she chose at the end of Daughter of the Moon Goddess , but I am quite happy to see that wasn’t set in stone just yet! I liked how the triangle sort of came back this time and a bit more on the foreground, as it played a bigger role. And yes, in the end she did end up with the one I was rooting for since book one hahaha
Overall, it was just as captivating as the first book. While the journey didn’t span over so many years, it was still an amazing adventure we were taken on!
Heart of the Sun Warrior is the sequel story to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. The peace on the moon is threatened by a strange magic and Xingyin is determined to keep clear of whatever is coming, without success.
“Family, whether through blood or bond, who gave a place its heart. And that was more important than any tile or brick, whether of gold, silver, or jade.”
Daughter of the Moon Goddess review|⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 2021, I read the amazing story of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I couldn’t believe it when a sequel was announced. The story itself felt very complete so I was really curious to see where this story would take me. But I never doubted it would be as beautifully written as the first.
The book, in style of writing and pacing, is very similar to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, it is very fast-paced in a perfectly fitting way. The beginning is slower than the rest of the book, which perfectly resonates with the story and the setting. As the sense of danger and urgency arises, so does the pacing of the plot and the writing. It is super cleverly written. Aside from the story being cleverly crafted, the attention to details is still very much present!
I loved the exploration of more parts of the Celestial Kingdom and the Mortal Lands in this story. While always having known the world was bigger than what we’d already seen, now it became a little bit bigger by learning about these new places in a very intimate way. Especially the parts in the sea, I really loved reading about live there and the structures build.
Xingyin is very much a woman in this story and continues to be just as badass as she was. She is still strong and perhaps has a bit more temper showing in this book that in the first haha. Prince Liwei was still a very well-rounded character that really grew more into his role during the story. Wenzhi will always be my favourite of the males hahahha and I loved his presence in this book so much!
The relationships are once again beautifully written.
Spoiler
I loved how Xingyin was able to explore the relation with her father in this book, as the one with her mother is so strong alreadyI had also thought that the love triangle would’ve been resolved and Xingyin would remain with the one she chose at the end of Daughter of the Moon Goddess , but I am quite happy to see that wasn’t set in stone just yet! I liked how the triangle sort of came back this time and a bit more on the foreground, as it played a bigger role. And yes, in the end she did end up with the one I was rooting for since book one hahaha
Overall, it was just as captivating as the first book. While the journey didn’t span over so many years, it was still an amazing adventure we were taken on!