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lisashelves's Reviews (976)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a story about modern day witches and the threat that looms on the horizon for a group of childhood friends who all went their different ways after the civil war.
“A beginning often signals an end. That's the thing with dawn... you must first get through the night.“
At the very beginning, I was a bit confused about this story to be honest. They kept talking about a war that had happened, and at first I believed they were talking about World War II when talking about the war. Later on it became apparent that a civil war within the magic community had happened. I think some of this confusion could’ve been prevented by putting the explanation of the history earlier in the story then it is now.
I really liked the plot and how the story played out. It had me grasping and really drew me in. The introduction was really well done to introduce the different characters and their current lives. It also really shows how their lives change by all that happens in the book. So the impact is really felt and real.
The different characters were a bit hard to keep track of and not all were as memorable. Niamh I liked best, but maybe also because she had quite a prominent role in the story itself. Helena seemed really narrowminded throughout the story and I wasn’t a fan, but I believe that was the goal in writing her that way. Leonie was really awesome in her stand and what she did for the BIPOC and queer community in the story with Diaspora! Elle wasn’t so memorable or stood really out to me. Holly and Theo stood out more and I really liked that duo. I kinda wanted to see more of them and I am excited to see how they’ll continue to grow.
This whole book is really inclusive and I like how all was included and portrayed. Theo being trans, was a really nice touch and I liked the different views of the characters on that and how they viewed it all. I really applaud Dawson for that. The whole book feels like a massive story all for women’s rights and the struggles we sometimes face as women. It made me feel empowered reading this!
The ending came along really nicely and I really grasped at the very last few pages! While some parts were a bit predictable, it still really took me by surprise!
Seeing as this is the first in a trilogy, I will be picking up book two! But I do wonder where the story will go for two more books. While I have an idea for the next book, it doesn’t seem like something that can be dragged over two new books. I am curious to see how the story will play out in this world.
Overall, this book is an awesome and empowering read with kickass fantasy involved as well. The message on transgenders depicted in this book is really important and worth reading.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a story about modern day witches and the threat that looms on the horizon for a group of childhood friends who all went their different ways after the civil war.
“A beginning often signals an end. That's the thing with dawn... you must first get through the night.“
At the very beginning, I was a bit confused about this story to be honest. They kept talking about a war that had happened, and at first I believed they were talking about World War II when talking about the war. Later on it became apparent that a civil war within the magic community had happened. I think some of this confusion could’ve been prevented by putting the explanation of the history earlier in the story then it is now.
I really liked the plot and how the story played out. It had me grasping and really drew me in. The introduction was really well done to introduce the different characters and their current lives. It also really shows how their lives change by all that happens in the book. So the impact is really felt and real.
The different characters were a bit hard to keep track of and not all were as memorable. Niamh I liked best, but maybe also because she had quite a prominent role in the story itself. Helena seemed really narrowminded throughout the story and I wasn’t a fan, but I believe that was the goal in writing her that way. Leonie was really awesome in her stand and what she did for the BIPOC and queer community in the story with Diaspora! Elle wasn’t so memorable or stood really out to me. Holly and Theo stood out more and I really liked that duo. I kinda wanted to see more of them and I am excited to see how they’ll continue to grow.
This whole book is really inclusive and I like how all was included and portrayed. Theo being trans, was a really nice touch and I liked the different views of the characters on that and how they viewed it all. I really applaud Dawson for that. The whole book feels like a massive story all for women’s rights and the struggles we sometimes face as women. It made me feel empowered reading this!
The ending came along really nicely and I really grasped at the very last few pages! While some parts were a bit predictable, it still really took me by surprise!
Spoiler
I am kinda afraid though about what Ciara did to Niamh, because if she’s truly death because Ciara killed her body, then I’ll be very, very sad as Niamh and Theo are my favorite characters. I also don’t believe she can pull it off very long hiding who she really isSeeing as this is the first in a trilogy, I will be picking up book two! But I do wonder where the story will go for two more books. While I have an idea for the next book, it doesn’t seem like something that can be dragged over two new books. I am curious to see how the story will play out in this world.
Overall, this book is an awesome and empowering read with kickass fantasy involved as well. The message on transgenders depicted in this book is really important and worth reading.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
A Dowry of Blood is a novel about vampires, told from the perspective of Constanta, the first bride to him.
“It was never my intention to murder you. Not in the beginning, anyway.“
Getting a gorgeous edition from Fairyloot and the story being about vampires, I was excited to start reading this book! Vampires are awesome creatures and I love reading stories about them! Having had a very busy month, this book seemed perfect to start reading on my only free day this month hahaha. I loved the book so much that I started and finished it all in that one day!
I only really knew the book was about vampires, and from the cover it seemed historical, which really got me excited to start reading this book. What really took me by surprise was the way this book was written, as if Constanta was writing a diary and we were reading her entries. It was a very intriguing way to tell her story.
The plot itself wasn’t really much as it was mostly Constanta telling how she met him and how their little family came about. The writing was very easy to follow along and you really got a feel for the characters and their lives. Sometimes it was a bit hard to pinpoint the time period the story took place in, but it wasn’t hindering for the story itself.
Constanta was a woman who became quite compliant under him, but as she wrote the story after everything happened, her true feelings were shown quite early on and how she viewed what she did all those years in ignoring the problems. I liked the way she was depicted because of this. She had grown and recognized her own faults very well, which I really liked.
The other three characters weren’t as present, but still very much their own. All were shown from Constanta’s point of view and I believe they were written as she saw them. He wasn’t really likeable and you could most of the times see his faults and problematic behavior. While Magdalena and Alexei were “rival consorts” they never felt like that, because Constanta fell in love with them and was in love with them while writing her story. I could understand the jealousy, but rivals they never seemed to me. I liked how they gravitated towards each other and how different they all were. I also liked how the romance between all was different, but not less. It made each relationship really unique in its nature.
The ending did seem a bit sudden somehow, like his demise was somehow easy and somewhat convenient. On the other hand is seemed like a perfect ending for someone like him hahaha. I also really liked how hopeful the true ending of the story was and I really hope we’ll get to see these characters again in the modern world.
Overall, it was an unexpected, amazing novel with a really intriguing writing style that sweeps you in and hold you until you’ve finished the book.
A Dowry of Blood is a novel about vampires, told from the perspective of Constanta, the first bride to him.
“It was never my intention to murder you. Not in the beginning, anyway.“
Getting a gorgeous edition from Fairyloot and the story being about vampires, I was excited to start reading this book! Vampires are awesome creatures and I love reading stories about them! Having had a very busy month, this book seemed perfect to start reading on my only free day this month hahaha. I loved the book so much that I started and finished it all in that one day!
I only really knew the book was about vampires, and from the cover it seemed historical, which really got me excited to start reading this book. What really took me by surprise was the way this book was written, as if Constanta was writing a diary and we were reading her entries. It was a very intriguing way to tell her story.
The plot itself wasn’t really much as it was mostly Constanta telling how she met him and how their little family came about. The writing was very easy to follow along and you really got a feel for the characters and their lives. Sometimes it was a bit hard to pinpoint the time period the story took place in, but it wasn’t hindering for the story itself.
Constanta was a woman who became quite compliant under him, but as she wrote the story after everything happened, her true feelings were shown quite early on and how she viewed what she did all those years in ignoring the problems. I liked the way she was depicted because of this. She had grown and recognized her own faults very well, which I really liked.
The other three characters weren’t as present, but still very much their own. All were shown from Constanta’s point of view and I believe they were written as she saw them. He wasn’t really likeable and you could most of the times see his faults and problematic behavior. While Magdalena and Alexei were “rival consorts” they never felt like that, because Constanta fell in love with them and was in love with them while writing her story. I could understand the jealousy, but rivals they never seemed to me. I liked how they gravitated towards each other and how different they all were. I also liked how the romance between all was different, but not less. It made each relationship really unique in its nature.
The ending did seem a bit sudden somehow, like his demise was somehow easy and somewhat convenient. On the other hand is seemed like a perfect ending for someone like him hahaha. I also really liked how hopeful the true ending of the story was and I really hope we’ll get to see these characters again in the modern world.
Overall, it was an unexpected, amazing novel with a really intriguing writing style that sweeps you in and hold you until you’ve finished the book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 3 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
Defy the Stars is a young adult fantasy book about Crew and Sage. Both need to survive and escape from the wizard’s wicked plans.
“Be wary of the stars foretelling your destiny…”
I was really intrigued by the idea of a circus being the background and playground for this book and story. I was curious to see how the magic of a circus would complement the story.
The story started off with an introduction to both main characters, Crew and Sage, and their lives before all the events start. It is a nice way to get a feel for both characters. One thing I did notice from the very beginning were the many different creatures in the world and it was a bit hard to keep track of them all. I think the story would’ve benefited from less creatures being in the story. I also think that because so many were thrown in, the important ones such as Dolorans weren’t really explained, which left some confusion.
The worldbuilding left a lot to be imagined. Everything seemed really vaguely descripted and I couldn’t get a good feel of the world and it’s magic system. I feel like the idea was really good, but the execution wasn’t. The circus, which I had expected to be the main backdrop, wasn’t and I don’t really feel like I have a good grasp on the circus, it’s acts and everything.
The plot as well was really hard for me to follow along and to understand. While the dual POV was nice and complementary, the story itself was confusion. While having read around 1/3th of the story I still didn’t really understand where the story was going and was confused at what was happening and how it would/was contributing to the overall plot.
The writing style was nice to follow along, but the formatting sometimes was really hard to distinguish between what was happening. At a certain point a memory of flashback happened at the very start of a chapter, after some sort of cliffhanger on the chapter before. Since the formatting was exactly the same and I didn’t understand that it was a memory/flashback, which left me feeling like I missed something while reading. Only when at the end it was mentioned that a memory was told it became clear why it didn’t continue the story. This happened a few times and it would’ve been better if the formatting was different to better distinguish that happening and to easier follow along the story.
The characters themselves were a bit forgettable and seemed quite childish. They didn’t feel the ages they were said to have. Sage in particular really seemed to have mood swings which were giving me whiplash and often didn’t seem appropriate or unbelievable. Due to these mood swings or sudden hostility, the chemistry between her and Crew was unbelievable and seemed non-existing.
Overall, I feel like this book has very good potential, but it needed to be fleshed out a lot better. Because the confusion I kept having and the characters I didn’t really like I feel quite indifferent to this book, it being neither good or bad.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
Defy the Stars is a young adult fantasy book about Crew and Sage. Both need to survive and escape from the wizard’s wicked plans.
“Be wary of the stars foretelling your destiny…”
I was really intrigued by the idea of a circus being the background and playground for this book and story. I was curious to see how the magic of a circus would complement the story.
The story started off with an introduction to both main characters, Crew and Sage, and their lives before all the events start. It is a nice way to get a feel for both characters. One thing I did notice from the very beginning were the many different creatures in the world and it was a bit hard to keep track of them all. I think the story would’ve benefited from less creatures being in the story. I also think that because so many were thrown in, the important ones such as Dolorans weren’t really explained, which left some confusion.
The worldbuilding left a lot to be imagined. Everything seemed really vaguely descripted and I couldn’t get a good feel of the world and it’s magic system. I feel like the idea was really good, but the execution wasn’t. The circus, which I had expected to be the main backdrop, wasn’t and I don’t really feel like I have a good grasp on the circus, it’s acts and everything.
The plot as well was really hard for me to follow along and to understand. While the dual POV was nice and complementary, the story itself was confusion. While having read around 1/3th of the story I still didn’t really understand where the story was going and was confused at what was happening and how it would/was contributing to the overall plot.
The writing style was nice to follow along, but the formatting sometimes was really hard to distinguish between what was happening. At a certain point a memory of flashback happened at the very start of a chapter, after some sort of cliffhanger on the chapter before. Since the formatting was exactly the same and I didn’t understand that it was a memory/flashback, which left me feeling like I missed something while reading. Only when at the end it was mentioned that a memory was told it became clear why it didn’t continue the story. This happened a few times and it would’ve been better if the formatting was different to better distinguish that happening and to easier follow along the story.
The characters themselves were a bit forgettable and seemed quite childish. They didn’t feel the ages they were said to have. Sage in particular really seemed to have mood swings which were giving me whiplash and often didn’t seem appropriate or unbelievable. Due to these mood swings or sudden hostility, the chemistry between her and Crew was unbelievable and seemed non-existing.
Overall, I feel like this book has very good potential, but it needed to be fleshed out a lot better. Because the confusion I kept having and the characters I didn’t really like I feel quite indifferent to this book, it being neither good or bad.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
The Luminaries is a story about Winnie Wednesday, who lives in Hemlock Falls. Years ago her dad betrayed the Luminaries and Winnie, her mother and brother became outcasts. That doesn’t stop Winnie from trying to become a hunter.
“That’s why we’re called the Luminaries, Winnie: we are lanterns the forest can never snuff out.”
I got a gorgeous edition of Owlcrate and was very exciting to start reading this book! “Atmospheric and spooky with a forest where nothing appears as it seems”, well that got me interested in reading this book!
The story starts off quite slowly and the situation of Winnie, who’s an outcast, is painted very clearly. You immediately understand what drives her to change the situation and I immediately connected with Winnie and sympathized with her.
The worldbuilding was very intriguing and I understand the spooky and atmospheric reference hahaha. It really felt like that. The nightmares that appear in the forest are really interesting and I really want a Compendium to learn about all the different ones! It was really apparent as well that this book is part of a series, since some things were mentioned, but not really explained yet. The Dianas being the biggest example. And knowing there are more communities around the world a\s well. I’m really excited to learn more about the world in the sequel.
The characters were sooo good! I loved them, all of it hahaha. Winnie is such a believable character. Her luck isn’t annoying or comes across as convenient. It actually makes her that much more believable and connectable. Jay as well is very mysterious and I’m curious to see his secrets revealed. personally I think he’s the werewolf after seeing what happened in the last trial!
I liked the connection Winnie has with the different Luminaries and how it compliments her journey and growth during the trials. So much happens and it was hard to grasp that the timeline of the whole book is actually a little over a week haha. As Winnie mentioned, so much changed so quickly.
The ending was really gripping! I had such a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen next! The stakes were super high and I loved the way those stakes were raised throughout the story. while a lot is still unknown it isn’t annoying to have so much still unrevealed. It actually makes me really excited and anxious to get my hands on the next book which won’t come for a while T_T
Overall, it was such a good start to a new series with compelling characters and a really intriguing world and forest full of spooky creatures. I can’t wait to find out more about all that!
The Luminaries is a story about Winnie Wednesday, who lives in Hemlock Falls. Years ago her dad betrayed the Luminaries and Winnie, her mother and brother became outcasts. That doesn’t stop Winnie from trying to become a hunter.
“That’s why we’re called the Luminaries, Winnie: we are lanterns the forest can never snuff out.”
I got a gorgeous edition of Owlcrate and was very exciting to start reading this book! “Atmospheric and spooky with a forest where nothing appears as it seems”, well that got me interested in reading this book!
The story starts off quite slowly and the situation of Winnie, who’s an outcast, is painted very clearly. You immediately understand what drives her to change the situation and I immediately connected with Winnie and sympathized with her.
The worldbuilding was very intriguing and I understand the spooky and atmospheric reference hahaha. It really felt like that. The nightmares that appear in the forest are really interesting and I really want a Compendium to learn about all the different ones! It was really apparent as well that this book is part of a series, since some things were mentioned, but not really explained yet. The Dianas being the biggest example. And knowing there are more communities around the world a\s well. I’m really excited to learn more about the world in the sequel.
The characters were sooo good! I loved them, all of it hahaha. Winnie is such a believable character. Her luck isn’t annoying or comes across as convenient. It actually makes her that much more believable and connectable. Jay as well is very mysterious and I’m curious to see his secrets revealed.
I liked the connection Winnie has with the different Luminaries and how it compliments her journey and growth during the trials. So much happens and it was hard to grasp that the timeline of the whole book is actually a little over a week haha. As Winnie mentioned, so much changed so quickly.
The ending was really gripping! I had such a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen next! The stakes were super high and I loved the way those stakes were raised throughout the story. while a lot is still unknown
Spoiler
who’s the werewolf, what’s the whisperer, why does it seem to help Winnie, was her dad really set up etc.Overall, it was such a good start to a new series with compelling characters and a really intriguing world and forest full of spooky creatures. I can’t wait to find out more about all that!
⭐️⭐️ / 2 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
Lost Long is a story inspired by Norse mythology, about Freyr, who has exposed his powers to Lia and has to wipe her memory before she gets killed.
“The Road to Ragnarök is ready!”
I love everything mythology and love exploring more that the “standard” such as Greek and Roman mythology. I don’t know a whole lot about Norse mythology (aside from Marvel’s Thor or Rick Riordans books hehe) so I didn’t really have a clear picture of what to expect.
For me personally, I just didn't vibe and/or connect to the story and its characters. While the plot itself and the storyline were good, the writing style and execution really fall flat.
Especially at the beginning it felt just really repetitive, with Lia constantly being angry and she and Franco saying the same thing over and over again. I also found it quite weird with the names. At the start everyone went by their "new names" as in Franco, Frannie, Luke etc. But when Franco told Lia about who he truly was, suddenly everyone was called by their original names. It was especially weird how in the beginning it was Franco and Luke calling each other so while fighting and afterwards suddenly going by Loki and Freyr without explanation.
I also wasn't a fan of the growing romance between Freyr and Lia, as it seemed to grow sporadically and not really in a believable way. Especially with the way Lia was constantly angry and a bit hostile towards Freyr, and then suddenly wasn’t but liked him? I also wasn't a fan of the obvious richness of Freya and Freyr and how it was flaunted in the book. It made it seem arrogant somehow.
Overall, the whole book and its characters annoyed me more than that I enjoyed reading it. I do believe it has a lot of potential because I did like the plot.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
Lost Long is a story inspired by Norse mythology, about Freyr, who has exposed his powers to Lia and has to wipe her memory before she gets killed.
“The Road to Ragnarök is ready!”
I love everything mythology and love exploring more that the “standard” such as Greek and Roman mythology. I don’t know a whole lot about Norse mythology (aside from Marvel’s Thor or Rick Riordans books hehe) so I didn’t really have a clear picture of what to expect.
For me personally, I just didn't vibe and/or connect to the story and its characters. While the plot itself and the storyline were good, the writing style and execution really fall flat.
Especially at the beginning it felt just really repetitive, with Lia constantly being angry and she and Franco saying the same thing over and over again. I also found it quite weird with the names. At the start everyone went by their "new names" as in Franco, Frannie, Luke etc. But when Franco told Lia about who he truly was, suddenly everyone was called by their original names. It was especially weird how in the beginning it was Franco and Luke calling each other so while fighting and afterwards suddenly going by Loki and Freyr without explanation.
I also wasn't a fan of the growing romance between Freyr and Lia, as it seemed to grow sporadically and not really in a believable way. Especially with the way Lia was constantly angry and a bit hostile towards Freyr, and then suddenly wasn’t but liked him? I also wasn't a fan of the obvious richness of Freya and Freyr and how it was flaunted in the book. It made it seem arrogant somehow.
Overall, the whole book and its characters annoyed me more than that I enjoyed reading it. I do believe it has a lot of potential because I did like the plot.
