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lisashelves's Reviews (976)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Thank you to Bookofmatchesmedia and Eris Marriott for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Remember the stars is about Clarisse, who wants to be free of her parents and The Church of Life, who believe she is cursed.
The book feels like it has two storylines. The first storyline, the beginning, is about Clarisse trying to escape her home, trying to get away from all the abuse that has been happening for years. The second storyline is more about her trying to find herself in the world and trying to find out if Death or Terrance has her best interest at heart.
The story takes place in the modern world, but with magic added. The magic was a bit vague from time to time and I would’ve liked a bit more explanation as to what it could do and the costs. Also, the other worlds that were briefly mentioned grabbed my attention, but not much was said about them.
I loved reading about Clarisse’s progression from someone who was constantly beaten down to someone who stood up for herself and took matters in her own hands. Her strength development was truly amazing. She did sometimes seem younger than she was, but that could also be because of the sheltered way she grew up. All of it added to making very realistic characters. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Terrance at the beginning. It all just seemed a bit to convenient and I had my doubts. He did really redeem himself in the second part of the book. The same could be said about Death. Both treated Clarisse way better than anyone before and in the way they thought was best. Both wanted her to prosper and tried helping her in any way they could. It had a bit of found family vibes which I really liked.
The ending was completely heartbreaking but super realistic and, in my opinion, the perfect ending to this book. It was surprising and not at the same time.
Overall, it was a very beautiful book about finding one’s strength and learning to stand on your own feet in the world. I’m looking forward to more in this world.
Thank you to Bookofmatchesmedia and Eris Marriott for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Remember the stars is about Clarisse, who wants to be free of her parents and The Church of Life, who believe she is cursed.
The book feels like it has two storylines. The first storyline, the beginning, is about Clarisse trying to escape her home, trying to get away from all the abuse that has been happening for years. The second storyline is more about her trying to find herself in the world and trying to find out if Death or Terrance has her best interest at heart.
The story takes place in the modern world, but with magic added. The magic was a bit vague from time to time and I would’ve liked a bit more explanation as to what it could do and the costs. Also, the other worlds that were briefly mentioned grabbed my attention, but not much was said about them.
I loved reading about Clarisse’s progression from someone who was constantly beaten down to someone who stood up for herself and took matters in her own hands. Her strength development was truly amazing. She did sometimes seem younger than she was, but that could also be because of the sheltered way she grew up. All of it added to making very realistic characters. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Terrance at the beginning. It all just seemed a bit to convenient and I had my doubts. He did really redeem himself in the second part of the book. The same could be said about Death. Both treated Clarisse way better than anyone before and in the way they thought was best. Both wanted her to prosper and tried helping her in any way they could. It had a bit of found family vibes which I really liked.
The ending was completely heartbreaking but super realistic and, in my opinion, the perfect ending to this book. It was surprising and not at the same time.
Overall, it was a very beautiful book about finding one’s strength and learning to stand on your own feet in the world. I’m looking forward to more in this world.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
Curse of Shadows and Thorns is a fantasy retelling in which we follow Elise, who is the niece of the current king, who forces her to marry. She is given to the charge of Legion, a mysterious dowry negotiator.
While the book is said to be a retelling, I couldn’t really find anything about Beauty and the Beast. She isn’t forced to live with a “monster” or anything. There is a Beast in the book, but only a beast being in the book doesn’t count as a retelling for me. So, while that isn’t really a retelling in my opinion, I still really enjoyed reading this book! It was quite predictable, but enjoyable non the less. I did see the ending coming in how it all played out, but I am very curious to see what the sequel will bring, as it can go a lot of ways.
The world-building was pretty well done and I was intrigued with the bit of magic that was present. The beginning was a little bit slow, so it took me a bit longer to warm up to the world and the characters. But once I really got into the story it was hard to put the book down. I did wish the second half of the book wasn't as rushed. Especially the difference between the first and the second half were quite big and I would've liked more of a balance.
The characters were quite interesting. I wished the secondary characters were a little bit more detailed. They felt a bit two dimensional sometimes because all the focus was on Elise and Legion. I did really like those two! Elise was rebellious and not afraid to speak her mind or be herself, which I really appreciate in characters. Legion was the mysterious and handsome male lead, as we see in sooooo many books. While he didn’t really seem unique or anything in the beginning, as the book progressed so did, he and he really grew into a unique character with lots of layers. Also, the banter between Elise and Legion is really enjoyable to read as is their relationship and how it grows.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the story and I am curious to see what the sequel will hold for these characters and the world.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia in exchange for an honest review!
Curse of Shadows and Thorns is a fantasy retelling in which we follow Elise, who is the niece of the current king, who forces her to marry. She is given to the charge of Legion, a mysterious dowry negotiator.
While the book is said to be a retelling, I couldn’t really find anything about Beauty and the Beast. She isn’t forced to live with a “monster” or anything. There is a Beast in the book, but only a beast being in the book doesn’t count as a retelling for me. So, while that isn’t really a retelling in my opinion, I still really enjoyed reading this book! It was quite predictable, but enjoyable non the less. I did see the ending coming in how it all played out, but I am very curious to see what the sequel will bring, as it can go a lot of ways.
The world-building was pretty well done and I was intrigued with the bit of magic that was present. The beginning was a little bit slow, so it took me a bit longer to warm up to the world and the characters. But once I really got into the story it was hard to put the book down. I did wish the second half of the book wasn't as rushed. Especially the difference between the first and the second half were quite big and I would've liked more of a balance.
The characters were quite interesting. I wished the secondary characters were a little bit more detailed. They felt a bit two dimensional sometimes because all the focus was on Elise and Legion. I did really like those two! Elise was rebellious and not afraid to speak her mind or be herself, which I really appreciate in characters. Legion was the mysterious and handsome male lead, as we see in sooooo many books. While he didn’t really seem unique or anything in the beginning, as the book progressed so did, he and he really grew into a unique character with lots of layers. Also, the banter between Elise and Legion is really enjoyable to read as is their relationship and how it grows.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the story and I am curious to see what the sequel will hold for these characters and the world.