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wordsofclover's Reviews (2.16k)
God this book just had me shouting a very long, very exasperated NOOO!!
I hated it. I truly just couldn't like it...
For starters....Eva was a pain. I mean...first she decided that because she was gifted with super intelligence,normal school wasn't good enough for her...and then there was this thing where guys just had to fancy her and she couldn't cope with telling them no. She had to get expelled to get away from the 'torture' of mundane teaching and being an object of attraction for apparently every male in her schools!
And then Sethos Leontis....sigh,nice guy...I just couldn't take the world of the gladiators seriously. I mean yes, he was a slave but I feel like the reality of that could have been portrayed a little bit more. And Livia...suddenly they are irrevocably in love without ever having a decent conversation. All she did was mop some sweat off his brow...give me something here man..
And here it is...this book is about Eva and Seth falling in love(apparently without ever having an actual conversation and just sharing a few burning looks across rooms). Eva and Seth...not Livia and Seth and yes she may be the reincarnated version but she is still Eva and not Livia in 2013. And they didn't even meet until page 271!! PAGE 271!!!
And the mysterious Fever and Parallon and all of that was never explained at all...I know there is going to be another book but the author could have given us a little bit to go on.
So to sum it all up in one word....just no.
I hated it. I truly just couldn't like it...
For starters....Eva was a pain. I mean...first she decided that because she was gifted with super intelligence,normal school wasn't good enough for her...and then there was this thing where guys just had to fancy her and she couldn't cope with telling them no. She had to get expelled to get away from the 'torture' of mundane teaching and being an object of attraction for apparently every male in her schools!
And then Sethos Leontis....sigh,nice guy...I just couldn't take the world of the gladiators seriously. I mean yes, he was a slave but I feel like the reality of that could have been portrayed a little bit more. And Livia...suddenly they are irrevocably in love without ever having a decent conversation. All she did was mop some sweat off his brow...give me something here man..
And here it is...this book is about Eva and Seth falling in love(apparently without ever having an actual conversation and just sharing a few burning looks across rooms). Eva and Seth...not Livia and Seth and yes she may be the reincarnated version but she is still Eva and not Livia in 2013. And they didn't even meet until page 271!! PAGE 271!!!
And the mysterious Fever and Parallon and all of that was never explained at all...I know there is going to be another book but the author could have given us a little bit to go on.
So to sum it all up in one word....just no.
I thoroughly enjoyed this great read that is perfect for horse lovers both young and old.
It has been a while since I read a good horsey novel(bar my favourite horse novels I often re-visit-Blind Beauty and The Silver Brumbry,check them out!)and after having my attention perked up by seeing this beautiful cover several times in several different shops, I finally picked up when once again it caught my eye in my local library(and second home!)
Growing up I was obsessed with horse novels and animal stories such as Animal Ark, the Heartland series and various others so to re-visit a book that had me experiencing the same kind of innocent joys I had as a child was wonderful. This book is aimed at older readers- 13/14 and up- but I believe it is in its heart a book for horse lovers of all ages. The main focus on the story is that of Casey's miraculous and heart-warming bond with her horse Storm Warning who she saved from the knackers yard by buying him with a one dollar bill. Their is story-line of a romance but it doesn't kick off until the end and your attention is focused on the relationship between Storm and Casey rather than Casey and Peter.
This fantastic novel is a story that tells the struggles of one girl to achieve her dream and try to prove to everyone and herself that someone can go further than the place they came from and achieve more than their background and family history predicts. It is a must read for any horsey lover...you won't be disappointed!
It has been a while since I read a good horsey novel(bar my favourite horse novels I often re-visit-Blind Beauty and The Silver Brumbry,check them out!)and after having my attention perked up by seeing this beautiful cover several times in several different shops, I finally picked up when once again it caught my eye in my local library(and second home!)
Growing up I was obsessed with horse novels and animal stories such as Animal Ark, the Heartland series and various others so to re-visit a book that had me experiencing the same kind of innocent joys I had as a child was wonderful. This book is aimed at older readers- 13/14 and up- but I believe it is in its heart a book for horse lovers of all ages. The main focus on the story is that of Casey's miraculous and heart-warming bond with her horse Storm Warning who she saved from the knackers yard by buying him with a one dollar bill. Their is story-line of a romance but it doesn't kick off until the end and your attention is focused on the relationship between Storm and Casey rather than Casey and Peter.
This fantastic novel is a story that tells the struggles of one girl to achieve her dream and try to prove to everyone and herself that someone can go further than the place they came from and achieve more than their background and family history predicts. It is a must read for any horsey lover...you won't be disappointed!
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Forever an all-star book for me!
Tessa is only 4 years old when she and her mother leave her father, and Tessa's beloved horse Shiner. Now 12, Tessa is angry and troubled and not content staying at home with her mother and her horrible stepfather Maurice. Sent to a neighboring racing stables to help out, Tessa meets ugly Buffoon, a no-hoper racehorse whose mother, Tessa finds out, was Shiner. A horse-girl love story is born, and Tessa believes Buffoon can be a star and takes everyone along on their adventure to the Grand National.
I just adore this book so much, and every time I read it, I'm carried along with the story and Tessa's ups and downs at home, her refound passion for horses and her bond with Buffoon. I love the inside look at what it takes to train racehorses - and the amazing highs and devastating lows that come with it - as well as just the general horsiness of this book. If you loves horses, you will love this book.
There are parts of this book that get a bit darker and we do follow Tessa up to adulthood, with the novel ending when she is 20 years of age, living independently and racing horses for a living. I think in a more modern book, there are parts of Tessa's life that would have to be given more attention - her abusive stepfather, Tessa's anger issues and inability to suppress her wild emotions, but for the time this was written, I still think the topics were handled okay and the horses and Buffoon took over as was fitting in a novel aimed at young readers.
My most recent reread (February 2021) gave me a renewed love for this book and, in particular, the final scene of the novel which is the last race scene. The way KM Peyton wrote every second of the race, it feels like you are both riding Buffoon along with Tessa, and screaming on the Grand Stand with Peter, Myra, Jimmy, and then almost fainting along with the other lads with Wisbey. The excitement and the energy that is held within the pages as Tessa and Tom race neck to neck is brilliant.
This is one of those books that I wish was 1000 pages longer, and just never ended, as I love the story, the people and most of all the horses, so much.
This book wasn't too bad..
Again like I mentioned with the other books,I do miss Shannon and I wish that in this one, we could have learned more about the rest of her life and whether she died happy and how she was remembered and all that kind of stuff but that's just me aching for the friend I found in Shannon.
Elphame is an interesting character, not only because she has horse legs but she is a stronger character than Morrigan and Mryna before her, the likes of we haven't seen since Shannon. She is a good leader and a good person, yet she doesn't overly think with her heart and she really does think about her people and evoke love from them.
I did like the twist with a half Formorian lover, and that he was fighting off his demon side. Lochlan was as we always find in Cast's novels, an utterly devoted male who pledged himself heart and soul to Elphame even if it meant abandoning his people. I think the ending was a bit fast..oh she drank the demons blood but it's ok cause Epona's sending sunshine and love. The end....
I am looking forward to reading more about Brighids side of the story now...
Again like I mentioned with the other books,I do miss Shannon and I wish that in this one, we could have learned more about the rest of her life and whether she died happy and how she was remembered and all that kind of stuff but that's just me aching for the friend I found in Shannon.
Elphame is an interesting character, not only because she has horse legs but she is a stronger character than Morrigan and Mryna before her, the likes of we haven't seen since Shannon. She is a good leader and a good person, yet she doesn't overly think with her heart and she really does think about her people and evoke love from them.
I did like the twist with a half Formorian lover, and that he was fighting off his demon side. Lochlan was as we always find in Cast's novels, an utterly devoted male who pledged himself heart and soul to Elphame even if it meant abandoning his people. I think the ending was a bit fast..oh she drank the demons blood but it's ok cause Epona's sending sunshine and love. The end....
I am looking forward to reading more about Brighids side of the story now...
So it turns out that, no matter how much a reader can love the world of vampires and werewolves and things that go bump in the night, you can get sick of the dreamy eyed girl fallen for the sullen beautiful boy and following him to the ends of the earth, which normally means dying whilst giving birth to a demon baby and then coming back as one of the razor elegant undead.
But in all of these tales, there's someone people forget...the long suffering best friend. I mean think about it, in Twilight, did Bella ever stop and think about Angela? It seemed like if you weren't part of the mystical world of wolves and bats, she just didn't care...well thank god for Justine and Sarah for finally bringing us the story from the bestie's POV.
Mel lives in a world where people are aware of vampires. They live in the same neighbourhood, occupy the police force and put down the zombies (this happens when the transition from human to vamp stops somewhere in the middle and you become a flesh hungry decomposing living corpse btw). Mel isn't a fan of vampires, she prefers them well away from her and her best friends which becomes a problem when Francis arrives at school, all pompous airs and graces and falls in love with Cathy, Mel's besto and Cathy decides she wants to join Francis in blood sucking eternity.
Add together the mystery of Anna's father's disappearance, and Kit, the human hottie raised by vampires, Justine and Sarah give us a fun packed story that you don't have to be a vampire to want to rip your teeth into.
But in all of these tales, there's someone people forget...the long suffering best friend. I mean think about it, in Twilight, did Bella ever stop and think about Angela? It seemed like if you weren't part of the mystical world of wolves and bats, she just didn't care...well thank god for Justine and Sarah for finally bringing us the story from the bestie's POV.
Mel lives in a world where people are aware of vampires. They live in the same neighbourhood, occupy the police force and put down the zombies (this happens when the transition from human to vamp stops somewhere in the middle and you become a flesh hungry decomposing living corpse btw). Mel isn't a fan of vampires, she prefers them well away from her and her best friends which becomes a problem when Francis arrives at school, all pompous airs and graces and falls in love with Cathy, Mel's besto and Cathy decides she wants to join Francis in blood sucking eternity.
Add together the mystery of Anna's father's disappearance, and Kit, the human hottie raised by vampires, Justine and Sarah give us a fun packed story that you don't have to be a vampire to want to rip your teeth into.
Can I give this zero stars? This was so painful to read. The only reason I didn't make it a DNF is because I always finish a book. I kept hoping for this to get better and it just didn't happen.
At sixteen years old, Arianna discovers she's a vampire. Or, to put it correctly, half dearg-dul and half baku (two different species of 'Night Humans', a name I can't take seriously). While the premise of the different species and their war was interesting, the actually story telling really let it down.
From the get go, Arianna was pushed as being an absolute pleasure whom everyone loved and wanted to take care of. Despite being a teenager, she never ever complained about the fact that she had no living family and that she was kind of poor - something extremely unrealistic if you ask me, a little but of grumbling is perfectly natural. Ariana is just too sickly sweet. She was small in stature and constantly reminded of it. She was far too much of a prim and perfect Mary-Sue for my taste. Her characteristics were far too perfect for me, and they made her very hard to relate to. I found her pretty pathetic.
I felt like there were a lot of inconsistencies with this book. I also felt like every new chapter was basically a rehash of the one before it with a few more details, the same story was played out again and again as Arianna found one more guy that miraculously had loved her since she was a child. It became really boring. I also thought it really convenient that not of the score of men she had trailing after her portrayed no jealousy whatsoever at the fact they had to share her with four other guys because that's just how it is. I honestly felt like nothing happened in this entire book except Arianna feeding and sleeping, that's it. Oh, and her being mollycoddled by pretty much every single person she met. There was zero action, and pretty much zero of anything of any worth....
Whatever it was about this book, it just didn't work for me at all. The only thing it resulted in doing was to put me in a bad mood and want me to take a big leap back from fantasy for a while. I have never ever been tempted to put down a book more than when I reading this...and this is coming from someone who managed to make it through Fifty Shades of Grey.
At sixteen years old, Arianna discovers she's a vampire. Or, to put it correctly, half dearg-dul and half baku (two different species of 'Night Humans', a name I can't take seriously). While the premise of the different species and their war was interesting, the actually story telling really let it down.
From the get go, Arianna was pushed as being an absolute pleasure whom everyone loved and wanted to take care of. Despite being a teenager, she never ever complained about the fact that she had no living family and that she was kind of poor - something extremely unrealistic if you ask me, a little but of grumbling is perfectly natural. Ariana is just too sickly sweet. She was small in stature and constantly reminded of it. She was far too much of a prim and perfect Mary-Sue for my taste. Her characteristics were far too perfect for me, and they made her very hard to relate to. I found her pretty pathetic.
I felt like there were a lot of inconsistencies with this book. I also felt like every new chapter was basically a rehash of the one before it with a few more details, the same story was played out again and again as Arianna found one more guy that miraculously had loved her since she was a child. It became really boring. I also thought it really convenient that not of the score of men she had trailing after her portrayed no jealousy whatsoever at the fact they had to share her with four other guys because that's just how it is. I honestly felt like nothing happened in this entire book except Arianna feeding and sleeping, that's it. Oh, and her being mollycoddled by pretty much every single person she met. There was zero action, and pretty much zero of anything of any worth....
Whatever it was about this book, it just didn't work for me at all. The only thing it resulted in doing was to put me in a bad mood and want me to take a big leap back from fantasy for a while. I have never ever been tempted to put down a book more than when I reading this...and this is coming from someone who managed to make it through Fifty Shades of Grey.
