Once again, the tension between Aspen and Sid was perfect for slow-burn romance. The history about the dragon race, the prophecy, and the trials AspenOnce again, the tension between Aspen and Sid was perfect for slow-burn romance. The history about the dragon race, the prophecy, and the trials Aspen went through made this book like candy to book lovers. I loved the addition of the tiny underground dragons. The baby dragon was absolutely adorable. This is one of my top ten favorite reads of 2024.
The cover made me think this would be a dark fantasy, but to my delight it's not. It was the perfect story to sit down and indulge.
The downside of the book was how obvious that Theo was the culprit, but nobody even suspected him. It was too apparent for the character not to have any suspicions. ...more
This story felt like a Cinderella-Wizard of Oz-Snow white mix, which was fun. Once Elle left the ball the story became interesting. The prologue didn'This story felt like a Cinderella-Wizard of Oz-Snow white mix, which was fun. Once Elle left the ball the story became interesting. The prologue didn't add much to the story and the first few chapters was the same Cinderella story seen in any cheesy movie.
I liked the Christmas twist and the book was a fun adventure. That being said, once the protagonists headed to the wicked sorceress's castle the story could be smoothed out considerably. The story leaves the readers with questions about how the magic system works and what they were hoping to accomplish without a plan. The protagonists simply walked into danger, made mistakes, and then the fairy godmother popped up at convenient times to save them at every turn.
Audiobook review *** Being a newbie, the author did a decent job reading her own book. I've listened to professional voice actors that were terrible. Nonetheless, it sounded liked Michelle needed a pop filter and she wasn't acting at all. All of the characters had the same voice and it was simply read instead of acted out....more
As exciting as the first book, but definitely not on my list of favorites. Unpopular opinion, but I thought the ending worked. The biggest star deductAs exciting as the first book, but definitely not on my list of favorites. Unpopular opinion, but I thought the ending worked. The biggest star deduction was that I don't like most of the characters; not many of them are nice and they always bicker and fight....more
The timing wasn't making sense reading from an audiobook perspective (unless I missed something). If it takes two days to fly to a foreign island to aThe timing wasn't making sense reading from an audiobook perspective (unless I missed something). If it takes two days to fly to a foreign island to a location in her homeland, and it takes 3 days by boat, how come an army of 1000 cannons and 50K troops can walk that same distance in two days? It would take them 3-4 weeks.
Many questions arose in this book that didn't make sense, and I wasn't a fan of all officers having personal prejudices against Zara. Ground dwellers didn't like her for being a rider and riders don't like her for being a ground dweller. The amount of oppression for no reason was getting old.
Nevertheless, the story is so interesting that it warrants 5 stars. The politics were fun. I want more of her and Lord T. but he hardly has any scenes in any of the books....more
The perfect dragon riding adventure. The conversations between Zara and her dragon were adorable. The author did a great job in distinguishing betweenThe perfect dragon riding adventure. The conversations between Zara and her dragon were adorable. The author did a great job in distinguishing between personalities. The story contains everything needed in the pot: dragon riding, magic, a good balance in action & adventure, a dash of romance, political intrigue, and the story as a whole was engaging.
The only criticism was that the author seems to have something against blondes. She always points them out very distinctly in the descriptions and the blonde girl at the academy hated Zara immediately and without any reason. There was definitely some negative racial biases around wealthy and beautiful blondes.
Nonetheless, this is still one of my all time favorites....more
The positives We didn’t have to see all the brutality that first years experience again. The gryphon riders actually had values and didn’t let their caThe positives We didn’t have to see all the brutality that first years experience again. The gryphon riders actually had values and didn’t let their cadets die.
Sneaking into the vault was the most exciting part of the book. The surprise about Xayden’s signet was another highlight but I didn't care for the drama Violent made around it.
The negatives Lots of petty drama. The arguments were not entertaining. They were also long and redundant. Violet kept overreacting even when Xayden was willing to compromise. A relationship between them might not last.
It needs to be 300 pages shorter. It was four star until the last few hundred pages and then it started to drag. So much could’ve been cut out or made into two books.
Another downside was that Violet was akin to the ultimate savior of which none could compare. I've seen this so much in books but it lost the appeal of her being the underdog we could root for in the first book. Everything in the book was about her as well, for instance, everyone wanted to kill her, even first years who she never met before.
A Jane Austen-esque world with magic. The story was beautifully woven. The descriptions and metaphors gave the world color and vibrancy.
The two main cA Jane Austen-esque world with magic. The story was beautifully woven. The descriptions and metaphors gave the world color and vibrancy.
The two main characters were slowly developing their relationship in a healthy slow-burn style. I could see love on the horizon, but then everything took a turn for a faster pace and the "I love you's" emerged too suddenly. The romance in the last half felt forced and I wasn't convinced....more
This is the perfect genre. It appears to be more Edwardian period, early twentieth century, with a mix of dragons. Although, I was hoping for a littleThis is the perfect genre. It appears to be more Edwardian period, early twentieth century, with a mix of dragons. Although, I was hoping for a little romance, either forbidden love with the draconian or enemies to lovers with Aaron. But Aaron’s kept digging himself deeper and deeper into the hole.
The style was unique, with this all being journal entries, newspaper articles, police reports, however, it might’ve been more entertaining if it had been her narrating.
Some scenes like listing all the sizes of all tablets are the boring parts of the audiobook, which can be skipped over if one reads the book instead.
The ending is most exciting. Some parts of the story are not so exciting. ...more
That fairy godmother needs to have her wings clipped. This is the perfect genre and story for me. Eve went on a journey of discovery as she tries to fThat fairy godmother needs to have her wings clipped. This is the perfect genre and story for me. Eve went on a journey of discovery as she tries to find someone to break the spell and ends up saving people in the process. It's cute.
The only reasons for the reduced star, was that I didn't believe she'd truly fallen in love with the guy she chose, and I honestly didn't care for him as her choice. He could've been by her side more, supported her more, and didn't seem appealing. The second is that there were multiple times that she could've solved problems if she just told the king! Poor Lady Elinore didn't have to end up in a loveless marriage if she'd said something to her as well, or stood up to the fairy. ...more
An entire civilization at war that doesn't value their own people's lives. You would think their population would be steadily decreasing considering tAn entire civilization at war that doesn't value their own people's lives. You would think their population would be steadily decreasing considering that they allow 75% of their cadets to die before they graduate. About 99% of their soldiers are probably dead before reaching age 30 because of their own terrible policies. They spend years training soldiers and then waste their lives on nothing. There are smarter ways to go about this, for instance, perhaps they can forewarn cadets to wear shoes with a good grip on their first test, when heading to the academy, instead of letting potentially strong soldiers mercilessly die on their way there because they slipped. Or training them to wield weapons and gain strong instead of letting them kill each other. Or install saddles so that the riders don't fall off the dragons mid-flight. It's hard to root for them to win against their gryphon foes considering that their people don't seem like the good guys in this scenario.
The anticipation of death around every corner failed to provide the necessary suspense since it was sheer stupidity on part of the academy and their policies. And how can they expect these soldiers to work alongside each other in battle if they're all enemies of each other?
The story had many exciting parts and great tension in the romance, which makes it deserving of five full stars, but I had to deduct a star because of the aforementioned....more
The story starts off strong. It takes place in a beautiful world under the sea, satisfying the imagination. Then there's the impatient and wild princeThe story starts off strong. It takes place in a beautiful world under the sea, satisfying the imagination. Then there's the impatient and wild princess, who wants to escape from her confinement in the palace (her prison) and learn about the world. Her domineering father is irritating, how he keeps the crown Princess ignorant, trapped, and uneducated, which ultimately leads to her leaving home. No surprise there.
Pros The idea of a prophecy and mention of spirituality in a fantasy is refreshing. Many authors avoid this most important topic. There was a lot of symbology in this book as well. But . . . I don't remember the prophecy being written out for the reader, which is something that should've gone into the beginning of the story.
It's always been a pet peeve of mine when reviewers give low ratings because they requested to read a book in a genre they don't like. It clearly said on the main page, where the reviewers request the book, that it's "Christian fiction." If you don't want to read a religious book, don't request to read it! In that sense, a lot of the low reviews from readers who chose a genre they don't like, which is unfair.
The world building is beautiful, with the rivers that flow through the palace, and the hot springs on land.
It's a light, easy read, with an interesting plot that kept me wanting to read later than I should have. I kept wanting to know what would happen next.
Cons One reason for the reduced star, was that halfway through the story, the plot becomes riddled with holes. For instance, There’s the three month pregnant woman, who, about a week later, is suddenly eight months pregnant. Then there were things that hadn’t been adequately explained, like her mothers story, and depth into why it matters to Aria, and the prophecy itself wasn't shown. Many things were told instead. Once in Atlantea, she’s spends her days not quite doing anything of importance. It didn't feel like she was actively trying anything to learn about the prophecy or her mother.
Overall, there needed to be more information, more showing, and more explanations in general.
Aria For every positive attribute Aria has, ten flaws follow, making her a villain unto herself, and making it difficult for the reader to root for her. She knows when something is bad and therefore does it, knows when something is good and therefore doesn’t do it. It doesn’t seem to be intentional, rather lack of self control and empowerment on her part, and the fact that she’s not the brightest crayon in the box. While there are people in the world who are like this, it’s difficult to find reasons to like her as a main character. She is similar to Arial from the Little Mermaid.
On the plus side, there is character growth for Aria, she's kind, and I understand her need for freedom.
Dialogue Some parts of the dialogue don't flow. In particular when she talks to the prince for the first time, and he takes her into the palace, then to the tree, it doesn't have a realistic feel to it. It just wasn't a smooth transition and more should have been said between them. The entire story lacked communication between the characters.
I wanted to give this a higher rating for the exciting story, but there are too many plot holes.
Triggers: no triggers.
"I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
It's hard to beat book one. Talon was the best in the series for me. The high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers, sense of discovery, characteOverall 4.5 ****
It's hard to beat book one. Talon was the best in the series for me. The high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers, sense of discovery, character development, great interactions between characters . . . it was so good! Inferno was still good, but it didn't have enough of what book one had to make me put it on my all time favorites list. I'm split between five and four stars.
There was a lot of action in this, too much. And, of course, the heroes making dumb decisions, putting themselves in impossible situations, yet coming out alive in the end.
My favorite books in order of favorite to least favorite in the series: 1. Talon 2. Soldier 3. Legion 4. Inferno 5. Rogue ...more
The second best book in the entire series, right after book one, Talon.
Pros Book one was Ember's background story, Book two, Rogue, was Riley's story, The second best book in the entire series, right after book one, Talon.
Pros Book one was Ember's background story, Book two, Rogue, was Riley's story, and Soldier was Garret's.
This one was far more interesting than book two, with a more interactions between the characters, resolution to the love-triangle, an introduction to a new female character, and less action, yet still intriguing. I liked the information they uncovered, and how everything panned out.
I'm really happy with who Ember chose to be with. Their relationship makes more sense to me. The other . . . well, he's cranky and a bit of a jerk.
Cons The narrator for Ember had a repeating pattern to the way she spoke that was quite annoying. Kagawa made the eastern dragons appear completely innocent and peaceful, while the western dragons were the epitome of evil. In reality, there's a lot of corruption in the ranks of monks in Asia, and in politics. There's no way the eastern dragons wouldn't be hungry for power and control on their continent. There seemed to be some racial prejudice there....more
High-stakes, slow burn romance, and political intrigue, Talon is one of my top ten favorite books of the year.
Pros ***** The story is filled with high-High-stakes, slow burn romance, and political intrigue, Talon is one of my top ten favorite books of the year.
Pros ***** The story is filled with high-stakes and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Ember Hill is a fiery dragon hatchling, who's smart, and questions everything. She just wants to be a normal teenager, hang out with friends, and go surfing, but she has a duty to serve the severe, and heartless Talons—a united dragon cult, who are greedy, menacing, and cutthroat.
It's difficult not to symphonize with Ember, and her character is well developed. She get entangled with a member of another cult, St. George, whose mission is to hunt and kill dragons, and falls in love. But then there's Riley, a rogue dragon, who is here to give her answers, and her wings back. He was quite the relief from the rigid rules she'd been put under.
Romance ***** 5 The romance was slow burn and perfect. There is a love triangle, but I really hope she ends up with Garret in the end. In real life, people can experience an instant connection another person on a romantic level. Ember and Garret experienced that, but when she had the same with Riley too . . . it didn't feel like it fit very well with the book.
Writing/Story ***** 5 This was truly a perfect book through and through. It took two chapters before I was completely hooked, and couldn't put it down. The I immediately started the sequel.
Cons ****4 Only one small con, Ember kept meeting with Riley, and had plenty of time to get answers from him, but each time, something came up and nothing was revealed. Each meeting was a lost opportunity, and it was starting to become annoying after the third time. Still, we didn't learn the overall mission of Talon in this book, although, I can speculate. ...more
Pros The additional POV from Darian was wonderful. Not only did the audiobook narrator have a beautiful voice (both of them), they had great acting skiPros The additional POV from Darian was wonderful. Not only did the audiobook narrator have a beautiful voice (both of them), they had great acting skills. I'd listen to both again. Darian also went through his level of challenges throughout the story, which was depressing as well.
Elle and Darian had developed a relationship throughout the book, without meeting, from texting, which added more to the story. It could have gone even further. While I understand their need for attachment, since both are being treated bad, the author didn't fully capture why they were so invested into each other.
The addition to the StarCon, a Star Trek style of convention, was fabulous! It wouldn't have been such a great story without that aspect.
Cons This isn't a happy story. In fact, there are very few light-hearted moments in this book. It is very sappy. It's one of my top favorite Cinderella retellings so far, but it doesn't quite hit the top.
Tropes I really banked on the forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and forbidden romance in book four and five.
Differences from the prequels 1) There arTropes I really banked on the forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and forbidden romance in book four and five.
Differences from the prequels 1) There are only five main bachelors to minimize the amount of characters. More relationship development between the princess and her main lot.
2) Lots of action, like in book 3.
3) Lots of gryphon riding.
4) More tension that you all love between the princess and her contenders.
5) Pirates!
Similarities to prequels 1) This is similar to the prequels in that there's a mysterious culprit who's causing issues behind the scenes.
2) Political intrigue, spies, and a chaotic dispute involving the unresolved opal gems.
3) Twists & turns.
4) You won't be able to guess her chosen husband until the very end....more
The prologue was the most exciting part of the story. It made me believe this might be an adventurous, early twentieth century, style story with magicThe prologue was the most exciting part of the story. It made me believe this might be an adventurous, early twentieth century, style story with magic and fae, but then one chapter after the next was about the mundane tasks of a woman who's father just died, and her life taking after the estate. She had conversations at breakfast, met with people over chess, went over the finances, and various other daily tasks, but very little happened until halfway through the book. After chapter 19, the story became more interesting.
Story ** 2 Altogether, this is a story about a lord's daily activities maintaining an estate, but there wasn't much fantasy, no adventure, and very little magic.
Writing ***** 5 What might interest readers is the beautiful writing of Lancaster. She is talented and has a way with words....more
World building 5***** This author try has some of the cutest world building of any book I’ve read. The magic system is so creative, Overnight 4.5 *****
World building 5***** This author try has some of the cutest world building of any book I’ve read. The magic system is so creative, with animal topiaries and the sprites. ...more
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