I want to let people know that the first part of this book focuses a lot on grief, especially that of a daughter losing a mother, so I highly recommenI want to let people know that the first part of this book focuses a lot on grief, especially that of a daughter losing a mother, so I highly recommend that you are in the right mind space before starting it.
TOTAL VIBES! but i wish i was more attached to the characters in the end. It felt like there was a wall separating me from the characters. The magic iTOTAL VIBES! but i wish i was more attached to the characters in the end. It felt like there was a wall separating me from the characters. The magic is also hard to grasp but i would really just read this for the atmosphere.
“When she'd met Orquídea Montoya, she saw a whisper of a girl who wanted to become a scream.”
likely pros: - coyotes as familiars - historical fantasy - vibes of mexican gothic but more whimsical, less horror and i loved this more - intergenerational and i love that it felt like we were getting to know each one of them personally,, each character felt like they possessed a different vibe and it was charming but i realized that in the end, that was probably the downfall of the book for me - SIBLING DYNAMICS I LOVE IT - plot points that focuses on their family and of the past
likely cons: - The magic system was fun at first but it started to feel a little bit too cheesy for my taste - i wasn't attached to the romance because it didn't feel like it build up well
— 3.5 — ⇢ content warnings// Alcohol, Body horror., Child death [not graphic], Drowning [off-page, not graphic], Infidelity, Parental neglect, Parent death, Pregnancy ...more
”When you’re young, you think you can change the world. You think you can bend it to your will. When you’re old, you learn to change your small cor
”When you’re young, you think you can change the world. You think you can bend it to your will. When you’re old, you learn to change your small corner of it and live with the rest.”
I just want to go around screaming at everyone to read this series. Especially if you want an Adult High Fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic style fantastical world with the awakening of magic and animal companions.
I’m going to be honest: this wasn’t really the book I thought it was going to be… but I’m not mad!!! This played with emotions so much in the best ways I could imagine, what a wild time.
If there’s one reason to read this book: It’s Jovis and Mephi.
The way Andrea Stewart writes the chapters makes the story flow so well. The plot is still slow paced relative to the first novel but the ending was so explosive that it had me gasping. The way Stewart wraps up her books always manages to bump itself up my rating. Talk about the ending making the book.
All the back and forth “betrayals” but “not betrayals” was so amusing to watch and I just loved how unsure we all were of what was happening in this book (in a good way). By “we” I mean both the characters and us, as the readers.
“Because even if I am the Emperor, I am still one of them.”
I do think the writing style and intrigue died down somewhere in the middle (relative to the first book) which was a little disappointing to me. Especially since I am already considering the first book as one of my faves of the whole year with the mystery and intrigued it was able to uphold.
My problem with this is that I think it didn’t have the best follow throughs to an extremely promising first novel. Some specific plot choices made were sounding so cliche to me, especially somewhere in the half way point. For the most part in book 1, we were trying to figure out who they were alongside them and I think in this book, it lacked the build up for me to feel fully invested in that certain characters motivation.
Admittedly, while i did like certain other developments in this book, i overall enjoyed the atmosphere and the mystery of the first book more. There were certain characters developments that were so satisfying to see where they are from the first novel. I keep hyping Jovis up but really he’s just an idiot that makes me laugh. Lin’s dynamic with absolutely anyone in this series amuses me to no end and created a compelling dynamic that just kept me reading.
”A coward is not a man who feels fear. A coward is one who would volunteer others for the suffering he would not take on himself,”
I love how lgbtq+ relationships are so normalized (even poly) and are just casually mentioned. The language used regarding pronouns and queerness is probably one of the, or the most inclusive one I have come across in Adult High Fantasy.
The vibes and the atmosphere /is/ different from the first book,, a lot of the mystery turned into suspense for the reveals that you already know and socio-political scheming. So it might have been slightly disappointing in that aspect but really this just jumped from one type of book that I love to another.
↣ A little dark, a little heartwarming, a little intense. Definitely recommended if you are in the mood for an Adult High Fantasy that keeps you curious and refreshing characters. This was more character driven and does have a slow-paced plot but I think it was all extremely worth it in the end. ↢
P.S. the cover makes so much sense now after finishing the book T_T
— 4.25 — ⇢ content warnings// Animal Abuse (implied, mentioned), Childhood abuse (mentioned), Emotional Trauma, Body Horror, Violence, Death ...more
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s ability to jump from genre to genre, write completely different stories, but still have the same touch, astounds me.
This has tSilvia Moreno-Garcia’s ability to jump from genre to genre, write completely different stories, but still have the same touch, astounds me.
This has the echos of the likes of Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices and The Last Hours but make it a little more magical realism than fantasy. I would have wanted more magic and nuance that explores the socialite society but this was the historical romance I needed before reading Jade Legacy and I thank it for it's service.
the first 70% of this book is 4 stars for the yearning and pining *chef's kiss* I was so SOLD... but the ending got a lil bit too cringey and dragging. I still loved it for the most part though.