Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was not what I expected. But I am not complainThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was not what I expected. But I am not complaining. I am pretty satisfied with the reading, and even if it wasn't something memorable, it was still nice and a good book to just mix up my reading. The writing is pretty smooth and the pace is fast, you don't have a single moment of boredom, and things keep happening. And the MC is good. I enjoyed Lydia, she is strong-willed and quite pragmatic (and yes, I love to read about pragmatic people!!), but she is also fun. She has a peculiar sense of humor, that's for sure, but it worked for me. And the idea of this world is interesting. I had fun discovering this new setting, and there are a lot of things to appreciate. I didn't have a problem per se, with this book, but it is a sort of introduction to this world and these characters, and even if it was nice spending time with it, I won't keep it with me. It's one of those books that do their job, they entertain you and are not bad, but you'll forget pretty soon. Ah, a big plus! Lydia is a great MC, but some of the other characters are... fascinating, especially Aon! ...more
This is a book about small things, and it is comfy and nice and cute. It is not that we don’t have stakes, because we have them! And it is not like thThis is a book about small things, and it is comfy and nice and cute. It is not that we don’t have stakes, because we have them! And it is not like there is no conflict either. But it is all centered around the life of the people who our MC met. And it was glorious. And delightful.
We start the story with Tao and her donkey, but soon we meet other characters who slowly become part of the best found family (and it may not be the best found family ever, but it is the best I have read about this year). We have a former mercenary who is looking for his daughter and has a penchant for poems, we have a reformed (sort of) thief and a sweet-hearted baker who wants to see the world. And they together are so cute! We have a lot of sweet and funny moments. And it was delightful!
But mind me, I said that this book is about small things before, and I think it is true, but we also have deep themes in there, linked to the sense of belonging and identity, and we also have mentions of war, societal disparity, racism, grieving process and parental neglecting. And they are not just mentioned in passing, they are smoothly incorporated into the story. This book will make you think, but its dimension is just smaller, and more intimate, and I think that this makes things more relatable to us.
That said, this book is a constant surprise: we meet so many interesting characters, and they all are delicious or brilliant or they will make you laugh, and we also have a cat! And let’s talk a moment about the characters that you’ll meet: there is a mage catcher who is allergic to magic and to cats (he was a tad annoying, but he made me laugh!), we have a troll who is cursed and now spend his (or her, I should say) time philosophizing and, last but not least, the High Mage. (I think this last one was my favorite!) You need to meet all of these characters (and more!). And what’s best about the characters is that the MC will stay with you for quite a bit. They are decent people to the core, and they are so refreshing! I loved them all!
This book is like a warm hug, and it is the perfect book to read if you are in need of some pick me up. And it is the perfect book for the fall! Your couch, a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and this book. Pure bliss! It is fun, it is sweet and it is delightful! If you are in the mood for something nice please, please, go and read this book!
I was forgetting, but I would love a novella about the nunnery because it sounds like the best place ever!!! And the morsel we got was not enough! (But thank you, author, for it! It was precious!)....more
4.5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am just jotting down some thoughts, but 4.5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am just jotting down some thoughts, but I'll be back with a more cohesive review pretty soon.
We have dragons. And monsters. We have rebels. And politics. Politics. Politics. Politics. We have a strange herbal magic. And an alchemist. And criminals. We have poor people. And rich people. And they all are intertwined in the same tapestry.
The things that I was ready to love disappointed me, in some ways, while the unexpected was so so good, that I don't have words to describe how much I liked it all. I had great hope for the alchemist. And here it was one of the biggest disappointments of the book. But, at the same time, it wasn't disappointing at all. I don't want to say too much, but we have a character that is really complex and fascinating but not in the ways I was hoping. So yeah, I was disappointed (and it was a ferocious disappointment, at that), but at the same time, I can't really complain because we have a character so deep and complex! And we have other characters that are amazing, fascinating and complex and deep. But they are not the MCs. Of the three MCs, my favorite was Ash, but even he was overshadowed by Mana. These two are great characters, mind me, and I really enjoyed Ash, but Mana is better. To be honest, together they are amazing. Their banter is top notch and their part of the plot is intriguing. And so full of mysteries! Naili is not bad, but Iberi and Voyle are on another level completely. And Tesha is the least favorite. It is not that she is bad or poorly developed but she constantly makes the wrong choice. Time and again. It was so infuriating. And mind me, she has her reasons, but still... every single time!
And I am not satisfied with the ending, because it is not properly a cliffhanger but... but it does not end!! It is so infuriating!! But the book is so good, so full of politics, intrigues and twists. It is a big book, it is epic and it is so worth it! ...more
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I need to do a mea culpa here, because it took mThanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I need to do a mea culpa here, because it took me so long to read this book! And the problem is that before requesting this one, I read the first book of the other series by the author, and it was a meh experience. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I expected. But then I saw this one on NetGalley and it was intriguing, so I decided to request it because “well, I still enjoyed the other one and it was written a long time ago. I think the author matured a bit, at least, and the premises of this one sound just too good to be true!” And it is a valid reasoning, right? But then I kept procrastinating because the other book wasn’t so good, so what if this one isn’t, either? That is a valid thought, too, but it is the exact opposite of the previous one! Sometimes I don’t make sense even to myself!
That said, it was all for nothing, because I really enjoyed this one! Comparing books to other books seems the theme of today’s reviews, so here we go: this book reminded me, from time to time, of Sufficiently Advanced Magic, and sequels. But in the best possible way. It reminded me of a lot of the things I love about this series (and since we are talking about it… go and read it, pretty pretty please!). Especially because we see the MC experiment with its magic and learn more about his powers. It is a sort of progression fantasy, I think. It is slow going, at least in some moments, that’s true, but to me, it was really worth it! I love when we get to see a character learning things, and working for them. I am there for it, and I want more of this kind of book!! And the author, at the beginning of the book, clearly says that this is a sort of introduction to this new world. And you should heed his words, because this is exactly what this book is.
That said, Stephen is an interesting character, I don’t know if he will stay with me for a long time (Hobbes yes, Stephen I don’t really know), but I liked him, and I like his attitude and his dedication. I think he is a good choice for an MC, and I love that he has some really loyal friends! I would have loved to see more of them around. The bad ones in this book are mostly the rich people, and in this part, the book is not really so original, it is highly plausible and it works amazingly well, but the reasons behind everything that is happening to Stephen are not the most original ever. I was almost forgetting an important thing about Stephen: the author is not really good with him. I mean, Jacka makes him suffer quite a lot, poor guy! I really felt for him. You can really feel the unfairness of it all, especially because this poor guy was just trying his best to carry on with his life, but the world (or better, some really despicable people) decided differently.
Last but not least, there is a big trigger warning: there is cruelty toward an animal. And I really hope that Stephen would make them pay in the next books. I don’t really care that this can make me a bad person, I am here for the retribution!
This is a nice start for a new series, with a complex magical system, a slow pace, and a pretty decent MC. I had a great time with it, and now I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I just need to jot down some thoughts, 3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I just need to jot down some thoughts, but I hope to come back soon with a more complete review. Anyway, this book is horror, and usually this is not my thing, but I was curious because the premises were intriguing, and since this has a strong romance component I thought that it would somehow balance the horror element (it's not that I am against it, but usually I am incredibly bored by it), and I was right. To me, this one didn't read as a horror. Mind me, we have all the elements for it, a hunted mansion (and the author's version of a hunted mansion is original! It's not your "usual" hunted manor but it works incredibly well); demons, ghosts, and the such; some gore and a lot of blood around; trials that are inspired by the deadly sins; and some deads. And the book is also quite atmospheric, so I should say that this book can be considered horror but the vibes were not right for it. And mind me, I am not complaining about it, I enjoyed this book quite a lot, I am simply saying that even if objectively it checks all the right elements, the vibes weren't the "proper" one, and I think that this is why this book worked so well for me.
I also liked Ophelia, Blackwell, and Poe. I also liked Genevieve, even if sisters in books tend to be my pet peeves. I was initially tempted to DNF this one because I wasn't enjoying where things were going between the two sisters, but I am happy to have changed my mind and kept reading because later things get better and I would have missed out.
One thing that could have been developed a bit more, for me, was the trials. They are original and I enjoyed them, but I got the distinct feeling that they were there like an afterthought (but they are central to the plot), because they all were dramatic, yes, but, at the same time, they were a tad anticlimatic. And the big twist wasn't a twist, I saw that coming pretty soon (and if I saw it, everyone would see it, because usually I am the most oblivious person ever!).
But that aside, I had fun with this book and it has some original elements that make it worth your time! ...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I was pretty excited when I started this book, becaThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I was pretty excited when I started this book, because it sounded intriguing and fascinating (and because I am a shallow person, and me and this book, well we share the birthday!) (also, I wanted to publish this review a bit earlier, but I was in a slump, more a blogging one than a reading one, luckily, but still… so my plans went out of the window), anyway, all that to say that I started it with a lot of good intentions.
Even so, the beginning wasn’t the best one: I got scared for a hot second here, because I thought I was reading a copy of Fourth Wing and One Dark Window mixed together. Mind me, I enjoyed both of those books, but copies of other books are rarely nice. Luckily, this wasn’t really the case. At least for One Dark Window, it was just a moment, but the two books are pretty different. With Fourth Wing, I think that it is a whole other story. Initially, I thought this was just a copy of that one, but going on with the reading this book became its own story. Up to a point. Because after the initial scare, we have some uniqueness, but as the story progresses this book goes back to being similar to the other one (minus the dragons). So much so, that I found the story as a whole lacking in originality. The wraiths are interesting, and the magical system is fascinating, but even if I enjoyed the reading, and I enjoyed the time I spent with it, I don’t think this is something particularly original or epic or unique, or whatever. I think that this could be a good book to take a break from more demanding reading, I think it is also pretty good as escapism, that’s true, but I don’t really think you’ll miss something if you just skip it.
But mind me, it wasn’t a bad book. I had fun with it and I was pretty captivated by the story. I think that it would have worked a bit better if Fia, our MC, had been a tad more self-confident. (I’d love to see more books with self-confident characters, really. Can we have more, pretty pretty please??). But Fia is a nice MC (even if we have some dynamics between Fia and Oska that skirted my pet peeves for sisterly relationships in books, it was almost there, almost being the operative word here) and I wanted to see more of the secondary characters, because some of them seemed pretty nice (or interesting).
All in all, I had fun and if you are curious about it then, by all means, give this one a try! But if you are in the mood for something original, that would completely enthrall you and would stay with you for a long time, I suggest you try something else out....more
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I loved the idea of this book, and theDNF at 20%
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I loved the idea of this book, and the fact that the two MCs are musicians is original and interesting. I also loved the setting, I wasn't expecting to find myself in some futuristic version of places that I know, and this is always a small pleasure on its own. But the writing didn't really work for me here. I was intrigued, then bored out of my mind, then intrigued again, but then my interest was nowhere to be found. It was tiring so I just decided to let this one go. The idea is great and I wanted to know more of what was happening, that's true, but it was just too much work for me and I was not in the right mood for it. The rollercoaster with my interest is not a thing I appreciated. But I still recommend you give this one a try, because if the writing works for you I think you'll be in for a real threat!...more
3.5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
As it is said in the synopsis and on the c3.5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
As it is said in the synopsis and on the cover, this is Pride and Prejudice and Witches. It is exactly that, and it is delightful.
Usually, sisters in books are one of my pet peeves, so let me start with this: here it wasn’t! And I am so happy to say it! Viola and Poppy are amazing together! Their relationship was great, and I want more of this kind of sisterhood around! It was one of my favorite things in the whole book! Mind me, the book is centered around Poppy and Edith, that’s true, but around the main lead, we get to know so many secondary characters, and I really loved that not only they are portrayed in some satisfying ways, meaning they are not bidimensional or plain, but we get to see the relationships between them grow and evolve. And I appreciated that we also have a real second lead! It is a thing I love and it is pretty usual in Korean dramas, for example, (but, usually, in dramas has the function of comic relief) but I don’t often see in books (it may also be that I am reading the wrong books, I am not discounting the possibility!). And I am not talking about the couple that would probably be the main lead in the next book, I am talking about a new love developing between two secondary characters. It is so refreshing! And it was soooo cute!
But there is more to love in there. I loved the relationship between Poppy and Netherford Hall, and I loved the explanation the author gave for it. I loved the vibes and the atmosphere of the book. I loved the idea of the gentlewitch and I loved that we see Edith growing into her role (and not only her, but Auden too, he is such a good character, too!). This book is compelling and delightful, and I think it is the perfect book to cozy up with and spend an amazing afternoon!...more
3.5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Let me tell you that the thriller part of 3.5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Let me tell you that the thriller part of this book is amazingly good. The plot is good and the pace is perfect. I loved it and I was just so engrossed by it! I wanted to keep turning the pages because I wanted to know what would happen next. And the bad guy here is pretty scary. And committed. This part is masterfully done, and if you are in for the plot you should just go with this one, without a doubt.
What didn’t work so well for me were the characters. I am not saying that they are bad per se, because this would be a lie but we didn’t click, at least in the beginning. I started to be a bit more invested in them after the halfway point, and since I am a character-driven kind of reader this had a strong impact on my reading experience. Sanchez is a great detective, and I love that she is part of a team that works well, and I love that her direct superior is on her side, we have some internal political scheming, sure, but all in all, her direct superior is on her side, and this is a thing that I appreciated a lot. But she has a sister, who is pretty central to the plot since she is one of the victims of the killer Detective Sanchez is trying to catch (or better, all this investigation started because the sister was one of the victims, but it is not the point here), and sisters (or siblings) in books are one of my pet peeves (I don’t have anything against sisters per se, but there are some dynamics that just made me mad and we usually find them in books). And this pair is no exception. I would have enjoyed this book way more without the dynamics between sisters (even if they are pretty functional to the plot, especially for the big finale, but functional does not mean necessary, and to be honest, I didn’t enjoy the big revelation at the end, either). I enjoyed Heron better, to be honest, and he reminded me a lot of Andrew Mayne’s characters (this is a big plus) but even here, it took me some time to start and appreciate him, because he is sort of detached and it took some work to become invested in him, too.
So, all in all, I appreciated the story and I highly recommend this book for it, but the characters didn’t work so well for me, even if after a point I became invested in them too (and even if they are good characters on their own, their pairing took some work. They don’t immediately click as a team either, and I think that this didn’t help me here) and I found the ending quite unoriginal (and a tad disappointing). I don’t honestly know if I would continue this series, but I had fun with this book, so I am considering the idea!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think that this book brought home the fact that tThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think that this book brought home the fact that this author is not the perfect fit for me. I read the first book in The Expanse series and I enjoyed it but didn’t love it as much as I hoped. I was planning on continuing the series because I thought that maybe here the problems were my expectations and that continuing the series with an idea of what to expect next would help me appreciate the sequels (it won’t be the first time something like that happened, so it seemed plausible), but with this new book I had some of the same problems I had with the previous one, so I think that the problem is not about what to expect from the books but more the fact that the author is not the right one for me, sadly.
And I really mean “sadly”, because there is so much to enjoy in this book! I think that the best part is the world-building. Corey creates a big universe, populated by so many different alien species. And they really are aliens! It is so nice to see so much difference between these pages! The world is lush and rich and vivid, and it is so vast! It is a masterpiece! And it reminded me a bit of the game No Man’s Sky. The vibes are totally different, I am only at the beginning of the game, so maybe things will become darker later on, I can’t really say, but from where I stand with the game, things are pretty chill and upbeat, while the atmosphere in The Mercy of Gods is angsty and full of anger and fear, because we have the Carryx, an alien race, who is conquering the whole universe, and they are sort of enslaving all the other races so… yeah, not chill and upbeat at all. But still, they are similar because of the bounty offered to us as spectators. And I appreciated this so much!
But sadly the world-building is not enough to make me love a book. To enjoy it? Sure! And I really appreciate when we have a solid world, or universe, built between the pages. And let me repeat myself, the one you find here is top-notch. That said, I need to be invested in the characters, I need to care for them, to empathize with them. To feel them. And here this did not happen. Sure, we have some really interesting characters because all of them are complex, they don’t feel plain or bi-dimensional, and everyone has their distinct personality and their own voice, you always know who is who, and all of them bring something to the table. Dafyd is the one easy to ignore and dismiss, but you’ll do it at your own peril because he is quite manipulative in his own sedate way. I think that thinking about the book after reading it, he became the scariest among them too (and this fact alone made me curious about what will happen next, because I am pretty intrigued by him, but being intrigued here is not the point). Jessyn is the one who is constantly fighting, at first with herself because she has some big problems, and later with the rest of the world, because she takes the fight on the outside, and won’t be stopped. Campar is always ready to deflect with humor, and he is the solid one who tries to help everyone and to keep things light, as much as is possible in their situation (and I think he is my favorite). Tonner is the leading scientist, the one obsessed with his work, who is not going to excuse distraction or weakness, in himself and in his team. He is uncompromising and, yes, definitely obsessed with his work. And so on, and so on… The problem here is not that the characters are poorly done or developed, not at all. The problem is that I didn’t like them. At all! And maybe it’s because we meet them when they already are a consolidated team, and they are in the middle of a crisis (or two), and so we don’t get to see their best parts much, and I understand that but still… understand is one thing, loving is a completely different one. And my problem with them is that I did not care about them. I can objectively say that they all are well-developed characters, and that they all are complex and unique and they feel real but… I didn’t care for them, I didn’t empathize with them, and I didn’t really care about them so much.
Last but not least, we have the plot. This book is the first in the series and it feels like a sort of introduction to what is coming next, a long one, mind me, but I got the feeling that this was more a prequel to a story, than the first chapter of it. Am I making sense here? Anyway, I am not saying this because I think the plot was poorly done, it’s just like the vibes/feeling I got from it. And the plot per se is not bad. We have quite a lot happening, and we see how the characters are there for the long game (and this is part of the reason I think about this book as a prequel more than a first chapter). We see them trying to understand what is happening to them, we see them try to adapt and fight, and we follow them while they are thrown into a universe that is more vast and dangerous than they thought.
It is a slow book, we don’t have a lot of action, the author took his time with it, but that’s okay, because we need to absorb so much info here, and the characters are with us, because they don’t know what’s happening or who is who, and what is what, so all it’s developed slowly, to get us, and them, the time to absorb things. I think that the pace is the perfect one for the story, and even if I had some problems because I wasn’t really invested and I didn’t really care, I was still intrigued by the book, and I wasn’t bored. Indifferent, yes. Bored, nope.
So, all in all, it is a book that I enjoyed on a rational level, because I can see a lot of good things in there, but I didn’t care enough, and emotionally I wasn’t into this at all. But still, it is a solid book, and there are a ton of things to appreciate here, so if you are curious about this one, I strongly recommend it to you!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I should just say: go and read this book! You can tThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I should just say: go and read this book! You can thank me later! It would be accurate and it would be true, too. This book is like chicken soup for the soul. Or like chocolate. Or you cup of hot chocolate while you are all cozied up on your coach. It is the sunshine after a storm, when you see the colors so clearly and so neatly. It is a fresh breeze and a warm hug. It’s every good thing you can think of.
Eddie, our MC, is ninety years old, and he works in a charity shop. Retirement wasn’t for him, so he decided to keep busy. And he is such a pure soul, easygoing, and able to find joy everywhere. He is a masterpiece in human shape, he is so good! And a bit later on we meet Bella, a young girl who soon becomes Eddie’s wingman. She is a counterpoint of a sort for Eddie, but she has a great heart and she is so cute and fun! And we get to meet a lot of interesting characters thanks to these two, all of them full of heart (well, almost all) and it is good to see such good vibes and goodness in people. Sometimes I need to be reminded that people can be good, and this book does it magistrally.
This book is about a lot of things: it is about the joy of small things, but it is also about love, about life, about people, and about happiness. But it’s also about pain and loss and loneliness, and it treats all these different themes in such a delicate way… the author is amazing, and she is able from the start to grab your attention, subtly and lightly, and just like that, you’ll find yourself invested in Eddie story, in all the small things that he does and that make him happy. And his take on life is pretty unique, but so beautiful! This book is chock full of beautiful moments. I don’t really want to say a lot about this book, because discovering all the small things, and all that happens is a joy in itself, and you should experiment it by yourself. It will bring you so much joy!
Once started it was very hard to put down, the author is incredibly masterful in her art, and this book is enchanting and captivating, and you would find yourself immersed in the story, and so invested in the characters, without noticing. And then it would be too late: you’ll be ensorcelled and there would be nothing you can do about it. You just need to keep reading and see what the book will bring you next.
And the writing is beautiful. It made you want to savor it, and to take in all that the book has to offer! My only complaint, and I know it’s not a real complaint, is about the ending. The last chapters of the book made me want to turn page after page so fast! because I needed to know what would happen next, I just wanted to fly between them, because I needed to know. Needed to. But at the same time, I had to slow down, because the writing is so beautiful and I didn’t want to miss a thing, but I needed to know! The ending was akin to an amazing thriller when you can’t put it down because you need to know what will happen. The thrill was the same, even if the vibes were completely different. But really, it was so strong the urge to devour page after page, and yet the desire to not miss a thing was slowing me down. It was sort of maddening, but in a good way?
Anyway, this book is so good! It is beautiful, it is uplifting, it is heartwarming and I loved it to pieces. You need this book in your life!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
When I started this book I was curious because the Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
When I started this book I was curious because the premises are intriguing, and it starts strong! I was there for it and I was happy but I slowly changed my mind, and by the end of the book I wasn’t so happy with it anymore. It has a lot of potential, and a lot of good things, but there are also a lot of things that didn’t really work so well for me. It started with a bang, because the first scene is gold, and I was so there for it. But the book didn’t keep up with all the hype it generated with that first scene. Such a shame!
The Good:
1)Shan. I like her. I like that she is strong-willed, tenacious, and resolute. She has plans and she is hell-bent on following them through. Also, her plans are pretty great. You can tell she is in for the long game and going places. Really. And there is more, because she is leading a double life, one as a lady and one as the head of a huge net of spies, sort of. And I was so there for it! 2)The Magic System.Blood magic may not win the prize for the most original, but I enjoyed it and I wanted to see more of it. The author could have put a bit more work into showing us the magic, but still, it works well and it is well done so… good! 3)The Romance. Mind me, I wasn’t too invested in this part but it is well-developed and it is enjoyable. The fact that I wasn’t really interested in it is on me and not on the author. And we have a sort of triangle, but not your usual one, and this part I enjoyed a lot! 4)The writing and the pace. The book is well written, it’s captivating and smooth, and the pace is just right. It is a tad unbalanced, but still… not bad!
The Not So Good:
1)Anton. Siblings in books are one of my pet peeves, so this is mostly on me but… but Shan is doing everything she is doing for her brother, basically. Because even if they are noble, Anton is not a Blood Worker, and their society is not good with those who can’t do magic so she is trying her best to make a better world for all the people who live there and not only for those who have magic. An ambitious plan, sure, but she is on the right path. And she is making a ton of sacrifices and she is putting a ton of hard work into it, because she wants a different world, more just and right, but especially because she wants a better world for her brother. And her brother is a jerk!! It is disheartening to see that the reason for all this work does not live up to expectations. At all. 2)They do not talk! This book is full of intrigues, plots, and twists so obviously everyone in it has secrets. Even the ones that should be allies. And they do not talk to each other making things more complicated than they should be. I was constantly frustrated by it and wanted to scroll them until they talk to each other. I am not talking about revealing all the plans, but for f**k sake, at least share the bare minimum! 3)The Mystery. Shan and Samuel have to solve the gruesome murders of not magical people. And I was there for it. But they don’t really investigate. We have a couple of scenes dedicated to it and nothing more. And yet, this investigation is central to the plot in more than one way. Also, the King, who tasked them to solve it, keeps things from them and then he got mad because they weren’t able to solve it. Well… duh! 4)We are told a lot of things but we don’t really see them. Shan starts strong and she is a great character, but as the book progresses she becomes less brilliant and cold, in the beginning, we see a really strong girl who is going to take the world by storm, and slowly she disappears and becomes a leaf in the current. We are told about the investigation but we don’t see it. We have an amazing net of spies, but we don’t get to see a lot of it, either. Sure, we get more scenes in which Shan is the Sparrow, but I was hoping for more.
All in all, this book has a lot of potential, but it is not properly exploited. And the more I read the less content with the book as a whole I became, and by the end of it I was highly dissatisfied with it. And this makes rating it hard, because the book per se is not bad, and if you go in expecting only a romantasy without a lot of expectations, I think that this book will deliver (also, we have some good rep here), but personally, I didn’t enjoy it, and I am deeply disappointed so… it is hard to try and be objective. I think I will go with 3 stars, but barely....more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
had so much fun with this book! I think t3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
had so much fun with this book! I think that its best feature is that it is refreshing in some unique ways. And I really appreciated this. It is original, it is quirky, it is a lot of fun and it was, all in all, a really enjoyable read. That said, I have to add that I was hoping for more. I think my main problem with it is that this is one of those books where the characters don’t talk to each other (meaning that they don’t talk about relevant things, not that they are giving each other the silent treatment!) and this overcomplicated the plot in some unnecessary way.
Another great thing about this book is that it is so satisfying! Our MC is strong-willed and she makes no excuses for herself. She wants it all, and she is not ashamed. And it was soooo good! Rae is evil, without being really evil, and I loved her. I think we need more of her energy around. Go girl, go! I don’t have anything to add.
But my favorite character here was Key. He stole the scene. And okay, he is evil. Sort of. Okay, okay, without “sort of”. But he is just soooo good! I don’t know what really made such a strong impression here, but he was my favorite. My absolute favorite and you need to meet him! And around these two we have other interesting characters, because the Golden Cobra and Lord Marius are good characters and they are worth meeting. I really liked them both, not as much as Rae and Key, because they really were my favorite, but they are good. And some of the minor ones have good moments too.
It is also a book with a strong meta component to it, and this was great. It made for a lot of funny moments, and it made me think about How To Become the Dark Lord And Die Trying, a book that I loved to pieces. What didn’t really work so great for me was the plot. It is overcomplicated because all the characters are scheming so nobody talks about things and this makes things more complicated, even when there is no need for it. The twists aren’t really so original or so unexpected, I seriously think that the plot is not the main point here, because it is all the rest that steal the show, but still… I think that a tad more effort into it would have been good. Another thing that didn’t work so well with me was the ending. It is not bad, and it works well with the book but it is not the kind of end that I usually prefer, and this book is not exception.
I think that this book is worth a read, especially if you want to read something a tad different from all the rest. The “evil” perspective here is good, the meta is well done and together they made for some really good moments. And the characters are pretty good, too! But still, even it is worth a read because it is not bad (not bad at all) and there are a lot of good things here but… but it is not a must-read....more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is quite a short book, and it is also fast-pacThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is quite a short book, and it is also fast-paced, so it took me no time at all to devour it, but it packs quite a lot for such a short amount of pages. It is also quite gripping, so once you start it, it will become hard to put it down.
Ada, our MC, is funny, quirky, and a pleasure to be around. And Rian is the perfect counterpoint to her. I enjoyed watching these two circling each other because it is clear that both of them are hiding something, and both of them are also smart and good at their job (you just don’t know what their job is, but that’s not the point here). We also have secondary characters, and I enjoyed them, to be honest, I would have liked to know more about them, and to see more of them around, but since this is a pretty short story, it wasn’t possible. I get that, and I am not really complaining, but I would have enjoyed to spend more time in their company.
And then there is the “mystery”. You know that something is happening beyond what you see, you know that there is an angle here, or two, but you don’t know what it is and all you can do is follow along, with this constant itch to scratch, because you need to know what is happening, what the angle is here, and so you keep reading, turning page after page. But that’s not all. When the story ends we get some reports, and they are gold, because they made me want to keep going! I was curious to see what would happen next, obviously, but the reports at the end are what made me really itch to keep going! Lucky for us, the second book should be coming out in the Fall (and luckier for me, I have an ARD for that one!! Yay!! So I am trying my best to wait a bit before reading it since it is a tad earlier, but I don’t know how much I would resist, because the need to see what will happen next is strong!)
If you want to take a break from a more demanding read, and are interested in a witty heroine, a space heist, some romantic tension, and a fast read that would captivate you, well… search no more, this is the perfect book for you!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think that this book could be the urban 3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think that this book could be the urban fantasy variant of the cozy fantasy book. Or something really in the neighborhood. It is a slice-of-life urban fantasy, where our MC, Nick, meets the Devil and things start happening. But these things happening are big for him, because his whole life change, obviously, but are definitely low stakes. And the vibes of the whole book are pretty chill so… yeah, I think that this summarises the book pretty well: chill vibes, low stakes, slice-of-life. And I think that all those make this book the perfect choice for a Summer read, when you want something not demanding, fun, and pretty fast to read.
Nick is a great MC, but his main selling point is that he is a normal person. Mind me, he is also the most decent guy out there. He is a really good person (and I really love to see more of his mindset with women, and people in general, around. We need more of Nick around, in real life especially!), he is nice, kind, caring, all of these things. But he is the most normal person you can find. He is not so happy with his job, he is a barista and he enjoys making coffee but he is not so happy to have to deal with people (and I felt so seen here!!), he is okay with his life in general, he is not so sad or discontent about it but he is not happy, either. He is in a kind of limbo, where he survives, he is not feeling so bad about his life, but not so good. And he keeps floating around until he meets Lu. And Lu is another great character! It reminded me a bit of Tom Ellis’ Lucifer (and I love this version, I really really love it!), he is who he is, he doesn’t make excuses and I really liked him for this. And let’s not forget Odin! You need to meet this big cat!
All in all, this is a fast reading. It is short and even if it is not technically fast-paced, it is not slow. The writing is smooth and the story carries you through to the end, without a single boring moment. It is a well-balanced book, relaxing in some parts (even if we have some not relaxing things happening, and even if we are in the constant company of Nick’s doubts. Because he takes things seriously, and he thinks a lot about consequences and all, and this is a thing that I appreciate. I won’t say that Nick is an overthinker, but we are almost there), but not boring. I had a good time with it, and I seriously think it is a good choice if you want to take a break!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book is something for sure. But I am not so suThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book is something for sure. But I am not so sure about what this “something” is. I have so many conflicting thoughts about this one and the fact that what I think of as the strengths of this book are at the same time, its weaknesses (for me, obviously) does not help, at all. It is hard to write a review for such a book, so I decided to go with a bullet list and see how things go!
1)The Worldbuilding. This is a book with strong world-building. Maybe too strong. I love a world well-developed, for sure, but here I think that the book could have been way shorter (and more enjoyable) with a bit less. I mean, this is totally a personal taste kind of thing, but this is a long book, mostly slow-paced, and on a couple of occasions we get some interludes with the lore of the world. On a purely theoretical level, this is interesting and makes for a really well-thought-out world, sure, but I was not interested in them. I just wanted to go on with the story (I mean, it is slow, and we are taking forever to go where we are going, dear author, show some mercy on us and get things going, do not go into a tangent about ancient gods and things like that, please!!)
2)The Worldbuilding. Part 2. This book takes a lot of inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, and it is fascinating and good. Sure. It is a really strong inspiration, and for the most part, I enjoyed it, but the book is full of words that sound almost Italian. Some of them are Italian (and about that, the copy I read is an ARC so it’s not the “real deal”, but there is a sentence in there that is in Italian and it has a grammatical error that would make any Italian cry in horror and despair, so I hope they changed it in the final edition). But back to the point, some of these words and sentences are Italians, others sound like ancient Italian and a mix of Italian and Latin, and some inventions by the author. They add weight to this World, but they are also too much. In the beginning, it was intriguing, but after a point, it all became too much!
3)The Characters. Davico and Celia are the MCs and, to be honest, they are not bad characters. This is a coming-of-age story, and we follow these two growing into some formidable adults. And they are good characters, they are fascinating, and they are intriguing. But they are also teens so we have to deal with teen dramas and tantrums that do not go anywhere, and I was not a fan of it. Even more so because the adults here are amazing characters! I don’t really care about Davico and Celia when we have characters like Cazzetta, Ashia, and Davico’s father around! They all are characters that sound bigger than life, they are amazing and almost supernatural because they can’t be that good and still be humans. I don’t want a book about Davico! I want a book about Cazzetta and Lugo! About Ashia and Lady Furia! I want to know how the beautiful mind of Devonaci works in all its magnificent splendor!
4)The Politics. Okay, here I don’t have anything bad to say. The politics in this book are superb. They are complex and we have so many twists and turns. It is epic and it is really well developed.
5)The Plot. This is one of those books where things happen but it doesn’t really feel like it. I had the impression that nothing was happening for so long! And I get that it helps set the context for it all, and usually, I am not against authors taking their sweet time to get somewhere, really, but here it just takes forever to get to the point, with so many detours and tangents. It was a bit maddening. And what’s more is that when something big happens, it always happens in the same way. So, it takes forever and it is also boring? Not good!!
6)The Pace. It is a slow-going book, and I would have loved something a bit shorter because we could do without some of the descriptions and scenes that the author offers us, but that’s not all. It is that the book is unbalanced. After the first half, we have a lot of things happening, (always in this “a lot is happening, but nothing is happening” kind of way), and the tone becomes darker (it is a dark book on the whole, but the second half is more so than the first one). Also, I thought this was a standalone but nope… the story is not ending here, so we have a last spurt of happenings and a bit of flow and then the book ends so we don’t get an ending to all of this.
All in all, it wasn’t the right fit for me, but if you are interested in politics and complex worldbuilding, this could be the right book for you!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book has an interesting idea, and the worldbuiThanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book has an interesting idea, and the worldbuilding is fascinating. I loved the part about the Reverie, and all the nightmares, luminae and vexes. And the characters are also pretty good, even if, to be honest, they aren't special. I mean, I enjoyed Nighstrider and Alaric a lot, and Ila and Caine are not bad, either. But there is something lacking. The main problem I had with this book is that it lacks originality. Mind me, the world is original and I loved the idea. All the rest is not bad, I enjoyed the book and I wanted to read till the end. I had a good time with it. But... but the characters aren't special, there is something lacking. Again, they aren't bad, mind me, but still, I will forget about them pretty soon. The story is also the same old, same old. And I get that epic fantasy has a "range of motion" in which you have to set the story, but still, a lot of authors create something unique and real and special. And this was not the case. We have the wicked one, who is also lying to everyone, on top of being the most despicable and powerful being around. We have the rebels, who fight against the wicked one, but they are not really "good" people, we have racism and bigotry and all that, more in the rebels camp (or city or whatever) than anywhere else, we have the demons who were bad but now they are trying to redime themselves. And mind me, these last two were the better thing in the book, it's not that I am complaining. I did have a good experience with this one, but it wasn't memorable. And the story is all over the place. They take the box everywhere. And inside the box is a child!! And okay, they find excuses for doing so, but really... they go everywhere, back and forth, trying to save everyone, and this damned box is going with them (it's not important who "they" is... everyone and their mother had the box at one time or another). It was just... frustrating.
All in all, I am happy to have read it, and if you want to read something that can count as epic fantasy but it is not so demanding on the reader, I think you should give this one a try. I think that it can be considered "light epic fantasy" and if we consider the book in this light, it is pretty good! ...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Kingfisher is a guarantee, and even if my favorite Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Kingfisher is a guarantee, and even if my favorite books by her remain the ones set in the world of the White Rat, I had such an amazing time with this new one. I enjoyed it so much! And it is nice to see all the trademarks of this author in there too. We have older ladies with gumption (so much of it!), and sheer pragmaticism around (and I love it so much to see women, younger and older, so pragmatic! It is like a balm for the heart. Also, it usually makes for some funny moment, and I love it all so much!), and peculiar animals around. And her brand of humor that, with me, works wonders. The whole package!
And I could just leave things there: it is good, it has all the things people around the world love about her books, it is funny and sweet and so real, go and read it! But I’ll try and tell you something more. First thing first, it is way darker than what I was expecting. And mind me, I am not complaining. This book is good, and I don’t think I have complaints about it. But it is quite dark. And it is not only for the story. It is a retelling of a Grimm’s Fairytale, and I think that the retelling is well done because it keeps not only the story but the atmosphere too. Hence, the dark parts. But that’s not all. The book starts with a scene that could have been perfect in one of her horror books, too, because we meet Cordelia for the first time, while her mother is making her obedient. And it is terrible. And what is worst (or better, it’s complicated, because we are not talking about something nice or pleasant, we are talking about something awful, but the author does her work magistrally) is that we get in Cordelia a detailed and precise description of a person victim of abuse. It is chilling. So maybe pay attention to this, because it could be a strong trigger for some. But I just want to remark that the author did an amazing job with her characterization of Cordelia. And mind me, a victim is not all of what Cordelia is. She is not a bidimensional character at all, she is so vivid, so alive, and real. And she is way more than what we first saw. I really enjoyed her, and I felt so much for her.
Cordelia is well worth meeting, but my favorite character is Hester. She is an old spinster who lives with her brother, the man who becomes the new victim of Cordelia’s mother. (And she is a scary person!!). Hester is so vivid, so full of life, and she is the kind of heroine I came to expect from this author. When we first met her my reaction was “Ahah! Here she is!”. And I loved her to pieces. She feels so real, and so alive! I love that we get to see older women, and I love to see that they all have insecurity and flaws but are still amazing people. And what’s more, is that Kingfisher’s books are full of bad people, that’s true (Evangeline here is a good example) but they are also full of good people who try their best to do the right thing. Because even if Cordelia, Hester, and Evangeline are at the center of the stage, we have a lot of other characters around them… and you need to meet the Butler! Trust me on that! And okay, to be honest, they all are worth meeting. Richard, Cordelia’s maid, Hester’s friends, they are all amazing characters with some unique traits that will make you fall in love with them all. (And maybe they would also scare you a bit, but in the best possible way!). (And truth be told, I may want to be like Lady Strauss when I grow old!).
I think you got that for me, the best part of the book was all the amazing characters we meet in here, and the humor, which is just so on point for me. Also, we have some amazing geese in here, and a magical horse. I could not ask for more!!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion
The idea of this book is brilliant! To be3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion
The idea of this book is brilliant! To be honest, it had me at the title, really. How could you resist that? And when you read the synopsis things get even better. Because yeah, this book is a murder in space, with a ton of humor in it too. And it turns out that things are even more complicated than what we expected in the beginning. I think that the plot, with all the twists and the mysteries, was the best part. The characters are intriguing, even more so because we have aliens, and humans that are not really humans as we intend it now, and it was fascinating to see all of these differences play out before our eyes. Bell is a good MC to follow, even if she is quite the clichè, and her interactions with the other characters are an abundance of cliches. But it is not bad, it works well in the book. What didn't work so well for me was the humor. Mind me, I appreciated it, but from time to time it was like the author was trying too hard to be funny. But still, I had some laughs here and there, and humor is a highly personal thing, it is always hit or miss, because it is not a fixed thing. And maybe you would find that this is exactly your kind of humor, and you would have a blast out of it. To me, it was the weakest point, but it still worked, so it is not all bad! All in all, I think that this is a good book to spend some hours with. It is an original take on a pretty classic trope, and it is well done. It is also funny and highly readable! ...more
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