Another cautionary tale with an interesting message:
Remember that to use a thing is not to own it. And should you ever take a bride
|| 3.0 stars ||
Another cautionary tale with an interesting message:
Remember that to use a thing is not to own it. And should you ever take a bride, listen closely to her questions.
I think this was one of my least favourite short stories in the Grishaverse, only because I disliked all the characters and found them all to fall a bit flat.
Will you remain here with the father who tried to sell you, or the prince who hoped to buy you, or the man too weak to solve his riddles for himself? Or will you come with me and be bride to nothing but the shore?
The idea of the story was still really interesting, like all the others have been as well, but the execution didn’t grip me as much. I failed to really develop a connection with any of the characters, and therefore with the story as well.
Does this book have an actual plot? No. No, it does not. This was pure character-building and nothing else. The full 750 pages are fill|| 3.5 stars ||
Does this book have an actual plot? No. No, it does not. This was pure character-building and nothing else. The full 750 pages are filled with training, training and more training. You’d think that would be incredibly dull, wouldn’t you? Well, somehow it wasn’t. Somehow I started to care deeply about Nesta and I was invested in seeing every single little step of her becoming stronger and happier. I liked watching her journey into becoming a warrior, but most of all, her healing journey into starting to love and accept herself for who she is.
“Forgiveness is not that easy.” “Forgiveness is something we also grant ourselves. And I can talk to you until these mountains crumble around us, but if you don’t wish to be forgiven, if you don’t want to stop feeling this way … it won’t happen.” He cupped her cheek, calluses scraping across her overheated skin. “You don’t need to become some impossible ideal. You don’t need to become sweet and simpering. You can give everyone that I Will Slay My Enemies look — which is my favorite look, by the way. You can keep that sharpness I like so much, that boldness and fearlessness. I don’t want you to ever lose those things, to cage yourself.” “But I still don’t know how to fix myself.” “There’s nothing broken to be fixed,” he said fiercely. “You are helping yourself. Healing the parts of you that hurt too much — and perhaps hurt others, too.”
When it came to the romance between Cassian and Nesta I’m having mixed feelings. It’s weird because I truly loved both of them individually, but I didn’t really love them that much together. I mean, I did love how patient and forgiving Cassian could be with her, especially when he kept reaching out, time and time again, and never stopped caring for her so deeply. However, I would have definitely preferred more emotional affection from them throughout the book instead of having all their interactions result in sex. There was simply way too much smut. The extreme amount of smut was the biggest difference from any other SJM books I have read, and it was not a good change for me.
I also know there are people who have complained about all the other side characters in this book and blame them for how they have supposedly treated Nesta badly, but I found almost all of them to be incredibly understandable in their actions. Furthermore, I actually think the development and forgiveness she found with some of them to be a really beautiful part of her journey.
Anyway, first of all, whoever is complaining about Feyre is actually insane, because she never did anything bad to Nesta, even though she would have been justified to do so after all Nesta said and did to her over the years. But no, Feyre always remained supportive and kind to her, despite Nesta pushing her away in a harsh and cold manner. I genuinely thought it was so nice to see Feyre never give up on her, which, in turn, made Nesta realise how grateful she is to have her as a sister and also how much she truly loves her. Seeing their sister bond heal after all that time was really lovely.
Stroking Feyre’s cold hand, Nesta spoke into the timeless, frozen room, “You loved me when no one else would. You never stopped. Even when I didn’t deserve it, you loved me, and fought for me, and …” Nesta looked at Feyre’s face, Death a breath away from claiming it. She didn’t stop the tears that ran down her cheeks as she squeezed Feyre’s slender hand tighter. “I love you, Feyre.” She had never said the words aloud. To anyone. “I love you,” Nesta whispered again. “I love you.”
There’s also not a single bad thing that could be said about Azriel. He never judged Nesta or tried to punish her in any way. Instead, he continually offered his silent support and allegiance while being surprisingly sweet and gentle to her. Mor, as well, never actually did anything bad to Nesta. She wasn't particularly warm or loving, but I don't think she needed to be. Now, Rhys was harsh, I agree, but he also never actually did anything bad to Nesta. He judged her, yes, but why shouldn’t he, based on her actions and attitude? Besides, his protectiveness and love for Feyre made any dislike he had towards Nesta completely valid for me; I would lash out as well towards those who hurt the ones I love, and he actually did that surprisingly little.
The only characters I genuinely had an issue with, though, were Amren and Elain. Amren was cruel and mean for no reason, and it actually pissed me off so much. Amren’s immense ego and narcissism were definitely bugging me here and for her to drop Nesta so quickly because of one little thing she said was just awful. With that, she showed that she is not someone who truly has your back or who you can count in. Meanwhile, Elain was even worse. She was ungrateful and truly had no justification for her disdain towards her sister. Elain is actually the only person in the world who has no right to blame Nesta for anything, yet she treated Nesta the worst. She had no right to be so mean and dismissive to her when Nesta had always done anything for her, always stood by her side and defended her, willing to give up everything for her. Thus, for Elain to now be so cold and unloving towards Nesta when Nesta finally needed her most is unforgivable. Elain should have been there for her; should have shown more patience and understanding towards someone who was always her number one supporter. It made Elain appear very unsympathetic, disloyal and compassionless. And it was actually kind of satisfying to see Nesta realise how flawed her sister was.
Nesta glanced up the stairs past Feyre. Elain had again opted to remain in her room when Nesta was present, which was just fine. Absolutely, utterly fine. Elain could make her own choices. And had chosen to thoroughly shut the door on Nesta. Even as she fully embraced Feyre and her world. Nesta’s chest tightened, but she refused to think of it, acknowledge it. Elain was like a dog, loyal to whatever master kept her fed and in comfort.
Also, I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not but I personally like the Valkyries more than the Inner Circle. Their friendship seemed a lot more genuine and less toxic to me. The Inner Circle always appeared to be bound through obligation and guilt more often than not, while the Valkyries truly bonded through common interests, shared experiences, love and genuine care. Gwyn and Emerie were the exact friends that Nesta deserved and needed, and Nesta was the best friend to them out of anyone in this whole series was to anyone.
Her friends regarded her curiously, and Nesta swallowed. “Let me make a wish for all of us,” she explained, gathering the three charms. A small gift — for the friends who had become like sisters. A chosen family. Like the one Feyre had found for herself. Nesta squeezed the charms in her palm, closing her eyes, and said: “I wish for us to have the courage to go out into the world when we are ready, but to always be able to find our way back to each other. No matter what.”
Also, it might sound insane but my favourite “character” in this whole book was the House of Wind! I swear, they were so supportive, precious and sweet! They were seriously the best kind of friend a girl can have <3 The only one who rivals the House’s spot for being my favourite would be Azriel. There’s something so insanely endearing and precious about him. He’s so broody and aloof, but also so sweet and gentle at the same time. His shy and thoughtful nature really made me love him so much. Oddly enough, I also really like Eris. There’s something so mysterious and interesting about him.
All in all, I think this was an engaging book despite the lack of plot and I think that’s solely due to Nesta being a complex and intriguing character all on her own.
I know it’s a fairy tale, and should thus not be taken too seriously, but the pure and utter stupidity of Snow White really got on my n|| 2.0 stars ||
I know it’s a fairy tale, and should thus not be taken too seriously, but the pure and utter stupidity of Snow White really got on my nerves so badly. She genuinely had to have had less than a single brain cell, and her passivity and unwillingness to learn were truly astounding. I’m certain that if she didn’t have her pretty privilege, nobody would have even cared to save her either. Sure, the Queen wouldn’t have had a reason to go after her in the first place, but let’s ignore that for argument’s sake.
Oddly enough, I was actually looking forward to reading this original fairy tale (even though I was never a fan of Snow White’s story), but it was exceedingly disappointing to me due to its complete lack of intelligence and rationale. It’s hard for me to root for a character if they don’t even attempt to save themselves and honestly seem to do everything in their power to make the dumbest possible decisions.
Oh, and the fact that she eventually marries the guy who tried to take her dead corpse to his castle because she was just too damn pretty to never look at again was… disturbing, at best.
P.S. The version I read didn’t have any illustrations, so maybe those could have made this more enjoyable or charming....more
Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and t|| 3.5 stars ||
Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and this dude never actually did anything to save her; he was partying, laughing, flirting, drinking, and even kissing other girls. In what world is this supposed to be someone I like, let alone someone I’d swoon over? He’s a self-pitying, petulant, selfish loser and I don’t respect him at all. Sydney deserves a million times better than that sad excuse of a man. It genuinely broke my heart to see Adrian’s chapters of partying be alternated with Sydney’s chapters of bravely fighting through pure agony and torture, while constantly believing Adrian would come for her. I got angry every single time I saw how much pain and sorrow she was going through, only for her boyfriend to be a sad waste of space, with no genuine plan to save her. He disgusted me, and I don’t think the last book could do anything to change my opinion of him after what he did here.
Sydney, of course, was still as admirable as always. Her cleverness, compassion, and bravery never fail to inspire admiration in me, and my respect only flew higher at seeing her character continue to stay strong in that torture camp. She was a true hero, for herself and others, unlike her pathetic boyfriend, or anyone else for that matter. After the amount of times she saved everyone around her, it physically hurt me to see how idle and useless everyone else was when she was in danger. The only person who ever did anything substantial was Magnus, and not any of her so-called friends.
First things first, I really really loved Alosa’s pirate crew, and all of their dynamics together were by far my favourite thing about || 3.0 stars ||
First things first, I really really loved Alosa’s pirate crew, and all of their dynamics together were by far my favourite thing about this entire book! Not only is Alosa a great captain, I also truly loved all the men and women under her command. It was clear they all cared so deeply for each other but also had so much respect and admiration for what they each contribute! They all found a family in one another that loves them unconditionally.
That said, I think the romance part of this book was just plain bad. Riden was beyond frustrating to me from beginning to end, and neither did I enjoy any of his interactions with Alosa. The way he treated her irked me quite a bit, and they also lacked chemistry. There weren’t any real bonding moments between them, and all they did was bicker or make unfounded love declarations. I didn’t like it.
Opposingly, I was far more intrigued by the hints and glimpses we got of Kearan and Sorinda’s blossoming romance. We didn’t get much, but I ate up every little scrap we got. I love Sorinda’s black cat energy, and I adore the way Kearan seems to pine after her. I love that he truly wants to be better for her while she reluctantly wants to take care of him. It’s why I can’t wait to see their story develop in Vengeance of the Pirate Queen, which I just found out will be their own book! So exciting!
All in all, I don’t think this book was all that amazing, but I did read it easily and with enjoyment. It was, once again, a rather simple story with straightforward writing, but I liked it less than book one because it didn’t have as many fun scenes that showed Alosa’s sassy personality. I really missed the way she was in the first book! This particular story also didn’t have as many twists and turns, thus making it a little less engaging. Overall, this book was okay. Nothing more, nothing less.
Bully romances are already the least romantic thing in the world to me, but I wouldn’t even call this that. This was just plain bullying|| 1.0 star ||
Bully romances are already the least romantic thing in the world to me, but I wouldn’t even call this that. This was just plain bullying. No romance. Just cruel, unnecessary, childish, ridiculous bullying.
Oh, and of course, this was also written like it came straight from Wattpad. It kind of reminded me of some sort of awful Harry Potter fanfiction written by a 16 year old with an obvious masochism kink.
So, if you feel like reading a stupid, immature book that seems to be about nothing more than a whole school randomly abusing two girls, who, of course, do nothing but take it over and over again, then I’d say give this a go. If you’re interested in actual romance, a well-developed fantasy story, or just a remotely good book in general, then I’d recommend giving this book a wide berth....more
Mare and Cal both had the personality of a wet blanket and I could genuinely not care any less about either of them. They were truly th|| 2.5 stars ||
Mare and Cal both had the personality of a wet blanket and I could genuinely not care any less about either of them. They were truly the blandest people to ever exist and having to watch them pretend to have chemistry or tension between them was simply embarrassing, especially as neither of these hollow characters could ever convincingly portray any strong emotions for anyone or anything. Their “connection” truly made no sense and was based on absolutely nothing. It was basically insta-love, and it truly bothered me to see Mare’s constant attraction to him, even despite knowing he stood against everything that she loved and believed in. Mare literally just betrayed her whole belief-system by having these feelings while Cal betrayed his own brother by acting on them, and for what? The most stale and meaningless romance ever?? It was simply ridiculous.
Maven seemed like a somewhat interesting and intriguing character with at least some sort of depth to him, but, unfortunately, he had non-existent chemistry with Mare from beginning to end, so all of his scenes were always a little awkward because of that. The fact that he constantly got sidestepped by everyone for his wet blanket brother, Cal, honestly made me annoyed most of the time. I know it’s probably controversial to say this, but I didn’t even feel that bad about what he did at the end. Sure, it was a bit over-the-top and dramatic, but I didn’t truly blame him for wanting revenge and for wanting to come out on top. I can’t really blame him for having the guts and brains to outsmart everyone, especially since nobody was ever truly in his corner. I mean, is he a good person? Certainly not. He is pure evil. But honestly, I’d argue that all of the characters are terrible, cowardly, and deeply selfish people. The only difference was that Maven wasn’t absolutely dumb as rocks like all the rest of them.
Anyway, I have to say that the plot was pretty simple and underdeveloped as well. It had an okay premise but the book didn’t do much with it and simply lacked a feeling of suspense in general. It all remained rather surface level, which is a shame, since the plottwists in this were actually good, so this could have been a really cool story.
When it comes the the writing and the pacing I honestly have some mixed feelings. On the one hand it was rather easy and smooth to read, thus making it possible for me to fly through these pages quickly, but then on the other, it also lacked any kind of depth or true emotion, thus making it a bit hollow and empty.
Long story short, I’d say this book was nothing to write home about....more
This was honestly such a fun and engaging read! It’s actually quite a simple story with rather straightforward writing, but I think the|| 4.0 stars ||
This was honestly such a fun and engaging read! It’s actually quite a simple story with rather straightforward writing, but I think there was something very pleasant about that. It’s super easy to follow along with and even easier to get lost in. Especially since it’s also very quickly paced and the plot could even be quite twisty.
The book is about a fiery, stubborn, badass girl who gets herself kidnapped on purpose so she can steal an important item for her father, The Pirate King. Nobody can know she’s a willing prisoner and neither can she reveal how skilled she is, so she has to keep herself in check most of the time. Still, she really isn’t capable of turning off her sass and snark, so her imprisonment is certainly an interesting experience and definitely far from boring.
I honestly really liked the heroine, Alosa. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, she never doubted herself, she had confidence in spades, yet she was never needlessly ruthless or cruel. She was a genuinely good person, but not one who had to make herself feel or act small to be liked. She was just really… cool.
When it comes to the romance though, I do think there could have been much better development. I really would have preferred a deeper, more meaningful connection between her and Riden, and I have to say it was unfortunately veering a little towards insta-love territory. That said, they did have some pretty fun banter sometimes and their overall dynamic was one I mostly enjoyed. It wasn’t anything special, but I liked them together well enough.
Honestly, I felt like this dragged. Even worse, the many shifting perspective took me out of the story too many times, making it imposs|| 2.5 stars ||
Honestly, I felt like this dragged. Even worse, the many shifting perspective took me out of the story too many times, making it impossible for me to truly get invested in any of it. I especially felt like Nina’s chapters were jarring since they genuinely did not belong and held no connection to the rest of the story. Without her chapters, I think I would have been capable of feeling more attachment to Zoya and Nikolai. Or, at least, I hope I could have, but in all honesty, I found them both to be a little cold and unfeeling. And no, I don’t mean personality-wise; I mean in the way they were written. They didn’t seem like real people with actual feelings to me. Not in general, and especially not towards each other (which was actually the case for every character, not just them; every relationship felt forced, superficial or empty). Overall, I felt that their characters lacked depth and authenticity. Which is a real shame, since I truly do think they had potential if only their feelings and personalities had been properly developed. Especially Zoya, who was still cool and badass now but could have been someone I truly loved if more care had been put into her hidden depths and grey morality.
Anyway, I really think the plot and characters were interesting in theory, but I just wish it wasn’t executed with an overdose of insanely detailed information and a lack of heartfelt emotion.
I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy this novella because we already knew it would have a sad ending due to the previous book, but I shouldn’t || 2.0 star ||
I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy this novella because we already knew it would have a sad ending due to the previous book, but I shouldn’t have worried. There wasn’t a single moment where I would have felt emotional anyway, regardless of knowing the ending beforehand. I felt zero connection to the characters or story, and I simply didn’t care.
Also, is it just me or was it a little sad that Adena was constantly thinking about Pae like she was some perfect saviour, when we know that Pae never even gave her a second thought once she left Loot. I mean, poor girl… Such a one-sided friendship, and then she even has to die so tragically for it? That’s the worst luck in the world.
That said, Adena’s incessant perkiness and childishness did give me a major headache and her romance with Mak was really superficial as well. Adena truly read as a child 99% of the time, and Mak read like he had the personality of a cardboard box. Their relationship gave me the ick, especially because Adena was way more into him at first than the other way around and it was pathetic. Then, suddenly, for no reason whatsoever, Mak becomes obsessed with her too but it just feels fake and random.
The writing was also insanely repetitive and super cringy, especially in the first half. The first half truly was one of the worst things I’ve read in a while, but the second half was quite a bit better. It still wasn’t good, but at least it wasn’t that awful either. I think it’s because the second half at least had some semblance of a plot, so we didn’t have to focus so much on the awkward and forced romance. Still, the tiny bit of plot we did get felt super rushed and underdeveloped. This novella could have done so much more with it. We could have gotten to see the true friendship between Adena and Pae so that Pae’s upcoming revenge arc would hold more meaning (Update: There was no revenge arc in Reckless) or we could have seen how and why the king did this to Adena, but instead we skipped over every scene that could have told us anything meaningful. I think the only reason this novella will have had some sort of purpose is if Mak ends up playing a big part in the rest of the series, but I’m not sure he will (Update: He wasn’t even mentioned once in Reckless). And even still, his personality was pretty much non-existent in this, so the novella wouldn’t have added much regardless.
Honestly, I just wasn’t a big fan of this whole story overall, and I felt disappointed and underwhelmed. It was pretty bad. It’s as plain and simple as that.
Well, what can I say? It’s not like I hadn’t been warned this book would be bad. I had. And those people were right. I should have list|| 1.5 stars ||
Well, what can I say? It’s not like I hadn’t been warned this book would be bad. I had. And those people were right. I should have listened. It’s as simple as that.
But honestly though, it’s not as if this book didn’t have potential. It definitely did. I think the premise truly was very cool and intriguing, and even the plot itself could have been good. But all of that potential was simply wasted on piss-poor execution.
Firstly, the writing was very dull and lifeless; it didn’t have a hint of charm to it. The pacing was horrendous as well; there were way too many completely irrelevant and unnecessary descriptions, and nothing ever seemed to happen. All they did was walk around and search for something, but there was no action or suspense to be found. It was super slow and boring.
The characters were also insanely superficial and felt more empty than I could have ever thought possible. Their relationships all felt completely random and meaningless as well; nothing held even a hint of depth or intrigue. It was all so… worthless. useless. vain. insubstantial. vacant. boring.
Speaking of relationships, there is also romance in this book, and even though I think it was supposed to play a big part in the story, I didn’t actually feel any romance during the whole book. There’s supposedly a love triangle going on, but one of the guys was already in love with her from the very beginning (which felt like the biggest form of insta-love, but apparently he fell in love with her before the book even started and chose to let her go for power, yet the main characters doesn’t get to know or understand that until the very end??), and the other one apparently fell in love with her throughout the book, but I never would have guessed, since he didn’t act like it whatsoever. This dude was not in love. He simply wasn’t. I don’t care if the book tells me he was, I don’t believe it. Thus, all in all, both of these stories had to be the worst romances I have read in a while, cus neither of them actually gave me any romance…
Last but not least, there’s a supremely predictable twist at the end where our main character gets betrayed, but I swear, you have to be the blindest person on the planet to have not seen that one coming. It was obvious from the beginning that a certain someone could not be trusted, so I definitely did not care for that reveal. It was all very anticlimactic and underwhelming.
Long story short, I still think this could have been a good fantasy book. But only if someone else had written it....more
I’ve never been a fan of The Darkling, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why he is the way he is. I get it. And a story like thi|| 3.5 stars ||
I’ve never been a fan of The Darkling, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why he is the way he is. I get it. And a story like this one only makes me understand it more and more; if you live hundreds of years on your own, never being able to stay anywhere for long, never long enough to form any connection with another person, then eventually you’ll stop caring, you’ll stop loving, you’ll stop feeling. And if you have a childhood memory where you did think you finally found a safe place, only to be betrayed in the worst way possible? Yea, I get why you’d stop trusting people altogether. It’s almost like him becoming a monster was inevitable.
P.S. Annika was pure evil. I don’t care how desperate she was, you just don’t do something like that.
This was probably my least favourite book in the series because of how slow and uneventful the plot was. However, the one thing I reall|| 3.0 stars ||
This was probably my least favourite book in the series because of how slow and uneventful the plot was. However, the one thing I really liked were the found-family vibes that got developed here. Each and every single one of Alina’s ragtag group of allies managed to charm me somehow and I really liked whenever we got to see them interact.
Surprisingly, David actually turned out to be one of my favourites; he was so damn awkward and nerdy, but I found him absolutely hilarious and super adorable. Harshaw and his cat were crazy, but in a very fun and loveable way. Zoya was so proud and vain and surly, but I somehow couldn’t help but love her. Genya really betrayed my trust in the first book, but I’ve somehow managed to forgive her. Misha and Adrik were the absolute cutest, plain and simple. Tolya and Tamar were the fiercest, most loyal bad-asses, and I would trust them with my life. Nikolai, well… him and his genius, innovative brain were just lovely from start to finish, weren’t they? My heart was completely stuck in my throat when a certain something happened to him, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it to be be fixed. Mal actually grew on me as well; I’ve always understood why he didn’t feel at home in the palace, and why he wanted his own purpose, but I really disliked how he took that out on Alina. He stopped doing that now, and he actually bore his duty bravely, loyally, selflessly and fiercely. I reluctantly grew to admire him. If I’m being honest, my irritation veered more towards Alina now. I actually thought she was unnecessarily cruel to him sometimes, and I disliked how power-hungry she was all the time. I feel like she lost shreds of her humanity, and lost most of her personality with that as well.
WARNING: There will be SPOILERS below!
Last but not least, I hated the ending. So much. There’s nothing worse to me than reading a whole series where we follow along with a heroine discovering her power, learning to control it, findings ways to become stronger, only for it to be completely stripped away in the end. It’s depressing and makes the whole story feel quite unnecessary or even useless. I honestly felt indignant on Alina’s behalf. Why did she have to end up becoming weak and insignificant to finally get her “happy ending”?? That said, the ending was not just annoying, it was also painfully stupid. The Darkling seriously just died because he randomly get stabbed!? It was that easy?? Why couldn’t someone have done that ages ago!? And Mal just randomly coming back to life felt cheap too. Like there was never any sacrifice and it could have all been fixed so easily from the beginning. I didn’t appreciate any of it.
Oh wow, what a plottwist! I definitely did not see that one coming at all. Damn. This one really had me shocked, because it basically t|| 3.5 stars ||
Oh wow, what a plottwist! I definitely did not see that one coming at all. Damn. This one really had me shocked, because it basically turns the whole story upside down with the end.
Also, I thought the entire vibe of the story was very creepy and the author really nailed the uncomfortable atmosphere right on the head with her writing.
Oh, that ending! It broke my heart! It’s honestly just very cruel to have to witness two characters grow so much, work so hard on thems|| 3.5 stars ||
Oh, that ending! It broke my heart! It’s honestly just very cruel to have to witness two characters grow so much, work so hard on themselves, and feel so much intense love for each other, only to have it all be completely ripped away from them in the end. All that progress Adrian made, only for him to spiral out of control after losing her… All that progress Sydney made, only to be betrayed and hurt by those who should be closest to her… It’s so heartbreaking. And I can’t even imagine how sad the next book will be! I’m not sure I can stomach seeing what will happen to Sydney in that… place.
That said, I truly cannot wait to see the inevitable downfall of The Alchemists. That cult (because really, that’s what they are) is nothing but evil, and I want them all to die. Also, I don’t care if she’s young and brainwashed; if Zoe can let her jealousy and vindictiveness turn into something so cruel, then she deserves nothing but pain and sorrow. I desperately hope she will not be granted a redemption arc, because I will personally never forgive her.
On a more positive note, the majority of this book (outside of the ending) actually gave me really sweet and wholesome vibes. Adrian and Sydney’s relationship turned into something so pure and strong, and it was actually really nice to see. It warmed my heart that Adrian was willing to truly work on himself to be better for her. I mean, it was a really tough journey for him, and I can’t imagine how hard his Bipolar Disorder can be to manage, but he tried his best. For Sydney. His love for her means everything, and he was willing to give up his magic if it meant Sydney wouldn’t have to go through the heartbreak of seeing him lose his mind…
I had never thought I could love another person this much. I also never thought I’d live in such fear of losing another person. Was that how everyone in love felt? Did they all cling tightly to their beloved and wake up terrified in the middle of the night, afraid of being alone? Was that an inevitable way of life when you loved so deeply? Or was it just those of us who walked on a precipice who lived in such a panic? I brought my face a mere whisper from hers. “I love you so much.”
I’ve also grown rather fond of the other characters. I used to dislike a lot of them and got annoyed by them almost constantly, but I actually found myself liking them quite a bit now. Eddie and Neil are both really good guys, and I truly respect them a lot, but Jill and Angeline also became so much more tolerable. Jill was actually nice this time (and no longer self-absorbed), while Angeline’s quirky antics actually became a little endearing to me or at least made me chuckle. I never thought I’d stop getting annoyed by them, but it’s happened.
All in all, I think this was a good story, but I especially liked the growth and self-acceptance we got to see in Adrian and Sydney. They’ve both come so far from where they began. I just hope they won’t have to start all over again after what happened at the end here…
This was okay, but definitely not great. Nothing really significant happened (or at least, nothing I cared about), and I didn’t feel par|| 2.5 stars ||
This was okay, but definitely not great. Nothing really significant happened (or at least, nothing I cared about), and I didn’t feel particularly connected to anyone or anything.
It had a somewhat decent plot (albeit simple and predictable), but I feel like the romance took over from everything else way too much. Normally I wouldn’t mind that (because I love a good romance), but it was honestly a little boring here. Even though Adrian and Sydney could technically not be together, there was never any drama between them and their relationship always remained insanely calm and relaxed. I just didn’t feel the tension or the spark between them, so the non-stop focus on their blossoming relationship was pretty bland to me.
Besides, I feel like Sydney’s infatuation with Adrian kind of diminished her own characterization; I really liked that she was initially so independent and smart, but now she was just boy-obsessed rather than bad-ass and strong. And it’s not like she suddenly turned into someone weak or stupid, but it was just obvious that all of her priorities and focus had now shifted to one single thing: Adrian. Everything else about her kind of just fell away.
Unfortunately, all of the other characters are still completely superficial and annoyingly insufferable. Angeline is just terrible, Jill gets on my damn nerves, Eddie is pathetic, Magnus gave me the ick, Trey no longer has a personality, and Zoe just seems like a twat.
This was definitely an improvement from the first book already!
I am liking Sydney more and more; I really admired her genius brain and || 3.5 stars ||
This was definitely an improvement from the first book already!
I am liking Sydney more and more; I really admired her genius brain and compassionate heart in book one, but I also appreciated her willingness to keep growing. I just feel like she has such a quiet strength and selfless attitude. She takes care of everyone and everything without a single complaint and does it without expecting anything in return. She doesn’t need attention or recognition, and simply does things because it’s the right thing to do. She’s just such a good and capable person, and I truly respect her. Also, her continuous development is still looking mighty good and I’m definitely invested in it! I can’t wait for the moment she will finally start fighting back against the Alchemists and break free from that toxic group.
When it comes to her relationship with Adrian I must say I was not a fan of it in the first book at all, but it’s turning into something quite cute. Whereas I couldn’t feel any romantic connection between them at first, and could honestly not even see any particular interest on either side, I could definitely detect it now. These two were so supportive and comforting towards each other, and it was really nice to see. I especially enjoyed seeing Adrian fall in love with her; Sydney is such an amazing person, and I’m glad Adrian has finally noticed it too. I hope Sydney will make him work for it though, because I can’t imagine her diving head first into something like this!
Nonetheless, aside from Sydney and Adrian, I still don’t feel any connection to all the other characters. They were all pretty superficial and we don’t really get to know much about them. Everyone seemed to be in love with someone, but I don’t care about any of it, since it all felt very shallow and silly. It had little to no depth… I hope that might improve later on in the series though.
Well, that was disappointing. I had such high hopes for this, but absolutely nothing about it delivered. I thought this would be a beau|| 2.0 stars ||
Well, that was disappointing. I had such high hopes for this, but absolutely nothing about it delivered. I thought this would be a beautiful and perhaps even emotional book, but it wasn’t.
First of all, the pacing was horrendous. I think the entire book takes place over only three days, and you can definitely feel it. Each scene crawls by so very slowly and absolutely nothing happens.
The plot was also beyond boring. It was painfully predictable and uneventful. It’s about witches who live in a graveyard and who can talk to the dead, so that sounds like it should be pretty cool, right? Well, somehow it wasn’t. It was all very repetitive, and almost every chapter felt the exact same. I started skimming when I was about halfway through the book and never felt like I missed anything, because nothing was really happening and I could always fill in the blanks myself as everything was just so obvious. Almost the entire book felt like filler to me. Also, I could guess everything that was going to happen from pretty much the very beginning, so there was zero suspense or mystery left…
I don’t even really want to talk about the characters or the romance, because it was all just so empty and flat. The protagonist had no personality whatsoever, and his romance with the dead boy, Julian, had less than zero amount of depth. The only thing I can really say about the protagonist, Yadriel, is that he was very self-absorbed. For example: When his cousin (who was always extremely kind to him) DIED, he managed to make the entire situation all about himself and his own issues. His cousin’s mother was literally right there, grieving the recent news that her SON had died, but Yadriel thought it was appropriate to throw a tantrum about himself (that had nothing to do with his cousin; so it was not because he was grieving too).
The writing was also just plain bad. It lacked any kind of emotion and had a lot of info-dumping, which was especially odd since there wasn’t even a lot of information to give? Honestly, the writing style was just very bland and dry. It wasn’t engaging in any way, shape or form.
Of course, I really do appreciate the trans representation, but to me it really felt like this entire book was about that. I mean, the whole plot about becoming a brujo was just a metaphor for Yadriel truly being a boy; which was kind of inherently sexist, by the way, because why do boys have to play with knives and why do girls have to heal people? Why is it based on gender, anyway? I mean, Yadriel was really bothered by the fact that the men didn’t incorporate him into their little club, but he was never bothered by the fact that the women weren’t allowed to do whatever they wanted to do either. The entire vibe of their family was just very sexist, but Yadriel didn’t give a damn about that, because, as I said before, he only cared about himself. Truly, though, Yadriel’s entire personality revolved around being trans and how he struggled with acceptance from his family. Literally, that was his one and only defining feature. Nothing else. So, yea, all that kind of sucked. And don’t get me wrong, representation is important to incorporate in a story, but it can’t be the whole story. And if you do decide to create a book only about the trans experience, it would need much better writing and a more meaningful storyline. Otherwise it’ll become very flat and simple and boring and even annoying, which was the case here.
All in all, this book never captured my interest in any way, and I simply did not have fun with it or have any kind of emotions while reading. I didn’t connect with anything and I was just bored....more
This is a tragic story about a sweet, happy, but poor little girl, who sees beautiful angels dancing in the street everywhere she looks|| 3.5 stars ||
This is a tragic story about a sweet, happy, but poor little girl, who sees beautiful angels dancing in the street everywhere she looks. She is beloved by everyone, but most of all by her older brother, who tries very hard to see the innocent beauty in the world that she sees, but simply can’t. The story itself follows the aftermath of this precious little girl’s death, and it honestly broke my heart a little bit. The writing was very beautiful and haunting....more
This is kind of like a paranormal/fantasy version of The Hunger Games with another competition where all contestants have to compete ag|| 3.0 stars ||
This is kind of like a paranormal/fantasy version of The Hunger Games with another competition where all contestants have to compete against each other with only one possible winner. The difference, however, is that it’s all voluntary and there are even options to give up (without losing your life), so it definitely doesn’t have the same horror, heartbreak and tyranny behind it. The competition itself also wasn’t as interesting to me; it was less about survival and more about brutal trials with a lot of action in it.
The writing wasn’t my favourite either. There was a lot of repetitive vocabulary and phrases, and therefore never felt like it really delved beneath the surface. Oraya’s inner monologue kind of remains the same throughout the entire book; even when it seemed like she went through character development, I still noticed that nothing really changed within her thoughts or even her actions. And honestly, the premise of this story and this main character had a lot of potential for depth and intrigue, but somehow I just didn’t feel that.
Oraya’s father/daughter relationship with Vincent was by far the most interesting part about the book, even if I didn’t always like it. There is just something so intriguing about a cold and heartless vampire king, who cares about no one, except for his human daughter. The thing is, however, that I struggled to see his love for her a lot of the times. The book kept telling me he loved her, but the way he spoke to her and treated her often suggested the opposite. I’m not sure if I thought this was a good part about the book or a bad one; on the one hand, I really wanted to experience his love for her on a deeper level, but on the other hand I found it kind of realistic that this ruthless killer didn’t suddenly turn into a giant puddle of goo for his daughter, even if he did love her. So yea, I don’t know how to feel about it, but it was definitely interesting at least.
"Be careful with him. He's a dangerous person." "Some would call you a dangerous person." The corner of his mouth curled. "Not with you."
The romance here didn’t do all that much for me. I never felt the chemistry or romantic tension between Raihn and Oraya; I wanted to, but I just didn’t. I could see friendship and perhaps a kindred spirit in some ways, but why did they fall in love? Specifically, why did he fall in love with her? I have no idea. Their love story felt a little shallow and random to me: They are in a competition where they ought to kill each other eventually, and I did not feel like their connection warranted them developing such strong feelings for each other under those dire (and hopeless) circumstances. All in all, their interactions just didn't do much of anything for me and I’m still not fully behind their supposed love story. Then again, the ending of this book definitely made the future of their relationship a lot more intriguing in my eyes. Or at least, there is potential for that. The only thing required is Oraya not being a doormat and actually sticking to her anger for once. I’m not sure if she has it in her, though, and I fear she might forgive him very easily, even after all that has happened. But who knows, perhaps she will surprise me in the sequel. I hope so.
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