this was pretty much your standard ek romcom for audiences who've read her previous works with great banter between the couple, fun friend groups and this was pretty much your standard ek romcom for audiences who've read her previous works with great banter between the couple, fun friend groups and over the top town side plot drama. gen and evan were entertaining yet of course they fell victim to flat tropes of party girl and bad boy toxic cycle of influence on each other, and this being a supposed second chance romance i expected a bit more and gen leading harrison on was unnecessary. i did like the dynamics they both had with their families with both gen and evan knowing one another since they were kids and their issues with their mothers growing up, but also evan being close with his twins and gen with her father and all her brothers. it was just the romance with getting each other back itself could've been handled better, the chemistry and history was there, but personally could've used more angst. other good things was at least their communication was decent in letting the other know what they had to change, and each character's development wanting to be better for the other, other than that it overall fell pretty flat and boring at most parts for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Thank you to Random House/Delacorte Press for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
song of silver, flame like night was absThank you to Random House/Delacorte Press for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
song of silver, flame like night was absolutely brilliant with the intricate magic system of qì energy, depth of the worldbuilding in the kingdom’s decades of history, and impressive lore. it truly hit the mark for my reader brain with just how immediately captivated i was into this first installment of the series. moreover, it was so well paced how once the story’s action and pace hit early on, it never slowed down for too long before picking right back up. to be honest though, i might be a bit biased as this book truly got me out of a long reading slump as this was a fantasy i very much enjoyed and had me on the edge of my seat to see where it would all go. like sure there's some of the usual young adult fantasy archetypes, but on personal preferences and being a mood reader it can be easily still entertaining for what i needed at this moment.
this had everything i love in a fantasy for the most part with such an interesting world of the last kingdom with its detailed history and current colonial conflicts, the magic system wielders being called practitioners with a hidden school for young students and secrets to uncover on small journeys that keeps readers attention and the pace consistent. mysterious empathizing backstories for our two mains lan and zen and their dynamic was so amusing with the contrast they had of not just personalities but in their qì energy as well. you can sense that sort of yin and yang between them, of opposite forces yet a shared pull of a bond to another. their emotions and attachment to one another is a bit quick of a whirlwind but keep in mind romance a very small subplot to the bigger plot as i personally think their emotions for another provided well to their trust in each other and furthering development in each other's complex character arcs and hard decisions they had to make for the sake of their lives or saving the nation, especially for their individual character growth set up for the next books. lan our main character, she is one with goals to figure out her past she vaguely remembers and the legacy left to her, her actions are rather rash but it was compelling to see what of her experiences would affect her belief system and the tough choices ahead of her. along with zen, he's a usual mysterious brooding but fiercely protective though quite literally fighting demons of his past and present, as he seems to be more morally grey struggling with the choices he's given versus what has been taught to him.
but importantly other than our mains and their connections, it well covers themes of effects of colonialism on a nation and figuring out how to fight back without breaking one's ideals along with how history affects the generation to this day seeing things devastatingly repeat. a few other characters like shà’jūn and tài were charming side characters and a bit of affection and angst between them i can't wait to see more of, and there's dilaya who is frustrating to our mains at first but readers come to understand her hostility and see her development as well. there's more particular dynamics that hit my heart, a sort of adoptive father/kid found family and blood relation revelations. subjectively, especially the last 20 percent had me go through such a rollercoaster of emotions of shock and devastation that it emotionally is a 5 star read for me, but as a whole leaning towards a 4.5 star read. consequence of reading and getting invested in a first book of a series as an advanced copy is going to have to wait ages til the sequel i cannot wait to reread by the time it will be out. this was a strong, solid start and i have such high hopes and anticipations for the continuation of this series and following how these characters will grow in resolve to face what is next....more
no you don't understand...the rest of the world disappeared as he looked at her and he's waited his whole life for her !!!no you don't understand...the rest of the world disappeared as he looked at her and he's waited his whole life for her !!!...more
dazai, fyodor & nikolai my precious genius psychopaths <3 had me laughing so much, someone get sigma out of there he does not want to be there fr. candazai, fyodor & nikolai my precious genius psychopaths <3 had me laughing so much, someone get sigma out of there he does not want to be there fr. can't wait to see more of their mind games in mersault i am lovingg this...more
my stress levels are through the roof. [redacted] and [redacted] deserved more time and let [redacted] rest?!#?! everyone dropping like flies i hate tmy stress levels are through the roof. [redacted] and [redacted] deserved more time and let [redacted] rest?!#?! everyone dropping like flies i hate this....more
shin soukoku my most beloveds. all i will say is, ch 88 changed the trajectory of my life by making it worse... going through all the stages of grief shin soukoku my most beloveds. all i will say is, ch 88 changed the trajectory of my life by making it worse... going through all the stages of grief right now please do not talk to me during this difficult time...more
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