Karol
What would you do?
This is quite an uncomfortable read. Especially for a woman. There is always that fear in the back of our heads of being taken or hurt someway. This book is the ultimate nightmare.
We follow the story told in a very silence of the lambs fashion, of a girl who survived the worst case scenario. Or did she? How long was she enduring this, was she a part of it? Can we believe what she says? And from the beggining, although we know very little about her, we are told to believe. And it's terrifying. Not because it's horror, but because of the real human awful things that she recounts.
Her little descriptions of seemingly every day details in this place, even when she got to strangely settle, to survive the day to day, something always popped up to remind her and us of the stakes here.
And to “survive”, she made questionable choices. We are not meant to like her, or even agree. But in a realistic way, we are to question ourselves if we can judge, and what would we do. Like i said, terribly uncomfortable read. But real somehow. Hard to rate too, because while it wasn't enjoyable, i get it, and it feels like an important read somehow.
I don't rate it five stars, because although i liked the resolution, i did feel the explanation as to why we know little about the MC ended up being rather ludicrous and unnecessary. Other than that, it gripped me from start to finish.
Fairytalesque...
I've hears this book called whimsycal, and I guess to a point it is, it certainly reads like a fairytale.
We follow Shiori, a kind of selfish and spoiled girl, sheltered by her six brothers, but overall good-natured. Through circumstances and her stepmother she and her brothers get cursed, she with a bowl on her face and unable to speak and they turn into cranes that die if she speaks.
There's a love interest that's über nice and can do no wrong, so not very layered, but ok. The twists and turns, and the character of the stepmother are interesting enough to keep yoi engaged. Unfortunately, we follow the story through Shiori's perspective and man if she's a debby downer. I mean I get it, the situation's pretty bad, but i listened to the audiobook and it was awful to follow this narrator and her the sky is falling musings. If you pick up this book, skip the audio version.
Story ** 1/2Narration *Characters **Romance **
Overall **
Better than twilight...
The world is probably the better aspect of this book. It remains a guilty pleasure at times (she gets literally carried around a lot, even ppl carry her and run?). The writting is not great but easy enough to follow. A lot of repeating things, and some character decisions in times of crisis that seem farfetched. All in all, the romance (warning it contains a bit of a square) is sweet, the endgame that is. If you want an interesting world, a bit of cheese and sweets and an overall feelgood book, this might be up your alley. Do keep in mind the cheese though :)
Misscomunications are the main form of plot progression, the second being powers that work only when the plot needs them to. Friends to lovers only not such good friends as to trust them with vital information. Im keeping secrets for your own good. Can predict the plot from page one, but it's stretched out through the power of misscomunications. Something always seems to be happening and yet it feels super slow.
OMG i hate to have to give it two stars. This was like my most anticipated book everr after DR. However... Here me out:
Pros: the writing style. Definitely beautiful, yet easy to follow prose. Flowery and sweet throughout. The audiobook is fantastic, same voices as DR and they are absolutely perfect.
Now for the cons:
The worldbuilding. Now a lot of ppl complained that there was not enough worldbuilding in DR. Well, there it is. We get the gods and waaay too much about them, as characters, yet i couldnt really care and it was so very long and dragged. I had to skim to finish some parts.
Our main characters development. Iris wasn't great. I get it that the world got bigger, but her choices were off. And boring. Roman was better, but it seemed imbalanced how he kept pinning for Iris and she's going around minding her business.
The side characters, they took a lot of page, but at the same time not enough, maybe more of them and less from the gods?
The lord of the rings epilogues. It felt like this book ended about three times over.
I would totally read moee books from rebecca ross, but this sequel was not for me
I listen to this book on audiobook and i do recommend that to everyone who wants to read it, since the narrator tries to give life to the MC and make him interesting. However, the mistery isn't all that interesting and the characters not so engaging. Feels a bit like knives out, only with less interesting characters. The MC however is charming enough that you can enjoy this well enough, especially through the audiobook.
Beautiful story, beautiful writting and great characters!
We follow Brishen a kai prince. The kai are an ancient race of warriors, very different in appearance and culture to humans. And Ildiko, a gaury woman, human, niece of the gaury king.
Even though both races find the other unappealing, and they can't produce heirs, the kingdoms of the kai and gaury arrange for them to marry. And so begins a beautiful friends-to-lovers story.
Not a lot happens in the book, other than the characters getting to know each other and their cultures, but their friendship is precious. I really loved this book and would highly recommend!
This was everything!
Everything you didn't know you needed from the world of harry potter. I mean you guys, this was everyrhing. Omg the feels.
Very well written first of all, but also, the world building was fantastic. It made sense somehow, all of it. And it got very very dark. In a lot of ways this is a toxic ship, but still, you get it! I mean i shipñed for sure!
Now not wanting to continue the rant, read this if you want to expand on this wizarding world, if you think that maybe harry potter wasnt the most interesting character, if you wanted to see different sides of this conflict. But you'll end up staying draco and hermoine for sure! Still, the ending could've been more cohesive, but i repeat, this was everything and left me an incoherent blabbing mess. Loved it and highly recommend it!
Btw, this author's writting style was great, can't wait to see what's next...
Really 4 1/2.
First the good. The relationship, i mean the mmc was a bit too much at times, a little scary to be honest but it somehow worked for this fictional story. The mfc, she was obviously traumatized and it was also too much at times, seemed to heal quite instantly, but again, it worked in this wacky world. It was cute. I had the feels, i liked the stem rep and world and the writting although at times too quirky it worked.
Now the sorta bad. I took the half off for lagging a bit in the middle and unnecessary woke references that felt completely out of place (political preferences, planned parenthood...)
Writting style takes time to get used to, but omg the angst and the love story. Love this book.
He seemed to be trying to find reasons/excuses for his struggle in circumstances, very matter of factly, almost self-pitying.
Great sequel!
The world expands a bit and we get more about different stories other than Signa. The audiobook is perfect, the voices very distinct. The new characters are layered and interesting and the love story just as angsty. Overall a great time and cant wait for the third, Blythe and Aris were very entertaining to follow but we also get to know Byron a bit better and other characters. Highly recommend if you enjoyed the first, this one might be better.
Four stars because Signa martyrs herself a lot more this time around with the whole i have to sacrifice everything because everything ever is my fault.. Death just sighs...
3 1/2 stars really.
Pros
Great premise. The world was really interesting (not at all reminiscing of rome btw). The masks were the highlight, very intriguing. Additionally, there are hints of other magical aspects that can be expanded on in the future. The augurs were also really interesting and i hope we get to learn more of their motivations.
Some of the characters. Helene and her struggles, the commandant too, and although a little whiny, elias was interesring.
Ending. Although not groundbreaking, the ending fixed some of the character of laia.
Cons
The resistance. Just all of it.
Laia. Super gullibe, super predictable, very annoying and whiny and save me save me type. She got slightly better by the end, so i guess she had some growth throughout.
Other people's relationship with laia. We have to protect her instantly even though she things of no one but her brother and believes everything thrown at her, complains a lot about being weak while having everyone come in and save her (in the end gets a little better)
Love stories. I usually need them in my fantasies and although some in here are realistic, there's a good dose of instalove or this is a woman and so i must sort of guys. I mean these guys... (also laia)
Anyway, I'll continue with the series, as I said the world is very interesting and can be expanded upon, the characters can get better and I want to know more about some of them. If you don't mind some inner whinning from the MC, you could kind of get lost in this story.
