Mairin
All the vibes!!!
I get Peter Pan vibes and I LOVE IT
The characters are just so warm and complex. I particularly loved the financial between the siblings. And how the relationship bloomed from dislike lovers was masterful.
This is the perfect YA I like not too much angst not too much sex and yet the relationships are deep of not deeper without the smut.
The whole time I was listening to it I was a giddy grin on my face. Such a warm book.
Highly anticipating book 2.
Magic system is interesting.
Characters not so much
It felt like a book that had stretched the beginning of a novel for the whole book. I kept expecting more to happen.
I never say this but... if the author had slowed down the book, took time for Character growth then this would have been a better story for me. It's a plot heavy book with little character.
Ending didn't make up for the slog I forced myself to read
I should have DNFed.
Meh. This book was meh all throughout
I enjoyed it but I kept waiting for them to escape sooner rather than have the whole Book be them escaping the Pit.
Main character is interesting enough but there's something lacking there that makes me want to love her.
And the twist at the end was so obvious the author told you in the first chapter. I'm furious that the MC didn't see it coming.
However, I like the magic system.
The author threaded some hooks throughout the story that makes me want to read book 2 but not enough as is usual for ending of book 1s.
I always vote up on goodreads but it's really a 2.5 ⭐️
One of the most anticipated books of the year for me, I was dying to get my hands on it and better yet it was a gift from the Brother.
I love the world in this series. The viking type culture, the death and bloodshed, the F*ck off huge beasts and gods. All of it. Gimme. I'll eat it up.
I wanted to read the physical for this book but as I had so little time I couldn't resist getting the audio. And I'm glad I did.
Plot threads are starting to come together, the stakes have been raised.
Varg has come a long way since Shadow of the Gods. he's grown on me as a character, and how he values his friendships now. He's such a little gem.
Elvar... I'm worried about where she is going to go. She stepped up in this book as well, and took charge of herself. Following her and the battlegrim is a tale of its own. Add a God to the mix and it gets better. Her character is complex enough to show that people can be good and still have their faults.
Now Orka. Orka Orka ORKA. SHE IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE. I'm on the edge of my seat reading about her. Hunting after her son is such a heart wrenching tale and left me crying at work.
Gwynne is very good a endings not so much at middles. It lacked a little spark for me but the characters and me knowledge that the ending was going to be EPIC pulled me through.
This book struggled with the muddy middle.
The beginning was good, fast paced enough to keep me hooked on the story, with the two characters being hunted but then it seemed to take them forever to get where they were going with no real change in either of the characters. Ali had more of a storyline through these moments and changed, but I do wish that he had a bit more to his character and he reached the moment that pushed him over the edge sooner
There were times when I rolled my eyes so much they hurt because of the characters' decisions. I know they are young, but no one can be that naive.
The world is interesting.
The ending was good. But I disliked the sudden change in Daras character. RED FLAG but that's a personal opinion not something with the story.
Overall I liked it. writing was smooth and the world Immersive.
Will be continuing the series.
3.5
I almost Dnfed this.
But when it started to get good is when it got really dark. It started off a little dark but then it got so much WORSE.
(Check all TW before jumping Into this one)
It took me a while to realise that we were working on two different time lines through the dual Povs. Alex is an incredible character in that she's not meant to be likeable, and yet you feel for her when you realise what she's gone through.
When the story started to join the dots together I couldn't put it down. There were some ending payoffs I suspected from the beginning of the book but it didn't take away the ending payoff.
Dark academia at its best with demons ghosts and down right terrible terrible people.
Overall, I enjoyed it.
A school that tries to kill you, with a hot dude around every corner protecting you from the school that is trying to kill you.
This book surprised me. At first I wasn't too keen on the voice, but as we moved into chapter 6 things started to pick up.
I still feel as if this story lacked something in the ingredients. It repeated itself a bit, with monsters trying to kill the Main Character Galadriel (El) and while the stakes increased, I like a story with more layers.
However, the ending was good. The Characters journey did make me want to continue.
This is a story that will live with me forever
I'll catch myself thinking about it, mind wondering back to Gallant like I belong. Finding a piece of myself within Olivia Prior. Wishing that I could relive this tale over and over again.
Wonderfully told, the world so frightening and vivid. The two Gallants, each house a character.
Olivia.
How I love Olivia.
Nonverbal and yet so strong. Stubborn. Angry.
I have so many feelings after this book. Emotions that'll keep with me long after I've set the book back on the shelf. V E Schwab writes so perfectly her words flowing onto the page and resonating deep within.
I will be returning to this book often.
This deserves all the stars. Utter Perfection.
DNF page 125
I wanted to like this book but after forcing myself to push through over 100 pages and not much happened o called it quits.
I can let slide the choppy and non-Immersive writing as this is a debut however the author told us a lot of what happened that would have been cool to experience firsthand instead of an internal monologue of what did happen.
The characters started out okay but faded the more I got into the book. I knew next to nothing about them and a few of them felt too cardboardy for my liking
I even read the last page and it didn't entice me to keep reading
It started off well. And if you can look past the strange sex scenes (cervix really?) Which were laughable. But the novel fell flat towards the midpoint where the conflict occurred. Conflict that could have been avoided
Mark was an abhorrent character. Passion was a bit bland but had more depth.
Then the ending
It was wrong in so many ways. Each to their own but the epilogue was not for me.
I'm disappointed as the book had enough potential to be a grand story of love and loss and it fell flat, with forced conflict and no true depth to the story. The last half was rushed.
I almost DNFed but as this was a group read I powered through. I wished I hasn't.
This type of book is not for me.
I went in expecting to hate it.
Turns out I'm a whore for Eros.
This story had a more build up to the relationship and seeing them both grow with a hint of threat was nice.
Psyche is a great characters and a plus for a plus sized character without the toxicity of it that society liked to paste on plus sized people.
I spent half my time laughing at the banter and their relationship. Not bad for a book I expected to hate.
If you didn't like neon gods I'd suggest this even just for Eros.
This book
Possession
Slow burn
The devil
A creepy library
This book gave everything and more. I was so invested in Eliot and Tess's relationship, the relationship between the Devil and Tess. EVERYTHING
I was scared, eager, crying while reading this book.
Eliot was perfect in a broken human way. I wanted to take him and protect him for the world.
This is a standalone and the ending! sh*t me! It left you in a bang right where you think everything is going to be fine.
Don't get me wrong this can start of slow, but the slow build to the relationships, the world is incredible. How the two became friends, how they chose to confide in each other while dealing with their own problems.
THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION
I would give my soul for another book in Tess and Eliot's world
Everyone GO READ THIS BOOK
Caribbean Witches. Sound so cool
I've never wished I'd DNFed a book so bad.
This was a slog to get through. I struggled with the Prose, to understanding the characters and apart from the few times where Ira made herself a badass and snarky, both the Main Characters were the same, mediocre, the only one I almost liked was Ira, and then it was in small bursts
The conflict was predictable, sometimes forced. Jazmynne was boring, stupid. Ira slightly better with more of a drive. The side characters were Meh.
The hint of the love interest came about with a drastic change to one of the main characters and I hated it.
The choices that were made were foolish, at times forced for plot reasons. And the Plot... predictable, boring. If you like a long slow burn plot, with an average climax, then this book is for you. But it wasn't for me. This book isn't driven, not a lot happens, it doesn't have a lot of character and while the world was interesting, it failed to engage me.
What I do wish is that the worldbuilding has more of an explanation. I was confused for most of the time until I ignored the world entirely, by far this books strongest point.
0.5 stars.
DNF at chapter seven
I love the world. The near futuristic elements is great. I love the non binary and trans rep in this as well, I wish more books would do this
But it's slow. Toooooo slow.
I'm bored. Waiting for the action to happen and when it does it goes right back to dragging. I've forced myself to get as far as I can in this and it's not working for me.
I enjoyed the book. I thought the world was immersing, and well thought out.
However.
I did wish that the characters (especially Aren) were more thought out. A little more depth and wants from them would have made this book stand stronger.
The plot was engaging but at times it dragged. I wanted more character work between the two characters, And the ending felt too forced. More character work and the ending could have felt better.
The characters connection between the two love interest needed more work. The climax before the climax of the book was too easy, and I felt they didn't spend enough time
To actually know each other before the end.
I was in the verge of not continuing this series but the ending had me really interested and engaged to see where the story went so I bought it.
while it started slow, it was nice to visit the world again.
the characters were well thought out and old characters grew. Zoya had a deep level of depth I didn't foresee. Nikolai and Zoya banter was on point. And Nina was brilliant, as always but seeing her grow from Six of Crows was great.
I would have loved to see more internal emotions from Nikolai as he battles his monster, but that's my only issue with the book.
a simple enough plot, but the Characters drove this story. the twist at the end I foresaw, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
I read this as part of a readalong.
While this type of book isn't for me, (the beast romance weirds me out, but if you like it, that's absolutely fine) its a well written book.
there is no plot, but a story like this isn't designed for a plot. I devoured this in one sitting, and it was pretty clean.
the characters could have been more fleshed out, but they weren't cardboard cutouts that can appear in some books.
the dialogue was stilted in places, too forced but it was few and far between.
the world is interesting. based in a modern day, with mythical creatures and human coexisting, was a lovely concept and I wanted more worldbuilding on that.
now, the Spice was pretty mediocre, nothing too drastic but go into reading this without the technical concepts that lives in this world, and just accept things can happen that wouldn't really be possible.
it wasn't as bad as i expected.
The premise of this books sounded so good. Victoria Aveyard sold this to me from her Instagram stories and highly inspired by LOTR? COUNT ME IN!
HOWEVER
It failed.
The characters were bland, too similar and boring.
Coraynne was a daughter of a pirate and yet she was boring, wanted adventure but also Is destined to save the world? But shes useless apart from being smart
Dom — useless elder (who is meant to be super impossible to kill) was a pointless POV and a worse fighter.
The assassin was better but a bad version of celena from Throne of Glass.
A squire who's POV was slightly better but also pointless. (Also he's in the prologue that is pointless to have as we get all information in the first chapter repeated basically)
Like what's with the multiple POV?! DO WE NEED THEM? NO
The only interesting character was the antagonist.
It's a quest fantasy. Fine. But the characters fell so flat. And the plot was too plain to stand for such a long book.
Oh and DID I MENTION theres a chosen one trope?
Yup. The bland and boring chosen one trope.
where are the morally gray characters that will save their world for their own gain and not because of decency?!
The plot was overlong for a book. It felt like backstory instead of a plot, as if the book should have started where it ended.
Overall predictable.
And the POV shifts within another characters POV was jarring
The world was large but it lacked foundation. I found some of it confusing.
I wished it's DNFed this.
It's a shame as I want to like Victoria Aveyard's writing but, while her ideas are solid her execution fails
Fucking brilliant. I couldn't put it down
I would reread this all day long
V E Schwab writing improves with each book and I love her style. Immersive, brilliant well thoughtful characters that make me want to hug them (and I don't do hugs)
Book starts slow but picks up. Tensions are high. And the ending made me buy the third immediately.
Full of fighting games and characters internal struggles I wanted to cry and cheer at the same time. So many emotions went though while Reading this book.
Kell and Rhy are precious
Lila Bard is the best badass I've met
(Also the king is a C***)
But this book got me out of a slump! Big time.
One of my top favourites this year.