Heather

I'm not usually an audiobook reader, but I wanted to try this out. It's still not my favorite format, but I mostly enjoyed the narrator, and the greatest benefit was being able to speed up the story, which went around in circles more than I'd like... particularly with the utterly infuriating main character. Literally every other character - on the "good guy" side - is outstanding, and even the antagonist's group is... memorable (although there was a little more focus on their uncomfortably negative traits than I would've wanted). Yet main character Vanessa spends all her time telling the people on her side to stop being awesome or internally overreacting & berating herself about how useless she is and how her life is over.

My two most consistent reactions through this story were frustration with Vanessa and the thought that the love interest deserved so much better. It literally takes until the 75% mark of the book for our main character to actually make a decision and stop being railroaded by everyone - noble or slimeball - in her world. She has multiple opportunities to change, and at times it feels like she must be brainwashed or drugged to *not* get the wake-up calls that surround her. In the end, the revenge plot seems to wrap up in 5 minutes, leading to even more frustration, and the thought that if she'd just gotten on board right away, the situation could've been resolved that much sooner.

The saving grace of this book is 2-fold: first, the final 20-25% of the book is great, making me wish we'd been in that world the entire time; second, every one of the side characters absolutely shines. They have distinct, vibrant personalities, and their actions - from relatable to unhinged - always feel perfectly in character for them. If you don't mind the slog of dealing with a main character constantly dragging their feet, the ensemble alone makes this book worth the (unfairly high) price of admission.

This is a great - though not perfect - adaptation of the classic Frog Prince tale. The added layers of depth are welcome, and decently executed - particularly the context for the princess (our heroine, Kartek). In the original, the princess is shallow, flippant, even childish. Here, she is relatively young and in over her head, but carries the weight of her station well. For me, the weakest part of the book was the pacing or placement... even as a novella (which obviously has less time for the story), there were parts that felt either rushed or stagnant, or that seemed to come out of nowhere without an appropriate setup. That, plus a handful of continuity or grammar mistakes, show this book could have used an additional pass of editing eyes. In contrast, the story is strongest when really digging its teeth into the deeper themes - having characters questioned by others or internally challenging themselves, we *feel* the process of growth and change, the struggle and the reward of a hard-won paradigm shift. The capital-m Moments that authors manufacture, that can easily feel forced, instead shine here, and made me reluctant to go back to the action.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but bumpy at times. The minor drawbacks just emphasize how close to being really wonderful this story came. I'm interested to see if future installments fulfill the potential shown here.

This was a sweet, if very dated story. I was familiar with some of it through an old animated movie which remains a favorite of mine: The Flight of Dragons by Rankin-Bass (1983). It combined two books, streamlining the story and (no pun intended) making it soar. (Also James Earl Jones voices an evil wizard. It's excellent.)

The main characters of Jim and Angie are fairly classic and have a good, if shallow, chemistry. The strengths of the story for me are the creativity of the overall premise, and the consistent surprises for the reader. As with most portal fantasies, having a character who's new to this world allows for things to be explained without having to face walls of text giving exposition.

The group of companions are sometimes clunky in their introductions or interactions, but they're very well defined and feel whole, not like caricatures or cardboard cutouts, which I've found in other fantasy books. I felt a good balance was struck with sharing Jim's internal thoughts, without feeling that the whole book was just philosophy and hypothesis. The climax was excellent, as was the resolution - different than the movie, but so well done that it may be the one area I'd say the book was better. In general, I'm not regretting this read, but I'm still far more likely to recommend the movie than the book.

Hit-and-miss start to a surprisingly long series.

The first book in the Lucy Stone series does a good job of introducing the characters and setting of small town Tinker's Cove and it's primary employer - Country Cousins, a mail-order company with a popular catalog. Lucy and several others work the call center night shift, receiving and placing orders, until one night Lucy takes her break... and discovers the company's owner dead in his car.

As a Cozy Mystery, I found this book great at one half and lacking in the other. The best sections of this book are definitely the cozy, comforting family and Christmas scenes, which I found lovely, and the subplot with Lucy's mother is particularly rewarding. But the mystery itself leaves a lot to be desired. Avalanches of information that may or may not be relevant bog the story down, and rather than feeling like we're following a trail of bread crumbs, it feels like a drunken stumble down a rocky hillside in the wrong direction, until the answer is dropped in our laps in the second-to-last chapter.

Later books seem to have higher ratings, so I might continue the series, but for anyone looking to pick up the series or character for the first time, it could be worth it to start later in the series, or you may give up before you start.

Moonville is a wonderful, lovely setting, the kind of place I wish I could make a yearly trek to, with vibrant characters that stop just short of cartoonish to land perfectly in recognizable small-town oddities/quirk. The premise of three sisters in a family with just-left-of-center magic is a treat, and all of the scenes with family (niece Aisling in particular) or the family business shine.

The weaknesses for me are partly my personal preference, and partly elements that I feel could've been used more effectively. After reading the preview at the end of Book 1, I expected this to be a new favorite for me (or at least a 5-star read), but it wasn't. The chemistry between the main couple is there instantly, strong and fierce, and hardly wavers. But the obstacle between them rubs me personally the wrong way (in a big way), and I was immediately ready to write him off and move on. I do think it was resolved well towards the end, but it took me all the way until the end to accept it.

There were a couple of side plots that I expected to be important that ended up going nowhere, which made me wonder why they were included. Then conversations/reveals that I expected to be game-changing or a major deal were over in a blink. I thought one piece of information was a misdirect because it didn't seem to fit the arc of the story. And so on.

In short - Pieces of the story that were done well were done really well. There were things that missed for me personally, & other things that I felt weakened the story. But overall, Moonville is still a lovely place to visit, and I'm looking forward to Book 3.

It amazed me how much of the feeling of the many years and iterations of Doctor Who was infused into this short collection. The changing styles and subjects across the poems brings up flashes of Classic or Modern Who, various companions or villains or stories, and the illustrations added a fantastic layer that didn't feel at all like an afterthought or something gratuitous. Even the references I didn't personally get were a lovely read, and I broke this up into multiple days reading to prolong my time with it. I will say that I think the two things that made the book for me were the poem honoring Verity Newman, and the lovely bookends of connected poems/stories of the Thousand Year Wood. Even though it's poetry rather than a novel, having those at the end gave it the same wonderful warm sense of contentment and resolution as reading an old favorite. Highly recommend to any and all Whovians.

Like most reviews here, there were things I liked and things I didn't. I thought the characters were good and the possibilities of the magic system were interesting. My two main issues were the worldbuilding and the pacing. This book was very hard for me to get into at the beginning, and I nearly didn't pick it up again after putting it down. I had several major unanswered questions - not the fun kind that keeps you reading, where you can't wait to find out how the author answers it later, but the kind of question where you think: "I must've missed something because this doesn't make any sense." It took far too long to find out how the magic system actually works (If you can use multiple elements, why bond with just one and limit yourself? Because you don't actually *get* magic until you bond... but that wasn't explained, just referenced later in the book as if we were already told that.)

Second issue was pacing. The stakes are made so high, so desperate, the time is so short for the protagonist to save the day... then the brakes are put on. It could've been an interesting quest, but because of the tension/time limit, I just kept wanting to hit Fast Forward, or jump to the end, making the bulk of the book uncomfortable to sit through despite relatively good writing. I agree with others who say this reads much more YA than adult, and does okay at that, but I do plan to continue the series, hoping some of the major pieces that are lacking for me improve now that the world itself is established.

Overall, this book reminded me a bit of Tamora Pierce, both her Circle series and Immortals/Wild Magic series, though not nearly as strong. Highly recommend those books if you reading this and wanted more. (Note: The romance didn't bother me as it did some other readers, but I get it. Similar element occurs in Immortals, though much later in the series.)

I'm surprised at the amount of negative reviews, because I loved this book! My favorite element may be a drawback for other readers, but I loved that the majority of the conflicts were external, and the protagonists worked together against it. I get so tired of the miscommunication tropes; instead, these characters were refreshing in their openness with each other - discussing all the logical, sensible reasons they shouldn't be together... then falling anyway because they just can't help it. The side characters fit in nicely, and it was entertaining to watch the other couples fall into place, seeing them argue or resist each other, knowing they'll end up together eventually. I personally wanted the primary barrier (engagement) resolved sooner/in a more satisfying way, because there were enough other barriers between the love interests, but it wasn't a major issue for me. It's not a perfect book, but for me, any cons were minor, while the pros were high throughout the story. I felt the chemistry and connection between the main characters, loved the sisterly aspect, and especially appreciated the respect and partnership shown in our first couple of the series. Overall, a beautiful, enjoyable read for me.

I adore Maeve Binchy's style - A Week in Winter was my favorite book the month I read it, and when I saw this, I knew I'd love it too. I love the way these stories focus on renewal, getting a new lease on life, and opening up to a new perspective. I did lower my score slightly, for the ending (no specific spoilers, just the general feel I had, but exit here if you want no info at all), which I felt could've been more definitive. I would've liked to know what happened, rather than read what characters thought might or could happen. Still a lovely read that I very much enjoyed.

This book was a pleasant surprise! - not because I expected it to be bad, but because so many pieces were new to me! I'd never read the author before, I've never seen the mythic subjects combined the way they are here, and the emphasis on Asian culture and mythology, but still with familiar/well-known elements... overall, it was a brilliantly constructed world, and I immediately wanted to dive into Book 2 once I'd finished this. Not a 5-star, because there were some structure and some pacing issues for me, but the story itself was well worth overlooking the shortcomings.

Exactly what it says, but expertly done! Entries give information on the flower itself as well as its meaning(s), along with funny and entertaining suggestions of who to send them to. The cherry on top is the section with examples of full bouquets with messages like "The It's Not That Hard To Send A Text Bouquet" and "The I Love It When You Leave Dishes In The Sink Bouquet". Great read!

After the great experience of the first book, I knew I'd love this sequel - and I did! Wonderful to follow Marie, who was so enigmatic and mysterious in the previous book. Kuro & Joe are a phenomenal duo, and the chemistry between the three is just as present and palpable as before. The continuing exposure to varying Asian cultures and myths is incredibly enjoyable and just makes me want more. Genuinely hoping Drake continues with this series, because just these first two books lay the groundwork for a sweeping world and epic adventures. Not a 5-star because issues from previous books are still there, but greatly improved, and just another reason I hope to see more from this author/series.

Almost immediate DNF for me, but my reasons not to read may be your reasons to pick it up... I know that this is a murder mystery, and dark turns are to be expected, but for me, personally, the first chapter was just too much all at once. I think it was well crafted, in that it was very visceral for both positive and negative emotions, but again, just too intense for what I can take. Trigger Warnings for Prologue and Chapter 1: talk of suicide/contemplating suicide, violence, implied SA. I've read other Patterson books and don't by any means think he's a bad writer, I was just not nearly prepared for what this book dished out page one. But that may be just what you're looking for, so I won't write it off for other people.

This book is easily my favorite of the Ender quintet, though for a time I wondered why this book specifically was the one I would consistently go back to. Part of it is my love for observant characters (including extraordinarily observant characters that seem almost psychic, like Andrew/Ender or Sherlock Holmes), but the other part is how much of a reward this story is for the pain of Ender's Game. It truly is the second half that shows the first book is a story half-told.

[Spoilers for Ender's Game here] While EG is brilliant, it follows the systematic breaking down of a boy's mind and body (to the point where he actually, physically collapses). SftD is the opposite - the systematic, hard-won but surprisingly gentle rebuilding of a man who is uncertain if he deserves the new chance at a second life he's offered. The most impressive part to me is the extreme yet believable nature of Andrew's compassion. I feel the connection between him and the Piggy named Human, and the brotherhood forged between them in a single meeting comes through.

My love for this book actually makes the later books harder to love, because where Andrew ends up is where I want him to be able to stay... but while I'm in this story, it's a beautiful life to see.

One of my favorite comfort reads to go back to over and over - while there are some big differences between this book and the Disney adaptation so many know, it gave me an even richer story to enjoy, with surprises and characters I came to love dearly (no pun intended). An older writing style might take a little getting used to for any not expecting it, but it's well worth it. Beautiful descriptions, wonderful mix of cozy & peaceful vs exciting and tense, this is a brilliant journey to go on, with a layered, satisfying conclusion. I can't say it enough, one of my favorite reads I've ever found, and I'm so glad I did!