Ridley Aris
I am all for a bridging novella, but this just feels out of place. With ACOTAR being the glacial pace of story building, then jumping right into ACOMAF and ACOWAR with amazing writing, content, pace, etc... this reflective little novel seems like it could have been a preface to ACOSF considering what all of our characters are struggling with for the first 40-50% of that book.
Even the writing in this one seemed off compared to the two before it. I appreciate it was supposed to be more reflective, but you can only take so much of a scenic detour around a point before you need to get back to it...
After not being impressed, and quite honestly disappointed, by the first book...ACOMAF restored my faith in the series.
I am so glad my bookish friends pushed me to get past ACOTAR and start ACOMAF. This book had better writing, pace, content, etc. A world of difference (like, night and day) from book 1 and turned out to be everything I wanted from the series and longed for when i got through book 1.
I loved the character development in this book as well. Feyre, sorry to say, was a miserable and whiny character in the first book. ACOMAF shows her coming into her own, developing confidence, realizing just how special she came back with the the combination of gifts (no spoilers).
If you are like me and struggled with ACOTAR, please ride that struggle bus all the way to ACOMAF. The destination is absolutely worth it.
Let me start by saying I have never read fan-fiction before now, and I had no idea this story was out there until I saw it trending on TikTok. Manacled is hands down the best book I have read in all of 2023. This story is so well written and an interesting take on the Potterverse.
SenLinYu has written the most heartwrenching masterpiece of torture, despair, and longing which is the ultimate enemies-to-lovers story.
While there are a lot of strong themes in this story (read and re-read the trigger warnings), the story is unique while also not being completely unrelatable or irrelevant to the main storyline. This story is extremely dark in some parts and may not be for every reader, but the emotional damage is worth it in the end.
Let me first start by saying I was given a copy of this book by the author as an ARC reader and I loved it so much I bought it. First, I was so engrossed in the story I didn't see the cliffhanger coming. Like, literally turned the page and saw the letter from the author and had to swipe back and forth between pages thinking I missed something and now I need part two.
Secondly, one thing I greatly appreciate about this book is the glossary. So many fantasy books have complex world building, multiple character POVs and it can be difficult to keep up. The glossary is amazing for characters and their backgrounds, the races, locations, religions, slang, etc. Amazing touch.
Third, let's talk story. I mean no disrespect when I say this story feels like the Hobbit and the Underworld series had an illegitimate love child who grew up to be a Cursed King. You have so many elements of multiple races, including elves, dwarfs, vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.
The world building and magic systems are enjoyable and easy to follow, and while there is a lot going on from multiple POVs, this story doesn't leave you with the mental burnout some fantasy series do from the sheer weight of the complexities of high stakes/epic fantasy series.
This book was definitely a break from my normal smut, but I greatly enjoyed it and have enjoyed being able to get introduced to a new author and hope to be able to ARC book 2 when it comes out in 2024!
Being a fan of cozy fantasy, this is a great edition to my shelves. I loved this book because in true cozy fantasy, it was an easy read that allowed me to get immersed into the world without having to break my brain on complex world building. The magic system concept was very interesting to me and quite honestly, the limitations of magic being based on proximity and what defines a house/home resonated extremely deep.
The writing is well done, and I am a huge fan of the banter/snark between the characters.
If you are looking for a cozy fantasy that has several books in the series (as well as spin off series), I would highly recommend The House Witch.
Truth be told, I was so disappointed in this book. I was so excited to start this series since it gets hyped up everywhere, which just made my disappointment that much worse. First, the book is entirely too long to literally say nothing. There isn't really anything happening until the last few chapters.Sure, there is content/context throughout, but the pace and writing were awful.
I shared my sentiment on social media and received the best feedback from one of my mutuals. She said “ACOTAR is the entry fee for the rest of the series,” and she could not have been more right. I'm sticking with my rating and review for the first book in the series because it is slow, painful and drags on.... But, it is the entry fee to the rest of the series and you need it for the background.
I'm several chapters into ACOSF (book 5) and can tell you to stick out book 1.They get amazingly better with each progression through the series.
This book was a welcomed detour from my normal fae smut and sci-fi/fantasy. I was lucky enough to be an ARC for this debut novel by Pamela Floyd and I can say I would happily sign on for additional titles by this author. Immortals has a little something for every interest. As the title suggests, immortality is absolutely a focal point, but the age-old “everything comes with a price” puts a unique spin on this story. The characters are diverse, especially featuring a non-binary MC, but are well written to have a cohesive feel which lends to the “found family” trope. The supernatural/magic tie in keeps the story fresh and the writing gives you a fair amount of roller coaster emotions leading up to some unexpected twists and turns while having. I would highly recommend this book and author to anyone looking for something familiar but also outside their comfort zone.
Merged review:
This book was a welcomed detour from my normal fae smut and sci-fi/fantasy. I was lucky enough to be an ARC for this debut novel by Pamela Floyd and I can say I would happily sign on for additional titles by this author. Immortals has a little something for every interest. As the title suggests, immortality is absolutely a focal point, but the age-old “everything comes with a price” puts a unique spin on this story. The characters are diverse, especially featuring a non-binary MC, but are well written to have a cohesive feel which lends to the “found family” trope. The supernatural/magic tie in keeps the story fresh and the writing gives you a fair amount of roller coaster emotions leading up to some unexpected twists and turns while having. I would highly recommend this book and author to anyone looking for something familiar but also outside their comfort zone.
I was fortunate to be an ARC reader for the second, and now the third, installment in the Solstice Witch series. Lenna is such an exciting character to follow through all three books. Watching her grow into her power (or at least more comfortable with it) is exciting to see where she will end up navigating what seems like the never ending twists and turns of her life (and heritage). If you are a lover of witchy/cozy fantasy, this series is for you. Kate does such an amazing job with the world building, relatable characters, etc. Prepare yourself though, because this one ends on a cliffhanger. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of Lenna sooner than any of us anticipate and will hopefully get some more insight into Cole and Liam's agendas because it feels very much as if they don't have the purest intentions for her.
I hadn't heard of the Solstice Witch Novels until I ran across the Author's TikTok account looking for ARCs for Wildflower. The genre and trope were in line with my usual reads, and I was thrilled to volunteer and be given an ARC. I loved this book. So much so that I bought the first in the series (Luminous) just so that I could have the collection (thus far). The story has a great mix of fantasy/magic and modern, making it incredibly easy to follow along and enjoy the characters' journey without tons of world-building, etc. Lenna is a highly relatable MC who continues to grow into her own book after book. Wildflower introduces us to new characters/magical creatures and an ever-expanding world, which opens the series up from its current duology to the potential for a trilogy or more. I highly recommend adding the Solstice Witch novels to your TBR!