trice
this is probably my fav book out of the trilogy. i'd wondered about how the author would wrap up the story and it's a pretty perfect ending for parker and adam and the other side characters. the plot isn't shocking or anything; the romance remains sweet and charming. there's plenty of action, and parker does resolve the issues he has with some other characters(character growth??).??
this trilogy is so amazing and fun; i never thought i'd be able to read a gay zombie apocalypse of all things lmao. i'll def be exploring the author's other books.??
honestly this book is kinda too short for me to do a long review on. first off, a lot of things happen. right off the bat things get crazy; jack and his friend chrys escape from their boss, there's someone chasing them, there's arson, a rich guy, following said rich guy, lots of escaping, and a whirlwind romance involved.??
it's definitely a bit much for a book not even a hundred pages; i'd probably bump this up like 1 - 1.5 stars if everything is expanded upon. the explanations of the motive and plans are brief, with some plot holes (why did lark have to get involved like his boss literally has so many other people hired). lark and jack's romance have potential, but it does seem quick especially since the first stages of their relationship was skimmed over.??
i do like the characters: chrys, who is such a staunch ally; jack, who is so beaten down by life you can't help feeling sorry for him; lark, who is so sweet and optimistic. it's just that the plot is wayyy too wild to be contain within so little pages.??
i don't think i liked this as much as the first book. in comparison, the plot here is less fun, less adventurous, less development. sure, i still like the characters - parker, after the events of the first book, has gotten some justifiable trust issues. the side characters are sweet and probably the sole reason for plot development.
even then, the plot was kind of stagnant. parker and adam and the side characters basically tread water, gather supplies, and get injured most of the book. and have lots of sex(side note: that fisting scene was uhh questionable). and i feel like the author could have written more gradual change of mind going to Salvation Island for parker. parker's suspicions and caution was rooted in so deeply; it felt less believable that he would feel safe going to and staying in Salvation Island that quickly.??
3.5 stars. still gonna read that last book, if only to see adam and parker's hea; they def deserve it.??
i've missed this. the feeling of reading a good action-packed dystopian romance. i love this. i love adam and parker, each with their own insecurities and struggles. i haven't really read a zombie apocalypse novel before, but now's a good time as any. this is one of the few good mm action romance book i've found honestly. great characters, thrilling plot, decent romance.
i'm ashamed to say i did not see adam's plot twist coming (i thought he was a vamp), and the i-love-you's came quicker than i expected/liked. another(maybe unpopular) opinion is that there are too. many. sex scenes. from 40% to around 60% it's almost nonstop. it kind of took away the main focus of escaping the zombies for me there.
this is an amazing series starter though :D love this!??
i love how i'm reading this after Christmas...this is a relatively short and sweet holiday story. honestly i'd say it's a pretty decent book. nice romance, character growth for the dad. there's a slight bit of miscommunication, but that was resolved fairly peacefully. romance isn't the focal point here, since there's also themes of friendship and family.
some nitpicky stuff - i'm pretty sure chapter 23 the POV is supposed to be Aleks? just a typo though that can be easily fixed. the book only mentioned what CTE was caused by and what it's impact was(i thought CTE caused dementia :/); i only just realised CTE is a degenerative disease and a type of dementia when i googled it.??
the book is interesting, but i'm not sure that it'll be super memorable.??
pretty good. the characters are distinct - Tony is flirty and bold and brave, Eric is caring and a bit lonely and worn down. love the found family trope; Eric's students are quite endearing. there's a decent storyline, even if the villains are (intentionally?) obvious from the start. the plot is definitely unfinished though, and there's a cliffhanger-ish ending.??
the Venator and Huntsmen setting is unique and interesting, although i'm still rather confused about the purpose/identity of the Huntsmen. are they people who know of the supernaturals? are they the supernaturals? and each action scene honestly feels a bit repetitive - vampires ambush Eric & Co., someone gets injured, passes out, Britt heals them.??
but honestly the vibes are there, i want to know more, and i will definitely read the next book when it comes out without hesitation.??
found this on webtoon and trawled the internet to find the original!! its probably time i reacquaint myself with a chi book anyway...
dudeeee this was so good. it's so refreshing to read something sweet and innocent since i've been reading explicit dark stuff lately...i digress. the romance is kinda angsty cos they got together at like the 9x chappies but there's still a reasonable amount of fluff and the plot is still pretty realistic. there's a couple of side plots (ngl the pacing of the side plots are a bit strange and sometimes obscured the main plotline) but they're also really sweet and realistic (especially ??????&??????).??
def character development as well; im so happy ?????? faced his fears and ?????? realizing he needs to step up and be more responsible. even the side characters developed - i was legit blinking back tears with ??????'s parents and ?????????'s grandpa ToT. plus most of the cast was supportive (like the roommates were so accepting of ??????'s sexuality while he was so anxious about being accepted - true friendship right there).??
the manhua is pretty humorous, there were some puns with a character's name(for chi readers: ?????????- ??????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????) and the author left some funny notes at the end of some chapters.??
i could not get enough of this manhua like i binged that 139 chapters in 2 days and i am so sad it's over. but now i've uncovered this educational treasure trove (improving my chinese while enabling me to read more bl) i will not give up. so now i'm off to count down (!! happy new year !!) and find something similar...??
okay but the author can't let the ending just hang like this I NEED MORE ToT
4.5 stars
this is pretty impressive for a debut. i love the characters - the insecure Ander, the fiercely protective Sytri, and even creepy-vibes Vega. each character is written in depth and i especially like Sytri, who loves the sunlight and is trying to be a better person demon. quite some character growth too- i love seeing Ander become more confident throughout the book.
the romance is okay, not especially outstanding. i do love their relationship though because they have communication!! and Sytri is such a gentleman. the plot is unexpectedly and amazingly complex, with a few twists and turns. the ending is not bad per se, but many of the plot lines are quite obviously and deliberately left unfinished, leaving it very open for interpretation, so uncertain-ending haters would hate the last few pages lol.
i'd also say the worldbuilding is slightly lacking, because we're thrown into the dystopian world right at the start and the introduction to the different demons and angel types is brief and doesn't really elaborate on the variety of powers or whatever the demons and angels possess.
i rlly hope there's a sequel plz
a relatively unconventional, character-centric thriller. the killer is revealed pretty early on but the plot was engaging enough to keep me going. interesting characters, each with their own motivation to pursue the case. the climax was a bit anticlimactic, and the ending is a bit scattered though.??
this is pretty good for a debut definitely. ngl there was some second hand embarrassment at first, but it got better and as the story rolled along so did the characters. this book is more about dealing with trauma; there's definitely some heavy stuff in it. it was really nice to see the character developments with Gray standing up for himself and Kent (so proud ahaha), and Kent, who i felt acted a bit like a prick at first but became less prick-y and became brave enough to face the tormentors from his past. even the side characters had depth - i did not expect Sarah. and honestly those nicknames were so cute - ‘half-pint' and ‘two-liter' :DD
the characters were a bit OTT and unrealistic though. Kent's mom and her friends were constantly so bubbly and energetic and their humor does not fit the style of middle-aged women. Rhonda plays pranks on her new coworker although she's in her mid-fifties. Kent and Gray are 38 and speak like people younger than their age. i'm not sure how realistic Kent's trauma is.
but honestly the writing and everything is generally sound, i don't usually read second-chance romances but this one was so sweet and wholesome.
i've read the author's Mismatched Mates series, and while those books were pretty good, i wouldn't say the exact same for this. i think my main dislike was that sex scenes(like 65 - 70% :/) dominated the entire book, and didn't leave enough room for the romance and the plot to develop. with the focus shifted away from the relationship and storyline, the plot was poorly wrapped up (idk what happened to the journey, who Lord Cyril or the political traitor even is, and what's the deal with the curse now that Andreas is in the picture?), and the romance underdeveloped (8 sex scenes and a daring rescue later they're in love). for a fantasy novel you would expect the plot to be more complex i guess.??
the spicy scenes were good, but they do start to feel repetitive after the umpteenth time. the characters were okay, nice supportive side characters. the idea of ‘twilight', ‘dusk', and ‘dawn' mages is intriguing, and i'd be interested in seeing more of them in the sequel(s?). honestly, it's a great premise, the execution just fell somewhat flat/or is just not my taste.??
surprisingly humorous?? just looking at the cover it looks like a normal mm grim, dark fantasy novella but its definitely not. lyn is dramatic and funny and colorful(literally and figuratively) while jamie is pessimistic and slightly insecure. there's an interesting mixture of grumpy x sunshine and demon x human but the demon is the ‘sunshine' character and i love it :DD (plus the bonus surprise of fated mates!!)??
the plot is pretty good and wrapped up nicely as well for a novella (cos most novellas i've read just have a really simple storyline and focuses more on the romance).??
dark, morally grey, with a healthy dose of hurt/comfort and murder-plotting. even though the premise is all about revenge, the book contains quite a lot of sweet, romantic moments as well, which works oddly well together.
Rowan and Saint are definitely not a typical couple - they're kinda psychopathic and very unapologetic about their profession, and that's what makes this book and its characters memorable and fun to read. there's a fair amount of spice as well. the one thing i wouldn't love is the instalove Saint got, and it felt a bit improbable that Rowan would get over finding Saint's true identity as a hitman and his home invaderthat quickly.
great start. in the beginning, we are introduced to Dominic and Vinkettin. mates who stand at opposing sides of a war, they already have an existing relationship and incredibly strong chemistry. imo the romance is the most developed aspect of the novel, with lots of communication, an unusual dynamic, and high heat. Vinkettin is definitely my favorite character - the one who patiently waited for Dominic.
however, idt this really fits the description of an enemies-to-lovers because although they are technically enemies, there is ultimately little actual opposition to Dominic and Vinkettin's relationship, by Dominic's pack or otherwise(yes there was unrest, but it was barely mentioned and they weren't even attacked because of their relationship. even after Dominic announced who his mate was, the pack just went back to feasting...). also, more background information on the war, the New World, and magical species would be nice since they were just mentioned quite briefly.
the plot was pretty intriguing, and the plot twist kind of took me by surprise. still, the proportion of action is smaller than the romance portion in this book, and the storyline wasn't wrapped up too well. i am still a bit confused about the true identity and motive of the lead villain. the role of witches is also slightly questionable in the end (they were supposed to be assisting the vampires but they didn't stop Vinkettin and Dominic?).
plus a bit of spelling mistakes but eh that's okay. a solid 4 stars.??
i received a copy of this book from GRR and this is my honest review.
the first thing i thought when i started this: wattpad vibes (the ones that feel like its written by a 15 yo)the reason i thought this was because, well, the traumatized but unique and overpowered MC, the dialogue that sounds like it fits a middle/high-schooler's persona more (“dweeb”), the constant biting of lips etc.the characters were okay, kind of bland(plus Micah and Zeke have so much trauma but it's so easily brushed off). the romance wasn't really that slow paced, it honestly started earlier than halfway through(for Micah/Zeke/Hyde). the action portion of the plot was okay as well, it's nothing too surprising and didn't take up a lot of the chapters since the romance was the main focus. also, do the LI's have to get a hard-on every time they see Micah?
debating if it should be 2.5 or 3 stars.
the first thing i thought when i started this: wattpad vibes (the ones that feel like its written by a 15 yo)
the reason i thought this was because, well, the traumatized but unique and overpowered MC, the dialogue that sounds like it fits a middle/high-schooler's persona more (“dweeb”), the constant biting of lips etc.
the characters were okay, kind of bland(plus Micah and Zeke have so much trauma but it's so easily brushed off). the romance wasn't really that slow paced, it honestly started earlier than halfway through(for Micah/Zeke/Hyde). the action portion of the plot was okay as well, it's nothing too surprising and didn't take up a lot of the chapters since the romance was the main focus. also, do the LI's have to get a hard-on every time they see Micah?
less magical realism than the first book, plus the plot is far more thrilling. the biological warfare present here is not often seen in novels, and it's been an interesting topic to read about. we see lots of characters from EO and Ascendent return; relationships form and break and strengthen under this new pressure. the ending is pretty open, but i don't see another spinoff (and i don't think there'll be one since this book came out in 2019 and the author has published loads of books since), which is kind of sad. this is honestly one of the few books i wish had more pages...
good prose good plot good characters though. i probably won't reread because this whole universe is very emotional and intense...but i'll check out the author's other books.
this was a pretty good book. i have Reforged deep in my tbr and it seems like i should have read that first because although the religions and the cultures of this world was very well built, super interesting and seamlessly embedded into the narrative, i felt like the magic system(the gedroks and the arcane etc) was not as detailed. i assume that's because Reforged has already established the magic system? so i'll likely be reading it next. the characters were developed and personalities distinct - i particularly love the contrast between Radek's flirty and bold character vs Izra's conservative nature haha.
plot-wise, it was a pretty standard resisting-the-villain type storyline, and pretty slow-paced. i think even at 40% they were just traveling and sending messages. the romance, though, is very sudden - they jump from practically strangers to lovers real quick after the binding ceremony. starting from halfway stuff gets fun and the pace speeds up. as a side note i love how unique a role Radek's playing cards(which have similar characteristics to tarot cards) have in the plot and the arcane.
overall Reborn is an engaging novel with immersive storytelling - i'll definitely look out for the author's other releases!
disclaimer: i received an advance review copy for free, and i'm leaving this review voluntarily.
i've read some of this author's books before but not the 2 series that this collection is connected to. this collection is pretty much a standalone though; it was enjoyable all the same. the stories were all really fluffy and wholesome and not as dark and gritty as the author's other books. the characters are pretty developed and have soo much chemistry with their LI's. my favorite story is probably Angels in the City because Sacha's humor and initial emotional distance from Jonah makes for such a wonderful slow-burn(ish) romance.
although i really wouldn't describe this collection as a short story collection because the stories' length can almost rival a full-length novel (Angels in the City alone is like 250 pages).
amazingly well written for a debut. the concept of having powers is not uncommon in books, but characters being able to control blood is very rare and so intriguing. dante & leone definitely use their power well, and have the personalities to go with it. i certainly did not expect leone to have as ruthless a streak as dante - both of them are so wonderfully morally grey.
romance is not the main focus though; action is. the plot is genuinely, unexpectedly, fantastic. i really honestly expected to face a shallow storyline with a quick happy ending, but nope! instead, there are twists & turns at every corner, secrets unearthed(did barbara romantically like bruno?? i'm just so curious for some reason), and heaps of thrilling shootings and explosions. bonus points for some surprising character developments (i root for sofia).
although i (grudgingly) gave 4 stars because, well, while there was a lot of utilization of the characters' powers/bloodcurses, the worldbuilding was lacking. the background of bloodcursed is unknown, and stuff like origins and regulations of bloodcursed, the types(or even power levels) of bloodcursed, and the government stance on bloodcursed were not really explained in depth(or at all).
the ending was interesting, it's definitely an HFN/open ending, and even though the arc sign up mentioned this book is a standalone, i certainly would not mind a sequel, or heck, an entire series :))
this was a rideee
there's so much action and double the romantic tension in book 1. general madigan and his spies are everywhere while jack, ethan & sergey's allies are steadily losing ground, in the midst of public disfavor.
there are explosions and shootings and chaos almost every chapter of the book - i read for stress relief and this decidedly does not make me less tense. i binged the book and that cliffhanger-
sigh. on to the third book i go!
honestly i was so mad at jack at first after leslie resurfaced but he definitely wanted to stay with her not because of love but more of loyalty to his marriage vows and guilt soooo jack was likely going to make amends and choose ethan
but not gonna lie the writing was slightly questionable solely because of one sentence:
“feel the slick, hot slide of someone's eyeballs against his skin”
what - no one's gaze is going to feel so physically slimy like that