Rui studies at the special academy for people who have magic and learns to fight the Revenants. Rui is doing everything she can to train hard and honeRui studies at the special academy for people who have magic and learns to fight the Revenants. Rui is doing everything she can to train hard and hone her powers as she wants to kill the Revenant who killed her mother when she was fourteen. This particular Revenant wasn't any ordinary Revenant, Rui claims that it was a hybrid which, according to the guild, doesn't exist. Rui thinks maybe the guild is wrong and will prove it to everyone by hunting that Revenant and killing it.
Yiran was born into the most influential family that operates the guild. His grandfather and half-brother are the legendary Revenant killers and high-ranking officials at the guild. Yiran also wants to prove himself but Yiran wasn't born with any magic. When Yiran happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time or the right time in this case, he feels magic coursing through his body. This is Yiran's chance to do everything he always wanted, but the magic is too powerful and Yiran never had any training to control it, so now he has to learn to control it and attend the same academy Rui attends.
Nikai is a reaper of the underworld. There are ten kings of the underworld. After the Fourth King of Hell disappears, Nikai looks everywhere to find him. Nikai never thought it would get him tangled with Rui and Yiran.
Zizi owns the knick-knack shop. Zizi can also do magic like Rui but doesn't attend the same academy as he believes the guild tries to control the magic and the people who can do magic. Zizi is also a powerful sorcerer who specialises in difficult spells and Rui's friend. When Zizi creates an illegal spell for Rui to try, he never expects the results to be so permanent and sets a chain of events that no one could have thought of.
I love mythology so I dived into this with enthusiasm. I loved the beginning, the world-building, the urban setting, and getting to know each character, it was all very intriguing and gripping but then we hit the middle where nothing really happens until the very end.
The writing was okay. The characters were okay at the start, but they got annoying as the book progressed. I didn't like anyone except for Zizi whom I loved so very much. I wanted to love Rui but she relied way too much on Zizi to save her every time something went wrong, and this wasn't just after she lost her magic. Zizi also saved her life from the hybrid Revenant. But this wasn't the main reason for my dislike of her. I felt Rui was using Zizi knowing that Zizi liked her and that's why always helped her, she tried to reason that Zizi couldn't like her because she wasn't pretty and all of this was just transactional. Yiran was just there and had no character development. Nikai wasn't there much and I wanted to know more about him but I did like the parts of the underworld that were shown. Zizi was undoubtedly the most interesting character.
The mythology woven with the story was done well yet at the same time it felt like not much was shared. I know this is the first book and more will be explained in the upcoming books. I wish that middle part wasn't so boring. I had guessed the mystery yet was stumped because when it unfolded, I never expected it to be so (for the lack of a better word) creepy. I would have given a higher rating had it not been for that reason. (view spoiler)[So, the Fourth King of Hell saved a pregnant woman which isn't allowed as per the underworld rules. That pregnant woman gives birth to a baby girl who happens to be Rui. Four gives up his throne and powers. He can't be found by the other Kings of Hell because his soul is somehow cloaked and is currently inhabiting Zizi. So far, so good. But the creepy part is that Four gave up his throne because he wanted to be with Rui, mind you Rui was just born when Four gave up everything and disappeared. Yeah, this was weird and creepy and my rating went down. (hide spoiler)] I don't know if I want to continue with the series.
Elspeth's mind is completely taken over by the Nightmare. Ravyn is running out of time to find all the Providence Cards and he needs the Nightmare's hElspeth's mind is completely taken over by the Nightmare. Ravyn is running out of time to find all the Providence Cards and he needs the Nightmare's help who is not so keen to share anything anymore. Elm has his orders to hunt down the Hawthorn family. Things are more hazier than ever in this misty town.
Spoilers ahead -
After that cliffhanger at the end of the first book, this second book seemed to start very slowly, and to be honest, things never really did pick up. First of all, that romance between Elm and Ione came out of nowhere. Not once had Elm thought about Ione in the first book or the other way around. Not. Once. But a poor and weak explanation is given that Elm has been secretly in love with Ione for years.Convenient. But to me, it was so jarring that I wanted to DNF right then and there but wanted to see it through so I persevered. Ione's sob story did nothing to change my mind or rating. In fact, Ione and Elm's love story felt so forced (way more forced than I felt about Elspeth and Ravyn in the first book) that it was a big reason for me to not enjoy this book. I probably would have been okay with this pairing had they added something of value to the story but Rachel Gillig had them fill up the pages and that's it. Whilst Rayvn and Elspeth/Nightmare are looking for the Providence cards, and stakes are high (as high as they would get in the story), Elm and Ione are doing stupid things like looking for marriage contracts and the Maiden card that is conveniently hidden somewhere just out of reach or is it? Or making out in a cringe way no matter who was nearby. That's all they did in the whole book and this made the pacing weird and odd. I get that this is a young-adult to adult series but other than grunting and groaning, there should be more to the story. Elm was one of my favorite characters from the first book but in this, he was a completely different and watered-down version of that character. Elm and Ione should have had a different book or a novella because this felt more like their book rather than Elspeth and Ravyn's (even though I don't like them as a couple either yet prefer them over Elm and Ione).
I was already not a fan of the world-building or the writing in the first book but in this, it was even worse. So many characters are introduced but forgotten in the next paragraph. Things were thrown in there just to move the story along. There was no explanation for so many things.
There were multiple POVs but I can't say I enjoyed reading from any particular POV. The only things that I enjoyed were about the Nightmare. Everything else felt lacking something. That magic and eeriness from the first book were gone. Things were resolved so easily and quickly, also without any consequences that I had to check if I had missed reading a page or fifty. It was ludicrous how only a simple riddle solved all the woes in the end. It was solved in less than a page. Ridiculous!
Elspeth lives in Blunder and Blunder is covered by eerie mist for as long as anyone can remember and each year the mist spreads a little more. Anyone Elspeth lives in Blunder and Blunder is covered by eerie mist for as long as anyone can remember and each year the mist spreads a little more. Anyone who is infected by the mist must be reported to the King as infected by the mist can have serious consequences. There are twelve Providence Cards that lend its user magic and the royal family and the royal family's acquaintances are known to hold most of the Providence Cards, rest of the Providence Cards are either hidden or lost. Each Providence Card has unique properties/magic. No one is allowed to practice any kind of magic without the King's knowledge. Elspeth was infected by the mist and survived and only her family knows this secret and to keep it forever a secret, Elspeth lives with her aunt and her aunt's family. When everyone is invited to the royal event, would Elspeth be able to keep her infection a secret or would things go awry?
I was instantly taken by this eerie world with its dark secrets, unique magic, and captivating story. We find out little by little how things came to be. Everything Blunder is today, is because of The Shepherd King who wrote the book of Alders long ago and made the Providence Cards happen by giving parts of himself. Each Providence Card has a specific kind of magic depending on what The Shepherd King bartered with the spirit of the wood for the card in return. Some Providence Cards have been lost to time but together the whole deck is considered the cure to stop the mist from spreading and this may even hold the key to cure the infected.
Even though the story was amazing, I did not particularly like the writing and the world-building was barely there. We find out that there are families that are named after the trees such as Spindle, Yew, Rowan, and a few others but there was barely any other detail mentioned. Are those the only families in Blunder or are there more? Is everyone rich? Where do Highwaymen fit in? How does Blunder survive?
I loved loved the Nightmare. I could not get enough of him. I also loved Elm. Elspeth was okay, she did annoy me at times but Nightmare was there so it wasn't too bad. I know everyone loved Ravyn but I didn't love him like others did. He was okay. I know I am in the minority here because I also didn't see any chemistry between Ravyn and Elspeth, it just felt forced to me. I saw more chemistry between Elspeth and Elm to be honest. Other supporting characters were good and I enjoyed reading about them but they were barely there. I loved the revelations even though I had guessed most of those as the story went on but I loved it all the same.
I do have to say that this book feels heavily inspired by Vespertine, even the opening message feels similar. I may have given it a higher rating if not for that reason. Still, I did enjoy reading this, and can't wait to read the next in the series.
Elfhame's prince Oak is the ice queen's prisoner and Oak's sister, Elfhame's queen, Jude is preparing to go to war to bring Oak home. Oak wants to stoElfhame's prince Oak is the ice queen's prisoner and Oak's sister, Elfhame's queen, Jude is preparing to go to war to bring Oak home. Oak wants to stop Jude from going to war as he is conflicted because of his feelings for the ice queen, Wren so Oak has to come up with a plan that would stop the war but also bring him home to Elfhame with Wren and clear up what he hopes is a misunderstanding.
Minor spoilers ahead
After the disappointment that was The Stolen Heir, I was both dreading and excited to read this. To have a Jude and Cardan showing right at the beginning was a balm to my soul. But then the events at the ice court took place which were dragging and dragging and dragging some more. We kept on dancing around the same thing. By the time, they decide to set sail to Elfhame it was too late and I had already lost any interest in the story. I think they should have arrived in Elfhame earlier in the book. Of course, the only reason I was reading was to see Jude and Cardan. I loved and savored everything about them but everything else fell flat for me and was just unnecessary.
This was from Oak's pov which I liked better than the previous book's pov. Mainly because Oak would talk about some of the things that I cared about such as living in the human world with his sister and father. Having said that, I didn't really like Oak. He was okay but there was something amiss. I didn't care at all about Wren. She was just annoying. I have said this before and I'll say this again, Oak and Wren have zero chemistry. Throughout the book Oak kept on thinking about his true and deep feelings for Wren but I didn't see it. The whole hot and cold thing between Oak and Wren did nothing to change my opinion. That was tiresome. In the first book, I saw more chemistry between Oak and Tiernan. Sadly, in this book, Tiernan was barely there. I missed Tiernan a lot in this.
Oak's magic was somewhat interesting but that wasn't explored enough. The mysteries weren't mysterious enough. I hated it when Wren suggested to Oak, "Have you ever wondered if anyone truly loved you?" And Oak starts to consider that so seriously. I mean his whole family has done nothing but try to keep him alive all this time and this person who he has no chemistry with (you can never convince me otherwise) suggested something like this and he didn't even defend them.
I can't believe I am saying this but the writing was bland. And, one particular thing annoyed me about Holly Black's writing the most. - Oak almost felt sorry for him. Almost, except for the memory of his being party to the prince's torture. Holly Black would refer to him as Oak and then prince or heir in the next line or sometimes in the same sentence. It happened constantly even with Ghost and Garrett. Just pick a phrase/name.
I don't know why this duology was written. If Oak had just spoken to his family honestly, things would have been much better and obviously, this book would be much shorter and probably better too. If Holly Black wanted to encash then a novella about Jude and Cardan would have been much better. In fact, I would love to read a book or two about Jude and Cardan's adventures under the sea.
Moth Hush is a witch and can do real magic. She's excited to learn all the spells and potions only for her mother to tell her to slow down. Moth is geMoth Hush is a witch and can do real magic. She's excited to learn all the spells and potions only for her mother to tell her to slow down. Moth is getting bullied at school and everyone makes fun of her. Moth just wants to be cool and when she finds an ancient charm that can make her wish come true, Moth can't wait to be cool and accepted by everyone at school. As the saying goes, Be careful what you wish for. Would Moth have to pay for her wish or would she get by?
I definitely enjoyed this a lot more than the previous one. The story was an improvement and I liked the message too but I mostly liked Charlie's friendship and support to Moth throughout. I enjoyed the art too. I think Charlie has become my favorite character and I hope his role grows as the series progresses.
"Just because you expect something doesn't mean you'll get it."
Jin is a Prince and he is twelve years old. Jin lost his parents when he was little and"Just because you expect something doesn't mean you'll get it."
Jin is a Prince and he is twelve years old. Jin lost his parents when he was little and his grandmother and the staff at the palace look after him. Jin wants to rule and he is getting ready to rule by focusing on his studies. But to be a powerful ruler, Jin must find a monster companion to bond with before his thirteenth birthday. A monster companion is a magical creature. The only problem is that no one has seen any monsters in the kingdom for years except for his grandmother's phoenix. Jin's thirteenth's birthday is only six months away and he has no clue how to find a monster and things get even worse when his grandmother forbids him from studying anything about monsters too. The only place monsters are rumored to be are in a place called, Whisper Island. No one knows if Whisper Island actually exists. But Jin is determined and sets his journey to find both Whisper Island as well as the monsters.
I was super excited to read this it was said that this features a blend of East and Southeast Asian folklore and mythical creatures, and stars a boy with a hero's destiny and I have great love for mythology. It started off really strong for the first couple of chapters. I felt Jin's woe and dilemma. I loved his dog. I understood Jin's need to prove himself. But after that, it got really boring and slow. Jin just stays at the palace doing this that and the other. Then there was Bingyoo. I don't know why she was even there. She added basically nothing to the story except to show that Jin is a humble person even though he is a Prince or maybe to add a female character. I don't know. She served no purpose in my opinion and I found her super annoying.
Things do pick up when Jin gets to the island but that was one of the main issues for me that Jin doesn't get to the island until almost halfway into the book. There is a little bit of action after that. I did like the other characters we meet there. Then the pace slows again. Needless to say that the pacing was really odd throughout the book. Then there is even a twist that makes very little to no sense. (view spoiler)[Jin was able to bond with two beasts. Why? It wasn't explained. If to bond was just to understand the magical beast then why aren't whisperers bonded to all the beasts personally? It wasn't explained. Why do the magical beasts need humans to guide them if they are magical? It wasn't explained. What was Bingyoo doing in the book? It wasn't explained. (hide spoiler)]
The writing was okay but this book failed to satiate my fantasy hunger because the plot wasn't handled as well as it could have been handled. That end was left at a cliffhanger and whilst I am curious to find out what happened long ago and how was one character able to fool the way they did, I am not sure I would be reading the next in the series.
Lelek is a witch and people think that she's dangerous. She kidnaps Sanja and together they journey from town to town looking for Lelek's other half oLelek is a witch and people think that she's dangerous. She kidnaps Sanja and together they journey from town to town looking for Lelek's other half of the soul.
Wow! This was downright appalling. First of all, the story was all over the place and every few pages, the story (if I could call it a story) takes a complete one hundred and eighty degrees turn that I'd think have I skipped on a few pages? This was a recurring thing. Secondly, the art was clunky. Thirdly, Sanja gets kidnapped and it's never even addressed anywhere. I loved the rep but beyond that, it has nothing going for it. I am disappointed.
Also, the author conveniently left a note at the end saying that she is not worried about what anyone thinks it should be. I think the note is passive-aggressive.
Sadie is locked away in a tower by her evil sister, Princess Claire. When a prince rescues Sadie from the tower, that prince turns out to be a princesSadie is locked away in a tower by her evil sister, Princess Claire. When a prince rescues Sadie from the tower, that prince turns out to be a princess called Amira. Sadie and Amira bond and form a friendship. They also save a prince on the way who wants to run away from his princely duties.
This was way too short and didn't really have a plot. The drawings were nice and it is LGBTQIA-themed graphic novel but other than that I didn't like anything else in it. The characters were immature compared to their age. Then they call the prince (who by the way has done nothing wrong to them) butthead. This could have been way better than it was.
Rose and Dimitri are back and they are travelling to Dimitri's hometown to see his family. This was a bitter-sweet read for me as I love Rose and I liRose and Dimitri are back and they are travelling to Dimitri's hometown to see his family. This was a bitter-sweet read for me as I love Rose and I like Dimitri but I didn't want them to end up together. Oh well!
I do love the Vampire Academy universe that Richelle Mead created and I'll read anything set up in this. This was a good short-story. Not my favorite but still I enjoyed it.
4.5 stars
Merged review:
Rose and Dimitri are back and they are travelling to Dimitri's hometown to see his family. This was a bitter-sweet read for me as I love Rose and I like Dimitri but I didn't want them to end up together. Oh well!
I do love the Vampire Academy universe that Richelle Mead created and I'll read anything set up in this. This was a good short-story. Not my favorite but still I enjoyed it.
Wren is one of the faes but lives in the mortal world. She gets by scavenging in the woods and living lSome things seem too terrible to seem possible.
Wren is one of the faes but lives in the mortal world. She gets by scavenging in the woods and living like a feral but doesn't want to return to the fae world. When she gets chased by the storm hag, Bogdana, and gets saved by the Prince of Elfhame, Oak who in turn asks for her help, she decides to help him and has to return to the faerie world. The deeper she goes into the faerie world, the more strange and uncomfortable she feels as she is not accustomed to the fae world as well as Oak. And, the longer she spends time with Oak, the more charmed she gets by him, and also finds out that he is not being truthful.
I love The Folk of the Air series so I was very excited to read another book set up in this world. That cover is gorgeous and the first few chapters were capturing but then the book gets really predictable. Unlike the original series in this world, none of the revelations were shocking. On the contrary, they were there to fill the pages. Everything happened easily and without much trouble if at all. Those riddles were ludicrous too.
The characters were okay, not much originality to them but Tiernan was my favorite. I felt for Wren but still, I couldn't like her as much as I had wanted to. Oak was shown in a bad light, I think his character deserved better. But two of my biggest issues were pacing and the non-existent chemistry between Oak and Wren. I think Oak and Tiernan had more chemistry, way more chemistry than Oak and Wren. I felt Oak and Wren's pairing was being forced down my throat. Sure, they had known each other when they were younger but I didn't see any chemistry between them now. Also, their age wasn't consistent. Sometimes, Wren was two years older than Oak whilst at other times just a year. What was up with that?
Originally, I thought that this book would be from Oak's POV which wasn't the case, and Wren's POV was full of whinge and whine. Again, in the beginning, I felt for her, but afterward, it got repetitive. I know this is a different series but I just couldn't help and compare this with the original series after all, that's the main selling point of this. Jude and Cardan were mentioned a few times but they never made an appearance which was another negative for me. Then that ending was so unnecessary. I am only giving this rating because it is set in the Elfhame world that I love so much otherwise it would be a one star from me. I'll read the next if only to get a glimpse of Jude and Cardan.
A story about the faerie world written by Holly Black. I knew that I would have liked this so I went into this expecting great things but came out reaA story about the faerie world written by Holly Black. I knew that I would have liked this so I went into this expecting great things but came out really disappointed.
Hazel and Ben live in a town alongside the faerie folk. Ever since they were kids, they have been visiting a boy asleep in a glass coffin. As far as anyone knows that boy has been asleep in that coffin for a very long time. Then one day, the boy in the glass coffin wakes up and everything goes awry.
The blurb sounded fascinating and the story itself was quite interesting and the characters were quite different too not to mention that I had read and heard great things about this gripping and very dark tale of the Faerie world and in the beginning I had really liked it but it quickly took a completely wrong turn in the forest and instead of a dangerous, delicious and amazing things all I got was disappointment after disappointment. I still kept on reading this thinking that it will get better and that maybe we were working towards a great finale but it just didn't work. All those promises and they fell short for me.
I don't know much about Norse mythology except for what I've seen in Marvel movies and some comics that I read years ago so naturally I wanted to readI don't know much about Norse mythology except for what I've seen in Marvel movies and some comics that I read years ago so naturally I wanted to read this but wasn't too sure because I thought after Percy Jackson, I'm not sure if I'm going to like another mythology narrated by another teenage boy. I can't emphasis how glad I am that I read this because this was hilarious. It may not be Rick Riordan's as original as Percy Jackson's idea but worked for me nevertheless.
Magnus Chase is no Percy Jackson but I liked him. Needless to say that I was constantly comparing the two in the beginning but soon I forgot about Percy Jackson and got focused on Magnus Chase and started to enjoy it. Blitz, Hearth, and Samirah, I love them all. But my favorite happens to be Jack the Sword.
of course, it has the same formula as the Percy Jackson books such as family ties with mythological gods, some quests to go on, figuring out who's trying to kill whom, who your allies are, and who's going to betray you, one adventure after the other, one death trap after the other oh wait Magnus Chase is dead so permanent death I meant, basically everything that makes YA/middle-grade mythological stories. As I said that it's not the most original idea but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
**spoiler alert** Girl, Serpent, Thorn tells the story of a girl who cannot touch any other living being without killing them. She lives in isolation,**spoiler alert** Girl, Serpent, Thorn tells the story of a girl who cannot touch any other living being without killing them. She lives in isolation, most people have never even seen her and she longs for company. The girl was cursed long before she was even born by a div or that's what her mother told her anyway.
The girl, Soraya is Shah's twin sister and she often wonders why was she the only one cursed and not her twin brother. When the shah, Sorush is about to get married to Soraya's only friend Laleh she also comes across a young man, Azad who saved the shah from a div and helped them capture her. Azad also seems to be interested in Soraya and Soraya also finds her captivated with him.
Soraya learns that her mother lied to her all these years and she finds out that her mother deliberately got her cursed and now with Azad's help she is determined to find out how to reverse her curse. The captured div, Parvaneh tells her that she will help her only if Soraya can bring Simorgh's feather. In finding out Simorgh's feather's location, Soraya uncovers that the very feather will actually set her free from the poison in her veins. So on Sorush's wedding day she puts out the royal fire and gets to the feather and she reverses the curse.
That's when the first revelation is made that Azad is not just a young man but he is the Shahmar from the stories and he has come back to claim his throne. Then the Shahmar along with other divs captures the royal family and Soraya. Now Soraya's only hope is to find another div, a parik to help her defeat the Shahmar and save her family. She finds that parik with Parvaneh's help and defeat the villain.
It was a very predictable yet a captivating story. There was not even a single thing in the entire story that I hadn't guessed at the very start. But that wasn't even an issue for me. It was the main character whom I couldn't like at all. I felt for her in the beginning but as the story progressed, I couldn't stand her. She was isolated for all her life because of the curse and instead of accepting her power and her curse, she keeps moping and when the curse is lifted she mops and cries even more and misses her curse and her poison and her deadly touch. She keeps making stupid decision after stupid decision and not even once she does anything on her own properly. She relies on others throughout.
Another thing that I really hated was how Soraya's mother, Tahmineh lied to her throughout. Why don't the parents tell the truth to their children in these stories? So much could have been avoided if she would have just told her the entire truth. And for these reasons, I believe the main villain of the story was Tahmineh.
The main reasons that I liked this book is the writing, Parvaneh and even Azad. Yes, I liked Azad. Parvaneh and Azad were both good characters. But I wanted more Parvaneh and I wish there were some chapters from her POV. I was promised romance between Parvaneh and Soraya and there was some romance there but honestly, I couldn't see much chemistry between them even though I cherished the moments they got together and I think the main reason for that was because I adore Parvaneh and I didn't like Soraya. Don't get me wrong but I also didn't see any chemistry between Azad and Soraya either. But I do think that Azad should have been given a chance to redeem himself instead of the end that he got.
Callum Hunt or Call is raised by his single father and he is regularly warned by his father of the dangerous world of magic and magicians. But being bCallum Hunt or Call is raised by his single father and he is regularly warned by his father of the dangerous world of magic and magicians. But being born into a magical family, Call has to take the entrance exam that determines whether he will be admitted into Magisterium or not and Call has the perfect plan to fail. Would Call succeed in his plan or is there something else in store for Call?
This has had a lot of buzz about being ripped off from the Harry Potter series but I wanted to read this because even Rainbow Rowell's Carry On got the same buzz and a lot of people criticized that being ripped off from Harry Potter series as well. While I loved Carry on, The Iron Trial didn't wow me but it was still a decent read.
I really liked Call Hunt and his straight comments. While Aaron and Tamara were okay, I did like their friendship with Call or whenever it got to the friendship point. I adored Havoc. I liked the relationship between Call and his father. I also really liked the cryptic lizard called Warren. This has been both a mysterious and not-so-mysterious read. Overall, not bad.
I was trembling with all I had done, which was more than I had ever done in my life.
Born to the Titan, Helios and the Nymph, Perse, Circe is quite ordI was trembling with all I had done, which was more than I had ever done in my life.
Born to the Titan, Helios and the Nymph, Perse, Circe is quite ordinary compared to the other gods. She has no powers or beauty. She has three younger siblings and she is close to the youngest, Aeetes. When two of her siblings move on with their lives, she thinks that she would always have Aeetes and then he also leaves. After that, she spends her time either in her father's halls or she goes to a deserted shore and there she meets a mortal, Glaucos and they start to spend time together. Circe wants to spend her life together with Glaucos but she knows that he is a mortal and would eventually die, something in her changes and so in a haste she goes to her grandmother and asks her to turn Glaucos into an eternal. Her grandmother tells her that it is not possible and Circe discovers something by accident and she uses the flowers that were born of Kronos's blood and changes Glaucos into a god.
I was too wild to feel any shame.
Glaucos turns into a god and everyone believes that it was the fates but Circe knows better. When Glaucos choses someone else to be his wife, out of jealousy Circe changes her into something else too. Years and years later, when Circe finally confesses that she was the one to change Glaucos and Scylla, no one believes her as they all tell her that those flowers have no power of their own. Then Aeetes comes and tells everyone that it is possible that Circe has changed Glaucos and Scylla, as he too possesses such powers and it is called pharmakeia, for they deal in pharmaka and Circe is a pharmakis, a witch.
Divine days fall like water from a cataract, and I had not learned yet the mortal trick of counting them.
Circe is punished by the Olympian god, Zeus and as her punishment, she is to spend eternity on a deserted island which years later she finds out is called Aiaia and she is known as the witch of Aiaia. Here she spends her time collecting herbs, taming wild animals and practicing and perfecting her witchery. She gets her first visitor, the Olympian god, Hermes and he tells her news of far and wide. She also gets mortals as her visitors and when she experiences their cruelty, something in her changes yet again. For centuries, she keeps getting mortal visitors and transforms them into pigs. But when Odysseus comes to her island, everything changes for her completely.
All the world confessed to him. He confessed to me.
I am a huge fan of Greek mythology but I have to say that I have not read much about Circe. Only in passing a paragraph here or there I have read about her, so I was very excited to read something just about her. Her story, re-telling or not, I just wanted to read it. In a word, this was riveting. Circe's story, from her birth to the cruelties of the gods, of her siblings, of everyone around her who always made her feel that she was less than them because she was different even though they were all the same. My heart went out to Circe. First half of the book is thoroughly enchanting. Madeline Miller's writing has a poetic feel to it. It is absolutely brilliant and I found myself re-reading some things, not because it didn't make sense the first time but because it was that captivating.
The second half was a bit slower in comparison and it wasn't as grand as I had expected it to be. I thought things would pick up again and we'll have yet another adventure on our hands but it didn't happen. (view spoiler)[Circe's journey into the motherhood seemed very ordinary. I hate to say this but it was the most boring part of the story for me and I expected so much more after reading such epic things in the first half of the book. (hide spoiler)] Having said that, I still burnt page after page to read Circe's story, her journey and how things would go for her. (view spoiler)[Even though it is Circe's story, my favorite is Telemachus. There was so much simplicity in him that he won my heart like no other. (hide spoiler)] I was devouring and savoring it at the same time. An amazing read overall.
Another novel by Leigh Bardugo in the Grisha Verse, only this time it is the same Darkling's origin short story told in the form of a graphic novel, oAnother novel by Leigh Bardugo in the Grisha Verse, only this time it is the same Darkling's origin short story told in the form of a graphic novel, of course, I had to read it even though I do not like the Darkling but I do love Baghra and the Grisha verse.
I am undecided if I liked this story as a graphic novel or not as it was too short a story but I did love the subtle, muted colored art. And of course, I loved Baghra in this, and even though she was a bit different from how I imagined her, she is equally beautiful and power-radiating.
As a story, it is a four-star read but as a graphic novel, I give this three stars....more
Evangeline's parents passed away and she lives with her stepmother and her stepsister, Marisol. Evangeline believes in happily-ever-after and loves LuEvangeline's parents passed away and she lives with her stepmother and her stepsister, Marisol. Evangeline believes in happily-ever-after and loves Luc but when she finds out that Luc is marrying her stepsister, Marisol, Evangeline believes that Luc must be cursed and she would do anything to undo the curse on Luc and find her happily-ever-after. Evangeline ends up making a deal with one of the Fates who is also known as Jacks the Prince of Hearts to stop Luc's wedding to Marisol. The deal consists of Evangeline kissing three people of his choosing and the wedding is stopped. But Evangeline realises that curses don't always appear as they are and wishes don't always come true in the same form you want them to.
I liked Evangeline but there were times that she annoyed me with her decisions. She had a good heart but sometimes she just refused to see sense even though it was black and white. I loved Jacks and his mysterious persona even though it was all a facade. There wasn't much of a plot but I loved the fantasy elements thrown in there. Each time I would get a little info about the North, I wanted more. I was however thrown by the vampires in the book. The setting did not scream vampires in my opinion. I would have also liked to get more information on the things that happened (view spoiler)[when Evangeline was turned to stone. (hide spoiler)]
I do have to say that I was hooked from the start and the short snappy chapters meant a quick read. I read this on the plane and this made for a perfect getaway whimsical read. The writing was a little too simple for a fantasy but I didn't mind that. This was my first read from Stephanie Garber and I would like to read her other work.
Hag: Forgotten Folktales Retold is a collection of ten short stories or I should say re-tellings of ten short stories. I love short story collections Hag: Forgotten Folktales Retold is a collection of ten short stories or I should say re-tellings of ten short stories. I love short story collections and I love the re-telling versions even better. These are all written by female authors so obviously, I was doubly excited. The original stories are mentioned at the back which was great because I was not familiar with a few of these stories. After reading the collection, I have to say that I was disappointed a lot. I have reviewed each story separately.
1. A Retelling by Daisy Johnson - 1 star Based on - The Green Children of Woolpit
Inherent in retelling is - at first - destruction.
Daisy Johnson starts off this story by telling us that she is asked to do a retelling of The Green Children of Woolpit and then she starts to see this woman who maybe resembles the girl from that original story only now a grownup. This story works like magical realism. I honestly did not like the story or the narration style of it nor do I understand the point of it.
2. Sour Hall by Naomi Booth - 2.5 stars Based on - Ay, We're Flittin'
TW/CW - Miscarriage
Ashleigh and George move to George's parents' farm, Sour hall farm after she inherits the farm. They start working on renovating and also how to make a profit from selling cheese and milk and the likes. It is rumored that the farm is haunted by The Boggart. Ashleigh starts to see some strange things that are somehow related to her past.
This was slow but creepy. I did not particularly like the story but I did like how it connected to Ashleigh's past. This was not bad.
3. Rosheen by Irenosen Okojie - 2.5 stars Based on - The Dauntless Girl
She herself a stranger in the land before she had dreamt of the wide flat skies and horizons, the sprawling dappled green landscape, windmills dotted along the Broads' periphery spinning like moored gods.
Rosheen was born to a Trinidadian father and an Irish mother in Ireland's small County, Kerry. She'd never met her father and when she was all grown up, she leaves the town she grew up in to move to the big city and finds work on a secluded farm where the owner doesn't pay her much and got her to work tirelessly. When she demands her share of the money, she experiences something stranger, stranger than fiction as they say.
This was an eerie story with just enough creepiness. I was on an edge throughout because of the way it was told but the twist wasn't as great as it was built out to be.
4. Between Sea and Sky by Kirsty Logan - 3 stars Based on - The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry
Sometimes the thing we think we're the most sure about actually turns out to be our biggest mistake.
Skye is a single mother working in a small town in Scotland as an archeologist. She is the talk of the town as no one knows who the father of her baby is and she keeps it a secret as well. When the baby's father comes to get the baby exactly six months after the baby, Muir was born, Skye can't stop him. After that the baby, Muir starts to spend six months with his mother and six months with his father until one day, he decides that he wants to spend all his time with his mother.
I really liked the story in this one. By far, this was my favorite story but it had a slow start. I did like the twist and that ending made me so so sad.
5. The Panther's Tale by Mahsuda Snaith - 4 stars Based on - Chillington House
' It is not where I have been that matters,' she says. 'It is where I am going.'
John Giffard collects exotic animals and brings them to his house in Chillington Hall. When he captures a panther that reminds people of the devil himself, things turn out to be even more magical than they could have imagined.
This was the best of the bunch. My favorite story, not only in the way it was told but also because the twist was pretty good. The only complaint is that the ending could have been better.
6. The Tale of Kathleen by Eimear McBride - 0 stars Based on - The Tale of Kathleen
Kathleen loved a young man and he was lost at sea. When Kathleen is given a chance to see the young man once again by a mysterious figure, Kathleen agrees to all the terms, after all, she'd be able to see her love once again. But there's a catch.
I don't know why so many people liked this story but I did not. The main reason is that - this re-telling isn't a re-telling at all, it is a word-to-word story copied from the original tale, even the title is the same. The only thing different is the way the writer added weird details such as, 'we don't know whether her hair was black or ebony, we'll never know.' I was promised a re-telling or at least something different, not the same story.
7. The Sisters by Liv Little - 1.5 stars Based on - The Brothers
Grace and Maya are twins but they are completely different from each other except for the way they look. But as they grow up, turns out that they aren't as different as they once thought.
I did not like the story or the characters or anything else about it. It is also heavy on infidelity which I am not a great fan of. However, the writing was not bad.
8. The Dampness is Spreading by Emma Glass - 1 star Based on - The Fairy Midwife
TW/CW - Child Birth, Miscarriage
Eira is a midwife and she comes across a pregnant young woman. Eira thinks that she knows the young woman and she helps deliver the baby only to find out that things aren't as they seem.
This was not an easy story to read. I wish this came with trigger warnings. Horror is one thing but this was on another level. Also, after reading the original, I have to say that the original was way way way better.
9. The Droll of the Mermaid: Natasha Carthew - 4 stars Based on - The Mermaid and the Man of Cury
Lowan has a family secret, the one that comes with a great cost. When it's time for Lowan to pay the cost, he comes up with something completely unexpected and things turn around for him.
I see a lot of people not liking this story mainly because of the grammatical errors. So, the copy I have did not have any of those issues, the grammar was spot on so maybe that's why I enjoyed it more. I also liked the story and the message that it sends. After reading the original story, I'll say that this is more like an extended version down a few generations rather than a full-on re-telling but it works here, at least for me. I liked it a lot.
10. The Holloway by Imogen Hermes Gowar - 4 stars Based on - Old Farmer Mole
TW/CW - Domestic violence/abuse, Manipulation
Evie witnesses domestic violence caused by her father toward her mother. Her brother, Luke tells her a story of Pixies who live in their garden and beyond. Evie doesn't believe him until her wish comes true.
This works in a magical realism way too. Was it magic or was it a coincidence or was it real? A simple story rooted in domestic violence/abuse and how it affects people around it. I quite liked the ending.
As I have said that some of these were good but the majority didn't work for me. And these should come with trigger warnings.
Arwen is the oldest child. Her father died a decade ago and she looks after her mother and her younger sister. Arwen is a hunter and she lives in CindArwen is the oldest child. Her father died a decade ago and she looks after her mother and her younger sister. Arwen is a hunter and she lives in Cinder village. Cinder village is quite far from the Jade city, capital of Embergate which is where the Dragon king lives. Although the village is quite removed from the main fares, they still get by as they have coal mines and a lot of visitors as the visitors have to cross the Cinder village to go from one kingdom to another.
It's May day today and Arwen is looking forward to it as whoever you end up kissing on May day would become your spouse. On that very day, it is announced that the Dragon king is looking for a wife and every female even with a quarter of dragon magic is to tested by the Royal guard. Arwen is a watered-down human with a mere ten percent dragon magic lineage so she need not worry until her mother tells her to run and not to be found by the Royal guard.
I don't know where to start from so let's start from the very first paragraph. When I was reading the very first paragraph, all I could think of was Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. Arwen is the exact copy of Katniss (only not at all cool). Arwen is the hunter in the family, her father is dead, she has a younger sister and her mother to look after. Also, the way the writer was going on and on about how Arwen is so different from the other girls - I think this trope needs to be gone forever now. This trope has been done to death and I can't believe that it is still a thing in 2022. Arwen only wears trousers, Arwen doesn't care about wearing beautiful dresses. Only for Arwen to look at the first dress and drool. Ugh! I really wanted to like Arwen and I did for the first few pages but she just became this walking annoying cliché of all the things that I hate in a female MC that I couldn't bring myself to care for her.
The Dragon king, Drae was also insufferable. I don't want to go in too much detail as I feel like I have wasted enough time on this read. Drae was married and he lost his wife to child birth and new born children to still births. His wife was his best friend and he loved her dearly. But after meeting Arwen and knowing her for a couple of weeks, he says to Arwen that he's never loved anyone else like he loves her (Arwen) and that too next to his ex-wife and his children's graves and I mean seriously? I feel that was really disrespectful. Why does it always has to be like this?
Regina was the only character that I liked and the way her character was dealt with was appalling.
The plot sounded good but it was handled very very poorly. The writing was worse than when I used to write fan fiction as a ten-year-old. The writing also seemed very contemporary. One reviewer mentioned that it seems watt padd-y and for the lack of a better word I agree. An example of the writing is - what is wrong with this dude? This is a direct line from the book. The language used in this was horrendous. My texts are written better than this book. The book is only 335 pages long that too with big print so that's probably the only best part as it was a relatively quick read. Other than that this was a disaster. If this book had come out a decade ago, I would have rated it higher but because it came out in 2022, I can't rate it higher than half a star because all the tropes that should be retired now are all used here. And pretty much everything is wrong with this. At this time, I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.
Moth Hush loves all things witchy. She dresses up as a witch on Halloween and all she wants is to do real magic. Her wish comes true when she actuallyMoth Hush loves all things witchy. She dresses up as a witch on Halloween and all she wants is to do real magic. Her wish comes true when she actually ends up doing real magic but it freaks her out. Moth finds out that she belongs to a legendary family of very powerful witches and the town's history isn't as accurate as the books say it is. Moth can't wait to learn to know more about her powers but her mum isn't so keen on all things witchy. Would Moth be able to learn about her ancestry somehow?
I was excited to read this but I have to say that I am left underwhelmed. I like the art in this, it is very cute and apt for fall/Halloween theme. I really liked Moth too. But other than that everything fell flat for me. The story brings nothing new to the table. This premise has been done a gazillion times. I really wanted to like this but there was something lacking. Even though, this didn't work out great, I would still read the next in the series.