this was unneccesarily messy. i literally had to read the same pages over and over because i couldn't undestand a freaking thing of what was beimeeeeh
this was unneccesarily messy. i literally had to read the same pages over and over because i couldn't undestand a freaking thing of what was being described. i'm not actually sure i did, even after i finished it, to be honest. ...more
"You were meant to fly, Bryn, but they clipped your wings," Niamh whispered, and Bryn felt the power of those words, and what they meant, infuse he
"You were meant to fly, Bryn, but they clipped your wings," Niamh whispered, and Bryn felt the power of those words, and what they meant, infuse her. "It's time to get back into the sky. Hard to burn a witch from up there."
wanna know what happens when i let my cat pick up my next read? this happens.
ugggggghhhhhhhhhhh i'm so mad at this book for starting so well, for decwanna know what happens when i let my cat pick up my next read? this happens.
ugggggghhhhhhhhhhh i'm so mad at this book for starting so well, for deceiving me into believing i was going to love it to pieces, for gaslighing my mind into imagining a mixture between henry cavilla and baldur's gate's astarion as darriel, only for the entire book to fall apart and consequently take an unfortunate 180 turn in a shittier direction that left me unsatisfied, frustrated and confused af. damn you, ariana cane. i've already bought book 2. you better fix this mess and give me the problematic vampire boyfriend love i was promised. ...more
The trouble with discovery is that it goes both ways. For you to find something, that thing must also find you.
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There's nothing in this world that fascinates me and, at the same time, terrifies me as much as the Mariana Trench. I love and fear not knowing what might be lurking out (and down) there, what creatures might be hiding in the darkness of the bottom of the oceans. So, it's with immense pleasure that I give this book 5 full stars for taking one of my favorite natural elements and marrying it to a tale so well written and so terrifying, I will be recommending it to everyone who likes this genre for ages, starting from now. I also will never swim in the sea ever again.
I'm usually not that impressionable when it comes to horror books and I've never fully understood those readers who claim they were scared by a book to the point they had to turn on the lights or stop reading for a moment; that is, until I met this book. I was so on edge reading this I found myself checking behind my shoulder more than once, looking for hostile mermaids, even if I was in my bed, on the second floor on my condo, in the middle of the swampy small town I live in. Grant's writing is superb, but the way she crafted this story is even better. From the characters to the dialogues, everything was remarkable; I will never not praise the way she can build up a scene and leave you mouth agape in front of the honest brutality of her plot twists. And holy shit, I love that I went into this with no expectations and came out with a slight thalassophobia and a huge amount of nightmares, but also so entertained and thrilled I fell in love with horror books all over again.
I know it took me almost 2 weeks to read this, but don't let that fool you. I only was too busy to read because, otherwise, I'd drank this up in one sitting. Seriously, this might be the best horror book I've ever read and it's unfair it's so painfully underrated. Into The Drowning Deep is a fantastic story full of rich lore, science talks, disability representation (there are, for example, an autistic character and two deaf ones) and a very cute f/f romance that will make you hope for a happy ending.
If you love the genre, please give this book a chance. Remember: it doesn't matter whether you're on mainland or sea. Fictional or not, if there's something around big and bad enough to eat you, it will definitely try to.
A család nem egy fontos dolog. A család a legfontosabb. That was a phrase my dad said a lot. “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”
A
A család nem egy fontos dolog. A család a legfontosabb. That was a phrase my dad said a lot. “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”
Absolutely loved this one and not just because it was full of spice and and amazing quotes. Sure, the writing is a bit repetitive after a while, and some situations seem copy-pasted from the previous books, but there was a lot going on and I can say by now that I'm definitely hooked on this series. I'm gonna take a break from it tho, before I forget how to read other books.
“How do we know this isn’t some setup? That he’s telling them where we are and to come attack us?” “We don’t.” Warwick tipped his chin down, our bodies close, his gaze heavy, his physique immersing mine. “But I have a feeling he really doesn’t want to start a war with me. One he knows he won’t win. I am the legend, Warwick Farkas, after all.” “Having some trouble fitting that ego in this universe?” “No, but I am having trouble fitting my dick in these pants right now.”
(Honestly, I don't even know why this quote made me laugh so much, but I love it when grumpy characters get sarcastic once they warm up to their LI and their entourage of pictoresque friends)
I love the side characters almost as much as I like the main ones (Opie and Blitzy and Ash and Rosie and Luk and Birdie are my faves), but most of all, I love how everyone in these books is obsessed with Brexley and Warwick's sex life. I mean...that FarkAss...more
Eagerly reading this series -read this book in a freaking day??- like my life depends
"Te valodi vagy… sötét démonom."
You are real… my dark demon.
Eagerly reading this series -read this book in a freaking day??- like my life depends on it. Thanks to whoever suggested it to me. You guys are definitely gonna pay for my therapy but I eventually owe you all a fruit basket for the rec. We've got plenty of ...more
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Jokes aside, what the frick?? This books was an emotional rollercoaster I wasn't fully prepared for. As always, I have to thank SK because her reading updates convinced me to add this book to my tbr, and (obviously) Iqra, because her review was the final push I needed to finally pick this up. And, man, I'll need time to recover.
If I had to draw comparisons, I'd say The Book of Azrael is part House of Earth and Blood, part Angelfall, with a few elements that also reminded me of Savage Lands. Hence, it was a win right from the start.
The setup was original and one of the things I liked the most about this book is definitely the plot; I had a lot of fun uncovering mysteries, learning about lore and betrayals, meeting the colorful cast of fantastic creatures, and following Dianna and Liam on their extremely bloody journey. And, of course, speaking of these two. The slow burn was to die for. I mean...I just couldn't decide if I liked Dianna or Liam more, but then I said fuck it, and cheered in bi, going for both. Also, YAY?!?! both mcs are openly bi (or pan, not specified, but I know for sure both are not het). Thanks, Amber Nicole for making it a thing and for introducing it so naturally that their sexuality is part of their person, not their personality.
Dianna is an intense main character and one I totally see myself relating to. She's, despite all the shit she's been through and the trauma, a real badass and it's so refreshing, for once, to have a main character that is extra gray and unapologetically terrifying. I adored her relationship with Gabby and her POV was extraordinary. Liam's narration was equally as entertaining and his character is probably my favorite, because I felt like he was really unique. He wasn't just a broody alpha male with a troubled past and a temper, if you get what I mean. There's substance to his character, there's a reason behind his actions.
Now, I know you're probably wondering why I rated this only 3 and a half stars if I ended up liking this so much. For one, the writing was okay, but it didn't impress me. I found the prose to be alright at most and I definitely noticed some dialogues and lines were repeated more than once; the narration was great, like I said, but it was also a bit too info-dumpy in terms of world-building in the first chapters. You'd imagine that in a book so long, you'd have the chance to learn things little by little, but that wasn't the case. Ironically, for a lore so verbose, I admit there were times I was introduced to new characters and terms in a rushed way, like I was already supposed to know who and what these people and creatures were, even though it was my first time reading about them. In short, I was a little bored. And confused. Sooooo confused. Also, (and may this be an admonition for all authors -but I'm looking at you in particular, SJM) please, for the love of our petty lord and reluctant savior cardan greenbriar, stop describing every single piece of clothing characters wear. I'm not Tim Gunn. I don't care.
Least but not last, I literally can't enjoy a character properly when they're centuries old and act like they're in their 20s. Seriously, it's a bookish pet peeve of mine that I'm afraid I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. Liam's characterizarion was okay, I guess, but Dianna felt sometimes too...young? I expected her to be more stoic in her private life like she was during fights, to the point I couldn't taker her seriously when she acted so ooc. That's details, though. She was perfect, overall.
Wish I could say the same about that ending. Iqra, I don't care how cute you are, how much I love you or if this is payback for recommending Zodiac Academy to you. You're paying for my therapy. And nope, hugs don't count as payment. (But I'll take some, anyway)
ACTUAL RATINGS 3,5/5 (Ratings may change in the future, but for now I can't bring myself to give this 4 full stars.)
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this book....more
I wish I could say everything sounds better in space (oxymoron check), but this book would be the p
There’s nothing to be gained from looking back.
I wish I could say everything sounds better in space (oxymoron check), but this book would be the proof that, unfortunately, it does not. I don't know what I expected from this book, but it definitely wasn't this approximate mess that's anything but an horror story. If I have to be completely honest, the first half of the story was very intriguing; I actually appreciated the writing format and couldn't wait to break through the main character's hard and flawed shell. In short, this book and its plot, had all the potential to become a spooky sci-fi thriller worthy of its title.
Unfortunately, it somehow all went downhill after the one true tension-filled moment of the entire book. The rest of the book fell short for what concerns the writing and the story itself went through a painful proccess that turned what could have been an entertaining and scary novel, into a dull bunch of rushed action scenes and random paranormal events. I mean...I don't ask for much, but it'd be nice to finish a stantalone and, unless it's an open-ending type of book, not have any questions about the plot or aspects of it. I know some authors leave you high and dry because they're sadists and like to create a mystery around their novels, but in this case, it feels more like oversight than purpose, and it left me baffled. And not in a positive way. The climax that the author had been building since the beginning, deflated faster than you can say "mediocre". I don't usually use the words anticlimatic and overwhelming lightly, but...
I wanted Alien on paper. I expected blood and terror and terrifying cannibal shapeshifter creatures, but I guess it wasn't my turn to be satisfied.
I don't have much time to read lately so i just keep listening to every single audiobook I own and this is one
“Suffering is meant for the living.”
I don't have much time to read lately so i just keep listening to every single audiobook I own and this is one of them. And, well...it was weird. I mean...not weird as in, what the fuck did I just read, but weird as in am I actually supposed to find this hot? I'm not sure if I should turn a blind eye and pretend the plot is just optional topping sprinkled on top of a heavily questionable romance, but that's what I did, anyway. I'm not talking about the relationship itself being problematic or unhealthy (even tho we could objectively say it is) because we've already established I'm not a sensitive reader when it comes to toxic fictional pairings. No, my main issues with this book -and its romance in particular- are that, one, I didn't like neither Sara nor Pestilence; two, I didn't feel no real reason as to why the two main characters would ever happen to choose each other and the unbearably cheesy insta-lust/love killed the enemies-to-lovers vibes; and three, I can't take anything seriously if one of said main characters is called fucking Pestilence with a straight face. I lost count of how many times I cringed while reading Sara call her sexy Horseman by his full and very unsexy given name. At least give the poor guy a nickname? I started calling him Lance after I couldn't take it anymore, and I gotta say it helped, even though the whole thing really wasn't that salvageable, after all.
Now, am I the only one who sees Taylor Kitsch on the cover???
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Loved the narrator! She's incredibly funny and one of the reasons why this book is actually 2 stars instead of just one.
"Plenty of organisms live for a season, in order for those who come next to have a chance, Mayflies, daffodils, the octopus. We can accept that?" "W
"Plenty of organisms live for a season, in order for those who come next to have a chance, Mayflies, daffodils, the octopus. We can accept that?" "Well, we're hardwired not to accept our own demise. Daffodils are a lot more chill about it." "Okay, but we can be like daffodils together."
in case anyone's wondering, gays n mysteries in space might be one of my new favorite tropes. as for this book, i probably enjoyed the execution more than i did the story itself, and i definitely didn't expect it to be so...heavy, but i enjoyed it and now i'm considering asking Boyfriend for a tiny personal rover for my birthday. i found the plot to be a bit slow and there were plotholes here and there that made zero sense, but it was overall an okay and cute read. btw i never thought i'd see the day where i'd find myself not enjoying a book too much because of its evident YA-ness, but here i am.
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Not gonna lie. At this point, I'm only staying for the characters dynamics and relationships because I couldn't care less
Ignite, my love. Ignite.
Not gonna lie. At this point, I'm only staying for the characters dynamics and relationships because I couldn't care less about the plot. I mean, I love it that it's pretty dark and gruesome for a YA book, but I've seen tons of books like this one and I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much. On the other hand, I luuuuurve Mafi's writing, Kenji, Juliette, and I've also gotten surprisingly fond of Juliette's psycho little boyfriend and his Barney Stinson suit collection. He's too sexy for my twisted mind to let that one pass. Sorry it didn't work with you, Darkling...more
“Because I think I’d been looking for it all my life—a storm in my body to match the one in my head.”
Insomnia hit again last night. Couldn't sleep
“Because I think I’d been looking for it all my life—a storm in my body to match the one in my head.”
Insomnia hit again last night. Couldn't sleep so I looked for something to read, like I usually do, because books are the only thing that keep my anxiety at bay when I can't sleep from it. Unfortunately, I left my kindle charging in the kitchen and couldn't go fetch it. This was the only book present on the kindle fire I have on my nightstand, so it had to do. Read almost half of it in one sitting. Not to be dramatic or anything, but this book saved my night.
And it totally made my day, as well. I finished it in, eight hours total, I think? After devouring the first 100 pages, I managed to scrap my eyes off of the pages and read some reviews. I was not surprised to see a lot of them were positive, but I was also not surprised at all to find there were a tons of negative ones, as well. I can tell this is not a book made for everyone as it's crude, gory, unapologetically dark and so intense it takes a big stomach and a good set of detachment skills to get through it without fainting. It'll totally make you scrunch up your nose, anyway, but your experience will definitely be easiler if you can keep your disgust under control while reading some scenes.
I also think it's one of those books you must be in the right mood to appreciate. It can also be a bit triggery and if it's gory horror factor wasn't enough, read it would make your skin crawl if you compare the plot to the current events that have been shaking up our lives the past few years. I loved Hetty as a main character. You get to be inside her head for the majority of the book, and she's an exquisitely complicated, interesting and discerning host. Power's writing is lovely and a knife to the heart at the same time. I tried reading her Burn Our Bodies Down, last winter, but put it aside almost immediately because I couldn't get into it. As I said, this entire book is the right experience one must do at the right time. Loved that ending. A bit rushed, but theatrical and dramatic enough to give the whole book justice....more
I’ll give you everything I am. Everything but one part—the worst of me. That I’ll take with me to my grave.
After a bit of thought, I decided to write
I’ll give you everything I am. Everything but one part—the worst of me. That I’ll take with me to my grave.
After a bit of thought, I decided to write a single review for the entire trilogy, because, ironically, I can't seem to write a proper review when I truly loved a book. Isn't that frustrating???
Anyway... It's been a long time since I last read an entire series back to back, in a matter of days. I started Trial By Fire almost by chance, because I didn't know what to read next so I let my tbr shelf pick for me. I really didn't have any expectations for it, especially because I usually end up getting disappointed by a YA book that came out many years ago. Boy was I surprised when I found out this wasn't the case. It got me immediately and after I started, I couldn't stop reading. Lily is an incredible main character. She's probably became my favorite of the whole YA heroine scenario. yes, she's nothing but flawless, but she's also very passionate, selfless and charitable, which, in my book means the pros outweigh the cons. I'm a very calm and patient person in real life and I'm used to keeping a cool head in front of adversities so I really related to the way she handled problems and was (mostly) reasonable most of the time. I also couldn't have asked for better side characters even if I wanted to. I loved how easily (and a bit unrealistically) the whole gang came together and how easily people accepted the new reality they were thrown into (also a bit unrealistic but who really cares at this point). The romance is heart-wrenching and , although it plays a big role in the story, it's never overwhelming. I appreciated the fact that Rowan and Lily were not one of those fictional couples that keep their positive or negative feelings for themselves creating useless drama and unecessary angst. Even the "love triangle" (love square?) thing is played out in the best way. I read Angelini's Starcossed series a while ago and I remember liking it a lot, but the part I really loved was how friendship and family dynamics were shaped and it only got better with the Worldwalker trilogy. I'll never get over how good of a team Lily and her friends were. Also, Rowan, Caleb and Tristan slaying bad guys was the hottest thing ever.
Anyway, while the characters were some of the best I've ever read in a book of this genre, it's the plot that really sold this entire series for me. It's extraordinarily crafted, easily understandable, well written, full of shocking moments that make your heart run wild, and with an original magic system that made me wish this particular crucible witches, their mechanics and the whole stone business appeared in more books about witches and magic in general.
Can you believe it took me 6 years to find my new favorite trilogy??
i really need to stop adding books to my tbr just because there's a blond, bearded, muscular hottie on the cover
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jokes asDNFing this at 24%
i really need to stop adding books to my tbr just because there's a blond, bearded, muscular hottie on the cover
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jokes aside, there's something about this book that doesn't really convince me. I mean, it's not even actually that bad and I don't really mind the plot (I don't know if I read this wrong, but this is some sort of Beauty and the Beast retelling, which are my absolute favorites?), but I'm not a fan of the writing (the format is a tad confusing, too) and the build-up is sort of underwhelming. The main character is also incredibly annoying, and in my book, an hateful main character weights more than a thousand bearded hotties.
Seriously, though. If that's not enough of an explanation as for why I'm abandoning this after only 60 pages, just think that, when I first started this, I was incredibly pumped because from the very beginning it seemed great and I was totally getting into it. I then noticed the names of the characters were not the ones I read on the books blurb so I went back to the menu and, surprise! I accidentally started reading the whole thing from a random point in the book that also turned out to be one of those bonus prologues of the author's other works they sometimes put at the end of a book. ...more
Not that I didn't like it, eh. I've definitely read worse, but as far as third installments go, I think this is the weakest book of the bunch. I'm mad because I didn't love this. Is that too petty? I don't know, maybe I've outgrown this series, maybe the writing just felt kind of off, but I'm sure I could read this a thousand times and I still would settle with a 3-star rating. And that's one star too many, but nostalgic affection and all that, The thing is, there are too many things in this book that kept me from loving it as I expected I would when I decided to put off reading it, and I think they're all related to the characters. I'm usually a character-driven story person, so you'll understand that the moment I saw some of my favorite characters being turned into caricatures of themselves, I definitely wasn't happy about it.
I felt like the romance was too prominent, right from the start, and it totally felt like it took over the other plots, including the main ones. And this is coming from someone who almost considers romance a requirement when reading a book and despite its genre. Like, seriously, that was just too much and it kind of went against one of the messages of the first book, which was that Squad 312 was first and foremost a family. Sure, if you're the Cullens that's gold, but I was so excited about the whole found family aspect of this story that it made me cringe how easy it was to brush off friendships and sibling bonds in favor of hormones. And holy shit what in the fresh hell even was the whole thing at the beginning between Tyler and Saedii? I'm still cringing.
Kristoff and Kaufan's writing is pleasant, familiar and well-crafted even if, I'm gonna be honest, I caught myself wishing this book was shorter more than once, at some point. Anyway, the concept was alright. I, in fact, really liked the sci-fi aspect of this book, especially (view spoiler)[the time travel twists (hide spoiler)]. I also adored Zila's storyline, some of the twists we get towards the end and the fact that Fin is on the cover.
So yeah, I don't want to be that person and praise a book only because I'm attached to the thought of how excited and interested the first book made me, but I also don't think this book is a terrible one. It just faded off weakly and maybe I should give the authors credit for ending it with this one instead of dragging it on forever. Now, that would be a real bitching experience! ...more
The Sequel Curse strikes again. RIP, Aurora Burning. You won't be missed.
When I started this book
The only way out is thorough.
Holy Flop, Batman.
The Sequel Curse strikes again. RIP, Aurora Burning. You won't be missed.
When I started this book, two weeks ago, I would have thought anything possible, except me giving this less 5 stars. But I was obviously wrong because, guess what? This book was a big disappointment. I found the plot to be incredibly dull, especially considering this book takes place in the action-packed heart of a chain of events that started in book one. I think it maybe was too long, but I also think that wasn't the main issue. The biggest problem, in my opinion, are the characters. In Aurora Rising I would have given a kidney and a whole hand for Squad 312 without blinking once. Aurora Burning, however, turned them all into a bunch of incoherent, shallow individuals who have all but detached themselves from the characters I met and started to adore in book 1. Aurora in particular. I'm sorry they did you so dirty in this one, love. And, speaking of love. Puh-lease. What was that bad excuse of a romance and friendship?? Should we take it for real or just collectively decide to turn a blind eye on it and pretend it was just a pipe dream gone bad? I mean, it would have been okay if only it didn't crumble like a cracker in a mixer at the first adversity for the sake of spicing the plot up like apparently every sequel needs to do by some questionable, unspoken rule.
It pains me deeply to say this, but I'd gladly pretend this book never happened if it means book 3 will fix everything this one ruined....more
astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters)
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