I thought it was an interesting idea, but the reality fell short. If taken at face value it was a sweet story, but then you look beyond the surface, tI thought it was an interesting idea, but the reality fell short. If taken at face value it was a sweet story, but then you look beyond the surface, there were parts that were bordering on the ridiculous (the part about Simon's conception, for example). The behaviour of some of the characters were inconstant with the time period and their social status. They behaved in ways people simply wouldn't. No Duke's heir would be allowed in the army. It just wouldn't happen. I can accept some inconsistencies for the sake of a good story, but these inconsistencies had no merit.
And don't even get me started on the writing. While the first few chapters looked to be edited and proofread (and am referring to the chapters that would be included in the sample) as you got past there, there were so many typos that it just threw me out of the story. There were full stops (periods) in the MIDDLE of sentences, there were missing speech marks, there were unnecessary words in the middle of sentences (i.e. '...I she...' ?. There is clearly no need for both.
If you can get it for free (as I did) it can be a fun, light read, but I recommend that you don't waste even a single penny on it.
Merged review:
I thought it was an interesting idea, but the reality fell short. If taken at face value it was a sweet story, but then you look beyond the surface, there were parts that were bordering on the ridiculous (the part about Simon's conception, for example). The behaviour of some of the characters were inconstant with the time period and their social status. They behaved in ways people simply wouldn't. No Duke's heir would be allowed in the army. It just wouldn't happen. I can accept some inconsistencies for the sake of a good story, but these inconsistencies had no merit.
And don't even get me started on the writing. While the first few chapters looked to be edited and proofread (and am referring to the chapters that would be included in the sample) as you got past there, there were so many typos that it just threw me out of the story. There were full stops (periods) in the MIDDLE of sentences, there were missing speech marks, there were unnecessary words in the middle of sentences (i.e. '...I she...' ?. There is clearly no need for both.
If you can get it for free (as I did) it can be a fun, light read, but I recommend that you don't waste even a single penny on it....more
I read this book in the space of a day because I simply could not put it down. It gripped me from the beginning and wouldn't let me go.
What stopped mI read this book in the space of a day because I simply could not put it down. It gripped me from the beginning and wouldn't let me go.
What stopped me from giving it five stars was the few periods of repetitiveness, although that was probably more obvious to me because I read it in one day. Had I read it over the course of a few days, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. I also didn't like the fact that everyone paired of and got married. I don't think there was anyone alone at the end of the book. I found that a little irritating. These points are minor, however, and definitely not worth missing out on reading this book.
Merged review:
I read this book in the space of a day because I simply could not put it down. It gripped me from the beginning and wouldn't let me go.
What stopped me from giving it five stars was the few periods of repetitiveness, although that was probably more obvious to me because I read it in one day. Had I read it over the course of a few days, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. I also didn't like the fact that everyone paired of and got married. I don't think there was anyone alone at the end of the book. I found that a little irritating. These points are minor, however, and definitely not worth missing out on reading this book....more
I love myths and legends, so a book based on Greek mythology was right up my alley. It follows 16-year-old Rachel who has the power to make any man faI love myths and legends, so a book based on Greek mythology was right up my alley. It follows 16-year-old Rachel who has the power to make any man fall in love with her with a kiss. But she wants true love, and how is she meant to get that if any boy she kisses becomes a slave? Quite the conundrum, one that produced some interesting reactions. Now this is where I have my first problem. The blurb specifically mentioned boy, so what happens if Rachel kisses a girl? The only time this is mentioned in the book is in relation to a Hedoness’ powers not working on another Hedoness (no mention of human girls anywhere). The other problem I had was that some of the characters fell a bit flat. Rachel’s best friend Marissa was a caricature of a mean girl with no reason why she treated Rachel like crap except a hint that it was because her mother wasn’t around. It was mentioned that Rachel and Marissa had no choice but to be friends with each other (because they’re not allowed to pick their friends at the Hedoness school they go to) but it was never mentioned why this was the case. Marissa was written to be the exact opposite of Rachel and never really as a character in her own right. Rachel hated the idea of controlling a boy, so Marissa revelled in it. Rachel wanted true love, so Marissa wanted meaningless adoration. Rachel wanted to question authority and poke holes at things that didn’t make sense, so Marissa wanted to blindly follow the rules because they were the rules. All in all, this would have been a solid 4 stars for me, if it wasn’t for the instances of racism throughout, and I don’t mean within the plot. Being a Gujarati girl, I was quite excited to read a book where the main character was a Gujarati girl, yet the more I read, the more I realised the only reason the character was Gujarati was so the white author could tick a diversity box (even though she could have done that by exploring the characters’ sexuality, which would have actually contributed to the plot). All the mentions of Indian characteristics seems to have been found through a quick google search, with little consideration for the accuracy or context. For example, it was mentioned that Rachel’s house is decorated in red because they are Indian. The only time red matters in Indian culture is at a wedding where the bride wears red for luck. That statement is the equivalent of saying an English character decorates their house in all white because they wear a white gown at their wedding. No, just no. Another massive turn off for me was the fact Rachel’s mother, Priya always wore a saree just to draw attention to the fact that she was Indian (I will tell you now, most Indian women were age would never wear a saree every day because they are impractical and not really fashionable (the sarees you see at weddings are NOT the sarees worn every day). Priya kept “adjusting” the pallu of her saree every so often. I’m not sure what she was “adjusting” but the last time I wore a saree and the pallu needed adjusting, I had to do it in the bathroom with five of my aunts to help. A saree is not a ‘one second adjustment and everything is fine’ kind of clothing. I would assume that she was fiddling with it as more of a nervous gesture, but that wasn’t what was written. If you like Greek mythology, give this a read, but be warned if you are Indian because all these little ‘look at the Gujarati character I have created’ details will throw you out of the book. ...more
**spoiler alert** This book had all the classic Maria V. Snyder plot twists that I love, along with the same loveable characters. Nothing is quite as **spoiler alert** This book had all the classic Maria V. Snyder plot twists that I love, along with the same loveable characters. Nothing is quite as it seems and any plans they've made all go up in smoke so they have to form new ones. In that respect, I have nothing negative to say about the book. What I didn't like was that, after a lot of speculation, what happened to Zitora's sister seemed a little anti-climactic.
***WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD*** Zitora's sister disappeared eleven years ago. In those eleven years, she never heard from, or of, her sister. Two years ago, Zitora went in search of her and disappeared as well. This story starts with Opal receiving a coded letter from Zitora, asking for help. Of course Opal goes. When she gets there she finds that Zitora and Zelene (the sister) are being held captive by Zelene's husband. Apparently they used to have a loving relationship until the husband's mother tried to poison the husband and he became a paranoid recluse. Now, unless the mother poisoned her son at the beginning of the relationship (in which case it wasn't really one filled with love), there would have still been time for Zelene to write a letter to Zitora saying how she has found this incredible man and has married him and is very happy. She should have been able to write about the birth of her sons (which I am assuming happened before the poisoning as well, since she started poisoning herself once her husband changed and was held prisoner). So why didn't she? Her sons are six and three -- that is a lot of time to remain silent. I also found the ending too convenient. The husband realises the error of his ways after Zelene runs away with her sons? Opal uses the excuse that Devlen managed to change, but Devlen had to go through a lot in order to change, this man just had his family run away from him. It could be true (and Zitora did read his mind), but it all seemed a little convenient. And then I read the end. The only conclusion I can draw is that the events of this book were specifically designed to get Opal out of the way so someone could get to Devlen and Reema. I don't think it did Zitora justice at all, which is a shame because I found her an interesting character in the other books. For the price and the fact that it's going to a good cause, I'm not too disappointed. I just think it's a shame that readers are forced to read this in order to understand the final book in the Study series. ...more
I never thought I would be giving Richelle Mead a two star review, yet that is all a book with mediocre characters, substandard plots and plot holes aI never thought I would be giving Richelle Mead a two star review, yet that is all a book with mediocre characters, substandard plots and plot holes aplenty deserves.
First of all I want to say this was a sweet romance, but that was part of the problem - it was a romance. Now I'm fine with alternate historical fiction as a sub-genre of fantasy, but the storylines usually feature something else. This was based on romance through and through. Adelaide runs away to avoid an arranged marriage and seeks to marry someone else. Her life is further complicated when she falls for someone she shouldn't. There is nothing else.
Adelaide is a week character at best. I had a little hope for her when she ran away and decided to take her future into her own hands, but that was the only time she really did anything. Every other time there was an obstacle in her path, she was ready to give up until someone else came along to save her and pull her out of whatever mess she'd landed herself in. There were far too many coincidences and Adelaide was never given a chance to prove her worth, to fight for what she wanted, whether physically or intellectually.
Then there are the two other characters in the book, Mira and Tamsin. They seemed far more interesting, and by the looks of it, more determined to fight for their futures. Unfortunately, we don't really see any of this, only bits and pieces. There are a lot of questions surrounding the other girls. Mead has already stated there will be two more books in this series, each featuring one of these girls. That would explain the lack of information. Unfortunately for this book is means that their storylines are left unfinished and it left me completely unsatisfied. Mead could have quite easily condensed the books into one and made a complete story.
I think Mead writes paranormal really well, but I don't think I will ever be reading a fantasy novel from her again. Seriously disappointed. ...more
I am actually struggling with whether I like this book or not. I loved the first one, and on the surface this was just as amazing, but the more I thinI am actually struggling with whether I like this book or not. I loved the first one, and on the surface this was just as amazing, but the more I think about it, the more I realise there were a lot of underdeveloped plot in this book.
The first was Cal and Mare. I absolutely adore them and I want them to be together, but those feelings stem from their interaction in the first book, not this one. Their relationship in this one was jerky at best. One moment they were distant, the next they were close and then they were angry with each other. There wasn't really any fluidity. While it is easy to reason away their changes in behaviour, it's difficult to actually see it changing in the storyline as you read.
One thing I liked was how Mare dove into saving the newbloods and how she made the hard decision not to save the little legion who were being led to their slaughter. It showed another, uglier side to Mare that a lot of YA authors shy away from. It was a side that forgot her family and was willing to sacrifice people to gain results. Humans are not perfect and Mare showed this. I also love the introduction of a character that forced her to see this. It led to her trying to save the little legion in the end.
The ending is one thing I wasn't sure about. While it was powerful and full of emotion, it also led right back to the situation Mare was trying to avoid in the beginning. It almost rendered the entire book obsolete - almost. I say almost because Mare and the reds did gain something - all the newbloods she managed to recruit.
I still want to read the next book, if only to see what Aveyard does with it. ...more
The Dark Heart reads like Little Red Riding hood from the perspective of the big bag wolf, and this is no children's fairy tale.
Corin Albrecht, PrincThe Dark Heart reads like Little Red Riding hood from the perspective of the big bag wolf, and this is no children's fairy tale.
Corin Albrecht, Prince of Alfheim, has been given a ultimatum by his mother to marry someone of his choosing within three weeks, or she will chose a bride for him, and the woman she has in mind is cruel and power hungry. With little options available, he sets his sights on a human woman who he'd met before, a woman who is already half-way in love with him. He uses Claudette's feeling to manipulate her into travelling to the land of the elves and become his wife.
This book leaves you feeling sorry for the wolf as he devours the innocent Claudette, and hating the woman who pushed him into this wicked role. It is a book wrought with sexual tension, regular tension and tear-jerking scenes.
I thoroughly recommend his book to anyone who likes ambiguous characters, beautiful writing and brilliant plots. ...more
To be fair, I want to point out that I never finished this book. I just couldn't. I love Beauty and the Beast, so I was excited when I picked this up.To be fair, I want to point out that I never finished this book. I just couldn't. I love Beauty and the Beast, so I was excited when I picked this up. It started out lovely enough, even if the prose seemed a little long-winded at times, but then I got to the end of part 1 and realised nothing had really happened. Really, think about it.
All we have is Beauty's father's business going under and the family having to move to another part of the country where there is a forest no one goes into. That was it. That took 60 pages of the 260 pages in the book? Really? Sorry, but I didn't see the point.
I actually skimmed the next part to see if it would pick up. Beauty still hadn't met the Beast yet! We are now half way through the book! From this point on, all I can see happening is that everything that happens once Beauty meets the Beast will be rushed because if the writer takes this long to set the story up, there is no way there is enough time to develop a satisfying relationship between Beauty and the Beast, especially as I'm not even sure when the two do meet. I could only see this book ending in frustration on my part, so I thought it safer to just leave it alone. ...more
*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review*
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It was well written and the author managed to creat*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review*
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It was well written and the author managed to create an eerie atmosphere that was perfect for the genre and target audience. Unfortunately, the book was riddled with two-dimensional characters and plot holes, and the story never felt like it was going anywhere. It was all pretty prose and scenes with little substance.
Contrary to what the blurb implies, this book is actually spilt into three different storylines: Honoria (the main character according to the blurb), Lady Elizabeth Clifford (the witch) and Albertine (a random girl from the 1800s who gets lost in Witchwood hollow). Since the book is fairly short, having parallel storylines doesn't really work very well. There wasn't enough room to explore any of the storylines fully and the author would have been better off sticking to just one.
Let's start with Honoria as she's supposed to be the main character. I was actually looking forward to this storyline. She is a girl who lost her parents during 9/11, and the author actually does a good job exploring the character's feelings about the aftermath, moving town and dealing with her parents death. When she hears that there might be a way to bring her parents back, she's willing to try because a 15-year-old girl doesn't really think about the consequences. She enters Witchwood hollow and spreads ashes from the twin towers over the ground. At this point, you would think the consequences reared their ugly head, right? Wrong. Nothing happens, and by that I mean literally nothing. That was it. That was the storyline. Honoria gives up and moves on.
The second storyline followed Lady Elizabeth Clifford from the 1600s. After poisoning her neighbour, she is accused of witchcraft and chased into the forest where she becomes the witch of Witchwood hollow. I couldn't quite figure out what the author was trying to accomplish by showing the reader Lady Clifford's story. She was a character that incited no sympathy and I thought she deserved her fate. She seemed to be a character thrown in for the sake of being evil because the story needed an antagonist. She trapped people in the woods because she was lonely, which I could understand. What I didn't understand was her fear with death. That was never explain and to me that was her strongest motivation for doing what she did. Without knowing why, the character fell a little flat.
The third storyline followed Albertine from the 1800s. She moves to America when her father sends for her and gets promptly lost in the woods, trapped by Lady Clifford's spell. To me, she was the most intriguing character. At first I hated her storyline. To me it served no purpose other than to show what happened to the people who became lost in Witchwood hollow, which I felt detracted from the mystery of it. By the end of the story, however, I felt she was the true protagonist of the story. She is the one who stands up to Lady Clifford and frees everyone, not Honoria. She is the one who discovers Lady Clifford's motives and brings her back her lost love. Her story was slow and long-winded, but it was the only one that felt complete and it saved this book, in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by what happened to Albertine in the end.
The three storylines don't really tie together until the very end. At that point I could see what the author was trying to do, but it didn't really work. There were too many questions left unanswered. The ending itself felt forced. It was an ending created purely for shock value and didn't serve any true purpose in the story. I hated the ending.
All in all, it's a fun, easy read, but it lacked depth and any real storyline. ...more
I picked up this book without realising it was the second in a series. I've never read the first one, but it was pretty easy to slide right into it. TI picked up this book without realising it was the second in a series. I've never read the first one, but it was pretty easy to slide right into it. There were times when I felt like I was missing something, but there wasn't anything too important. It's was more about the relationships between the characters, especially the secondary characters. I actually liked and hated this book in equal measure. I felt it had so much potential - there was love, loss, betrayal and epic fight scenes, some parts just let the whole thing fall. The main problem I had was in the way the characters discover and access their magic. They didn't have to learn anything. There was no trial and error, no painstaking practice and no sacrifice. They just knew what to do. I felt that to be a cop-out of sorts. I want the characters to learn and fail. I want them to work for their victory, not be handed it. The other part I had a problem with is that I didn't really understand the relationship between the Bringers and the Bane. Maybe this was explained in the first book, but since the struggle between the Bringers and the Bane play a crucial role to the plot line, I think the author could have explained it again. All it would have taken is a few lines. I know they are on opposite sides and that the Bane are essentially demons, and it's up to the Bringers to stop them, but that was it. I didn't actually see the Bane doing anything bad. From what I could see, the Bane were simply existing. The only time they came out and fought was when Jade and Luc stole her sister's body. It felt like the Bane were bad for the sake of being bad. There was a hint of them working towards a greater goal (to open the abyss of souls) but that was merely hinted at in this book. All in all, it was an all right read, but I don't think I would pick it up again, and I have no intention of reading the other books in the series. I prefer books that can be read alone, where each book has it's own storyline, even if it is part of a series. ...more
"I dislike having to kill someone. Kidnapping is worse." That line right there was what hooked me. It's the first two lines of the book, but it alread"I dislike having to kill someone. Kidnapping is worse." That line right there was what hooked me. It's the first two lines of the book, but it already tells me so much about the protagonist. I instantly want to know what the hell has happened in his life that he finds kidnapping worse than murder. And wow it doesn't disappoint. Kaye does a great job with describing Dimitri's struggle between wanting to do the right thing and knowing he can't. He is equal parts angry and apathetic, and it's great watching the change when he finally meets someone he cares about and she becomes involved in his life. And Syd's involvement in the whole affair - I did not see that coming. Kaye managed to keep me on my toes with this novel....more
I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, this book made me cry, and I hardly ever cry when I read something. It wasn't even a little sniffI have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, this book made me cry, and I hardly ever cry when I read something. It wasn't even a little sniffle either. I had tears streaming down my face to the point where I had to put my kindle down because I couldn't see the screen, and I was afraid I might drown the thing. Keep tissues handy, because this book wreaks havoc with your emotions. Webster has managed to create a truly emotional story with Peyton and Callum and I am in awe.
So why not five stars? Several reasons, really.
One, the plot fell a little flat. I have seen it done so many times that I was expecting a little something else - something a little different to set it apart from the rest. It never happened. The moment Callum walked back into Peyton's life, it was quite obvious why he had left. It was also quite obvious he loved her, which is why I was a little surprised that in their original meeting, Callum pretended to be engaged to someone else. He must have realised that would hurt her, even if he thought she had moved on.
Another is the character of Peyton. She was well written, but she was a little too good at times. She forgave so easily, and I wanted to see a little more fire in her, something to tell he she was passionate. It doesn't mean anything if the only passion she feels is between the sheets. There must be something she cares about. At first I thought it was her hotel, but her reaction when it was burnt down didn't really show that.
The last thing - and this is probably something that is more specific to me - is that there were awkward sentences here and there that snagged on by brain and pulled me out of the story. Mostly it was to do with wrong word choice. While technically correct, the word didn't always fit in with the tone of the scene and felt a little clunky. It was almost like Webster had sacrificed emotion for formality. There was also a point where Webster used local slang that I've never heard before and I couldn't comprehend the meaning of the sentence because of it. I spent five minutes trying to read the sentences before and after, and I still couldn't get it. I eventually had to move on and hope it wasn't important, but it did irritate me.
If you like heartbreaking romances then this book is definitely for you. It's an easy read but there is no depth, and I don't think it's something I would be able to read again. ...more
If I'm being honest, I don't think this was Mead's best work, but she does pull it off. As a conclusion to the series, I found myself engrossed in theIf I'm being honest, I don't think this was Mead's best work, but she does pull it off. As a conclusion to the series, I found myself engrossed in the side storyline that popped up in this book rather than the battle Adrian and Sydney faced against the Alchemists. The search for Jill was fun and the journey was interesting, but I felt everything just fell neatly into place. Sydney wasn't really tested, and I was a little disappointed when I remember the hoops Mead made Rose jump through in the last book of the Vampire Academy series. The second half of this book felt rushed and there was a lack of emotion present. I expected some big, teary reunion when they found Jill, but it was really a 'glad to have you back' before she was whisked off to court. I think Mead could have quite easily made his book a little longer (it was shorter than the others) and added in more emotion and character interaction. It would have made for a more interesting, emotional story. ...more
I wanted to like this, I really did. I've read the first two books, but it's been two months and I have no desire to read the third one. The plot is sI wanted to like this, I really did. I've read the first two books, but it's been two months and I have no desire to read the third one. The plot is solid and interesting, and I can't find fault with it. It's everything I usually look for in a fantasy novel. It's the characters that let me down, more specifically the chemistry between them. One moment Reychelle is meeting Mark and a few pages later she's confessing that she's in love with him and everyone else is saying they already knew. It was a little ridiculous. There was very little interaction between them beforehand, and they only met alone once. Then there was Reychelle herself. Yes, she had been through a lot and her friend had betrayed her, but when she returned to the place she grew up as a slave, I didn't buy it when she said she had changed and she wasn't the same person anymore. In fact, up to that point, the only thing she had been through was her friend's betrayal. The real test came afterwards. I wouldn't have thought she had changed if she hadn't said it. She changed afterwards, not before. The character development was all over the place. I felt the climax of the first book just wasn't enough to hold an entire book. If I hadn't bought it as a trilogy, I wouldn't have any incentive to buy the second one. The ending fell flat. Looking at the entire trilogy as one book, however, does make it a little better, especially when you factor in the ending of the second book. The tension does rise, but on their own, I don't think the books can hold out. I might read the third book one day, and I'll edit my review when I do, but I have other books that do hold my interest to read first. ...more