I'm going to be honest: I absolutely skipped the sex scenes in this because, well, shark/orca/fish. Maybe Hawk managed to de-emphasize anything to do I'm going to be honest: I absolutely skipped the sex scenes in this because, well, shark/orca/fish. Maybe Hawk managed to de-emphasize anything to do with the shark/orca/fish factor to a degree that I could have tolerated it, but all of that is so central to Persephone that I'm not sure how that could be done. So, skip, skip, skip for me.
That being said, I was so ecstatic to see Miss Parkhurst finally getting her own special happiness after seeing her affections for our beloved Whyborne go so spectacularly astray. I've always liked Maggie and felt sad that she was so totally getting the short end of the stick when she was being so earnest (and Whyborne, you are very thick). I also loved to see her come into herself and her own abilities and self-confidence. AND it was fun to see some of what's going on in Widdershins from a little less of the Center Stage perspective.
Merged review:
I'm going to be honest: I absolutely skipped the sex scenes in this because, well, shark/orca/fish. Maybe Hawk managed to de-emphasize anything to do with the shark/orca/fish factor to a degree that I could have tolerated it, but all of that is so central to Persephone that I'm not sure how that could be done. So, skip, skip, skip for me.
That being said, I was so ecstatic to see Miss Parkhurst finally getting her own special happiness after seeing her affections for our beloved Whyborne go so spectacularly astray. I've always liked Maggie and felt sad that she was so totally getting the short end of the stick when she was being so earnest (and Whyborne, you are very thick). I also loved to see her come into herself and her own abilities and self-confidence. AND it was fun to see some of what's going on in Widdershins from a little less of the Center Stage perspective....more
This book was probably my favorite book in the series.
First, you so badly need to have read the books in the Supernatural Selectin series. With the oThis book was probably my favorite book in the series.
First, you so badly need to have read the books in the Supernatural Selectin series. With the other two books, maybe you could get by if you didn't care too much about there being references that you didn't really get, but with this book, I don't think it's feasible. There are just too many characters from the other books with too much backstory and too many events from those books that events in this book depend on that I don't know how you'd get by. I read those other books, and I had some trouble because I read the Fae Out of Water series long enough ago that it wasn't really fresh. So be warned.
That being said, Zeke was my cute sweet fluffy pie, and I adored him. I wanted to give him all the cuddles. I rooted for him so hard. Hamish was nice, too, but Zeke was my superstar.
There were some eye-roll worthy parts (especially towards the end), but I think that's par for the course with this series. I just endured it and focused on my adoration for Zeke.
Merged review:
This book was probably my favorite book in the series.
First, you so badly need to have read the books in the Supernatural Selectin series. With the other two books, maybe you could get by if you didn't care too much about there being references that you didn't really get, but with this book, I don't think it's feasible. There are just too many characters from the other books with too much backstory and too many events from those books that events in this book depend on that I don't know how you'd get by. I read those other books, and I had some trouble because I read the Fae Out of Water series long enough ago that it wasn't really fresh. So be warned.
That being said, Zeke was my cute sweet fluffy pie, and I adored him. I wanted to give him all the cuddles. I rooted for him so hard. Hamish was nice, too, but Zeke was my superstar.
There were some eye-roll worthy parts (especially towards the end), but I think that's par for the course with this series. I just endured it and focused on my adoration for Zeke....more
Out of the gate I had high expectations for this book because it had some pretty impressive recommendations. I was all, "Yes! Let's see what all the fOut of the gate I had high expectations for this book because it had some pretty impressive recommendations. I was all, "Yes! Let's see what all the fuss is about!"
And then I got started, and I said, "Oh. Oh no. I'm not feeling this book at all. This is going to be one of those, 'Hahah, sorry everyone, I know you loved it deeply, but I totally didn't, please don't murder me in my sleep, yeah?' books isn't it?"
But then it got better. I think it was about 41% when I was like, "OMG I FINALLY SEE WHAT THE FUSS IS ABOUT!" (you might see it sooner, I'm slow on the uptake). The story really took a turn from where I thought it was headed then, and I loved it. If you'd explained to me what was going to happen, I wouldn't have thought I would love it, either, but I totally did (no spoilers for you!).
I also loved the differences in cultures. Those felt very real and not just cosmetic. It wasn't just, "Oh, we wear slightly different clothes," but that there were actual differences in how they operated on a basic level. I very much appreciated that. I also very much enjoyed the way that the cultures adapted over time due to the changes in circumstance.
A very good read.
Merged review:
Out of the gate I had high expectations for this book because it had some pretty impressive recommendations. I was all, "Yes! Let's see what all the fuss is about!"
And then I got started, and I said, "Oh. Oh no. I'm not feeling this book at all. This is going to be one of those, 'Hahah, sorry everyone, I know you loved it deeply, but I totally didn't, please don't murder me in my sleep, yeah?' books isn't it?"
But then it got better. I think it was about 41% when I was like, "OMG I FINALLY SEE WHAT THE FUSS IS ABOUT!" (you might see it sooner, I'm slow on the uptake). The story really took a turn from where I thought it was headed then, and I loved it. If you'd explained to me what was going to happen, I wouldn't have thought I would love it, either, but I totally did (no spoilers for you!).
I also loved the differences in cultures. Those felt very real and not just cosmetic. It wasn't just, "Oh, we wear slightly different clothes," but that there were actual differences in how they operated on a basic level. I very much appreciated that. I also very much enjoyed the way that the cultures adapted over time due to the changes in circumstance.
I think Angel Martinez has managed to wiggle her way into my "favorites" list, which is always pleasant. I've enjoyed her work for a while (although II think Angel Martinez has managed to wiggle her way into my "favorites" list, which is always pleasant. I've enjoyed her work for a while (although I've had some trouble getting ahold of some of it) and this is the last addition to the "wow, I really, really like it" list.
For the most part, it would be hard for me to explain why I enjoyed the book so much. The world-building was fantastic and mesmerizing, the characters were relatable, real, flawed, and lovable, and the plot was engaging. I really want there to be a followup book and I'm going to see if I can grab more of Martinez's books (although, as I said, some of her books are hard to track down).
I do wish there had been significant women in characters in this book, though. The lack made me sad.
Merged review:
I think Angel Martinez has managed to wiggle her way into my "favorites" list, which is always pleasant. I've enjoyed her work for a while (although I've had some trouble getting ahold of some of it) and this is the last addition to the "wow, I really, really like it" list.
For the most part, it would be hard for me to explain why I enjoyed the book so much. The world-building was fantastic and mesmerizing, the characters were relatable, real, flawed, and lovable, and the plot was engaging. I really want there to be a followup book and I'm going to see if I can grab more of Martinez's books (although, as I said, some of her books are hard to track down).
I do wish there had been significant women in characters in this book, though. The lack made me sad....more
This was a perfectly readable book, but nothing exciting. One of the things that I'm not sure how to do, though, is writing a review on it without spoThis was a perfectly readable book, but nothing exciting. One of the things that I'm not sure how to do, though, is writing a review on it without spoiling things that I figured out before I even oped the book (ahh, common tropes) but aren't actually in the blurb.
So, I guess I'll say that I didn't really like Philip. I didn't really dislike him, but he was more of a doormat than pleased me, and I kept wanting to tell him throughout the book that people shouldn't be treating him the way they were. Even if for some reason he absolutely could not get it to stop (the degree to which this could be argued varied depending on the situation) he had the right to mentally think, "This is not okay, if I see a chance to get out of this situation, I will take it." But, as I said, he was more of a doormat than I liked.
As for our Love Interest (LI), I rather liked him (and here I just can't avoid spoilers that, once again, I figured out before I opened the book, but aren't in the blurb, so others might not) (view spoiler)[because he felt more non-human (at least for chunks of the book) than often happens in these types of books. I don't think it has to be written this way, but I enjoyed seeing it play out like this. (hide spoiler)]
The sex was interesting. I liked the way it was done because I felt it departed from familiar tropes (in a way that fit in with the LI spoiler above). However, there did feel like there was a lot of it to me (a matter of taste), and sometimes when it happened, I was sitting there thinking, "You know, given what else is going on, the mood disconnect is really weird." Sometimes it felt like the main plot stopped, the characters had sex in a compartmentalized world, and then the plot started again. It was odd.
I did like the overall plot, although there wasn't enough space to get to know the world very well. I thought it was an interesting idea and, if I'd liked Philip more, I probably would have liked the book more. ...more
This absolutely is not a stand-alone book at all and you must have read the previous two books in order to understand this book at all. Some books in This absolutely is not a stand-alone book at all and you must have read the previous two books in order to understand this book at all. Some books in a series you can get away with skipping a book, this series you absolutely cannot. Be aware of that.
I really liked this series because it often didn't do what I expected. As a whole, I didn't feel like, "Yes, I am someone who has read fantasy a lot, I know where this story is going already." This book didn't feel quite as twisty and unexpected as the previous two, but it was still lots of fun. I'm sad to see Sairis and Roland go; I'll miss them and I'm actually going to push myself to read A.H. Lee's MMF series (The Incubus series) which I don't usually dip into. Fingers crossed!
I really liked to watch both Roland and Sairis change throughout the books, both as they interacted with each other (and their varying moral stances, lived experiences, places in society, and ways of interacting with the world) and as they had other interactions external to each other. Getting to know them, and watching them getting to know each other and themselves, was such fun.
I also liked that people in this book didn't know everything about everything, that some people knew things that others didn't. And not just in a, "A wise sage tells the protagonist something as a way to inform the reader," way. No, different people (both individuals and groups) had access to different knowledge and that played into the plot. That was very enjoyable and doesn't always happen.
I also really appreciated that (view spoiler)[the lover that Roland had before Sairis was treated with gravity and respect in this book, that it wasn't ignored, minimized, treated as a threat to Sairis, or treated as something that Roland would get over when he fell in love with Sairis. That's something that happens a lot in romance novels, and it drives me bonkers. (hide spoiler)]...more
As with the first book, this book ended on a cliffhanger so profound that "cliffhanger" barely covers it. Be prepared to have the next book or be prepAs with the first book, this book ended on a cliffhanger so profound that "cliffhanger" barely covers it. Be prepared to have the next book or be prepared to say, "That's the end?!"
This series keeps not going where I expected to. There was one point (view spoiler)[where someone was blackmailing Sairis (hide spoiler)] where I said to myself, "Ugh, I know where this is going for at least a good chunk of the book from here, and I don't like this trope at all," but I was wrong! Fooled! tricked! Led astray! Now, I'm pretty easy to trick, so people shouldn't automatically take this as an indicator that this book is sneaky (I'm so easy to fool!), but I was pleased that I didn't predict the path of the book when I was convinced (unhappily) that I had. Yes!
I very much enjoyed the presentation of grey morality in this book, which was particularly grey for some characters. I'm wondering how that will progress into the third book. It's tough to pull that off without it falling into "really not that bad" or "oh shoot, that's actually too bad," so we shall see. So far (more significant spoiler here)(view spoiler)[most of the pushing of the moral line has been done by secondary characters, not primary ones (hide spoiler)] but I'm curious to see if that changes....more
First, I will warn that this book very much ends on a cliffhanger. All three books in this series seem to bAnother book that I very much enjoyed! Yay!
First, I will warn that this book very much ends on a cliffhanger. All three books in this series seem to be available at this time, so as long as you get all three books, this shouldn't be a problem, but this book does not stand alone at all.
In this book, we get to know Sairis and Roland as they...start to get to know one another. There are still many secrets and unknowns (I have lots of speculation that I won't engage in here about what will happen in the next books, I'm very excited!) The interpersonal drama/relationship between Roland and Sairis is glorious. Seeing them go from interacting when they don't know each other's identities at all to when they have some information about each other is incredible. Questions of trust, knowledge of self and other, identity, all are explored, and the exploration clearly isn't finished. The world-building was also very interesting, dealing with changes to the world, characters themselves not knowing everything, differing responses to cataclysmic events, varying moral stances by characters...I really enjoyed it.
I'm looking forward to rushing off into the next book....more
I spent a lot of time waffling on how to rate and review this book. I liked it a lot, but not quite as much as the other book. 4-stars? 5-stars? In thI spent a lot of time waffling on how to rate and review this book. I liked it a lot, but not quite as much as the other book. 4-stars? 5-stars? In the end, I decided it was still a 5-star book, even though I didn't like it quite as much as the previous book.
As with the previous book, there was lots of head hopped. This still wasn't a problem for me, but I remember it being a problem for some people with the last book, so if it was a problem for you with the last book, it's still going on. Is it going on more or less? I can't say, especially given that it didn't bother me either time, but I could tell that it was happening.
Grey morality was also very much still on display, especially (view spoiler)[with Bet (hide spoiler)], which I enjoyed. I was a little sad that the outcomes of that morality were pretty clear cut (part of the fun of grey morality is that it's...grey. Unclear) but oh well.
We also had reunions and first meetings, which was incredibly pleasing and (in my opinion) well done.
This book also had some pairings that weren't m/m, which was nice. Not going into who, that would be a spoiler at least for the first book (maybe the second as well), but it's nice to see some branching out in an m/m book.
Some of the secondary characters felt a little flat, though. They had traits, but those traits didn't exactly feel meaningful; they felt rather like plot devices. I'm thinking in particular of (view spoiler)[the queen of the dragons (hide spoiler)]. Why this character the way they were? Yes, they had characteristics that weren't just "propel the plot forward for the MCs," but those characteristics didn't feel important, impactful, or meaningful. I'm hoping the next book can change that. ...more
First off, there had better be a sequel following book, because WTF with that last line in the book? I dStarting out the year on a good note! Woo woo!
First off, there had better be a sequel following book, because WTF with that last line in the book? I don't know if "cliffhanger" really counts because the book pretty much felt complete but that last line!
Anyway, I do agree with many of the reviewers that there was a lot of head-hopping and that it might have been better to cut down on this some, but ultimately the head-hopping didn't bother me, maybe because I've read a lot of fantasy books where this is fairly common so I'm used to this sort of thing. I'm not saying it was or wasn't the best stylistic choice, it just didn't bother me.
I was pleased by the fact that a lot of the characters ((view spoiler)[maybe all of the main characters, ultimately? (hide spoiler)]) were morally ambiguous in some way. I like it when characters aren't perfect and all good and their "flaws" aren't pretend flaws that aren't really flaws. It makes the story more engaging for me. Sometimes that can be hard to pull off (sometimes the characters end up being just bad and unlikeable), but I think this book did it well.
If there is an area that this book fell short in, I think it's that the relationship/romance didn't get as much development as it might have. Hopefully, if there is a sequel (give it to me!) we'll see more of that, and I definitely felt like the foundation of a relationship was there, but it wasn't as strong as I would have liked.
I'm also really hoping to see more of the dragon/human cultural differences.
Prince Roland felt kind of off for me though. He didn't feel like a child of his age at least a chunk of the time when we saw him....more
This is the second time that I've tried The Lightning Thief and the first time that I got all the way through it (it being an audiobook helped a lot).This is the second time that I've tried The Lightning Thief and the first time that I got all the way through it (it being an audiobook helped a lot). I don't think it was a bad book, but on a certain level, I felt disconnected from it. I think I was in a better mood for it than I was the first time around because I'm more inclined towards books that are kind of silly/humorous (example: (view spoiler)[the characterization of Hades' relationship to being god of the afterlife and having to manage all that came with that (hide spoiler)]) but some things irked me, like Percy's mom as a supposedly amazing person whose amazing character traits seemed to be existing for Percy and later (view spoiler)[the minimizing of pretty serious issues, like the glossing over of the fact that she killed Gabe (hide spoiler)]. The mythology was interesting, as was some of the psychology between the half-blood and their parents, but the tone felt...odd. I also wished that I felt more connected to Grover and Annabeth, who seemed like they could have been spectacular characters. Maybe later books will pull this off if I read those.
I feel like I'm learning a lot about myself and why I struggled to read as a child as I read YA and children's literature as an adult. I almost entirely skipped over reading kidlit/YA into reading adult fiction other than the literature I was required to read for school and video games (not an easy feat because there is significant learning that needs to be done to read adult literature). And I think I'm starting to understand why: it's not just that the reading difficulty and the gore/mature content is less, but that the other content is often different as well. And even as a kid, I wasn't particularly interested in a lot of the content that is crafted for children. I'm starting to wonder what this fact about myself says about the selection of literature that we offer to children....more
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