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| 1,640
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| Feb 26, 2019
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it was ok
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RATING: 2 stars to The Werewolf Queen ★ ★ I'll start by saying that my admiration for all creatives and creative efforts will permanently reign supreme RATING: 2 stars to The Werewolf Queen ★ ★ I'll start by saying that my admiration for all creatives and creative efforts will permanently reign supreme. Irrespective of quality, an effort is an effort, and I champion anyone who dares to try. What to say about my first Brandi Eldridge novel? Unexcitingly, it doesn't set the most immersive nor well-evolved benchmark for YA urban paranormal romance I have to confess. I can't say it will (also) reign supreme in your urban fantasy collections. A rather fun, quirky and confident opening morphs into a simplistic, convenient and anticlimactic adventure that maintains no real intrigue, plot excellence nor a particular completion of narrative depth. I do admit to enjoying it to begin with as the story starts off with some form of appeal, and a fan of quirky and mirthful characters I am, but the story didn't take long to lose me, and soon it became a labour of effort to stay the course. The plot was decent and had a simple goal to some extent but the execution was very one-dimensional, the story coverage was memorably flat and mostly unfulfilling. I liked a few characters Including Stephan, Jo, Kong and a rather characterful little fairy, but the characterisation comprehensively was also rather flat and unevolved. The fated mates storyline was monotonous and unfeeling, and as such the central romance was baseless and was not built for a real foundation barring the fact that Sadie and Camden were brought together by the movements of a psychic and the circumstantial particularly of requiring them to remain together. There wasn't any relationship nor character development to be found here either. We have a love interest in Camden whose reactions alternate between mated anger on Sadie's behalf, threats to kill almost everyone, growling over any attempts male side characters make towards his unwanted mate and oscillating between resistance and desire. Ultimately, Camden's undecided characterisation was rather jarring, and the prose lacked the depth to accommodate any shade of character development altogether. The storyline and most every story element unfortunately reads as paltry, juvenile and required the constants of substance. Numerous elements were sadly underdeveloped and that continued to be my experience throughout. The further I made my way in, the developments began to feel rather mechanistic. Words, movements, action and dialogue without the authentic draw and the gravity of the connection I was hoping to feel. It was all rather fast and purpose-driven but without the quality and the able-ness to get it there. The story has a decent set-up and a decent concept but it doesn't evolve into much more beyond a few rather - mechanical - plot-based developments. Turn of phrase was another point of concern; the prose often lacked grammar accuracy, name errors emerged, and I typically found myself stumbling over poor vernacular choices such as 'blotching' instead of 'botching' and 'detrimental' in lieu of 'instrumental'. And there was also 'one didn't have to be a behavioural analysis to know he had just commanded his demons to kill me'. There were a few other pesky pardons as well, and compounded with the general struggle of working my way through this, the smaller trivialities only emphasised the larger ones, and essentially derailed the creative effort. For interested readers, I wouldn't expect depth of character nor a particularly well-evolved, well-matured read in The Werewolf Queen. It's lighthearted, young and rather surface-based. The story coverage was again very one-dimensional. I felt pulled from the experience on more than one occasion. Still, I of course appreciate the effort and encourage all readers to enjoy according to their own preference. As I mentioned, the readability was definitely a struggle and I did effort into rallying myself to power through too often. I wish I could stress otherwise but not a spectacular read for me as it fell short on several fronts and culminated in something more humdrum and pedestrian. This is indeed a YA urban fantasy but it reads much younger. I don't demand a reinvention of the wheel with any given genre, or any given story, but this one failed to provide something worth the escapism for me. Fun, light and quirky without any real depth or danger. Do enjoy by the pull and peak of your own curiosity! Content Warning/listing : Mentions the early death of a mother and father. Mentions a side character's psychic mother who had died from the mental disturbance associated with her psychical abilities. Drinking. Mentions past miscarriages. General warnings for violence and death. ...more |
Notes are private!
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May 25, 2024
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Jun 05, 2024
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May 22, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 1335009191
| 9781335009197
| 1335009191
| 4.18
| 84,781
| Feb 25, 2014
| Mar 26, 2019
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liked it
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RATING: 3 stars to White Hot Kiss ★ ★ ★ It's been a slanderous amount of time since I indulged in all things JLA. My last (and also first) tryst was in RATING: 3 stars to White Hot Kiss ★ ★ ★ It's been a slanderous amount of time since I indulged in all things JLA. My last (and also first) tryst was in the earliest month of 2018, with the author's Wicked trilogy, all the way back when. But with a spiralling JLA backlist I've barely climbed, it was time I continued the climb. And I was happy to climb all over White Hot Kiss. Naturally, we have a conflict between two respective species, but the interesting choice of pairing demons against gargoyles was new and interesting. And atypical (at least for me) in the space of creature feature novelty. We have the Wardens, who are essentially a race of 'pure-souled' guardians who safeguard humanity. Like a paranormal policing system that dispatches demonic lifeforms, sweeping the streets of their lifelong enemy. The Wardens no longer function in secrecy and they've been operating visibly since the mass populus was overrun with demon life (unbeknownst to them) and it's their duty to quell and tame demonic activity. Armentrout's young, proud and highly angsty heroine literally embodies the crossroads and the junction of these two opposing bloodlines because she's the unique carrier of both Warden and demon blood. She lives in DC's Warden stronghold, works for them, lives with them, but she's never been truly accepted as one of them. Along with her double-sided heritage, a large part of the prejudice and the disparity between herself and her living companions lies in her singular ability to steal souls through a single kiss. And what that ability represents of Layla's very heritage. Layla's a soul seer and also has the unique ability of soul sucking, but has been trained to suppress her demonic impulses in favour her Warden value. Unlike the Wardens though, Layla's future isn't contingent on the posterity of their race because of her so called defiled blood, so she's afforded a certain level of freedom that the Wardens can't and don't entertain. Because she's not, to put it bluntly, crucial to the cause. As such, she's permitted the freedom of attending public school. And makes an imperative extracurricular out of 'tagging' the soulless, using her very special skill to support the cause of the Wardens. Layla has longed to feel a part of her clansmen, but she's always been on the outside looking in, the outcast who lives in the home of the mankind's protectors. Layla's most pressing struggle is that of her identity, which has become a hugely problematic topic of recent and older times, encouraged by the casual and prevalent systemic bigotry she's been subjected to by the Wardens. And of mourning a life that will never Include the simple joy of kissing a boy. She's resigned to a life alone, in deference to the Wardens and to her own self-defeating ability. An identity that's challenged and accepted by a very new addition that's just freshly prowled into her life, but one that is shamed and blamed into submission by her adoptive family. In great part to their beliefs, the Wardens don't accept Layla to her entirety. Evidenced in not only the way they operate, but In the way they treat her. Layla's typically on the receiving end of the kind of silent and systemic historical bias, silent prejudice and the blame and shame of harbouring a long-loathed bloodline. She's either subjected to causal suspicion, disbelief, avoidance, or completely sidelined, overlooked, left to her own devices, chastised, minimised or seen as the inferior addition to the clan. I felt for her. For the most part, the Wardens were rather disappointing, and only a few of them made the difference in being tolerable. We have Zayne, Nikolai, Danika, Jasmin and Geoff, who were actually amenable to Layla. The goodies out of a bad bunch. I did find the coarse, harsh, dauntless leader that is Abbot (Zayne's father) to be somewhat Interesting to begin with, but he's a large part of the problem, and doesn't treat her much better by comparison. He's a lemon, is my very intellectualised summary. The Wardens may hold themselves up as an optimal authority, but they are a disillusioned cohort. They certainly have something to answer for, and I really hope that they do. Layla's held to strict standards, and as her guardian and leader of DC's sect of Wardens, she answers to Abbot. I understood the difficulties of enacting in leadership, but it does indeed come at the expense of suffocating and neglecting Layla. The Wardens have very little sensitivity towards her, her situation, her difficulty, nor her boundaries. It's duty and discipline all the way, and if she so much as steps a foot out of line, she's reprimanded like the evil doer of great moral sin. She's pushed on several sides to be the perfect half demon, half gargoyle teenage girl while encouraged to remain highly censorious about everything she says, does or feels. The Wardens really do require a reality check but I'm interested to see how the events concerning them and their action-based beliefs will unfold. (view spoiler)[I'm still in dwell mode over the fact that she wasn't afforded protection in full well knowing of Petr's crimes against her, and what he'd very likely do again should Layla be found accessible and alone. Which she was. If she were a full blooded female gargoyle, I'm sure Abbot would have pulled out every measure to keep her safe. Layla just seemed to be a colossal afterthought to the clan, evidenced in that particular scene where she's more or less abandoned and left to her own devices in a place that currently houses her attacker. I like Zayne, but he did leave our girl hanging on some very important occasions, and in some very meaningful ways. (hide spoiler)]I really hope Layla comes into her own in the forthcoming instalments, sources her value, and finds a way to school them from their righteousness. Maybe even migrate elsewhere, outside of Warden territory as she comes into her own. JLA makes things very interesting with a developing love triangle that demonstrates the same conflict of enemy and ally, because Zayne - Layla's long time best friend and crush - is a Warden and Roth - the unexpected surprise who's more affectionately devilish than dangerous - is a demon. More than that there was an obvious dichotomy between Zayne and Roth, which I think was so perfectly embodied in that scene at the school when they interact for the first time. Zayne is all noble, pure-souled and duty-bound. And Roth is the devilish, devil may care, casually seductive surprise. I appreciate love triangles more than most, no matter how divisive they might be. I hope I'll continue to love them, and I enjoyed the interplay with the one brewing between Roth, Layla and Zayne. I hold few misgivings against the love triangle; I find it interesting, compelling, dynamic and prepares a veritable smorgasbord of possibilities for the whims, wants and desires of our romantic interests. And can play with relationship dynamics in interesting ways. We're always going to root for the love interest who accepts our heroine without condition, and that for me, absolutely, was Roth. He enters in the form of a huge turning point in Layla's life. Her desire for Zayne is completely forbidden in a prohibitive way and for very obvious reasons, and her budding relationship with Roth is also forbidden because he's supposedly the enemy. Zayne was caring, protective, certainly had his moments with Layla, but shared a unique relationship with her in that he's one of few Wardens she can actually trust with the truth of her life and the difficult nature of her singular gift. They shared a dote-full, sibling-esque relationship that verges on something more. They've built a strong bond over the years, care quite deeply for each other and their friendship is a loyal one. But it has those 'more than friendship' moments that invites more as a possibility. It's well known that Zayne cares very deeply about Layla, but he did grow up with the discriminatory mentality that sidelined Layla's mixed blood. Which makes him somewhat complicit in a lot of the suffering and expectations she's upheld to as a result of who she is, her identity and what it suggests of her value. The bias is also Ingrained, though doesn't manifest into the cruelty, suspicion and fear most of Warden-kind harbours in Zayne, but Laya often feels the exclusivity of what she is in his presence. Attempting to live to the expectation. He holds her up to the same standards that the Wardens do, which is to repress and subdue her demonic instincts. I did really enjoy the more tender, connective moments that suggested a prospective romance. Although Zayne implied a willingness to put her before the agendas of his father, he didn't always do that, I must admit. And he abandons her during some pivotal moments knowing that she doesn't share reliable bonds with the other clansman. He does make some missteps. In the nicest possible way, I do like Zayne, though he could use more character/romantic growth if he wants take up space in this love triangle. I don't think he compares to Roth in my estimation. But as far as teams go? You can say I'm covenant to Roth after completing this book(view spoiler)[ I did appreciate the conversation Zayne has with Layla, where he admits to some responsibility in the way the Wardens raised her. And how he questions his own part in Layla's suffering. I'd really love to see some further development from him the sequel, especially in regards to an overhaul in belief. (hide spoiler)] Roth shatters that paradigm quite completely however; he's roguish, saucy, devil make care, sassy but also rather sweet. He always seems to be there for Layla when she's in mortal peril, but perhaps most meaningfully to Laya, he invites a different perspective: that she shouldn't feel ashamed of who and what she is. That he was always so physically responsive to her, not able to go a moment without touching her should they be in any room together, was a favoured romance quality I enjoy seeing in a love interest. He's as honest as he can be (though not entirely), but moreso than the Wardens have ever been with Layla. He may be of demon-kind, but he still carried a well-disguised insecurity with his own identity. Perhaps more than anything though, he presents and confirms a possibility that Layla has never considered; that demons come in the intricate shades of all lifeforms, just like everyone else. In essence, Roth seemed to come through for Layla more than Zayne did, and that's why he proved himself to be the superior interest in my eyes. With Roth, Laya was also afforded choices, whereas with the clan, she's often starved of making her own and smothered into following the imposition of their will. I loved the chemistry between Roth and Layla. I'm reading book two and I admit to missing him. Zayne's missteps notwithstanding, and as such, he's not quite the support that Roth becomes to Layla. She fell into the arms of another boy, and I'm not at all complaining. All in all, the scenes between Roth and Layla were my favourite. I'd definitely like more Roth scenes in book two because he inspires the elevation for the series for me. I'm especially interested in seeing see how Sam and Stacey (Layla's human friends) contribute to the storyline; if they're purposed to find out about Layla's heritage, if they're destined to remain ignorant or if they're interestingly pulled into the paranormal play. The stereotypes, style and clichés do abound aplenty, and the characterisation doesn't amount to an acute sense of depth. As such, White Hot Kiss is very young and early YA. I wouldn't dub it an exemplary paragon of immaculate potential, and I have read better within the genre, but I did have an entertaining time with it. And JLA books certainly entertain. I also enjoyed the opening line to this book, because eyeing a big-mac hungry demon garbed in mismatched wear is certainly an interesting way to open a series. A possible apocalypse, a love triangle, race wars, soul stealing, paranormal goodies and baddies, a young hybrid heroine who's about to attract a lot of demonic attention, her protective Warden ally and long-time crush, a roguish bad boy and the good ol' historical discord between two species. As we speak, I'm already immersed in Stone Cold Touch and I can't wait to see how book two picks up the various themes and conflicts. And waiting on the re-emergence of my favourite demon. EXTRA THOUGHTS: 1) I really don't know how I feel about Abbot. As for the moment? He does not get my mark of approval, especially in the ways he minimises Layla. He is, as I professed in my review, a rather large lemon. 2) Perhaps a bit of a plot flaw here, but if it's well known that Lilith's blood was an integral element of the damning incantation they were collectively trying to avoid, couldn't the Wardens have found a way to destroy Layla's ring and eliminate the blood? The only reason Paimon almost succeeded was because he took advantage of the 'ingredients' needed. Had he not had access to Layla's ring, I mean, that would have saved them a lot of trouble.... 3) I was also wondering if this scenes Involved some foreshadowing: “Well, even with all that said and done, you know what they say about Wardens?” Paimon’s slow smile stretched across his face. “The only good one...” Naberius waved the wicked-looking dagger, placing the deadly sharp edge to Zayne’s throat. “Is a dead one,” the other demon finished. “No!” I screamed, and my back bowed. Zayne’s bloodshot eyes opened into thin slits. I threw my head back and my own scream deafened me. So many images flickered through my mind like a photo album, coming together and crashing gloriously in a moment of raw pain greater than any I’d known. The rage unlocked the demon inside me.' - That it was Zayne's imminent demise that triggered Laya to shift (for the first time ever) into her full form, when Roth was also there and just as badly injured, did she feel more for him? Or was she absolutely pushed to the edge that they were both harmed and in immediate peril. Questions, questions.... Content Warning/Listing: Mentions non-consent and assault with a past encounter where a fellow Warden over-forced his welcome with the heroine. General warnings for gore, blood, violence. Attempted murder and an attempted rape of the heroine (she has been assaulted in an incident prior and it is attempted again). Also mentions a side character who apparently indulges in pornographic media (this was just a very brief mention in regards to the school's principal). ...more |
Notes are private!
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Apr 02, 2024
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Apr 24, 2024
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Apr 02, 2024
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| 4.23
| 106,222
| Sep 01, 2020
| Sep 01, 2020
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it was amazing
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RATING: 5 STARS to The Traitor Queen! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ For while pain was an old friend, and discomfort almost a way of life, to be confined to what sights RATING: 5 STARS to The Traitor Queen! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ For while pain was an old friend, and discomfort almost a way of life, to be confined to what sights his own mind could conjure was the worst sort of torture. Because despite his most fervent wish it were otherwise, all his mind wanted to show him were visions of her. Lara. His wife. The Traitor Queen of Ithicana. “You are my goddamned damnation, but there will never be anyone but you.” 'She was right, and he knew it. But in his heart, he knew that even if he never saw her again for the rest of his life, it would never be over. She would always be his queen.' The Bridge Kingdom was a good book. The Traitor Queen was a tremendously superior sequel. And also just happens to be my first five star read of 2024, which is an additional (and atypical) joy relatively early into the year. Yay me for that because five stars and I share a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of courtship. The Traitor Queen was an intense, thrilling, emotionally engaging, fast-paced, action-packed, redemptive masterpiece. It was so high-stakes with the fallout of book one that I'd already made it through a huge chunk of the story without even realising it. Although I enjoyed my Bridge Kingdom experience, book one did sport some flaws. But this book? This sequel was a deliver-some follow up, and one that bore a mission. Every inch of this storyline is dedicated to Lara's redemption; a story-wide atonement and self-sacrifice she goes through that speaks to the lengths she confronts to atone for the collosal error that resulted in her husband dethroned, his kingdom stolen, his people killed and hunted and the loss of Aren's dream of a better future. All shattered by a mistake that slipped through her fingers, but ironically, written by her own hand. I know, it's a lot, and as far as oversights go, it's a big one. Now, we know this wasn't intentional in the end. Since Lara chose a different path to the one her father laid in motion, this wasn't supposed to come to pass. Instead of becoming discouraged and woebegone by way of the carnage caused by her own making, Lara's fidelity to Ithicana never faltered. She lives up to her nickname as well as her honorific by marriage come this sequel, because in my opinion, she behaved and endured it all like a queen. A warrior queen. A no-airs-and-graces survivalistic queen but a warrioress no less. I so appreciated the storyline's point in not trivialising the consequences and gravity felt by nations - and one in particular - that centralised the prevalence of righting wrongs and efforting the restoration that can't, unfortunately, be reversed. Lara marshalled every inch of herself to shoulder the magnitude, restore the suffering caused by said transgression, her energies dedicated to effectively righting the balance were absolute despite the mounting tension and inner grief of it all. I loved this book for that alone. Lara was the fully effortful, actionable heroine she needed to be. She was fully aware of the reverberations her faux pas had brought to pass. And although she felt the damnation in all she'd (unintentionally) but effectively set in motion, that she was singlehandedly responsible for the rupture of a kingdom, she powered through like a woman of principle and purpose, and did so without victimisation. Emotionally speaking, Lara was assailable, completely unarmed and indefensible to the pain and fury she knew she had to face, but her heart was as much a hurting thing as those she'd taken from. I have to say that I only loved her more for it, and for a vulnerability that made me root for her come every chapter. I forgot how exquisite Jensen's prose Is but The Traitor Queen leverages the same in storytelling intent, and the verbal volley was just as smart, sharp and well-phrased as I remember its predecessor being. The details of book one evaded me since it was a while ago since I read The Bridge Kingdom, so it did take some grounding on my part to familiarise myself with the world scape, the names, the sides, the places and the political conflicts. But I honestly didn't take any issue with that because once I was topped up with the need-to-know details I became the embodiment of a reader engaged. I know I've already waxed some poetry over Lara's indomitable spirit, but I am going to talk a bit more about her because I appreciated every way she'd stepped up as a leading lady. And proved herself wholeheartedly considering her indoctrinated upbringing and the real hardship of learning the hard way. Say what you want about this coarse, cynical and hard-headed heroine, but she really was a resilient presence and you'd likely want this warrior queen on your side in any battle, big or small, any skirmish or survivalistic occasion. My only qualm is I wished she'd gotten more in return. She may have earned herself the title of being enemy to her kingdom but she never stopped being its Queen. She could have buried herself under her losses and agonised, with enormous indulgence, over her mistakes, and as much as the self-loathing ate her up, she's on the ground running, no-nonsense, proactively practical and strategically down to business. I never stopped rooting for her. Lara's still vulnerable, at her most assailable even, but she still possessed such an admirable strength. Since Lara was more or less unsupported and on her own, I think the author made a well-judged decision in bringing her estranged sisters into the fold, for a few reasons. The first being irrelevant because the return of her sisters was simply an element I looked forward to the most. A prospective collective of lethal warrior princesses was far too enticing. Sahrina was brilliant, and I loved that her sisters backed her in spite of the bones they had to pick with Lara themselves. I especially loved that Sahrina in particular offered a much needed perspective that Aren needed to hear. She was fierce and sobering, and I'm glad that the emergence of her sisters highlighted the unavoidable reminder of a callous upbringing that wasn't unfelt or unnoticed by any one of them. It was so necessary to understand for Lara's redemptive development. And I wished that supporting characters hadn't overlooked that. Ultimately, it was refreshing for Lara to have an involved awareness of the fallout, play such a big part in healing the efforts, face the rage and vitriol as gracefully as possible, use every resource in her grasp and yet still carry that quiet hope and palpable vulnerability that not all would be lost for her, that Aren and his kingdom might be hers once again. And she endured it all while still knowing what she had to do. What I think I love most about Lara? It's her relatability, her humanness and that quiet, stirring hope that pools under her peripheral ruthlessness. She's flawed and semi-hostile and sometimes even brutal, but still vulnerable and sincere and real, and there's a subtle longing in her that I think touched me more than anything. She's had it hard, her entire life, and she just wanted something to belong to. This was, in essence, a story of accountability, fighting for what one wished to see in the world but also of the value in and of a second chance. And in spite of her blunders, a heroine who tried to be better and do better, even when she doesn't know better. The author succeeded with her character arc immensely. She endeared her to me so very effectively. She won me over. I did equally enjoyed Aren's arc as the betrayed ruler, the broken lover, the fallen face of a kingdom and a beaten man pushed to the edge who didn't know whether to trust his heart or his head. I felt so engaged and engrossed in the respective inner and outer plights of both Aren and Lara. Aren's indecision from page one was a living beat of the heart throughout. The angst and emotional complication was as memorable as Lara's. How could he love Lara when she stole everything from him? His personal road to forgiving Lara Vs his loyalty to his own people and kingdom struck a believable balance. There was a well grasped conflict between Aren's deep sense of betrayal and his perhaps - even deeper longing and need - to protect and safeguard the only woman he could ever love. My only qualm with Aren (and what pitched me to find frustration in the story) was his indecision. I was fully aware of his obligation as a ruler who had to eclipse his love and need for Lara, but there came a point where Lara had proved herself plentiful, and I was disappointed by Aren's withdrawal. Lara did so much more for his kingdom than he had done, but his self-pity wasn't conducive to the complex connection and difficult decisions he needed to make of his own volition in a show of fidelity to her in the end. He does do so much for her, and I loved those heart wrenching in-betweens that feel so bittersweet and wrought with longing on both sides, but Lara also deserved more than playing second fiddle in my opinion, and I wanted more for her considering the lack of a relationship development I felt from book one. I wanted more fight on Aren's part, more agency; I wanted to see and witness him fighting for Lara, even as I understood the difficulty in making a decision that favoured his people over his own need. Lara gave more than enough, she deserved more from Aren. The ending was a bit too abrupt in my opinion, so perhaps an epilogue would have highlighted what we needed and wanted to see in their relationship. Still, the emotional component was so authentically angsty. They were so miserable without each other, but still painfully amenable to the fact that they might never have each other ever again. I loved the author's imperative - and realistic - point that remained true: in spite of every effort, Lara would still never quite restore the faith Ithicana might once have had in her. Another reason why an epilogue might've softened some wounds and proved advantageous for some future possibilities in regards to the aftermath to some degree. Back to Lara because I can't seem to stop talking about her. I loved that she wasn't the standard card-carrying woman on a warpath for revenge who had icicles in place of a heart; it could appear that way superficially (which we saw more of in book one) and yes, retribution was a big part of the effort here, but for me, it wasn't the most important part. It was understood that it was the behaviour required of her, that she needed to exploit. There was something very humanising and real in the way the developments unfolded. It was angsty in part to the deep and driving longing in both Lara and Aren, in companion to the impossibility of possibly never having that again. So many complicated emotions. That being said, the reactions of every character felt appropriate and authentic. The broken faith touched every character and it was the intangible force that hung like a cloud above all, and everyone had their piece to say and part to play. Lara, naturally, took the brunt of it all. I additionally loved the participating efforts and on page presence of the Veliant sisters. It was what I remember looking forward to after finishing book one. And again, I appreciated the honest, conflicted but realistic route the author took in unravelling Lara's earlier decision to protect her sisters in book one with the actuality of what they all experienced after she left them in the desert. Don't worry though, all the immediate hesitation yields to a sisterhood that I'm glad didn't break and one that holds true. They showed up for each other and there was a lot of love between them. Now, Keris was also an interesting character, I loved him as the academic but dispensable heir who worked to a secret agenda. His characteristic quick-mind, articulacy and somewhat haughty affectation towards Aren was also fun to read, though I would have liked to have experienced a a possible connection between their estranged siblingship, given what Keris and Lara are to each other. They were separated a long time ago, and understand each other perhaps as best two strangers would, but I couldn't help wanting more for them. All things considered, I was prepared to follow this follow up wherever it wanted to take me. It was that good. Gloriously intense and active. Excellently paced and plotted with magnitude. Compelling and confident in prose. And so very engrossing in a setting that follows an invasion of enemy kingdoms, the gravity of responsibility and the forthcoming liberation of conquer-ship. Also like the first book, I relished the energy of each back and forth, and the excellently written conversations that bore daring, drive and discord. Exquisite writing deftly unravels the possibilities, well-volleyed dialogue thickens the atmospheric intensity. Excels the action with the impact of a chalice shattered, its contents spilled with the damnation of an irreversible fate. Its impact a binding irrevocability that anchors the inner conflicts as fiercely as it efforts the labour of picking up the pieces. The enemies to lovers theme of book one was re-animated in this second part and requires a re-emergence of trust and faith. It was so good! This is tantamount to what I call page-turning. The conclusion to Aren and Lara's portion of the series makes for seamless reading. Content Warning/Listing: On page torture, blood, violence, deaths and killings; general warnings for all of this. Some swearing. Descriptions of dead/decaying bodies upheld by castle walls. A scene that depicts horses being used as a means for escape, and hence includes an injured horse and horses triggered into fright by bombs and explosions. Child abuse/child exploitation that additionally resulted in the deaths of young girls (past). Theft. An intimacy scene between the central couple. ________________________________ Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ________________________________ ...more |
Notes are private!
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Feb 27, 2024
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Mar 27, 2024
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Feb 27, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| B07XDXRXHN
| 4.10
| 6,529
| Nov 18, 2019
| Nov 18, 2019
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liked it
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RATING: 3 stars to Fallen King ★ ★ ★ Dark king (opener to the series) courted a moreish sense of thrill in me. I already had its sequel prepared to lau RATING: 3 stars to Fallen King ★ ★ ★ Dark king (opener to the series) courted a moreish sense of thrill in me. I already had its sequel prepared to launch myself into immediately after. The first book did have its foundational shortcomings but I was delighted enough by the impression that I easily saw myself ready to plow through the remaining books in this trilogy. The plot continued with interest, excitement and mystery, the suspense and foreboding enmeshed in its atmosphere, the movements were swift, seductive, sultry and actionable, the thrill of having Aenor and Salem in the same room again set my veins abuzz and I looked forward to the relatable wit that made book one the fun adventure it was. As enthused as I was for another urban fantasy fae adventure, I confess that while entertaining and imaginative, I wasn't as impressed by the outcome of Fallen King. The flaws of book one did what I didn't want them to do: they perpetuated with book two. The follow up is productive, targeted, pointed, fast-moving and very sexy but the elements that anchored this continuation still felt fairly shallow. Perhaps the authors have cemented a deliberately stylistic choice in the way they've concocted their storytelling voice but what we often get in heaps and hills with action, pace and suspense, we lack in narrative depth, character depth and meaningful integration. To approximate a likeness to a well known phrase, it seemed to thrill in swiftness, atmosphere, activity and sensuality over a balance with substance. As soon as something happens it's swiftly suppressed with imminent developments without a thought to the gravity of any one particular thing. The authors could likely benefit from curbing some plot activity in favour of slowing down with some character development. Or, at least, creating some parallelism between outward action and inner depth. As much as I enjoyed the character personalities on page - the dark, devious and downright unrepentant Salem and the driven, independent protector of the seas that is Aenor - there really isn't a palpable sense of character building or character connection either. I have to say that I was disappointed by that, but by looking to book one by example, I should have assumed the same for Fallen King. Even with a clear goal, the story developments lean more into the abstract as opposed to a wider, well-handled orchestration. It's more a case of one conflict arising immediately after another, forming a sequence of energised movement which is the primary driver that forces Aenor to take immediate action where the situation demands it. And since it's a world-changing, world-bending, lives-at-stake kind of engagement, it's a lot for a one-woman effort. Even still, the story does make for entertaining reading with likeable elements, and there's a reason I've made it a point to remain open to the author's backlog of urban fantasy. I just feel less enthusiastic to read the trilogy closer than I was to read the sequel due to the flaws that marred this experience. Whether I make the decision to finish the series is up in the air for now. This might be disturbing to admit to some readers but I'm rarely averse to the idea of a love interest swap, moreso because Lyr and Aenor didn't have the deepest connection bar the sexual intensity of their attraction to begin with. I was thirsting for it as soon as Salem entered the dynamic in book one. That being said, I wasn't particularly impressed with the way the writers navigated the love triangle swap. Had the shift in romantic interest been tactical, well-handled and interestingly orchestrated I would have loved it. In truth? It very advantageously buried any interest between them as soon as the book begins without an adequate need for explanation. And whatever feelings may have been there between our couple of book one, were abandoned as if the relationship they had wasn't worth the scrutiny of a more considerate etiquette. If it was the intent to distance Lyr from Aenor with a gesture of mistrust, the apparently widening gulf between them conveniently in place, the transition should have mattered more than it seemed to. As it was, Lyr's withdrawal was vague and suspicious, even if some suggestion can be implied. As a personal opinion though? As sultry, thrilling and forbidden her relationship with Salem was, I can't say it felt superior to her relationship with Lyr. That might be a bold thing to confess but I also use the term 'relationship' very loosely. (view spoiler)[Perhaps only in ways that a mating bond would permit (hide spoiler)]. Book one burned with the potent seduction attraction-wise (I still remember how I felt reading the sizzling intimacy scenes) but book two had a different kind of heat in translation for Salem and Aenor. In so many words, I'm just going to say that I expected a superior sexual - and otherwise - connection to that of book one and this did suffer on that front. (view spoiler)[ Even if I really enjoyed that illusory boat spanking scene (hide spoiler)]. What C.N. Crawford does very well? Imbuing their protagonists with a powerfully palpable presence, of fierce purpose and intention. The descriptions of magic, power and desire are burnt to the page like the marks of a fingerprint. Our anti-hero in particular received the best of this quality, the essence of their gifts brought to life with a divine supernaturalism. Whether it be cutting visions of doom, the visage of a world on fire, the burden of a great power, or a lust for the forbidden, the story burns with a longing for sensation and desire, of every kind. This isn't a series about love, romance nor even relationships forged I'm coming to realise. The only yearning you'll find in this series of Fae authority is that for lust, desire, destruction and possession; of powers, of long awaited fates, cravings and a return for stolen things. The writing superbly stokes up a smut scene with a searingly sexual impact, and I was not unaffected by it. Whether it be the disturbingly deviant history of Salem and the visions of a fiery doom his presence prophesises or Aenor, as a fierce fae of the sea, with a great desire to safeguard the very element that is the life source of her magic from him, the writing enlivens the sensations with a palpable delicacy. More than anything, Aenor wants to be reunited with her magic. Slaying Salem is a close second though since she's convinced that her captor is set to burn the world. But he's just as determined to return the favour. There's a lot of fun tension to be had in two people silently prepared to kill the other, couldn't be more different in desire for their lives and fates and whose fated pairing could mean utter annihilation in facing the worst imaginable that could come to pass. The foreboding visage of a world on fire; that's what Salem's presence shall deliver should be meet his destiny. Everything Aenor is trying to prevent. When Aenor runs into a breed of Fae she's never seen before, she knows that this encounter can only mean doom. And that the Evening Star - none other than Salem, her soon to be captor - is responsible. He has life changing, world changing plans, and Aenor's bound by an unbreakable enchantment to help him get what he wants by any means necessary. And potentially set fire to it all. Her mission remains the same: Salem has to die, only faster now that recent discoveries have revealed the kind of damnation he intends to enforce, knowingly or unknowingly. To carry forth this series we have a new love interest, a Fae legend who burns like smoke, flame and ash with a disturbingly devious history, more prophesies and predictions, visions of world damnation, a very likely catastrophic pairing who could fall to either extremes and forbidden intimacy that shifts from enemies to lovers to I-still-may-have-to-kill you. An interesting, action-packed follow up but the lack of depth and reasoning can alienate a reader's experience. Which did mar my own unfortunately. But that's not to say that readers won't enjoy this sequel since I'm sure it'll prove plenty entertaining for other readers. If you liked book one, you'll likely enjoy this instalment as well! But Fallen King still gets a solid three stars from me. Maybe a stronger integration of book one's humour and pop culture references might have enhanced the experience to some degree, but as it is, I can't say I feel as confident for the trilogy closer since it fell short on the fulfillment factor. EXTRA THOUGHTS (WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!): 1) I'm very familiar with the mythology of fated mates and fated pairings but I have to admit that cosmically matched or not, the concept loses its credibility when two love interests (determined to end the other for most of the story) are only thwarted by those killer desires because of the baser instincts of their mated destiny. I wanted more intricacy and nuance in the development of Salem and Aenor's 'relationship'. Sure, they're not going to want to hurt or harm the other, and there's a nice play between an intense inner conflict when desires are wholly unmatchable to the force of instinct, but it bothers me when that's used as a way to pair two people together when necessary development is also needed to foundation that. Just because a bond is preventing you from harming someone, you'd likely harm them anyway were any bond not in place, so on that front - and referring back to my earlier point about character connections - their attachment felt underdeveloped. Salem may very well have killed her if that wasn't the case, and Aenor may very well have killed Salem had the bond influenced her not to. 2) Just to pick on something other readers have commented on, I wanted to point out that I personally didn't experience any likeness to ACOTAR with this series, bar the swapping of a love interest and some Tamlin vibes courtesy of Lyr. The series, the worldbuilding, the characters, the tone and developments are completely different. Content warning/Listing: general warnings for violence, conflict and blood. Some profanity. Mentions the (past) intentional killings of children as sacrifices. Depravity, Imprisonment, enslavements, mentions starved emaciated bodies. Smut scenes (imagined, hallucinated and one sex scene on page). ________________________________ Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ________________________________ ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 30, 2023
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Jan 10, 2024
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Jan 03, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 1526628228
| 9781526628220
| 1526628228
| 4.47
| 561,939
| Feb 15, 2022
| May 11, 2023
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really liked it
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RATING: 4 stars to House of Sky and Breath ★ ★ ★ ★ I don't know how Sarah J. Maas manages to minimise me to a stunned, gaping, wordless feeling-too-muc RATING: 4 stars to House of Sky and Breath ★ ★ ★ ★ I don't know how Sarah J. Maas manages to minimise me to a stunned, gaping, wordless feeling-too-much form of human mystification but she has indeed managed to do just that yet again. Such is the work of a finished Maas novel. A phenomena ostensibly still in great effect. Some say she's redefined the fantasy genre, some disfavour her stylistic energy, but I'm entirely engaged to the passionate, thrill-writing creative who inks her own script and skewers her storyteller's staff in the ground with challenge. I expected the confluence of a few different outcomes for part two of the Crescent City saga: a continuing search for the truth, a time for decision-making significance, a world drawing closer to war, our central crew courting danger, the omnipotence of the forbidding force that are Crescent City's dictators (The Asteri), a cast of truth seekers and major players parrying like slinking predators in night, twilight and daylight, and the menacing powers of Pangera's feared migrating to their home ground. What I didn't expect was an ending that not only hints at, but has now boldy branded itself a multiverse crossover. ACOTAR fans, you will hold your breath as a silent roaring will stoke a life of its own inside of you, and that's all I promise to say without destroying the fun for the unread (more of my conflicting thoughts on this in the 'Extra Thoughts' section below). A sequence in the Mass monopoly that I look forward to is the hold-your-breath swiftly moving thrill of a set of action-rich concluding chapters that effectively uproots, twists and carves a veritable gauntlet in the sand, and this addition just celebrated the trend. In the sophisticated words of Tharion "you ready for the shitshow we're about to enter?" I mean, I don't know Tharion, shitshows are known for leaving a stench and I'm still processing the lingering aftermath of this particular performance. The third book can't come fast enough. Lucky us that January gifts us just that. Sarah J. Mass certainly possess the ability to keep a very big plot moving, with every arm, leg, functional and non-functional limb leading to newer, sharper, shadier developments. Secrets, surprises and discoveries waiting in the wings until they're given permittance to unleash themselves at the right moments. I am admittedly worried about the comprehensivity of the world-scape - vast as it is - effectively measuring up to a satisfying culmination. Sometimes this book felt like a lot of words routing out too many avenues. As it is, I'm not sure how many books are planned for the entire series. I'll be honest and say that It wasn't a difficult pastime to guess at some of the plot twists.(view spoiler)[ my fiercest instincts pegged the Hind as Ruhn's love interest, and I did guess early on about her involvement as a double agent. The clues were there, I couldn't see anyone else as a more proficient rebel and I couldn't see anyone else as Ruhn's lady love. (hide spoiler)] The remaining - and larger plot twists - however? I couldn't have guessed at them no matter the intense effort. Even that which I did see coming though, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it all come into fruition. Are we going to have a romance between Flynn and a certain fiery shifter? Is a very honour-bound, displaced, misplaced Ithan Holstrom game to will a new beginning and a new love into his life to usurp a long-lived longing for Bryce? Are the terror-inflicting baddies like The Hammer finally going to be at the receiving end of much-needed comeuppance? What's in store for an enemy turned sympathiser in Baxian? I have to say that I liked his involvement in the sequel. Or a cruel and cold Fae dictator who's father only in name to our Starborn Prince and unrecognised Princess? I enjoyed the group interrelations as always, made all the more intriguing by the tense, twisty suspicion of fresh cast members in the form of new arrivals. Never quite knowing who is a friendly or a foe. But the collective camaraderie and frenemy-like engagements extends like a non-negotiable, no-nonsense entertaining something that I relish. Like House of Earth and Blood, I still felt that each character mattered in the follow up. And each one has a path of their own to unravel. House of Sky and Breath does some great work in the space of character relationships and character development. I loved Tharion in book one (most notably his relationship with Bryce), but I'm going to agree with a reading friend's opinion and say that I think we got too much Tharion here. The younger Holstrom brother certainly takes up space of his own, I really felt for Ithan's plight of abandonment, his inner struggle with separation, loss, aloneness and the deep guilt eating at him was really well translated. That he may be a part of a newer 'pack' so to speak, or to forge one of his own, I'm only desperately awaiting his arc maturity. As the youngest of these paranormals, he has so much to gain, discover of himself and the author excellently puts his pain and progress to the page. So many characters seem to materialise from the woodwork, a lot of personalities to be curious by and become interested in. It's an unsmooth, paranormal de facto family affair. Also, I'm still reeling over Cormac's secret - but very final - decision to do what he did. He deserved so much more than what he gave up, but his presence served its purpose and laid down a statement in many ways: anything can await any one of them, and they'll have to make those challenging choices if they want to become a part of a world they wish to see. (view spoiler)[ I just wish his time in this fictional world lasted longer through the series, I was growing to enjoy his involvement and I'll miss his brooding, troubled prince vibe. But that's the sacrifice of freedom fighting and his actions paralleled who we gradually understand him to be. Apparently, though, he was marked for expendability, and I wasn't happy about it. After Danika, a female rebel we didn't know but who still played a significant part in this book's developing trajectory, he's the third to fall. I'm not excited about who might be next. (hide spoiler)] Things do of course develop with Hunt, Bryce and Ruhn. With the world-reordering events of the Spring behind them, a new normal awaits our rebellious circle of friends, frenemies, rulers, royals, defectors, self servers, independent enterprisers, loners and lovebirds. Bryce and Hunt have an adjustment to make. So much happened but so much is still up in the air, simmering like a waiting fatal blast should they breathe too hard. But life was never meant to settle, not when power brokers are a silent force working to an unseen ploy. Hunt and Bryce have decided to play small and keep it that way, even though they're both disturbed by the state of the world, Bryce especially. Contrastingly, Hunt doesn't want to be anywhere near a reviving continuation of a rebellion that smoked his dream to cinders once upon a time. He isn't happy about the rebel involvement that's in his future, but as we all know, he'd follow Bryce anywhere. On the topic of Bryce being encouraged by Ruhn to challenge the status quo and raise herself to an elevated status, we'll have to see what transpires in that regard. There are several hints peppered throughout of her regal bearing, what and who she can become, especially via Hunt and Ruhn's POV, so we'll see where and how this storytelling carves a destiny for her. I'm intrigued to see how the constellation will come together. Everyone mistrusts everyone else (to shifting degrees), each sporting a healthy dose of suspicion, even among friends. Can I also share that I'm really enjoying Hel's involvement in this major orchestration? Where most fiction loves to play with the chilling malevolence of the sinister dwelling of Hel's mythology, there was a really fresh twist on hel's involvement in this story. And I really enjoyed it. I was backing Aidas all the way and wanted more of the demon Princes' involvement. Aidas' lack of page time was semi negligent. Where we got excessive Tharion, we received minimal Aidas. As I mentioned though, interesting were the revelations of Hel's history. Despite Danika dying on us in book one (not a spoiler), she's certainly kept alive by the living shadows that are her secrets. I'm not surprised that Bryce is freshly wounded, each new revelation about her best friend inching wider that distance between them. I can't help wondering what else Danika had up the sleeves of her trademark jacket, perhaps she's also the unofficial leader of some secret sect, unofficial councillor of some settlement for rebels, we just never know. Danika's motives are finding life, and those motives are a lot bigger than the dirty dealings of black market trafficking. This is all big world trading for Bryce. It's a Maas fantasy novel, so of course, there's plenty to speculate upon, turn over and pick apart. Newer additions to the growing cast include the Ophion initiative, a predatory Dreadwolf, Crescent City's new ruling successor Celestina, The Harpy, The Astronomer, an abandoned, oppressed wolf, Pippa Spetsos, The Hind, Sandriel's reinstated triari members, the Asteri, an Avallen Prince, Baxian Argos, Hel's demon princes. I've likely forgotten several more but those are the ones I'm in mind of right now. The narrative continues in this second coming, a cosmic recurrence, if you will. An unavoidable second force that wants to correct an order, that's forcing idling players to make their moves, and hesitation or not, the wave of a war waits for no one. Everyone's pushed to act, whether they want to or not, all pulled into the melee by a greater influence. Enslavement comes in many shapes and forms, and although Bryce and Hunt have been granted a free life, they're far from liberated. They're still the fiercely partnerered twosome against all odds but they're not oblivious to the fragility of the life they're living. And it's not the benevolent celebration it appears to be. But for Bryce, the adjustment has been more than challenging, stuck between the bewilderment of acclimating to life's normal parries with the devastation of what's truly going on in the world, how quickly their lives might turn. A false sense of security but one direly needed after the sheer action of Spring's passing. Creatures and humans are playing rebel in the shadows, and it's not long before our central cast are pulled into the play. They also seem to be rallying up quite the count of enemies, and this sequel brings a time of great significance, for all of them. Her best friend may be of this world no longer but the secrets she kept are a living thing, leading Bryce to uncover more and more about the dangerous movements before her death. And that she never knew the intimate secrets of the friend she thought she knew. They're living normal, quiet lives designed to leave the peace undisturbed. But, and what makes for good storytelling, chimerical peace can't ever sit for too long without being disturbed. Hence, and I welcome, A House of Sky and Breath. Where Crescent City might just become the next battleground. Continued into its second stage, we see the cast too close for comfort as they become embroiled in rebel activity as a search for continued truth is veiled and warped by the powers that be. The introduction opens up with a highly suspenseful chapter expressed from the perspective of a human rebel. A courageous nobody by name of Sophie Renast was the unsung - and also sung - heroine of this sequel. All hope seems to rest upon the initiative of the callous members of a rebellion. And any other supernatural or human willing to put up a force. The threats are silent but no less sinister, and Bryce and Hunt could lose it all in a Vanir heartbeat. Magically enhanced sex scenes are like furniture for a Sarah J. Maas novel, and I enjoyed them very much. Although the passion, secrecy and danger musters on several cylinders, I have to say that I'm most apprehensive to dive into book three particularly. As every character keeps reminding us, '[they're] tangling in some dangerous shit.' Here's to hoping that sh*t stirs up storm that loiters in the very best way. Content Warning/Listing: Profanity galore, mentions death, torture, blood. General warnings for violence and harm of different kinds. Also mentions the rape of a long-ago figure of history. Mentions the slaughtering of minors (children/infants/babies). Slavery/ownership of other creatures/lifeforms. Murders/killings/death/torture. Harbouring and possession of slaves. Detailed Sex scene. Slavery (willing and unwilling). Mentions the objectification demise of children and child abuse/torture. Mass deaths and mentions of it. EXTRA THOUGHTS! (WILL contain spoilers) 1) As soon as I read 'scarred hands', scaled armour and hazel eyes I knew we were veering into crossover territory. I may have stopped breathing for a bit but really did I turn those final pages with a combination of stunned paralysis and some form of grotesque glee. I have to admit that any mention of the ACOTAR saga and I'm wholly broody for the series. But, and as much as I love a revisit to the acotar crew, I'm NOT sure how I feel about this multiverse development if I'm being completely honest. I know most ACOTAR fans are likely relishing in the aftermath and the possibilities, and I'm not saying that I'm not one of them but was the crossover needed? This series can of course stand on its own so I'm wondering why the author decided to take this route. And how many books dare I ask will the crossover involvement make it into? I can't stop thinking about how the two worlds will tie in and how long we'll get page time with the ACOTAR crew; a healthy dose of acotar content through the series? Or are we having a joining of two worlds, at least until bryce can get back to her own remains to be seen...to what extent, we're none the wiser. 2) So, we know that Ruhn and Bryce's father is a heartless piece of work, but I'm stretching my mental limbs here and saying that I think he's one of the bigger orchestrators, and knows exactly what he's doing. He may be a cruel and callous leader, and an even crueller father but I think there's a lot more to him than we're he'd ever be willing to admit to. Both good and terrible. I'm watching him closely, even though I don't forgive him for what he did to Ruhn... 3) My fiercest instincts pegged the Hind as Ruhn's love interest, and I did guess early on about her involvement as a double agent. The clues were there, I couldn't see anyone else as a more proficient rebel and I couldn't see anyone else as Ruhn's lady love. I'm just putting it out there that I think Ruhn and Lydia could be mates as well as love interests. Could it be mere coincidence that he can access her mental plane as easily as he can. He also keeps mentioning her scent... ...more |
Notes are private!
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Oct 13, 2023
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Dec 30, 2023
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Nov 11, 2023
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Paperback
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| B07V9W5P1Z
| 3.73
| 13,640
| Jul 22, 2019
| Jul 22, 2019
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really liked it
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RATING: 3.5/4 stars to Dark King! ★ ★ ★ ★ The Ankou in his true form left me breathless with awe. Sublime. It was the closest word in English to con RATING: 3.5/4 stars to Dark King! ★ ★ ★ ★ The Ankou in his true form left me breathless with awe. Sublime. It was the closest word in English to convey a concept unique to the fae: the terrifying beauty of the gods. Horror and perfection mingling together, demanding devotion. The sight of him stoked a primal fear in my mind, part of me desperate to run shy from him. Monsters lurk among men, my mother’s voice whispered in my memories. He will destroy you. Kill him before he kills you. Another part of me just felt compelled to worship him. My knees felt weak, like they were pulling me down to the concrete floor. The gold around him grew brighter, and I could see his scars healing before my eyes. I knew I was watching something not meant for the eyes of ordinary fae like me. It was dizzying, really. Watching him felt like a violation. I was trespassing on the true face of a god.' '...She raised me with one lesson burned into my mind. Don’t trust anyone—but especially don’t trust men. At the time, I thought she was mistaken. But when I got to London in the 1800s, I saw things that would make even your blood curdle.” Lyr was listening attentively. “And that’s how I knew my mother was right. There are wolves all around us. Wolves who’d kill you as soon as they got the chance.” And that was why I’d be keeping the dagger as close to me as possible. Because sometimes the wolves were very beautiful indeed.' Dark King by C.N. Crawford is a story that trails the history (and mystery) of a drowned kingdom, a fearsome demi god In pursuit of a powerful Fae relic, a mysterious arsonist and destroyer of lands, a disgraced heiress of the sea lynched of the roiling power that once had her an empress of those wild waves and a string of Fae supernaturals who all have something to gain. Or destroy? I had a reading friend with a particular fascination for the C.N. Crawford partnership, and after starting with the opener to the Court of the Sea Fae series I can see why. The authorship promises a geyser of great potential, and in spite of possibilities unrealised, I had a lot of fun reading this. Dark King was very readable, not flawless, well-purposed or actuated in an always well-materialised or even established way, but a gripping introduction to their style of supernatural romantic literature for me. Simplicity meets the supernatural, and I can't wait to see what else pours forth from their well of the imaginal. I know I could quite easily sink my way through their published books with the ease of swift comfort and without an ounce of reluctance or pause on my part. The Fae just seem to do it for me. They always have. And C.N. Crawford just served up a complimentary ambiance of surrounding temptations to anchor these paranormal creatures of magic, influence and seductive supremacy. Here, the sea Fae assume leadership. For the most part Dark King is quite actionable, the plot pursuits push at the characters from the start, and it only moves forward with reciprocating suspense, levity and action. What succeeded in action and plot didn't always equate to other elemental areas of progression or resonating relationships I will say. There was a great feel of intrigue, interest and creativity but unsupported by that which was left untouched. There was a sense of absence within the story that didn't meet a fuller possibility. What it did do from the very beginning, with interesting world building, character construction, a unique setting, a strongly introduced heroine with a fun, comical (but equally resilient) spirit was push me with invisible hands to stay the lane. I'm glad I did, because even with some shortcomings, I was compelled enough to purchase the follow up immediately. I really can't wait to see how the second installment takes the lead for more than just a few reasons. One of them being an unexpected twist of a potential anti-hero who may have just unwittingly reordered and reshuffled this deck from a sea Fae twosome to a maybe love triangle. Did I just say love triangle? I think I did. And I'm very excited about it. Our mysterious third wheel is the ambrosial forbidden fruit, and I've decided I might just like to plant a tree in his honour to grow more of said fruit in abundance. Where there's intense plot movement, there's always a lighter humour that swiftly appraises the heat of the danger by engaging itself with an entertaining levity by way of Aenor's narration. There's strife, struggle and complication aplenty, and yet Aenor take it in stride with the bearing of someone who knows how to lighten the load despite the troubling pressure and inner distraction. It breaks up the regret of all that's lost of her golden years, all she could gain by possibility, the present threat of being acquired by the very powers of paranormal authority she's been outrunning and unwillingly pairing up with a powerful demi god to keep her human friend and companion safe. The characterisation was equally interesting, if a bit formless and flat, but that sense of speculation does lend itself to a suspicious sense of the indefinite. Aenor's characterisation was more abtruse than clear; my brain wasn't always quite sure how to perceive her or her motivations. Or whether I was even supposed to. Nonetheless, she remained an interesting heroine to me; dynamic, independent, well-placed, survivalistic leading lady with a taste for Elvis and his musical magic. Doing her best to hold her ex-royal head high while nesting in her underground hidey hole. And does she do so with spunk, spirit and the quiet echo of a once-loved life behind her. Providing a rogue, self-sanctioning service for victimised women, and after being violently attacked herself, she has few qualms over dispatching the wicked. After shallowly escaping her destroyed kingdom without her powers intact she's been drifting through human lands for as long as she can remember, doing what she could to adapt and survive from era to era, befriending human women and taking vigilantism upon herself to safeguard them from the horrors they were unable to protect themselves from. But she's an illegal supernatural, ripe pickings for being hunted by fae enforcers. While it's a good thing her underwater abode at least houses her struggling business, her sorry state of a livelihood becomes tarnished beyond livability when her life (and her humble underground living) becomes the target of a foreboding creature she killed with a hard iron bullet to the heart. He's back, filled with wrath, darkness and fury, and he's offering her few choices but to help him secure an item of power that could save his people. As if Aenor wasn't a struggling immortal before, she has some major problems on her sea Fae hands now. Where Aenor's relationship with her people and kingdom held a searching dialogue in the story, I didn't feel any real sense of discovery on that front. I can only hope that we get some intervention between her and the people of Nova Ys considering her damaged reputation and an entire community of Fae who believed the worst in her. That doesn't seem an easy feat to manoeuvre. I did appreciate the Aenor's hyperbolic villain story. Among the Fae, and very unfortunately for Aenor, a seductively rewilded lie has sown an entire culture of Fae in the grip of a grape-vine invented fable. Word is considered truth that she destroyed her own kingdom and carelessly turned her back on her own people on the demand of a previous lover. As bewildered as she was to find out that lie dressed as common belief, she doesn't have a great deal faith in the opposite sex to begin with thanks to a mother who schooled her in the ways of male manipulation and monstrosity. As such, our Aenor lives a life of celibacy, trusting nobody but herself. While I appreciated the commentary of male bavardage often usurping the authenticity of a woman's story - even rewriting and retelling it to sheer proportions of scandal - I did struggle with Aenor's personal perspective on male hate. And comparably, her impossibly quick transit as an immortal of lifelong sexual abstinence to burning with immediate lust for Lyr a tad too swift to challenge that long-lived way of being. As much as a story can play agreeable to the role of female empowerment one also has to consider the other extreme of immortal celibacy and male discrimination as a result of that. A glorious male can of course turn a head and rally those hormones but that particular response posed an unrealistic challenge to her characterisation. Her mother of course nursed the belief by nurturing within her a deep sense of dubiety and suspicion. But as we later learn, said mother's sense of normalcy is a deeply questionable thing in and of itself. Poor Aenor. I'm not a foreigner to the urges of fictional carnality, but I digress that the representation sat in conflict with who we believe Aenor to be. She was interestingly and agreeably morally gray however. Power hungry in the way she thirsted for the return of her sea magic, in a temperament which often left me questioning her truest desires and a possible darker shade to her character. Where many play haste to the martyrdom of the female role, I liked the experiential mix of a self-serving heroine, self realised in her secret desire for power but also quick to dole out her own sense of justice. I didn't anticipate her to desire Lyr's trust as quickly as she did and would have liked to see a more believable sense of resistance from her, but I still enjoyed her perspective as the story's heroine. The romance did feel more lust laden than it did progressive but the steam never failed to ripen the story and eroticise the budding companionship between Aenor and Lyr, even as they're not fully convinced of each other. And even as I'm not fully convinced of them. Our male love interest was equally a source of intrigue but perhaps not as interesting as I was hoping he'd be, and even after completing the book I'm still unsure of him. Godlike in presence, faithful in duty but also irresolutely questionable. The dubious Lyr, enemy or ally? There's a rather large question mark there despite his romantic partnership with Aenor. Is Lyr really the loyal protector to the house of Meriadoc's true heir? What's so arousingly suspicious about that major sense of the divine within him that encourages mistrust? I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what becomes of this cursed and curious demigod. He is darkly compelling and beautifically divine in appearance and essence, so there is that. But after the welcome of The Evening Star I'm suspecting the representation of Lyr and Aenor's romance may have been deliberate. There's just something about the setting of modernity as it melds with ethereally long lived creatures that I enjoy. There was a nice side-by-side between Aenor's life and the indulgent realm of the fae. Aenor's thirst for her power also pulled our heroine into the line of questioning so we'll see what transpires with her quest to re-inherit those aquiline gifts. Where this book opens up with Aenor so removed from her place of royalty and yet longing for what she once had, I'm hoping the story has an interesting way of moving forward with it and her place as a woman of power. Considering she found her name to be as soiled as the sewer-drenched undergarments she finds herself in as she's towed along as captive, I'm intrigued to know how the authors might reintroduce her as an heir with the inhabitants of Nova Ys. A vengeful prophecy, reluctant co-cooperators, a fallen princess, a cursed (and resurrected) Fae warrior, veiled motives, a Fae-crafted relic and a quest to re-establish power. Personally, I did feel that the story didn't make the most of its potential in a few different ways with this one but I was still engaged with every part of the story. Aenor is no longer the daughter of a queen with a great power that calls to the wild waters. She's powerless, and her most recent and pressing situation reminds her of the fullness of a Fae with imperial power in her blood. Going into this I had zero expectations for a love triangle, my thoughts prowled along the lines of boy hunts girl, girl shoots boy, boy hunts her again, they hate each other but must work in resistant partnership, she mentally plans various attempts at death and they become mistrustful companions to very willing bedmates. That is, until a second foreboding interest entered the fray and I found myself deeply intrigued by the curious welcome. The Nameless One really gave this book an edge. After scanning the blurb for Fallen King I'm more than just a bit excited by the fact that while Dark King is single POV, in its sequel, Aenor shares the telling with none other than Salem. I'm already impatient for this coming dual perspective! Content Warning/Listing: violence, blood, death/threats of each one. Mentions past instances of violence and assault (including an act of violence against the heroine resulting in permanent scarring). Also mentions and exposes violence and crimes against women (including an attempted on page rape via non-pivotal side characters). Female on female hate. SOME FAVOURITE QUOTES! I stared at the stranger, who moved toward me with an elegant grace. His beauty felt like glass shattering in my heart. Dark hair swept over his forehead, and the morning light blazed over his face. His eyes were dusky hues—purple streaked with gold—and his cheekbones were blade-sharp. Possibly the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. I realized I’d simply stopped walking. “I believe those two fae were bothering you,” he said. “I had to kill them.” “Thanks,” I said. I still clutched tight to the bloodied knife. His eyes gleamed, and he arched a dark eyebrow. “You look like your mother.” My stomach swooped. He knew way too much about me. “Who are you?” As I stared at him, the sound of a low drum pulsed in time with my heart. It seemed to me that it was a sacrificial drum, a sound echoing off rock. I had no idea why that word popped into my mind—sacrifice. I felt dreadfully hot, and phantom flames seemed to rise and burn around me. Boom, boom, boom…. A drumbeat to drown out screams. However gorgeous the man standing before me was, the drum was telling me to run “I don’t get along with men, and I never have,” I said. “I don’t get jealous of other women’s beauty. And I definitely didn’t drown a kingdom because I was jealous. Was this story told to you by a man, by any chance? This sounds like a dude story. The girl who was sooo slutty she broke the whole world.” I breathed in slowly through my nose. “And this all brings me back to my previous point. I don’t get along with men.” I stared out the window, where the dark sea crashed against a rocky shore. Right now, I wanted to leap into it. It seemed impossible to clear my name. This was the thing with men, as my mother—Queen Malgven herself—had warned me. It didn’t matter who you really were; they wrote their own stories about you. They cast you in one of several roles: the innocent girl who needed teaching, the lunatic who needed calming, the whore who’d break your heart. Or, in my case, the demonic prostitute fueled by rage and jealousy. A fallen woman. That was my story, whether or not it was true. And as Gwydion had said, wasn’t it a good story? But why should I care what they thought? I knew the truth. Gina knew the truth. When the song on the radio changed, I felt like the gods were blessing me. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” began playing. “Can you turn this up?” “This music is terrible.” I popped a bubble. “You shut your godsdamn mouth, or so help me Elvis, I will shoot you again with iron bullets.” “You like this?” “Elvis is the god of music.” “El-vis.” He said the name like he’d never heard it before. “I haven’t heard of this god.” “I touched his shirt once.” I giggled, then focused on the road again. “You should probably stop distracting me while I’m driving.” I glanced at him quickly out of the corner of my eye and saw a smile curling the corner of his lips. “I thought you hated men.” “Not all men. There are exceptions. Elvis being one of them. And the Horseman of Death is nicer than you’d imagine, given his title.” “Is that right?” “I made you coffee.” He pointed to a mug on the bed next to me. “You seemed keen on it earlier.” I raised my eyebrows. “You know how to make coffee?” He glared at me with the offense of someone who was just asked if he knew how to read. “Coffee is a Ysian delicacy. Its ancient traditions were passed down to me by the finest coffee makers. Also, I found Nescafé.” I stared at it in his palm, entranced. I wanted to snatch it up in my hands. “What is it?” “A gem that once belonged to my mum’s family. Beira said it would stop you when you try to take my head off.” I arched my eyebrow. “If I’m such an evil threat, then why are you telling me how I can be stopped? I could just steal that from you and I’d be unstoppable.” He shrugged. “Two reasons. One, I can overpower you easily even without a magic gem, and two, maybe I like the thought of you crawling all over me and frantically trying to get into my trousers.” I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks heated, too. I knew the key had to be worth a ton of money. Worth risking your life over. “You slit her throat and hung her from a wall because she tried to steal your necklace?” “Are you judging me for killing? You have slaughtered plenty, Aenor, Flayer of Skins.” “For very naughty things. Murder, disfiguring other people. Not, like, pinching jewelry, you know?” His stare cut right through me, like every sentence I uttered was some kind of crushing disappointment to the entire fae race. ____________________________________ Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ____________________________________ ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 02, 2023
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Nov 07, 2023
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Sep 03, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0062279025
| 9780062279026
| 0062279025
| 4.04
| 16,610
| Nov 01, 2016
| Nov 01, 2016
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really liked it
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RATING: 4 stars to A Million Worlds With You! ★ ★ ★ ★ I travel towards thinking of myself as challenged by completion as much as I've previously taken RATING: 4 stars to A Million Worlds With You! ★ ★ ★ ★ I travel towards thinking of myself as challenged by completion as much as I've previously taken to chasing it; I pathologically behest an appetite for finishing things but also feel the flood of approaching dread for that bittersweet parting of all said finishings. I'm likely the most stubborn resistor of the tide that tells us all good things must come to an end. I dread fictitious finishings the most. Alas, the finale has arrived, once-parted crimson curtains closed, the performance performed and the stage dusted and as vacuous as the empty matter on a page of words. The closing of a series is never easy (especially since I spend so much time with a book before I'm done with it), but here it is, in all its cross-dimensional, destructively conspiratorial, multiverse-mass death, romantically challenged family-driven drama. Similar to the pace of the previous two instalments, the dust barely settles before its unsettled once again, and a breath barely meets air before the next swift intake as the Caine family and their two researcher assistants must face the shocking prospect of falling worlds and falling lives, including their very own. On a scale of quantum realities. Time really is of the essence, and with the Home Office - home to an extensively plotted plan of widespread murder - utilising bereavement as their most demolishing force, it's yet again up to Marguerite to lead the rescue efforts with the brains of extraordinary science (those of her extraordinary parents, Paul and Theo) behind her. All comes together with the swiftest pace, a chaser's plot and more entertaining dimension discovery; the bites of all we've learned before joined by newer pieces assembled into a picture of crime too heinous to name. One that crosses worlds. Worse even than pandemic proportions, though widespread inter-dimensional annihilation do cometh close. Triad's workings might become clearer but without a solid plan of their own to counterpoint the Home Office, who are leagues and lengths ahead of them, working against the tide is as uphill a fight as it sounds. And just like before, the vulnerabilities of our main characters are weaponised against them. The fight in our protagonist reaches a different depth, and Marguerite's possessed of a driven display to take on the responsibility of more than just her own world. It's mission critical for her to do right after her previous wrongs have echoed through worlds, and her motivation is perhaps bigger than ever. Our leading lady artist was definitely touched by a lesson I was hoping she'd learn in book one (and then book two), especially when the true terror of experiencing what her companions have becomes the opening experience of the book. I have to say that as fascinating as the concept of her having to face a darker piece in another version of herself - and the truth of an alternative self in the form of Wicked - didn't quite carry the needed impact. Wicked herself underperformed in the role of antagonist and the navigation of that plot piece, though definitely interesting as it spoke to a challenging belief of the inner best/flawed that carries a thoroughline through the entire series with each character, fell somewhere flat. I did enjoy the speculative draw of her malevolent multiverse clone drawing her into an unknown danger through each universe. I additionally love the intrigue and structure of each new dimension travelled to, but as interesting as the setup is, the writing itself didn't draw the best and most palpable impact from crucial moments. Since this concludes the trilogy, I was hoping for some surging end-of-series gravitas to seal those flaws and flood me with more end-of-trilogy thrill. A really great sense of plot pushing, direction and depictional settings, however. Next to my soft spot for dear Paul, the world travelling comes close to being my favourite element of the series. Comprehensively, I'm still considering this concept creatively mysterious. I had a few favourite world choices in this book, each for different reasons, but the Egyptverse just might be my favourite; I loved the exotic archaeological site. Along with Medieval Rome for its timely difference, and the mid-Russian revolution for the scenario of a well-loved and humble life for Marguerite and Paul. Where the first book became a justice mission fuelled by passionate grief and the second book was propelled by a different kind of rescue effort motivated by love, A Million Worlds With You yet also follows through with a similar drive to act with the immediacy of disaster, desire and need, though this time it engages with the bigger service of saving the multiverse. I do enjoy a busy plot, and dare I say that even as the storyline feels a tad uncoordinated and the story itself sweats out its flaws and unrealised potential in different spaces, the instalment that finalises it all still maintained the enjoyability I've experienced series-wide. Marguerite, Paul and their splintered relationship considered, it's like they're faced with everything all at once. The safety of her world's Paul is no longer a comfort she can turn to, and appealing to her very withdrawn boyfriend is a losing battle. With bigger tragedies in play, her love life comes second to the perils of scientific debauchery. What? You may ask. T'is true, I tell you. Book one tells it best. Still, Paul's perched on a mountain of guilt, the deepest doubt, and Marguerite might have to face the finality of letting him go. Helping him believe he's bigger and better than the pieces he's been fractured into and she quickly realises it's not going to be easy when he's so adrift in his own body, perhaps not even salvageable, yet tethered to him she'll always be. In every world. Admittedly, I did feel that Paul's inner struggle played part to something more long-suffering than character performing and relationship cinching. I would have liked to see the storyline of his splintering managed differently, more creative tweakery to back up the transitional portrayal, though Gray still taps into Paul's characterisation consistently. The endless angst between our fated couple did leave something to be desired, and (for me) the potential for the final part to their romance did fall relatively flat. But anyway I can have Paul Markov, I'll definitely take him. For the fact that the epilogue didn't cement the main family angle together as a stronger knot to the closing narrative since the big theme of familial relationships and how Marguerite's family (including Theo and Paul) relate to each in each world, I was a bit disappointed by the finalisation. I hoped we might've had more commentary over the interrelationships between the six of them. And since Paul's splintering took such a toll on him book-wide I was hoping we'd get more threaded commentary on how he continued to deal with the aftermath of that inner, unseen struggle. Perhaps the persistent need for a deeper, reflective perspective might always leave me pushing for a tactile settlement, but the ending was whispersome over satisfyingly put to bed. For all my struggle with our heroine I did appreciate her growth span; that she transitioned into perceptibly distinguishing their multiverse duplicates as separate individuals as much as they were a part of them highlighted the difference in her examination. As did the scene that brought each Marguerite together in a single world - it was a really nice (and likely needed) touch. Most especially since that very sci-fi situation afforded a very unique opportunity where she and the Duchess are given space to meet, face to face In conversation. A lovely moment of closure for the three of them, since Paul gets some too. The character Integration was ok but since this is the book of closure, the involvement didn't rise to the occasion. As a quick example, Josie's character has been conspicuously absent through each book - typically given a scene or two and contemplated through the thoughts of her sister's perspective - and her covertness as a side character created some curiosity around her. I was even wondering if she might follow through with some surprises of her own, but she felt more or less like a distanced Caine family member. Surrounding a scenario of such epic doubt, where every character feels burdened by the touch of hopelessness, I would have appreciated a better balance between the machinations of us vs. them. Each chapter is motivated by movement and action, and that definitely leaves a reader enveloped in the fray. Marguerite realises just how pivotal her role is in safeguarding every other version of herself and her contrition was beyond doubt through her inner rumination. She's now coherent to the understanding that a life is a life within every universe, and every single one matters enough for her to be a part of the rescue. As iterated in my review for A Thousand Pieces of You a very individual conceptualised palm-print inspired by the mystique of dimensional universe travel is a great way to describe this book. It always draws back to family, love, relationships, choices made, the novelty of a unique experience and evinces the complexity of who we might become given a different life, in choosing a different path. Even as the narrative discourses with fate, scientific probability, possibility and fated outcomes, the display of imperfection within each character always brings it back to relativity. Creative, interesting and inventive it, summons a diverse cut from the common crop. With this last instalment, the essence of the series remains the same and its thematic consistency performs continuously. As a personal preference (because character relationships carry the wealth of utter significance to me) I would like to point out that I came off hoping for a stronger engagement between Marguerite and Theo. The storyline is otherwise well handled and although this isn't a series of five stars I'm calling it a gateway portal of four because I'd love to lift my hand for any other book with 'Claudia Gray' inscribed on the front cover. I loved the multiverse magic! Content Warning/Listing: Violence, widespread death and demise. Descriptions of accidents and injury. Death. ____________________________________ Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ____________________________________ ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 15, 2023
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May 16, 2023
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May 15, 2023
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Hardcover
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| B00TE8LHXI
| 4.05
| 23,807
| Nov 03, 2015
| Nov 03, 2015
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really liked it
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RATING: 4 stars to Ten Thousand Skies Above You! ★ ★ ★ ★ The plot thickens in a colossally orbicular bowl I'm going to call a Multiverse soup with Fire RATING: 4 stars to Ten Thousand Skies Above You! ★ ★ ★ ★ The plot thickens in a colossally orbicular bowl I'm going to call a Multiverse soup with Firebird #2 where dimension travel fiction has uprooted me from my ordinary for a second cycle sequence. So much fun, and the concept persists with no less a generous helping of interest. The stakes become steeper, love is used to leverage twofold, scientific ingenuity continues to be inextricably harmonised with human agenda, surprises travel across worlds, relationships are challenged, conspiratorial collaborations form a new face and Marguerite's love life hypothesis meets contention in newer forms. It's rarely plain-sailing in paradise for this teen. In Marguerite's world, her problems come stacked with the weight of many. Literally. And with the weight of family. And with enemies who want to use them against her. Her parents' cross-travel innovation is proving to be more trouble than it might be worth in pioneering science. Because with the triumph of an empirical breakthrough comes the flaw of misguided human ambition, and those who are closer to tweaking, tinkering and orchestrating their way to unthinkably inappropriate ends are much closer to her than she could ever have thought. And the possible end to countless lives in the process is but dust in between worlds, debris in between dimension. True to from, she's doing her effort best to pick up the pieces, literal and figurative. It's not just a matter of being acquired to weaponise for Marguerite, nor is it just about her Paul becoming the splintered example of what can be done to a soul and an adversary's desire to capitalise on every modern possibility that can come from puppeteering the multiverse. Those are big problems, of course, but it gets much more personal than that when she's exposed to the unchangeable aftermath of her own multiverse faux pa. The sequel brings us up to speed speedily but like book one it opens up with interesting plot-based action. Ten Thousand Skies Above You skips ahead a few months on and the alternative world jaunt picks up with a new set of challenges our protagonists have to face. But with all the reveals of book one, we get more secrets with book #2. Poor Theo's been hiding health woes, suffering the secret ravages of what was done to him through the manhandling of a multiverse twin. As such, the state of his health is indefinite. He's been distant with the rest of the gang, and it becomes pertinent soon why. I was truly happy to see Theo get some page time to shine since he became such a source of questionability for Marguerite. He needed it, deserved it and supports her endlessly. Paul, is again, consistently AWOL. Like book one, we have a Paul who is mostly absentee amid the story bulk (bar the dimensional others of him we meet), and in that sense, I appreciated the needed collaboration space lent to the real Theo and Marguerite. They were robbed of their chance to really bond over a dimensional journey of their own. But back to Paul? If he's mostly AWOL again come book three, the final partner to the trilogy, I may have to disown him I've decided. I'm going to play devil's advocate and say there may be something that feels a bit too promised about our leading lady artist and her beloved student physicist, and I'm losing confidence that he's the soul mate we're led to believe he is, not because we face different facets to his character (which was necessarily and realistically grounding as Marguerite's often remiss in placing too much stock in her idea of perfect paragon Paul) but because he feels more echo, like a possibility in between worlds as opposed to solid form sans adequate romantic relationship progress. There's something intangible about him, and I'm very curious to see what transpires. I'm analysing the value of activising a 'where is Paul Markov' campaign, however. He completely disarmed me in only the best possible way in A Thousand Pieces of You, but his place in book two felt more redundant. Their relationship is currently in a place of challenge so we'll see how the challenge transpires! I was prepared to usurp my extraordinary love for Paul moreso with Ten Thousand Skies Above You but I'm shocked to say I might have loved him less. And that statement right there is placing me within the biology of intrinsic uncertainty. Maybe the trilogy closer will conclude with a different kind of ship, or shock us further entirely by introducing a multiverse throuple. I joke, but as it stands I don't know where I stand with this fledgling love triangle that seems to know precisely what it wants but also doesn't. I feel as I if I know every other Paul we meet more than I do Marguerite's actual Paul, which contributes to her protracted love hypothesis and inner struggle to see beyond her made belief system, or perhaps Paul's too issued up to really show up with the fight Marguerite's going to need from him. Where I thought the love triangle was snugly put to bed upon finalising book one, the author draws it back to life again a little bit here, and I had to question whether it was really necessary, unless Claudia Gray has plans, plans she's singularly sidelined us with so far. I was pleasantly curious at the semi-revival since I believed the author might be heading somewhere clever with it for round two, this potentially reasoning why I felt a lack of a developed connection between Paul and Marguerite. We all know who Marguerite believes she's destined to be with but could there be a maybe in that equation, even as adamant as she is in where and with whom her heart currently lies? Of course I want to believe in destined love, but perhaps the author has clandestine goals to maintain the subtle misdirective for reasons she's not willing to disclose just yet. I hope. I pray. I'm at her mercy. We know that Paul and Marguerite have a destined connection across parallel spaces, sparing others where she discovers the lack of him in certain lives, but we needed more relationship development between the two of them in lieu of relying on who he is and has been to her in every other world they encounter. Getting caught up in the semantics of every personality profile of Paul not within parallelism to her assumed beliefs does hurt her general sense of inner solicitude and her lack forethought as a protagonist, and It didn't escape my reader qualms that her belief system pertaining to Paul became the big theme that it didn't quite need to be. Even though Marguerite's inner conflict over Paul's indivisibility in her life repetitively perpetuates her unease and puts her conviction in him being her fated other deep into question, I do believe Ten Thousand Skies Above You becomes the book by which she meets her biggest learning curve. She really learns the consequences of her actions when she revisits the Russiaverse. Although she has her shortcomings in the way she doesn't make the most out situations and seems delayed in learning lessons most would come to with minutes of contemplation, this instalment really does play to some needed reflection and course change on her part. The book makes a great point of commenting on how arguably no one person should possess such uses of great and grand inventions, when they can even be used by good people misguided by their own humanity, where anybody can and will weaponise their feelings into mass destruction. That the universe we should be concerned with first and only is the one we exist within, not manipulating multiverse strings for schematic modification. One of my major concerns over book one was the autonomous ramifications of body hopping, and while it didn't push forward with every point I wanted it to, it did push forward with others. What this sequel accomplishes really well is coming full circle with the moral aftermath of Marguerite's poor choice making in book one. She tangles with the ethical dilemma of her actions and the unavoidable consequences, which I now realise may have been the author's truest intention with the often debatable choices our heroine made preceding. I love the way each universe leans into and layers the story like a building trifle, whether It's a plot point push, a revelation discovered, relationships in trouble, an inner struggle, we do always learn something from each visited universe. In that sense, there's always a sense of perspective. The destined concept of universal familiars is a deeply comforting concept, and Gray really digs her pen into this particular theme. There's a beautiful boundary-crossing sentimentalism about it that plays to familial conviction and universal affection that spans any gap between universes. As I'm sure I've likely already voiced, there something very readable about this set of books and I'm having such fun time exploring the author's ultra-fine sense of chicanery. As much as a very desperate part of me was deeply anticipating our heroine to experience the hollows of being an 'imperfect' traveller, I did not expect that adequately dramatic cliffhanger. The sequel's conclusion really came toting the surprise factor. The author plays with some interesting questioning in the curious sense of meditating on who we'd be in worlds existing in ones alongside our own but aren't our own. And the rightness of claiming ownership of every person in existence just because they're yours in another life. Interesting stuff. The series is back for round two and Marguerite is poised to make some hard choices as the people she loves never seem to be immune from the danger that now feels second nature with the open can of worms that spilled the multiverse before them with her parents universe hopping contraption. To kill two birds with a few leaps, she hopes to save both Paul and Theo, and deals with the devil/devils to do it. She has to breach familial boundaries and work against her family and friends in a handful of other parallels to stay the course to her mission. But It's one thing to choose against ill schemes and wily will, quite another for your hand to be forced by them anyway. And this is where Marguerite finds herself, cooperating with her enemy, sabotaging her dimensional hearth and dangling by the threads of scientific manipulation while roped into the calculating machinations of the tech entrepreneur that is Wyatt Conley who continues to use the love between the Caine family and their student researchers like tokens, bribes and offers they can't refuse. She's a hot commodity with a special skill and Conley will stretch lengths to have her, or worse. But if Marguerite's being honest with herself, she's quite sick of his face by this point. Nobody can outrun their problems though, since each of them can be found and leveraged in any dimension, in creatively cruel ways, or loved ones can even wear the faces of their other selves. Having come away with more knowledge of the multiverse as well as the loved ones that dwell in each one, Marguerite's learnings have taught her how precious her family is and how love can carry a familiar faith within each world. The consequences of scientific ingenuity and creativity are twisted to meet the needs of a high powered wrongdoer with dimension-spanning plans. Book two continues to lean into alternate world visits, which services the inner struggle of each character. The plotline is an ever-moving, ever-changing hook and I loved the alternate world settings we're dropped into with the sequel; a grim, war-ravaged San Francisco where her parents are using their Firebird research to turn the tide and maneuver a war to their favour; one that manifests a completely different side of Conley, apprehended by an organised crime syndicate where an unsuspecting Paul leads a very different life than any she could have ever imagined for him; back in the royal life of a duchess Marguerite but in the richest, ritziest old age Paris which isn't the safe, recuperative hideaway she thought it would be; a current day NYC that challenges her future, dreams and her relationship with Paul; and a severely undressed corporate culture of skyscrapers built upon skyscrapers where industrialism wears no shade but the truth - a layered society built to trade human for a consumer, where not even the sky can be seen from the lowest level of the earth. The Caine family are in a messy multiverse situation and Marguerite's the one to bulldoze ahead and press her way forward for a solution. The plot does lose itself to romantic speculation and belief perplexities more often than not but I was always eager for the readable plotline. There's more action, well-placed interludes of suspense and surprising turns. As with A Thousand Pieces of You some angles are decidedly guessable and some really aren't, though I'm hoping that the trilogy closer comes toting its weight in multiverse brilliance. For now, I'm trying not to worry over the fact Theo doesn't even get a courtesy mention in the blurb for Firebird #3 Content Warning/Listing: An on page seizure. General warnings for violence, injury and blood. Describes war and it's consequences (mentions the death of young children). Kidnapping/violence. Shootings. Detailed description of injury. EXTRA THOUGHTS: 1) I would have really appreciated seeing Paul and Marguerite's relationship blossom on page rather than having it shared retrospectively and just believed in for the sake of supporting the fated perspective. And while I love the concept of transcendental love to lean on it without the accompanying development feels a bit untrustworthy. 2) Marguerite is frustratingly represented at times. I found myself troubled by her assumption that every Paul fundamentally, essentially and elementally is the same as her own and would hence always act and behave like the Paul in every universe would. The concept of an essential sameness is very realistic and consistently believable with an idea such as this but that doesn't seem each one his own person with his own life. It's like she's blinded by her perceptions and fails to want to see the nuance in character and how people travel differently and circumstantially in different lives. For an artist she should be able to desseminate the more of the nuance in people, surely? She may have gathered insight through the many dimensions she's visited but she doesn't take anything else into account with the exception of who Paul is at his core. Good people do bad things. It does irritate the nerves when she continually shares in the idea of their interchangeability, but like I mentioned in my main review, she does actually make a turnaround. Just because Paul might be a certain kind of Paul in most universes, one so remarkably, familiarly similar, it doesn't quite mean that speaks true to each one. I was glad Theo gave her a bit of a truth talking so she could see the light and question the error of her ways. 3) Also, Josie’s been conspicuously absent through the books, or more covert a character which I’m finding curious so I’m wondering if the final book will have her come through with some surprises of her own (or if she’ll be used some way). Or maybe I’m letting the dramatic nature of teen fantasy get the best of me. See we shall! _________________________________ Visit my blog: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts _________________________________ ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 26, 2023
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Mar 12, 2023
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Mar 07, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 3.54
| 489
| Dec 14, 2021
| Dec 14, 2021
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liked it
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RATING: 2.5/3 stars to The Raven and the Rush ★ ★ ★ 'He smiled. “You have it all wrong. I’ve never wanted that for myself, Seven. It’s never been my RATING: 2.5/3 stars to The Raven and the Rush ★ ★ ★ 'He smiled. “You have it all wrong. I’ve never wanted that for myself, Seven. It’s never been my path. And now, no one can force me to take it. This is the first real choice I’ve made for myself. Once I switch my robes, I’ll be free. I’ll no longer be Evrathedyn Blackrook of Longwood Rush. I’ll be Scholar Blackrook, son of no one, one of many.” “You’ll never be one of many,” Seven responded, voice low. “You could sail to Beyond, and you’d still never be able to run from who you are.” He dropped his arms. “Who am I, then?” “A man who would rather hide away than face his own greatness,” she whispered.’ 'We all have our burdens, raven. It’s not about finding a means to be free of them. It’s about how well we can adapt to living in a cage.” A goal for this reading year? Make more time for the well-loved fantasy romance division. And first on the list is Sarah M. Cradit's The Raven and the Rush. I have to say that, in a stroke of two paradigmatic opposites, this was both an anticipated read and yet also the opposite of what I had hoped for in a story that promisingly complements an expansive scape with the appearance of centralising a forbidden romance that looked to be as artful as its own cover copy. Cradit does really well with her knowledge of prose because as swimmingly as the writing carries itself, the prose turns its phrases quite nicely and the character dialogue/inner monologue is thoughtfully messaged. The beginning of the book is rich with purpose and intention as we gather what's about to await a second son who was never supposed to take on the role of leadership and a second daughter who's neither supposed to do the same. The main MCs have very similar paths to follow, albeit divisible from each other, and I was excited to see how the complexity of such roles of responsibility would be navigated. Forbidden fates on a plate, it's like my best meal. I was especially in wait for how the romance would do its dance. There's a heavy sense of expectation, forecasted onus and stolen freedoms as Evra and Rhosyn are expected to wear the fresh roles given to them without notice. But to its own detriment it's the make and manner of story advancement that became the genesis to my conflict with The Raven and the Rush, admittedly. The story was easy enough to follow and the writing has a great standard but I felt abandoned by what I expected to be more of an action/adventure fantasy with a romance that I had hoped would rain its thorns and petals all over me in open skies. With the world-building, I gathered the understanding that we're playing within the borders of a sprawling kingdom, though this is gleaned mostly from the kingdom map, and not through any immersive world description. What results isn't the elaborate building of a world, but hints and comments circulating heritage, cultures, customs and mores in a more vague tactility. Although I was naturally curious, I never felt invested in the cultures Introduced. I also felt this way about the magic system; it ventures more towards shadowy and speculative than knowingly coherent. I was content for the lack of info dumps because the story makes for great ease of movement, albeit movement that's hampered by slim advancement of the story. There were more dialogue sequences, mulling and distraction over action and storyline movement and I can't say I wasn't let down by those interferences. Rhosyn's home, the unreachable Midnight Crest, is shrouded in the veil of mystery for example. We do know that the culture of the Ravenwoods is built upon and perpetuated by learned lies but their history of restricted law, lifestyle and living is fairly nondescript (bar a few big culture differences), which makes the antagonism of the Rendyr's character a little more shallow on the uptake. The Ravenwoods may be matriarchal but it's not an Inspirational culture they lead. All intentional of course but no less undecided in finer appraisal. They have the great powers of magic-wielders but their priestesses are beheld by a noose around their necks, with no real freedoms in their holy hold. It's only really matriarchal by leadership as their people lean into the status quo by long-lived habit and heritage, and that's where Rhosyn's struggle begins and comes from. She's resistant to the path of a high priestess and what will be expected of her by role, ritual and the Ravenwood way. She's outraged and angered by her own powerlessness. The warped, backwards nature of how exactly a woman becomes a high priestess, who she's expected to mate with and how it's implemented is naturally old-age in nature, but could have been better received with censorious clarity to tackle the theme as opposed to it being such an accepted part of the wider world-building picture. The author had clearly intended that this not be a story 'about' the inhuman Ravenwoods which was why they read very backdrop-like; their role isn't a seminal one and neither does Rhosyn have a desire to belong among them, but under the assumption, if it's Rhosyn's fate we're undressing as readers, fielding through the Ravenwood way of life would have opened up the story and perhaps even made me more invested in the character fates than I share I was. Each chapter moves the story forward nicely. I did really appreciate how the unfolding gentles itself to life but I did expect more to follow on the heels of that. The story makes a point of both Evra and Rhosyn being two people beheld by their fates, though the story did seem to sway more towards Evra's path and his development from boyhood to lord and leader. The only difference is that unlike Evra, Rhosyn's imaginings never impede her hold on reality and as outraged and fearful as she is of her future, her strength really is in her ability to face it, even as much as she wishes to take to the skies in raven form and find a new life in her freedom. There's a strength of character in Rhosyn, both in her ability to be real-minded and to stand strong in the face of what she knows she can't change. While the awareness in her choices was really refreshing, my dilemma with characterisation was that I never fully felt invested in character paths and futures. They just happened and I happened to watch over them. The same was experienced with the relationships the protagonists have with fellow side characters. As Evra finds a family with the Frosts, as Rhosyn was said to be the best friend to Morwen and Meira to Evra, I never felt the attachment in those bonds. What could have been interesting supporting characters were short of the dimension needed to fulfill their respective roles in the story. Even Rendyr wasn't the complex protagonist he really could have been, even with the added multiple POVs from supporting characters. I felt more observer to the story more than feeling an arm-linked partner in machination. The collected threads of the narrative never quite reach their depth or their hold. Because my own imaginings had big ideas, I did feel underwhelmed with the storyline destinations and the general path the tale takes. There was a lack of depth comprehensively I would say, and the story hovers somewhere awkwardly between YA and NA with the enveloped feel of both, but without knowing where it wants to sit. I did feel that Rhosyn's potential as a protagonist was overlooked compared to Evra. And speaking of this young, boyish lord, let's give him the next tangent. Evra's every bit the very sidelined, tortured bookish runaway who cast his head down and ran far from the devastation of being son to a cruel, wicked father. He's in a crisis of purpose. Hoping to finally commit his life to the scholar's path, he gets a rude awakening which forces his hand, choiceless but to head home to Longwood Rush, a kingdom ravaged by his tyrant father's hate and bigotry over magical practice. In all his time away he'd built a mind full of knowledge and not quite the wisdom of character. In every way that matters Evra's still the lost, lonely forsaken boy who doesn't really know what he wants or where he belongs. Everyone pushes him to be a man of duty but he's not a man of leadership. Only a boy burdened with it. He doesn't see himself to be the solution nor the saviour to his land and people he's believed to be; even if he does see things differently, would rather do thing differently, he's not a young man free of his own perceptions. For me, principally, The Raven and the Rush captures a story based on Evra's coming of age and coming to age. A crossroads for his transitioning. The story really makes clear of the challenge and reluctance in standing tall in his post and accepting his liability. His ignorance leaves him so very unequipped for the forbidding task at hand. And the embarrassment of his inexperience follows him through every unpracticed move. Evra's very young in every way, not limited to chronological age. It wasn't the author's purpose to hide that however. She highlights it in every moment his tactlessness and misguided comprehension/intervention shows up, which is often. His character has the most self-growth, which is why I felt the story was more geared to his discovery as he finds the way of himself. His transition from young-minded and blundering to actionable (yet uncertain) lord felt realistic compared to the alpha leader who has all the answers as he carves his way to the win. His solutions become more well-judged. When Evra's liberation of his people was such a big theme, it did feel a complete sidestep, though, to bypass the journey he takes to the Sepulchre to find relief for his people. Which again, pulls us away from a felt sense of accomplishment for him and this big led-up to challenge, which happens to be so important that its resolution takes place off page. Again, that didn't do favours for what could have been essential worldbuilding. Navigated situations like that really minimise the sense of tension and challenge in what should be meaningful moments. Another thumbs down moment, sadly. I'd really like to say that the romance between Evra and Rhosyn was the missing piece and the redeeming light that puts it all into power and perspective but, much to my sad sorrow, it really wasn't. I was eager for their crossing of paths and how they'd fit into each other's lives as two people who live worlds apart and geographically so distanced (think North and South). What we're handed though is instant love without a believable development that the rest of the story hangs and hinges on. The love element was supposed to support the theme of Evra's coming of age as he navigates the do's and don'ts of what that love does to him (in the good and the bad) and how he learns through error to make the shifts In character. The lack of a developed foundation in his 'love' for Rhosyn makes what commences a little more unconvincing, his feelings for her especially. For all its escalation and quickness, the love felt could have been a boyish overreaction to a beautiful enigma. In that sense, what they have feels performative. It didn't have a believable basis. Evra seems more lovelorn over the love lost for Rhosyn than he does over his kingdom and people. I would have loved to see a more balanced, all-encompassing sense of affectation and loyalty for his family, friends and those in his charge. But this really brings home the lack of complexity the characters expose. The story often felt much bigger than them and what they could handle, the character motivations more single-minded, and there's a lot of inaction on the parts of the entire cast. Maybe the theme of love not conquering all but solidarity, togetherness and equitable reason - the sacrifice in lending it in ways you never thought you would and fighting to be the courage the other needs - would have been believable had the love itself felt believable. The pivotal moments of change and transition in the book are too swift and immediate to take hold in a meaningful way. After Initially enjoying the story, the plot did lose its pull and the intrigue didn't quite pull through. The storyline outcomes read quite hollow and the author plays to big themes without the depth to see them through at times. Just to add on, the ending was a bit too picture perfect and resolved in my opinion. It felt like the quintessential happy ever after, leaving all darkness and trepidation behind, the defeat of an enemy forgotten, with only beautiful things to come for Rhosyn, Evra, and their union, which negates the authenticity in what's left hanging. From the nurtured cultural passivity of the societies around them, the story takes itself to a place that doesn't quite hum with focussed intention, sits in places for too long, dabbles where it doesn't always need to and furthers away from invested outcomes. The character connections don't always hold expressively. I did love that Evra was guided by female sagacity by way of the women in his family, his sister and Meira, though it does take this young lord quite the while to catch up and find his alignment with that. He was very Peter Pan in nature but a brooding Peter Pan who's forced to act the man in charge and leave the fantasy behind. Maybe he needed a mini Tinkerbell on his wee little shoulder. Casually speaking I would say The Raven and the Rush is enjoyable. I would also say that the plot is fairly predictable and feels more fit to ease along with as opposed to expecting the unexpected in challenging developments. I did feel that pull we all love to feel when we first begin reading a book. The interest was definitely there and the author is splendidly talented so I do keep a casual eye on Cradit's creative portfolio of work. Not the tremendously immersive experience I was hoping for but a competently passable read for curious readers both interested and motivated to give this a go. And who enjoy fantasy fluent prose. Also, can I say how much I loved the stylistic choice of using beautiful character art to divide up the sections of the story? That was a well-adored touch. Evra falls from a path only to enter another, and soon enough he realises his learnings from a book aren't the same as the ones he'll need outside of it. Where he once dropped his duty and replaced it with a set of books, having escaped to Oldcastle not just to outrun the ravages of his father and the condemnatory legacy he was born to, he's now forced to fall heir to the struggle of a disturbed kingdom. Ties left In the dust, Evra has a fraught relationship with the homeland he abandoned and the man who ruled it to ruin, none too eager to call the Westerlands his home of origin where Oldcastle was his home of choice. Sickness, death and destruction still reign superior. The Westerlands created a horrific name for themselves, and not that Evra would ever follow in his father's footsteps and slaughter all magic-wielders, but he's not immune to the same fear that had his father so quick to wreck his land and murder his own people to be rid of the ethereal force. He wants no part in spreading his father's darkness but how does a boyish new lord who'd rather drop the cloak of his new position undo what has been done, compete with the madness and violence of tradition, become the changemaking influence needed to challenge his father's frenzy and modify the problem without thinking, feeling nor acting the leader he's supposed to be? The task of where he should take the heritage of his people is no less clear, not even with the guidance of his childhood friend. He's still a boy with his head in the clouds and that has always been Evra's flaw. Neither he nor a silver-haired Ravenwood were supposed to be held responsible for furthering of their lineages but unexpected paths are life's best boardgame. With themes of culture domination, culturally accepted norms, power cravings, ambition, challenging practiced tradition, forbidden love, duty, found relationships and power seekers who'll always be motivated to do life their way, pressure, burden and responsibility permeate the inner struggle of this story's leading Lord and leading Ravenwood. Secret desires, confessions unshared, love turned to complacency, it's a cruel twist of love as Rhosyn and Evra are lost to the threshold of fated reckoning and fidelity. In spite of the teachings, wisdom and counsel of those quick to drop him a knowing reflection, it's Evra who has to take his own path and find the purpose in it, and to then discover what that means of his character. The Raven and the Rush is part of the author's low heat series, though I think this one could have done without its few, brief intimate scenes for all they impacted and added to the story. Of the two universes Sarah M. Cradit writes in and the multiple series' she already has out in the bookish wild, this fantasy romance is the first standalone instalment in her The Book of All Things series. Written in her Kingdom of the White Sea universe I think. For quizzical readers, she's got a big backlog of books so there's plenty of material to be the fancy to your needs, if, like me, this one didn't quite collaborate the ingredients to hallow this the utmost. Although I didn't love it, I did admire this opener to The Book of All Things in its moments. Content Warning/Listing : Mentions a side character's multiple miscarriages. Incest. Quick, brief non-explicit fade to black bedroom scenes. Mentions a past whipping. Mentions past deaths by burning and fire. General warnings for violence. Since GR warns me I'm reaching my word limit (who me?), you can read more here!. I.e. my Favourite Quotes and Extra Thoughts section. And some book art! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 29, 2023
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Feb 11, 2023
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Jan 30, 2023
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Paperback
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| 064514150X
| 9780645141504
| 064514150X
| 4.08
| 734
| Mar 28, 2021
| Mar 28, 2021
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really liked it
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RATING: 4 stars to Lullaby Scars! ★ ★ ★ ★ But this was Scar— the man who made her feel things no other ever had. His psyche glowed with the brillian RATING: 4 stars to Lullaby Scars! ★ ★ ★ ★ But this was Scar— the man who made her feel things no other ever had. His psyche glowed with the brilliance of a burning star, beckoning her like a wayfarer’s beacon. She slunk close enough that the vibrance of his mind warmed the edges of her own, and only then did she notice it. The brutality that marked his psyche echoed the scars on his skin. Fissures of black flowed like deadened rivers across the starlit brightness of his mind . . . but the effect only made him more. More intricate, more complex, more stunning. It was like watching a lightning storm unfurl across midnight skies in all its savage glory.' "Groydon is the Magerian word for gold. The prisoners haven’t been sent here merely for incarceration . They are here to mine. To the death.” ➜ Epic world-scape ➜ Cutthroat society ➜ Adventurous world-building ➜ Celibate heroine AND hero pair! ➜ Inexorable heroine and a soft/strong hero ➜ Half-blood Oriental heroine on a freedom mission ➜ A penitentiary island habitated by the downright wretched ➜ Warrior protector in servitude; fluent in the mother tongue of self-deprecation I kick off this review with easy recognition because who knew prequel novels could complete the trifecta of applied imagination, interesting storytelling components and locational adventure? Or perhaps I should dub this a 'quad-fecta' because it effectively frames a setting for a larger standalone series so well too? If the job of a series beginner is to gather notice and garner appeal, consider Lullaby Scars a notice caller and appeal establisher. Hollee Mands imagines up a world of crime, savagery, thrall, bias, iniquity and arrant injustice. But one with magic too. Whether ranked with privilege or not, as is the case with both Mailin and Killian, the world is safe for no one. Especially women. Outside of the romance, which is flush with gentle affinity, the surrounding elements designates this prequel a darker read. Every introduced character is trapped by something; whether it be Leisa - who along with women everywhere in great number - pleasure work in Jachuana's brothels to circumvent the more grievous offenses against them. Without the safety of the hedonistic parlours they resort to for safekeeping, their lives would be fair game. Or Mailin, who's still at the mercy of cruel parentage and would likely have been sold like each of her sisters had she been void of her mother's Fae blood. Or dolorous, blighted Killian. This guy. Self-sentenced and collared by a travesty that had made him sink to a life of no life, a life to serve. A life of contrition. I just wanted to suck this incarcerated hero dry of his self-sorrow and perceived criminality and give him a gigantic injection of self-worth and a belief in a better life. This guy. But no need because by the end? Mailin's all the medicinal nostrum he needs. Whenever I find myself eager for answers, I know I must be in the central hold of a story. There's mention of Fae, magic, those of mageborn ability, powers gifted and some systems of order and control through particular lines, and as thus, the world-building readily applies itself appropriately and appointedly to the critical parts of the story by exposing just enough and never too much. Hypocritically, I did find myself wanting more detail in places, so in that respect, the building of the world isn't discovered in greater express. But what's brilliant is that the world setting feels big, wide open and capable of featuring many stories without ever losing the space and creativity for more romances to take hold and take up in adventurous terrain. Within this particular story there were many threats, mostly against Mailin due to her gender, and the danger of a large island of unpardonable offenders was both a really interesting part of the world-building and elevated the level of threat all the same. A world of safety this is not, and the author makes zero attempts in quarrelling that point, but you can't read this and see Mailin as anything other than a woman not hellbent on finding her freedom from it. I loved her as a heroine. A personal plot point that didn’t feel fully refined though, was the conflict between Vale and Killian. Killian is so morally good and yet Vale is profoundly - and immorally - selfish, and yet there’s so much history there which feels flat in what presently manifests as their relationship. It was half-hearted, in that Killian was the sole bearer of all the heart, and Vale had none. The female populous doesn't have it easy. They're abused, flesh trafficked, sold and violated. Crimes against women are common and normalised, and it's within a misogynistic culture with male-dominated systems that it becomes a choice of lesser evils and familiar ones. No lack of them at all. And that finds Mailin using every bit of gumption, cunning and spunk to scheme her way into marrying a foreign high mage just to get away from her father. Because it's only a matter of time before she's trafficked for gain, profit or favour. As such, Vale Teranos was hand chosen by her for a specific set of reasons (not ones quite Liam Neeson style) as she manipulates her way into judiciously earning a high Mage's favour to become his bride. She didn't count on his visibly scarred bondsman to be the man she'd been cornered by in an alley the night before. But as she desperately fumbles to outrun her betrothed as she doggedly determines to never be possessed by a man, Mailin winds up storm-tossed by reckless waters and wakes up only to find herself on Prison Island, where only the worst of worst reprobates are sentenced. Perhaps the worst place a woman can find herself in on any soil...unless a certain bondsman also happens to have been washed upon that same shore, and becomes the only thing standing between a desperate woman and an island sprawling with Railea's depraved and perverted, men who wouldn't think twice over ruining her. Killian's backstory made me want to weep. I could feel the damage, vacancy and alienation that materialised from a day that became the existential end of him. He really had nobody for so long, and only did that score settle when Mailin comes along did he start to see what life could be. There was a part of me that wanted Killian to fight for himself harder. He seemed so readily available to accept what he was given, what he thought he deserved and how Vale treated him. It rankled sometimes; knowing this hero had such considerable power but was leashed mostly by his own doing and never wanted to rebel from the cruelty keeping him in place. And similarly, the overall span of the power dynamic between Mailin and Killian vs. everybody else felt a shade imbalanced. It mostly felt that they were more or less powerless against every adversarial force. The scene of realisation where Killian suddenly decides he wants to be with Mailin didn’t feel well-written when he seemed to change his mind in the span of a second. It was a case of him adamantly denying her, and in a split second, deciding he's all in. I think I would have preferred more fluency in that moment. But really, Killian I-can't-share-his-last-name-because-spoilers doesn't possess a foul bone in his body, and each one sits around a heart so good and gentle that he's never given himself the gift of being free. Like i didn't say it already but, this guy. If Hollee Mands stocks surplus supply of Killians I'd like to formally make a request for one because, this guy. If Mailin were a temple, Killian would kneel before it daily in prayer position. I've never been short of confessing how much I love the survival scenario; it’s just winsome for me, perhaps because real bonding and real primitive engagement is typically born from paired survival. There are no airs and graces, it's all real grit, subsistence, endurance and survivorship - and If I’m lucky, a love born from the intensity of the ordeal. But it could be silenced by something else that taunts my imaginings just a bit more, searching for in the cracks of this genre like an amateur sleuth-hound for a needle in a haystack. And that is a celibate hero. I couldn't stop the thought chain of 'there are so many celibate heroines, but where are the celibate heroes in this genre?' You may gasp, because It’s a best kept secret unsung to find such precious specimens of the male variety. I have an unofficial inspection in practice to seek out spy upon the fictional male population, spyglass in hand. This mission isn’t born from a niche fetish, really. Male celibacy isn’t a commonality with the male protagonist profile, and I relish reading from heroes who can exist in a space where abstinence does not equate to a mortal sin. Who aren’t monopolised by both the fear of real intimacy and the ego-hedonistic experience that demands the ownership of the female gaze. What I’m usually regaled with though are overtly masculine figures who swarm about with a silently expressed energy of sexual voracity and womanise their way through the world. When I pick up a book and read about a hero making leave with a one-night stand already forgotten, files through the many women he’s been with like a rolodex on ice or boasts a fragile ego complex that imperils the heroine, I really do heave a long-suffering sigh. I prefer to read from men who know how to have and hold meaningful relationships, and who aren’t threatened by a lack of female partners. Killian (admittedly) has never had the chance to get involved with women though, and it has something to do with his facial disfigurement. When approached, it's his scars that people see, not he who bears them. But even still, 500+ years of age and he's remained abstinent? I might very well be in love with him. Can I benevolently appeal for more male heroes like this please? Let me know if I may have to visit a polling station to claim my ballot. The romantic intrigue did feel a somewhat too immediate for me, but I have mild objections with my first waltz with Hollee Mands fantasy romance. To be more accurate, it was a great time, and I had a great time between the pages. I didn’t feel particularly confident with the sense of zeitgeist, though certain items of clothing and mild descriptory details seemed to suggest an oriental/Asian cultural setting. Like I mentioned earlier, this easily amounts to a fascinating prequel novella, though It’s noticeably longer than most in length. Beautiful cover design that also beautifully captures our scarred hero. The fates are unpredictable, divided and based upon those who master them. And then there are those who circumvent them, like Mailin, and those who finally decide to fight against the binding, like Killian. All in the repute of love and freedom. A gruff, gentle giant and a plucky heroine with an inflexible hankering to take the leap for a better life are destined for more than a late night passing in a darkened alley. Like getting shipwrecked in the worst place currently imaginable and defying entitled lords and powerful power keepers. Lullaby Scars is a gentle, protective romance, laced with threat, fleshed with fantasy and misted with magic. The author did great with this; a strapping standalone (a description that also seamlessly befits Mands’s hero) and a world of more adventure unexplored. Content Warning : Sexual violence/sexual & physical abuse. Mentions rape/a few attempted rapes. Bodily injuries. Drinking & smoking. Sexual assault. Male privilege and entitlement. Gore, violence. Some swearing (minimal). Describes Torture and violence. Death of parents. Tragedy. Human selling/trafficking. ----------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts Favourite Quotes! 'No one knew him, and no one knew the sins and shame he carried beneath his scars. Until now. Until a woman with dreams larger than her spirit had kissed him with such fervent desire and looked at him as though he were some kind of hero. Only he was no hero. He was a soul so wretched he deserved no name.' 'Mamma had wasted her life on a heartless man. Mailin wouldn’t waste hers wondering what it would be like to be with the man who held her heart.' 'Trapped on an island of bloodthirsty prisoners, ensconced in his arms in the darkness of this dank hollow, with the taste of him still fresh on her lips . . . Mailin couldn’t remember a time she’d felt happier.' 'Killian released Vale as though he was a poisonous snake. In that instant, he saw Vale for who he truly was. Over a century had passed, yet Vale remained the boy he’d always been— the second son striving to outshine the first— even though the sun and moon were never meant to shine at the same time.' 'Instead, he bit down on his tongue and told her the truth. “I am not a man you want to be involved with, Mailin. I have nothing to my name. Nothing to offer but a history soaked with blood and pain.” She remained silent, seeming to weigh his words. Good. Killian shifted toward the opening of the tunnel so he didn’t have to see her withdrawal. The rain was slowly coming to a halt, and fog rose from the warmth of the earth, dimming the moon and shrouding them in hazy darkness . She was so quiet he could almost imagine he was completely alone, as he always had been, as he always would be. Then she whispered, “I’m no stranger to blood or pain.” 'She had made a fanatic out of him, the soul-stirring temptress with her tender touches and lusty kisses. Never had he wanted a woman with such reckless zest , only to be welcomed with such wanton zeal. She might have spent most the night beneath him, but it felt as though she’d lifted rocks from his shoulders. He might never fully atone for his sins, but she had given him a taste of what life could be, and he wanted so desperately to live.' 'She swallowed. Make me yours, she’d said. His. All her life Mailin had yearned to escape possession— from societal expectations of her halfbreed abilities, from her father’s oppression, from a possible life at the Keep. Now she wanted nothing more than to belong to this one man.' 'Though the moon barely breached the tunnel , it seemed every sliver of light sought to tease the edges of his profile and highlight the angles of his face. He faced her where the light illuminated only the part of him untouched by violence, leaving the scarred side in the dark. In this angle, he was undeniably attractive even with his unkempt hair and scruffy beard. Handsome, in a rough and rugged kind of way. Yet she itched to turn his face so she could see his scarred side. To her healer’s eyes, his scar was shocking and savage and brutal— yet strangely beautiful . It was silent evidence of a survivor’s tale. A survivor who possessed a wild beauty that was the tempest of the sea before it swallowed her whole.' 'They were not so different after all. Her dreams were as unattainable as his own, and somehow, that stung him more than his own abandoned wants. Compared to the verve and vim of her dreams, his aspirations were prosaic and pale. She was a restless soul. A little reckless, a little rash, but filled with vivacity bright enough to blot out the sun. Killian wanted her to see the brilliance of the starlit skies from Amereen’s rugged coastline. He wanted to see her skip through the frigid riverbanks of Flen lit only by the shine of the moon , and dance upon the rolling dunes of Teti Unas beneath the glorious flare of the setting sun. He wanted to place the world at her fingertips, yet he was nothing but a helpless bondsman with nothing to give.' 'Any man fortunate enough to call her his had to see beyond her beauty and her bloodline to the stunning rarity of her spirit.' 'He could only stare, baffled by the beguiling blend of blushing cheeks and brazen will. Suddenly, it no longer seemed egregious that she’d jumped off a ship in the height of a storm. A woman audacious enough to lure a high mage into an engagement contract seemed precisely like the reckless sort who had no qualms tempting fate. Or him, for that matter.' 'Goddess of mercy, the rough bass of his voice was even deeper than she remembered, filling her ears like low thunder in a summer storm.' “Know this, my lady. Vale did not send me. I jumped in after you because there was no other way.” Her heart skipped, but her lips pinched. “Fool. If you had left me to my fate, you wouldn’t be in this mess.” His smile was pensive. “Your life is worth a hundred of mine.” Mailin frowned. She had spent all her life scrap-healing for the poor, and if there was one thing she’d never questioned, it was the immeasurable worth of life—all life. “You can’t possibly believe that.” “Of course I do.”“That’s absurd. Even the goddess herself doesn’t value life that way.” One side of his lips quirked in a half smile, lifting his scar and lighting his face in a way that made her heart rollick in her chest. “I don’t need Railea’s judgment to see true value for myself. You have the power to save a life, while my worth lies in how quickly I can end one.” 'Mailin might be a lady born, but she was not a lady bred. She was little more than a liar and a cheat.' 'Regardless of his off-putting scar, there was an undeniable savage beauty about him. A wildness contained within the civil facade of this man kept her paralyzed like a deer staring into the face of a lion.' 'Never had she seen anyone more menacing, yet . . . she couldn’t look away. Despite the hardness of his features, an unexpected kindness pervaded his eyes. Dark eyes that drew a woman’s gaze as surely as the moon did the rising tide. Mailin blinked, trying to break the hypnotic spell of his eyes, only to see his pupils dilate as they focused. He was staring down at her as though he’d found a rare jewel among a river of stones.' ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 08, 2022
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Sep 17, 2022
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Oct 26, 2022
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Paperback
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| B083X6QBG1
| 3.86
| 649
| unknown
| Jun 04, 2020
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it was ok
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RATING: 2 stars to Shadow Cursed ★ ★ He smiles without an ounce of kindness. “Oh, I see it. The rage, the darkness. The madness. I see it buried within RATING: 2 stars to Shadow Cursed ★ ★ He smiles without an ounce of kindness. “Oh, I see it. The rage, the darkness. The madness. I see it buried within your pretty eyes.” He turns to Meda. “Your granddaughter truly is an Evergreen, is she not? Beautiful, hard, and filled with bloodlust.” He’s discerned everything I try to hide about me. He knows who I am inside. The person who wants to keep taking, and taking, and taking lives. The monster. They aren’t spell books, or memoirs, or even dull historical novels. These are stories. Human stories, printed by the hundreds. I’m astonished to find them here. “My greatest secret. I am a lover of adventure. Just not when it happens outside of the safety of these pages.” They start playing with strings and flutes, an unrefined, never-rehearsed cacophony that embodies the beauty and the wildness of the fae, all over the drumming of the soldiers’ shields and swords. It’s chaos. It’s sensual. It’s unseelie, to the last string. It's fair to say that I didn't expect a wily ace in the hole after wrapping up Wicked Court and heading straight into the second part of this duet. Shadow Cursed might not be a radiant feat (like it's former) but it is slightly better written than the first book in this fantasy romance duology. Whether that's because Drusk's POV is much more preferable to (and less thrawn than) Vlari's or whether it's just because May Sage's writing leveled up a mini rung, this book was a lot easier to follow. It's likely the fact that Drusk's perspective makes the sequel more interesting, though there are later chapters from Vlari too. Faintly better written as this is though, it still falls to similar faults and inconsistencies as book one. Apart from the fact that Drusk's POV can and does wear itself out at times, there's little that's memorable in the way of matter, intrigue and storytelling finesse. The side characters continue to read in a way that can be called flat, (and who don't bear significance), the main characters are less flat than book one but still flat come book two. The action scenes don't quite drum up the level of anticipation needed, and that was a little disappointing for me because battle scenes are an enormous relish for me (especially a final 'this is it' fight scene). The Fae Sea Prince though? I liked him. Shadow Cursed actually takes place a decade forward. And while that length of time might seem surprising, we know that the passage of time is a different form of longevity in Fae terms. But Wicked Court's end still wasn't an end that I enjoyed by any means; the means to get there didn't measure up. And It's plain that Sage's hero feels the same. To distract himself from a sacrifice Vlari made, a very wounded Drusk has funneled all his efforts into training up the Fae for war. Pouting for all of ten years, he's not at all happy with the decisions Vlari made to secure Whitecroft as a sanctuary for the Fae. But without that choice, the remaining folk of Tenebris would have died or been conquered by a changeling who ruthlessly took the throne. As Vlari describes herself, she's taken up the role of "the shield of Tenebris" and her life force is their protection, but when Drusk visits her after ten years of denying her existence, what he discovers becomes a turning point. And that's when he starts to act more purposefully as opposed to operating in the vacant zone. Shadow Cursed is as fast paced as Wicked Court, and whether it's because of the pace or other stylistic foibles, the important moments don't have the feel of important moments. As aforementioned, I prefer for battle scenes to really raise the roof with some roar (for example) but even they don't push for impact, and a bit of a disservice too that both Vlari and Drusk, who have extraordinary magic, are in a few positions where their power feels wasted and misspent against their foes. A few side characters don't make it through to the end, but even those losses Vlari has to face and accept aren't given any real impact. I didn't receive a sense that much mattered to Vlari beyond her instincts, urges and Fae personage. If the author was hoping for a complex heroine, we needed a show of depth and degree. Even the surrounding - though very few - relationships Vlari has are underdeveloped. While I was scanning through some reviews, I did - accidentally - get spoiled by an uncensored review and therefore was well aware of a certain spoiler, and what I can say for this is that if I hadn't gotten spoiled, the twist involving a certain power-hoarding queen would have been a surprise. (view spoiler)[ A little off point but just to add: I still don't understand how Drusk was completely blind to the very obvious mating tattoo Vlari sported, in a very obvious place. And one that looked exactly like his. It felt odd that he didn't pick up on their 'soul bond' sooner. Even Violet's part of the story read senselessly and without explanation. (hide spoiler)] I also can't admit to liking the epilogue either. It felt as empty as what I had already taken in from the story thus far, and perhaps skips too far ahead, which furthered the distance between myself and my book. I love that we have a bisexual hero in Drusk but even that detail was thrown into the fold like a passing sigh. Admittedly, unfortunately and regrettably this was neither the daring nor dashing duology I thought it would be, and like I expressed in my review for Wicked Court, nobody's pouting harder at that than me. I was a true and tried high-hoper for this, and as much as I hoped that the furthering story would course correct itself in Shadow Cursed and come together in some way, I didn't come out of this with a high reason or a higher rating on the brain. The two-parter that is Ruled by Blood doesn't unpack itself well enough and I found myself dragging my heels throughout both books all the same, unable to summon the appropriate level of interest that amalgamate this duet. Every story is however suited to someone, so whether this is a TBR pick for you or if You're May Sage-curious I do hope this is that for you! Content Warning: death, violence, sex scenes. ----------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ----------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 29, 2022
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Aug 08, 2022
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Oct 02, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| 3.78
| 1,782
| Jan 16, 2020
| Jan 16, 2020
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it was ok
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RATING: 2 stars to Wicked Court ★ ★ Like many who likely gravitated to this pick, I'm slightly fairy-fixated, dew-eyed and starstruck by this ethereal RATING: 2 stars to Wicked Court ★ ★ Like many who likely gravitated to this pick, I'm slightly fairy-fixated, dew-eyed and starstruck by this ethereal race of folk who've creatured some of my favourite reads. You could call me charmed (or downright besotted). While I'd desperately like to say that the fae folk have yet again sat centre to my orbit with another favourite to gush a rush of relish over, May Sage's Wicked Court didn’t make for wicked fun unfortunately. I didn't love this, and nobody's sadder by that outcome than me. Accelerated to the top of my list of immediate reads because it was time to break with contemporary romance for a bit and sit with some courtship backdropped by formidable fantasy elements (still dedicated to romancing those love bonds of course), I really nurtured some high hopes for this duology. I was at a peak state of reader thrill, and pitched as a fantasy PR romance with courts, craft (gorgeous covers) and cunning Fae with a royal heroine poached from her rights as a gentry, thieved from using her extraordinary magic and criminalised since birth by an unseelie queen's wrath, I could easily picture where a story of a trivialised powerhouse of a princess would go. For better or for worse, this story just doesn't own the art of consistency or cohesion. Also deprived of fluency, sharpness and sense, the story isn't easy to follow, and with prose that's abtruse and ill-timed I was relegated to multiple passage re-reads. The writing wasn't an indulgence by any means and its oversimplicity sabotaged the storytelling quality for me. I can easily say that like many stories born of the word there are some interesting points to the world-building. Fleshing out of gentry Interrelations, the hierarchical history and structure. There's a warmongering race of fae, self-serving set of power-hungry gentry, fairy races, dastardly, diabolical creatures and a heroine who's bound to take a path of power unbound. Its ideas are there; it's the performance that's crippled by its struggle to perform, and thus as a whole, the story doesn't come together with the skill and style I was hoping for. At times, too much is thrown at the reader at once. At others, fractured plot pieces have nowhere to go. There's the tension that's either broken up by poor timing, informational luggage or isolated details. Then there's the cloggy information crossings combined with unclear ideas that doesn't help with tactful timing or developmental follow up. All of this considered? Defeat became me. We have Vlari, who has the resilience and bearing of someone who's always lived on the outside looking in. Out of strategy and survival rather than choice. She's a castaway gentry who's been reduced to an outsider's life, away from her noble community of Fae familiars. She has a life that's no more than passable, no less than invisible to appease the unseelie queen who'd quicker end her life than let her belong among her people. In simple terms, Vlari's been coerced to live as small as she can live and be as small as she can be. Her life's a power play, and living in the felled Court of Mist that now belongs to her parents, she by no means lives a life of reserves and riches. Her Influence among the Fae (especially the common folk) comes from her penchant for bargain making. She's a servicing gentry, and through her decades of existence she's collected oaths, favours and trades that can't be broken - a storage of power to call on whenever the need arises (an interesting element to the story), and Vlari's not one to waste away an outstanding debt. While this hallmark makes Vlari interesting, and she's characterised as having those very devilish/amoral Fae markings while being quite pragmatic and a bit vicious, her personality nor her path comes together tactfully. As a protagonist, and in just the same way her power is referenced, she's fairly void. Her character portrayal felt empty. And with a heroine-only POV, she doesn't pull through with the strength of a dynamic heroine. Her behaviours and responses are unemotional and self-preoccupied without the character development to support those behaviours and responses. For her to then take charge during the final-act invasion felt just as out of place as her decision to become a sacrifice for Tenebris. She’s quite detached from everyone and everything, and while I enjoyed the core of her profile and place In the story as the bottom rung with a path to come into her own power, nothing comes of it. All in all, the depth of character discovery isn't in great shape. Like the story, Vlari jumps from phase to phase and scene to scene without eliciting much sense. The book opens with a few many different things happening at once; our heroine gets bit by a Wryfox, the mysterious Drusk re-enters her life after decades, she's uncharacteristically summoned by the queen after a strange turn of events. Then advances Rystan Drusk; who wears the role of the mysterious mist in the background. They went to Whitecroft together without ever being of much consequence to each other. He was well socialised. She wasn't. Drusk's often described as a popular and ethereal unattainable progeny (though he's lower cast fae) and Vlari also as a rare progeny but one who reaps zero attention by comparison. She's an indifferent loner who's developed a silent life on the outskirts. He's a master of shadows and she's a mistress of life and death, and they always circled each other with prudence. The hero and heroine have a bit of a hostile, unspoken history; they kept their distance, never associated at Whitecroft, traded cold stares, wide berths and empty expressions (with some sneering contempt in the mix) and only broke the tradition of their distance once or twice. Forward to the present day and Vlari's still exceptionally cautious of Drusk, never lets him in or near, and trusts him about as much as she trusts a queen who has nothing but darkness in her heart for her. They're both dark fae but that's not what makes Drusk a danger, and Vlari knows it. There's still a draw though. This story's a case of everybody thinks everybody else is either weak, irrelevant, dangerous or powerful, and the same power play exists between them. What's disappointing is that the romance doesn't feel like a romance. The only thing that hints at something romance-like is when Drusk buys her an expensive dress (that she wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise) and makes a bargain to accompany her to the Samhain ball. But even that's dressed in pragmatism and personal aim. When most else fails I have to of course look to the romance to save the day. And perhaps it would have if I had legitimately felt a love connection in the making. (view spoiler)[ And one that doesn't heavily lean on the impenetrability of the fated mates trope without a built relationship (hide spoiler)]. I didn't have a problem with Vlari possessing the sole POV in this book, but when Drusk gets the final chapter to himself and we get this image of a hero who believes that Vlari is as unattainable as she thinks he is, and who seems utterly struck to the heart by a final decision she makes, the tone change felt extreme. To be dropped into a shifted perspective that we hadn't felt through Vlari's POV was irreconcilable. Their relationship is expressed to be a case of stranger danger; cautious power-wielders to Indifferent companions to something slightly more than that. Is it fair to say that the relationship (and story) feels very YA? I think so. But paired with the fact that the supporting cast engage in uninhibited (public) sexual exploits with other Fae who have absolutely no qualms about nudity or exhibitionistic romps, it's also fair to say it was really odd that the romance doesn't have that appeal. It wasn't particularly romance-dominant. Due to above content though, I'd still confidently call this an adult fantasy. The leading characters did have leading traits but they didn't embody complexity, so admittedly the characterisation is rather plain. And while the story doesn't quite manage purpose or impact, the characters don't do much better in staging the same. Generally speaking, there was something very untouched and emotionless about this read; undecided by all its detail or lack thereof, it was just filled with disconnect. As just my personal opinion, there's something for everyone so this might be your cuppa in spite of my discouraging bookish chatter (and to that I say, go ahead and down it with joy if it works for you). For me, I parted with Wicked Court still not knowing enough or understanding where the author was driven to take the story. To the ultimate, this moved along without an essential core of importance; movement without significance, and where there is tension, it usually collapses or teases at nothing consequential. The flat representation doesn't vibe with what was attempting to be accomplished here, and on top of this tilting trifle, the story sports numerous inconsistencies. As a book that swallows its own significance, this wasn't a kindred read for me. I do plan to follow up with Shadow Cursed to complete the second part of the duology but I have to say, I'm not convinced that the follow up will pursue something better. But here's to hoping? (Hands in prayer position) Let's hope. While some might consider the page count too short, I think 200 pages *can* and often does provide ample space to fit in and jot down a pretty decent story between the margins. The misfortune with this book is that there are too many issues to take up with, and It's easy to take umbrage with the fact that the checklist remains unchecked. And while the cover design is a work of art, I can't say that May Sage's story of the Fae is written with equivalence. Incompletely finalised, this was elemental without the elements that bind and platforms protagonists of great power without a greater pull. Hopefully this Fae nut can reconcile what follows with a slogan that promises Fae for the win. With a hero who's all smirks and shadows and a heroines who's hidden beneath them, I'm sure many a reader can and will take comfort in the first parter to this duology. And I hope you do! Now, as the title in the second instalment suggests, I'm off to get shadow cursed. Content Warning: human trafficking/ownership of humans. Sexual situations with side characters (not the protagonists). Blood. Violence. Slaughter. Death. ----------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ----------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 22, 2022
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Jul 28, 2022
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Sep 18, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| B07SB6FRDN
| 4.04
| 155,826
| Oct 16, 2018
| Jun 09, 2020
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really liked it
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RATING: 4 stars to The Bridge Kingdom! ★ ★ ★ ★ My unabridged avowal: The Bridge Kingdom has just acquired itself another bridge bastion, a willing RATING: 4 stars to The Bridge Kingdom! ★ ★ ★ ★ My unabridged avowal: The Bridge Kingdom has just acquired itself another bridge bastion, a willing visitor to its shores, an eager guest to its gates, an ungrudging lodger to its land, a denizen at its demand, gatecrasher to its guard, a squaddie to its ranks, a tourist to its tribe, a morally supportive benefactor to its fantasy (whatever one wishes to call it) because I've just finished up with its final few pages and an arm-twisting urgency currently nestles itself within the trestles of my mind. There's nothing tremendously queer about the enemies to lovers/enemy kingdom invasion trope, and whether it be because it's been a long stretch since I've revisited something so similar within a fantasy romance or just - more aptly - because the opening instalment to the series was a fresh and foolproof attention-seize from the start, I've just been dispelled from my thinking wit and relegated to the space of a feeling pit because I'm in a desperate need-to-know state of mind after the first-book finale I just read! Building bridges, invading them, bridging gaps or burning them? It was a thrill to find myself in the middle of all the bad blood. I need book two without a second of delay because someone just cried Traitor Queen. And I’ve made it my business to see this threat through. Trained and tested for their worth as the next possible Queen of their enemy Kingdom, Lara and her sisters have been schooled in the beliefs of warring nations and the art of enemy infiltration. For one of them to one day become espoused to a rival leader who's responsible for the paucity of Maridrina's people. Lara sees to it that she become the daughter of royalty to free her people. Now complete in her training she steals the upper hand and - motivated by the pull to save her sisters - emerges as the one chosen to leave the seclusion of the Red Desert with her life untouched. Only an exceptional few still live to know the secrets of Lara's upbringing and the unconventional tutelage that could do nothing less than guarantee her as a beautiful walking weapon shaped to splinter the Bridge Kingdom. To stake claim over and break ownership of Ithicana's most lusted after artefact: their ancient kingdom-diving bridge. Filled with the fury of her impoverished people's suffering and desperate to see them hold possession to the rights deserved to them, Lara will become the secret downfall to a nation of people so wild and storm-tossed their ferity is no small secret. But playing the role of its imperfect damsel, she'll shadow its enemy people, explore dangerous land and when the time comes, spill their secrets like liquid gold for her tyrant father's taking. It's a convincing way to judge a book by how eager one is to start a story, be held by it through and to thus run excitement-first into its second born sequel. Since I was three for three, foiled by few things and favoured by everything, It’s fair to say this was a favourite. I worried over the story hitting lulls along the way or somehow losing its original thrill. I was even more worried actually that Lara would fall into the trappings of instant love and compromise her edge as an underhanded spy of the bridge kingdom. Even as I always waited for the other shoe to drop though, there was no shoe dropping here. While I did find myself occupied by smaller inconsistencies that were lost within the fold, the ease and thrill by which the story opens up began convincingly and held convincingly, I had no desire to jilt the plot workings at any stage. With uncumbersome worldbuilding, imagery that shifts, rattles and moves, formidable characters with a lot to lose and a lot to gain, a gravitational delivery that pulls, prose that exists in that plentiful place of being enough and never too much, I lucked out with this fantasy romance that rails against submission but rests upon a hate to love appeal. The writing accomplishes a lot for the plot action, pace, locale, dialogue, direction and interrelations that I was so easily tempted to stay the course and turn those pages like an unspoken order. This planned Kingdom collapse dressed as an alliance of peace was nothing short of an attention pull. As two people who care deeply about the welfare of their respective kingdoms, Aren and Lara don't begin this story relishing the idea of playing nice (yes to hero-heroine friction, though I could have used more he/her conversational tension). It's very much Ithicana vs. Maridrina for Lara, but by comparison Aren's intention to put the treaty terms in place is much purer. Incredibly pure, actually. He hopes for the bigger vision of a real truce to afford his people more than just the survivalist life. On the other extreme, Lara's very much the aggressor born from an aggressor who's operating from a place of perceived legitimacy. She's a warrior princess, unbeknownst to Aren and his guard, and performs to favour her sleight of hand, but without ever being the also perceived damsel that bends or loses her edge. She's as furious, fiery and deliberate as they come which makes for intensive protagonist material, albeit one deprived of self-reflection and actionable realisation at times. And while Ithicana is the storm kingdom, it's new Queen has the temper to match. I really loved the earliest interactions between the two; the dialogue particularly was taut with resistance without ever feeling like a forced performance - and as a bit of a battleground in and of itself, it was a strong element. And the dialogue continued to be a strength throughout. While trust isn't easily given for this hero, it's the dream for an entire kingdom that makes his resilience penetrable, risking any threat that Lara poses. And thus? You'll always find him being at her defence and he has the whole 'she may be the daughter of a kingdom that is our sworn enemy but nobody touches her' vibe. Just falling back to my initial worry, I was sceptical that the romance would use the physical attraction of both FMC and MC to imperil the grand duplicity at play and thus splinter an entire plot dependent on an intriguing scheme. I'm happy that the romance took the path of a slow burn, which was both realistic and thickened the stakes of moral culpability when Lara becomes confronted with life outside of her beliefs. Not an explicitly deep reflection of a romance here I have to be honest, and one I wanted to pull more depth and discovery from, but still one that sweetens the deal no less. So while the romance burned slowly, aside it so did a revelation Lara has to challenge. As it's long since been a case of her heart is with her people so her pride must be too, she learns that suffering comes in many forms, and her husband might have gathered himself a reputation for savagery by bereaving his enemies as his pockets grow richer and deeper, his motivations are unspoiled from the best. So her mission gradually loses its fuel when she realises all she's doing is trading pain for pain and life for life with the destruction of people who are by all accounts, as innocent as her own. Of course, we know the story's secret, even as Aren's left to the devices of suspicion, mistrust and guesswork with his newly betrothed. As Jor quite accurately says 'all roads lead to war' and Lara's choices lead to the same. The eruption is seen coming and I'm so glad it did. Why? Because this spells more fun for book two! In a questionable spirit, low-level parts of the story did feel slightly off. Involving Lara's decision making, her profile is at times a mismatch to her real-time habits, and thus introduces a sense of 'at odds' with who she was trained to be, how she carries herself with that level of cunning and her resistance to facing newer beliefs. There's also Nana's backstory which is one of a few particulars that rewarded a mention without the level of elaboration I wanted. All in all, there are some unmissable particulars that didn't go unnoticed but there's just something a little bit fresh and special about the represented espionage/infiltration trope that pushed me further, with eyes keen and fingers flipping. With the role of contemporary romance where forgiveness is always so easily afforded without grave repercussion, I loved the element of 'I made a massive mistake and it won't be forgotten easily, if at all.' Lara's tangled in her misdeed and I loved the angle of atonement that faces a massive consequence with a massive regret and a massive catastrophe, even despite the heroine's character growth and good that later becomes of her. I do hope though that the relationship development furthers itself with more satisfaction. Separately, I love how unbeatable and willed they are. Together, I was hoping for a more palpable, pushed-for love bond. My own copy - thankfully - sported a map of the world and as I repeatedly referred back to it to locate various sites and regions, I kept wondering where Ithicana's Kingdom was. Is this Kingdom invisible? Wiped from the world map? Apparently not. The map doesn't label its kingdom, but soon enough, I discovered something: Ithicana's existence carves a strong centre right through the map's geography. All-inclusive to scores of scattered islands, their kingdom cuts a centre that snakes through land, sea and creature-infested coastlines. Made up of jungle, peaks, retreats and landmasses that meet the raging moods of the Tempest Seas, the world-building of Ithicana specifically was excellent. A kingdom riddled with sabotage, its imagery was exciting to discover without the weight of heavy interpretation. It's smooth. It's easeful. And it's uniqueness blended succinctly with raging mother earth. The Bridge Kingdom is heavily political, with conversations over war, battle, strategy, pragmatics and negotiational schematics. The dominant political nature is nicely broken up by following events, personal motivations, action sequences and the slowly-realised romance. More on the politically driven side, the romantic connection isn't as intricate as other plot elements but it's no less interesting to observe the treachery, the turns and Lara's turnaround through the arranged marriage that stews up those secret feelings. An almost lifelong scheme in the works and everything changes within a night. And changes even more with time spent sneaking through the wilds of Aren's Kingdom. Every schematic, ever pragmatic, Lara sticks fastidiously by her mission to unseat a King from his perch atop the bridge. But brought up entirely removed from the conditions of the truth has her undoing set in her new Kingdom's stone. Every lie searches for purchase but every truth can't be hidden, and Lara's allegiance to that lie impugns a ploy that really might see her as yet another tormentor. And not her homeland's purchaser of peace. The worldbuilding is by and large a believable sentience, and with significant plot developments realised by a great set of characters who supported the plot and the intrigue of battling nations, I was under the rapt impression that this story with a heroine morally contentious and a hero morally honourable was a book well-chosen. In a non-magic tale of neighbouring territories and rivalling empires, espionage, a misted kingdom of secrets, reveals and tropical climes that deals in the economy of subterfuge and kingdom secrets, a marriage clause brings this fantasy romance to the heels of what could be a greater end or a greater tragedy. Let's hope the mishap turns to lady luck (aka Lara). I'm also really interested to see how her remaining sisters come into the story because I’m loving the idea of a host of powerful warrior women about to shake things up. That’s my hope, in any case. With sea battles, land battles, perilous sea fares, territorial machinations, raging, changing elements and political scrimmages with protagonists who maintain a staunch defines of their homelands, The Bridge Kingdom easily secures itself in the list of my favourites for the year! With my heart set on rerouting back to fantasy romance as of late, but not knowing where to go with it and what to choose, I found a trio of excitement, adrenaline and fulfilment in this weather-beaten venture of retribution, artifice, enemy love with privately swelling feelings, adversarial whim, severance and a romance that doesn't play nice between a warrior enemy bride and defender king that turns Into a thing that romances war. Did I already say I need book two immediately? Let's repeat that for clarity's sake. This book doesn't waste its time, talent or temper to get to the point and parse the purpose, so I get to mine by saying that Danielle L. Jensen may have written a tale that crosses swords and lays them down for a bigger hope, so one can consider me replicating the act. And like Lara, throwing vigilance to the wind as I return for unfinished business to see that the ravage can be undone. If I lost a hold on reality and rallied some emotional investment I call it a favourite so a favourite The Bridge Kingdom is. Nothing tastes quite as good as a second serving that hopes to taste like the first, so wish me a fine fictional meal with a sequel that I'm decidedly famished for. Let's do this. Content Warning: Some scenes of violence and remembered torture. Descriptions of injury. Panic episodes. Blood, scenes of battling/fighting/violence. Drinking. Minor instances of profanity. A bedroom scene (the remaining are off page). EXTRA THOUGHTS: 1) I have to admit that the romance really wasn't the romance it could have been, though I'm hoping book two will work on the development a lot more. And not turning a blind eye to the sometimes questionable characterisation and inconsistencies (which are perceptible), I'm still somehow moved by the series and can't seem to stop nosing my way into what happens next. I'm very excited. 1) I really wanted to know more about Nana being a spy and how she escaped... 2) The covers for this series remind me a lot of the (original) covers to Hayley Reese Chow's Odriel's Heirs series. 3) Brilliantly-timed sex scene that's not at all misplaced. Perfect timing and a perfect smut Indulgence. ----------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ----------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 07, 2022
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Jul 20, 2022
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Jul 11, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| 4.65
| 2,316,582
| May 03, 2016
| May 03, 2016
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it was amazing
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R A T I N G: 100 stars to the night skies of Velaris! RE-READ: 21/12/2021 - 22/01/2022 This was what I felt about ACOMAF when I first read and revie R A T I N G: 100 stars to the night skies of Velaris! RE-READ: 21/12/2021 - 22/01/2022 This was what I felt about ACOMAF when I first read and reviewed it: Stratospheric, mesmeric and wholly exceptional. This book is a GAME-CHANGER. Everybody needs to read this. And bookish peeps, I still feel the same! So I decided to top up on thoughts I had during this re-read. ➜ I recommend that every Maas fan or Maas newbie read this during December; this re-read was a really great fit for the season (but every newbie should of course read ACOTAR before taking a rapturous dive into this cosmic jewel. But make no mistake that it'll make your skin tingle on any given day, within any given season. ➜ I was just full to bursting with happiness to re-read some of my favourite scenes; which of course always have to Include a purring Rhysand. Still so glorious. So magnificently present on the pages, so unapologetic, so calculating, so self-sacrificial with a voice for telling bedtime stories, a brilliant mind that lent itself to centuries of trickery and a tortured visionary soul buried under a lifetime of duty so deep, he'd victimise himself quicker than he'd witness his land and people suffer. What a man. Apologies, what a 'male.' So complex is our High Lord, but let's also not forget the delicacy that are his wings and his very enviable wingspan. His iron fidelity to his friends and his people is a living entity in its own right. Maas had no idea what she started when she envisioned the Illyrian Power of Three. Rhys (who doesn’t have a last name because the seven letters of his name drumrolls a reputation that apparently precedes itself) still remains one of my favourite ever fictional heroes. Ever. And my laptop has the honour of being his namesake. ➜ I can't not mention our collaborative dreaming collective, so completely in and of themselves, so singularly powerful, all made for history to sing their names...very powerful, very grounded, with the bickering familiarity, rapport and bearing of people who carry the weight of everything they’ve loved and lost between them. I love them. The badassery of their court is just enviable. Rhys's inner circle still makes me yearn to have one of my own and I just want them to take my heart already - though I think Amren would take that a tad too literally. While most people are still waiting on their ticket to Hogwarts, I'm waiting for admittance to make a home in Rhys's city of dreams and starlight. Alas, I settle on watching the night sky through my bedroom window, wistfully gazing at every synchronised formation of birds as I try not to pretend that they’re not Illyrian warriors circling the skies. ➜ Of course, as my inner feminist likes to remind me, a woman can save herself. But I like to see a hero swoop in and save his lady in waiting too. I can't help it, I'm just human (and a ravenous romance reader). But I think a heroine saving her hero is a truly underestimated pleasure; it gives me just as much butterflies - a callback to Feyre hunting through the dark night of a dangerous forest to slaughter Rhys's kidnappers. What a woman. Again, apologies, what a 'female.' But really, this book is Feyre's becoming and I loved seeing her cultivate and take back her power. Water wolves assemble. ➜ Even though Rhys does explain why he did what he did to Feyre Under the Mountain, it's easy to spot that he doesn't really apologise for the way he used her. Granted, it was all done in the name of fighting back, and using sharp chicanery to do what was necessary to take advantage of this one final opportunity to be free from Amarantha's control. But even knowing that, even knowing what Feyre meant to him even then? I did want to see some remorse for that. Still, his love for her is an unassailable thing that I’m sure would outlive even the last dying star, and I’m also sure that I’ll continue to champion them until my light blinks out. Consummate love given life, and what a (healthy) power couple they are. Their relationship is gradually nursed and so beautifully timed, an almost opposite to Feyre's relationship with Tamlin ; numerous relationships in fiction aren't quite put together with fine hands but the author pulls Rhys and Feyre's courtship together with magnificence. ➜ The story always hints at the stratospheric height of Rhys's power; how unparalleled, how frightening, how unmatched and blinding. And in the moments where he does use his magic or explains it, it's suggestive enough in small doses that we know he could do a world's worth of damage. And despite thinking that we never really get to see it in full blast or on a bigger scale, I'm actually ok with the allusion and the suggestion and the not-fully-disclosed mystery. There's an appeal and a seduction in what’s held back and it does build up anticipation in a way that never fails to leave me with awe and wonder filling my bones. Mor's power though is more obscure, and even though she's also described as having such great power, I still don't really know what that is. ➜ Wouldn't it be great for Rhys to have his own novella that gave us an inside look at what he did actually endure Under the Mountain? Fifty years of imprisonment and suffering and I don't doubt that there's so much that happened that's still left unsaid. I also don't doubt that it would be an eye-opening addition to explore that bit of his history. An interesting take if Sarah J. Maas wrote a novella detailing something like that from his perspective. And some of the scenes he had with Feyre Under the Mountain from his POV; I would have liked this yesterday. ➜ I did re-read purely for comfort and not with the purpose of analysing but I do want to point something out. I was under the impression that the town house couldn't be winnowed into but in Rhys's solitary chapter at the end of the book, when they barely escape Hybern, he winnows directly into the town house? I'm wondering if I actually happened upon an inconsistency or if I'm naturally overlooking something. ➜ And finally, a plea to Sarah J. Maas - I ask for you (from the deepest catacombs of desperation) to please concoct another dreaming collective as fine and brilliant and formidable and puissant as the court of dreamers. If you do, I promise to buy said book quicker than anyone can say Illyrian Fae warriors. But really, this book is a formidable ode to justice, ownership, equality, right, hope, a vision that challenges, successes and is a triumph for liberation. It's a battle and a blight and a star-studded transformation where central characters fight with every breath as pillars and protectors of a better existence. It's a vision given life. And It's just magical. __________________________________________ ORIGINAL REVIEW: August 2017 ‘I realised how badly I’d been treated before, if my standards had become so low. If the freedom I’d been granted felt like a privilege and not an inherent right.’ I find that words, though just as potent and ageless can never remotely do any kind of justice to the capacity for which I feel. Which is why I hold the firm belief that emotions are much stronger than words and this is why I don’t think I can ever precisely articulate my feelings through words when I read such an irreplaceable book. Which is kind of ironic seeing that the book itself is the source of my nameless feelings, and that authors such as S J. Maas damn well know how to portray feeling using language. Maybe I’m not that well versed in the art of masterful writing, but I will always try my best to express, and so I shall! “And what is this court?” I asked, gesturing to them. The most important question. It was Cassian, eyes clear and bright as his Siphon, who said, “The Court of Dreams.” This story was carved from stardust, forged from dreams and travelled from the cosmos to greet me because it was out of this world sensational. If ‘ACOTAR’ was a great read then ‘ACOMAF’ was breath-taking, it was authentic fantasy at its best and contained all the nuanced elements of an incredible story. Plot was brilliant, characters were all fascinating and I was invested in each one (even the ones I didn’t like), the storytelling was even better than the first book, the ties that bound everyone were fleshed out really well, and Sarah J. Maas just has a way with words and finding stories in people and places that draws me in like a bear to sweet-tasting honey. If a treasure such as this had never fallen into my lap I would be none the wiser, and all the more deprived, walking around with my head under cold waters, oblivious to starry night skies, citrus-scented seas, wingspans, violet eyed heroes, cities of art and sky-high castles. “So I’m your huntress and thief?” “You are my salvation, Feyre.” When I first joined Goodreads, I was hesitant to write reviews for many reasons namely because It’s a difficult thing to express using the medium of words when they don’t always capture a feeling in its entirety or its quality. But I thought that it was imperative for me to share my reading experiences and communicate in the way I do best which is by writing, and hence I started writing reviews for myself, and I thought if others read them that was great and if they didn’t, that was fine too…. “I once lived in a place where the opinion of others mattered. It suffocated me, nearly broke me. So you’ll understand me, Feyre, when I say that I know what you feel, and I know what they tried to do to you, and that with enough courage, you can say to hell with a reputation. You do what you love, what you need.” ...But there are some novels that are so much more than just a book, than just a piece of literary fiction, and there some authors that explore us as humans in the best and worst light, that write about things that really need addressing, that bring us back from our own horrors and dark places, that are cathartic and teaching, that openly share, that touch and rip the core from a specific subject matter to reach a person in an intangible way and yet a very real way, that say ‘hey, I’m going to rip you apart, but don’t worry I’ll put you back together…maybe’, that crush us and restore us, and sometimes leave us breathless and panting on a sideroad, that show us desire and the opposite of desire, that say ‘oh, you’re going to hate me, but I’ll make you love me’, that say ‘love me or hate me, but I still taught you something’, that paint such austere pictures but create characters that say ‘well, the painting is not yet finished then’, and that study perceptive, wounded, yet audacious leads such as Feyre and Rhys that carry a book into the outstanding, perhaps even farther than that. “You think I don’t know how stories get written-how this story will be written?... I am the dark lord, who stole away the bride of spring. I am a demon, and a nightmare, and I will meet a bad end.” “He thinks he’ll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key…He was the one who let me out.” I usually write lengthy reviews, but I don’t think all the words in the world could equate to how much I immersed myself in this novel. It’s an unequivocal favourite, its captivating, it’s shocking, it’s rousing, its heartfelt, its dreams personified, it’s unconditionally optimistic, its inspiring, visionary, everything you’d want to read about in a novel and everything that makes a novel worth reading, for the richness and matter of the story alone. It explores so much and its packed with engaging content, keeping pace and never faltering, wonderfully balanced and yet again I would have read it for the prose alone. “I wonder if some part of me knew what was waiting for me. That I would never be a gentle grower of things, or someone who burned like fire-but that I would be quiet and enduring and as faceted as the night. That I would have beauty, for those who knew where to look, and if people didn’t bother to look, but to only fear it…Then I didn’t particularly care for them, anyway. I wonder if, even in my despair and hopelessness, I was never truly alone.” This book examines mental health in a carefully informed way just as much as Feyre’s freedom of choice is brought to the forefront, and addressed throughout the whole book. I appreciated its ties to feminism, female rights and power, including the fact that the male lead is indeed a feminist himself. It was upliftingly poignant, yet positively tear-jerking to follow Feyre as she slowly clawed her way back to life and happiness, and her internal struggle and tribulations were principal in the crux of this story. Feyre’s suffering is darkly despondent yet so transparent, and Rhys’s major part in this story, and in Feyre’s life and pain was the apex highlight of my reading this book. Saying too much would spoil so much, but I never thought this book would deviate, taking such a drastic U-turn in its ascent to an unpredicted terminus. “There are different kinds of darkness. There is the darkness that frightens, the darkness that soothes, the darkness that is restful. There is the darkness of lovers and the darkness of assassins. It becomes what the bearer wishes it to be, needs it to be. It is not wholly bad or good.” Among other things I rate and review books based on my overall enjoyment, what I felt, what it provoked in me, how visceral my reading experience was, themes and ideas explored, how much I love the characters and how well the author portrays their ideas. This book did so much more than that, and I often wish that I’d never read it just so that I could read it and experience it all over again for the first time! If Sarah J. Maas is this determined in her literary crusade, hell and heaven should tremble in her wake because she is indeed a wicked saint, primed with the gilded gift of a storyteller's passion. Stratospheric, mesmeric and wholly exceptional. This book is a GAME-CHANGER. Everybody needs to read this. “To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.” “To the stars who listen-and the dreams that are answered.” ----------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ----------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 21, 2021
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Jan 22, 2022
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Dec 27, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| 1838233903
| 9781838233907
| B08NZMTSXT
| 3.98
| 389
| May 28, 2021
| May 28, 2021
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liked it
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R A T I N G: 3.5 stars to The Iron Crown ★ ★ ★ If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought they were hills or mountains. They were dark, shado R A T I N G: 3.5 stars to The Iron Crown ★ ★ ★ If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought they were hills or mountains. They were dark, shadow-like, and growing as they came closer. They were coming from the south, lit up by the slowly rising sun, and it was in this flash of yellow-orange light that Calidra could tell the shapes were not features of some distant landscape. They were creatures. Living creatures of pure magic.' In other places across the world, gold, silver, and gemstones would lavishly decorate the rooms and corridors in a blatant display of wealth. Here, iron ruled. It was everywhere, from the swords the soldiers carried, to ornamental trinkets dotted in every room. Each and every place could be imbued with Toriaken's strength in a heartbeat. While some people might see the grey of iron as bland, even distasteful, they were walking down the literal jaws of the dragon. L.L. MacRae's The Iron Crown, series debut to the Dragon Spirits series cuts across that age old exploit of adventurous misadventure on a scale that only be characterised as epic and chronicled as expansive. It's big. It's vast. It's talented. And shifted away from a traditional telling, MacRae freshens up this character driven peregrination with a fantastical spritz that gives presence to the ethereal dragon. The chilling darkness of an invading enemy against the fire-breathing champions of Tassar is what The Iron Crown sets the scene for. With talking creatures and sharp lifeforms, an amnesiac with the weight of deciding how his finite time is spent, uncertainty pressing on his chaperones’ steps, a footslog that casts across land, life and sea, scrapes with an enemy and a returning darkness prime this roomy landscape. A diverse selection of characters inhabit the broad territory of Tassar, and firstly introduced is one of the biggest curiosities. The story finds fumbling Fenn with nothing to his memory but his name. Without even a history to his name, no memory to his mind. What is a man without his memory, can he be trusted, should he be trusted, is he a casualty of something much bigger, an underdog like his fellow lost souls, or somebody to rightly hold suspicion against? Without certainty we can claim that the world is a labyrinthine warren without reference and recall, and without knowing his place within it, Fenn is as unenlightened as a newborn fawn. With very few options but to follow, he puts his faith in an assortment of people who'd rather avoid him than help him out of his situation. A 'lost soul' he is indeed, only one who longs to be found. And while vulnerability is known to endear, Calidra Vantonen is quicker to suggest doubt and assume suspicion than to believe in the unassuming, which remains unchanged when she discovers a soaked, sodden on-the-verge-of-collapse Fenn. While Fenn's journey is easily the most unknown, a letter from her remaining family takes Calidra from a removed island to a home she never dreamed of returning to. Years apart and leagues apart, Calidra hopes to rebuild bridges burned by her mother's cold fire, a childhood spent under her formidable thumb. Sober, emotionally hidden, seemingly self-serving and none too trusting, this trek home opens Calidra up to a lavish past of control and burnt, still-burning feelings where we see a different side to a girl who'd have palmed off a lost soul without thrice a thought. As Fenn is convinced of nothing but his memory loss, Calidra is convinced of little else but her found family and love for her brighter opposite, Jisyel. Near or apart, they’re never far from the other’s mind. But not even a day later do this threesome travel to the mainland are they embroiled in a spate of certain dangers, with Fenn garnering the attention of the Master Inquisitor as that first step introduces them to a world of growing darkness. Lost souls are being secured for interrogation by the Iron Crown, chilling shadow creatures are terrorising mainlanders and beliefs that Tassar's bygone enemy is ascending. From the initial intimately contained character aims, as each of the central cast push their way through the problems that plague them, so does the plot snowball into something much bigger. For Calidra, that's facing what's left of her estranged family. For Jisyel it's the hope of reversing a curse. For Fenn, it's the determination and desperation of recovering what was taken from him. And while this begins as little more than a vague hodgepodge of interpersonal possibly’s, MacRae's world is a steadily opened up bloom but one that ripples at the edges with a swirling smog, and not once did I feel flooded with an influx of information. The author tactfully takes us on a long trek, supplying us with need to know details as questioned and encountered with the coming developments. There's certainly a lot going on. From the plot, the subplots, the political maneuverings, the layered society, the growing cast, their might, movements and motivations stirs up a rolling and spacious sweep. The size is considerably ‘Maas’ (the only similarity, just to mention), but even with a solid 550+ pages of pure fantasy, I felt comfortably unbothered without feeling full to bursting with a scope crammed full with a fool's treasure. From the callous Master Inquisitor Torsten with a fiendish touch who weaponises his authority, desires the upper hand with all that unsettles him, and punishes with perhaps the repressed complex of someone who was once dominated; his level-headed colleague Nadja, who, while duty-bound to her Queen has a more humanised reasonability that puts her apart from her Inquisitor ilk. The temperamental, war-ravaged Varlot who fell from his rank as the Porsenthian General and sorries over his losses like man with nowhere to go; interesting Apollo, a marked criminal turned family man who is far from blameless in the Crown’s eyes, his quiet, respectable life upturned as he's forced towards the centre of the conflict and Selys, a calm controlled and mission-focussed priestess with a rogue edge. The ensemble is eclectic, and while not every character is allotted a POV, it’s the multiple perspective approach that’s nothing short of complimentary to a sweeping high fantasy that spans Tassar’s empire. Then we have other characters such as Furyn Vantonen, a flush Lady of the Manor who drove Calidra away and saw her as little more than a potential inheritor of their land and title, guilty of class bigotry despite once living within the lower echelons of society; Jisyel, Calidra's lover, quick to look up and spin positivity into any situation. And then we have Queen Surayo, The Iron conqueror, who’s role in this story is a bit more obscure, just as her powers are. Even with Fenn at the biggest disadvantage, little sense of where to go except to follow on the heels of his travelling companions, even as he gingerly develops a determinism that encourages a desire to see him thrive and discover his history, the author manages to excellently maintain a healthy and lingering suspicion of everybody. Whether tainted or unpolluted, we never quite know who’s intent might bend, or where their desires might take them. The uncomplicated prose and straightforward storytelling smoothly compliments the style of exploratory and remedying escapade, one which steadily scans the horizon and the landscape, as curiosity and mystery circle as a mist. From expansions of land, large bodies of sea, travelling through shifting weather and changing locale, fresh off the sea from Ballowtown to places and palaces and beyond, to unfamiliar landmarks that mark the great, grand dragon spirits of Tassar, the odyssey eats up a solid chunk of the land. And if I'm not mistaken delivers a setting not even fully travelled. Admittedly, I’ve read a total of one book that explores any style of dragon lore but the image that conceptualises MacRae’s dragon spirits is brilliantly inspired. I often likened these shifting, shrinking and rising reptilian deities born from land, element and life to ethereal mother hens who safeguard their respective territories. Where the Myr are icy hauntings and cold death, the dragon spirits are unforgiving protectors of their natural element, even as they are the very thing they protect, the voice of their element, not disparate from that which they protect. The magic is interesting. Like ethereal echoes, with and without form, they certainly are the guardians of Tassar, even as they toil away with its people. The author plays with the idea of this mythical, larger than life life-form and grants them the role of the supreme, revered and feared. From the enfeebled spirit of Miroth to the powerful Toriaken, idolised enough that his Queen’s palace is an honorific shrine to her iron ally, the spirits were perhaps the most fascinating part of the story. Since the author has entitled her series after them, they must be elemental in what will most likely follow an escalating war. As soon as a I received my ARC copy of The Iron Crown, I planned to squirrel away some time late into the year to sit down and dip my toes into the work of an author that I’ve long since been curious about. I’d heard encouraging things about this series starter so I Immediately donned my hopeful hat. Aside from repeated character thoughts and drawn out sentiments, a lack of depth where depth was needed, with some misspellings scattered throughout, technically speaking, there’s little I could fault about this fantasy novel. My struggle with this read stemmed chiefly from a feelings perspective because I really struggled to form a connection with what I was reading. It took me a solid third of the book before I felt some level of traction or interest in the quest of the main characters. I had genuine doubts that I’d find the connection I was looking for. As curious as I was, I realised that this was perhaps a book that I wouldn't have selected had it not happened upon me in the form of a request. As talented as it is, I struggled with a lack of appeal. Fantasy was the genre that turned me from an unassuming heathen to a true and tested book lover so I’m always delighted to see what the Indie published community has to offer when I’m not shoulders-deep into my next romance. Despite taking me a long while to find some interest between the pages, I did gradually find myself wanting to know more and more about Fenn and what would become of him. If not superbly reeled in from the offset, and despite not feeling particularly attached to any one character, I observed and overlooked more than I felt bound by a keen interest. But as mentioned, the writing is wonderfully reader friendly and yet the unburdened prose stretches the senses with every new place, person and creature to see. Action scenes are something of a seventh heaven for me so I was happy to see some small skirmishes padded into story that lead up to a few bigger battle scenes. They introduce the Myr as much as they bring the advancing chaos into focus. Very exciting! I’d describe the plot as an overarching curiosity rather than a minefield of surprises. The Iron Crown doesn’t just wear a gorgeous cover, It holds within a fantasy with classic textures and original strokes. It’s a crossing of the unknown in a world believed to have safely done away with their ancient enemy. Fenn gradually, and through effort and danger, learns about the empire, the Crown and the world of Tassar. Fenn, Calidra, Varlot, Jisyel and Selys; a genial, merry band of travelling companions they are not, always hovering on precipice of something happening to them, a remark away from falling apart as they embark on a hopeful footslog through Tassar’s mainland. The answers aren’t simple, darkness is flooding, darker times are beginning to once again lord over Tassar, steadily brewing in a cauldron well on its way to erupting. This first installment steadily stretched its limbs with grace, creativity and lucid prose. Fantasy lovers will enjoy the thick plot, the quizzical setting and the awaiting answers. A BIG thank you to the author for sending over a copy of The Iron Crown in exchange for an honest review! C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: Describes gory injuries. Violence. Mentions torture/sometimes describes it. A few f bombs. ----------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1 I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ----------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 27, 2021
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Dec 14, 2021
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Dec 17, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| 1978487142
| 4.48
| 58
| unknown
| Nov 03, 2017
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really liked it
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R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to A Promise of Return! ★ ★ ★ ★ 'Even if they should fail, even if they should die, it would not be for lack of effort.' 'I p R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to A Promise of Return! ★ ★ ★ ★ 'Even if they should fail, even if they should die, it would not be for lack of effort.' 'I presume he intended me to die, but I've found even I'm hard to kill.' Before getting into all things that promise to return I must drop a confessional reading quirk. Since my earliest reading days I confronted an inability to habituate to multiple or shifting POV changes. Generally speaking, I love and am a desperate devotee to a hero/heroine dual POV, but where each character claims a solitary book in a wider series, derailed becomes my Interest, stymied becomes my enthusiasm and I find myself discreetly shifting towards the one-and-done world of standalones. Besides disrupting the flux and flow of building a territorial relationship with a character I feel comfortable with, who I then must let go of in exchange for another to light the way? Having to re-adapt all over again with a fresh new installment featuring a fresh new character gives me the coldest of cold feet. Positively icy. It speaks to my history of attachment as much as a phobia for change. I easily took to Nate’s POV because firstly, I love him and secondly he emulated the hero part of the hero/heroine narrative, even if his and Kitty's POVs stay strict to their separate books. My cold feet froze but my trepidation quickly broke with the ice of befriending a new book. My aversion aside, my reservations swiftly scattered to the winds as Rebecca Crunden opens up the narrative to the farer ranges of the Kingdom and to the darker economies of organised slavery. Thom’s character study is an equally ruinous addition to the series, gives readers a chance to know him intimately, sympathise with his ghastly undoing and grim remaking, follow his evolving profile and reflects off of what became of Nate’s cool-headed, eagle-eyed brother in the time synchronous to Nate and Kitty’s escape. Thom Anteros has a story as compelling, as traumatic, as disaster-worthy and action-prostrate as the books that come before him. It didn't take long to find my footing at all. As with the page-turning quality of the previous books, this follows in the exact same vain: irresistible reading, character-driven intensity, an impelling narrative and a menacing, miasmic misadventure that calls to the morbid provocateur within me. I surmised long ago that disaster does think fit to become me. You can't stop a steady downpour, you can't stop adrenaline mid-strike and I've realised that despite my reading foibles and nurtured peculiarities, you also can't railroad a series that has already laid a claim to your deference. Ms. Crunden, you enchantress you. We were lured into the man Thom was by way of Nate and Kitty's fond memories and gritted bereavement in the books preceding. Their grief tells a story of how much Thom was loved by them. To spin this third on its heel, we get to see how much Nate and Kitty mean to Thom, what he'll be forced to do to keep a promise to his brother as he falls into his own living bane. We get the unabridged tale of what happened to him after he was separated from his lover and his brother, after a detour in choice expedites a finale to life as he loved it. I enjoyed reading from Kitty in A Touch of Death. I relished reading from Nate in A History of Madness and I delighted in Thom's touch to this series in A Promise of Return. We knew Thom as Kitty's betrothed, her love that she grieved. We knew him as Nate's blood brother, the other half to his soul. While Thom has a short presence in the first book, it’s only then that this threesome are seen to share the same space Indefinitely. The deeper you fall into a series, the trickier it becomes to tackle a review without letting those pesky spoilers seep through the rifts so I aim to keep this a surface-surfing ordeal… Instead of picking up from the events that end book two, the author rewinds and back-pedals two entire books and picks up Thom's story where we last see him in A Touch of Death. Where Nate is the most feared, Thom is the Kingdom's favoured Anteros brother, esteemed and adored, loved and charmed, but he's also a man of powerful sway, who has bought and bargained for Nate's life over and over again with practiced leverage and a masterful mind. He's sharp. He's shrewd. He's serpentine. But he's about to find out there are situations where even his mind can't save him. It's when he gets caught trying to break into a forbidden building, in a desperate effort to save his brother and Complement, that commences Thom's own brand of mutation, an existential flux, a beginning to an end, the demise of his refined, civilised life, the ruin of his soul, the rebirth of a fighter and a battle royale that haunts his becoming, shreds his composure and lights a match to his developing rage and blooming bloodthirst. While Nate is a man of radical action, Thom is a man of engineered influence, of frightening composure. And it's with an air of controlled finesse that has even the King spare his life from death, if not from a fate that holds its weight in dread and horror. Far from the wealth end of Anais, Thom finds himself in the outlying north, sold to the slave markets of Muntenia. There is no mercy. No escape. No mindfully manoeuvring his way out of the fray. And he's just been purchased like a prized mare to participate in, what the synopsis accurately describes as a ‘gladiator-type' tournament, where it's slaughter or be slaughtered. Marble-faced by necessity and meticulous by design, he's about to hone his body, by force and fear and fury and violence, with a poise and precision he had only ever whittled his mind. I had pictured Thom as this supremely cool and cautious, acutely measured and perspicacious member of their circle who I was intrigued by even if I was removed from him (hence worried about how I’d adapt to him). We know him second hand through Nate and Kitty’s perspectives, both holding him in such high opinion, lauding him as their all-knowing problem solver, the smoothest operator, the silent strategiser. Probably why I was taken aback to see Thom crown Nate as the stronger brother when it’s Nate who echoed (having me believe) the same sentiment about Thom. Fooled I was but these brothers are steadfast fools for each other. I’m realising that while they underpin each other like mountain rock, their strength originates within the life of the other. Their bloodied bond is a fantastically fated one. I thought Thom’d perhaps be the most put together and wily of them, and he is, but it humanised him (for me) to see him as fallible and flawed and as disposed to losing himself as Nate and Kitty were. The author writes him just as reactionary and fraught with feeling in spite of his cunning. Since both his brother and his Complement got their reckoning, poor Thom was bound to have met his harrow scathed too. The Red Arena is a literal death trial where every slave purchased has to scrimmage for their life or die trying. They gain their freedom after twenty wins. But twenty wins means twenty deaths felled by their own hand. It means twenty striped scores to a soul and Thom has been relegated to human livestock, his undamaged hide sold to the underworld economy. What troubles Thom profoundly is his conflict between what he has been forced to do and how good is he is at what he’s been forced to do. A Promise of Return, third in succession, is a thrilling, atmospheric and soul-shredding campaign for repossession that appraises Thom’s exemption from a bestial tournament known as The Red Arena. This book is no less intense or gravelly, no less fierce or bare than its earlier born siblings. This story takes us to the mountain ranges of the north where Thom is at the mercy of criminal persecution and sanctioned slave trading. The darker themes continue to lace this instalment and while we have the re-emergence of the Plague that’s escalating through the Kingdom, we’re also reacquainted with the reaches of victimisation, suffering communities and the exploitative maltreatment this society sows without clemency. Just like Nate’s loyalty to Thom is unparalleled, we’re In no way fooled into thinking that Thom’s loyalty to his brother isn’t beyond compare. Having been reduced to little more than a killer, an expendable body, a money-making captive with twenty innocent slaves to level before reuniting with his brother, that level of loyalty is more that heavily priced when he has to leave behind a line of bodies. I also really wanted to touch on this. This is a society where same-sex relationships aren’t legitimised which is why I especially appreciated the orientation diversity with the characters. If you harbour the insights allotted via the first two books, you'll know that this society operates through heterosexual arranged partnerships (partners assigned from childhood for the purpose of procreation called Complementation). Another example of how all citizens are beholden to dictated law really. Where you can't quite love who you want, unless like it's alluded to in every book, true love affairs happen in the dark, in secret, and even for heterosexual couples, 'in the closet' so to speak. The character intimacies are strong and Rebecca Crunden cares to maintain the realism, the serrated atmosphere, the sharp bites and blunt attitudes broken up with the comforts of incidental humour. Also in cahoots with continuity is the autocratic leadership and the dark angst borne from the grinding and callous severity. Also, very over the moon that I got my Nate and Kitty fix in this one! Although I keep true to my word and hope that I haven’t been the bringer of seedy spoilers, I’m downright excited to see how this varied group of mixables and unmixables function as a dynamic. The final chapter already sports some rifts and disagreements within the group and can I just say how I long lovingly for that drama? The disharmony looks as though it might spread something fierce and their ambitions look to cleave their fragile unit apart. Peachy. And don't I just love it. Here’s what you’re shaping yourself up for with Thom’s saga: A bisexual hero who must reap death to save his life and avow a promise, a slow-burning M/M romance, overwhelming odds, an expanded assortment to the disaster cast, orientation diversity, a gamut of angst, desperate friendships and the Anteros brotherly fidelity that swears fealty through any distance. While Nate remains my favourite Anteros brother, I considered it a privilege to follow his brother through the thick of barbarity. He’s written with individualism and contorted humanity and his story is one to cave, care for and imagine as the horror comes to life. But now? If it isn’t time to dance with some lies... *A big thank you to the author for sending over a copy of this book in exchange for a review!* ______________________________________________ E X T R A_T H O U G H T S 1) Within any society you'll get the deeply unsavoury and within the Radiant clans they're called the Outcasts. (view spoiler)[Great for our little family to have made it to the Outlands but the dangers are still everywhere apparently. Loved seeing Thom reunited with Kitty and Nate in the Outlands but after what happens it’s clear that his suffering isn’t going to stop there after being tortured. Poor guy has a lot of fear and healing ahead of him. (hide spoiler)] Seems like there are going to be potential complications within the group too with all the arguments that are already brewing discord, and I say bring on the drama!! :D 2) While we get to know more about Thom and what kind of person he is, there is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding him (he’s not really an open book) so I’m hoping the author goes into whatever questionable things he might’ve done? Also, really curious here about Kitty’s dad and why Thom is so frightened of him… 3) Riddle and Thom? What is going on there I imagine. While Charles and Thom, we know, are very much together I have a suspicious instinct that they may not last. I don’t mean to be a fatalist here but I don’t think things are going to work out well between them. You know that age old sentiment where one person loves more than the other? I think Charles’s affections outmatch Thom’s. I’m also thinking that the two strands of humanity (human and Radiant) may form a love match in Thom and Riddle - I could be completely off the mark here but if this is the case, It should be interesting considering they can’t physically touch each other. Even if whatever connection they share is platonic, I think there’s definitely a story there. 4) So we know that Thom never loved Kitty the way she loved him, though this book definitely does express how much she means to him, how much of a part of his life she is but there was a conversation between Blaise and Thom that twitched my morality meter: 'He told me something similar,' said Thom. 'He never told me not to see others, but he said that if I was going to, under no uncertain terms was I to let Cat find out. He never wanted her to be hurt.' - Nate knew that Thom wasn’t in love with Kitty and apparently had this discussion with Thom knowing that one day he might secretly fall in love with someone else. And if he did, he was to keep it secret so Kitty wouldn’t find out. Now, we know that love matches aren’t acceptable in this society as this world function via arranged marriages. Even still, whether Thom has cheated on Kitty I’m not sure (and you could argue that he had every right to as he wasn't in love with her and didn't get to choose her) but I’m really hoping that he hadn’t while they were together. This is a really besides the point mention but I’m really strong on the betrayal factor and relationships correctness (and I saw the way Kitty grieved for him so I'm territorial over her. I’m hoping that while she was in love with Thom, there was loyalty between them in that sense. You just don't know with Thom but pretty please? 5) Right, about this prophecy. (view spoiler)[The prophecy states that someone who shares human and Radiant blood will bring their two peoples together. The natural jump would be to assume that it’s Nate. But what if he’s not? It could easily be Kitty and even thought there’s no logic supporting this, it could also be Thom (hide spoiler)] ---------------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ---------------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 15, 2021
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Aug 23, 2021
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Aug 27, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| 1548579513
| 4.39
| 77
| unknown
| Jul 13, 2017
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really liked it
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R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to A History of Madness! ★ ★ ★ ★ 'Anais is one of the few places in the world where scars can be erased by creams and lotions R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to A History of Madness! ★ ★ ★ ★ 'Anais is one of the few places in the world where scars can be erased by creams and lotions. I hate that I know that now. I hate that I've seen how many things can be erased, as if they never happened. As if the damage was all a dream.' 'You cannot live in a cage forever, darling,' he said. 'Humans were meant to be free. One day you'll wish you came with me.' 'Dangerous words.' 'We're dangerous creatures; some of us have just forgotten how. Evermore memorable. Evermore intense. Curious hereafter, a wall-to-wall dystopian teeming with wall-to-wall passion, and I do love a chase for freedom. If this title doesn’t accurately (fortuitously) pay a personal homage to me, it’s like we were made for each other. But I’m not here to drop a deluge and flesh over over the innards of my fragile sanity. No, I’m hoping to do that with Rebecca Crunden’s hero, Nathanial Anteros. I was fully mindful of just how excited I'd be (by benchmark of design) to re-enter the darkly dystopic and grossly imperfect Kingdom that centres Rebecca Crunden's Outlands Pentalogy. The book that establishes and launches this series completely took me by surprise, the author affecting such a crystal-clear simplicity and character-driven complexity that the pages turned unbidden and the protagonists’ artlessly eased their way inside the humble lodging I call my heart. For all my fear for their fates, my desire to follow them anywhere is perhaps as radical as Nate’s audacity. And I'd be damned if that preface didn't whisk up a rippling flush of sweeping expectancy. The forecast: expectedly unknown if not for a widespread overlay of symptomatic, characteristic depression and despair, machinated by Crunden's trademark close-to-the-bone indelicate justice that never bridles the binds or blows to befall these characters in a setting sick with educated diminution. Nate and Kitty aren’t pardoned from suffering. There Is no saint or saviour or saving grace prowling in the shadows, even for the flush-pocketed. Ever since I completed A Touch of Death, the rest of this powerful and painfully mortal world has mulled an earthy tune in my mind, a returning birdsong that demanded I reorganise my reads and prioritise this character-driven marvel. It might be nearing on only a handful of years since I knighted myself as a book-loving sleuth of fictional locales (late reader that I am) but it might be nearing on less than that as I later dubbed myself a lover of dystopian fantasies. The author deposits us back in this demonstrably familiar and frightening Kingdom of punishing orthodoxy with a terrifying shortage of freedom. Old beliefs haven been broken, newer ones have taken their place, and the rest is left to the heavens of chance. Deference is demanded. Discipline, encouraged. Law is safeguarded and to be free is to be a disbanded menace to legislation. This is a world with something all-encompassing to fight for, something important to fight against while surviving out of sheer establishment and demand makes this a colonised land where free will and autonomy died with the ancestors that devastated the future for posterity to come. We know Nate as the red-haired rebel who once seared with molten ire. Challenger to the Kingdom. Despiser of its council. Hater to the limbs of the law. Antagonist to its devastating ethic. His freedom-fighting spirit dropped after being criminally brutalised in a Kingdom that had never permitted him his own mind. With little left to fight for but to lock eyes with the only place he can't be caged, home to the human race's immemorial enemy, the Outlands dangles his ripe and waiting salvation. There, he can’t be disturbed by law. There he’s a free man. There, his soul cant’ be touched. In A Touch of Death we knew Nate through Kitty's mind and saw him through Kitty's eyes. In A History of Madness, we're graced with a POV change as we read from Nathanial Anteros, a Firebird in irons, incarcerated, as his loathing for a diabolical Kingdom only grows. While his mind dances a mercurial anthem from dejection to desperation, from mayhem to misery, the shuddering, palpitating flux of his mind boasts a biography of madness that speaks to a famine for freedom. And it’s where Nate, Crunden’s highly-feeling and thoroughly tormented hero is concerned, that the author titles this instalment with perfection. History seems wickedly primed for a repeat because while Nate attracts life with a resolve that sabotages his need to meet his maker, he's back in the hell where all his nightmares materialised. Nate and his friends were what felt like one last sprint away from freedom, but with no news of what happened to Evander, Kitty, Tove and Zoe, his despairing wait for execution unexpectedly changes to a five year sentence bound to a labour camp on the flip of a choice. He doesn't know how or why this change of fate has fallen, how he's evaded death yet again. But as he builds his strength within an encampment of convicts, he needs to know what happened to Kitty while he toiled away in the gruelling workforce. It's time for a fugitive homecoming and a convict jailbreak because this furious jailbird now intends to fly free like his favourite animal of choice. The quartet reunite and while they plan to follow through in departing a dastardly kingdom, they're on the same trail of evading capture, hoping for the best, fearing the worst and pulling themselves evermore through the cutting hand that has sliced through their hope, their conviction, their credence and all that is decent time and time again. Rebecca Crunden lets her characters bruise, burn, suffer and rage as their world thieves from them In this sequel still. While Nate spoke about Kitty as the ‘silver-tongued’ woman with bite, bravery and intelligence that claimed his heart, she’s now subdued, withdrawn and contemplative in a way she wasn’t after enduring a sacrifice to see her friends spared. She’s not the same as she once was as she and Nate close the distance between their separation, and while we’re no longer a guest to her point of view, we’re privy to her transformation through Nate’s sight. If you think these characters haven’t been put through enough, the suffering doesn't quite stop here. As with the first in series, we're dropped into the indefinite. We’re in a world that was once ravaged and savaged by a mysterious disaster. We're blessed with horror without quite knowing from whence it came, only its current state of becoming. We're aware of the world's current tyranny, law, penology and layered structure. From the bits of provided backstory we know about the Devastation that levelled land and race, we know about the Last War between humans and Mutants and we know how far the rulers of the world went to secure power. In this sequel, the author is still in no elaborate rush to allay discretion and spill every secret but we do learn more about the state of the world, about the rabids and Radiants, about the strange dreamland I was really curious about and why the world became a ruin before its rebirth. The Kingdom does take us to a few different places, having us meet new characters. Just in A Touch of Death, we have a world that slowly but surely reveals itself, with continuity, mystery and a taste for newer developments that I'm so excited to see the advantage in. I’m really looking forward to learning more about their mutant mutuals, to see what Nate and Kitty’s newly acquired adapted genes might grant them and to undress the rest with the prophecy and the budding insurgency angle. The author smartly reveals without revealing too much, even if I was hoping for a few more giveaways. The pace doesn’t bulldoze and neither does it dawdle but I did feel that the edge of suspense was amiss. The pace aims to comfort as opposed to inflame so I did feel it slacken in that respect. I need to get to the heart of this book and that is the man who already inhabits mine. I love, dote and champion everything that is Nate - he makes my heart pinch, ache and crumble all at once. The author consistently draws out the narrative, the tone and the continuity of her characters but if she arguably masters anything, it’s her leading man Nathanial Anteros. His home is with the misfits, criminals and lawbreakers. He’s as brittle and breakable as a time-sensitive explosive with a heart etched from feeling fire. Delicately anxious and courageously enraged by a civilisation that defeats human nature. Characterised by passion and a bleeding heart, Nate is deeply-feeling, deeply fearful, complex and restlessly haunted, a man poised at the edge of ruin, always a hand’s width short of losing himself. While Kitty is his light, his brother is his lifeline and despite Thom’s announced death, Nate still feels his aliveness in every part of him, an immortal awareness he won’t let go of. The Kingdom is his sickness and the Outlands is his recovery. I have an unfounded gravitational pull towards the passionate, and with Nate’s raw sting, his smouldering resistance, his sharp grief and of course, his always-welcomed smug sarcasm he’s just a fictional keeper for me. The author doesn’t aim to tame her characters, even if some are more contained than others, but they’re all fallible and abraded with unseasoned authenticity. There’s an overarching feeling that the main characters really are alone in this world. With their urgency, self-reflection, rest, unrest, displaced morality and adjusting identities, my sympathy soared as high as the walls of their Kingdom and I just wanted to hoard them, dress them in the finery of faith, arm them with love, swaddle them with curative salves for their scars and free them like butterflies trapped in a jar. There’s still a sense of wonder though - if they’ll see each other, if they’ll see their destination, see the fall of a wretched complex of control, gauging who to trust after being burned, where to go with no solid plans and hoping that hope isn’t as ethereal as it seems. Nothing really is certain. Something that hadn’t escaped my notice is how acutely the author highlights the physical grind and grit that surviving is for the central characters. Their bodies are pushed through a lot and Crunden describes the exhaustive toll of this imperious world as equal harassment on their minds and bodies; they’re not their own, used, abused, bargained and traded. As they travel, as they flee, as they’re captive, as they weather what’s out of their control, the author makes sure to give weight to the corporeal malaise, the shifting map of their changing bodies; scarred, starved, violated and honed by the uncharted. The above deepens the material durability of the characters; their worn bodies aren’t without discomfort and aren’t free from the oppression. It’s clear that surviving does age them quickly, almost expedites it and it’s all done without a sense of sensationalising the struggle or lingering on the terrible. We can see the struggle and the hardship, we know it’s bad, and we’re left to deal with it as the characters scramble to do the same. The struggle is physical as it is emotional, existential without being overly sympathetic to sentimentality. I don't think there's another genre as relatable and inherently speculative of the human race as a flawed society. Survival is one of my favourite tropes, perhaps the main reason for my fascination of a hard-hitting dystopian. The pool of Indie-published titles are congested and choked with leagues of creativity and Rebecca Crunden’s ‘Cuttaverse’ delivers a memorably original sample of great dystopian literature. This futurised era is excellently imagined and the author doesn’t pacify the darkness by way of a one-for-all restorative, remedial tonic. Everyone is robbed of the right to their ancestral history, of their human nature, educated with a legion of told enforcement, told lies, and with characters who don’t quite know their own strengths. Without any sort of embellishment, I confess that I honestly just can’t stop turning the pages with this pentalogy! I suppose that makes this a page-turner because needing to know what happens next is a must and I resent having to put these books down when I’m no longer primed to imbibe. Only two books in and my brain keeps turning over what might happen next while chastising me to catch up. You can look forward to the rage of injustice that lights up Nate’s bedeviled soul, flawed and flaking characters intimately bonded by their travels, a continuation of Nate and Kitty’s slow burn romance and a star-crossed brotherhood unlike any I’ve read before as a ride-or-die peregrination sees to believe in a life past the dividing frontier. As Nate sees Kitty and Thom as the stars that guide him as long as their lights remain aglow, I need this author to do the same for me and hopefully see me safely through the rest of this series! A History of Madness ends taut but excitingly and I now hurriedly run into the arms of the next book as it is a truth universally acknowledged that to wait is to deny a fine pleasure. I don’t think I've ever read a book where the love between two brothers runs deeper than love, that runs harder than the romance; the devotion is enviable. The author is a talent and so far this series pulls flush with moreish grit. C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: Mentions (retrospectively) moments of self harm, self-destruction and attempts at suicide. General warnings for violence, alcohol consumption and profanity. Mentions being hanged, drowned, starved, beaten and whipped. Also deals with themes of forced/arranged marriage, past miscarriages and there is an on-page abortion scene that may be sensitive to readers. Bear in mind that there is sensitive content surrounding this including absent attitudes towards the death of life. Also mentions execution and off-page rape (there are conversations that allude to rape throughout). Detailed descriptions of tortured bodies and there is one non-descriptive/vaguely described bedroom scene. The main male character's struggle with anxiety and PTSD is also chronic. E X T R A_T H O U G H T S 1) Another minor theory on the way (perhaps don’t read on further if you haven’t read this book!). (view spoiler)[I think the reason that Kitty kept miscarrying was because of her mutated genes. I’m thinking her body somehow rejected the human genes? (hide spoiler)] 2) With Kitty and Nate’s relationship, I am truly invested in them as a couple but I still think they need more development. Clearly, they’re on the run and there’s always an intensive and worrisome burnt-out edge which doesn’t give way a lot of romantic exploration. I do feel the intimacy between them but I’m hoping to see more communication between them. We know that Nate’s love for her is diehard but I’m feeling that Kitty has a ways to go in getting there and I’m looking forward to seeing how the author might nurture their connection. 3) So, this comment really speaks to my weak kness for a hero who takes a common term of affection/endearment and individualises it. Every time Nate calls anyone 'darling' my giddy heart does take a turn *grins* ---------------------------------------------------- Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ---------------------------------------------------- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 13, 2021
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Aug 22, 2021
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Aug 13, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| B07KNBGN4Z
| 4.51
| 249
| Nov 16, 2018
| Nov 16, 2018
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really liked it
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R A T I N G: 4 stars to Dyrwolf! ★ ★ ★ ★ “Some wrongs we seek to excuse by any means, because we believe so ardently in a cause we do not stop to qu R A T I N G: 4 stars to Dyrwolf! ★ ★ ★ ★ “Some wrongs we seek to excuse by any means, because we believe so ardently in a cause we do not stop to question the methods by which we fight.” 'A curse without a name, burning beneath my skin. In my blood. Lea Wylder, the girl they banished to the darkest part of the woods. The girl who swore her name would join the Carving at the end of a long, victorious life as the one who set her people free.' - Wolf/lycanthrope Shifter Fantasy - Disability representation - Chronic Headache/migraine rep We have 16-year-old Lea Wylder as Dyrwolf's lead, a headstrong huntress with a sharp and practical mind for all things woodland and wilderness, but not at all by choice. Two decades prior, the shape-shifting Dyrwolves slaughtered the only human community stationed in the sparsely populated Northern mountains. After rights stolen, a town butchered and their people persecuted, the Dyr commandeered their Colony, forcing the surviving humans to migrate across the river to a village deprived of resource, barely able scrape out a living. From hearty, dense lives to a slight, rough-as-bark existence all in the space of a night that marked their blood, the humans are determined to redeem their land from the beasts that stole from them remorselessly and rained on them a downpour of their own blood. Everything can be blamed on their enemy predators. Carved from the bite of living small and remote only cements their need to take back. They've been gradually building up their forced for a counterstroke and the Insurgents have been since preparing. Lea is most familiar with a modest, unimposing life, living by day from the earth and taught and trained into bedlands competence by her father. The arid, uncompromising conditions might have whittled the townspeople down to grit and bark and a full-sighted call for blood to war against the Dyr, but Lea has always been on the far periphery as the Village's cast off. With an incurable illness that strips her senses and plunges her into depthless pain, she's the whispered-about outsider that has no place among her people. Brought up on stories of the genocide of their people, the names of their stolen worn into the bark of the Gathering Hall, the unforgivable sins of the Dyr are never forgotten and their missing are always remembered. When her best friend's name joins the Carved, it only instills within Lea more reason to despise the wolves across the river. So when she finds an overfamiliar, fair-haired wolf trapped on their land, it's the perfect opportunity to save her friend. If every Dyr has an agenda, she's not above using one to get her way. She's not about to start trusting the enemy, even if he's one and the same, one who crawls the space of her dreams beyond any partition that severs wolf from man. May has been a time of catching up on arc-requested reads. After sitting unread for nearing on eight months, I finally got the chance to catch up on Kat Kinney's Dyrwolf. Kinney commands an inspired story with an original angle on werewolf fantasy, one that cares for an unassumed identity pulled further into crisis for our caustic coming-of-age Lea, a combat for love and bad blood while told narratives drive wedges and war between human resistants and wolf settlers. An interesting us vs. them tale where sequestered sides of a war aren't, after initial prediction, strictly polarised to human and wolf, but geared also towards a shared need for wholesome rights. In other words a mutual intent makes for a story where taking sides comes, not entirely from species segregation but species-wide captivity in this colonised settlement. And it all starts when an adorable fluffy shifter and a tense young girl meet at a junction. It’s that gray sphere where black against white, where evil vs good and human vs wolf isn’t the checkerboard model that’s partitioned down the middle. I'm assuming there's an alternative world backdrop in Dyrwolf. From the bits of history aired along with the environmental impression and lifestyle framework of both the Village and the Colony, there's a threadbare, pre-modern feel that lends itself to what feels like a bare-bones dystopian setting. It is a post-war native homeland, but one that's always circling and readying for another one. With disunity, antagonistic ethic, caste difference, deference to an alpha power, flawed rationale, trickery and kept secrets, this is a world that presents itself in a true-to-life extreme, 'its them or us' fashion. Dyrwolf is a convincing fantasy, characteristic to careful plotting and complex relationships between friends and enemies and all the people with something to fight for or against in between. Without feeling overworked or self-conscious, Dyrwolf opens with a slow-stepping rhythm that might take a slow measure but is still plotted contemplatively, enough for the twists to begin hitting you at the halfway seam, one after the other in a hopeful 'what's to come next'. That was when the story really picked up and occupied the attention that was halfway lacking for me in the initial build up. The first part takes the time to introduce Lea’s life, her burdensome sickness, the Village principles, the deficient land, and her life with her father, also the Village Leader. And when she meets a white wolf under the night sky, it’s then that she confronts the challenge of betraying disclosure - where a different side to a long war is perceptible through clashing sets of eyes. The history and taught bias becomes less morally superficial and more morally questioning. The second part held my favour because it’s where the intimacy of trekking through the wilderness as a twosome with Henrik evolves into open story space and we’re introduced to more cast members and unpredictable intrigue, courtesy of the Colony itself. It’s also when the pace changes up enough to take notice. Through the back and forth of a few rotating emails, the author and myself exchanged some details of the shared struggle with chronic disease for us both. While we each live restricted and homebound for a separate set of reasons, Kinney explained that her severe sensitivity to light and sound leaves her most often trapped in the dark, just like Lea Wylder. And that was where Dyrwolf was born, perhaps in the dark, and where Lea gives a voice to a debilitating variant of migraine disease. With chronic migraine/headache representation, you can expect an inclusive story where unremitting sickness can’t be magicked away with the swipe of a hand or used as a supernatural device to explain away the diehard day by day hardship to just exist. Chroncially ill readers will appreciate the untempered chronically ill realism. Stripped to the bare bones of piercing agony in waves of volleying firestorm where all shades, faces and textures of the world blend to the background and paralysing pain transcends it all, the author so very realistically, finely and expressively strings words over word, over and over again, to sketch an illustration of Lea’s senseless sickness and her lingering struggle. In the felt-more-than-seen hostility and short-sightedness of the villagers, the stigma of difference and being denied equal opportunity to integrate within her community attests to the non-inclusive perception of disability discrimination - that her illness makes her useless and her efforts to belong, pointless. She’s a marked girl for being different in more than just one way, and with the claim of being persistently afflicted naturally shoulders the label of being an outcast. It’s so close-cutting actually that she’s expelled to the outskirts of the village. It tolls the truth bell as it bears the real-life intolerance of being a fringing afterthought to a society blind and hostile to invisible illness. For being misunderstood in something Lea can’t control. Her suffering takes so much from her and the painted prose explicitly, and with an exacting imagination, describes the sensation of being lost to the world by pain - the paradox of pain construed with pressingly beautiful prose. It’s not only what’s been hidden from Lea by her community, her parents and Henrik that keeps her in the dark, but the fear of being blinded and vulnerable by her turbulent health. The chronically ill are some of the strongest warrior-esque survivors on the planet and Lea narrates a heart-hitting perspective with points that sing for the unnamed. The writing is strong and a striking force in describing both the internal mappings of Lea’s feelings and the forthcoming action and even every idle moment between. It takes great writing to blow a breath of felt life into every moment and movement, and in this, I can confidently say that Ms. Kinney verges on pictorial brilliance. A times though, the drawn out fluttery prose and overly used metaphors do disrupt the situational flow, especially in a scene that’s dense with an anticipatory pull. It’s here that the delicate and detailed prose works better in some areas than others. The writing can also lead a reader to get their wires and senses crossed because it’s not strictly easy to mark present from past or present from future. The patchwork of lies, misunderstanding and the bereaved setting works to engage a dark and weary perspective world view. This is after all a survival story. If you’re looking for a sunny-side up quest, this might not be the book for you but as it’s a classified YA, it’s not unsuited for the younger flock of readers. There is a HEA guaranteed but it’s not without losses, persistent misery and anticipated distresses along the way. While there are elements that speak to the YA crowd, the scale, the creative precision and range tells to a dynamic written piece of fantasy in Dyrwolf. Stylistically speaking, Kinney pictures a superb story with picturesque prose that graphically makes vivid the intensity of Lea’s hunt, the discovery within and the revelations without. Stunning attentions to detail, brilliant action sequences, and a story with revealing meaning marks a world where torture touches the brave and ordinary and no one is spared from the power of an alpha. Where a turf war spans decades and in waiting for a revolution. With a vivid set of characters all with something to gain and hide, an intricate social order and intrigue of the political and romantic medley, it’s a fevered time for Lea, and with her coming of age, she staggers from twist to mist in the expanse of the unsung. With a nod to a community of long term, incurable illness and marginalised voices, I give my personal thank you to Ms Kinney for sharing Lea’s story. Extra points for Henrik the fluffy, shaggy ball of fur. I’d brave his thick rug of fur for one eternal hug on any given day because as resonant as Lea is, this book could not have been the same without that fleecy furball with cheek to cheek humour! 'It’s the reason I weave through miles of forest every month to get down to the coast and that wide stretch of unencumbered sky, the only salve for the secret sickness no one can ever find out about, even if I’d never truly understood what it was about the freedom of running, the open sky, or the stars that made me whole.' A big thank you to the author for offering me a copy of Dyrwolf to review! C O N T E N T W A R N I N G: Non descriptive scenes of abuse, torture, whipping and describes blood and injuries. Mentions/implies suicide and child abuse. Also mentions hangings and a past rape in non-explicit terms. Only very few uses of mild profanity. With humans being enslaved and a society of discrimination, bear in mind that there are some strong themes. ------------------------------------------ Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ------------------------------------------ ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 12, 2021
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May 21, 2021
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May 16, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| 4.02
| 233
| Feb 23, 2017
| unknown
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really liked it
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R A T I N G: 4 stars to A Touch of Death! ★★★★ 'Just because our world is wrong doesn't mean people don't enjoy the binds which are holding them in. R A T I N G: 4 stars to A Touch of Death! ★★★★ 'Just because our world is wrong doesn't mean people don't enjoy the binds which are holding them in. At least their binds are safe.' 'The look he gave her was impossible to decipher, but after a few moments he nodded and looked ahead at the road, squinting in the sunlight, his eyes slightly amber - with blood or nearing death, Catherine didn't know - and his skin yellowing; even so, there was something undeniably strong to his posture, as if not even the promise of imminent death frightened him.' A thousand years forward, a Kingdom of deference and compliance is encouraged while freedom, temerity and knowledge of the historical past is an expressly outlawed sacrilege. With an impregnable intolerance to disobedience, the new Kingdom is an oppressive regime dressed as a present-day utopia. One with an organisational structure that preys on tyranny and savage punishments to await both small and sizable infractions to the law. Not even the rich are resistant to the heartless hand of the law. Catherine Taenia and Nathanial Anteros are both children to families of high society in the flush privilege of Cutta. To Nate, notorious opposer to the Crown, a life under legislation has always been a humid, unlivable nightmare, and to sheltered Kitty, you can’t be broken by safety. So when the least favoured Anteros brother appears over two years later after being saved from the gallows by the skin of his teeth, he brings the type of lawbreaking trouble to their lives that Kitty has long since detested him for. Only, it might be the beginning of the end this time when a miscarriage of science becomes a drip to their veins. It’s a positively painstaking touch of death. When the man she loves, the law-abiding opposite to his wild brother, is taken by arrest, Kitty is forced on the run with the brother she hates; their destination the banned wilds of the Outlands, home to their enemy and a banned land untouched by Kingdom dwellers. Hunted by enforcers, a price on her head, running with a known dissenter, plagued by a bizarre abnormality and exposed to uncharted curiosities and disturbing verity, Kitty is as misplaced as she’s ever been. She’s now having to place her store of faith in a rebel she condemns. Far away from a city rich with convenience and welfare, out of touch with the certainty of a planned life, not even their family names can save them now. Kitty and Nate are renegades. Wow. What a book. One that eclipses the expectant as much it monopolised the entirely of this reading excursion for me. This dystopian survivalist adventure is a gut punch to a believable repressive society of endorsed censorship. I inadvertently took a long leave from the dystopian scenery because I naturally gravitated to other genres as one does when the curious bug propels you to test the deep blue of the written world. I owe a debt of gratitude to Rebecca Crunden for a not-so-gentle reminder to switch lanes back to an old friend from time to time. A Touch of Death is a well-built and weighted opening volume to the Outlands Pentology. A brilliantly coasting story that reads authentically, with prose as plain as its blatant grounding gravity. If my memory works well enough, there are a few tells to an impactful dystopian: an extreme conceptualised state of poverty and neglect where suffering humans are shackled by some social or political force, one that pushes to an extremity that merits a retaliatory extreme. There’s a need to restore humanity or humane rationale. This is where the reformists are built from normal people wanting progressive revisement, not for hero-worship esteem but for necessity - we call them the mavericks… Then there’s a conspicuously tainted setting that relativises that privation and deficiency. And lastly, characters who are skinned enough to court tenuous hope within setting, and whittled by the condition of the earth, bring forth the humanity to take us through the pain of winning something bigger for themselves. A Touch of Death frames the importance of these dystopic elements. Working in tandem, they adjacently betray a plausible story in passing. But as always, It’s the characters who make me visceral with faith and care. Every feature motivates the onerous struggle of a malfunctioning civilisation and the obstacles in place. I willed, wished and coveted the best for these dejected characters. I was with them, for them and followed them every resonant moment of the way. This story doesn’t camouflage the impact of authorised abuse and persecution, and it’s a reality we really get to see most prominently through the wonderful, wounded, resistant Nate. Bad boy to the Crown and just about everyone else, he’s a champion to me. A true dreamer made to wilt from drought of a free life. His heart as aflame as his hair, he’s alert enough to pay attention to what’s deeply insufferable about the world. Having been a firsthand recipient of the Crown’s discipline, he’s aware, knowing, daunted and sees the Outlands as the free lands. It’s through characters like Kitty and Nate, Thom, Evander, Zoe and Tove that we taste the hope and the burn and the cinder; as they challenge the King’s power and risk the aftermath. Now, Nate is a changed man. After losing so much, his faith is as brittle as his direction and only his soul-bonded connection to his brother keeps him whole and alive. He might be more attuned to the life of a criminal, but he’s perhaps more emotionally astray than Kitty. A brilliant character to front this story with her, he just might be my favourite! It takes Kitty longer to lose her hate for Nate and filter through bigotry of the law. You’ll be roped into the heartache, the tumult and the depressive unrest. A Touch of Death is a misadventure of the spirit as much as it twists and treads the surviving undertow. What’s to be loved about these characters is their definition and durability, it attests to the complications they’re presented with. Fitted to this dystopian, Nate and Kitty’s resistant partnership to fragile friends to post-friend uncertainty develops at pace steady to the temperament and temperature of the survival conflict. The strong and very human characterisation is needed in lieu of a world without humanity. I have big plans for their budding romance and I’m praying to the book gods that their haunted souls twine deeper! Kitty might have nested in the privilege of Anais, but it’s her character-defined ability to assimilate to frightening change that surprised me. She’s tougher than you might think. There is a long way to go before the silhouetted future catches sight for Nate and Kitty, and the for the forthcoming entirely, but I’m itching all over to see how they’ll stray from the struggle (and knuckle-fisting thin air as i hope they’ll be ok!). My heart wrenched from pillar to post as they made friends only to suffer the fates of the law. While this is only the gradually-paced first of a five-parter, it’s clear by means of an abstract backstory and abridged details that there’s more to peel back before I’m sure we’ll be face to face with some bigger secrets. So exciting! Most stories enable the ability to easily predict future conditions and plot possibilities, and this is the first time in a while that I’m near vacant with guesses… Interesting world-building carefully pulls the blinds to a developed and declined post-war kingdom. While a reader might want streamlined specifics, and though I wouldn’t have denied more transparency, I didn’t mind being in the dark because there’s an interestingly cautious world imagined in A Touch of Death. Almost old-world with arranged partnerships, extreme punishment and a micromanaged society. It has the retrofuturism of science fiction and the retrograde of a dystopian post-apocalypse with tradition, transportation and the other parts of practical life that’s modern, futuristic and anachronistic. Being members of nobility might plead concession but it’s not a free life as Kitty learns we’re never as safe as we believe we are. Now’s she’s open to a life of bereavement, disease and detriment, swaying under the strain of survival and paying for mistakes she didn’t make. Ignorance might cushion a pipe dream but it consents to scores of sin. Outrunning the risk of capture, the Kingdom looks soulless, privilege looks hollow and her heart bleeds bare as she wonders how choice could be more than just a liberty. This is a world where anyone can become an enemy to king and kingdom by chance and misstep, where nobody is encouraged to have a mind outside of law. To disturb lawful propaganda is a death sentence and to live prostrate through restriction is fostered. It made me think about the potential for regression after any natural/made disaster. The disease thread gripped and the idea that only the rapid decline of mortality can come from an unsparing precept, through small mischief to outright radicalism made for reflective reading. It’s a severe setting that initiates a deep need to see the characters survive and stand tall by any means. Rebecca Crunden envisions a dystopic habitat where the rich live uncaring and the starved sit apart in an organised regime of oppression, one where real freedom is as marginal as the mass population. While every written element of this fashioned fantasy world heightens the despotic setting, it’s the measure of these characters, whose lives are made visceral with urgency and uncertainty that is so strong. It’s the fraught, taut fatalism and the hope of love and friendship that stirs the sober and the reflective insight that sees to state and condition. A Touch of Death is an atmospheric post-apocalyptic fantasy that underscores a stern illustration of a present dystopian. A world that marks a dehumanising system and spotlights heartworn characters weathering obstacles through a censored culture of written and applied propaganda. With genre divisions of science fiction and romance, it’s worthwhile and creative. A dramatic map of brutalisation and recession mirrors a dystopic downstream where superheroes don’t exist and real people are famished for free will. This book is an on-the-edge-of-suspense debut of deep intrigue and Crunden writes characteristic to a draconion scenery. ________________________________________ A big thank you to Rebecca for sending over a copy for review! C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: General warnings and descriptions for abuse, violence, blood and torture. Mentions severe punishments as execution, authorised rape, beatings and whippings. Also mentions drugs and exhibits instances of smoking and drinking. Describes some specifics of declining health and emaciating bodies. There are also attitudes inclined to death and mildly describes a suicide attempt. ------------------------------------------ Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ------------------------------------------ E X T R A_T H O U G H T S: (view spoiler)[ 1) While Thom is supposedly dead, I have a strong feeling that he’s alive. From the way he’s described, he’s too intelligent and all-knowing to kill off. I’m certain that he’s a chamelion with many secrets. He’s one of the more abstract pieces of this story and it seems obvious to me that there’s so much to him than just the man Kitty knows. I also have a sneaky feeling that he maybe knew about the experimentation that happened during the war… 2) Theory time: Not a big theory here, but I do think Nate might be the King’s son. It would explain how he has the luck of the fortunate every time he’s in trouble. 3) Though Nate still believes Thom is alive, I found it a bit odd that he pursued Kitty without guilt. I don’t mind because I’m desperate to see them together, and while I’m fine with the way their unhasty relationship develops, Kitty is still his brother’s lady… 4) I’m not really keen on the front cover, I’ve got to say. It represents the story well but I don’t think it does the book justice. 5) I think the book could use a map to help get a better picture of the placement and settlement of each country as Kitty and Nate travel. Aside from that, I think a glossary would work really well here too because the terminology isn’t explained right away and to be honest, I’m still uncertain about some the events that happened and some of the words used. After talking to the author I found out a map of the Outlands Pentology can be found here: https://rebeccacrunden.com/2019/08/06... (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 05, 2021
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May 10, 2021
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May 09, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| 1913786242
| 9781913786243
| B092DHK9QS
| 4.56
| 64
| unknown
| May 06, 2021
|
it was amazing
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R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to Judgement Day! ★★★★ 'The bite doesn’t even hurt; there’s just a wave of dizzying, glorious pleasure, like an entire cake t R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to Judgement Day! ★★★★ 'The bite doesn’t even hurt; there’s just a wave of dizzying, glorious pleasure, like an entire cake that tastes as good as the first bite, a never-ending first drag of a cigarette, an endless orgasm . His blood on my tongue is like the best kind of Massacre. ‘There’s a little voice in the back of my head that says: We are the same kind of monster.’ A series that’s not afraid of its own belonging in the bookish arena of fanged urban fantasy. The slinking vampires, the edging atmosphere, the untimely love skirmishes, the intrigue, the crime, the mystery, I very well might be in love with it all. Or maybe that’s just Killian Drake. A propulsive second installment that has me half-starved not for blood, but for a plot that only thickens with evasive and well-maneuvered intrigue. Josie Jaffrey has a way of delivering a story that’s almost utilitarian in style and voice but completely on the ball with an understated allure that shapes up a plot I never, not once, wanted to abandon. Thankfully, I was in a lucky enough position to read Judgement Day in the wake of May Day and it picks up steadily where the first book ends - honestly, I couldn’t restrain the laugh that needed to bubble up. Ms. Valentine certainly knows how to make an entrance. An ominous undercurrent lingers through and chases on the heels of a continued, atmospheric mystery. Jack - the mess - Valentine is back for round two in her pursuit for guiltless justice in Judgment Day. Following on from May Day , this second addition to the Seekers series eclipses the space of four months and settles right back into this preternatural urban fantasy. A fitting title for what I should coin a game-changing shift that revises everything Jack and her fellow Seekers stand for and against, all they know as unassailable law. Still, Jack has to reap the judgment of literally fraternising with fire. Because yes, she’s back in the not-so-humble abode of killian Drake, unmoved in the face of her judicial punishment after a worthwhile scheme that she’s definitely not sorry for. In her defense, she had a good reason, but that enjoyable sway in deliberate interest lands her in probation with her notorious frenemy. One who holds her fate in his wily hands. It’s a good thing her word isn’t law, but in this case, Killian Drake’s is. A day in the life of Jack Valentine isn’t boring, that’s something she can say for herself. She’s more of a disorderly deviant than a team-playing protege but her guild are her people, her ilk in a world spoiling with disquiet. The Seekers are pulled further into blindness and out of the loop while the players are on the move; while secrets and political strife swirl in the arena of old-age Silver. Christening her opposers with assumption and conjecture gives Jack something to fight against, but If there’s anything she hates more than her tally of antagonisers, it’s her own defenselessness. That just won’t do for this fresh-faced Silver in spite of all that holds her pregnable in a country of fellow blood-drinkers who outlive her by ancient numbers. She may have attracted the vitriol of the big contenders but she’ll humour the snubs and she’ll definitely be offended by the contrary. If you just happen to be one of nature’s natural thorns, why not barrel your way through the rose bushes while stabbing the waste on the way down? That’s Jack in a nutshell. It’s not all mellow sailing in lovers utopia for Jack though. She might have won the lottery by snagging herself an uber-intellectual girlfriend but the mini-fractures are showing, made bigger by the unscrupulous, meddling baron that stows away behind the doors of his mega-mansion. He’s the uninvited third party to Jack’s budding relationship, and try as she might, she can’t shove the recall of their hasty tryst and all that came after out of her think tank and into her residual cache of ‘no space for Killian Drake’. Far away from daylight and the first relationship that means something to her. Their history of sparring and snubs precedes them, so Jack’s about to do what history does so devilishly well: repeat itself. I must divulge. I’m presently in the thrall of book hangover territory. I had to make a real effort to tamp down the giddy fangirl in me after reading this, it was just so good! Well-written and teeming with May Day’s current of investigative mystique and fermenting secrecy that charts the ambling, inquisitive forecast; it’s as curious as it is queer, as suggestive as it is deviant, as character driven as it is a rolling gambit. The plot drives on and the diverting characters move with it. And that ending (everything was knowingly leading up to THAT ENDING ) made me rue the valley between me and the arrival of the next book. I savoured every bit of Judgement Day , those morsels stashed away into the recesses of my scattered thinker I had set voyage on the ship I wanted to sail with Jack, Tabitha and Killian, but you get to make the discovery all on your own. Killian Drake is still the unknown. He’s got the whole non-committal but elaborate aura wreathing him and the smoldering unsaid moments between him and Jack elude to what might unwind (what I hope will unwind). The will-they-won’t they strikes out for when will they. Everything between them feels forbidden and unmapped but strangely natural like two separately lit flames that lean in the space of each others’ heat. Add in the fact that I love the biting enmity and barb-slinging one-upmanship that’s routine with the energising power play of enemies-to-potentially-something-else and you’ve got the friction that keeps on giving, the provocation that snaps the passion back into place every time. I loved it. It’s exasperating and characteristic as much as it Is amusing and even charming. You can’t access the person behind the veneer with the Killian entirely but the pieces you get are worth planting yourself in his favour. Either Josie Jaffrey is fooling me so brilliantly, but Killian Drake has my faith big time for what might post-date Judgement Day. Killian Drake and Jack Valentine have some killer on-page chemistry. Jaffrey’s Seekers series holds a vessel of potential. She has an underemphasised talent for keeping a reader invested without the overstated, inflated pull of dramatic storytelling and theatrical prose. The writing, just like irreverent Jack, is without preamble. It’s completely moreish with simplicity. With the first open blood bar set to open in In Oxford and another death that puzzles the Seekers into trepidation, there are question marks sprawled all over Oxford and its high society. But what takes first place for concern is a lurching interior revolt that pierces Silver hierarchy and leaks out into civilian casualty. Jack and her fellow vampire detectives are out of their depth as a batallion that stands between open-wide Silver exposure and the camouflage of their entire race. You can’t outmatch staunch tradition. You can’t pit a cluster mice against a nest of snakes. You can’t lock horns with a type of beast forged by an age of hibernation. Everyone is playing for self-involved interests and the tide of closeted dissent, open division, divided allegiance, manipulation, betrayal and moving threats frames a stalemate that intensifies the coming of a day for judgment. You can appeal for the truth but you can’t lay waste to a lie that stings where it hurts and Jack’s right at the periphery as much as she’s in the middle of what’s about to take shape. This series brandishes a body of work that reads amazingly well. The elemental phases of the moving story inspires fresh curiosity, shifting conjecture and a palpable interest that pulls forth and pushes back menacingly, temptingly and a little bit savagely. Double-bluffs, double-guesses, herd disunity, micro-feuds, fraternising with friends, finks, foes and recalcitrant desire, all on the heels of another grisly investigation that sits at the foreground of a cloak-and-dagger backdrop. And those slippery vamps orchestrate so well. I’d blissfully let myself believe that this installment had the staying power to last forever and that rosy hope cunningly packaged my artless undoing when I ruefully ran out of pages to read. It’s been so long since I’ve steeped in the vapour of a series long enough to care about what happens next. While vamps aren’t my favoured creature of choice, I adopted their species-specific quirk because my senses were heightened, sharpened and fully-tuned to Judgment Day! Even the half-hearted and most well-read of bibliophiles should read this. Josie Jaffrey is splaying her cards in the most impelling ensemble and even if she’s really a deer in headlights stumbling her way through the indie graft, her consistency and creative sense precedes itself. She’s a dark horse galloping her way into the literary fray, kicking up dust in a space made for her. Sometimes desperate and taut, sometimes darkly comical, angsty and atmospheric, sometimes dour and sultry. Jack’s brain has fashioned the leads into a picture that reckons a blood war and only the first few drops have fallen. I stretched this book out for all it was worth and I’m as frayed around the edges for what’s to come. I received an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review! C O N T E N T W A R N I N G: One sex scene (the rest are implied or fade-to-black). Profanity. Spiking drinks with drugs. Aggressive and violent behaviour. Biting, blood, gore, murder, drinking and descriptions of murder scenes. Mentions psychosis and retrospectively/briefly mentions rape. Alcohol consumption, bloody descriptions of crime scenes and dead bodies. Mentions the use of a hard drug and other drugs/poisons. Mentions child neglect. Spoilery stuff! (view spoiler)[ 1) I had an elaborate theory about Yolande - Well…my paranoid mind did get away from me but I bizarrely thought that she was Winta, some clues were there and my imagination filled the blanks and spun a wild tale. I definitely held my suspicions about Tabitha close since book one while trying to figure out how deep she might have been embedded in the larger scheme. I had a strong hunch that she played a part but I wasn’t sure to what extent. One of the reasons why I’m die hard for Killian Drake. 2) I’m shipping Raul and Cam! (hide spoiler)] ------------------------------------------ Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts ------------------------------------------ ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 21, 2021
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Mar 04, 2021
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Feb 16, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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![Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] 's icon](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1700331868p1/85343546.jpg)
Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews]
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Books:
fantasy
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my rating |
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| 4.07
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it was ok
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Jun 05, 2024
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May 22, 2024
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| 4.18
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liked it
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Apr 24, 2024
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Apr 02, 2024
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| 4.23
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it was amazing
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Mar 27, 2024
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Feb 27, 2024
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|
| 4.10
|
liked it
|
Jan 10, 2024
|
Jan 03, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.47
|
really liked it
|
Dec 30, 2023
|
Nov 11, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 3.73
|
really liked it
|
Nov 07, 2023
|
Sep 03, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 4.04
|
really liked it
|
May 16, 2023
|
May 15, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 4.05
|
really liked it
|
Mar 12, 2023
|
Mar 07, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 3.54
|
liked it
|
Feb 11, 2023
|
Jan 30, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 4.08
|
really liked it
|
Sep 17, 2022
|
Oct 26, 2022
|
|||||
|
| 3.86
|
it was ok
|
Aug 08, 2022
|
Oct 02, 2022
|
|||||
|
| 3.78
|
it was ok
|
Jul 28, 2022
|
Sep 18, 2022
|
|||||
|
| 4.04
|
really liked it
|
Jul 20, 2022
|
Jul 11, 2022
|
|||||
|
| 4.65
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 22, 2022
|
Dec 27, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 3.98
|
liked it
|
Dec 14, 2021
|
Dec 17, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.48
|
really liked it
|
Aug 23, 2021
|
Aug 27, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.39
|
really liked it
|
Aug 22, 2021
|
Aug 13, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.51
|
really liked it
|
May 21, 2021
|
May 16, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.02
|
really liked it
|
May 10, 2021
|
May 09, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.56
|
it was amazing
|
Mar 04, 2021
|
Feb 16, 2021
|
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