siobhan27's review against another edition
3.0
I am a sucker for retellings and this one drew me in from how different it sounded from the ones i had read before. This is not about a certain fairy tale character, but of the fairy godmothers and how they are born to be. I loved this aspect of the story because it is something we don't normally think about. We think about the princesses, the princes and the villains but we don't thunk if those who take care of these characters. This made me like this book even before I opened the first page.
I will admit that I had a hard time connecting to the characters in the book. I felt a bit of distance between them, and I really do not know why. I think they seemed young to me, younger than i thought. I did not feel as invested in the story as I wanted. I wanted to be immerse in the culture of this story and the world that the author created, but sadly something was holding me back. I felt myself skimming passages in order to get to more interesting parts. I felt that the plot lagged in places and therefore I was bored at times when reading. I thought there was not enough character interactions for me and that is usually the best part of a book for me, and how I get to know certain characters. I just felt like there was not enough of that.
There was a small mystery element in this story and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I felt like if it was a more prominent aspect pf the overall plot I would have enjoyed the book a lot more, but we never really got to invest in the mystery as much as I would have liked. And since this is the first book in a new series, I was not captured enough to really want o keep reading. I am interested in where this series goes, and I might pick up the second book but for me this book lacked many aspects that a good series needs, and I was a bit disappointed in it.
I will admit that I had a hard time connecting to the characters in the book. I felt a bit of distance between them, and I really do not know why. I think they seemed young to me, younger than i thought. I did not feel as invested in the story as I wanted. I wanted to be immerse in the culture of this story and the world that the author created, but sadly something was holding me back. I felt myself skimming passages in order to get to more interesting parts. I felt that the plot lagged in places and therefore I was bored at times when reading. I thought there was not enough character interactions for me and that is usually the best part of a book for me, and how I get to know certain characters. I just felt like there was not enough of that.
There was a small mystery element in this story and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I felt like if it was a more prominent aspect pf the overall plot I would have enjoyed the book a lot more, but we never really got to invest in the mystery as much as I would have liked. And since this is the first book in a new series, I was not captured enough to really want o keep reading. I am interested in where this series goes, and I might pick up the second book but for me this book lacked many aspects that a good series needs, and I was a bit disappointed in it.
lost_in_the_librarys's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
honuzbubbles's review against another edition
4.0
Stray was original enough to warrant a rounding up of star points. While the action took a while to get started (the author was obviously needed some time to allow the reader to adjust to the realm) putting the book down to attend everyday life became a tad difficult once it gained momentum. Aislynn manages to transform into a young woman in charge of her future from the scared, naive princess following someone else's rules she was. The characters she meets along her journey are memorable and intriguing. Some details seem to be possible clues for the mystery at the heart of the tale- what really happened to those four sisters and how did it change the land Aislynn lives in? Should her character and her world continue to grow and change this series may become a favorite.
i_hype_romance's review against another edition
4.0
An enthralling re-imagining of an amalgam of fairytales - however, it is really, at its core, about Sleeping Beauty.
Aislinn is an intriguing heroine and I will be reading the next book in the series.
Aislinn is an intriguing heroine and I will be reading the next book in the series.
apopanda09's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it! I love a good fairy tale retelling, or at least stories inspired by fairy tales. I am hoping to get the sequel, Burn, soon!
hannahmae91's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. Felt as though the magic = puberty/sexuality thing was a little hamfisted at times (example: magic turns the sheets blood red overnight) but it's a good enough way to ease younger readers into themes or whatever. It does give me a perfect excuse for an Archer gif, though, so I can't really complain.
On a more analytical note, I'd like to point out that this book reads as an extension/retelling of "The Wild Heart" by [a:Ann Bishop|1512682|Ann Bishop|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], a short story published in one of the [a:Ellen Datlow|46138|Ellen Datlow|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1309669102p2/46138.jpg] fairy tale anthologies. Godmothers even have their "loving hearts" pulled out of their chests in as direct nod as you can get while changing the language. This isn't a complaint, exactly. That particular story is perhaps my favorite. However, comparisons are unavoidable between the two and, perhaps by abandoning the shorter format, this loses some of the visceral emotion Bishop evokes.
I will admit that there were two twists which surprised me more than I would expect from a YA novel these days.
In all, I probably won't be reading future installments but I don't regret reading this.
On a more analytical note, I'd like to point out that this book reads as an extension/retelling of "The Wild Heart" by [a:Ann Bishop|1512682|Ann Bishop|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], a short story published in one of the [a:Ellen Datlow|46138|Ellen Datlow|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1309669102p2/46138.jpg] fairy tale anthologies. Godmothers even have their "loving hearts" pulled out of their chests in as direct nod as you can get while changing the language. This isn't a complaint, exactly. That particular story is perhaps my favorite. However, comparisons are unavoidable between the two and, perhaps by abandoning the shorter format, this loses some of the visceral emotion Bishop evokes.
I will admit that there were two twists which surprised me more than I would expect from a YA novel these days.
Spoiler
I especially appreciate the surprise lesbian plot and hope it is expanded upon in later novels.In all, I probably won't be reading future installments but I don't regret reading this.
rookdigoo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
pantsreads's review against another edition
3.0
islandgeekgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Aislynn is a princess awaiting her introduction ball. She's been preparing for a long time to be introduced to the suitors chosen specifically for her, to fall in love, to have her happily ever after. She will follow the Path, she will not stray. But on the night of the ball, Aislynn finds her life going in a direction she never expected, never prepare for, and the magic burning in her is threatening her Path. She must not stray.
I really liked the concept of this book. It was an original fairy tale with a main character that I found myself having a lot of empathy for and ended up really liking. There were some parts that were predictable but still enjoyable.
At first I was a little worried I wouldn't like Aislynn. Her blind devotion to the Path, obeying every word of her adviser and headmistress, the chants to help them stay focused, it all felt a little cult-like. But I did like her and the more she developed and grew as a character, the more I found myself liking her. I could understand her desperation to achieve a goal that had been set for her since pretty much birth(in this case her introduction ball), her frustrations at being bad at containing her magic, her desire to be good at a new goal given to her so she could prove herself.
Two other characters I really loved were Thackery, a gardener at the academy Aislynn is at, and Brigid, a maid at the same academy. Both were nice and had their own stories but also served as a way to help Aislynn see beyond her own little world. Another character, Ford, was also great and I kind of wish we'd gotten to see him a little more. Linnea, the princess Aislynn is supposed to become a fairy godmother for, was an interesting character. I'm still not quite sure how I felt about her. At times I really felt for her but other times I wanted to scream.
The world building was very intricate and it left me feeling like there was so much more that had yet to be told. We only saw one small part of this world that was created. From the series title and description, I'm guessing we're getting more parts of the world in upcoming stories, which I'm definitely excited about.
The plot was a little slow in the beginning but I didn't mind too much. It felt necessary to make us aware of the stakes and just how devastating the turn of events were for Aislynn. Once she arrived at her new academy and started interacting with the characters mentioned above, and some of the twists and discoveries began, it really picked up. There was a lot of action in the last part of the book.
I'm hoping(and guessing) that Aislynn's story will tie into the other books in the series. It's just going to be a long wait.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the concept of this book. It was an original fairy tale with a main character that I found myself having a lot of empathy for and ended up really liking. There were some parts that were predictable but still enjoyable.
At first I was a little worried I wouldn't like Aislynn. Her blind devotion to the Path, obeying every word of her adviser and headmistress, the chants to help them stay focused, it all felt a little cult-like. But I did like her and the more she developed and grew as a character, the more I found myself liking her. I could understand her desperation to achieve a goal that had been set for her since pretty much birth(in this case her introduction ball), her frustrations at being bad at containing her magic, her desire to be good at a new goal given to her so she could prove herself.
Two other characters I really loved were Thackery, a gardener at the academy Aislynn is at, and Brigid, a maid at the same academy. Both were nice and had their own stories but also served as a way to help Aislynn see beyond her own little world. Another character, Ford, was also great and I kind of wish we'd gotten to see him a little more. Linnea, the princess Aislynn is supposed to become a fairy godmother for, was an interesting character. I'm still not quite sure how I felt about her. At times I really felt for her but other times I wanted to scream.
The world building was very intricate and it left me feeling like there was so much more that had yet to be told. We only saw one small part of this world that was created. From the series title and description, I'm guessing we're getting more parts of the world in upcoming stories, which I'm definitely excited about.
The plot was a little slow in the beginning but I didn't mind too much. It felt necessary to make us aware of the stakes and just how devastating the turn of events were for Aislynn. Once she arrived at her new academy and started interacting with the characters mentioned above, and some of the twists and discoveries began, it really picked up. There was a lot of action in the last part of the book.
I'm hoping(and guessing) that Aislynn's story will tie into the other books in the series. It's just going to be a long wait.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
weruintooeasy's review against another edition
3.0
*2.5
this was initially 3 stars but after thinking about it some more, i find that it definitely had a lot of issues so i'm docking it a half star.
this was initially 3 stars but after thinking about it some more, i find that it definitely had a lot of issues so i'm docking it a half star.