yeriwithaj_'s review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful
My mind is a mess of thoughts, suspicion, and assumptions! That ending just blew my damn mind.
The story starts with a mystery feel. Our leads, Mara and Theo, at first I wasn't so sure about them, their perceived relationship, Theo came off as over confident and a jerk without much depth and Mara a bit naive and detached. However, the more I read the more I knew I was wrong. There was more, A LOT more to both of them, and their behaviour is more about protecting themselves than anything else.
I love the uniqueness in this story. For now I'd say it's more Fantasy than Paranormal, more New Adult than YA. Smeltzer's writing always amazes me, she reels you in and soon you're in another world. The details from the writing to her cover! It all matches, clicks, and connects.
And that ending! It has left me with many, many questions and desperate for the installment, like yesterday!
I need more Theo and Mara!
My mind is a mess of thoughts, suspicion, and assumptions! That ending just blew my damn mind.
The story starts with a mystery feel. Our leads, Mara and Theo, at first I wasn't so sure about them, their perceived relationship, Theo came off as over confident and a jerk without much depth and Mara a bit naive and detached. However, the more I read the more I knew I was wrong. There was more, A LOT more to both of them, and their behaviour is more about protecting themselves than anything else.
I love the uniqueness in this story. For now I'd say it's more Fantasy than Paranormal, more New Adult than YA. Smeltzer's writing always amazes me, she reels you in and soon you're in another world. The details from the writing to her cover! It all matches, clicks, and connects.
And that ending! It has left me with many, many questions and desperate for the installment, like yesterday!
I need more Theo and Mara!
ellieroth's review
You’re different. Most girls around here are so superficial. But you’re not.
2008 vibes
too old for this
aliciasplendeur's review
5.0
Solid story
What a great read! The ending killed me. Ugh..tell me it's not real. Now I need to read the next one.
What a great read! The ending killed me. Ugh..tell me it's not real. Now I need to read the next one.
breerashel's review
3.0
*I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This book was a really enjoyable read! It is one of those books that you can sit back and enjoy rather than having to think about thought provoking topics or solve some kind of mystery. This story is not anything that hasn't been done before and I may just like it because I took a break from this type of story for that very reason. It is the typical teenager who doesn't know that they are different and is saved by an attractive warrior who teaches, protects, and falls in love with said special teenager who has an important destiny to save everyone. I added some things to that description but you get the point.
I appreciated the fact that the author didn't have the main character automatically accept what she is or what Theo was telling her. It always annoys me when characters just believe anything and everything that people tell them. It makes them seem gullible and the story is automatically not as realistic to me as it could have been. I would have liked to have had more world building considering this is the first book in a series. I loved the parts of the world that the author did explain. I hope that she goes into more detail about what Mara is and what kinds of powers she has. I'm also curious about what else Theo can do as a protector that wasn't shown in this book.
I don't feel like the side characters added anything to the story so they might as well have not been there. The author may share more background on these characters in the next installment but for now I'm not thrilled with them. I did like Theo and Mara. I think that Theo was my favorite character because he was relatable and reminded me of some of my other favorite characters in other books. He was snarky, didn't play well with others, and was loyal to a fault. I enjoyed the chemistry that the author was able to establish between Theo and Mara. It was believable and they seemed to be a good match for each other.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2017/12/enchant-enchanted-1-by-micalea-smeltzer.html
This book was a really enjoyable read! It is one of those books that you can sit back and enjoy rather than having to think about thought provoking topics or solve some kind of mystery. This story is not anything that hasn't been done before and I may just like it because I took a break from this type of story for that very reason. It is the typical teenager who doesn't know that they are different and is saved by an attractive warrior who teaches, protects, and falls in love with said special teenager who has an important destiny to save everyone. I added some things to that description but you get the point.
I appreciated the fact that the author didn't have the main character automatically accept what she is or what Theo was telling her. It always annoys me when characters just believe anything and everything that people tell them. It makes them seem gullible and the story is automatically not as realistic to me as it could have been. I would have liked to have had more world building considering this is the first book in a series. I loved the parts of the world that the author did explain. I hope that she goes into more detail about what Mara is and what kinds of powers she has. I'm also curious about what else Theo can do as a protector that wasn't shown in this book.
I don't feel like the side characters added anything to the story so they might as well have not been there. The author may share more background on these characters in the next installment but for now I'm not thrilled with them. I did like Theo and Mara. I think that Theo was my favorite character because he was relatable and reminded me of some of my other favorite characters in other books. He was snarky, didn't play well with others, and was loyal to a fault. I enjoyed the chemistry that the author was able to establish between Theo and Mara. It was believable and they seemed to be a good match for each other.
https://fictionedtodeath.blogspot.com/2017/12/enchant-enchanted-1-by-micalea-smeltzer.html
anabbesteves's review against another edition
5.0
THE BEWITCHED READER: ENCHANT (ENCHANTED #1) BY MICALEA SMELTZER
Mara Pryce is just a normal teenager, living with her widowed father and going to high school, just like it is expected from her. That is, until the day a mysterious stranger that only she sees appears in her life. She almost fools herself into thinking he was just a figment of her imagination but in a time of peril he reappears and saves her life.
The stranger is called Theodore and e proceeds to explain to her that she is an enchanter and him her protector. In the world of Wiccan magic, there are the Enchanted and the Iniquitous, forces of good and evil magic who are always at odds with each other. By discovering her true nature, Mara embarks on a journey to discover a part of the world that has always been hidden away from her.
I first approached this book with a sense that maybe it was not for me but I was proven wrong right from the first chapter. Written beautifully and fluently, this is a stunning immersing book that is a sure recipe for one to get lost amongst its pages.
Throughout the book, the reader gets to unfold a whole unseen world at the same time that the main character, Mara, starts to discover it herself. There is a magical world hidden from humans and the ones who inhabit within it try to hide it from the ones who do not belong to it. Unfortunately, the strife between light and dark forces has many of the younger Enchanted generations hidden away in safe houses in order not to get murdered, like those who are not as fortunate as being able to be protected.
This new world and its history help Mara to make some sense about her true parentage as well as to discover a new side of herself that she had never had the chance to know before. This journey brings her closer to a new family, not a traditional one, but one made up of friends who deeply love each other.
This book will build you up and its end will blow your mind. I am (not so) patiently waiting for the next instalment!
THE BEWITCHED READER: ENCHANT (ENCHANTED #1) BY MICALEA SMELTZER
Mara Pryce is just a normal teenager, living with her widowed father and going to high school, just like it is expected from her. That is, until the day a mysterious stranger that only she sees appears in her life. She almost fools herself into thinking he was just a figment of her imagination but in a time of peril he reappears and saves her life.
The stranger is called Theodore and e proceeds to explain to her that she is an enchanter and him her protector. In the world of Wiccan magic, there are the Enchanted and the Iniquitous, forces of good and evil magic who are always at odds with each other. By discovering her true nature, Mara embarks on a journey to discover a part of the world that has always been hidden away from her.
I first approached this book with a sense that maybe it was not for me but I was proven wrong right from the first chapter. Written beautifully and fluently, this is a stunning immersing book that is a sure recipe for one to get lost amongst its pages.
Throughout the book, the reader gets to unfold a whole unseen world at the same time that the main character, Mara, starts to discover it herself. There is a magical world hidden from humans and the ones who inhabit within it try to hide it from the ones who do not belong to it. Unfortunately, the strife between light and dark forces has many of the younger Enchanted generations hidden away in safe houses in order not to get murdered, like those who are not as fortunate as being able to be protected.
This new world and its history help Mara to make some sense about her true parentage as well as to discover a new side of herself that she had never had the chance to know before. This journey brings her closer to a new family, not a traditional one, but one made up of friends who deeply love each other.
This book will build you up and its end will blow your mind. I am (not so) patiently waiting for the next instalment!
THE BEWITCHED READER: ENCHANT (ENCHANTED #1) BY MICALEA SMELTZER
stephsromancebooktalk's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first fantasy book I have read from Micalea and I really, really enjoyed it!! I loved getting to know Mara and Theo and I want more. I did feel that it was a little jumbled at parts but felt it was more about the story building for the rest of the series/triolgy than a lacking to the story. There is action, romance, and adventure. This is an adventure that I encourage you to take!!
This specific video review: (To be posted later in the November 2017 Wrap Up)
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel Steph’s Rom Book Talk
This specific video review: (To be posted later in the November 2017 Wrap Up)
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel Steph’s Rom Book Talk
carleneinspired's review against another edition
3.0
Things had been feeling off for Mara for a while, her dreams and unease as she approached graduation keep her looking over her shoulder constantly, but she never could have prepared for the night that changed everything. She finds herself on the run with a handsome guy named Theodore, filled with questions and fear as she leaves everything she's known behind her. Her old life is gone, in its place is a locked-down safe house, an over-protective jerk for a protector, and a sea of lessons to learn about the magic she never knew she possessed.
"Something big was happening. Something I believed none of us were prepared for."
Mara is a likable and naive teenager, her previous life cushioned by good friends, an amazing father, and a fairly normal high school experience. She's the perfect YA cliche, a sweet girl who happens to be an Enchanter and one of the Chosen Ones meant to save all those who are good and against The Iniquitous. I'd tell you more, but that's about all the book gives you to work with. Theodore is your good guy in a bad boy's body. He's handsome, he's brooding, he's a massive jerk, and he's all about protecting Mara from...well...everything. He takes his job as a Protector a little too seriously for me. They, of course, find one another so attractive. Then there's Theo's little sister Adelaide, Mara's new bestie and Winston, resident cute guy with an English accent. Queue the drama. On top of all this, there's a war building up outside the protective doors and it all leads back to Mara.
"I still felt like plain old Mara. Not an enchanter. and certanily not chosen."
I wanted to love Enchant. Everything about this book, prior to reading it, called out to me. The gorgeous cover, the intriguing blurb, and of course, the promise of witches, romance, and drama. I love YA Fantasy novels, I rarely read any Adult Fantasy so I really expected this to be right up my alley. Micalea Smeltzer came with fairly high recommendations from my friends and I figured, what better book to start with than Enchant? Unfortunately, it just really missed the mark for me. I felt like I was reading a young adult book written by an actual young adult, not a book written for YA by a well-known, several times published author. Each scene reads like it happens in seconds, 4 months gone in a blink of an eye, and the break between paragraphs seems to be done by a dull chopping knife.
"Was it possible that my touch affected him the way his did me?"
It's hard to follow the events happening in the safe house and even harder to follow along with the character's relationships. At one point Theo knocks Winston for reading Pride and Prejudice, but a few pages later admits he loves to read everything. What? So you're pulling the ole Kindergarden card, where we're mean to impress the people we like? The dialogue felt forced, the chemistry was lacking, and the premise of the story was flat. I wanted emotions, I wanted background, and I wanted to really see the magic and the romances completely play out. The usually well-received cliche of youthful witches fighting the draw of romance, while also fighting for their lives, is not done well in Enchant and it will fall behind other well-known novels with similar storylines.
"You are my greatest fight and my longest battle.
I'm giving Enchant an extra star, rounding my review out to 3 Stars, because I kept reading and it does have an incredibly intriguing plot. Plus, there are some really fantastic lines in this book, lines that show how well Micalea Smeltzer can write. I'd love to see this book get re-released with a more fleshed out story, maybe someday. I think more truly young adult aged readers will appreciate Enchant, but I suggest waiting for book two to release before jumping into Enchant right away.
ARC provided through Netgalley.
"Something big was happening. Something I believed none of us were prepared for."
Mara is a likable and naive teenager, her previous life cushioned by good friends, an amazing father, and a fairly normal high school experience. She's the perfect YA cliche, a sweet girl who happens to be an Enchanter and one of the Chosen Ones meant to save all those who are good and against The Iniquitous. I'd tell you more, but that's about all the book gives you to work with. Theodore is your good guy in a bad boy's body. He's handsome, he's brooding, he's a massive jerk, and he's all about protecting Mara from...well...everything. He takes his job as a Protector a little too seriously for me. They, of course, find one another so attractive. Then there's Theo's little sister Adelaide, Mara's new bestie and Winston, resident cute guy with an English accent. Queue the drama. On top of all this, there's a war building up outside the protective doors and it all leads back to Mara.
"I still felt like plain old Mara. Not an enchanter. and certanily not chosen."
I wanted to love Enchant. Everything about this book, prior to reading it, called out to me. The gorgeous cover, the intriguing blurb, and of course, the promise of witches, romance, and drama. I love YA Fantasy novels, I rarely read any Adult Fantasy so I really expected this to be right up my alley. Micalea Smeltzer came with fairly high recommendations from my friends and I figured, what better book to start with than Enchant? Unfortunately, it just really missed the mark for me. I felt like I was reading a young adult book written by an actual young adult, not a book written for YA by a well-known, several times published author. Each scene reads like it happens in seconds, 4 months gone in a blink of an eye, and the break between paragraphs seems to be done by a dull chopping knife.
"Was it possible that my touch affected him the way his did me?"
It's hard to follow the events happening in the safe house and even harder to follow along with the character's relationships. At one point Theo knocks Winston for reading Pride and Prejudice, but a few pages later admits he loves to read everything. What? So you're pulling the ole Kindergarden card, where we're mean to impress the people we like? The dialogue felt forced, the chemistry was lacking, and the premise of the story was flat. I wanted emotions, I wanted background, and I wanted to really see the magic and the romances completely play out. The usually well-received cliche of youthful witches fighting the draw of romance, while also fighting for their lives, is not done well in Enchant and it will fall behind other well-known novels with similar storylines.
"You are my greatest fight and my longest battle.
I'm giving Enchant an extra star, rounding my review out to 3 Stars, because I kept reading and it does have an incredibly intriguing plot. Plus, there are some really fantastic lines in this book, lines that show how well Micalea Smeltzer can write. I'd love to see this book get re-released with a more fleshed out story, maybe someday. I think more truly young adult aged readers will appreciate Enchant, but I suggest waiting for book two to release before jumping into Enchant right away.
ARC provided through Netgalley.
rohina_sharma's review
3.0
I've had this book on my Kindle since its release and finally got around to reading it! I liked the story and the whole premise of it. I mean, I love witches and warlocks and seers and vampires and... you get my point, right?
Now, while I liked it I didn't really like or love it as much as I was hoping it to. The story, for a YA Fantansy, seemed too fast-paced. Months and years were being muddled up without a warning and a select few times I did lose track. But saying all that, this is an intriguing plot and Micalea Smeltzer can do a woozy with it if she got it right. Maybe, re-release this book in the future with more fleshed out content and more rounded characters sometime in the future. There is a lot of potential for Smeltzer to work with.
2.5 - 3 Stars!
Now, while I liked it I didn't really like or love it as much as I was hoping it to. The story, for a YA Fantansy, seemed too fast-paced. Months and years were being muddled up without a warning and a select few times I did lose track. But saying all that, this is an intriguing plot and Micalea Smeltzer can do a woozy with it if she got it right. Maybe, re-release this book in the future with more fleshed out content and more rounded characters sometime in the future. There is a lot of potential for Smeltzer to work with.
2.5 - 3 Stars!
lenoreo's review
2.0
https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/enchant-by-micalea-smeltzer/
2 stars -- I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
I hate when this happens. I actually won an ARC of this book, but it just did not work out for me. And that always bums me out. I've never read anything by this author before, but I've heard great things about her contemporary books...so I'm uncertain if it's just that her voice doesn't shine through as well in non-contemp books? I'll maybe give those a try before I decide if we're just not a match.
So what didn't work for me? Well, for one thing, I didn't like ANY of the characters. ANY of them. I didn't really hate any of them, but I couldn't care less about them and what was happening to them. They felt very shallow, both in attitude and in how they were represented...I needed more dimensions. I honestly couldn't really tell you very much about them. And what I can tell you, I didn't really like.
Mara was very flat. She barely reacted to anything that happened to her, and her emotional reactions to the bad things were short-lived (except the dream/vision...that one was better, I actually felt for her). She didn't seem to form connections with anyone, or when she did it was immediate and we weren't shown what drew them to one another.
And Theo...well he was a dick. And I get he was supposed to be a dick, but the moments that were supposed to swing me to his favour just didn't work for me. They did not supersede his bad attitude. And holy volatile!! I can't tell you the number of times he just started screaming at people (usually his sister) out of nowhere! They were over the top reactions in my opinion.
As for secondary characters, nothing from them either. We barely met her BFF Dani before she was out of the picture, or her father (though he might have been cool). Adelaide was OK, but mostly she came across very self-absorbed and whiny...she felt younger than her age. And she and Mara together were mean girls, the way they thought/talked about Naomi...I was NOT impressed. Winston was whiny and oblivious, I didn't even feel for him like I should. And I couldn't figure out Finn or Ethan, we got no time with either of them. Though I guess I did like Nigel, the cat.
As for the paranormal aspect, well quite frankly I didn't really learn enough about it to form an opinion. Most of the book was about the push and pull between Mara and Theo. Honestly, I was pretty bored. It wasn't until 95% into the book before something really action-y happened. Uh, that's WAY too late to get my interest.
*sigh* I could probably elaborate, but that will bring me into meaner territory, and I try to avoid that. Honestly, this book had quite a lot of potential. It has a lot of the same basic setups of many of these paranormal books (girl doesn't know anything about the paranormal world, but is apparently a chosen one, falls for a bad boy), but I don't mind that. In fact I'm often attracted to that. I feel like the author just needed someone to tell her when she was being repetitive, both in phrases (how many times did I need to read "why does something so wrong feel so right?") and in plot points...when she had inconsistencies...when she needed to tell the reader how Mara felt about learning her whole life had been a lie, when she needed to give the reader MORE. *sigh*
Basically, good bones, poor execution. Needless to say, despite that killer ending, I won't be reading further. But I will try out this author's contemporaries, perhaps I'm just pickier when it comes to my non-contemps.
2 stars -- I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
I hate when this happens. I actually won an ARC of this book, but it just did not work out for me. And that always bums me out. I've never read anything by this author before, but I've heard great things about her contemporary books...so I'm uncertain if it's just that her voice doesn't shine through as well in non-contemp books? I'll maybe give those a try before I decide if we're just not a match.
So what didn't work for me? Well, for one thing, I didn't like ANY of the characters. ANY of them. I didn't really hate any of them, but I couldn't care less about them and what was happening to them. They felt very shallow, both in attitude and in how they were represented...I needed more dimensions. I honestly couldn't really tell you very much about them. And what I can tell you, I didn't really like.
Mara was very flat. She barely reacted to anything that happened to her, and her emotional reactions to the bad things were short-lived (except the dream/vision...that one was better, I actually felt for her). She didn't seem to form connections with anyone, or when she did it was immediate and we weren't shown what drew them to one another.
And Theo...well he was a dick. And I get he was supposed to be a dick, but the moments that were supposed to swing me to his favour just didn't work for me. They did not supersede his bad attitude. And holy volatile!! I can't tell you the number of times he just started screaming at people (usually his sister) out of nowhere! They were over the top reactions in my opinion.
As for secondary characters, nothing from them either. We barely met her BFF Dani before she was out of the picture, or her father (though he might have been cool). Adelaide was OK, but mostly she came across very self-absorbed and whiny...she felt younger than her age. And she and Mara together were mean girls, the way they thought/talked about Naomi...I was NOT impressed. Winston was whiny and oblivious, I didn't even feel for him like I should. And I couldn't figure out Finn or Ethan, we got no time with either of them. Though I guess I did like Nigel, the cat.
As for the paranormal aspect, well quite frankly I didn't really learn enough about it to form an opinion. Most of the book was about the push and pull between Mara and Theo. Honestly, I was pretty bored. It wasn't until 95% into the book before something really action-y happened. Uh, that's WAY too late to get my interest.
*sigh* I could probably elaborate, but that will bring me into meaner territory, and I try to avoid that. Honestly, this book had quite a lot of potential. It has a lot of the same basic setups of many of these paranormal books (girl doesn't know anything about the paranormal world, but is apparently a chosen one, falls for a bad boy), but I don't mind that. In fact I'm often attracted to that. I feel like the author just needed someone to tell her when she was being repetitive, both in phrases (how many times did I need to read "why does something so wrong feel so right?") and in plot points...when she had inconsistencies...when she needed to tell the reader how Mara felt about learning her whole life had been a lie, when she needed to give the reader MORE. *sigh*
Basically, good bones, poor execution. Needless to say, despite that killer ending, I won't be reading further. But I will try out this author's contemporaries, perhaps I'm just pickier when it comes to my non-contemps.
stephsromancebooktalk's review
4.0
This is the first fantasy book I have read from Micalea and I really, really enjoyed it!! I loved getting to know Mara and Theo and I want more. I did feel that it was a little jumbled at parts but felt it was more about the story building for the rest of the series/triolgy than a lacking to the story. There is action, romance, and adventure. This is an adventure that I encourage you to take!!
This specific video review: (To be posted later in the November 2017 Wrap Up)
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel Steph’s Rom Book Talk
This specific video review: (To be posted later in the November 2017 Wrap Up)
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel Steph’s Rom Book Talk