bumblebree1903's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I will preface with the fact I listened to this as an audio book, which could have shaped my experience of the book and plot.
To start off with what I enjoyed, the world building was fascinating. As things were explained and I learned more about the cultures and magic systems and people I wanted to learn more. I also found the romance endearing most of the time, though a bit quick. The quickness didn’t ruin the romance for me as some other books have, however, which I will put in this book’s favour. There were also a handful of scenes that had me enraptured and really relating to the characters. While they mostly consisted of the flashbacks there were a couple of scenes in the present I enjoyed just as much.
However, I overall found the book just average and will likely not be continuing the series. While I enjoyed Eva at the beginning and her want for life and passion, as the book went on I found her turning into a more obnoxious character. I can’t place what caused the shift, but by the end I felt myself frequently annoyed by her childish behaviour that didn’t feel much like the character I had somewhat liked in the rest of the story. Eva herself also read as much older than 16, though that could have been due to the narrator.
I also found the side characters some what lacking and frequently forgot about anyone but the 3 main men and the 2 opposing women in the story. Which is disappointing because it felt like the two other female characters were so pushed to the back for how much I heard this story was woman-centric.
Finally, a more specific issue I had with the audiobook, the narrator overall did a fine job and I enjoyed her character voices. Her delivery just could come across as a bit stiff at times and her voice didn’t really feel like it fit the character of Eva.
Overall, it’s a fine YA fantasy book with a darker undercurrent. It’s not something I would recommend if asked but it’s a generic fantasy story in a far more interesting setting. If you’re tired of the basic European inspired fantasy world then this is worth checking out!
To start off with what I enjoyed, the world building was fascinating. As things were explained and I learned more about the cultures and magic systems and people I wanted to learn more. I also found the romance endearing most of the time, though a bit quick. The quickness didn’t ruin the romance for me as some other books have, however, which I will put in this book’s favour. There were also a handful of scenes that had me enraptured and really relating to the characters. While they mostly consisted of the flashbacks there were a couple of scenes in the present I enjoyed just as much.
However, I overall found the book just average and will likely not be continuing the series. While I enjoyed Eva at the beginning and her want for life and passion, as the book went on I found her turning into a more obnoxious character. I can’t place what caused the shift, but by the end I felt myself frequently annoyed by her childish behaviour that didn’t feel much like the character I had somewhat liked in the rest of the story. Eva herself also read as much older than 16, though that could have been due to the narrator.
I also found the side characters some what lacking and frequently forgot about anyone but the 3 main men and the 2 opposing women in the story. Which is disappointing because it felt like the two other female characters were so pushed to the back for how much I heard this story was woman-centric.
Finally, a more specific issue I had with the audiobook, the narrator overall did a fine job and I enjoyed her character voices. Her delivery just could come across as a bit stiff at times and her voice didn’t really feel like it fit the character of Eva.
Overall, it’s a fine YA fantasy book with a darker undercurrent. It’s not something I would recommend if asked but it’s a generic fantasy story in a far more interesting setting. If you’re tired of the basic European inspired fantasy world then this is worth checking out!
shelbysfavreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
womanon's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay. The writing style was good, but the plot fell completely flat for me. It was just one line with a few small bumps in it.
heyuhleee's review
5.0
The vivid descriptions, complicated family dynamics, and Eva's free spirit kept me reading well past my bed time. Another book that left me wanting more. As luck would have it, there is more! I am eager to start the second book in this series this winter. Anything with action, romance, and magic makes me swoon. But having a thoughtful writer like Amanda Joy authoring it is beyond icing on the cake. This book was a great read and gave me the most interesting dreams (I'm a "before bed" reader, so you know how it is).
nettle_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was physically gasping for air many times, the plot just blew me away while the characters relations blew me away to. When I say there were some incredible scenes I MEAN THERE WERE SOME INCREDIBLE SCENES, the quotes in this book are out of this world.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
4.0
I read this with my YA hat on, and then I really enjoyed it.
As an adult book it had a bit too much "read that already" to fully grab me. However, I would have devoured it at age 14!
I loved the different cultural background, and especially the mix of humans, Fae and a sort of chimera.
Different magic types and styles to discover, and plenty of female main characters rounded this more than some other YA I read recently.
It has a love angle, but it's not the centre of the book, which I also found refreshing. And having the male love interest not being a super strong "alpha douche" was amazing. He's a good fighter and confident, but he's also very attuned to emotions, and I loved that he took those seriously.
The rivalry between the sisters fell a bit flat for me, though I think it could get expanded in the second book. So far it's a bit of a mystery left open when and how they went from loving each other to despising the other. Yes, now they are rivals and only one can live, but they were close as little kids and in the flashbacks we didn't get to the point of loosing touch.
The relationships with her mother and father felt much better depicted and real, and I found it fascinating.
All in all a really good read that blends some of the food old tropes, but also does some things differently.
As an adult book it had a bit too much "read that already" to fully grab me. However, I would have devoured it at age 14!
I loved the different cultural background, and especially the mix of humans, Fae and a sort of chimera.
Different magic types and styles to discover, and plenty of female main characters rounded this more than some other YA I read recently.
It has a love angle, but it's not the centre of the book, which I also found refreshing. And having the male love interest not being a super strong "alpha douche" was amazing. He's a good fighter and confident, but he's also very attuned to emotions, and I loved that he took those seriously.
The rivalry between the sisters fell a bit flat for me, though I think it could get expanded in the second book. So far it's a bit of a mystery left open when and how they went from loving each other to despising the other. Yes, now they are rivals and only one can live, but they were close as little kids and in the flashbacks we didn't get to the point of loosing touch.
The relationships with her mother and father felt much better depicted and real, and I found it fascinating.
All in all a really good read that blends some of the food old tropes, but also does some things differently.
e23's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
w_xinnie's review against another edition
4.0
A truly intriguing story. With diverse characters and a plot that you think you guessed but there is also so much more beneath it.
4,5/5
4,5/5
jadebear's review against another edition
It seemed like so much backstory that could have been incorporated into the text in various ways was instead put in as an info dump. Also, it took several chapters before I felt any movement in the plot or stakes for the main character.