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egreilly's review against another edition
4.0
so sweet and genuinely fun to read. the dialogue kind of gave pride and prejudice at times
girlthatsings's review against another edition
4.0
This was between 3.5 -4 stars. I love the dynamic between the sisters and father, the plot and dialogue are pretty good, but the MMC didn't really do it for me, he was just meh and it felt like the fmc was saving him, rather than wanting to be in a relationship. They didn't feel like an equal pairing. I flew through the book and enjoyed the world, I just wish the MMC had more depth
jenjoy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I got this as a mystery book from a shop. Not disappointed at all. It was a fun light read with a bit of a “Darker Shade of Magic” vibe.
murdy's review against another edition
2.0
Sad. I’ll be honest. I’m being overly mean to this book because that opening prologue was fire and my disappointment with the rest of the story is immeasurable. One of the best openers to a fantasy iv read in a long time. And then it became pretty bland with a Disney villain ending. I don’t know, maybe I’d have enjoyed this book when I was twelve.
I had to skim to get through this one. And I honestly didn’t care at all by the end. There was zero sense of real danger. And almost zero sense of any real mystery or consequences to anyone’s actions.
The romance was really cheesy. The writing style is like mock Jane Austen language but inconsistent.
It gets stars for character concepts. Achak you deserved better!
I had to skim to get through this one. And I honestly didn’t care at all by the end. There was zero sense of real danger. And almost zero sense of any real mystery or consequences to anyone’s actions.
The romance was really cheesy. The writing style is like mock Jane Austen language but inconsistent.
It gets stars for character concepts. Achak you deserved better!
caitlin_annaleigh's review against another edition
1.0
I got this for my free book from Amazon last month.
I am dissatisfied with this book, tbh. It had so much potential! Magical sisters? Musical powers?? An alternate reality kingdom???? ROMANCE?????? Almost too much potential. I did try very hard to like this one. I did.
I am, first and foremost, annoyed by the writing style. There were of course a few mistakes (but what e-book doesn’t have errors), but that’s not why I’m irritated. It was just so simple, so plain, so boring and basic. Not in a bare-bones-no-nonsense kind of way, but like such a juvenile cadence and overall diction that it was just so underwhelming to slog through for 400 pages. It absolutely did not help that the world building was completely random. There were opportunities to go places with characters who’ve never been or are experts at that place, and so much more. But no it was literally random. And I think the style contributed to a lot of confusion in the plot, not just the setting, at least for me. Along with being as interesting as watching paint dry (linguistically), sometimes the author would let the characters decide things without telling us until the moment the decision was carried out. Didn’t throw in more dialogue (which was needed), just let everyone go to the next place in the same chapter without telling you why. The author told, not showed; didn’t slow down and take the moment, didn’t seem like they trusted us enough to make inferences.
Second, I am very upset about the characterization, or lack thereof. The two leads had potential, again, but every few chapters they would somehow have an entirely different personality than before??? And that’s being generous, given that they were so two-dimensional that you could blow them over with one sneeze. Which was also jarring to read since the relationship between the sisters was fantastic. That dynamic was probably the only redeeming quality in the book.
Third, there were hardly any obstacles in this book for the characters to overcome. And half of the dramatic reveals were “misunderstandings” or just didn’t matter after a few chapters. I’m all for a comfort read, but I mean *something* has to happen for characters to grow, right?? Not in this book, apparently.
Fourth, the romance felt forced and though the author tried to plant seeds along the way, they totally could have been just cool crime-fighting friends until like page 350. No chemistry existed before that.
Fifth and finally, I’m more interested in the pirate than anyone in the forefront of this book. And I don’t enjoy that at all because it felt like the MC didn’t care about her love interest as much as the pirate. It was weird. But I kinda want to read that one, it seems like chemistry might be there. But who knows.
So overall, I wish this would have been better. I also don’t think I agree with those saying that this is an okay garden variety YA fantasy. I think there’s much better out there. Concept and potential only get you so far, even (and perhaps especially) in YA.
I am dissatisfied with this book, tbh. It had so much potential! Magical sisters? Musical powers?? An alternate reality kingdom???? ROMANCE?????? Almost too much potential. I did try very hard to like this one. I did.
I am, first and foremost, annoyed by the writing style. There were of course a few mistakes (but what e-book doesn’t have errors), but that’s not why I’m irritated. It was just so simple, so plain, so boring and basic. Not in a bare-bones-no-nonsense kind of way, but like such a juvenile cadence and overall diction that it was just so underwhelming to slog through for 400 pages. It absolutely did not help that the world building was completely random. There were opportunities to go places with characters who’ve never been or are experts at that place, and so much more. But no it was literally random. And I think the style contributed to a lot of confusion in the plot, not just the setting, at least for me. Along with being as interesting as watching paint dry (linguistically), sometimes the author would let the characters decide things without telling us until the moment the decision was carried out. Didn’t throw in more dialogue (which was needed), just let everyone go to the next place in the same chapter without telling you why. The author told, not showed; didn’t slow down and take the moment, didn’t seem like they trusted us enough to make inferences.
Second, I am very upset about the characterization, or lack thereof. The two leads had potential, again, but every few chapters they would somehow have an entirely different personality than before??? And that’s being generous, given that they were so two-dimensional that you could blow them over with one sneeze. Which was also jarring to read since the relationship between the sisters was fantastic. That dynamic was probably the only redeeming quality in the book.
Third, there were hardly any obstacles in this book for the characters to overcome. And half of the dramatic reveals were “misunderstandings” or just didn’t matter after a few chapters. I’m all for a comfort read, but I mean *something* has to happen for characters to grow, right?? Not in this book, apparently.
Fourth, the romance felt forced and though the author tried to plant seeds along the way, they totally could have been just cool crime-fighting friends until like page 350. No chemistry existed before that.
Fifth and finally, I’m more interested in the pirate than anyone in the forefront of this book. And I don’t enjoy that at all because it felt like the MC didn’t care about her love interest as much as the pirate. It was weird. But I kinda want to read that one, it seems like chemistry might be there. But who knows.
So overall, I wish this would have been better. I also don’t think I agree with those saying that this is an okay garden variety YA fantasy. I think there’s much better out there. Concept and potential only get you so far, even (and perhaps especially) in YA.
mollymaloney's review against another edition
4.0
Ms. Mellow has created such an interesting, layered fantasy world and interesting, layered characters.
The main character, Larkyra, and her 2 sisters are feisty, funny, self-assured young women whose father is a very wealthy, loving man. They're also sorceresses with unique gifts who understand that sometimes the greater good involves pain. The main male character - Darius - is a caring, self-conscious guy who's under a lot of stress and is, quite frankly, mildly depressed. And you can see the romance between Larkyra and Darius coming from 1,000 miles away.
Which would've been fine if it hadn't been so disappointingly, unconvincingly conventional at the end. Seriously: Larkrya is 19 years old. NINETEEN. She kicks ass, takes names, and is just coming into her power, and you expect me to believe that she's suddenly all about marriage? Naaah.
What she ACTUALLY said to Darius when he got down on bended knee was, "Darius, I am 19 gotdamb years old and am not remotely ready to get married. But we have a really good thing here and I think I love you, so let's see how this goes and we can revisit the marriage thing in a year or two."
Seriously - a good romance does. not. require. marriage.
The main character, Larkyra, and her 2 sisters are feisty, funny, self-assured young women whose father is a very wealthy, loving man. They're also sorceresses with unique gifts who understand that sometimes the greater good involves pain. The main male character - Darius - is a caring, self-conscious guy who's under a lot of stress and is, quite frankly, mildly depressed. And you can see the romance between Larkyra and Darius coming from 1,000 miles away.
Which would've been fine if it hadn't been so disappointingly, unconvincingly conventional at the end. Seriously: Larkrya is 19 years old. NINETEEN. She kicks ass, takes names, and is just coming into her power, and you expect me to believe that she's suddenly all about marriage? Naaah.
What she ACTUALLY said to Darius when he got down on bended knee was, "Darius, I am 19 gotdamb years old and am not remotely ready to get married. But we have a really good thing here and I think I love you, so let's see how this goes and we can revisit the marriage thing in a year or two."
Seriously - a good romance does. not. require. marriage.
maria_rb's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise that turned into romance that I wasn’t quite expecting but it was entertaining to learn about the world and the characters. I’d like more info on the background of the world itself.
beesica's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
gorelenore's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so wonderful! I cannot wait to pick up the rest of the series. Mellow weaves a complex world with family relationships, termoil, espionage, and a love interest so well. This fantasy was verything that I wanted it to be and more. I didn't want to put it down.
The story follows Larkyra, the youngest of three sisters, that has a striking and dangerous magical power. Upon coming of age she is given her first mission from her father, uncommon in most families, but the way it is within the Bassett family. She must find out more about the Duke of Lachlan and his drug problem in order to help her father. Along the way she becomes drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, the stepson of the Duke adn they have to find a way to be in each others paths.
There were a lot of things I loved about this book. The worldbuilding was pretty epic, there is so much more I want to learn/see in the coming books but this glimpse was fantastical, dark, and a little creepy in a good way. The relationships were handled so well. The three sisters banter and bickering is spot on and I adored it so much. They are all strong women on their own but they also know they can work together to be even stronger.
Overall, all the characters involked all thr right feelings for me. The sisters and their love and devotion, Larkyra's frustration and pining for Darius, the puking sensation every time I read about the Duke (even thinking about him now I have that blarg feeling).
I am still very curious to learn more about the Bassett family and their blessing/ curse powers and how their family is so different from all the others. This book left me with an ending that was spectacular, but also left me wanting to dive right back into the series for more.
The story follows Larkyra, the youngest of three sisters, that has a striking and dangerous magical power. Upon coming of age she is given her first mission from her father, uncommon in most families, but the way it is within the Bassett family. She must find out more about the Duke of Lachlan and his drug problem in order to help her father. Along the way she becomes drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, the stepson of the Duke adn they have to find a way to be in each others paths.
There were a lot of things I loved about this book. The worldbuilding was pretty epic, there is so much more I want to learn/see in the coming books but this glimpse was fantastical, dark, and a little creepy in a good way. The relationships were handled so well. The three sisters banter and bickering is spot on and I adored it so much. They are all strong women on their own but they also know they can work together to be even stronger.
Overall, all the characters involked all thr right feelings for me. The sisters and their love and devotion, Larkyra's frustration and pining for Darius, the puking sensation every time I read about the Duke (even thinking about him now I have that blarg feeling).
I am still very curious to learn more about the Bassett family and their blessing/ curse powers and how their family is so different from all the others. This book left me with an ending that was spectacular, but also left me wanting to dive right back into the series for more.