agust_d's review
4.5
loved it but why was there always a new issue as soon as one was resolved? give them a break sheesh. loved the main characters & the perfect ending
nodi's review against another edition
4.0
Imo, it should've been a duology with the second book a mix between the 2nd&3rd.
laurenbaker1604's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rycantread's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
rubyellen95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jessica029's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
steffi_au_penguinbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Serpent & Dove: ☆☆☆☆
Blood & Honey: ☆☆
2.5 ~ 3 stars
Was Gods & Monsters better than Blood & Honey?
Yes, but not that much better.
This trilogy is just the prime example that one shouldn't extend a planned duology into a trilogy. I am absolutely sure that I'd have loved this series more if it had stayed a duology.
First of all, as always with waiting for continuations to come out, I remembered only the major key events from Blood & Honey (meaning: only the very ending). Therefor, I had major difficulties to remember and to understand the world.
Secondly, the pacing was a disaster. The first 130-150 pages were good and interesting, but then ANOTHER (dumb) plottwist happened and instead of finally ending this series - it just drags on and on and on and on. I was so bored for a while that I stopped reading for one to three days. Finally, the finale 150 pages out of this nearly 600 pages monster - were interesting again. You could have cut nearly the entire middle part and that plottwist and I wouldn't have missed anything.
I think my main problem after the pacing is that Mahurin just threw everything mystical into this series she could have come up with. This resulted the story to be a mess and her own world-building suffered alongside with it. I just don't like it whenever magic-systems don't have any boundaries. You cannot say there are boundaries, but due to plot you just ignore your own set boundaries.
And well, I just stopped caring for Lou and Reid. Both of them made me roll my eyes multiple times. I honestly wished to have a chapter from Coco's perspective, since she is another type of witch and - for me - more interesting than the other characters.
I am also not sure what to think about the conclusion. I still have so so many questions, and it felt way too convenient and easy how everything played out.
The only chapters that really really made me feel something were "The Final Verse" and the epilogue. If you've read the book, you know what I mean. Both chapters were absolutely beautifully written and broke and mended my heart at the same time.
So, in a nutshell, this trilogy is sadly wasted potential ://
Blood & Honey: ☆☆
2.5 ~ 3 stars
Was Gods & Monsters better than Blood & Honey?
Yes, but not that much better.
This trilogy is just the prime example that one shouldn't extend a planned duology into a trilogy. I am absolutely sure that I'd have loved this series more if it had stayed a duology.
First of all, as always with waiting for continuations to come out, I remembered only the major key events from Blood & Honey (meaning: only the very ending). Therefor, I had major difficulties to remember and to understand the world.
Secondly, the pacing was a disaster. The first 130-150 pages were good and interesting, but then ANOTHER (dumb) plottwist happened and instead of finally ending this series - it just drags on and on and on and on. I was so bored for a while that I stopped reading for one to three days. Finally, the finale 150 pages out of this nearly 600 pages monster - were interesting again. You could have cut nearly the entire middle part and that plottwist and I wouldn't have missed anything.
I think my main problem after the pacing is that Mahurin just threw everything mystical into this series she could have come up with. This resulted the story to be a mess and her own world-building suffered alongside with it. I just don't like it whenever magic-systems don't have any boundaries. You cannot say there are boundaries, but due to plot you just ignore your own set boundaries.
And well, I just stopped caring for Lou and Reid. Both of them made me roll my eyes multiple times. I honestly wished to have a chapter from Coco's perspective, since she is another type of witch and - for me - more interesting than the other characters.
I am also not sure what to think about the conclusion. I still have so so many questions, and it felt way too convenient and easy how everything played out.
The only chapters that really really made me feel something were "The Final Verse" and the epilogue. If you've read the book, you know what I mean. Both chapters were absolutely beautifully written and broke and mended my heart at the same time.
So, in a nutshell, this trilogy is sadly wasted potential ://
offinherownmind's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
Really the only part I thoroughly enjoyed was that last chapter. That last chapter was everything. It made me feel everything. Like everything was just full and magical. Like golden hour
Really the only part I thoroughly enjoyed was that last chapter. That last chapter was everything. It made me feel everything. Like everything was just full and magical. Like golden hour
kayu99's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely better than the second book, but my favorite is still the first. I'm not sure the entire middle section plot twist needed to happen, but I liked the character development and the big fight at the end with lots of healing and resolution. This series provided a nice escape and was well-written. I would definitely be interested in anything the author writes next.
morti_addams13's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those Trilogies that goes down in history. It did seem a little too busy and confusing for me towards the middle and end, so many names to remember and details that were brought up that you would think would demand more attention, for example-
(SPOILER BEWARE)
-when said husband stabs his wife and it's led up to to be so dramatic and it IS, but then is promptly not mentioned again for a page or two cuz hey, being stabbed in your midsection is totally not a big deal I guess, and then only mentioned again later as a sort of after thought like "Oh I added that, gotta heal it I guess, bring in Coco." And the fact that Bas - a character I was so sure would get the proper attention he seemed to deserve being Lou's ex-love interest in this impossibly twisted polka dance they have going on, got literally no attention.
Or when he did it was so out of pocket that he almost didn't belong, he wasn't in the Wedding scene, he didn't seem to serve any purpose but to be thrown in for a few romantic problems here and there, and even THEN the issues weren't resolved! Reid was just like "god damn it I knew she saved her lover." and then it was.......the only thing said about it.
In literally both books he was even mentioned in, I don't think he was even around for an entire chapter, and in the first book he literally was labelled a coward so often and yet he went back to try and save Lou and that's how he got caught and yet Lou didn't pay ANY significance to this, yes she did erase her memories about their sex life, but THAT wouldn't be forgotten since it had no regard to her love life with him, he could have been there to rescue a dear friend and probably was, and when Bas was concerned for her in Blood & Honey IT WAS LITERALLY NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN, HE JUST VANISHED DESPITE CALLING HER A PET NAME LIKE- WHAT.
(SPOILER END)
but otherwise I genuinely did love this series, it was complex, the characters are endearing and I genuinely grew to love them much much more than I thought I would, and it periodically made me cry my eyes out in the best way possible, but I am giving it 3 stars because the plot holes and story holes were really distracting for me.
(SPOILER BEWARE)
-when said husband stabs his wife and it's led up to to be so dramatic and it IS, but then is promptly not mentioned again for a page or two cuz hey, being stabbed in your midsection is totally not a big deal I guess, and then only mentioned again later as a sort of after thought like "Oh I added that, gotta heal it I guess, bring in Coco." And the fact that Bas - a character I was so sure would get the proper attention he seemed to deserve being Lou's ex-love interest in this impossibly twisted polka dance they have going on, got literally no attention.
Or when he did it was so out of pocket that he almost didn't belong, he wasn't in the Wedding scene, he didn't seem to serve any purpose but to be thrown in for a few romantic problems here and there, and even THEN the issues weren't resolved! Reid was just like "god damn it I knew she saved her lover." and then it was.......the only thing said about it.
In literally both books he was even mentioned in, I don't think he was even around for an entire chapter, and in the first book he literally was labelled a coward so often and yet he went back to try and save Lou and that's how he got caught and yet Lou didn't pay ANY significance to this, yes she did erase her memories about their sex life, but THAT wouldn't be forgotten since it had no regard to her love life with him, he could have been there to rescue a dear friend and probably was, and when Bas was concerned for her in Blood & Honey IT WAS LITERALLY NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN, HE JUST VANISHED DESPITE CALLING HER A PET NAME LIKE- WHAT.
(SPOILER END)
but otherwise I genuinely did love this series, it was complex, the characters are endearing and I genuinely grew to love them much much more than I thought I would, and it periodically made me cry my eyes out in the best way possible, but I am giving it 3 stars because the plot holes and story holes were really distracting for me.