Scan barcode
chloetaida's review
adventurous
hopeful
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
mycupoftealcsw's review
**spoiler alert** DNFd at 28%
I almost DNFd this book even earlier because Lark was so frustrating (enough with the brooding, use your damn words and stop being so stupid) and because of Daciana and Kenna’s ridiculous and heavy-handed Beauty and the Beast side quest (not to mention that they have zero chemistry together - their interactions with every other character are far more interesting than their interactions with each other). Alistair and Langford not talking directly to each other also got real old, real fast. I tolerated it for a bit because that has always been their thing, but after a while enough was enough.
The charm of the first book was in the interaction of the group. With them all split up, it becomes really obvious how boring certain pairings are (Lark and Gavriel) and how inept they all are without each other. Generally, the first quarter of this book was pretty boring and/or annoying (other than the opening story of Demetria which I found pretty engaging). It’s mostly grown ass adults refusing to use their grown-up voices to actually deal with shit and preferring to brood and make dumb ass assumptions/choices instead. There is no real movement in the overall plot and most of the conflict/resolutions feel contrived or unearned. I mostly skimmed all of Lark’s chapters, paid a bit more attention to Lanford’s chapters (mainly because he was actually researching information relevant to the plot), and did a mixture of both with Daciana’s chapters.
Then things start happening but they all feel entirely unnecessary and out of character (like the great assassin Gavriel getting pretty easily kidnapped by bounty hunters and those same bounty hunters just leaving Lark entirely unharmed) or absolutely infuriating and not even slightly relevant to the larger plot (the level anger I felt at the completely needless mutilation of Langford-DNFd immediately).
I almost DNFd this book even earlier because Lark was so frustrating (enough with the brooding, use your damn words and stop being so stupid) and because of Daciana and Kenna’s ridiculous and heavy-handed Beauty and the Beast side quest (not to mention that they have zero chemistry together - their interactions with every other character are far more interesting than their interactions with each other). Alistair and Langford not talking directly to each other also got real old, real fast. I tolerated it for a bit because that has always been their thing, but after a while enough was enough.
The charm of the first book was in the interaction of the group. With them all split up, it becomes really obvious how boring certain pairings are (Lark and Gavriel) and how inept they all are without each other. Generally, the first quarter of this book was pretty boring and/or annoying (other than the opening story of Demetria which I found pretty engaging). It’s mostly grown ass adults refusing to use their grown-up voices to actually deal with shit and preferring to brood and make dumb ass assumptions/choices instead. There is no real movement in the overall plot and most of the conflict/resolutions feel contrived or unearned. I mostly skimmed all of Lark’s chapters, paid a bit more attention to Lanford’s chapters (mainly because he was actually researching information relevant to the plot), and did a mixture of both with Daciana’s chapters.
Then things start happening but they all feel entirely unnecessary and out of character (like the great assassin Gavriel getting pretty easily kidnapped by bounty hunters and those same bounty hunters just leaving Lark entirely unharmed) or absolutely infuriating and not even slightly relevant to the larger plot (the level anger I felt at the completely needless mutilation of Langford-DNFd immediately).
themothermermaid's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
itsme_casslee's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
4.75
crissimarie's review
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
1st Review:
I don't think I have the words to properly express how much I loved this book. This might be a bit of a bold statement, but out of the 200+ books I've read this year, I think this was my favorite. This book has everything I want out of a fantasy book: it has romance and adventure, there's monsters and magic, and I absolutely adore the cast of characters in this book. Songs of the Wicked was already one of my favorite new reads this year, and this was a perfect follow-up to that book, and I loved it even more than the first one. To me the beginning of this book had a bit of a different vibe than the last book but I liked that because I felt like it gave the characters a chance to go on their own separate journey's before reuniting. This book alternates points of view between Lark, Daciana, and Langford, and each of these characters are paired up and have their own separate journey's that they go on in the beginning of the book. I really liked each point of view and I feel sometimes in other books with alternating points of view there is always that one point of view that I enjoy less than the others but I loved each point of view equally. I liked how they are paired together based on their love interests, and I feel like having them separated in the beginning made it so much more satisfying when they were finally reunited. I loved the bond that these characters share, but I also liked how, throughout the book, it felt like they were collecting new characters along the way. There is just so much I loved about this book. I like how there are little references to fairytales in the book (the little mermaid in the first one and little red riding hood and Beauty and the Beast in this one) and how there is a good balance of dark moments and light moments along with little pockets of humor. I am such a romance lover, so reading Langford and Alistair admiting their love for each other was one of my favorite parts of the book. I loved Lark and Gavriel's romance in the first book so I was happy that they were able to overcome any rough patches in their relationship and there were so many quiet, sweet moments between these two that I loved. I am curious to see how Daciana and Kenna's romance will play out since it is clear they both still have feelings for each other. They were lovers in the past, but a great tragedy tore them apart, so I am hoping the next book they will fully embrace each other again. I feel like I could go on and on about all the moments I loved in this book, and it still wouldn't be enough to express how much I truly love this book. The book makes me so happy that I am a reader, and I think the author created something truly magical in this series. I'm not sure how many books are planned after this one, whether it's just one or five more, but I don't think I could ever get tired of these characters. I am fully committed until the very end, and I'm definitely curious to read if there will be new points of view in the next book or if the author will keep the same. I would love to read Alistair's point of view in the future. I think this book was as close to perfection as possible for a book, in my opinion, and I think anyone who loves reading romantic fantasies or fantasy romance books will enjoy this book.
2nd Review:
The first time I read this book, I fell so hard for it, and I'm so happy to report that I'm still so in love with this series. If I could rate this book higher than five stars, I definitely would because it deserves a hundred stars. Out of the thousands of books I've read in my lifetime, this is easily one of my favorites (I would say in my top three all time favorite books) and I really wish more people would read this series because it deserves all the love. I really like how this book continues to have elements of different fairytales like in the first book, but it isn't a strict fairytale retelling. There are monsters, gods, demons, and so many fun supernatural and magical elements in the book. I like that the points of view alternate between Daciana, Lark, and Langford, and I enjoy every every point of view equally. I like that the characters go through their own mini arc before the characters all reunite later in the book to deal with the overarching plot arc that started in the first book. I am a huge romance fan, so I love that this book delivers on different romance tropes. If you love a friends to lovers storyline, you have Alistair and Langford's story arc. If you want a second chance romance, you have Daciana and Kenna's story arc. And Lark and Gavriel's story arc gives you a dash of enemies to lovers from the first book (more enemies from Gavriel's perspective than Lark's) and a dash of fated soul mates in this book and I love each and every one of these romances. I like the addiction of more characters and how it allows the story to grow much greater than it appeared in the first book. I like how the author weaves pockets of humor throughout the book to balance out the darker or more emotional scenes. I love the world that the author has created in this series, but I especially love the characters that she has crafted. I have grown so attached to these characters in only two books, and I can't wait to read what the author has in store for these characters. I'm the future. This is definitely the type of book I can see myself reading over and over again without ever growing tired of it.
I don't think I have the words to properly express how much I loved this book. This might be a bit of a bold statement, but out of the 200+ books I've read this year, I think this was my favorite. This book has everything I want out of a fantasy book: it has romance and adventure, there's monsters and magic, and I absolutely adore the cast of characters in this book. Songs of the Wicked was already one of my favorite new reads this year, and this was a perfect follow-up to that book, and I loved it even more than the first one. To me the beginning of this book had a bit of a different vibe than the last book but I liked that because I felt like it gave the characters a chance to go on their own separate journey's before reuniting. This book alternates points of view between Lark, Daciana, and Langford, and each of these characters are paired up and have their own separate journey's that they go on in the beginning of the book. I really liked each point of view and I feel sometimes in other books with alternating points of view there is always that one point of view that I enjoy less than the others but I loved each point of view equally. I liked how they are paired together based on their love interests, and I feel like having them separated in the beginning made it so much more satisfying when they were finally reunited. I loved the bond that these characters share, but I also liked how, throughout the book, it felt like they were collecting new characters along the way. There is just so much I loved about this book. I like how there are little references to fairytales in the book (the little mermaid in the first one and little red riding hood and Beauty and the Beast in this one) and how there is a good balance of dark moments and light moments along with little pockets of humor. I am such a romance lover, so reading Langford and Alistair admiting their love for each other was one of my favorite parts of the book. I loved Lark and Gavriel's romance in the first book so I was happy that they were able to overcome any rough patches in their relationship and there were so many quiet, sweet moments between these two that I loved. I am curious to see how Daciana and Kenna's romance will play out since it is clear they both still have feelings for each other. They were lovers in the past, but a great tragedy tore them apart, so I am hoping the next book they will fully embrace each other again. I feel like I could go on and on about all the moments I loved in this book, and it still wouldn't be enough to express how much I truly love this book. The book makes me so happy that I am a reader, and I think the author created something truly magical in this series. I'm not sure how many books are planned after this one, whether it's just one or five more, but I don't think I could ever get tired of these characters. I am fully committed until the very end, and I'm definitely curious to read if there will be new points of view in the next book or if the author will keep the same. I would love to read Alistair's point of view in the future. I think this book was as close to perfection as possible for a book, in my opinion, and I think anyone who loves reading romantic fantasies or fantasy romance books will enjoy this book.
2nd Review:
The first time I read this book, I fell so hard for it, and I'm so happy to report that I'm still so in love with this series. If I could rate this book higher than five stars, I definitely would because it deserves a hundred stars. Out of the thousands of books I've read in my lifetime, this is easily one of my favorites (I would say in my top three all time favorite books) and I really wish more people would read this series because it deserves all the love. I really like how this book continues to have elements of different fairytales like in the first book, but it isn't a strict fairytale retelling. There are monsters, gods, demons, and so many fun supernatural and magical elements in the book. I like that the points of view alternate between Daciana, Lark, and Langford, and I enjoy every every point of view equally. I like that the characters go through their own mini arc before the characters all reunite later in the book to deal with the overarching plot arc that started in the first book. I am a huge romance fan, so I love that this book delivers on different romance tropes. If you love a friends to lovers storyline, you have Alistair and Langford's story arc. If you want a second chance romance, you have Daciana and Kenna's story arc. And Lark and Gavriel's story arc gives you a dash of enemies to lovers from the first book (more enemies from Gavriel's perspective than Lark's) and a dash of fated soul mates in this book and I love each and every one of these romances. I like the addiction of more characters and how it allows the story to grow much greater than it appeared in the first book. I like how the author weaves pockets of humor throughout the book to balance out the darker or more emotional scenes. I love the world that the author has created in this series, but I especially love the characters that she has crafted. I have grown so attached to these characters in only two books, and I can't wait to read what the author has in store for these characters. I'm the future. This is definitely the type of book I can see myself reading over and over again without ever growing tired of it.
valeazm's review
The plot took a really long time to begin. I was 41% in and still could barely find a thread. The writing was still beautiful as the first, but it lost some of the spark of a good plot that was very present in the beginning of the story.
alyb_batgirl's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
*ARC Review*
What a wonderful second book in the A Dreamer's Misfortune series! This book follows the rag-tag bunch of characters from Songs of the Wicked, from the POV of Lark, Daciana and Langford.
I love Farran's prose and the way she is able to craft each character so realistically and lovingly. This book/series has a LOT of characters, but even the ones who are more accessory never feel flat or one-dimensional. We get to learn new things about old characters as well as get introduced to some new and sometimes surprising characters. I also love the elements of classic fairy tales that Farran weaves into the story, without it being too forced.
Picking off shortly after the end of the first book, I found the first half of the story to be a little meandering in terms of overall plot, though it does provide an opportunity for character exploration. Then the last third of the book things start happening very quickly. I think this book does a good job of avoiding the "second book in a trilogy" curse where not much really happens (won't say more than that to avoid spoilers). My only nitpick is the alternating POV chapters. They very reliably switch between the three narrators, which I found a bit jarring when the group was separated earlier in the book. I feel like a set up where you get a few chapters from one POV before switching would have flowed better, at least for me. This is much less of an issue when the characters all come back together.
Overall, wonderful book to settle down on a rainy or foggy autumn night, with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot apple cider or hot chocolate. Can't wait for the next installment!
What a wonderful second book in the A Dreamer's Misfortune series! This book follows the rag-tag bunch of characters from Songs of the Wicked, from the POV of Lark, Daciana and Langford.
I love Farran's prose and the way she is able to craft each character so realistically and lovingly. This book/series has a LOT of characters, but even the ones who are more accessory never feel flat or one-dimensional. We get to learn new things about old characters as well as get introduced to some new and sometimes surprising characters. I also love the elements of classic fairy tales that Farran weaves into the story, without it being too forced.
Picking off shortly after the end of the first book, I found the first half of the story to be a little meandering in terms of overall plot, though it does provide an opportunity for character exploration. Then the last third of the book things start happening very quickly. I think this book does a good job of avoiding the "second book in a trilogy" curse where not much really happens (won't say more than that to avoid spoilers). My only nitpick is the alternating POV chapters. They very reliably switch between the three narrators, which I found a bit jarring when the group was separated earlier in the book. I feel like a set up where you get a few chapters from one POV before switching would have flowed better, at least for me. This is much less of an issue when the characters all come back together.
Overall, wonderful book to settle down on a rainy or foggy autumn night, with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot apple cider or hot chocolate. Can't wait for the next installment!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Grief
More...