jlen's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite thing about this book is how unique it is! I was pulled in by the first chapter, and wanted more even once the book had ended. I loved the characters, the steady pace, and the mix of otherworld with the familiar. I do wish there had been a bit more related to Brenik's curse, the envy he felt, and Laith, but none of this was needed to make the book great. I can't wait to read the second book!!
I was given a free copy of this book. This is an honest review.
I was given a free copy of this book. This is an honest review.
thehamsterreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautiful and haunting tale. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before and it was amazing! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started it. What I got was a new adult fantasy/paranormal/romance with elements of horror in it. It’s wonderfully written and I truly loved it!
Twins Bray and Brenik are bats from the other world of Laith. They came to earth to escape the genocide of their race by the Jovkins. Now, they are called bats, but they aren’t bats as we know them. They are more like fairies, but don’t call them that - they will be insulted! Basically, Brenik feels that he has lived in Bray’s shadow for his entire life, and envy is consuming him. For once he doesn’t want to be the smaller, weaker, dependant sibling. So he makes a deal with the Stone of Desire which turns him into a monster. Meanwhile, Bray has made some new friends and is creating a new life for herself.
I loved Bray! She’s so bubbly and full of life, and she really loves her brother and would do anything for him! I also really liked Luca, a human child, who accepts Bray for who she is and invites her into his family. Brenik is a very well written character. I didn’t exactly like him, but I could see what he was going through and how he got to be where he was. I think everyone experiences feelings of envy like him, which makes him relatable. Clouded by Envy is a surprisingly deep story that I think everyone should read!
I received a copy from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Twins Bray and Brenik are bats from the other world of Laith. They came to earth to escape the genocide of their race by the Jovkins. Now, they are called bats, but they aren’t bats as we know them. They are more like fairies, but don’t call them that - they will be insulted! Basically, Brenik feels that he has lived in Bray’s shadow for his entire life, and envy is consuming him. For once he doesn’t want to be the smaller, weaker, dependant sibling. So he makes a deal with the Stone of Desire which turns him into a monster. Meanwhile, Bray has made some new friends and is creating a new life for herself.
I loved Bray! She’s so bubbly and full of life, and she really loves her brother and would do anything for him! I also really liked Luca, a human child, who accepts Bray for who she is and invites her into his family. Brenik is a very well written character. I didn’t exactly like him, but I could see what he was going through and how he got to be where he was. I think everyone experiences feelings of envy like him, which makes him relatable. Clouded by Envy is a surprisingly deep story that I think everyone should read!
I received a copy from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.
vmith4's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a dark urban fantasy that does not disappoint at all. It follows to twins who bats not fairies named Brenik and Bray. They have to flee Laith for there safety through Stone of Desire to earth. Bray And Brenik are yin and yang, light and dark and love it. I really enjoy luca smart mouth her my favorite character puts a smile on my face. I cant wait for book 2 and see where there story goes. Great Read, I Could Not Put It Down!!!!!!
20_kiki_01_jinab_04_21's review against another edition
5.0
Very good fantasy read! Looking forward to reading more.
a_potter_nerd's review against another edition
5.0
I received this as an eARC and audiobook to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and The Parliament House for giving me access.
Once upon a time I read the synopsis...Many moons later, I completely forgotten what this book was about. All I knew was that Candace Robinson is on my "Must Read Author List". So forgetting what this was about, I dived in.
And boy, what did I get myself into? Clouded by Envy gave me nostalgia. There was talk about Peter Pan, Hook, The Lost Boys, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and my favorite, FernGully. This was everything I needed in a story and more!
It was dark but wholesome (in its own way), relatable in the aspect of family and love, and gut-wrenching. I loved the relationships between the characters and the world building. Can's wait to start on the next book!
Once upon a time I read the synopsis...Many moons later, I completely forgotten what this book was about. All I knew was that Candace Robinson is on my "Must Read Author List". So forgetting what this was about, I dived in.
And boy, what did I get myself into? Clouded by Envy gave me nostalgia. There was talk about Peter Pan, Hook, The Lost Boys, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and my favorite, FernGully. This was everything I needed in a story and more!
It was dark but wholesome (in its own way), relatable in the aspect of family and love, and gut-wrenching. I loved the relationships between the characters and the world building. Can's wait to start on the next book!
booksavvyreviews's review against another edition
5.0
If you're a fan of the '90s and The Picture of Dorian Grey you'll definitely want to put this one on your TBR!
A unique tale surrounding magical twins who are as different as night and day. One represents light and the other darkness, and it follows both of their journies from childhood to their twenties.
The story is split into two POV—Brenik & Bray—which lends insight to each of them as they grow and experience the world differently. Each character has their own personality and various growing points.
The pace of the book was quick, too, and easily devoured in an evening. So if you're looking for an interesting read, this one might be for you!
A unique tale surrounding magical twins who are as different as night and day. One represents light and the other darkness, and it follows both of their journies from childhood to their twenties.
The story is split into two POV—Brenik & Bray—which lends insight to each of them as they grow and experience the world differently. Each character has their own personality and various growing points.
The pace of the book was quick, too, and easily devoured in an evening. So if you're looking for an interesting read, this one might be for you!
lindsical's review
1.0
*I was sent an e-arc of this book by Parliament House Press in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*
Honestly, looking at all of the reviews this book has received so far, it appears I'm the only one to not have enjoyed this book.
Part of me wonders if it's because I don't like dark fantasy, but the other part of me is screaming that even the writing wasn't fantastic. It was simplistic and clipped and lacked the finely crafted prose I would expect from a young adult fantasy novel. To be honest, it sounded like poorly written high school fanfiction. I hate saying that, because the author has certainly done more with writing than I could ever do. She is talented, I just think she has a long way to go and a lot of hard work to sharpen her skills.
The plot was certainly unique and I appreciated the originality of the story. Maybe it was a little too far out there for me as well. It went from being an interesting story about beings from another world, to a vampire novel with hints of Dorian Grey, to explicit romance scenes, to murder, and the freaking WEIRDEST 'saving of a main character' (ie Luca, for those who have read it) I have EVER read.
It was at times extremely crude and boorish. I thought the sex scenes were unnecessary and sloppily handled.
The ending made utterly no sense at all and was one of the most strange conclusions to a book I've ever read. Not much lead up, just... "here's how we solved this problem and now there's a happy-not-so-happy ending." It wasn't unique, just weird and frankly, disturbing.
I couldn't wait to finish this book and put it all behind me but I will say one thing for sure, it's not a story I will likely forget any time soon. So kudos to that I guess.
Honestly, looking at all of the reviews this book has received so far, it appears I'm the only one to not have enjoyed this book.
Part of me wonders if it's because I don't like dark fantasy, but the other part of me is screaming that even the writing wasn't fantastic. It was simplistic and clipped and lacked the finely crafted prose I would expect from a young adult fantasy novel. To be honest, it sounded like poorly written high school fanfiction. I hate saying that, because the author has certainly done more with writing than I could ever do. She is talented, I just think she has a long way to go and a lot of hard work to sharpen her skills.
The plot was certainly unique and I appreciated the originality of the story. Maybe it was a little too far out there for me as well. It went from being an interesting story about beings from another world, to a vampire novel with hints of Dorian Grey, to explicit romance scenes, to murder, and the freaking WEIRDEST 'saving of a main character' (ie Luca, for those who have read it) I have EVER read.
It was at times extremely crude and boorish. I thought the sex scenes were unnecessary and sloppily handled.
The ending made utterly no sense at all and was one of the most strange conclusions to a book I've ever read. Not much lead up, just... "here's how we solved this problem and now there's a happy-not-so-happy ending." It wasn't unique, just weird and frankly, disturbing.
I couldn't wait to finish this book and put it all behind me but I will say one thing for sure, it's not a story I will likely forget any time soon. So kudos to that I guess.
lenaf's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fascinating story! From the strange world of Laith, to magical stones, to bizarre curses, and cute, suburban family life, this book mixes quite a lot of juxtaposed concepts. A heck of a ride filled with unexpected twists and turns, with adult content that was somewhat explicit but still sweet.
WARNING: SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT!
So first off, I liked Bray’s character, but she seemed too perfect and lucky to me at times. She’s a good person, but she also doesn’t struggle with guilt and sorrow as much as at times I think she should. Most of her conflict comes from her brother.
Brenik for me is the real star of the story, and even though he’s cruel and callous at times, he’s been dealt a terrible hand in life. He’s the weaker one from the start, he’s usually wrong, he’s pulled into a human world without the ability to become human (unlike Bray), and he has a learning disability so he can’t read. He lives with Bray so of course he has terrible jealousy. When the jealousy becomes too much and the Stone of Desire grants his wish, it’s a horrific curse. I don’t want to give away too much, but his angry and defiant response to life truly does make sense from the constant bad luck he experiences. Also he and Luca make an amazing team and I wanted more of them!
Luca was also one of my faves, an intuitive kid who is curious and isn’t frightened of the various monsters around him. He really grew on me throughout the story.
One part that I struggled with was toward the end when it turned into a sort of generational novel. Some people absolutely love those, but I just have a hard time connecting with them. This is just a personal issue of mine though because this goes along quite well with the story and with the magic of the world.
That said, I’m excited to come back for the next book in this series! I love the mixture of monsters that inspired this book, and I’m excited to see what Candace does next! I’m also hoping we get to see more of the strange land of Laith.
WARNING: SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT!
So first off, I liked Bray’s character, but she seemed too perfect and lucky to me at times. She’s a good person, but she also doesn’t struggle with guilt and sorrow as much as at times I think she should. Most of her conflict comes from her brother.
Brenik for me is the real star of the story, and even though he’s cruel and callous at times, he’s been dealt a terrible hand in life. He’s the weaker one from the start, he’s usually wrong, he’s pulled into a human world without the ability to become human (unlike Bray), and he has a learning disability so he can’t read. He lives with Bray so of course he has terrible jealousy. When the jealousy becomes too much and the Stone of Desire grants his wish, it’s a horrific curse. I don’t want to give away too much, but his angry and defiant response to life truly does make sense from the constant bad luck he experiences. Also he and Luca make an amazing team and I wanted more of them!
Luca was also one of my faves, an intuitive kid who is curious and isn’t frightened of the various monsters around him. He really grew on me throughout the story.
One part that I struggled with was toward the end when it turned into a sort of generational novel. Some people absolutely love those, but I just have a hard time connecting with them. This is just a personal issue of mine though because this goes along quite well with the story and with the magic of the world.
That said, I’m excited to come back for the next book in this series! I love the mixture of monsters that inspired this book, and I’m excited to see what Candace does next! I’m also hoping we get to see more of the strange land of Laith.
howlinglibraries's review
4.0
When the author offered me a review copy of her new release, I expected a fairly standard YA fae story, but what I got was an incredibly unique new adult urban fantasy read! There are a lot of moving pieces to this plot, but they all work well together, whether we're exploring life with a couple of human brothers with Bray (who I loved — she's just a fun, likable little thing), or watching Brenik struggle through a lot of very traumatic, odd changes in his life.
The story changes perspectives between the siblings, and while I had a lot of fun with Bray's chapters, Brenik's were more conflicting. The plot was more intriguing to me on his side of the story, but his character and I didn't mesh well, so I found myself growing frustrated with his poor decisions (which was probably intentional on the author's part!).
Finally, my favorite thing about this book was honestly its mid-90s setting and the media references and jokes. I grew up a 90s kid, and I laughed out loud at how sudden and fitting some of the references were (like the secondhand embarrassment thrown in by Wes' outcry of "Ru-fi-ooooo!" in the dollar store — I'm smiling just typing that). I don't think I'd ever seen so many 90s nods in a new adult read and now, it makes me realize how much I wish more authors would use them!
Thank you so much to Candace for offering me the chance to read an advance copy of this fun little urban fantasy story in exchange for an honest review!
The story changes perspectives between the siblings, and while I had a lot of fun with Bray's chapters, Brenik's were more conflicting. The plot was more intriguing to me on his side of the story, but his character and I didn't mesh well, so I found myself growing frustrated with his poor decisions (which was probably intentional on the author's part!).
Finally, my favorite thing about this book was honestly its mid-90s setting and the media references and jokes. I grew up a 90s kid, and I laughed out loud at how sudden and fitting some of the references were (like the secondhand embarrassment thrown in by Wes' outcry of "Ru-fi-ooooo!" in the dollar store — I'm smiling just typing that). I don't think I'd ever seen so many 90s nods in a new adult read and now, it makes me realize how much I wish more authors would use them!
Thank you so much to Candace for offering me the chance to read an advance copy of this fun little urban fantasy story in exchange for an honest review!