juliaread's review against another edition
4.0
a really really cute read with beautiful illustrations, my only qualm is it felt a bit short and the ending seemed rushed
gracecleo's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book, to be honest. I wasn’t a fan of the romantic subplot as it felt overdone and I found it boring. The main plot was more interesting though, and I really enjoyed picturing both Equane’s quaint little cobb cottages and the capital’s interesting fashions. I liked the few spooky scenes, wherever they ran into an Ithin, quite a bit. They were certainly the most exciting to read, but they felt out of place in midst of the bright mood of the rest of the book.
Also, I liked the plot twist! It was fun and kinda unexpected, but besides that I wasn’t a big fan of the ending. I think it would have made more sense for Reese to set it up so he would be sent with the other knights/guards to Equane to spend more time with Emeline, rather than suggesting that they completely uproot their lives and move to Willen, especially since Reese has no friends or family in the city, but Emeline has the farm, friends, and her mother’s memory as reasons not to move villages. If there’s a sequel I’d like to see something like that happen instead. They definitely should at least wait until after harvest season for the choice to be a little more sensible. Anyways. It was cute.
Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot to mention the beautiful illustrations! I liked them quite a bit, and now follow Sara Kipin on Instagram.
Also, I liked the plot twist! It was fun and kinda unexpected, but besides that I wasn’t a big fan of the ending. I think it would have made more sense for Reese to set it up so he would be sent with the other knights/guards to Equane to spend more time with Emeline, rather than suggesting that they completely uproot their lives and move to Willen, especially since Reese has no friends or family in the city, but Emeline has the farm, friends, and her mother’s memory as reasons not to move villages. If there’s a sequel I’d like to see something like that happen instead. They definitely should at least wait until after harvest season for the choice to be a little more sensible. Anyways. It was cute.
Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot to mention the beautiful illustrations! I liked them quite a bit, and now follow Sara Kipin on Instagram.
caleighcap's review against another edition
4.0
simple and sweet! very fairytale-like if you’re into that kind of thing. reese and emeline are soooo cuteeeee wish i could see more of them together <3
nubble_telescope's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.5
It was a cute fun read. I loved the illustrations in it.
alexperc_92's review
4.0
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
A beautiful story about love family and nature. The illustrations will be fantastic in print since I got this as an e-ARC and Emeline's power of love is a delight to read. While this borders, to me, the line between YA and MG, it is recommended for its lush descriptions and wonderful storytelling.
A beautiful story about love family and nature. The illustrations will be fantastic in print since I got this as an e-ARC and Emeline's power of love is a delight to read. While this borders, to me, the line between YA and MG, it is recommended for its lush descriptions and wonderful storytelling.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
5.0
This went in a completely different direction than I had thought. Less fantasy and more a magic and steampunk mix. Instead of entering a magical world to save her brother, she essentially saves her kingdom. I liked that not everything tied up neatly at the end. The illustrations were beautiful, and the story was well written. I appreciated the moments of humor and the strong, young female protagonist. Definitely easily applied to current American situations.
Good book.
Good book.
stephnsketch's review against another edition
4.0
This is the cutest and most relaxing fantasy I've read in a long time. It's not intense, or very fast-paced, but I loved the characters and the magic/science debate. The story is decent and it's got a slow burn romance that I completely fell for. And a great dad-daughter-brother relationship. Bonus, it has gorgeous illustrations! It was just so relaxing for me. One problem I had with the novel was the world building and extent of the sciences. There is also no map. :/
If you're in a reading slump and need a mental break, this book will help!
If you're in a reading slump and need a mental break, this book will help!
shaunamovo's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Was really drawn to the beautiful cover!
This book had a really strong beginning, and it introduced it's major characters well.
I liked Emeline as a protagonist a lot, and it was lovely to see a healthy relationship between her and her father. You don't always see that in fantasy stories.
The ideas behind the story were very interesting. Magic vs Science. Evil creatures born from dark magic. Knights skilled with whips. I was excited to dive into it. But I think this book needed to be longer and needed to explain more of the world.
Why do knights fight with whips? How did the divide between magic vs Science start? Why is magic not well understood in this land? How did the Keldares come to have magic? When were the Ithin released? How long have they been hanging around in the king's garden? Why did they only just cause trouble now?
I liked Reese and Emeline together, but the romance felt rushed. They've only known each other a week, I think. And they are already considering getting Emeline's family to move near the Captial. Hmmm.
I think this was a fine read. It wasn't terrible. The characters and the prose were really nice. I just needed more world building and more plot.
This book had a really strong beginning, and it introduced it's major characters well.
I liked Emeline as a protagonist a lot, and it was lovely to see a healthy relationship between her and her father. You don't always see that in fantasy stories.
The ideas behind the story were very interesting. Magic vs Science. Evil creatures born from dark magic. Knights skilled with whips. I was excited to dive into it. But I think this book needed to be longer and needed to explain more of the world.
Why do knights fight with whips? How did the divide between magic vs Science start? Why is magic not well understood in this land? How did the Keldares come to have magic? When were the Ithin released? How long have they been hanging around in the king's garden? Why did they only just cause trouble now?
I liked Reese and Emeline together, but the romance felt rushed. They've only known each other a week, I think. And they are already considering getting Emeline's family to move near the Captial. Hmmm.
I think this was a fine read. It wasn't terrible. The characters and the prose were really nice. I just needed more world building and more plot.
blueturtecheong's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0