the_cover_contessa's reviews
1351 reviews
Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
I want to thank Simon and Schuster Children's Books/Margaret K. McElderry Books for reaching out to me for review. They provided me with a copy to give my honest opinion.
Dark academia. I think it's one of my new favorite genres. Anything that might even remotely give me that Harry Potter feel jumps right onto my TBR. So when I received an email from the publicist and was asked if I might want to review this (LONG) book, I, at first, hesitated. I'm weary of books that compare themselves to any authors I love, Particularly Leigh Bardugo. Her books fall right at the top of my ratings scale, so she's hard to beat. But let me tell you, I'm so glad I took the chance on this one. It checked off so many boxes:
- Dark fantasy/Academia
- Magical College - a break from the high school setting so often used in YA books
- Dual POV - I'm a big fan
- Estranged friends/Friends to more
- Secret society
- A well thought out magic system based on moon phases
- Myths that may or may not actually be myths
- Forbidden magic
- Murder
- Well developed characters
- Amazing world building
- Plot twists
- Cliffhanger
A little about the plot: Welcome to Aldryn, a magical college with students who have different types of magic according to the moon phase to which they are born. But you only have one magic, or do you? Emory comes back to school after a horrific night that left students dead and her with powers she cannot explain. As she begins to navigate the world with her new powers, she fall in with a cult-like secret society whose intentions for having her there may or may not be on the up and up. She's determined to figure out what happened that fateful night.
Let's start with the characters. This book is dual POV between Emory and Baz, estranged friends who are thrown together after the tragic loss of their friend/sister. Emory and Baz are both very relatable characters with their insecurities, feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. I enjoyed their imperfectness. It made connecting with them easy. Their need to fit in, to feel like they belong, to find their identities, and be seen are very strong themes throughout the book. The idea of relying on others to help build you up, or cut you down, is a theme throughout. And the dual POV allowed the reader to truly see the story from more than one side. And it also allowed for more than one story to be taking place at a time.
"It was all she'd ever wanted, to be seen. To have someone see her for everything that she was and wasn't and deem it enough."
Then there are the secondary characters: Kieran, Lizvetta, Virgil, Kai, Jae, Romie, and more. All brining something unique to the story. Kieran with his interest in Emory, Virgil with his humor, Kai with his powers. And I could go on. The one thing I will say is that I didn't like Kieran from the very start. I didn't trust him and his level of manipulation was off the charts. But sometimes we are blinded by what we think is best for us versus what truly is.
”But don't confuse his interest in you with his obsession with power."
I really enjoyed the fact that the romance was not the core of this book. The romance was there, there was a slow burn, but it didn't overtake the plot. I will say it did interfere with Emory being able to truly see things for what they were. And the "love triangle" is not surprising. It creates a great tension between the two main characters that is palpable throughout the book.
"The images were imprinted on his soul, how the light hit Emory's face and made her hair shine like gold. He remembered the sound of her laugh and the way she smiled...how everything had felt right in the world..."
The Magic system Lacelle creates is complex, but easily understandable. And it's very unique. I've never read a book with magic based on the phases of the moon. And the consequences for being something "other" are horrifying. She does a fantastic job of world building. I liked how she continuously noted the different magics and what they did, allowing the reader to truly understand and be reminded of it all throughout the story. It was truly fascinating and made for interesting characters in the book.
“We are born of the moon and tides, and to them we return.”
Lacelle uses vibrant prose to bring her story to life. I think she is definitely the new Sarah J. Maas or Leigh Bardugo. And I do not say that lightly! I was happy to see she chose to include a map as it's always helpful to be able to see the world that's being built. And she also includes descriptions of each lunar house and the magics the people of those houses possess. Her pacing was spot on and I truly felt the pull of the story which left me wanting more every time I went to close the book.
Finally, I love how the plot centers on something that has always been thought myth: a story presented in a book from many of the character's childhoods. Yet, throughout the book, the characters find again and again things that relate to their world. And, in the end, we find out that author really was on to something.
”Because this book is magic. It's like a portal, you see. It lets you step into other worlds and exist there for a time."
My only complaint about this book would be I feel like perhaps a glossary of terms and concepts would have been beneficial. Without it, I did find myself flipping back to make sure I understood what was happening. I think it would have helped me understand the world better.
If you're looking for a more mature book that gives you Harry Potter feels from childhood and introduces a new prolific writer, this is your book. I will warn you, the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger and will leave you wanting to have book #2 yesterday. I can't wait to see where the story goes. And I'm excited to have been introduced to a new writer who shows great promise.
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
Can't do it. 1) insta-love - blech 2) who are these characters? Even with their POV chapters I barely knew who they were at 39%. 3) Worst. Sex. Scene. Ever.
The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
Christina Lauren does not fail to disappoint. I loved every character in this audio. They were perfect. I adored how it was read like a play/movie. I loved the bond that grew between Ami and Brody, their relationship so easy and flowing. The raw honesty that built between them. It really showed how there is that right person out there for you. Someone who gets you, someone who balances you, someone who loves you for all the good and bad, perfections and flaws. This had me laughing and crying (good tears throughout, nothing heartbreaking). I would listen to this one all over again for sure. Makes me want to go back and re-read The Unhoneymooners.
Rogue by Julie Kagawa
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Uncharted Dreams by Pascale Lacelle
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Disclaimer - I received the first book in this series from the publisher to read and review. I found this short after I'd already started the first book. I have a thing about prequels and always feel they should be read prior. But that is not always how the author intended it. While this short does give some background, I think it's best read after book 1 or at least after reading the first part of book 1.
This story was interesting. A little insight into Romie, which I kind of needed since I only have what Baz and Emory are telling us in book 1. I enjoyed the flashes of what I've seen so far in the book. And the back story of what lead Romie to the cave. I also see the future foretold in this story, which was interesting, as well, and leads me to believe there is more to the drownings, given the reappearance of Travers in book #1 and his state when he did wash up on shore. I'm very interested to see where it all goes!
Firsts and Lasts by Laura Silverman, Laura Silverman, Kika Hatzopoulou
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Workshop for sending me a copy of this book to read and give my honest review.
I love anthologies. Especially those with authors I may not have read yet. It gives me a good idea of whether or not I might like an author's writing and if I'd like to read books they have written or may write in the future. I will say anthologies are a bit hard to review. I find it hard to remember each story, so good notes were a must with this. I did get the overall theme from this book of diversity, which was a breath of fresh air.
For this review, I'll do things a little differently, I'll list each title with a rating and my thoughts about what that story explores.
The First Time I Dated a Vampire by Julian Winters
Three stars
This one was fun, a bit of romance and it had a paranormal aspect.
The First Day of College by Monica Gomez-Hira
Three stars
A fun story that explores family, heritage, and starting on something new
Three stars
This one was fun, a bit of romance and it had a paranormal aspect.
The First Day of College by Monica Gomez-Hira
Three stars
A fun story that explores family, heritage, and starting on something new
The First Kiss by Nina Moreno
Three stars
This one had fun witchy vibes that I really enjoyed and a cute romance
The First Time We Buried a Body by Tess Sharpe
Three stars
Probably my favorite story in the book which explores a bit of girl power in a disturbing way
The First Breakup by Anna Meriano
Three stars
The characters in this one are fun and relatable who show great friendship!
The First Time I Saw the Stars by Shaun David Hutchinson
Five stars
This one explored the aspect of mental health and the use of a stereotype (mental health patients see small green men) which turns out to be more true than not!
The First Crush by Keah Brown
Two stars
This one explored first love but fell short for me and I wasn't a huge fan of the writing
Three stars
This one had fun witchy vibes that I really enjoyed and a cute romance
The First Time We Buried a Body by Tess Sharpe
Three stars
Probably my favorite story in the book which explores a bit of girl power in a disturbing way
The First Breakup by Anna Meriano
Three stars
The characters in this one are fun and relatable who show great friendship!
The First Time I Saw the Stars by Shaun David Hutchinson
Five stars
This one explored the aspect of mental health and the use of a stereotype (mental health patients see small green men) which turns out to be more true than not!
The First Crush by Keah Brown
Two stars
This one explored first love but fell short for me and I wasn't a huge fan of the writing
The First Job by Yamile Saied Méndez
Three stars
This gave me Halloween vibes and made me want to feel all fall like, plus reminded me of college when we used to go to haunted houses in the fall!
The Last Dinosaur by Laura Silverman
Five Stars
This one was adorable with its dinosaurs and special friendship while exploring the idea of letting go and moving on.
The Last Purity Ball by Joy McCullough
Two stars
I appreciated the message in this one and it was interesting how the author worked in the religious aspect.
The Last Bout by Amanda Joy
Three stars
This one was cool because it had a bit of world building bordering on sci fi
The Last Days in the Only Place That Ever Felt Like Home by Adi Alsaid
Four stars
I loved the idea of how this one explored the idea of uprooting and how this can skew a point of view on what happens in life
The (Hopefully) Last Demon Summoning by Kika Hatzopoulou
Five stars
LOVED this one, I adore the paranormal and this one hit them all with it's school for magical beings. I was totally getting my Harry Potter on with this one that explored the importance of friendship.
The Last Goodbye by Loan Le
Two stars
This one was a bit difficult for me with it's dealings of drug culture but I did enjoy the Vietnamese aspect as I've not had a chance to explore that before
The Last Concert by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Five stars
This one gave me Daisy Jones and the Six vibes and having grown up in the 80s with music being such an important part of my life, I loved the idea of a band made up of high school friends,
The Last Time I Saw Her Alive by Diana Urban
Two stars
I'm just confused with how this went down
Three stars
This gave me Halloween vibes and made me want to feel all fall like, plus reminded me of college when we used to go to haunted houses in the fall!
The Last Dinosaur by Laura Silverman
Five Stars
This one was adorable with its dinosaurs and special friendship while exploring the idea of letting go and moving on.
The Last Purity Ball by Joy McCullough
Two stars
I appreciated the message in this one and it was interesting how the author worked in the religious aspect.
The Last Bout by Amanda Joy
Three stars
This one was cool because it had a bit of world building bordering on sci fi
The Last Days in the Only Place That Ever Felt Like Home by Adi Alsaid
Four stars
I loved the idea of how this one explored the idea of uprooting and how this can skew a point of view on what happens in life
The (Hopefully) Last Demon Summoning by Kika Hatzopoulou
Five stars
LOVED this one, I adore the paranormal and this one hit them all with it's school for magical beings. I was totally getting my Harry Potter on with this one that explored the importance of friendship.
The Last Goodbye by Loan Le
Two stars
This one was a bit difficult for me with it's dealings of drug culture but I did enjoy the Vietnamese aspect as I've not had a chance to explore that before
The Last Concert by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Five stars
This one gave me Daisy Jones and the Six vibes and having grown up in the 80s with music being such an important part of my life, I loved the idea of a band made up of high school friends,
The Last Time I Saw Her Alive by Diana Urban
Two stars
I'm just confused with how this went down
Overall the stories were fun and I can see how they could be relatable to teens who may be experiencing similar things.
Talon by Julie Kagawa
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I want to thank Harlequin Teen for providing me with an early copy of this book for an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I have to say that when I read the blurb for this book I got all kinds of excited. I enjoyed Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but I loved her Blood of Eden series more. And now she was writing a series about dragons? How could it go wrong. And after having read the first chapter that she posted online, I knew for sure I had to have this book to read. So I jumped in with both feet and held on tight for the ride.
The book opens and we are introduced to Ember. She's a young dragon who has been training all her life to be assimilated into the human world. At 16 she is finally getting the chance as she and her twin brother, Dante, are placed in a house on the shore of California. Ember is excited to have the summer to live as a "normal" girl: no training, no school, no commitments. Ember truly comes across as a normal teenage girl. I don't get the gist that she's a dragon unless she's telling us about it. I wish I could have seen more conflict with this. She's trained that humans are the enemy but she easily assimilates and takes on human characteristics.
And a YA book wouldn't be complete if there wasn't some romance and conflict. This comes in the form of Garrett, a soldier for the order of St. George (Ember's enemy) and Riley, a rogue dragon determined to show Ember her true potential. Garrett comes across as this sweet, inexperienced guy (at least when it comes to females) who is determined to keep his secrets.Riley, on the other hand,is a gruff, sexy guy who doesn't hold back. The two guys are in direct conflict with Ember's training: dragons don't show or have emotions. But there's more to life than what Ember has been taught and both these guys show her that.
I love the idea of this book. I love the idea of dragons hiding within our society. But what I was missing in this book is the why. Talon is said to exist to help protect dragons. That they were hunted to near extinction by the order of St. George. But we never get what the actual conflict was between the human's and the dragons. What exactly happened in history to make the dragons and humans hate each other so? I needed this back story and it just did not exist. I'm surprised because in previous books I've read from this author, there is always a ton of world building. What is the history of Talon? The order of St. George? Give me something!I didn't get that so much in this book.
I do love Julie's writing. It's easy to read and flows well. I will say her voice sounded completely different to me in this book. But I think that's a good thing considering it's a new series. She mixes romance and action well, although I felt the story was slow in a few places and I thought maybe there could have been more conflict scenes to really show us the relationships between humans and dragons. Instead we get mostly Ember's conflict with her emotions and how she wants to be just a "normal" girl.
Overall the book was a good enough read, but I didn't find it to be on par with Kagawa's other writing. I will most likely pick up the next book so I can see what happens as this one does end on a cliffhanger.
I have to say that when I read the blurb for this book I got all kinds of excited. I enjoyed Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but I loved her Blood of Eden series more. And now she was writing a series about dragons? How could it go wrong. And after having read the first chapter that she posted online, I knew for sure I had to have this book to read. So I jumped in with both feet and held on tight for the ride.
The book opens and we are introduced to Ember. She's a young dragon who has been training all her life to be assimilated into the human world. At 16 she is finally getting the chance as she and her twin brother, Dante, are placed in a house on the shore of California. Ember is excited to have the summer to live as a "normal" girl: no training, no school, no commitments. Ember truly comes across as a normal teenage girl. I don't get the gist that she's a dragon unless she's telling us about it. I wish I could have seen more conflict with this. She's trained that humans are the enemy but she easily assimilates and takes on human characteristics.
And a YA book wouldn't be complete if there wasn't some romance and conflict. This comes in the form of Garrett, a soldier for the order of St. George (Ember's enemy) and Riley, a rogue dragon determined to show Ember her true potential. Garrett comes across as this sweet, inexperienced guy (at least when it comes to females) who is determined to keep his secrets.Riley, on the other hand,is a gruff, sexy guy who doesn't hold back. The two guys are in direct conflict with Ember's training: dragons don't show or have emotions. But there's more to life than what Ember has been taught and both these guys show her that.
I love the idea of this book. I love the idea of dragons hiding within our society. But what I was missing in this book is the why. Talon is said to exist to help protect dragons. That they were hunted to near extinction by the order of St. George. But we never get what the actual conflict was between the human's and the dragons. What exactly happened in history to make the dragons and humans hate each other so? I needed this back story and it just did not exist. I'm surprised because in previous books I've read from this author, there is always a ton of world building. What is the history of Talon? The order of St. George? Give me something!I didn't get that so much in this book.
I do love Julie's writing. It's easy to read and flows well. I will say her voice sounded completely different to me in this book. But I think that's a good thing considering it's a new series. She mixes romance and action well, although I felt the story was slow in a few places and I thought maybe there could have been more conflict scenes to really show us the relationships between humans and dragons. Instead we get mostly Ember's conflict with her emotions and how she wants to be just a "normal" girl.
Overall the book was a good enough read, but I didn't find it to be on par with Kagawa's other writing. I will most likely pick up the next book so I can see what happens as this one does end on a cliffhanger.
Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Broken Prince by Erin Watt
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley for supplying me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
HOLY SMOKES! Ok, now that I got that out of my system, let's reel it in and I'll give you my opinion.
This book was 100% better than the first, and that's saying something because i rated the first one rather high!
How can I even give a review without spoilers? It's so hard.
First let's talk about the plot. Freaking Brooke, man, I cannot stand her. And she has her claws in the Royals. She will do just about anything to grab on and never let them go. Did I mention I hate her? And then there's Ella coming back, begrudgingly, at least at first. But also finding more of herself and standing up for herself and becoming badass! And we still have Easton's wicked humor (I LOVE HIM), and the mystery of the twins and whatever it is that they do.
The pacing, super fast. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what happened. It was a thrilling ride. Erin Watt certainly knows how to drag you along and keep you coming back for more. Finished this one in under 24 hours!
And the characters. Did I mention Ella becoming badass? I thought she was tough before. And she was. But more silently tough, with little pin pricks here and there. In this book she comes out of that shell and shows everyone who she can really be. She is totally awesome standing up for herself, and others, no holds barred. And Reed, le sigh, I do love his point of view. In the first book we only saw him through Ella's eyes but here we see him as him. We see in his head and hear all his thoughts and really get to understand how he ticks. Callum had a good change in this book, In the first book he's more or less nonexistent in his sons' lives. Or maybe it's that he's given up having a relationship with them. But in this book he turns that a bit. Becoming more of a father, getting more involved, and starting to show up. Maybe there is hope for him yet! And Easton, that boy needs a good girl to get to him. I was hoping it might be Valerie, but so far it's not. They seem to me to kind of click with their sense of humors and their love of Ella. I'm not giving up hope. and the twins. i'm not even sure what to say. I need to understand them better and i'm really hoping we get some of that in the coming books!
But can I just say, THAT ENDING! I mean, honestly, I didn't really see it coming. I did question the story that gets shattered by it, at least a bit, It seemed odd and there was never truly evidence of it being true. But, alas, I cannot talk about it or you'll know what happens!
Overall, this one was fantastic and I am jumping into the next book right now!
HOLY SMOKES! Ok, now that I got that out of my system, let's reel it in and I'll give you my opinion.
This book was 100% better than the first, and that's saying something because i rated the first one rather high!
How can I even give a review without spoilers? It's so hard.
First let's talk about the plot. Freaking Brooke, man, I cannot stand her. And she has her claws in the Royals. She will do just about anything to grab on and never let them go. Did I mention I hate her? And then there's Ella coming back, begrudgingly, at least at first. But also finding more of herself and standing up for herself and becoming badass! And we still have Easton's wicked humor (I LOVE HIM), and the mystery of the twins and whatever it is that they do.
The pacing, super fast. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what happened. It was a thrilling ride. Erin Watt certainly knows how to drag you along and keep you coming back for more. Finished this one in under 24 hours!
And the characters. Did I mention Ella becoming badass? I thought she was tough before. And she was. But more silently tough, with little pin pricks here and there. In this book she comes out of that shell and shows everyone who she can really be. She is totally awesome standing up for herself, and others, no holds barred. And Reed, le sigh, I do love his point of view. In the first book we only saw him through Ella's eyes but here we see him as him. We see in his head and hear all his thoughts and really get to understand how he ticks. Callum had a good change in this book, In the first book he's more or less nonexistent in his sons' lives. Or maybe it's that he's given up having a relationship with them. But in this book he turns that a bit. Becoming more of a father, getting more involved, and starting to show up. Maybe there is hope for him yet! And Easton, that boy needs a good girl to get to him. I was hoping it might be Valerie, but so far it's not. They seem to me to kind of click with their sense of humors and their love of Ella. I'm not giving up hope. and the twins. i'm not even sure what to say. I need to understand them better and i'm really hoping we get some of that in the coming books!
But can I just say, THAT ENDING! I mean, honestly, I didn't really see it coming. I did question the story that gets shattered by it, at least a bit, It seemed odd and there was never truly evidence of it being true. But, alas, I cannot talk about it or you'll know what happens!
Overall, this one was fantastic and I am jumping into the next book right now!
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
3.0
I have to say I'm a little disappointed. It wasn't horrible just kind of really out there and not what I expected. And the two story lines were a little hard to follow (good thing there are chapter headings). I'll be interested to see how they might truly come together in the second book.