Scan barcode
theaa_reads's reviews
210 reviews
Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Mein Leben, die Liebe und der ganze Rest by Dagmar Hoßfeld
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Some Kind of Perfect by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
I can‘t belive this series is over. I‘ve never fallen more in love with characters than I did in this story. I love all of them so much but Rose and Connor will forever have my heart. While reading I felt like I was part of their family and I‘m crying knowing that this series is now over and I never get to read it for the first time ever again.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
tense
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
4.5
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wtf this was sick
reminded me why i should just stick to reading fantasy and romance books
the fmc was so naive and stupid it hurts!! why does a woman have no sense of safety and self preservation?? how can someone be so dumb and clueless
i sort of guessed the plot twist too but like every freida book i still ate it up
reminded me why i should just stick to reading fantasy and romance books
the fmc was so naive and stupid it hurts!! why does a woman have no sense of safety and self preservation?? how can someone be so dumb and clueless
i sort of guessed the plot twist too but like every freida book i still ate it up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.5
I really liked the book. The magic system is so unique and well-thought of.
Here‘s a summary of the book because I fear that I will forget a lot of important parts. The summary is from the internet, I just shortened it a little :)
The story unfolds in the Kingdom of Blunder, ruled by the Rowan Kings. Surrounded by the mist created by the Spirit of the Wood, Blunder is a Kingdom built on fear of the infection and the magic of Providence Cards.
Blunder was once inhabited by the Spirit of the Wood, who was worshiped and prayed upon to give power and magic. Her will is magic and no one is immune. To gift her magic to those she wills, she has created the infection or fever and those who are affected carry strange and potent magic in them. The most prominent sign of the infection is the dark ink veins of those affected. The presence of magic is signified by the intense smell of salt.
Once a great King, the Shepherd King, was born with the fever, and with his sword gifted by the Spirit, he was able to shepherd the trees of Blunder to his will, thus creating the families of Blunder. Each family takes each name from one of the following trees; Spindle, Rowan, Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Thistle, Ivy, Pine, Laburnum, Linden, etc. and has the according color and insignia as a symbol of their status. To make magic more accessible to his people, the Shepherd King bartered with the Spirit and created the Providence Cards. Three taps are enough to access their magic, but use them too long and the negative consequences will follow you until you tap it thrice once more. In the years after the Shepherd King’s peril, Rowan kings have incriminated the infection, and all infected are hunted and executed based on The Old Book of Alders.
Elspeth Spindle was infected when she was ten years old. Her father, the Captain of the King’s Guard, broke the law by sending her away and allowing her to live. Living isolated with the Hawthorns, her aunt’s family, Elspeth recovers. But when her uncle brings home one of the two Nightmare Cards, her life will be changed forever. She absorbs the beast on the Nightmare card, and her mind is no longer her own. For eleven years she has managed to avoid Physicians and Destriers alike, hiding her magic from everyone around her, until she meets Ravyn Yew, the mysterious new Captain of the Destriers and the King’s nephew.
Ravyn somehow knows of her infection, but he does not seem wary of her nor wants to give her up to the King. Ravyn will offer her a chance to not only help those infected but cure herself as well, by uniting the Deck of Providence Cards, which has not been done in the last five hundred years. Elspeth longs to believe him, but she is not sure she can trust him. When Ravyn reveals his brother Emory is infected, Elspeth decides to help him. Ravyn along with his parents, his sister Jespyr, and Prince Elm have secretly been gathering the deck under the guise of being highwaymen, risking high treason in case they are caught.
Elspeth will follow the Yews and will use her dark magic to locate Providence Cards by color. But as she spends more time with Ravyn, her attraction to him will only grow. His cold and stone-like facade will slowly crumble around her and when he reveals he is also infected she will realize they are more alike than she thinks. Long she has stayed quiet and waited for someone to understand her, so Elspeth decides to take this chance and let her romance with Ravyn blossom. But as she uses the dark magic afforded her by the Nightmare more and more, she slowly chips away her own mind little by little.
As the story progresses, there is only one card elusive enough to escape them, the Twin Alders card, which has been lost ever since it was created. When High Prince Hauth suspects Elspeth of being infected, she will find herself in perilous danger and will be forced to relent her control to the Nightmare and finally come face to face with the truth about his identity and the Twin Alders Card. The first book ends on a cliffhanger, with Elspeth completely lost to the Nightmare and Ravyn arriving too late to save her. Elspeth, or actually the Shepherd King in her mind, makes a bargain with King Rowan: his life in exchange for Emory Yew‘s and his help to find the Twin Alder cards.
cards:
12 Black Horses: Grants physical power to the user, but if used too long turns them weak
11 Golden Eggs: Grants immense wealth which can turn to all-consuming greed
10 Prophets: The user glimpses the future, but they are unable to change it
9 White Eagles: Grants immense courage, but it can turn to paralyzing fear
8 Maidens: Immense beauty, for a cold and unfeeling heart
7 Chalices: The Chalice turns any liquid to truth serum, upon lying it turns to poison
6 Wells: Shows the user’s enemies, but in overuse they risk being betrayed by a friend
5 Iron Gates: Grants blissful serenity, but eats away years of the user’s life
4 Scythes: The user can control others, but suffers extreme physical pain
3 Mirrors: Invisibility, but if overused the veil of the ghost world is lifted
2 Nightmares: One can speak into another’s mind, or else their worst fears await
1 Twin Alders Card: The user can communicate with the Spirit of the Wood, they can be lost in time
Here‘s a summary of the book because I fear that I will forget a lot of important parts. The summary is from the internet, I just shortened it a little :)
Blunder was once inhabited by the Spirit of the Wood, who was worshiped and prayed upon to give power and magic. Her will is magic and no one is immune. To gift her magic to those she wills, she has created the infection or fever and those who are affected carry strange and potent magic in them. The most prominent sign of the infection is the dark ink veins of those affected. The presence of magic is signified by the intense smell of salt.
Once a great King, the Shepherd King, was born with the fever, and with his sword gifted by the Spirit, he was able to shepherd the trees of Blunder to his will, thus creating the families of Blunder. Each family takes each name from one of the following trees; Spindle, Rowan, Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Thistle, Ivy, Pine, Laburnum, Linden, etc. and has the according color and insignia as a symbol of their status. To make magic more accessible to his people, the Shepherd King bartered with the Spirit and created the Providence Cards. Three taps are enough to access their magic, but use them too long and the negative consequences will follow you until you tap it thrice once more. In the years after the Shepherd King’s peril, Rowan kings have incriminated the infection, and all infected are hunted and executed based on The Old Book of Alders.
Elspeth Spindle was infected when she was ten years old. Her father, the Captain of the King’s Guard, broke the law by sending her away and allowing her to live. Living isolated with the Hawthorns, her aunt’s family, Elspeth recovers. But when her uncle brings home one of the two Nightmare Cards, her life will be changed forever. She absorbs the beast on the Nightmare card, and her mind is no longer her own. For eleven years she has managed to avoid Physicians and Destriers alike, hiding her magic from everyone around her, until she meets Ravyn Yew, the mysterious new Captain of the Destriers and the King’s nephew.
Ravyn somehow knows of her infection, but he does not seem wary of her nor wants to give her up to the King. Ravyn will offer her a chance to not only help those infected but cure herself as well, by uniting the Deck of Providence Cards, which has not been done in the last five hundred years. Elspeth longs to believe him, but she is not sure she can trust him. When Ravyn reveals his brother Emory is infected, Elspeth decides to help him. Ravyn along with his parents, his sister Jespyr, and Prince Elm have secretly been gathering the deck under the guise of being highwaymen, risking high treason in case they are caught.
Elspeth will follow the Yews and will use her dark magic to locate Providence Cards by color. But as she spends more time with Ravyn, her attraction to him will only grow. His cold and stone-like facade will slowly crumble around her and when he reveals he is also infected she will realize they are more alike than she thinks. Long she has stayed quiet and waited for someone to understand her, so Elspeth decides to take this chance and let her romance with Ravyn blossom. But as she uses the dark magic afforded her by the Nightmare more and more, she slowly chips away her own mind little by little.
As the story progresses, there is only one card elusive enough to escape them, the Twin Alders card, which has been lost ever since it was created. When High Prince Hauth suspects Elspeth of being infected, she will find herself in perilous danger and will be forced to relent her control to the Nightmare and finally come face to face with the truth about his identity and the Twin Alders Card. The first book ends on a cliffhanger, with Elspeth completely lost to the Nightmare and Ravyn arriving too late to save her. Elspeth, or actually the Shepherd King in her mind, makes a bargain with King Rowan: his life in exchange for Emory Yew‘s and his help to find the Twin Alder cards.
cards:
12 Black Horses: Grants physical power to the user, but if used too long turns them weak
11 Golden Eggs: Grants immense wealth which can turn to all-consuming greed
10 Prophets: The user glimpses the future, but they are unable to change it
9 White Eagles: Grants immense courage, but it can turn to paralyzing fear
8 Maidens: Immense beauty, for a cold and unfeeling heart
7 Chalices: The Chalice turns any liquid to truth serum, upon lying it turns to poison
6 Wells: Shows the user’s enemies, but in overuse they risk being betrayed by a friend
5 Iron Gates: Grants blissful serenity, but eats away years of the user’s life
4 Scythes: The user can control others, but suffers extreme physical pain
3 Mirrors: Invisibility, but if overused the veil of the ghost world is lifted
2 Nightmares: One can speak into another’s mind, or else their worst fears await
1 Twin Alders Card: The user can communicate with the Spirit of the Wood, they can be lost in time
Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? Yes
5.0
this was so unhinged but of course i ate it up again
penelope douglas just knows how to do it
penelope douglas just knows how to do it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Daydream by Hannah Grace
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25