Tag: book review

Reviews

Daughter of the Burning City Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Daughter of the Burning City Review

30237061This was a total spur of the moment pick up and I wasn’t disappointed!

This book follows the story of Sorrina who is an illusion caster in the travelling festival of Gomorrah. She is the daughter of the proprietor of the festival which kind of makes her a princess of Gomorrah. However, Sorrina was born without eyes and a lot of people view her as a freak. When someone starts to murder her illusions, Sorrina needs to figure out who, why and how!

I was really drawn into the story right from the beginning. It starts out pretty fast paced which I enjoy and all the information is provided quite organically in the course of the plot. I like that there are so many different, diverse characters scattered throughout the story line, it made it a lot easier to distinguish between everyone.

Sorrina I found to be a little naïve and a bit on the lower range of her age. I get that she is only 16 but I feel like she’s been quite sheltered her whole life and I thought she would know a lot more about Gomorrah than what she actually does. In terms of the whole plot I guess it makes sense that she doesn’t know a lot of people but that was one thing that stuck out to me. I love how committed she is to her little family and the depths of the grief and loss that she feels after each death. She is also quite honest and upfront about her emotions as well which I appreciated in her.

I thought the dynamic between Sorrina and her illusions was very intriguing and the way that she comes up with each one and almost unconsciously makes them freaks like her was a nice element to the story, it really enabled Sorrina to be able to relate to them all. It was interesting that even though she created them, they are all able to think for themselves, all she is really able to control is when they appear and disappear. I like that there are limitations to what she can do and it is made evident in the story.

I thought the world building in the book was fantastic; the whole situation between the Up Mountain and Down Mountain people and how they differentiate. I liked the religious aspect with the zealots and claiming all the illusionists to be devil workers. It added a layer of depth to the book and was a good foundation for the story to build upon. Especially when it came to all the Up Mountain political climate scheme that is uncovered.

There was a real sense of urgency and suspense woven throughout the story line which kept me highly engaged in the book. The stakes were always at an all-time high and trying to figure out who was behind everything was very entertaining!

⭐️4/5 stars dark and murderous and magical

Reviews

Bunny Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Bunny Review

42815544This was a strange one!

Bunny is an urban fantasy/horror story revolving around a cult of girls in a prestigious writing college who all call each other Bunny. Samantha has always hated the Bunny’s but when she is invited to one of their parties she can’t help but be a little intrigued and decided to go.

I liked Samantha’s character, she felt genuine to me! She wasn’t a perfect, strong, empowered female protagonist that I am used to reading in fiction these days. She’s very judgmental and standoffish and kind of quirky which I enjoy. I like that she isn’t censored throughout the book and the language is on the more explicit side. Again it just adds a layer of authenticity and uniqueness.

The plot was highly original and to be honest a little hard to keep up with. Samantha has a tendency to go on tangents and I found during those times I would kind of skim through most of what she was saying. The whole scenario with the Bunnies was highly engaging to me though. I was definitely on the edge of my seat every time they were all together and I didn’t know what to expect each time!

The fantastical element I am kind of on the fence about. I’m not opposed to a little gore in my books, but I can see that would almost be polarizing to a lot of people, especially since there are quite a few scenes of animal abuse. In the context of the story it didn’t bother me at all, I just know it could be sensitive topic. The way that the actual ritual works to make these ‘bunnies’ wasn’t explained enough for me. I like rules and limitations in my fantasy and this one was really open to interpretation. Why are these four girls so special and why especially is Samantha able to make them better? I guess I just needed a bit more background information. How did these four girls come together and what made them decide to try these experiments? Are they so close because of the ritual or is it just how they are? Why didn’t they experiment on other animals, why just stick to bunnies? Is it because of their nickname?

I’m just left with a lot of questions and feel a little unfulfilled I guess.  

All in all I found it to be quite a fascinating read and definitely not like anything that I have read before. I kind of already want to reread it just to maybe let it sink in a bit more and I might be able to gel with it a bit better?

⭐️3/5 stars B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Reviews

China Rich Girlfriend Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on China Rich Girlfriend Review

28503789This was wild!

China Rich Girlfriend continues about 3ish years after the first book finished. Nick has had no communication with his mother and they are in the midst of planning their wedding. Eleanor won’t take no for an answer and when a chance encounter enables her to solve the mystery of Rachel’s father she is able to work her way back into their lives.

This honestly went so much more in depth with the other familial components of the story and we also got a new setting in Shanghai rather than just Singapore. It was nice to see the difference in culture and lifestyle between the two cities. Again this book was just very rich, it went into quite minute details of just how wealthy these families are and how the act accordingly. There were times when I was a little confused as to who belonged to which family and how they tie back into the story but after a while I was able to wrap my head around it!

Once again I really appreciated all the addendum’s and I thought they were a great learning resource and it added a lot of depth to the story, from explaining what certain words mean in the different languages to explaining the foreign dishes and even pop culture references.

I loved the direction the book went with in this sequel. Totally different than what I thought was going to happen and I enjoyed that I was surprised. We are introduced to a whole plethora of new and interesting characters that kept me entertained throughout the story. Collette in particular I was intrigued by. I thought she was a nice contrast to Rachel and also to the other socialites in Singapore. She is a lot more flashy and outspoken and won’t give into to her parents’ wishes. I liked how that story line played out and Rachel was kind of given the last word after everything that happened with her.

I enjoyed the progression of Kitty’s story line as well, even though she doesn’t overlap with Rachel and Nick she doesn’t disappear and I was invested in finding out what happened with Bernard and her daughter. I honestly didn’t pick up any of the signs of what was to come and I thought it was a pleasant surprise and very on point with her character!

I was also highly invested in Astrid and Michael. I really wanted Astrid to stand up to him more and stop relying so much on Stuart. Granted she was really trying to be the perfect wife to him and adjust to his new status and self-worth but the way that he was speaking to her and the fact that her friend was able to notice and point it out to Astrid and she still didn’t really do anything frustrated me!

All in all I was sucked right back into the story line from the start and at every turn I was surprised and entertained by the wild antics that these uber rich Asian families get up to!

⭐️4.5/5 stars funny, convoluted, a whirlwind!

Reviews

The Girl in the Tower Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Girl in the Tower Review

51u35TlTZbL__SX327_BO1,204,203,200_The Girl in the Tower continues pretty much straight after The Bear and the Nightingale concluded. In this sequel we follow some different perspectives, Sasha and Olga who are both currently living in Moscow and we continue on with Vasya’s journey after she fled home on Solovey’s back.

I like that we get more insight into the court at Moscow and the power struggles that The Grand Prince has to deal with however, for me I am not the biggest fan of political fantasies so that element of the story kind of dragged for me.

The pace of the story started off really fast, which I enjoyed, it really sucked me right into the book. The whole mystery behind the bandits and who was behind the fires and the missing girls was intriguing and held me attention. I like that we followed Sasha’s perspective and followed his journey in finding the bandits and then when we finally got to Vasya’s perspective we had some context.

Sasha was a little up and down for me. I didn’t quite know what to feel about him. I thought he was integral to the story line but he didn’t really do anything remarkable that cemented his status for me. Sure he was a good strategist and the Grand Prince really held him in high regard but I didn’t like how he doubted Vasya at every turn. I thought since he was the closest to her at the start of the series and being a priest he would be a little less judgmental.

Olga I didn’t quite warm to in this book either. I thought she was really narrow-minded when it came to her sister and she was quite combative with her at the start. I don’t understand how she can’t just accept who Vasya is as a person, I realize she probably thought that her sister had grown out of her wild ways but upon realizing that she hasn’t I don’t get why she wouldn’t embrace her. I feel she has been molded into that one sided perspective of how a woman should behave hidden away in her tower. She is ultimately trying to protect her family but she could of used a little empathy for her younger sister.

The magical side of the story though is what really prevailed for me. We got a little further into the mystery of Vasya’s grandmother which I LOVED! That was one of my hopes that the books would delve more deeper into who Tamara is and what drove her to Moscow all those years ago. The twist with Kasyan completely blindsided me. I had a feeling he wasn’t who he made himself out to be, especially with the timing of meeting Vasya and then her being driven out of the town by bandits trying to capture her. I didn’t anticipate how much of an impact he was going to make and it was highly entertaining.

The budding romance with Vasya I didn’t like at first, however it is growing on me. I have a feeling the next book will the focus of that given the title and I’m hoping I’m not left feeling disappointed. I already have a few predictions in mind and it will be fascinating to see whether or not I’m right!

⭐️4/5 The magical/fantastical elements really saved the book for me!

Reviews

Sorcery of Thorns Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Sorcery of Thorns Review

43358884._SY475_I have seen this book everywhere since it came out this year and there has been a lot of hype surrounding it so I thought why not give it a try. For some reason I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like it and I was a little hesitant going into it. I think I’m like that with all super hyped books but once I actually started reading I was pleasantly surprised!

Elisabeth was orphaned and has grown up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries. Her dream is become a warden of the library who protects the magical grimoires that are housed there and stops them from transforming into grotesque monsters of ink and leather.

I loved Elisabeth’s character. I thought she was very driven, inquisitive and unable to accept the narrative she has been given after the incident that drove her out of the library. She is absolutely loyal to the libraries and her relationship she has with the books was really respectful and loving. She is a true daughter of the library and I like that ultimately that relationship was a integral in saving the day.

Nathaniel I wasn’t sure about at the start. I didn’t know where his loyalties lie and sometime the things he said were a little cringey to be honest. But he really grew on me over the course of the story. Once we really got into his family history and the relationship between him and Silas and how they are connected was really unique and interesting and I started to develop a connection to him.

I actually think I liked Silas the most of all the characters. He has always reinforced the fact that he isn’t a good person and if he was released he won’t help/save them and the only reason he sacrificed himself was to negotiate a better contract. The fact that he remained constant throughout the story and exhibited moments of good even though me maintains he’s not was intriguing to me. I knew based on how much we learn about him and his connection to the Thorn family that he would play an integral role in the plot and I was correct.

The whole premise and concept of the book was really refreshing and original to me. I liked the build up of mystery and the many twists and turns the plot goes through. I world was rich with culture and I just loved that it’s based around these great libraries. The magical element I thought was nicely defined and there were limitations to what certain families were capable of because of the demons that they were tied to.

All in all I thought this was a solid, interesting, fantastical tale based around magical books and sorcery. The pacing was pretty good, there a section in the middle that I found a little slow and then I felt the last 100 or so pages were a little rushed but overall I highly enjoyed my read.

⭐️4/5 stars fantastical, adventurous, demonic!