fantasy – Page 27 – Amy Leigh Reads

The Guinevere Deception Review

June 24, 2020June 23, 2020by amyleighreads1 Comment

43568394 This book is a retelling of the Arthurian legend. Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin sent in Guinevere his apprentice and daughter to be Arthur’s wife and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail.

I actually really enjoyed Guinevere’s character. She was quite young and naïve at times, which usually bugs me but it was written in a way that endeared me to her instead. She is very determined and committed to her duties but still comes across and acts like the 16 year old that she is. She displays emotions and understands Arthur’s position yet she still yearns for his attention thus drawing herself closer to Mordred who is giving her what she wants. I think since we aren’t given her true name and identity that she is definitely not who we assume her to be, I’m thinking she has something to do with the River Queen since she is so terrified of water.

Mordred was an interesting character. He is always around and I feel has a lot more focus in this book than even Arthur. He remains quite standoffish and mysterious for the majority of the book yet I was intrigued by him and what his intentions were with Guinevere. Why was he always around her, why didn’t he expose her magic and is his feelings for her true?

Arthur didn’t get a lot of time in this book. Even though he is one of the main protagonists we don’t really get enough of him for me to be quite so invested in his character over the others. I think he definitely should have spent more time with Guinevere and kind of neglected her. I get that he was actually the one who was protecting her in the end but we don’t get enough scenes with the both of them together. I was disappointed when he didn’t go straight after her when she was kidnapped and it felt like it was a too little too late when he did eventually choose her over the kingdom.

The twists were interesting but the first half of the book was a little slower paced and we didn’t really get any answers until the right around the end, and even then there is still so much we don’t know. Hopefully the next book expands more and we are given more context and details!

⭐️3/5 stars good not great, has potential!

Reviews

Winterwood Review

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020by amyleighreads1 Comment

*Spoilers Below*

43822698 This book is about a girl named Nora Walker who comes from a long line of Walker women who are rumoured to be witches. They have always lived on the edge of a haunted wood named the Winterwood that only Walker woman can traverse as finders of the mysterious objects that’s appear there.

I absolutely loved the overall premise and atmosphere of this book. I think it is definitely one of Shea Ernshaw’s strengths in her writing, I felt like I was actually there on the mountain experiencing the freezing cold along with Nora.

The history of the Walker women was super fascinating and I absolutely loved the fact that we got inserts from their history and their recipes they’ve come up with over the years. It added much needed depth and a sense of history that really reinforced the whimsical nature of these women and how each of their stories impacted Nora throughout the plot.

Nora at times I thought was a little naïve and unprepared for the situations that she walked into. Going to that party and trying to confront those boys and ending up stranded and locked in the room unable to help herself was a little frustrating at times. She definitely had the best intentions, especially when they built the fire too close to the trees, but she lacked a bit of assertiveness. Even when she was leading them to the Winterwood even though she knew they shouldn’t go in there she didn’t really do anything to prevent the situation.

The romance was a little too insta-lovey for me as well. They didn’t really know each other for that long and the fact that this girl literally went back in time to save him demonstrating how much she loved him was a tad much for me to be really convinced. If they had maybe spent a little more time together and actually cultivated a relationship I would be more inclined to believe it.

Other than that I was swept away into the story line and I just kind of enjoyed myself. The few plot twists that were thrown in there were entertaining, a few I predicted a mile away and others, especially Nora’s magical ability I didn’t see coming at all!

⭐️4/5 stars A quick, fun, kind of spooky, ominous read!

Reviews

Storm Front Review

June 12, 2020June 8, 2020by amyleighreads1 Comment

47212._SY475_ Really enjoyed this!!!

This book is the first of a series called the Dresdan Files that has 15 books in total with another 2 being released in the near future! It revolves around a wizarding detective called Harry Dresdan in modern day Chicago and the antics he gets up to helping the police with any supernatural crimes.

This is really a cult classic that I had actually never heard of until quite recently. I’ve been trying to delve a little deeper into the fantasy genre and get around to reading some of these series that have been out and beloved by the masses. So I went into this book with my expectations quite high, and was pleasantly surprised.

Harry is one the most likeable characters ever! There is something about that him that immediately endeared him to me and I was very much attached to him right from the start. He has that leap without looking mentality which I really enjoy in our main protagonists; it makes them more spontaneous and natural in a way, more realistic. I can’t wait to find out more about his background and his education with his previous master and how that deteriorated in the books to come.

The way his two seemingly unrelated cases were entangled together and the way he uncovered the truth through his reasoning’s was highly entertaining. I had no idea what direction that plot was going to go in next and given his unpredictability I was enthralled right from the start. They way that information regarding magic and their rules and regulations was presented made sense and wasn’t overwhelming in any way.

It wasn’t the most sophisticated fantasy novel that I have ever read but it didn’t have to be. It was pure adrenaline, fast paced action with a couple of cool fighting scenes. I’ve heard Harry Dresdan is quite the gunslinger in the series and that wasn’t really highlighted at all in this book so again I’m just excited to find about more about his character and what he will get up to in the series to come!

⭐️4/5 stars it felt like an episode of Law and Order with a fantastical twist!

Reviews

A Winter’s Promise Review

June 10, 2020August 16, 2020by amyleighreads1 Comment

40969531._SX318_ Better than I was expecting!

This book is about a girl called Ophelia who is able to read inanimate objects and travel through mirrors. She can trace the origins of the object and is able to glean the owner’s thoughts at the time of touching the object.

Ophelia is one of those main protagonists who doesn’t see herself as special and would describe herself as scraggly and ugly. She doesn’t have much self-confidence, is timid and at the start just succumbs to the rules and regulations set forth by her and Thorn’s family. Usually when we have female main protagonists like this I end up hating them and becoming disinterested in the story but because the plot line was so compelling I was still very much engaged. She does show some growth over the course of the story line and develops a little more of a backbone, demanding answers and figuring out what was actually happening.

Thorn we didn’t see enough of in the book in my opinion. I was very interested in his character, especially his broodiness, which just appeals to me. Gradually we find out a little more about him and his background, why he is estranged from the rest of the Dragon clan. The twist at the end where Ophelia finds out he’s actually the one calling the shots confused me at first but as his plans become clear it does make sense. I’m hoping he is a little more present in the next book. The banter between him and Ophelia was entertaining and I am starting to see a connection between the two of them, I’m interested to see how that progresses.

I loved the premise of the book; I found it highly unique and fresh. The world building could have been a little more developed; I was a little confused about the whole ark situation and what kind of world they are actually in. I would love a bit more history and origins of the different clans. I definitely want to find out more about what spurred the animosity between the different clans and how the heads of the families came to be! The magic system is what really grabbed my attention within the novel. How each of the different clans specialises in something and how that speciality manifests uniquely in each person.

⭐️4/5 I’m intrigued, engaged and want to know more!

Reviews

Foundryside Review

May 20, 2020May 20, 2020by amyleighreads2 Comments

Foundryside RD4 clean flat Foundryside follows a girl named Sancia who has a secret ability that enables her to be the best thief in the city. When she takes on a job to steal an ancient artefact it places her life in danger and sets in motion a chain of events that could change everything.

I really liked Sancia. We don’t learn a lot about her right at the start, we are gradually given insight into her background and everything she has had to overcome throughout the course of the book. She’s not naive and she isn’t afraid to put herself in danger in order to do what needs to be done. I think her past defines her present and her future and this is made prevalent later on in the plot. I don’t think she really develops much in the book but I think she is already so multifaceted that any development was really needed. Her candour and her brash nature was highly entertaining and she’s just a super likeable character.

Gregor on the other hand, I wasn’t so sure about at the start. He just seemed like a spoilt founder who was playing at meting out justice to whoever crosses him. I liked that even though his story seems straight forward he still manages to surprise me and be a lot more interesting than what he seems. He seems genuinely remorseful for what happened to Sancia and how his family might have something to do with it and the fact that he confronts his mother truly displayed that.

I really loved the setting of this book, the atmosphere and the conditions of the city really added a layer of depth to the storyline and set the tone for the book. The dark, grittiness of the commons was heavily described and the almost hopelessness Sancia felt whilst living there really captured my attention.

The fantastic element of the story with the scrivers was really unique and interesting. I love that its based on lore and legends and the fact that there is still so much to be discovered makes me excited for the rest of the series.

⭐️4/5 this was fantastic!!!!!