Tag: fantasy

Reviews

Fourth Wing Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Fourth Wing Review


*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general – also known as her tough-as-talons mother – has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter – like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Violet as our main protagonist was just a little bit annoying to me. The book really just overemphasized how she’s ‘not like every other girl’ at Basgiath. She’s so tiny and breakable yet she ends up being the most powerful, it was just a bit predictable in that manner. But I was definitely able to overlook this easily and just enjoy the book for what it was. I do enjoy the fact that it shows us various time that she does have to take measures (like wrapping her knees) so she can keep up with everyone else.

Xaden was very well written. He definitely is one of my favourite male main characters I’ve read in a while. Again though it’s just following that same fantasy formula where we have the sexy antagonist who is just misunderstood. There are a few instances where he does live up to his name and is quite ruthless and I like the fact that he doesn’t baby Violet and calls out Dain for holding her back. Speaking of Dain, again very very predictable what was going to happen with him. I knew from the first couple chapters that he was going to end up betraying Violet and it was a bit frustrating that she didn’t see that until the very end.

What saved this for me was the dragons and the plot twists for sure! I love the fact that the dragons are still shown as being quite wild even though they are bonded with humans. They will kill other riders and the cadets with no qualms and we’re not afraid to let everyone know it. The stakes were always high because of this and kept me on the edge of my seat for sure. I love that they are have such different personalities and they corresponded so well with their riders.

⭐️4/5 stars I can thankfully say this did live up to the hype for me!

Reviews

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear Review

Nadya never considered herself less than whole, not until her adoptive parents fitted her with a prosthetic arm against her will, seeking to replace the one she’d been missing from birth. It was cumbersome; it was uncomfortable; it was wrong. It wasn’t her. Frustrated and unable to express why, Nadya began to wander, until the day she fell through a door into Belyyreka, the Land Beneath the Lake–and found herself in a world of water, filled with child-eating amphibians, majestic giant turtles, and impossible ships that sailed as happily beneath the surface as on top. In Belyyreka, she found herself understood for who she was: a Drowned Girl, who had made her way to her real home, accepted by the river and its people.

Like most of the backstories for the Wayward Children’s series we are shown just how horrible these kids were treated by those around them who should love and care about them the most which is why these doors open for them. Nadya’s story wasn’t as harrowing as some of the other kids but I still can’t even imagine growing up the way she did. The abandonment from birth and then even though she is comfortable and happy with the body she was given having to try and please these ‘white saviors’.

I love when we get the chance to enter the worlds and experience them figuring out the rules and finding their place. Nadya’s experience out of everyone else I think was the most positive. Even though she has that scare right at the start with the frog, every else she encounted was very understanding of her situation and helped her out every step of the way. Her transition into Belyyreka was the least adventurous out of the rest. There wasn’t really any obstacles for her to overcome or mysteries to solve, she kind of just showed up and integrated herself into life there and lived happily until she fell back out.

So because there wasn’t really any real plots or mysteries to keep me in suspense I wasn’t all that invested in the storyline. I loved how we got to explore this new world but some of the descriptions made it hard to visualise in my head so it took me out of the story quite a bit as well.

⭐️3/5 could’ve packed more of a punch I feel!

Reviews

Bloom Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Bloom Review

*BEWARE OF SPOILERS AHEAD*

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Rosemary meets Ash at the farmers’ market. Ash—precise, pretty, and practically perfect—sells bars of soap in delicate pastel colours, sprinkle-spackled cupcakes stacked on scalloped stands, beeswax candles, jelly jars of honey, and glossy green plants. Ro has never felt this way about another woman; with Ash, she wants to be her and have her in equal measure. But as her obsession with Ash consumes her, she may find she’s not the one doing the devouring…

Being in Ro’s head for the majority of this book was tiring and frustrating. They way she latches on to Ash and how her thoughts about her just consume her every waking moment got to be a bit annoying. I literally just wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip, you coming on a bit strong there love. Though I can see why she would be second guessing herself at every turn and pushing a bit on Ash’s boundaries after the nasty breakup she just had with her ex.

Right from the start I knew there was something up with Ash. I could tell from her demeanour at the market stall, changing basically her whole personality depending on who walked in told me she was a calculative and potentially manipulative. Especially after she reprimanded Ro so many times for pushing her boundaries, I knew something was up but I couldn’t predict what, which was entertaining for sure.

I like the fact that this book elicited so many emotions from me. It starts off so unassuming and quite cute so I was a unprepared for the wild ride that was about to ensue. I definitely had my theories on what was happening but I was surprised at every turn which was why I think I enjoyed this as much as I did.

⭐️4/5 stars Wow.. this was good!!!

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Quicksilver Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Quicksilver Review

*MILD SPOILERS AHEAD*

I had to see what all the hype was about with this book and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

Saeris came across a little juvenile at times. For the amount of hardship she’s had to face I thought she would act a little more mature rather than a petulant teenager but that’s how she came across the majority of the time. If I was in her shoes sure I would be frustrated with the amount of information everyone wasn’t telling me but she got on my little with all her tantrums.

Kingfisher was so much fun! A tad convenient how he couldn’t reveal any information due to his oath but his overall attitude and charisma made up for it for sure. The witty banter he has with not only Saeris but everyone was very entertaining and I was definitely waiting to see what he was going to do next. Also, he has a filthy mouth and I was here for it!

I really liked the contrast of the two settings and the plot was evenly paced which kept me engaged the whole time. Overall I think there was just enough spice sprinkled onto this pretty typical fae storyline with some fun twists and turns along the way!

⭐️4/5 stars the quotes were quoting with this one!!!