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Reviews

The House in the Cerulean Sea Review

by amyleighreads7 Comments on The House in the Cerulean Sea Review

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

I really liked and appreciated Linus’s character. He is so realistic and straightforward with everything that he does, he realises his life might not be what he envisioned but he is comfortable and accepts it. But the evolution and growth he shows over the course of the plot was wonderful to read and to see him open up and develop feelings for not only Arthur but all of the kids was soo gratifying and beautiful.

I also liked the fact that we get a lot of information about each of the other characters and how they came to be on Marsyas Island. How they have been treated in the past and just how resilient and strong each of these children are by moving on and embracing the family they have now. Each one of them are so distinct and distinguishable and I loved the fact that we get enough interaction with all of them for me to form a bond and be fully invested.

Arthur I was curious about from the start because of how little we knew about him from his file. I had a feeling that there was something more to him than what we were shown because of how dedicated he was to keeping the children safe. There are definitely clues given throughout the book but I had no idea what it was. I liked the banter between him and Linus and to see how their relationship blossoms was just wholesome and lovely.

Overall l didn’t think I was that invested or even really affected by this book until Linus comes back and asks them if he can stay. That whole monologue really touched me and that’s when everything really just came together. This wasn’t anything spectacular or ground-breaking I feel but its more about the way it makes you feel. It’s about growth, acceptance, embracing yourself and coming to terms with your past trauma and moving on. This was a fantastic, quick, wholesome read that I would recommend to everyone!

⭐️5/5 I definitely cried lol

Reviews

These Witches Don’t Burn Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on These Witches Don’t Burn Review

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

Hannah’s character was definitely interesting to read from. She’s still very much coming to terms with her break up with Veronica and I feel like her feelings and reactions to her were very realistic and in line with her age. She definitely goes through a lot emotionally throughout the course of the storyline and that definitely made me feel more sympathetic and connected to her. But overall I didn’t find her to be particularly likeable.

Veronica I didn’t like at all. I thought she was just playing with Hannah’s emotions all throughout the story and just kept dismissing her feelings and trying to force her to take her back. Maybe if this was a dual perspective and we see things from Veronica’s point of view I might have developed more of a connection to her but I was just mostly indifferent to her.

I would of loved if we delved more into the training in regards to Hannah’s abilities. She said various times in the plot that they have weekly training sessions with their high priestess which we don’t get to see that I would of loved to read and see. In general we don’t get to see quite as much magic as what I would of liked. I was just expecting it to be more focused on the witchcraft and not so much on the mystery behind the blood witch.

Overall I was definitely surprised with the direction the story went. I appreciated how we see Hannah just be a normal teenager even though there is so much going on in her life that she has to keep secret from everyone else in her life other than Veronica. I didn’t see any of the twists coming and there was an underlying feeling of urgency woven throughout the plot that kept me wanting to read more. The pacing was just very fast and it was just one thing after another that was happening which in the end I enjoyed however I would of liked to be shown more about the witches and their abilities rather than told.

⭐️3/5 stars A solid witchy, entertaining story!

Reviews

The Storm of Echoes Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Storm of Echoes Review

*SOME SPOILERS AHEAD*

The distrust between them has been overcome and now Ophelia and Thorn love each other passionately. However, they must keep their love hidden. Only in this way can they continue their journeys toward an understanding of the indecipherable code of God and the truth behind the mysterious figure of the Other, whose devastating power continues to bring down entire pieces of arks, plunging thousands of innocents into the void.

Ophelia’s journey to the truth about who the other is was really dragged out throughout the course of this book. I just felt like not a lot happens throughout the course of the storyline even though the book was over 500 pages. We are mainly focused on Babel again and even though we discover more about the Ark and venture into the Observatory we are mainly in Ophelia’s head struggling to figure out how to get to the horn of plenty and who the other is.

We get a few chapters from Victoria’s perspective that I didn’t quite understand. What were the reasons for having them? Sure we get to see the infamous LandmArk and see the interactions between Archibald, Janus and God but I was left more confused than anything. Why was Victoria able to see these things, how did she come to be on the Other side and how did she end up at the bottom of the well for Thorn to find.

I struggled more than anything with a lot of the terminology in this book. I understand that its a translated book but a lot of the phrases of what was happening to Ophelia at the Observatory just didn’t register with me. The concept of the crystallisation creating the echoes and having these revelational moments just went over my head and I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

I think what was the issue is that this book really veered so far away from where I was envisioning the story to go and I was disappointed with how it ended. The fact that Thorn gets stuck in the Other place and we don’t get to see him and Ophelia truly get to live in peace as husband and wife really irritates me after being kept apart or having to pretend they didn’t have feelings for each other this whole time.

This was definitely my least favourite book in this series. I wasn’t all that invested or interested in the direction the plot was going and it took me a while to get through it. If this wasn’t the last book in the series and me being a completionist I probably would of DNF’d it at 30%.

⭐️2/5 stars I’m just disappointed and underwhelmed.

Reviews

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on In My Dreams I Hold a Knife Review

*BEWARE OF SPOILERS*

A college reunion turns dark and deadly in this chilling and propulsive suspense novel about six friends, one unsolved murder, and the dark secrets they’ve been hiding from each other—and themselves—for a decade.

Jessica as I character I thought was very multi-faceted and interesting! She does come across as a bit unlikeable and her thought process was definitely different but seeing how everything unfolded from her perspective especially was very entertaining and kept me engaged in the narrative.

As for the rest of the characters it took me a little while to differentiate between them all at the start. They all seemed so similar and through Jessica’s perspective they were all kind of muddled together for a while. Eventually as the book progressed and we find out more and more about each of them and what secrets they have been hiding from their time in college it became a lot more easier to form a connection with them. I wasn’t overly fond of any of the characters to be perfectly honest but I knew each of them served a purpose.

Heather though we don’t really get that much interaction from in the past I feel. She is kind of just mentioned in passing a lot and the focus is so much more on Jessica and how she is feeling throughout her experience at Duquette and it really isn’t until the second half of the book that we see the levels of jealously Jessica holds towards her. I like the fact that we don’t really know what Heather’s intentions truly are, I mean she chose Jessica over her best friends and roommate after just meeting her and we see throughout the plot that she downplays a lot of her achievements and makes everything seem so effortless and easy when others are silently struggling.

The pacing of the book was perfect for me and the switch between the timelines was seamless and made the story flow smoothly. There was a gradual build up of tension between all of the characters and it was fun to kind of pick apart all of their actions and see who is truly behind the murder. It did seem quite obvious who the killer was butt here were so many twists and revelations throughout that it would be easy to overlook. And that ending scene was crazy!

⭐️5/5 stars This was a suspenseful, twisty, haunting and graphic thriller!

Reviews

Empire of the Vampire Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Empire of the Vampire Review

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Twenty-seven years have passed since the last sunrise, and for almost three decades, the creatures of the night have walked the day without fear. Once, humanity fought bravely against the coldblood legions, but now, we exist only in a few scattered settlements—tiny sparks of light in a growing sea of darkness. Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, a holy order dedicated to defending realm and church, now utterly destroyed. Imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king, Gabriel is charged with telling the story of his life.

So first of all I loved the format of the story. Gabe being forced to tell his life story and we see how all of the actions and decisions he has made in his life has led him to this moment and it makes me excited to see what has happened and how he has ended up here. I also low key like to be spoiled when I’m reading epic fantasy so knowing that Gabe isn’t going to die is reassuring but also the fact that everyone around him could potentially is engaging!

As a character I find Gabe to be quite complex. We see over the various timelines that he evolves and changes quite significantly but in a way that shows growth for sure. He maintains a quite arrogant, unlikable attitude that honestly appeals to me, I know a lot of people probably would hate him but I’m here for it!

I am very must invested in the dual timelines. Each were at such pivotal moments in Gabe’s life that there wasn’t one over the other that I preferred which is usually what happens. I was both equally invested and eager to find out what was going to happen to all of the characters in each period.

The world building was pretty epic and descriptive and the scale is definitely shown through the amount of time it takes the characters to traverse the country throughout the course of the storyline. The magic system surrounding the vampires and their hierarchy is fascinating and unlike anything I’ve read before. The whole history of the Silversaints and how they control their urges and the seductive nature of smoking and how debilitating it can be when they go without was a unique twist and I certainly can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.

⭐️5/5 stars Gabe is everything I needed!