Tag: review

Reviews

The Hand on the Wall Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Hand on the Wall Review

45240918The Hand on the Wall continues straight off where The Vanishing Stair finished off.  Stevie has solved the case and she now knows who Truly Devious is and who was behind Iris and Alice’s disappearance. At least, she thinks she has. After the latest tragedy with Dr Fenton it’s hard to concentrate on the past but she has a feeling that everything that is happening in the present has a connection to the past.

I liked that Stevie really maintains her curiosity and conviction throughout the series. Her commitment to the school and the mystery over the deaths both past and present really kept me engaged in the story line. 

Some of David’s actions came across a little strange. After his beat down at the end of the last book and his subsequent disappearance felt a little off and weird. When we are given an explanation I didn’t quite find it believable in a way. His dad was always this imposing figure in the background during the course of the series and I’m not quite sure what his purpose was. He isn’t really present for a lot of the book and I don’t really think that whole plot line was necessary.

Once again I really enjoyed the camaraderie between all of the other students at the school, especially between Janene and Stevie. Their friendship I thought was quite special; Janene is so supportive of Stevie and understands her limits and Stevie even though she is all wrapped up in the mystery and unravelling the clues she will still always show up when Janene needs her. 

The almost manic nature of Stevie’s thoughts mixed with the building anticipation over the course of the plot kept the pace quite fast.  I was definitely surprised when Stevie explained who was behind everything and I was very much satisfied with  the conclusion.

⭐️4/5  a solid ending to a very entertaining series!!

Reviews

House of Earth and Blood Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on House of Earth and Blood Review

*SPOILERS BELOW*

44778083This book killed me! Sarah J Maas really got me invested in Danika and the Pack of Devils right from the start and to then rip them away really hit me in the feels. Especially Connor, oh my poor heart!

Bryce is a half elf half human who works as an antiquity assistant to a sorceress by day and loves to party and with her friends at night, until one fateful night when everything changes and her life is never the same again.

I absolutely loved Bryce as our main protagonist. She has had to deal with so much over the course of the storyline and even though she keeps secrets from those around her she stayed true to herself. She doesn’t compromise and is unapologetically living her life regardless of what people think about her. The overall situation with Danika was heartbreaking and the fact that all the blame was placed on Bryce and we see how it has affected her was an emotional rollercoaster.

I think it was destined for me to love Hunt, a broody, sexy angel who is a slave to the Arch Angel Governor of the city after a failed rebellion (uh duh). I like that even though he is portrayed as an alphahole he still expresses his emotions to Bryce and communicates with her about how he is feeling, albeit a little harsh at times. Their romance was obvious right from the start but I liked that even though it was apparent they were attracted to each other they didn’t give in right away. Bryce had to accept what happened in the past and come to terms with the guilt she felt over Connor and Hunt needed to realize he is able to love someone else.

It was a little info dumpy at the start of the book, especially when the world is established. It just jumps straight into the political system of Lunathion and breaks down all the different houses and factions within the houses. It was a little hard to get settled into the story, but after the first 100 or pages I was very much invested!

All of the characters were distinct and diverse and all had a part to play in the overall plot. Fury I was a little unsure of after learning how she ghosted Bryce for the two years after the murder and I felt she never really apologized for it. I would love to get more perspectives from her in the future as she interests me!

From that first twist at the start I wasn’t able to predict anything that was going to happen next. The forced partnership between Bryce and Hunt, the investigation, the revelations, everything came together perfectly for me and even though it was over 800 pages I flew through this book!

⭐️5/5 Through love, all is possible.

Reviews

The Crown’s Fate Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Crown’s Fate Review

27211901._SY475_Vika is still coming to terms with her new position as the Imperial Enchanter and what that role now entails, Nikolai though he has escaped death is trapped in his dream world as a shadow and is trying to find a way back to reality and Pasha is struggling with the decisions he has made that has led them all to this moment.

Once again I found Pasha to be totally out of touch. He wallows in self pity after forcing the end of the game thus resulting in Nikolai’s death. He knew one of them wouldn’t survive and now he wants to mourn Nik but still try and pursue Vika after everything that happened. He repeatedly blows off all his responsibilities to go and get drunk and his sister has to step up and make all the decisions. I never really trusted Yuliana, for some reason I thought she would end up backstabbing Pasha and would try to take the crown for herself. I like that she proved me wrong and supported and maintained her loyalty to her brother.

Vika really showed her tenacity in this book with her refusal to fully comply with Pasha and Yuliana’s orders. The gold cuff that enforces her oath was a surprising obstacle that forced Vika to really think outside of the box to try and circumvent some of the more terrible orders Yuliana metes out. Though she always maintains her loyalty to the crown I appreciated how much she does to try and save Nikolai and doesn’t dismiss their history.

Nikolai’s character definitely experiences a monumental character shift. I was so glad that he didn’t die and I thought it was interesting how he became a shadow and the use of energy to bring him back to the world. I thought it was a nice tie back to his mother and the way she was able to escape death as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this new side of Nikolai after his is given his mother’s energy however; it was entertaining as it made him quite unpredictable.

The tone of the book was definitely a lot darker that the previous book which I appreciated. It showed a progression of the characters and added a layer of urgency to the plot. There is something about Russian settings and the atmosphere that just seem so magical and the traditional lore that makes an appearance raises the level of authenticity. The pacing increased progressively which kept me highly engaged throughout the course of the storyline and the ending even though it was a little anticlimactic gave me all the feels!

⭐️4/5 stars Magical, surprising & highly entertaining!

Reviews

My Sister the Serial Killer Review

by amyleighreads5 Comments on My Sister the Serial Killer Review

38819868._SY475_Interesting!

Basically just like the title this book is about two sisters, one who has killed her last three boyfriends and the other who helps her clean up the mess.

Korede though I can sympathise with her and the situation that she is constantly being put in by her sister, I can’t help but wish she would assert herself more in her personal life. When she is at work she has no problem issuing orders and being authoritative with the other nurse, leading to her promotion to head nurse of the hospital. But when she is at home she lets her sister and her mother walk all over her. I understand the cultural aspect where she is supposed to be her sister’s protector because she is older but Ayoola totally takes it way too far and Korede enables her to do so.

Ayoola is spoilt and selfish and very arrogant. Though she was an interesting character and I would have loved if this was a dual perspective novel to get more insight into the way she thinks. Why she decides to kill the men and when, is it just a crime of opportunity or does she plot their deaths? Though she is aware of her beauty and the effect it has on men I think she is quite cavalier with their feelings and isn’t considerate at all. Like I said she uses her influence over others to get whatever she wants despite the consequences. I think it just irked me that after everything that her sister has done for her she still goes after Tate even though she knows Korede has feelings for him.

The pacing was fast and consistent and I was highly entertained throughout the course of the storyline. This felt like a little slice of life story with an added twist of murder. The tone was quite dark and disturbing at times and then it will flip and be quite light and innocuous, which I feel ties quite relatively to Ayoola’s mood. There was a undercurrent of fear and a sense of urgency woven throughout the course of the plot that definitely kept me engaged and intrigued.

⭐️3/5 stars this was wild!

Reviews

You Are Not Alone Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on You Are Not Alone Review

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

48110356._SY475_This book revolves around Shay Miller, she just recently lost her job and is temping at a law firm. She is running late for a job interview and she happens to witnesses something tragic that will change her life forever.

 I liked Shay. She is endearing and likeable. She doesn’t necessarily have her life sorted the way she would like and this makes her quite relatable. She always has the best intentions in her heart which doesn’t always translate in her favour. She definitely walked into the web of the twins unaware of their motives but I’m glad she was able to pick apart the little clues she collects and figure out what was really happening.

I was a little confused at first about Cassandra and Jane and their connection to the other 4 women. What their group was and why they were so interested in anyone who had talked to Amanda prior to her death. This definitely kept me engaged in the book and eager to read on.

I enjoyed the time jumps and the different povs, it really enabled us to delve deeper into the histories of all the different characters and their motivations for choices that they have made. I especially liked finding out about the other women in the twin’s group and how they all met and the connection between them. Even though what they are doing is wrong and manipulative I quite enjoyed their sisterhood dynamic and the trust they have with each other. Jane and Cassandra influence them heavily but they did help the other women out and changed their lives for the better!

This is a book where even though it’s a little slow and tedious at the start you really need to be paying attention to every detail. Things that you assume are unimportant or irrelevant actually turn out to be the tipping point of the plot. The twists were well placed and the pacing though quite slow at the start picked up heavily around the half way point of the story. It was entertaining, thrilling and in the end I was highly satisfied with the book as a whole!

⭐️4/5 stars numbers never lie!