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Reviews

Darkdawn Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on Darkdawn Review

23264672This is the third and final book in the Nevernight Chronicles. We follow on immediately after the events that took place in Godsgrave with Mia having just murdered Cardinal Duomo and barely escaping with Jonnen.

The direction that the plot went with this book again completely surprised me! We dig a lot deeper into the history of Itreyan and the legends surrounding the gods and how it correlates back to Mia and being a darkin.

I like that we head back to the mountain and the Red Church where everything really originated. It felt like we came back full circle and it was gratifying to see how much Mia has changed from the first time she walked in those doors. It was a nice nod to the first book and I really liked how everything tied together.

Mia’s character is just super entertaining and very multifaceted. She’s strong, crass, murderous, sometimes completely without mercy and other times she’s vulnerable, lonely and scared. She’s such a well rounded character in my opinion, not without her faults but she will be the first one to own up to them. I absolutely loved her growth and evolution over the course of the series and I am sad that this will be the last we see of her.

From the start reading the prologue and knowing that she is going to die really had me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I honestly didn’t know how Jay Kristoff was going to top everything that happened in Godsgrave but I will say that it was pretty up to par. The pace of the book was very quick and there were copious amounts of action and adventure and an element of mystery that keeps you engaged and eager to read on.

The love triangle element wasn’t a favourite of mine. Again now that Tric was back in the picture I honestly thought Mia would gravitate back to him and leave Ash. I guess the bond she creates with Ash was too great for Tric and it really shows in the book how much they love each other. There was some really open and honest conversation about their feelings, which I appreciated and at the end of the day Ash was the one that Mia couldn’t live without. The sacrifice Tric makes for Mia was beautiful and again really displayed the depths of his love for her, which I kind of think she didn’t appreciate enough.

Once again the scope of the world really blew my mind. The amount of detail and context put into the book amazes me and I really loved every single minute of it!

⭐️4.5/5 stars a fitting ending!

Reviews

The Turn of the Key Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Turn of the Key Review

40489648Creepy!

The Turn of the Key follows the story of Rowan who is a nanny. When she comes across an advert for a live in nanny position it looks too good to pass up.

I like the format of the book, the use of the letters at the start to kind of establish all of the details and then backtracking to find out how Rowan came to be in this situation. There was quite a short time frame that the book focuses in on which I appreciate. I think the whole story was over the course of a week, which really enabled the plot to go into the minute details of all the events that take place! 

I really enjoyed Rowan’s character. She was definitely self-aware and wasn’t at all arrogant or above anyone else, I found her to be super relatable and I could find myself really connecting with her and all the events that happen at Heatherbrae. I thought she wasn’t the most likable of characters and I think that endeared her to me even more.  I like the fact that she swore and but some of the thoughts she had in regards to the girls were a little off-putting and didn’t really enable me to trust her completely as a character. Especially when she was supposedly this highly regarded nanny and childcare worker, so I kind of picked up on that and it made me a little wary of her.

Ruth Ware really has a way of creating this completely chilling and creepy ambiance out of a perfectly normal scenario. The atmosphere was a little off kilter from the start and I liked how the technology was incorporated as a way to make Rowan a little more paranoid. The way that Ruth weaves the story definitely had me on the edge of my seat and really had me concentrating on what was happening and when in order to figure out how everything goes down.

The only qualm I had was that the ending felt a little rushed to me. We had this whole, long drawn out, build-up of suspense and in the end Rowan was really just stumbling around while the events took place. I get that she didn’t really know what happened from the start but we are really just told and not shown what actually took place. It was still a great twist and I didn’t see it coming at all, I just thought it would have been explained a little more in detail.

Still a fantastic, nail-biter of a psychological thriller and I will definitely be checking out a few more of Ruth Ware’s backlist titles in the near future!

⭐️4.5/5 stars Dark, unsettling, spooky!

Reviews

My Lovely Wife Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on My Lovely Wife Review

39796904This was a roller-coaster ride!

This book follows the story of a suburban couple who decided to spice up their marriage by murdering people!

I absolutely loved the concept of this book! Reading from an inside perspective of the killers is something that you don’t really come across in thrillers. Especially when the husband kind of portrays himself as the innocent bystander really and Millicent is the one who does all of the dirty work. Looking after his daughter when she is sick and being so in the dark of what his wife is really capable of.

I actually really loved Millicent’s character! I love how meticulous and mercurial she is. Her rigidity and need for order and structure in all aspects of her life and how controlling she is of her family was an indication of how she truly is but I didn’t pick up on anything! She was really unpredictable and I had no idea of what she was capable of. I definitely wanted to know where she was keeping the girls and when she was going to see them, but through her husband’s perspective she really covers every aspect of her crimes and very nearly got away with it all!

I like the fact the even though we are deep in the husband’s mind and we are reading through his perspective we only know him as Tobias which is his alter-ego. The fact that we aren’t even given a name I think proves how inconspicuous he is and how easily he is able to blend into society without a second thought or glance.

I thought the pacing of the book was perfect! We are really given just enough to keep turning the pages and the sense of foreboding is implemented really well throughout the course of the plot. Every page I was waiting and anticipating for when the other shoe was going to drop and the truth was going to come out. And when the climax finally did occur it was totally unexpected and shocked me! The twists and the turns really keep you engaged and the characters and their lives kept you enthralled.

I highly enjoyed this book and I feel it’s one of the best domestic, suspenseful thrillers I’ve ever read!

⭐️4.5/5 stars calculating, twisted & dark!

Reviews

Serpent & Dove Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Serpent & Dove Review

42608037._SY475_I really enjoyed this!

Serpent and Dove follows the story of a witch named Lou who is on the run from her coven. When she ends up in the hands of the Chasseurs (witch hunters) as a thief and known witch associate through some unforeseen circumstances she is forced to marry one of them.

 I thought this book was cleverly done. I had heard it involved a witch and witch hunter being forcing to get married and I didn’t quite understand how it was going to happen, but the way the plot line played out it made sense. It wasn’t at all insta-lovey and there was definitely a period of hatred, turned to indifference, to mutual respect and then we started getting more feelings involved. It definitely progressed on the slower side of thing but I didn’t mind it.

I absolutely loved Lou’s character, especially how crass she is in the presence of the Chasseurs and how uncomfortable she makes them. I like that she acknowledges how prudish they are and goes out of her way to make them horrified or embarrassed by her behavior. It definitely kept me entertained throughout the plot.

Reid’s character was at first a little boring and too rigid for me but I like that we gradually see him thaw and actually get to know Lou and accept her for who she is. I thought his blind reverence for the Archbishop a little stale to be honest but it did play a key role in how the story played out. He was a lot more of an integral character than just Lou’s love interest and I like that he was a strong presence in the book. He is quite staunch and firm in his beliefs that all witches should be burned and to see how his perception of what he thought was right get drastically changed because of his feelings was a moment!

The pacing like I said was a little on the slower side but I was so invested in the plot that I honestly didn’t care, I just wanted more. I thought the premise was highly original and the whole dichotomy between the witches and the different covens was fascinating to get into. Hopefully after that ending and the witches being the main focus at the moment we get a deeper insight into that world in the next book!

⭐️4/5 Witchy, dark, high stakes!

Reviews

Falling Kingdoms Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on Falling Kingdoms Review

12954620I had my misgiving about this book but once I got stuck in I was hooked!

Falling Kingdoms revolves around 4 individuals living in three separate kingdoms in the land of Mytica. As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed.

I thought this was very well planned out and I like that each of the main characters interacted with each other earlier on in the plot. Usually when we have multiple perspectives in fantasy novels it takes forever for the protagonists to cross paths but with Falling Kingdoms they all interact with each other quite frequently from the start which I enjoyed.

I found Cleo to be a little naïve and spoilt at times! Right at the start of the book with the whole altercation between Aron and the Tomas soured her a little fore me. She could have stepped in a whole lot sooner and diffused the situation, especially since she had Theon with her. It didn’t have to escalate to that level and end in bloodshed, which was the catalyst for the whole war. Her stubbornness and pride resulted in a lot of situations that definitely could have been avoided.

I thought the way Jonas focused all of his anger and aggression on Cleo was a little unfair. Sure she just sat back and let it happen but Aron was the one who ultimately killed his brother, I just thought he should have been more focused on him. I did like however, that he was able to be talked out of his insane quest to assassinate Cleo and Aron and work with the chief on bring the whole country down instead.

Magnus’s whole plot-line with Lucia made me a little uncomfortable to be perfectly honest. The way he was feeling towards he even before he found out she was adopted was a little weird and I’m not sure how it’s going to play out for the rest of the series. I just thought there are so many other options for him to pursue. Other than that little indiscretion I actually quite enjoy his character. Stepping up and becoming the Prince of Blood and trying to live up to his father’s expectations is entertaining! I’m always drawn to the bad boys and every time he interacts with Cleo he just exudes those bad boy vibes!

Lucia hasn’t really made an impact on me yet. I know she is supposed to be this all powerful sorceress but I have yet to see her really get involved in what is happening outside of her immediate family. I thought she would play a bigger role because she is the first of her kind in like 1000 years but I’m guessing she is going to establish herself in the books to come!

I found the premise to be very unique and quite cut throat. Characters that I thought would be integral to the plot are killed off at will and that definitely kept the stakes at an all-time high.  This was a solid start to the series, and I am excited to continue on to see where it will progress next!

⭐️4/5 stars Great foundation for hopefully a great series!