Tag: ya book review

Reviews

House of Hollow Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on House of Hollow Review

*SOME SPOILERS BEWARE*

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

I really found myself attached to Iris’s character and highly intrigued by her sisters. Immediately I was ensnared by the introduction of this book and the way Iris explained how her and her sisters were weird and strange. I liked the fact that they were all so discernible from each other and had different personalities even though they were so close.

The mystery aspect surrounding Grey’s disappearance and how Iris and Vivi have to try and piece together the clues she left behind whilst also trying to escape from the man who is chasing them was highly entertaining. It kept me engaged and wanting to read on and find out what was going to happen next. It was definitely a roller coaster ride of a plot and I was surprised at every turn.

From what we learn about Grey I didn’t really like her all that much. I appreciated the lengths she would go to to help and protect her sister’s but she kind of went too far at times. Her secretive nature and how much she supposedly didn’t tell her sisters even though they promised not to investigate what happened to them all those years ago, really didn’t give me a reason to trust her at all. Which I guess my instincts were kind of right in the end.

I really felt like Tyler’s character wasn’t all that necessary, if he wasn’t in the story at all I probably would of enjoyed the book all the same. I think his involvement in the mystery came out of nowhere and I didn’t think he was that important as a character when we are first introduced to him. I still have unanswered questions as to why he wasn’t affected by their gifts and why he is drawn so much to Grey but then didn’t come when she called to his soul.

Overall I highly enjoyed this book. I felt like the premise was highly original and entertaining and the twist at the end about what happened when they disappeared was shocking and unexpected to say the least. The prose was highly descriptive and I was able just to get lost in the story and enjoy the ride!

⭐️4/5 stars creepy, bizarre & gripping

Reviews

Shadowcaster Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Shadowcaster Review

Alyssa ana’Raisa is the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of Fells, a queendom embroiled in a seemingly endless war. Hardened by too many losses, Lyss is more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, she goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn’t pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne.

One thing I love about Cinda Williams Chima’s books is that there isn’t one main focus or character. We are introduced to a plethora of new characters in this instalment of the series and we get to see what is happening in the Fells while Adrian is worming his way into the Arden court. I love that we see repercussions of what’s happening in Arden in real time and how Lyss is dealing with everything.

I can sympathise with Lyss and the position she finds herself in having to step up and be the reluctant heir to the Gray Wolf Throne. Even though she is secure and confident on the battlefield and giving orders she is still insecure about the role of being a princess and dealing with the political side. We see her go through a lot of emotional turmoil throughout the course of the plot and we really get a good sense of what kind of character she is. I am highly engaged and invested with her, almost more so than Ash and I am excited to see where how everything is going to come together.

Hal I could tell straight away when he is introduced that he is going to fall for Lyss, especially after she saves him from the mages. I can see how he is useful to the plot and his connection to the King through his father, but I can’t help but think he is only in the story as a love interest. He doesn’t really add anything else in particular to the storyline. I am hoping that we more of a sense of who he is in the coming books and he makes more of an impact, because right now he isn’t really doing anything for me.

I am loving this side plot with the Empress and the mage marks. The introduction of Breon and his Shadowcasting abilities was very intriguing and I was also very much invested in his character as well. Who is he really, what does his mage mark mean and what is the connection back to the Empress? Why is she chasing them and how is she able to locate them so quickly. I am left wanting to know more and this makes me want to pick up the next book in the series immediately!

⭐️ 4/5 star The plot is expanding and I have so many questions that need answering!!

Reviews

The Year of the Witching Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Year of the Witching Review

This was completely different to what I was expecting.

The daughter of a union with an outsider that cast her once-proud family into disgrace, Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol and lead a life of submission, devotion and absolute conformity, like all the women in the settlement. But a chance mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood that surrounds Bethel – a place where the first prophet once pursued and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still walking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the diary of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

I really liked Immanuelle’s character right from the start. She was that little bit sarcastic and resistant to all the rules and regulations she has to live by. Even though she complies most of the time she still questions the decisions and isn’t afraid to break the rules and dig a little deeper into the history of Bethel. We see her evolve over the course of the storyline and come to terms with who she really is and how she can change the way things are run in this town.

I would of really been more invested if this story was a dual perspective and we got to see more from Ezra’s point of view. Having him deep within the institution as the Prophet’s son and seeing what he has had to endure over the course of the years to make him rebel would of given me a lot more context I think. I appreciated how committed he was too helping Immanuelle but I think their relationship could of been drawn out a little longer. I just wish they would of had a few more scenes together in more of a group setting where we could see the tension and attraction between them.

This was a lot more religious and pious than what I was expecting. It took me out of the story a little, granted this is my own fault for going in blind. I was expecting witchiness and spells and magic and this very different to that. I’ve seen this pitched as The Handmaid’s Tale for a new generation and I completely agree with that statement. It’s definitely thought provoking and starts a conversation but I was thinking it would be a more fantastical tale.

⭐️3/5 highly engaging and original, just not what I was expecting!

Reviews

A Vow So Bold and Deadly Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on A Vow So Bold and Deadly Review

*A few spoilery moments ahead*

Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.

Grey has evolved so much over the course of this series and I am really happy with his character arc and the way his story ends. I think he definitely got what he deserves and even though he has always been a main protagonist he was overlooked by everyone in power and came into his inheritance I feel the right way. I really enjoyed the fact that he didn’t immediately agree to Harper’s request straight away and put his burgeoning relationship with Lia Mara first.

Harper and Rhen both got on my nerves in this book. The majority of the conflict between them was miscommunication and that trope is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. If they would of just sat down and explained their feelings and their motivations for their actions a lot of their issues would have been resolved. I think it was a bit selfish of Harper to just expect Grey to drop everything to save Rhen after everything that has happened. I think if she would of had more humility when she showed up in Syhl Shallow I think everyone would of been more welcoming. She came across a little bratty and entitled to me.

Rhen I can understand and appreciate how much he has been through with Lilith and how terrified he becomes of magic, but I just can’t overcome what he did in the last book. He just keeps all these secrets and thinks he needs to be the one to handle everything all the time and not be honest with those closest to him. I thought he was petty and irrational at times and I’m kind of glad that he didn’t end up being king in the end.

The plot was stagnant at times and there were moments that I felt were given way to much attention and other I feel more significant moments were rushed along. I think when Grey and Harper finally make their way back to Emberfall to save Rhen from Lilith there should of been way more detail and the scenes should of been drawn out a lot longer. I would of liked to see them entering the castle from Grey’s perspective, seeing all the bodies and blood and then coming across Rhen and getting his initial reaction and thoughts. Rhen being woozy and out of it from his wounds made the whole reunion less impactful.

⭐️3/5 My least favourite of the books in this series, it felt a little anticlimactic and almost rushed in a way.

Reviews

The Girl and the Stars Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Girl and the Stars Review

On Abeth the vastness of the ice holds no room for individuals. Survival together is barely possible. No one survives alone. To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is not the same. Yaz is torn from the only life she’s ever known, away from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her days with, and has to carve out a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected. A world full of difference and mystery and danger.

This was a little unexpected. I didn’t read the blurb and didn’t know anything about the plot going into this story simply because I wanted to be surprised and Mark Lawrence hasn’t done me wrong yet. However, this fell a little flat for me. I was immediately enraptured by the Book of the Ancester’s series and how raw and merciless it was. This was like a watered down version of that in a way. It still had all the elements there and could of been great for me but it just was lacking the oomph!

Yaz’s character definitely goes on a journey throughout the course of this book. She stars off quite young and naïve and then her eyes are opened to the harshness of life below the ice and becomes a lot more hardened and willing to make more difficult choices. I think her decision to find Zeen blinded her from realising how much she was willing to sacrifice and the guilt that she would inevitably feel having put people in danger.

I just don’t feel like the whole love rectangle was really necessary. Sure she is coming into adulthood and the relationship with Quell was already established, but gaining those feelings for Thurin and Erris so quckly kind of pulled me out of the story. In terms of the plot I didn’t think it added anything to the storyline except for confusion.

The concept of the stars and how Yas somehow has power over them and the path was interesting and was a nice nod to the previous series. There was just a lot of info bombing happening and it was a difficult to keep track of everything, especially when Yas fell in the city. The way it was told it was difficult for me to picture everything and see how it was all unfolding. I am still somewhat invested though and definitely want to find out what is going to happen next so I am excited for the next book in the series to be released!

⭐️ 2/5 stars Underwhelming unfortunately…