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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
-- re-read December 2016 --
I feel like this isn't the most well-written series, but for some reason it just really draws me in (despite having read it already).
--------Original review ----------
More Barrons, please!
I feel like this isn't the most well-written series, but for some reason it just really draws me in (despite having read it already).
--------Original review ----------
More Barrons, please!
Spoiler
and I think he's one of the Seelie.... guess we'll see
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oh, I came back. I finished it. I didn't remember the story at all. Too funny. I read it to appease my massage therapist who insisted I would love it. I didn't hate it so much on the second time through. I think it's hilarious I read this before and don't remember a lick of it.
--------
Lame.
I believe that a novel should contain a full story arc. Certainly in a series it is permissible for an author to leave unanswered questions that leave room for future novels, future story arcs. Those story arcs may take 100 pages to complete or 1,000 pages to complete. Whatever it takes, that's how long the book is. It breaches the time-honored contract with the reader to cut a single story arc into five chunks and sell each of those as an individual novel, and that is apparently what has been done here. The publisher should be slapped. The author should be severely chastised. I am certainly going to shun the author. This is outrageous.
What we have here is the introduction of a character, Mac, an apparent dumb blond from the American South who, just like her older sister, has the ability to see fairies, which are nefarious beings in this book, bent on destroying humans and stealing the planet. In the heroic tradition, Mac has one helper, Barrons, a bookstore owner by day and an apparent (I'm making an inference here) druid at all times. We get hints of future conflict, hints of rising action, hints of increased tension between the protagonist and her assistant, and then the book ends. Yes. It just ends. It's like seeing Luke Skywalker arrive at the Deathstar an then having the credits roll. It's like Having Frodo volunteer to take the ring to Mordor and turning the last page to discover that's the end of the book. It's like Ordering a Whopper and being given only the top bun. You'd feel ripped off, right?
I feel ripped off.
I am not going to read the rest of this series for several reasons.
(1)I have already paid for the story and the author did not deliver. Shyster! I am talking to you, Ms. Moning. What you have done here is dishonest and unscrupulous!
(2) The book is full of filler. As someone who scores writing for a living, much of this book grated on my nerves. Does the protagonist really need to stop every three seconds and spend a page talking about how she knows she shouldn't do something, that every fiber in her character says she shouldn't do it, all the background we have on the character says she shouldn't do it, that she doesn't know why she's going to do it, but she's going to do it? That's not only filler, that a glaring sign of shitty character development. If it doesn't follow that the character would do it, then DON'T have her do it. If it makes sense that she would do it, then just do it. Don't spending 45 pages of the book hemming and hawing over whether or not the character should act.
(3) Overuse of one tension building tool makes for a bumpy read. This author repeatedly has a character say something along the lines of, "If I'd known then what I know now..." An author can do this a couple of times in a book at judicious moments to compelling effect, but when that's the only tool in the tension building toolbox, it does more to unravel tension than bind it tighter. It starts to feel stale. It gets lame.
There is probably a decent story buried in this series somewhere, but since Bantam is only selling you the first 20% of it, I think you're getting ripped off it you buy it. The whole story should be in one book, and I guarantee you that book is not worth $35, which is probably what it will cost to buy each of the five books.
I sincerely hope that someone in the process of publishing this book was punished for this. I am spitting mad, and I'm certainly not going to take this again.
So long, Ms. Moning. We shan't encounter each other again.
--------
Lame.
I believe that a novel should contain a full story arc. Certainly in a series it is permissible for an author to leave unanswered questions that leave room for future novels, future story arcs. Those story arcs may take 100 pages to complete or 1,000 pages to complete. Whatever it takes, that's how long the book is. It breaches the time-honored contract with the reader to cut a single story arc into five chunks and sell each of those as an individual novel, and that is apparently what has been done here. The publisher should be slapped. The author should be severely chastised. I am certainly going to shun the author. This is outrageous.
What we have here is the introduction of a character, Mac, an apparent dumb blond from the American South who, just like her older sister, has the ability to see fairies, which are nefarious beings in this book, bent on destroying humans and stealing the planet. In the heroic tradition, Mac has one helper, Barrons, a bookstore owner by day and an apparent (I'm making an inference here) druid at all times. We get hints of future conflict, hints of rising action, hints of increased tension between the protagonist and her assistant, and then the book ends. Yes. It just ends. It's like seeing Luke Skywalker arrive at the Deathstar an then having the credits roll. It's like Having Frodo volunteer to take the ring to Mordor and turning the last page to discover that's the end of the book. It's like Ordering a Whopper and being given only the top bun. You'd feel ripped off, right?
I feel ripped off.
I am not going to read the rest of this series for several reasons.
(1)I have already paid for the story and the author did not deliver. Shyster! I am talking to you, Ms. Moning. What you have done here is dishonest and unscrupulous!
(2) The book is full of filler. As someone who scores writing for a living, much of this book grated on my nerves. Does the protagonist really need to stop every three seconds and spend a page talking about how she knows she shouldn't do something, that every fiber in her character says she shouldn't do it, all the background we have on the character says she shouldn't do it, that she doesn't know why she's going to do it, but she's going to do it? That's not only filler, that a glaring sign of shitty character development. If it doesn't follow that the character would do it, then DON'T have her do it. If it makes sense that she would do it, then just do it. Don't spending 45 pages of the book hemming and hawing over whether or not the character should act.
(3) Overuse of one tension building tool makes for a bumpy read. This author repeatedly has a character say something along the lines of, "If I'd known then what I know now..." An author can do this a couple of times in a book at judicious moments to compelling effect, but when that's the only tool in the tension building toolbox, it does more to unravel tension than bind it tighter. It starts to feel stale. It gets lame.
There is probably a decent story buried in this series somewhere, but since Bantam is only selling you the first 20% of it, I think you're getting ripped off it you buy it. The whole story should be in one book, and I guarantee you that book is not worth $35, which is probably what it will cost to buy each of the five books.
I sincerely hope that someone in the process of publishing this book was punished for this. I am spitting mad, and I'm certainly not going to take this again.
So long, Ms. Moning. We shan't encounter each other again.
challenging
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
No smut. Fun story line and world building. The character is complex and full in some interesting ways. Lots to be discovered. Quick read
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Just finished it and put the second on hold for my Kindle. It was good. It wasnt amazing to me but it was enjoyable. I feel like it didnt really go anywhere though... and I worry when I saw there are like 7 books or so in this series... I dont know if I liked it enough to keep reading them all but we shall see how the next one goes... It kinda made me worried when I read "Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane...and Jericho Barrons..." Really?! What is there to like about V'lane?! :/
As I was checking the shelves I checked paranormal and was going to check romance but then I thought... no there was no romance in this... sure she thinks some guys are hot in it and yes there are people "doing it" on the floor and heck V'lane makes her peel her clothing off and practically rapes her in public but that dosnt make it romantic... it might get that way later in the series but this book itself was not a romance.
As I was checking the shelves I checked paranormal and was going to check romance but then I thought... no there was no romance in this... sure she thinks some guys are hot in it and yes there are people "doing it" on the floor and heck V'lane makes her peel her clothing off and practically rapes her in public but that dosnt make it romantic... it might get that way later in the series but this book itself was not a romance.
Entré en este libro con la certeza y voluntad de estar leyendo "comida basura", pero no me esperaba que fuera a ser TAN malo. Creo que es de lo peorcito que me he leído jamás.
El estilo narrativo no me ha gustado nada: primera persona, en pasado, todo el rato interrumpiendo la acción con monólogos internos repetitivos hasta la saciedad, spoilers de lo que vendrá más adelante, volcados de información en formato enciclopedia y descripciones de varias PÁGINAS sobre el modelito y el color del pintauñas de la protagonista. Que por cierto, le quedaba divino todo con ese bronceado, esa es la lección con la que me quedo de todo el libro.
¿Trama? Ah, sí, bueno, una hermana asesinada, un buenorro maltratador y el descubrimiento del mundo feérico en Irlanda. Muy triste y misterioso todo, pero ¿he mencionado ya que la falda le queda súper bien a ese cuerpazo? Su hermana ha muerto, el único que la "ayuda" es el buenorro maltratador, y no para de monologar sobre lo triste que está, pero ojo, y cito, "Podía sentirme amoratada y perpleja, pero por Dios que tenía muy buen aspecto".
El final era de risa, aunque debería habérmelo esperado: la protagonista se vuelve Lara Croft de la noche a la mañana y les da tremenda paliza a los cientos de enemigos que se le vienen encima, aunque no había luchado en su vida.
¡Pero ojo! Lo más increíble de todo no era eso, sino lo que venía después del final: la biografía de la autora. Porque sí, lo ha escrito una mujer. Y es escritora top ventas del New York Times!!!
Lo único positivo que puedo decir es que me lo he leído rápido (gracias señor) y que me he reído bastante, aunque fuera por no llorar.
El estilo narrativo no me ha gustado nada: primera persona, en pasado, todo el rato interrumpiendo la acción con monólogos internos repetitivos hasta la saciedad, spoilers de lo que vendrá más adelante, volcados de información en formato enciclopedia y descripciones de varias PÁGINAS sobre el modelito y el color del pintauñas de la protagonista. Que por cierto, le quedaba divino todo con ese bronceado, esa es la lección con la que me quedo de todo el libro.
¿Trama? Ah, sí, bueno, una hermana asesinada, un buenorro maltratador y el descubrimiento del mundo feérico en Irlanda. Muy triste y misterioso todo, pero ¿he mencionado ya que la falda le queda súper bien a ese cuerpazo? Su hermana ha muerto, el único que la "ayuda" es el buenorro maltratador, y no para de monologar sobre lo triste que está, pero ojo, y cito, "Podía sentirme amoratada y perpleja, pero por Dios que tenía muy buen aspecto".
El final era de risa, aunque debería habérmelo esperado: la protagonista se vuelve Lara Croft de la noche a la mañana y les da tremenda paliza a los cientos de enemigos que se le vienen encima, aunque no había luchado en su vida.
¡Pero ojo! Lo más increíble de todo no era eso, sino lo que venía después del final: la biografía de la autora. Porque sí, lo ha escrito una mujer. Y es escritora top ventas del New York Times!!!
Lo único positivo que puedo decir es que me lo he leído rápido (gracias señor) y que me he reído bastante, aunque fuera por no llorar.
Mackayla Lane goes to Ireland to find her sister’s murderer. She ends up living in a bookstore with Jericho Barrons, helping him find a powerful book. To make matters worse, she confronted by a “death-by-sex” Fae, Vlane, who adds humiliation to her emotional ride abroad.
I loved this book. It had everything: action, mystery, paranormal, and even a little bit of romance...a little bit....more like a hint of a possible romance. There were moments that had me laughing out loud. The contrast between Mac and Barrons made their relationship much more interesting to read. The bickering that went on between the two of them was hilarious. I just wish that the hint of romance would have turned into something more. Hopefully in the following books, their relationship will grow.
The action was thrilling and suspenseful. I read the book in one day-I couldn’t stop reading. I absolutely LOVED it. 5/5
Caroline @ Bon Bons and Reveries
I loved this book. It had everything: action, mystery, paranormal, and even a little bit of romance...a little bit....more like a hint of a possible romance. There were moments that had me laughing out loud. The contrast between Mac and Barrons made their relationship much more interesting to read. The bickering that went on between the two of them was hilarious. I just wish that the hint of romance would have turned into something more. Hopefully in the following books, their relationship will grow.
The action was thrilling and suspenseful. I read the book in one day-I couldn’t stop reading. I absolutely LOVED it. 5/5
Caroline @ Bon Bons and Reveries
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
I cannot wait to read more of Mac’s story! And Barrons, need to know more! I love how this narrator will break the 4th wall. It’s a unique reading experience.