Reviews

Blackveil by Kristen Britain

eroviana's review

3.0

The story was a bit slow at the beginning but the pace changed as I entered the triple digits in the pages. A nice enough sequel, and now we wait...again! How I loathe the waiting in series of fantasy!

cooki3_monst3r's review against another edition

5.0

So many tears. Just so many …

Mapstone’s manipulation of Karigan? Tears.

The night before Karigan enters Blackveil? Tears.

Zacharys stupid marriage? Tears.

Last but not least: I will never recover from Yates’s death. I’m convinced he would have become my favorite character had he been allowed to live and taken on a greater role in future books. But, alas, Sacoridia, Karigan, and I have been robbed of his charm, loyalty, and courage.

ladybocknite's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

I am not completely convinced that the author actually likes our main character. She seems to enjoy taking anything good away from her and forcing her onto an island alone even when she is with others. Now she has to trek into the evil forest to see if she can complete a task given to her by a "mythical" queen. What could go wrong with that? Oh I don't know? Maybe add in some murder, magic, betrayal, and subterfuge as icing on the trauma cake.

wannabebard's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

xjinxedx's review against another edition

2.0

This one was hard to get through. I actually can't bring myself to finish it. I absolutely loved the first book and the others after were also pretty good but I can't bring myself to read the rest of this book. I'm not even that far in but I can already tell that I will not like this book. Reading others comments, I am very sure that I would have been upset reading it. The whole love story and non-love story is just awfully terrible to read. I probably won't be finishing this series. This gets a two because I can't be bothered to hate it absolutely.

sam_smith_of_tencendor's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

bibliophilicwitch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Overall this is a solid installment to the series. We follow developments that make sense to past events and build up to future events all without feeling like a filler book. Kerrigan continues to be an engaging main character with faults and growth as she continues to grow up. Alton's growth is also continued and I don't dislike the turn his arc takes in this. I also deeply appreciated Estora's arc and always appreciate the Captain's.

Oh, and boy am I happy I had the next book ready because our first cliffhanger really pulled the rug out from under us.

Mild Spoilers for Blackveil Below (TW rape)

I found it very hard not to want to shake Kerrigan over her hauty opinion regarding the pieces of her father's past that we learned about in the last book. I had to step back and remind myself that Kerrigan, in her fantasy world, has had very different experiences than myself. She is a merchant and her world does not romanticise pirates so her opinion of her father's past makes sense in that context. It was harder to not be frustrated with her feeling so betrayed that her father would seek company at a brothel. But she is still young and has not come to understand her parents as people yet. I find that is always hard for parents' children to accept.

I also DESPISED that Estora wasn't more reticent in consummating the marriage while Zachary was drugged. Even if he has acknowledged he was at least partially aware and has accepted it as necessary in the circumstances, it read as rape and it makes me so uncomfortable even if she was forced into the situation with blackmail.

theliteraryapothecary's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

This is Greenrider Book #4 

Honestly, I should have DNF'd this book - but I stuck it through because a patron picked it for me to read. But I did not enjoy this read at all, as is evident from the following CAWPILE score - which seems to high to me but it is how it came out. 

CAWPILE Breakdown: 

Characters: 3 - There wasn't really much in character development. Most of our characters felt the same as they did at the beginning of the book, and in book 3. Maybe a little development with the Eletians. 

Atmosphere/Setting: 5 - Maybe Britain's strongest category with this book. I didn't really have any problem with the atmosphere and setting, it was just kind of there... mostly unremarakable. I did like how the forest kind of had it's own personality, but it felt like it was more present in earlier books. 

Writing Style: 2 - I did not get along with Britain's writing style in this book. Choices were made by the author that felt unneeded and also some were out of character and unnecessary - she tried to explain some of these later in the book and it just felt almost like a violation to me. I will probably DNF the series here, unless a patron picks book 5 as a pick, which then I will likely grudingly read. 

Plot: 3 - There was too much going on with the plot. Too many threds to keep track of: some of which didn't even make sense to the story or characters, some felt more like "why do we have this here in this book? We don't need this." It felt like it didn't really advance; it just grew more complicated. 

Intrigue: 3 - There wasn't so much intrigue as there were "why did the author make that choice?" For me, intrigue is with the characters, story, setting, plot. "Why that choice" is more an author decision - if that makes sense. 

Logic/Relationships: 2 - There were too many moments where the logic completely failed for me. 

Enjoyment: 2 - I should have DNF'd this book, but I didn't because one of my patron's picked it for me to read. But there wasn't really anything in particular that I really liked about this book. 

CAWPILE Total: 20/7 = 2.8 = 2 stars 

aekre's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

danbr4d's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.75