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squishies's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fun read and loved the world it's set in.
Ves is so breezy and her interaction with Jay was just a delight to read. Also quietly shipping them, despite the age gap and that she's more interested in Baron Alban.
Ves is so breezy and her interaction with Jay was just a delight to read. Also quietly shipping them, despite the age gap and that she's more interested in Baron Alban.
vae's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat hasty paced as I should have expected from a novella, but great fun.
creativelifeofliz's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting premise and I want to know more about the House!
clack's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Written with such a lovely and strong style. The book was magical and fun and based in a world I want to explore much more of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty
Has scenes detailing a pit of rotting animals and animals being eaten rawapalershadeofwhite's review against another edition
3.0
The author definitely had a thesaurus handy when writing. Reading certain sentences felt like the writer was using big words just to sound smart. Some of the words seem forced, but others do fit well. I guess it's just finding that balance.
Also, the ending was very lacklustre. I understand it's part of a series, but it just felt unfinished; like stopping in the middle of a sentence. It could have ended so much better with a much more interesting cliffhanger.
I did really like the characters, though! They felt real, and I could actually imagine them. And the dialogue was really funny (apart from the made-up curse words, but we all know those hardly ever work out).
Also, the ending was very lacklustre. I understand it's part of a series, but it just felt unfinished; like stopping in the middle of a sentence. It could have ended so much better with a much more interesting cliffhanger.
I did really like the characters, though! They felt real, and I could actually imagine them. And the dialogue was really funny (apart from the made-up curse words, but we all know those hardly ever work out).
wallenne's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Something is wrong with the trolls in the world, and the main character Ves is willing to do whatever it takes to solve the mystery. She's strong-willed, convicted, intelligent, and doesn't shy away from the challenge even when she appears to meet a dead end. Ves does appreciate the physical attraction of her partner, Jay, who has more skills than she initially expects when they start working together. Together with a representative from the troll court, they're looking for the key to unlock this mystery and to stop the wane of magic.
All in all, this book is a very quick, light, adult modern fantasy read. The characters are relateable with their quirks. This was a perfect read for a long drive, as it was easy to follow without requiring a lot of brain power to focus on what's being read.
All in all, this book is a very quick, light, adult modern fantasy read. The characters are relateable with their quirks. This was a perfect read for a long drive, as it was easy to follow without requiring a lot of brain power to focus on what's being read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
There was one fairly gross part near the climax of the booknicnevin's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Decent fantasy book, I like the world building but I am not a fan of the main character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Violence
amandak70's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
spicygeek's review
Far too slow for me to even get into it and the writing wasn't that great. I couldn't get past the first chapter I was hating it so much
clivemeister's review
3.0
We live in the 21st century, we don't have flying cars, so can't we at least have magic? Maybe it's that sort of desire that has produced such a wave of "contemporary magic" books in the last decade or two. Or maybe we've all read too much Harry Potter, I'm not sure. Either way, this is a nice example of the genre: there's magic, it's out there, but it's been fading for hundreds of years, and now us ordinary people can't see it - and those who can, like Cordelia "Ves" Vesper, the hero of this book, seem to have a whale of a time with it.
Here, we follow Ves as she works with her new partner, Jay, to discover what's ailing the troll communities of Britain, many of whom seem to be turning in on themselves in a rather alarming way. We're in book 1 of a series here, so there is some development of the characters, with Ves receiving most of the spotlight, and Jay less so. I liked the setting, too, with the ancient manor house where their organisation is headquartered also playing a significant role. The writing flowed smoothly, but I did feel a little short-changed when the whole thing wrapped up in about 120 pages, all a little too neatly, and with perhaps not enough time for me to get properly engaged with the world.
Still, lots of enjoy here, so three stars for some engaging writing and interesting segments.
Here, we follow Ves as she works with her new partner, Jay, to discover what's ailing the troll communities of Britain, many of whom seem to be turning in on themselves in a rather alarming way. We're in book 1 of a series here, so there is some development of the characters, with Ves receiving most of the spotlight, and Jay less so. I liked the setting, too, with the ancient manor house where their organisation is headquartered also playing a significant role. The writing flowed smoothly, but I did feel a little short-changed when the whole thing wrapped up in about 120 pages, all a little too neatly, and with perhaps not enough time for me to get properly engaged with the world.
Still, lots of enjoy here, so three stars for some engaging writing and interesting segments.