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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
"The Phoenix will rise into flame once again."
Well! Talk about getting more than you bargained for. When I saw this cover, I thought this book was just going to be a historical fantasy.
It's actually this really cool blend of genres, primarily horror and romance. Young Adult dark romance, maybe? There are also the historical fantasy elements to the story.
"The wisest among us can still make the wrong choices.. even when trying to make the right ones."
I have had an irrational fear of mirrors since I was young and this book is the perfect horror story for that fear
Well! Talk about getting more than you bargained for. When I saw this cover, I thought this book was just going to be a historical fantasy.
It's actually this really cool blend of genres, primarily horror and romance. Young Adult dark romance, maybe? There are also the historical fantasy elements to the story.
"The wisest among us can still make the wrong choices.. even when trying to make the right ones."
I have had an irrational fear of mirrors since I was young and this book is the perfect horror story for that fear
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
This fantasy impressed me with all the love & terror it held—a brave princess married into a royal family that hides a distressing history, a dutiful crown prince, dangerous reflections filled with vengeance, and a fantastical prophecy.
I rarely DNF books, but this book is 500 pages long and I could not see myself wading through another 300 pages just so I could give it a proper rating. This book had so much potential for me when I started it. I thought there were true flashes of beautiful descriptive writing, and the plot itself was interesting and I was curious enough to continue, but it just dissolved into a bit of a mess.
The pacing of this book also started off insanely. There's hardly any set up to this book, and it throws the reader into the action almost immediately. Everything you learn about the main character's past is told to you in the present and how it relates to whatever is happening in that moment. There is so much telling rather than showing, and that always bothers me in prose. The characters are also just so incredibly flimsy. You have no sense of who these characters are outside of their stereotypical roles. The logic of the characters also aren't consistent, and therefore the dialogue is also confusing and a lot of things seem out-of-character or not making sense for the moment.
I'm also sad because not only is the original cover of the book beautiful, I have a gorgeous special edition of this book that I'm probably going to get rid of now because I don't have space on my shelves to keep books I just don't care for!!! I really hope this author will continue to grow because there is some beautiful writing hidden in the recesses of this nonsensical execution. There are also some great ideas as well; I just wish the writing could have been better because this really could have been a lush and suspenseful novel!
The pacing of this book also started off insanely. There's hardly any set up to this book, and it throws the reader into the action almost immediately. Everything you learn about the main character's past is told to you in the present and how it relates to whatever is happening in that moment. There is so much telling rather than showing, and that always bothers me in prose. The characters are also just so incredibly flimsy. You have no sense of who these characters are outside of their stereotypical roles. The logic of the characters also aren't consistent, and therefore the dialogue is also confusing and a lot of things seem out-of-character or not making sense for the moment.
I'm also sad because not only is the original cover of the book beautiful, I have a gorgeous special edition of this book that I'm probably going to get rid of now because I don't have space on my shelves to keep books I just don't care for!!! I really hope this author will continue to grow because there is some beautiful writing hidden in the recesses of this nonsensical execution. There are also some great ideas as well; I just wish the writing could have been better because this really could have been a lush and suspenseful novel!
adventurous
challenging
tense
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:
Yes
This was a letdown for me. An interesting concept poorly executed. The main character was unlikeable. The story line had no flow and had many pieces that made no contribution to the story. It started off so strong but took a complete dive. Disappointing.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had such a great premise but after about 50% it really fell off for me. I felt the trauma to the characters didn't really add to the plot just added trauma for trauma sake and it felt a cliche and predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, War