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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
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:
Yes
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I was so excited to receive the ARC for this book, I’d read snippets and I never thought in a million years that I’d get it but here we are!! I loved the story overall, I think it says a lot about growing up, having faith and confidence in yourself even though you’re different, and setting things straight when you make mistakes, especially ones that hurt other people.
Part of why it lost points in style in particular were the points when Tabatha broke the fourth wall. That’s entirely a personal style thing and it didn’t take away from the overall story too much, and there were parts of that style that I did enjoy and think were important to the story itself.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to friends who like magic and mysteries, and I think it’s a really great young adult book that reminds you that yourself is the best version of you.
Characters: 9
Setting: 5
Plot: 9
Pace: 8
Style: 6
Ending: 9
Enjoyment: 10
64 / 16 = 4.0
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hmmmm I really loved the vibes of this for the first 90% but I just think the ending was a bit anticlimactic? I needed it to hit a bit harder…but I already want more from the author!! Does anyone have any other Knives Out-esque recs?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
I received an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
I received an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What happens when a powerful sorcerer predicts his death and his inheritance is in the balance? What happens when those around him start dropping dead in violent ways? What happens when the occult police officer is biased against all occult practices? Well, it’s up to two high school kids to find out who DID kill the sorcerer before the wrong person is blamed. Oh, but don’t forget, the family is less than forthcoming. This comes to a very satisfying and surprising conclusion. Jaw-dropping after what I thought would be a completely predictable book. Very good. It does have long chapters, though, that’s the only detraction here.
Firstly, thank you to edelweiss and the publishers for the early copy!
Immediately when I started this the writing style (just the point of view really) gave me the same vibes as The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch (which if you had known a younger version of me, you would know I was OBSESSED with those) so naturally that drew me in so quickly.
PHEW this plot had me all over the place (in a good way) The knives out and inheritance games vibes were ever so present and it was such a good combination. And MAGIC… so good. (I honestly really loved the magic system in this, I haven’t read anything like that before and it was so fun to learn about)
The CHARACTERS okay so there were quite a few affected by the death of Sorcerer Solomon, but the way everything connected and all that was so good. Callum was my favorite. Tabatha honestly sometimes I forgot her name
Immediately when I started this the writing style (just the point of view really) gave me the same vibes as The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch (which if you had known a younger version of me, you would know I was OBSESSED with those) so naturally that drew me in so quickly.
PHEW this plot had me all over the place (in a good way) The knives out and inheritance games vibes were ever so present and it was such a good combination. And MAGIC… so good. (I honestly really loved the magic system in this, I haven’t read anything like that before and it was so fun to learn about)
The CHARACTERS okay so there were quite a few affected by the death of Sorcerer Solomon, but the way everything connected and all that was so good. Callum was my favorite. Tabatha honestly sometimes I forgot her name
3.5 stars
Thank you Penguin Teen for the complimentary ARC.
If you're looking for an easy-to-read fantasy, family drama, and/or murder mystery, then look no further. These Deadly Prophecies is told from the POV of Tabatha Zeng, a 17-year-old sorcerer's apprentice. Tabatha was a great main character and I thought Tang really nailed the teenage attitude. A bit of snarkiness and humor, while also including some of the issues & insecurities we all face at that age.
The pace was great too, the writing is such that I was pulled in right from the start and wanted to stay up late to read. Unfortunately, I'm old and when my eyes say they're closing for the night there's no fighting it. I was constantly trying to guess who the murderer was and while I had an inkling, I really was never 100% sure. I personally would have liked a little more magic throughout the book and I thought the ending felt a little melodramatic. However, sign me up for Tang's next book! I would even love to read a sequel to These Deadly Prophecies to know where all the characters go from here, especially Tabatha.
Thank you Penguin Teen for the complimentary ARC.
If you're looking for an easy-to-read fantasy, family drama, and/or murder mystery, then look no further. These Deadly Prophecies is told from the POV of Tabatha Zeng, a 17-year-old sorcerer's apprentice. Tabatha was a great main character and I thought Tang really nailed the teenage attitude. A bit of snarkiness and humor, while also including some of the issues & insecurities we all face at that age.
The pace was great too, the writing is such that I was pulled in right from the start and wanted to stay up late to read. Unfortunately, I'm old and when my eyes say they're closing for the night there's no fighting it. I was constantly trying to guess who the murderer was and while I had an inkling, I really was never 100% sure. I personally would have liked a little more magic throughout the book and I thought the ending felt a little melodramatic. However, sign me up for Tang's next book! I would even love to read a sequel to These Deadly Prophecies to know where all the characters go from here, especially Tabatha.
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. Loved her previous two books, and will soon start "Kingdom of Without"
This particular book didn't wow me as much as I expected, based on the Knives Out comparison anyway.
While I liked Tabatha, and the premise, the first half of the book was a bit of a drag for me. I enjoyed the sleuthing but lots of it seemed repetitive.
If this was published already, I would be tempted to give it a 2 "it was ok" but am going with a 3 assuming there might have been tweaks that would make the first half move a bit more quickly.
And perhaps make the ending a bit more satisfying as well.
This particular book didn't wow me as much as I expected, based on the Knives Out comparison anyway.
While I liked Tabatha, and the premise, the first half of the book was a bit of a drag for me. I enjoyed the sleuthing but lots of it seemed repetitive.
If this was published already, I would be tempted to give it a 2 "it was ok" but am going with a 3 assuming there might have been tweaks that would make the first half move a bit more quickly.
And perhaps make the ending a bit more satisfying as well.
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One-word review: Entertaining
Emojis: 🤔🫣🤯
Rating: 4.5 🌟s
My thoughts:
These Deadly Prophecies was such an entertaining read. I didn’t want to put it down because it was so much fun.
The narrator, Tabatha Zeng, is an apprentice to one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. She has a talent for prophecy, which is a rare talent. I loved her quirkiness and her determination to follow her own path. And, when she speaks directly to the reader, it’s such a delightful surprise that pulled me in even more because now I was part of the story.
The pacing is breakneck, as the story is full of danger, suspense, and action. Lots of thrills are always a good thing, in my opinion. And it’s surprising! I didn’t expect the who or the why, and the story ended much differently than I expected it to - which I think is good because it shook me up just a bit.
These Deadly Prophecies is technically YA, but it will be equally as appealing to the adult reader who enjoys a magical Knives Out type of story. The mix of fantasy and mystery/thriller takes over, and age is quickly forgotten.
The family dynamics are fun, creating an entertaining aspect, and the magical world is surprisingly well-developed and explained. I just loved this novel and will watch for more books by Andrea Tang.