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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
I’ve really enjoyed reading Olivia Wildenstein’s past work so I was pretty excited to receive an ARC for this book, her newest novel.
This book has got a lot going for it.
It takes place in France, it’s witchy, we’ve got some sneaky scooby-doo bad guys, a slow burn romance, local “folklore” that was really fun to read about.,A really awesome magical astronomical clock, a snarky bad boy with a heart of gold and friggin dragons. So yeah, a lot of good stuff happening.
Unfortunately, this book has a lot going against it as well.
The plot’s pacing was weird. I felt like it moved from event to event at a snails pace, but then when I finally got to the big important scenes, they felt too rushed.
CADENCE WAS PROBLEMATIC. In oh so many ways. She was shallow and one dimensional and SO petty. I have not read such an insufferable character in a long, long time. I just, I couldn’t stand her.
Lastly, that ending. Just. It was just not good.
Slate and Bastian saved the entire book for me. I was really rooting for Slate. He was the underdog and the hero all at the same time and I was invested in his success.
Of Wicked Blood had a lot of promise, the premise is really cool. Sort of like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire meets Medival times. The romance was a slow burn and by the time the main characters get together it’s really satisfying and Slate’s macabre sense of humor helped eliminate some of the tension caused by the trials the gang had to endure.
Honestly, even looking past Cadence and everything about her that literally annoyed me to no end. I enjoyed this book. UNTIL THAT ENDING.
The worst part is, I can’t even talk about the ending with out giving it away.
Let’s just say, that nothing was solved, there was no happy ending, it felt like it was all hastily thrown together.
I SAY THIS BECAUSE: The resolution to all of Slate and Cadence’s problems made approximately zero sense to me, and was left completely unexplained. THEN come to find out this is a duology, so now I have to wait until the second book is published for any sort of answer!
I must admit, that I was fully engrossed in Of Wicked Blood at more than one point while reading. So naturally that makes it an automatic three star read for me. However due to my hatred for a main character, and a totally unsatisfying ending, I am going to have to dock a star (for each reason respectively).
I give this book 3 stars.
This book has got a lot going for it.
It takes place in France, it’s witchy, we’ve got some sneaky scooby-doo bad guys, a slow burn romance, local “folklore” that was really fun to read about.,A really awesome magical astronomical clock, a snarky bad boy with a heart of gold and friggin dragons. So yeah, a lot of good stuff happening.
Unfortunately, this book has a lot going against it as well.
The plot’s pacing was weird. I felt like it moved from event to event at a snails pace, but then when I finally got to the big important scenes, they felt too rushed.
CADENCE WAS PROBLEMATIC. In oh so many ways. She was shallow and one dimensional and SO petty. I have not read such an insufferable character in a long, long time. I just, I couldn’t stand her.
Lastly, that ending. Just. It was just not good.
Slate and Bastian saved the entire book for me. I was really rooting for Slate. He was the underdog and the hero all at the same time and I was invested in his success.
Of Wicked Blood had a lot of promise, the premise is really cool. Sort of like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire meets Medival times. The romance was a slow burn and by the time the main characters get together it’s really satisfying and Slate’s macabre sense of humor helped eliminate some of the tension caused by the trials the gang had to endure.
Honestly, even looking past Cadence and everything about her that literally annoyed me to no end. I enjoyed this book. UNTIL THAT ENDING.
The worst part is, I can’t even talk about the ending with out giving it away.
Let’s just say, that nothing was solved, there was no happy ending, it felt like it was all hastily thrown together.
I SAY THIS BECAUSE: The resolution to all of Slate and Cadence’s problems made approximately zero sense to me, and was left completely unexplained. THEN come to find out this is a duology, so now I have to wait until the second book is published for any sort of answer!
I must admit, that I was fully engrossed in Of Wicked Blood at more than one point while reading. So naturally that makes it an automatic three star read for me. However due to my hatred for a main character, and a totally unsatisfying ending, I am going to have to dock a star (for each reason respectively).
I give this book 3 stars.
This is a delightfully fun - albeit, dark - treasure hunt through a historic town with so very many secrets. It seems likely this first book has only just scratched the surface of those depths. The hunt and challenges are fascinating, and there is a very villain-like individual that we did not get resolution on yet! It makes me very impatient for the next book. I didn't find Slate particularly likeable at first (not that I wanted him cursed), but it gradually became clear he is quite the complicated character, whose past is key to the future. He's not the only one who will hopefully demand answers in the sequel!
This book was a delightful surprise. I loved the world the authors created and the pacing of the book kept me at the edge of my seat. The characters are engaging and I’m rooting for them the whole way through. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Of Wicked Blood is a beautiful magical story about a quest to reintroduce magic into the world, but also about friendships and family relationships.
The main characters are Cadence and Slate, and we read the book from both of their perspectives. Cadence is a sweet and naive girl, that believes everything that is said to her without any doubts. Slate is hard edged man with a bad attitude and ever worse history.
Their story starts when Slate steals something that shouldn't be touched and which starts to clock to either magic being brought back to the world, or Slate's death.
Cadence, Slate and two other members of their rag tag team have limited time to fullfill their quests and save Slate. Each of them have to stand up and conquer their own worst fears.
I really enjoyed this book. It was really fast paced, entertaining and kept me interested until a certain point. Last couple of chapters felt like the authors run out of time, or patience and just wanted to be rid of this book. If the book ended in a different way, maybe a little earlier than it actually does, it would be better and I would be so much more interested in the sequel.
The writing is gorgeous, you really get sucked in the story straight away.
I didn't really care much for some of the French words, it was rather disruptive on occasions.
All in all, I really liked it!
The main characters are Cadence and Slate, and we read the book from both of their perspectives. Cadence is a sweet and naive girl, that believes everything that is said to her without any doubts. Slate is hard edged man with a bad attitude and ever worse history.
Their story starts when Slate steals something that shouldn't be touched and which starts to clock to either magic being brought back to the world, or Slate's death.
Cadence, Slate and two other members of their rag tag team have limited time to fullfill their quests and save Slate. Each of them have to stand up and conquer their own worst fears.
I really enjoyed this book. It was really fast paced, entertaining and kept me interested until a certain point. Last couple of chapters felt like the authors run out of time, or patience and just wanted to be rid of this book. If the book ended in a different way, maybe a little earlier than it actually does, it would be better and I would be so much more interested in the sequel.
The writing is gorgeous, you really get sucked in the story straight away.
I didn't really care much for some of the French words, it was rather disruptive on occasions.
All in all, I really liked it!
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One of the best books I've read in a while. Has a good mix of lighthearted comments, to tense moments, to surprising revelations. I loveed it.
Audiobook ARC Review: Received for free via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
CW/TW: bullying, blood, thievery, foster care system, parental death, mention of fire, kidnapping, grave robbing, vomiting, gore, ableist slurs, anxiety, PTSD, drowning, poisoning, injections, arachnophobia, mention of separation/divorce, mention of suicide, lying about abandonment, accidental murder, incorrect use of powwow, child death, body disposal, mention of drug use, alcohol, violence, dark magick, mutilation, injury, coma
I am confusion.
I really enjoyed this book, the narrating is really very good and makes it even more interesting. The writing is good and it's engaging and it's not hard to get though because it's simple and easy to understand.
I like how much time was spent building the lore and magick of the town, how the world building is put together to create a world that one can imagine. We aren't choked with information about the history and magick, there's no info dumping, it's done in such a way that it builds around the story itself, that it fits with the scene, is important with the setup of the scene. The magick of the leaves is understandable and is done in such a way that, like Slate, we end up understanding its workings and its importance as the story progresses.
I love the characters. They are funny when they need to be and serious when that's what is needed. Everyone playz their role and they do it well, they all have part and they stick with it. They are well written characters, loveable and relatable and realistic. I think the only character that bothers me is Cadence's father, who's story leaves me lacking closure.
I like that although Slate and Cadence have a bit of an instalove connection, they don't just fall into each others arms and have it all be fine and dandy, they are realistic about everything, question their emotions, acknowledging that they don't know each other well enough for anything more than lust. Their relationship is built up, they get to know each other, get to learn each other and how they handle stressful situations. They don't just fall in love because of looks, but because they've learned each other, seen the ugly side of each other and know each other from their shared experiences.
The thing I like the least about this book is the ending. I feel like an entire chapter is missing. I listened to the last few chapters a number of times and I still can't figure out how the ending happened, how it all concluded the way it did, with an epilogue there too! I feel like we needed at least one (1) or two (2) more chapters just to pull everything together, hash it all out, because there are still questions that I didn't get answers to.
I don't know how a second book would go after all this, because it seems most things came together, but I don't understand the ending. There are too many holes in the end for it to be truly satisfying. A second book would seem out of place, what with things mostly having come together, but maybe there'll be a new trial and the team will have to come together and once more fight the good fight, you know. I can imagine it being about the concewuences of everything that's happen. So yeah, maybe a second book would be a good thing as it'd give us more time and space to disect the first book as well as build more on the world with the aftermath of everything.
Yeah, actually, I would like a second book to answer my questions as well as to show us what's happened after the messiness of the book.
CW/TW: bullying, blood, thievery, foster care system, parental death, mention of fire, kidnapping, grave robbing, vomiting, gore, ableist slurs, anxiety, PTSD, drowning, poisoning, injections, arachnophobia, mention of separation/divorce, mention of suicide, lying about abandonment, accidental murder, incorrect use of powwow, child death, body disposal, mention of drug use, alcohol, violence, dark magick, mutilation, injury, coma
I am confusion.
I really enjoyed this book, the narrating is really very good and makes it even more interesting. The writing is good and it's engaging and it's not hard to get though because it's simple and easy to understand.
I like how much time was spent building the lore and magick of the town, how the world building is put together to create a world that one can imagine. We aren't choked with information about the history and magick, there's no info dumping, it's done in such a way that it builds around the story itself, that it fits with the scene, is important with the setup of the scene. The magick of the leaves is understandable and is done in such a way that, like Slate, we end up understanding its workings and its importance as the story progresses.
I love the characters. They are funny when they need to be and serious when that's what is needed. Everyone playz their role and they do it well, they all have part and they stick with it. They are well written characters, loveable and relatable and realistic. I think the only character that bothers me is Cadence's father, who's story leaves me lacking closure.
I like that although Slate and Cadence have a bit of an instalove connection, they don't just fall into each others arms and have it all be fine and dandy, they are realistic about everything, question their emotions, acknowledging that they don't know each other well enough for anything more than lust. Their relationship is built up, they get to know each other, get to learn each other and how they handle stressful situations. They don't just fall in love because of looks, but because they've learned each other, seen the ugly side of each other and know each other from their shared experiences.
The thing I like the least about this book is the ending. I feel like an entire chapter is missing. I listened to the last few chapters a number of times and I still can't figure out how the ending happened, how it all concluded the way it did, with an epilogue there too! I feel like we needed at least one (1) or two (2) more chapters just to pull everything together, hash it all out, because there are still questions that I didn't get answers to.
I don't know how a second book would go after all this, because it seems most things came together, but I don't understand the ending. There are too many holes in the end for it to be truly satisfying. A second book would seem out of place, what with things mostly having come together, but maybe there'll be a new trial and the team will have to come together and once more fight the good fight, you know. I can imagine it being about the concewuences of everything that's happen. So yeah, maybe a second book would be a good thing as it'd give us more time and space to disect the first book as well as build more on the world with the aftermath of everything.
Yeah, actually, I would like a second book to answer my questions as well as to show us what's happened after the messiness of the book.
Edit:
2nd time listening to this book and I find it quite comforting. There is nothing to add really, still love the book and honestly it is one of the books that I think of once in a while. Now since ei have the second book I can dive into it.
Thank you Netgalley for the eArc of this book.
Omg you guys, this book was so amazing. I loved both of the main characters and the plot was amazing. The love story was slow and sweet, the way I like it. There were a lot of cursing which I also loved, since I curse a lot too lol. I totally recommend this book, it was a such a fun read, although I received it in audiobook version but still it was soooo good. Not to mention the back story of the characters were neatly presented, they were not overwhelming the current story. And the plot in general it was not intense perhaps but more then enough to keep the reader/listener interested.
2nd time listening to this book and I find it quite comforting. There is nothing to add really, still love the book and honestly it is one of the books that I think of once in a while. Now since ei have the second book I can dive into it.
Thank you Netgalley for the eArc of this book.
Omg you guys, this book was so amazing. I loved both of the main characters and the plot was amazing. The love story was slow and sweet, the way I like it. There were a lot of cursing which I also loved, since I curse a lot too lol. I totally recommend this book, it was a such a fun read, although I received it in audiobook version but still it was soooo good. Not to mention the back story of the characters were neatly presented, they were not overwhelming the current story. And the plot in general it was not intense perhaps but more then enough to keep the reader/listener interested.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was a good read. But a bit too dark for my taste
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
ARC received from the punisher via Netgalley. Voluntarily reviewing and all opinions are objective and my own.
I was excited to get into this. I sounded like a witchy version of the type of fantasy romance that fans of The Mortal Instruments would enjoy. And, I still agree with this statement, but this is unfortunately only getting 3 stars.
I struggled to get through the first half of the book. It took a full third before I wasn’t bored, and then started to pick up the pace. By the midway point, I’ll admit I was very interested and intrigued, but I didn’t enjoy not enjoying a book for half of it.
I loved Slate’s character. I love how he’s set up to be basically a thieving bad guy, but there’s actually quite a lot of depth in him. I especially enjoy how he is when he is with Cadence. They’re such a cute couple.
Besides Cadence and Slate, this book carried with it a strong interesting cast. I’ll admit by the end I’m still not sure I know everyone, just simply due to not connecting well with them for half the read, but all in all, there’s a handful that do all contribute to the series.
Do I want to continue this series? I kinda do. I feel now that the book 1 stuff is over with, and progress has been made in the plot and with Cadence and Slate’s romance, I feel like each book here on out will have a better pacing. I’ll keep my eye out and would be interested in reading the sequel.
I was excited to get into this. I sounded like a witchy version of the type of fantasy romance that fans of The Mortal Instruments would enjoy. And, I still agree with this statement, but this is unfortunately only getting 3 stars.
I struggled to get through the first half of the book. It took a full third before I wasn’t bored, and then started to pick up the pace. By the midway point, I’ll admit I was very interested and intrigued, but I didn’t enjoy not enjoying a book for half of it.
I loved Slate’s character. I love how he’s set up to be basically a thieving bad guy, but there’s actually quite a lot of depth in him. I especially enjoy how he is when he is with Cadence. They’re such a cute couple.
Besides Cadence and Slate, this book carried with it a strong interesting cast. I’ll admit by the end I’m still not sure I know everyone, just simply due to not connecting well with them for half the read, but all in all, there’s a handful that do all contribute to the series.
Do I want to continue this series? I kinda do. I feel now that the book 1 stuff is over with, and progress has been made in the plot and with Cadence and Slate’s romance, I feel like each book here on out will have a better pacing. I’ll keep my eye out and would be interested in reading the sequel.