Scan barcode
tahliad_reads's review against another edition
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
4.0
cala_p's review against another edition
3.0
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.
soccer8s's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? No
3.75
I enjoyed this book. One of the main characters shares her name with my daughter... first time I've had that in s book so it caught me off guard. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this up from the "listen now" section on Netgalley because it sounded interesting. Unfortunately I was not a fan of the romance nor the plot of this one.
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
janeeein123's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
dame_samara's review against another edition
4.0
I accidently spoiled this book for myself and I was damn near an emotional wreck at the end of this book and there wasn't enough book left to rebound from it. While I understand that the cliffhanger work as a hook to the next book in this series. It also left me with a bad taste in my mouth, due to the lack of substantial answers. To the ten million questions that were posed.
I loved Slate from the get go, but Candace took some warming up too.. I'm not sure why but at the beginning I felt very meh towards her. But she did grow on me, and became a character I thoroughly began to enjoy by halfway through the book. What I didn't really enjoy was, how and when explicit language was used along with the randomness of sexually charged narration.
The premise is incredibly interesting, and I did find it enjoyable but I think it would overall be better read once the next book (and possibly the whole series) has been released. Just because of how unsatisfying the ending of this book was.
I loved Slate from the get go, but Candace took some warming up too.. I'm not sure why but at the beginning I felt very meh towards her. But she did grow on me, and became a character I thoroughly began to enjoy by halfway through the book. What I didn't really enjoy was, how and when explicit language was used along with the randomness of sexually charged narration.
The premise is incredibly interesting, and I did find it enjoyable but I think it would overall be better read once the next book (and possibly the whole series) has been released. Just because of how unsatisfying the ending of this book was.
aliceruth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Of Wicked Blood // by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz // narrated by Holly Fielding and Thomas Locklear
I honestly don't remember requesting the original ebook for this and seeing that I've been avoiding YA fantasy the past few months, I didn't have very high expectations of this book. Oh how wrong I was! I don't know if it was the format I ended up using or what, but I could not stop listening to this book! I even put aside my very favorite book several times to clean the house (whaaaat?!?) because I knew that meant I could continue listening to Of Wicked Blood!
I have not read many urban fantasy books so I wasn't sure what to expect in that sense. I love the world-building and extensive character development that comes with epic fantasy so I thought the shorter length of the book and having it set in our "normal" world wouldn't be able to measure up. Cadence and Slate though pulled me straight into the story and didn't let go until the very end. I was impressed with how well the whole story worked out. Having two authors made me assume that each one chose a narrator and stuck with that but I wouldn't be able to say for sure because they flowed very well together and the conversations between those two were believable and gave me the same feel no matter whose side we were hearing them from. Having this story happen in France and including some of the language and accents made it just different enough for me to still get that feel of novelty throughout.
"He's not made of stone. Only of sin."
Even aside from the way the authors worked so well together, I loved the characters all throughout this book. They each have their distinct personalities. The two main characters especially were well defined from the start and it was great to get to know them more over time. They both surprised with their complexness and adaptability. And phew! Did those sparks fly between the two of them! I loved how natural their attraction and interactions felt! In some books this feels so stilted but there was zero issue with that here at all.
There are two things that I struggled with a little. The first was the ending. I did wonder throughout how they would finish this story yet still leave it open enough to not have it as a standalone. They definitely achieved this well but it felt like there was a big buildup to the climax and then it stopped abruptly. It's not a cliffhanger per se but it still felt like a rather quick wrap up (maybe I'm just mad that I have to wait for the next book now hehehe). The other issue was with the narrators. While I did grow to like them and felt that they fit their characters well eventually, some of the reading some overly dramatic and the emphasis on certain words just did not work well here and there. This wasn't an issue all throughout the book though, so it's not a huge deal. I also wasn't the biggest fan of some of the voices they gave other characters. The ones for their own characters sounded great but the others felt a little too... fake perhaps.
But please don't let that stop you from enjoying this story! I still had a really great time with the characters, the pacing was fantastic all throughout, and I'm excited for book 2 despite my usual aversion for YA fantasy! This book really took me off guard and I'm excited to see what else these two authors have to offer!
Warning: There is a LOT of cursing in this book so beware if this is an issue for you. It works for the character but I wanted to give a heads up anyways.
Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly don't remember requesting the original ebook for this and seeing that I've been avoiding YA fantasy the past few months, I didn't have very high expectations of this book. Oh how wrong I was! I don't know if it was the format I ended up using or what, but I could not stop listening to this book! I even put aside my very favorite book several times to clean the house (whaaaat?!?) because I knew that meant I could continue listening to Of Wicked Blood!
I have not read many urban fantasy books so I wasn't sure what to expect in that sense. I love the world-building and extensive character development that comes with epic fantasy so I thought the shorter length of the book and having it set in our "normal" world wouldn't be able to measure up. Cadence and Slate though pulled me straight into the story and didn't let go until the very end. I was impressed with how well the whole story worked out. Having two authors made me assume that each one chose a narrator and stuck with that but I wouldn't be able to say for sure because they flowed very well together and the conversations between those two were believable and gave me the same feel no matter whose side we were hearing them from. Having this story happen in France and including some of the language and accents made it just different enough for me to still get that feel of novelty throughout.
"He's not made of stone. Only of sin."
Even aside from the way the authors worked so well together, I loved the characters all throughout this book. They each have their distinct personalities. The two main characters especially were well defined from the start and it was great to get to know them more over time. They both surprised with their complexness and adaptability. And phew! Did those sparks fly between the two of them! I loved how natural their attraction and interactions felt! In some books this feels so stilted but there was zero issue with that here at all.
There are two things that I struggled with a little. The first was the ending. I did wonder throughout how they would finish this story yet still leave it open enough to not have it as a standalone. They definitely achieved this well but it felt like there was a big buildup to the climax and then it stopped abruptly. It's not a cliffhanger per se but it still felt like a rather quick wrap up (maybe I'm just mad that I have to wait for the next book now hehehe). The other issue was with the narrators. While I did grow to like them and felt that they fit their characters well eventually, some of the reading some overly dramatic and the emphasis on certain words just did not work well here and there. This wasn't an issue all throughout the book though, so it's not a huge deal. I also wasn't the biggest fan of some of the voices they gave other characters. The ones for their own characters sounded great but the others felt a little too... fake perhaps.
But please don't let that stop you from enjoying this story! I still had a really great time with the characters, the pacing was fantastic all throughout, and I'm excited for book 2 despite my usual aversion for YA fantasy! This book really took me off guard and I'm excited to see what else these two authors have to offer!
Warning: There is a LOT of cursing in this book so beware if this is an issue for you. It works for the character but I wanted to give a heads up anyways.
Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Of Wicked Blood // by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz // narrated by Holly Fielding and Thomas Locklear
I honestly don't remember requesting the original ebook for this and seeing that I've been avoiding YA fantasy the past few months, I didn't have very high expectations of this book. Oh how wrong I was! I don't know if it was the format I ended up using or what, but I could not stop listening to this book! I even put aside my very favorite book several times to clean the house (whaaaat?!?) because I knew that meant I could continue listening to Of Wicked Blood!
I have not read many urban fantasy books so I wasn't sure what to expect in that sense. I love the world-building and extensive character development that comes with epic fantasy so I thought the shorter length of the book and having it set in our "normal" world wouldn't be able to measure up. Cadence and Slate though pulled me straight into the story and didn't let go until the very end. I was impressed with how well the whole story worked out. Having two authors made me assume that each one chose a narrator and stuck with that but I wouldn't be able to say for sure because they flowed very well together and the conversations between those two were believable and gave me the same feel no matter whose side we were hearing them from. Having this story happen in France and including some of the language and accents made it just different enough for me to still get that feel of novelty throughout.
"He's not made of stone. Only of sin."
Even aside from the way the authors worked so well together, I loved the characters all throughout this book. They each have their distinct personalities. The two main characters especially were well defined from the start and it was great to get to know them more over time. They both surprised with their complexness and adaptability. And phew! Did those sparks fly between the two of them! I loved how natural their attraction and interactions felt! In some books this feels so stilted but there was zero issue with that here at all.
There are two things that I struggled with a little. The first was the ending. I did wonder throughout how they would finish this story yet still leave it open enough to not have it as a standalone. They definitely achieved this well but it felt like there was a big buildup to the climax and then it stopped abruptly. It's not a cliffhanger per se but it still felt like a rather quick wrap up (maybe I'm just mad that I have to wait for the next book now hehehe). The other issue was with the narrators. While I did grow to like them and felt that they fit their characters well eventually, some of the reading some overly dramatic and the emphasis on certain words just did not work well here and there. This wasn't an issue all throughout the book though, so it's not a huge deal. I also wasn't the biggest fan of some of the voices they gave other characters. The ones for their own characters sounded great but the others felt a little too... fake perhaps.
But please don't let that stop you from enjoying this story! I still had a really great time with the characters, the pacing was fantastic all throughout, and I'm excited for book 2 despite my usual aversion for YA fantasy! This book really took me off guard and I'm excited to see what else these two authors have to offer!
Warning: There is a LOT of cursing in this book so beware if this is an issue for you. It works for the character but I wanted to give a heads up anyways.
Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly don't remember requesting the original ebook for this and seeing that I've been avoiding YA fantasy the past few months, I didn't have very high expectations of this book. Oh how wrong I was! I don't know if it was the format I ended up using or what, but I could not stop listening to this book! I even put aside my very favorite book several times to clean the house (whaaaat?!?) because I knew that meant I could continue listening to Of Wicked Blood!
I have not read many urban fantasy books so I wasn't sure what to expect in that sense. I love the world-building and extensive character development that comes with epic fantasy so I thought the shorter length of the book and having it set in our "normal" world wouldn't be able to measure up. Cadence and Slate though pulled me straight into the story and didn't let go until the very end. I was impressed with how well the whole story worked out. Having two authors made me assume that each one chose a narrator and stuck with that but I wouldn't be able to say for sure because they flowed very well together and the conversations between those two were believable and gave me the same feel no matter whose side we were hearing them from. Having this story happen in France and including some of the language and accents made it just different enough for me to still get that feel of novelty throughout.
"He's not made of stone. Only of sin."
Even aside from the way the authors worked so well together, I loved the characters all throughout this book. They each have their distinct personalities. The two main characters especially were well defined from the start and it was great to get to know them more over time. They both surprised with their complexness and adaptability. And phew! Did those sparks fly between the two of them! I loved how natural their attraction and interactions felt! In some books this feels so stilted but there was zero issue with that here at all.
There are two things that I struggled with a little. The first was the ending. I did wonder throughout how they would finish this story yet still leave it open enough to not have it as a standalone. They definitely achieved this well but it felt like there was a big buildup to the climax and then it stopped abruptly. It's not a cliffhanger per se but it still felt like a rather quick wrap up (maybe I'm just mad that I have to wait for the next book now hehehe). The other issue was with the narrators. While I did grow to like them and felt that they fit their characters well eventually, some of the reading some overly dramatic and the emphasis on certain words just did not work well here and there. This wasn't an issue all throughout the book though, so it's not a huge deal. I also wasn't the biggest fan of some of the voices they gave other characters. The ones for their own characters sounded great but the others felt a little too... fake perhaps.
But please don't let that stop you from enjoying this story! I still had a really great time with the characters, the pacing was fantastic all throughout, and I'm excited for book 2 despite my usual aversion for YA fantasy! This book really took me off guard and I'm excited to see what else these two authors have to offer!
Warning: There is a LOT of cursing in this book so beware if this is an issue for you. It works for the character but I wanted to give a heads up anyways.
Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.