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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
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
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!
This book had such great potential, and I felt like it fell short on every single aspect I had been so excited about.
My major issue was how flat the romance was. I almost felt like the book would have been better without the romance. From the very start Alexei just...loves her? And that's all he can think about? And his only real reason is how good she smells? And then despite her hatred, Jerusalem is like...ah yes...I love him too? Even in the end, she still thinks about how disgusting vampires are to her? Like there was no amount of words that could have convinced me they actually loved each other. And not to mention how Alexei was slightly creepy to me with all the "my girl" and things but still having the maturity of a teen in a hundreds of years old body. It felt like the book wanted to be a spicy vampire romance but had to back off and delete the things that wouldn't make it YA anymore.
Then there's the worldbuilding - or should I say- no worldbuilding. I still have no idea what a Saint is. And then randomly throwing Sasquatches in over halfway through? Mild mentions of werewolves? How did any of this happen? What makes a Saint a Saint? Sasquatches just made it feel way too childish of a species.
My last complaint was the modern slang (salty) thrown into a Civil War book. It took me out of the story every single time and made me not want to be there.
There were parts I did enjoy, like Jerusalem's strength and tenacity in the face of such evils. Like her commitment to making a better world. Like her loyalty to her family and loved ones.
But in the end, those things did not outweigh the things that just weren't for me.
This book had such great potential, and I felt like it fell short on every single aspect I had been so excited about.
My major issue was how flat the romance was. I almost felt like the book would have been better without the romance. From the very start Alexei just...loves her? And that's all he can think about? And his only real reason is how good she smells? And then despite her hatred, Jerusalem is like...ah yes...I love him too? Even in the end, she still thinks about how disgusting vampires are to her? Like there was no amount of words that could have convinced me they actually loved each other. And not to mention how Alexei was slightly creepy to me with all the "my girl" and things but still having the maturity of a teen in a hundreds of years old body. It felt like the book wanted to be a spicy vampire romance but had to back off and delete the things that wouldn't make it YA anymore.
Then there's the worldbuilding - or should I say- no worldbuilding. I still have no idea what a Saint is. And then randomly throwing Sasquatches in over halfway through? Mild mentions of werewolves? How did any of this happen? What makes a Saint a Saint? Sasquatches just made it feel way too childish of a species.
My last complaint was the modern slang (salty) thrown into a Civil War book. It took me out of the story every single time and made me not want to be there.
There were parts I did enjoy, like Jerusalem's strength and tenacity in the face of such evils. Like her commitment to making a better world. Like her loyalty to her family and loved ones.
But in the end, those things did not outweigh the things that just weren't for me.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
slow-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
*I was able to read this book early via NetGalley thanks to Wednesday Books!*
The Dangerous Ones mixes vampires and history, presenting an alternate version of the Civil War where vampires fight to preserve slavery alongside the Confederates, and where genetically gifted vampire hunters known as Saints are all that stand in their way. Well, them and one "good" vampire with a centuries-old grudge against the woman who turned him and tortured him.
This book should have grabbed me immediately. I mean, what's not to love about alt-history, vampires, vampire hunters, and a forbidden love? But for whatever reason, I never really sank into the story. There was plenty to appreciate - particularly the world-building details like the fact that vampires filled the air with smoke to facilitate their walking around during the day. And Jerusalem is the kind of spunky, salty, messy heroine YA thrives on. But I never felt a particular connection to her or Alexei, and I never really felt a sense of danger that they might fail in their quest to take out their shared enemy. The result was a plodding reading experience that I felt like I *should* be enjoying but never quite did.
It's possible that The Dangerous Ones just wasn't the right book for me at the time I was reading it, because there was nothing really wrong with it other than the fact that I just didn't totally vibe with it. Sometimes that happens!
(I have some questions about the random Sasquatch inclusion though.)
The Dangerous Ones mixes vampires and history, presenting an alternate version of the Civil War where vampires fight to preserve slavery alongside the Confederates, and where genetically gifted vampire hunters known as Saints are all that stand in their way. Well, them and one "good" vampire with a centuries-old grudge against the woman who turned him and tortured him.
This book should have grabbed me immediately. I mean, what's not to love about alt-history, vampires, vampire hunters, and a forbidden love? But for whatever reason, I never really sank into the story. There was plenty to appreciate - particularly the world-building details like the fact that vampires filled the air with smoke to facilitate their walking around during the day. And Jerusalem is the kind of spunky, salty, messy heroine YA thrives on. But I never felt a particular connection to her or Alexei, and I never really felt a sense of danger that they might fail in their quest to take out their shared enemy. The result was a plodding reading experience that I felt like I *should* be enjoying but never quite did.
It's possible that The Dangerous Ones just wasn't the right book for me at the time I was reading it, because there was nothing really wrong with it other than the fact that I just didn't totally vibe with it. Sometimes that happens!
(I have some questions about the random Sasquatch inclusion though.)
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The cover and the blurb is what drew me into this story. There was so much promise, thank you Macmillan Audio and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read and review this copy early.
My thoughts are my own:
I wanted to love this story so much as a Romantasy set during the Civil War but add a sprinkle of magic, vampires and star-crossed love sounded just up my alley of loves.
Sadly it fell flat. There was sections where it was so much repetitive back and forth of hatred between the two MCs. Which do not get me wrong I love enemies to lovers, but this was too much for me.
Overall, Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson the narrators of this audiobook did this story justice that held my attention enough that I did not DNF this book.
I just do not believe I was the target audience for this book.
My thoughts are my own:
I wanted to love this story so much as a Romantasy set during the Civil War but add a sprinkle of magic, vampires and star-crossed love sounded just up my alley of loves.
Sadly it fell flat. There was sections where it was so much repetitive back and forth of hatred between the two MCs. Which do not get me wrong I love enemies to lovers, but this was too much for me.
Overall, Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson the narrators of this audiobook did this story justice that held my attention enough that I did not DNF this book.
I just do not believe I was the target audience for this book.
I read the synopsis for The Dangerous Ones, and I immediately wanted to read it - Civil War but add vampires and other paranormal creatures. I felt like the plot lived up to what I expected and found it engaging while fairly fast paced. I also really loved some of the side characters, particularly Odessa. In my opinion, the ending was incredibly well done — it was so vivid and satisfying. The elements that didn’t really work for me were the romance arc and some of the language choices. For the romance, I just struggled to see it and felt the characters could’ve been better as friends. I really enjoyed Jerusalem and Alexei as individuals just struggled to see them as a couple. As far as the language, I couldn’t wrap my head around some of the modern choices in the given timeline.
I had both a digital and audio copy of this and found I enjoyed it most when combining them. I felt that both narrators, Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson, did well to bring their respective characters and their distinctly different backgrounds to life. This was a book that definitely needed two narrators in my opinion, so I’m glad the decision was made to use both Pean and Markson. Overall, if the premise of the book sounds interesting to you, I recommend checking it out and forming your own opinions.
✨
✨
ALC courtesy of Netgalley and McMillan audio
ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Wednesday Books
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved the premise for this story: Civil War + vampires + natural enemies to friends to true love but I felt it was a bit rushed toward the end which has me hoping for a sequel. The characters were well-written and I am so curious about the side characters especially those we encounter in this book's Underground Railroad I would read a sequel.
The Dangerous Ones was a perfect fictional account of what could have happened if vampires existed and exploited slavery in America's South for their benefit. I was left curious about how the Saints came to be, how they're identified, and their role in the world Blackwood's created. The ending was good but left me wondering what happens next to our new family. Fingers crossed for a follow-up!
I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.
The Dangerous Ones was a perfect fictional account of what could have happened if vampires existed and exploited slavery in America's South for their benefit. I was left curious about how the Saints came to be, how they're identified, and their role in the world Blackwood's created. The ending was good but left me wondering what happens next to our new family. Fingers crossed for a follow-up!
I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.
challenging
dark
reflective
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Finally finished! I loved the ending. This was a creative story combining real history, The Civil War, with fantasy. The vampires being involved on both sides of the war was interesting and even more so Alexei being the vampire that wanted to save not only black people and fight for freedom but also feeling empathetic to the New Bloods being turned against their will to help the Confederates chances.
This novel had a good amount of character development giving me a sense of who the main characters are and what they believed in. The author even gave them a path to change and evolve over time.
The only thing that annoyed me was the back and forth between Alexei and Jerusalem. It was childish, but I had to keep reminding myself that they are both 18 and have the mindset of a teen even though they are fighting adult battles internally and externally. I also felt as though the flashbacks were thrown in randomly at times as they didn’t truly flow into the present storyline, but other times it did.
Overall, this novel was action packed and is highly recommended for readers that want a story of historical fiction with a “happy ending” infused with fantasy and humor. There are some triggers, but similar triggers associated with most black historical fiction.
***I was given the ARC copy of this book by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.***
This novel had a good amount of character development giving me a sense of who the main characters are and what they believed in. The author even gave them a path to change and evolve over time.
The only thing that annoyed me was the back and forth between Alexei and Jerusalem. It was childish, but I had to keep reminding myself that they are both 18 and have the mindset of a teen even though they are fighting adult battles internally and externally. I also felt as though the flashbacks were thrown in randomly at times as they didn’t truly flow into the present storyline, but other times it did.
Overall, this novel was action packed and is highly recommended for readers that want a story of historical fiction with a “happy ending” infused with fantasy and humor. There are some triggers, but similar triggers associated with most black historical fiction.
***I was given the ARC copy of this book by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.***
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix