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nodressrehearsals's review
1.5
This was just soo disappointingly mediocre.
I never felt connected to any of the characters. The plot points were so predictable and basic. I'm also so SO over the 100++ year old man and barely legal girl (insta)love. Can this trope please die, it's gross.
I LOVE a good retelling and RED is one of my favorite fairytales but this just did not live up to expectations. I waited 7 months for my library hold to become available (perhaps I should've looked at book 2, which has no wait and realized that the majority of the people reading this book are NOT continuing the series).
I won't be reading book 2.
I never felt connected to any of the characters. The plot points were so predictable and basic. I'm also so SO over the 100++ year old man and barely legal girl (insta)love. Can this trope please die, it's gross.
I LOVE a good retelling and RED is one of my favorite fairytales but this just did not live up to expectations. I waited 7 months for my library hold to become available (perhaps I should've looked at book 2, which has no wait and realized that the majority of the people reading this book are NOT continuing the series).
I won't be reading book 2.
curio_constellation's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
meggeorge's review
3.0
DNF at 70%
This book wasn't bad but it did suffer from overwriting. Unfortunately, I simply lost interest towards the end.
This book wasn't bad but it did suffer from overwriting. Unfortunately, I simply lost interest towards the end.
jquallsy's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5⭐️
What can I say? I loved this book, but I couldn't tell you why lol
I was confused through the majority of the book but intrigued all the same. For the most part, I couldn't put it down at all UNTIL the pov switched to Neve/Valleydan then for some reason I was completely taken out of the story and felt disconnected. Yes, those chapters were integral to the plot. I just didn't enjoy them at all.
I loved Redarys but somehow I still feel slightly disconnected from the MC's as a couple...something in the way their relationship developed felt ...lacking...
Even after finishing it, I still feel confused as far as the magic system goes, but I'm invested and can't wait to read For the Throne
What can I say? I loved this book, but I couldn't tell you why lol
I was confused through the majority of the book but intrigued all the same. For the most part, I couldn't put it down at all UNTIL the pov switched to Neve/Valleydan then for some reason I was completely taken out of the story and felt disconnected. Yes, those chapters were integral to the plot. I just didn't enjoy them at all.
I loved Redarys but somehow I still feel slightly disconnected from the MC's as a couple...something in the way their relationship developed felt ...lacking...
Even after finishing it, I still feel confused as far as the magic system goes, but I'm invested and can't wait to read For the Throne
jyeetreads's review
3.0
3.4/5 stars
I liked it, it was entertaining, but it felt loooong at first. Pacing felt slow, and I found it easy to put the book down when I wanted to, so though entertaining, it wasn’t particularly enrapturing or anything like that:
Writing is well done (in some use of phrasings repetitive but not bothersome) and retelling part is nice (but not my favorite as I’m not a huge fan of retellings anyways)- mostly Beauty and the Beast with a bit of Red Riding Hood. Plot does remain relatively unique, but with the retelling elements and just the author giving things away here and there the slow pacing can be a lil irksome when the plot gets predictable.
However, I can say that I always prefer a too-slow pacing over a too-fast pacing. I really dislike plot holes and jumpy storylines and weird skips in character development. Therefore, what I did appreciate of the slower pacing was that it avoided a lot of that and also gave me world building. I would prefer lots of slow world building over shallow world building any day.
As usual, I’m glad I kept reading through the rather looooong beginning of the book, as like it has been with my recent reads, the climax and ending were my favorite parts of the book. Lots of fast-paced action and lots of plot twists! At times tropey, at times predictable, but exciting to read nevertheless. Moreover, it’s in the climax of this book that I surprisingly found myself caring for certain characters and their fates. :,)
Onto the characters, they were well done! Our female MC is relatively mature for her age and actually has some great character development (both attributes which have been so hard to come by these days with books of this fantasy-romance genre). Our male MC is also a chill and wholesome dude with relative character development despite his “Wolf” label, which I also appreciate. Some secondary characters were quite endearing, some irritating, some shallow, some complex...
Anywho, we are left on quite the cliffhanger- or more like an intermission of sorts- where there are a lot of unanswered questions, new complexities, and lots of heroic, fantastical things to do!
I did not realize that this book was only released this month haha. And the next book is set for next year, so we will see if it remains memorable enough for me to pick the second book up in 2022. ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
I liked it, it was entertaining, but it felt loooong at first. Pacing felt slow, and I found it easy to put the book down when I wanted to, so though entertaining, it wasn’t particularly enrapturing or anything like that:
Writing is well done (in some use of phrasings repetitive but not bothersome) and retelling part is nice (but not my favorite as I’m not a huge fan of retellings anyways)- mostly Beauty and the Beast with a bit of Red Riding Hood. Plot does remain relatively unique, but with the retelling elements and just the author giving things away here and there the slow pacing can be a lil irksome when the plot gets predictable.
However, I can say that I always prefer a too-slow pacing over a too-fast pacing. I really dislike plot holes and jumpy storylines and weird skips in character development. Therefore, what I did appreciate of the slower pacing was that it avoided a lot of that and also gave me world building. I would prefer lots of slow world building over shallow world building any day.
As usual, I’m glad I kept reading through the rather looooong beginning of the book, as like it has been with my recent reads, the climax and ending were my favorite parts of the book. Lots of fast-paced action and lots of plot twists! At times tropey, at times predictable, but exciting to read nevertheless. Moreover, it’s in the climax of this book that I surprisingly found myself caring for certain characters and their fates. :,)
Onto the characters, they were well done! Our female MC is relatively mature for her age and actually has some great character development (both attributes which have been so hard to come by these days with books of this fantasy-romance genre). Our male MC is also a chill and wholesome dude with relative character development despite his “Wolf” label, which I also appreciate. Some secondary characters were quite endearing, some irritating, some shallow, some complex...
Anywho, we are left on quite the cliffhanger- or more like an intermission of sorts- where there are a lot of unanswered questions, new complexities, and lots of heroic, fantastical things to do!
I did not realize that this book was only released this month haha. And the next book is set for next year, so we will see if it remains memorable enough for me to pick the second book up in 2022. ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
maccloud's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
elizafiedler's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It's a fine re-imagining of a fairy tale, but it's a bit predictable, and did we have to have the "ancient supernatural man + teenage girl" pairing AGAIN?
kerchief's review
3.0
There's a lot to like about this book! I liked everything up to the last 1/4-- it just seemed to lose the tension somewhere in the last several chapters and I wasn't as invested at the end.