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mothgender's review
3.0
4.25/5 stars. I received this book from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This was not a serious book, almost in the sense that it didn't take itself seriously. Not at all, and I think that's the reason I was able to like it as much as I did. There were a few "serious" bits, but not so much that it can't be considered a light read. One of the coolest bits of this book were that one of the POV characters is blind, and to him and the other POV character, it wasn't a huge thing. It was just a thing.
To be honest though, I wasn't a huge fan of the main characters. They were a bit flat and this book did suffer from a bit of insta-love, although it was more along the lines of infectious infatuation. I would have rather had the book be about Lester or Anubis, or really any other Fanarlem in the book. I'd read the heck out of a book with a POV from one of them. They were just so lovable seemed more real than the actual POV characters.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I will be picking up the second one when it comes out, because sometimes you just need a book that isn't serious.
To be honest though, I wasn't a huge fan of the main characters. They were a bit flat and this book did suffer from a bit of insta-love, although it was more along the lines of infectious infatuation. I would have rather had the book be about Lester or Anubis, or really any other Fanarlem in the book. I'd read the heck out of a book with a POV from one of them. They were just so lovable seemed more real than the actual POV characters.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I will be picking up the second one when it comes out, because sometimes you just need a book that isn't serious.
booksandladders's review
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 10%
I found the pictures to be taking away from the story rather than adding to it. I also thought that the plot was a little all over the place and I put it down a while ago and realized I don't have any intention of picking it back up.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
DNF @ 10%
I found the pictures to be taking away from the story rather than adding to it. I also thought that the plot was a little all over the place and I put it down a while ago and realized I don't have any intention of picking it back up.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
ricksilva's review
5.0
Prose novel with comic segments and sketches drawn by the author at the end of each chapter.
Olivia and her mother have been living in hiding in various locations around America, but their past finally catches up to them, as Olivia's mom is abducted by agents from the Hidden Lands, a dimension of magical beings living in a world that has absorbed a great deal of 20th Century Earth technology and culture.
When Alfred, the eldest son of a powerful Hidden Lands crime family, offers to bring Olivia to the Hidden lands to help her mom, Olivia is thrust into the midst of ancient conflicts between powerful forces, including a mysterious telepath who seems to know secrets from Olivia's past lives.
This was a good mix of powerful fantasy with intrigue and romance. The world is intentionally excessively pretty, but it holds many dark secrets beneath the glittering surface, and there is a great deal of background development that adds depth to the story.
The characters are likeable, and there is a lot of light humor and fun, but the ending packs an emotional punch.
The comic segments of the book are mostly short asides that flesh out scenes that got a mention, but were not actually played out in the prose, along with some sketches that give visuals to the characters or add to the worldbuilding. The art style fits nicely with the flavor of the world.
This was fun, and it had quite a bit going on, with plenty of potential for further stories.
Olivia and her mother have been living in hiding in various locations around America, but their past finally catches up to them, as Olivia's mom is abducted by agents from the Hidden Lands, a dimension of magical beings living in a world that has absorbed a great deal of 20th Century Earth technology and culture.
When Alfred, the eldest son of a powerful Hidden Lands crime family, offers to bring Olivia to the Hidden lands to help her mom, Olivia is thrust into the midst of ancient conflicts between powerful forces, including a mysterious telepath who seems to know secrets from Olivia's past lives.
This was a good mix of powerful fantasy with intrigue and romance. The world is intentionally excessively pretty, but it holds many dark secrets beneath the glittering surface, and there is a great deal of background development that adds depth to the story.
The characters are likeable, and there is a lot of light humor and fun, but the ending packs an emotional punch.
The comic segments of the book are mostly short asides that flesh out scenes that got a mention, but were not actually played out in the prose, along with some sketches that give visuals to the characters or add to the worldbuilding. The art style fits nicely with the flavor of the world.
This was fun, and it had quite a bit going on, with plenty of potential for further stories.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
This book! Oh, man, so enjoyable, loved the characters, the world, and the illustrations, which were hilarious! Can't wait for the sequel!
booksgamesvinyl's review
4.0
The Vengeful Half focuses on Olivia Winter, an atypical teenage girl with a slightly overprotective mother, who escaped from a parallel world called The Hidden Lands. After Olivia’s mother is kidnapped for her skills as a potion-maker, Olivia is thrusted into the world which her mother sacrificed everything to protect her from, which leads her on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery.
I loved the characterisation of every single character in The Vengeful Half. I enjoyed that we got to see the switch in Olivia being both determined and scared, and how realistic is felt for her to go between the two when she unearthed new information about herself and the ones closest to her. I love the strong character we got to see in both Thessia and Adelise, although I wish we got to see more of both of them. The subtle language change between the races (Miralems, Daramons and Fanarlem) was also appreciated, and allows us a better sense of the history of each of these races, and helps gives the characters we see more of an identity. I hope for The Stolen Heart (The Hidden Lands #2) we get to see more of Lester (as well as Thessia – she is definitely my favourite character), and then we will have three main characters for each of the three races.
The illustrations were whimsical and a nice touch. Sometimes however, the drawings highlighted the fun and little things about a chapter (which is playful and enjoyable, don’t get me wrong) when they could have focused more on the heavier dialogue or topics being touched upon.
The chapters also seemed incredibly short to me, sometimes unnaturally so (The Vengeful Half is 300 pages long with 53 chapters – the shortest chapter being a single page). Whilst there definitely was a call for a break where each chapter ended, it didn’t necessarily have to mean the end of the chapter, however this is totally the author’s choice.
I enjoyed the explanations of the timeline of the writing of the book, however these felt slightly out of place, as they were placed at what seemed like random intervals in the book. It was interesting to get the author’s insight and a bit of backstory to these characters, but I may have changed the placement of them.
Whilst there were what I would consider multiple arcs in this story (i.e. waves of Olivia gaining different knowledge about her past), sometimes the pacing seemed a little off with this. I understand that this was to lead up to a big ending, and to establish characters in the start and middle of the book, but I would have liked to see a little more action during the middle. I also felt that the last chapter was a little anti-climactic compared to the chapters before it, yet it was also nice to see Olivia end the book with a small piece of happiness.
This is absolutely by no means a bad book, and I did sincerely enjoy it. I just think that some things could have been improved upon. With the second installment planned for the summer, some of these things might change, and I am looking forward to see where exactly the story is going to go next. I absolutely love the world that Jocelyn Dolamore has created and I would urge any fan of YA books to read this as it is truly a spectacular idea with loveable characters.
One of the main things I love is that whilst this book definitely has fantasy elements, it definitely boils down to a tale about both identity and family, which is something every reader, especially teen readers, will be able to relate to.
I really hope The Hidden Lands takes off and becomes a huge franchise because both the work and Jocelyn Dolamore truly deserve it.
I loved the characterisation of every single character in The Vengeful Half. I enjoyed that we got to see the switch in Olivia being both determined and scared, and how realistic is felt for her to go between the two when she unearthed new information about herself and the ones closest to her. I love the strong character we got to see in both Thessia and Adelise, although I wish we got to see more of both of them. The subtle language change between the races (Miralems, Daramons and Fanarlem) was also appreciated, and allows us a better sense of the history of each of these races, and helps gives the characters we see more of an identity. I hope for The Stolen Heart (The Hidden Lands #2) we get to see more of Lester (as well as Thessia – she is definitely my favourite character), and then we will have three main characters for each of the three races.
The illustrations were whimsical and a nice touch. Sometimes however, the drawings highlighted the fun and little things about a chapter (which is playful and enjoyable, don’t get me wrong) when they could have focused more on the heavier dialogue or topics being touched upon.
The chapters also seemed incredibly short to me, sometimes unnaturally so (The Vengeful Half is 300 pages long with 53 chapters – the shortest chapter being a single page). Whilst there definitely was a call for a break where each chapter ended, it didn’t necessarily have to mean the end of the chapter, however this is totally the author’s choice.
I enjoyed the explanations of the timeline of the writing of the book, however these felt slightly out of place, as they were placed at what seemed like random intervals in the book. It was interesting to get the author’s insight and a bit of backstory to these characters, but I may have changed the placement of them.
Whilst there were what I would consider multiple arcs in this story (i.e. waves of Olivia gaining different knowledge about her past), sometimes the pacing seemed a little off with this. I understand that this was to lead up to a big ending, and to establish characters in the start and middle of the book, but I would have liked to see a little more action during the middle. I also felt that the last chapter was a little anti-climactic compared to the chapters before it, yet it was also nice to see Olivia end the book with a small piece of happiness.
This is absolutely by no means a bad book, and I did sincerely enjoy it. I just think that some things could have been improved upon. With the second installment planned for the summer, some of these things might change, and I am looking forward to see where exactly the story is going to go next. I absolutely love the world that Jocelyn Dolamore has created and I would urge any fan of YA books to read this as it is truly a spectacular idea with loveable characters.
One of the main things I love is that whilst this book definitely has fantasy elements, it definitely boils down to a tale about both identity and family, which is something every reader, especially teen readers, will be able to relate to.
I really hope The Hidden Lands takes off and becomes a huge franchise because both the work and Jocelyn Dolamore truly deserve it.
behowel's review
4.0
3.5 Stars
I love the cover of this book, and truth be told it's what prompted me to read the blurb and ultimately purchase the book. I really enjoyed the vibe the writing in this book gave off, the kind of 60's mod feel. There were some great references, for instance... Target on acid (I want to go!) and some modern book references (Harry Potter). Even a shout out to 'The Who' (one of my favorites of the British Invasion). The story started out a little slow, there was really a lot to learn. The romance happens fairly quickly, I think I would have like a little slower burn there, but all in all this was an intriguing story and I will be continuing the series.
I love the cover of this book, and truth be told it's what prompted me to read the blurb and ultimately purchase the book. I really enjoyed the vibe the writing in this book gave off, the kind of 60's mod feel. There were some great references, for instance... Target on acid (I want to go!) and some modern book references (Harry Potter). Even a shout out to 'The Who' (one of my favorites of the British Invasion). The story started out a little slow, there was really a lot to learn. The romance happens fairly quickly, I think I would have like a little slower burn there, but all in all this was an intriguing story and I will be continuing the series.
jamiebooksandladders's review
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 10%
I found the pictures to be taking away from the story rather than adding to it. I also thought that the plot was a little all over the place and I put it down a while ago and realized I don't have any intention of picking it back up.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
DNF @ 10%
I found the pictures to be taking away from the story rather than adding to it. I also thought that the plot was a little all over the place and I put it down a while ago and realized I don't have any intention of picking it back up.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
cherryreads's review
5.0
I’m not a difficult reader to please, so if you give me a cool new fantasy world with interesting characters and laugh out loud moments? I’m beyond happy. The Vengeful Half was enjoyable in so many ways. It was a great book to read just before bed to wind down after a long and exhausting day. Despite the seriousness of the events and the high stakes, Jaclyn Dolamore entertains with her witty sense of humor and unique brand of comics. The story could have been read without the comics, but the experience is so much more fun with them added to the story. It’s probably why I enjoyed reading about the characters so much.
The world building was well thought out and embedded throughout the story which was great. There are three races in the Hidden Lands, the Miarlems with telepathic abilities, the Daramons who are the superior sorcerers, then there are the Fanarlem–dolls with souls inside of them. But it’s not all unfamiliar because there’s a lot of American pop culture thrown into the mix. In a kind of crazy way it made everything more believable.
Overall, the characters are well-developed and interesting to read about. Olivia and Alfred are the main stars of this novel and it’s no secret the two begin to develop feelings for each other. What I enjoyed was how the whole romance aspect didn’t drown out the main plot of the story but helped it in some ways. Olivia is a fresh new face in the sea of young adult heroines. Her greatest weakness is that she "enjoys being boring". When I read that, I kind of loved her already. She’s also sensible and resourceful, handling situations responsibly despite all that’s going on in her life. Alfred on the other hand, might as well be a prince, being an heir to a wealthy family and all. Even if that wealth is built on illegal potions trade. Despite what his family does for a living, Alfred is kind, thoughtful and reliable. Beware of this one though, he’s a sweet talker. Once you meet him, “bellora” might become your favorite word. There are tons of other awesome characters in this story that I would love to go on about but this review would never end. Just know that even the side characters are fun and lovable (i.e. George & the Alamonts).
When the author, Jaclyn Dolamore, contacted me saying she was looking for reviewers who enjoy anime & manga, I was thrilled to be getting her book before it came out. In case you didn’t know, I’ve loved anime ever since I was a little girl thanks to shows like Sailor Moon and Pokemon. The Vengeful Half was humorous and charming in a way that was reminiscent of my favorite mangas/anime. If you like manga/anime, this is an epic blend of young adult fiction and entertaining illustrations that’s a must read! And even if you’re not familiar with anime or manga, I would still recommend The Vengeful Half because it’s full of hilarious comics, unpredictable twists and charming characters.
*this is a variation of the review posted on my blog
The world building was well thought out and embedded throughout the story which was great. There are three races in the Hidden Lands, the Miarlems with telepathic abilities, the Daramons who are the superior sorcerers, then there are the Fanarlem–dolls with souls inside of them. But it’s not all unfamiliar because there’s a lot of American pop culture thrown into the mix. In a kind of crazy way it made everything more believable.
Overall, the characters are well-developed and interesting to read about. Olivia and Alfred are the main stars of this novel and it’s no secret the two begin to develop feelings for each other. What I enjoyed was how the whole romance aspect didn’t drown out the main plot of the story but helped it in some ways. Olivia is a fresh new face in the sea of young adult heroines. Her greatest weakness is that she "enjoys being boring". When I read that, I kind of loved her already. She’s also sensible and resourceful, handling situations responsibly despite all that’s going on in her life. Alfred on the other hand, might as well be a prince, being an heir to a wealthy family and all. Even if that wealth is built on illegal potions trade. Despite what his family does for a living, Alfred is kind, thoughtful and reliable. Beware of this one though, he’s a sweet talker. Once you meet him, “bellora” might become your favorite word. There are tons of other awesome characters in this story that I would love to go on about but this review would never end. Just know that even the side characters are fun and lovable (i.e. George & the Alamonts).
When the author, Jaclyn Dolamore, contacted me saying she was looking for reviewers who enjoy anime & manga, I was thrilled to be getting her book before it came out. In case you didn’t know, I’ve loved anime ever since I was a little girl thanks to shows like Sailor Moon and Pokemon. The Vengeful Half was humorous and charming in a way that was reminiscent of my favorite mangas/anime. If you like manga/anime, this is an epic blend of young adult fiction and entertaining illustrations that’s a must read! And even if you’re not familiar with anime or manga, I would still recommend The Vengeful Half because it’s full of hilarious comics, unpredictable twists and charming characters.
*this is a variation of the review posted on my blog
mxhermit's review
3.0
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw the description, I thought that this book would be the start of a grand adventure and possibly a new series. It certainly had that potential based on what I'd read. After reading it, my estimation is somewhat diminished, though not completely.
The story itself was good and had a nice development. The execution was a little on the childish side, which made me think that this would be better labeled as a middle grade book rather than a sci-fi young adult book.
The pacing felt a bit rushed. We're barely into the book before things started happening in a rapid fire succession. Maybe a little more fleshing out would've been good?
The art was cool, though at times I wasn't sure whether it was consistent with the book moments that it was meant to represent, which is a huge problem for me.
My final thoughts are that this was a decent book, but I wouldn't say an excellent one. It was more or less fun to read in the moment, but I'm not sure whether it has the staying power for a re-read.
When I first saw the description, I thought that this book would be the start of a grand adventure and possibly a new series. It certainly had that potential based on what I'd read. After reading it, my estimation is somewhat diminished, though not completely.
The story itself was good and had a nice development. The execution was a little on the childish side, which made me think that this would be better labeled as a middle grade book rather than a sci-fi young adult book.
The pacing felt a bit rushed. We're barely into the book before things started happening in a rapid fire succession. Maybe a little more fleshing out would've been good?
The art was cool, though at times I wasn't sure whether it was consistent with the book moments that it was meant to represent, which is a huge problem for me.
My final thoughts are that this was a decent book, but I wouldn't say an excellent one. It was more or less fun to read in the moment, but I'm not sure whether it has the staying power for a re-read.
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