Reviews

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

tabandvelcro's review against another edition

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4.0

how does an immortal being deal with human feelings? this is a theme I loved when it was dealt with in "the last unicorn" and I loved it just as much here. it's like a graceling/last unicorn awesome hybrid. but, with no unicorns. sorry. looking forward to the companion novel!

peruseproject's review against another edition

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3.0

More like a 3.5. It was decent, I really started enjoying it in the last 30 pages or so.

ex_libris_ad_astra's review against another edition

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3.0

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Isabel is a shifter. When Prince Rokan arrives in Mistwood seeking the shifter's protection, Isabel agrees to go with him. However, she has no memory of her past life before her time in Mistwood. Isabel knows Rokan is keeping something from her, but she doesn't know what.

I was expecting a pretty standard plot. Nothing too unusual, but a decent sort of fluff read. Instead, I found myself captivated by the way Cypess has crafted this story. As a reader, we only knows what Isabel knows, which isn't a lot to begin with. She's familiar with the castle where the majority of the book takes place, but that's about it. We learn things at the same pace Isabel does, which brings the reader into the story. If something is not making sense, there's usually an answer out there- Isabel just hasn't figured it out yet.

Cypess included a few plot twists I hadn't seen coming. I enjoyed them, but they could have had a bit more set up. I can't easily think of things that were foreshadowed within the book, so the "A HA!" moments just turn into "ohhhhh" moments.

The biggest thing I wished this novel would have included was more character development. There were several scenes where I thought we were almost there, but the author seemed to lose steam. The interactions between Isabel, Rokan, and the rest of court could have used a bit more of something. It could have been longer conversations, interactions between the characters, or even Isabel's thoughts about how the characters were talking and acting toward each other. These small changed would have taken the book from good to great.

Overall, I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars, and decided to round down to a 3. While I loved the way the story was told, it definitely won't be for everyone. However, if you're looking for a stories about shifters that's outside of the box, I would definitely suggest checking out Mistwood.

randijeanreads's review against another edition

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3.0

This was ok. I liked it, it was just a bit hard to follow.

lisagoe's review against another edition

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4.0

What I like about this book is that it uses its limited perspective narrator to help world build. By the end of the book, you have a satisfying picture of the world and a neatly encapsulated story that's unfolded. You also have a good sense of character motivation that's brought them to this point, but I wanted to know more about how these characters lived in their day to day life, which is a good sign that an author has made me care.

colleenaf's review against another edition

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5.0

Tuck Everlasting + Graceling + Superpowers + Super Crusable Literary Boys = A book I want to read again. Right now!

chllybrd's review against another edition

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3.0

I give this a 3.5 stars, I found it to be a very enjoyable read.

mishmashedme's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? No

3.5

jennigma's review against another edition

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4.0

It was a great story.
SpoilerThough I think I would have chosen to stay in Mistwood, given the choice. I imagine an alternate ending, or even a sequel, being about how she can find a way to extract herself from Kaer's sisters body and become the shifter again. If she would even want to. I understand that she had no purpose for existing until that first king sought her out, but she can shift loyalty just like she can shift her body, I think. As long as she has a king to protect, she has a purpose for existing.


Thinking about it, I suppose all legends have to die somewhere to make room for the modern world that rejects the existence of magic, but still.
SpoilerI would have been satisfied for her to remain in Mistwood as the legend lives on.

angelicasreads's review against another edition

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2.0

“Not all dangers are obvious.”


Well this was boring, like a lot. I was a bit excited and I though yeah this will be pretty interesting but then I was like, I'm so bored I might just explode. Yes, explode because that would be a lot more interesting than just plain dying and a LOT more interesting than this book, so there you have it.

ANYWAY, here we go. The book starts with this girl in the trees except she's not a girl but she is and she can shape shift and some guy finds her naked in the woods, OK we're good so far. Then He takes her to the palace because he's the prince, though not really because he's not really part of the actual royal family and there are a lot of twists and turns and people switching sides and being two-faced like there is no tomorrow. First they're good and trust worthy, then they stab you in the back and then turns out they are actually good but then they have their own agenda, it's like pick a side and stick to it goshdarnit.


Then there are the characters, I didn't like them. In fact I don't even remember their names and I always remember the main characters names ALWAYS. But no, not them, I didn't relate and I found them just plain boring though I admit that the two main characters (what ever their names are) did have a cute relationship as far as I can remember. But...there was nothing memorable about any of them, nothing that makes me think 'oh yeah I remember that one guy/girl in that book that did that thing' with them it's more like 'yeah I remember reading that book but that's all I got'. I just didn't love them at all.


I will admit that was a good ending. That last twist at the end was like 'the FUN!?!? Where did that come from'. It was good and weird and it made total sense (sort of). I mean I had a feeling that something was up with the Shifter and the original Prince and Princess but I didn't know it was that. I liked the twist, a lot, it made the story interesting and managed to redeem it a bit, just a bit. I also liked that the story ended there and there was no over dramatic cliffhanger. Oh, I hate when boring books have cliffhangers because I feel like I just have to read the rest. So thank you [a:Leah Cypess|2915782|Leah Cypess|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1271641014p2/2915782.jpg] for not making me feel obligated to read the rest.