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kebreads's review
5.0
I loved this book! It was a story all its own, yet it had quite a few fairy tales woven throughout the story. I found the magic in it interesting and intriguing. I loved seeing Adrielle's relationship with her parents, seeing how she endured the trials she faced, and seeing how she cared about others. This story had lots of other wonderful characters—Christian, Merry Anne and her sisters, Cecillia, and more. This is a rich, full story, and it had many twists and turns I did not expect. I look forward to reading more stories in this series. And I am impressed with the author’s ability to write books in various genres.
Content: clean - some violence
Source: Review copy
Content: clean - some violence
Source: Review copy
flowersofquiethappiness's review
4.0
As a fan of stories based on fairytales, the synopsis of this one intrigued me. And I really enjoyed it! It feels like a mashup of a bunch of fairytales, yet with lots of original ideas as well. Which sounds a bit crazy probably, but somehow it all worked. I was swept into Adrielle's plight from the very beginning and spent the rest of the story avidly turning pages to find out what would happen next. The fairytale elements are lots of fun, the romance is pretty adorable, and there were several little twists I was not expecting. My only qualm was that much of the chaos could have been prevented had the adults been more adult and actually communicated with Adrielle! Still, I liked this a great deal and definitely recommend it. :)
thereadrose's review
4.0
* I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
To say the least, this book was magical! It did take me a while to get into the book as I felt it dragged on in the beginning. However, once Adrielle arrived to the Castle I could not put the book down. This book has everything you'd want from a fairy tale and more! I loved the classic story of a poor farm girl who has overcome hard times and realizes how courageous she truly is.
For me the draw backs were that it did take me a while to get into the story and I did find the story predictable at times.
I absolutely loved her references of classic Disney fairytales as if those stories were apart of history. I definitely recommend this book especially to those who have a weakness for Disneyesque type of fairytales!
To say the least, this book was magical! It did take me a while to get into the book as I felt it dragged on in the beginning. However, once Adrielle arrived to the Castle I could not put the book down. This book has everything you'd want from a fairy tale and more! I loved the classic story of a poor farm girl who has overcome hard times and realizes how courageous she truly is.
For me the draw backs were that it did take me a while to get into the story and I did find the story predictable at times.
I absolutely loved her references of classic Disney fairytales as if those stories were apart of history. I definitely recommend this book especially to those who have a weakness for Disneyesque type of fairytales!
channywax's review
I LOVE fairytales, especially when they have new twists! This was such a fun read. The characters were great, the twists were awesome and of course I loved the romance. I can't wait for book 2!
linz's review
4.0
First Light is the fourth book by Michele Paige Holmes that I've read, and though I've loved each and every one of them, this may be my favorite. This is a bit different than her Regency romance novels, but her writing is still excellent, and I was not disappointed.
One of my favorite types of books to read is a well-written fairy tale retelling, and First Light fits that description perfectly. It pulls bits from several fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella, and weaves them together effortlessly to create an original story.
Michele Paige Holmes has such a knack for creating interesting and intriguing characters, and the characters in this book are no exception. I loved them all, even the "villains," and I found myself worrying about them even after I would have to put the book down to do more mundane tasks. I couldn't wait to resume reading, and I took every available opportunity to find out what happened next.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to fans of fairy tales and clean romance novels. With a story filled with magic and fairies, well-written characters, and a sweet romance, First Light is not one to miss.
One of my favorite types of books to read is a well-written fairy tale retelling, and First Light fits that description perfectly. It pulls bits from several fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella, and weaves them together effortlessly to create an original story.
Michele Paige Holmes has such a knack for creating interesting and intriguing characters, and the characters in this book are no exception. I loved them all, even the "villains," and I found myself worrying about them even after I would have to put the book down to do more mundane tasks. I couldn't wait to resume reading, and I took every available opportunity to find out what happened next.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to fans of fairy tales and clean romance novels. With a story filled with magic and fairies, well-written characters, and a sweet romance, First Light is not one to miss.
carmenna's review
4.0
First light è una bella fiaba, una di quelle storie capaci di immergere il lettore di qualsiasi età in un mondo di fantasia in cui esistono le fate, la magia e il lieto fine.
La protagonista è Adrielle, una ragazza che, di punto in bianco, vede la sua vita cambiare drasticamente, e si trova costretta a dirigersi dalla campagna nella città di Tallinyne, alla ricerca della sorella maggiore, unica tra i suoi familiari, che, forse, vorrà occuparsi di lei.
Durante il viaggio incontra delle strane, benevole creature, deve vedersela con dei banditi e fuggire dagli zingari.
Una volta arrivata al castello, dove probabilmente sua sorella lavora come sguattera, Adrielle ascolterà storie di fate, principesse in pericolo e regine cattive, e conoscerà il bel Cristian, che sembra davvero avere degli abiti troppo puliti per essere un ragazzo delle stalle...
Adrielle è una protagonista carina che agisce come una ragazza della sua età: ha paura ma cerca di essere coraggiosa, è leale, soffre di solitudine e desidera che qualcuno le voglia di nuovo bene, dopo il suo adorato papà.
Mi sono piaciute molto le descrizioni della città di Tallinyne e soprattutto quelle del periodo passato dalla protagonista nella cucina del castello: anche Maggie, la capocuoca, pur non comparendo tantissimo, è ben caratterizzata, e viene naturale immaginare l'interno della cucina, il tepore del camino o il freddo del pavimento.
E' stato divertente notare i vari rimandi alle più famose fiabe, raccontati come eventi realmente accaduti (la storia degli elfi delle scarpe, di Cenerentola, di Briar Rose, la bella addormentata), o inseriti come elementi del romanzo: le tre fate "madrine", uno specchio per la regina cattiva che all'occorrenza si trasforma in drago, la richiesta del cuore della principessa da mettere in una scatola di legno, la maledizione della puntura al dito, la "bestia" Hale.
La storia è molto accattivante, non prevedibile, e, soprattutto nella sua parte centrale, mi ha reso entusiasta. Era da tanto che cercavo una nuova fiaba, o anche un retelling di una storia classica che potesse essere al contempo fresco, ma avere anche gli elementi tradizionali capaci di immergermi in un'atmosfera magica e avvolgente.
First light è tutto questo, ed aggiungerei che - cosa per me importantissima - la storia d'amore tra Adrielle e Cristian non è per niente zuccherosa o svenevole, ma nasce come una bella amicizia che poi si trasforma in qualcosa di più.
Le uniche pecche del romanzo, sono, secondo me, l'eccessiva lunghezza e le scene di battaglia contro la cattiva Nadamaris, che non mi hanno entusiasmato.
Molto bello il twist finale.
Pur essendo parte di una serie, la storia ha un finale soddisfacente e non prevede cliffhanger di sorta; tuttavia, non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito, incentrato,questa, volta, sul personaggio di Cecilia.
Consigliato a tutti gli amanti delle fiabe.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2016/03/first-light.html
La protagonista è Adrielle, una ragazza che, di punto in bianco, vede la sua vita cambiare drasticamente, e si trova costretta a dirigersi dalla campagna nella città di Tallinyne, alla ricerca della sorella maggiore, unica tra i suoi familiari, che, forse, vorrà occuparsi di lei.
Durante il viaggio incontra delle strane, benevole creature, deve vedersela con dei banditi e fuggire dagli zingari.
Una volta arrivata al castello, dove probabilmente sua sorella lavora come sguattera, Adrielle ascolterà storie di fate, principesse in pericolo e regine cattive, e conoscerà il bel Cristian, che sembra davvero avere degli abiti troppo puliti per essere un ragazzo delle stalle...
Adrielle è una protagonista carina che agisce come una ragazza della sua età: ha paura ma cerca di essere coraggiosa, è leale, soffre di solitudine e desidera che qualcuno le voglia di nuovo bene, dopo il suo adorato papà.
Mi sono piaciute molto le descrizioni della città di Tallinyne e soprattutto quelle del periodo passato dalla protagonista nella cucina del castello: anche Maggie, la capocuoca, pur non comparendo tantissimo, è ben caratterizzata, e viene naturale immaginare l'interno della cucina, il tepore del camino o il freddo del pavimento.
E' stato divertente notare i vari rimandi alle più famose fiabe, raccontati come eventi realmente accaduti (la storia degli elfi delle scarpe, di Cenerentola, di Briar Rose, la bella addormentata), o inseriti come elementi del romanzo: le tre fate "madrine", uno specchio per la regina cattiva che all'occorrenza si trasforma in drago, la richiesta del cuore della principessa da mettere in una scatola di legno, la maledizione della puntura al dito, la "bestia" Hale.
La storia è molto accattivante, non prevedibile, e, soprattutto nella sua parte centrale, mi ha reso entusiasta. Era da tanto che cercavo una nuova fiaba, o anche un retelling di una storia classica che potesse essere al contempo fresco, ma avere anche gli elementi tradizionali capaci di immergermi in un'atmosfera magica e avvolgente.
First light è tutto questo, ed aggiungerei che - cosa per me importantissima - la storia d'amore tra Adrielle e Cristian non è per niente zuccherosa o svenevole, ma nasce come una bella amicizia che poi si trasforma in qualcosa di più.
Le uniche pecche del romanzo, sono, secondo me, l'eccessiva lunghezza e le scene di battaglia contro la cattiva Nadamaris, che non mi hanno entusiasmato.
Molto bello il twist finale.
Pur essendo parte di una serie, la storia ha un finale soddisfacente e non prevede cliffhanger di sorta; tuttavia, non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito, incentrato,questa, volta, sul personaggio di Cecilia.
Consigliato a tutti gli amanti delle fiabe.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2016/03/first-light.html
ghumpherys's review
5.0
Such a fun fantasy! So different from other stories I've read by this author, but I loved it! I loved all the little references to various fairy tales and how they were all kind of mixed up together. At times I thought I was reading a re-telling of a certain fairy tale, but then another element would come into the story and add a little twist to it. And I thought it was fun how those "original" fairy tales were even referenced in the story as the characters knew of their lore.
Sometimes it's frustrating as a reader to know things before the main character figures them out (as was the case with Adrielle) but at the same time it was reasonable for her to not realize some things until a certain point. And I loved the way the ending all came together! Can't wait to read Cecilia's story next!
Note: I received a free book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes it's frustrating as a reader to know things before the main character figures them out (as was the case with Adrielle) but at the same time it was reasonable for her to not realize some things until a certain point. And I loved the way the ending all came together! Can't wait to read Cecilia's story next!
Note: I received a free book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
radianest's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun book to read. It weaves many different classic stories together and it was hard to guess sometimes what would come next. In the same timeline, you could say, as sleeping beauty and cinderella, with fairies learning from their history and evil still plotting against good, we have a new princess to fall in love with. Adrielle is smart and caring and just wants to be loved.
This story is broken into three parts to get us through the story of Adrielle. We find her dealing with a horrible tragedy right at the beginning of the book and move with her to learn how to live with tragedy.
With little bits that are clearly from other princess stories, and a bit of humor acknowledging that this bits are from those stories, it was a fun adventure. Though not one I feel I will go back and read again, it sure was interesting!
I do have several questions about different characters that seemed to disappear entirely from the story at the end. And I was a little confused when it kept alluding to something more coming, but it seemed to be brought up at strange times. I guess that added to the intrigue and made me want to keep reading.
Anyways, this was a good book. If you enjoy fairy tales, give this one a try!
*I received First Light in return for my honest review.
This story is broken into three parts to get us through the story of Adrielle. We find her dealing with a horrible tragedy right at the beginning of the book and move with her to learn how to live with tragedy.
With little bits that are clearly from other princess stories, and a bit of humor acknowledging that this bits are from those stories, it was a fun adventure. Though not one I feel I will go back and read again, it sure was interesting!
I do have several questions about different characters that seemed to disappear entirely from the story at the end. And I was a little confused when it kept alluding to something more coming, but it seemed to be brought up at strange times. I guess that added to the intrigue and made me want to keep reading.
Anyways, this was a good book. If you enjoy fairy tales, give this one a try!
*I received First Light in return for my honest review.
camryndaytona's review
4.0
You can also check this review out on my blog: https://thewritingcrafter.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/first-light/
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review through the website Ebooks For Review. This has not affected my review in anyway, and I was not paid to write my review.
I think I lost count of the sheer number of fairytales and folk stories that were referenced or directly involved in this story. However, they were all well-woven into the plot and none of them screamed at being out of placed or distracted from what was going on. They all worked together to create the landscape in which the story took place.
Additionally it was a very solid book, I while I didn't give it five stars - because I felt as though there was something missing (I'm just not sure wha) - I can very easily say that it deserved everyone of its four stars. The story was well told and each of the characters fit perfectly inside it. But there was just a little spark that a five star book requires was missing.
The basis of the story is very tragic, a girl who is blamed for the accidental deaths of both her parents, and so she is shunned by the people she grew up with, which leads her to leave her home in search of a new start. Along the way she meets a delightful and varied cast of characters, who are all well-written and unique in their own right. There is a love story, naturally, and I won't spoil it, but I will say that is it a very sweet love story.
My biggest complaint, and perhaps the reason I could not give it more stars, is the predictability of the story. It is a fairytale after all, and follows a lot of the 'traditional' paths that such stories take. There were many plot twists that I figured out well before the main character (or other characters), and seemingly before the author wanted me to.
Overall I'd reccomend this to anyone who likes fairytales or romance books. I think perhaps it would be best with younger readers - middle grade - because it is very clean, with only one minor reference to 'wedding nights' and I just wasn't sure that it seemed to be intended for older readers. But don't let that discourage you. I'm at the higher end of the 'teen' age range and I liked it!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review through the website Ebooks For Review. This has not affected my review in anyway, and I was not paid to write my review.
I think I lost count of the sheer number of fairytales and folk stories that were referenced or directly involved in this story. However, they were all well-woven into the plot and none of them screamed at being out of placed or distracted from what was going on. They all worked together to create the landscape in which the story took place.
Additionally it was a very solid book, I while I didn't give it five stars - because I felt as though there was something missing (I'm just not sure wha) - I can very easily say that it deserved everyone of its four stars. The story was well told and each of the characters fit perfectly inside it. But there was just a little spark that a five star book requires was missing.
The basis of the story is very tragic, a girl who is blamed for the accidental deaths of both her parents, and so she is shunned by the people she grew up with, which leads her to leave her home in search of a new start. Along the way she meets a delightful and varied cast of characters, who are all well-written and unique in their own right. There is a love story, naturally, and I won't spoil it, but I will say that is it a very sweet love story.
My biggest complaint, and perhaps the reason I could not give it more stars, is the predictability of the story. It is a fairytale after all, and follows a lot of the 'traditional' paths that such stories take. There were many plot twists that I figured out well before the main character (or other characters), and seemingly before the author wanted me to.
Overall I'd reccomend this to anyone who likes fairytales or romance books. I think perhaps it would be best with younger readers - middle grade - because it is very clean, with only one minor reference to 'wedding nights' and I just wasn't sure that it seemed to be intended for older readers. But don't let that discourage you. I'm at the higher end of the 'teen' age range and I liked it!
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