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marscandy37's review against another edition
4.0
This book came to me in a weird unexpected way. I was reading an article online about books that are worth the read and came upon a book titled Everlight by Kristen Callihan. The premise seemed interesting, and I decided to get it. When I started it though, I quickly realized that it was the fifth in a series and even though it's technically a stand alone, it was obvious that I was missing a lot. I hate the feeling of confusion I get when a character comes in and I have no idea what their value to the story will be. Are they new, or had been a constant presence in the series?
So I stopped reading it and bought the first in the series, Firelight. Just to find out more about this world and understand the occurrences in Everlight a lot more. I will get back to Everlight some time soon, but not until I've finished the first four books, which I've already bought. I jump the gun most of the time...
Firelight starts off with Lord Benjamin Archer. A man with a mysterious disfigurement that forces him to wear a black carnival mask on his face. Imagine something like this except black.
Reminiscent of V for Vendetta.
Lord Archer was angry. A very precious something had been stolen from him and he was on his way to kill the person who he believed was responsible for the theft. As he drew near though he came upon two young boys sparring, and was unreasonably drawn to them. He stayed in the shadows watching the boys from the distant so as not to scare them and was impressed by their skill, especially the smaller one who was quick and agile. When they finally came to a stop, the older boy having bested his younger counterpart, the boys headed home their separate ways.
Knowing the dangers of the streets at night, and having been thoroughly entertained by the young boys antics, Archer decided to make sure the boy reached home safely. He followed behind him and was soon glad as he was set upon by a small gang of scoundrels looking for trouble. Archer watched amazed as the boy, bravely, or stupidly, stood up to them despite the fact that they were twice his size.
But the troublemakers weren't intimidated and one of them boldly smacked the boys head, telling him he needed to be taught a lesson, and everything changed when the hat that had been on the boys head fell off and revealed a mane of long flowing red hair.
The boy that Archer had assumed was about twelve was actually a girl of about nineteen, and not just any girl but the daughter of the man he had come to kill. The thief that had stolen the only possible thing that could cure the affliction Archer was cursed with, and she was beautiful.
Miranda Ellis sparked Archer like nothing had in a very long time. Knowing things had gotten infinitely worse for her because of her gender Archer stepped forward reveling himself in all his intimidating glory. One look at Archer and they knew they were in trouble. The man just oozed danger, and they ran like the fires of hell were at their heels.
Miranda on the other hand wasn't easily cowed, and she knew exactly what he was there for. She knew her father well and the lengths he'd go to retrieve his lost wealth. But somehow Archer had lost his interest in revenge. His package was forever lost to him now, sunk at sea. There was a new goal in his heart now. To make Miranda his at all cost, even if it meant bringing her into the nightmare that was his life...
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It started off strong and was consistently strong throughout the book. The plot was interesting and I felt like everything came together nicely with no loose ends. Miranda and Archer's story was concluded beautifully. I like how Kristen Callihan writes. It seems she puts a lot of effort into her plots and nothing is wasted. The characters interactions had a point and were interesting.
Miranda as a main character was a delight. She had all the makings of a Mary Sue, but somehow Kristen Callihan pulled her off as likeable. The mystery of what lay behind Archers mask was intriguing and kept you interested without you going "oh my god, just tells us already." I think it was well played that she gave us glimpses of him, like unwrapping a present little by little and getting clues as to what was inside. I loved the emotion she put into Archer's character.
There were a lot of things going on in the story, the unmasking of the murderer that was killing the men of that secret club, the mystery behind Archers disfigurement and the chaotic romance that was evolving between Archer and Miranda. I thought somethings were better executed than others. The murderer in this case was easily one of two people and it became obvious which one as the story progressed.
Miranda's secret was a little less impressive because we knew the whole time what it was. But I did love the way it was tied in to everything at the end.
I really loved this book. I'm one of those weirdos that can fall for someone without even seeing their face. So I didn't think that Miranda falling in love with Archer without ever seeing him was strange at all. The whole book reminded me somewhat of Beauty and the Beast. You know if Belle was a proficient pick pocket with a volatile secret...
This was a solid 4.5 to me. I'm glad cause I already bought the other 3 and it would have sucked if I hadn't liked this book...I'm hopeless.
So I stopped reading it and bought the first in the series, Firelight. Just to find out more about this world and understand the occurrences in Everlight a lot more. I will get back to Everlight some time soon, but not until I've finished the first four books, which I've already bought. I jump the gun most of the time...
Firelight starts off with Lord Benjamin Archer. A man with a mysterious disfigurement that forces him to wear a black carnival mask on his face. Imagine something like this except black.
Reminiscent of V for Vendetta.
Lord Archer was angry. A very precious something had been stolen from him and he was on his way to kill the person who he believed was responsible for the theft. As he drew near though he came upon two young boys sparring, and was unreasonably drawn to them. He stayed in the shadows watching the boys from the distant so as not to scare them and was impressed by their skill, especially the smaller one who was quick and agile. When they finally came to a stop, the older boy having bested his younger counterpart, the boys headed home their separate ways.
Knowing the dangers of the streets at night, and having been thoroughly entertained by the young boys antics, Archer decided to make sure the boy reached home safely. He followed behind him and was soon glad as he was set upon by a small gang of scoundrels looking for trouble. Archer watched amazed as the boy, bravely, or stupidly, stood up to them despite the fact that they were twice his size.
But the troublemakers weren't intimidated and one of them boldly smacked the boys head, telling him he needed to be taught a lesson, and everything changed when the hat that had been on the boys head fell off and revealed a mane of long flowing red hair.
The boy that Archer had assumed was about twelve was actually a girl of about nineteen, and not just any girl but the daughter of the man he had come to kill. The thief that had stolen the only possible thing that could cure the affliction Archer was cursed with, and she was beautiful.
Miranda Ellis sparked Archer like nothing had in a very long time. Knowing things had gotten infinitely worse for her because of her gender Archer stepped forward reveling himself in all his intimidating glory. One look at Archer and they knew they were in trouble. The man just oozed danger, and they ran like the fires of hell were at their heels.
Miranda on the other hand wasn't easily cowed, and she knew exactly what he was there for. She knew her father well and the lengths he'd go to retrieve his lost wealth. But somehow Archer had lost his interest in revenge. His package was forever lost to him now, sunk at sea. There was a new goal in his heart now. To make Miranda his at all cost, even if it meant bringing her into the nightmare that was his life...
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It started off strong and was consistently strong throughout the book. The plot was interesting and I felt like everything came together nicely with no loose ends. Miranda and Archer's story was concluded beautifully. I like how Kristen Callihan writes. It seems she puts a lot of effort into her plots and nothing is wasted. The characters interactions had a point and were interesting.
Miranda as a main character was a delight. She had all the makings of a Mary Sue, but somehow Kristen Callihan pulled her off as likeable. The mystery of what lay behind Archers mask was intriguing and kept you interested without you going "oh my god, just tells us already." I think it was well played that she gave us glimpses of him, like unwrapping a present little by little and getting clues as to what was inside. I loved the emotion she put into Archer's character.
There were a lot of things going on in the story, the unmasking of the murderer that was killing the men of that secret club, the mystery behind Archers disfigurement and the chaotic romance that was evolving between Archer and Miranda. I thought somethings were better executed than others. The murderer in this case was easily one of two people and it became obvious which one as the story progressed.
Miranda's secret was a little less impressive because we knew the whole time what it was. But I did love the way it was tied in to everything at the end.
I really loved this book. I'm one of those weirdos that can fall for someone without even seeing their face. So I didn't think that Miranda falling in love with Archer without ever seeing him was strange at all. The whole book reminded me somewhat of Beauty and the Beast. You know if Belle was a proficient pick pocket with a volatile secret...
This was a solid 4.5 to me. I'm glad cause I already bought the other 3 and it would have sucked if I hadn't liked this book...I'm hopeless.
chrystalo's review against another edition
4.0
Yes. Good. This book was a perfect blend of storyline with an extremely compelling, almost mystery-like plot, plus just enough smut. Miranda is a FANTASTIC protagonist, and Archer is the sexiest counterpart to that. If you like romance novels that more or less avoid the super-cheesiness that the genre is generally known for, this is a fantastic palate cleanser. And then appetizer. And then main course. Well done.
mia_may's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
avid_reader_96's review against another edition
4.0
This book took me by surprise. It's not one of my usual reads and my first one by this author but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and intend to read the next one in the series.
Loved it the first time around. Skimmed through a lot on the second read. It’s quite wordy.
Loved it the first time around. Skimmed through a lot on the second read. It’s quite wordy.
dewey007's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's okay....
katyanaish's review against another edition
3.0
***3.5***
You know, I'm not sure why this book didn't engage me. It had a good story, good characters, an interesting mythology. But I never really hooked in. I had to MAKE myself finish it, I was so ambivalent about it.
I think the secret-keeping dragged on too much. I was interested at first, but it got to the point where it felt so tiresome that I just didn't care when they finally mutually revealed their big secrets. And oddly, they didn't care much either. Ben literally did not bat an eye at her ability. I believe his reaction was and then it was literally never spoken of again. Which in hindsight is baffling to me, but in the moment (as I read) may have contributed to my general feeling of MEH.
Anyway, I know I'm in the minority here - everyone I know loves this series. But I won't be reading onwards... I'm too busy for a series that feels like a chore to finish.
You know, I'm not sure why this book didn't engage me. It had a good story, good characters, an interesting mythology. But I never really hooked in. I had to MAKE myself finish it, I was so ambivalent about it.
I think the secret-keeping dragged on too much. I was interested at first, but it got to the point where it felt so tiresome that I just didn't care when they finally mutually revealed their big secrets. And oddly, they didn't care much either. Ben literally did not bat an eye at her ability. I believe his reaction was
Spoiler
"oh, is that why you're not scared to walk down dark alleys?"Anyway, I know I'm in the minority here - everyone I know loves this series. But I won't be reading onwards... I'm too busy for a series that feels like a chore to finish.
aranafyre's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting. Worth the read. Nothing ground breaking. I like the idea of the silver. The pacing was weird. There was one scene right after the marriage with all this sexual tension and it kind of abruptly ends with no resolution between the characters and then a week goes by. There was a lot of that.