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mstapel's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
danniphantomreads's review
5.0
Wow, I found myself immersed in this story! This book is the first in The Neath series and it was an absolute adventure! I love all the characters so much! I connected with all of them and really felt like I knew them all! I love the magical fantasy this story brings to the table. The world-building is spectacular! When I think of a great dark fantasy, I will always think of this book! I will read this over and over again! I recommend this book for YA Readers and lovers of dark fantasy and high-ish fantasy. It is a rather long read, but I devoured the pages!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tiny Fox Press for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tiny Fox Press for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
struckbybooks's review
1.0
I didn’t not finish due to the fact that this book did not capture my attention as I thought it would as I liked the sound of it from the blurb.
amysbrittain's review
4.0
The first book in Blanchet's Neath trilogy offers a bizarre dark underworld; cruelty and revenge; an unlikely hero; and heartwarming bravery and unexpected bonds.
In Blanchet's young adult fantasy debut, Herrick's End, Ollie's only friend Gwen has disappeared. He has no idea where she's gone, but he thinks her recent black eye, edginess, and her brooding jerk of a boyfriend have something to do with it.
He searches for her, then receives a mysterious note: "Still looking for your friend? I know where she is." A strange fellow offers to lead Ollie to Gwen. Ollie pushes down his panic and decides to push on bravely (and possibly foolishly), determined to find and save Gwen.
But the trail Ollie finds himself on leads to darkness and danger in a mysterious underworld. The land is odd, troubling, and filled with unexpected magic--as well as brutal vengeance. It defies much of what he has known as fact and reality up above. And, alarmingly, a powerful local legend has been expecting him.
He had been hanging his hopes on some fool notion of "fairness." He would find a way out, because he deserved to find a way out.... It wasn't until he watched a gaseous frog sever an innocent man's arm for no particular reason that Ollie realized: There was no fairness here. There was no justice. Those were quaint, forgotten notions.
Cruel forces wield ruthless power in the dark land below--and those in charge might destroy him if he doesn't figure out an escape, or at least find a little help in this unforgiving place.
When Ollie drums up a glimmer of hope in a devastating prison of a situation, he begins the trajectory of becoming an unlikely hero who might just save everyone in the end.
The story is funny, sometimes grotesque, at other times sweet, and full of surprises. With zombified children; curses and prophecies; domestic abuse and revenge; bizarre creatures; impossible choices with enormous consequences; struggles with body image; and budding love.
I love this beautiful cover and loved how much heart Blanchet's story offered.
I received a prepublication digital edition of Herrick's End (published spring 2022) courtesy of Tiny Fox Press and NetGalley.
I can't wait to read the second book in the trilogy, Herrick's Lie, which is scheduled for publication in spring 2023.
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Herrick's End.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
In Blanchet's young adult fantasy debut, Herrick's End, Ollie's only friend Gwen has disappeared. He has no idea where she's gone, but he thinks her recent black eye, edginess, and her brooding jerk of a boyfriend have something to do with it.
He searches for her, then receives a mysterious note: "Still looking for your friend? I know where she is." A strange fellow offers to lead Ollie to Gwen. Ollie pushes down his panic and decides to push on bravely (and possibly foolishly), determined to find and save Gwen.
But the trail Ollie finds himself on leads to darkness and danger in a mysterious underworld. The land is odd, troubling, and filled with unexpected magic--as well as brutal vengeance. It defies much of what he has known as fact and reality up above. And, alarmingly, a powerful local legend has been expecting him.
He had been hanging his hopes on some fool notion of "fairness." He would find a way out, because he deserved to find a way out.... It wasn't until he watched a gaseous frog sever an innocent man's arm for no particular reason that Ollie realized: There was no fairness here. There was no justice. Those were quaint, forgotten notions.
Cruel forces wield ruthless power in the dark land below--and those in charge might destroy him if he doesn't figure out an escape, or at least find a little help in this unforgiving place.
When Ollie drums up a glimmer of hope in a devastating prison of a situation, he begins the trajectory of becoming an unlikely hero who might just save everyone in the end.
The story is funny, sometimes grotesque, at other times sweet, and full of surprises. With zombified children; curses and prophecies; domestic abuse and revenge; bizarre creatures; impossible choices with enormous consequences; struggles with body image; and budding love.
I love this beautiful cover and loved how much heart Blanchet's story offered.
I received a prepublication digital edition of Herrick's End (published spring 2022) courtesy of Tiny Fox Press and NetGalley.
I can't wait to read the second book in the trilogy, Herrick's Lie, which is scheduled for publication in spring 2023.
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Herrick's End.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
deluneth's review
DNF'd at 25%
I really thought that I would like this book, the cover is really pretty and the premise is really interesting, but I struggled majorly to get into this book and just the thought of needing to pick it up to continue reading is enough to make me dread reading in general.
The imagery and details are really great and I love the character of Laszlo, but I do not think this book is the perfect fit for me - at least not right now! Who knows maybe I will pick it up a few months from now and like it a lot more?
From what I read (7 chapters), the story is really interesting but a little hard to connect to at least in my opinion. It is fantasy, but it all seems bit far fetched all at once and by the 5th chapter, when the plot really begins, I was a bit lost and overwhelmed with the details and what was going on.
From what I read, I would rate 2 stars. But like I said, this book is not a right fit for me right now, but it may be someone else's dearest new fantasy discovery!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!
I really thought that I would like this book, the cover is really pretty and the premise is really interesting, but I struggled majorly to get into this book and just the thought of needing to pick it up to continue reading is enough to make me dread reading in general.
The imagery and details are really great and I love the character of Laszlo, but I do not think this book is the perfect fit for me - at least not right now! Who knows maybe I will pick it up a few months from now and like it a lot more?
From what I read (7 chapters), the story is really interesting but a little hard to connect to at least in my opinion. It is fantasy, but it all seems bit far fetched all at once and by the 5th chapter, when the plot really begins, I was a bit lost and overwhelmed with the details and what was going on.
From what I read, I would rate 2 stars. But like I said, this book is not a right fit for me right now, but it may be someone else's dearest new fantasy discovery!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!
adventure_in_books's review
4.0
This was a very original story though it felt familiar it was anything but. I will say the start of this book made me long for a visit back home to the north east.
The author does a great job of grabbing you and pulling you in. Though I did struggle a bit with some triggers earlier in the book with mentions of domestic violence and abuse. But I quickly over came it the further into the story I got. I think the author is making you feel but not to deeply so that you are able to overcome these dark emotions and move on. Almost like giving you strength.
So we’re on a journey and we follow Ollie , he is kind but meek and has a serious body image problem. I wanted to reach into the book and smack him and say stop it. He really has a lot to learn about himself. Over the course of this book you discover a world hidden with in a world. With secrets to uncover you must watch Ollie take a step out of his comfort zone and fight for a friend. Or you think that’s who he is fighting for but honestly he is fighting for himself. There is no princess that needs saving in this book. He needs to address his skeletons in the closet and be who he wants to be by mending the hurt he has in his heart. He must address his past before he can take a step forward.
There is magic and mystery in this book. The world building is on point for where this book takes you. There is strength to be found by the reader. I truly enjoyed this authors style of writing. It was paced perfectly. When it slowed it was to help you process. But then when the action came into pages it moved right along.
In short:
Did I like it? Yeah I did.
Would I recommend it? Yes, but beware of trigger warnings.
Would I read more by this author? Yes.
The author does a great job of grabbing you and pulling you in. Though I did struggle a bit with some triggers earlier in the book with mentions of domestic violence and abuse. But I quickly over came it the further into the story I got. I think the author is making you feel but not to deeply so that you are able to overcome these dark emotions and move on. Almost like giving you strength.
So we’re on a journey and we follow Ollie , he is kind but meek and has a serious body image problem. I wanted to reach into the book and smack him and say stop it. He really has a lot to learn about himself. Over the course of this book you discover a world hidden with in a world. With secrets to uncover you must watch Ollie take a step out of his comfort zone and fight for a friend. Or you think that’s who he is fighting for but honestly he is fighting for himself. There is no princess that needs saving in this book. He needs to address his skeletons in the closet and be who he wants to be by mending the hurt he has in his heart. He must address his past before he can take a step forward.
There is magic and mystery in this book. The world building is on point for where this book takes you. There is strength to be found by the reader. I truly enjoyed this authors style of writing. It was paced perfectly. When it slowed it was to help you process. But then when the action came into pages it moved right along.
In short:
Did I like it? Yeah I did.
Would I recommend it? Yes, but beware of trigger warnings.
Would I read more by this author? Yes.
thewulverslibrary's review
2.0
Herrick's End by T.M. Blanchet is the story of Ollie who is trying to find his missing friend. He retrieves a mysterious note explaining he will have to follow a trailer to the vast underworld in an attempt to find her.
The pacing worked well for me and I was intrigued throughout the novel. There were a few details that i particularly liked such as Ollie and the way Blanchet describes the eeriness that he is going through.
I wasn't a huge fan of the unresolved plot that felt like they were only used for the purposes of a sequel. There was severe disconnection that felt like it was being made to be too mysterious instead of acting for the plot. The violence was really hard to read in parts and left me feeling uncomfortable. This may have been a personal feeling that wasn't intended by Blanchet but the message left wasn't one I was able to get on board with.
The pacing worked well for me and I was intrigued throughout the novel. There were a few details that i particularly liked such as Ollie and the way Blanchet describes the eeriness that he is going through.
I wasn't a huge fan of the unresolved plot that felt like they were only used for the purposes of a sequel. There was severe disconnection that felt like it was being made to be too mysterious instead of acting for the plot. The violence was really hard to read in parts and left me feeling uncomfortable. This may have been a personal feeling that wasn't intended by Blanchet but the message left wasn't one I was able to get on board with.
teachercull's review
2.0
Really loved the concept behind this book but struggled to really get into it. I was constantly putting it down and didn’t feel like the story had enough pull to keep me entertained. I liked the characters and how they developed but felt it was a bit too slow. I think I needed to become more attached to the characters early on and this did not happen until half way through the book. Overall really enjoyed the angle and concept and think it is unique to other fantasy stories.
boozybook's review
4.0
3.5/5
Thank you Tordotcom for giving me the opportunity to review this book!
I really liked Herricks End! It was such an interesting and different read from what I usually pick up and I found myself really drawn into the setting and perspective which was told in a great pace and it was easy to understand and understand!
Herricks end is the first book in the The Neath, a YA fantasy series set in different dimensions. Herrick's end is such. fast-paced read which is something you all know I love! And it was also filled with mysteries, clues, magic, a vast underworld, and much more!
I really liked the main character, who is known as Ollie. He was a character that was so easy to connect with and honestly throughout the whole book I just wanted to give him a big bear hug
Thank you Tordotcom for giving me the opportunity to review this book!
I really liked Herricks End! It was such an interesting and different read from what I usually pick up and I found myself really drawn into the setting and perspective which was told in a great pace and it was easy to understand and understand!
Herricks end is the first book in the The Neath, a YA fantasy series set in different dimensions. Herrick's end is such. fast-paced read which is something you all know I love! And it was also filled with mysteries, clues, magic, a vast underworld, and much more!
I really liked the main character, who is known as Ollie. He was a character that was so easy to connect with and honestly throughout the whole book I just wanted to give him a big bear hug
ctulip84's review
4.0
I liked it! Kind of fun and fantastical. A little wordy and dragged at times but all in all it was fun