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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Explicit content: Violence, kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, death
Actual rating: 3.25 stars
I read a lot of books with potential but weak execution, and this is a typical example. You have an interesting premise with an excuse to go full fantasy-kitchen-sink, but nothing's really done with it. There's no attempt to explain what happened or why the world is the way it is, or any real internal logic (turns out there's fairies and trolls and all that stuff, but also angels and literal hell - and no one thinks this is remarkable).
Aside from a world, in a story, you also either need a strong plot, or strong characters, and this novel has neither. Plot-wise, it's just a lot of waffling as our characters float from one town to another without any real purpose. They kinda wanna save their friends, but take their sweet time. They kinda feel like they need to go to the town they see in their dreams, but don't really know why. They kinda want revenge on the villain, but after he gets sent to literal hell (?!) they just forget about him, until he pops up again, like every bad slasher villain ever. Any time something bad happens, either our MC pulls new powers out of her butt, or someone else swoops in to save the day, rinse and repeat.
Similarly, the characters are fairly bland and one-dimensional. Our main character knows almost nothing about her own powers, despite having had them for 9 years when the story opens. Similarly, she learns absolutely no lessons about risking herself to help strangers, despite doing so leading to the kidnapping and captivity of herself and her brother for six long months. She's just naive and trusting to a fault. The other characters are similarly one-note. Erik is big and gruff and protective (i.e. every were-creature ever). Her brother is...there, sometimes (I'm not sure he even gets to legit use his powers a single time). The girly girl is girly. The bartender is...also there. Felix is a gentle giant. And Philip is a psycho. Seriously, there's supposed to be a love triangle, but there's absolutely no competition. Erik is a big tough hot-but-gentle guy who actually talks about his feelings like a mature adult. Philip controls peoples minds for the greater good and...psychically makes normal humans commit suicide? Traps the main character in solitary confinement for a week? Chops off a rule-breaker's hand? But he's supposed to be a good guy at heart, just misunderstood. Eye roll. I also get the nasty feeling he's this triangle's "winner" - like Erik is going to sacrifice himself for them, or something. Ick.
All that said, the writing style to this isn't terrible. There's nothing particularly offensive or irritating. It's just a bland, paranormal fantasy read. Nothing really to hate, but nothing really to love, either.
Explicit content: Violence, kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, death
Actual rating: 3.25 stars
I read a lot of books with potential but weak execution, and this is a typical example. You have an interesting premise with an excuse to go full fantasy-kitchen-sink, but nothing's really done with it. There's no attempt to explain what happened or why the world is the way it is, or any real internal logic (turns out there's fairies and trolls and all that stuff, but also angels and literal hell - and no one thinks this is remarkable).
Aside from a world, in a story, you also either need a strong plot, or strong characters, and this novel has neither. Plot-wise, it's just a lot of waffling as our characters float from one town to another without any real purpose. They kinda wanna save their friends, but take their sweet time. They kinda feel like they need to go to the town they see in their dreams, but don't really know why. They kinda want revenge on the villain, but after he gets sent to literal hell (?!) they just forget about him, until he pops up again, like every bad slasher villain ever. Any time something bad happens, either our MC pulls new powers out of her butt, or someone else swoops in to save the day, rinse and repeat.
Similarly, the characters are fairly bland and one-dimensional. Our main character knows almost nothing about her own powers, despite having had them for 9 years when the story opens. Similarly, she learns absolutely no lessons about risking herself to help strangers, despite doing so leading to the kidnapping and captivity of herself and her brother for six long months. She's just naive and trusting to a fault. The other characters are similarly one-note. Erik is big and gruff and protective (i.e. every were-creature ever). Her brother is...there, sometimes (I'm not sure he even gets to legit use his powers a single time). The girly girl is girly. The bartender is...also there. Felix is a gentle giant. And Philip is a psycho. Seriously, there's supposed to be a love triangle, but there's absolutely no competition. Erik is a big tough hot-but-gentle guy who actually talks about his feelings like a mature adult. Philip controls peoples minds for the greater good and...psychically makes normal humans commit suicide? Traps the main character in solitary confinement for a week? Chops off a rule-breaker's hand? But he's supposed to be a good guy at heart, just misunderstood. Eye roll. I also get the nasty feeling he's this triangle's "winner" - like Erik is going to sacrifice himself for them, or something. Ick.
All that said, the writing style to this isn't terrible. There's nothing particularly offensive or irritating. It's just a bland, paranormal fantasy read. Nothing really to hate, but nothing really to love, either.
Noticed the author mentioned in the front that this was an early work she had come back to re-edit, and it did feel more polished when i read it than some of the older reviews suggest it used to be.
There were some interesting things, some just so-so things, overall it was a decent middle-of-road level book.
There were some interesting things, some just so-so things, overall it was a decent middle-of-road level book.
CC Solomon's Mystic Bonds is the first book of her Paranormal World series. It introduces an alternate universe where the Event unleashes latent paranormal abilities in a percentage of humans and kills millions of others through disease. Mina and her brother Charles are supernaturals that are struggling to make their way in the world. They are captured and held as slaves by the pesky humans. Thought they are able to escape, they are forced to leave friend behind. Heading out into the world yet again, they look for allies to help them free their friends and stop the humans from causing more pain.
This is a fun and quick read. I found the worldbuilding similar to Nora Roberts' Chronicles of the One series. Mina and Charles are a hilarious pair. Erik's grumpy foil to Mina's endless optimism moved the story along adequately. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of paranormal/urban fantasy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a fun and quick read. I found the worldbuilding similar to Nora Roberts' Chronicles of the One series. Mina and Charles are a hilarious pair. Erik's grumpy foil to Mina's endless optimism moved the story along adequately. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of paranormal/urban fantasy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I think the main character spent too long considering the "other" romantic option when all points indicated it was no contest.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.1
This is such an interesting concept, an 'event' happened that either unlocked previously locked gifts and genomes or forced an intersection of our non-magical realm eith a magical. Either way, im here for it. Its so different from previous dystopics I have read.
I loved the little found family Amina was able to build. Erik was swoon worthy from the start and i never trusted Phillip and still dont. Hes stop free with his gift, he can never feel trustworthy when he is so open to the use of mind-control.
I'm be picking up book two, for sure.
This is such an interesting concept, an 'event' happened that either unlocked previously locked gifts and genomes or forced an intersection of our non-magical realm eith a magical. Either way, im here for it. Its so different from previous dystopics I have read.
I'm be picking up book two, for sure.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let’s start with the positives. Amina’s character was very well developed, I knew who she was what she wanted to accomplish and where she was going with the story. The overall premise is one of my favorites, a trope I call magic apocalypse because I don’t know what the actual trope is called. The world of Mystic Bonds used to be our regular world, until magic returned the world and changed it. People transformed into various magical beings, some humanoid and others not, and the landscape itself changed as well. I also loved the sibling relationship between Charles and Amina.
As far as what I did not like about the book, ultimately I felt lukewarm about it. The plot of this book is very segmented. In the first third as Amina is held captive the tension and pacing was good, Amina’s fear and anxiety at being powerless and domineered was done well. At this point I had hope for the plot and the way the story was moving. The romantic relationships and the friendships were forced. I feel like Solomon was going for a found family angle, but the dialogue and writing did not convince me that these people cared about each other or that they were more than strangers forced to cooperate. After their escape Amina and Charles meet other supernatural humans, settle in one town, and interact with another. In all the various characters they met none of the romantic or platonic relationships convinced me. It was not bad, just boring.