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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-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
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 ⭐️
This is what a good YA book should be!
This had everything, it had amazing characters, great dialogue, interesting plot, and it was nicely fast-paced!
I honestly devoured this book, soooo fun! I loved the characters, the plot was amazing - I loved that you got two POVs for Gideon and Rune. I loved seeing both of their perspectives on witches and how they ruled - it made it impossible to pick a side - which was probably the point - both sides definitely have their rights and wrongs.
The ending…..heartbreaking :’(
Going to start the second book right now - I need to know how this ends.
This is what a good YA book should be!
This had everything, it had amazing characters, great dialogue, interesting plot, and it was nicely fast-paced!
I honestly devoured this book, soooo fun! I loved the characters, the plot was amazing - I loved that you got two POVs for Gideon and Rune. I loved seeing both of their perspectives on witches and how they ruled - it made it impossible to pick a side - which was probably the point - both sides definitely have their rights and wrongs.
The ending…..heartbreaking :’(
Going to start the second book right now - I need to know how this ends.
emotional
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
This book is what Serpent and Dove should've been. The characters are better, the world-building is better, and the writing is better.
This book starts out really strong, and I like the magic system Ciccarelli created. I especially love how witches must use blood to cast, and they can tattoo themselves via their scars. That's such a cool detail! The story uses the opposing perspectives of witch and witch-hunter to explore the nuances of oppression and revolution. Rune is complex; her guilt drives her to become a vigilante, but her privileged upbringing means she's blind to issues that don't affect her personally. I like how crafty she is, and her (brief) cat-and-mouse game with Gideon. I also like that the side characters felt real and fleshed out.
My problems with this book begin at about the middle point and just keep picking up as we get toward the end. I don't think Ciccarelli believes in this romance; they ostensibly fell in love, yet all their 'romantic' scenes together just felt like the author was checking boxes. It only takes a matter of days for Rune to no longer hate Gideon and for him to no longer think she's an idiot. It's just not that convincing, and not only because they were both faking it at first. The enemies to lovers isn't complete without the wholesome best friend love interest, either; the author must have realized that he was a better romantic match for Rune in every possible way, and she killed him off to force Rune to settle for Gideon (eventually). It felt like a cop-out.
Speaking of Gideon, at first his backstory is intriguing, offering a different perspective on the witch queens he murdered in the revolution. But his past abuse doesn't, in my mind, justify the brutal genocide he's committing, or his too-easy redemption in Rune's mind. She stops thinking about her vigilante work whenever she's with him.
The end of the book is a confused mess. The big reveal was predictable; Ciccarelli spent the first half of the book not leaving any hints, then starting dropping huge ones that weren't subtle at all. Gideon's and Rune's falling out is centered around miscommunication, and I don't really believe they were so in love for the other's supposed betrayal to really affect them. I think this could've been resolved with a longer book, so the author didn't have to cobble together a cliffhanger ending. Then she could've fleshed out the relationship and built up the big reveal a bit more before using the third act to take out the villain. I can't say I want to read the rest of the series.
This book starts out really strong, and I like the magic system Ciccarelli created. I especially love how witches must use blood to cast, and they can tattoo themselves via their scars. That's such a cool detail! The story uses the opposing perspectives of witch and witch-hunter to explore the nuances of oppression and revolution. Rune is complex; her guilt drives her to become a vigilante, but her privileged upbringing means she's blind to issues that don't affect her personally. I like how crafty she is, and her (brief) cat-and-mouse game with Gideon. I also like that the side characters felt real and fleshed out.
My problems with this book begin at about the middle point and just keep picking up as we get toward the end. I don't think Ciccarelli believes in this romance; they ostensibly fell in love, yet all their 'romantic' scenes together just felt like the author was checking boxes. It only takes a matter of days for Rune to no longer hate Gideon and for him to no longer think she's an idiot. It's just not that convincing, and not only because they were both faking it at first. The enemies to lovers isn't complete without the wholesome best friend love interest, either; the author must have realized that he was a better romantic match for Rune in every possible way, and she killed him off to force Rune to settle for Gideon (eventually). It felt like a cop-out.
Speaking of Gideon, at first his backstory is intriguing, offering a different perspective on the witch queens he murdered in the revolution. But his past abuse doesn't, in my mind, justify the brutal genocide he's committing, or his too-easy redemption in Rune's mind. She stops thinking about her vigilante work whenever she's with him.
The end of the book is a confused mess. The big reveal was predictable; Ciccarelli spent the first half of the book not leaving any hints, then starting dropping huge ones that weren't subtle at all. Gideon's and Rune's falling out is centered around miscommunication, and I don't really believe they were so in love for the other's supposed betrayal to really affect them. I think this could've been resolved with a longer book, so the author didn't have to cobble together a cliffhanger ending. Then she could've fleshed out the relationship and built up the big reveal a bit more before using the third act to take out the villain. I can't say I want to read the rest of the series.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes