Scan barcode
emily_mh's review
adventurous
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
3.75
This book was by NO MEANS bad, but unfortunately I found myself a little disappointed by it. One thing I loved about it was the dragons and how they played such a central role in plot, but also how they were characters in and of themselves. The magic system that went along with this was interesting, especially the concept of soul bonds. Another thing this book had going for it was Dani and Eden. Their character development was really strong, they provided great POVs to follow, and I also loved the sister dynamic between them. Finally, the pop culture references in this book were actually UP TO DATE!! It leant realism to the teenage perspective and was generally really refreshing.
However, this is where my cons start to come in. The first one being the romance.The first half of the book is spent setting up a logical, chemistry-filled second-chance romance with Sadie, but then this is ditched for one with Kieran. Dani and Kieran had nooooo chemistry, and he isn't even in the book until halfway through. It was just so jarring, especially when you have the added factor of viewing Sadie and Tomás as just friends for the first half, and now have to wrap your head around them being into each other. ALSO, Kieran is 200+ years old. It's annoying to me that we still have adult/minor relationships in YA in 2021 masked by the defense that "they look like a teenager."
Another thing I didn't like was the execution of the plot. The pacing was really strange, and I feel likethe original issue of hatching the eggs fell to the wayside in favour of the sorcerer Eden plotline. But then THAT plotline was conveniently resolved because Eden ended up being sorcerer AND human. Therefore half the book felt kind of redundant.
Finally, I thought the side characters were underused. Frankie, Tomás and Sadie were all so interesting and could have added some real colour to Dani's activities. Overall, these significant cons meant that although it was a pretty enjoyable book, I couldn't give it more than 3.75 stars.
However, this is where my cons start to come in. The first one being the romance.
Another thing I didn't like was the execution of the plot. The pacing was really strange, and I feel like
Finally, I thought the side characters were underused. Frankie, Tomás and Sadie were all so interesting and could have added some real colour to Dani's activities. Overall, these significant cons meant that although it was a pretty enjoyable book, I couldn't give it more than 3.75 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and War
spinesinaline's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
A contender for my favourite reads of the year! I love a sibling story and this one comes with Buffy-esque drama, dragons, and anxiety representation so there’s much to love. Big thanks to Clarion Books for the review copy!
I loved the humour in this one, which started right from the first page. But along with the constant humour and sarcasm in the dialogue, it’s also quite a serious story as it looks at the dangers of fighting dragons, but also the struggles of and coping methods for people with mental illnesses and handling others’ perceptions and demands of you, as well as the beautiful and honest depiction of the relationship of these two sisters.
It’s a quick read despite its length (over 400 pages!) so I don’t want to give too much away beyond what the blurb offers (and you’d be fine following along by skipping the blurb altogether). I will say that I felt the representation the author offers felt very real, and while I can’t speak from an own voices perspective, it felt true. Dani, the youngest sister, is proudly bisexual and directly combats biphobic assumptions and stereotypes. The eldest, Eden, deals with anxiety and panic attacks and there are very detailed descriptions of these attacks and their impact on her life.
The characters are endearing and funny and still have their (sometimes significant) flaws, the story moves quickly and easily so you get sucked in, and it’s a creative modern take on dragon stories that incorporates Mexican mythology.
I loved the humour in this one, which started right from the first page. But along with the constant humour and sarcasm in the dialogue, it’s also quite a serious story as it looks at the dangers of fighting dragons, but also the struggles of and coping methods for people with mental illnesses and handling others’ perceptions and demands of you, as well as the beautiful and honest depiction of the relationship of these two sisters.
It’s a quick read despite its length (over 400 pages!) so I don’t want to give too much away beyond what the blurb offers (and you’d be fine following along by skipping the blurb altogether). I will say that I felt the representation the author offers felt very real, and while I can’t speak from an own voices perspective, it felt true. Dani, the youngest sister, is proudly bisexual and directly combats biphobic assumptions and stereotypes. The eldest, Eden, deals with anxiety and panic attacks and there are very detailed descriptions of these attacks and their impact on her life.
The characters are endearing and funny and still have their (sometimes significant) flaws, the story moves quickly and easily so you get sucked in, and it’s a creative modern take on dragon stories that incorporates Mexican mythology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, and Murder
More...