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chelsea2020's review
4.0
Alrighty. Let's get on with this. I have sooo much to say. Too much if we're being honest. This was a very interesting read. I received this book in a giveaway and had NO IDEA what I had signed myself up for. Not very like me, I decided NOT to read the summary before delving into this book. I was flying blind the whole time. Not the worst decision I've ever made...
Here are some things I don't get:
If Avalonia's Queen worships Erebos (aka the Devil) and Ragor "Wraith Lord" seems to also follow this dude, then why the heck don't they like each other? Why they fighting? Why not work together to snuff out the remaining light (aka Diamond) in the world? Hmm??? Seems like they're just askin' to get their asses whooped by one wimpy female.
General Edo's alliance...Who the FRICK is he working for?? Because he seems to hate the Queen, Ragor, AND Diamond in equal measure...For COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REASONS! What even is his endgame, his goal, his hopes and dreams? What is the bloody POINT of it all? Why pretend to be on EVERYONE'S side? Which he basically was doing...I'm just so confused!
The Characters:
Oh Lord skippy, here we fucking go...
Diamond is basically Caia (Tale of Lunarmorte series by Samantha Young) without all the badassery. She comes into her goddess-given powers through chance and a need of them (as Caia did), and is a half-breed who is looked on with contempt for her dual nature.
I have to admit, the lass is pretty weak. She was SUCH a totally damsel with her whining and pity-party. Even her best-human-friend Tom has more bravery and drive to survive. GO TOM! And SHE is supposed to save the world from darkness? *snorts* We'll see. If she can stop wholly obsessing over Hugo to make something meaningful out of everyone's sacrifices for her, then she may have some serious potential with all that power coursing through her veins. I have higher hope for the next book.
Hugo is like a more belligerent version of SO MANY notable love interests that I have come across in all my reading. He has the loyalty to his Queen that Ash had, until Meghan came into his life (Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa); so too with Diamond coming into Hugo's. It's Ash whom he most resembles, ESPECIALLY with both of their paralleling pasts. I can see the ruthlessness of Lorcan (Ancients of Light series by Heather Fleener) in him, and his all-consuming possession over his "Nexus."
In spite of his similarity to so many inspiring men and despite all his brass and bluster, he's a fucking pansy-assed puppet. Just as Diamond believes him to be. Yeah, I don't really like the guy. Can't say I HATE him, per se, but he's DEFINITELY on my shit list.
Zane. No, he's not really an important character to this plot, but I love his gay ass SO DAMN MUCH! His playful bossiness and fun-loving attitude—and his constant flirting with Tom :D—gave me SO MUCH LIFE! We do NOT get to see enough of that dude to please me. *sigh*
Jack (aka Prince Oden) is completely human and TOTALLY crushing on our main girl. Poor sap. She ain't interested bud, more's the pity too. He has some inner badassery that we don't get to witness often, but put him in the right situation and he will FUCK YOU UP. Definitely a Prince to watch out for. I'm sure he will lead his people well.
Despite my obvious disdain for our leading lady and lad, I really did enjoy reading this book. It was third person POV, so we got to see a lot more from the minds of MANY of our characters, rather than just the heroine and/or hero (though the story was LARGELY theirs to tell). I'm intrigued by the goddess-angle and how that will play out with so many people coming to Diamond's aid, as well as trying to keep her down because of the goddess' intentions for her. One thing is clear for Diamond though; she can trust NO ONE and the battles she faces will be hers alone to fight and survive through.
Here are some things I don't get:
If Avalonia's Queen worships Erebos (aka the Devil) and Ragor "Wraith Lord" seems to also follow this dude, then why the heck don't they like each other? Why they fighting? Why not work together to snuff out the remaining light (aka Diamond) in the world? Hmm??? Seems like they're just askin' to get their asses whooped by one wimpy female.
General Edo's alliance...Who the FRICK is he working for?? Because he seems to hate the Queen, Ragor, AND Diamond in equal measure...For COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REASONS! What even is his endgame, his goal, his hopes and dreams? What is the bloody POINT of it all? Why pretend to be on EVERYONE'S side? Which he basically was doing...I'm just so confused!
The Characters:
Oh Lord skippy, here we fucking go...
Diamond is basically Caia (Tale of Lunarmorte series by Samantha Young) without all the badassery. She comes into her goddess-given powers through chance and a need of them (as Caia did), and is a half-breed who is looked on with contempt for her dual nature.
I have to admit, the lass is pretty weak. She was SUCH a totally damsel with her whining and pity-party. Even her best-human-friend Tom has more bravery and drive to survive. GO TOM! And SHE is supposed to save the world from darkness? *snorts* We'll see. If she can stop wholly obsessing over Hugo to make something meaningful out of everyone's sacrifices for her, then she may have some serious potential with all that power coursing through her veins. I have higher hope for the next book.
Hugo is like a more belligerent version of SO MANY notable love interests that I have come across in all my reading. He has the loyalty to his Queen that Ash had, until Meghan came into his life (Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa); so too with Diamond coming into Hugo's. It's Ash whom he most resembles, ESPECIALLY with both of their paralleling pasts. I can see the ruthlessness of Lorcan (Ancients of Light series by Heather Fleener) in him, and his all-consuming possession over his "Nexus."
In spite of his similarity to so many inspiring men and despite all his brass and bluster, he's a fucking pansy-assed puppet. Just as Diamond believes him to be. Yeah, I don't really like the guy. Can't say I HATE him, per se, but he's DEFINITELY on my shit list.
Zane. No, he's not really an important character to this plot, but I love his gay ass SO DAMN MUCH! His playful bossiness and fun-loving attitude—and his constant flirting with Tom :D—gave me SO MUCH LIFE! We do NOT get to see enough of that dude to please me. *sigh*
Jack (aka Prince Oden) is completely human and TOTALLY crushing on our main girl. Poor sap. She ain't interested bud, more's the pity too. He has some inner badassery that we don't get to witness often, but put him in the right situation and he will FUCK YOU UP. Definitely a Prince to watch out for. I'm sure he will lead his people well.
Despite my obvious disdain for our leading lady and lad, I really did enjoy reading this book. It was third person POV, so we got to see a lot more from the minds of MANY of our characters, rather than just the heroine and/or hero (though the story was LARGELY theirs to tell). I'm intrigued by the goddess-angle and how that will play out with so many people coming to Diamond's aid, as well as trying to keep her down because of the goddess' intentions for her. One thing is clear for Diamond though; she can trust NO ONE and the battles she faces will be hers alone to fight and survive through.
shadowrealmreader's review
4.0
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB" ON GOODREADS.
I needed some time to think about this one. In general I really liked it. It is very well written and easy to read. I loved the main characters.. especially Hugo and I loved every scene he was in. I was speeding through the first bit, not willing to put it down, but unfortunately life gets in the way.
However, the story became a bit slower in the middle, which is not a problem if the main character, Diamond, wasn't whining all the time. She felt like a strong character at the beginning of the story but when she met Hugo that all changed.
It is an action packed story with dragons, magic and good world building, which I liked, but it also had the very familiar ingredients of insta-love and kind of a love triangle. Even though the insta-love is explained it wasn't very refreshing or original.
The ending was kind of surprising even though the reasons behind it were not very believable to me.
Overall I really liked this book and I am definitely going to read the second book.
I needed some time to think about this one. In general I really liked it. It is very well written and easy to read. I loved the main characters.. especially Hugo and I loved every scene he was in. I was speeding through the first bit, not willing to put it down, but unfortunately life gets in the way.
However, the story became a bit slower in the middle, which is not a problem if the main character, Diamond, wasn't whining all the time. She felt like a strong character at the beginning of the story but when she met Hugo that all changed.
It is an action packed story with dragons, magic and good world building, which I liked, but it also had the very familiar ingredients of insta-love and kind of a love triangle. Even though the insta-love is explained it wasn't very refreshing or original.
The ending was kind of surprising even though the reasons behind it were not very believable to me.
Overall I really liked this book and I am definitely going to read the second book.
gypsydawn's review
4.0
Loved it!
This is the kind of high fantasy I really enjoy! A girl who has been knocked down, a reluctant partner and a world to save. Of course, there is a slew of details lost in that summary, but you get the gist - and is great!
Third person, multiple POV, cliffhanger
M/F
Rating = PG-13
Character age range = 17+
Pros:
- well written
- Great World building
- Perfect villains, for the stereotype. There is no confusion here, big bad is big bad - it’s the heroes that have darker layers.
Cons:
- Moral choices.... they’ll become clear, but it hurt my heart.
This is the kind of high fantasy I really enjoy! A girl who has been knocked down, a reluctant partner and a world to save. Of course, there is a slew of details lost in that summary, but you get the gist - and is great!
Third person, multiple POV, cliffhanger
M/F
Rating = PG-13
Character age range = 17+
Pros:
- well written
- Great World building
- Perfect villains, for the stereotype. There is no confusion here, big bad is big bad - it’s the heroes that have darker layers.
Cons:
- Moral choices.... they’ll become clear, but it hurt my heart.
astelianervosa's review
5.0
An amazing book. I absolutely loved it. Hugo and Diamond are amazing characters. Every character has been well developed and every place and creature has also been well developed. Having read this it brings immense pleasure seeing the characters that Karen has worked so hard on come to life. It is a must read. I recommend it if you love fantasy!
ladyknightmeg's review
4.0
An action packed fantasy adventure with phenomenal world building.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, tonight or any night, queen or no queen.”
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Karen Tomlinson’s A Bond of Venom and Magic, which releases this October.
Lately I have not had much luck with indie books, but you can tell that Karen Tomlinson has put in the work to make A Bond of Venom and Magic one of the most well-polished indie novels I have read since Elise Kova’s Air Awakens series. Tomlinson is a true wordsmith, and has created an enthralling world that I was sucked into from the first chapter.
The characters in ABOVAM are great as well. Diamond (while occasionally frustrating as hell… but for a good reason), was completely refreshing as a main character.
She’s not confident.
She’s not snarky and witty.
She’s a young, terrified halfblood fae with a gentle heart who is prone to panic attacks, who has been ripped from the quiet life she has always known. As much as I like swagger and snark in my MC’s, it was good to read something different for a change. Diamond is a character that is super relatable on many levels, and her character development was a treat to follow through the ABOVAM.
Hugo, however, really frustrated me. And I understand why he had to make the decisions he made, but gods above, I really want to just smack him. I wish Diamond could just say “So long sucker!” And high tail it out of Valentia and away from the crazy fae Queen! But she can’t, for reasons, so I will leave that be for now.
The world of Avalonia that Tomlinson has created is amazing. Her world building is so vibrant and there are so many layers of it that I was just completely in love. I am a sucker for good world building, and I’m about ready to just pack my bags and start exploring - though to be honest the seekers and dragons/guardians are a bit terrifying. So maybe I’ll just stay home.
This book is incredibly fast paced, and one of my only complaints is that at times it was too fast paced for me. There was so much action that I occasionally found myself just wishing that things could be a bit calmer for Diamond and her friends, even for a short amount of time. I think perhaps slowing it down a bit could have allowed me to get to know some characters better, like Tom and Jack. I really wanted to get to know Jack better *winks*.
To wrap this up, if you like high fantasy novels, action packed adventure, and bomb-ass world building, then be sure to pick up A Bond of Venom and Magic when it releases on October 14th! Or pre-order it from one of the links on its goodreads page!
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, tonight or any night, queen or no queen.”
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Karen Tomlinson’s A Bond of Venom and Magic, which releases this October.
Lately I have not had much luck with indie books, but you can tell that Karen Tomlinson has put in the work to make A Bond of Venom and Magic one of the most well-polished indie novels I have read since Elise Kova’s Air Awakens series. Tomlinson is a true wordsmith, and has created an enthralling world that I was sucked into from the first chapter.
The characters in ABOVAM are great as well. Diamond (while occasionally frustrating as hell… but for a good reason), was completely refreshing as a main character.
She’s not confident.
She’s not snarky and witty.
She’s a young, terrified halfblood fae with a gentle heart who is prone to panic attacks, who has been ripped from the quiet life she has always known. As much as I like swagger and snark in my MC’s, it was good to read something different for a change. Diamond is a character that is super relatable on many levels, and her character development was a treat to follow through the ABOVAM.
Hugo, however, really frustrated me. And I understand why he had to make the decisions he made, but gods above, I really want to just smack him. I wish Diamond could just say “So long sucker!” And high tail it out of Valentia and away from the crazy fae Queen! But she can’t, for reasons, so I will leave that be for now.
The world of Avalonia that Tomlinson has created is amazing. Her world building is so vibrant and there are so many layers of it that I was just completely in love. I am a sucker for good world building, and I’m about ready to just pack my bags and start exploring - though to be honest the seekers and dragons/guardians are a bit terrifying. So maybe I’ll just stay home.
This book is incredibly fast paced, and one of my only complaints is that at times it was too fast paced for me. There was so much action that I occasionally found myself just wishing that things could be a bit calmer for Diamond and her friends, even for a short amount of time. I think perhaps slowing it down a bit could have allowed me to get to know some characters better, like Tom and Jack. I really wanted to get to know Jack better *winks*.
To wrap this up, if you like high fantasy novels, action packed adventure, and bomb-ass world building, then be sure to pick up A Bond of Venom and Magic when it releases on October 14th! Or pre-order it from one of the links on its goodreads page!
angelicasreads's review
4.0
It took me a bit to read this book, but that had more to do with the massive reading slump that has taken over me, and a lot of other personal things. Still, this book was amazing!
I absolutely loved this novel and am so glad that I read this. I went into it with expectations that honestly, were not very high. There are so many YA fantasy novels out there that it gets to the point where you think you’ve seen it all. This book was nothing like that, and in a way, it reminded me of Elise Kova’s, Air Awaken’s series, because like this, I did not expect the epic story within.
The writing was great, the plot was amazing, the characters were engaging. Over all, this was an action packed, epic adventure full of magic and fearies, and incredible world building.
I love when fantasy novels have great worldbuilding. It is so much easier to fall in love with a story and its characters when you have a clear image in your mind, and this book clearly accomplished that in the most magical of ways.
As I was reading I also fell in love with Diamond. She was relatable. Not this alpha-female that is so prevalent in YA nowadays, yet, still strong and likable. She was a person thrown into a situation that she had never experienced and tried to make the best of it. Hugo, on the other hand, did annoy me at times, but it was the kind of thing that you tend to look over when you like someone too much. The bond between them as the story went on was great also, no insta-love here.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS."
I absolutely loved this novel and am so glad that I read this. I went into it with expectations that honestly, were not very high. There are so many YA fantasy novels out there that it gets to the point where you think you’ve seen it all. This book was nothing like that, and in a way, it reminded me of Elise Kova’s, Air Awaken’s series, because like this, I did not expect the epic story within.
The writing was great, the plot was amazing, the characters were engaging. Over all, this was an action packed, epic adventure full of magic and fearies, and incredible world building.
I love when fantasy novels have great worldbuilding. It is so much easier to fall in love with a story and its characters when you have a clear image in your mind, and this book clearly accomplished that in the most magical of ways.
As I was reading I also fell in love with Diamond. She was relatable. Not this alpha-female that is so prevalent in YA nowadays, yet, still strong and likable. She was a person thrown into a situation that she had never experienced and tried to make the best of it. Hugo, on the other hand, did annoy me at times, but it was the kind of thing that you tend to look over when you like someone too much. The bond between them as the story went on was great also, no insta-love here.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS."
bookdragonheart's review
4.0
This book is action packed pretty much from the word go. An attack on Diamond’s village, and more specifically, on her, has her running for safety. They are headed for a city that she will not have any rights in as a half fae, but will somehow be safer for her if she can stay clear of the queen and her wrath. Hugo is one of the queen’s guards, and he is helping Diamond make her way to safety. Hugo and Diamond have a magical connection, and Hugo finds himself falling for her, and torn between his lifelong, forced loyalties to the queen and his developing feelings. Then there is Jack, Prince of Odin, who is also a friend of Hugo. Circumstances throw Jack and Diamond together, and they develop a connection as well, which she sees more as friendship, and he seems to feel a bit more. The immortal queen who rules over everything is just brutal, ruthless, and just plain evil, and nobody seems to have any ability or motivation to overcome her oppression. The bipolar nature of many of the characters, which is frustrating and at times infuriating. Poor Diamond doesn’t seem to be fully able to trust anyone, even when they seem to care about her. As we move into the next book, she is preparing to harness and use her magic and learn to fight, hopefully she can take control of her own destiny.
Overall, I would give it about a 3.5 or 3.75. The character POV changes without a lot of clarity, so it sometimes takes a minute to realize we’re now seeing things from someone else’s perspective. And the bipolar nature of multiple characters is sometimes confusing. It’s an interesting story, and the series has promise.
I received this audiobook free in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Overall, I would give it about a 3.5 or 3.75. The character POV changes without a lot of clarity, so it sometimes takes a minute to realize we’re now seeing things from someone else’s perspective. And the bipolar nature of multiple characters is sometimes confusing. It’s an interesting story, and the series has promise.
I received this audiobook free in exchange for my fair and honest review.
lulustjames's review
4.0
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Full of action and romance, A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson is fast paced and exciting. Characters are great and so is the story and lore. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it quickly because I needed to know what would happen next. I mean, heck, I even went and tweeted author Tomlinson because of what was going on in the story.
Protagonist Diamond will not be everyone’s cup of tea. I’ll start off by saying that. She isn’t reminiscent of other recent female YA fantasy protagonists who fight, sneak, or play games. Diamond, instead, is innocent and guileless. Overprotected by her father, living in a small town, she never learned how to fight or fend for herself. So, when she’s forced to fight, she can’t. It’s aggravating but also humanizing. I loved that she had anxiety and panic attacks, simply because it made her relatable as someone who also experiences anxiety and has had panic attacks. I mean, if you’re suddenly forced into battle after being coddled your entire life, panic attacks make sense!
Opposite Diamond is Hugo. Now, Hugo, Hugo, Hugo. I don’t know what to make of him. Part of me loves him. Part of me doesn’t. Most of me is reminded of Edward Cullen. He’s broody, overprotective, aggressive, possessive, etc. It makes sense in the context of the story, but still, it’s written so over-the-top that I was left wondering how anyone could ignore his feelings or be oblivious to them. It does get resolved towards the end, but it was still distracting.
So, you might be thinking, given the problems with Diamond and Hugo, how is this a four star book? Easy. It works. Diamond needs protecting and Hugo is over-protective. It just clicks and makes your heart flutter, which is surprising for me to say since I actually want to pair Diamond with human Prince Jack, who, given his limited page time, has me completely smitten. He’s the best and I love him and want to see more of him. I know end game will be Diamond/Hugo, but it doesn’t detract me from wishing for Diamond/Jack.
There is something that happens in the ending that did leave me disappointing. A character takes a turn, and it doesn’t really gel with everything that has happened up until that point. Usually, an author would leave tiny hints that could click into place when the turn happens, but I didn’t feel it with this book. It felt completely undeserved and really knocked a star off the rating.
A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson has solid characters, but tentative lore. It feels like Tomlinson does know what she’s writing about, but hasn’t wanted to put anything in stone yet. That said, this was a fun read that I would recommend to fans of the Twilight series or the Sookie Stackhouse series, but looking for abstinent YA.
// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //
theestherhadassah's review
5.0
DISCLAIMER: I received an e-ARC of this book as part of a blog tour.
Hugo's reluctance to acknowledge his emotions and the magnetic pull between him and Diamond was so great to read, but frustrating at the same time. Hugo has a strong demeanor, but when it comes to Diamond, it starts to slowly melt away. Which makes you even more in love with their bond as the story progresses.
I am part of Karen's Silver Guardians street team/reader group, and I was so excited to have been selected to be part of this tour. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has read the Air Awakens series by Elise Kova; Elementals series by Michelle Madow; Threats of Sky and Storm by Jennifer Ellision. If you've read those, you will enjoy this so much.
Hugo's reluctance to acknowledge his emotions and the magnetic pull between him and Diamond was so great to read, but frustrating at the same time. Hugo has a strong demeanor, but when it comes to Diamond, it starts to slowly melt away. Which makes you even more in love with their bond as the story progresses.
I am part of Karen's Silver Guardians street team/reader group, and I was so excited to have been selected to be part of this tour. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has read the Air Awakens series by Elise Kova; Elementals series by Michelle Madow; Threats of Sky and Storm by Jennifer Ellision. If you've read those, you will enjoy this so much.
ladywithaquill's review
5.0
First things first - this book has perhaps the most infuriating cliffhanger I have experienced in a while. Mostly because it leaves things unresolved between the two main characters, and that is so frustrating. I sincerely hope the next book is going to be published soon, because I'm already tearing my hair out in suspense.
Diamond Gillon is a half-breed, raised in a small village away from the vindictive eyes of the Queen. When the village is attacked and her father murdered, she comes under the custody of an intriguing blue-winged fae, Commander Hugo Casimir. He is charged by the Queen with bringing her any fae who has magic, and he is not allowed to mate with anyone while in the service of the Queen. Which makes things a bit problematic when his feelings for Diamond, and hers for him, are stronger than anyone anticipated. Once they are in the Queen's tower, things become tense and the fight for survival may depend entirely on Diamond finding courage and strength in the face of heartbreaking loss.
Diamond was a strong character, in spite of all the adversity she faced. She didn't take crap from anyone, not even the intimidating Hugo, which was impressive. She fought for herself and her friends, and I liked seeing her get stronger as the book progressed. Hugo was, in my opinion, quite a weak character. I became frustrated with him quite a few times over his obedience towards the Queen and his callous disregard for Diamond's feelings. A lot of it seemed to be feigned for the Queen's benefit, but he never really told Diamond that, so he came across to both her and the reader as kind of an asshole. This made the ending hard for me, because this was not resolved before the book ended.
I am definitely excited to read the next book so that I can find out what happens next! Karen Tomlinson executed great world building and told an amazing first part of a story, and I expect that to continue in the next book.
**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.**
Diamond Gillon is a half-breed, raised in a small village away from the vindictive eyes of the Queen. When the village is attacked and her father murdered, she comes under the custody of an intriguing blue-winged fae, Commander Hugo Casimir. He is charged by the Queen with bringing her any fae who has magic, and he is not allowed to mate with anyone while in the service of the Queen. Which makes things a bit problematic when his feelings for Diamond, and hers for him, are stronger than anyone anticipated. Once they are in the Queen's tower, things become tense and the fight for survival may depend entirely on Diamond finding courage and strength in the face of heartbreaking loss.
Diamond was a strong character, in spite of all the adversity she faced. She didn't take crap from anyone, not even the intimidating Hugo, which was impressive. She fought for herself and her friends, and I liked seeing her get stronger as the book progressed. Hugo was, in my opinion, quite a weak character. I became frustrated with him quite a few times over his obedience towards the Queen and his callous disregard for Diamond's feelings. A lot of it seemed to be feigned for the Queen's benefit, but he never really told Diamond that, so he came across to both her and the reader as kind of an asshole. This made the ending hard for me, because this was not resolved before the book ended.
I am definitely excited to read the next book so that I can find out what happens next! Karen Tomlinson executed great world building and told an amazing first part of a story, and I expect that to continue in the next book.
**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.**
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