Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
Interesting and different
At first I was a little disappointed that this story wasn't about Amy and Jonathan, but Cassandra as a character is pretty cool. I really liked the way she moved through her grief and came to terms with her situation, finding the advantages she had not seen before as to what she could do with her life. I also like the understated but clear diversity in the main characters. Definitely continuing on to the next book in the series!
At first I was a little disappointed that this story wasn't about Amy and Jonathan, but Cassandra as a character is pretty cool. I really liked the way she moved through her grief and came to terms with her situation, finding the advantages she had not seen before as to what she could do with her life. I also like the understated but clear diversity in the main characters. Definitely continuing on to the next book in the series!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Snowspelled is a quick and satisfying read. It all gets tied up in a nice neat bow while still leaving plenty of string to tie knots with in the sequel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy novella. The worldbuilding was intriguing - it's set in an alternate-history-with-magic world where magic is men's domain and politics is women's - and I'm looking forward to exploring it further in the rest of the book. Our heroine, Cassandra Harwood, is wonderful: she's the kind of woman who sees a problem, narrows her eyes and runs full tilt at it, which is exactly the type of heroine I love, and her strong relationships with her brother and sister-in-law were a delight. The thing I found most fascinating about her was her history: she fought to be the first woman allowed to learn magic, and she won that fight, but that wasn't the end of her story, and it didn't mean her society changed overnight.
Overall, this was a fun read and a great start to the series.
(I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Overall, this was a fun read and a great start to the series.
(I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
This novella is a cozy fantasy story with elements of romance and mystery; think a country house mystery, but with a fairy bargain instead of a murder. The setting is fun, an alternate nineteenth-century England with lady politicians, gentlemen magicians, and an uneasy truce with the fairy world.
I really liked Harwood, who is brash and determined and not at all swoony (I adore that even her love interest calls her by her last name). The dialogue is sharp and very funny, and Burgis is tremendously successful at giving her characters a sense of connection and shared history.
However, the plot did not do it for me - it was too linear, and I found the ending easy to guess. I would have liked to see more plot threads and red herrings to keep me on my toes.
There's a lot to like here, and the next book is set in a WOMEN'S MAGIC COLLEGE (yes please). I just wanted a bit more from this story, short as it is.
I really liked Harwood, who is brash and determined and not at all swoony (I adore that even her love interest calls her by her last name). The dialogue is sharp and very funny, and Burgis is tremendously successful at giving her characters a sense of connection and shared history.
However, the plot did not do it for me - it was too linear, and I found the ending easy to guess. I would have liked to see more plot threads and red herrings to keep me on my toes.
There's a lot to like here, and the next book is set in a WOMEN'S MAGIC COLLEGE (yes please). I just wanted a bit more from this story, short as it is.
Audiobook (listened to fall asleep to, great narrator for that). Will need to reread on paper. I loved the alt history/fantasy world, and while I think I enjoyed the prequel novella more, this was still fun.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Short and sweet
A fun and quick ride. I was looking for something breezy as I’ve been struggling with a book funk recently and this was a good fit. Although fantasy, easily approachable and a light read.
Quick hits:
- Characters were fun and had good chemistry.
- Some predictable moments.
- Novella convenience where there’s just answers and resolution with little explanation.
- Light read and fast paced.
Overall I got out of it exactly what I needed. A fun, fast read but won’t knock your socks off.
Quick hits:
- Characters were fun and had good chemistry.
- Some predictable moments.
- Novella convenience where there’s just answers and resolution with little explanation.
- Light read and fast paced.
Overall I got out of it exactly what I needed. A fun, fast read but won’t knock your socks off.
I read this courtesy of the gracious author. Thank you! :)
A Solstice read for Yuletide.
I enjoyed this short romantic fantasy novel quite a lot. It was light, fluffy and fun, with nice - and kind! - characters and thoughtfully developed themes. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about its treatment of gender, perhaps, with the partial role reversal, but the way the author weaved her ideas with the world and distributed information without info-dumping (but while giving all the useful knowledge at the right time) was particularly enjoyable.
I felt like it could have used some fleshing out, plot-wise, but the disability theme was, for me at least, nicely done. And the protagonist's family (brother and sister-in-law) were delightful to read about.
I look forward to the next volume!
A Solstice read for Yuletide.
I enjoyed this short romantic fantasy novel quite a lot. It was light, fluffy and fun, with nice - and kind! - characters and thoughtfully developed themes. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about its treatment of gender, perhaps, with the partial role reversal, but the way the author weaved her ideas with the world and distributed information without info-dumping (but while giving all the useful knowledge at the right time) was particularly enjoyable.
I felt like it could have used some fleshing out, plot-wise, but the disability theme was, for me at least, nicely done. And the protagonist's family (brother and sister-in-law) were delightful to read about.
I look forward to the next volume!