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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Honestly....this book transports me back to my childhood and literally gives all the warm fuzzy feelings I felt when I stayed up all night reading a book.
With that said, The Herbwitch's Apprentice tells a tale of a girl named Amarante who discovers that she's half-witch in a kingdom that has banished witches all together. This story was an amazing coming-of-age story that I felt like dabbled in all of the genres a bit - adventure, romance, and so lovely *magical* moments as well. I think the author did an AMAZING job tackling complicated family dynamics and truly weaving the pain and anguish that many of the characters have felt within their familial relationships. I feel like this definitely added a layer of complexity to the story and the made the narrative so much more satisfactory and ~good feelings-y~ in the end.
Also - I follow the author on instagram and she very beautifully broke down the color analysis that she did throughout the book for Amarante's outfits. And...can I just saw that I truly loved and appreciated all of the drawings and imagery and colors that the author used throughout the book. Again, I felt like it only added to the story and allowed me visual how the story went, successfully adding to the author's storytelling.
My one and only reason why this book was not a five star for me was because...I just felt that it lacked a set of diverse characters. I know that it isn't a super big thing especially because I felt that author make up for it a bit in the 2nd book, I do wish that I were reading stories and tales of folx who were not all...white appearing. Regardless, I don't think that this factor took away from the amazing story that the author wrote, but just a small little aside.
Overall, this was an amazing book and truly was a great way to start the series off. I can't wait for the upcoming books in this series!
With that said, The Herbwitch's Apprentice tells a tale of a girl named Amarante who discovers that she's half-witch in a kingdom that has banished witches all together. This story was an amazing coming-of-age story that I felt like dabbled in all of the genres a bit - adventure, romance, and so lovely *magical* moments as well. I think the author did an AMAZING job tackling complicated family dynamics and truly weaving the pain and anguish that many of the characters have felt within their familial relationships. I feel like this definitely added a layer of complexity to the story and the made the narrative so much more satisfactory and ~good feelings-y~ in the end.
Also - I follow the author on instagram and she very beautifully broke down the color analysis that she did throughout the book for Amarante's outfits. And...can I just saw that I truly loved and appreciated all of the drawings and imagery and colors that the author used throughout the book. Again, I felt like it only added to the story and allowed me visual how the story went, successfully adding to the author's storytelling.
My one and only reason why this book was not a five star for me was because...I just felt that it lacked a set of diverse characters. I know that it isn't a super big thing especially because I felt that author make up for it a bit in the 2nd book, I do wish that I were reading stories and tales of folx who were not all...white appearing. Regardless, I don't think that this factor took away from the amazing story that the author wrote, but just a small little aside.
Overall, this was an amazing book and truly was a great way to start the series off. I can't wait for the upcoming books in this series!
adventurous
hopeful
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:
Complicated
Book Stats:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
Spice rating: YA ❤️
Tropes: Fairytale Retelling
Publisher: Independently Published/Mung Bean Press
Review:
I have been seeing the gorgeous art for this book series all over the place so I knew I had to pick it up. I absolutory loved the modern take on the classic Cinderella story with a side of mystery. The twists were surprising, the Heroine does a wonderful job with saving herself- with a little bit of help from her friends. The love interest actually has some amazing depth to him that feel is majorly lacking in this genre. He actually felt like a real human, instead of some man just there to swoop away the MC.
My only minor thing is there is a couple of plot holes around, and I think that because of the mystery element that was added. There was not enough though to disinterest/confuse the plot. Also the pacing is perfect, not to slow not to fast.
If you like a classic mystery with a sprinkle of magic wrapped up into a fairytale retelling, I think you would enjoy this book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
Spice rating: YA ❤️
Tropes: Fairytale Retelling
Publisher: Independently Published/Mung Bean Press
Review:
I have been seeing the gorgeous art for this book series all over the place so I knew I had to pick it up. I absolutory loved the modern take on the classic Cinderella story with a side of mystery. The twists were surprising, the Heroine does a wonderful job with saving herself- with a little bit of help from her friends. The love interest actually has some amazing depth to him that feel is majorly lacking in this genre. He actually felt like a real human, instead of some man just there to swoop away the MC.
My only minor thing is there is a couple of plot holes around, and I think that because of the mystery element that was added. There was not enough though to disinterest/confuse the plot. Also the pacing is perfect, not to slow not to fast.
If you like a classic mystery with a sprinkle of magic wrapped up into a fairytale retelling, I think you would enjoy this book.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is so sweet and funny and just an absolute delight! And the illustrations made it even better and more immersive
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This was such a fun read. The story has a charming fairytale vibe to it, and that was the part I liked the most! 💕
2023/12/26.
2023/12/26.
3.5
So enchanting and cosy!
The writing was whimsical and easy to lose yourself in, and I loved how reminiscent it was of the old barbie movies!
The illustrations were also so gorgeous, I think we need more YA books with illustrations it really adds to the reading experience
The pacing was a little off at times, and there were some parts that I felt could have been fleshed out a little better.
But overall it was a lovely book, and I can’t wait to re-read this over and over. I also really hope there’s a book 2 following Amarante’s story after the events of this book!
So enchanting and cosy!
The writing was whimsical and easy to lose yourself in, and I loved how reminiscent it was of the old barbie movies!
The illustrations were also so gorgeous, I think we need more YA books with illustrations it really adds to the reading experience
The pacing was a little off at times, and there were some parts that I felt could have been fleshed out a little better.
But overall it was a lovely book, and I can’t wait to re-read this over and over. I also really hope there’s a book 2 following Amarante’s story after the events of this book!
Charming
A lower YA level fantasy fairy tale adventure, with a touch of Regency flair. A cute and fun story, with like able characters and several very nice character growth arcs. Adult readers (like me) may prefer a bit more complexity in characters and plot, but there is still enough to interest adult readers and the story is very appropriate for the intended audience. There was a slight romantic plot line, and lots of coming of age and friendships.
I found it a very enjoyable read, and hope to read the next book in the series soon.
A lower YA level fantasy fairy tale adventure, with a touch of Regency flair. A cute and fun story, with like able characters and several very nice character growth arcs. Adult readers (like me) may prefer a bit more complexity in characters and plot, but there is still enough to interest adult readers and the story is very appropriate for the intended audience. There was a slight romantic plot line, and lots of coming of age and friendships.
I found it a very enjoyable read, and hope to read the next book in the series soon.
I received a free copy of this book in order to write an honest review.
Ireen did a wonderful job writing this story! The story was captivating, and I couldn't put it down once I started reading! It is perfect for people wanting to read a fun YA fantasy story!
Ireen did a wonderful job writing this story! The story was captivating, and I couldn't put it down once I started reading! It is perfect for people wanting to read a fun YA fantasy story!