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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another miss for me in the urban fantasy category, and I find im not disliking them all for the same reason, this book was just to immature for me.
'The Last of the Firedrakes' is Farah Oomerbhoy's first book in her 'The Avalonia Chronicles' that follow Aurora, the last of her line and the missing princess as she discovers she's not from our regular mortal but from a secret magical world full or mages and fae. Luckily she is discovered by the Black Wolf, a robin hood like outlaw before she can be delivered to her aunt, the usurper of her father's throne and the current evil queen. The Black Wolf delivers her to her Granduncle, who after swears to do everything he can to protect Aurora, his great niece and the rightful heir to the throne.
spoilers
This book just had a bunch of things that don't jive with me when reading middle school or like aged books, the whole idea that so much wouldn't have been a problem if just one trusted adult was notified. All the miscommunication that I can't stand in contemporary romantic books. And then Aurora's voice just felt very cliche and juvenile. I should have known to stop this book in the opening when at a regular high school she has a letter delivered to her by a person she's not friends with while she's sitting all alone in the lunch room and of course its from the hottest most popular boy in the school and its asking her to a party with him. But it turns out it's really from her adoptive cousin who hates her setting her up, too bad she realized that after approaching said hot boy and accepting his invite out loud in person with an audience. I found that scene most fantastical than the pegasus and the fae and magic. It was very obvious that Rafe was the prince well before it was revealed. Their whole relationship bugged me, we see very little of their time together, they act like insta love in that we see nothing but she talks or her deep love and connection to him.
Overall this just wasn't the book for me and I will not be continuing the series.
'The Last of the Firedrakes' is Farah Oomerbhoy's first book in her 'The Avalonia Chronicles' that follow Aurora, the last of her line and the missing princess as she discovers she's not from our regular mortal but from a secret magical world full or mages and fae. Luckily she is discovered by the Black Wolf, a robin hood like outlaw before she can be delivered to her aunt, the usurper of her father's throne and the current evil queen. The Black Wolf delivers her to her Granduncle, who after swears to do everything he can to protect Aurora, his great niece and the rightful heir to the throne.
spoilers
This book just had a bunch of things that don't jive with me when reading middle school or like aged books, the whole idea that so much wouldn't have been a problem if just one trusted adult was notified. All the miscommunication that I can't stand in contemporary romantic books. And then Aurora's voice just felt very cliche and juvenile. I should have known to stop this book in the opening when at a regular high school she has a letter delivered to her by a person she's not friends with while she's sitting all alone in the lunch room and of course its from the hottest most popular boy in the school and its asking her to a party with him. But it turns out it's really from her adoptive cousin who hates her setting her up, too bad she realized that after approaching said hot boy and accepting his invite out loud in person with an audience. I found that scene most fantastical than the pegasus and the fae and magic. It was very obvious that Rafe was the prince well before it was revealed. Their whole relationship bugged me, we see very little of their time together, they act like insta love in that we see nothing but she talks or her deep love and connection to him.
Overall this just wasn't the book for me and I will not be continuing the series.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was what I'd expected in many ways- easy to read YA fantasy. It was fine. I found Aurora's throwing herself into things she'd been warned not to irritating, and there were few clumsy plot points and no big surprises. The characters are all pretty much stereotypes. I also wasn't thrilled by the way the adoptive parents were depicted in opposition to her "real parents" (language used by the book) and she seemed to have very little interest or investment in them. I won't rush to read the next one but it was light-hearted enough for the moment
I loved the idea, but I absolutely despised all the characters, the girl was so annoying. I hated every second of reading about her. I can deal with a certain amount of bad characters but when they get this annoying and are cliche on top I can’t. I only finished it because it was the only book I had downloaded together with Les Miserable. In the end, I should have committed to the French classic.
She is written really repetitive and moves on from thoughts way too quickly changing her mind more than she should. She was really inconsistent and did whatever would benefit the story best.
The writing was good the story was good but I cannot rate a book that I hated this much more than one star. Even if it was just one thing I disliked, and in this case it was the whole cast.
She is written really repetitive and moves on from thoughts way too quickly changing her mind more than she should. She was really inconsistent and did whatever would benefit the story best.
The writing was good the story was good but I cannot rate a book that I hated this much more than one star. Even if it was just one thing I disliked, and in this case it was the whole cast.
That was a really interesting read. It was a bit slow to start but once you start getting into the rhythm of it it's kind of hard to put down. I send a big portion of the book waiting for more action more intrigue, more something. I can't say I really got any of that, except for a small portion towards the end where it heart pounding edge of your seat stuff but I don't really think that took away from the story.
There was so much that I loved about these characters, but then there was so much that I disliked. They were loyal to a fault, & I feel like that was exploited. And while our main character Aurora, is a great one, towards the end specifically in the last chapter it seems like she digresses instead of rose and the childish mentality comes off as really annoying and spoiled. Bearing in mind that she has a great revelation, & a lot on her plate I kind of tried to let it go but she has a history of some pretty bad decisions with horrifying consequences.
I'm really looking forward to meeting the next installment in the series, because I actually feel like this is something new and refreshing but I do hope to see more character growth. On top of the digression of their personalities, I found a lot was predictable and fell a little flat when delivered.
All in all, I really feel like this is a great read and a solid introduction to what I'm hoping is an epic series. It's also worth noting that I think this is a good introduction to this genre for anybody who's been kind of hesitant to pick up a book like this, it has elements of stories that I grew up loving but a completely new take on it. It kind of feels like this is what Harry Potter would have been had the main character been a female, born in a different land.
“I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”
There was so much that I loved about these characters, but then there was so much that I disliked. They were loyal to a fault, & I feel like that was exploited. And while our main character Aurora, is a great one, towards the end specifically in the last chapter it seems like she digresses instead of rose and the childish mentality comes off as really annoying and spoiled. Bearing in mind that she has a great revelation, & a lot on her plate I kind of tried to let it go but she has a history of some pretty bad decisions with horrifying consequences.
I'm really looking forward to meeting the next installment in the series, because I actually feel like this is something new and refreshing but I do hope to see more character growth. On top of the digression of their personalities, I found a lot was predictable and fell a little flat when delivered.
All in all, I really feel like this is a great read and a solid introduction to what I'm hoping is an epic series. It's also worth noting that I think this is a good introduction to this genre for anybody who's been kind of hesitant to pick up a book like this, it has elements of stories that I grew up loving but a completely new take on it. It kind of feels like this is what Harry Potter would have been had the main character been a female, born in a different land.
“I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”
3.5 STARS
When I came across this book while cruising Net Galley, my inner Fantasy nerd was elated. The synopsis immediately drew me in and I couldn’t wait to delve into this new world. The beginning was a little slow, but once Aurora arrived in Avalonia, the story really took off.
I adored the heroine, Aurora most of the time. She had a strong personality with a hint of vulnerability. She had more strength and charm that most sixteen year olds. However, it annoyed me that she always seemed to get into trouble while sneaking out after dark. After the third time, I think someone should have banished her from going anywhere at nighttime.
Rafe was just…so heroic. I was smitten with him throughout the book and missed him terribly when he disappeared. Their relationship was fun to read and refreshingly realistic considering their ages. I wish there had been more interaction between these two. It was strength of the book and it just didn’t have enough of them together.
The creatures and people in Avalonia were overwhelming. I think the events could have been more exciting had there been less creatures. I couldn’t keep up with all of them and it just felt forced at times. Perhaps there should have been focus on a few interesting mythicals versus the endless supply.
After finishing, I was surprised to learn this was the author’s debut novel. It was a solid book and I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from her in the future.
** Thank you to Wise Ink Creative Publishing and Net Galley for my advanced copy of this book. **
When I came across this book while cruising Net Galley, my inner Fantasy nerd was elated. The synopsis immediately drew me in and I couldn’t wait to delve into this new world. The beginning was a little slow, but once Aurora arrived in Avalonia, the story really took off.
I adored the heroine, Aurora most of the time. She had a strong personality with a hint of vulnerability. She had more strength and charm that most sixteen year olds. However, it annoyed me that she always seemed to get into trouble while sneaking out after dark. After the third time, I think someone should have banished her from going anywhere at nighttime.
Rafe was just…so heroic. I was smitten with him throughout the book and missed him terribly when he disappeared. Their relationship was fun to read and refreshingly realistic considering their ages. I wish there had been more interaction between these two. It was strength of the book and it just didn’t have enough of them together.
The creatures and people in Avalonia were overwhelming. I think the events could have been more exciting had there been less creatures. I couldn’t keep up with all of them and it just felt forced at times. Perhaps there should have been focus on a few interesting mythicals versus the endless supply.
After finishing, I was surprised to learn this was the author’s debut novel. It was a solid book and I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from her in the future.
** Thank you to Wise Ink Creative Publishing and Net Galley for my advanced copy of this book. **
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A book with a stupid FMC that somehow convinces everyone else around her to not only be stupid with her but also to clean up her mess. I skimmed the last 20% SOOOO HARD.
The Last of the Firedrakes was a pleasant surprise. I thought the blurb sounded interesting but was afraid that I was going to be disappointed with the actual story. Luckily that was not the case. Aurora hasn’t had an easy life, her parents were killed when she was young and she was adopted. Then her adopts parents die and she goes to live with her aunt and uncle who don’t seem to like her all that much. She’s only 16 and has already dealt with more than most adults.
She’s pulled out of school one day by her uncle and taken on a trip. It turns out that he’s selling her to someone named Oblek. It’s at this point that Aurora finds out that the world isn’t quite what she thought it was, she’s transported to a new world through the tapestry where magic rules.
I enjoyed the story very much. I really liked Kalen, her friend, and Rafe her love interest. I’m hoping there are more books to come because I really want to see where the story goes.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
She’s pulled out of school one day by her uncle and taken on a trip. It turns out that he’s selling her to someone named Oblek. It’s at this point that Aurora finds out that the world isn’t quite what she thought it was, she’s transported to a new world through the tapestry where magic rules.
I enjoyed the story very much. I really liked Kalen, her friend, and Rafe her love interest. I’m hoping there are more books to come because I really want to see where the story goes.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my full review here: https://youtu.be/9XWt_8MmILY?t=42s
I got a finished copy of this book as a host of Booktube tours. All opinions are my own.
2.75 stars.
Interesting plot but I had a LOT of issues with the main character and the relationships. The main character is the most special snowflake I have ever seen in any book that I have ever read in my entire life. She was just too special to handle, she really annoyed me. At the same time she also seems very... simple (as in: not intelligent) and cares way too much about stupid stuff considering her situation. The romance is pretty flat, the girl falls in love with a guy but she doesn't know how he looks or who he is or what his intentions are. And the moment that she needs to wear a disguise to hide herself so that her evil aunt can't find her she is worried that this guy won't like her because she looks ugly. Honey, if that really is the case you should not go out with him no matter what (duh)! I will probably pick up the next book though, simply because I did like the world. I will also keep my fingers crossed and hope that the characters become more interesting (by making them less special) and the sides characters better flashed out (evil characters who are evil for the sake of being evil, best friends who never show up or say anything).
I got a finished copy of this book as a host of Booktube tours. All opinions are my own.
2.75 stars.
Interesting plot but I had a LOT of issues with the main character and the relationships. The main character is the most special snowflake I have ever seen in any book that I have ever read in my entire life. She was just too special to handle, she really annoyed me. At the same time she also seems very... simple (as in: not intelligent) and cares way too much about stupid stuff considering her situation. The romance is pretty flat, the girl falls in love with a guy but she doesn't know how he looks or who he is or what his intentions are. And the moment that she needs to wear a disguise to hide herself so that her evil aunt can't find her she is worried that this guy won't like her because she looks ugly. Honey, if that really is the case you should not go out with him no matter what (duh)! I will probably pick up the next book though, simply because I did like the world. I will also keep my fingers crossed and hope that the characters become more interesting (by making them less special) and the sides characters better flashed out (evil characters who are evil for the sake of being evil, best friends who never show up or say anything).