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dellydoos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Okay, so I read this in a night. I think I've found my new obsession.
What's becoming increasingly evident in these novels is that, while they are undeniably plot-driven, the characters are gradually developing deeper relationships and growing more complex with each installment. Take Kate, for instance; she remains an absolute joy to read about, but as a reader, you're left in the dark about much of her backstory. The series cleverly parcels out morsels of her upbringing and the intricacies of her tortured past, building a captivating sense of mystery as the narrative unfolds. Personally, I'm loving the gradual revelation, it's keeping me hooked book after book. However, for those seeking the full story right from book one, they might find themselves perhaps teased, as the series unfolds its secrets to only loyalists who stay with the series.
The other thing that gets easier to understand is the world building. In the first book, it was a really strange concept to get your head around, that this is a modern city with fantasy creatures- but the city has fallen into disrepair since the magic switch occurred years ago... and now all these technologies; water-powered cars, faelaterns and m-scanners run the city. It was a lot in the first book. But as the series progresses, the once perplexing landscape becomes more familiar, offering a deeper connection and context to the intricate blend of magic and technology.
Yet, my lone grievance lies in the writing's simplicity. The lack of detailed descriptions leaves me yearning for more answers regarding the plot's mysteries and the motivations of certain characters. The abrupt endings, occurring swiftly after the climax, leave loose ends dangling, a narrative choice that I'm hoping gets answered in following books.
But so far I'm having the time of my life reading this series. The writing, whilst simple and sometimes lacking detailed description, has just the funniest and sarcastic tone. Kate's inner monologue as me cackling, she's just a delight. And the romance is just delicious, and so far no one's even gotten together! Perfection, this means I won't get bored by book 3.
Onwards! 4/5 stars.
What's becoming increasingly evident in these novels is that, while they are undeniably plot-driven, the characters are gradually developing deeper relationships and growing more complex with each installment. Take Kate, for instance; she remains an absolute joy to read about, but as a reader, you're left in the dark about much of her backstory. The series cleverly parcels out morsels of her upbringing and the intricacies of her tortured past, building a captivating sense of mystery as the narrative unfolds. Personally, I'm loving the gradual revelation, it's keeping me hooked book after book. However, for those seeking the full story right from book one, they might find themselves perhaps teased, as the series unfolds its secrets to only loyalists who stay with the series.
The other thing that gets easier to understand is the world building. In the first book, it was a really strange concept to get your head around, that this is a modern city with fantasy creatures- but the city has fallen into disrepair since the magic switch occurred years ago... and now all these technologies; water-powered cars, faelaterns and m-scanners run the city. It was a lot in the first book. But as the series progresses, the once perplexing landscape becomes more familiar, offering a deeper connection and context to the intricate blend of magic and technology.
Yet, my lone grievance lies in the writing's simplicity. The lack of detailed descriptions leaves me yearning for more answers regarding the plot's mysteries and the motivations of certain characters. The abrupt endings, occurring swiftly after the climax, leave loose ends dangling, a narrative choice that I'm hoping gets answered in following books.
But so far I'm having the time of my life reading this series. The writing, whilst simple and sometimes lacking detailed description, has just the funniest and sarcastic tone. Kate's inner monologue as me cackling, she's just a delight. And the romance is just delicious, and so far no one's even gotten together! Perfection, this means I won't get bored by book 3.
Onwards! 4/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
And so I continue my re-read of the series.
It's surprising how much a long series can blend into itself and warp when you think things happen. This is furthered by the offshoots and novellas for different POVs. This time around I'm going to try reading everything in chronological order rather than publication order.
It's surprising how much a long series can blend into itself and warp when you think things happen. This is furthered by the offshoots and novellas for different POVs. This time around I'm going to try reading everything in chronological order rather than publication order.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Medical content, Murder, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Grief, and Kidnapping
kristen1994's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Grief, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Animal death
relin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I love this series and the world, I've reread this so many times over the years. Always a joy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Murder, Gore, Sexual harassment, Death, Blood, Racism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Animal death
Moderate: Outing, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Sexism, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
Racism is fantasy racism where a new group of people are being discriminated against, just in case that helps. Animal deaths - one off screen but discussed, one on screen but magical animal.rbash2391's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Liking this series more as I go. I am interested in the overarcing character development that I'm sure we will see as the series progresses. I'm heavily invested in the multi-book, slow burn romance, despite my usual aversion to this trope. I also hardly enjoy procedurals, but this being a shapeshifter, vampire, magical beings, urban fantasy makes the cop/mercenary stuff fine for me. Some of the plot stuff can be confusing, especially the Celtic lore in this book in particular. I try not to dwell on those details too much and am just along for the ride with the extremely sarcastic, badass FMC slicing dudes apart with her magic sword.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol and Abandonment
Minor: Gun violence, Cannibalism, and Rape
librarymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.75
This series is really fun. I Love the addition of Julie to the cast of characters. Kate immediately starts referring to her as "my kid", and the dynamic of the pack and they're protective nature around children is really nice. I like that Kate doesn't try to replace Julie's mom, but offers up the role of weird aunt. This is a really interesting storyline, and I look forward to seeing how the plot twist that was revealed in this book about Kate's parentage plays into future novels in the series. I also really enjoy the addition of Andrea into the series. I love a good female friendship, and the two of them are really good for each other. Curran's reactions to learning about Kate's words of power is very funny. It feels a little bit like a sitcom to have him psych her out of a kiss. The one thing that really messed me up for a while is the death of the dog in the honeycomb.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Violence, Blood, and Body horror
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kate starts watching over Julie, a young girl whose mom has vanished while worshipping in a coven who can't keep their crows straight (a dangerous thing in a world alternatingly drenched in magic and tech). Julie is one of my favorite characters in the series and her first appearance here sets the tone of their relationship for the next few books. This also is the first book to feature Andrea, an excellent markswoman who loves the Order and guns. The dynamic between Kate and Curran is emotionally charged in a way that currently is tilting towards mutually consensual violence but Curran seems to be making subtle (and not-so-subtle) moves in a more sexual direction that Kate hasn't yet reciprocated.
This picks up on the last known status of a bunch of plot threads but isn't trying to wrap them up, really (except for Crest). It continues Kate's entanglements with the Pack and the People, and shows her involvement with the Mercenary Guild and the Order but isn't focusing on them as much this time around. There's a new storyline featuring some new characters (a few who won't continue past here and some who will be series regulars), but even that has a connection to a minor character who appeared in MAGIC BITES. That storyline has a major thing that is both introduced and resolved in this book. There are several things explicitly left for later which involve changes to the status quo. The main character is still Kate, her voice is consistent with the previous book. It might make sense to start here because this is laying so much groundwork of its own, but the dynamic between Kate and the Pack (specifically but not only Curran) definitely benefits from being read after the first book, since otherwise Curran's strong personality can be a bit off-putting when it lacks the context of Kate's opening salvo to their interactions in MAGIC BITES.
This book begins with a map theft and stays pretty focused on the characters important to that initial incident, while building out the world in specific ways. This introduces the witch covens as an important power in the city, shows some factions within the Pack, and deals with a different set of gods that are upsettingly more relevant during the Flare. Bran, Andrea, and Julie provide three completely different sets of problems and opportunities, keeping this from feeling like just a stepping stone to later books.
This picks up on the last known status of a bunch of plot threads but isn't trying to wrap them up, really (except for Crest). It continues Kate's entanglements with the Pack and the People, and shows her involvement with the Mercenary Guild and the Order but isn't focusing on them as much this time around. There's a new storyline featuring some new characters (a few who won't continue past here and some who will be series regulars), but even that has a connection to a minor character who appeared in MAGIC BITES. That storyline has a major thing that is both introduced and resolved in this book. There are several things explicitly left for later which involve changes to the status quo. The main character is still Kate, her voice is consistent with the previous book. It might make sense to start here because this is laying so much groundwork of its own, but the dynamic between Kate and the Pack (specifically but not only Curran) definitely benefits from being read after the first book, since otherwise Curran's strong personality can be a bit off-putting when it lacks the context of Kate's opening salvo to their interactions in MAGIC BITES.
This book begins with a map theft and stays pretty focused on the characters important to that initial incident, while building out the world in specific ways. This introduces the witch covens as an important power in the city, shows some factions within the Pack, and deals with a different set of gods that are upsettingly more relevant during the Flare. Bran, Andrea, and Julie provide three completely different sets of problems and opportunities, keeping this from feeling like just a stepping stone to later books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, and Animal death
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Ableism, Cursing, Excrement, Murder, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Cancer, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content
brennaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Kidnapping, Medical content, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Animal death, and Death of parent
angelareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
For me this was an improvement compared to the first book. I really enjoy some aspects, though it is a little too gruesome for me occasionally. I'm looking forward to continuing the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
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