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saramcaps's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Death
darquedreamer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
4.75
Magic and pirates and mermaids, oh my! What a thrilling adventure this was! I knew I was going to love it, but wow! So exciting and fast paced!
I was captivated from the beginning! The world was beautiful and so colorfully crafted. The characters were profound and loveable and fierce, and I became attached to every one of them!
I adored the story line. I loved the magic system. The pacing was perfect, and there was plenty of action!
I admired Amora and her morality and courage. I fell for our charming, caring pirate, Bastian. I cared for sweet, kind Ferrick, and I loved our stunning, fierce mermaid, Vataea!
This one was so good! It was breathtaking! It had some predictability to it, but it was well written and I will definitely be devouring book 2!
I was captivated from the beginning! The world was beautiful and so colorfully crafted. The characters were profound and loveable and fierce, and I became attached to every one of them!
I adored the story line. I loved the magic system. The pacing was perfect, and there was plenty of action!
I admired Amora and her morality and courage. I fell for our charming, caring pirate, Bastian. I cared for sweet, kind Ferrick, and I loved our stunning, fierce mermaid, Vataea!
This one was so good! It was breathtaking! It had some predictability to it, but it was well written and I will definitely be devouring book 2!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Body horror
Minor: Animal cruelty
taliatalksbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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? N/A
4.5
All The Stars And Teeth by Adalyn Grace was every bit as good as the cover led me to believe (yes, sometimes you CAN judge a book by it’s cover). I loved this ya Fantasy from cover to cover—I couldn’t put it down! I really loved the characters, but the real shining factor is the world. I loved the magic system, and while I hope to learn more about it in the sequel, this was the perfect introduction into the world without being overwhelming. I thought this book was really well-written, without being too overly descriptive. I’m honestly sad this is only a duology because I loved this first book so much. If you’re a big fan of YA fantasy, and have yet to add this to your TBR, stop reading this review and get on it. You don’t want to miss this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death of parent, Violence, War, Blood, and Death
teacupalpaca's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent
bookthief's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. The story line was amazing and well thought out. I loved Amoras character as she was brave and fierce. Bastain was a character I loved immediately. His personality was great. However, there were lots of different types of magics and islands that it was hard to remember which was which. I 100% recommend this book and I can’t wait to read the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
crufts's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For generations the Montara family has ruled over the archipelago kingdom of Visidia, wielding the soul magic that is their birthright.
But when the young Princess Amora steps up for the crowning test of her soul magic, disaster strikes and Amora is forced to flee her home. Befriending a pirate and sailing amongst the islands of Visidia, can she uncover the curse that plagues her family?
The book was okay. I definitely liked the premise and fantasy aspects, with the chain of magic islands and their magical specialties. The mermaid character was also great and lived up to the fantastical and terrifying legends.
I also felt that the expectations set up at the beginning of the book are satisfactorily addressed by the end. For example, at the beginning of the book when we hear theglorified children's story about the founding of the kingdom , it is obviously false and we expect to see this revealed at some point. This does indeed happen by the end of the novel.
Finally, I thought the way the Big Bad was approached was quite interesting, aseven though his motivations were revealed as good, Amora was still not satisfied with his plans, refused to concede to him, and is determined to lead the kingdom in her own way .
In terms of pacing, it was perfect. I always felt the plot moved at a good speed and that things were happening on time.
Character-wise, I initially liked Amora. She's not a stereotypical delicate waif princess; instead, she is physically strong, brave, and her dedication to saving her kingdom is endearing.
However, I started getting annoyed with her in certain scenes, such aswhen Bastian reveals that Kaven is his brother, and she sanctimoniously tells him "I forgive you". It was Bastian's choice as to whether or not to reveal this - what on earth is she forgiving him for?
Amora was so comfortable pulling rank as princess that she had no qualms about acting coldly towards her subjects, e.g.during her arguments with Ferrick and Bastian . It didn't seem like she grew as a person during the novel; she merely learned more backstory about her kingdom and family. It was the same Amora who took her crowning test at the start of the novel, and who had her coronation at the end of the novel.
I also had trouble with the flowery writing style. There are a lot of protracted internal dialogues and descriptions, most of which I ended up skimming over. Some dialogue is also rather melodramatic and over-the-top, e.g.during Bastian's confession, when he's saying "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I don't deserve anyone's" despite the fact that he did nothing wrong .
Another issue was the way the author continually used the names of gems when referring to colours. This led to misunderstandings where I first thought people were actually bedecked in gems, when they were just wearing coloured clothes. For example:
But when the young Princess Amora steps up for the crowning test of her soul magic, disaster strikes and Amora is forced to flee her home. Befriending a pirate and sailing amongst the islands of Visidia, can she uncover the curse that plagues her family?
The book was okay. I definitely liked the premise and fantasy aspects, with the chain of magic islands and their magical specialties. The mermaid character was also great and lived up to the fantastical and terrifying legends.
I also felt that the expectations set up at the beginning of the book are satisfactorily addressed by the end. For example, at the beginning of the book when we hear the
Finally, I thought the way the Big Bad was approached was quite interesting, as
In terms of pacing, it was perfect. I always felt the plot moved at a good speed and that things were happening on time.
Character-wise, I initially liked Amora. She's not a stereotypical delicate waif princess; instead, she is physically strong, brave, and her dedication to saving her kingdom is endearing.
However, I started getting annoyed with her in certain scenes, such as
Amora was so comfortable pulling rank as princess that she had no qualms about acting coldly towards her subjects, e.g.
I also had trouble with the flowery writing style. There are a lot of protracted internal dialogues and descriptions, most of which I ended up skimming over. Some dialogue is also rather melodramatic and over-the-top, e.g.
Another issue was the way the author continually used the names of gems when referring to colours. This led to misunderstandings where I first thought people were actually bedecked in gems, when they were just wearing coloured clothes. For example:
A man in amethyst lunges for us ...
a time-wielding Ker in deep amethyst
When something is "in [gem]" (like "in amber"), it means it is physically embedded in a chunk of the gem. But the author only meant that these people are wearing purple clothes. And again, later:
The crowd before us is a shifting wave of black, pinks and reds, greens and blues--and even white--that stills as we approach. But there's no amethyst.
The word is "purple". But the same problem occurs with other colours, too:
A woman ... dons a Suntosan emerald cape
The word is "green" - the cape was not emerald, or it would be heavy and would be crunching as it moved. (An alternate wording that fixes the problem would be a Suntosan cape of emerald cloth.)
A little blond girl ... singes the edge of her ruby shawl.
The word is "red". The shawl is not ruby, or it would have been impossible to singe it. (Alternate wording: ruby-coloured shawl.)
If the author simply wanted to use some more interesting words for these colours, some alternate options are charcoal, slate-grey, crimson, vermillion, golden, verdigris-green, sky-blue, lavender, periwinkle, azure, bone-white, cerise, nut-brown, etc.
If the author simply wanted to use some more interesting words for these colours, some alternate options are charcoal, slate-grey, crimson, vermillion, golden, verdigris-green, sky-blue, lavender, periwinkle, azure, bone-white, cerise, nut-brown, etc.
The conclusion of the book was rather jarring since it ends in a series of sudden twists, reveals, and changes. We're talking 10+ twists, e.g.
Despite my complaints, the overall aesthetic of the book is very Young Adult, it's a decent YA setup, and YA fans will probably enjoy it regardless. At times it feels like a dozen YA tropes blended into one novel, but if you enjoy YA tropes, that's not a bad thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Trafficking, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
Violence, Death, Gore: Appears occasionally, including dismemberment of limbs.Trafficking: A mythical creature is being kept as a trafficked slave.
Blood: A character's menstruation ruins her trousers.
Alcohol: The main characters get drunk.
Sexual content: Fade-to-black between the main character and another character.
midnacine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.5
"The world doesn't work with only your eyes, Princess. There's truth in more than what you can see."
I had a hard time getting into this at first, which was really surprising to me cuz pirates are like... my thing. Around 80 pages, while I loved the characters introduced, I found myself just not clicking with the book as much as I wanted to. It could very well just be me taking time to warm to a new series, because I consider myself notorious on that front. It could have also just been that I was trying desperately to not pick up a new book as soon as it released (I've been avoiding spoilers like the plague). But I think the main culprit is just there's a ton of exposition that's not extremely necessary to the plot of the book- maybe it could have been saved for later, even for book two. But once we were introduced to Vataea, that something clicked.
I'm not sure if I just sensed the missing dynamic when Vataea wasn't there or what, because it wasn't her character itself that made the book hard to put down, just the fact that she kind of pulled everything together. All of the sudden, I could actually read 20-40 pages at a time without even realizing it. And the little bit of romance between Amora and Bastian coming to fruition didn't hurt, either.
To me, the best part about this book were the last 150 pages. Riding the emotional journey of discovering the Montara family's secret with Amora was incredibly satisfying, as well were all of the battle scenes we get to experience from her perspective. And the internal struggle she faces in the final act? It was the nail in the coffin that got me to connect with Amora on a deeper level.
Overall, I really enjoy Adalyn Grace's writing style and I look forward to reading the second! Maybe I'll even add Belladonna to my TBR soon!
I had a hard time getting into this at first, which was really surprising to me cuz pirates are like... my thing. Around 80 pages, while I loved the characters introduced, I found myself just not clicking with the book as much as I wanted to. It could very well just be me taking time to warm to a new series, because I consider myself notorious on that front. It could have also just been that I was trying desperately to not pick up a new book as soon as it released (I've been avoiding spoilers like the plague). But I think the main culprit is just there's a ton of exposition that's not extremely necessary to the plot of the book- maybe it could have been saved for later, even for book two. But once we were introduced to Vataea, that something clicked.
I'm not sure if I just sensed the missing dynamic when Vataea wasn't there or what, because it wasn't her character itself that made the book hard to put down, just the fact that she kind of pulled everything together. All of the sudden, I could actually read 20-40 pages at a time without even realizing it. And the little bit of romance between Amora and Bastian coming to fruition didn't hurt, either.
To me, the best part about this book were the last 150 pages. Riding the emotional journey of discovering the Montara family's secret with Amora was incredibly satisfying, as well were all of the battle scenes we get to experience from her perspective. And the internal struggle she faces in the final act? It was the nail in the coffin that got me to connect with Amora on a deeper level.
Overall, I really enjoy Adalyn Grace's writing style and I look forward to reading the second! Maybe I'll even add Belladonna to my TBR soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and War
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Rape
kshertz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
3.75
This was an adventure to follow the princess. I like the fantasy elements and that there’s some romance though that’s not the focus. I enjoyed it and hope that the nation will come together to be the best nation it can be. But I was not invested enough to continue with the series. Sometimes I got confused with what was real and what was a curse that was making the narrator unreliable. But for the most part, it’s an engaging read that keeps you guessing to the end!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
bussdownmacbeth's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
2.5
Honestly my fault for thinking it was sapphic, but i was incredibly disappointed when i found out it was a straight romance. Didn't like the main character at all, the love interest was alright, the "rival" love interest was an annoying simp, and the mermaid was.. there.
I did really love the magic system and the plot twist was pretty cool
How are going to have four people in the main cast and they're all white?
Will not be reading the sequel because i didn't feel like there was more to add, not to mention i really hate the "I need to be married for the sake of my kingdom" trope
I did really love the magic system and the plot twist was pretty cool
How are going to have four people in the main cast and they're all white?
Will not be reading the sequel because i didn't feel like there was more to add, not to mention i really hate the "I need to be married for the sake of my kingdom" trope
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Torture
just_bookish_things_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.75
CW: blood, death, self-harm
All I can say is wow! I did not expect to like this as much as I did. The first couple chapters were hard to get into. I felt like Amora was simply a boring self entitled princess. I didn't want to root for her at all. But I was proven wrong very quickly! The magic system is incredible. The lore and history of the kingdom is very well fleshed out. I could not recommend this story more. My only gripe is there was a couple short sections that felt rushed as if the characters weren't making decisions based on their character traits rather they made the decisions to further the plot. However, that was uncommon. I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read the sequel.
All I can say is wow! I did not expect to like this as much as I did. The first couple chapters were hard to get into. I felt like Amora was simply a boring self entitled princess. I didn't want to root for her at all. But I was proven wrong very quickly! The magic system is incredible. The lore and history of the kingdom is very well fleshed out. I could not recommend this story more. My only gripe is there was a couple short sections that felt rushed as if the characters weren't making decisions based on their character traits rather they made the decisions to further the plot. However, that was uncommon. I absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: War and Self harm
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent