You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Avry is a healer. Except after the plague, healers are hunted in the Fifteen Realms. She’s been on the run for around four years, but it’s hard to hide her powers when it comes to kids.
She might save children’s lives, but the gold families can get for turning her in is a hard thing to combat. When she’s scheduled for execution, her rescue comes in an unlikely band of men.
She does not believe the man they want her to heal should be healed, but is she better off with them or on her own?
I really loved the poison study series in high school so I was excited for this book. It was good. An easy read. More plot than romance, but still enough hints of romance to keep me hoping 😊 I’m definitely struggling with some of it, including the third act but not in a way that would make me not read the second book… so there’s that
She might save children’s lives, but the gold families can get for turning her in is a hard thing to combat. When she’s scheduled for execution, her rescue comes in an unlikely band of men.
She does not believe the man they want her to heal should be healed, but is she better off with them or on her own?
I really loved the poison study series in high school so I was excited for this book. It was good. An easy read. More plot than romance, but still enough hints of romance to keep me hoping 😊 I’m definitely struggling with some of it, including the third act but not in a way that would make me not read the second book… so there’s that
this was again, not :) that :) good :) idk why i subjected myself to reading the whole series, but i did. and in the end it kind of grew on me, i fucking liked it. i liked a crappy book that was in the third person POV, which i hate. anything is possible i guess :)
I’m a huge fan of Snyders writing, and this felt like slipping back into a warm, familiar hug. I loved the premise, and the romance felt well placed though also weirdly timed, though I can’t say much without spoiling. Let’s just say if you’ve read this, you may understand my sentiment that whilst the romance side was sweet and wonderful, I certainly wouldn’t have the mind for friskyness if that’s what I was going through in that moment. Maybe just a nice cuddle, a gentle hold. Soft kisses, etc.
Regardless of the above, the found family vibes were just as fantastic as in poison study, and this author writes her side characters wonderfully. The tension in the book was good, the plot kept me engaged; though at times it was a bit too reminiscent of her other works, and whilst I’m glad she made this in a new universe, given that it’s the exact healing technique Yelena uses I was bit taken aback - not sure whether to treat it as an Easter egg for the other series or what.
There were times where the MC in this also really reminded me of Yelena; though I found her a bit insipid at times, a bit too quick to accept her fate or put herself in harms way. Some of which will also sound very familiar to readers of Snyders other series. Maybe she could have run from her gift, hidden it better, not been immediately a badass fighter? I don’t know what I’d change, which is annoying to read in a review, I know - I’ll probably adjust this later before posting it to Instagram
Regardless of the above, the found family vibes were just as fantastic as in poison study, and this author writes her side characters wonderfully. The tension in the book was good, the plot kept me engaged; though at times it was a bit too reminiscent of her other works, and whilst I’m glad she made this in a new universe, given that it’s the exact healing technique Yelena uses I was bit taken aback - not sure whether to treat it as an Easter egg for the other series or what.
There were times where the MC in this also really reminded me of Yelena; though I found her a bit insipid at times, a bit too quick to accept her fate or put herself in harms way. Some of which will also sound very familiar to readers of Snyders other series. Maybe she could have run from her gift, hidden it better, not been immediately a badass fighter? I don’t know what I’d change, which is annoying to read in a review, I know - I’ll probably adjust this later before posting it to Instagram
Pretty cool conception of healing, where the healer actually takes the injury into themselves. That being said, too much concentration on relationships, not nearly on the cool world building and action.
After reading (or rather DNF-ing) the trainwreck that was War Storm, I am so grateful for this book. It has reawakened me and pulled me out of a looming reading slump. I love Avry. I love Derrick; even though I am repulsed by how he treated her in the beginning. No man should ever lay his hand on a woman regardless of the circumstances.
But I do love this book. I can only hope that it will only get better from this point.
But I do love this book. I can only hope that it will only get better from this point.
This is a really good start to the series and I really enjoyed this read. Avry is a strong female character that stand by her opinions until she is given a legit reason change her mind. The magic in the book is different from other fantasy books that I have read which is a nice change of things. I have high hopes for book number two.
I DEVOURED this book. I love Synder's style of writing, the detail she puts into certain elements and the banter between the characters. And the characters in general - I love a good inner circle, and this doesn't disappoint. My eyes are positively bulging out of my eyesockets, and I have no regrets.
Book 2, I'm coming!
Book 2, I'm coming!
I really liked this book overall. I flew through it and appreciated the first in a fantasy trilogy. The cover is also really nice.
I liked that the protagonist was a healer that took her patients injuries, it showed that she was selfless and compassion in a main character is a must. It didn’t seem to me though that regardless of her healing ten times faster wouldn’t she still die? Healing some of these problems overnight (eg. Stomach cut open, broken bones and deadly infections) didn’t make total sense to me from the logic in the world. The world building was really awesome, I like how we got to know bits about the fifteen kingdoms but there wasn’t an overload of info. I appreciated that a lot of the novel took place in the woods, the setting felt very real and like a magical road trip.
Something I’m not sure about are the relationships. We have established Tohon is a bad dude (eg reanimating the dead, experimenting on children, starting the plague trying to find death lily antidote and sexual assault), but for Kerrick to be the love interest and has physically assaulted her, psychologically manipulated Avry, left her out in conditions and chained… I’m not sure. Sure it’s Avrys decision and their relationship did develop but it still felt a bit off? Her bonding with the group was nice but also they were her captors? I’m not sure again.
I really liked the death lilys and peace lilys, but I’m not sure how Avry survived the plague at the end if she came out of it dead? That scene was awful though, I got teary eyed for Kerrick. It was cool to speculate throughout about the plague and that the healers got their powers from the death lillys. Noelle was an awful sister. You don’t understand that Avry couldn’t come and get you? Now you want to kill her and be all evil? Flea dying was so sudden :(
I feel a bit up in the air about Ryne too but I guess at the end he explained himself and he’s the good guy?
I’m keen to see Avry train the young healer kids. Will also enjoy her hanging out with everyone without them imprisoning her lol. Sepp being a bad guy also seemed super obvious to me, he was so moody and obviously was not going to help anyone.
I thought the medieval and modern mixed vibes were cool and I’m keen to see more struggles for power!
Bring on Scent of Magic!
I liked that the protagonist was a healer that took her patients injuries, it showed that she was selfless and compassion in a main character is a must. It didn’t seem to me though that regardless of her healing ten times faster wouldn’t she still die? Healing some of these problems overnight (eg. Stomach cut open, broken bones and deadly infections) didn’t make total sense to me from the logic in the world. The world building was really awesome, I like how we got to know bits about the fifteen kingdoms but there wasn’t an overload of info. I appreciated that a lot of the novel took place in the woods, the setting felt very real and like a magical road trip.
Something I’m not sure about are the relationships. We have established Tohon is a bad dude (eg reanimating the dead, experimenting on children, starting the plague trying to find death lily antidote and sexual assault), but for Kerrick to be the love interest and has physically assaulted her, psychologically manipulated Avry, left her out in conditions and chained… I’m not sure. Sure it’s Avrys decision and their relationship did develop but it still felt a bit off? Her bonding with the group was nice but also they were her captors? I’m not sure again.
I really liked the death lilys and peace lilys, but I’m not sure how Avry survived the plague at the end if she came out of it dead? That scene was awful though, I got teary eyed for Kerrick. It was cool to speculate throughout about the plague and that the healers got their powers from the death lillys. Noelle was an awful sister. You don’t understand that Avry couldn’t come and get you? Now you want to kill her and be all evil? Flea dying was so sudden :(
I feel a bit up in the air about Ryne too but I guess at the end he explained himself and he’s the good guy?
I’m keen to see Avry train the young healer kids. Will also enjoy her hanging out with everyone without them imprisoning her lol. Sepp being a bad guy also seemed super obvious to me, he was so moody and obviously was not going to help anyone.
I thought the medieval and modern mixed vibes were cool and I’m keen to see more struggles for power!
Bring on Scent of Magic!