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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I absolutely loved reading The Ordeals. It was A Darker Shade of Magic meets an adult version of Nevermoor; more blood, death and sizzling romance.
I was completely drawn to Sophia Dewinter and I felt the world building was intruiguing and inviting. The challenges were absolutely brutal and the tension built is captivating.
I was on and off rooting for the romance, I thought it was very much a thread within the story, rather than the focus, which I particularly enjoyed as it left plenty of space to layer the plot, including Sophia's search for answers about who her parents were.
I think this book is ideal for urban fantasy fans who enjoy a layered and compelling story, peppered with a hot slow burn romance. I honestly loved it.
Please tell me this is just the start and there's more come?
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Outstanding! What a truely amazing book. The way Rachel weaved her magic in this book is incredible. Flawlessly weaving her take on magic, magical schools, vampires and werewolves and making it all seem so effortless and seamless is amazing. Her take on the magical world had me gripped from the first few pages and only left me wanting more and more. I found it hard to put this book down! This definitely made me reminiss over my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but in a completely different unique way. The Ordeals themselves leaving me on the edge of my seat! There were a few twists I did not see coming which left me gasping audibly To say I was disappointed when this book was finished is an understatement! I need more! I need more magic, more of the characters I have grown to love, more of their back stories and what is going to happen next. I honestly can't wait for more. Well done Rachel, absoltely well done!
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets the Scholomance series!
I inhaled The Ordeals! Binge-worthy from start to finish, I devoured it in less than a day - and it would have been even faster if I hadn’t had to work! The last third had me on the edge of my seat. It was wild, twisty, and impossible to put down. I loved the fresh take on vampires and werewolves, seamlessly woven into a magical world that feels like it’s only just beginning to unfold. There’s obviously so much more to come too - more world, more magic, and more twists, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.
I inhaled The Ordeals! Binge-worthy from start to finish, I devoured it in less than a day - and it would have been even faster if I hadn’t had to work! The last third had me on the edge of my seat. It was wild, twisty, and impossible to put down. I loved the fresh take on vampires and werewolves, seamlessly woven into a magical world that feels like it’s only just beginning to unfold. There’s obviously so much more to come too - more world, more magic, and more twists, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
The Ordeals is amazing. I loved Rachel's previous adult book and was offered the chance to read this one early. I jumped at it, and I am so glad I did.
Atmospheric and immersive dark academia with deadly trials.
I was fully invested in Sophia's story. I did not see the ending coming, although I did suspect there might be more to Sophia that meets the eye.
Rachel Greenlaw has created an intriguing world full of magic, mayhem, and supernatural creatures. There are so many layers to this story, it is complex, and it is beautiful.
Definitely going down in the favourite books pile!
Atmospheric and immersive dark academia with deadly trials.
I was fully invested in Sophia's story. I did not see the ending coming, although I did suspect there might be more to Sophia that meets the eye.
Rachel Greenlaw has created an intriguing world full of magic, mayhem, and supernatural creatures. There are so many layers to this story, it is complex, and it is beautiful.
Definitely going down in the favourite books pile!
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
No
A million wows!
This was like a Hunger Games./Harry Potter/Buffy The Vampire mash-up.
Deathly competitions - check
Magic in a studious environment- check
Vampire battles - check
Sophia is tied to her uncle, and she is planning to escape him at the start of the novel, She knows somewhere she can go to that the spell he cast when she was young will break. She will be protected. She will then have to compete in a series of challenges to earn her place at the college.
It's an amazing world, full of brilliant magical ideas and bold, lovable characters. The love interest, Alden? ooof!
Greenlaw is a master storyteller. Every page, every word, all brilliantly crafted. So many different characters. the plots, the twists. I loved it all, And the ending ? Floored me.
Need more of this world, these people, I was devastated when it had ended!
This was like a Hunger Games./Harry Potter/Buffy The Vampire mash-up.
Deathly competitions - check
Magic in a studious environment- check
Vampire battles - check
Sophia is tied to her uncle, and she is planning to escape him at the start of the novel, She knows somewhere she can go to that the spell he cast when she was young will break. She will be protected. She will then have to compete in a series of challenges to earn her place at the college.
It's an amazing world, full of brilliant magical ideas and bold, lovable characters. The love interest, Alden? ooof!
Greenlaw is a master storyteller. Every page, every word, all brilliantly crafted. So many different characters. the plots, the twists. I loved it all, And the ending ? Floored me.
Need more of this world, these people, I was devastated when it had ended!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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