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amy_inthecatacombs's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy to review.
3.5 stars.
I usually write my own summaries because when I look to see what books are about I never find enough information about the book. I’ve never truly read a New Adult book before. The only closest I’ve read to one was classified as Mature Young Adult, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. It did take me about a fourth into the story before I got into it. I’ll admit I wasn’t very fond of Evy at first, but she did grow on me as she grew into a warrior. I just kind stand characters that trust a guy a lot more than they should. In the beginning, it talks about her ex basically cleaning out her apartment. Not smart Evy, not smart at all.
I loved the concept of the book and was a little bit confused about alterations and what not at first, but I’m glad not all of that info was told at once because then I might have been even more confused. I started to get into it more when she first time-traveled and definitely was captivated when she met Constantine. I loved reading all the moments between him and Evy and am nervous to see how the relationship will be in the second-book. There’s something that ends up happening that makes me this way, but I won’t mention what it is.
I didn’t like how much cussing there was in the beginning. This might not be that big of a deal for some people, but some of the curse words that were used I didn’t like reading. The amount did lessen as Evy changed. I guess it probably is one of my bookish peeves, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.
3.5 stars.
I usually write my own summaries because when I look to see what books are about I never find enough information about the book. I’ve never truly read a New Adult book before. The only closest I’ve read to one was classified as Mature Young Adult, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. It did take me about a fourth into the story before I got into it. I’ll admit I wasn’t very fond of Evy at first, but she did grow on me as she grew into a warrior. I just kind stand characters that trust a guy a lot more than they should. In the beginning, it talks about her ex basically cleaning out her apartment. Not smart Evy, not smart at all.
I loved the concept of the book and was a little bit confused about alterations and what not at first, but I’m glad not all of that info was told at once because then I might have been even more confused. I started to get into it more when she first time-traveled and definitely was captivated when she met Constantine. I loved reading all the moments between him and Evy and am nervous to see how the relationship will be in the second-book. There’s something that ends up happening that makes me this way, but I won’t mention what it is.
I didn’t like how much cussing there was in the beginning. This might not be that big of a deal for some people, but some of the curse words that were used I didn’t like reading. The amount did lessen as Evy changed. I guess it probably is one of my bookish peeves, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.
caroleheidi's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic romp through time with a brilliant main character – I really enjoyed Lightning Rider… once I got into it.
If I had written this review after reading the first 25% of the book, I would have slated it for a multitude of reasons – the main character was irritating, the world seemed a bit flat, I didn’t have the slightest clue what was going on and, quite frankly, I didn’t care. Then all of a sudden it became brilliant. It was like the author suddenly found their feet and the characters, the world, the story all jumped to life and I wanted it all and I wanted it now. I couldn’t put it down in contrast to the start where I had to force myself to keep reading.
Evy is a heroine you could relate to – she doesn’t discover that she has crazy lightning powers and immediately be all cool with it and know how to use it as happens in so many books and films. Instead she reacts how a real person would – she tries to ignore it, she plays with it, she hopes it will go away by itself, she gets angry with it, she gets things wrong. She has to learn about her power and the responsibilities it brings and the danger it can be and in learning her character grows, changes and rounds out without ever losing sense of who she was before. She doesn’t have a personality transplant, she just adapts. Her character development is cleverly handled and smooth and her Spanish temperament shines through with amusing results.
The time travel is well thought out and not confusing in a way that is a detriment to the story – it is mind-bending, obviously, but what time travel isn’t? The deception and intrigue layered through the story is subtle and I didn’t work everything out before the twists were revealed or, in some cases, not revealed – leaving you desperate for the next instalment to find out what happens.
There’s plenty of action and danger, horses, motorbikes, swords and arrows, bloodshed and fear but also a hefty dollop of romance in the form of main love interest Constantine, the Roman warrior. At first I wasn’t convinced by him as a romantic option but as his and Evy’s relationship grew and their characters developed, I was sold. There were plenty of JUST KISS HER ALREADY! moments all building up to the inevtiable racy scenes but it wasn’t forced and added yet another dimension to the book.
Overall I loved it and will be keeping an eye out for book two. It is a little slow to start but worth sticking with for sure.
If I had written this review after reading the first 25% of the book, I would have slated it for a multitude of reasons – the main character was irritating, the world seemed a bit flat, I didn’t have the slightest clue what was going on and, quite frankly, I didn’t care. Then all of a sudden it became brilliant. It was like the author suddenly found their feet and the characters, the world, the story all jumped to life and I wanted it all and I wanted it now. I couldn’t put it down in contrast to the start where I had to force myself to keep reading.
Evy is a heroine you could relate to – she doesn’t discover that she has crazy lightning powers and immediately be all cool with it and know how to use it as happens in so many books and films. Instead she reacts how a real person would – she tries to ignore it, she plays with it, she hopes it will go away by itself, she gets angry with it, she gets things wrong. She has to learn about her power and the responsibilities it brings and the danger it can be and in learning her character grows, changes and rounds out without ever losing sense of who she was before. She doesn’t have a personality transplant, she just adapts. Her character development is cleverly handled and smooth and her Spanish temperament shines through with amusing results.
The time travel is well thought out and not confusing in a way that is a detriment to the story – it is mind-bending, obviously, but what time travel isn’t? The deception and intrigue layered through the story is subtle and I didn’t work everything out before the twists were revealed or, in some cases, not revealed – leaving you desperate for the next instalment to find out what happens.
There’s plenty of action and danger, horses, motorbikes, swords and arrows, bloodshed and fear but also a hefty dollop of romance in the form of main love interest Constantine, the Roman warrior. At first I wasn’t convinced by him as a romantic option but as his and Evy’s relationship grew and their characters developed, I was sold. There were plenty of JUST KISS HER ALREADY! moments all building up to the inevtiable racy scenes but it wasn’t forced and added yet another dimension to the book.
Overall I loved it and will be keeping an eye out for book two. It is a little slow to start but worth sticking with for sure.
melodicfate's review against another edition
4.0
I'd like to thank the author for giving an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
Firstly, this book was totally unique. I have never heard of a story that used lightning as a means for time travel. I loved it. I couldn't wait to see how it all played out. I was really confused at first, but the further along I read in the story, the more I figured things out. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but it is a series so that isn't unexpected. Either way, I'm loving the idea.
The main character, Evy, wasn't one I immediately liked. She was way too stubborn, know-it-all, and hard-headed. She was also rash and impulsive, and it made me question her a lot throughout the beginning of the book. However, she does grow, and I loved watching that process. She starts off as this stubborn girl, who wants to act recklessly, and mess with things that she really has no idea about. By the end of the story, though, she's a really different person. I love when an author can pull that off. One more thing I liked was the fact that Evy was Latina. That isn't too common in books, so it's really refreshing when you come across a heroine who isn't white and thin. I loved that about her. All of this makes Evy a pretty compelling main character through which to view the events in this book.
As for other major characters in the story, I thought Constantine was intriguing. I didn't really see when and how he turned from teacher to something more, but I like how he inspired Evy to change some of her ways of thinking. It's easy to see how much he influenced her, and he was a good character with a great background.
I liked Evy's father, too. It's great to see parental figures in books, because they're not so common. This is especially true when they aren't the villains of the story. Speaking of which, Ilif was a great villain. There is still so much to learn about him, but when he was around, I was in full agreement with Evy's thoughts about him, even when I wasn't sure I quite liked her. For example, he had me hating him, and being offended with his views on women, right along with her, and that's how you know that the author has done a great job in writing a villain.
Finally, there's the actual plot of this story. It was interesting, because Evy had to learn about her abilities as a lightning rider, but she also had to accomplish a mission. Therefore, we got to see her testing her abilities in a lot of ways, but we also got to see her change the way she thought about right and wrong, and also how she approached life. I loved it.
Overall, this story was really good. The pace was pretty even and I can't think of a time when I was bored, or thought that things were progressing too slowly. The only reason that this book isn't one of my favorites is because of the romance between Evy and Constantine being so sudden, and also because Evy was so reckless and arrogant in the beginning. Other than that, there isn't anything at all wrong with this book. With a totally original premise, solid storytelling, and good writing, this story is one you won't want to miss.
Firstly, this book was totally unique. I have never heard of a story that used lightning as a means for time travel. I loved it. I couldn't wait to see how it all played out. I was really confused at first, but the further along I read in the story, the more I figured things out. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but it is a series so that isn't unexpected. Either way, I'm loving the idea.
The main character, Evy, wasn't one I immediately liked. She was way too stubborn, know-it-all, and hard-headed. She was also rash and impulsive, and it made me question her a lot throughout the beginning of the book. However, she does grow, and I loved watching that process. She starts off as this stubborn girl, who wants to act recklessly, and mess with things that she really has no idea about. By the end of the story, though, she's a really different person. I love when an author can pull that off. One more thing I liked was the fact that Evy was Latina. That isn't too common in books, so it's really refreshing when you come across a heroine who isn't white and thin. I loved that about her. All of this makes Evy a pretty compelling main character through which to view the events in this book.
As for other major characters in the story, I thought Constantine was intriguing. I didn't really see when and how he turned from teacher to something more, but I like how he inspired Evy to change some of her ways of thinking. It's easy to see how much he influenced her, and he was a good character with a great background.
I liked Evy's father, too. It's great to see parental figures in books, because they're not so common. This is especially true when they aren't the villains of the story. Speaking of which, Ilif was a great villain. There is still so much to learn about him, but when he was around, I was in full agreement with Evy's thoughts about him, even when I wasn't sure I quite liked her. For example, he had me hating him, and being offended with his views on women, right along with her, and that's how you know that the author has done a great job in writing a villain.
Finally, there's the actual plot of this story. It was interesting, because Evy had to learn about her abilities as a lightning rider, but she also had to accomplish a mission. Therefore, we got to see her testing her abilities in a lot of ways, but we also got to see her change the way she thought about right and wrong, and also how she approached life. I loved it.
Overall, this story was really good. The pace was pretty even and I can't think of a time when I was bored, or thought that things were progressing too slowly. The only reason that this book isn't one of my favorites is because of the romance between Evy and Constantine being so sudden, and also because Evy was so reckless and arrogant in the beginning. Other than that, there isn't anything at all wrong with this book. With a totally original premise, solid storytelling, and good writing, this story is one you won't want to miss.
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