Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Будинок Старлінгів by Alix E. Harrow

201 reviews

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Way too long-winded for the first two thirds of the book. Author certainly writes beautifully but unfortunately lacks at pacing and creating a plot that keeps you wanting to read more. 

I usually read a book in under 48hrs but this one took me almost a month due to disinterest. 

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I know exactly why Icarus flew so high: when you've spent too long in the dark, you'll melt your own wings just to feel the sun on your skin.

 Starling House had an interesting concept, and for the first half of the book, it really had me hooked. The characters intrigued me, the writing was beautifully atmospheric, and the plot was compelling. But, as the story progressed, it lost me. The characters lost their shine, the writing became inconsistent - sometimes dragging, sometimes too fast - and for all the build up, the ending was anticlimactic. It’s a shame because whilst there was so much potential, the characters, the plot, even the romance felt underdeveloped even while the book felt simultaneously too long. 

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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: Yes

A gothic, tense fantasy with complex characters that makes for an easy, emotional read 

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dark emotional fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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adventurous dark emotional funny 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: Yes

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adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark mysterious 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

FORMAT: Combo of physical & audio - physical edition had lovely illustrations throughout (not sure if that was a BOTM feature specifically?)

RECAP: Eden, Kentucky, is a dying town known for the legend of E. Starling, a vanished author, and the eerie Starling House she left behind. Locals avoid the place & its last heir, Arthur, but when Opal takes a job there to help her brother, the house begins to feel like home. As dark forces gather, Opal & Arthur must face buried secrets & fight for a future—or let Eden fall to its nightmares.

REVIEW: At one point, this book would've gotten 3.5, maybe 4, stars. But towards the end, the author just lost me. The plot got to a point where it was overcomplicated, IMO. I didn't really understand certain aspects of what was going on, particularly the motivation behind a certain character's actions. There are a lot of people to keep straight, a twisty family history and lore to take in. But I did really like Arthur, and the house is its own interesting character.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings