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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Full Review on my blog: https://hiddenbeneaththestarlight.wordpress.com/2019/12/30/arc-review-belle-revolte/
I won this ARC in a giveaway.
I love this book. Full of interesting world-building, with a French inspired fantasy world (French royal titles like mademoiselle Royale are used, the country and culture are clearly French, but the religion is deeply different, etc.) it´s a story about finding yourself, your place in the world, and something worth fighting for. The magic system is interesting, and I love that over the course of the story the things we and the characters know about it are questioned and pushed to the limits. Is it as we always believed? Why is it the way it is? How does it work? Could it be different? Does questions get asked over and over again, and that happens so rarely in fantasy stories, it captured my interest. Give me lore, give me all the details on how it happens, how it works, I´ll gladly read through them all. And just because we always did it that way, it doesn´t make this way of doing things a fact of nature. That´s something the story brings across really well.
But nothing here comes easy. It´s fun to read, I loved every second of the writing, but be aware, that the story can get dark in some places. There is a war breaking out after all, and people die. Not only from fighting, but also because of people from their own sight, because of corrupt aristocracy using the people they think lesser of as canon fodder and fuel for themselves and their magic and crush any traces of a revolution just as harsh. The people who critic them, who fight for something better, are risking their lives here.
So yes, the book made me cry in parts, it made me angry but it also left me with hope. It´s full of amazing characters, who fight and love and find friendship and families (I love found families and this is one of the best I´ve ever seen!). I loved every single one of them, and I’m still missing them, even after finishing this book months ago. So Belle Révolte has my full recommendation. Trust me, you need this book in your lives.
I won this ARC in a giveaway.
I love this book. Full of interesting world-building, with a French inspired fantasy world (French royal titles like mademoiselle Royale are used, the country and culture are clearly French, but the religion is deeply different, etc.) it´s a story about finding yourself, your place in the world, and something worth fighting for. The magic system is interesting, and I love that over the course of the story the things we and the characters know about it are questioned and pushed to the limits. Is it as we always believed? Why is it the way it is? How does it work? Could it be different? Does questions get asked over and over again, and that happens so rarely in fantasy stories, it captured my interest. Give me lore, give me all the details on how it happens, how it works, I´ll gladly read through them all. And just because we always did it that way, it doesn´t make this way of doing things a fact of nature. That´s something the story brings across really well.
But nothing here comes easy. It´s fun to read, I loved every second of the writing, but be aware, that the story can get dark in some places. There is a war breaking out after all, and people die. Not only from fighting, but also because of people from their own sight, because of corrupt aristocracy using the people they think lesser of as canon fodder and fuel for themselves and their magic and crush any traces of a revolution just as harsh. The people who critic them, who fight for something better, are risking their lives here.
So yes, the book made me cry in parts, it made me angry but it also left me with hope. It´s full of amazing characters, who fight and love and find friendship and families (I love found families and this is one of the best I´ve ever seen!). I loved every single one of them, and I’m still missing them, even after finishing this book months ago. So Belle Révolte has my full recommendation. Trust me, you need this book in your lives.
Honestly I did enjoy the first half of the book but I couldn’t get through the end so I skimmed the last 50 pages :/
I was really excited about this and loved it at the beginning, particularly the brewing political issues in the French-inspired world, but then it just stopped holding my interest. It may be because I'm just done with ebooks, but I think I also just found the magic system a bit too confusing and the plot too slow.
In a world where magic come from one of two sources (the midnight or noonday arts), two promising artist both want to study, but have obstacles in their way. Emilie, born into society's elite, wants to pursue the healing arts which are off-limits to her. She swaps places with an equally talented commoner and head off on her own adventure.
An intriguing enough story, but world-building needs work. It is half-way through the book before the reader has a good idea of the differences in the arts and how they affect the user.
An intriguing enough story, but world-building needs work. It is half-way through the book before the reader has a good idea of the differences in the arts and how they affect the user.
4.5 Stars
Book: Laurel
Me, every time: YANNY
OK, so I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so of course any well-written novel that takes place in a magical boarding school (and magical university!) is going to win me over pretty quickly. Throw in half my other favourite tropes (characters switching places, fake identities, enemies/rivals to lovers romances, fun mentor characters) and some really great character relationships too, as well as an interesting (if somewhat confusing) magic system, and I'm smitten. Did I mention this book also simultaneously feels light-hearted while every so often punching you in the gut/making you stare wide-eyed in horror? (My favourite kind of read?) And that it's wonderfully diverse? And that the banter is great?
Yeah, Belle Révolte isn't perfect, but it ticked all the boxes for me.
The character relationships were probably my favourite aspect of the book. I love how both Emilie and Annette have complex relationships with their biological family members, and also form strong familial relationships with other characters throughout the course of the story. I especially loved Emilie and her mother's relationship, and Annette's relationship with Estrel.
Did I guess the twists? Just one! Well, kind of. I think. SpoilerI really shipped Laurence and Estrel, and literally while brushing my teeth was like, lol their ship name is LAUREL. And then I was like - wait, what? SHIT. But did they actually form Laurel? There seemed to be a throwaway comment that suggested they didn't? Who knows. Anyway, side note, I loved them both, RIP. If this novel has one flaw, it's that it gets a bit confusing at times. There are a lot of names to remember, a lot of alliances to keep track of, and multiple kinds of magic, some of which are easier to grasp the nuances of than others. But it didn't bother me that much. I was along for the ride regardless, and what a great ride it was.
Book: Laurel
Me, every time: YANNY
OK, so I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so of course any well-written novel that takes place in a magical boarding school (and magical university!) is going to win me over pretty quickly. Throw in half my other favourite tropes (characters switching places, fake identities, enemies/rivals to lovers romances, fun mentor characters) and some really great character relationships too, as well as an interesting (if somewhat confusing) magic system, and I'm smitten. Did I mention this book also simultaneously feels light-hearted while every so often punching you in the gut/making you stare wide-eyed in horror? (My favourite kind of read?) And that it's wonderfully diverse? And that the banter is great?
Yeah, Belle Révolte isn't perfect, but it ticked all the boxes for me.
The character relationships were probably my favourite aspect of the book. I love how both Emilie and Annette have complex relationships with their biological family members, and also form strong familial relationships with other characters throughout the course of the story. I especially loved Emilie and her mother's relationship, and Annette's relationship with Estrel.
Did I guess the twists? Just one! Well, kind of. I think. SpoilerI really shipped Laurence and Estrel, and literally while brushing my teeth was like, lol their ship name is LAUREL. And then I was like - wait, what? SHIT. But did they actually form Laurel? There seemed to be a throwaway comment that suggested they didn't? Who knows. Anyway, side note, I loved them both, RIP. If this novel has one flaw, it's that it gets a bit confusing at times. There are a lot of names to remember, a lot of alliances to keep track of, and multiple kinds of magic, some of which are easier to grasp the nuances of than others. But it didn't bother me that much. I was along for the ride regardless, and what a great ride it was.
Low three stars- I think this was fine but would have enjoyed a better explanation on the “using magic harms you” thing because that didn’t make sense, especially since everyone is using it and the majority seemed fine? I also think the middle got lost in the sauce as they say because it felt a little lacklustre and disjointed to me.
In all, a fine read but not the best
In all, a fine read but not the best
I really liked this book, the author was very thoughtful in creating a variety of characters of different race and sexualities while handling everything respectfully in an intriguing tale of political intrigue. The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars is perhaps my own fault, I had a hard time grasping the rules of the world in the book. Characters would do things that were contextually amazing and I would be confused how those powers compared to more pedestrian level magics.
Would recommend :)
Would recommend :)
More of a 3.5 but rounding this up because it was an enjoyable read.