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monicareadsfantasy's review
5.0
The origin story I didn’t know I wanted
At first, I didn’t think this was going to be something I was super interested in. Generally, I skip any side stories/ novellas and stick with the main storyline. I decided to give this one a try though and I’m glad I did. I didn’t think I was interested in Brixby’s backstory, but i was completely wrong. Not only does it tie together some questions that arose in Marrow Charm and Skin Curse, but it was also a really good look into the world of these books. This is definitely a must read part of the series.
At first, I didn’t think this was going to be something I was super interested in. Generally, I skip any side stories/ novellas and stick with the main storyline. I decided to give this one a try though and I’m glad I did. I didn’t think I was interested in Brixby’s backstory, but i was completely wrong. Not only does it tie together some questions that arose in Marrow Charm and Skin Curse, but it was also a really good look into the world of these books. This is definitely a must read part of the series.
book_geek15's review
5.0
Another FANTASTIC book by Kristin Jacques. Thank you so much to Parliament Press for reaching out to me and providing an eARC of this novella.
As someone who’s obsessed with training montages, I FLEW through Brixby’s story of his time with the Meisters. And even though we only spend so much time with Brixby in his younger years, it never felt rushed. The constant fast paced nature of the writing made it feel like a full length novel, filled to the brim with action and intrigue.
The then and now chapters of this story made for a riveting story. One of my favorite parts about this was how it never felt like a novella. The author managed to tie up an entire story in the Before sections of the book, while also introducing an equally compelling narrative in the Now chapters.
Thanks again to The Parliament Press house for providing me with a copy of Jacques newest installment of the Gate Cycle series.
As someone who’s obsessed with training montages, I FLEW through Brixby’s story of his time with the Meisters. And even though we only spend so much time with Brixby in his younger years, it never felt rushed. The constant fast paced nature of the writing made it feel like a full length novel, filled to the brim with action and intrigue.
The then and now chapters of this story made for a riveting story. One of my favorite parts about this was how it never felt like a novella. The author managed to tie up an entire story in the Before sections of the book, while also introducing an equally compelling narrative in the Now chapters.
Thanks again to The Parliament Press house for providing me with a copy of Jacques newest installment of the Gate Cycle series.
jeklinseason's review
4.0
Thank you so much to The Parliament House for sending me the eARC of the Poison & Poultice novella. I'll be honest I have not read any of the books from the "A Gate Cycle" series, thus it did take a while for me to fully understand the magic system from this series. I really enjoy this novella, even though at first I wasn't familiar with the world, the author managed to write it so wonderfully, from world-building to its characters and she makes them feel alive. What's more amazing is that this is a novella, a short novel of fewer than 200 pages. The author managed to write it in a dual timeline with "then" and "now" chapters that have the perfect length, where you won't forget what had happened in the previous chapter and you will still be entertained by the current chapter. The story doesn't feel rushed at all and only with a few chapters in you will fall in love with the characters, their relationship, and the story.
if you're a fan of the "A Gate Cycle" series then this novella is a must!
the "then" chapters tell you about how Brixby (Azure's guardian) becomes her guardian and even tells you about his time learning to be a meister.
the "now" chapters I believe follow after the first book, Marrow Charm. (I might be wrong on this one since I haven't read that one yet.)
All I can say is that this is such a wonderful read and I have nothing bad to say about this book except that I am disappointed in myself for not knowing this wonderful series and reading the Marrow Charm first but don't worry I've placed this on my "want to read" list ☺️ I can't wait to meet Azzy and Armin!
bizzybookbish's review
4.0
I loved this book from a different set of standards than I normally apply to books. I was offered to read this novella for my honest review and agreed to do so without realizing that it was book 1.5 between two existing books. That being said it really didn’t take away from the fact that this is a stunning tale. The Magic system of this book is extremely intriguing, the world building is magnificent. I am desperate to know what the rest of the story is. I gave this book 4 stars because it truly deserves it. I do however think that once I can read book one and two of The Gate Cycle series I will be amending this to a 5 star read.
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