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paperbacklass's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Just finished up the magical book "Roar" by Cora Carmack and wow, what an awesome YA novel! This amazing book was filled with lies, secrets, magic, politics and a little slow-burn romance (one pepper of spice), perfect for a teen reader. The world building was wonderful, vivid and easily imaginable. Aurora was a great FMC, who appeared weak, but showed so much strength, all the way to the end of the book. This is truly a book of Aurora's self discovery, but I do hope the next book gives us more on Locke. I would highly recommend this book to teen readers who are looking for a good, fast paced fantasy with elemental magic and adults looking for a sweet, clean romantasy.
mickachoo's review against another edition
3.0
So this isn't my favorite book out there and I was sluggish reading it because I wasn't totally enthralled by it. However, that's more because of personal taste regarding the characters and world within this book.
My main put off was Locke's . . . douche-baggery-ness. I don't know how else to put it. One of my favorite tropes is the asshole is really a softy on the inside (enemies to lovers, basically) and blah blah blah but this was not one of those cases where it's done well. First he's nice to her and then he's rude and then he keeps trying to hurt her because "Oh, I'm scared of getting attached and getting hurt" and then he's nice again and then WE START ALL OVER AGAIN. He was just disrespectful of her as a human being and excused it all because he had a hard past. Boo hoo.
I just wasn't here for him. My ship was with Cassius from the beginning but even as the story progressed, he kind of annoyed me too and was also rarely even there.
The second thing that bothered me was how quick Roar was t become this lovestruck girl with no other purpose. It wasn't so much that she was doing it but that the narration kind of disregarded all of her other qualities immediately upon falling for love interest. She was no longer Princess Aurora who was venturing into the world despite a betrothal to try and find a magic she did not possess; she was Roar who belonged to a man and that was that. Roar herself knew she was a powerful, strong character, but the narration and characters were reducing her to nothing but someone a man loved and nothing else mattered. And this only happened at the very end of the book, which somehow irked me more because we had all this character development and it was just dumped for some hot makeout sessions. Nope.
I did, however, like Roar apart from all of that. When Locke wasn't making her out to be some weak baby, she was stubborn and cool. And I liked Cassius enough to hold out hope, and I liked Nova and Jinx. I liked the world (although I could've done with some more structure and details) and the storms/Stormlings/Stormhearts (though, sometimes it was odd) and various other things enough that I do plan to read the sequel when it releases. The powers with the storms and the stormlings was something very unique and interesting to see and I want to see more of it after the ending and how Roar ends up.
I really want to see Roar fight all the bastards with her full potential and show everyone that she's not some weak female and that she is powerful one way another.
My main put off was Locke's . . . douche-baggery-ness. I don't know how else to put it. One of my favorite tropes is the asshole is really a softy on the inside (enemies to lovers, basically) and blah blah blah but this was not one of those cases where it's done well. First he's nice to her and then he's rude and then he keeps trying to hurt her because "Oh, I'm scared of getting attached and getting hurt" and then he's nice again and then WE START ALL OVER AGAIN. He was just disrespectful of her as a human being and excused it all because he had a hard past. Boo hoo.
I just wasn't here for him. My ship was with Cassius from the beginning but even as the story progressed, he kind of annoyed me too and was also rarely even there.
The second thing that bothered me was how quick Roar was t become this lovestruck girl with no other purpose. It wasn't so much that she was doing it but that the narration kind of disregarded all of her other qualities immediately upon falling for love interest. She was no longer Princess Aurora who was venturing into the world despite a betrothal to try and find a magic she did not possess; she was Roar who belonged to a man and that was that. Roar herself knew she was a powerful, strong character, but the narration and characters were reducing her to nothing but someone a man loved and nothing else mattered. And this only happened at the very end of the book, which somehow irked me more because we had all this character development and it was just dumped for some hot makeout sessions. Nope.
I did, however, like Roar apart from all of that. When Locke wasn't making her out to be some weak baby, she was stubborn and cool. And I liked Cassius enough to hold out hope, and I liked Nova and Jinx. I liked the world (although I could've done with some more structure and details) and the storms/Stormlings/Stormhearts (though, sometimes it was odd) and various other things enough that I do plan to read the sequel when it releases. The powers with the storms and the stormlings was something very unique and interesting to see and I want to see more of it after the ending and how Roar ends up.
I really want to see Roar fight all the bastards with her full potential and show everyone that she's not some weak female and that she is powerful one way another.
cmitchell2781's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a long time to get into this book. I actually put it down for almost a month before I picked it back up and finished it. I feel like the beginning was rough, I didnt like the introduction to the characters, and I didnt see the need for the strange attraction Aurora felt towards Cassius.
However, once I got passed the first couple chapters and met the hunting crew, I grew more interested in the story. I enjoyed reading Rora's struggle with her emotions as she learned that the world wasnt like her mother had taught her, and I actually really enjoyed the blooming relationship between her and Locke. I would have liked to see more of the fighting/knife skills that the story hinted at her having earlier in the book, but I also understand where they wouldnt be much help in fighting a storm.
Overall, I'm really glad that i picked this book back up and finished it, and now im going to wait impatiently for the sequel to come out, because there were a lot of things left unfinished in this one.
However, once I got passed the first couple chapters and met the hunting crew, I grew more interested in the story. I enjoyed reading Rora's struggle with her emotions as she learned that the world wasnt like her mother had taught her, and I actually really enjoyed the blooming relationship between her and Locke. I would have liked to see more of the fighting/knife skills that the story hinted at her having earlier in the book, but I also understand where they wouldnt be much help in fighting a storm.
Overall, I'm really glad that i picked this book back up and finished it, and now im going to wait impatiently for the sequel to come out, because there were a lot of things left unfinished in this one.
danielle9590's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
astheplotthickens24's review against another edition
3.0
Treat others with kindness. For you do not know which souls will visit you again as storms rather than men.
— The Book of the Sacred Souls
I love the premise of this book, the world building was great, the storm hunting’s awesome and the author’s writing style was captivating. The concept about storms wrecking havoc to kingdoms and possessing a mind and magic of their own is new, which is why I’m giving this book a three star rating even though I despise the main characters so much that I literally put off writing this feedback as long as possible.
I love the beginning, it’s great to read a character like Roar/Rora/Aurora, she was dedicated, passionate, beautiful and smart. I love how she doesn’t let anyone mess with her head. But then I started getting tired of all her dramas and trust issues, it was so annoying that she let those silly little things mess with her priorities while her best friend --possibly her only friend-- rots in the dungeon due to her pampered ass’ selfish decisions. I see her point for wanting to venture this particular quest for power but her silly dalliances with Locke just unleashes the bitch inside me. Never had I ever wanted to go inside a book for the sole purpose of just killing the main character.
And then, there’s Locke and his annoying possessiveness! I despise this guy so much to the point where I literally pictured him being electrocuted with lightning to death. I think his character was great before he met Roar, but he’s just so unbearable in this book. He fell in love to Roar the moment his eyes caught her pretty face in the black market (ewwww, instalove) I think everyone knows what happens next, he became a control freak with just the right amount of being an asshole. I hate how he’s willing to throw away years of friendship for a girl he literally just met. I value friendship loyalty above all and what Locke did just pisses me off.
I ship Nova and Cassius so hard that I literally constructed a whole new story about them in my head. I hope and I pray that the author will give them more exposure in the upcoming sequel next year. Cassius reminds me of my favorite male character, Magnus Lukas Damora from the Falling Kingdom series. I wish to see Cassius’ character to grow the same way that Magnus’ did.
I still hate Roar and Locke. Period.
PS: I saw the plotwist coming miles awayyyyyyyyy
tiffani_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
2.5
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5
I really liked the concept behind the book. The world building was so intriguing and I’m dying to learn more. There were definitely times where I was annoyed at the main character because of the given name “Roar”. It reminded me of how Isabels nickname was “Belly” in the summer I turned pretty. The journey in the book was slow until the last bit of the book, which is what is pushing me to read the next book in the series.
I really liked the concept behind the book. The world building was so intriguing and I’m dying to learn more. There were definitely times where I was annoyed at the main character because of the given name “Roar”. It reminded me of how Isabels nickname was “Belly” in the summer I turned pretty. The journey in the book was slow until the last bit of the book, which is what is pushing me to read the next book in the series.