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sam_hartwig's review against another edition
3.0
I'm unsure how to start this review... It's been so long since I read 'Darklight', almost 8 months, and I've read a lot of other books in between so I've kind of forgotten what had happened at the end of the previous book. It didn't take me long to get back in to the swing of Lelsey Livingston's beautiful writing, but I felt like something was missing. I think that spark between Kelley & Sonny wasn't there for me or maybe I've read other books since where the connections between lovers is stronger than this. The magic and adventure wasn't there either. I would pick this up, read a chapter then put it down again because the story wasn't sucking me in. It took me nearly two weeks to finish this because of that reason.
I felt like there was so much build up during the first two books in to figuring out who the evil was behind it all that when I did find out, it was a let down. The reason I was let down was because I felt like everything was sorted out too quickly and was wrapped up too easily. Small thing to complain about, but it got to me. To give away the ending, it was happy (thankfully) and I will still think very highly of 'Wondrous Strange' and continue to read Lesley Livingston's books even though I didn't enjoy this as much.
To sum up, I don't know if it was the mood I was in when reading this or simply I had lost the connection to the series. Whatever the reason, I felt like it was a chore to read 'Tempestuous' which is very, very sad. (Still 3 stars because of my past love for these characters.)
Also on my blog http://love-sami13.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/a-tempestuous-let-down.html
I felt like there was so much build up during the first two books in to figuring out who the evil was behind it all that when I did find out, it was a let down. The reason I was let down was because I felt like everything was sorted out too quickly and was wrapped up too easily. Small thing to complain about, but it got to me. To give away the ending, it was happy (thankfully) and I will still think very highly of 'Wondrous Strange' and continue to read Lesley Livingston's books even though I didn't enjoy this as much.
To sum up, I don't know if it was the mood I was in when reading this or simply I had lost the connection to the series. Whatever the reason, I felt like it was a chore to read 'Tempestuous' which is very, very sad. (Still 3 stars because of my past love for these characters.)
Also on my blog http://love-sami13.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/a-tempestuous-let-down.html
thrscldrn's review against another edition
5.0
Head and heart, mind and soul. Thinking makes it so.
Loyalty has always been an issue here: you never really know who you should trust, but you still risk it for certain people despite the fact that they may betray that trust. So much revelation came out as it was headingtoward the end. With only a few chapters left and still so many questions and unresolved situations. I cannot believe that the story progressed that quickly. So many things happen when you least expect them and you reach the point when you start to doubt every single character. You reach the point when you just can't believe what you're reading. The ending was well-crafted, a perfect match to the story.
Magick time.
Loyalty has always been an issue here: you never really know who you should trust, but you still risk it for certain people despite the fact that they may betray that trust. So much revelation came out as it was headingtoward the end. With only a few chapters left and still so many questions and unresolved situations. I cannot believe that the story progressed that quickly. So many things happen when you least expect them and you reach the point when you start to doubt every single character. You reach the point when you just can't believe what you're reading. The ending was well-crafted, a perfect match to the story.
Magick time.
sparksofember's review against another edition
5.0
Tempestuous brings back the heavy Shakespearean correlation with Kelley working on a performance of The Tempest. Unlike Darklight where the inclusion felt forced, The Tempest fit perfectly with Tempestuous and I feel it was a clever choice on Livingston’s part to tie the plays into the books the way she did. I actually hadn’t read/seen The Tempest before reading this volume but had to check it out afterwards. Again, if you haven’t read the first two volumes, this review can’t help but be slightly spoilery.
If I thought Darklight started slowly, it was nothing compared to the depressing vibe that begins Tempestuous. But really, a lot is happening right from the beginning. Livingston just does such a good job expressing the melancholy, heartbrokenness of the characters that you become wrapped in it.
One of my favorite things about this book was that the characters actually think the exact same things you are thinking as you read. Kelley’s lie to Sonny is confronted by several characters. And you can understand her reasons, even if you don’t agree with them, just like you can understand the arguments against her choices. Finding a book that remembers the reader isn’t stupid and even goes out of its way to acknowledge our thoughts and questions? What a breath of fresh air!
This is the first volume where the prologue didn’t bother me in the least. It fits and doesn’t alert us to anything we don’t already know. Several Fae are introduced or fleshed out that were previously side characters. Kelley has a Mary Sue moment but promptly messes it up thereby saving herself from a stereotypical end. The action is much more drawn out in this volume. Unlike the last 2 volumes, the action runs the length of the book (after the slow start) though, of course, building toward the ending. I found myself thinking this series would make an excellent movie due to the pace.
The story wraps up nicely. Everything explained, not necessarily tied up with a bow but no dangling threads or unanswered questions. And while I feel Kelley and Sonny’s story is done, there is plenty of room for a spin-off series featuring Fenn. (The first of which was actually released just a few months ago!!)
If I thought Darklight started slowly, it was nothing compared to the depressing vibe that begins Tempestuous. But really, a lot is happening right from the beginning. Livingston just does such a good job expressing the melancholy, heartbrokenness of the characters that you become wrapped in it.
One of my favorite things about this book was that the characters actually think the exact same things you are thinking as you read. Kelley’s lie to Sonny is confronted by several characters. And you can understand her reasons, even if you don’t agree with them, just like you can understand the arguments against her choices. Finding a book that remembers the reader isn’t stupid and even goes out of its way to acknowledge our thoughts and questions? What a breath of fresh air!
This is the first volume where the prologue didn’t bother me in the least. It fits and doesn’t alert us to anything we don’t already know. Several Fae are introduced or fleshed out that were previously side characters. Kelley has a Mary Sue moment but promptly messes it up thereby saving herself from a stereotypical end. The action is much more drawn out in this volume. Unlike the last 2 volumes, the action runs the length of the book (after the slow start) though, of course, building toward the ending. I found myself thinking this series would make an excellent movie due to the pace.
The story wraps up nicely. Everything explained, not necessarily tied up with a bow but no dangling threads or unanswered questions. And while I feel Kelley and Sonny’s story is done, there is plenty of room for a spin-off series featuring Fenn. (The first of which was actually released just a few months ago!!)
esidden's review against another edition
2.0
While this 'romantic' series was clean, something rare nowadays, that's about all it had going for it. I was wondering what that scene in the first book meant and the fact that I had to wait till the third book to know, when I pretty much forgot all about it, ticks me off.
cathyatratedreads's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed it. Wasn't fantastic, but it did the job nicely and tied up the series well.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/tempestuous-clean-young-adult-book-review/
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/tempestuous-clean-young-adult-book-review/
cosy_novel_niche's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
It wasn't exactly the ending I was hoping for...There were too many elements in certain parts and others were rushed too much.
It's a fantasy YA in its purest "first decade of 2000" style with all of the consequent pros and cons
It wasn't exactly the ending I was hoping for...There were too many elements in certain parts and others were rushed too much.
It's a fantasy YA in its purest "first decade of 2000" style with all of the consequent pros and cons
postitsandpens's review against another edition
DNFed at 25%. I absolutely despise the trope where someone lies to "protect" someone instead of giving them the option of making a choice for themselves. Kelley hides Sonny's true abilities from him, the lies and tells him she doesn't love him in order to send him away until she can figure out how to protect him, rather than just telling him the truth and working with him to come up with a plan. I also truly can't remember a lot of details from the first two books, so my confusion coupled with my most-hated trope means I just cannot put myself through this in order to finish it. Wondrous Strange was one of my all-time favorite books when I read it, but I do wonder how it'd still hold up ten years later. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or interest to reread it to find out.
blumenstadtkind's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks again for a wonderful book, Mrs. Livingston :)