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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graves why do you do this to me? Why must I suffer so? Another gripping and tense adventure for Saffron and co. with me suffering along side them. Like I got 78% through this book last year when the book originally came out and was just too stressed already from real life that I had to pause reading this for literally a year. It was my RainbowCrate edition arriving and the preordered copy of book four that forced me to finally sit and finish the last 100ish pages.
Which I did. In one long, riviting sitting with too many screaming breaks to be comfortable. And it's my own damn fault for getting so attached, if you've read any book in the main series then you -and I -are fully aware of the suffering were getting into.
But dangnagit -I just want them (Saffron, Cylvan, everyone) to be happy and safe. Is the too much to ask? And there's supposed to be 8 books so the suffering train is no where near ending.
😮💨🫡 Good luck to all of us troopers. We're gonna need it.
Which I did. In one long, riviting sitting with too many screaming breaks to be comfortable. And it's my own damn fault for getting so attached, if you've read any book in the main series then you -and I -are fully aware of the suffering were getting into.
But dangnagit -I just want them (Saffron, Cylvan, everyone) to be happy and safe. Is the too much to ask? And there's supposed to be 8 books so the suffering train is no where near ending.
😮💨🫡 Good luck to all of us troopers. We're gonna need it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my favourite series, what more can I say? LOL
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying
A tremendous thank you for the eARC!!!!
God, this series is fantastic!
Herald of the Witch's Mark ups the intrigue, mystery, and suspense keeping me on the edge of my seat every chapter. I'm in love with these characters and was extremely invested to see how they would get around the problems they were confronted with. I also was inordinately happy just reading moments where Saffron got to be particularly clever or Cylvan was being soft and gentle. In stories where romance features heavily, I'm always nervous that the relationship will have a power imbalance, or feel contrived, or any number of things. But I genuinely love Cylvan and Saffron's relationship. I love watching them interact and their relationship is strong enough where it feels like a really solid backbone for the series. The new characters introduced are also wonderful and I can't wait to see where Graves takes Sionnach and Copper especially in the next installment.
Coming back to my extreme investment, I was so into this book, nearly every time there was a reveal I was audibly gasping. In the last five chapters I had to put the book down several times and go walk around a bit because I was so stressed and absorbed in the story.
Kellen Graves' writing really brings the story to life. Everything is so vivid it leaps off the page for me to the point it almost feels like they switched on a movie projector in my mind and I forgot all i was looking at were black and white pages.
I know this was just gushing and the eARC copy might make this seem a bit disingenuous, but I bought the first two books of the series and adored them and I think this one might be the best one yet. I think the author has improved on a technical level as well as the excitement in this installment for me was off the charts. I gush because I adored it. And I would have gushed just as much if I had bought the physical on release day with my own money (which I will, in fact, still do).
God, this series is fantastic!
Herald of the Witch's Mark ups the intrigue, mystery, and suspense keeping me on the edge of my seat every chapter. I'm in love with these characters and was extremely invested to see how they would get around the problems they were confronted with. I also was inordinately happy just reading moments where Saffron got to be particularly clever or Cylvan was being soft and gentle. In stories where romance features heavily, I'm always nervous that the relationship will have a power imbalance, or feel contrived, or any number of things. But I genuinely love Cylvan and Saffron's relationship. I love watching them interact and their relationship is strong enough where it feels like a really solid backbone for the series. The new characters introduced are also wonderful and I can't wait to see where Graves takes Sionnach and Copper especially in the next installment.
Coming back to my extreme investment, I was so into this book, nearly every time there was a reveal I was audibly gasping. In the last five chapters I had to put the book down several times and go walk around a bit because I was so stressed and absorbed in the story.
Kellen Graves' writing really brings the story to life. Everything is so vivid it leaps off the page for me to the point it almost feels like they switched on a movie projector in my mind and I forgot all i was looking at were black and white pages.
I know this was just gushing and the eARC copy might make this seem a bit disingenuous, but I bought the first two books of the series and adored them and I think this one might be the best one yet. I think the author has improved on a technical level as well as the excitement in this installment for me was off the charts. I gush because I adored it. And I would have gushed just as much if I had bought the physical on release day with my own money (which I will, in fact, still do).
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked up the Rowan Blood series earlier in the year and my husband had an earful for months after about how much I adore the characters, the relationship dynamics and the world-building! The plot of this book had me on my toes, everything feel so much like a game of clue to put together. This perfectly scratches my itch for more queer fantasy!
As per usual, I adore Saffron as our narrator, as well as all of the familiar and new characters we meet in this installment! Graves does a fantastic job at making lovable, complex and beautiful characters. I'm already itching for the next and have been since I finished it a mere two days after receiving this, and I'm sure this will just be the first of many reads!
As per usual, I adore Saffron as our narrator, as well as all of the familiar and new characters we meet in this installment! Graves does a fantastic job at making lovable, complex and beautiful characters. I'm already itching for the next and have been since I finished it a mere two days after receiving this, and I'm sure this will just be the first of many reads!
adventurous
emotional
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:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
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:
Complicated
I’m parting ways with this book as I’m refining my TBR, and it didn’t quite fit with what I’m looking for right now.
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
Overall, Herald of the Witch's Mark was pretty good! It continued to up the ante with the stressful situations that poor Saffron was put in as well as continuing to exploring the fascinating world and magic system. Even more moving parts were added into the political intrigue of the world, which is always something I love.
Although I did enjoy it overall, there were a few problems that I had. First of all, I hadn't noticed this in any of the other books by Kellen Graves that I've read (I've read all except the Fox and the Dryad and Vessel of Woven Night), but there were far more errors and typos in this book than the others. To be honest, I don't remember seeing any errors in their previous books, but I had to reread a couple of sentences when I realized that they didn't make sense.
The plot didn't feel quite as tight as their other books either, it was good in the end, but there were a few times in which it felt a bit cyclical or repetitive.
Finally, spoilersI feel as though there may have been an earlier draft in which Maeve played a much bigger role, because it was surprising to me that she was on the back cover and at the big meeting at the end with the kings and Saffron. Copper and Sionnach made perfect sense in being there, but I felt like she had hardly been in the book.
However, it was still great overall and I'm excited for the next one!
Although I did enjoy it overall, there were a few problems that I had. First of all, I hadn't noticed this in any of the other books by Kellen Graves that I've read (I've read all except the Fox and the Dryad and Vessel of Woven Night), but there were far more errors and typos in this book than the others. To be honest, I don't remember seeing any errors in their previous books, but I had to reread a couple of sentences when I realized that they didn't make sense.
The plot didn't feel quite as tight as their other books either, it was good in the end, but there were a few times in which it felt a bit cyclical or repetitive.
Finally, spoilers
However, it was still great overall and I'm excited for the next one!