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sleepydoe's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 10%
I was really intrigued by the premise and the prologue was definitely one the most well crafted beginnings, but the story was all downhill after. There was no hook for me, nothing to keep me interested in the book. I was contemplating continuing anyway, because this was a review copy, when the main character straight up sexually assaulted this girl and it was pushed aside like it was nothing. That did it for me. I'm sorry, but I don't think this was my cup of tea at all.
e-ARC provided by the publishers through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I was really intrigued by the premise and the prologue was definitely one the most well crafted beginnings, but the story was all downhill after. There was no hook for me, nothing to keep me interested in the book. I was contemplating continuing anyway, because this was a review copy, when the main character straight up sexually assaulted this girl and it was pushed aside like it was nothing. That did it for me. I'm sorry, but I don't think this was my cup of tea at all.
e-ARC provided by the publishers through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of Fireborn through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Fireborn is the first novel in a new series by Katie MacAlister, called the Born Prophecy. Obviously, with a title such as that, you just know that this is going to be an epic series. It’s a fantasy series, though a lighthearted one that is full to the brim of action, adventure, and some fighting.
Two ancient races are setting up to do battle – it’s the sort of fight that will ruin or alter the world as we know it. And three young characters are stuck in the middle of it all. Allegria, Hallow, and Deo.
Allegria was raised to devote herself to her goddess. But all she’s ever really wanted in life was a chance for adventure. And to really get to use her powers for something good, rather than being constantly forced to hide it.
Hallow was an apprentice before he lost his master. Now he’s been pulled into this mess alongside everybody else, all thanks to what his master once knew. But he’s a born and bred leader, even if he doesn’t know it.
Deo holds the weight of a prophecy on his shoulders. He’s also the son of two monarchs, which surely just adds to the weight he’s been forced to bear. All things considered, he’s bearing the weight well. But he isn’t exactly following the path expected of him either.
“We will do what we always do. We will prepare. We will defend what is ours. And we will surive.”
Fireborn was not quite the novel I was hoping it would be, if I’m being entirely honest. I had high expectations, because I’ve enjoyed Katie MacAlister’s work in the past. Katie MacAlister has always been known for being able to balance the humor and adventurous elements of her novels. And thus this series immediately became one that I wanted to check out.
There were elements about Fireborn that I enjoyed. Allegra’s character bounced back and forth between intense and humorous, thanks to the combination of her personality and her situation. Hallow was a fascinating character, one I would have happily read more about. I didn’t like Deo all that much, but I’m not entirely sure that I was supposed to, so that’s okay.
One complaint I do have about the three perspectives is that none of the three felt all that distinct. I honestly do enjoy a novel full of multiple POV’s, but this one could have used some work. These three characters are all quite different, and as such it should have been obvious who was thinking at any given moment. But it wasn’t, not all the time, at least.
But ultimately, I feel like this novel went off of the train tracks at some point. It started out strong, but I found myself losing interest around the thirty percent mark. I did end up finishing the book, and I’m glad I did, as there were later parts that were highly entertaining.
I know that I didn’t end up loving Fireborn as much as I was hoping, which is disappointing. I still have hope for the series though, since I’ve enjoyed MacAlister’s work so much in the past. So I think I’m going to go ahead and try the next novel in the series (Starborn), it seems only fair.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Fireborn is the first novel in a new series by Katie MacAlister, called the Born Prophecy. Obviously, with a title such as that, you just know that this is going to be an epic series. It’s a fantasy series, though a lighthearted one that is full to the brim of action, adventure, and some fighting.
Two ancient races are setting up to do battle – it’s the sort of fight that will ruin or alter the world as we know it. And three young characters are stuck in the middle of it all. Allegria, Hallow, and Deo.
Allegria was raised to devote herself to her goddess. But all she’s ever really wanted in life was a chance for adventure. And to really get to use her powers for something good, rather than being constantly forced to hide it.
Hallow was an apprentice before he lost his master. Now he’s been pulled into this mess alongside everybody else, all thanks to what his master once knew. But he’s a born and bred leader, even if he doesn’t know it.
Deo holds the weight of a prophecy on his shoulders. He’s also the son of two monarchs, which surely just adds to the weight he’s been forced to bear. All things considered, he’s bearing the weight well. But he isn’t exactly following the path expected of him either.
“We will do what we always do. We will prepare. We will defend what is ours. And we will surive.”
Fireborn was not quite the novel I was hoping it would be, if I’m being entirely honest. I had high expectations, because I’ve enjoyed Katie MacAlister’s work in the past. Katie MacAlister has always been known for being able to balance the humor and adventurous elements of her novels. And thus this series immediately became one that I wanted to check out.
There were elements about Fireborn that I enjoyed. Allegra’s character bounced back and forth between intense and humorous, thanks to the combination of her personality and her situation. Hallow was a fascinating character, one I would have happily read more about. I didn’t like Deo all that much, but I’m not entirely sure that I was supposed to, so that’s okay.
One complaint I do have about the three perspectives is that none of the three felt all that distinct. I honestly do enjoy a novel full of multiple POV’s, but this one could have used some work. These three characters are all quite different, and as such it should have been obvious who was thinking at any given moment. But it wasn’t, not all the time, at least.
But ultimately, I feel like this novel went off of the train tracks at some point. It started out strong, but I found myself losing interest around the thirty percent mark. I did end up finishing the book, and I’m glad I did, as there were later parts that were highly entertaining.
I know that I didn’t end up loving Fireborn as much as I was hoping, which is disappointing. I still have hope for the series though, since I’ve enjoyed MacAlister’s work so much in the past. So I think I’m going to go ahead and try the next novel in the series (Starborn), it seems only fair.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
annarella's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a fan of Katie Macalister and I always enjoyed her book. I had quite high expectations when I got this ARC but unfortunately they were not met.
I DFNed the book at 30%. I found that the characters and the world building were underdeveloped and the plot seemed a bit inconsistent.
I really wanted to love this book but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I DFNed the book at 30%. I found that the characters and the world building were underdeveloped and the plot seemed a bit inconsistent.
I really wanted to love this book but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
bibliophiliadk's review against another edition
2.0
I WAS REALLY ROOTING FOR THIS ONE, SADLY, I WAS DISAPPOINTED
I have read a lot of MacAlister's paranormal romance books and I especially loved her Aisling Grey-series. So naturally, I had high hopes for this one. I was expecting more of the humour, the romance and the paranormalcy, but what I got was an awkward, stilted, half-baked fantasy mess.
WHAT I DID LIKE
Deo and the goat: That's it. That's all I liked.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Shifting narrator: There are three MCs in this book - Allegria, Deo and Hallow. They all three have their own chapters, narrated from their point of view. But here's the twist - Deo and Hallow's chapters are narrated in the 3rd person while Allegria's is narrated in the 1st person. But here's the real kicker - there's absolutely no reason for it! It adds nothing at all to the story, it only served as an irritation for me.
Smut scene: I love a good smut scene if it is well done. Usually MacAlister does them good. But not this time! It was so cringeworthy and awkward I could hardly get through it even if it was only a couple of pages long. Don't believe me, just read the following quote. Warning, you might be tempted to think that it is a joke, but nope, it was serious... Cringe!
Relationships: If you want to do a character driven fantasy novel, the relationships between the characters are of the utmost importance. Sadly, they were completely underdeveloped here. I especially wished that Deo's relationship with his father, Lord Israel, had been explored further. It would have been key to understanding and sympathizing with Deo.
Shallow worldbuilding: When it comes to fantasy so much depends on world building. So when a world is as shallow and undeveloped as this one, it makes the story hard to follow and it becomes hard to sympathize with the characters and understand their motivations.
Timeline: Time and time again the story jumped way ahead in time without any explanation of why or what happened in the meantime. It made the book feel incredibly rushed and garbled.
Plot: There was really so little to the plot, the best words I could use to describe it would be fragmented and incoherent.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
I have read a lot of MacAlister's paranormal romance books and I especially loved her Aisling Grey-series. So naturally, I had high hopes for this one. I was expecting more of the humour, the romance and the paranormalcy, but what I got was an awkward, stilted, half-baked fantasy mess.
WHAT I DID LIKE
Deo and the goat: That's it. That's all I liked.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Shifting narrator: There are three MCs in this book - Allegria, Deo and Hallow. They all three have their own chapters, narrated from their point of view. But here's the twist - Deo and Hallow's chapters are narrated in the 3rd person while Allegria's is narrated in the 1st person. But here's the real kicker - there's absolutely no reason for it! It adds nothing at all to the story, it only served as an irritation for me.
Smut scene: I love a good smut scene if it is well done. Usually MacAlister does them good. But not this time! It was so cringeworthy and awkward I could hardly get through it even if it was only a couple of pages long. Don't believe me, just read the following quote. Warning, you might be tempted to think that it is a joke, but nope, it was serious... Cringe!
"You don't have a fever in it [Hallow's penis], do you? Does it need doctoring?"
- Allegria to Hallow
Relationships: If you want to do a character driven fantasy novel, the relationships between the characters are of the utmost importance. Sadly, they were completely underdeveloped here. I especially wished that Deo's relationship with his father, Lord Israel, had been explored further. It would have been key to understanding and sympathizing with Deo.
Shallow worldbuilding: When it comes to fantasy so much depends on world building. So when a world is as shallow and undeveloped as this one, it makes the story hard to follow and it becomes hard to sympathize with the characters and understand their motivations.
Timeline: Time and time again the story jumped way ahead in time without any explanation of why or what happened in the meantime. It made the book feel incredibly rushed and garbled.
Plot: There was really so little to the plot, the best words I could use to describe it would be fragmented and incoherent.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
mirianp's review against another edition
3.0
2,5 stars. Not the best from Mrs Macalister. A light YA fantasy, perfect for fantasy beginners.
I looooved her Aisling Grey series. So I was excited about this one. But this had 0 of her humour or charm. This book took me a very long time to finish.
Deo is not very likeable but he is a part of a prophecy that will rid the world of some great evil... not very interesting.
Allegria is the best character in the book and most interesting, really the only reason to finish it.
The sort of cliff hanger ending was meh at best and is written to make you want to read the next book instalment. I, however, found the book to forgettable and will not choose to continue.
I received this book arc from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are my own.
I looooved her Aisling Grey series. So I was excited about this one. But this had 0 of her humour or charm. This book took me a very long time to finish.
Deo is not very likeable but he is a part of a prophecy that will rid the world of some great evil... not very interesting.
Allegria is the best character in the book and most interesting, really the only reason to finish it.
The sort of cliff hanger ending was meh at best and is written to make you want to read the next book instalment. I, however, found the book to forgettable and will not choose to continue.
I received this book arc from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are my own.
sleepydoe's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 10%
I was really intrigued by the premise and the prologue was definitely one the most well crafted beginnings, but the story was all downhill after. There was no hook for me, nothing to keep me interested in the book. I was contemplating continuing anyway, because this was a review copy, when the main character straight up sexually assaulted this girl and it was pushed aside like it was nothing. That did it for me. I'm sorry, but I don't think this was my cup of tea at all.
e-ARC provided by the publishers through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I was really intrigued by the premise and the prologue was definitely one the most well crafted beginnings, but the story was all downhill after. There was no hook for me, nothing to keep me interested in the book. I was contemplating continuing anyway, because this was a review copy, when the main character straight up sexually assaulted this girl and it was pushed aside like it was nothing. That did it for me. I'm sorry, but I don't think this was my cup of tea at all.
e-ARC provided by the publishers through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
kari_marie's review
2.0
Fireborn by Katie Macalister is the first book in the Born Prophecy. The book follows three characters Allegria, Hallow, and Deo. I really like Macalister books but this one fell short. There were weird time jumps with no warning and it was just a confusing book to follow. Non of the characters were likable and I just cannot recommend this book. I did enjoy book 2 a bit more and will continue to book 3. This book is two stars for me just because I expect so much more from Macalister. If I had not enjoyed book 2 I would have to give this book 1 star.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a free copy. This is an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a free copy. This is an honest review.
thebespectacledbookworm's review against another edition
2.0
With a host of thoroughly unlikeable characters, this book was difficult to read, at best. All of the characters are selfish, impulsive, and not empathetic in the least. They are difficult to relate to, and, due to this, I found it hard to like any of them.
The shifts in time, characters, points of view, and grammatical person (Deo and Hollow are written in third person while Allegria is written in first person), made this book hard to get through. I swear nearly half of this book was dedicated to talking about the female protagonist’s body.
It seems like this book was trying to cram as much action in as little space as possible. Everything moved far too fast without any backstory or details to back it up.
This could have been an interesting book. The idea is not bad. But the writing and pace of the story ruined it for me.
The shifts in time, characters, points of view, and grammatical person (Deo and Hollow are written in third person while Allegria is written in first person), made this book hard to get through. I swear nearly half of this book was dedicated to talking about the female protagonist’s body.
It seems like this book was trying to cram as much action in as little space as possible. Everything moved far too fast without any backstory or details to back it up.
This could have been an interesting book. The idea is not bad. But the writing and pace of the story ruined it for me.
rachellena's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 9% when one main character sexually assaults another main character and the scene continues as if he’s charming. Not willing to put myself through the next 91% where this is supposedly a protagonist.
(I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
(I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
annarella's review
2.0
I'm a fan of Katie Macalister and I always enjoyed her book. I had quite high expectations when I got this ARC but unfortunately they were not met.
I DFNed the book at 30%. I found that the characters and the world building were underdeveloped and the plot seemed a bit inconsistent.
I really wanted to love this book but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I DFNed the book at 30%. I found that the characters and the world building were underdeveloped and the plot seemed a bit inconsistent.
I really wanted to love this book but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine