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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
It’s like a warm hug from a friend with a few chuckles full of love while embraced. Love this book so much
4.5 stars - only minus .5 star since it was a little slow/long in the middle but otherwise this was such a cute cozy wholesome story !
This reall hit me at the exact right time. It's not a fantasy of epic proportions but it does have some interesting world building even if 99% of it takes place inside of a zoo. Still, the creatures are all really cool and you get some natural history to go with it and it all feels very real.
The characters were really good too. I liked Aila, our MC a lot. She's awkward and socially anxious but also passionate and kind. She does have flaws which aren't downplayed and she apologizes and tries to be better.
The relationship was very cute, a very realistic "enemies" to lovers. The flip felt very natural and not implausible or forced in any way.
Lastly, there was a very nice Chekovs Gun in there and it was very satisfying when it was used in the end lol.
Anyway, this was a really nice cozy fantasy. It's a stand alone so its perfect if you just want something low stress, low effort for in between or to get out of a reading slump.
The characters were really good too. I liked Aila, our MC a lot. She's awkward and socially anxious but also passionate and kind. She does have flaws which aren't downplayed and she apologizes and tries to be better.
The relationship was very cute, a very realistic "enemies" to lovers. The flip felt very natural and not implausible or forced in any way.
Lastly, there was a very nice Chekovs Gun in there and it was very satisfying when it was used in the end lol.
Anyway, this was a really nice cozy fantasy. It's a stand alone so its perfect if you just want something low stress, low effort for in between or to get out of a reading slump.
adventurous
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
Here's what I loved about this book:
-The magical creatures! Obviously! I love stories where the author has clearly thought really hard about these sorts of things and the animals are believable. We also spend a lot of time considering the zoological aspects! My heart belongs to Maisie the kelpie
-I loved the supporting cast - Tanya, Luciana, Aila's parents, Director Rivera etc etc. All great
-Aila's parents and their restaurant and how sweet they are! I loved that so much. I love the festival scene especially
-The romance felt believeable (if a little underdeveloped) and I liked the two of them. I have beef with the tag line on the front cover focusing on the love story, because I do think that was secondary to the actual plot, but that also means I don't fault the romance for feeling a little sidelined at times. I was there for the phoenixes, and the romance was an added bonus
-The climax of the book was excellent! I couldn't tear myself away at the end.
Here's what I liked less:
-I pretty much guessed the entire plot of the book from the blurb. Or at least, the plot about the humans. Not that it's all bad when plots are predictable! The whole setting was good enough to keep me reading even when I knew what would happen
-I worry maybe I lack empathy, but Aila's crippling social anxiety was kind of tiring to read. I know there are real people that struggle like this, and I do feel I'd be more empathetic to a real person, but being inside Aila's head was sometimes a little wearisome.
-The aforementioned rushed relationship. Although it's forgiveable, I could have read like twenty more pages about them to make it slightly better?
-Aila's internal monologue about Connor. Spare me. If she'd spent one more second thinking about his personality and one fewer second thinking about the little curl of hair on his forehead, so much drama could be spared.
So overall, that's many more points in favour of the book and I did really like it! I wanted a book about a magical zoologist and this did nothing but deliver. Plus the drawings of animals were so cool and I am DESPERATE to enter this universe and visit this zoo.
-The magical creatures! Obviously! I love stories where the author has clearly thought really hard about these sorts of things and the animals are believable. We also spend a lot of time considering the zoological aspects! My heart belongs to Maisie the kelpie
-I loved the supporting cast - Tanya, Luciana, Aila's parents, Director Rivera etc etc. All great
-Aila's parents and their restaurant and how sweet they are! I loved that so much. I love the festival scene especially
-The romance felt believeable (if a little underdeveloped) and I liked the two of them. I have beef with the tag line on the front cover focusing on the love story, because I do think that was secondary to the actual plot, but that also means I don't fault the romance for feeling a little sidelined at times. I was there for the phoenixes, and the romance was an added bonus
-The climax of the book was excellent! I couldn't tear myself away at the end.
Here's what I liked less:
-I pretty much guessed the entire plot of the book from the blurb. Or at least, the plot about the humans. Not that it's all bad when plots are predictable! The whole setting was good enough to keep me reading even when I knew what would happen
-I worry maybe I lack empathy, but Aila's crippling social anxiety was kind of tiring to read. I know there are real people that struggle like this, and I do feel I'd be more empathetic to a real person, but being inside Aila's head was sometimes a little wearisome.
-The aforementioned rushed relationship. Although it's forgiveable, I could have read like twenty more pages about them to make it slightly better?
-Aila's internal monologue about Connor. Spare me. If she'd spent one more second thinking about his personality and one fewer second thinking about the little curl of hair on his forehead, so much drama could be spared.
So overall, that's many more points in favour of the book and I did really like it! I wanted a book about a magical zoologist and this did nothing but deliver. Plus the drawings of animals were so cool and I am DESPERATE to enter this universe and visit this zoo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Gun violence, Dysphoria
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
medium-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
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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