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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
The mystery in this story is absolutely thrilling. It builds quite well up, deepening. Though at the end, how the story and the mystery revealed is a bit mid. The excitement disappears and out of nowhere it's a the end, just to be open ended in a way again. If not for how it ended, this would have been a solid read, but with how it ended, I lowered the rating.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Autumnal, witchy and dark.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.75 ⭐️ beautifully written, atmospheric and gripping. This book was slower paced, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed it throughly.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Saiorse is an island full of dark mystery and gloomy intrigue, and August Salt managed to escape its hold long ago. But when he is instructed to return fourteen years later, the dreaded past is stirred and strange things start to happen. Emery Blackwood lost the love of her life when August left and now he's back, she's determined to find out the truth of what happened that led to August leaving her and the island.
This is a very atmospheric book with a strangely overcast feel to it that almost made this mysterious and eerie story feel a little cosy as well. It's a small town (island) murder mystery that involves the death of Lily - the good friend of August and Emery - and a fire of the revered orchard. As the story unfolds, we uncover the events leading up to Lily's death and the fire, and the truth behind what really happened and why.
I just loved the setting on this dreary yet sort of magical island with its folk that dislike outsiders, yet recognise that they are a necessary evil for they provide patronage and keep their island going. It's rooted in folklore which was fascinating to read about and the magic element is subtle but by no means diminished. The island itself is an entity, a force to be reckoned with, and it judges.
August is a brilliant main character and I loved reading his chapters, seeing him navigate the task at hand while battling with his conflicted feelings for the island and all that happened there those many years ago. Emery is another great character but when we meet her, it feels like she's just existing. She comes to life with August back and I adored these two together, though I was frustrated with how long it took for them to talk to each other and acknowledge what happened between them.
I really disliked Lily the more I learnt about her and Dutch was also another unlikeable character, my aversion towards him growing the more I read about him. Though there are multiple POVs which I tend to not enjoy, I found I didn't mind it because it was still predominantly August and Emery.
I was guessing all throughout and I still didn't guess correctly! I'm glad I was surprised by what happened to Lily and though the ending felt a little bit uneasy, I was satisfied and I definitely liked the added epilogue, leaving you slightly unnerved.
Gripping and written wonderfully, it's an immersive and ominous tale that's diverting. It's definitely one to read in autumn with its crisp and mysterious tone.
This book took me a month to read…not because it wasn’t interesting….but because it was so slow and not what I was expecting.
Don’t get me wrong, the story itself was wonderful but I have issues. I loved the atmospheric vibes on the island, the mysterious nature of the story itself, and the secrets (when they were slowly revealed) were delicious, but the pace was not for me.
I was hoping for more magic and spells, but what I got was a story about a fire that almost burned down the island, a girl who was murdered, and the palpable grief the main character Emery has felt ever since because the events of one unfortunate night cost her the love of her life.
There are past and present perspectives as well as perspectives from various characters, which was confusing at times. I personally felt like this island contained a lot of darkness due to all of these generations of families who have never left, and that also kept me reading.
Ultimately, the 60% mark was when I started becoming more invested, and when the mystery was actually uncovered at the end it took me by surprise. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong.
I loved the drama, the mystery, the intrigue, the total Autumn vibes, and the actual parts that contained magic, but the pacing & the constant grief took away from the parts of the story I enjoyed.
Overall I’d give this 3.5 ⭐️ but to be honest, I’m not sure if I would have finished it if I wouldn’t have gotten the audiobook for it. This one just didn’t fully work as a physical read, but as an audiobook it was gorgeous.
Lastly, the ending was immaculate and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. I did truly enjoy this story, even though at times I did feel like DNFing it.
I highly recommend this to people who enjoy very atmospheric reads and feeling immersed in a small town (or island in this case) and unraveling all the secrets that may inhabit it. People who enjoy mysteries with a mystical element to them, and people who adore second chance romances (but don’t expect this to be a romance novel).
Don’t get me wrong, the story itself was wonderful but I have issues. I loved the atmospheric vibes on the island, the mysterious nature of the story itself, and the secrets (when they were slowly revealed) were delicious, but the pace was not for me.
I was hoping for more magic and spells, but what I got was a story about a fire that almost burned down the island, a girl who was murdered, and the palpable grief the main character Emery has felt ever since because the events of one unfortunate night cost her the love of her life.
There are past and present perspectives as well as perspectives from various characters, which was confusing at times. I personally felt like this island contained a lot of darkness due to all of these generations of families who have never left, and that also kept me reading.
Ultimately, the 60% mark was when I started becoming more invested, and when the mystery was actually uncovered at the end it took me by surprise. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong.
I loved the drama, the mystery, the intrigue, the total Autumn vibes, and the actual parts that contained magic, but the pacing & the constant grief took away from the parts of the story I enjoyed.
Overall I’d give this 3.5 ⭐️ but to be honest, I’m not sure if I would have finished it if I wouldn’t have gotten the audiobook for it. This one just didn’t fully work as a physical read, but as an audiobook it was gorgeous.
Lastly, the ending was immaculate and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. I did truly enjoy this story, even though at times I did feel like DNFing it.
I highly recommend this to people who enjoy very atmospheric reads and feeling immersed in a small town (or island in this case) and unraveling all the secrets that may inhabit it. People who enjoy mysteries with a mystical element to them, and people who adore second chance romances (but don’t expect this to be a romance novel).