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nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 Stars
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Lichgates is an incredibly inventive fantasy adventure, full of danger, magic and mythical creatures!
When Kara finds and opens a mysterious book, she doesn't realize that she has just become the Vagabond - fated to bring peace to the strange land of Ourea (or die trying). She suddenly finds herself thrown into a war between Ourean races that has been brewing for centuries - and not everyone wants her to live long enough to bring peace. Many of those who do, see her as a pawn who is to be used in their game of politics and revenge. Ourea is a frightening place and Kara would not be able to survive on her own. Luckily, she has Braeden to help her. But Braeden has his own reasons for wanting to protect Kara - he needs the Grimoire to escape his ties to the savage race that he is Heir to and to escape the father who has embraced that savagery.
The negatives:
Slightly slow start.
While there was plenty of action, even at the beginning of the book, for some reason it took me a little while to engage completely with the story. Ironically, I think that this may have been because of Boyce's rich story-telling style (which is actually a positive listed below). While her lush descriptions paint vivid pictures of the world she has created, it sometimes made the book feel just a little bit slow, especially at the beginning. Once I really got into some of the mysteries of Ourea, though, I was definitely engrossed.
What I Loved:
Unique characters and creatures.
Ourea is filled with a tremendous array of interesting characters and creatures. Each race of the people of Ourea (called the yakona) is very different and unique - the frightening gray-skinned, smoke-producing Stelian; the web-footed, blue skinned Lossians; the winged, silver-skinned, beautiful Ayavelians; and the human-looking Hillsidians. Then there are the soul-stealing isen and the shape-shifting Muses, along with creatures like gryphons, giant two-headed wolves... I could go on and on. Ourea is an amazingly unique fantasy world!
Vivid Descriptions.
Boyce describes her characters and landscapes in vivid detail. Sights, smells, textures - they're all described. As you read, you can really imagine yourself in Ourea!
Witty dialogue. I loved the witty banter, especially between Kara and Braeden. Several lines made me laugh out loud. Here's a favorite passage that's both witty and insightful and gives you an idea of Kara's personality:
"Look, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous, I'm already in as deep as a stranger can go. I've met royalty--sorry, Bloods--and I was chased by an army. I saw dragons. There's a vicious isen thing trying to kill me. My dad--" She stopped short, her breath hitching.
"Basically, you don't scare me," she went on. "You've got a troubled past, well so do I. Most people do. We do things we're not proud of, things we wish we could take back, but what's done is done and all you can do is try to redeem yourself in the present. So, cut the crap. I'm just trying to help you out."
Kara.
Kara is a great, strong female character who doesn't let anyone tell her what to do or how to feel. Even though she has been thrown into an impossible situation that she knows almost nothing about, she doesn't panic (well, not much). That doesn't mean she's not terrified - she is! Kara has some pretty significant issues haunting her from her past that she has to work through throughout the book, but that just makes her all the more interesting!
Braeden.
Braeden is an intriguing and complex leading man. He has spent his life fighting against his Stelian nature, trying to find a way to escape the blood ties that control him. Braeden originally wants to use Kara for her power over the Grimoire, but he eventually realizes that his feelings for her are stronger than his desire to protect his own interests. The problem is that he doesn't know that he will ever be able to control his darker side - and this side of him just might put Kara in even greater danger! I ached for Braeden and I so hope he finds his way to redemption. Meanwhile, I'm just enjoying his journey! The romance between Kara and Braeden is slow to develop - there's no insta-love here - which makes it much more layered and realistic.
I highly recommend Lichgates to fantasy lovers. This book is highly imaginative and full of magic and excitement! I'm now kicking myself for not requesting to review all three books in the series, since I'm dying to know what happens to Kara and Braeden next! 4.5/5 stars.
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Lichgates is an incredibly inventive fantasy adventure, full of danger, magic and mythical creatures!
When Kara finds and opens a mysterious book, she doesn't realize that she has just become the Vagabond - fated to bring peace to the strange land of Ourea (or die trying). She suddenly finds herself thrown into a war between Ourean races that has been brewing for centuries - and not everyone wants her to live long enough to bring peace. Many of those who do, see her as a pawn who is to be used in their game of politics and revenge. Ourea is a frightening place and Kara would not be able to survive on her own. Luckily, she has Braeden to help her. But Braeden has his own reasons for wanting to protect Kara - he needs the Grimoire to escape his ties to the savage race that he is Heir to and to escape the father who has embraced that savagery.
The negatives:
Slightly slow start.
While there was plenty of action, even at the beginning of the book, for some reason it took me a little while to engage completely with the story. Ironically, I think that this may have been because of Boyce's rich story-telling style (which is actually a positive listed below). While her lush descriptions paint vivid pictures of the world she has created, it sometimes made the book feel just a little bit slow, especially at the beginning. Once I really got into some of the mysteries of Ourea, though, I was definitely engrossed.
What I Loved:
Unique characters and creatures.
Ourea is filled with a tremendous array of interesting characters and creatures. Each race of the people of Ourea (called the yakona) is very different and unique - the frightening gray-skinned, smoke-producing Stelian; the web-footed, blue skinned Lossians; the winged, silver-skinned, beautiful Ayavelians; and the human-looking Hillsidians. Then there are the soul-stealing isen and the shape-shifting Muses, along with creatures like gryphons, giant two-headed wolves... I could go on and on. Ourea is an amazingly unique fantasy world!
Vivid Descriptions.
Boyce describes her characters and landscapes in vivid detail. Sights, smells, textures - they're all described. As you read, you can really imagine yourself in Ourea!
Witty dialogue. I loved the witty banter, especially between Kara and Braeden. Several lines made me laugh out loud. Here's a favorite passage that's both witty and insightful and gives you an idea of Kara's personality:
"Look, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous, I'm already in as deep as a stranger can go. I've met royalty--sorry, Bloods--and I was chased by an army. I saw dragons. There's a vicious isen thing trying to kill me. My dad--" She stopped short, her breath hitching.
"Basically, you don't scare me," she went on. "You've got a troubled past, well so do I. Most people do. We do things we're not proud of, things we wish we could take back, but what's done is done and all you can do is try to redeem yourself in the present. So, cut the crap. I'm just trying to help you out."
Kara.
Kara is a great, strong female character who doesn't let anyone tell her what to do or how to feel. Even though she has been thrown into an impossible situation that she knows almost nothing about, she doesn't panic (well, not much). That doesn't mean she's not terrified - she is! Kara has some pretty significant issues haunting her from her past that she has to work through throughout the book, but that just makes her all the more interesting!
Braeden.
Braeden is an intriguing and complex leading man. He has spent his life fighting against his Stelian nature, trying to find a way to escape the blood ties that control him. Braeden originally wants to use Kara for her power over the Grimoire, but he eventually realizes that his feelings for her are stronger than his desire to protect his own interests. The problem is that he doesn't know that he will ever be able to control his darker side - and this side of him just might put Kara in even greater danger! I ached for Braeden and I so hope he finds his way to redemption. Meanwhile, I'm just enjoying his journey! The romance between Kara and Braeden is slow to develop - there's no insta-love here - which makes it much more layered and realistic.
I highly recommend Lichgates to fantasy lovers. This book is highly imaginative and full of magic and excitement! I'm now kicking myself for not requesting to review all three books in the series, since I'm dying to know what happens to Kara and Braeden next! 4.5/5 stars.
mamap's review against another edition
2.0
It was free. And that kinda sums it up for me.
Like most free books - interesting premise, some interesting characters that lack depth that then make choices I don't agree with and a plot that seems to ramble a bit.
But not bad. I'm unwilling to spend $ on it.
Like most free books - interesting premise, some interesting characters that lack depth that then make choices I don't agree with and a plot that seems to ramble a bit.
But not bad. I'm unwilling to spend $ on it.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
3.0
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Kara walks through a gateway to another world by accident and finds herself in control of a magical book that everyone wants to control. Kara has no idea how to protect herself or who to trust in a world full of magic and dangerous creatures.
I admit that fantasy novels are not my favourite genre but the story sounded interesting enough for me to give it a try. And it was a decent novel despite my reservations. The concept of the book is interesting, with a girl seeing what looks like a cabin in the woods and as soon as she goes onto the porch, she is in strange world. The characters that appear are also good-Kara is suffering from grief and can't look after herself at the start of the book but despite doing very stupid things that irritated me, she does grow as a character through the book as she learns to use the grimoire. I liked Twin and Richard. Gavin did my head in from the start, as did the Bloods, but that was probably what the author wanted so I can't really complain about that. I liked the creatures that appeared, some as friends like the wolf, and the more dangerous creatures. There was a nice mixture of mythical creatures to add to the story. The book was a good mixture of character and plot that did keep you reading it and wondering what the next twist would be. The storytelling and world-building was also well written by the author.
So why only three stars? Well there were a couple of slow bits dealing with Kara's love life that I wasn't that interested in. I prefer action to romance and I didn't really feel any chemistry between the couple as the plot developed. I didn't like the plot involving Kara's dad-I just felt that it was too convenient to have that happen to her. It didn't really sit well with me. I also felt that I didn't really connect fully with the book in the way I would have liked. I liked it enough to finish it but it just lacked that something special to really grip me and pull me into the story. This was purely down to my personal reading preferences and not any fault of the author.
If you love YA fantasy with magic and a touch of romance, I think you will probably love this book as it has a lot of good things going for it. Adult fans of fantasy and paranormal will also enjoy this book.
Kara walks through a gateway to another world by accident and finds herself in control of a magical book that everyone wants to control. Kara has no idea how to protect herself or who to trust in a world full of magic and dangerous creatures.
I admit that fantasy novels are not my favourite genre but the story sounded interesting enough for me to give it a try. And it was a decent novel despite my reservations. The concept of the book is interesting, with a girl seeing what looks like a cabin in the woods and as soon as she goes onto the porch, she is in strange world. The characters that appear are also good-Kara is suffering from grief and can't look after herself at the start of the book but despite doing very stupid things that irritated me, she does grow as a character through the book as she learns to use the grimoire. I liked Twin and Richard. Gavin did my head in from the start, as did the Bloods, but that was probably what the author wanted so I can't really complain about that. I liked the creatures that appeared, some as friends like the wolf, and the more dangerous creatures. There was a nice mixture of mythical creatures to add to the story. The book was a good mixture of character and plot that did keep you reading it and wondering what the next twist would be. The storytelling and world-building was also well written by the author.
So why only three stars? Well there were a couple of slow bits dealing with Kara's love life that I wasn't that interested in. I prefer action to romance and I didn't really feel any chemistry between the couple as the plot developed. I didn't like the plot involving Kara's dad-I just felt that it was too convenient to have that happen to her. It didn't really sit well with me. I also felt that I didn't really connect fully with the book in the way I would have liked. I liked it enough to finish it but it just lacked that something special to really grip me and pull me into the story. This was purely down to my personal reading preferences and not any fault of the author.
If you love YA fantasy with magic and a touch of romance, I think you will probably love this book as it has a lot of good things going for it. Adult fans of fantasy and paranormal will also enjoy this book.
whitleyray's review against another edition
3.0
I really only read this book because I can never not finish a book. This book was incredibly hard to read, not because of grammar or anything like that, it simply lacked apeal. I read the summary and hoped that it would be a good read, but I was disappointed. The story was dark and rather boorish. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and I felt as if the story was just skimming what was actually happening. I wish the author had taken the time to deeply go into detail, or describe something more clearly. But I loved the idea behind the writing. A young girl thrust into a chaotic world, meant to reunite everyone against a common enemy. A world filled with so many great wonders and places. But the lack of appeal destroyed that.
thatkorigirl's review against another edition
2.0
First reads winner.
In the opening book to the trilogy written by S.M. Boyce, a girl hiking through the mountains stumbles into the world Ourea. Kara, finding a Grimoire with untold magic and the ability to answer any question asked if it, is almost immediately captured and thrown together with a subhuman type creature named Braeden, on the run from his dark inheritance.
I read another review saying that if this book isn't for you, you'll know with the first 50 pages. Well, it wasn't for me and I didn't make it past 46. From the very beginning, although showing no technical fault regarding grammar, the characterization is cliche (a prince casting off a dark background, an unreasonable cruel king), and the main character doesn't appeal to me. She just rolls with the flow, with several references to her dead mother. Meanwhile, the transitions are choppy, and information that could be weaved into the story (Kara's mother is dead) is just flung into your face from page one. The main problem to me, however, was lack of author voice and reliance on cliche. All of the sentences read like a line from any one of a hundred romance/paperback fiction novels. Overall, I think the author has a ways to go insofar as distinguishing their style as theirs.
In the opening book to the trilogy written by S.M. Boyce, a girl hiking through the mountains stumbles into the world Ourea. Kara, finding a Grimoire with untold magic and the ability to answer any question asked if it, is almost immediately captured and thrown together with a subhuman type creature named Braeden, on the run from his dark inheritance.
I read another review saying that if this book isn't for you, you'll know with the first 50 pages. Well, it wasn't for me and I didn't make it past 46. From the very beginning, although showing no technical fault regarding grammar, the characterization is cliche (a prince casting off a dark background, an unreasonable cruel king), and the main character doesn't appeal to me. She just rolls with the flow, with several references to her dead mother. Meanwhile, the transitions are choppy, and information that could be weaved into the story (Kara's mother is dead) is just flung into your face from page one. The main problem to me, however, was lack of author voice and reliance on cliche. All of the sentences read like a line from any one of a hundred romance/paperback fiction novels. Overall, I think the author has a ways to go insofar as distinguishing their style as theirs.
jlaynereads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good book. I look forward to working towards the other books in this series in my TBR list at some point.
It was a good YA or clean paranormal romance book.
I received this book free as an ARC with hopes I would write an honest review.
It was a good YA or clean paranormal romance book.
I received this book free as an ARC with hopes I would write an honest review.
an_alaskan_fairy_tale's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Lichgates - how could you not. The plot was interesting, with the right amount of suspense, and the characters were even better. What I was most impressed by, however, was how it grew on me. Initially I got a bit of the same feeling that I'd had reading Eragon (enjoyable, but not great). This was most likely because it had some of the same issues - the pacing felt a bit slow, and there was a certain inevitability of events that I always dislike in a book. However, as I read more I found myself noticing these less and less. After all, it can't be easy to introduce an epic fantasy world and completely immerse people right off the bat. Despite these issues, I kept reading because I could see the charm in the world and the characters, and quickly became pulled into the story. I'm so glad I put my faith in Boyce, because she's created a world I couldn't wait to read more about. On to Treason!
liedora's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book in the Grimoire Saga series and, if this book is anything to judge the others by, it is going to be a saga that can satisfy most readers.
The Author has succeeded in this first book in creating some very well-rounded and complex characters, not too complex they baffle the reader, but just enough that the reader wants to engross themselves in their world and continue on the journey with them. The main protagonist is a regular everyday female; but this female is struggling with loss and a feeling of being adrift that, could in another Authors hands, have led to a very despondent and down personality. This is not the case here as, when she finds herself in an unusual and totally alien world, the character pulls on her inner strengths, talents and humour to make the best of her lot. Alongside her is a host of others that are equally well written and full of life, there are no elves or orcs as is usually the case in this kind of novel, but new a strange characters that add dimension not only to the novel, but to the main protagonist as well. The characters are written in just enough detail to pull the reader into their world, and make them care about the outcome.
It takes a great imagination and a certain writing style to bring to the page a world totally different from anything else in this genre, after all so many people have written this kind of novel in the past, but the Author manages to do this with grace and ease exhibiting a creative mind. Although the world she creates is full of amazing detail, but not bogged down with too much ‘fluff’, I did feel that at some points it could have done with a little cleaning up to make the descriptions more precise; regardless of this though it did not interfere in my enjoyment of this book in any way, and I am looking forward to reading the remainder of the Saga.
I would highly recommend this book to lovers of epic fantasy novels, it is also suitable for teens and YA readers.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/10/08/review-lichgates-the-grimoire-saga-1-s-m-boyce/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
The Author has succeeded in this first book in creating some very well-rounded and complex characters, not too complex they baffle the reader, but just enough that the reader wants to engross themselves in their world and continue on the journey with them. The main protagonist is a regular everyday female; but this female is struggling with loss and a feeling of being adrift that, could in another Authors hands, have led to a very despondent and down personality. This is not the case here as, when she finds herself in an unusual and totally alien world, the character pulls on her inner strengths, talents and humour to make the best of her lot. Alongside her is a host of others that are equally well written and full of life, there are no elves or orcs as is usually the case in this kind of novel, but new a strange characters that add dimension not only to the novel, but to the main protagonist as well. The characters are written in just enough detail to pull the reader into their world, and make them care about the outcome.
It takes a great imagination and a certain writing style to bring to the page a world totally different from anything else in this genre, after all so many people have written this kind of novel in the past, but the Author manages to do this with grace and ease exhibiting a creative mind. Although the world she creates is full of amazing detail, but not bogged down with too much ‘fluff’, I did feel that at some points it could have done with a little cleaning up to make the descriptions more precise; regardless of this though it did not interfere in my enjoyment of this book in any way, and I am looking forward to reading the remainder of the Saga.
I would highly recommend this book to lovers of epic fantasy novels, it is also suitable for teens and YA readers.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/10/08/review-lichgates-the-grimoire-saga-1-s-m-boyce/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
raeanne's review against another edition
3.0
In a Nutshell:
Liked Kara but we did not get along at first, which is the main reason for the book's rocky start. She gets better once she finally gets over being plopped into magicland and not wanting to be a hero.
I liked Braeden's POV better since he's a vet in magicland and had more of what I wanted. While she's stumbling around, he's neck deep and up to his own tricks.
Standard plot but whatever. It works for a reason and with the characters and setting, it's good.
LOVE the worldbuilding and the different magic users & creatures. My absolute favorite aspect of the series. Ourea is what I really wanted to explore from the get-go.
Natural stopping point with no cliffhanger. While the book works to set up the series, it wasn't until the Epilogue that I got hooked. From “Yeah, it's alright” to “Oh, now we're getting somewhere. I HAVE to read the next one!”
Took awhile for it ramp up for me, but I think it's going to pay off in the end.
Liked Kara but we did not get along at first, which is the main reason for the book's rocky start. She gets better once she finally gets over being plopped into magicland and not wanting to be a hero.
I liked Braeden's POV better since he's a vet in magicland and had more of what I wanted. While she's stumbling around, he's neck deep and up to his own tricks.
Standard plot but whatever. It works for a reason and with the characters and setting, it's good.
LOVE the worldbuilding and the different magic users & creatures. My absolute favorite aspect of the series. Ourea is what I really wanted to explore from the get-go.
Natural stopping point with no cliffhanger. While the book works to set up the series, it wasn't until the Epilogue that I got hooked. From “Yeah, it's alright” to “Oh, now we're getting somewhere. I HAVE to read the next one!”
Took awhile for it ramp up for me, but I think it's going to pay off in the end.