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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I got this book free from FirstToRead.com
Overall, I liked the idea of the book and felt it had a lot of promise but it didn't really live up to that. The dialogue was so stilted and inconsistent that it pushed me entirely out of the story at times. One character (a book expert) existed only to give exposition, I don't remember his name because he was utterly unimportant except to give us background info in the form of monologue. Others alternately spoke like hyper-educated children of the corn or Valley Girls and it switched from line to line. Some of this may be cleaned up before publication (I had an ARC) but I felt like this needed a pretty heavy editing hand before I'd want to read more of the series.
Of the three competing story lines I had the most trouble with Becca in the magical realm. She used idioms constantly without a problem even when the things she said would make NO sense to someone without her background. I could ignore that except every few chapters the person she was talking to didn't understand the idioms. If you're going with a device (they both speak English but have different backgrounds) then you have to keep it going - you can't switch back and forth. It felt sloppy and I started paying even more attention to their conversations which were pretty tedious. Teenage instant love with a person you can't touch who (seemingly) exists only to tell you how great you are. Crys's story was interesting even if she suffered from a little too much TSTL at times. Eventually she started telling the adults when she was about to do something that would get her killed so it was redeemed. Probably my favorite part was that she used people's preconceptions against them... until she admitted to doing it and lost the edge. Meh.
Overall, I liked the idea of the book and felt it had a lot of promise but it didn't really live up to that. The dialogue was so stilted and inconsistent that it pushed me entirely out of the story at times. One character (a book expert) existed only to give exposition, I don't remember his name because he was utterly unimportant except to give us background info in the form of monologue. Others alternately spoke like hyper-educated children of the corn or Valley Girls and it switched from line to line. Some of this may be cleaned up before publication (I had an ARC) but I felt like this needed a pretty heavy editing hand before I'd want to read more of the series.
Of the three competing story lines I had the most trouble with Becca in the magical realm. She used idioms constantly without a problem even when the things she said would make NO sense to someone without her background. I could ignore that except every few chapters the person she was talking to didn't understand the idioms. If you're going with a device (they both speak English but have different backgrounds) then you have to keep it going - you can't switch back and forth. It felt sloppy and I started paying even more attention to their conversations which were pretty tedious. Teenage instant love with a person you can't touch who (seemingly) exists only to tell you how great you are. Crys's story was interesting even if she suffered from a little too much TSTL at times. Eventually she started telling the adults when she was about to do something that would get her killed so it was redeemed. Probably my favorite part was that she used people's preconceptions against them... until she admitted to doing it and lost the edge. Meh.
I'm torn. While I loved the expansion we got on the Falling Kingdoms series, I had trouble with a few of the characters. Becca came off as very Mary Sue-ish to me, although maybe that would've been different if she had her own chapters. Maddox was a little bland but he was decent enough. I loved Crystal, and her chapters were my favorite. I hated Farrell. He was a jerk, and I sincerely hope that he and Crystal don't become a couple. I'm not to worried about the next book though, because this is what the first Falling Kingdoms was like for me. I really enjoyed the story but didn't like most of the characters. However, that changed when I read the other books, and I'm assuming the same will happen here. So all in all, a fairly decent book.
I have so much to say about this book for one I did not really like it the story was very generic and predictable with a few parts that could of made the story better they just made it all the more boring with no depth whatsoever. Now on to the characters they were mostly one dimensional starting with Crystal a selfish moron who most of her actions were a instant eye roll and her attitude could barely stand her though sometimes she was not too bad. Moving on to Becca the type of girl who does not think she is pretty and is you stereo typical bookworm. On to the asshole called Farrel he was the worst male lead I have read read about really creepy and smarmy he was just a thug could not stand him at all. Lastly on to Maddox he was actually the one I liked best he had more dimension than the other characters and the things he did made so much more sense the only likable character of the bunch. To the romance it was all insta love which I just can not stand I like romance with some form of development which this had none. The plot was for one boring completely predictable with really bad world building the story starts with Becca falling into a coma after touching a book going to another world meeting Maddox and moves on to Crystal finding out about a secret society after awhile meeting a total douche getting caught and escaping nothing interesting there. So overall I did not really like this book and will not be continuing the series.
I received a free copy of this book from Penguin First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
This story takes place in two worlds--ours, in Toronto, and another world with magic and gods--the aptly named Mytica. Toronto's story centers around Crystal "Crys" Hatcher, her sister Becca, and very wealthy Farrell Grayson, whose life is drawn into theirs for a strange reason. Becca ends up lost, in a way that may be impossible to recover.
Farrell belongs to an exclusive club, one that serves someone dangerous--someone who wants an object entangled in Crys and Becca's lives. In the other world, Maddox Corso can communicate and control spirits--and Becca will need his help to get home.
I liked some of the characters more than others--Farrell, in particular, has a cheap "out" to his poor behavior, and it feels like we ought to feel sympathy for him, and that he will be redeemed in a later book. But I don't care enough for him to want him to be saved. However, the rest of the characters are various levels of likeable, and the story was interesting enough to make me want to read the sequel. The mythology is complex and fun, and the story is the bid draw for me--there's some serious bad guys, and I wonder how the story is going to bring them down.
This story takes place in two worlds--ours, in Toronto, and another world with magic and gods--the aptly named Mytica. Toronto's story centers around Crystal "Crys" Hatcher, her sister Becca, and very wealthy Farrell Grayson, whose life is drawn into theirs for a strange reason. Becca ends up lost, in a way that may be impossible to recover.
Farrell belongs to an exclusive club, one that serves someone dangerous--someone who wants an object entangled in Crys and Becca's lives. In the other world, Maddox Corso can communicate and control spirits--and Becca will need his help to get home.
I liked some of the characters more than others--Farrell, in particular, has a cheap "out" to his poor behavior, and it feels like we ought to feel sympathy for him, and that he will be redeemed in a later book. But I don't care enough for him to want him to be saved. However, the rest of the characters are various levels of likeable, and the story was interesting enough to make me want to read the sequel. The mythology is complex and fun, and the story is the bid draw for me--there's some serious bad guys, and I wonder how the story is going to bring them down.
Well hey, this was pretty neat.
Rhodes basically just made me believe that there is a book out there waiting for me to touch it so I can go into the worlds she created. I mean, how neat is it to think that some of the amazing worlds you read about are real? Like Narnia? Middle Earth? These too classic worlds have lead you to believe they are connected to our world.
This book leads you to believe our world is connected to Mythica.
So there is this secret society that basically play judge and jury. They condemn someone who does nothing by hurt the people they come in contact with and feel the power that comes from their mysterious leader. This whole concept is so interesting to me! Because in some way, which I am not spoiling, this secret society is linked to our beloved Mythica.
A heavy leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language is delivered to the Speckled Muse by Becca and Crystal Hatcher's Aunt. It was addressed to their mother, but as any responsible daughter would do, Crystal opens it. Becca opens it and touches the book, and is sent into a weird a coma and into the magical world of Mythica.. as a spirit/ghost/lady-who-is-only-seen-by-one-person named Maddox who has a little magic up his sleeve.
Farrell Grayson is probably my favorite character in this whole series. He is the Magnus of this series. He is complicated and torn and rides the line between doing what is right and doing what needs to be done.
This book takes you back into the world of Mythica and mixes it with the modern day. There are secret societies, goddess (the ones we have heard all about in the Falling Kingdom series), necromancers, ghost, lots of deaths, romance, and really bad decisions.
So... what else do we need?
Rhodes basically just made me believe that there is a book out there waiting for me to touch it so I can go into the worlds she created. I mean, how neat is it to think that some of the amazing worlds you read about are real? Like Narnia? Middle Earth? These too classic worlds have lead you to believe they are connected to our world.
This book leads you to believe our world is connected to Mythica.
So there is this secret society that basically play judge and jury. They condemn someone who does nothing by hurt the people they come in contact with and feel the power that comes from their mysterious leader. This whole concept is so interesting to me! Because in some way, which I am not spoiling, this secret society is linked to our beloved Mythica.
A heavy leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language is delivered to the Speckled Muse by Becca and Crystal Hatcher's Aunt. It was addressed to their mother, but as any responsible daughter would do, Crystal opens it. Becca opens it and touches the book, and is sent into a weird a coma and into the magical world of Mythica.. as a spirit/ghost/lady-who-is-only-seen-by-one-person named Maddox who has a little magic up his sleeve.
Farrell Grayson is probably my favorite character in this whole series. He is the Magnus of this series. He is complicated and torn and rides the line between doing what is right and doing what needs to be done.
This book takes you back into the world of Mythica and mixes it with the modern day. There are secret societies, goddess (the ones we have heard all about in the Falling Kingdom series), necromancers, ghost, lots of deaths, romance, and really bad decisions.
So... what else do we need?
HOLY CLIFFHANGERS, BATMAN!
(A.k.a. I'm a huge nerd, this book was AMAZING, and I don't know how I can survive a Mytica-less drought for the next 5+ months.)
Morgan totally blew me away with this one, you guys. I didn't expect to be so attached to all these characters so quickly, and though I couldn't help make my comparisons to the Falling Kingdoms characters at time (for example, Farrell was so like current Magnus at the start, but rapidly began to show a different side of himself), I really grew to enjoy all of the characters - even the ones I wasn't supposed to!
I think the most exciting thing about this new trilogy is that it introduces the possibility of time travel (in a sense) within Mytica. I have no idea if Morgan intends to incorporate that or the Bronze Codex into Falling Kingdoms, but it would be insanely cool! I also loved that this book gave us some really cool "easter eggs", especially with Maddox.
Ironically, I think my favorite character is Farrell (or at least, Farrell pre-Markus.) I pity him because his family thinks so little of him, because he is compassionate yet he pushes so much of it away to cover his pain. Unfortunately, joining Markus's stupid circle was a nail in the coffin for any shred of decency in him as of this moment, and I worry that he could quickly end up on the same path as Connor.
There were so many twists and connections made, and so many secrets revealed in this first book that I can't imagine what else is in store for the remaining books! I loved every turn and shocker, and I think that it really shows how steadily Morgan's writing continues to develop. A Book of Spirits and Thieves is such an impressive and well-planned new series, and I have so much love for how Morgan makes all these characters and places so visceral and real. If you haven't read Falling Kingdoms yet, you're honestly missing out on something great. And if you have read it but you haven't gotten around to this book yet - what are you waiting for!?
(A.k.a. I'm a huge nerd, this book was AMAZING, and I don't know how I can survive a Mytica-less drought for the next 5+ months.)
Morgan totally blew me away with this one, you guys. I didn't expect to be so attached to all these characters so quickly, and though I couldn't help make my comparisons to the Falling Kingdoms characters at time (for example, Farrell was so like current Magnus at the start, but rapidly began to show a different side of himself), I really grew to enjoy all of the characters - even the ones I wasn't supposed to!
I think the most exciting thing about this new trilogy is that it introduces the possibility of time travel (in a sense) within Mytica. I have no idea if Morgan intends to incorporate that or the Bronze Codex into Falling Kingdoms, but it would be insanely cool! I also loved that this book gave us some really cool "easter eggs", especially with Maddox.
Ironically, I think my favorite character is Farrell (or at least, Farrell pre-Markus.) I pity him because his family thinks so little of him, because he is compassionate yet he pushes so much of it away to cover his pain. Unfortunately, joining Markus's stupid circle was a nail in the coffin for any shred of decency in him as of this moment, and I worry that he could quickly end up on the same path as Connor.
There were so many twists and connections made, and so many secrets revealed in this first book that I can't imagine what else is in store for the remaining books! I loved every turn and shocker, and I think that it really shows how steadily Morgan's writing continues to develop. A Book of Spirits and Thieves is such an impressive and well-planned new series, and I have so much love for how Morgan makes all these characters and places so visceral and real. If you haven't read Falling Kingdoms yet, you're honestly missing out on something great. And if you have read it but you haven't gotten around to this book yet - what are you waiting for!?
Annnnnnnd this book was the epitome of perfection.
“When in doubt, GT-HO.”
Best advice ever, thanks.
“When in doubt, GT-HO.”
Best advice ever, thanks.
I am sad to say there was nothing I really enjoyed about this novel except, perhaps, the Maddox storyline. I really enjoyed Falling Kingdoms and looked forward to this spinoff. I did listen to this book and that can color my reading opinion I know. This is definitely a high school book. The characters are very teenaged. I didn't like them at all. They are self-absorbed, snarky, and faux sophisticated. There's a good bit of alcohol; the drinking age in Canada must be lower. There's also violence, mayhem, and sexual references. And, most unforgivable? Rhodes tore a page out of the Twilight and 50 Shades play books by having the protagonist bite her lip alluringly an aggravating and inane amount! After listening for 16+ hours, the book just suddenly ends so you can wait in breathless anticipation for book 2. I'll pass.
When I read Falling Kingdoms, I was a little bothered by the fact that they were some plot holes and unexplained things within the narrative. However, after picking up and reading A Book of Spirits and Thieves, I was able to fill some of the holes and get some things explained, which was able to increase my enjoyment of this series immensely. When I originally picked it up, I was a little worried about spoilers because I was reading out of publication order, however, I was not able to detect many spoilers within it and if they were there, in my opinion, they were very minor. In reality, it was able to fill in a lot of blanks that I had concerning the narrative of the Falling Kingdom series, and it really got me excited to continue in both series. Anyway, first I need to tell you what this book about. This story starts with a couple of sisters named Crystal and Becca Hatcher working in their family’s Speckled Muse bookshop when a package containing a strange book arrives at their door. When the sisters open the package, one of them gets sucked into another world and the other goes on a journey to try and save her. Filled with twists, turns, and revelations, this book is a rollercoaster of a ride that I devoured in, literally, four days.
First, I have to mention that this book contains one of my favorite aspects of fantasy- portal fantasy. My favorite series of all-time is The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (this is my Harry Potter, since I wasn’t that impressed by Harry Potter itself), although I have enjoyed pretty much every portal fantasy I have picked up. I loved every storyline contained within this book, but, personally, I think my favorite was Becca’s storyline. I loved using the storyline to fill in things that I didn’t understand about the main series or using it to make revelations/connections about the main story that I missed when I read it. (although I have only read the 1st book Falling Kingdoms so far. I plan on reading the rest of them.) Since I have talked about Becca’s storyline here, I will also mention my feelings about Farrell and Crystal’s. Crystal was my second favorite storyline because she was trying to find a way to get her sister back, and I loved how she had to go on kind of a mystery/quest to fight for her sister. I enjoyed the character growth she went and how strong she becomes by the end of this book. My least favorite storyline was Farrell because I thought he was kind of a douche bag, however, I did like the relationship he has with his brothers, Conner and Adam.
The next thing that I want to focus on in this review is the symbolism contained within this book. My favorite scene in this book is where Maddox gets captured and brought before the goddess Valoria. This scene is so dripping with symbolism that it left me breathless. In the throne room of Valoria’s fortress, there is a literal rain forest filled with carnivorous plants, and since she is a vicious all-powerful goddess who controls earth and water, what better way to represent her and her personality than carnivorous plants. She also has a pet viper (see the symbolism yet!) and has dark hair with emerald eyes. The reason why I mentioned her appearance is because if you have ever read or know about the Merlin legend, she should sound/feel very similar to Morgan le Fay. Valoria is the powerfully magical seductress who uses her beauty and her power to control those around her. Side note, I kind of see the character of Maddox as a representation, in a way, of Merlin, and the struggle that develops between him and Valoria is one of my favorite parts of the book, particularly because it reminds me of one of favorite conflicts in fiction- the conflict between Merlin and Morgan le Fay.
To be honest, I can’t really put into words why I liked this book as much as I did. For some reason, I just really liked it and it was kind of story that I wanted to read right now. This book made me much more excited to read the rest of both of these series because this book added a lot more depth to the narrative that I think it needed in order to see the worth of this series. Because of my enjoyment of this book and how much more it made me excited about the series in general, I am rating this book 4.5 star. I have the rest of both series on my library TBR and will be getting to them in the coming weeks. If you liked the 1st book but wished it had more depth or wished more of the plot holes were filled, then you should read this book. I don’t think it should be the 1st one you read because it doesn’t have any of the world-building you need to understand the series so you need to read a least one of the Falling Kingdoms books first, but after that, feel free to pick it up. Great thrill ride of read!
First, I have to mention that this book contains one of my favorite aspects of fantasy- portal fantasy. My favorite series of all-time is The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (this is my Harry Potter, since I wasn’t that impressed by Harry Potter itself), although I have enjoyed pretty much every portal fantasy I have picked up. I loved every storyline contained within this book, but, personally, I think my favorite was Becca’s storyline. I loved using the storyline to fill in things that I didn’t understand about the main series or using it to make revelations/connections about the main story that I missed when I read it. (although I have only read the 1st book Falling Kingdoms so far. I plan on reading the rest of them.) Since I have talked about Becca’s storyline here, I will also mention my feelings about Farrell and Crystal’s. Crystal was my second favorite storyline because she was trying to find a way to get her sister back, and I loved how she had to go on kind of a mystery/quest to fight for her sister. I enjoyed the character growth she went and how strong she becomes by the end of this book. My least favorite storyline was Farrell because I thought he was kind of a douche bag, however, I did like the relationship he has with his brothers, Conner and Adam.
The next thing that I want to focus on in this review is the symbolism contained within this book. My favorite scene in this book is where Maddox gets captured and brought before the goddess Valoria. This scene is so dripping with symbolism that it left me breathless. In the throne room of Valoria’s fortress, there is a literal rain forest filled with carnivorous plants, and since she is a vicious all-powerful goddess who controls earth and water, what better way to represent her and her personality than carnivorous plants. She also has a pet viper (see the symbolism yet!) and has dark hair with emerald eyes. The reason why I mentioned her appearance is because if you have ever read or know about the Merlin legend, she should sound/feel very similar to Morgan le Fay. Valoria is the powerfully magical seductress who uses her beauty and her power to control those around her. Side note, I kind of see the character of Maddox as a representation, in a way, of Merlin, and the struggle that develops between him and Valoria is one of my favorite parts of the book, particularly because it reminds me of one of favorite conflicts in fiction- the conflict between Merlin and Morgan le Fay.
To be honest, I can’t really put into words why I liked this book as much as I did. For some reason, I just really liked it and it was kind of story that I wanted to read right now. This book made me much more excited to read the rest of both of these series because this book added a lot more depth to the narrative that I think it needed in order to see the worth of this series. Because of my enjoyment of this book and how much more it made me excited about the series in general, I am rating this book 4.5 star. I have the rest of both series on my library TBR and will be getting to them in the coming weeks. If you liked the 1st book but wished it had more depth or wished more of the plot holes were filled, then you should read this book. I don’t think it should be the 1st one you read because it doesn’t have any of the world-building you need to understand the series so you need to read a least one of the Falling Kingdoms books first, but after that, feel free to pick it up. Great thrill ride of read!