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A review by iheartfictionalpeople
Live Like Legends by Kate Cornell
5.0
Review originally posted on my blog: I Heart Fictional People
INITIAL THOUGHTS
The cover immediately caught my attention. And then I read the synopsis. I love my romance, but I’ve been wanting to read about a kickass heroine, and that’s what Kalista sounded like, so I just had to read it.
WHAT I LIKED
Kalista. She is just badass. I loved her. At first, I felt bad for her because she is just thrown into this unexpected, scary, and violent situation, but I quickly learned that you can throw anything at this girl, and she can handle it. I mean, she didn’t even know the language…at all. But she dealt with it. And I love a girl who can manage a bow and arrow. My FAVORITE scene involves her, a bow and arrow, and other men surrounding her. I had to read that part a few times. I was like, yes! You go, girl!
The romance. I have never read anything like this. This was definitely a unique story all around, but specifically, the romance was one of a kind. They literally couldn’t talk to each other. They spoke completely different languages. You might think, omg, that sounds annoying. But surprisingly, it really wasn’t! It was so authentic. I never once questioned it or wanted to rush either of them to learn one another’s language. We all know that you can’t learn a whole language that quickly, so the slow pacing of the learning and teaching was actually enjoyable. And I just loved how they gradually started to like each other, even though they had never met and they were unable to speak to each other. It was the realistic part in this fantasy world. Plus, the idea of a man protecting his woman even when she can protect herself is just MY FAVORITE.
The suspense. I finished the second half of this book in one night. I just could not put it down. I had to know what happened. It kept me on the edge of my seat for sure. It was unpredictable too. It definitely had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
The writing. I am really impressed that this is a debut novel from this author. Really?? Lately, I’ve been really focused on writing style in the books I read. In just the past month, I have discovered things I do and don’t like in writing. For example, I don’t want a book full of descriptions and no dialogue or vice versa. It needs to be evenly distributed. I also need the emotions to be expressed clearly just through the words. I want a clear image in my head of what’s happening. I want to FEEL what I’m reading. And I’m really happy to say that Kate Cornell is the perfect writer, in my opinion. Recently, I have been able to point out irritations here and there, but I really had no complaints throughout this book.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I was going to mention the lack of background information into Kalista’s life and how this marriage was arranged. HOWEVER, that really didn’t bother me. We get enough information from her telling her story. And I think it actually worked out well to just jump right into this marriage. We are thrown into the situation right along with Kalista. It made it relatable.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t get enough, and I’m disappointed that it’s over. I wish this was a series because I would LOVE to read more about Kalista and Carson and see how their relationship grows further. Anyway, this book has it all: action, suspense, romance, drama, and even humor. It was more than perfect. I’m so, SO happy that I got the opportunity to read it. Kate Cornell, please write more books! I can’t wait to read more from you!
*I received an eBook copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*
INITIAL THOUGHTS
The cover immediately caught my attention. And then I read the synopsis. I love my romance, but I’ve been wanting to read about a kickass heroine, and that’s what Kalista sounded like, so I just had to read it.
WHAT I LIKED
Kalista. She is just badass. I loved her. At first, I felt bad for her because she is just thrown into this unexpected, scary, and violent situation, but I quickly learned that you can throw anything at this girl, and she can handle it. I mean, she didn’t even know the language…at all. But she dealt with it. And I love a girl who can manage a bow and arrow. My FAVORITE scene involves her, a bow and arrow, and other men surrounding her. I had to read that part a few times. I was like, yes! You go, girl!
The romance. I have never read anything like this. This was definitely a unique story all around, but specifically, the romance was one of a kind. They literally couldn’t talk to each other. They spoke completely different languages. You might think, omg, that sounds annoying. But surprisingly, it really wasn’t! It was so authentic. I never once questioned it or wanted to rush either of them to learn one another’s language. We all know that you can’t learn a whole language that quickly, so the slow pacing of the learning and teaching was actually enjoyable. And I just loved how they gradually started to like each other, even though they had never met and they were unable to speak to each other. It was the realistic part in this fantasy world. Plus, the idea of a man protecting his woman even when she can protect herself is just MY FAVORITE.
The suspense. I finished the second half of this book in one night. I just could not put it down. I had to know what happened. It kept me on the edge of my seat for sure. It was unpredictable too. It definitely had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
The writing. I am really impressed that this is a debut novel from this author. Really?? Lately, I’ve been really focused on writing style in the books I read. In just the past month, I have discovered things I do and don’t like in writing. For example, I don’t want a book full of descriptions and no dialogue or vice versa. It needs to be evenly distributed. I also need the emotions to be expressed clearly just through the words. I want a clear image in my head of what’s happening. I want to FEEL what I’m reading. And I’m really happy to say that Kate Cornell is the perfect writer, in my opinion. Recently, I have been able to point out irritations here and there, but I really had no complaints throughout this book.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I was going to mention the lack of background information into Kalista’s life and how this marriage was arranged. HOWEVER, that really didn’t bother me. We get enough information from her telling her story. And I think it actually worked out well to just jump right into this marriage. We are thrown into the situation right along with Kalista. It made it relatable.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t get enough, and I’m disappointed that it’s over. I wish this was a series because I would LOVE to read more about Kalista and Carson and see how their relationship grows further. Anyway, this book has it all: action, suspense, romance, drama, and even humor. It was more than perfect. I’m so, SO happy that I got the opportunity to read it. Kate Cornell, please write more books! I can’t wait to read more from you!
*I received an eBook copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*