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A review by karly_rose_reads
Visions & Shadows by Michelle Heard
dark
mysterious
fast-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
3.5
eARC Review—I try to give every book I read a fair shot, especially if it's a debut, but Visions & Shadows ultimately missed the mark for me.
I've noodled on this over a week, but it came down to the romance wasn't believable, for me. It may have been that the story began in high school and it gave off Twilight vibes—but I could never "buy into" the romance. It fell flat, and the dialogue didn't resonate.
As a result, I put a lot more focus on the fantasy aspects of this book. These also fell short, but this is semi expected since this is a fantasy romance. The pacing, world development and magic system felt rushed and underdeveloped (even for a first book in a series).
This book is very fast paced (as many reviewers note), but I think that came at the sacrifice of the story. It felt like we were continuously jumping from one point to the next and it made the story choppy.
I also really struggled with the 10 chosen—there is little to no rationalization why these people were chosen. I was even more confused that some of them were related since they're supposed to repopulate their species.
This book feels like a vibe read—it either hits for you or it doesn't, and this just didn't do it for me.
I am curious to see where the author takes this storyline—it has all the ingredients for a really interesting story even with all of my conflicting feelings—so I'll likely continue this series. the execution is where I struggled most.
Thank you to Chasing Books PR for an eARC of this book ahead of its release.
I've noodled on this over a week, but it came down to the romance wasn't believable, for me. It may have been that the story began in high school and it gave off Twilight vibes—but I could never "buy into" the romance. It fell flat, and the dialogue didn't resonate.
As a result, I put a lot more focus on the fantasy aspects of this book. These also fell short, but this is semi expected since this is a fantasy romance. The pacing, world development and magic system felt rushed and underdeveloped (even for a first book in a series).
This book is very fast paced (as many reviewers note), but I think that came at the sacrifice of the story. It felt like we were continuously jumping from one point to the next and it made the story choppy.
I also really struggled with the 10 chosen—there is little to no rationalization why these people were chosen. I was even more confused that some of them were related since they're supposed to repopulate their species.
This book feels like a vibe read—it either hits for you or it doesn't, and this just didn't do it for me.
I am curious to see where the author takes this storyline—it has all the ingredients for a really interesting story even with all of my conflicting feelings—so I'll likely continue this series. the execution is where I struggled most.
Thank you to Chasing Books PR for an eARC of this book ahead of its release.