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books_with_caity's Reviews (91)
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I love vampires and werewolves and fantasy love stories. So I had such high hopes for this but in the end I had to force myself to finish it.
Firstly the world building is so lazy. The city/region this takes place in is split into thirds, one belonging to the vampyres, one to the weres, and the last to humans. Other than a few incredibly basic pieces of info we dont get to explore any of these sectors. The book is confined to 3 buildings and that is pretty much it. There is zero exploration of the world. What we learn of how the world works is also nearly non-existent, all 3 species dont like each other. Okay but why? Is there trade between species? Or does each sector have to have its own separate farms, factories etc? Where do the vampyres get their blood? We know its human and humans donate it but it is also established that despite an alliance the humans and vampyres dont like each other so how is there enough humans just voluntarily donating it? Nothing is explained
The story was incredibly predictiable in placesit was so easy to tell Mick was working against Lowe and the bits that were a genuine mystery felt boring and were constantly pushed to the side only to spring up again briefly at the end.
Misery as a character was awful, she was meant to be smart and educated but she couldnt tell if a child was 3 or 13?? Even though she herself was only 25 and from the age of 8 grew up around other children? It is just incredibly unbelievable. The constant swearing in front of a 6/7 year old as well was very off putting, i get she is meant to be not the most socially aware but still it was cringey. Its like she was trying to be edgy but just came off as rude. Misery also thinks of herself as a stonehearted bitch with little emotion when literally all she does is mope about her best friend.
The romance made little sense, the characters barely had any chemistry it was like he gave her a speck of attention and she was ready to jump into bed with himdespite her thinking he had a mate as well, which icky
The smut scenes are truely were things got too awful to bear.
I dont read smut often and this book reminded me why. It was awkward. Painfully so. It was Clumsy and not in a cute like real like way. In multiple scenes he sucks the knob at the top of her spine. Like what?? In another he finishes within like 30 seconds? By the end of every "spicy" scene I was throughly turned off.
Also do not get me started on the knotting, I know there is many people who are into this and zero judgement to them but I am convinced even they wouldnt like the way Ali Hazelwood described it.
She made it sound so incredibly boring, in the main scene of it happening afterwords they just kind of lie there for 30 minutes and Misery falls asleep until its done. Sorry but that doesnt sound like much fun.
Overall I found this book a chore. I struggle to find a single redeming quality.
My star rating system
⭐️ - finished but actively disliked
⭐️⭐️- not a fan
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - didnt mind it/maybe wasnt my cup of tea.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- really enjoyed would recommend
✨️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- loved can see myself rereading in future
Firstly the world building is so lazy. The city/region this takes place in is split into thirds, one belonging to the vampyres, one to the weres, and the last to humans. Other than a few incredibly basic pieces of info we dont get to explore any of these sectors. The book is confined to 3 buildings and that is pretty much it. There is zero exploration of the world. What we learn of how the world works is also nearly non-existent, all 3 species dont like each other. Okay but why? Is there trade between species? Or does each sector have to have its own separate farms, factories etc? Where do the vampyres get their blood? We know its human and humans donate it but it is also established that despite an alliance the humans and vampyres dont like each other so how is there enough humans just voluntarily donating it? Nothing is explained
The story was incredibly predictiable in places
Misery as a character was awful, she was meant to be smart and educated but she couldnt tell if a child was 3 or 13?? Even though she herself was only 25 and from the age of 8 grew up around other children? It is just incredibly unbelievable. The constant swearing in front of a 6/7 year old as well was very off putting, i get she is meant to be not the most socially aware but still it was cringey. Its like she was trying to be edgy but just came off as rude. Misery also thinks of herself as a stonehearted bitch with little emotion when literally all she does is mope about her best friend.
The romance made little sense, the characters barely had any chemistry it was like he gave her a speck of attention and she was ready to jump into bed with him
The smut scenes are truely were things got too awful to bear.
I dont read smut often and this book reminded me why. It was awkward. Painfully so. It was Clumsy and not in a cute like real like way.
Also do not get me started on the knotting, I know there is many people who are into this and zero judgement to them but I am convinced even they wouldnt like the way Ali Hazelwood described it.
She made it sound so incredibly boring, in the main scene of it happening afterwords they just kind of lie there for 30 minutes and Misery falls asleep until its done. Sorry but that doesnt sound like much fun.
Overall I found this book a chore. I struggle to find a single redeming quality.
My star rating system
⭐️ - finished but actively disliked
⭐️⭐️- not a fan
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - didnt mind it/maybe wasnt my cup of tea.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- really enjoyed would recommend
✨️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- loved can see myself rereading in future
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was fabulous once again Neil Gaiman can do no wrong!
This book its quite short and is a nice quick story, as he said himself its a short story that just got carried away.
This novel is whimsical while also being quite hard hitting at times and makes you consider questions like what is my place in the world and who am i inside?
Beautifully written and a fantastic story i can se myself reading this again and again
This book its quite short and is a nice quick story, as he said himself its a short story that just got carried away.
This novel is whimsical while also being quite hard hitting at times and makes you consider questions like what is my place in the world and who am i inside?
Beautifully written and a fantastic story i can se myself reading this again and again
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this book was fab and a very good starting point for my first ever horror read with its gripping fast paced story.
I did think of rating it higher but there was a few points that in my opinion let it down but definitely still worth a read.
I didnt really feel for any of the characters. They all felt a little flat and i was constantly questioning their choices.
I felt it was predictiable at timesespecially the ending, i knew that was Wyatt the minute Mickey said he felt funny at the clinic
But otherwise I was genuinely hooked from the first page, I would really recommend this to anyone after a quick spooky read.
I did think of rating it higher but there was a few points that in my opinion let it down but definitely still worth a read.
I didnt really feel for any of the characters. They all felt a little flat and i was constantly questioning their choices.
I felt it was predictiable at times
But otherwise I was genuinely hooked from the first page, I would really recommend this to anyone after a quick spooky read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Rape
A dog does die fairly graphically, not the main dog Conehead he survies and is no longer "evil"
A parakeet dies,
And a child dies quite a graphic death as well as other children dying "off screen"
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this book alot, I would recommend to anyone whos read the rest of tbe grishaverse and wants to know whats goung on in Ravka but I did think it was slow and times and the slow burn romance got on my nerves
Still a good book though
SPOILERS BELOW
I really enjoyed this book but is also just not as good as i thought it would be so im going to go over what I liked about this book and the series as a whole and what I feel let it down
Nikolai - Despite being a duology named for him I really felt like there just wasnt enough of him. I loved the bits we did get of him but it left me wanting more of his pov
Zoya- I loved her arc it made me actually like her and she showed growth, she became a very strong fmc and im so glad shes now queen, but I with it showed more of her exploring her new powers and her showing the other grisha that they are all things and that they may also be able to harness other grisha powers like Juras suggested all grisha can do if they know how.
Nina- I am happy but I don't get why she had to stay as Mila in a body she didnt like, surely she couldve went back to Nina and married Hanne/Rasmus as a Ravka/Fjerda alliance?
Also how is Hanne going to pull off being Rasmus in the long run? More insight to that wouldve been good
This book was long but also not much happened like there was a few big events but most was politics and plotting which I dont mind but it did feel very slow in parts
The call backs to Six of Crows and shadow and Bone were really fun and I really liked it setting up a possible 3rd SoC book!
Okay onto the bit that really annoyed me
The Darking he was brought back just to flounce about with a bunch of cultists then to martyr himself, it felt like a waste. I can understand the reason he sacrified himself but it just doesnt seem like something he would do, idk his story line just felt very bland and like he wasnt the same darkling from S&B
I did love that we had a Bi/pan main character, a trans secondary character whos story line of trying to find how they fit in their own body and the roles associated with their birth gender and the realisation that they fit better as a boy/man really spoke to me as a gender fluid person. I liked hiw Leigh done it and I resonated with it a lot amd felt very seen.
Zoya and Nina's dealings with grief were very well done I thought, Ninas helping others and changing herself to help her move through it and Zoyas almost complete opposite of building walls and shutting out everyone and lashing out were both good and showed different ways people deal with death.
Though on that I wish we couldve seen more of Genya dealing with the loss of David and just more Genya in general.
In all i enjoyed this book a lot, though I likely wont reread it.
Still a good book though
SPOILERS BELOW
Nikolai - Despite being a duology named for him I really felt like there just wasnt enough of him. I loved the bits we did get of him but it left me wanting more of his pov
Zoya- I loved her arc it made me actually like her and she showed growth, she became a very strong fmc and im so glad shes now queen, but I with it showed more of her exploring her new powers and her showing the other grisha that they are all things and that they may also be able to harness other grisha powers like Juras suggested all grisha can do if they know how.
Nina- I am happy but I don't get why she had to stay as Mila in a body she didnt like, surely she couldve went back to Nina and married Hanne/Rasmus as a Ravka/Fjerda alliance?
Also how is Hanne going to pull off being Rasmus in the long run? More insight to that wouldve been good
This book was long but also not much happened like there was a few big events but most was politics and plotting which I dont mind but it did feel very slow in parts
The call backs to Six of Crows and shadow and Bone were really fun and I really liked it setting up a possible 3rd SoC book!
Okay onto the bit that really annoyed me
The Darking he was brought back just to flounce about with a bunch of cultists then to martyr himself, it felt like a waste. I can understand the reason he sacrified himself but it just doesnt seem like something he would do, idk his story line just felt very bland and like he wasnt the same darkling from S&B
I did love that we had a Bi/pan main character, a trans secondary character whos story line of trying to find how they fit in their own body and the roles associated with their birth gender and the realisation that they fit better as a boy/man really spoke to me as a gender fluid person. I liked hiw Leigh done it and I resonated with it a lot amd felt very seen.
Zoya and Nina's dealings with grief were very well done I thought, Ninas helping others and changing herself to help her move through it and Zoyas almost complete opposite of building walls and shutting out everyone and lashing out were both good and showed different ways people deal with death.
Though on that I wish we couldve seen more of Genya dealing with the loss of David and just more Genya in general.
In all i enjoyed this book a lot, though I likely wont reread it.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
inspiring
medium-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:
Complicated