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booksarethenewblack's reviews
1443 reviews
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry
5.0
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
***What a surprise to find this between my TBR cart and the wall! I had completely forgotten that I received this from Orbit. I am SO sorry that it’s taken me this long! It slipped through the cracks, but I’m glad I found it.*** I adored The Magician’s Daughter by Parry, and now she’s an auto-buy author. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door was magical and beautifully written.
Initially, the pacing was slow, creating a slow build. It does paint the picture and pays off in the end. I’ve come to learn this is Parry’s bread and butter. She’s very detailed and makes sure her characters have such depth and tie together beautifully. There’s some dark academia for those fans out there. Even though we don’t stay at the school the whole time, it has significance to the story.
The characters in this book are fantastic. Clover tells this story about her life and what happens at school with her friends. The magic was cool and interesting. Like most things, she’s working twice as hard to get anywhere as a poor woman. I rather enjoyed her journey, even if it wasn’t easy. I liked that magic didn’t come easy or natural to her. She had to work hard and figure it out. Unlike many other books, the main MC finds magic, and it’s all powerful and epic. It was not like that for Clover. Her friend group was great and the worst at the same time. There’s a big divide because they are from different classes/wealth. Parry didn’t hold back with all the discrimination, which I respect.
By the time I finished, I was in love with the story. I had all the feels and didn’t see some of the shocking revelations! I was able to respect the slower build. There is not a lot of fae presence in this one, but that’s okay. It was never really the point of the story anyway. I adored this story, and it is beautiful. I cannot wait to jump into Parry’s next book!!
Thank you, Orbit, for a finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
***What a surprise to find this between my TBR cart and the wall! I had completely forgotten that I received this from Orbit. I am SO sorry that it’s taken me this long! It slipped through the cracks, but I’m glad I found it.*** I adored The Magician’s Daughter by Parry, and now she’s an auto-buy author. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door was magical and beautifully written.
Initially, the pacing was slow, creating a slow build. It does paint the picture and pays off in the end. I’ve come to learn this is Parry’s bread and butter. She’s very detailed and makes sure her characters have such depth and tie together beautifully. There’s some dark academia for those fans out there. Even though we don’t stay at the school the whole time, it has significance to the story.
The characters in this book are fantastic. Clover tells this story about her life and what happens at school with her friends. The magic was cool and interesting. Like most things, she’s working twice as hard to get anywhere as a poor woman. I rather enjoyed her journey, even if it wasn’t easy. I liked that magic didn’t come easy or natural to her. She had to work hard and figure it out. Unlike many other books, the main MC finds magic, and it’s all powerful and epic. It was not like that for Clover. Her friend group was great and the worst at the same time. There’s a big divide because they are from different classes/wealth. Parry didn’t hold back with all the discrimination, which I respect.
By the time I finished, I was in love with the story. I had all the feels and didn’t see some of the shocking revelations! I was able to respect the slower build. There is not a lot of fae presence in this one, but that’s okay. It was never really the point of the story anyway. I adored this story, and it is beautiful. I cannot wait to jump into Parry’s next book!!
Thank you, Orbit, for a finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell
4.0
You can see all my reviews here: <a href="https://booksarethenewblackblog.wordpress.com">Books Are The New Black</a>
The Outcast Mage is a book that I got swept away with quickly. I adore the characters and all the different POVs. This is a heavily political book. I know many fantasies have that going on, but this was on the extra side.
While this was heavy on politics, I enjoyed it. It was brilliant showing the mages vs. non-mages, but the different tiers within the mages themselves. You think you’ve finally made it into the Academy, to find out that it’s not what it seems. Where you came from almost holds more bearing than your power. It feels relevant to things going on today.
Naila is a character that I struggled with at times. I think all the mystery clouded around her took way too long to come to light. I mean, we don’t get much clarification until the end. At the same time, that ending made me crave the second book ASAP. Her journey through this book is slow and takes time to build. I adored her relationships with the other characters in this book. Naila is in for a heck of a time, but I’m glad we see what she is now and not what people think she will be.
On the flip side, Haelis is a character that I adored from the second I met him. He’s your dark, broody, powerful, type of wizard. I love that we learn so much about him in this book. I know he knows more than he’s saying. I love how fiercely he protects the ones he loves. I can’t wait to see what happens with his character in the next book. I loved his relationship with Larinne so much. I adored seeing the depth of their friendship.
We have many POV’s throughout the book and I enjoyed it. There are so many political stances and plays going on and it helps. I will admit, some things get a little muddier, at times. I had to think a little too hard about what was implied. A little more clarity in the magic would have helped so much. I hope we get more of the history in the next book. The ending of this book opens up so many possibilities that I didn’t know what to think. All I know is that I can’t wait to read the next book!!
Overall, this was a great start to a solid fantasy. I read this book quickly and had a hard time putting it down. There are some little things here and there but didn’t change my enjoyment. I have an inkling of where things are headed, and I am so excited. I can’t wait!
Many thanks to Orbit for the finished copy!! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Outcast Mage is a book that I got swept away with quickly. I adore the characters and all the different POVs. This is a heavily political book. I know many fantasies have that going on, but this was on the extra side.
While this was heavy on politics, I enjoyed it. It was brilliant showing the mages vs. non-mages, but the different tiers within the mages themselves. You think you’ve finally made it into the Academy, to find out that it’s not what it seems. Where you came from almost holds more bearing than your power. It feels relevant to things going on today.
Naila is a character that I struggled with at times. I think all the mystery clouded around her took way too long to come to light. I mean, we don’t get much clarification until the end. At the same time, that ending made me crave the second book ASAP. Her journey through this book is slow and takes time to build. I adored her relationships with the other characters in this book. Naila is in for a heck of a time, but I’m glad we see what she is now and not what people think she will be.
On the flip side, Haelis is a character that I adored from the second I met him. He’s your dark, broody, powerful, type of wizard. I love that we learn so much about him in this book. I know he knows more than he’s saying. I love how fiercely he protects the ones he loves. I can’t wait to see what happens with his character in the next book. I loved his relationship with Larinne so much. I adored seeing the depth of their friendship.
We have many POV’s throughout the book and I enjoyed it. There are so many political stances and plays going on and it helps. I will admit, some things get a little muddier, at times. I had to think a little too hard about what was implied. A little more clarity in the magic would have helped so much. I hope we get more of the history in the next book. The ending of this book opens up so many possibilities that I didn’t know what to think. All I know is that I can’t wait to read the next book!!
Overall, this was a great start to a solid fantasy. I read this book quickly and had a hard time putting it down. There are some little things here and there but didn’t change my enjoyment. I have an inkling of where things are headed, and I am so excited. I can’t wait!
Many thanks to Orbit for the finished copy!! All thoughts and opinions are my own.