cbarcenam's reviews
193 reviews

adventurous dark emotional relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I enjoyed going back to this world. A few years after the end of “The Queen of Nothing” this time we follow the life of Siren, the queen of the Court of Teeth as she joins Oak's quest to save his father.
I found it emotional to see the world from Wren’s perspective and all that she went through in the Court of Teeth, and what she goes through after the Battle of the Serpent. It does pull your heartstrings.
Holly Black did an amazing job with this tale.

The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell

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4.0

The Swan Harp by Elizabeth Creith

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

When I first heard about this book, I found it interesting. The story takes place in the medieval world of Valenia, where humans and swanfolk live in harmony. However, they are always at odds with their northern neighbours. The story is told from Kiar's perspective. She is the middle daughter and heir to the king and queen. Once Kiar is chosen as the heir, her father starts training her to defend and rule the kingdom. Meanwhile, her sisters Adana and Orla, who can turn into swans, learn about the swanfolk from their mother. Kiar feels left out, especially when some of the swanfolk agree to live with them, and she becomes friends with Willow and Tiar. The King of Noermark tries to get one of the girls to marry one of his sons to take over the land, which he is also raiding constantly.

I liked this book. I enjoyed it a lot. The story was slow-paced with a lot of build-up. When the great reveal occurred, it was not what I expected, and it was brilliant because you are really waiting for something different to happen. I am going to rate it with 4 out of 5 stars because some parts felt very slow. You're waiting for something to happen, and you feel like it's almost there, but you keep waiting and waiting. That didn't work for me at all. However, Kiar is a strong main character, she understands and accepts her duties incredibly well. The story includes a romance, but it's a slow-burning one, and it's not the main focus. Willow's character annoyed me because she lacked common sense, but it's probably justified because her culture is different.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It's a refreshing read with different expectations from the all-powerful main character, and the world is just delightful. This book is coming out in April 2024, so keep an eye out for it.

Losing Neverland by Brittany Montgomery

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced