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danicainpages's reviews
226 reviews
A Throne From the Ashes by Chloe C. Peñaranda
5.0
I knew. I just knew I would love this book even before I read book one. And I was not mistaken. The prologue alone was very gripping. It was equally beautiful and heartbreaking. Immediately following that I met my (current) absolute favorite female character in this series and I was obsessed! A Throne From The Ashes expands the story and the world of AHCTR in a stunning way. I was taken by the world-building and lore in books 1 and 2. This third installment took it to a whole new level and solidified this series as a fave of mine. I instantly fell in love with the new characters - their backstories, dynamics, and everything in between. I’ve always appreciated how complex and layered the previous characters were and the same is true with the new ones.
Faythe and the rest of the crew have grown so much since book 1 and it is evident in this book. And yet, they are still their distinct selves - flaws and all. Without being spoiler-y, I appreciate how Chloe’s writing has a purpose. It’s the small anecdotes that have huge significance later on and her foreshadowing is delightful.
In this book, we learn more about the dark fae and how there is more to them than what is known or believed. Their story alone is so complex and fascinating and only further adds to the intricacy of this world.
I’ve said it before, but I adore her prose, especially for the fight scenes. Her choice of words and phrasing adds to this cinematic visual in my head that I cannot get over. The fight scenes, my goodness, are incredibly done!
This book is EVERYTHING I want & more in a High Fantasy. It gave me all - intrigue, adventure, epic battle scenes, relational developments (not just romantic ones), and of course romance. And yes, she uses a lot of well-loved and common tropes in YA/NA Fantasy, but I adore how she uses them. The twists and turns were deliciously done.
While book 3 is my favorite, the previous books helped set this up so well. I have so many theories and so many questions. This series has captivated me from the very beginning and I don’t think it is going to release its claws from me anytime soon, nor do I want it to.
Side note: Zaiana is the coolest character I have ever met and I love her so much. I also loved the rest of the crew. It's truly hard to choose a favorite.
Faythe and the rest of the crew have grown so much since book 1 and it is evident in this book. And yet, they are still their distinct selves - flaws and all. Without being spoiler-y, I appreciate how Chloe’s writing has a purpose. It’s the small anecdotes that have huge significance later on and her foreshadowing is delightful.
In this book, we learn more about the dark fae and how there is more to them than what is known or believed. Their story alone is so complex and fascinating and only further adds to the intricacy of this world.
I’ve said it before, but I adore her prose, especially for the fight scenes. Her choice of words and phrasing adds to this cinematic visual in my head that I cannot get over. The fight scenes, my goodness, are incredibly done!
This book is EVERYTHING I want & more in a High Fantasy. It gave me all - intrigue, adventure, epic battle scenes, relational developments (not just romantic ones), and of course romance. And yes, she uses a lot of well-loved and common tropes in YA/NA Fantasy, but I adore how she uses them. The twists and turns were deliciously done.
While book 3 is my favorite, the previous books helped set this up so well. I have so many theories and so many questions. This series has captivated me from the very beginning and I don’t think it is going to release its claws from me anytime soon, nor do I want it to.
Side note: Zaiana is the coolest character I have ever met and I love her so much. I also loved the rest of the crew. It's truly hard to choose a favorite.
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
The Inheritance of Orquidea follows the story of Orquidea and her descendants as the latter tries to solve the puzzle that was their grandmother/mother who was always surrounded by an air of mystery and magic their whole lives. This was a stunning book about tragedies, complicated families, making and finding one’s own way, generations of haunting secrets and mystery, and intriguing with magical realism. Cordova’s writing was wonderful and the way she used the dual timeline was seamless and made for more compelling reading. Her prose is beautiful as well and she made me care for each and every character in this book. The characters were diverse and layered. Their dynamic with each other and their struggles with themselves were realistic and relatable and will tug at your heartstrings. While the story did take a while to unravel, I appreciated learning about the other characters as well which I didn’t mind. I’m not always fond of abstract magical realism but for this story, it worked. It only added to the mystery and intrigue of it all.It reminded me a lot of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is Addie got the chance to live her life and have a family. But it also gave me elements of Encanto in a gothic kind of way with a dash of body horror. This was overall a wonderful book and my first from Cordova.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Body horror
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
3.5/3.75 Stars
I was not aware this would be a trilogy and that ending left me reeling! Scholomance has excellent world-building and very well-thought-out lore. There were moments when it was overwhelming especially when we're already 75% into the story and we're still going a boat-load of info dump but it did make sense with the story and the world. El isn't your typical fan favorite YA heroine and for that, I appreciated her. I loved the twists and turns and relational developments El has made not just with Orion. I am torn about Orion and El's relationship. On the one hand, I am glad it didn't take center stage in her story, but I wish we could have seen more of its development happen on the page. I also wish there was more research done on the different cultures included in the story. I can see why readers might have issues with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the last quarter of the book. It was way more action-packed than the beginning of the story but it made up for it. And I am so invested in this story and where it is going. I can't wait for the last book and see how it all ends.
I was not aware this would be a trilogy and that ending left me reeling! Scholomance has excellent world-building and very well-thought-out lore. There were moments when it was overwhelming especially when we're already 75% into the story and we're still going a boat-load of info dump but it did make sense with the story and the world. El isn't your typical fan favorite YA heroine and for that, I appreciated her. I loved the twists and turns and relational developments El has made not just with Orion. I am torn about Orion and El's relationship. On the one hand, I am glad it didn't take center stage in her story, but I wish we could have seen more of its development happen on the page. I also wish there was more research done on the different cultures included in the story. I can see why readers might have issues with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the last quarter of the book. It was way more action-packed than the beginning of the story but it made up for it. And I am so invested in this story and where it is going. I can't wait for the last book and see how it all ends.