Scan barcode
egbella's reviews
245 reviews
Red Boots by Kate Willis
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
This only took five minutes to read, but I'm going to be thinking about this adorable story!
My only complaint (if I can call it that) is that the story goes by so quickly. Otherwise, the snapshot of the characters and their lives that we see is vivid, meaningful, and relatable. I loved all of them. The themes of generosity, kindness, gratitude, and love are strong and memorable.
I highly recommend this one for anyone midde-grade and older that enjoy short, sweet, and meaningful stories! (bonus if you love Christmas stories)
My only complaint (if I can call it that) is that the story goes by so quickly. Otherwise, the snapshot of the characters and their lives that we see is vivid, meaningful, and relatable. I loved all of them. The themes of generosity, kindness, gratitude, and love are strong and memorable.
I highly recommend this one for anyone midde-grade and older that enjoy short, sweet, and meaningful stories! (bonus if you love Christmas stories)
Aliferous: A Collection of Fairy Tales, Adventure, Romance & Whimsy by Alissa J. Zavalianos
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
5.0
5 stars!
I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of this beautiful collection, and I can't say enough good things about it. This is the first collection of short stories and poetry that I've read in years so I was a little worried that I might not enjoy it, just because of the change in style from my usual reads. But that wasn't the case at all, and I'm definitely going to be snagging a paperback copy of this book for rereads!
This collection is comprised of four sections, as the title shares: Fairy tales, Adventure, Romance, & Whimsy/Poetry. Because of how it's broken up, I'm going to review this a little differently than I typically do, but I can honestly say I enjoyed every section in the book. Each one held strong stories, inspiring lessons, and charming prose, and I would feel comfortable loaning this to absolutely anyone, thanks to it being 100% clean.
In the Fairy Tales section, my absolute FAVORITE story was Coal of Smith-Harrow. By the end, it nearly made me cry with the touching reminders of worth and belonging that I - and I'm sure many others - can relate to. It was such a fun spin on the Cinderella story, but delivered in a charming new setting, with likable and mysterious new characters, and again, precious and inspiring themes. The romance was sweet and completely clean. I would gladly read an entire series around those characters. I'll continue with the rest of the review now, but I had to gush about that story first <33
As for the other stories in that section, each one held its own special lesson, theme, and meaning. Anna Belle and the Seed was immediately intriguing, and contained some thought-provoking questions amidst the cute and silly storytelling. Crescent was cute, imaginative, and whimsical, and left me wanting more. And The Legend of the Lighthouse Keeper hooked me from the start with its poetic and mythical style of storytelling.
My favorite story in the Adventure section of the book would probably have to be The Tale of Markhus Roder. While short, there are so many deep questions and themes packed inside, and they're delivered with lots of heart. I love Robin Hood themed stories anyway, and this one is one of my favorites now. I called one of the twists, but loved it all the same, and I admire how the author explored the nuances of both good and bad in people.
Enjoy this gorgeous line from that story <33
<i> "Sunshine and talons. Joy and grief. Perhaps life was a mixture of the two." </i>
As for the many other stories in the Adventure section, I again enjoyed each and every one of them. Stories in the Dark got my attention right away because, well, pirates AND Irish influences? What's not to love? Especially with a healthy dose of adorable children and vivid imagination. Storm-Crow was fast-paced with great foreshadowing, a clear and interesting setting, and a puzzling predicament for the protagonist. I also love the moral that the author included at the end.
Like Stars in the Sky started with an intriguing conflict, and ended with some truly touching character change, with fun connections, creative names, and sad backstories in between. I enjoyed the twist on Peter Pan, and how unique the elements that the author added were. This is another story I'd absolutely read an entire series about (hint hint). And lastly, Captain Maverick of Tarkin left me contemplating my life, but in a good way. The steampunk setting was fun and new to me, and the worldbuilding and backstories were both heartbreaking and well-written. I liked that, while not perfect for the characters, the ending still contained hope.
When I reached the Romance section, I was more hesitant. I love fairy tales and adventure, but I tend to be more picky with my fictional romances. If that's you too, I'm happy to say that I enjoyed all of the romances that the author included in this section. They were clean, sweet, engaging, and reminded me of my husband, which is always a good thing, haha. <3
My favorite story in the Romance section would be The Swan and the Masquerade. I could relate to the protagonist form the start, and between the well-timed jumps in time (flashbacks to present), and the adorable end couple, I finished the story smiling. I disliked a couple of the characters that I was definitely supposed to dislike, but otherwise it was an all-around adorable story with good themes. The setting was also very fun, because who doesn't like period masquerade balls?
The other two stories in that section were also cute. Second Chance Robin was a fun little glimpse into a story (that felt like it could easily be developed into a longer series) with an amusing ending, and fun, mostly likable characters. Parched Sands made my heart hurt for the main character and his family, but it ended with a much needed glimmer of hope. The worldbuilding for that story and the sad flashbacks kept me invested, and I would (again, this is a recurring theme) read an entire book about that storyworld.
And finally, for the Whimsey/Poetry section. Though I've written poetry and read a bunch of old poems, it's been a long time since I read a significant amount of others' poetry. I didn't realize how much I missed it! The poems in this section were so sweet and beautiful. I'm not going to go through them individually because there were quite a few and I have the same comments on nearly all of them: they're hopeful, cute, full of good reminders, inspirational, and TRUE. Some of the poems were lighthearted and made me smile, others made me tear up, and still others just left me feeling motivated to be a better person - which is something I admire in writing. The author has a beautiful style of poetry.
So all of that to say, I highly recommend this collection. What expectations I had were blown away and I know this is going to be a comfort read when I'm looking for some fun, quick, and hopeful stories, and/or when I want to gift someone a book and be sure they'll enjoy it. If you're on the fence, go ahead and give it a try! I can guarantee you'll find at least one story you love (if not more).
Themes: True love, family, hope, light overcoming darkness, friendship, forgiveness, humility, grace, strength in hard situations, trust, acceptance, and true beauty.
Content warning: G-rated. Rare use of d*rn and h*ck, and one use of h*ll (to describe a situation). Non-described kisses. Mention of a drunk and of a character that smokes. Fairy tale magic. Loss, grief, fighting, and mentions of characters dying in the past. In my opinion, everything was tactfully covered, and I would feel comfortable with my young siblings reading the material.
**I received a free copy of this book from the author. I was not required to leave a review and all thoughts are my own.**
I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of this beautiful collection, and I can't say enough good things about it. This is the first collection of short stories and poetry that I've read in years so I was a little worried that I might not enjoy it, just because of the change in style from my usual reads. But that wasn't the case at all, and I'm definitely going to be snagging a paperback copy of this book for rereads!
This collection is comprised of four sections, as the title shares: Fairy tales, Adventure, Romance, & Whimsy/Poetry. Because of how it's broken up, I'm going to review this a little differently than I typically do, but I can honestly say I enjoyed every section in the book. Each one held strong stories, inspiring lessons, and charming prose, and I would feel comfortable loaning this to absolutely anyone, thanks to it being 100% clean.
In the Fairy Tales section, my absolute FAVORITE story was Coal of Smith-Harrow. By the end, it nearly made me cry with the touching reminders of worth and belonging that I - and I'm sure many others - can relate to. It was such a fun spin on the Cinderella story, but delivered in a charming new setting, with likable and mysterious new characters, and again, precious and inspiring themes. The romance was sweet and completely clean. I would gladly read an entire series around those characters. I'll continue with the rest of the review now, but I had to gush about that story first <33
As for the other stories in that section, each one held its own special lesson, theme, and meaning. Anna Belle and the Seed was immediately intriguing, and contained some thought-provoking questions amidst the cute and silly storytelling. Crescent was cute, imaginative, and whimsical, and left me wanting more. And The Legend of the Lighthouse Keeper hooked me from the start with its poetic and mythical style of storytelling.
My favorite story in the Adventure section of the book would probably have to be The Tale of Markhus Roder. While short, there are so many deep questions and themes packed inside, and they're delivered with lots of heart. I love Robin Hood themed stories anyway, and this one is one of my favorites now. I called one of the twists, but loved it all the same, and I admire how the author explored the nuances of both good and bad in people.
Enjoy this gorgeous line from that story <33
<i> "Sunshine and talons. Joy and grief. Perhaps life was a mixture of the two." </i>
As for the many other stories in the Adventure section, I again enjoyed each and every one of them. Stories in the Dark got my attention right away because, well, pirates AND Irish influences? What's not to love? Especially with a healthy dose of adorable children and vivid imagination. Storm-Crow was fast-paced with great foreshadowing, a clear and interesting setting, and a puzzling predicament for the protagonist. I also love the moral that the author included at the end.
Like Stars in the Sky started with an intriguing conflict, and ended with some truly touching character change, with fun connections, creative names, and sad backstories in between. I enjoyed the twist on Peter Pan, and how unique the elements that the author added were. This is another story I'd absolutely read an entire series about (hint hint). And lastly, Captain Maverick of Tarkin left me contemplating my life, but in a good way. The steampunk setting was fun and new to me, and the worldbuilding and backstories were both heartbreaking and well-written. I liked that, while not perfect for the characters, the ending still contained hope.
When I reached the Romance section, I was more hesitant. I love fairy tales and adventure, but I tend to be more picky with my fictional romances. If that's you too, I'm happy to say that I enjoyed all of the romances that the author included in this section. They were clean, sweet, engaging, and reminded me of my husband, which is always a good thing, haha. <3
My favorite story in the Romance section would be The Swan and the Masquerade. I could relate to the protagonist form the start, and between the well-timed jumps in time (flashbacks to present), and the adorable end couple, I finished the story smiling. I disliked a couple of the characters that I was definitely supposed to dislike, but otherwise it was an all-around adorable story with good themes. The setting was also very fun, because who doesn't like period masquerade balls?
The other two stories in that section were also cute. Second Chance Robin was a fun little glimpse into a story (that felt like it could easily be developed into a longer series) with an amusing ending, and fun, mostly likable characters. Parched Sands made my heart hurt for the main character and his family, but it ended with a much needed glimmer of hope. The worldbuilding for that story and the sad flashbacks kept me invested, and I would (again, this is a recurring theme) read an entire book about that storyworld.
And finally, for the Whimsey/Poetry section. Though I've written poetry and read a bunch of old poems, it's been a long time since I read a significant amount of others' poetry. I didn't realize how much I missed it! The poems in this section were so sweet and beautiful. I'm not going to go through them individually because there were quite a few and I have the same comments on nearly all of them: they're hopeful, cute, full of good reminders, inspirational, and TRUE. Some of the poems were lighthearted and made me smile, others made me tear up, and still others just left me feeling motivated to be a better person - which is something I admire in writing. The author has a beautiful style of poetry.
So all of that to say, I highly recommend this collection. What expectations I had were blown away and I know this is going to be a comfort read when I'm looking for some fun, quick, and hopeful stories, and/or when I want to gift someone a book and be sure they'll enjoy it. If you're on the fence, go ahead and give it a try! I can guarantee you'll find at least one story you love (if not more).
Themes: True love, family, hope, light overcoming darkness, friendship, forgiveness, humility, grace, strength in hard situations, trust, acceptance, and true beauty.
Content warning: G-rated. Rare use of d*rn and h*ck, and one use of h*ll (to describe a situation). Non-described kisses. Mention of a drunk and of a character that smokes. Fairy tale magic. Loss, grief, fighting, and mentions of characters dying in the past. In my opinion, everything was tactfully covered, and I would feel comfortable with my young siblings reading the material.
**I received a free copy of this book from the author. I was not required to leave a review and all thoughts are my own.**
Befriending the Beast by Amanda Tero
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A sweet story with powerful messages!
I need to reread this one soon! I loved the twist on Beauty the Beast – not a romance story, but one of redemption, perseverance, love, and family. Faith and prayer were very strong themes, and the ending was tactfully handled. It made me smile.
I would love an even longer story about these characters, their world, and their situations. The characters are vivid, with goals, dreams, and backstories of their own, and I could relate to all of them. I enjoyed seeing the character growth that happened, even in such a short story. Even without a “villain”, tension was strong.
The main character was surprisingly likable, even without knowing her for long. I admired her faith and her love for her father, even when it was difficult. I also absolutely loved the mentor character in this story. He was so good for her, and I liked any time he entered the scene. I was touched by the resolution at the end – my favorite part – and the tie-ins to the original fairy tales were fun. Overall, a very solid story!
Tricky Content: Mention of a beheading, pain, emotional distress, estranged family relationships, mention of a death, suspense and tension.
I’d Recommend It To: Anyone who enjoys stories with fresh twists on a medieval Beauty and the Beast story, featuring an emphasis on (Christian) faith, redemption, and family.
I need to reread this one soon! I loved the twist on Beauty the Beast – not a romance story, but one of redemption, perseverance, love, and family. Faith and prayer were very strong themes, and the ending was tactfully handled. It made me smile.
I would love an even longer story about these characters, their world, and their situations. The characters are vivid, with goals, dreams, and backstories of their own, and I could relate to all of them. I enjoyed seeing the character growth that happened, even in such a short story. Even without a “villain”, tension was strong.
The main character was surprisingly likable, even without knowing her for long. I admired her faith and her love for her father, even when it was difficult. I also absolutely loved the mentor character in this story. He was so good for her, and I liked any time he entered the scene. I was touched by the resolution at the end – my favorite part – and the tie-ins to the original fairy tales were fun. Overall, a very solid story!
Tricky Content: Mention of a beheading, pain, emotional distress, estranged family relationships, mention of a death, suspense and tension.
I’d Recommend It To: Anyone who enjoys stories with fresh twists on a medieval Beauty and the Beast story, featuring an emphasis on (Christian) faith, redemption, and family.
Meant to Bee by Storm Shultz
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Cute, unique and vivid setting, and characters I could root for. Full review to come!
FULL REVIEW:
**minor spoilers ahead**
4 stars! This type of story/genre is not my cup of tea at all, and I knew that going into it. I don't read many romance novels, and barely any contemporary - much less a combination of both. But even though it wasn't quite my thing, I can still appreciate that it was well-written!
This story has such a cute setting, first of all. I love England and books set there, and she described the quaint, charming little town there so well that I just wanted to visit and explore. It was cozy to read about, and I think that word describes this book well. Cozy. I never thought I'd enjoy reading a book that goes so in-depth into beekeeping, but it was fascinating and very neat to learn about!
Between the bees (which we never do find out where they came from...). the shop in her home, the gardening, the adorable goat, and the handmade products, I just wanted to spend a day there. It reignited my dreams of opening a little store with things I've made and grown <33 Also the part about fixing up an old, charming in its own way house.
As far as characters go, the cast was fun and diverse! I liked Ronan a lot. He was a good guy, and I appreciated how he just took Cordy and Poppy under his wing right away. Cordy frustrated me sometimes, but in all, I really respect everything that she did to make sure Poppy knew she loved her, and to give her a good life. I can't imagine the kind of strength it takes to do what she did.
The rest of the characters were all memorable and unique, with lives and personalities that felt real. I liked how they all had such different personalities and thoughts, but in the end, were able to group together and help Cordy in so many ways. She needed them, and they came through.
The plot was on a very small-scale, and there was always just enough disaster ebbing and flowing to keep my interest. It never got very dark - except for maybe a few scenes near the climax with her ex - but I definitely wondered how Cordy would get out of some situations. There were also frequent doses of humor. And the character changes woven through the events were satisfying.
The romance was a bit on the nose sometimes, and I did groan a bit when Ronan was wondering whether Cordy was single, fantasizing how beautiful she was (and vice versa) seconds after meeting for the first time. But their love felt a lot more genuine by the end, and again, that might just be me not used to the contemporary romance genre and its tropes.
I also LOVED the emphasis on Poppy/babies in general being blessings, and being good no matter what the circumstance. I did want to see a little more delving into some of the spiritual topics that were brought up, and I couldn't really tell what the protagonists believed at any point. Ronan seemed more of a Christian than Cordy, but not much was ever discussed or really shown.
All in all, this book felt like a Hallmark movie. Cozy, warm, quaint, and cute - with a sweet and well-described setting, fun characters, and some heartfelt themes. If that sounds like your kind of story, you're going to love this one!
FULL REVIEW:
**minor spoilers ahead**
4 stars! This type of story/genre is not my cup of tea at all, and I knew that going into it. I don't read many romance novels, and barely any contemporary - much less a combination of both. But even though it wasn't quite my thing, I can still appreciate that it was well-written!
This story has such a cute setting, first of all. I love England and books set there, and she described the quaint, charming little town there so well that I just wanted to visit and explore. It was cozy to read about, and I think that word describes this book well. Cozy. I never thought I'd enjoy reading a book that goes so in-depth into beekeeping, but it was fascinating and very neat to learn about!
Between the bees (which we never do find out where they came from...). the shop in her home, the gardening, the adorable goat, and the handmade products, I just wanted to spend a day there. It reignited my dreams of opening a little store with things I've made and grown <33 Also the part about fixing up an old, charming in its own way house.
As far as characters go, the cast was fun and diverse! I liked Ronan a lot. He was a good guy, and I appreciated how he just took Cordy and Poppy under his wing right away. Cordy frustrated me sometimes, but in all, I really respect everything that she did to make sure Poppy knew she loved her, and to give her a good life. I can't imagine the kind of strength it takes to do what she did.
The rest of the characters were all memorable and unique, with lives and personalities that felt real. I liked how they all had such different personalities and thoughts, but in the end, were able to group together and help Cordy in so many ways. She needed them, and they came through.
The plot was on a very small-scale, and there was always just enough disaster ebbing and flowing to keep my interest. It never got very dark - except for maybe a few scenes near the climax with her ex - but I definitely wondered how Cordy would get out of some situations. There were also frequent doses of humor. And the character changes woven through the events were satisfying.
The romance was a bit on the nose sometimes, and I did groan a bit when Ronan was wondering whether Cordy was single, fantasizing how beautiful she was (and vice versa) seconds after meeting for the first time. But their love felt a lot more genuine by the end, and again, that might just be me not used to the contemporary romance genre and its tropes.
I also LOVED the emphasis on Poppy/babies in general being blessings, and being good no matter what the circumstance. I did want to see a little more delving into some of the spiritual topics that were brought up, and I couldn't really tell what the protagonists believed at any point. Ronan seemed more of a Christian than Cordy, but not much was ever discussed or really shown.
All in all, this book felt like a Hallmark movie. Cozy, warm, quaint, and cute - with a sweet and well-described setting, fun characters, and some heartfelt themes. If that sounds like your kind of story, you're going to love this one!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book kept me on my toes! I’ve read the other Hunger Games books (and watched the movies) so I’m very familiar with the typical violence, political intrigue, and drama that the series holds. This contained the same elements but from a villain’s perspective – which was interesting! (It’s a prequel.)
The tie-ins to the rest of the series were fun, but overall, it was the characters that made the story for me. Each of them had so much depth and I never knew who to trust or to feel sympathy for. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, or what a plot twist would be, I was surprised by how much more was actually happening behind the scenes. I couldn’t put this one down.
And I chose it for this love theme because of the heartbreaking romance between main characters. It’s certainly not your typical happily-ever-after, but it made me feel so many different emotions and was very thought-provoking. What would happen if lovers were on opposite sides? Is there any way things could work out? This isn’t a light book, so read at your own discretion, but I enjoyed the dive into a character’s perspective that I previously took for granted, and the exploration of right vs wrong. A solid read!
Tricky Content: Brutal violence, bombings, war, scene hinting at cannibalism, death (beatings, poisoning, snake bites, hanging, weapons), character succumbs to rabies, brief kisses and references, mild language
I’d Recommend It To: Young adults and older that have read and enjoyed the previous Hunger Games books, can handle the violence and darkness of those books, and enjoy prequel stories with twisting and complicated character relationships, mystery, and plenty of political intrigue.
The tie-ins to the rest of the series were fun, but overall, it was the characters that made the story for me. Each of them had so much depth and I never knew who to trust or to feel sympathy for. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, or what a plot twist would be, I was surprised by how much more was actually happening behind the scenes. I couldn’t put this one down.
And I chose it for this love theme because of the heartbreaking romance between main characters. It’s certainly not your typical happily-ever-after, but it made me feel so many different emotions and was very thought-provoking. What would happen if lovers were on opposite sides? Is there any way things could work out? This isn’t a light book, so read at your own discretion, but I enjoyed the dive into a character’s perspective that I previously took for granted, and the exploration of right vs wrong. A solid read!
Tricky Content: Brutal violence, bombings, war, scene hinting at cannibalism, death (beatings, poisoning, snake bites, hanging, weapons), character succumbs to rabies, brief kisses and references, mild language
I’d Recommend It To: Young adults and older that have read and enjoyed the previous Hunger Games books, can handle the violence and darkness of those books, and enjoy prequel stories with twisting and complicated character relationships, mystery, and plenty of political intrigue.
Ophelia Brown and the Unseen by Julia Witmer
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This is the cutest story! If you enjoy middle-grade fantasy "feel good" stories with the same feel as the Spiderwick Chronicles, this is definitely a book for you.
I don't read much middle-grade anymore, but almost as soon as I started reading this book, I was sucked back into the story worlds of my childhood. Maybe it was the Spiderwick-esque feel. Maybe it was the quiet countryside setting. Maybe it was the fact that little eleven-year-old Ophelia Brown reminded me very much of myself at that age. Whatever the reasons, I finished this book in one sitting.
From the first page, the quaint and inviting writing style drew me into Ophelia's perspective. Even though I didn't know what was going to happen, and didn't necessarily care about her yet, I wanted to keep reading just because the writing style was so enjoyable to take in. The way she described her settings felt both magical and nostalgic.
Of course, it didn't take me long to care about the characters. The characters are one of the strongest points in this story, as the cast is such a fun and diverse group. Each character feels real - with goals, feels, personalities, manners of speaking, and senses of humor all their own. Ophelia is a strong protagonist - flawed but willing to learn, and genuinely kind-hearted. I loved the glimpses of her and her family's strong relationships, and enjoyed watching as she grew closer and developed understandings with her friends.
Her friends were strong too! Though Jack took a while to earn my affection (his mood swings, let me tell ya), I came around to him in the end. And I could relate to Autumn and her skepticism. Her hesitation was a welcome perspective in the story, as was her unwavering loyalty, and I was rooting for her throughout the story. Miss Maisie is the ultimate mama bear, and Dottie...what can be said about that lovable cow? I don't believe I've ever read a story with an "attack cow" before today.
The other, and perhaps strongest aspect of the story to me, was the world-building. For a middle-grade novel, I felt it had a wonderful balance of bringing up questions and answering them. We never dove too deeply into the lore of the place, never biting off more than we could chew. But the aspects that were introduced were explained as much as we needed to know, and the names and workings of people and places, government systems, magical creatures, and magic systems all intrigued me, and made me wish for a much longer story to explore them all fully.
If I have any complaint with the story at all, it's that I wish there was more of it. I'd love to see more of the world, to see Ophelia with her family more, to know more about the Council of Obsidian, and to find out what happens after the end of the book. As I don't read much middle-grade these days and am not super familiar with the genre's expectations, this is probably not a fault of the book at all. With just a couple of exceptions, I didn't feel that the story left out too many answers, or brought up story threads that weren't answered. It just was too fun to end!
And in a similar vein, the plot is nothing crazy. Nothing too deep. But it was a classic children's fairy tale adventure, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. It was packed full of action - from goblin attacks, to castles, to a suspicious fairy inn - with frequent sweet moments woven throughout.
The themes included having hope, being courageous, true friendship, kindness, and faith - learning to believe in things we may not see. At the very start, I felt the latter theme was portrayed a bit on the nose, but the rest of the story featured it very subtly, and I liked how it was woven in.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Julia has a way with touching middle-grade fantasies, and this is my favorite of hers so far. I spent the entire time reading looking forward to getting my younger siblings a copy so they could experience it too. I've used the word "fun" so many times in this review, but I think it sums it up perfectly. This is a very fun story, and if it sounds like your kind of read, I absolutely recommend picking up a copy and diving in!
Content Warning: occasional very mild language (one usage of h*ck, d*rn, and g*sh), mild violence (references to the protagonist punching others and knocking others unconscious, as well as mention of a knife being drawn out during a fight), several arguments between friends (including several instances of name-calling: "stupid"), one mention of a small line of blood on the MC's hand, and light fantasy elements (goblins, fairies, spells, frequent mention of magic).
I would recommend this to: anyone who enjoys feel-good middle-grade fantasy, with fun settings, unique characters, and sweet themes. Even better if you love bittersweet happy endings!
*** I received an ARC copy of this book but was in no way required to leave a review - much less a positive one. This review solely features my own honest thoughts.***
I don't read much middle-grade anymore, but almost as soon as I started reading this book, I was sucked back into the story worlds of my childhood. Maybe it was the Spiderwick-esque feel. Maybe it was the quiet countryside setting. Maybe it was the fact that little eleven-year-old Ophelia Brown reminded me very much of myself at that age. Whatever the reasons, I finished this book in one sitting.
From the first page, the quaint and inviting writing style drew me into Ophelia's perspective. Even though I didn't know what was going to happen, and didn't necessarily care about her yet, I wanted to keep reading just because the writing style was so enjoyable to take in. The way she described her settings felt both magical and nostalgic.
Of course, it didn't take me long to care about the characters. The characters are one of the strongest points in this story, as the cast is such a fun and diverse group. Each character feels real - with goals, feels, personalities, manners of speaking, and senses of humor all their own. Ophelia is a strong protagonist - flawed but willing to learn, and genuinely kind-hearted. I loved the glimpses of her and her family's strong relationships, and enjoyed watching as she grew closer and developed understandings with her friends.
Her friends were strong too! Though Jack took a while to earn my affection (his mood swings, let me tell ya), I came around to him in the end. And I could relate to Autumn and her skepticism. Her hesitation was a welcome perspective in the story, as was her unwavering loyalty, and I was rooting for her throughout the story. Miss Maisie is the ultimate mama bear, and Dottie...what can be said about that lovable cow? I don't believe I've ever read a story with an "attack cow" before today.
The other, and perhaps strongest aspect of the story to me, was the world-building. For a middle-grade novel, I felt it had a wonderful balance of bringing up questions and answering them. We never dove too deeply into the lore of the place, never biting off more than we could chew. But the aspects that were introduced were explained as much as we needed to know, and the names and workings of people and places, government systems, magical creatures, and magic systems all intrigued me, and made me wish for a much longer story to explore them all fully.
If I have any complaint with the story at all, it's that I wish there was more of it. I'd love to see more of the world, to see Ophelia with her family more, to know more about the Council of Obsidian, and to find out what happens after the end of the book. As I don't read much middle-grade these days and am not super familiar with the genre's expectations, this is probably not a fault of the book at all. With just a couple of exceptions, I didn't feel that the story left out too many answers, or brought up story threads that weren't answered. It just was too fun to end!
And in a similar vein, the plot is nothing crazy. Nothing too deep. But it was a classic children's fairy tale adventure, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. It was packed full of action - from goblin attacks, to castles, to a suspicious fairy inn - with frequent sweet moments woven throughout.
The themes included having hope, being courageous, true friendship, kindness, and faith - learning to believe in things we may not see. At the very start, I felt the latter theme was portrayed a bit on the nose, but the rest of the story featured it very subtly, and I liked how it was woven in.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Julia has a way with touching middle-grade fantasies, and this is my favorite of hers so far. I spent the entire time reading looking forward to getting my younger siblings a copy so they could experience it too. I've used the word "fun" so many times in this review, but I think it sums it up perfectly. This is a very fun story, and if it sounds like your kind of read, I absolutely recommend picking up a copy and diving in!
Content Warning: occasional very mild language (one usage of h*ck, d*rn, and g*sh), mild violence (references to the protagonist punching others and knocking others unconscious, as well as mention of a knife being drawn out during a fight), several arguments between friends (including several instances of name-calling: "stupid"), one mention of a small line of blood on the MC's hand, and light fantasy elements (goblins, fairies, spells, frequent mention of magic).
I would recommend this to: anyone who enjoys feel-good middle-grade fantasy, with fun settings, unique characters, and sweet themes. Even better if you love bittersweet happy endings!
*** I received an ARC copy of this book but was in no way required to leave a review - much less a positive one. This review solely features my own honest thoughts.***
A Curse of Gold and Beauty by Mary Mecham
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
This is such a cute book, and I finished it in one sitting. This was plenty to convince me to dive into more of the author's books! Rhys is the best <3
FULL REVIEW:
**minor spoilers ahead **
I absolutely loved this story, and didn't want to put it down. This was my introduction to Mary Mecham, after seeing her a few times on Instagram, and now I'm going to be reading the rest of her books as soon as I can! I absolutely adore her creativity, and also her heart and passion for including disabilities in her stories.
In this story, I LOVED that Rhys' disability wasn't something to be fixed. It was just part of him, just like his hair color and sense of humor. And as someone who struggles with chronic illnesses, I teared up at many of the things he said - especially reminding the protagonist that his pain didn't define him, and that he can still make his own choices. He wasn't trapped by his body, even if it might feel that way. They felt natural in the story - not forced - but man, was I impacted. I was also extremely convicted by how optimistic and joyful he was all of the time! He didn't feel sorry for himself or wallow in hardship. Instead, he was so inspiring and selfless. He's the best character <33
Story-wise, this is a cute, relatively light read, with some heartfelt romance and immersive worldbuilding. I enjoyed how Mecham wove the Rumpelstiltskin tale into the story without it feeling forced or cheesy. It was just subtle enough to not notice all of the connections right away, but once I did, it felt so obvious. It was very fun to read!
The father was a sympathetic and ultimately likable character, even if he was misguided and frustrating for the first part. He definitely redeemed himself by the end. And the King...disgusting. I hated him so much, which tells me that Mecham wrote him very well. I couldn't wait to be rid of him. And I didn't expect the final twists with the Captain. I found him to be a very interesting, and fun to read about, character.
Meg herself was one of the rare first-person protagonists that I felt like I could really relate to. She was well-written, strong, and capable, but not overly-masculine, fake, or cringe-y because she was so head over heels for Rhys. Their romance was well-established early on, and I definitely rooted for them to get their happily ever after from the very start. They make a very wholesome couple.
The only critique I can offer is that there is a lot of "telling" vs "showing" in the writing style, more than I usually prefer as it can get distracting. But it worked out in this style of story, and because it was so short, I understand that more summary is necessary to carry the plot forward.
Otherwise, I loved this book, and will be reading it again, as I really can't overstate how convicted and encouraged I was by Rhys. His character is 100% the best part of this book. If you're a fan of creative fairytale retellings, fascinating characters, and inspiring disability rep, you'll love this story.
CW: some mentions of one of the characters laying with her head on the other's shoulder ("cuddling"), brief kisses, mild descriptions of injury and blood, kidnapping.
FULL REVIEW:
**minor spoilers ahead **
I absolutely loved this story, and didn't want to put it down. This was my introduction to Mary Mecham, after seeing her a few times on Instagram, and now I'm going to be reading the rest of her books as soon as I can! I absolutely adore her creativity, and also her heart and passion for including disabilities in her stories.
In this story, I LOVED that Rhys' disability wasn't something to be fixed. It was just part of him, just like his hair color and sense of humor. And as someone who struggles with chronic illnesses, I teared up at many of the things he said - especially reminding the protagonist that his pain didn't define him, and that he can still make his own choices. He wasn't trapped by his body, even if it might feel that way. They felt natural in the story - not forced - but man, was I impacted. I was also extremely convicted by how optimistic and joyful he was all of the time! He didn't feel sorry for himself or wallow in hardship. Instead, he was so inspiring and selfless. He's the best character <33
Story-wise, this is a cute, relatively light read, with some heartfelt romance and immersive worldbuilding. I enjoyed how Mecham wove the Rumpelstiltskin tale into the story without it feeling forced or cheesy. It was just subtle enough to not notice all of the connections right away, but once I did, it felt so obvious. It was very fun to read!
The father was a sympathetic and ultimately likable character, even if he was misguided and frustrating for the first part. He definitely redeemed himself by the end. And the King...disgusting. I hated him so much, which tells me that Mecham wrote him very well. I couldn't wait to be rid of him. And I didn't expect the final twists with the Captain. I found him to be a very interesting, and fun to read about, character.
Meg herself was one of the rare first-person protagonists that I felt like I could really relate to. She was well-written, strong, and capable, but not overly-masculine, fake, or cringe-y because she was so head over heels for Rhys. Their romance was well-established early on, and I definitely rooted for them to get their happily ever after from the very start. They make a very wholesome couple.
The only critique I can offer is that there is a lot of "telling" vs "showing" in the writing style, more than I usually prefer as it can get distracting. But it worked out in this style of story, and because it was so short, I understand that more summary is necessary to carry the plot forward.
Otherwise, I loved this book, and will be reading it again, as I really can't overstate how convicted and encouraged I was by Rhys. His character is 100% the best part of this book. If you're a fan of creative fairytale retellings, fascinating characters, and inspiring disability rep, you'll love this story.
CW: some mentions of one of the characters laying with her head on the other's shoulder ("cuddling"), brief kisses, mild descriptions of injury and blood, kidnapping.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A Crown of Chains by Erin Phillips
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I haven't been this conflicted about a story in a long time. It's one of the few reviews I have to preface by saying that my rating for the quality of the writing/storytelling is different than my personal enjoyment rating. And I adore Erin Phillips, and her mission and social media presence. It's so inspiring to see such a talented and motivated Christian author, especially an indie one.
I won't be giving detailed spoilers, but I also don't know how to write this review without mentioning some specifics, so if you don't want to know what happens at all, this is probably not the review for you. Or skip to the last four paragraphs for a summary.
The writing quality of A Crown of Chains is spectacular. Easily 5 stars. I was hooked from the start, and finished it in just a couple of days - and only because I didn't have time to let myself read it in one. Phillip's writing is very well-done, and her worldbuilding is excellent. Immediately, I felt drawn into the story and the characters, and loved how she incorporated so many of the biblical elements with a fantasy twist. It felt seamless and natural, and very clever.
The biblical story of Esther is one of my very favorites. I've always been inspired by her courage and strength, and especially by her faith through so many horrible situations. And Phillip's did an amazing job of showing just how dark her situation likely was. Sometimes it's easy to gloss over Bible stories because we've heard them so often, and the text doesn't always go into details of their day to day life. I appreciated how Phillips illustrated how that may have looked.
That said, this is where I have the hardest time with this book. It's marketed as a dark fantasy biblical retelling, and I thought I was prepared for the dark part. I enjoy gritty stories, as long as they still teach me or leave me feeling inspired by the end. As an author of fairly gritty Christian books, I've received comments that my stories are too depressing or hard to stomach, so maybe I'm being a huge hypocrite here. But this was a tough one to swallow, and I believe it's mainly due to the changes made to Esther's story.
Minor spoilers ahead.
****
This was certainly a dark book, and I probably should have done better research so I wasn't surprised by it. No sexual scenes were ever detailed, but they were very often alluded to and discussed, and most of them were essentially, if not entirely, r***. People died. Mutilation was described. I'm not usually very sensitive to these things, and it was really only the sexual content that stunned me. Thankfully, it was all still done with taste, but I wouldn't feel comfortable loaning it to just anyone unless they were completely aware of the content.
And again, I wasn't too bothered by this at first, because I kept expecting the redemption to come. I figured it would be dark at first, but that eventually, we'd see the characters learning and growing, and realize why it was all worth it in the end. That we'd see how God (Ehyen, in this book) redeemed the situation and was working the whole time.
Instead, all I felt I learned from this story by the end, is that sinful people will do sinful things that lead to horrible circumstances, and sometimes there's nothing that can be done about it. I don't feel that was the author's intention at all. But even some of the most inspiring points of the biblical story were cast in a depressing light.
For example, Roxana's recreation of Esther's, "If I die, I die," statement was said because she didn't care what happened any more, since her life was so terrible at that point. Her going to the king despite being told she'd die if she did, didn't strike me as courage, but as throwing herself into danger almost hoping that the king would kill her.
I'll try not to give spoilers, but there was one character early on in the book that I admired, as she stood on her morals, this story's equivalent of a believer. Even when everyone warned her what it would probably lead to. Then, at one point in the story, that character's arc led to her asking why she was forced to suffer so tragically when she obeyed Ehyen, and why, when the protagonist didn't, she was rewarded with so many great things. I was so ready for this question to be explored, but it was never even acknowledged again after that. Unless I missed it, we never even found out what happened to the character, and I can only assume she remained in her tragic situation.
I've seen other reviews mention that they don't appreciate how Roxana wasn't a believer for most of the story, and I didn't really mind that, because I was eager to see her learn and grow through the story events. The part that bothered me was her character itself. And I probably shouldn't have expected a non-believer to act as a believer should, but the entire hidden love interest/adultery side plot bothered me. I understand why she'd feel compelled to act that way, I really do. I'm sure everyone in that awful situation would be tempted to do the same.
But such a big part of the biblical story of Esther is admiring her strength and character even when faced with those kinds of challenges. I wanted to be able to root for Roxana and admire her, but I couldn't. I wanted the best for her, but when she continually made worse and worse decisions regarding her old flame, I found myself really disappointed. Even after she was told, and saw with her own eyes, what continuing to disrespect her marriage would do, not only to herself, but to all of the other palace servants that I'd grown to know and love by that point.
Nearly all of the horrible events of the story can be traced back to her recklessness and adultery. I might not have minded if it was just conversations, though it's a slippery slope, but all of the sneaky kisses when she is married to another man bothered me. It's brought up multiple times that she and the king never consummated their marriage after their wedding, so I couldn't tell if that was used as justification? As in, perhaps they weren't really married? But it's clearly alluded to that they were intimate beforehand, and they never seemed to imply they weren't really married.
Instead, it was presented that both of them were very unhappy in their marriage and didn't truly love one another, so why shouldn't they allow one another to still pursue others and be happy? Again, I understand the human want for this. If I were in that situation, I'm sure I'd feel similarly. But I can't root for that. That can't be the reason I'm given to cheer on the story protagonist.
And by the end, when most of the climax of Esther's story was happening to Roxana, I didn't feel like Roxana had truly changed enough. That she'd learned from her selfishness. She put so many people in danger, and did so many things that I couldn't cheer for, that it was hard to believe she was doing any of the ending events for selfless reasons. I did like the emphasis on God's/Ehyen's forgiveness and mercy, but it felt too sudden.
And the ending twist with Roxana's lover was almost welcome. I felt so conflicted and it crossed my mind that at least now she would stop sneaking around with him. He wasn't a bad character necessarily - he probably had one of the purest hearts - but I couldn't stop thinking that his presence in the story caused nearly all of the problems. I would have loved for that entire arc to be left out, or at least handled differently.
I did absolutely LOVE the other characters in the story. Namely the satyr that is with her for the majority of the book. He and the rest of the palace servants that were Roxana's friends were the best parts of the story for me. They deserved so much better than what happened to them, and I really did love them.
The king was a fascinating character too, and I would like to know more about him. At first, as a fan of One Night With the King, I was looking forward to rooting for the king eventually. But that never happened. He was ATROCIOUS. And again, it's a testament to how well Phillip's wrote his character, how much I hate him, haha. He was extremely interesting and I kept wanting him to show up in scenes, but I could never root for him.
And the character of Mordecai as well -the Uncle in this story. Instead of being someone of high character, someone who is watching out for "Esther" and caring for her throughout the story, the Uncle was a terrible person for the majority of the book. I did appreciate the glimpse of potential change we saw near the ending - that helped a lot - but I spent most of the story wanting him to go away. Even the celebratory parade that "Haman" accidentally organizes for him wasn't as satisfying, because it didn't feel like something that he actually deserved at all.
And I think that's what it boils down to for me. I love rooting for characters, and being inspired by them. With the exception of a few rare moments, and some of the side characters, I never felt like I could stand behind anyone. I didn't know what to hope would happen, except that I assumed it would loosely follow Esther's plot points.
****
I'm honestly not sure how to wrap up this review, because I didn't mean this to be purely negative. This truly is a BEAUTIFULLY written book, and I finished it wanting more. Had there been a sequel I would have immediately picked it up, and I plan to purchase Phillip's other biblical retelling as soon as I can. She's an extremely talented author, and from a storytelling perspective, she did it well. Everything felt extremely real and immersive.
It just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I'm too big a fan of the original story, and went in with unfair expectations. Maybe I should have done more research beforehand, and expected less of an uplifting story. I'll absolutely admit that it might all come down to personal preference, and for that reason, if you enjoy gritty biblical retellings, you might adore this one. There's a high chance that I only feel so strongly about this one because I feel so strongly about Esther's story in the Bible.
So all of that to say, if you've read this far, and this sounds like something you'd enjoy, don't let my take scare you off. I'm still glad that I read this book, and I might try reading it again sometime now that I know what to expect. I'm still going to go on and read the rest of Phillip's books. Just maybe do what I didn't and go in with fair expectations. Realize that when she says it's a dark fantasy, she means it. And maybe use it as an example of just how much God loves us, that we can act like these characters, and He STILL doesn't give up on us, or stop trying to pursue us.
That is truly inspiring. <33
I won't be giving detailed spoilers, but I also don't know how to write this review without mentioning some specifics, so if you don't want to know what happens at all, this is probably not the review for you. Or skip to the last four paragraphs for a summary.
The writing quality of A Crown of Chains is spectacular. Easily 5 stars. I was hooked from the start, and finished it in just a couple of days - and only because I didn't have time to let myself read it in one. Phillip's writing is very well-done, and her worldbuilding is excellent. Immediately, I felt drawn into the story and the characters, and loved how she incorporated so many of the biblical elements with a fantasy twist. It felt seamless and natural, and very clever.
The biblical story of Esther is one of my very favorites. I've always been inspired by her courage and strength, and especially by her faith through so many horrible situations. And Phillip's did an amazing job of showing just how dark her situation likely was. Sometimes it's easy to gloss over Bible stories because we've heard them so often, and the text doesn't always go into details of their day to day life. I appreciated how Phillips illustrated how that may have looked.
That said, this is where I have the hardest time with this book. It's marketed as a dark fantasy biblical retelling, and I thought I was prepared for the dark part. I enjoy gritty stories, as long as they still teach me or leave me feeling inspired by the end. As an author of fairly gritty Christian books, I've received comments that my stories are too depressing or hard to stomach, so maybe I'm being a huge hypocrite here. But this was a tough one to swallow, and I believe it's mainly due to the changes made to Esther's story.
Minor spoilers ahead.
****
This was certainly a dark book, and I probably should have done better research so I wasn't surprised by it. No sexual scenes were ever detailed, but they were very often alluded to and discussed, and most of them were essentially, if not entirely, r***. People died. Mutilation was described. I'm not usually very sensitive to these things, and it was really only the sexual content that stunned me. Thankfully, it was all still done with taste, but I wouldn't feel comfortable loaning it to just anyone unless they were completely aware of the content.
And again, I wasn't too bothered by this at first, because I kept expecting the redemption to come. I figured it would be dark at first, but that eventually, we'd see the characters learning and growing, and realize why it was all worth it in the end. That we'd see how God (Ehyen, in this book) redeemed the situation and was working the whole time.
Instead, all I felt I learned from this story by the end, is that sinful people will do sinful things that lead to horrible circumstances, and sometimes there's nothing that can be done about it. I don't feel that was the author's intention at all. But even some of the most inspiring points of the biblical story were cast in a depressing light.
For example, Roxana's recreation of Esther's, "If I die, I die," statement was said because she didn't care what happened any more, since her life was so terrible at that point. Her going to the king despite being told she'd die if she did, didn't strike me as courage, but as throwing herself into danger almost hoping that the king would kill her.
I'll try not to give spoilers, but there was one character early on in the book that I admired, as she stood on her morals, this story's equivalent of a believer. Even when everyone warned her what it would probably lead to. Then, at one point in the story, that character's arc led to her asking why she was forced to suffer so tragically when she obeyed Ehyen, and why, when the protagonist didn't, she was rewarded with so many great things. I was so ready for this question to be explored, but it was never even acknowledged again after that. Unless I missed it, we never even found out what happened to the character, and I can only assume she remained in her tragic situation.
I've seen other reviews mention that they don't appreciate how Roxana wasn't a believer for most of the story, and I didn't really mind that, because I was eager to see her learn and grow through the story events. The part that bothered me was her character itself. And I probably shouldn't have expected a non-believer to act as a believer should, but the entire hidden love interest/adultery side plot bothered me. I understand why she'd feel compelled to act that way, I really do. I'm sure everyone in that awful situation would be tempted to do the same.
But such a big part of the biblical story of Esther is admiring her strength and character even when faced with those kinds of challenges. I wanted to be able to root for Roxana and admire her, but I couldn't. I wanted the best for her, but when she continually made worse and worse decisions regarding her old flame, I found myself really disappointed. Even after she was told, and saw with her own eyes, what continuing to disrespect her marriage would do, not only to herself, but to all of the other palace servants that I'd grown to know and love by that point.
Nearly all of the horrible events of the story can be traced back to her recklessness and adultery. I might not have minded if it was just conversations, though it's a slippery slope, but all of the sneaky kisses when she is married to another man bothered me. It's brought up multiple times that she and the king never consummated their marriage after their wedding, so I couldn't tell if that was used as justification? As in, perhaps they weren't really married? But it's clearly alluded to that they were intimate beforehand, and they never seemed to imply they weren't really married.
Instead, it was presented that both of them were very unhappy in their marriage and didn't truly love one another, so why shouldn't they allow one another to still pursue others and be happy? Again, I understand the human want for this. If I were in that situation, I'm sure I'd feel similarly. But I can't root for that. That can't be the reason I'm given to cheer on the story protagonist.
And by the end, when most of the climax of Esther's story was happening to Roxana, I didn't feel like Roxana had truly changed enough. That she'd learned from her selfishness. She put so many people in danger, and did so many things that I couldn't cheer for, that it was hard to believe she was doing any of the ending events for selfless reasons. I did like the emphasis on God's/Ehyen's forgiveness and mercy, but it felt too sudden.
And the ending twist with Roxana's lover was almost welcome. I felt so conflicted and it crossed my mind that at least now she would stop sneaking around with him. He wasn't a bad character necessarily - he probably had one of the purest hearts - but I couldn't stop thinking that his presence in the story caused nearly all of the problems. I would have loved for that entire arc to be left out, or at least handled differently.
I did absolutely LOVE the other characters in the story. Namely the satyr that is with her for the majority of the book. He and the rest of the palace servants that were Roxana's friends were the best parts of the story for me. They deserved so much better than what happened to them, and I really did love them.
The king was a fascinating character too, and I would like to know more about him. At first, as a fan of One Night With the King, I was looking forward to rooting for the king eventually. But that never happened. He was ATROCIOUS. And again, it's a testament to how well Phillip's wrote his character, how much I hate him, haha. He was extremely interesting and I kept wanting him to show up in scenes, but I could never root for him.
And the character of Mordecai as well -the Uncle in this story. Instead of being someone of high character, someone who is watching out for "Esther" and caring for her throughout the story, the Uncle was a terrible person for the majority of the book. I did appreciate the glimpse of potential change we saw near the ending - that helped a lot - but I spent most of the story wanting him to go away. Even the celebratory parade that "Haman" accidentally organizes for him wasn't as satisfying, because it didn't feel like something that he actually deserved at all.
And I think that's what it boils down to for me. I love rooting for characters, and being inspired by them. With the exception of a few rare moments, and some of the side characters, I never felt like I could stand behind anyone. I didn't know what to hope would happen, except that I assumed it would loosely follow Esther's plot points.
****
I'm honestly not sure how to wrap up this review, because I didn't mean this to be purely negative. This truly is a BEAUTIFULLY written book, and I finished it wanting more. Had there been a sequel I would have immediately picked it up, and I plan to purchase Phillip's other biblical retelling as soon as I can. She's an extremely talented author, and from a storytelling perspective, she did it well. Everything felt extremely real and immersive.
It just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I'm too big a fan of the original story, and went in with unfair expectations. Maybe I should have done more research beforehand, and expected less of an uplifting story. I'll absolutely admit that it might all come down to personal preference, and for that reason, if you enjoy gritty biblical retellings, you might adore this one. There's a high chance that I only feel so strongly about this one because I feel so strongly about Esther's story in the Bible.
So all of that to say, if you've read this far, and this sounds like something you'd enjoy, don't let my take scare you off. I'm still glad that I read this book, and I might try reading it again sometime now that I know what to expect. I'm still going to go on and read the rest of Phillip's books. Just maybe do what I didn't and go in with fair expectations. Realize that when she says it's a dark fantasy, she means it. And maybe use it as an example of just how much God loves us, that we can act like these characters, and He STILL doesn't give up on us, or stop trying to pursue us.
That is truly inspiring. <33
Writing and Releasing Rapidly by Elana Johnson
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
This is a motivating example of an indie author succeeding, and I enjoyed reading through all of her experiments and case studies. Sometimes the way that the data was presented was confusing, but I did glean some very helpful strategies from what she learned. I've been aiming to try rapid releasing soon, and this gave me some much-needed encouragement and tips.
It seems too good to be true that she makes as much as she does on her indie publishing, and I suspect a large portion of that is her tendency to write to market (which she explains, as profit is her main goal for writing), as well as her chosen genre of romance novellas series. But obviously she's doing those very well, as she's made such a name and living from her work.
Nothing earth-shattering here, but it was a helpful, specifically-focused guide that inspired me! If you're interested in learning from her experiments regarding rapid release, this is worth checking out.
It seems too good to be true that she makes as much as she does on her indie publishing, and I suspect a large portion of that is her tendency to write to market (which she explains, as profit is her main goal for writing), as well as her chosen genre of romance novellas series. But obviously she's doing those very well, as she's made such a name and living from her work.
Nothing earth-shattering here, but it was a helpful, specifically-focused guide that inspired me! If you're interested in learning from her experiments regarding rapid release, this is worth checking out.