ellelainey's reviews
2519 reviews

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture (Manga), Vol. 2 by Mikage Sawamura

5.0

Project Nought by Chelsey Furedi

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

TROPES: forced proximity, cloning, forced confinement, experimentation on teens, grumpy/sunshine, tech geek

This was okay, but I'll be honest - from the hype this book gets, I was expecting more. I'm disappointed at how slow the pacing was, that it didn't really lead anywhere, the ending was...confusing.

One of my favourite things about books is understanding where the title comes from. This book's title references a part of the plot that is actually never explained. There is a literal project called Project Nought, but there's no explanation of what that means. Is it "nought" because it's before the start, or the start or something, or because they're creating something from nothing, or it is just another way of saying Project Not, because it's not what it seems? I'll never know, and that is both irritating and confusing.

For me, I found the initial concept interesting - Ren is in 1998, falls and wakes up in 2122 as part of a future program where people from the past are brought to 2122 for five months, so that students can learn history from first hand sources. Sure, sounds great.
Except...the entire first half is SO boring. It flits about, trying to introduce too many characters, and I don't connect with any of them. There's no explanation for the 5 months, and the fact that these people from the past have to help fill out HOMEWORK - projects, talks and basically be a living, breathing science project - is so wrong in so many ways and a total waste of time, IMO.

There was a heavy emphasis on this Project taking place in New Zealand, but absolutely NO explanation of why that was overly emphasised. Where were the other people, who kept mentioning this, because I assume they were NOT in New Zealand. Either I missed it or it's just never mentioned.

Maybe it's a UK vs NZ thing, but I couldn't help but read all the stuff about 1998 and cringe! It was written as though 1998 was in the Dark Ages. I don't know about the authors, but the basic terms and behaviours displayed by the future kids - which the 1998 kids had no concept of - was overly emphasised as being "unusual" when it was pretty much part of life, from what I experienced in school in 1998. I mean, the concept of various genders - using they as a pronoun - and sharing bathrooms between sexes was treated by the 1998 students as cringey and completely foreign. That was never my experience - back in 1998, we just didn't care! People were who they were and I, personally, knew quite a few LGBT people in high school during the mid-to-late 1990's.

When it comes to characters, I REALLY didn't connect to any of them. For me, I didn't "like" any of them, even in the smallest way. Phoebe was flighty and pushy, getting an instant crush on Jia. Mars was pretty similar, only WAY more flamboyant and exuberant. I thought his being a super tech geek might come in useful, but it really didn't go anywhere other than his little robot pets. For the main love interest, I actually find Mars quite irritating, selfish and materialistic, so focused on his own wants and ideals that he can't see the bigger picture. Jia is rude, obnoxious and wrapped up in her own problems to the extent that she causes more trouble than she helps. Ren is just constantly all doom and gloom, the stereotypical loner loser, who has no friends but ends up everyone's favourite.
I didn't buy Phoebe and Jia's romance, or Mars and Ren's. While the story supposedly took place over months, it just didn't feel like anything but insta-love from both Mars and Phoebe, with Jia and Ren putting up VERY little resistance.
By the end, I saw ZERO character growth.

And...sorry, but Twilight references in 2122?? Seriously? I'd have thought there would have been better options by then...

In the end, I found the ending of the story to be confusing and unnecessarily complicated. When investigating Project Nought, they discover files stating that the government are "creating" from scratch (I'm being deliberately vague to avoid spoilers! Sorry!) yet later, there's a word constantly bandied about that says they're not creating, just copying. But...copying what? Memories, genetics, date? Where did they get access to all of that? How? Why? When did it start? What was the end goal? We'll probably never know, because the two main bad guys escape and are never seen from again.
The addition of the last few pages - showing Ren finally meeting Georgia - were completely unnecessary and confusing, because it threatens to undermine and complicate the plot twist they've just spent about 20 pages revealing!

For me, it was a mix of trying too hard and taking too long to get to the point. If the whole first half had been condensed, they would have had more time and energy to spend on fleshing out the ending. I should really be giving this a 2*, for all its faults, but it's 3 for a few reasons - 
1) I finished it. I could have DNF'd, but I didn't.
2) The art was really well done and well presented.
3) There are far less picky people who will probably love this for the twists, unique plot and diversity.
Sadly, I just couldn't look past the execution issues.

Tied to You, Vol. 4 by Chelliace

5.0

The absolute perfect ending to the series!

Wynd: The Power of the Blood #1 by James Tynion IV

5.0

Wynd Book Three: The Throne in the Sky by Michael Dialynas, James Tynion IV

5.0

The start of this was a real emotional gut-punch, with an awesome flashback of Molly, who I've always loved.

I can't believe there's another volume! I was so sure this was the last one. Unfortunately, there's no hint of when the next volume will release, but I do have the next two single issues and the third - final issues - will release in a few weeks. I can't wait!

Wynd Book Two: Secret of the Wings by James Tynion IV

5.0

I've been waiting a long time to read this, mistakenly thinking that Volume 3 was the last, so I held off intending to binge.

Volume 2 was everything I hoped for and more. Basil and the Queen were so smart, to see the danger looming and actually act on it, rather than wait for the worst case scenario. The King isn't that smart to have never noticed.

There are some new characters introduced here: Yorik's brother, Bastian, and his assistant/friend Teek.

There are new threats, new characters and a whole lot of drama and action. Poor Thorn is literally bearing the brunt of the danger and violence! With lots of twists and adventure, betrayal and emotions running high, this is a great volume.

The Embrace of Evergreen by Rayne Hawthorne, D.W. Michaels

slow-paced

1.0

 

 ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

 ~ 

 The Embracing of Evergreen (Unexpected Love, Book 2) 

 by Rayne Hawthorne, D.W. Michaels 

★☆☆☆☆ 

 307 Pages 

 1st person, dual character POV 

 Triggers: intense grief and depression; loss of past love; suicidal ideation; self-neglect; historic domestic abuse 

 ~ 

 DNF'd 

 The Embracing of Evergreen is a hurt/comfort, slow burn romance within the Unexpected Love series. As Book 2, it actually continues right after the end of Book 1, with a letter from Ken – the funeral home guy from Book 1 – explaining that he, Jayce and Namid are leaving their small town because of the attack on Namid. So, right from page 1, it makes it clear that this book cannot exist as a standalone. Fine, I knew that going in. 

 Full disclosure: I did not enjoy Book 1. Long-winded, overly floral and less hurt/comfort more full on depressive. 

 Sadly, Book 2 was just more of the same. Before I even got to the end of Chapter 1, it began with a letter in Ken's POV, which surprised me. Then I kept reading and...this wasn't Ken from Book 1. I don't know why or how, but this Ken didn't speak like the serious, 60 year-old funeral home director of Book 1, instead talking like a teenager who was unfamiliar with complete sentences. So many sentences ended with “or something” and “or anything”. 

 Then we get into the crux of the story, with Ethan's POV. 

 On page 1 alone, we get FIVE instances of paragraphs starting with “Maybe this time...” which makes me want to break out into Cabaret. Turn the page and we get SIX more. Then we start with repetitions of “I've stopped counting...” where we get three on page, turn over and get SIX sentences IN A ROW that all start with “I know...”. Turn the page and we get SEVEN sentences that start with “I miss...” 

 Now, I get it. Repetition at the beginning of a sentence can be a good thing. However, when we get THREE separate instances within the first 3%, that is what you call overkill. It's unnecessary and it loses the magic of the formula that is supposed to make that repetition work. 

 Just as with Book 1, there were endless pages of thoughts and emotions, with the first dialogue at 5%. This was an improvement upon Book 1, but it still took far too long to get to the point. 

 ~ 

 Overall, I'm just seeing the same problems with this book as there were with Book 1. I'm bored. It feels endless because of the countless repetition, paragraphs that fill an entire page or half a page, all to talk about ONE thought process, and memories mentioned that I have no connection to, interest in or that have any impact on the plot or character. Yet again, this is about intense grief and I just don't have the desire or invested interest in either the characters or the plot to continue reading something that – if it follows the formula of Book 1 – will be so draining and depressing that it makes me want to cry for the wrong reasons. 

 So, to spare myself the pain and the author the negative review, I'm bowing out – of this book and this series. 

Beneath the Indigo Sky by Rayne Hawthorne, D.W. Michaels

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

 

 ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

 ~ 

 Beneath the Indigo Sky (Unexpected Love, Book 1) 

 by Rayne Hawthorne, D.W. Michaels 

★★★☆☆ 

 323 Pages 

 1st person, dual character POV 

 Triggers: intense grief and depression; suicidal ideation; death of two background characters; violent on-page homophobic assault; amnesia; 

 ~ 

 Beneath the Indigo Sky is the first book I've read by two new-to-me authors. Unfortunately, it just wasn't my taste. I feel like the book was split into two different writing “voices”; one was overly flowery and poetic, while the other was more focused on telling the story. My main problem with the book is that it spends 99.9% of the time telling us what's happening rather than showing us. 

 ~ 

 TRIGGERS 

 I was really pleased to see there was an entire page dedicated to trigger warnings. However, I feel it wasn't utilised properly. It mentions an on-page assault, but this wording is so non-specific that I didn't know whether this meant a beating or a sexual assault. It turns out to be a fairly violent homophobic attack. 

 There was a mention of “passive si” → this, particularly, felt inappropriate. After spending an entire page listing the triggers, it chooses the most vague method of “passive si” which is a phrase that not everyone will understand. I even Googled it, just to make sure it meant what I thought it did. I don't understand why the author listed everything yet resorted to a shorthand for something as serious as suicidal ideation. 

 Despite the ambiguous phrasing, I disagree with the suicidal ideation being passive. Jayce spends the entire book constantly dropping hints – he doesn't want to wake up tomorrow, he wishes he'd died instead of Jordyn, he can't go on alone, he can't deal with life – and it's very clear that he's not at all passive. I think what the author meant by “passive si” is that Jayce never actually attempts suicide, but he's very much in the emotional headspace of wanting to, and because it's such a long-running concept throughout the book, I feel that calling it passive is very misleading and diminishes the immense grief that Jayce is going through. 

There's a listing in the triggers that “There are also minor paranormal elements that are left deliberately open to reader interpretation.” which – honestly – feels like a cop out. I don't want to get sucked into a story that puts a plot element centre stage, only to never explain or resolve that plot point. As with the other triggers, it's so vaguely worded that it's unclear what it refers to. Calling them “minor” is also misleading, because it's not minor. It's a major, central part of Namid's life, which is never answered or resolved. 

 ~ 

 CHARACTERS 

 We start the book learning about Namid, who was found naked on the side of the road, with no memory of his past. He was found ten years ago, but still has no memory of who he was or where he came from. There's a strong hint that he's something alien or some wish granted by the Aurora, but that question is NEVER answered in this book, and apparently never will be. He was found by the local funeral director, Ken, who took him in. Now he works in the funeral home. 

 At the start of the book, Jayce is preparing to bury his twin brother, who died in a road accident recently. Coincidentally, his parents also died in a car accident years ago (I think about 8-10 years). Now he's all alone, running a business they used to run together, feeling utterly desolate. In fact, he spends a good 50% of the book deep in depression with only the occasional glimpse of recovery. 

 Surprisingly, other than Jayce and Namid, there is no real on-page character other than Ken, who is basically Namid's father figure. Even then, he's barely on page until after the halfway point, where he has a minor accident and needs to be taken care of for a few days. 

 There are really no other characters in the book. Jordyn – the dead twin – is never on page, which I feel is a total miss, because although Jayce talks about him, we never get to see him other than in Jayce's memories, which are extremely vague and short mentions of “the boy who played football, the man who watched TV”. I never got a sense of who Jordyn was, despite the many, many, many, many times that Jayce claimed he was the other half of his soul. 

 There are random neighbours, customers and locals mentioned, but they never really interact with either of the MC's beyond a two second contact, and never in a way that requires a conversation. 

 In fact, the ONLY conversations that appear on page are between Jayce and Namid, or occasionally with Ken. There are no other characters with dialogue in the entire book. 

 ~ 

 FORMATTING 

 There is a problem with some of the formatting throughout. I bought this book, which means it's not an ARC issue. The front matter is wonky in terms of some parts being in a massive font, with others being in a smaller, regular font. Some chapter headers are central, while others are left aligned. 

 The use of character art at every POV change is nice to look at, but doesn't really add much, because each POV change comes with a written note as well. 

 The first scene break happens at 32%, where there's an Aurora artwork to signify the break. This only happens twice. 

 There are no timeline markers throughout the book. Sometimes we'll find out that an entire month has gone by, between one chapter and the next, but we don't find out until the end of the chapter. It would be more useful to have that pointed out at the start, because the timeline chops and changes so much, with the two MC's only meeting up every other weekend for a while. 

 Sometimes there are large chunks of 1 page or ½ a page, where the dialogue and text are separated into different paragraphs, despite being about the same person and belonging together in one paragraph. This often makes it harder to figure out who is talking to whom, which requires re-reading passages or pages to figure out the context of what is being said. When each dialogue only requires one line and the following descriptor – like the character thinking or doing something – only takes one line, there's no reason to keep them separated onto different lines, especially during a conversation with another person, where it's not instantly clear who is speaking. 

 ~ 

 WRITING STYLE 

 Personally, I wasn't a fan of the hugely flowery writing style. I would say that the first half is much worse for this than the second, but it is something that keeps creeping in throughout. 

 I found it quite strange that it took 11% before there was a single word of dialogue. Before that, there's a lot of vaguely worded “so-and-so said they were sorry for my loss” but there's never actually any spoken dialogue on page until 11%. 

 Similarly, outside of the POV markers at the start of each chapter, NEITHER Jayce or Namid's names are used within the story until 15%, which is a long time! 

 There are a lot of times when the POV switches between Jayce and Namid, but it just rehashes the same scene from a different character's view. A lot of the time, this adds nothing to the story, except the opportunity to spend more time with flowery descriptions of thoughts and feelings. 

 The flowery style wouldn't be so bad if EVERY PAGE wasn't the same. This kind of style is more effective when used sparingly, rather than spending the ENTIRE first 10% of the book this way. 

 One of my biggest problems is that some parts of the story are so flowery that you can't escape having at least one paragraph about one specific thought – like the colour of someone's eyes – but then you get some really vague mentions of other things that you actually want to know more about. 

 For example, Jayce sees a man with indigo eyes standing in front of him, and it's left at “he” and “him”, never clarified with even the vague “the guy from the funeral home”. Even this quick mention of how he knew Namid from earlier, though he doesn't know his name yet, would have helped, but somehow we're miraculously supposed to know that the man with indigo eyes is Namid. I get that he's described as having indigo eyes at one point, but it's in a vague way “a blue so dark it's barely still blue. Navy or indigo.” that means I completely glossed over it. It's actually never even mentioned again until this incident where Jayce meets the guy with “indigo eyes”. 

 Sometimes it just feels like the author(s) is allergic to using the character's names at all. 

 The story uses Namid's ability to feel other people's emotions as a way to explore how other people feel, but in a telling way, never a showing way. It really puts a lengthy distance between the reader and the emotions the author is trying to invoke. 

 “I know he's not okay, and I know he doesn't feel the same way about me. I don't mean I know that in the way people always say,” - sentences like this last one, to qualify meaning, really aren't necessary but they're used to just give the author license to drift into lengthy, poetical, flowery writing. 

 I wasn't overly keen on the way that Jayce's grief was explored. For me, it was VERY one dimensional, like he had no choice but to be severely depressed, lacking the will to live, without any hint of joy until Namid walks into his life. It's like the only reason he's allowed to function is because Namid has come along to make everything better/easier and give him a distraction from his grief. However, this isn't how grief happens. It's not a block of time where there's nothing but dark clouds, depression and not wanting to do things or go anywhere. It very much comes across like Jayce isn't allowed to be anything but wholly negative until Namid enters his life. 

 I also feel like the way his emotions are written feel wrong for grief. For example, there's A LOT of repetition of “he forgets to be hurt/shattered/broken”. However, using “forgets” feels wrong in this case, because that implies it's deliberately, that it's a choice. What Jayce is feeling is neither of those things. It would be more appropriate to say “he forgets that he's hurt/shattered/broken”. In little ways like this, I feel like the author chose the more flowery, descriptive way of explaining the emotions without acknowledging how that reads or comes across. 

 The story is listed as slow burn, however I don't agree. For 50%, Namid is in a one-sided love with Jayce, who just wants to be friends without even a hint of attraction. Then, suddenly, Namid looks elsewhere for a physical release, because he's apparently so desperate he needs to hook-up with a stranger at a bar, where Jayce sees him and conveniently gets a flash of realisation that he's been in love with Namid all along. It's all very convenient and sudden, that doesn't at all relate to what he's been thinking/feeling until now. Then they have their first kiss at 65%, which ends in 67-90% being sex and flirting, with A LOT of telling of anything that's outside of the bedroom. 

 ~ 

 OVERALL 

 I would probably have DNF'd the book early on, if I hadn't agreed to read/review Book 2. However, I ended up skim-reading at 65%, because the story was just very much the same at the end as it had been at the beginning, with the middle the only part that felt like it had a proper flow and split between showing/telling, though even that was minimal. 

 I never felt the deep abiding love for Jordyn that Jayce kept harping on about. Because we never got to see him or Jayce on page together – not even in a flashback, that would have helped give that emotional pull – which meant the emotional impact the author was aiming for never really materialised. 

 I really didn't buy the whole “the entire town hates Namid for no reason” plot point that ran throughout the book. It felt like a convenient excuse and explanation for the eventual, violent homophobic attack at the end of the book. This is the one event that sort of rounds off the story, forcing the two MC's to confront the attitudes of the locals and make a big change. However, until the final attack, there is no real reason for this change or the red ribbon that it ties around the plot. 

 I find the ending was all neatly wrapped up, but it happens so quickly. 

 For me, I felt like Namid and Jayce both had a serious hero complex. Jayce wanted to save Namid from the locals and their opinions of him, even though his attempt to do that only ended up putting him in more danger. Namid wanted to 'cure' Jayce of his grief, doing everything possible to take over tasks for him rather than helping him through dealing with them, such as when he takes over Jordyn's part of the business. Though some of the things they do for each other do help, they're more about just taking over those tasks rather than helping the person cope emotionally so they can do it themselves in the future. 

 I was disappointed with the ending. Finding that letter in Jordyn's belongings to introduce the main character of the next book felt so completely out of left field and overly convenient. There had been ZERO mention of this person in Jordyn's life before now, nor the fact that this letter writer is obviously male (considering the end sneak peek of Book 2) and the inclusion here really felt like an after thought. I definitely feel like, if the letter was found at the beginning or the middle of the book, it would have made so much more sense. Jayce could have emotionally struggled over its meaning, felt like he didn't know Jordyn as well as he thought, which would make the revelations probably in the next book more powerful. However, tacking it on at the end feels like bad planning and lazy plotting. 

 Overall, I feel like the book has a lot of potential, but it's never realised. The unusual plot is wasted by a sloppy execution. It really needed a good editor to say “reign in the flowery speech, fix the beginning, explain Namid's origins and be more clear”, because these were the biggest problems that ruined the potential of the book. It needed to be cleaner, with more showing, less telling; more character development that is not confined to Namid's ability to feel other people's emotions. The book relied too much on Namid's mystery and abilities instead. I also feel like it needed a plot point that wasn't just Jayce's grief or Namid's mysterious origins. 

 This is a book with a great concept that fails to meet the expectations or reach it's full potential. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief

Moderate: Homophobia

Minotaurs and other Magic by TJ Nichols

5.0

 

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

~ 

Minotaurs and Other Magic 

Mytho Collapse, 01 

by T.J. Nichols 

★★★★★ 

Minotaurs and Other Magic is the first book in the spin-off series from Mytho: Mytho Collapse. In this series, we go back to before the collapse that brought Earth and Tariko crashing into each other. 

The first story takes place months before the collapse, when no one is aware there's even a risk to Tariko's future. Nate is a human, who is hiking through Wales when a rockslide leaves him stumbling into Tariko, with no idea where he is or any way to communicate. He manages to survive a few days on his hiking supplies, then resorts to stealing clothes and food, which lands him in hot water. He's chased by guards into a local inn, where Rohan is playing the harp. 

Rohan is the prince of Callo, a kingdom/city in Tariko. His brother is the king, so Rohan mingles with the people often to make sure everyone is happy. When he sees Nate being captured by vampire guards, he intervenes on behalf of the Strega, who had warned him to be on the lookout for anything unusual. A human man in jeans and boots is very unusual, so Rohan buys his debt, incurred from his theft, and takes Nate home as a sort of protective detail prisoner. 

Together, Nate and Rohan are an interest, fiery combination. Rohan is a minotaur, with a bull's head and horns, but Nate manages to look past that, and the hooves!, to see the kind man within. He's also *very* flirtatious and spicy with Nate, who finds himself reciprocating. 

The story is basically all about Nate finding his footing in Tariko, learning about the customs and finding a place to belong. It's mostly about his relationship with Rohan, as there's a definite forced proximity going on which limits how many people Nate interacts with. So a lot of the book is just spicy sexy time between Nate and Rohan until the end. 

The Epilogue does feature the collapse in real time and both Nate and Rohan ending up in Earth because of it. My only wish would have been to see them finding safety or hiding in Earth, because I can only imagine that a human and minotaur pair would have been separated or hunted pretty quickly during the chaos of the collapse. Hopefully that will be explained in Pan's story, which is next, or I'm just going to believe they ran into the forest and took shelter until the internment camps protected them from the human riots. 

Overall, I really loved it. It was a snippet of insight into the world that we know so well from the Mytho Investigations series, while adding in some interesting new facts, such as what we learn about the Strega, the implication Nate's fall into Tariko wasn't quite an accident but more a preparation for what was to happen later. I'm intrigued to see how this spin-off series continues to reveal more. 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

“I’m not going anywhere.” 

“They might offer you jewels.” 

Nate shook his head. “I don’t want them.” 

“Elvish princes.” 

“Not interested.” 

“A pack of werewolves to serve you.” 

Nate pretended to consider that for a moment. 

Rohan tickled his ribs. “One minotaur is not enough? You need a pack of werewolves?” 

Nate laughed and squirmed. “You’re more than enough.” 

Werewolves and other Worries by TJ Nichols

5.0

 ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

~ 

Werewolves and Other Worries 

Mytho, Book 10 

by T.J. Nichols 

★★★★★ 

As usual, with T.J. Nichols, and the entire Mytho series, Werewolves and other Worries was perfection. I've been waiting for Jake's story ever since I read Ogres and other Dating Dilemmas. I'm so happy to see him finally getting his HEA. 

This story starts before the unicorn shows up, so we get to see Jake meeting Adam, a human, at the bar after work one night. They hook up and end up liking each other. Adam is a firefighter, so he sees a lot of crisis and mytho action in person, while Jake is a hospital orderly and sees a lot of crisis and clean up. Adam has a bit of a werewolf kink, which was fun to explore. 

I already knew I liked Jake, but I was surprised by how much I liked Adam. We didn't get much of his POV – just 2 chapters, both after about 50% – but I really got a good sense of who he was as a person and as a love interest. He made a perfect pairing for Jake, though I would have liked to see more of him at work, but that's just me wanting more from this series in general. 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

 “I hope we never stop falling. We should fall in love every day.”