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enchantedfiction's reviews
198 reviews
One of Our Own by Lucinda Berry
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you Libro.fm for the audio copy!
One of Our Own is a short, face paced audio story about a woman, Felicia, who works for a suicide hotline and gets a call from a teenage girl, threatening to end her life over a video taken of her by some boys at her school. The girl goes to the same school as her son, and Felicia has a desperate need to protect this girl and figure out who is behind the assault and video.
The audio experience was really well done for something like this. I love AJ Cook from Criminal Minds, and I would love to hear her narrate more stories. Although the end was predictable, I was hoping for some weird twist to catch me off guard. But honestly the feelings I am left with as a mother of a son are kind of haunting, so I definitely am left with an emotional experience from the story.
I would recommend this one if you're looking for a quick thriller that is a pleasing audio experience.
One of Our Own is a short, face paced audio story about a woman, Felicia, who works for a suicide hotline and gets a call from a teenage girl, threatening to end her life over a video taken of her by some boys at her school. The girl goes to the same school as her son, and Felicia has a desperate need to protect this girl and figure out who is behind the assault and video.
The audio experience was really well done for something like this. I love AJ Cook from Criminal Minds, and I would love to hear her narrate more stories. Although the end was predictable, I was hoping for some weird twist to catch me off guard. But honestly the feelings I am left with as a mother of a son are kind of haunting, so I definitely am left with an emotional experience from the story.
I would recommend this one if you're looking for a quick thriller that is a pleasing audio experience.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Where Magic Begins by Faith Prince
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
*2.5*
Where Magic Begins is a duel POV story of twin sisters, Zoeli and Saria, who are half-witch, half-human. Their mother was exiled from the magical world because she fell in love with a human, and that means her children can never join the magical world either. And when danger lurks, one sister is left without magic, and if the sisters can't reconcile their past indiscretions, they may doom the whole magical world to destruction.
I received an e-copy of this book from the author, so thank you, Faith!
The concept of this story sounded really intriguing and like a fun read. Sibling rivalry is always an interesting trope to me, so when I saw that was teased in the blurb, I really wanted to know what it was all about.
For me personally, I did not feel as though the story was fleshed out. I wanted more from all of it, more character development, more plot, more organization. I did not understand why these two "half-breed nimwits" were such integral lynchpins to the overtaking of Aurelia by their great-uncle. Their mother was exiled, and half-breeds are so discriminated against they aren't allowed into the magical world, so the main plot point didn't really make sense. There was a focus on the danger that was surrounding the sisters, so I also couldn't really understand why Zoeli stealing all of Saria's power was kind of brushed to the side. I feel like it would have made for a more interesting plot if Saria was forced to take her magic back and learn to control it better so she could be whole but also get to know herself better. I also feel like the sibling rivalry fell into the background because instead of them really having any confrontations, they just kind of ignored each other. I wanted more conflict.
I also felt as though the story couldn't decide if it wanted to be a middle grade or YA book, as a lot of the language and dialog used didn't match. In one breath, it felt like one or the other sister could have been 12, and then the next line of dialog or scene had explicit language or an intimate scene.
There were some parts that actually did suck me in, like when Zoeli and Damian went to Aurelia. The descriptions made me feel like I was there, and it felt like time slowed down a little to give the events some attention. I also could appreciate the message that prejudices against others for something they can't help is wrong, but it kept getting very obviously brought up it kind of got stale. I would much rather have felt the unfair treatment than be told that it was wrong. I feel like that would have been more powerful as Zoeli started to understand and be able to control her magic just like any full witch. I also really liked the epilogue! It was a twist that I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate.
Overall, this did fall flat for me. I wanted to really give these characters a fair shake, but I just couldn't come to care much for them.
Where Magic Begins is a duel POV story of twin sisters, Zoeli and Saria, who are half-witch, half-human. Their mother was exiled from the magical world because she fell in love with a human, and that means her children can never join the magical world either. And when danger lurks, one sister is left without magic, and if the sisters can't reconcile their past indiscretions, they may doom the whole magical world to destruction.
I received an e-copy of this book from the author, so thank you, Faith!
The concept of this story sounded really intriguing and like a fun read. Sibling rivalry is always an interesting trope to me, so when I saw that was teased in the blurb, I really wanted to know what it was all about.
For me personally, I did not feel as though the story was fleshed out. I wanted more from all of it, more character development, more plot, more organization. I did not understand why these two "half-breed nimwits" were such integral lynchpins to the overtaking of Aurelia by their great-uncle. Their mother was exiled, and half-breeds are so discriminated against they aren't allowed into the magical world, so the main plot point didn't really make sense. There was a focus on the danger that was surrounding the sisters, so I also couldn't really understand why Zoeli stealing all of Saria's power was kind of brushed to the side. I feel like it would have made for a more interesting plot if Saria was forced to take her magic back and learn to control it better so she could be whole but also get to know herself better. I also feel like the sibling rivalry fell into the background because instead of them really having any confrontations, they just kind of ignored each other. I wanted more conflict.
I also felt as though the story couldn't decide if it wanted to be a middle grade or YA book, as a lot of the language and dialog used didn't match. In one breath, it felt like one or the other sister could have been 12, and then the next line of dialog or scene had explicit language or an intimate scene.
There were some parts that actually did suck me in, like when Zoeli and Damian went to Aurelia. The descriptions made me feel like I was there, and it felt like time slowed down a little to give the events some attention. I also could appreciate the message that prejudices against others for something they can't help is wrong, but it kept getting very obviously brought up it kind of got stale. I would much rather have felt the unfair treatment than be told that it was wrong. I feel like that would have been more powerful as Zoeli started to understand and be able to control her magic just like any full witch. I also really liked the epilogue! It was a twist that I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate.
Overall, this did fall flat for me. I wanted to really give these characters a fair shake, but I just couldn't come to care much for them.
Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
*Thank you, Libro.fm, for the audiobook copy!*
Hemlock is a thriller story about Maggie, a woman who is moving back to her hometown after years of being away, having vowed she would never come back. But Meyers has called her back, and living so close to the two men who broke her heart all those years ago has Maggie caught up in the past. Not only that, the skeletons of the house have come out to play, and Maggie must uncover secrets from years past that will help her move forward for the future.
I really enjoyed this audiobook! There was the right amount of shrouded mystery around some of the past events up until the end that even though I thought I knew what happened, I wasn't completely correct. I always love a twist I didn't fully see coming! The characters were pretty likable - Tucker was my favorite even though there were some unanswered questions about him throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the back and forth of the chapters leading up to the important events that made Maggie leave Meyers in the first place, and that we didn't really know what the tragedy was that happened in the past that led Maggie to leave.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers with kind of a slow build and alternating timelines.
Hemlock is a thriller story about Maggie, a woman who is moving back to her hometown after years of being away, having vowed she would never come back. But Meyers has called her back, and living so close to the two men who broke her heart all those years ago has Maggie caught up in the past. Not only that, the skeletons of the house have come out to play, and Maggie must uncover secrets from years past that will help her move forward for the future.
I really enjoyed this audiobook! There was the right amount of shrouded mystery around some of the past events up until the end that even though I thought I knew what happened, I wasn't completely correct. I always love a twist I didn't fully see coming! The characters were pretty likable - Tucker was my favorite even though there were some unanswered questions about him throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the back and forth of the chapters leading up to the important events that made Maggie leave Meyers in the first place, and that we didn't really know what the tragedy was that happened in the past that led Maggie to leave.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers with kind of a slow build and alternating timelines.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder
The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
*Thank you Libro.fm for the audiobook!*
I enjoyed this mystery story with some fantastical elements. There were intertwining plot lines that were weaved into the main plot without being too obvious, adding to the mystery element, and the characters were interesting enough. I did not see the end result, which I always enjoy in mystery stories, and I really enjoyed the setting in the Cornish countryside.
I felt as though there were some times when the pace became a little slow, and I felt like the main plot got lost. I also wanted a few more fantasy elements to be part of the story, as it felt like it was alluding to that happening, but then it just kind of fell off. And maybe that had to do with Ruby's attitude towards the curse and unexplainable things, but I thought it would have been a little more fun if the story had made her a bit more of a believer.
If you are looking for a good mystery with fantastical elements, I would definitely recommend this one!
I enjoyed this mystery story with some fantastical elements. There were intertwining plot lines that were weaved into the main plot without being too obvious, adding to the mystery element, and the characters were interesting enough. I did not see the end result, which I always enjoy in mystery stories, and I really enjoyed the setting in the Cornish countryside.
I felt as though there were some times when the pace became a little slow, and I felt like the main plot got lost. I also wanted a few more fantasy elements to be part of the story, as it felt like it was alluding to that happening, but then it just kind of fell off. And maybe that had to do with Ruby's attitude towards the curse and unexplainable things, but I thought it would have been a little more fun if the story had made her a bit more of a believer.
If you are looking for a good mystery with fantastical elements, I would definitely recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Suicide
Until the Stars Fall by Vanessa Rasanen
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you, Vanessa, for the eARC!
WOW. Just wow! I absolutely adored this book! It was so captivating, and the slow burn was literally EVERYTHING! If you enjoy:
-Frenemies to lovers
-Fake engagement
-Fated mates
-Slow burn romance
-Fae
This one is definitely for you! The romance is expertly intertwined with the overall plot of the book and just feels right. The characters are complex, the world felt like it belonged even though there wasn't explicit detail of the places they went, and everything that happened was believable. The story itself has its high points and its lulls in pace, which, to me, always feels like real life, since nobody lives at 100mph all day every day. There was one sort of mystery that wasn't entirely resolved, which I thought would play a little more into the ending, but that honestly didn't really bother me. I hope that something that did happen at the end does come back in one of the other intertwined standalone stories though!
*Disclaimer* The only reason this book took me so long to get through is because I really didn't have a lot of free time to read all at once. I would have DEVOURED this if I had had the time!
WOW. Just wow! I absolutely adored this book! It was so captivating, and the slow burn was literally EVERYTHING! If you enjoy:
-Frenemies to lovers
-Fake engagement
-Fated mates
-Slow burn romance
-Fae
This one is definitely for you! The romance is expertly intertwined with the overall plot of the book and just feels right. The characters are complex, the world felt like it belonged even though there wasn't explicit detail of the places they went, and everything that happened was believable. The story itself has its high points and its lulls in pace, which, to me, always feels like real life, since nobody lives at 100mph all day every day. There was one sort of mystery that wasn't entirely resolved, which I thought would play a little more into the ending, but that honestly didn't really bother me. I hope that something that did happen at the end does come back in one of the other intertwined standalone stories though!
*Disclaimer* The only reason this book took me so long to get through is because I really didn't have a lot of free time to read all at once. I would have DEVOURED this if I had had the time!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Violence