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michellefromsomewhere's reviews
32 reviews
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
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? No
2.0
I really liked Divine Rivals, and was looking forward to this book, but Ruthless Vows was a letdown. I felt that Rebecca Ross had a lot of ideas, and didn’t want to narrow them down, so she attempted to include everything without fully developing most of them. I was never fully sucked into the story, and didn’t feel excited by the plot or invested in any of the characters. I picked it up several times hoping I would get more into it. I considered DNFing and felt like I was pushing through it. SPOILERS BELOW.
I think Roman should have taken longer to remember Iris. It would have been fun if they had been writing for different papers, and Roman viewed them as rivals again, feeling like some of her articles seemed to be directed at him, but then convincing himself that was crazy.
I never felt connected to Iris and Roman in this story; it felt like they were sidelined until the end when it was evident that Iris would be the one to save everyone. After Roman’s rant to Dacre about how he betrayed Dacre for love, why wouldn’t Iris and Attie find Roman in the underworld and free him, so that moment could come back in a final taunt about how choosing his love for Iris was always his strength?
Dacre is the least impressive god ever? He freely gives away his plans, has no knowledge of schemes behind his back and is overall a very unscary big bad. I think the story as told would have made more sense if Dacre and Enva were fae and not gods, because then the vows they made to each other being unbreakable would have made more sense, and because them being gods doesn’t really serve a narrative function without there being a religion. It could have been powerful for the realization of “we don’t need any gods at all” if there had been a religious element introduced. Book one also raised the question of if Dacre was truly the bad guy and Enva was truly the good guy. This book made some VERY strong points for Enva being at least morally grey, but the narrative always viewed her as the good guy. Dacre was completely right that she sent people to die for her while she was nowhere to be found. Enva showing up at the end to help save the day was so frustrating. It was so unsatisfying that the reason she couldn’t help more was she couldn’t leave the city because of some deal made. It was even MORE frustrating that at the end she was like “oh maybe I can explore after all.”
Evergreen by Devin Greenlee
2.0
This book had potential, especially as a debut, but ultimately I wish the author had asked himself "why?" more often while writing. I also really liked reading a cute, gay romance where being gay was not part of the conflict of the book! The concept of a dryad family running a flower shop was so cute and I wish we had gotten to see even more of them interacting with customers and running the shop.
The writing was young, but as it is a teen book that is not factored into my rating, just a heads up for other readers. My main issue with the story is that the first ~80% of the story is centered around Quill and Liam flirting and sneaking out on dates, and the major conflict of the book is entirely rushed in the last 20%. The emotional moments felt like rushed devices for dialogue and not for real character or story development.
Spoilers below:
There was more potential for a reconciliation with a parent/child relationship that could have resonated with a teenage audience, but the main conflict was never really between Quill and his mother. I liked the struggle with him not having his powers, and him not noticing the signs of his powers the whole book. But at the end, his powers come in suddenly in a BIG WAY, and he has complete control of them, and they just so happen to save the day! Also, if Azazel knew about Quill's powers, and was scared of them, wouldn't Quill be the first mind to take over? And if his mind was protected because of the phantom root (even though that's sort of disproved in the text), why wouldn't Azazel just kill him? If Azazel was already in Laurel's mind, why would she have given Quill the phantom root to begin with? And Azazel being in Laurel's mind at that point would be the only satisfying reason for why Laurel was adamant about not telling their mom, which had Quill done from the beginning, could have prevented the whole conflict. Overall, it was a very rushed and unsatisfying climax and resolution.
Lastly, the flower blooming in the presence of the true love between two seventeen year olds who have known each other for two weeks was so cringe.
TLDR; a lot of potential, needed better pacing and a better grasp of the stakes of the primary conflict.
Thank you Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!
The writing was young, but as it is a teen book that is not factored into my rating, just a heads up for other readers. My main issue with the story is that the first ~80% of the story is centered around Quill and Liam flirting and sneaking out on dates, and the major conflict of the book is entirely rushed in the last 20%. The emotional moments felt like rushed devices for dialogue and not for real character or story development.
Spoilers below:
There was more potential for a reconciliation with a parent/child relationship that could have resonated with a teenage audience, but the main conflict was never really between Quill and his mother. I liked the struggle with him not having his powers, and him not noticing the signs of his powers the whole book. But at the end, his powers come in suddenly in a BIG WAY, and he has complete control of them, and they just so happen to save the day! Also, if Azazel knew about Quill's powers, and was scared of them, wouldn't Quill be the first mind to take over? And if his mind was protected because of the phantom root (even though that's sort of disproved in the text), why wouldn't Azazel just kill him? If Azazel was already in Laurel's mind, why would she have given Quill the phantom root to begin with? And Azazel being in Laurel's mind at that point would be the only satisfying reason for why Laurel was adamant about not telling their mom, which had Quill done from the beginning, could have prevented the whole conflict. Overall, it was a very rushed and unsatisfying climax and resolution.
Lastly, the flower blooming in the presence of the true love between two seventeen year olds who have known each other for two weeks was so cringe.
TLDR; a lot of potential, needed better pacing and a better grasp of the stakes of the primary conflict.
Thank you Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Big Demon Energy by Deborah Wilde
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
This book was a lot of fun to read! The writing is quippy and fast, and I like the use of dialogue to help the world building and to set the tone of the world, as the story takes place in a modern city in real places. Wilde did a good job explaining where the world we know separates from magical elements. I always loved watching shows like CSI and Law and Order, and this felt like reading a paranormal one. The characters all had distinct personalities, and I found myself enjoying Aviva and rooting for her. Her dynamic with Ezra played out well, and it would have been easy to just tell us "well there's more than I realized so I don't actually hate him anymore" but Wilde really showed us Aviva's internal struggle with her feelings.
I really loved how Jewish the book is! There are so many references to Judaism, Hebrew words, and explaining the lore rooted in Judaism. I laughed out loud when Aviva said "A Jewish Kyle?" - It felt like there were a great amount of inside jokes that other Jewish people can really appreciate without losing non-Jewish readers. I really appreciated Wilde having an Ashkenazi Jewish character, a Sephardic Jewish character, and a Mizrahi Jewish character. I also really enjoyed Wilde pointing out that a lot of old monster folklore has ties to antisemitism. It was really great to read the representation in this book.
The book starts in the middle of action, and it took me a little while to get into it because I felt confused/like I was missing things in the beginning, but Wilde made sure to explain all the questions I had pretty quickly.
I plan to read the next book in the series!
Thank you to Deborah Wilde and In Retrospect Writing Services for the opportunity to read and review this book!.
I really loved how Jewish the book is! There are so many references to Judaism, Hebrew words, and explaining the lore rooted in Judaism. I laughed out loud when Aviva said "A Jewish Kyle?" - It felt like there were a great amount of inside jokes that other Jewish people can really appreciate without losing non-Jewish readers. I really appreciated Wilde having an Ashkenazi Jewish character, a Sephardic Jewish character, and a Mizrahi Jewish character. I also really enjoyed Wilde pointing out that a lot of old monster folklore has ties to antisemitism. It was really great to read the representation in this book.
The book starts in the middle of action, and it took me a little while to get into it because I felt confused/like I was missing things in the beginning, but Wilde made sure to explain all the questions I had pretty quickly.
I plan to read the next book in the series!
Thank you to Deborah Wilde and In Retrospect Writing Services for the opportunity to read and review this book!.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
4.25
The writing is beautiful. Ross's depiction of war as waiting, shadows, and anxiety, as well as her writing the action on the front line is masterful. As a first book, I think it sets the larger plot of the series up very well. I do wish there was a bit more character development. I care about the characters because of what happens to them, not because of who they are. Very predictable, but not necessarily in a bad way.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
5.0
This whole series is everything to me. Holly Black has an incredible talent for packing so much punch into so few words. I don't know if single sentences have ever hit me so hard. "There are no fish sticks in Faerie" COME ON. I love Jude. I love Cardan. I love that knowing some folklore enhances your reading (like knowing what Redcaps are, etc) but isn't necessary to enjoy the plot. The world of Elfhame uses familiar lore and yet is so unique and fresh. I love the political intrigue and Jude's journey. The juxtaposition of the mortal world with the faerie world is a bit jarring intentionally and that lets us feel exactly how Jude does. I was so heartbroken for Jude so many times and was cheering for her the ENTIRE time. The relationships were so complicated and nuanced (especially between Jude and Madoc, and Jude and Taryn). This series is basically perfect, and this is an amazing first book that grips you right away. The prologue has more action than some whole books. Just do yourself a favor and read it!
The Wicked King by Holly Black
5.0
The politics! The betrayal! The tension! The banter! THIS BOOK IS A PERFECT FANTASY BOOK. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Jude and Cardan are everything to me and I am FERAL for them. The twists, both of plot and of words, are incredible. Holly Black is such a talented writer. She conveys so much emotion in such short, to the point sentences.