Scan barcode
nyah_ellexa's reviews
69 reviews
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I genuinely didn’t think I’d love this book as much as I did. It was truly one of the best written books I’ve read so far this year. The grimdark story telling and the gothic fantasy setting was something I didn’t know I liked so much until I read this book. I honestly can’t think of anything wrong with it.
This book has definitely opened myself up to reading more from Ava Reid, so I’m hoping to dive into A Study in Drowning next.
P.S Sevas is my now one of my all time favorite book boys, he’s just the embodiment of perfection. The romance in this book was just done so beautifully and done in a way that was tasteful, since both characters has been through certain traumas.
This book has definitely opened myself up to reading more from Ava Reid, so I’m hoping to dive into A Study in Drowning next.
P.S Sevas is my now one of my all time favorite book boys, he’s just the embodiment of perfection. The romance in this book was just done so beautifully and done in a way that was tasteful, since both characters has been through certain traumas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Gore
Moderate: Xenophobia
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really did love this world, and my heart breaks a little that I’m not in it anymore. This sorry will resonate with me for a while, and Evangeline and Jacks will always have a place in my heart.
That being said, from a more technical perspective, I think this book was the worst in the series. It was very rushed, especially the ending. There was so much more that could’ve been explored, but the author kind of throws them out. I took a look at all the bonus endings from the special editions, and I think it was a cop out to have those pieces of information not in the actual book. All of those endings were vital to the story and added a little more depth, perhaps even hinting to another book series, but no one would know if they didn’t have those special editions (or found them on Twitter like me). I don’t think that’s fair at all, but hey, what can you do?
I still love this series and it’ll always hold a lot of emotional weight to me, but I wish I got slightly more from the ending than I did.
That being said, from a more technical perspective, I think this book was the worst in the series. It was very rushed, especially the ending. There was so much more that could’ve been explored, but the author kind of throws them out. I took a look at all the bonus endings from the special editions, and I think it was a cop out to have those pieces of information not in the actual book. All of those endings were vital to the story and added a little more depth, perhaps even hinting to another book series, but no one would know if they didn’t have those special editions (or found them on Twitter like me). I don’t think that’s fair at all, but hey, what can you do?
I still love this series and it’ll always hold a lot of emotional weight to me, but I wish I got slightly more from the ending than I did.
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A book hasn’t made me feel like in a very long time.
I came into this book not expecting much, since I didn’t think book was all that great compared to Caraval, but man was I wrong.
I don’t think I can properly described how this book made feel, it was just so many emotions.
I love how it was written, I love Jacks as a character, and I LOVED the ending. Loved it in a very painful way, since that cliffhanger actually killed a part of my soul.
Might be addicted to this series now. When I finished the book, I felt as though I stepped out of a dream because I was so enthralled with it I lost track of the real world.
Oh my god, I loved this book. The only reason it’s not a 5 is simply because I still don’t really like Evangeline. I can sympathize with the fact that this girl has been through hell, but I wish they explored it a little more. She is way too naive and trusting, which I guess fits her character, but it was just infuriating to watch her make the same mistake over and over again. However, if the author just put in a little more angst, I would’ve forgiven that. I just feel that since all of Evangeline’s mistakes and all the times people betray her kinda go over her head, I don’t feel as though those betrayals hold any true weight in the long run because she’ll just forgive them anyway. But if there was more angst, more evidence as to how this affects her and her relationships, I would’ve let it go.
Overall, I need to get my hands on the final book ASAP before I go insane.
I came into this book not expecting much, since I didn’t think book was all that great compared to Caraval, but man was I wrong.
I don’t think I can properly described how this book made feel, it was just so many emotions.
I love how it was written, I love Jacks as a character, and I LOVED the ending. Loved it in a very painful way, since that cliffhanger actually killed a part of my soul.
Might be addicted to this series now. When I finished the book, I felt as though I stepped out of a dream because I was so enthralled with it I lost track of the real world.
Oh my god, I loved this book. The only reason it’s not a 5 is simply because I still don’t really like Evangeline. I can sympathize with the fact that this girl has been through hell, but I wish they explored it a little more. She is way too naive and trusting, which I guess fits her character, but it was just infuriating to watch her make the same mistake over and over again. However, if the author just put in a little more angst, I would’ve forgiven that. I just feel that since all of Evangeline’s mistakes and all the times people betray her kinda go over her head, I don’t feel as though those betrayals hold any true weight in the long run because she’ll just forgive them anyway. But if there was more angst, more evidence as to how this affects her and her relationships, I would’ve let it go.
Overall, I need to get my hands on the final book ASAP before I go insane.
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Good start to the series.
So far, I think I like Caraval more. This book’s story telling wasn’t as fairytale-esque as Caraval, which is a shame because that’s one of the main things I loved about it. I also don’t like the characters in this book as much as Caraval. I like Jacks, I think he’s a very well written and complex character, but the others not so much. I think Evangeline is boring, too goody goody and no backbone, I hope that gets fixed. Marisol I couldn’t care less about, and Apollo I really couldn’t care less about.
So yeah, not that great. But I have hope that it’ll get better because everyone says that this series is better than Caraval, so we shall see.
So far, I think I like Caraval more. This book’s story telling wasn’t as fairytale-esque as Caraval, which is a shame because that’s one of the main things I loved about it. I also don’t like the characters in this book as much as Caraval. I like Jacks, I think he’s a very well written and complex character, but the others not so much. I think Evangeline is boring, too goody goody and no backbone, I hope that gets fixed. Marisol I couldn’t care less about, and Apollo I really couldn’t care less about.
So yeah, not that great. But I have hope that it’ll get better because everyone says that this series is better than Caraval, so we shall see.
Finale by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ending was kinda rushed
I love Jacks
I love Jacks
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a good sequel to Caraval.
Granted, I felt as though it dragged at some points, but overall still very enjoyable.
One thing I think this books did really well was actually make me care about Tella. In Caraval, I never cared for her. I always thought her to be more of an annoying side character than anything else. This sequel, however, made me take that back. I genuinely think I may like her more than Scarlett now, simply because Tella is a lot more realistic and complex.
The exposition of the Fates was also very interesting. I don’t know how I feel about Jacks as a character yet, I just find him really confusing. I know that he’s in Once Upon A Broken Heart and I believe he has a love interest named Evangeline, but reading Legendary actually made me question that. So now I’m going into this series completely blind.
The fairy tale-esque writing style is still evident, if not a little more dulled down, which is great because that’s one of the reasons why I like this series. I hope this writing style continues throughout the final book and well as the spin-off series.
Looking forward to the finale of this series, and to start Once Upon a Broken Heart right afterwards! I can definitely see this series becoming a new love for me, if the next book doesn’t suck.
Granted, I felt as though it dragged at some points, but overall still very enjoyable.
One thing I think this books did really well was actually make me care about Tella. In Caraval, I never cared for her. I always thought her to be more of an annoying side character than anything else. This sequel, however, made me take that back. I genuinely think I may like her more than Scarlett now, simply because Tella is a lot more realistic and complex.
The exposition of the Fates was also very interesting. I don’t know how I feel about Jacks as a character yet, I just find him really confusing. I know that he’s in Once Upon A Broken Heart and I believe he has a love interest named Evangeline, but reading Legendary actually made me question that. So now I’m going into this series completely blind.
The fairy tale-esque writing style is still evident, if not a little more dulled down, which is great because that’s one of the reasons why I like this series. I hope this writing style continues throughout the final book and well as the spin-off series.
Looking forward to the finale of this series, and to start Once Upon a Broken Heart right afterwards! I can definitely see this series becoming a new love for me, if the next book doesn’t suck.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I overall really liked this book a lot, much more than I anticipated.
Something that I think the author did really beautifully was the writing style. It had a very poetic style to it and made the story feel fairytale-esque. As the author went about describing the world of Caraval, it felt as though I was watching Alice in Wonderland, and that sort of setting I really gravitated towards. I’ve never read a book that was written in such a whimsical, colorful way, so this was something I greatly enjoyed.
I loved how the author would have Scarlett describe her emotions with colors. It was a repeated motif, and something I thought was a power of Scarlett’s at first, but I think it’s just an element the author used to enhance the reading experience. I also loved the added touch of Scarlett’s dress, and how it would change based on her emotions.
The only thing that’s stopping me from giving this five stars is the ending, as well as the way dialogue is written.
I don’t think the author writes dialogue well. It felt very inorganic and and never really flowed. Specially with Julian and Scarlett, I felt as though they didn’t bounce off of each other and so the witty back and forth’s were never there.
However, my main issue was the ending. It felt undeserved. There was a lot that Scarlett went through, events that I believe would be very hard for anyone to look past. But Scarlett forgave everyone and went with it so easily. There was barely any consequences to the actions of the other characters of the book. I felt as though there should’ve been a lot of more angst to make it realistic. Scarlett should’ve distanced herself from the people who lied to her, especially when those lies lead to her experiencing incredibly traumatizing events. I think the book should’ve left on a more melancholic tone. In addition, because the book ends in such a forgiving and almost cutthroat way, I feel no inclination to read the next book. There’s nothing left for me to really desire from the books since everything was practically solved, apart from certain aspects I would consider too minor to make two more books on. So, I’m not entirely sure. I’m a little worried for the rest of the series since I’m not sure what else is there. I definitely don’t just want two more books about two more Caravals, that sounds incredibly boring.
We shall see I guess.
Something that I think the author did really beautifully was the writing style. It had a very poetic style to it and made the story feel fairytale-esque. As the author went about describing the world of Caraval, it felt as though I was watching Alice in Wonderland, and that sort of setting I really gravitated towards. I’ve never read a book that was written in such a whimsical, colorful way, so this was something I greatly enjoyed.
I loved how the author would have Scarlett describe her emotions with colors. It was a repeated motif, and something I thought was a power of Scarlett’s at first, but I think it’s just an element the author used to enhance the reading experience. I also loved the added touch of Scarlett’s dress, and how it would change based on her emotions.
The only thing that’s stopping me from giving this five stars is the ending, as well as the way dialogue is written.
I don’t think the author writes dialogue well. It felt very inorganic and and never really flowed. Specially with Julian and Scarlett, I felt as though they didn’t bounce off of each other and so the witty back and forth’s were never there.
However, my main issue was the ending. It felt undeserved. There was a lot that Scarlett went through, events that I believe would be very hard for anyone to look past. But Scarlett forgave everyone and went with it so easily. There was barely any consequences to the actions of the other characters of the book. I felt as though there should’ve been a lot of more angst to make it realistic. Scarlett should’ve distanced herself from the people who lied to her, especially when those lies lead to her experiencing incredibly traumatizing events. I think the book should’ve left on a more melancholic tone. In addition, because the book ends in such a forgiving and almost cutthroat way, I feel no inclination to read the next book. There’s nothing left for me to really desire from the books since everything was practically solved, apart from certain aspects I would consider too minor to make two more books on. So, I’m not entirely sure. I’m a little worried for the rest of the series since I’m not sure what else is there. I definitely don’t just want two more books about two more Caravals, that sounds incredibly boring.
We shall see I guess.
Manacled by SenLinYu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gore
The Long Game by Elena Armas
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A nice easy, cute read to get me out of my reading slump from college. Not my favorite book from Elena Armas, but she’s still my favorite romance author solely due to her male love interests. They never fail to disappoint and Cameron is no different. So respectful and so easy to love, can’t get any better than that. I’m excited to read Josie and Matthew’s book later in 2024!
King of Greed by Ana Huang
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I like this book is vast change from Ana Huang’s usual structure of writing. I also liked Dominic as the love interest. He was respectful and not toxic at all, which was something I was worried about due to his initial negligent behavior. He really improved as a charcuterie throughout the book and it was refreshing to see. I also really liked Alessandra. If there’s one thing Ana Huang does well, it’s writing strong and diverse female leads.
Can’t wait for King of Sloth! Sloane is definitely one of my favorite female characters in this series.
Can’t wait for King of Sloth! Sloane is definitely one of my favorite female characters in this series.