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redfae's reviews
173 reviews
Soul of Light and Thunder by Arianne Nicks
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The prologue sets the history of the story and the strong bond Sophie has with her aunt. I absolutely loved the aunt and was really sad when she died.
I didn’t like Sophie as quickly as she fell in love with Kane. The story is original and not like any story I read before. Due to a strange gift left to Sophie by her late aunt, a broken mirror. This gift causes her to becomes part of a magical world she never knew existed. Sophie is special, and she must keep the mirror safe.
Kane & Ryu become her guides in understanding this new world where they can teleport to Japan, where there is an ongoing tournament testing their powers. The Satio brothers reminded me of the Salvatore brothers in The Vampire Diaries. I instantly liked their dynamic.
The main opponents of the Satio brothers were their other siblings, Raiden & Kaira. During their time training people come after Sophie, and the Satio brothers have to keep her safe. There was lots of fight scenes in the book, showing off their powers.
It all leads up to the final battle, where last minute changes to the rules to allow Sophie (a mortal) to attend. Now the brothers are competing and trying to keep her safe.
I’m glad I kept invested in the story because the ending was well worth the wait. I’m curious to see what takes place in book two as it ended on a juicy cliff hanger. Throughout the book their are snippets from “Him”, but it’s unclear who “Him” is and this builds intrigue.
If you like action, tournaments, and magical powers, go check it out.
I didn’t like Sophie as quickly as she fell in love with Kane. The story is original and not like any story I read before. Due to a strange gift left to Sophie by her late aunt, a broken mirror. This gift causes her to becomes part of a magical world she never knew existed. Sophie is special, and she must keep the mirror safe.
Kane & Ryu become her guides in understanding this new world where they can teleport to Japan, where there is an ongoing tournament testing their powers. The Satio brothers reminded me of the Salvatore brothers in The Vampire Diaries. I instantly liked their dynamic.
The main opponents of the Satio brothers were their other siblings, Raiden & Kaira. During their time training people come after Sophie, and the Satio brothers have to keep her safe. There was lots of fight scenes in the book, showing off their powers.
It all leads up to the final battle, where last minute changes to the rules to allow Sophie (a mortal) to attend. Now the brothers are competing and trying to keep her safe.
I’m glad I kept invested in the story because the ending was well worth the wait. I’m curious to see what takes place in book two as it ended on a juicy cliff hanger. Throughout the book their are snippets from “Him”, but it’s unclear who “Him” is and this builds intrigue.
If you like action, tournaments, and magical powers, go check it out.
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It’s good. I just didn’t love it as much as Cinderella is Dead.
Breises is adopted by her Lesbian mums who own a flower shop in the city and are stuggling to make ends meet. Breises has an unusual gift that gives her power over plants.
Breises turns out to be the heir of a huge estate, and it looks like the answers to their financial troubles. The trio move in, and Breises starts to uncover the family secrets and discovers theirs more to her powers than she initially thought. As she settles into the town, makes friends, the beginning of a romance, and starts up an apothecary businesses from home, they also discover they have enemies. The dream starts to become a nightmare.
Breises is a great character. I loved her poison Ivy style power.
Although I did enjoy this story, I felt it was slow to get going. The romance never amounted to much. The ending wasn’t fully resolved. It left me wanting more. I think this is a stand alone so that’s it, that’s all I get. No more.
It’s still a fun read and well written so I gave it 4 stars. Read it for LGBTQ Fantasy, poison Ivy style powers, and uncovering secrets & mythology.
Breises is adopted by her Lesbian mums who own a flower shop in the city and are stuggling to make ends meet. Breises has an unusual gift that gives her power over plants.
Breises turns out to be the heir of a huge estate, and it looks like the answers to their financial troubles. The trio move in, and Breises starts to uncover the family secrets and discovers theirs more to her powers than she initially thought. As she settles into the town, makes friends, the beginning of a romance, and starts up an apothecary businesses from home, they also discover they have enemies. The dream starts to become a nightmare.
Breises is a great character. I loved her poison Ivy style power.
Although I did enjoy this story, I felt it was slow to get going. The romance never amounted to much. The ending wasn’t fully resolved. It left me wanting more. I think this is a stand alone so that’s it, that’s all I get. No more.
It’s still a fun read and well written so I gave it 4 stars. Read it for LGBTQ Fantasy, poison Ivy style powers, and uncovering secrets & mythology.
The Guidal: Unearthing Secrets by Roxy Eloise
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my, the steam! This book is a lot more spicy than book one. Although they are closed door scenes, there’s enough detail to fill in the blanks. Aurora’s complicated love life causes her a rollercoaster of turmoil.
Sillah gets matched, which I loved. Aurora introduces Sillah and Sillah’s match to Puracordis magic. The teens start practicing and mastering their powers. This was so much fun to read & learn with them about the different types and spells.
There’s more fun with the competitive tournament. The corruption and cheating makes it more dangerous for Aurora, and her friends. They figure out others are using magic too. The arena and the bounties were so vivid, and their physical training at the Khakidemy is brilliant.
I really like Aurora. The love triangle between bad boy Tayo, and her perfect match Pax, made sense. I like how she stands up for those being mistreated or bullied, and the way she challenges the Boudfell family whenever she can.
Read it for romance, illegal magic and adventure.
Sillah gets matched, which I loved. Aurora introduces Sillah and Sillah’s match to Puracordis magic. The teens start practicing and mastering their powers. This was so much fun to read & learn with them about the different types and spells.
There’s more fun with the competitive tournament. The corruption and cheating makes it more dangerous for Aurora, and her friends. They figure out others are using magic too. The arena and the bounties were so vivid, and their physical training at the Khakidemy is brilliant.
I really like Aurora. The love triangle between bad boy Tayo, and her perfect match Pax, made sense. I like how she stands up for those being mistreated or bullied, and the way she challenges the Boudfell family whenever she can.
Read it for romance, illegal magic and adventure.
Rabbit's Nap by Julia Donaldson
5.0
This book was bought as a gift for my son's Christening at 6 months old. It coincided with him moving into his own room. His new bedtime routine was to include a story before milk. He really enjoyed this book and very quickly learnt to lift the flaps himself. Sometimes I do need to edge it open for him but quite often he has the dexterity to do it himself.
The story is simple and has a rhyme to it which my son really enjoys. The words are simple so if he is leaning forward excitedly and I can't see the text, I can usually guess what it says so I can continue with the story.
Six months on and this is a firm favourite with lovely illustrations. I expect that we will continue to read it for a few more years.
He has taken a keen interest in books and despite it's sturdy board pages, he has managed to bend the back page against the spine causing a crease. It's his book to explore and I know at his age it is very likely to get damaged. He hasn't damaged the flaps (yet) even with the excited tugging when he successfully lifts ones.
Really enjoy this one and we have the Fox one.
The story is simple and has a rhyme to it which my son really enjoys. The words are simple so if he is leaning forward excitedly and I can't see the text, I can usually guess what it says so I can continue with the story.
Six months on and this is a firm favourite with lovely illustrations. I expect that we will continue to read it for a few more years.
He has taken a keen interest in books and despite it's sturdy board pages, he has managed to bend the back page against the spine causing a crease. It's his book to explore and I know at his age it is very likely to get damaged. He hasn't damaged the flaps (yet) even with the excited tugging when he successfully lifts ones.
Really enjoy this one and we have the Fox one.
לשועל אין גרביים by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler
5.0
This book was bought as a gift for my son's Christening at 6 months old. It coincided with him moving into his own room. His new bedtime routine was to include a story before milk. He really enjoyed this book and very quickly learnt to lift the flaps himself. Sometimes I do need to edge it open for him but quite often he has the dexterity to do it himself.
The story is simple and has a rhyme to it which my son really enjoys. The words are simple so if he is leaning forward excitedly and I can't see the text, I can usually guess what it says so I can continue with the story.
Six months on and this is a firm favourite with lovely illustrations. I expect that we will continue to read it for a few more years.
He has taken a keen interest in books and despite it's sturdy board pages, he has managed to bend the back page against the spine causing a crease. It's his book to explore and I know at his age it is very likely to get damaged. He hasn't damaged the flaps (yet) even with the excited tugging when he successfully lifts ones.
Really enjoy this one and we have the Rabbit one.
The story is simple and has a rhyme to it which my son really enjoys. The words are simple so if he is leaning forward excitedly and I can't see the text, I can usually guess what it says so I can continue with the story.
Six months on and this is a firm favourite with lovely illustrations. I expect that we will continue to read it for a few more years.
He has taken a keen interest in books and despite it's sturdy board pages, he has managed to bend the back page against the spine causing a crease. It's his book to explore and I know at his age it is very likely to get damaged. He hasn't damaged the flaps (yet) even with the excited tugging when he successfully lifts ones.
Really enjoy this one and we have the Rabbit one.