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wrappedupinpages
The end of a beautiful series!
There were parts of this book that made it my favorite of the three in this trilogy. Elyria being attacked by her own shadows and for months staying trapped and tortured. I appreciated how grief and trauma are handled as someone who has been through both the last 3 years with my chronic pain due to being attacked by a patient when I worked as a nurse. It's so easy to lose that autonomy and Elyria won't stand for that: she goes through so much grief over losing her wings that she is afraid to hope that they could be reattached.
The battle scene towards the end was insane!! Left and right people being taken out, it was difficult at times to picture it based on how it is written.
Overall, I enjoyed this conclusion to the Shattered Crown! I loved the ending with the crown becoming one and Elyria also got a crown!
There were parts of this book that made it my favorite of the three in this trilogy. Elyria being attacked by her own shadows and for months staying trapped and tortured. I appreciated how grief and trauma are handled as someone who has been through both the last 3 years with my chronic pain due to being attacked by a patient when I worked as a nurse. It's so easy to lose that autonomy and Elyria won't stand for that: she goes through so much grief over losing her wings that she is afraid to hope that they could be reattached.
The battle scene towards the end was insane!! Left and right people being taken out, it was difficult at times to picture it based on how it is written.
Overall, I enjoyed this conclusion to the Shattered Crown! I loved the ending with the crown becoming one and Elyria also got a crown!
Another good read from Kingfisher!
Thank you Macmillan Audio for gifting me this audiobook!
For this story, the setting and time frame, in countryside in a society with different classes of people. This setting is a good one for the reinvention of a sorcerer to be whatever she wishes and get away with it too.
Duel narrated, I preferred Hester over Cordelia, not because of the narration, but who they are as people. I connected more with Hester. Cordelia came off as her weak, but I imagine if you have been abused your whole life by your sorcerer mother, it would lead to someone who is terrified to make a mistake or stand up to their abuser.
I loved the friend group of Steven, Penelope, Imogene, Hester, and the Squire! I'm not familiar with the Grimm Brothers story about the goose girl ( I imagine that is Hester.
Now if you really want to have some fun, take a drink for every time that tea was mentioned! It was very comical
I recommends this book to anyone that wants a cozy fantasy with some darker elements.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for gifting me this audiobook!
For this story, the setting and time frame, in countryside in a society with different classes of people. This setting is a good one for the reinvention of a sorcerer to be whatever she wishes and get away with it too.
Duel narrated, I preferred Hester over Cordelia, not because of the narration, but who they are as people. I connected more with Hester. Cordelia came off as her weak, but I imagine if you have been abused your whole life by your sorcerer mother, it would lead to someone who is terrified to make a mistake or stand up to their abuser.
I loved the friend group of Steven, Penelope, Imogene, Hester, and the Squire! I'm not familiar with the Grimm Brothers story about the goose girl ( I imagine that is Hester.
Now if you really want to have some fun, take a drink for every time that tea was mentioned! It was very comical
I recommends this book to anyone that wants a cozy fantasy with some darker elements.
6 months. That's all Orpheus had before he was ripped from Fenrir. These characters are so human in their emotions. Orpheus struggling with complex feelings because Fenrir is always putting others before himself, while Orpheus wants them to just go and live their life out in their own place. Then Orpheus storming away is a very appropriate response while I think a typical fantasy would have him almost demanding Fenrir become king.
I also appreciate how real Orpheus' torture is. So often books brush over it and don't include the actual scenes of abuse. Leaning toward horror genre in the visual description of what's going on. This is grit and horror I've wanted in so many fantasy books where the hero falls and seems to brush the serious injury off like it's "merely a flesh wound". As someone who experiences debilitating pain everyday, I know severe pain very well and I don't want a sugar coated description. I want the reality so it's actually believable
I totally pictured the giants from Attack on Titans when the prometheus came into the story!
Fiona is so good at capturing truly human behaviors. The complexities that even "good" people make bad decisions because of the circumstances they find themselves in. Because they are simply human. Same with relationships, getting the back story of Fenrir's past of being sold to a mine so the family could survive was horrendous. Little Fenrir holding onto hope of his mother coming for him. It broke my heart for him. I don't know how he was able to move past that as he sees her everyday.
The twist and turns of this story kept me on the edge of my seat! That ending setting up for book 3 had me shook!! I couldn't put it down! I had to keep telling myself to slow down with my reading because the tension and suspense were so strong.
To say I enjoyed this book is an understatement! I highly recommend and will be to anyone who will listen.
6/5⭐️
I also appreciate how real Orpheus' torture is. So often books brush over it and don't include the actual scenes of abuse. Leaning toward horror genre in the visual description of what's going on. This is grit and horror I've wanted in so many fantasy books where the hero falls and seems to brush the serious injury off like it's "merely a flesh wound". As someone who experiences debilitating pain everyday, I know severe pain very well and I don't want a sugar coated description. I want the reality so it's actually believable
I totally pictured the giants from Attack on Titans when the prometheus came into the story!
Fiona is so good at capturing truly human behaviors. The complexities that even "good" people make bad decisions because of the circumstances they find themselves in. Because they are simply human. Same with relationships, getting the back story of Fenrir's past of being sold to a mine so the family could survive was horrendous. Little Fenrir holding onto hope of his mother coming for him. It broke my heart for him. I don't know how he was able to move past that as he sees her everyday.
The twist and turns of this story kept me on the edge of my seat! That ending setting up for book 3 had me shook!! I couldn't put it down! I had to keep telling myself to slow down with my reading because the tension and suspense were so strong.
To say I enjoyed this book is an understatement! I highly recommend and will be to anyone who will listen.
6/5⭐️
Thank you so much to Macmillan audio for gifting me this audiobook!
This is my first book by Marie Lu
The premise sounded so intriguing, but the execution left me a little confused. We have Rose, a harbinger of death who gave up her life to save her friend lane. Rose was in school to be a doctor. Though she shares information that a medical personal would understand, what level of education she achieved is not disclosed.
I found the character's to be underdeveloped overall. I wanted to like Rose, but so much time is spent on her relationship with Lane even though that was only a few years and it's been way more since she died. The story makes it seem like she didn't really know Etienne other than that he is working for the god of lies who doesn't get along with Rose's god Raven. However, their relationship feels very insta love. There is very little tension or buildup to Raven having Rose use her connection with him to find out where the unbalance in the universe is coming from. We get very little of Rose's past other than lane and she grew up in an orphanage and felt like something is wrong with her that her mom gave her up as a baby.
The plot also was underdeveloped. To me, this story needed another 100 pages of information to effectively build the world and plot. The concept though of there being gods with harbingers that have buildings that are magical and optical illusions is so interesting! Maybe book 2 of this duology will provide more information for the plot holes I saw.
Audiobook wise, I loved the narration! It was done flawlessly! Helped create more suspense for me.
This is my first book by Marie Lu
The premise sounded so intriguing, but the execution left me a little confused. We have Rose, a harbinger of death who gave up her life to save her friend lane. Rose was in school to be a doctor. Though she shares information that a medical personal would understand, what level of education she achieved is not disclosed.
I found the character's to be underdeveloped overall. I wanted to like Rose, but so much time is spent on her relationship with Lane even though that was only a few years and it's been way more since she died. The story makes it seem like she didn't really know Etienne other than that he is working for the god of lies who doesn't get along with Rose's god Raven. However, their relationship feels very insta love. There is very little tension or buildup to Raven having Rose use her connection with him to find out where the unbalance in the universe is coming from. We get very little of Rose's past other than lane and she grew up in an orphanage and felt like something is wrong with her that her mom gave her up as a baby.
The plot also was underdeveloped. To me, this story needed another 100 pages of information to effectively build the world and plot. The concept though of there being gods with harbingers that have buildings that are magical and optical illusions is so interesting! Maybe book 2 of this duology will provide more information for the plot holes I saw.
Audiobook wise, I loved the narration! It was done flawlessly! Helped create more suspense for me.
This story is everything I want from a paranormal romance. The depth to Raff as someone coming off a successful career as a hurdler comes to a crashing halt with a knee injury. I connected a lot with Raff. He lost his whole identity, his support group of fellow players and coaches. Now he is now only often in pain, but he has to take work as a ghost extinguisher. Seeing Raff fall in love and find his new identity/purpose made me so happy for him! Also, his sweet care of Eric physically and emotionally reminds me so much of my own girlfriend.
Eric also grows and changes throughout the story. The fact that Raff can see him is a metaphor for Raff seeing into Eric's heart. Eric is so sweet and kind. He reminds me so much of one of my brothers.
The way this story reveals itself is through small moments that add up to create something so powerful. Checking off Eric's end of life wish list, talking about their fears into the late night, allows this story to grab your heart so slowly that before you know it you will be in love with no escape.
My only negative is that because the book builds at a slower rate, the ending felt a little rushed. I also purposely only read a little at a time to draw this book out as long as I could.
The setting for this story couldn't have been more perfect. As someone who has traveled to Ireland, there is a magical element to the countryside with its scattered ruins, stone fences, and tiny one car roads that not only made the story believable, but also gives it a whimsical vibe that I love!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves queer ghosts, true love, and the little moments that add together to create a beautiful story
4.75⭐️
3⭐️
Eric also grows and changes throughout the story. The fact that Raff can see him is a metaphor for Raff seeing into Eric's heart. Eric is so sweet and kind. He reminds me so much of one of my brothers.
The way this story reveals itself is through small moments that add up to create something so powerful. Checking off Eric's end of life wish list, talking about their fears into the late night, allows this story to grab your heart so slowly that before you know it you will be in love with no escape.
My only negative is that because the book builds at a slower rate, the ending felt a little rushed. I also purposely only read a little at a time to draw this book out as long as I could.
The setting for this story couldn't have been more perfect. As someone who has traveled to Ireland, there is a magical element to the countryside with its scattered ruins, stone fences, and tiny one car roads that not only made the story believable, but also gives it a whimsical vibe that I love!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves queer ghosts, true love, and the little moments that add together to create a beautiful story
4.75⭐️
3⭐️
I really enjoyed this story! The premise of smart kids getting in trouble with the law and being recruited to a "boarding school" is fascinating. So often teens magically can do hand to hand contact and run covert missions, but in this case they are actually trained (their skills revolving around how long they have been at the school.
I loved that these kids question authority and don't just blindly follow orders. This story is complex and could have easily been weighed down, but I was able to easily follow the story line.
The only issue I had was the portrayal of all Russians to be severe and dark tempered. I don't understand why even though the family did migrate to the US from Russia, but she is just a teen and apparently her dad trained her to be severe and serious all the time? But then she ends up out whiting her dad.
This story gave me a bit of Fallout vibes since the Cold War never ended. I will be reading the sequel!
I loved that these kids question authority and don't just blindly follow orders. This story is complex and could have easily been weighed down, but I was able to easily follow the story line.
The only issue I had was the portrayal of all Russians to be severe and dark tempered. I don't understand why even though the family did migrate to the US from Russia, but she is just a teen and apparently her dad trained her to be severe and serious all the time? But then she ends up out whiting her dad.
This story gave me a bit of Fallout vibes since the Cold War never ended. I will be reading the sequel!
The Stolen Crown by LJ Andrews is officially out in the world! This fourth Ever Seas book can be read as a standalone, so you can dive in even if you're new to the series.
Tait and Mira are pure chaos and chemistry. Think a grumpy, brooding fae and a charming glamour princess who cannot stand being stuck together, shipwrecked far from home with danger around every wave.
The forced proximity is delicious, the tension is sharp, and the slow thaw between them had me completely hooked. If you love fantasy romance with a stormy sea setting and a grudge that burns hot, this one is for you.
Tait and Mira are pure chaos and chemistry. Think a grumpy, brooding fae and a charming glamour princess who cannot stand being stuck together, shipwrecked far from home with danger around every wave.
The forced proximity is delicious, the tension is sharp, and the slow thaw between them had me completely hooked. If you love fantasy romance with a stormy sea setting and a grudge that burns hot, this one is for you.
Me over here drying my eyes after finishing the audiobook for this book. 😢 So sad at times, but also so heartfelt.
This is my first time reading anything by O'Rourke and I will definitely be reading the next book in this series!
Set against the backdrop of endless skies and real cowboys, set in picturesque Montana, this story reflects the closeness of rural, small town living. Daisy comes back home after years of being away after the death of her father and his best friend/ fellow rancher. Now an experienced and established journalist, Daisy is back under the pretense of writing an article about multi generational ranching, or at least that's what she tells everyone. Because the car accident three years ago that took her father and his best friend (the Harley's dad)hasn't been setting right with Daisy and she is hell bent on figuring out what really happened.
My attention was grabbed from the start because I do love suspense with my romance. It's hard not to like Daisy, she is smart, ambitious, and knows how to not only stand up for herself, but to not back down no matter the obstacles.
I appreciated the short flashbacks to milestones in her life when she spent all her summers and some holidays with her dad on the ranch in Montana. If anything, I would have loved more of them that were centered around her and Wyatt, the oldest of the Hartley clan whom Daisy grew up with and had a crush on.
Wyatt has been head over heels for Daisy since she was 20 and was visiting her dad for the holidays and he saw her in a red dress. I felt Wyatt's character fell a little flat at times. He is so determined to follow Daisy's dad's word to not hold Daisy back from her dreams by trapping her in Blackstone Creek. He mostly grunts and walks around very grumpy. I wanted more flashbacks from his POV rather than them being mostly from Daisy's perspective.
I listened to the audiobook and I wasn't a fan of either narrators, especially Wyatt's because every time he tried voicing a female part. He did this odd squeaky voice that was very annoying. However, I don't rate books based on the audiobook performance since that is not really in the authors control. Just something to keep in mind when deciding to read or listen to the audiobook.
The story started out a little slow, but the second half was action packed! I didn't see the end coming! The suspense was intense! Especially that kitchen scene (Sorry, no spoilers here!). Daisy's maturity really shone through though. Overall, realistic and believable.
I can't wait to continue the story as I already love the Hartley family and can't wait to read each family's member's book while hopefully getting more updates on those whose story came before such as Daisy and Wyatt. The epilogue had the tears falling.
If you are a Catherine Cowles fan, you will love this series!
This is my first time reading anything by O'Rourke and I will definitely be reading the next book in this series!
Set against the backdrop of endless skies and real cowboys, set in picturesque Montana, this story reflects the closeness of rural, small town living. Daisy comes back home after years of being away after the death of her father and his best friend/ fellow rancher. Now an experienced and established journalist, Daisy is back under the pretense of writing an article about multi generational ranching, or at least that's what she tells everyone. Because the car accident three years ago that took her father and his best friend (the Harley's dad)hasn't been setting right with Daisy and she is hell bent on figuring out what really happened.
My attention was grabbed from the start because I do love suspense with my romance. It's hard not to like Daisy, she is smart, ambitious, and knows how to not only stand up for herself, but to not back down no matter the obstacles.
I appreciated the short flashbacks to milestones in her life when she spent all her summers and some holidays with her dad on the ranch in Montana. If anything, I would have loved more of them that were centered around her and Wyatt, the oldest of the Hartley clan whom Daisy grew up with and had a crush on.
Wyatt has been head over heels for Daisy since she was 20 and was visiting her dad for the holidays and he saw her in a red dress. I felt Wyatt's character fell a little flat at times. He is so determined to follow Daisy's dad's word to not hold Daisy back from her dreams by trapping her in Blackstone Creek. He mostly grunts and walks around very grumpy. I wanted more flashbacks from his POV rather than them being mostly from Daisy's perspective.
I listened to the audiobook and I wasn't a fan of either narrators, especially Wyatt's because every time he tried voicing a female part. He did this odd squeaky voice that was very annoying. However, I don't rate books based on the audiobook performance since that is not really in the authors control. Just something to keep in mind when deciding to read or listen to the audiobook.
The story started out a little slow, but the second half was action packed! I didn't see the end coming! The suspense was intense! Especially that kitchen scene (Sorry, no spoilers here!). Daisy's maturity really shone through though. Overall, realistic and believable.
I can't wait to continue the story as I already love the Hartley family and can't wait to read each family's member's book while hopefully getting more updates on those whose story came before such as Daisy and Wyatt. The epilogue had the tears falling.
If you are a Catherine Cowles fan, you will love this series!
From beginning to end, this story was masterfully written. Between the world building, character development, and unfurling of the plot, I was mesmerized.
I booked marked so many interactions between the main characters Sage and Archer because they were so beautiful. Sage ordering flowers for Archer. Helping him see himself as more than the Black Flame.
As someone with severe chronic pain that flares up whenever it likes, I connected with Sage. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of pain. Also, the fact that Sage saw so many doctors and none could figure out what was wrong and said she was "just doing it for attention," also hit a familiar chord because the same has happened to me.
I appreciated the sisterhood between Sage and Raven and the way they lean on each other for support as they navigate being business owners in a world where woman aren't welcome as craftsmen. The group name, Consortium of Difficult Women had me chucking.
I have a feeling this one is going to be in my top 5 read of the year. The ending was insane! I never saw it coming. 1000% recommend!
I booked marked so many interactions between the main characters Sage and Archer because they were so beautiful. Sage ordering flowers for Archer. Helping him see himself as more than the Black Flame.
As someone with severe chronic pain that flares up whenever it likes, I connected with Sage. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of pain. Also, the fact that Sage saw so many doctors and none could figure out what was wrong and said she was "just doing it for attention," also hit a familiar chord because the same has happened to me.
I appreciated the sisterhood between Sage and Raven and the way they lean on each other for support as they navigate being business owners in a world where woman aren't welcome as craftsmen. The group name, Consortium of Difficult Women had me chucking.
I have a feeling this one is going to be in my top 5 read of the year. The ending was insane! I never saw it coming. 1000% recommend!
I couldn't get to my computer to type this review up! Wow! It's been years since I've read a large series. I am partial to duologues, but this series has changed that! This is the best 3rd book I've read in a series. It's just perfection. Contained multitudes of reactions from me!
I was fully immersed in this story very quickly. The first half was a slower pace, but I never felt bored. Instead, pieces were moving into place like a chess game. As everything starts to unfold around the second half (the half I was heading into last night before bed. Big mistake because it's 6am now). I realized very quickly that pieces from even BTOATO (book 1) clicked into place. All my questions were answered AND I'm said I'm reading this as an ARC so I have a long wait ahead of me for book 5! 😭
I was held in suspense , then crying sad tears and happy tears as everything unfolded. Just mind blown by how all pieces fit together in this book!
Rayne & Coel are my favorite fantasy couples! The way their lives have some together, broken apart and come back together. There is a balance of sexy banter, sweet dialogue, and passion. The yearning!!! They both yearn so badly for each other. Seeing how their relationship has been established over the last 3 books.
Let this be your sign to start this series because book 4 is going to be crazy!!!
I was fully immersed in this story very quickly. The first half was a slower pace, but I never felt bored. Instead, pieces were moving into place like a chess game. As everything starts to unfold around the second half (the half I was heading into last night before bed. Big mistake because it's 6am now). I realized very quickly that pieces from even BTOATO (book 1) clicked into place. All my questions were answered AND I'm said I'm reading this as an ARC so I have a long wait ahead of me for book 5! 😭
I was held in suspense , then crying sad tears and happy tears as everything unfolded. Just mind blown by how all pieces fit together in this book!
Rayne & Coel are my favorite fantasy couples! The way their lives have some together, broken apart and come back together. There is a balance of sexy banter, sweet dialogue, and passion. The yearning!!! They both yearn so badly for each other. Seeing how their relationship has been established over the last 3 books.
Let this be your sign to start this series because book 4 is going to be crazy!!!