Book Review: Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn & Grim #1)

 

Dreamer's Pool

Juliet Marillier

4/5

Blackthorn has been wrongly imprisoned for over a year, though it is finally time for her to receive a just trial it seems like the guards have other plans. She has basically come to terms with the fact that her death is imminent until a fae offers her the chance for freedom in exchange for seven years of service. She takes the deal and escapes with another prisoner, Grim, to finish her service in a faraway place. 

I think this book was super interesting just like the other books I've read by Juliet Marillier. She creates weird and provocative boundaries between normal and uncomfortable and really makes you wonder about morality. Blackthorn and Grim are characters that have suffered so much in life but understand each other so well. They might have their setbacks but they feel like such intrinsically good and honest characters. I think that it's such a perfect balance of the flaws that each of them have working together to make such a subtlety effective team. Not gonna call this a romance though, there might be the potential for romance but it's definitely purely platonic here.  

My issue with this book would be the portrayal of sexual abuse. I think that it's probably a pretty decent job, it's an extremely complicated issue that's obviously very difficult to write. But the false accusations hit a bad note with me. I understand how it was a manipulation of what Blackthorn was most set-off by, but it felt as though it was stepping back on the ultimate point of how often women are mistreated and how little power they had to change it. I also don't think the punishment was suitable, the girl was scared and had no selfish motivations for the initial problem. I hope that that point gets reopened later and that we can find some forgiveness for a crime not nearly as significant as the others mentioned throughout the book.

All in all though I think it was pretty enjoyable. Kind of high fantasy, a little disconnected from the actual characters in favor of a more omniscient perspective but in a manageable sort of way. If you like Julier Marillier's other books I think this is a fantastic addition.

Book Review: Rhapsodic (The Bargainer #1)

Rhapsodic

Laura Thalassa

3/5

I'm literally so conflicted on this rating, I don't know if three stars does it justice but I don't know if it deserves four stars? When Callypso was a teenager, she struck a deal with the Bargainer, a powerful figure who takes magical IOUs in return for basically you can ask for. These IOUs usually come with some devastating side effects and political turmoil, and Callie has somehow found herself owing over 300 of them. 

I enjoyed it, I think it's an enjoyable read. I think it was really questionable at points and really reminiscent of ACOTAR. I loved the combination of past and present POVs, I think that the author did a great job distinguishing between the Callie of before and the Callie of now. The problem I really had with that was how much she grew and how little he did. Maybe that's something that could be fixed in the next book but I'm kind of sick of the super old dude who is just waiting the girl's arc out. I know the seven years had an impact on him but I didn't feel it in the same way I felt it from her. 

I also think that the conflict was rushed at the end. They basically spent 350 pages on pointless stuff- well integral to the characters rather than the conflict. That's fine, but I think it would have been better if the book had ended on a cliffhanger rather than a resolution on that front. I know that another issue is going to pop up quickly, but I think the pacing could have just been better. 

I think it was much more entertaining than it was... good? It's the kind of book that was fun while it lasted but doesn't stand up to much critical thought after your finished with it. Which is totally fine, sometimes you just need that kind of read and if you're looking for it then I think this is a great one! But also if you want something super deep, maybe hold off for a bit. 

Book Review: An Heir Comes to Rise (An Heir Comes to Rise #1)

An Heir Comes to Rise

C.C. Peñaranda

3/5

Faythe has spent her whole life just scraping by. She discovers that she's not bad with a sword and can make a living through competitive fighting. But the fighting isn't the end of it when she also finds out that she can jump into the minds of others, an ability previously reserved for the fae alone. She gets training from a fae guard but her skills and powers aren't the only thing putting her at risk. 

I'd like to say that the cover for this book is gorgeous, 10/10 on that one indie books can be a little hit or miss. The plot felt a little too convenient for my tastes though, everything that happened was just so easy and so thoroughly explained. I don't like it when authors tell me what I'm supposed to just perceive and I felt like everything was being told to me. 

I can see why this was compared to ACOTAR- mainly through the use of the words female and male. I swear if there's one thing SJM should be attacked for it should be for the perpetuation of that terminology. If it follows the same progression I'm hoping that the love interests are going to have a better arc, it was just way too easy here. 

Not the worst book I've ever read but not super interesting and a little tough to get through at points. I think it has a lot of potential for growth but as it was it kind of fades away with all the other fae books of this generation. 

Book Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Stuart Turton

3/5

When Aiden Bishop wakes up, he has no idea who or where he is. He has just one name on his lips, Anna, who he thinks he just saw being murdered. He soon discovers that everything is fabricated, that he isn't just one person and that he has been hopping from mind to mind for eight repeated days for decades. The only way out is to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, but he is not not the only one attempting to do so. 

This book is so complicated. It's non-chronological in the most difficult way to process because you're constantly getting snippets from other days, that are also simultaneously the same days? I really think that the best way to describe it is Knives Out meets Black Mirror, only because it's very Knives Out in the attempts to solve the murder but has a weird paranormal sci-fi element that's somewhat reminiscent of Black Mirror?

It just felt a little difficult to make it through at points because it was just so heavy with information. I don't have great critical thinking skills so it was hard for me to understand. I'm also much more character-focused than plot-focused, and this wasn't really a book that focused on the characters. Like, the characters and their senses of self were important to the plot but I also felt like I didn't really know them because they were so lost in their alternative lives. It just made the choice at the end feel kind of weak because I couldn't really feel the buildup to it?

It wasn't bad by any definition, it just felt a little too complex. I did appreciate what it was trying to go for though, it's a super unique premise that really kept you guessing until the very end.

Book Review: Black Chalk

 

Black Chalk

Christopher Yates

2/5

This book runs in the same circuit as The Secret History and If We Were Villains, tragic events motivated by irresponsible students at some sort of institution. AKA Dark Academia. Six students enter into a game with high stakes, all of them trying to win the large sum of money at the end of the line. But it's non-chronological, so you know that not all of them are going to make it out alive. 

Weak. That's the best word to describe the sequence of events in this book. Nothing really felt as significant as the author wanted it to feel. The worst dares to me were the ones completed at the beginning of the game, the stuff that got them out just didn't seem all that bad in the scheme of things. It also could be that the boundaries of the game were just poorly defined from the start. There wasn't enough characterization for me to feel bad for the students, I really had no preference between any of them because they all just seemed kind of stupid. 

The ending was especially disappointing. Are they friends? Are they enemies? Why did all of that stuff happen? The author was definitely going for something bigger than what he actually supported and he totally missed the mark. The person who died was easily identified, the betrayals were easily predicted, everything felt shallow and weak. You can't compare yourself to a modern classic like The Secret History that expect me to be impressed with you just trying to sound fancy. 

I'm giving it two stars because I guess there were some mysteries? I don't know, I finished it and didn't hate every minute of it it was just so predictable. Maybe I'm being too harsh, I just didn't think it was all that enjoyable. 

Book Review: Skyhunter (Skyhunter #1)

 

Skyhunter

Marie Lu

4/5

I've read a couple of Marie Lu's series, but not since I was in high school. This one is different but still brings the same level of quality. Talin has been training to fight the Federation, a conquering nation that stole her homeland and voice, since she was twelve years old. When her partner is killed in battle, she feels lost. When she sees a mutinous soldier of the Federation being executed for the crime of silence, she can't help but protest. It sets up a chain of events that puts her on the true front lines of the fight. 

I got major Attack on Titan vibes from this, if that helps you make your decision. It's marketed as sci-fi but it feels kind of more fantasy-like, though it definitely could be dystopian and it's too soon to tell. I really enjoyed the build up and their separate character arcs. I have beef with side characters being killed for main character growth, but you know it happened before she tried to get us attached with a half-assed attempt at like banter or something. But yeah, characters battling with trauma and just her muteness are always great to see in YA because it adds another level of depth to the writing.

The only problem that I had with it would have had to be how straightforward a lot of the conflict was. People were racist people were ableist and that was that. I also really hope that her disability isn't explained through her own ability to conquer it. I don't think that anyone is looking for a character who has to grow to be worthy of her power. I don't want her to be fixed, I like the way she is and I'll be upset if that becomes part of her arc.

I'm excited though, I think that the world has a lot of potential and she set it up to be really cool in a lot of different ways. The ending especially, it opens a lot of possibilities up for the complexity of the sequel. I'm not all that surprised that Marie Lu is bringing another great book to the table but I'm happy to be a part of it yet again.  

 

Book Review: Daisy Jones & The Six

 

Daisy Jones & The Six

Taylor Jenkins Reid

5/5

A historical fiction written in kind of a documentary style, Daisy Jones & The Six follows the rise and fall of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. It was an era of rock and roll, things moved fast and if you couldn't keep up you get left behind.  

It's the kind of book that stresses you out because you're expecting chaos and you're expecting everything to fall apart. But it's so interesting, it really keeps your attention throughout the entirety and it's written in a way that's extremely easy to digest. The end is like simultaneously satisfying and heartbreaking, it's like an ending that needed to happen but all endings would have made me somewhat upset. I hate it when characters destroy their lives but this book perfectly balanced catastrophe and obligation. 

I've heard that the audiobook is even more impactful, but like reading it as it was still shook me. I can't wait to see the songs actually performed when its produced, it's all such a perfect construction of heartbreak and grief and impossible love.  

Book Review: The Dark Days Deceit (Lady Helen #3)

 

The Dark Days Deceit

Alison Goodman

3/5 

The third and final book in the Lady Helen trilogy, The Dark Days Deceit picks up about six months after the ending of the last one. Lady Helen is engaged to the Duke of Selburn, they are set to be married on the first day of the new year and it's going to be big. Everyone's congratulating her for making such a perfect match, but she's not very happy with it. For one thing, she's on track to fight the first Grand Deceiver in hundreds of years and that's a bit scarier than getting married. But also, she's kind of in love with someone else. 

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually liked this book to be quite honest. Like, it's literally everything I want in a plot- regency, demon hunting, special powers, romance. But it just fell kind of flat to what it could have been. The ultimate villain felt kind of predictable and all the deaths along the way were kind of predictable as well. I think I was probably in a bad headspace to read it though because it's my third book in a row where the happy-go-lucky sidekick was killed to advance the arc of the main protagonists. 

A lot of things at the end just felt so rushed and incomplete. We've been hyping these things up for the whole trilogy and then they were just done? It just didn't feel like the ending that these characters deserved. The chemistry between certain characters felt off the whole time and I don't think that was ever acknowledged. I'll still recommend this series to people because again, it checks all the boxes and was kind of enjoyable along the way. I just feel like it could've been more.

Book Review: A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)

 

A Torch Against the Night

Sabaa Tahir

3/5 

This is the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes and picks up immediately where the first book left off. Elias and Laia are fleeing from the Empire on a mission to save her brother while Helene is trying to save her family without destroying the boy who has always been her closest friend. They're all trying to balance their friends and families with doing what's right for entire nations of people. 

It was okay. I was like interested enough to keep reading but also a little bored with it at the same time. I didn't like how easy everything felt- killing side characters and vilifying certain characters completely. I'm more of a fan of morally grey rather than everyone makes the right or wrong choices. Helene is a good balance but her POVs were also a little boring because she was so wishy washy on her beliefs. I know that sounds contradicting, but I wanted a better balance of difficult choices mixed with a strong belief system. 

Laia was kind of ruined in my eyes. I think she can recover from it, but her being so subservient and doubtful of herself really rubbed me the wrong way. It's like, a random event was added in to traumatize her and shake up her arc and it just felt out of place. I liked her a lot more in the first book, but I guess it's hard being the center of a love triangle like that when I'm not a huge fan of love triangles. 

I think I'll probably read on, I'm just a little disappointed by the build up here. I know it's hard to write good middle books in series cause you're trying to answer just enough questions to keep the drama going, I just think this book didn't do the best job with it.

Book Review: A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3)

A Conjuring of Light

V.E. Schwab

5/5

This is so bittersweet because I feel like this book resolved everything pretty well and nicely but I kind of just want more. The book starts off where the last one ended like almost exactly but it's an extremely fast-paced novel, by the time I got to the end I felt as though I had read three. And though it was a little predictable at points, I completely understand the hype of this trilogy. 

Lila is such a unique protagonist. She's truly morally gray, but not so much that you can't find yourself rooting for her ARC. I think that she was raised in a certain way and that really rationalizes the way that she acts. I think she's especially unique for this, she's growing and by no means stagnant but she still stays true to the ideals which have been obviously ingrained in her. I love her and I love Kell and I love them together- even though I wish I had more interactions between them.

I also think that Rhy is a very well-written character who I felt like I understand a lot better after reading this book. I think that his arc, both in character growth and romantically, was more direct but still amazing. The line about a prince belong with his king? Had me in tears. Also him at the end on the balcony? I don't know why that just hit me so hard it was just all too much.

So it was a bit predictable, I knew exactly who was going to die and it went basically exactly how I thought it would. I don't think that necessarily took away from my enjoyment of the book, it was a little disappointing though. I also was a little upset that we didn't get more information into Kell and Lila's backstories, I know that this is more found family and the insistence that the past doesn't truly matter but you know I really wouldn't have minded knowing. 

Overall, an amazing trilogy. V.E. Schwab has such a talent for writing characters who really pop, characters who you're rooting for but who you can also understand the flaws of. I definitely recommend this trilogy if you've been holding out forever like I have.  

Book Review: Marked (The Coldest Fae #3)

Marked

Katerina Martinez

3/5

I would have totally missed the release of this book if I weren't on Katerina Martinez's email list, I don't know why Goodreads doesn't have it under the series like the other two but this is definitely the third book in the Coldest Fae. Dahlia is on the run from the fae government and she still doesn't understand why she's even there. She finds a secret society and the magic gets even crazier. 

I don't know I felt as though a couple things were just given to us in this book and I didn't like it as much. I didn't hate anything about it, I just felt like we were waiting a long time for certain things to happen and then they just kind of happened in this book. Like, the romance was building building building and was all the sudden resolved. The question of her parentage was a huge mystery and then it was just done? I think that the whole rival group plot line is interesting but I also think it needs to be fleshed out a little more before it's super unique.

I've liked this series, I also really like the covers and the way that they're progressing just slightly with the plot lines. I'll be looking forward to the release of the next one just cause I'm excited to see everything resolved.

Book Review: Children of Fallen Gods (The War of Lost Hearts #2)

Children of Fallen Gods

Carissa Broadbent

5/5

I'll start by saying that I was provided an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I couldn't be more grateful because it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it definitely did not disappoint. Children of Fallen Gods picks up very close to where Daughter of No Worlds left off, a boat full of refugees trying to find their way in a new nation. Tisaanah and Max quickly discover that new complications will make their journey even harder than they originally anticipated as they are pulled onto the battlefield yet again.  

Okay so I don't think I have ever comprehensively loved characters as much as I love Tisaanah and Max. I don't like reading perfect characters, I love characters in spite of their mistakes. Sometimes though, characters that I love make such obvious mistakes in their quest to avoid being classified as a perfect character. Tisaanah and Max run into roadblocks and failures, but they don't make decisions that conflict with the values that make them who they are. Their relationship is such a beautifully crafted dichotomy of their past experiences that make them such an effective and comprehensive unit. 

This book was so much better than the first, both in the emotional descriptions of the characters and the action. It's more high fantasy, more complex, and explores much deeper concepts. I loved every minute of it even though it dealt with some things that I don't typically like in novels. Like an additional POV, I'm usually kind of romance centered and don't want to read about someone else but the events are all so amazingly woven together. On that same note, romances where the protagonists are separated for extensive periods. This is a particular problem in the second books in trilogies because I feel like it's difficult to build a strong relationship the whole time through. Despite separations in this book, the relationship still grew so much and evolved into something better than I could have ever anticipated. 

So yeah, I'm recommending this book and this series very strongly. I love everything about it. If you're a fan of good romances, complex magic, and strong worldbuilding, this series will definitely check off all the boxes. I'm still shaken by just how well-written it all was and I know I'll be thinking about it quite a bit for the next few days. 

Book Review: Acolyte (Tempris #2)

Acolyte

Stephanie Fisher

4/5

After being separated, somewhat by choice and somewhat by circumstance, Skye and Taly are both trying to figure out how to best serve their kingdom and find their way back to each other. Taly is trapped in some temporal loop until she can master her time magic and Skye is trapped in a position which he used to be proud to hold until it decided to hold him back from saving his best friend. 

I think that the worldbuilding and writing style was just a lot stronger in this book. I talked about their being a bit of literal conversations in the last book that kind of turned me off, this one was a lot less of that. I did think some of the portions were a little heavy in the descriptions, but time travel is kind of crazy complicated and I can understand why that was necessary. I love the time magic and all the different kinds of magic in general, they're complicated but open so many doors for great plot lines. The thought that went into the time manipulations was insane, I was struggling to keep up with all the twists and turns.

The romance is also pretty good, though I'm still not sure on how much they bonded as children. I think that the addition of his brother as a possible romantic rival is something that I don't need and I hope it's not all that significant in the future books. I really like the idea of antics that span across so many different timelines to the point that they're never sure what's going to happen next, the idea of Taly being able to see a completely different world than Skye but still taking him along for the ride.

Yeah so I'll definitely be reading any other books that are released in this universe. It's somehow the perfect amount of cute and complex and I think there's so many places that the world could go. I would recommend it, even for people who don't typically like the craziness that time travel can create.

Book Review: Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2)

Chain of Iron

Cassandra Clare

4/5

This is the sequel to Chain of Gold, which is the prequel to TMI and TDA and the sequel to TID. It's so complicated that I don't recommend them to my friends at all because I know they would just get confused. It starts up four months after the conclusion of Chain of Gold and immediately jumps into the action and drama. Will James and Cordelia actually make it to the alter? Will Belial come back? What part does Tatiana really play in all this chaos? A ton of questions and fifteen years of backstory to contemplate as you go. 

When I think about it, I don't even know if this was a 4 star read I'm just really attached to the characters. I think that she did great on the whole story line with James and Cordelia, no spoilers but they were a lot easier to get behind in this book than in the last. But I think that she took on too many characters and most of them didn't feel like they had enough time to get truly developed in this one. 

I liked Chain of Gold because I felt as though she had branched out to a different story line, a more interesting one. But I feel like a lot of things were dropped and a lot of random things were picked up. I think that it's probably easy to run into repetition when you spend so long in a singular universe and you've seen a certain idea succeed so comprehensively that you want to try to replicate it on another bracket in the family tree. I just didn't vibe with it, it all needed more exposition for it to be as significant as she really thought it was. 

Again, I don't really recommend this to my friends because it's too complicated but if you're already invested then it's not that bad of a read. Minus, and this is a spoiler so proceed with caution, the continued and somehow casual references to incest. Like Cassie, you can't keep getting away with this why would you even write that in as a plot device. Sure, it's supposed to represent the villain and evil and all that but you've really done enough with that during your literary career and I would appreciate if you dropped it. Other than that though, the third book has the potential to be a lot better if she doesn't fall into her old habits.

Book Review: Shardless (Tempris #1)

Shardless

Stephanie Fisher

4/5

In this world, fey are at the top. The more magic, the better. If you are a human, you have no magic, no power, and are scorned by society. Taly has lived her entire life under the protection of a fey lord and lady, rarely feeling this scorn. One day, Taly discovers not only does she have magic but she has outlawed time magic that could be a death sentence for herself and her entire family. 

When I first started reading, I was kind of skeptical. It felt a little too listy at first like we were being given the descriptions of every conflict directly. As the book progressed though, I really came to enjoy the characters and the worldbuilding. The complexity of the magic system is a little difficult to follow but I like it when there are multiple elements to something and the author takes the proper time to describe it. Although I'm still confused on a couple elements of it all, I'm looking forward to figuring it all out in the sequel. 

The relationship is fine as long as you don't look too closely. I don't know how much time they actually spent together when they were children, what makes it so that they're too close to being siblings in all but blood? I don't know, their pasts weren't completely described so I'm just choosing to enjoy the friends to lovers slowburn. I think the romance is pretty important to the plot line but also not the only thing that's important, it's nicely balanced. 

I would recommend this, kind of reminded me of a more technical and less cringy Cruel Prince. No one has tails, but the world does border the human dimension where I assume the world is completely modern given the description of technology. Even though the real world is mentioned, they don't journey there so I would definitely call this more of a fantasy than a paranormal read. Overall though, it's definitely interesting and I've already downloaded the sequel.

Book Review: A Little Life

A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara

4/5

Before I start the review I have to say that this book should come with quite a few trigger warnings: suicide, sexual abuse, self-harm, domestic abuse, and child abuse at the minimum though I may have missed something. The one thing you should know about Jude is that he has a long list of ways which people have inexplicably wronged him in life, years filled with unimaginable betrayals of the most severe manner. The book follows his journey from that point onward in his life with a group of three other college friends, all of who are struggling with their own doubts and fears in life. 

I'm very conflicted on the rating here, on the one hand it did exactly what it set out to do. It made me cry and think about a lot of plot points. The tragic poetry of it all was beautifully composed, she left not a single trace of happiness of joy or just even acceptance. The book is supposed to be sad and was well-written enough to invoke a considerable response from me and other readers. In that respect, I feel like it's a great read. 

I'm going to get into some spoilers here so be warned. But it also made me feel a little sketched out upon further reflection. I don't like a protagonist who has had too many bad things happen to them, it's way too Wattpad to rely solely on your protag's suffering to push the plot on. I think she did a good job counterbalancing that with his relationship with his counselor and with Harold, but then kept layering on the suffering to the point where I had to think someone else should have helped him or forced him to take help. Maybe I'm completely unaware of the horrors of the foster system, but how was an infant left with a group of men and never checked on? The severity of his injuries should have justified some sort of intervention. Same with after he was such an integral part of a child pornography ring, he should have been forced into some kind of counseling or something? I don't know, maybe I'm blinded by SVU and just hoping for the best. 

She also tried to counteract his tragedies with his relationship to Willem but like the more I think about it the less... right it felt. It's definitely not anything that should be considered a good romantic relationship on any level. They were both way too reliant on one another and too toxic in their needs and habits. Willem physically abused Jude and really didn't comprehend his reasoning behind things, I don't like the underlying message of this being the best that Jude deserved. Also didn't like the statement when Jude said he was with men cause that's what he's always been. Just contributed to the weird implications on sexual abuse and homosexuality that I didn't really feel comfortable with throughout the novel. That's the end of the spoiler section.

I also think the author maybe relied too much on being verbose, she distracted us from the unrealistic nature of many of the plot points by piling on the more commonplace life interactions. Again, this book did what it was supposed to and is undeniably a good read. It just got away with a lot of things that felt weird to me and worthy of discussion. I would recommend it if you like to cry, like actually sob, because that's the most authentic emotion that this book inspired.

Book Review(reread): Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts #1)

 

Daughter of No Worlds

Carissa Broadbent

5/5 

I really read this book less than a year ago and couldn't resist doing a reread- the older I get the more I find that I'm rereading. Anyways, the book was just as amazing the second time around. Tisaanah is one of my favorite protagonists ever to be written, she's strong and sensible but still shows weakness every now and then. She's perfect without being perfect and that just makes her even more perfect. I literally cannot wait until the sequel because I'm going insane. If you haven't read this book, I can't recommend it enough!

Book Review: A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2)

A Gathering of Shadows

V.E. Schwab

4/5

This edition in the Shades of Magic trilogy picks up four months after the conclusion of the first. It's a little difficult to jump into, but Lila has spent the time gaining credit as the primary thief on a pirate ship while Kell has been further alienated by the only parents he has ever known. When a tri-yearly tournament begins, both can't resist from competing though both under aliases. 

The only problem I really had with the book was how complicated it was at the beginning and how separate it was from the story lines which we got hooked on in the first book. All in good time of course, but it took me a while to get into it because I wasn't immediately seeing a continuation of what I wanted to see. I will say that this one did a much better job of ending on a cliffhanger, I'm a lot more likely to finish the third book now than I was to continue on to this book right away. I'm also here for the gradual introduction of Lila to magic, I think I understand where it's coming from but I'm glad it wasn't something that was just handed to us.

I'm a big fan of this series and in V.E. Schwab in general. I think she has such a great way of writing truly likeable characters with real flaws. I can't wait to see how the series ends and how the characters come full circle even though I'm super nervous about it.

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)

A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness

3/5

This book was an emotional rollercoaster like I feel like I read ten different books. Starting off in a library, Diana Bishops summons and breaks the spell on a manuscript which no one has seen in two hundred years. This sets off a chain of events where other supernatural creatures are basically out to get her and get her powers. Also puts her in the sights of Matthew Clairmont, a vampire who is also a professor at Oxford. 

I thought this book was going to be a lot more intense than it was and yet it was also so intense? I think what threw me is the Twilight-esque levels of dedication between Matthew and Diana. I liked Diana's powers but I think they got so crazily entangled with the romantic elements of the story. I thought this was going to be like a story about witches with romantic elements but it was more a romantic story with witch elements. I didn't hate that for the most part, it's just completely different from what I expected. 

I know that a lot of it was explained by supernatural vampire bonds, but I think that was a little bit of cheating on relationship building and instead choosing to get straight into the thick of it. This book was nearly six hundred pages, I think we could have spent a little more time in like platonic situations of build up. I love soulmates as much as the next person but I also think that there needs to be some kind of foundation for it to be in any way believable. The start of the book was really good about this, going out to eat and doing yoga and then they turned into completely different characters.

I don't know if I'll read on. It was a pretty enjoyable read but it was so long for what I think I actually got from it. I also don't know how I feel about time travel, it's a little too complicated for my brain. We'll see, it took me three tries before I could actually get into this book and commit to reading it and I don't really regret it.