Book Review: Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1)

Wicked Saints

Emily A. Duncan

3/5

I've had this book on my list for so long and I've kind of just been putting off reading it. It has two separate POVs though it kind of follows the progress of three characters. Nadya is a cleric and a voice piece for gods who are not universally valued or empowered. Her powers are derived from their favor. Malachiasz is a disgraced Vulture, a secretive and cultish faction of the blood mages, and Serefin is the high prince and also a powerful blood mage. The gods see blood magic as heresy and their entire country as a heretical land as a veil prevents their dominance. I say heresy twice because that was probably the top used word in the book and the best way to describe the god's perspective.

I didn't hate it, I honestly think that the second one will probably interest me a lot more. It just didn't feel super unique, I was reading it and feeling like I had read the plot a million times before. Maybe it was all the back and forth and how people couldn't decide if they were bad or good. I think that Malachiasz and Nadya both went back and forth a trillion times and it really took away from the whole story from me. 

I'll probably read the next one at some point because I didn't hate it and it was kind of interesting, I'm just not sure how original it is. Like I said, it had it's moments and the world building could definitely go somewhere cool, I'm just not seeing it at this minute.

Book Review: Silver Buckles

Silver Buckles

Grace Gibson

2/5

If Kindle Unlimited could stop recommending me almost exclusively Pride and Prejudice variations, that would be appreciated. I saw this one and I saw how great the reviews were and how short it was and I was like no problem. I don't know how a book can be so short yet so long. It's written but with the variation of additional banter between Elizabeth and Darcy after their first encounter which sets off a domino impact of fewer misunderstandings and a more constructive relationship between the two. 

Just kind of boring. No scandal, nothing super shocking, and it was difficult for me to finish in the end because it was just so obvious. They had some witty conversations I just don't think they were anything that added to the existing wittiness of the original content. Some people ended up with different people but not because of anything that the plot caused, rather just because of preexisting conflicts that this book just didn't address as well as Austen did originally. 

I think it was written pretty well I just don't know how much I really got from it. I think it could have had some more original content if it wanted to advertise itself as being something of an original twist to Pride and Prejudice.

Book Review: The Unseen Heir (Legends of Abreia #2)

 

The Unseen Heir

Kenley Davidson

4/5

I thought this series has been pretty great. Leisa is an amazing protagonist, dedicated and loyal to her beliefs and values through and through. Kyrion really opened up in this one and became much more than the masked bodyguard. I loved them both a lot and I think this book really capitalized on the values that made them so endearing in the first book. 

That being said, I'm going to move a bit into spoilers here. It was a little disappointing that Leisa's heritage could be so hyped up and then so completely abandoned. I don't know if it's something that will be addressed in later books or if she has decided that she has what she needs in Kyrion, but I wish that we had gotten to know more about her powers and why her parents did what they did. In reading the description for the next book, I see that it doesn't seem to be centered on their lives anymore. I respect that angle and wouldn't hate on the book for it, I just feel like there was some lost potential. 

I still really recommend the series though this one was a lot more romantic than the first one. I'd say the first one was much more of a fantasy action novel with very limited romance and this one just went into a speed round. I'm very excited to read the next one though I don't know how I'll wait a year.

Book Review: The Foxhole Court (All for the Game #1)

The Foxhole Court

Nora Sakavic

2/5

After a rough childhood, Neil receives an offer to play Exy (a made up sport) for Palmetto University. He's been told his entire life to lie low but he decides to enjoy it while he can as he hasn't had much good in his life beside the sport. Unfortunately, there are those around him who could reveal the specifics of his parentage and put him at risk of the very thing he's been running from. Full disclosure before I get into the review for real, even normal sports confuse me and I'm not usually a big reader of action novels so a lot of these things are very obviously opinion-based. 

The characters weren't likeable to me. On top of the kind of convoluted plot with a ton of elements that were difficult to follow, I wasn't feeling a strong connection to any of them. They didn't have moments of vulnerability or heart-to-hearts and they fought a lot. And not normal fights either, highly illegal fights with elements that make me concerned to read any further in the series. Again, that's just probably personal preference because I'm a very HEA type of person. But so many things just didn't make sense to me that I was hoping to at least like the characters. 

It's not totally without value or anything, if you like action then it would probably be a good choice for you. If you're more into the other books that I've recommended on my blog then this might not be the most exciting read.

Book Review: The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy #1)

The Awakening

Nora Roberts

3/5

Breen has been working a job that she doesn't like for years, suffering from the guidance of a mother who desperately wants her to stay in her lane. When she discovers a hidden bank account from her absent father, she uses it to finally escape her debt and take some time for herself. In doing so, she accidentally discovers the destiny which her father left for her and a world that she never anticipated. 

Much better than the other Nora Roberts book that I read, simultaneously having the same issues though. There's no need for the writing to be so listy, there's no need for the dialogue to tell me exactly what is going on in the character's head and their motivation for every choice. The flow of it all is just heavier than it needs to be and a little awkward. 

The plot is pretty exciting though. I think it could benefit from some originality, a lot of it feels like stuff I've already read before. But it's something that hits well and I think it would be a lot more popular if it wasn't written the way that it is. I think it has a lot of potential and has the potential to be a lot more interesting in future books. 

Again, better than the other stuff that I've read by Nora Roberts so it's probably due to personal preferences. I also just want to say that her experience with publishing agencies in this book is probably the most farfetched fantasy element but we'll just use the suspension of disbelief on that one. If you like that paranormal/urban fantasy kind of vibe this is written exactly the way you'd expect from it.

Book Review: Fantasy of Freedom (The Tainted Accords #4)

Fantasy of Freedom

Kelly St. Clare

4/5

I finished the series and I'm definitely not disappointed. I think that it was a great way to merge all the things that had been happening throughout the other books. I was especially satisfied with the resolution, I was afraid that there was going to be some politically infeasible solution made, but I think it all worked out rather well. 

It's really tricky to know what Kindle Unlimited books are going to be worth it, I think there are times where the covers really detract from the personality of the series. I feel that this series is no exception, the cover looks like it would be a different book with less depth than it had. I'm not saying that I feel as though this series is world changing like some I've seen on KU, but I think it definitely deserves more attention than it's gotten. 

Overall, I completely recommend the series and I hope that more people are able to enjoy it. I think the romance was very well-paced and that the overarching politics of it all keep you wanting more.

Book Review: One of Us is Lying (One of Us is Lying #1)

One of Us is Lying

Karen M. McManus

4/5

I was a little scared to read this book, I got it as a gift and getting into contemporary high school books is kind of difficult for me at this point. After being pranked into detention, four high school students watch one of their classmates die from an allergic reaction. Given Simon's notorious reputation for his gossip website, the police are quick to suspect foul play and those four students are the prime suspects. 

I'm not going to say I knew everything that happened, there were a couple of fun twists mixed in that gave the book additional depth. I've seen a lot of people referring to it as The Breakfast Club but with murder which is a fairly apt description. The mystery and pacing of it all reminds me of a book I read a few years ago, Burning Blue, which I also really liked. I think that it was just very well-written and interesting from start to finish. 

I'm not usually a fan of so many first person POVs either, but the author did a great job of phasing them all together. The one thing that felt weird at the end was Nate's reaction to everything, felt like it was kind of just rushed to be problematic then rushed to a solution via an epilogue. Other than that lapse in character arc though, I think they all had a lot of positive growth through tragedy. 

Would totally recommend it for fans of mystery. It's contemporary and set in a high school so might be difficult to get into, but I really like the pacing and the way the plot twists were presented. I don't know if I'll read the sequel, it's definitely a great start though.