I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I couldn't put this down!!! I loved it so much thaI voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I couldn't put this down!!! I loved it so much that I want to form a fanclub and be its president! The author does not step a foot wrong in his storytelling, and the feeling of "I wouldn't change a thing, not even a comma." is so, so rare but also so gratifying when it comes.
It is told by two perspectives, of Shan's and Samuel's. Shan is truly ruthless and has a villainous aura. Her anger against the system is so loud, so tangible, and her desire to protect her loved ones is palpable in the air. I LOVED HER! She's smart and competent and efficient, and she can take her time to form a plan but she can also improvise and take an opportunity when it arises. I loved how aware she is. Aware of herself, of the bad and the good, aware of the consequences of her manipulations. She's the queen of "I know this might hurt your feelings / I know this is wrong but I need to do this, so I do it anyway."
If Shan is the beating heart of the book, then Samuel is the soul.
Samuel is the moral compass, the one who decisively sees right from wrong and reacts without considering the political and social implications. He speaks his mind even in situations that could lead him to some serious trouble. In a bloody and bloodthirsty world, Samuel's morality shone through every step of the way. He was the beacon of hope we needed. I loved him so much.
I want to hug and protect Samuel, and drink with Shan.
The romance between Shan, Samuel, and Isaac is sooo good. I loved how the author paid attention to all pairs but also to them as a throuple. Shan and Isaac had a turbulent past but they slowly overcame it because Isaac was sincere and Shan simply understood his motivations. Also because Isaac definitely looked like he regretted most of his life choices. Poor guy. Samuel and Isaac had this calm yet intense flirty vibe. Shan and Samuel clicked together like two pieces of a puzzle. Albeit being very different from each other, they fit together. Every bit of romance is believable and oh so very delightful!!
The plot was good and I really liked the pacing. It had many twists and many plot threads, but we also had time for character and romance development.
It's not a light read, though. The world in the book is truly brutal and bloody. Cw include but aren't limited to: patricide on the page, mention of rape (happened in the past to a now dead character), murder, blood, experimentation on humans.
I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!! I CANNOT HOLD MYSELF TO WAIT FOR BOOK 2!!!!!! What did you mean by THAT, Samuel my dear?!!!
This book is a monthly pick for an August box, and RENEW, RENEW, RENEW!!!!!! I can't wait to see it!!!...more
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3-3.5 stars for this one.
The Spice Gate is an ambiI voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3-3.5 stars for this one.
The Spice Gate is an ambitious epic fantasy debut with an incredible world building. The setting is mesmerizing. The eight kingdoms' economies and societies depend on the Spice trade that happens through the Spice Gates and the Carriers. Carriers are people born with a mark and are seen as inferior. They're treated inhumanely. They travel through the Spice Gates and carry spices between kingdoms. They suffer a great deal of pain to travel through the Gates apart from the torture they endure by the abovefolk--the ones who live above the Carriers. The premise sounds super intriguing and unlike anything else. However, there was a lot of info dumping. Pages and pages of descriptions that were well written but it was too much.
The main character was Amir whose family has struggled very much. His father left them, a d his mother was left with raising two boys. Like the other Carriers and their families, they endured a lot, but sadly, that's all I can say about Amir. He loves a noble lady and his family, and he really tries to help both. But he didn't have anything distinctive about him. I couldn't tell you if he's a introvert or extrovert for example. I found him very passive. Towards the end, he makes some decisions that aren't forced on him, but I couldn't really feel invested in him because I didn't get to know him much. In fact, I didn't look forward to any character.
The plot was slow in the first half. Amir was unsure and indecisive and unaware of much. Things sped up somewhat in the second half, but the info dump continued so it was a bit hard to get excited over the few things that happened.
However, not all books need to be character-driven and not all books need to follow the same storytelling principles. The worldbuilding was beautiful (though, I do wonder why the Spice Gates were full of feces from some point??!!! That part didn't get.) If you enjoy non-Western settings, South Asian settings, epic fantasy, and would like to try a non-character-driven book, I recommend this one.
This is also the August pick for a box, and I renewed my sub. I hope the edges are beautiful....more
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Long Live Evil is an entertaining adult fantasy inI voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Long Live Evil is an entertaining adult fantasy in which the mc travels to a fictional world, a world that exists in a book series. It definitely delivers great one-liners and morally gray characters as well as villains and deeply misunderstood characters. I especially loved the indirect commentary on characters as it weaved a real reader's perspective into the narrative. The plot also delivered twists, some were predictable, others were unpredictable!
Overall, I enjoyed it, but at the same time, I didn't really feel pulled in. Rae was more scheming and one-liner deliverywoman than she was a villain, in my opinion. She is self-centered and selfish and schemes and manipulates, but I don't find these attributes especially villainous... She did treat some characters cruelly, though, and I found that to be her most villainous moment. I was really looking forward to this book but I just didn't vibe with it, I guess? It's very entertaining, though.
My favorite characters were the Cobra and Marius. They were interesting and mysterious. I always looked forward to their scenes. There might be some romance going on between them, too?! They have done some bad things, but their motivations and actions were intriguing! They raised the rating one whole star, too.
Maybe, I will reread it in the future because I do feel like I should like it more than I did. As it is now, I think Long Live Evil is an entertaining book that is very different from most other books. Entertaining but brutal and cruel in ways, too. For example, the book starts with Rae at the hospital and we see her struggle with her illness, so it's definitely NOT A LIGHT start. Also cw for murder, blood, decapitation, and cancer and terminal illnesses.
It's the monthly pick for an August box, and I have read that the edition will be beautiful. So to skip or not? I am not skipping because I did enjoy the book and I'm hoping for some pretty purple edges! It does have a special prose, so you will either love it or strongly dislike it. If I sound conflicted myself, it's because I am...
On a humane note, the author's acknowledgements were moving, and I am happy that she is feeling well and recovered from her illness. Knowing her story and thinking back to her book, everything in the story made sense, and it made me like it more. The author's heart while writing the book always comes through, as I usually say, and it shone here, too....more
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Full disclosure: I've been delving into Yan Wushi/I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Full disclosure: I've been delving into Yan Wushi/Shen Qiao fanfics (from the Thousand Autumns danmei) and it got me in the mood for a romance novel. A romance that would captivate me completely. I loved the premise of this book, and I knew I had the eARC so it was perfect timing for me to read it.
This book made me fall in love with reading and love itself.
While I read it, my thoughts went like this:
Where are the fanfics of this story? Where's the movie? Oh, I love them so much. Can't wait to finish this so I can reread it again!!
Another full disclosure: I've already reread the first half, as I type this.
Gwen is a woman who has fought very hard in her life. No living family, no financial stability. She's a girl with a dream and a talent. She couldn't afford music lessons, not to mention a fancy music school. She didn't come from a renowned music family, either. But with the help of a music store owner and her talent, she made it into a famous orchestra. She climbed the hierarchy with no one to back her, and she did it on her own.
Xander is a man who had to reinvent himself to be able to breathe. The expectations and verbally abusive environment overwhelmed him. He dropped out off music school and became famous with his genius musical mind and performance skills.
I loved how different Gwen and Xander were, but also how similar they were. Both were plagued by others' expectations. They just handled it very differently. They revere music but they also revere it differently. I loved them as individual characters and their growth, and I loved them as a couple. They were stars on their own, but they shone brilliantly when they were together.
And let's be honest: I love the "he fell first" trope!!!!!!!! The arrogant, too confident cello player who never came on time turned into the guy who was shy to ask her out for coffee and even started turning up early for rehearsal.
I loved, loved, loved everything about this book. I'll never look at a cello or an orchestra the same way again. Julie Soto captured my heart forever with this story, and I'll be reading Forget Me Not as well as any other future book she ever writes.
Now, where are my fanfics and movie from this book?!...more
Athena Freya
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2024-release
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