I don't even know where to start. I read the whole series long time ago. I felt devastated, heart broken, fullfiled, and I knew thereFinal Rating: 6/5
I don't even know where to start. I read the whole series long time ago. I felt devastated, heart broken, fullfiled, and I knew there would rarely be a book series as good as this one was.
But: be warned! There are too many trigger warnings. Do not even attempt it if you are going to bash it for the content it has. It is not a book series for the faint hearted despite the light hearted title! I already see teenagers pick it up and condemn it without even reading it properly, just because they thought they would understand it. No they don't. This is in all words: book for adults. Not just for the smut, but for the psychology in it.
You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all, you will be emotionally damaged. You will say: why did i even need this in my life? Well. Did you need this pain and suffering?
I ask you? Did you?
But don't worry, at the end of all darkness there is always light. So, brace yourselves, if you decide to go for this series, be ready for a wild ride! Same review for the webnovel edition here....more
I need some time to recover from this. This is exactly one of those books where you read about a character and boom! In the next scenFinal Rating: 5/5
I need some time to recover from this. This is exactly one of those books where you read about a character and boom! In the next scene, he's dead, suddenly! Sometimes it can hit you right where it hurts. And then there are some scenes when you just laugh because... you know, isn't it fun to laugh at hypocrisy, or at the irony of things or at humor in general?
‘The probability of your survival alone is higher than our survival together,’ said Hennan. ‘Where is your fighting spirit, sergeant?’ ‘Under control,’ said Hennan.
But mostly, I loved it because compared to book about Dante, this one didn't suffer too much from too much details. Let's say there were a lot of details involved, so prepare for paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions but it just enriches the storytelling. Don't you just love it when you can imagine what's happening inside the book because there is just right amount of words and descriptions are sufficient?
‘Your savagery is your strength as much as your curse.’ ‘Savage? Here I am, obedient.’
I also listened to audiobook on audible narrated by Gareth Armstrong (while also reading the book itself) - and he did well - but in general, I don't feel like being big fan of his when it comes to narration.
This review might contain some slight spoilers that are not even maybe spoilers, so I don't even know if weather they should be marked, but don't worry, it will not ruin your experience!
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
Devastation of Baal and its moons Baalind and Baalfora: Attacking force Hivefleet Leviathan (Tyranids) counting millions vs approx. 29000 Blood Angels, commanding officer Dante.
Do you like space battles? Well, you have some of them here. Even though at some point the space battle scenes get cut short in favor of the ground attack force, it is still cut short, but it was also done well. This part of the story is mostly narrated through Second Captain Erwin of the Angels Excelsis. Through him we also see relationships between other chapter masters, mostly Asante.
Asante looked back into his hololith imager. ‘Asante out.’ ‘Friendly,’ said Erwin. ‘He is preoccupied,’ said Achemen. ‘You know, when the Emperor’s gifts were implanted into your body, Achemen, I think they left out the organ responsible for a sense of humour. Where is your joy? We go into battle!’ ‘There is only room for duty in my heart.’ ‘You have two,’ Erwin reminded him. ‘The other is full of sorrow for the people of our Imperium,’ said Achemen.
Then you have present Flesh Tearers and of course Gabriel Seth as their chapter master and their similar but not so similar chapter Knights of Blood led by Santor Jool. Their similarities yet opposite look on the way they handle things and how they deal with black rage and civilians in path and with the enemies they have in common was interesting.
‘You are a lesson to us all in hope.’ ‘We are all damned,’ said Seth.
And finally, we have Dante, who is chosen to be leader of now once again completed Legion of Blood Angels, whose goal is only to preserve the home world of their Primarch Sanguinius and defend until their last dying breath. Finally, he and others (notable one being Mephiston) had to deal with some very hard decisions, including who to save, what to save, what to do, how to deal with it, how to organize, and all the while, they never realized there was a threat inside... Not to mention an old enemy is rising as another threat to their legacy. And Emperor damn it, Dante really reaaaaaaaaally just wants to retire, you know... but apparently being 1500 years old and being too good at what he does apparently makes him too good to be laid off from work. Sorry, no rest for you Dante!
Dante laughed in wild despair. Gathered together, all the sons of Sanguinius could accomplish was to slow the consumption of a single world.
There is a lot going on. A lot of perspectives, but I also feel like they all got enough time to shine. Even the kid and his father Uigui had a purpose.
And finally, one thing to remember and that I love being reminded of, is that no one is good person here. They will always, always choose lesser evil first.
And finally the ending. I want to talk about the ending so much because... There's just so much going on in it as much as (view spoiler)[Dante was infobombed at the end. (hide spoiler)]
So i'll write about those here: (view spoiler)[• Ka'bandha appearing but in fact doing so just so he could save Blood Angels from extinction by Nyds - because they are still potentional Khorne recruits - is hilarious. Considering he actually did manage to completely lead to destruction of life on Baal Primus, and then yeeted away when he could have gone down on Baal and continue what he wanted is genuinely something I didn't expect or I just didn't notice reading/listening if it was because of Ultramar forces arriving. • Guilliman's arrival is something I knew long before I started the book, but the whole "since I am here now you cannot longer pretend to be my brother, instead i'll just give you part of imperium" is definitely kind of interesting. And definitely carefully planned so he could have one less segment to operate and yet he undermines Dante's symbolism that he used for 1500 years while there was no one to lead and tells him "lol just be yourself, not my brother", while the fact that it was exactly what he did his whole life that lead to their success in general. I wonder how that will go... •Gabriel Seth's opinion of Primaris Blood Angels having their Black Rage being eradicated therefore changing part of their Primarchs lineage is definitely something I agree, but also, it's a decision they should take, but not all, and Seth is right about that. (hide spoiler)]
The jet shut off. Albinus sprayed a cooling, healing mist over his wound. The pain receded, leaving a hot throbbing. ‘That hurt,’ gasped Dante. ‘Will he live?’ asked Karlaen. ‘He will live,’ said Albinus. He got up. His white and red armour was covered in blood, much of it Dante’s. ‘Can he stand?’ asked Karlaen. ‘Yes,’ said Dante. ‘No,’ said Albinus at the same time. Dante ignored him, gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself upright to discover the world had new surprises for him.
Loved it. There are some flaws, but I loved everyone in it, they are complex enough, and a lot of scenes hurt me :) If you love Blood Angels I am sure you will love this. if you are just discovering WH books, then I recommend reading The Word of the Silent King, then Dante and finally this.
Amazing 10/10 for emotional damage. Do you want to cry? Then definitely watch the fanmovie of it on yt for additional slaughter of feFinal Rating: 5/5
Amazing 10/10 for emotional damage. Do you want to cry? Then definitely watch the fanmovie of it on yt for additional slaughter of feels. I listened to audio book for this one and narration is the best i ever listened to so far. Wonderful job there.
‘I have dug my grave in this place, and I will either triumph or I will die!’ Five knights still live, and they roar as I roar. ‘No pity! No remorse! No fear!’
While there are too many descriptions, words, action, I didn't think they were unnecessary. In fact, I think ADB did well with handling the pacing, the writing itself and characterization is great. It is a story of defending a city Helsreach, under the invasion of Orks. Grimaldus of the Black Templars, are tasked to defend it.
‘It is time,’ Andrej grinned again, ‘to earn some very shiny medals.’ ‘For the Emperor,’ one man breathed the words like a mantra, his eyes closed. ‘For the Emperor.’ ‘Oh, no. Not for Him.’ Andrej fastened his rebreather mask, but they could still hear the smile in his voice. ‘He is happy on His Golden Throne, a long way from here. This is for me, and it is for you, and that is more than enough.’
Do you love Black Templars? This is book for you. Titans? Orks? Humans also having a part in the story, not just astartes? A tech marine who does what tech marine does best? Priest who decided to take a stroll through a city under a siege because it was better than staying in empty church? Andrei, best human in universe hands down? An Astartes being concerned about human's love life? Sisters of Battle? Salamanders? How Salamanders and Black Templars differ in terms of logistics, planning and strategy? Epic fights? Grimaldus being amazing? Nerovar? Priamus? Zarha? Yarrick? Cyria Tyro? Everyone else?
This is book for you.
Andrej nodded. ‘I am very honoured, Reclusiarch, as are these handsome and fine gentlemen with me. But if you could tell my captain about this, I would be even happier.’ The harsh sound emitted from the Reclusiarch’s vox-speakers was somewhere between a bark and a snarl. It took Maghernus several moments to realise it had been a laugh. ‘It will be done, Trooper Andrej. You have my word.’ ‘I am hopeful this will also impress the lady I intend to marry.’ Grimaldus wasn’t sure how to reply to that. He settled for, ‘Yes. Good.’ ‘Such optimism! But yes, I must find her first. Where do we move now, sir?’
This is also what cemented my love for WH40k. I just had to watch the fanmovie version of this and I knew I would be stuck in this hell for next few years.
This is a good start if you have never known anything about wh40k before....more
This tale was a story of a reader who wanted to change its conclusion.⸥
ORVreview. txt (second revised edition after finishing)
Now tRating: 6/5
This tale was a story of a reader who wanted to change its conclusion.⸥
ORVreview. txt (second revised edition after finishing)
Now that I am done with these books, let me tell you something: Have you ever seen a book so beautiful you started crying? Well feast your eyes and read this, because this book is a beautiful masterpiece that blends every single tvtrope being subverted or not, wisely uses everything - the characters, the setting, the modern media, the fantasy, horror, thriller... It's a huge bundle of emotions - that all comes down to one goal: survival. But, what point is there to survival if none of you are there to witness the end?
(Best of all, it's fully translated!)
At this point, I have so many feelings about this book. This is a perfect time loop, a perfect dystopia, a perfect apocalypse, and a perfect scenario. There are no plot holes because everything is so carefully written and even the smallest details can be connected to form a bigger picture. For example, chapter connections between 180+530 and so on and on.
When I started reading this book, all I thought about was this: Will everything be explained? The answer is yes. It was done so damn well that there is no doubt that this can be considered a masterpiece. You have to have 2 huge galaxy brains like ShingShong to write something like this and not fail at connecting everything.
Not just the story, but the characters in this one are stunning. Even though there are three main characters in the book, there are around 15 so called side characters - but they are all so well done that you could just straight up call them a group of deuteragonists instead. Everyone is highly developed, they have their own histories and best of all - they are all different and have huge difference in their personalities.
"The act of understanding someone started off with admitting that you didn't know anything about that person."
The female characters in this book are absolutely amazing. They are not shallow. They don't suffer from The Bechdel Test - they pass it gloriously.
Such a wide variety of characters is stunning... There are really few authors that can pull of such a feat and I have read 1000 books already, so this is saying something about the the level of writing.
STORY AND CHARACTERS:
Omniscient reader's viewpoint is about Kim Dokja who once read a book. And that book has always been there for him - and it saved his life. He was the only follower of that book that has over 3100 chapters for 10 years. It's always been there for him, even through his ups and downs in life. And one day, it was completed - the last chapter of the story was finally published. But then, at the same time, same day, the world ended and the book he read about blended with the reality he was living in.
What makes this whole book this damn interesting is exactly Kim Dokja. He knows everything of the world, he knows almost all about the creatures, but his strongest point is his knowledge of characters that are suddenly real people. And he knows how to manipulate them, how to make them help him and how to survive in this world and how to turn this new world and their rulers upside down.
After all, the main runners of the show are Constellations: beings of amazing powers that chose their pawns to play with by giving them Stigma in order to survive the scenarios. They award them with coins in order to improve themselves and their abilities.
And yet, no matter how much Kim Dokja abuses his knowledge of this world, he can't change one thing: the protagonist of this world is very hard to get on his side - and very hard to work together. Yoo Jonghyuk is stuck in a time loop (regression) that starts from the beginning of the scenarios every time he dies, and at the moment where he meets Kim Dokja, he is living through his third regression. And yet, Kim Dokja knows that YJH has survived dozen of regressions and every time he does, it changes him. YJH is prideful, loner and murderous man who doesn't really trust anyone anymore, but there is still that tiny bit inside him that screams that he doesn't want to stay alone... But whenever he dies, the world ends with him and thus for him... having relationships with others is waste of time and a burden on his feelings. (But Kim Dokja changes that).
The other unknown variable are the real humans that have been dragged with him like his coworker Yoo Sangah (excellent at languages, hardworking, outstanding), one of his bosses Han Myungoh (who at first starts as a huge scum, but later changes to better), Lee Gilyoung (a child KDJ adopted and saved because he saw things and he just knew. LGY is a kid who was thrown into a really difficult situation). Kim Dokja cannot read through them and thus he needs to earn their loyalty and affections through his own actions.
Meanwhile, book characters like Jung Heewon (someone who was never saved before, someone whose potential is so high she can slaughter the heavens), Lee Hyunsung (a soldier and a man who needs encouragement but is actually really brave, but he needs to break free from following orders), Lee Jihye (who has many issues due to trauma of her own survival through the first scenario) are someone that Kim Dokja can affect.
Finally, there is also Han Sooyoung... the apparent third main character and her introduction is later in the novel so talking about her would have to go under spoilers. She's everything. She's sassy, bossy, and really smart and dedicated person who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. And the best of all, the relationship of all three of the main characters. Of how they all fit the soulmate trope and how they all complete each other's life. In short, if one of them was removed from the picture, the others wouldn't be alive. That's how much they depend on each other. That's how much their stories, their lives, mean to each other.
I sadly can't type everything about them because of spoilers, but... it's amazing. (I love one ugly rat with wings, one angel, one monkey king, one immature dragon, one regresso depresso sunfish bastard, one secretive bastard with a veil, one amazing author, one perfect collegue and adorable woman, one boss that becomes better, one righteous swordswoman, one soldier cutie bear, two kids I adopted (so did the rat), one Baaaht, one dokkaebi who is underestimated, one schoolgirl with wild imagination, one doctor that needs a break, one golden haired cutie, the smallest and the most powerful being in the universe, the huge half titan master, dogs, one forgotten sister, death god in love with his wife, his wife that kicks ass, one drunk god, one god with a train, and finally a 4th wall!)
[To someone like that, telling him that he's not alone a few times won't suddenly change anything.] [You need to tell him, always be next to him, and reaffirm it for him.] [Until he realizes that he's truly not alone anymore.]
OVERALL:
Characters: 6/5 - Excellent, will make you scream and cry. One rat man especially and one sunfish. Side characters: 6/5 - Excellent and strong point of this book. They are a support and huge help and emotional crutch in this messed up world. Story: 6/5 - complex, unique, excellent world building. Humor and angst: 5/5 - do you want to cry a lot and feel sad and actually be happy. there you go.
Warnings: (view spoiler)[rape mention, suicide, depression, dying a lot, domestic abuse (mentioned) and so on and on.... (hide spoiler)]...more
Feitian YeXiang is an expert in making you fall in love with characters, side characters, history, places, customs and everything else. His extensive Feitian YeXiang is an expert in making you fall in love with characters, side characters, history, places, customs and everything else. His extensive knowledge of how some things works and how he implements them in his novels is outstanding.
This one is not an exception. This one is filled with world and character development, wonderful and extensive research and Suika and Rynn delivered absolutely amazing translation filled with wonderful footnotes and explanations the non-chinese people wouldn't understand in case they haven't watched many court dramas or daily lives of ancient china.
This is a story of a young master You Miao (Meowmeow for short) who has everything he asked for - a place in court, friendships, connections and everything he needed. His family, on the other hand, is in another town.
So to speak it means that in the capital he's alone. One day, he visits his good friend Li Yan who gave an order for one particular slave to be beaten to death. The unfortunate slave here is our main lead Li Zhifeng, a captured Quanrong slave who was forced to be also bed slave.
So, You Miao saves his life by buying him from Li Yan and nurturing him back to health.
This is a story of how You Miao saved a person who was on brink of breaking. It's wonderful to see that gradual return of Li Zhifeng's personality traits and to discover what kind of person he is. I, at first, misjudged him and thought this prolonged 7 year torture he experienced as a slave would make him numb, cold and unfeeling, but it's completely opposite!
You Miao grows and develops and goes through fiery trials and tribulations connected to his family, his loyalties, his friendships and it leads him on a path of self discovery in a remote piece of land bought by his mother.
And finally, there is also third prince - Zhao Chao, of their empire, who is just a son who wants to prove that he's not useless and that he's worth something and that he should not be abandoned like he already was. Too bad, he also goes through many trials himself and develops over time.
There is a span of years involved, places change, people change, people die and people disappear and some run away - and sometimes war is just something you can't escape.
The description of battles was wonderfully done, the strategies were great (as someone who is history battle obsessed I admire the thoughtfulness put into it) and it's still not too much. Prepare for laughter. For crying and for fulfillment while reading this novel. It's wonderful journey of feelings and dedication and devotion. Of loyalty, of humanity and of rediscovery of self.
OVERALL:
✭ Characters: 5 - fantastic development of main characters. This story spans through set of years and don't let the age difference put you off. ✭ Side characters: 5- Fantastic, detailed, you care for them. ✭ Story: 5 - Very easy to follow and Suika and Rynn helped a lot with their footnotes!...more
This is a story of a modern day transmigrator, who died by fire, and got reborn into a prince of a prosperous country. He helped his brotRating: 4.5/5
This is a story of a modern day transmigrator, who died by fire, and got reborn into a prince of a prosperous country. He helped his brother to climb the throne, but all he got in return was endless torture and suffering (for 3 years), and left to die.
Until he got washed up on a shore near a certain village... where no one is normal, even if things seem like it.
Horribly scarred, both in mind and soul, Nan Ge Er finds himself on the road of recovery, where it becomes very hard for him to find the reason to live. As the story goes, NGE finds himself being accepted by the people there, especially Mo Shu, the leader of the misfits, while trying to understand that not all his hope is lost.
There are some loose ends, even though the main mystery is solved (and what a shocking twist it was in that certain devastating chapter), that could have been solved in more chapters, but the main point wasn't in the story plot itself, because the plot story is a road to recovery of Nan Ge Er, who seeks place to belong, who unknowingly longs for people's companionship, and who in the end found a person who longs for him.
Mo Shu is mystery itself. He's hardworking, always busy, considerate, but also playful, mischievous and has a very interesting survival sense and protective stance of his people.
Some plot twists came out of nowhere, but when you reread, you find out that there were clues, and if you skim through them, you won't see it coming until it's too late.
Overall, highly unique story with good combination of hurt/comfort and do i even have to mention: (view spoiler)[murder (hide spoiler)]husbands!!!!
After all, Nan Ge Er has fought his way to the throne, so he's not completely all that innocent....more
Currently up to ch 112. Review also posted on novel updates.
Wushuang is a book that is very fast paced, with highly developed main characters and stoCurrently up to ch 112. Review also posted on novel updates.
Wushuang is a book that is very fast paced, with highly developed main characters and story that is equally interesting as them. Side characters are a high bonus, they have really well dynamic with their leaders and are well developed. The comedy is peak gold, there are many parts that will make you laugh, but will also make you cry. In a way, this is half serious, half funny book, but mostly accented on cases that Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao have to deal with, and in the meantime discover what they mean to each other, beside ruining the reputation between themselves. Their relationship is honestly so amazing, because while they both have their own quirks and morals, they don't strive to change each other so they would fit into the mold for their relationship to work. Besides that, reading of how Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao went from enemies, to associates, to close acquaintances, and finally to friends and more, is really interesting journey. Translation is amazing, wording is wonderful and really brings the quality of MXS's writing. This is a sequel to Qianqiu (Thousand Autumns) and certain character fates will be revealed, so if you don't want spoilers for Qianqiu, head there first, and some things will be clearer in Wushuang. To repeat, there is no need to read QQ at all, as Wushuang can stand on it's own perfectly, but the sect relationships and sect leaders are the people you might have already met in the Qianqiu....more
I don't even know where to start. I read the whole series long time ago. I felt devastated, heart broken, fullfiled, and I knew thereFinal Rating: 6/5
I don't even know where to start. I read the whole series long time ago. I felt devastated, heart broken, fullfiled, and I knew there would rarely be a book series as good as this one was.
But: be warned! There are too many trigger warnings. Do not even attempt it if you are going to bash it for the content it has. It is not a book series for the faint hearted despite the light hearted title! I already see teenagers pick it up and condemn it without even reading it properly, just because they thought they would understand it. No they don't. This is in all words: book for adults. Not just for the smut, but for the psychology in it.
You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all, you will be emotionally damaged. You will say: why did i even need this in my life? Well. Did you need this pain and suffering?
I ask you? Did you?
But don't worry, at the end of all darkness there is always light. So, brace yourselves, if you decide to go for this series, be ready for a wild ride!
If you are looking for very unique type of character dynamic, that is very different from usual relationships - not to mention the very VERY slow burn romance, then you are in for a ride of your life. This is a book about betrayals and of how much a person can withstand those betrayals and threats without backing down and staying strong, but also remaining human. Shen Qiao suffered a lot of unfortunate circumstances, and while he recovers, he also has very strong mentality, high morality and huge amount of belief that everyone possess a certain kind of kindness and that that kindness will be repaid. But Yan Wushi is different. He trusts no one, he believes in no one, he considers emotions and human relationships inferior things, while also striving for uniqueness and searching for interesting things and people who catch his attention. One of those people is Shen Qiao. In other words, Yan Wushi is type that will test SQ's limits, while also testing himself. In other words, Shen Qiao is not an easy person that relents or surrenders under pressure. Both of them, in the end, strive for their own morality and beliefs. And after many trials and tribulations, many tricky situations and many many chapters later, after realizing - after properly meeting each other... only then will they realize that the other has something the former lacks. I feel sad that only YWS sometimes went overboard, and in the end (view spoiler)[broke Shen Qiao's complete belief and trust in people, as he no longer expects his kindness to be returned, (hide spoiler)] but that doesn't stop him from being kind, considerate and very reliable person. Side characters are good, but not as good as Wushuang's. Expect Rong Bai is amazing and she is the only one worth mentioning since she's just... so interesting. Everytime she appears, I love her more. There are some triggering things to consider while reading this book, but mostly nothing major happens, but may cause discomfort, such as:(view spoiler)[r*pe threats and actual behind the scenes r*pe of side characters or unimportant characters. (hide spoiler)]
In the end, what this book comes to is Shen Qiao trying to make Yan Wushi understand that there is selfless kindness in the world, while Yan Wushi tries to make Shen Qiao understand that not everyone in this world is kind, and that his kindness will amount to nothing when the party he's helping has other motives.
Both are right, but also, both are wrong. In the end, it all comes up that world is not a black-white, but rather gray.
Overall, this is highly fascinating book, please consider reading it!...more
How about i just lie down in the puddle of my tears. I can't recover HelpHow about i just lie down in the puddle of my tears. I can't recover Help...more
Considering they finally translated whole thing and licensed it on English, I'll just say one word: read.
Although it might be hard Final Rating: 4.5/5
Considering they finally translated whole thing and licensed it on English, I'll just say one word: read.
Although it might be hard to catch up with Cultivation method novels, Seven Seas actually helped with giving notes about terminology for easier reading.
This was one of my introductions into Chinese novels in general long time ago, and ever since then I've been in hell. There is also adaptation and it did amazing job (I'm talking about animated version, the drama version changed a lot, but still stuck with the main plot).
In short, read it. It will make you cry, it will make you laugh, but most importantly, I am certain you will love it and it will not be waste of time. It's slow burn, good romance and the characterization of all side characters is flawless. I was immensely invested in side characters and their stories and wished there were more.
If you can see between day and night, if you see shades between good and evil, then you can act on what others can’t, or re
Final Rating: 4.5/5
If you can see between day and night, if you see shades between good and evil, then you can act on what others can’t, or refuse to, see. Change things.
I... I have no words. I don't know how to describe this feeling because this made me feel as much as Uprooted did, it delivered amazing story, cool idea, and wonderful execution. Though there was something missing in the way of the character interactions, but nonetheless, it kept me on the edge and it pushed me to read on and on and on.
The horror elements of it made me delighted because damn, it was so damn well written it could easily become a very excellent movie and I can just imagine every single detail about the forest, about the Devil, about the creatures in it. I have the perfect image in my head and this is what i loved mostly.
First of all, this book is LGBT. And it is not a standard romance story and it has quite wonderfully done love triangle. But no. There is no jealousy, there is no choosing, there is only them and they love each other equally and without any doubts. They love each other so much that they are willing to die for each other, sacrifice themselves for each other, do extremely stupid things for each other, you get it? In other words, it's a polyamorous relationship that works out in every single way.
And it was wonderful and refreshing to read about.
When i said there was something missing, I guess it was the build up to relationships. It did function well, but sometimes i wanted to know more about how they felt for each other. I mean it was there, but i just needed... well more. More interactions between them besides of what we had seen, because most of this book is about the forest and the plot in general.
Also did i mention lesbians? Good lord, i love it!
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
There is a village called Three Graces. It's prosperous, wealthy, healthy and everything is always perfect. But perfection, peace and prosperity has a price. Once upon a time, a Devil and a witch called Grace fell in love. They struck a bargain and every 7 years the village has to give their best boy to the forest as a Saint, to be sacrificed to the Devil that keeps their village alive. At this moment, there were 26 Saints, with the latest chosen being John Upjohn, who is one of the four Saints that managed to stay alive after the Sacrificial night.
“And then the devil spoke, in a voice like summer and birdsong, thick around his sharp teeth, ‘Oh, but there is. It is the magic of life and death, hearts and heart-roots, stars and decay. We will bind ourselves together, your sister and I, and ever after Three Graces will be our children, and blessed. For all of time your fields will bear fruit, your mountain abound with meat, the rains be gentle, and no plague come upon you.’ The devil smiled and continued. ‘But when the Slaughter Moon rises, you will send the best of your sons to my forest. Willing he must come, and ready to fight. My demons and spirits will harry and torment him; they will hunt him and try to feast upon his bones. Either this son will fall, never to be seen again in this world or the next, mine for all time, or if he proves himself brave and strong enough to survive until dawn, he shall return to his home and family, to live long with the bounty of his sacrifice.’ ”
Three years later, the signs start showing up again: the bargain has failed, and the sacrifice didn't hold long enough, thus a new sacrifice is needed.
Mairwen is a daughter of the Grace witch, one of the direct Grace bloodline and of a 25th Saint, and has a big role in their village. She is kind, wonderful and very protective of her own, especially of her dear friends Rhun and Arthur, who were there for her all her life. So she wants to be there for theirs and protect them both at any cost. Her curious nature and quick thinking in situations is what makes her a great and wonderful person.
She’s thought of something she can do. There is plenty Mairwen Grace knows about magic (life and death and blessing between), and plenty she knows about the bargain (the devil is an old god of the forest, and a witch’s heart is the heart of the spell), and there is one way she can think to use magic and love to save Rhun Sayer.
Rhun is the one considered to be the best for the next Sacrifice and all he wants is to be given a chance like his ancestors before him and get out of the forest alive. He accepts the fact that he will be the most likely Saint candidate and is thrilled and happy to go down for the sake of everyone else. He knows, in fact, that he is the best, but he is not overly arrogant or annoying about it. He knows that he is, just as the whole village knows that too. So he has settled that After John, he would be the one chosen for the Sacrificial run in 7 years. The thrill of it starts diminishing shortly after he finds out that his time has come 4 years earlier. The most painful thing is that he was literally raised for the slaughter, and he is aware of it, and he is willing to throw his life away if it meant that Mair and Arthur would live happily ever after. Doesn't help that he is heads over heels in love with Arthur. And of course, he loves Mair as well.
RHUN FOLLOWS AFTER, WATCHING ARTHUR’S slinking walk, the sharp thrust of his arm as he shoves branches out of his path. His friend is prickly as a cat, just as prideful, just as dangerous, just as beautiful. As always, Rhun wishes he could convince Arthur he’s good enough to do anything. He’s known Arthur his whole life—known everybody in Three Graces as long—and liked him when he was a girl, and liked him more after the secret exploded and Arthur turned all jagged and lethal and determined to prove he was the manliest of men with sneers, loneliness, and a weapon in every hand. In any other valley, Arthur would be too pointy for his own good. Here he’s tolerated because nobody is afraid his edges can do any harm.
If this is a break in the bargain and the valley is losing its safe magic, Rhun needs to find a way to fix it, so nothing bad can happen to Arthur. Or anybody. He’ll find a way. That’s what Sayers are for: keeping everyone safe. Rhun knows who he is and what he wants, so never questions why he’s widely believed to be the best. And Rhun knows Arthur will never be chosen to run, will never be able to compete, because Arthur doesn’t know anything about himself except what he is not The best can never be defined by what it’s not, he said to Arthur once. It did not go well.
Arthur is stuck in the middle. Until seven years of his age, Arthur was Lyn, a daughter to his mother who was afraid that Arthur being born as a man would lead to him being chosen and therefore enforcing female gender upon him, which he didn't even realize. That is, until she left the village, left him alone with his father who couldn't undo the "damage" because suddenly, Arthur believes he has been broken.
As he watches the people, Arthur slowly realizes what is putting him on edge—at least, more on edge than is usual. Men have clustered around men and women around women. And here Arthur leans alone. Arthur feels a sneer curl his mouth and doesn’t put it away. It may well be that men and boys should be drawn naturally to some things and women to others, but what is not natural is the way this fear tonight, the way this tension of wondering if someone will die, if someone will run early into the Devil’s Forest, puts everyone into a very strict location that is either with men, or with women. Nothing in between. On a night like this, a person can only be one thing or the other, no matter how it compromises the truth to choose a side.
Arthur believes that he has been ruined by his mother by making him the way he is, because she had denied him his chance to prove that he could be the best too. Because of her, he doesn't fit anywhere. This is where something interesting comes in play. Three Graces is strongly divided by "Gender roles". Therefore, Arthur, who is stuck between both genders, starts denying the female side of him and trying to be what he was born into, also giving problem to everyone else not taking him seriously and still bullying him about his gender. Once he was a girl, and now he is a person trying so damn hard to be a man he was supposed to be, trying his very best to be the best, so he could prove that he was worth something in the end and that he is not broken. Not to mention, he is doing this so he could stop Rhun from being the next sacrifice.
These gender roles and Arthur's view on them is what made this book very interesting, and how the others felt about it and there was a plenty of discussions about it, which made me extremely happy.
And now, the fact that there are plenty of fantastic characters, including the Devil itself, and the way it was all done is wonderful and great. I loved Haf, Mair's sweet best (girl) friend; all of the parents and families, all of the characters that are TOO SPOILERISH TO TALK ABOUT; and honestly, it was exciting and interesting.
►►► OVERALL:
Great story, great book, could have had more work done on their whole relationship which is my only complaint but overall, so many feels, so many emotions, such a story...
But the whole book requires a lot of concentration, so be warned of that as well.
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: standalone ⚠ Point of View:third, multiply POVs ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: ufff, transphobia, human sacrifices, abandonment issues, mental torture, body gore; this is a horror, what else did you expect? ⚠ Love triangle: yes, but it's ALIVE and working! ⚠ Angst: oh boy, 60% ⚠ Supernatural: yes, devils and magical forests ⚠ Explicit content: not at all ...more
Love was about being open and honest. Offering your heart and trusting it wouldn’t be broken.
This is a book about secoFinal Rating: 4.5/5
Love was about being open and honest. Offering your heart and trusting it wouldn’t be broken.
This is a book about second chances. Of found love, of someone discovering what love is, because he had never known love in his life before. And he has been given another chance at redeeming his soul.
This book is paranormal, yes, about an angel and a demon trying to judge a very broken man, with a very horrifying history, about whether he should go to heaven or hell for all that he had done in life.
And that's what was interesting: it was a story about temptations, of limits, of sanity, of morals, and of protecting people you care about from falling down the road again, defying the wrongs of harmful relationships, of the difference between obsession and love.
This book deals with heavy themes once again, and some of those is sexual abuse (view spoiler)[of a minor (hide spoiler)], controlling/obessive ex boyfriends, rape, terrorism, and even child sexual (view spoiler)[and even incestuous (hide spoiler)] abuse.
All of these topics are dealt with care, and i loved the fact that there were discussions of what was wrong about them, of what should have been normal and what should have not.
It's a heavy book, but also plenty fun, suspenseful and thrilling. The ending was great, really damn great, it kept me on the edge and i thought that this is everything i could hope for for this ending.
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
Once upon a time, there was a guy named Aden North, whose life was fucked up so gloriously, that instead of getting better once he was finally freed from the past, he went down and down and his moral compass got screwed up. He did "bad things", but not bad enough to attack people nor kill them, but thieving? lying? conning? sure. And yet, when he dies in a shooting at the concert, he gets thrown into the judge hall of heaven and hell, led by an angel Raphael and demon Dante, who can't decide what to do with him, considering that during the judgment he grew up one white and one black wing.
“You have never loved,” Raphael continued. “And that you have never been loved, not even by a parent, breaks my heart.” Aden sucked in his cheeks. Of what use was love? “He doesn’t understand the emotion and he never will.” Dante sneered. “He doesn’t want to be loved. Once his childhood was over, he did nothing to deserve to feel that emotion. He’s a user. He cares for no one.”
So Dante and Raphael give him another chance at life: 1 month and 7 chance to die if he can do something right and if he can discover what love is. Because if there is one thing Aden doesn't have, it's the knowledge of love.
That was true. Hard to be good when he was so used to being bad. Hard to be a giver when he was accustomed to being a taker. Hard to care when he never had. Hard to move the protective shield away from his heart. Was he capable of changing? Yes. No. Shut the fuck up.
But it sounds like suicidal mission that sets him up for failure. He's not allowed to contact anyone from his past, nor allowed his old cellphone, his money, his house. Nothing. Worst of all, he knows that setting him up to get someone to love him is very hard, as he doesn't even know what that means, considering all the past trauma of his life. And if he tries to steal, or tell big lies or if he does anything morally bad, it's just more strikes for him to go to hell. And thus he wanders until he gets hit by a car (oops, Brody, look out for people on the road ffs).
“I say my prayers every night. I help old ladies across the street. I give away my money to those who need it more.” Aden frowned. “And I lie. I’m selfish, self-absorbed, self-indulgent and I have a fucking filthy mouth.” Dante’s words flooded back. “There’s no charity in me, no patience, kindness or humility. I care for no one. Not even myself. I have no compassion.”
Brody is just out of a very twisted, harmful and hurtful relationship with Matt, after the latter of the two decides that being overly controlling and abusive is what Brody needs and wants. Thankfully, Brody gets out of that relationship, goes back home to his brother (and his brother's family) to do his job as a veterinarian, and to be free of him. But one day, he accidentally hits a guy with his car (certain he was dead after he checked) only to have that guy get awake, tell him he is fine and fuck off. Certain he would never see the mystery dead guy again, he and his brother find him hiding in a barn with their horse (which btw, Aden had no idea belong to the guy that hit him with a car, he just needed the closest space).
“We can all change.” Aden raised his eyebrows. “You think?” “Yes, otherwise what’s the point? Life’s one long lesson. We keep trying to change. We never stop learning. We adapt, we evolve.” So why didn’t Aden quite believe him? “You’re saying you’ve changed?” “I want my life to be different. I want to be…normal.” “Normal? That’s boring.” “I mean not fucked up. That’s why I’m here in Surrey living in a cottage belonging to my brother. This is my new start
And then the series of events help them grow a bit closer together and Aden knows that maybe this is his chance for salvation.
I loved both of them, i loved their jokes, their conversations, their feelings for each other. I loved the support, the fact that Aden helped Brody realize exactly how controlling and obsessive Matt was and how to help him.
The two of them were wonderful and unlikely match, but that's exactly what happened.
►►► OVERALL:
Great book, but very triggering so be careful, but the reward pays off and the story pays off and it was just damn good. But not good enough to top The Story of Us.
“Okay?” Aden asked. “Yep.” Aden took his hand off his knee. “Not okay,” Brody said. Aden put his hand back. “Okay,” Brody said. Aden laughed.
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: no ⚠ Point of View:third, 2 povs ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: this time without spoiler brackets: sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, rape, controlling and obsessive exes, incest, terrorism, shootings, child sexual abuse ⚠ Love triangle: no ⚠ Angst: 80% ⚠ Supernatural: angels and demons ⚠ Explicit content: yes...more
Caspian laughed. “You remember when we first met?” Zed gaped at him. “Of course I do. I remember every little thing. How you p
Final Rating: 5/5
Caspian laughed. “You remember when we first met?” Zed gaped at him. “Of course I do. I remember every little thing. How you pretended to be stuck up a tree. How you made a den with me even though you had a fantastic treehouse yards away.” “I remember how lonely I was. How lonely you were. That was the beginning of our story.” “And it will go on forever.” Caspian smiled. “Forever.”
Where do I even begin? Because this was a story worth remembering. This was a story about families and how not all of them are perfect, and how found families are sometimes the best families there are. It's a story of love that lasted for years, of the two teenagers who struggled to find each other again and again and again and being broken apart and taken from each other by the betrayal so horrible it made even my stomach turn inside.
This was not easy to read. This was really heavy, abuse heavy story of two survivors who were tortured by the ones who were supposed to protect them: one by being psychically abused, the other being mentally abused. Both equally damaging: the one leaving scars on the body, the other leaving the scars on the soul.
And yet these 2 broken souls managed to reunite again and again and again through ten years, trying to get together, but many consequences, many issues, many problems set them apart again and again.
You want slow burn? You've got it here.
Barbara Elsborg is certainly dubbed Queen of Angst for a reason. Recently I read her Edge of Forever that made me cry and laugh and smile so much it hurt me. But this one - THIS ONE OUTRIGHT SLAYED ME AND MY FEELINGS. HOW DARE YOU? I HOPE YOU ARE PROUD.
Want to laugh? You've got it here.
“Do you have to suck all the air out of my mouth?” Zed gasped. “Hey, I give it back.” “We’ll pass out through lack of oxygen.”
Want to cry? Here you go. Angst as much as you want and more.
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
It begins with a flamingo.
“Too-wit too-woo.” The response was a laugh. “That was a really good impression of a flamingo. But flamingos don’t live up trees.” Caspian grinned and looked down at him. “How do you know?” “Well, that’s true. I’m not an expert on flamingos, but you’re obviously rare because you’re not pink.” “I’m extremely rare. One of a kind.” “Ah, right.” “What are you doing with those logs?” “Building a den.” “Why?” Caspian asked. “To hide from flamingos, obviously.” Caspian’s smile widened. “Now I know about it, you’re doomed.”
Sorry, it begins with Zed. It begins with Caspian.
Zed (14), whose family is a wreck: his father is strict in his faith and doesn't allow Zed to do anything that goes against it, and goes to extremes in beating him up for every single thing he does. Related or unrelated, it doesn't matter because his father hates him enough to beat him to inch of his life if he feels like it. And Zed; Zed who struggles with the fact that he is gay, that he loves playing music, the fact that he dislikes doing as his father commands and yet has no other choice, one day meets a teenager who is as broken as he is. Zed, whose brother will always be held as a water on a palm, who will always be better than him, who didn't do anything to stop their father, yet claimed that he loved him.
Caspian (15), a dyslexic inventor who just wants to prove to his family: to his father, his mother, his twin sisters and older brother, that he is worth something and that he can be someone that will change things and set things into motion, but no one is taking him seriously and he keeps failing in his classes and lessons because of it. And yet, when Zed trespasses on his property (unknowingly) to hide from his father, Caspian shows him his tree house in which they can spend time safely.
“It doesn’t matter what other people think of you. What matters is how you see yourself. You’re sliding down and you need to put your hands out and stop yourself.”
And it means a lot of them, because they are emotional supports and crutches for each other.
And yet, when things got too much, and when Zed has had enough of his father's rage, he and Caspian make a deal to run away the same day except.... Except Caspian gets betrayed in the most vicious and the cruelest ways by his own brother and father and ends up having his life destroyed. Completely, utterly, devastatingly destroyed and broken into pieces.
Therefore, he never shows up, and Zed is forced to run away alone, broken and lost and without any support. Until Zed gets into more trouble; but eventually does the right thing and meets the people who finally give a damn.
It's a damn cruel fate, that the horribly abused teenager finds happiness through the years while the other mentally abused teenager falls so deep in depression, starts losing any self-worth he had, tries so hard to hang on but slowly getting more and more lost to the fact that his life is being destroyed, slowly and utterly, by a mistake that he didn't commit, and just the fact that he had to deal with his panic attacks on his own and that he felt like he was dying every time broke a part of me too.
All I’ve emerged with is a warped sense of pride that I never did admit to something I didn’t do, but the price I’ve paid wasn’t worth it. I’m not defiant, I’m broken.” “Then we’ll get you mended.”
But like i said. The fate and the people and the connections they have every time pull them together and tear them apart, until it becomes too much for Caspian and too much for Zed.
But this is not a sad tragic story. No, this is a story of love that thrives and just waits to be found again.
(Do i have to mention how much i loved Henry and Jonas? How much i loved their support and their love and their relationship with them? I can't. Do i have to mention how much i hated their families for what they had done, for what they put their sons through to save other's skin? I loathed every time their fathers opened their mouths, whenever their siblings ignored the pain and suffering they brought them.)
►►► OVERALL:
What i really loved is that they started with 14 and 15, and ended the story ten years later. This really was a story of them.
The only problem I did have is that it had a very negative potrayal of almost every Muslim in the book; except for the main character Zed; but it was dealt with overtime and I don't know - It's a really damn big problem, but i also can't ignore everything this book made me feel. But I do warn thee: be careful because there is not really good representation of good and kind Muslim.
I don't know how much you are familiar with my reviews, but this book would have gotten straight 6/5 star rating from me and i would consider it masterpiece, if there was not that fact from above.
But in every other thing: in romance, in relationship, in happiness, in sadness, in angst, in love, in found families, and dealing with the abusers, it gets straight 5 stars from me.
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: standalone ⚠ Point of View:third pov, 2 characters ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: child abuse, terrorism and terroristic attacks, car accidents, prison violence, attempted rape ⚠ Love triangle: no ⚠ Angst: the damn huge amount of it ⚠ Supernatural: no ⚠ Explicit content: yes, and oh boy is it written godly ⚠ Note: prepare tissues, you will cry a lot and read it in a day
It was hard to be in love with someone who was desperate not to love you.
Four stars for a very good book! I loved BarbarFinal Rating: 4/5
It was hard to be in love with someone who was desperate not to love you.
Four stars for a very good book! I loved Barbara and her style of writing, considering one of my favorite books is Kiss a Falling Star because she knows how to write angst pretty awesomely, and let me tell you - there was a lot of it here.
Unexpectedly huge amount of angst and that much fun and games. In short: perfect balance between sad and hilarious.
“I don’t like ice-cream,” Levi whispered. “Nor broccoli, nor hotdogs. I like waking up in the dark, looking at the time and finding out there are hours to go before I have to get up. I like Montana, the stars, early morning mist, pizza and freshly fried doughnuts.”
Pasha stared straight at him. “That’s a bit random. I like Moscow. I like ice cream. I don’t like broccoli or hotdogs. I like swimming, writing and bread just out of the oven slathered with butter.” He licked his lips. “I like cheesy pizza, oranges and doughnuts. Though not on the pizza. I don’t like mushroom soup or chicken soup. I don’t like being told to cheer up it might never happen because it always does. I love cowboy hats and I adore chocolate.”
Levi smiled. “I love mushroom soup, chicken soup and chocolate’s okay.” Pasha gaped. “Only okay? Oh God, we’re totally incompatible.” Levi grinned. “I like hot bread. I like oranges. I like you.”
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
First and foremost, be warned that this story deals with a particular type of abusers that I didn't expect (as I went totally blind into it) and my worst fears were confirmed when i realized while one of the main characters was dealing not just with his horribly abusive and controlling lover but also the fact that the said lover (view spoiler)[ was a sexual abuser and predator who target him when he was 13 years old and the bastard was 40, (hide spoiler)] so yeah, be warned that it deals with heavy stuff.
Not to mention mentions and history of gay conversion camps, forced beliefs of people and you get a story of two very damaged people (one 23 and one 25 years old) who were forced to meet each other in unlikely of places: a ranch.
Levy was shunned by his brother (and father) and thrown into Russia to teach russians to be cowboys. Weird, but yes, that's exactly what happened, so Levy is forced to hide his true self, and stayed closeted the entire stay there. He does his job seriously though and just wants to go back home.
Then, a little tornado of words enters his life: Pasha, who was sent there by his own father because his father thought that Pasha ruined his business deal by telling his lover that and therefore decided that it would be the best to separate Pasha from the influence of the said bastard. Put a very anxious, borderline self-loathing, but also stubbornness and bravery and lot's of talking and saying "i'm fine" and you get Pasha. Pasha who is also aware of the harm and influence and abuse from his ex-boyfriend, and tries so hard to let it go, but he has been conditioned into codependency by the SOB that sadly, he begun to realize that his "no" would not be heard and one day it got too much and got to wrong and now he has to deal with the trauma.
And they heal each other, slowly but surely, but the biggest problem is this: they both want to go home.
►►► OVERALL:
It was funny, witty, but it dealt with heavy topics, but it also had a very good plot and i was proud of the characters and what they did with their lives, even if they hurt me all the way. Plus i read it all in one day, so kudos for attention holding!
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: standalone ⚠ Point of View:third, 2 povs ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: here we go: sexual abuse, (view spoiler)[sexual abuse of a minor (hide spoiler)], attempted rape, homophobia, gay conversion camps, obsessive ex lovers ⚠ Love triangle: no ⚠ Angst: a lot of it ⚠ Supernatural: no ⚠ Explicit content: yes
“It’s better, Benji, to have something burn brightly for a short time than to never have it at all.”
Four stars for a Final Rating: 4.25/5
“It’s better, Benji, to have something burn brightly for a short time than to never have it at all.”
Four stars for a really wonderful book with a strong case resolution, for mystery, romance and a wonderfully written father/son relationship.
So why not 5 stars? Because it took me 10 days to finish, because sometimes it felt dragging. But overall? It doesn’t stand out as something I would consider fantastic book, but it was very very good and it was worth reading. Also those mysteries at the end? If this ever gets a sequel I will change this rating closer to 5 stars, because those mysteries were unnecessary and were mostly there as a sequel hook and I like when the standalone books are that – stand alone.
But in terms of characters? Romance? Relationships? Chemistry? Mystery of the death of Big Eddie? The angels? The family? Everything was great.
And sometimes, it was unpredictable and I loved it. I love when authors do that, make everything turn 180 degrees and it hits you right in the feels.
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
“Time is a river, I've learned. Always moving forward. But for people like me, people who have loved and lost, the river is something we fight. We swim against the current, trying to get back to the way we once were, trying to hold onto anything to keep us from getting swept away. It's exhausting and eventually we tire. Still we push on.”
This is a story of Benjamin Edward Green (Benji) and his father Benjamin Edward Green (Big Eddie) and of an angel Caliel (Cal Blue) who are connected in more ways than just one.
Big Eddie was the greatest man alive in their small town of Roseland, EVERYONE loved him and his family: his wife Lola and his son Benji. So when Big Eddie died because he apparently lost control over his vehicle and drowned into the river, the shock shook entire town, and most of all Benji and Lola who never really recovered.
Lola’s three sisters (Mary, Nina and Christie) came home to offer Lola and Benji support, and while this helped Lola in many ways, it just estranged Benji from them. Because he knew that no matter the fact that they were here, they would not be able to help him heal from losing his only father, his friend, his idol. He felt alone. So alone that this guy, 21 years old, wrecked 5 years of his life thinking of how and why would Big Eddie lose control and fly off the road into the river… and searched desperately for any signs of foul play, that someone killed Big Eddie and was the cause of his death.
Not to mention all the dreams he has about drowning in the river, the brief touches on his shoulders, the blue feather, the presence that he cannot see, because there is no one there.
And one day, desperate, he begs for someone to help him and the help comes. Just not the way he expected, in form of an angel Caliel. The guardian angel of Roseland who fell because he couldn’t stand Benji’s desperation and sadness and depression.
Benji was too engulfed in grief, selfish, self centered person who only wanted his grief to stop, estranging himself from his mother and trying to drive her away (which is something I personaly disliked because they both lost someone very special to them, and his grief doesn’t make her grief any less, but he sure acted like he was the only one suffering here, even blaming her); but it slowly starts mending with the arrival of Caliel.
Cal is, as you can imagine, very new to some worldly things, but he is not a total novice at life, always watching his people go through their everyday life, but his curiosity is really cute. And while he came down for Benji, he is there for other people too, for his charges and he would do anything to protect them all.
“But he came, when I was at my darkest. I prayed him down from the sky, and he came in a flash of blue fire that lit up the heavens. I know he came by his own choice, but he came because I called him. He came when I could no longer take the weight of the world on my own. He came when I needed him the most. He came and saved me from myself, saved me from the waters that rose up to my chest and over my head.”
I loved interactions between the town and all of them, I loved the sisters and the fact that this book is as focused on romance between Cal and Benji as it was between the father son relationship. It slayed me, how much Big Eddie loved Benji and vice versa, because it was beautiful to read about.
And then again, I loved a lot of characters in this book. And it was wonderful.
►►► OVERALL:
Worthy book to read, lovely characters and a story of grief, loss, redemption, love and sacrifice.
It was only that sequel hook mystery that turns me off from giving it five stars, and the fact that sometimes it lost my attention while reading.
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: standalone ⚠ Point of View: first POV, 1 narrator ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: depression, suicidal thoughts, (view spoiler)[torture (hide spoiler)] ⚠ Love triangle: no ⚠ Angst: oh my, this whole book is angst ⚠ Supernatural: angels ⚠ Explicit content: yes...more
I had the most wonderful dream. Would you like to hear it?” They all nod. And so she tells them.
I think this is one of the Final Rating: 5/5
I had the most wonderful dream. Would you like to hear it?” They all nod. And so she tells them.
I think this is one of the rare short stories that i have rated this high, because just... FEELS. Feels from our queen and saviour Elizabeth Bennet, mother of three, mother of pack of 12 and mother of them all. Beautiful, strong, reliable, wonderful woman (whose love for her sons and pack and her mate killed me so much).
Wonderful, just wonderful story, but do not read this if you didn't read Wolfsong and Ravensong because SERIOUS SPOILERS.
Oh how i love entire pack's interactions. I just love them all.
“You know,” Carter said, “this is the point in horror movies where I usually shout at the screen for the people to not go
Final Rating: 5.5/5
“You know,” Carter said, “this is the point in horror movies where I usually shout at the screen for the people to not go inside the house.” “You’re a werewolf,” I muttered. “You’re the one that’s usually waiting for the people inside the house.” He looked offended.
Someone please inform me how do i even start writing out this review? In short, it's a very direct sequel to Wolfsong so be careful and don't skip books because you most certainly won't understand anything. So basically, read in order, okay?
And i loved it more than I loved Wolfsong. I loved the way i heard Gordo's voice. I loved reading his perspective. I loved the fact that this author KNOWS how to write first person POV and do it right. How to tell stories of 12 characters through only one perspective and how to make them all feel real. How he writes their voices, their dialogues, how he implements the action and grief and hate and happiness through only one voice.
That is how you write a book in first person.
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
If we tried, I didn’t know if there’d be enough pieces of us left to put back together. Once, there was a boy. An extraordinary boy. And as an Alpha held him down, this extraordinary boy’s father whispered in his ear while taking a needle to his skin, etching ink and leaving a trail of magic in its wake. Once, there was a wolf. A brave wolf. And as this brave wolf grew, he followed the scent of dirt and leaves and rain, his Alpha telling him that he had found the one to make him whole. The boy had loved this wolf. But it hadn’t been enough.
It begins with Gordo. Gordo is an asshole, we all knew that. But we all love him too. He’s a man with many issues, who has been hurt and abandoned through years, and he stopped expecting anything less from people around him. His only safe people were his friends Tanner, Chris and Rico, and their newest employee Ox, who very soon became Gordo’s tether. A way to his sanity. But then the Bennets (the pack that left him behind; left him after he just lost his previous pack and family) came home and stole Ox from him….
It begins 1 year later after their return (brothers and Gordo’s) and it begins with their 3 years on the road. The road had been hard for everyone – for Joe who stopped speaking altogether; for Kelly and Carter who love each other but were close to tearing themselves to shreds; for Gordo, who was leaving Ox behind, leaving the way everyone did to him (and he’s leaving Mark, even though he would never accept it).
They sang. They laughed. They howled.They looked at me. I thought of a boy with eyes of ice telling me that he loved me, that he didn’t want to leave again but he had to, he had to, his Alpha was demanding it, and he would come back for me, Gordo, you have to believe I’ll come back for you. You are my mate, I love you, I love you, I love you. I couldn’t do this.And then Joe put his hand on mine.He squeezed, just once. “Come on, Gordo,” he said. “You know the words. You got this.” I sighed. I sang. We were all hungry like the woooooolf. We drove on and on and on.And in the furthest recesses of my mind, I heard it again. For the first time.It whispered pack and pack and pack.
It begins with them coming home and facing a new threat. A threat that is infecting all around them, while they slowly notice the violet eyes gathering around them.
It begins with Robert Livingstone, who is still out there, searching for a way to bring something of his back to his side.
It begins with the pack itself, the humans, the wolves, the witch. And how they all function together.
It begins with Mark, who had to obey but his heart never left.
It begins with Mark and Gordo, through their young years, teen years, adult years, present time…. And the time slowly tries to tell them that they wasted so much time being apart from each other……
But oh god, how I laughed, how much I cried, how delighted I was to just read about these idiots who made me feel so many things and their bonds and happiness and memories and freaking wolf telepathy.
How much I loved the fact that Gordo may have shunned everyone before, but he is slowly opening back again and trying his hardest to protect them all….
And Mark is just sweet god I love him to heaven and back and he tried to make amends and apologize but Gordo would never let him because he couldn’t after all Bennets did to him… Gordo, whose pride stops his love from reaching him….
Robbie and Kelly, who are becoming closer minute by minute. Even if Kelly still doesn’t realize it, rofl.
The Team Human (Jessie, Chris, Tanner, Rico) who stood by their sides and never let go, who protect them, who became part of their family and pack and who never stop to make me laugh. AND I really loved that all of them had had a part in something and were not just there for the sake of it. And not to mention the change in Jessie. Jessie is perfect and kickass and I love her bisexual ass so much (or pansexual what was it again?). And Bambi, oh Bambi. She could step on me and I would praise her to heaven because – WHAT IS BETTER THAN A BADASS FEMALE?
Oh Kelly and Carter, where do I even start with how much they love each other? How they care so deep, how they would do anything for each other, because Carter, oh Carter – Joe was destined to be an alpha, Carter was first born, but what was Kelly than a child stuck in the middle of them? So Carter showers him with love, because Kelly deserves a world. And Kelly, someone who loves his brothers more than anyone in the world, and no matter what danger it is, he would react.
Ox and Joe, the two who had risen so far that they became a threat to others. Both who have sacrificed so much for their love and for their pack and the fact that they share a witch a tether a brother a friend a family member and would do anything for Gordo, as much as Gordo would do anything for them, because he is Joe’s witch and Ox is his tether and they are his strength and sanity and Ox is and always will be Gordo’s alfa as well.
And Elizabeth, the strongest queen, mother, support pillar, the one who will do anything for her pack. The best there is.
**spoilerish, please skip if you are on mobile*
Also Timber wolf, the one I certainly did not expect. (view spoiler)[I certainly didn’t expect his attachment to Carter, rofl, and the fact that (view spoiler)[ he is Gordo’s half-brother. (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)] I loved the interactions between all of them. There were plenty of beautiful and heartbreaking and funny dialogues that I just loved so damn much.
►►► OVERALL:
JUST READ IT, I BEG OF YOU. The best of all is that no characters are pushed to side. All of them are mains and all of them matter. It ends with mystical moon magic thing.
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: series ⚠ Point of View: first POV, single narrator ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: torture ⚠ Love triangle: no ⚠ Angst: lovely and wonderful amount of breaking your heart apart and healing it with unimaginable humor. ⚠ Supernatural: extraordinary werewolves and witches ⚠ Explicit content: yes
That was the danger with knowing and loving others. You always knew things about them to throw back in their faces. I was capa
Final Rating: 6/5
That was the danger with knowing and loving others. You always knew things about them to throw back in their faces. I was capable of doing that. Most people were. But it came down to a choice.
Well, this was a ride I wasn't expecting to end like this, nor that I would love it this much, after having a very hard time getting into it from the beginning. Must be writing style, but then again considering the mentality of the main character in this story, I got used to it very quickly. This makes TJ Klune excellent writer.
And oh boy, at first I felt pangs of sadness and hurt, but I didn't enter the sob territory yet. And then it hit me - the full strength of grief, sadness and despair that even I couldn't recover and had to stop reading so I could continue.
But did I mention the amount of fun and games this had? I had so much fun reading about werewolves, considering they are the supernatural creatures i don't specifically like, but here? They were everything? Just... amazing? It's not everyday that a werewolf wants to court someone by hunting animals and dropping them on their significant other's doorstep in a sense: look, it's a rabbit, cook it and eat it! And then later on even recommends hunting a freaking bear (which the other person was like... STOP BEFORE YOU DIE COURTING ME WITH DEAD BEARS GEEZ). Did i mention there were witches too? Except no, they are not a jedi masters nor wizards (no jedi were harmed in reading this book, nor are any Harry potters (you're a wizard harry).
So yes, all fun and games and comedy until it hits you in the feels and makes you cry. Jeez. What a mess.
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
In this world, witches are real, werewolves are real, monsters are real. And they rule in the shadows. In this world, all packs have a witch with them. And all of them have tethers (or special someone, an object, more people) that prevent them from loosing control. For witches, it's the control of their magic. For werewolves, it's the control of their humanity.
Alphas, betas and omegas are included of course. Alphas, with their red eyes, commands and protection. Alpha's who have specific ways of handing down their alpha status. Betas, with their orange eyes, who make the pack, who bond with each other, feel each other, talk with each other. And Omegas, who lost their packs, or their leaders with their violet eyes... Did i mention they are huge wolves? All of them? And they also can shift into the mid state if the need arises.
Once upon a time, the Bennet family was one of the most revered and respected werewolf lines until an accident happened and the current head of the house lost his father and his son to the hands of a psychopathic wolf seeking revenge. Except the son survived. Except the son was so thoroughly broken that he stopped speaking all together... Joseph (Joe) Bennet who was so lost until he found a lonely teen in the middle of the forest and then smelled.... he smelled him and he smelled like home and he just... reactivated, and started speaking and couldn't stop, couldn't stop talking.
The lonely boy in question is our narrator. His name is Oxnard (Ox) and he is "a bit slower than the others and his words come very hard for him." His father abandoned him and his mother, before pratically telling him he was worthless and wouldn't amount to anything and that people would never see him for himself and judge him. You could say that his words never left Ox's head, destroying his image of self worth even more.
And yet, they found each other, and before they knew it, a 1o year old boy and 16 year old teen healed each other for years.
He was in my arms now. I didn’t want him to fall. He took my face in his hands and squished my cheeks together. “Why do you smell like that?” he demanded. “Where did you come from? Do you live in the woods? What are you? We just got here. Finally. Where is your house?” He put his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply. “I don’t get it!” he exclaimed. “What is it?” And then he was crawling up and over my shoulders, feet pressed against my chest and neck until he clambered onto my back, arms around my neck, chin hooked on my shoulder. “We have to go see my mom and dad,” he said. “They’ll know what this is. They know everything.” He was a tornado of fingers and feet and words. I was caught in the storm.
This is a story that follows the Bennet pack, their family, their bonds; that follows an estranged witch Gordo, who never wants to have anything else with any kind of packs, not after what happened to him last time; and finally a story about Ox and his mother, humans, who got involved into the affairs of witches and werewolves and monsters that still lure outside of the Green Creek.
Do I even have to tell you about the love I felt for all the characters? Because there were a lot of them and I don't know whom I love more because i love them all equally. And there are 14 of them, if i started typing i would never stop. All of them are the greatest, well fleshed out, well developed.
Thomas and Elizabeth, the parents of the Carter, Kelly and Joseph, and their uncle Mark who has had a relationship with Gordo, before they left him; Gordo who is a witch, who is hurt by them leaving and vowed never to get attached like that again, Gordo who found his ground with Ox, someone he swore to protect as his friend/brother/father. Elizabeth, a mother who will always be there, who paints her feelings on canvas; Thomas an alpha who will do everything to protect his own, even if they are not related with blood, he will protect even two humans, one of them who helped their youngest recover from the trauma he faced (the kidnapping, blood, torture, destroying the image of family and of bonds, putting a lot of doubts in the head of a very young boy who was scared that the words were true, and that his family gave up on him) and the mother (Maggie) of the teen (Ox) who is fascinated, who isn't scared who cares so much, who is fun, reliable, who will stand up for her son and who knows that her son deserves a world and so much happiness, who dances with him, who gives him love she knows he deserves.
Carter and Kelly, two adorable mess makers, the ones who make others laugh, who give light who share their light, who found their light and woved to protect it. Robbie, a lone wolf, not belonging anywhere until he does; Chris, Jessie, Rico and Tanner, humans in Gordo's shop who have no idea their employee is a witch (Jessie is Chris' sister who isn't working for Gordo though).
Ox, who is honest to a fault, who doesn't deserve a lot of shit happening to him, who doesn't deserve being bullied for how he is, until he finds friends, family, protection in a strange family; in a strange boy who won't stop talking to him. Ox, whose mother loves him more than anything in this world, yet not even she can't undo the damage his father did to his self worth. But it gets better. Because he deserves a world.
And Joe, tiny little werewolf, who was destroyed in the hands of the monster, who withdrew and panicked when he didn't realize where he was, who still had nightmares, who found someone that smelled like home, like family, who gave him back his sanity just by being there.
It's a story of healing and falling in love and finding family in the most unlikely people, reforging bonds, dealing with their demons and monsters, facing their fears.
this is a coming of age story, where many years pass, where they dont always stay 10 and 16 and where a lot of talking is made about differences, consent, love, sanity... its a story with a huge amount of lgbt representation, including gay, bisexual, ace, etc....
and finally, i loved their relationships and interactions. esp between kelly and carter, ox and joe, ox and gordo.... i just loved it all.
►►► OVERALL:
I make myself cry just writing this review because i have so many feels about this huge family of 14 people, where the comedy is gold, and angst is a gold mine.
His voice cracked when he said, “You’re awake now. Ox. Ox. Ox. Don’t you see?” “See what?” He whispered, as if saying it any louder would make it untrue. “We’re so close to each other.”
►►► OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ TYPE OF SERIES: series ⚠ Point of View: first POV, single narrator ⚠ Cliffhanger: no ⚠ Triggers: torture, kidnapping, traumas ⚠ Love triangle: no ⚠ Angst: nice amount ⚠ Supernatural: extraordinary werewolves and witches ⚠ Explicit content: yes
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