thesandyreader's reviews
158 reviews

The joy I felt returning to this world and these characters… so damn excited. 

I feel like we really got a great view of the world of Tirene in this book and I really enjoyed it. I want to learn more about their culture, and I really appreciated the thoughtfulness when describing how the architecture is different to accommodate wings - it’s a thoughtful touch that helped embed me further in the story and picture it more accurately and I appreciate that level of detail throughout the books. 

The story itself was very enjoyable, but admittedly it felt more like context and setting up for the next than the last one. Don’t get me wrong, didn’t want to put it down (bath water got cold) but I was hoping for a bit more action. With that said, that ending really scared the crap out of me and I can’t wait to see what happens next!! 

Lark and Knox have it baaaad for each other and watching the two of them dance around and send lingering looks and stolen touches… 🤌🏻 perfection. The constant tension between them is beautiful and I really enjoyed watching Knox especially open up and begin showing more of his true self to Lark throughout the story. I just love them together. 

And Jasper… I still don’t know what to think about him. He kept my feelings swinging from dislike to maybe softening understanding to wow what an a$$hat and ending the book with thorough pride and respect. What a rollercoaster. 

The dragons are fabulous additions to the book and honestly I’d love to be a dragon caller and meet some of them. 

I’ve officially reached the last book in this series, and the last book in this world. I’m sad it’s over. 

This book was a mix of thoughts for me. I loved the way it threaded everything together. We found out about the prophecy, and the companion series moments all clicked during this book. This one showed a different side of Sera -  the side of her as a ruler and why she will be a great one. Choosing to be unknown and to not have a legacy is such a tough decision, but she made it so easily.  

With that said, I do feel like this book could have been shorter. There were times when I found myself wishing we could just get through the setup and filler and get to the meat of the story. I would put down the book, walk away, and come back to it when I was ready because I didn’t want to not enjoy the book.

Also, on some level I understand the pregnancy and how it facilitates some prophecy things but… I just didn’t love that and the way some of the chapters just became so focused on that rather than the main story thread, drawing it out further. I wish it wasn’t as emphasized in the books. 

The satisfaction though when they all get a plan and people start getting what they deserve… oooh yeah. So amazing. And as someone who read the companion series first, it was just so thrilling to finally get some answers to that and see how it all happened and ties together. 

Highly recommend this book, this series, and this world honestly. 

This book was decent. A fun mystery with the Secret Service, FBI, and a fun rogue granny solving crime. 

This book felt very lighthearted, and while it was predictable I enjoyed reading it. Ethel is a hoot and really carried the book. 

Not bad if you want an easy mystery book. 

A little late to the party here, but the way I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I started this in the airport, almost missed the announcement for my plane because I was so absorbed in it, and then I was ~almost~ upset to see my friends because it meant I couldn’t finish this book 😅. 

Incredible. The writing is beautifully descriptive and I felt like I was really there in the novel. Saeris is my favorite kind of FMC - stabby, badass, take no shiz character who yes wants the man but also refuses to just cave to what he demands. I loved her disbelief at everything she got dragged into and the way she stood up for herself and what was important to her consistently. 

Kingfisher is a wonderfully complex character with a sketchy past and more bonds than should be healthy for one person. While there were times I wanted to smack him upside the head, his grumpy character was endearing as the layers started to peel away and reveal more of him, and honestly Saeris took care of the smacks anyway 😂.

I found the side characters to be hilarious and a good addition to the story - I was invested in them, but didn’t feel like they took away from the plot, and loved how their levels of importance changed throughout. 

The story itself is a classic battle and lovers tale and I enjoyed it. The complexity of the bonds and alchemy made for some interesting twists, and I didn’t expect the fallout of the ending. 

Highly recommend if you’re a fantasy/ romantasy lover! 

Delightfully vicious. That’s the first thing that comes to mind about this book. I received this as an ARC and am excited about the next one. 

It’s cutthroat and harsh and there are betrayals around every chapter and I love it. This is not your typical “FMC discovers powers, battles for survival in a tournament, meets her true love, all tied up in a pretty bow” book. The FMC is gritty and harsh and real. It doesn’t feel like there really is a happy ending for her, and she is certainly not one to go down without shredding the world down with her. The characters are all morally gray at best, black at worst. Everyone is looking out for themselves and willing to do whatever it takes for their own interests, which makes for a delightfully unique read among the “morally gray” but in reality quite light gray characters that are popular now. 

I am so so intrigued by the powers and control shown so far in this series, and interested in this concept of the Under and Upper and who the possible pairing could be for a character this wild - I can’t wait to see how that builds and for us to meet them. 

The book definitely started off a bit complicated. The world context, terms, names, and powers took a bit to wrap my head around and understand as the magic use is quite complex and understanding the political structure and kingdoms with minimal context is difficult. I think it was worth the effort to work through, though I wish I had a map to reference at the end for kingdom locational relationships. 

If you like a rough and gritty fantasy, you’ll love this. There is no redeeming romance here, just fighting for survival and taking what you deserve. Highly recommend. 

What a sad, heart wrenching, and wonderful book. 

I found the story to be a familiar legend with heartbreaking twists - the beautiful girl, trained to seduce the evil king so he can be overthrown. And while I knew the thread of the story, and how that piece would end, I did not foresee all the elements of heartbreak around it. 

The story drew me in. The writing was beautiful and created a strong sense of place. I could feel the breeze and smell all the florals within the palace. 

There’s an unexpected level of humanness in this story. It’s not like most legends where it is a clear good triumphing over evil, but rather one where you see the shades of gray in everyone. I found myself lamenting some deaths and wishing for others unexpected. 

Overall, a wonderful book that I would recommend. 

Mm this is a book that leaves me sitting in it after I finish. Musing over the story, the ending, the murder, and all the meaning woven into the story. 

This was a slow one. A book that draws you along and weaves the story around you slowly until suddenly you look up and realize you forgot where you were. The story doesn’t really pick up till halfway in, but I didn’t even notice that… the beginning is such a beautiful weaving of context and setting the stage and as Cassie settles in and gets enveloped into the housemates routine you suddenly realize you’re being settled into the flow of the book in the same way. I think this writing is more literary and it really sneaks up and makes you think as you become part of the book. 

I enjoyed puzzling my way through the story. Getting to know the characters and building a fondness and relationship with the housemates while trying to solve the murder. And even the reveal… it feels like it happens in a place far away. It’s slow and methodical and so coordinated, just like the house and all the interactions. There is no instant shattering of the moment, or a sharp awareness from the book, but rather a slow understanding as it is revealed. 

I really enjoyed it, and if you enjoy a literary book with a bit of mystery, I’d highly recommend this. 

Well that was intense.. 😳 wow. I thoroughly enjoyed this take on Greek mythology. 

Personally, I love when authors dive into the sandbox and make it their own and this interpretation of the Greek Gods & Goddesses lives… incredibly unique. The names are familiar and even personalities at some level, but the context and powers and their core level of evil and motivation is totally different. I’m fascinated by this concept of malevolent  powers to the extreme that some need to be muzzled to prevent their use. And the human world knows about these higher beings but live torn between terror and admiration for those who are considered evil. 

It is not a light or easy story - there are harsh topics and realities. I was expecting there to be a fall in love romantic twist at first and it quickly became clear that it was NOT that kind of story. And I really appreciated that! It felt much more true to the storyline and the harsh feeling of the story for that not to be the case. 

I also really enjoyed reading primarily through Alexis’s perspective - she’s an incredibly unreliable narrator and it makes the story so interesting. I was never sure whether things were reality and truth and it makes the novel impossible to put down, especially combined with the conflicting POVs of others tossed in there. 

I will say, the writing at times was… a bit cringy. Helen especially came off as very stereotypical teenager Gen-z in some instances, and some of Alexis’s comments were a bit off, especially in a Greek mythology context. I however am a vibes reader and simply moved on, but if word choice can really bother you.. maybe not for you. 

Highly recommend this book, and I am anxiously awaiting the next!

I don’t know if it was the format or the dual narrator setup or what, but I did not enjoy this. I do think I would have enjoyed it more had I read it rather than listened to it, but not by much. 

I found listening to it complicated to follow - the dual male and female narrators made it hard for my brain to adjust to the rhythm of the narrations, and it was difficult to track all the different characters and lives through audio. I did find it helpful that each chapter started with the name of the narrator and their context (bride, guest, etc), but since there were so many and we were also switching from past to present it was a lot to track. While reading might have made it a bit easier, I still think the multiple POVs plus timeline jumps is complex and hard to follow. 

The story itself seemed to move really slowly… it wasn’t until around 60% of the way through that I understood what was going on and something really started to happen. Previous to that, it was a lot of context, background, character building, etc which turned out to be relevant but I ultimately feel like the bulk of the book happened in the last 2 chapters - you found the murdered person, found out who murdered them, got an explanation of why, and also found that people were tied together in more ways than expected. 

But honestly if the book had just been the last 2 or 3 chapters and was a short story, I think it would have had the same effect. Most of the story didn’t feel worth it. 

Overall, I don’t think I would recommend it. I didn’t find myself invested in the story and wanting to pick it back up, and the characters all generally annoyed me.  I love thrillers, and I usually enjoy the build up and tension of them, but this book just missed the mark for me. 

So this is book 2 in her Emerald Network Trilogy, and my gosh it’s a good one. 

The lies and twists that are uncovered in this book… I need a chart. I love how layered the story is, with pieces all building up until the whole thing is shattered to reveal the truth under it all. 

Catherine in this one… well. Let’s just say I didn’t realize the depth to which her split goes and wow that was unexpected. And to find that it’s all a program and there’s multiple people like her… wild. 

The pace of this one felt somewhat slower, with more building and setup, but I didn’t mind it. It felt like we got more insight into the characters and their relationships which I think is going to really be key in the next one. 

And with how this one ended… very excited to see how it all comes to a head next book with the variety of players and all the truths that have come out so far.