eiion's reviews
75 reviews

Set in a Canadian reservation, Evan Whitesky and fellow Ojibwe are preparing for the harsh winter ahead. When their electricity, power supply, and contact with the outside world suddenly vanishes, they are forced to reckon with the real possibility that they are alone out there. And in the midst of the chaos, a stranger shows up, promising more than he can likely provide.

Every once in a while, I pick up a post-apocalyptic book, and I'm always pleasantly surprised with how much I like the premise. This one was similarly interesting right out of the gate. The first half of the book went quite slow as we built up the world, the characters, and eased into the main problems as they began to arose. It was here that the mystery and nervousness really shone. It was eerie and tense, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, always wondering: what's happening, what is going to happen, will everyone be okay? The characters fell a little bit flat with a lot of dialogue-heavy scenes, but I didn't feel like we were lacking information.

When the book started to pick up was when it started to go downhill. Scott was a really interesting character, but his only purpose was to be the suspicious outsider. He didn't seem to fill a niche that made us trust him, and so his entire arc wasn't as surprising as I'm sure it was meant to be.
The deaths that swept the community were devastating, and as the reader, the first few deaths did really feel like they were too perfect to be a coincidence. But as it continued, we sort of began to realize and assume that it was just a product of the cold winter and harsh conditions; that mystery vanished quite quickly.
Additionally, the foreshadow was blatant. From the moment it was suggested what was going to happen, I knew it was going to happen. And the hints that were sprinkled around weren't subtle. It made the "twist" feel almost cheap or a little less terrifying, because we'd been told exactly what was going to happen many times.

The ending was quite disappointing. It wrapped up way too quickly, and everything that happened went too fast, with no time to ask questions or care about motivations. And of course, the twist, that we already knew was coming, just felt like less of a gut punch than it really should have been.
I didn't feel fulfilled at the end of it, and really felt like that post-apocalyptic vibe had been taken out of the story.

Overall, it was still enjoyable. I liked the writing, and it was a quick and easy read. I'd recommended it to more casual fans of scary or post-apocalyptic books, but for those who have read some really good, edge of your seat tense stories, this one might not be for you. 

Ala is a zmora - a creature of Polish folklore who feeds on the fear of humans. A curse runs within her blood, threatening to kill her, and soon. Dymitr is a human with a well-guarded secret, and offers her just what she needs: a cure, in exchange for her help finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga. The two form an uneasy bond, forced to ally once more with Niko, a powerful strzygon who might be able to help them find just what they're looking for.

When Among Crows is a contemporary fantasy set in a Chicago overrun by monsters who are operating within the confines of mortal knowledge and magic. Roth creates a lore heavy world, rich with Polish folklore and nods back to that part of her heritage, seamlessly blending these creatures with the world as we know it today. I was immediately transported into this story and felt so connected to it - I can tell she's put an immense of care into the lore and the setting, it shows in every word and corner.

The characters and the plot fit together like a dynamic puzzle, each of them just as important in their own way. Dymitr, Niko, and Ala all have such intricate and well-structured designs. Every character in this book feels real, and finds their own use and niche within the world.

In a story packed full with dark adventure, found family, queer yearning, and polish lore, Veronica Roth explores the feeling of belonging in a world that you never could have imagined being home.
I could have easily read a full 500 pages of this book, but it didn't need to be longer than what it was. I loved it.

This was an absolutely stunning read. I haven't read any of Buehlman's other books, but if they are anything like this one, we will be lucky to have them in our world.

The writing was beautiful. I have never read a book purely for the vibes, but this had the potential to be it. The prose, the structure of the chapters, the tone in which it was written is unparalleled and uncomparable. The entire book is written as if the main character is narrating or writing it. This is not the first book to have attempted such a thing, but it is the only book to have done it well and in such a way so that I believed it. It was incredibly immersive, and paired so well with the world building. This was such a complex, intricate world that we were tossed into, with layers upon layers of rich lore, heavy with stories, people, and places, against a backdrop of war, fighting, and carnage. In a land ravaged by the goblins, brief moments of respite were few and far between, and those who laid untouched by the horrors brought about from the conflict were non-existent. It felt so real, the worldbuilding was done so well, revealed to us in flashbacks, letters, and retellings, only shown where we needed it. 

Galva was a loveable character, who added a uniquely human touch to the world and the horrors going on within it. Her story, and the way she discovers herself felt vulnerable and raw. Part of an experimental regiment, she uses large corvids at her side to fight the ever pressing and important goblin threat. Her connection to these birds is tangible and so beautiful, and navigating a war within a book has never felt more gritty and heartbreaking.

I don't feel as though I missed out on any information here - if I had not been told this was a prequel, I never would have guessed it. This doesn't feel like a book just written to give an explanation for a world. It is its own tale, and it's own story. But I'm almost glad that it is a prequel. I now get to move forwards to the Blacktongue Thief, still brimming with excitement about this story, and about how much I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and  Christopher Buehlman for providing me with a copy of this book! 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book had a really cool premise - I was super excited going into it, and had really high hopes for being sucked into the world of Shades, Hues, and the Gray. Unfortunately, it didn't really work out for me.

The book felt unfinished. Kate Dylan has a nice writing style, and I have to say: she is fantastic at writing action scenes and at portraying character movement and interaction with the world. Emotions fell a bit short for me, and I don't feel like foreshadowing was present in this book much or at all during the times it definitely needed it. 
The magic system wasn't fleshed out to a point that I felt like I understood it, and more information was constantly being thrown at us as if it was something we should have known, or just a normal thing. It was inconsistent in telling us what people could or couldn't do, and didn't feel developed. As soon as something needed to happen, there was suddenly magic that could explain or help it. I just felt like the worldbuilding was unfortunately a bit lackluster.

The characters were fine, but not amazing. Cemmy, our main character was annoying at times, and I felt like her motivations and the way she navigated the world was both unrealistic and incredibly grating. She couldn't stop talking about Magdalena (even though we didn't even learn what happened until 70% of the way through the book!), and seemed to have some really crappy ways of dealing with her emotions and how she channeled her jealousy towards Novi and anger at the others. The side characters were fine, but they all kind of felt a bit bland, a means to an end. And the romance was similar - it was boring, and felt really forced. There wasn't natural tension between Cem and Chase (and Chase was kind of a dick the whole way through), they just sort of happened, and I didn't feel like there was anything there that justified it. 

Plotwise, there was definitely a good outline there, I really like the concept and the ideas, it was just excuted weakly. All of the twists and turns felt forced, out of left field, and never did I feel like there was ever a hint or backstory to the things that happened. The last 2 or 3 chapters went ridiculously fast, and it was just not easy to keep up or fun to keep reading. 

I do think that this book could be great, and I love the concept - there's a lot here that I think works and could work. I just don't think that this book delivered what it promised, and it wasn't a personal favourite of mine.

I have to say: I liked this a lot more than I thought I would!

It was a fun mix of modern fantasy with Arthurian legend, and while the Arthurian tales provided nothing more than a backdrop for the main story, it still worked. They weren't intricately woven within, but they didn't need to be. It was easier, and much more familiar to have these recognizable tales rather than a whole new lore and world that we needed to learn. It also made the plot feel a lot more fleshed out and interesting, something I enjoyed.
The magic and artifact system was great. It felt fresh and new without also feeling forced into being different. Everyone felt unique without trying too hard, and I really liked the fact that the author didn't just plop magic into a modern setting - she blended the setting and the magic together well. 

The characters were also really loveable and diverse. I had a great time reading about everyone, they all felt so layered and real. Their emotions were tangible and realistic, and the main character fit in amongst them. It really felt like this perfect blend of characters in this world they'd managed to stumble into. The love interest was actually really charming (not just eye candy for the main character who fell in love with him because he took his shirt off and he's gorgeous), and I LOVE the way that their relationship grew, changed, and the dynamic from rivals to lovers, and then back to enemies? Unparalleled. It felt so real and natural, I genuinely can't explain how glad I was to see this book center around the fantasy and the story with the romance supporting it rather than the other way around.
I can't help but feel

like Emrys' retreat with the ring wasn't actually an act of betrayal - maybe he was forced or kidnapped. I refused to believe that he betrayed her so easily like that.

But still, I can't fault the fact that it pulled at my heart and is making me question things.

Their adventures were chaotic, and mysterious, and so fun. There was always something happening, always a little sprinkle that made me want to keep reading, and I devoured this book so quickly because I just didn't want to stop reading! I want to know more - every discovery kept me hooked, every moment made me want to keep going and never put the book down.
And the cliffhanger at the end about

Tamsin being cursed

  has me gnawing at the bars of my 'unpublished second book' enclosure. I can't wait to get my hands on book two as soon as physically possible.

YA, Romance, and Fantasy lovers will all have an absolute blast with this one.

The second book in the 'Dark Rise' series was arguably better than the first. 

C. S. Pacat's writing style was perfect as always, with descriptive abilities that are generally unparallelled by some of the other authors I have seen in the modern day fantasy scenes. The book built on so many existing characters while introducing more in a way that really made sense, that didn't feel forced or out of place. It was so sad at times, and so stressful, but every character had a place in that story, and something to contribute. 

Starting where the first book ended, Dark Heir had a lot to address, and it did it almost flawlessly. There was a lot more action in this book, and less explanation of the lore, more building on the story. Again, it was nearly impossible to put down. I don't know how, but I genuinely think that there was some kind of spell on these pages that compelled me to just keep reading.
Despite the action and the character growth, Pacat managed to keep that perfect balance of intrigue and careful planning around our characters. Will learning about his powers was tough, having to do it alone, and having to do it by James' side, without telling him who he actually was just ripped my heart out. I was physically tense, always on edge, and yet enjoyed it so much. 

We got to see a lot more of Will this book, where he fell into place as the undeniable main character. While the first book was a decently equal share of him and Violet, this book was about him. It made the POV switches feel a bit less important, but I still really loved reading about Violet and Cyprian, and seeing what they were getting up to while Will was grappling with his true identity and trying to solve everything. 

As good books do, it left on a cliffhanger, and I am so upset that the third one isn't out yet. There were so many questions, so many things still left to be done, and I won't lie: I'm a bit nervous that Will is going to eventually succumb to his past life - that this triology might not have a happy ending, that he might not get to save the people he cares about. But some small part of me hopes beyond hope that it will all work out. 

I can't wait to get my hands on the third one, and am really pleased with this series so far, in a way I didn't expect.

I don't know what it was about this book that made it so ridiculously addicting. It was stunning, a gorgeous setting and a story that grabbed me and didn't let go.

The writing is crisp and descriptive, weaving intricate visions of the world, the characters, and everything between. It's such a fleshed out and in depth world, with really deep lore and stories, and I found myself totally immersed. I could imagine every place they went, and everything felt so connected and justified that even the most fantastical things were totally fine.

The characters are also immaculate, they're all so diverse in their looks, personalities, and morals. They all grew and changed so much over the course of the book, and I really appreciated how the author wasn't afraid to make them a little bit fucked up at times. Everyone is flawed, and her characters represented that - very real struggles within the book that were both relatable and heartbreaking. The POV switching was refreshing - it allowed us a break from characters going through stressful situations, and kept us up to date with where everyone was. Never guessing, and never needing to be retroactively explained where everyone was was just so nice to see in a fantasy book. The POVs didn't feel rushed or unnecessary, and even when it wasn't focused on the main character, it was still engaging.

I found it impossible to put down once I'd picked it up. The plot flowed like a river, perfectly moving one place to the next, with just enough action and adventure to keep you engaged during the less intense parts, and enough emotion and description to water down the really anxious sections. The first half is a lot of lore, a lot of world building and setting the scene for the rest of the book. It's still so interesting. I loved the way the author integrated everything in a storybook vision, and how every person and group in the universe meshes with each other so well. And when you finally get to the action, it feels so natural for it to progress that way. I never felt left behind or scrambling to keep up, just reading, because it was all I wanted to do. 

There were so many plot twists and plot points that tore my heart out and kept me guessing, kept me wanting to know more. It wasn't predictable, but it made so much sense, and it was integrated into the book so perfectly. I was stressed (still am) about so much of the plot, and it was so engaging, that I picked up the second literally right away, stopping only to rate this book and update my 'currently reading'. 

Such a gripping YA Fantasy that I truly think everyone should read just to be able to immerse themselves in the fun, intense adventure that was this book.

This was a really cute, really heartfelt book! It was almost parallel to a coming-of-age book, but definitely had some more YA themes and topics within it. It did a really great job at turning a fairytale into a book, at weaving stories through with words, and I'm glad I picked it up. 

The characters were so in depth. Everyone had their own moment, their own growth, and I loved the way the book handled trauma, pain, fear, all of the negative emotions that impacted everyone involved. It was a really refreshing take to see such flawed characters, even our MC, who hurt people when she got overwhelmed, who wasn't an objectively good person. She learned, she grew, and she changed, all with the help of the people around her. 

Unfortunately, the plot and pacing felt a little off. The first 60% of the book, I wasn't bored, but I didn't really feel like they were doing anything or getting anywhere. There was some action and plot progress, but it felt like the main focus was the characters. Which was fine, if the book didn't try to seem like the plot was super important (which it was). But all of the plot just wasn't well elaborated on, and left me, the reader, feeling kind of lost in the grand scheme of things because nothing was happening to resolve what they were finding.
Then, when it all kind of picked up, the last 20% of the book felt super chaotic and rushed. I didn't feel like we saw the same charm from the characters because they were trying to resolve 300 pages of "plot" and character growth in about 70 pages. Characters made some really questionable decisions that were totally out of character, and then changed their mind super easily in the name of growth. Plot lines weren't properly explained or presented to the reader. There just wasn't a consistent pacing, and it threw me off a bit. 

That being said, I still really enjoyed reading it. It was an easy, funny, and super charming read, and I really loved the cast of characters and how it made me feel. I don't plan to continue with the sequel or the third book, but this book was a really solid standalone, and I'd definitely recommend it to those seeking a high-fantasy, fairytale-esque book with lots of lovable characters and some quick, easy action. If you focus on the emotions more than on the plot, it's definitely got some good lessons and some really memorable moments.

It was just kind of boring. Not an objectively bad book, but I didn't care about the plot, the characters, or the world.

DNF at 27%

I wanted to like this book. The concept was really good, and the first few chapters did hook me - I really was excited for where it was going to go. Unfortunately, it went really downhill really fast. 

The writing style is fine. It's easy to read and isn't objectively bad, but it's not very advanced. I was being told a lot of stuff that didn't need to be spelled out for me, and I feel like the author just didn't include descriptive text about emotion. For a horror book, the emotion and suspense is so integral that to have a book without it just didn't feel scary. 
We were introduced to upwards of 6 or 7 POVs and characters over the course of what I read, and I have no doubt that I didn't see the last of it. While in theory this is fine, it was a bit confusing, even with the author reminding us who everyone was and making it easy to understand. It just felt convoluted in places.

But what really made me DNF this book were the themes explored in it, and how openly and without meaning they were put into the story. A 14-year-old girl has been through hell and back, forced to sell her body just to find somewhere safe to hide and be loved, and the first thing our main character's bodyguard does is think about how much he wants to have sex with her but can't. Gross. Couple this with the fact that not even 2 chapters later, we read about a woman who is outcast from her family, lured away by a demon, then has "multiple orgasms" that produce 3 babies? Then, when those 3 babies grow up into young women, they have a family wide orgy? This all happened in maybe 15 pages. It wasn't enjoyable, and didn't feel like it had any place in this book.

The only horror storyline we saw was barely elaborated on, and didn't seem to matter in the point of the story I was in. It was just shock value, and disgusting imagery trying to get a rise out of the reader.