What I liked: This book has honest and sometimes heartwrenching truth about how the Directorate really seems to function now that Bryn has her grandpaWhat I liked: This book has honest and sometimes heartwrenching truth about how the Directorate really seems to function now that Bryn has her grandparents. Bryn is learning more and more about how Blues really are in dragon society and about how everything fits together on the surface. I adored Jaxon's mom, Lillith. While just as over the top about things like in the first book, she's a character who I really enjoyed. Bryn's grandmother, Marie, was also a character I loved. While a bit more strict than Lillith, Marie wasn't above sometimes encouraging Bryn to be who she is or for standing up for herself. Marie does have certain expectations for Bryn though since Bryn is a Blue through heritage and is a Sinclair, a very well respected and very powerful family of Blues. There's also a big reveal near the end about the people who keep attacking and quite possibly why the attacks keep happening. It was rather unexpected but at the same time you expected it to happen, since it makes sense that this would be the thing we learn.
What I didn't like: The death of her parents just seemed, very odd. While the emotional reaction from Bryn and others who knew them (especially Bryn's grandmother), I just felt that it was...too well placed and convenient to happen. It makes me suspicious about the whole thing. There was a lot less snark going on in this book too, but with everything falling apart (sometimes literally), it's to be expected. Thankfully, the banter between Jaxon and Bryn was, while tampered down to be a bit more polite usually, still there. Bryn and Valmont’s relationship left me a bit confused as well because I can't really decide if the way Valmont is a product of being her knight or what, because if it's the bond it's a little weird for it to emerge that way. Actually, very weird.
Overall Review: This book brings to light the (potentially) destructive mindset of the Blues and the Directorate because of how set in their ways they are and how casually they take the things they do and see as normal. Bryn sees it from an outside perspective, and in several places she calls others out about it. Zavien plays a role in the beginning but I'm more aware of how he sees Bryn now than I was in the first book. Plenty of this book takes places with Bryn at her grandparents house so there's a lot of getting to know her grandmother since Bryn spends most of her time with her. I loved most of the characters, still dislike a few who haven't changed since book one (just one but if you read the first book you could guess who I'm talking about here), and I'm super excited to see what's in store next for Bryn as we learn more about the world she's been dropped into! Hopefully there will be some more snark next time like there was in book one.
Recommend?: Yes definitely! A very enjoyable read, I can't wait for the third book to come out!...more
What I liked: I liked how the personalities of each of the dragons depending on their clan showed who they are, and it's so very interesting to see hoWhat I liked: I liked how the personalities of each of the dragons depending on their clan showed who they are, and it's so very interesting to see how things work on the surface of the dragon-shifter community. Besides that though, there is a ton of snark and funny moments in this book and it's a light read because of that. The snark starts early on in the book, and Bryn's dad had a few funny moments himself, but the friends that Bryn makes at the school are snarky in their own way so I at least chuckled most of the way through this book, which I'm glad for because it made for a fun read. The "revolution" sort of aspect that the summary implies with the "change the rules" doesn't really even come close to happening and I was completely okay with that because so much else was going on that I was completely entertained by this book. Zavien though, I'm a bit suspicious about this guy because he seems too "perfect" in a way even though he keeps himself at an arms length from Bryn. Bryn's also a girl who loves to eat food, and so we see her eat lots of food over the book and it has a relevant impact on the story later on, multiple relevant impacts I suppose. The descriptions of what it was like to be a dragon-shifter and what life was like was incredibly well done, especially with how Bryn deals with stress. The abilities that dragons have also makes for some really interesting things that happen.
What I didn't like: There were just so many love interest for Bryn, and while I get that it could be normal, after a while one of them just seems to become completely irrelevant simply because she doesn't feel comfortable dating him since he already has a marriage contract that was permitted by the Directorate. I just didn't see why there needed to be so many people interested in her, but since that does happen to some people I do understand how it could. It just seemed a bit much to me really.
Overall Review: I think the way the dragons clans were done was (while not original for me) well put together and the way the dragons lived was different from what I was expecting. There were a few surprises, some that were good but not all, and there were moments I questioned not just the characters around Bryn but the way Bryn acted and how she handled things herself. I wish she could have had a closer connection with her human best friend that we met in the beginning, because that friend just didn't matter after a while and I get that she felt that they really didn't have much to talk about but even then there should have been something that happened that let her stay connected with her friend.
Recommend?: Yes definitely! This is a very good book that is both humorous and serious, I can not wait to read the second one!...more
What I liked: I liked the way the alternate realities portion worked, how they were accessible by one another. The abilities they had as well was a niWhat I liked: I liked the way the alternate realities portion worked, how they were accessible by one another. The abilities they had as well was a nice touch, and the way one can travel between Orenda and America. The idea behind the story way something that I was enjoying, and the gorgeous cover art is definitely eye catching! Oh yeah, and there’s some pretty awesome dragons in this book too! They may not breathe fire, but their abilities are interesting and sound pretty unique as well.
What I didn’t like: The execution and world building were severely lacking in this book, something that I was really hoping would be fantastic. The characters also didn’t really develop all that much either, which was a grave disappointment
Overall Review:Orenda has a stunning cover and idea behind the story, but the execution falls and leaves much to be desired about the world and its possibilities. And the dragons, I mentioned the dragons earlier as well. Dragons are always a good touch if you can work them in right. I think the characters started out interesting but the pace of the story was so fast that it detracted from how they could grow as the novel moved on. I liked the incorporation of magic and the different ways magic was involved, but there were few twist that I didn’t see coming.
Recommend?: Eh, I’m iffy on this book. I liked it in some ways but in others I didn’t. Maybe it’s just personal taste, but if you want to read it don’t let me stop you!...more
What I liked: For all those who are wary of the "middle grade" age group that is included, fear not! The Dragonet Prophecy has a fun adventure, is infWhat I liked: For all those who are wary of the "middle grade" age group that is included, fear not! The Dragonet Prophecy has a fun adventure, is infused with moments of humor, and had me rooting for the Dragonets of Destiny as they battled against the odds they were faced with to fulfill the prophecy the mysterious NightWings had foretold nearly twenty years before. The Dragonet Prophecy is told from the perspective of Clay, the MudWing dragonet. Clay was the compassionate, soft-hearted brother-figure for the other dragonets (Tsunami the SeaWing, Starflight the NightWings, Sunny the SandWing, and Glory the RainWing). Clay was great to follow in this introduction to the series, and the intrigue and suspense presented at the beginning and end of the book makes me wonder about the three SandWing sisters fighting for the throne. This book raises many questions that will undoubtedly be answered by the end of the series, but I expect some twists in the series (because what would a great series be without great twist?). I also loved Peril, one of the SkyWings we meet in this book. She seemed a little complex, but at the same time it was easy to understand her. Yet, while this book has that semi-childish feel to it, it also evokes a sense of understanding with the characters and what they're going through, plus the war part of this story isn't taken and mushed down into kid-friendly terms. Yet that would never stop me from keeping a kid from this story because even as a child I understood certain aspects as well, and it shows very true characteristics of what humans are capable of, even the level of cruelty some people are capable of without hesitation. Plus, who can resist the fact that the author made several different species of dragons for her world? And gives us hints at the backstory to the land of Pyrrhia?
What I didn't like: It's not that I didn't like these parts, but they stood out and I know some people don't like them. Fantasy cliche's were very abundant in this book, but at the same time I really felt they worked with this group of dragonets. Although, I did have some wishy-washy feelings about some characters but maybe its just because they weren't given a lot of screen time. I'm not saying that about the enemies to the dragonets, but some of the side characters who were supposed to be on their side (as well as Peril she kept confusing me as a character all around).
Overall Review: I loved this book so much, it was really easy for me to stay glued to the pages as I read about the beginning of the adventure's with these five dragonets. This book have a complexity to it that lets me see that even though it's targeted at Middle Grade, that it could easily be read by anyone who might enjoy dragons, and destinies, and grand adventures. Again, different species of dragons, plus they all seem to have their own abilities, how cool is that?
Recommend?: Um, duh? I'd be crazy not to recommend this book for people to read! I adored it!...more
I received a copy of Hidden from the publisher via NetGalley
Hidden by Megg Jensen was a novel I enjoyed quite a bit. The mystery of the fog that sI received a copy of Hidden from the publisher via NetGalley
Hidden by Megg Jensen was a novel I enjoyed quite a bit. The mystery of the fog that surrounds the village, why people never return from the fog. It was catching. I loved the opening for the story with Sophia, it set the premise of the novel and gave me an intense wonder about what was happening and why it had happened. Even though I liked the book overall, there were issues with the plot and characters that I couldn't overlook. The village is never really given a set size, and we have no idea how big it actually is, or even how it maintains itself since it's cut off. Though, the way marriage is done was actually interesting, it's something I hadn't seen before. Bastian, one of our main characters, is a character who ended up surprising me in a way I hadn't expected of him since he seemed to be an honest and loyal person to Tressa (our true main character) and Conner. One of the flimsy characters of the book ended up being Henry, a character met way later into the novel. At first he was enjoyable, I liked him. Later on though.....yeah he was just plain annoying. I didn't like him anymore. Overall this book is a good fantasy book, though it could have done with a bit more revision to help it be stronger....more
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
What I like: The characters were believable, and they had personaliI received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
What I like: The characters were believable, and they had personalities to fit who they were and where they were from in regards to time periods. Baelin, though human for almost the entirety of the book, have several pieces of his personality reflect what we associate with dragons, greed and possessiveness. It was a wonderful thing to see. Kendale and Owen, though a bit iffy as character when they originally appear, I came to love them as well! The fear that people in the 1200’s and the way they talked was done very well, it was believable, and that’s what sold me to it.
What I didn’t like: There wasn’t much that I didn’t, and what I didn’t I can’t exactly pin down. There were very few flaws, but one of them was large enough to be that I was bothered by it for several pages. Sometimes the imagery felt lacking, but it was never overdone.
Overall review: I really enjoyed reading Fire of the Dragon and everything that was involved. The characters were rounded and individuals, the setting was well thought out and the people responded as people of the time would be expected to, with plenty of fear of the unknown. Although initially I thought the ending would be a bitter disappointment, the ending was actually very satisfactory and I loved it. I eagerly await the next book, Treasure of the Gryphon to see what Lori Dillon can do next.
Recommend?: Yes, though I’m not sure who exactly to! Certainly lovers of medieval tales, and perhaps romance since that’s there as well?...more
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