This is the first in Breene’s latest book series. I wanted to wait until the entire series had been released until I dug back into this one. I was excited for this since it is a retelling of The Beauty and The Beast storyline. I loved every word and detail of this world and its characters. Breene, as usual, set the first book up to be a series of epic proportioned. I loved our strong heroine, Finley, and the fact that she refuses to back down from Nyfain, especially in the face of his obvious physical strength over her. Hadriel became a favorite side character since he made me laugh a lot. He was a perfect dose of hilarity amongst the heavier tones within this. The pace remained quick while the world building was off the charts. This is exactly why I horde my other Breene books, like a dragon myself. No one does it the way she does. This is not a typical fairy tale, but it is Breene’s fresh take on it, that makes it something else entirely. (5/5 rating)
Tag: folklore
Book Review – Run & Hide (Myths & Monsters 1) by Beatrix Hollow
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pick this out for its cover. Ava is the daughter of a famous ghost hunting family but terrified of taking over the family business. She sets out on a cross country photography trip with her childhood friend, Caspian, to escape her family’s grasp. Only to find the family business catch up with them all too soon. I’m grateful I checked this out with Kindle membership first since I had several issues with this story. I liked the first half, but the second half careened into a mess. Ava frustrated me at several turns, including her inconsistencies between Caspian and Mothman interactions. For someone from a paranormal family, I’m not sure I feel like her running from Caspian was a real response, among others: she ran way a lot. Ava ruined a lot of this for me, with dumb decision after dumb decision. I enjoyed the horror aspects of the story, and I did like Caspian as a water shapeshifter character. The Mothman was as inconsistent as Ava, at least with the portion of the plot he was in. I felt like this had potential, but this just wasn’t for me. (2/5 rating)
Book Review – Friends with the Monsters (Friends with the Monsters 1) by Albany Walker
This was my first novel by Albany Walker. Like many of you, I purchased this for the cover alone. This focuses on our main character, Damiana, who feeds off the sins of others. For that reason, she is forced to find sustenance at local clubs on a regular basis. One night, she stumbles into a world of witches, shape shifters, and bigger monsters then the ones that visit her house. There were aspects of this story that were enjoyable, particularly the first third of this story. Once Damiana meets her fated mates, it felt like she grew incredibly childish, and I struggled to connect with her past that point. Her mates, Grim, Calix, and Runmar, and their relationships felt underdeveloped within the time we have with them. The plot was a bit all over the place and it didn’t feel like much was resolved by the end though I don’t think I’ll be reading the next one. (3/5 rating)
Book Review – Love & Monsters by Raven Flanagan
My first of Raven Flanagan was a story of, you guessed it: love and monsters. Mina is a human that falls through a portal into another world. After capture, she is sold at a market to the Lord of the City. She never gets to meet this Lord before she is forced into the dungeons and out of sight. Her only company is the enigmatic prisoner, Vadric, who is more mysterious than her reason for being there. I loved the story and interplay between Mina and Vadric, even if Mina and some off her actions annoyed the hell out of me. The world was compelling, and I enjoyed the beasts that created it. We know we are here for the steamy scenes, and I don’t always need a plot to enjoy a romance book. So, if you need a more complex plot, this likely won’t be for you. (3.5/5 rating)
