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ciannait76's review
5.0
This book was certainly a surprise to me. I loved the world building going on in this book, it wasn't so obvious that I felt bored, and it wasn't non-existent that I couldn't imagine the world the story was set in.
The characters were all interesting, and they behaved in the manor that I thought they should based one who and what they are. I loved watching all the relationships (romantic and otherwise) that were happening between the characters, and I loved watching the main female lead find her strength.
I might have known who the killer was (because we were given a glimpse early on), but all the twists and turns in the story kept me interested. In fact, I was so interested that I read the whole book in one sitting.
If you are looking for a work of fiction, with a realistic portrayal of the elves and Fairy and a good murder story to boot then do yourself a favor and pick up this book.
The characters were all interesting, and they behaved in the manor that I thought they should based one who and what they are. I loved watching all the relationships (romantic and otherwise) that were happening between the characters, and I loved watching the main female lead find her strength.
I might have known who the killer was (because we were given a glimpse early on), but all the twists and turns in the story kept me interested. In fact, I was so interested that I read the whole book in one sitting.
If you are looking for a work of fiction, with a realistic portrayal of the elves and Fairy and a good murder story to boot then do yourself a favor and pick up this book.
apollolibrarian's review
5.0
A thrilling story! Could hardly put the book down, as the world was woven expertly together. Reminded me a bit of Kim Harrison's Hollows series, the way the world suddenly and irrevocably changed and humans and magical creatures have to reckon with each other. I had some trouble buying into the main romantic love interest, but I may be biased towards his rival, as I am a sucker for dark, handsome, and wounded. ;) Overall, if you love urban fantasy, this is an excellent foray into that realm. Looking forward to digging into the rest of the series.
autumnfaeb's review
5.0
This is a great book, and one of the most fascinating takes on Fae/Elf culture and I have no doubt that it's because Morgan Daimler knows their stuff.
Aside from the actual credibility of the lore and a solid grasp on what magic really is (human side at least), the story itself is riveting. This is one of those page turners where you can't put it down...and end up staying awake until 3am because you're dying to see what happens next.
As of right now I'm #TeamJess and I can't wait to see where it all goes from here. Healthy mix of romance, queerness, Fae and Elf lore and culture and mystery to fully have me engaged.
Aside from the actual credibility of the lore and a solid grasp on what magic really is (human side at least), the story itself is riveting. This is one of those page turners where you can't put it down...and end up staying awake until 3am because you're dying to see what happens next.
As of right now I'm #TeamJess and I can't wait to see where it all goes from here. Healthy mix of romance, queerness, Fae and Elf lore and culture and mystery to fully have me engaged.
carringtonshaw's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn't realize when I bought this book that it was self-published. Not that I have anything against self-published books, but this lived up to the worst stereotype of them in that it seemed to have no editor. And the numerous errors in punctuation and spelling on every page, sometimes to the point that they added confusion to the story, were incredibly annoying. The layout was also off, with chapter headings sometimes at the bottom of a page while the chapter started on the next, giving the whole book an unfortunate lack of professionalism.
That said, editing is an editor's job, and writing is a writer's job, and despite all the errors, it was not horribly-written. I largely enjoyed the story itself. The premise of the world the author had created and what the villains were attempting to achieve was interesting, and the events moved quickly enough that it kept my attention.
I can't say I had any real feelings for any of the characters. They all seemed bland to me and I could have swapped almost any one of them out for another at any given point and it wouldn't have made any difference. The one I found most interesting (the kelpie) was barely in the book. For this reason (and the lack of editing), I won't continue with the series; I just prefer stories where I fall in love with the characters.
I have to talk about the "romance". It was so creepy. Two characters just meet and, without any indication of feelings (and in fact, the author states several times that one of the characters doesn't even feel empathy), suddenly they're in love? Now they're in a relationship, and they're having sex the next day? The whole thing made me very uncomfortable, and I kept hoping it was leading to something, like maybe he was secretly one of the villains and had cursed her somehow so her thoughts about him weren't really her own, but no. It was just meant to be taken at face value, which was unbelievable and unsettling. I hated every bit of that and wanted the book to steer away from it, but it remained a major plot point throughout.
I also found it not wholly believable that a 37-year-old was still a virgin. Not that I think that never happens--I'm sure there are plenty of 37-year-old virgins out there--but no explanation for it was given at all, and that's what made it weird. The author never told us <i>why</i> the character had waited. Was it a conscious choice on her part? Had something prevented it? It was just strange.
That said, editing is an editor's job, and writing is a writer's job, and despite all the errors, it was not horribly-written. I largely enjoyed the story itself. The premise of the world the author had created and what the villains were attempting to achieve was interesting, and the events moved quickly enough that it kept my attention.
I can't say I had any real feelings for any of the characters. They all seemed bland to me and I could have swapped almost any one of them out for another at any given point and it wouldn't have made any difference. The one I found most interesting (the kelpie) was barely in the book. For this reason (and the lack of editing), I won't continue with the series; I just prefer stories where I fall in love with the characters.
I have to talk about the "romance". It was so creepy. Two characters just meet and, without any indication of feelings (and in fact, the author states several times that one of the characters doesn't even feel empathy), suddenly they're in love? Now they're in a relationship, and they're having sex the next day? The whole thing made me very uncomfortable, and I kept hoping it was leading to something, like maybe he was secretly one of the villains and had cursed her somehow so her thoughts about him weren't really her own, but no. It was just meant to be taken at face value, which was unbelievable and unsettling. I hated every bit of that and wanted the book to steer away from it, but it remained a major plot point throughout.
I also found it not wholly believable that a 37-year-old was still a virgin. Not that I think that never happens--I'm sure there are plenty of 37-year-old virgins out there--but no explanation for it was given at all, and that's what made it weird. The author never told us <i>why</i> the character had waited. Was it a conscious choice on her part? Had something prevented it? It was just strange.
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