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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
DNF
First off, how the heck is this book YA? Also incest
First off, how the heck is this book YA? Also incest
jnwunder's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.
I had high hopes for this book because it seemed somewhat like others I have liked in the past. However, it suffered from too many POV characters that just were not different enough. Bayled and Corene mehh and then Sapphire was just kind of bland. Would have benefited from being Persifal/Thelia POV or them + Sapphire.
The random incest and sex was…. meh. There were some really interesting seeds here but the book tried to tackle too much. Would have been better if it reigned it in and focused more on 1-3 POV characters and more world-building.
I had high hopes for this book because it seemed somewhat like others I have liked in the past. However, it suffered from too many POV characters that just were not different enough. Bayled and Corene mehh and then Sapphire was just kind of bland. Would have benefited from being Persifal/Thelia POV or them + Sapphire.
The random incest and sex was…. meh. There were some really interesting seeds here but the book tried to tackle too much. Would have been better if it reigned it in and focused more on 1-3 POV characters and more world-building.
mimi_chartier's review against another edition
1.0
I received the eArc of Castle of Lies by Kiersi Burkhart through Netgalley. It was downloadable now and since the synopsis had me intrigued, I was really happy to snag a copy of it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but in the end all I can say is I am perplexed.
The best way I can describe Castle of Lies is Game of Thrones meets Cruel Intentions meets Fantasia. If you are going like "what the frak", you are about right. I probably should've DNF this book but for some reason, I kept going. There were a lot of times that I was pondering what the hell did I just read and as I continued on and it never got any better. I'm going to try my best to not start ranting so apologies in advance. There will be minors spoilers in this review but nothing that ruins the book or gives anything major away.
The book started off good, I was legit enjoying the first third of it, but it went downhill from there. If you are looking for a fast paced book full of action, look elsewhere. This book is slow, NO I mean S.L.O.W. There are definitely parts that could've been cut that seem there just for the word count. Also everything is really tropey -the story, the characters - ALL TROPEY!
Castle of Lies is told from the perspective of 4 characters:
♦ Thelia - trained by her mother to be a fierce warrior. Will stop at nothing to become queen. Cousin to Parsifal and the Princess Corene. I believe she is demisexual, which was different and interesting to read about as I haven't seen a lot of that rep in the past.
♦ Parsifal - cousin to Thelia,= which he's been in love with for ever. Bisexual. OK am I the only one that is tired of seeing bisexual portrayed as floozies? They seem to be a lot of times presented in a promiscuous way and it is starting to really bug me. Parsifal is no exception to this, he is shown to live a life of debauchery.
♦ Bayled - is kind of the white knight in shining armor. He was taken from his family when he was young and brought to the Holy Kingdom to be the Heir of the King though he has no blood ties to him. In love with the Princess Corene.
♦ Sapphire - one of the elves that invades the Holy Kingdom to purge it from magic. Non-binary character. It's actually the first book that I read that has a non-binary character which is nice.
For me I felt like all these characters were all flawed and made to be unlikable, though I am not sure if that was the writers intention. I think most of them could've been written better, they all feel under developed. One thing I need to address about Thelia's character that really annoyed me, in the beginning before the invasion of the elves any mention of them would make Thelia break down as in like a full on panic attack where she goes into shock. On several occasions we see this happening BUT when the elves do get there, Thelia turns into this warrior goddess ready to fight them. All panic attacks forgotten. Is it me or is this unrealistic? I would imagine her reaction to them being there in front of her would only bring on another panic attack, not a "let's kill the bastards" reaction.
There are so many things that I feel are not explained in this book and I think the author probably kept them for the sequels but some of these should've been in the first book or at least hinted to.
For instance, the elvish invasion of the kingdom, the elves come in on a quest to eradicate magic which has been around for many many years but all of a sudden is dangerous?!? Why is magic dangerous now, when it's always been present? I don't believe any of it is explained and I found it very confusing. There's also a made to seem important character that disappears in the middle of the book and no one seems to know where he went or why he left. If you are going to make a character abandon everything and leave at least try to hint to where they've gone or what they're doing before the ending of the book.
Which leaves us with the magic system...just Ugh! Personally I hated the magic system in this book. It was actually like watching Fantasia. Brooms sweeping and carts rolling in with food. Oh! and did I mention a big ass mouth in the wall that opens and is used as a dustpan. I shit you not, there is an actual mouth with a tongue that eats up dirt... like what the serious frak! For me it didn't work, it wasn't "believable", it came off as childish and silly.
This book also is an offender of one of my major pet peeves in fantasy. It's really silly but this bugs me, but I mean it BUGS the hell out of me. I hate when in fantasy books parents are referred to as mom and dad. I don't know why, maybe cause mom and dad appears to be a bit like slang but it takes me out of the story when I see "mom and dad" in fantasy books. I strongly feel it should always be mother and father. There I said it, OUF! I feel better, lol. You can judge me if you want (looking at you Mel!!!).
On the positive side, I think Kiersi Burkhart shows promise as a writer. I know it's not her first novel, but it's the first one I read from her and based on the prose of the book I would give her another shot. There is a lot of diverse representation in this book which is always good, so kuddos to her for including these. It has the first poly relationship I've seen.
Like I mentioned before I probably should've DNF this book. It didn't do enough to keep me interested in continuing the series. If you do decide to pick it up I hope you enjoy it more than I did. This is a 1 1/2 star for me.
Thank you Carolrhoda Press and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
The best way I can describe Castle of Lies is Game of Thrones meets Cruel Intentions meets Fantasia. If you are going like "what the frak", you are about right. I probably should've DNF this book but for some reason, I kept going. There were a lot of times that I was pondering what the hell did I just read and as I continued on and it never got any better. I'm going to try my best to not start ranting so apologies in advance. There will be minors spoilers in this review but nothing that ruins the book or gives anything major away.
The book started off good, I was legit enjoying the first third of it, but it went downhill from there. If you are looking for a fast paced book full of action, look elsewhere. This book is slow, NO I mean S.L.O.W. There are definitely parts that could've been cut that seem there just for the word count. Also everything is really tropey -the story, the characters - ALL TROPEY!
Castle of Lies is told from the perspective of 4 characters:
♦ Thelia - trained by her mother to be a fierce warrior. Will stop at nothing to become queen. Cousin to Parsifal and the Princess Corene. I believe she is demisexual, which was different and interesting to read about as I haven't seen a lot of that rep in the past.
♦ Parsifal - cousin to Thelia,= which he's been in love with for ever. Bisexual. OK am I the only one that is tired of seeing bisexual portrayed as floozies? They seem to be a lot of times presented in a promiscuous way and it is starting to really bug me. Parsifal is no exception to this, he is shown to live a life of debauchery.
♦ Bayled - is kind of the white knight in shining armor. He was taken from his family when he was young and brought to the Holy Kingdom to be the Heir of the King though he has no blood ties to him. In love with the Princess Corene.
♦ Sapphire - one of the elves that invades the Holy Kingdom to purge it from magic. Non-binary character. It's actually the first book that I read that has a non-binary character which is nice.
For me I felt like all these characters were all flawed and made to be unlikable, though I am not sure if that was the writers intention. I think most of them could've been written better, they all feel under developed. One thing I need to address about Thelia's character that really annoyed me, in the beginning before the invasion of the elves any mention of them would make Thelia break down as in like a full on panic attack where she goes into shock. On several occasions we see this happening BUT when the elves do get there, Thelia turns into this warrior goddess ready to fight them. All panic attacks forgotten. Is it me or is this unrealistic? I would imagine her reaction to them being there in front of her would only bring on another panic attack, not a "let's kill the bastards" reaction.
There are so many things that I feel are not explained in this book and I think the author probably kept them for the sequels but some of these should've been in the first book or at least hinted to.
For instance, the elvish invasion of the kingdom, the elves come in on a quest to eradicate magic which has been around for many many years but all of a sudden is dangerous?!? Why is magic dangerous now, when it's always been present? I don't believe any of it is explained and I found it very confusing. There's also a made to seem important character that disappears in the middle of the book and no one seems to know where he went or why he left. If you are going to make a character abandon everything and leave at least try to hint to where they've gone or what they're doing before the ending of the book.
Which leaves us with the magic system...just Ugh! Personally I hated the magic system in this book. It was actually like watching Fantasia. Brooms sweeping and carts rolling in with food. Oh! and did I mention a big ass mouth in the wall that opens and is used as a dustpan. I shit you not, there is an actual mouth with a tongue that eats up dirt... like what the serious frak! For me it didn't work, it wasn't "believable", it came off as childish and silly.
This book also is an offender of one of my major pet peeves in fantasy. It's really silly but this bugs me, but I mean it BUGS the hell out of me. I hate when in fantasy books parents are referred to as mom and dad. I don't know why, maybe cause mom and dad appears to be a bit like slang but it takes me out of the story when I see "mom and dad" in fantasy books. I strongly feel it should always be mother and father. There I said it, OUF! I feel better, lol. You can judge me if you want (looking at you Mel!!!).
On the positive side, I think Kiersi Burkhart shows promise as a writer. I know it's not her first novel, but it's the first one I read from her and based on the prose of the book I would give her another shot. There is a lot of diverse representation in this book which is always good, so kuddos to her for including these. It has the first poly relationship I've seen.
Like I mentioned before I probably should've DNF this book. It didn't do enough to keep me interested in continuing the series. If you do decide to pick it up I hope you enjoy it more than I did. This is a 1 1/2 star for me.
Thank you Carolrhoda Press and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
themushroom's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wildlyminiaturesandwich's review against another edition
2.0
NOTE: I received a complimentary eARC of this book from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
When I first read the description of this book I was intrigued, it sounded right up my alley! But as soon as I started reading it, it became VERY clear this one wasn’t for me. I should have just stopped after the first two pages but I spent far too much time trying to force myself to finish it instead; trying to care even the slightest bit about any of the characters or how the story ended until I ended up giving up at 23%. My actual rating for this book is 1.5 stars, but seeing as Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars, I rounded up.
I saw another reviewer describe this book as “Game of Thrones meets Cruel Intentions meets Fantasia” and that’s exactly what it is. Now, you might be thinking “Surely those things don’t work together?” and you’d be absolutely right. Those three things should never be put together because then you end up with a book that’s essentially full of incest, substance abuse, and magically animated objects. Actually, considering some of the subjects this book touches on, I’m REALLY surprised it’s marketed as YA Fiction.
**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**
Right from the start I found Thelia’s character off-putting. I mean, the very first paragraph has her describing how weak, inside and out, her cousin Corene (the Princess) is and how she’s not fit to be Queen. She then goes on to describe why she, Thelia, should be queen in the most obnoxious, self-centered way, and plots how she can get the Corene out of the way so she can marry Bayled (the King’s ward, most likely heir, and the man who proposed to Corene without permission from the King). Her focus for the whole book, even when bigger things seem to be going on, is how she can use and screw over anyone standing in her way to become Queen. That is literally all she ever thinks about; her character has no real depth except for being a conceiving, backstabbing bitch. I also found it very hard to believe that the first time Corene told her the elves were coming she basically had a panic attack and passed out, but then when the elves actually got there and it was time to fight, she turned into some no-nonsense warrior maiden; it made no sense at all.
Most of the other characters are the same as Thelia. They all seem to have one main personality trait — loyal, whiny, cheeky, bitchy, etc — and that is literally all they are; very one dimensional. The only character that might have been even SLIGHTLY interesting if I’d kept reading was Sapphire, but still not interesting enough to stop me skipping whole paragraphs and then pages just to find something more interesting going on. I don’t know if it was the author’s intention to make most of the character highly unlikable, but if so then she succeeded.
Also, one of the main reasons I requested this book was because it was supposed to have a lot of queer representation, but it fell VERY flat in that regard. Sapphire appears to be non-binary or possibly gender fluid, but I don’t think it’s ever specifically mentioned other than one time Sapphire corrects Corene when she uses the wrong pronouns for them. Parsifal (Thelia’s other cousin who’s been in love with her for years) is bisexual, or maybe pansexual, and is referred to quite a few times as basically nothing more than a floozy. Am I the only one that’s getting really tired of seeing bisexuals and pansexuals portrayed as sex-crazed maniacs who’ll hook up with literally anything that moves? And Thelia was supposed to be either asexual or demisexual (as well as being touch-adverse and sex-repulsed), but apparently a few bottles of wine seems to completely erase that little detail whenever it’s convenient for the story, like you know, any time she wants to kiss Sapphire (a virtual stranger and essentially her jailer), or have sex with her cousin, Parsifal.
Once I got to yet another point-of-view change at 23% (there were a lot), I knew I wasn’t going to bother reading any further. But I did skip forward every few chapters to read bits and pieces just to get the general idea of the story and honestly, I’m glad I didn’t bother finishing it. It seems to be full of pretty much every fantasy and YA trope the author could find all mashed together but without any actual depth or substance.
When I first read the description of this book I was intrigued, it sounded right up my alley! But as soon as I started reading it, it became VERY clear this one wasn’t for me. I should have just stopped after the first two pages but I spent far too much time trying to force myself to finish it instead; trying to care even the slightest bit about any of the characters or how the story ended until I ended up giving up at 23%. My actual rating for this book is 1.5 stars, but seeing as Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars, I rounded up.
I saw another reviewer describe this book as “Game of Thrones meets Cruel Intentions meets Fantasia” and that’s exactly what it is. Now, you might be thinking “Surely those things don’t work together?” and you’d be absolutely right. Those three things should never be put together because then you end up with a book that’s essentially full of incest, substance abuse, and magically animated objects. Actually, considering some of the subjects this book touches on, I’m REALLY surprised it’s marketed as YA Fiction.
**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**
Right from the start I found Thelia’s character off-putting. I mean, the very first paragraph has her describing how weak, inside and out, her cousin Corene (the Princess) is and how she’s not fit to be Queen. She then goes on to describe why she, Thelia, should be queen in the most obnoxious, self-centered way, and plots how she can get the Corene out of the way so she can marry Bayled (the King’s ward, most likely heir, and the man who proposed to Corene without permission from the King). Her focus for the whole book, even when bigger things seem to be going on, is how she can use and screw over anyone standing in her way to become Queen. That is literally all she ever thinks about; her character has no real depth except for being a conceiving, backstabbing bitch. I also found it very hard to believe that the first time Corene told her the elves were coming she basically had a panic attack and passed out, but then when the elves actually got there and it was time to fight, she turned into some no-nonsense warrior maiden; it made no sense at all.
Most of the other characters are the same as Thelia. They all seem to have one main personality trait — loyal, whiny, cheeky, bitchy, etc — and that is literally all they are; very one dimensional. The only character that might have been even SLIGHTLY interesting if I’d kept reading was Sapphire, but still not interesting enough to stop me skipping whole paragraphs and then pages just to find something more interesting going on. I don’t know if it was the author’s intention to make most of the character highly unlikable, but if so then she succeeded.
Also, one of the main reasons I requested this book was because it was supposed to have a lot of queer representation, but it fell VERY flat in that regard. Sapphire appears to be non-binary or possibly gender fluid, but I don’t think it’s ever specifically mentioned other than one time Sapphire corrects Corene when she uses the wrong pronouns for them. Parsifal (Thelia’s other cousin who’s been in love with her for years) is bisexual, or maybe pansexual, and is referred to quite a few times as basically nothing more than a floozy. Am I the only one that’s getting really tired of seeing bisexuals and pansexuals portrayed as sex-crazed maniacs who’ll hook up with literally anything that moves? And Thelia was supposed to be either asexual or demisexual (as well as being touch-adverse and sex-repulsed), but apparently a few bottles of wine seems to completely erase that little detail whenever it’s convenient for the story, like you know, any time she wants to kiss Sapphire (a virtual stranger and essentially her jailer), or have sex with her cousin, Parsifal.
Once I got to yet another point-of-view change at 23% (there were a lot), I knew I wasn’t going to bother reading any further. But I did skip forward every few chapters to read bits and pieces just to get the general idea of the story and honestly, I’m glad I didn’t bother finishing it. It seems to be full of pretty much every fantasy and YA trope the author could find all mashed together but without any actual depth or substance.
alongreader's review against another edition
3.0
Thelia wants to be queen and has worked for years towards that end, cultivating friendships with the king's daughter and his ward. All her plans come crashing down, though, when the palace is attacked and occupied by Elves. Imprisoned with a small group of courtiers, Thelia must make alliances and find her way back home.
I'm usually first in line for a good court intrigue story, but this one just didn't seem to catch. Backgrounds are confusing, everyone is betraying everyone else and switching sides and making heartfelt declarations. I was honestly very rarely sure if anyone was on a side other than their own. And while I have no problem with authors making up new words, I do like them to be presented in a context that means you can understand what they mean; I was quite a way in before I figured out what 'flerg' meant, because the first several times anyone used it it could have meant a few different things.
Ultimately this just wasn't for me, but I hope it does well and I'm grateful to netgalley and Lerner pub group.
I'm usually first in line for a good court intrigue story, but this one just didn't seem to catch. Backgrounds are confusing, everyone is betraying everyone else and switching sides and making heartfelt declarations. I was honestly very rarely sure if anyone was on a side other than their own. And while I have no problem with authors making up new words, I do like them to be presented in a context that means you can understand what they mean; I was quite a way in before I figured out what 'flerg' meant, because the first several times anyone used it it could have meant a few different things.
Ultimately this just wasn't for me, but I hope it does well and I'm grateful to netgalley and Lerner pub group.
aylea's review against another edition
1.0
Wow. This book was bad. I can't believe I actually finished it.
ari_oreo's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders
kate_brauning's review against another edition
5.0
This book is wild. And SO GOOD. Burkhart kept me guessing to the end. The twists, the romance, and the feminist fantasy are just a handful of the reasons to go get this book for yourself. It's a good long read, but I still wasn't ready to put it down when it ended. I want more!
alyram4's review against another edition
2.5/5 stars
I could not or the life of me get into this book. I kept trying and trying, bit this just was way too...boring? I'm not sure if that's the word I'm lookong for, but it's as close as I can get. There's just so much going on, constant switching of POV, tons of new rules and subplots being added in. Don't even get me started on the loose ends. So many unanswered questions that SHOULD be answered, tons of subplots that lead to nothing, the character development needing more work... It all just adds up to a big mess. I noticed within the first 5 chapters that there was going to be tona of imformation being jammed into this book. There needs to be a lot more revising and editing to be done in orser for it to become coherent and more entertaining, in a way. LGBTQ+ representation...exists. I'd say if you have this aspect in a book, make it count. In this book though...let's just say that the LGBTQ+ aspects took a backseat and weren't explored much, if at all. Might as well not include it and the story would still be the same.
I don't see myself getting a finished copy unless I see that there's been major improvements done. Possibly a library borrow, but definitely not buy. There's a very specific audience for this, and unfortunately it's not me.
ARC received by the publisher through NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
I could not or the life of me get into this book. I kept trying and trying, bit this just was way too...boring? I'm not sure if that's the word I'm lookong for, but it's as close as I can get. There's just so much going on, constant switching of POV, tons of new rules and subplots being added in. Don't even get me started on the loose ends. So many unanswered questions that SHOULD be answered, tons of subplots that lead to nothing, the character development needing more work... It all just adds up to a big mess. I noticed within the first 5 chapters that there was going to be tona of imformation being jammed into this book. There needs to be a lot more revising and editing to be done in orser for it to become coherent and more entertaining, in a way. LGBTQ+ representation...exists. I'd say if you have this aspect in a book, make it count. In this book though...let's just say that the LGBTQ+ aspects took a backseat and weren't explored much, if at all. Might as well not include it and the story would still be the same.
I don't see myself getting a finished copy unless I see that there's been major improvements done. Possibly a library borrow, but definitely not buy. There's a very specific audience for this, and unfortunately it's not me.
ARC received by the publisher through NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.