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floortje40's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
When I was a kid I really loved Nancy Drew. I loved the puzzles, I loved the mystery and I loved the danger. When I was a little older I discovered stories with magic, with supernatural creatures and it was love at first sight. So, when I visited BookSirens and saw this series, combining both of my passions, I knew I had to read these. I took quite a risk taking all first three books at once and this week it was time to discover if I would regret it.
I absolutely didn't regret picking up this series. The writing style is amazing. It's descriptive enough to create a detailed picture of both the scenery and the atmosphere. And both were amazing. Peony House was a dark place that truly came to life in this story. The combination of a hospital, where so many lives were saved, with an ancient curse worked amazingly well and the finale was chilling and I felt my skin tingle while reading.
I also loved the characters in this story. I have to admit that I do think that reading the prequel before picking up this first book might be a good idea. I really had the feeling so much had happened before the book starts and although the book gives us an impression of what kind of things had happened, we never get the details. However, despite all the missed history I really started caring about Daphne and Hunter throughout the story.
I personally think the side characters, and especially those who could potentially be the one to have committed the murder, deserved a little more attention. Although we all met them early in the story I felt we didn't really get the time to talk to them or grow to care about them. It's a pity, because I think all the reveals in the finale and the final explanation of what had been going on would have made even more of an impression if we had gotten a closer connection with the potential suspects.
I'm however really looking forward to the next two books in the series!
I absolutely didn't regret picking up this series. The writing style is amazing. It's descriptive enough to create a detailed picture of both the scenery and the atmosphere. And both were amazing. Peony House was a dark place that truly came to life in this story. The combination of a hospital, where so many lives were saved, with an ancient curse worked amazingly well and the finale was chilling and I felt my skin tingle while reading.
I also loved the characters in this story. I have to admit that I do think that reading the prequel before picking up this first book might be a good idea. I really had the feeling so much had happened before the book starts and although the book gives us an impression of what kind of things had happened, we never get the details. However, despite all the missed history I really started caring about Daphne and Hunter throughout the story.
I personally think the side characters, and especially those who could potentially be the one to have committed the murder, deserved a little more attention. Although we all met them early in the story I felt we didn't really get the time to talk to them or grow to care about them. It's a pity, because I think all the reveals in the finale and the final explanation of what had been going on would have made even more of an impression if we had gotten a closer connection with the potential suspects.
I'm however really looking forward to the next two books in the series!
alapinski's review
2.0
Loved the story, super creative. Nice to see a different magic set than books I've read previously, and yes the third person perspective rocks. However, I'm not a fan of the over use of adjectives in every sentence and I didn't like the way some of the information is given to the reader. I love character development but I didn't find all that much of it in this book. That being said, the writing and story telling got better as the book progressed, so it wasn't that bad. Not sure if I'll read the other books.
condygurl's review against another edition
5.0
Daphne goes to Peony House because a friend told her a light was on in an upstairs window. When she goes to investigate she finds much more than she expected.
I enjoyed the story and I do wish I knew more about Daphne's past. It is mentioned a few times in the story and I felt that if I had more details I could really get to know her.
While this book is the first in the series there is a novella that is a prequel to this book. I think I may have been able to better understand all the nuances if I had read that first.
The book was enjoyable, and I will read the future novels in the series since this one kept my interest and I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I will say that the suspect was one I expected to have done it, so it didn't come as a surprise to me.
All in all, a nice clean enjoyable story.
I enjoyed the story and I do wish I knew more about Daphne's past. It is mentioned a few times in the story and I felt that if I had more details I could really get to know her.
While this book is the first in the series there is a novella that is a prequel to this book. I think I may have been able to better understand all the nuances if I had read that first.
The book was enjoyable, and I will read the future novels in the series since this one kept my interest and I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I will say that the suspect was one I expected to have done it, so it didn't come as a surprise to me.
All in all, a nice clean enjoyable story.
myoung13's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so glad I found Krista Walsh. Her work is amazing ! I'm very excited that this book is part of a series because I'm hooked to the world she's created. I was already placing an order for the next book when not even half way through this one. Very well written! Excited to read more by Walsh !
karenjean18's review
3.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I recommend reading the novella before this book. While I didn't and could follow along with the story, there were times that I knew I was missing context in a conversation or internal dialogue. Overall this was a good urban fantasy novel. It was an interesting storyline that included witches, ghosts, and demons. The romantic plot was there throughout however Daphne's character growth was the main focus. My honest opinion is that it was an alright read and I might continue the series in the future.
I recommend reading the novella before this book. While I didn't and could follow along with the story, there were times that I knew I was missing context in a conversation or internal dialogue. Overall this was a good urban fantasy novel. It was an interesting storyline that included witches, ghosts, and demons. The romantic plot was there throughout however Daphne's character growth was the main focus. My honest opinion is that it was an alright read and I might continue the series in the future.
condygurl's review
5.0
Daphne goes to Peony House because a friend told her a light was on in an upstairs window. When she goes to investigate she finds much more than she expected.
I enjoyed the story and I do wish I knew more about Daphne's past. It is mentioned a few times in the story and I felt that if I had more details I could really get to know her.
While this book is the first in the series there is a novella that is a prequel to this book. I think I may have been able to better understand all the nuances if I had read that first.
The book was enjoyable, and I will read the future novels in the series since this one kept my interest and I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I will say that the suspect was one I expected to have done it, so it didn't come as a surprise to me.
All in all, a nice clean enjoyable story.
I enjoyed the story and I do wish I knew more about Daphne's past. It is mentioned a few times in the story and I felt that if I had more details I could really get to know her.
While this book is the first in the series there is a novella that is a prequel to this book. I think I may have been able to better understand all the nuances if I had read that first.
The book was enjoyable, and I will read the future novels in the series since this one kept my interest and I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I will say that the suspect was one I expected to have done it, so it didn't come as a surprise to me.
All in all, a nice clean enjoyable story.
pages_and_procrastination's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I was given a digital copy of this title. All opinions are my own.
I have some mixed thoughts about this. It doesn't start you at the beginning of Daphne's story. And while you don't necessarily have to have read the beginning, it might be better if you had. She reminisces and hits the highlights, but I think the connection to Daphne would be stronger if you had experienced her story from the beginning. Maybe it would make her a little less annoying. As it is, it's pretty clear that there is a big difference between who she was before and who she is trying to become. -A power hungry sorceress trying to consume all of the power that she can to a sorceress who is trying to use her power for good. I also wasn't sure if I liked her enough to continue on with the story -she is rather annoying and a bit whiny. Maybe if she didn't whine so much about how hard it was to be good (or if I had experienced her before personality) it wouldn't have been so bad. The romance. Umm I didn't really like this part. Again, maybe if I had experienced the before part and had not just been told about it, things may be different. I didn't like Hunter, and the end was inevitable. I am not completely sold on it. But it is a minor part of the story. The main part of the story- the mystery. I enjoyed this part of the story and it is what kept me reading. I would have liked to have learned more about Daphne's magic and even her lineage. But I did enjoy the investigating part of the story. Reading from the perspective of a journalist is new, but I am not sure how convincing it is because Daphne pretty much did her own thing. She was quick to pick up on the supernatural angle of the story, but in the end it's unclear as to what kind of story she turned in. There was a nice balance between investigating what was going and fighting the darkness. Daphne is vulnerable and while her magic gave her an advantage, it didn't guarantee her safety and that added a nice tension to the story. This was a complete story with the ground work for more books in the series. And I am curious about what happens next.
I have some mixed thoughts about this. It doesn't start you at the beginning of Daphne's story. And while you don't necessarily have to have read the beginning, it might be better if you had. She reminisces and hits the highlights, but I think the connection to Daphne would be stronger if you had experienced her story from the beginning. Maybe it would make her a little less annoying. As it is, it's pretty clear that there is a big difference between who she was before and who she is trying to become. -A power hungry sorceress trying to consume all of the power that she can to a sorceress who is trying to use her power for good. I also wasn't sure if I liked her enough to continue on with the story -she is rather annoying and a bit whiny. Maybe if she didn't whine so much about how hard it was to be good (or if I had experienced her before personality) it wouldn't have been so bad. The romance. Umm I didn't really like this part. Again, maybe if I had experienced the before part and had not just been told about it, things may be different. I didn't like Hunter, and the end was inevitable. I am not completely sold on it. But it is a minor part of the story. The main part of the story- the mystery. I enjoyed this part of the story and it is what kept me reading. I would have liked to have learned more about Daphne's magic and even her lineage. But I did enjoy the investigating part of the story. Reading from the perspective of a journalist is new, but I am not sure how convincing it is because Daphne pretty much did her own thing. She was quick to pick up on the supernatural angle of the story, but in the end it's unclear as to what kind of story she turned in. There was a nice balance between investigating what was going and fighting the darkness. Daphne is vulnerable and while her magic gave her an advantage, it didn't guarantee her safety and that added a nice tension to the story. This was a complete story with the ground work for more books in the series. And I am curious about what happens next.
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