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ellelainey's review
5.0
** This review is word-for-word what will be in the review of the Wolf's Own Bundle **
Book 2: Weregild
Length: 29-58%
POV: 3rd, multi-POV
Star rating: ★★★★★
Carole Cummings owes me a box of tissues. Or three. I swear, I didn't stop crying from beginning to end with this one and it was torture!
I absolutely loved that this story picked right up from where book 1 left off. There was no messy re-telling of the entire plot of book 1 or going too deeply into the backgrounds of the characters – just plain and simple, moving flawlessly into the next chapter of this epic story.
Similarly, I loved that the POV's didn't change either. No one was missing that got their POV in book 1 and we didn't get any messy new POV's that changed how things had been going so far. Everyone got to say their piece and show their story, just as they did in book 1.
However, I have to say that this one had a whole lot more story packed into it. Probably because so much of book 1 centered on solving the mystery of Fen, that they never really had the chance to delve too deeply into the “how” of helping him. Not that book 1 didn't have plenty of story, but I clearly saw three parts in this book that would have made fantastic endings, only to go on and give us even more too look forward to, all winding into the same plot seamlessly. For me, book 2 packed more of a punch, both with action and the emotional rollercoaster, which is hard for me to say since I loved book 1 to the nth degree.
There was a really interesting dilemma at the start, where Joori and his family were just being rescued and settling into their new safe house, while trying to work around Jacin's moodiness. I loved the way that Joori was so fiercely protective of Jacin, the way he butted heads with Malick and all that it entailed. They're both strong characters, both ready to lay their lives down for Jacin, who is his usual oblivious self, so it really made sense that they couldn't get along.
To the sticky stuff – the stuff I can't mention without spoiling it – I'll say only this:
Umeia broke my heart
Caidi stole it.
Yori...well, I can't honestly say that she made any difference to me.
I cried when Malick gave Fen the ring (and a whole bunch of other times that I can't mention)
The Umeai storyline was a shock, but one that kept me on my toes and really made me nervous. I hated watching her and Malick falling out and ending up on different sides. But, at the same time, I do think that her talk with Joori really opened his eyes about Malick and I can't regret that. I was so mad with Umeai though that I'm not sure I'll ever forgive her for being so stupidly bloody-minded and short-sighted. How could she doubt Malick that way?
And, yes, I'm a terrible person. Just as Yori and Joori are getting their flirt on, my full attention is focused on his brief talk with Madi and I suddenly had this amazing image of them together. However, considering the end of the story, I don't see that happening. I do, however, want to see Joori maybe make another exception in the future. Hint, hint.
I nearly squeeed my heart out when I saw Morin finally come into his own and be more than the annoying pain in the ass he'd been until now. To see him growing up, revealing his truth and becoming useful to the team was just beautiful to see and I love how much promise it has for the future.
Malick and Shig, even more than in book 1, have such a special relationship. They way they take care of each other, can read each other without needing words or thoughts, and the fact that they (generally) know what is best for each other is really special.
And, finally, before I give too much away, I have to say that I LOVED so hard the revelation of who “the one” would be. It was just who I wanted it to be.
Overall, again, the magic touch of a perfect balance between genius plotting, brilliant storytelling and heartfelt characterisation made this another knock out. I can't wait to go into the next one.
~
Favourite Quote
It was incredibly hard to whittle down my favourites to just a choice few, but here goes:
“When Fen glared at you, you instinctively checked to make sure you were armed, and when he spoke, you listened for the snarl and made sure you had a clear shot to the exits, just in case. When Joori came at you, it was more like being scolded by an unhappy duck – all squawks and flapping about, and empty attempts at offense he couldn't carry through.”
“And all at once, Joori could almost understand what his brother might see in Malick. He was brilliant in his fury, diamond-hard in his pain, almost beautiful in his extremity of pure and perfect rage.”
“You said you'd pretend.”
Book 2: Weregild
Length: 29-58%
POV: 3rd, multi-POV
Star rating: ★★★★★
Carole Cummings owes me a box of tissues. Or three. I swear, I didn't stop crying from beginning to end with this one and it was torture!
I absolutely loved that this story picked right up from where book 1 left off. There was no messy re-telling of the entire plot of book 1 or going too deeply into the backgrounds of the characters – just plain and simple, moving flawlessly into the next chapter of this epic story.
Similarly, I loved that the POV's didn't change either. No one was missing that got their POV in book 1 and we didn't get any messy new POV's that changed how things had been going so far. Everyone got to say their piece and show their story, just as they did in book 1.
However, I have to say that this one had a whole lot more story packed into it. Probably because so much of book 1 centered on solving the mystery of Fen, that they never really had the chance to delve too deeply into the “how” of helping him. Not that book 1 didn't have plenty of story, but I clearly saw three parts in this book that would have made fantastic endings, only to go on and give us even more too look forward to, all winding into the same plot seamlessly. For me, book 2 packed more of a punch, both with action and the emotional rollercoaster, which is hard for me to say since I loved book 1 to the nth degree.
There was a really interesting dilemma at the start, where Joori and his family were just being rescued and settling into their new safe house, while trying to work around Jacin's moodiness. I loved the way that Joori was so fiercely protective of Jacin, the way he butted heads with Malick and all that it entailed. They're both strong characters, both ready to lay their lives down for Jacin, who is his usual oblivious self, so it really made sense that they couldn't get along.
To the sticky stuff – the stuff I can't mention without spoiling it – I'll say only this:
Umeia broke my heart
Caidi stole it.
Yori...well, I can't honestly say that she made any difference to me.
I cried when Malick gave Fen the ring (and a whole bunch of other times that I can't mention)
The Umeai storyline was a shock, but one that kept me on my toes and really made me nervous. I hated watching her and Malick falling out and ending up on different sides. But, at the same time, I do think that her talk with Joori really opened his eyes about Malick and I can't regret that. I was so mad with Umeai though that I'm not sure I'll ever forgive her for being so stupidly bloody-minded and short-sighted. How could she doubt Malick that way?
And, yes, I'm a terrible person. Just as Yori and Joori are getting their flirt on, my full attention is focused on his brief talk with Madi and I suddenly had this amazing image of them together. However, considering the end of the story, I don't see that happening. I do, however, want to see Joori maybe make another exception in the future. Hint, hint.
I nearly squeeed my heart out when I saw Morin finally come into his own and be more than the annoying pain in the ass he'd been until now. To see him growing up, revealing his truth and becoming useful to the team was just beautiful to see and I love how much promise it has for the future.
Malick and Shig, even more than in book 1, have such a special relationship. They way they take care of each other, can read each other without needing words or thoughts, and the fact that they (generally) know what is best for each other is really special.
And, finally, before I give too much away, I have to say that I LOVED so hard the revelation of who “the one” would be. It was just who I wanted it to be.
Overall, again, the magic touch of a perfect balance between genius plotting, brilliant storytelling and heartfelt characterisation made this another knock out. I can't wait to go into the next one.
~
Favourite Quote
It was incredibly hard to whittle down my favourites to just a choice few, but here goes:
“When Fen glared at you, you instinctively checked to make sure you were armed, and when he spoke, you listened for the snarl and made sure you had a clear shot to the exits, just in case. When Joori came at you, it was more like being scolded by an unhappy duck – all squawks and flapping about, and empty attempts at offense he couldn't carry through.”
“And all at once, Joori could almost understand what his brother might see in Malick. He was brilliant in his fury, diamond-hard in his pain, almost beautiful in his extremity of pure and perfect rage.”
“You said you'd pretend.”
thistlechaser's review
5.0
Never have I liked the second book in a series more than the first. Never have I liked a second book even equal to the first. As much as I loved the first book in this series, the second one blew it out of the water.
Other than when I'm waiting for an appointment, I never read during the daytime. My life is sadly too busy. I read before bed and that's about it. With this book though, twice today I took breaks to read it. My first waking thought in the morning was about the story. I've lost way too much sleeping time because I stayed up late reading.
The story continued from the first book's plot. On one level, it tells the story of Malick (a not-quite-human agent of a god) and Fen (an "Untouchable" -- someone a bunch of dead gods speaks through... many gods, all at the same time, nonstop, unending. Those gods always drive their Untouchables insane because they never shut up). While the relationship of those two men was a part of the plot, in this book the whole story was so much bigger.
The fantasy world this story is set in has multiple gods, one for each of the world's moons. Each of those gods has inhuman followers, has traits/personalities of their own, etc. And the gods also plotted and schemed against each other, all while not overstepping their own laws. Mortals? Mortals were mostly just underfoot. Except when they weren't.
In addition to those two layers of plot, there were those pesky mortals, who plotted and schemed and power-grabbed for themselves. Magic exists in this world, but was supposed to be restricted to just the gods, but those dead gods that speak through Untouchables gave magic to one small race of humans, which made the larger race oppress them and use them.
But really, with all those plots going on, it was the relationships and the characters that were my favorite parts of this book. There is no rush to love in this series -- at the end of book two, and one of the two characters was just starting to be willing to accept it. That makes their relationship seem so realistic and wonderful.
And speaking of wonderful, why is it so satisfying to have a character you love being in pain? If you're a fan of hurt/comfort, you'll really enjoy this series.
The one small-ish complaint I had was my same one I had with the first book: I wish the POV would stick with one or both of the main characters. Instead it jumped from character to the next (even minor characters) as needed by the story, sometimes changing even from one paragraph to the next (though that only happened a couple times, mostly it was consistent within a chapter). For me, that really made me feel briefly less connected with the story. I'd go "Who's head are we in this time?" and only after that get lost in the story again.
Other than when I'm waiting for an appointment, I never read during the daytime. My life is sadly too busy. I read before bed and that's about it. With this book though, twice today I took breaks to read it. My first waking thought in the morning was about the story. I've lost way too much sleeping time because I stayed up late reading.
The story continued from the first book's plot. On one level, it tells the story of Malick (a not-quite-human agent of a god) and Fen (an "Untouchable" -- someone a bunch of dead gods speaks through... many gods, all at the same time, nonstop, unending. Those gods always drive their Untouchables insane because they never shut up). While the relationship of those two men was a part of the plot, in this book the whole story was so much bigger.
The fantasy world this story is set in has multiple gods, one for each of the world's moons. Each of those gods has inhuman followers, has traits/personalities of their own, etc. And the gods also plotted and schemed against each other, all while not overstepping their own laws. Mortals? Mortals were mostly just underfoot. Except when they weren't.
In addition to those two layers of plot, there were those pesky mortals, who plotted and schemed and power-grabbed for themselves. Magic exists in this world, but was supposed to be restricted to just the gods, but those dead gods that speak through Untouchables gave magic to one small race of humans, which made the larger race oppress them and use them.
But really, with all those plots going on, it was the relationships and the characters that were my favorite parts of this book. There is no rush to love in this series -- at the end of book two, and one of the two characters was just starting to be willing to accept it. That makes their relationship seem so realistic and wonderful.
And speaking of wonderful, why is it so satisfying to have a character you love being in pain? If you're a fan of hurt/comfort, you'll really enjoy this series.
The one small-ish complaint I had was my same one I had with the first book: I wish the POV would stick with one or both of the main characters. Instead it jumped from character to the next (even minor characters) as needed by the story, sometimes changing even from one paragraph to the next (though that only happened a couple times, mostly it was consistent within a chapter). For me, that really made me feel briefly less connected with the story. I'd go "Who's head are we in this time?" and only after that get lost in the story again.
scarletine6's review
4.0
WOW! Thank you Carole Cummings! I loved this book. The magic system is still complex, but it's well worth the work for Malick and Fen's intense relationship. I could not put this down and am straight on to the next in the series.
kaje_harper's review
5.0
4.5 stars. Another excellent installment in the fantasy series. Together with the first book, these two form a fairly complete story arc with a satisfying conclusion. Clearly there is more story that could be told, but this second book has some closure and not a cliffhanger ending. Reading these first two together is important, but then you can stop and take a breath.
The characters are varied and appealing, the action complex and spectacular. There is no author who can make you feel a character's pain as well as Carole Cummings does. When things go bad for Jacin, his anguish will make your chest ache and your throat hurt. Seeing Malick realize that despite all his power he can fail, and that it will hurt with an intensity one of his kind should not feel, acts more subtly to break your heart.
This is a different book from the first, far more focused on action in a more linear timeline and in the second half vastly more fast-paced. The characters go through growth and loss and changes until most of them are very different at book's end than they were when the story began, (except perhaps for steadfast Samin.)
Numerous viewpoints come together to tell this story, some more engaging than others. It is to the author's credit that the voices are distinct and appropriate to the characters, adding depth to our understanding of each of them. Jacin, Malick, Samin, Shig and perhaps Joori pull the reader in deep to their particular understanding of motivations, emotions and events in this complex world.
I look forward to the next two installments of this series.
The characters are varied and appealing, the action complex and spectacular. There is no author who can make you feel a character's pain as well as Carole Cummings does. When things go bad for Jacin, his anguish will make your chest ache and your throat hurt. Seeing Malick realize that despite all his power he can fail, and that it will hurt with an intensity one of his kind should not feel, acts more subtly to break your heart.
This is a different book from the first, far more focused on action in a more linear timeline and in the second half vastly more fast-paced. The characters go through growth and loss and changes until most of them are very different at book's end than they were when the story began, (except perhaps for steadfast Samin.)
Numerous viewpoints come together to tell this story, some more engaging than others. It is to the author's credit that the voices are distinct and appropriate to the characters, adding depth to our understanding of each of them. Jacin, Malick, Samin, Shig and perhaps Joori pull the reader in deep to their particular understanding of motivations, emotions and events in this complex world.
I look forward to the next two installments of this series.
rebecca_3's review
4.0
This review can also be found on my blog: A Match Made in Heaven
I enjoyed this one a bit more than book 1, but its still too confusing to get 5-stars from me. The story developed a bit more and the more I understand the more invested I get. More happened in this one than in the first at least.
"Chaste. Intimate. Meaningful, somehow, but Malick couldn't guess at the meaning inside it all. Didn't' want to."
I enjoyed the addition of Fen's siblings as characters. Morin turned out to be way cooler than I would have imagined possible. Joori and Yori were cute. But then again, so were Joori and Madi. ;)
I am still totally in awe of Fen. Gosh, he is amazing. By far the main thing that brings me back to this series, despite not knowing what the hell is going on half the time. He is so broken but strong at the same time, and the best big brother in the world. Ok, maybe he is a little too distant, but the things he goes through for them! They all know he loves them.
"Malick reached up and gently fingered strands of matted chestnut out of Fen's eyes. Almost enspelled."
I liked the ending to this one. It actually felt like it had a beginning, middle and end, unlike book 1. A climax and resolution. They accomplished a clear goal. I was also really glad that Fen decided to accept his relationship with Malick. He still seems a little uncertain about what he wants, but at least now he can admit that he doesn't want to be alone.
I also enjoyed Malick a little more in this one. I had no complaints about him in book one, but in this one I really appreciated how he treated Fen. He understands him better now and knows what he needs. I really look forward to where their relationship will go from here.
"[Malick] didn't move when Fen leaned in again, slowly closed his eyes, slid his hand up to cup Malick's cheek and replaced his fingertips with his lips again--light and sweet and warm, and so...private. Profound, maybe."
I enjoyed this one a bit more than book 1, but its still too confusing to get 5-stars from me. The story developed a bit more and the more I understand the more invested I get. More happened in this one than in the first at least.
"Chaste. Intimate. Meaningful, somehow, but Malick couldn't guess at the meaning inside it all. Didn't' want to."
I enjoyed the addition of Fen's siblings as characters. Morin turned out to be way cooler than I would have imagined possible. Joori and Yori were cute. But then again, so were Joori and Madi. ;)
I am still totally in awe of Fen. Gosh, he is amazing. By far the main thing that brings me back to this series, despite not knowing what the hell is going on half the time. He is so broken but strong at the same time, and the best big brother in the world. Ok, maybe he is a little too distant, but the things he goes through for them! They all know he loves them.
"Malick reached up and gently fingered strands of matted chestnut out of Fen's eyes. Almost enspelled."
I liked the ending to this one. It actually felt like it had a beginning, middle and end, unlike book 1. A climax and resolution. They accomplished a clear goal. I was also really glad that Fen decided to accept his relationship with Malick. He still seems a little uncertain about what he wants, but at least now he can admit that he doesn't want to be alone.
I also enjoyed Malick a little more in this one. I had no complaints about him in book one, but in this one I really appreciated how he treated Fen. He understands him better now and knows what he needs. I really look forward to where their relationship will go from here.
"[Malick] didn't move when Fen leaned in again, slowly closed his eyes, slid his hand up to cup Malick's cheek and replaced his fingertips with his lips again--light and sweet and warm, and so...private. Profound, maybe."
nightcolors's review
3.0
I liked Weregild, but didn't enjoy reading this as much as I did Carole Cummings's other books. I've noticed there's a lot of internal musings and conflicts in her books, and usually was fine with that. But in this book, all the internal happenings actually bored me a bit.
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