Sasifras
Well, she paid a price alright. I might come back to this series. Trying to get through my inbox of physical books.
It was good. A few familiar but pleasing twists. Makes me want to fact-check native American culture but once I remembered this was an elaboration, I could sit back and enjoy the ride.
Edit: okay, people in the comments were saying him being non-white is what made him the beast. I thought it was his rage and vengeance against the people who killed his loved ones. That was the first thing wee are introduced about him and through most of the book, he forgets. Until that one point. He was never cursed like the original beast but clouded by hatred and by being with the heroine, this finally allowed him peace and the ability to reach into the land beyond.
Except for the fact I had completely forgotten the characters from book two until I read through their scenes a couple times, this book leaves one satisfied. It has quite a bit of action and character growth. My gripe is about the same as everyone else: the cover. Since when does Halpo wear a cape?
It was okay. I agree the romance felt very forced but people do crazy things when under extreme pressure. The elder sister's final decision was quite stubborn and stupid; she could have easily been taken like the younger. I went in expecting it to be bad so it turned out better.
I am happy to say we got a conclusion. However, I agree that the characters we have grown to enjoy are but imitations of what they had become through the series. Alfred was fine and mostly in character and I have no complaints about Jonathan (surprisingly the most alive.) Everyone else had me reminding myself it was the last book.
As someone posted, the authors had a falling out so again, glad to have a conclusion than none at all. It is just a sadness it would have been better if real life circumstances allowed. I guess we aren't in the right possibility.
It is a good series and I am happy to have found it but I will let the books go for now. They can be enjoyed by others and if I want to see these characters again, I can get a better set. Or, perhaps, on the second round I can get to writing down the plot points to skip the dragging parts. Happy New Year to me and more books to come.
Good. There was a bit of a pokey plot but nothing compared to the slog of The Elven Star. Considering keeping the series when after book 2 and 3, I was going to finish to put it in the free library.
I liked the build up. The ending, though, would have greatly disappointed me had I not already acquired the second book for immediate reading. Certainly a series you would want all the books from before you start.
I read The Storyteller's Daughter a long time ago and decided to give the whole series a go, by order of release. I was cheap and bought the more-than-one books and this one is in Once Again. I would be interested in getting each book individually if I could get all the covers with the cut-off heads. No success there. For the story itself:
Cute with a few twists and turns. I am bothered that she married her cousin, who was set up in the beginning as a mini villain. Before I got to Ironheart, I could see the Happily Ever After. Just this small piece kept me from fully enjoying the conclusion and I can say that I would have had the same mindset if I had read it closer to when I first read The Storyteller's Daughter (I was around fourteen.)
Finally got through it all. Has some good takeaways. My favorite is:
Fluency doesn't mean you know absolutely every word. It is the ability to carry a conversation at a reasonable pace with few pauses. Whether it be about German cars, Russian novels, or whatnot, it is a level different to each person. As a native speaker, we come in contact with 15000 to 35000 words by the age of twenty; the same standard is not realistic for a second language.
This was a perspective I needed earlier in life.
Had me thinking the whole way through: about the plot, about the backstory, and about learning how to build a radio. Definitely want to check out the next book when I get a chance. I will pass this one on after, as it was given to me to enjoy.
I enjoyed it. Slow burn but I enjoyed the second book of the series more than the first and third so I was more than happy to see Tenar again. And to see a relationship that should have happened in the first place...but it wasn't the right time, I will admit. I read this by ebook, as my library had the first three by audio book. I will take a break from this series for now.
There was a big gap where I left the book for a bit. Haplo needs to ease up on his prejudice and he seems to be making those steps. Slowly. Very slowly.
Both couples fall under the same fairytale “Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy...“
I did like it set it up as if she would marry the human but also show she truly was his confidant. I was not disappointed they remained friends instead.
I enjoyed it but I started to become rather critical of Claire. We are human and are allowed to be vain but this book kind of shoved everyone not physically fit into a villain pile.
This was a slog, like many of the other comments depicted. It couldn't hold my interest like the other books did. I will say towards the end, it got good. Roger and his Mom, the Bonnet situation, etc. But at the beginning, I considered doing cliffnotes so anyone else could get through it in my reading circle. Thankfully, I am far ahead of everyone else. Hope book six is better, for that is where I will finish for a bit.
I do most of this already. I was interested in the French view. I liked most of it, though it still felt like she had her nose up in the air.
It was cute. Definitely look into for future children. I borrowed this from a coworker who absolutely loves the author's work. Maybe she will allow me to continue.