Tag Archive for: Fantasy

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The Eternity Key

The Eternity KeyTitle: The Eternity Key
Author: Bree Despain
Series: Into the Dark #2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: ARC
Pages: 368
Reason Read: ARC Review
Rating:

Also in this series: The Shadow Prince, The Immortal Throne
My Thoughts

Holy crap! Bree kicked it up a notch with THE ETERNITY KEY. Not only are the stakes higher, but I was more invested in the characters because of THE SHADOW PRINCE. I was on an emotional roller coaster while reading. The tension is strong with this one. Anyway, I don’t know how I’m going to wait until book 3 is published.

The mythology in this series is still awesome. It’s even more awesome in the second book than what it was in the first because of all the things we learn and the new people we meet. I still love the characters. Haden and Daphne are great protagonists. I love the addition of Tobin’s POV so we get some insight from outside of Haden and Daphne. I enjoyed getting to know Tobin a little bit better this time around. I still think of Joe Vince as Spike from Buffy, even though he was partially based on David Tennant in the 2011 Fright Night movie.

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The Shadow Prince

The Shadow PrinceTitle: The Shadow Prince
Author: Bree Despain
Series: Into the Dark #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 481
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: The Eternity Key, The Immortal Throne
My Thoughts

I’ve wanted to read THE SHADOW PRINCE ever since I knew it was coming out. It was amazing. I absolutely loved it!

I loved all the mythology that came into play. I thought it was just going to be a retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth, which would’ve been awesome in and of itself, but it was so much more than that. I loved that Bree meshed the stories of Eurydice and Orpheus, Zeus and Hades, and Zeus and Kronos with Persephone and Hades to create her own world surrounding all of these myths.

I loved the characters. Haden and Daphne were perfect protagonists. The switch between their POVs was a great way to tell the story. I loved learning about each character and their motives. I loved thinking of Joe Vince as a non-vampire Spike from Buffy. I also loved imaging my kitty Dax as Brim. It helped bring the story to life.

I loved that music is such an important part of this story. It’s fun to imagine the music and how it’s affecting the world and the characters. The foreshadowing was awesome. I guessed some things before they happened and I think I already know some of the things that are going to happen. I can’t wait to see if I’m right. And, I can’t wait to see where this story goes.

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Seeing Redd

Seeing ReddTitle: Seeing Redd
Author: Frank Beddor
Series: Looking Glass Wars #2
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Kindle
Pages: 384
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: ArchEnemy
My Thoughts

Even though I’m giving SEEING REDD the same rating as THE LOOKING GLASS WARS, I liked this one better than the first book. The setup that took a third of first book wasn’t there and I liked the relationship between Alyss and everyone else, especially Dodge, better this time around.

It was refreshing to read a book not in first-person narrative, but I don’t think third-person omniscient is necessarily the best way to go with these books. It provided a very broad view of the whole picture and I wanted to get into the nitty gritty. I latch more onto characters than plot, and these stories are very plot-driven. I wish there was a bit more character development and that the story wouldn’t jump from each character as often as it did.

I still enjoyed the overall story and I’m glad I’m reading them. I look forward to reading ARCHENEMY, so I can find out how everything ends.

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The Little Prince

The Little PrinceTitle: The Little Prince
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Format: Kindle
Pages: 65
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I first read LE PETIT PRINCE in 1997 as part of the curriculum for my college French class. Even though I had previously taken four years of French in high school, I’ll admit I didn’t understand much when I read this story. Many of the French words were ones I had never encountered. And, unfortunately, I had missed the point and charm of the story. For nearly 20 years, I’ve said I disliked THE LITTLE PRINCE, thinking it was weird and idiotic. I decided I needed to give it a fair chance and read it in my native tongue.

I liked THE LITTLE PRINCE much better in English, only because I understood its nuances more. However, because I’m a very literal person, the symbolism was a little lost on me. And, I still don’t appreciate it nearly as much as I probably should.

My favorite character the little prince encountered was the fox. It’s because I love animals and I can relate to their friendship. I understand the meaning and responsibility behind taming as I’ve tamed many animals and almost every animal I’ve ever come in contact with has tamed me, leaving me sad when we part.

I wish I had read this as a child, or at least had it read to me as a child. I think I would’ve appreciated it more then. I wouldn’t be a grownup who only sees a hat instead of a snake who swallowed an elephant. Although, I’ll admit I did know it was a snake from the context but I didn’t know he had eaten an elephant. I thought it was the animal in the previous picture. Does this mean I’m still a grownup but maybe with childlike tendencies? Or, would the narrator and little prince still think of me just as a grownup?

Anyway, I’m really glad I gave THE LITTLE PRINCE another go. It was definitely a more pleasant experience and I can now at least appreciate it and read it more than 1 star.

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Stitching Snow

Stitching SnowTitle: Stitching Snow
Author: R.C. Lewis
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 338
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I loved STITCHING SNOW! I had high hopes that the story wouldn’t disappoint and it didn’t. I loved the uniqueness of the retelling–the setting, the characters, and the story itself. I love the sci-fi feel, especially with how Lewis incorporates the old “Snow White” story with her imagination. It helped breathe new life into this classic fairy tale.

The characters were fantastic. Essie was a heroine I could really get behind. She was stubborn, strong, and vulnerable. I related to her in a lot of ways. I also really liked Dane. I loved all the twists that he played a part in. Some of my favorite characters were the drones (a.k.a. dwarfs). I loved their personalities, especially Cusser’s and Dimwit’s. (I may have cried a few times in the story that involved the drones.) Essie’s father and Olivia were fantastic villains.

The romance in this one is very slow-building. The two love interests are immediately attracted to each other, but there’s no instalove. In fact, there were times when I was frustrated because there was no kissing. But, then it dawned on me that their first real kiss had to tie into the kiss in “Snow White.” And, I loved how Lewis did it. It was unique and unexpected.