Tag Archives: post-apacolyptic

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Book Review: Avidian, by Ashley R. O’Donovan

I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Avidian, by Ashley R. O’Donovan.

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I can see the dead. They tell me their secrets. But this time, their secrets might get me killed.

My name is Kat Sinclair, and the Volkov family owns me. People like me, born with special abilities, are called Avids. But my gift doesn’t spare me from the demands of Marco Volkov, the ruthless family patriarch who keeps me in line with the ever-present threat of violence.

When a grisly double murder involving a family nephew and a cook shakes the household, I’m forced to uncover the truth. The whispers of the dead reveal more than I bargained for, unearthing secrets that could destroy the Volkovs—and me.

But I met a charming stranger who might be able to help. Except he doesn’t know about my gift, my scars, or the dark past I can’t escape. But in his eyes, I see something I thought I’d lost long ago—hope.

If I want to escape, I’ll have to play along. But this murder might be hiding something even more dangerous. If I’m not careful, I’ll be the next one the dead are whispering about.

my review

I didn’t particularly care for this book. However, I’m pretty certain it’s just a case of the wrong book for the wrong reader. My main complaint is that I never trusted the main male character (MMC); therefore, I could never trust the developing relationship. This is essentially insta-love, and for me, O’Donovan never managed to bridge the gap between the MMC and the female lead, who meet in questionable circumstances and then fall in love. I don’t feel the reader is given any reason to believe the FMC would trust the MMC, especially how strongly the FFC emphasizes that she can’t trust anyone.

The whole thing also just felt inconsistent to me. We’re given a wretched post-apocalyptic world, but the reader never feels it at all. The FMC is enslaved, but her internal monologue is all about strength and agency. Which, yeah, I don’t want a doormat. However, her internal self doesn’t align with the self she describes to the reader, given the circumstances she’s supposed to have endured. Mostly, I feel like O’Donovan wanted a gritty, dark, and dangerous world, but then wimped out on actually writing it or allowing her character to live it. The FMC emerges far too untarnished to have lived the life we’re told she does.

Lastly, I wanted so, so, so much more of the paranormal/fantasy aspect of this plot. It’s photo of avidiansprinkled throughout, but mostly this is a contemporary romance. I frequently forgot that some of the characters have magic powers. And I was waiting for that last chapter plot twist from very, very early on.

Having said all of that, the writing is good, and there’s a cute ghost dog in it. If you’re a reader who would rather stories with darker themes not actually get dark, this is likely a good read for you.


Other Reviews:

Isha Dowlyn, Author: Avidian

 

 

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Audiobook Review: Spark of Lightning, by Jessica Gunn

Somewhere on the internet, I stumbled across an audiobook code for Jessica Gunn‘s Spark of Lightning.

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Be careful what you wish for…

There are very few things I know to be true. I’ve worked hard to stay alive while waitressing at Lunar Royale, a premiere casino in Boston serving explicitly supernatural clientele. I’ve taken these risks because I need money to escape Boston and start over in a new city. That money isn’t coming fast enough, and now this job might kill me before I can escape.

Tonight I plan on carefully maneuvering my way into the most important game of poker ever played at Lunar Royale. The stakes are high, and the players are Boston’s supernatural elite. But by the time I realize it’s not money they’re playing for, I’m stuck in the game. The real prize? A dragon’s egg. Dragons were supposed to be hunted to extinction during the Supernatural War, but before that, they were powerful conduits of magic. This egg, if real, is invaluable.

You may just get it…

All I wanted was to escape the city, and winning this dragon’s egg might be my ticket out…if I can survive the game to the end. I just have to ignore the way the dragon’s magic hums, calling to me from across the room.

As if this dragon has belonged to me from the start…

my review

spark of lightning photoThe basic premise of this story, that a waitress at a paranormal casino manages to almost silently flirt her way into a highroller poker game, is entirely incredulous; so much so that I had more trouble suspending my disbelief about it than I did about dragons, fae, and vampires. But once I got past that initial trouble, the rest of it was okay. Unfortunately, although I think it’s objectively fine, I don’t think it’s for me. I just found the whole thing kind of milquetoast. I never found myself vested or overly interested. This feels very much like a ‘not the right reader for the book’ sort of critique. Shannon Condon did a fine job with the narration, however.


Other Reviews:

 

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Book Review: The Wren in the Holly Library, by K.A. Linde

I purchased a copy of K.A.Linde‘s The Wren in the Holly Library. the wren in the holly library

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape…

my review

I have really mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I felt that it was so formulaic that nothing stood out and grabbed my attention, particularly the romance aspect. So, I was honestly bored for a lot of it. However, I acknowledge that Linde did break from the mold by writing a comfortably diverse cast and avoiding some of the common PNR pitfalls that I hate, such as women who have to give up their power to be worth of love or give up something they’ve worked hard for to stay with a man who doesn’t sacrifice even a sliver as much. I’d be willing to read the sequel on the strength of this alone. But I’m in no hurry about it since the story itself didn’t captivate me.the wren in the holly library photo


Serena’s Review: “The Wren in the Holly Library”