Second half of May I did the switch from healing fiction to fantasy and I've read so many amazing (and not so amazing) novels I want to share with you.
The Concealed by S.K.Horton ★★★★
While it did start of a bit cringey (but that specific "Chosen One gets help from 2 cute guys and has to live in a fantasy world without her phone so she's all sassy" type of cringe I devoured, and still do, that was quite popular in the dystopian/fantasy era of the 2010s), it got so much better in the second half.
Certain characters gain more complexity and backstories, Cate actually stops being whiny and starts accepting her role and future in this world and of course, the plot gets even crazier.
I especially liked the way her powers manifested - how she didn't suddenly become this expert, power wielding badass just because she crossed a portal and met a guy. She gradually (and sometimes not knowingly) shows tiny bits of progress and her emotions impact this a lot. It felt reasonable. In the end, it was entertaining, and that was what I was looking for.
The Dark King and the Eternal Dance by Alesha Adamson ★★
The characters were oblivious to everything, the writing was super repetitive and childish, and honestly, I didn't see the chemistry. It was pure insta love with two idiots in the middle who refused to see it. Not only that, but most of the plot didn't make any sense!
a) why are they calling him the Dark King? Because he was MOODY. omg I cringed so hard when I realized he never did anything especially dark or evil. There were some rumours about his family, but that's it...
b) he apparently "needs" this marriage with the eldest sister for political reasons, but why? Because he's the "Dark King" and people "fear him" and his BFF told him he needs a wife to look better in their eyes. So why the eldest? Who knows? She's the most appropriate, I guess...
c) the magic was never explained - how he had it and no one else, how it worked, or why it didn't work sometimes. Also, why did the lands need healing? What were those trees or plants they talked about?? How did they get healed? Everything was so vague and nonsensical.
Let's be real, I wouldn't care for all these plot holes and ridiculousness if the writing was better and the main couple actually interesting...
Long Live and Forever Reign by V.B.Lacey ★★★★
This duology deserves so much more hype because not only does it have all the best tropes, but it's also a high-quality read. The plot moves at a decent pace, and everything makes sense. Even if you feel a character made a stupid decision, you can be sure that all the other characters are gonna call him/her out on it. The self-awareness is off the charts 😂
Personally, I loved how each of the characters (and there were A LOT of them) was equally important, superpowered or not. Nothing was glossed over and each important decision was talked about. Also, one more specific thing this book does better than so many others is the "aftermath." Some dramatic things happened in the series, and each time it was heavily talked about how everyone felt about it in the days afterwards, how those decisions affected the people who were involved.
All in all, a very satisfying series that brought all the best feels ♥
Lies That Bleed by Leia Stone ★★★
Hmm...how do I explain this without sounding crazy...
You know how some books are pure fun and half of the time sound a bit like fanfiction? Something like The Powerless trilogy, Assistant to the Villain or even Obsidian by J.L.Armentrout? Well, I loved all of those, but for some reason, I didn't get the same spark from Lies That Bleed 😂
My conclusion is that the cringe has to be the specific kind I like 😂 AND I have to like multiple things for it to work. Basically, it's all in the vibes. I can see why many people love this and it does have some elements I usually enjoy, but I guess I wasn't feeling it enough.
Here are some pros:
- the "bonding" with the animals was super fun. Basically, you find and fight with an animal, it connects to you and you get some superpowers from it.
- the female friendships were amazing
- it's all about teamwork, and everyone had a skill they offered to their group
Annnnd here are some cons that are just specific things I don't enjoy in books:
- every single male was in love with the MC. I mean, she is pretty great, but please...no.
- the enemies-to-lovers wasn't truly that because he basically drooled over her and helped her from the moment he saw her and she thought he was just annoying.
💬 Have you read any of these books? Do you have any fantasy novels to recommend? 💬
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