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Jessica Leake

Författare till Beyond a Darkened Shore

4 verk 309 medlemmar 16 recensioner

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A fast paced Irish adventure with Vikings!

Full review over on the blog kymisanreads.blogspot.com
 
Flaggad
kymisan | 4 andra recensioner | Jun 23, 2020 |
3.5 stars
"THERE ARE COUNTLESS MONSTERS IN THIS world. Some with fangs, some who skitter in the darkness just out of sight, some who wear human skin but whose hearts have turned dark as forest shadows....I knew that these men and women I’d grown up with—they thought of me as a monster, too. I wasn’t sure they were wrong."

I feel weirdly torn after reading this book. There was a lot of things I liked about it and I had a fun time reading it, but it felt like I’d read the story before. Through the White Wood is a Slavic-inspired fantasy story that brings elemental powers to life in impactful ways as the prince and a powerful outcast with an unknown history my save their country from being overrun.

Things I Liked
I always love elemental magic. It’s one of my favorite magic systems and I thought it was done very well here. I could feel the chill from Katya’s ice powers.

The slavic folklore influence was wonderful. I loved seeing the different spirits and witches sprinkled through the story. It really made the setting and atmosphere come alive.

Things I Didn’t Like
My biggest disappointment was the lack of tension and surprises throughout the story. The story never really hooked me because it never really surprised me. I new what was going to happen next, I could easily guess the reveals that were coming. It just made the story not exciting to read.

Even though the plot was lackluster, the setting was enough for me to enjoy the story. And it was such a quick read that I think it a great book to pick up if you’re in the mood for a fantasy, but it doesn’t require as much detailed focus as other high fantasy stories. Through the White Wood is a good story to pick up if you want an impactful setting and a cooling atmosphere.

I received a copy of the book from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
LifeofaLiteraryNerd | 3 andra recensioner | Oct 9, 2019 |
I loved both The Bear and the Nightingale and Frostblood, so of course, I excitedly picked up Jessica Leake’s Through the White Wood, thanks to the blurb comparisons. I’m glad to say it did not disappoint.

Katya can control ice. Except, well, she has little control, actually. As a result, she ends up taken to the menacing Prince Sasha—and naturally, her whole life changes. She soon discovers more to the truth about who she is, how to use her ability, and a prince who has a power not so unlike her own.

A story of friendship, magic, romance, and danger, Through the White Wood is fast-paced, engaging, and fun. I love how Leake pulled me into the story and made me care about these characters and what would happen. It’s definitely an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
hes7 | 3 andra recensioner | Apr 10, 2019 |
For a book that promised a warrior maiden protagonist and a world filled with the dark delights of Norse and Celtic mythology, this book did NOT pay off.

First of all, Ciara just wasn't a relatable character for me. Her emotional responses to things were indifferent at best, and her feelings were told in thoughts and dialogue that made it difficult for me to care about her. Her relationships with the other characters were quite changeable, and frankly? I just don't believe her.

The magic system here had very limited, easily retracted consequences that meant a lot wasn't put on the line for the success of these characters. Thanks again to Ciara's flat personality, the few things that WERE at stake, I couldn't care less about. In a setting that should be dark and magical, we spend too much time traveling pointlessly in circles and trying to force a love story that didn't seem to click.

My biggest pet peeve, though, was in the details. There were multiple inconsistencies in the text with even my very LIMITED knowledge of Celtic and Norse mythology. Beyond the mythos - if you want to write that part off as creative license - there were parts written into the setting and world building that didn't make sense. At one point, a character mentions there was a formidable army of 50 that they defeated, and I had to slam the book down, because 50 is somewhere between a scouting party and war council - definitely not an ARMY. The fact checking to add realism here just... did not seem to happen. And that totally broke the illusion for me.

I think that this book still has the potential to be enjoyed by a lot of people. Not everyone reads books in the same way that I do, and not everyone is looking for the depth and world building that I have come to expect from my fantasy. I think that there are a lot of people out of there who would really enjoy this one, but it just fell WAY below my expectations.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
Morteana | 4 andra recensioner | Jul 16, 2018 |

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Statistik

Verk
4
Medlemmar
309
Popularitet
#76,232
Betyg
4.0
Recensioner
16
ISBN
21

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