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Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
This book contains scenes of blood, violence, death, death of parents (off page), and misogyny.

The Charmed by Kylie Fennell is set in 1851 the year of The Great Exhibition, the infamous Crystal Palace so named by the glass building designed by Joseph Paxton. Organised by Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert and Henry Cole, The Great Exhibition was an international exhibition that housed exhibits from all over the world. The Crystal Palace is a place of wonder, and it is everything that Lady Alice Hyde could ever dream of, filled with inventions and offers her access to a world that will be closed to her soon.

She’s engaged to be married, and her dreams of travelling to the countries exhibited in The Great Exhibition are disappearing before her eyes. Little does Alice expect to have her world turned upside down while visiting The Great Exhibition. Witnessing the murder of a woman she knows, Alice is drawn into the world of the mysterious fae as she works with Cyan Symond, the Exhibition’s caretaker, to find the culprit. As Alice soon learns, there’s much more going on, and she’s right in the middle of it.

I wanted to like The Charmed, however, there were so many issues that I couldn’t ignore. Fennell’s world-building was interesting at times, and for me personally, the setting of The Great Exhibition was a selling point as it’s my hometown’s local history. Unfortunately, the interesting points were let down by stereotypical characters, weak plot points and huge over-reaching in the world-building.

Let’s start with the characters. Alice is the stereotypical clever and nosey female Victorian character who infuriates the male character, and ultimately they fall for each other. That trope doesn’t bother me so much. What did bother me was that as soon as they slept together, she turned into a completely different person who was fawning over him every second to the point where she couldn’t even finish a sentence. If this was one of those books where fae had a natural sexual attraction, pheromones or anything to explain such a reaction, then fair enough. However, there was nothing to explain this sudden change.

The other characters in the book can all be fixed to a trope. There wasn’t an original character at all in The Charmed, and the big reveals of the book were also huge tropes. The overall plot felt weak due to this. At the start of the book, there appears to be anxiety representation. Alice’s Uncle, the Viscount, struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive thoughts about germs. Later in the book it is revealed that Fennell has not written a character with anxiety or OCD representation, instead, she has just used mental health as a plot device.

While I found Fennell’s interpretation of fae interesting, she has chosen to mix time travelling with her world-building. On some levels, this works and adds interesting components to the story, but Fennell has over-reached at times. For example, bringing technology from the future into the Victorian era and completely ignoring the consequences of doing so. She has just thrown time travel into the mix and brushed any actual technicalities about it under the rug. I also kid you not that one of these items was called a “ray gun”.

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… (més)
 
Marcat
justgeekingby | Jan 10, 2024 |
*I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*

The Water Catcher’s Rise is the second book in The Kyprian series. The series needs to be read in order.

With increasing political intrigue and romantic moments,The Water Catcher’s Rise is a great continuation of Arisa and Takai’s story! A solid five-stars!

I enjoyed this book more than the first. It only got better and better! After the event in book 1, Arisa was hopeful that things would change for the better, so she decided to stay at the castle to help whenever she could. Takai, finally able to understand her beliefs, decided to befriend her and tried hard to find common ground. But there were sinister plans to bring Arisa and Erin down inside the castle wall, as well as terrible threats to Lamore from the Northemers.

Generally speaking, this book had a somewhat different feel than the first. In The Firemaster’s Legacy, Arisa spent more time in Obira so readers witnessed the people suffering first hand, shaping a griever tone for the book. In The Water Catcher’s Rise, as Arisa stayed more in the castle, we got to see Obira from the perspective of the castle. I would say this book was the calm before the storm—everything was quite nice and beautiful, but you could feel the tension lurking around, ready to strike at any moment. Also, one of my main complaints of book 1 was that it felt a bit too slow for me, but The Water Catcher’s Rise totally picked up the pace and I love it! I read this book chapter after chapter. It was not too fast nor too slow. When things started getting slow, some emergency would occur and made me nervous!

The Water Catcher’s Rise also gave more depth to the characters. I love how they all had distinct personalities and beliefs and that they didn’t change easily. Both Arisa and Takai were willing to change after what happened at the end of book 1, but they still had a long way to go. If book 1 was for Arisa to learn her lesson, then book 2 was for Takai. He had the most hardship throwing his way—who to trust, what to do, and what of his feelings toward Arisa—and he’d grown so much through these events. The character growth was slow and subtle, but that was what made it so realistic. After reading this book, I found myself so emotionally invested in the MCs and side characters that I’m dying to know what would happen to them next! Also, a great part of the plot was driven by the past and secrets of some characters, and I love the idea of the past catching up to the present.

The other aspects of The Water Catcher’s Rise were also phenomenal! For one, romance took a greater part of this book while not overshadowing the main plot. The effect was much like the first book, only their interaction was a lot sweeter! Their relationship was slow-burn, beautiful, and undoubtedly romantic! It entwined perfectly with the politics, and these two elements drove the plot perfectly.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the magic! We finally get to see elemental magic at play! It was more magnificent and amazing than I’d expected. I’m totally in love with the magical scene. The description was also beautifully written that I can totally immerse myself in the magic. Though I would like even more magical scenes (I know I’m greedy), yet I guess it was saved for book 3!

Though the plot was a bit predictable (I’d more or less guessed the ending at the end of book 1), it didn’t diminish the joy this book brought me. The Water Catcher’s Rise was political, emotional, and magical. Very interesting and enjoyable. I can’t wait for book 3, The Air King’s Return (especially when it ended at that cliffhanger! Arhhh!!!!)
… (més)
 
Marcat
LaurelChandler | Sep 13, 2021 |
*I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

This epic fantasy series starter promises a perfect blend of friendship, challenges, and a hint of romance.

“Hope will be tested; some will be betrayed
Fire or water—the choice must be made.”


I enjoyed this book way more than I expected. The Firamaster’s Legacy is the first installment in the Kyprian series. As I followed Arisa, a Kengian girl who lost her father in a big massacre and thus had to keep her identity a secret, and Takai, a prince who was struggling to figure out his role and his belief, I fell deeper and deeper into this world. It was a story about so many things: race and prejudice, revenge and justice, trust and hope. I loved the complexity of it and I’m so looking forward to how the series unfolds.

“It was the fleeting time of day when dusk and twilight met. When the silvery hues of the afternoon sun gave way to pearly roses and purples, and the first evening stars pierced their way through the sky’s blanket.”


The world-building was detailed and nicely done. It even had a system for Kengia language, which made everything so believable. I could see the scenes clearly in my head and be totally immersed in the story. Though we didn’t get to see much of the magic in the works in this book, it was clear that it was elemental magic. I’m intrigued by the magic and I’d love to read more about it in the next book.

“Peace cannot be kept by brute strength or forced. It takes greater courage to seek peace than to fight.”


My favorite thing about this book was the personality arc of Arisa. Hurt by her childhood experience, she was an angry and girl who sought revenge and darkness. I loved how she made friends and realized what justice truly means. There were several great quotes in the book that could well be mottos for life.

“She laughed and closed her eyes, as if to feel the music better… At this moment, their differences didn’t matter.”


I also loved the super slow-burned romance in this book. The romantic relationship was far from love at first sight. (I’m not gonna say who here to avoid spoiler) To be honest, I can’t say there was anything real happening between them yet, but there was the potential their relationship would further develop in the second book. I loved that romance was not a major plot so it didn’t overshadow the important point, which cannot be said about other fantasy books nowadays. The attraction they felt for each other came naturally and gradually, making it realistic yet beautiful.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the pacing. The first few chapters were a bit slow and I could only read a few pages a day. (This was probably due to my reading slump earlier though—and let me tell you, that reading slump went away once Arisa entered the castle!) But in hindsight, these chapters were so important for later events and were parts of the world-building. Although the first few chapters were slow and a bit dark to read, it sped up quickly. The ending was so powerful and inspiring that I’m moved. The ending also has a bit of cliffhanger that made me want to read the next book like, right now!

If you love YA fantasy with elemental magic, a complicated world worth exploring, a realistic political crisis, a slow-burned romance and strong personality arcs, The Firemaster’s Legacy is the perfect next book for you.
… (més)
 
Marcat
LaurelChandler | Sep 1, 2021 |

Estadístiques

Obres
10
Membres
15
Popularitat
#708,120
Valoració
½ 3.7
Ressenyes
3
ISBN
2