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nizharu's review against another edition
1.0
Wanted to love this book so bad, and in the begining It was very good, then the pace speed up like It was running in the 90's and sudenly I was reading another story completely different.
Also unnecesary cruelty that don't serve any pourpose than be cruelty for cruelty's sake.
Also unnecesary cruelty that don't serve any pourpose than be cruelty for cruelty's sake.
justjeanettelee's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a difficult one to judge.
It was obviously entertaining, otherwise I wouldn't have finished it. But I feel that there's just something lacking, and I can't quite be certain of what it is.
One thing I found particularly annoying was trying to pronounce characters names. Lycaea (Lie-key-uh? Lie-Kay-uh?), not to mention Lelhd and Kaebah (I honestly thought it was pronounced Kai Bah - like Yu-Gi-Oh, turns out it's Keevah?). Spending the majority of the book trying to figure out how to pronounce things probably put me off a bit.
I feel that there was moments where the plot was just too slow.
And I'm not wholly satisfied with the ending either.
As a stand alone, this book is good. Here's hoping it doesn't become a series.
It was obviously entertaining, otherwise I wouldn't have finished it. But I feel that there's just something lacking, and I can't quite be certain of what it is.
One thing I found particularly annoying was trying to pronounce characters names. Lycaea (Lie-key-uh? Lie-Kay-uh?), not to mention Lelhd and Kaebah (I honestly thought it was pronounced Kai Bah - like Yu-Gi-Oh, turns out it's Keevah?). Spending the majority of the book trying to figure out how to pronounce things probably put me off a bit.
I feel that there was moments where the plot was just too slow.
And I'm not wholly satisfied with the ending either.
As a stand alone, this book is good. Here's hoping it doesn't become a series.
lexslittlecorner's review against another edition
3.0
This is really a case of it's not you, it's me. I started with some quite high expectations, but was disappointed as the first half was slower than I like but the writing and the world were beautiful so I persevered and it paid off. The second half definitely picked up and kept my attention.
nicisfictionaddiction's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lawbooks600's review against another edition
3.0
Trigger warnings: torture, military violence, imprisonment
6/10, looking back at this I actually enjoyed it though I'll doubt that I'll pick this one up again now seeing all the glaring flaws that it has however I didn't notice them at first when I picked this up and thought it as just another good fantasy read, where do I begin. It starts with the main character Lowell living his normal life in the land of Oster when suddenly he comes across an unconscious person lying on the riverbank and for one reason or another he brings her back to health. Her name was Lycaea and she and Lowell turned out to be wolf shifters and apparently a person named Daeman Leldh wants them hunted down maybe due to his hatred of that ethnicity, I don't really know. In the middle Lowell and Lycaea don't do that much other than explore the main city with lots of markets and prisons and other buildings yet somehow I couldn't really connect to either character since they weren't developed or fleshed out enough; that irritated me a little bit. Towards the end of the book the action finally picks up when Lowell was sent to prison probably by Daeman and his accomplices/allies but Lycaea helps him escape and take him down though I do feel that it's a little bit rushed since it only spanned like 50 pages or something like that and could've been more thought out; at least it wrapped up the book on a high note.
6/10, looking back at this I actually enjoyed it though I'll doubt that I'll pick this one up again now seeing all the glaring flaws that it has however I didn't notice them at first when I picked this up and thought it as just another good fantasy read, where do I begin. It starts with the main character Lowell living his normal life in the land of Oster when suddenly he comes across an unconscious person lying on the riverbank and for one reason or another he brings her back to health. Her name was Lycaea and she and Lowell turned out to be wolf shifters and apparently a person named Daeman Leldh wants them hunted down maybe due to his hatred of that ethnicity, I don't really know. In the middle Lowell and Lycaea don't do that much other than explore the main city with lots of markets and prisons and other buildings yet somehow I couldn't really connect to either character since they weren't developed or fleshed out enough; that irritated me a little bit. Towards the end of the book the action finally picks up when Lowell was sent to prison probably by Daeman and his accomplices/allies but Lycaea helps him escape and take him down though I do feel that it's a little bit rushed since it only spanned like 50 pages or something like that and could've been more thought out; at least it wrapped up the book on a high note.
darkwolf28's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Have read this book multiple times and will probably read it again in future. It’s an easy young adult read with multiple POVs from different characters throughout the book. The details and descriptions are well done enough that you can understand what is happening and try to imagine it yourself. Love how the main characters described ‘the change’ not just in the description but also to other characters verbally, a lot of books don’t do it very well and give a rough idea of what the final waer/werewolf looks like, but I think Meg Caddy did a great job with this book. Would recommend it to someone who wants an easy but entertaining read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal cruelty
textpublishing's review against another edition
5.0
This impressive YA fantasy debut from author Meg Caddy has been stealing hearts:
‘An astonishing debut…The writing is assured, the action is swift and the characters ring as true as Caddy’s psychological insights.’
West Australian
'This book has broken my heart, collected my soul and has me falling in love with it!'
Tilly and Her Books
'This novel has all the fast-paced action and enjoyment of the first Eragon novel, but it is far more layered and original.'
Incredible Rambling Emily
‘A cracking adventure story…Brimming with excitement and incident.’
Reading Time
‘An accomplished debut…[A] great example of a well-crafted YA fantasy…The descriptions are lush and the prose is gorgeous.’
Speculating on SpecFic
‘This book does not let you go once you start…Incredibly addictive and fast paced.’
Readers in Wonderland
‘A new world of shape-shifters and a time-honored battle between good and evil come alive in Caddy’s debut fantasy for teens.’
Kirkus
‘This is a tale of, among other things, righteous revenge, told in alienating chapters by the two main characters, whose perspectives convey the impact of the difficult circumstances on even the most gentle people…Love wins out in this well-constructed world, mapped literally and figuratively by the author.’
Booklist
Watch an interview with Meg Caddy here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXjLy8LN1k
‘An astonishing debut…The writing is assured, the action is swift and the characters ring as true as Caddy’s psychological insights.’
West Australian
'This book has broken my heart, collected my soul and has me falling in love with it!'
Tilly and Her Books
'This novel has all the fast-paced action and enjoyment of the first Eragon novel, but it is far more layered and original.'
Incredible Rambling Emily
‘A cracking adventure story…Brimming with excitement and incident.’
Reading Time
‘An accomplished debut…[A] great example of a well-crafted YA fantasy…The descriptions are lush and the prose is gorgeous.’
Speculating on SpecFic
‘This book does not let you go once you start…Incredibly addictive and fast paced.’
Readers in Wonderland
‘A new world of shape-shifters and a time-honored battle between good and evil come alive in Caddy’s debut fantasy for teens.’
Kirkus
‘This is a tale of, among other things, righteous revenge, told in alienating chapters by the two main characters, whose perspectives convey the impact of the difficult circumstances on even the most gentle people…Love wins out in this well-constructed world, mapped literally and figuratively by the author.’
Booklist
Watch an interview with Meg Caddy here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXjLy8LN1k
lostgirlsw's review against another edition
4.0
An amazing debut by a talented young author. When I first heard that Meg Caddy was mentored by the wonderfully talented, [a:Juliet Marillier|8649|Juliet Marillier|http://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1373081365p2/8649.jpg], I knew I had to give her book a try. I am so glad I did. She presents the werewolves in her world as gentle, peaceful creatures. I immediately fell in love with them. The world she created was beautifully done with many surprises and twists thrown in.
This book is a standalone and I am partly sad because I would love to journey back to Caddy's universe and revisit these characters. The story wraps up nicely and you are not left with any lingering questions. Things aren't wrapped up in a neat little pretty bow. This is a story of heartache and loss, battles won and lost, redemption, love and forgiveness.
The story is told in alternating POVs mostly through Lycaea and Lowell's perspectives. Lycaea is waer, but she was not born that way. She was turned against her will. I found her to be rough and tortured and not particularly likable at first. She has gone through many horrors and feels betrayed by those close to her. It wasn't long before I began to understand and care for her character. Lowell was born waer and he lives with his family in peace until he finds Lycaea washed up by the river. His character is kind and gentle and I absolutely adored him from the very beginning.
There was enough action and danger to keep me on the edge of my seat, especially toward the end. The romance was slow burning and did not take over the story. It was incredibly well done and I am very much looking forward to Caddy's next book.
I received a copy of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a standalone and I am partly sad because I would love to journey back to Caddy's universe and revisit these characters. The story wraps up nicely and you are not left with any lingering questions. Things aren't wrapped up in a neat little pretty bow. This is a story of heartache and loss, battles won and lost, redemption, love and forgiveness.
The story is told in alternating POVs mostly through Lycaea and Lowell's perspectives. Lycaea is waer, but she was not born that way. She was turned against her will. I found her to be rough and tortured and not particularly likable at first. She has gone through many horrors and feels betrayed by those close to her. It wasn't long before I began to understand and care for her character. Lowell was born waer and he lives with his family in peace until he finds Lycaea washed up by the river. His character is kind and gentle and I absolutely adored him from the very beginning.
There was enough action and danger to keep me on the edge of my seat, especially toward the end. The romance was slow burning and did not take over the story. It was incredibly well done and I am very much looking forward to Caddy's next book.
I received a copy of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
garancehm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It was a bit boring abut still good.
thistlechaser's review against another edition
5.0
Awful, awful cover, great story.
Set on some fantasy (yet sort of Earth-like) world, the story's POV switches between two main characters. Lowell, who was born a "waer" (werewolf), and Lycaea, who was made one against her will as a punishment. Lowell's peaceful life is shattered when the neighboring evil nation invades, throwing him and Lycaea together.
There were soooooo many good things about this book:
- Lycaea's journey through the story to accept herself. No character development felt forced, they all took their time to grow and it felt perfectly natural and realistic.
- The relationship -- this book reminded me that I don't hate relationships in books, I just hate badly written ones.
- The worldsetting -- we visited so many different places, met so many different people, and I loved them all.
- The twist, which I can't describe at all, but once it came to light I immediately wanted to go back and start reading the book from the beginning again in light of that new information. :D
The things I didn't like were minor:
- Some of the names were too reflective of the characters. The bad guy was named Daemon (demon), the female waer was named Lycaes (Lycan -- werewolf).
- The accents of the people of the story's various nations were RL ones (Welsh, Australian, British), and that kind of knocked me out of the story a bit.
But all in all, this was a wonderful story. The author stated that she was working on it for 10 years, and I believe it. I'm so in love with her. Her reason for writing about werewolves:
My reason for writing about werewolves is distressingly nerdy. During high school my best friend Jenn and I had an elaborate two-person live-action-roleplay going on. We only spoke to each other in character for about a year. While I was still figuring out my character, Jenn passed me a note in class that read ‘the werewolves are in danger’. After that, my character (Lycaea, in her earliest form) was a werewolf and I started to develop her backstory, which ended up being Waer.
She seems like someone I'd really enjoy knowing.
Set on some fantasy (yet sort of Earth-like) world, the story's POV switches between two main characters. Lowell, who was born a "waer" (werewolf), and Lycaea, who was made one against her will as a punishment. Lowell's peaceful life is shattered when the neighboring evil nation invades, throwing him and Lycaea together.
There were soooooo many good things about this book:
- Lycaea's journey through the story to accept herself. No character development felt forced, they all took their time to grow and it felt perfectly natural and realistic.
- The relationship -- this book reminded me that I don't hate relationships in books, I just hate badly written ones.
- The worldsetting -- we visited so many different places, met so many different people, and I loved them all.
- The twist, which I can't describe at all, but once it came to light I immediately wanted to go back and start reading the book from the beginning again in light of that new information. :D
The things I didn't like were minor:
- Some of the names were too reflective of the characters. The bad guy was named Daemon (demon), the female waer was named Lycaes (Lycan -- werewolf).
- The accents of the people of the story's various nations were RL ones (Welsh, Australian, British), and that kind of knocked me out of the story a bit.
But all in all, this was a wonderful story. The author stated that she was working on it for 10 years, and I believe it. I'm so in love with her. Her reason for writing about werewolves:
My reason for writing about werewolves is distressingly nerdy. During high school my best friend Jenn and I had an elaborate two-person live-action-roleplay going on. We only spoke to each other in character for about a year. While I was still figuring out my character, Jenn passed me a note in class that read ‘the werewolves are in danger’. After that, my character (Lycaea, in her earliest form) was a werewolf and I started to develop her backstory, which ended up being Waer.
She seems like someone I'd really enjoy knowing.