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Kelsey Keating

Teoksen The Whispered Tales of Graves Grove tekijä

3 teosta 61 jäsentä 25 arvostelua

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Tekijän teokset

The Whispered Tales of Graves Grove (2017) — Toimittaja — 36 kappaletta
A Stolen Kiss (2016) 22 kappaletta
A Stolen Crown (2017) 3 kappaletta

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Jäseniä

Kirja-arvosteluja

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

I read the first book in the series, A Stolen Kiss, last year and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw that the second book was about to be released I was sure I had to get my hands on it. You don't need to have read the first book in order to enjoy this one, although you'll definitely appreciate filling in some of the blanks in characters' lives through the ones you meet here. A Stolen Crown is definitely a mature book that is perfectly capable of standing on its own two legs. Packed with adorable characters, witty humor and a captivating story, this was one read I could not put down.

I have to say, I love this author's style! Kelsey Keating somehow manages to weave together several different storylines without ever getting you confused as to who's who and what exactly is going on in that world. Now, I am most definitely not the intended target audience, but I still giggled through most of the book thanks to her fabulous humor. I read this book almost entirely during a long trip, and it managed to put a smile on my face despite the disastrous delays in public transport. If that's not enough recommendation for you, then I really don't know what more to say...

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Okay, okay, I'll give you some more...

True to the spirit of the first book, the characters were adorable! Their flaws, their fears, their strengths are all incredibly realistic, so much that you could almost forget that we're talking about an imaginary princess and her friends. This book keeps making fun of itself and its genre, referencing fairy tales and cliched romances in a very smart way. I also enjoyed how the author introduced some delicate themes inside the story: Princess Cecily is very self-conscious of her body image, and keeps thinking she will be judged on the fact that she is not "skinny enough". Seeing how important this issue is to girls and boys everywhere, I am glad to see it inserted in a fairy tale-esque story, where the princess is not an unattainable ideal of ethereal beauty, but a real girl with a love for food. Also, there is some serious girl power going on in this book, so bonus points for that!

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The setting was also on point. We're given just enough information to understand what life in Dellsby and Myrzel is like, without having to wade through pages and pages of endless descriptions. Of course, if you like lengthy descriptions, that's perfectly fine! It's just that I personally sometimes get bored with them and end up not really taking in what I'm being told... Here, on the other hand, I could almost see these places in my mind, and that just makes me happy.

Overall, I liked this book just as much as the first one: it maintains its light mood while at the same time touching upon very delicate themes, such as friendship, love and grief. Great characters combined with a good plot make for a very enjoyable read indeed. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for a new book in the series!
… (lisätietoja)
 
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bookforthought | 1 muu arvostelu | Nov 7, 2023 |
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

I really enjoyed reading A Stolen Kiss! I was definitely in the mood for a feel-good, funny read when I started this, and it was exactly what I got. A light-hearted fairy tale, filled with unforgettable characters and lessons on accepting yourself and realising your true worth, A Stolen Kiss is definitely a book I'd recommend you curl up with on a rainy afternoon.

I fell in love with the characters immediately. Each of them is unique in his or her personality, fears, hopes and dreams, and they are all sooo well drawn that I couldn't pick a favourite if I tried! I adored the tone of this book, too. I tend to love books that make fun of themselves and the genre, and this was no exception. I really enjoyed all the references to classical fairy tales, and how this book never took itself too seriously. Sure, there were some tense moments that added momentum to the story, but in general it was fairly light and in that it precisely met my expectations.

One thing that really made this book stand out, for me, were the messages spread out throughout. Given that the intended target is definitely younger than me, I applaud the fact that all the characters in this book learn to grow though the difficulties they are faced with. From accepting one's origin and talents to learning to fight for their dreams or their family, each and every one of the main characters learns to go beyond their assigned role in society to realise their full potential and achieve happiness. In particular, I was very glad to see a princess learn to save herself for once!

Overall, this is a very light and enjoyable read, perfect for getting you in a good mood and relaxing in a stressful period, without having to give up on quality character development, powerful messages and the unmissable happy ending!
… (lisätietoja)
 
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bookforthought | 2 muuta kirja-arvostelua | Nov 7, 2023 |
Tämä arvostelu kirjoitettiin LibraryThingin Varhaisia arvostelijoita varten.
Good thought-out book. I enjoyed the development of the plot and selection of characters.
 
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Jennifer.Lee | 19 muuta kirja-arvostelua | Oct 3, 2023 |
I love fantasy novels which are inspired by fairy tales, but aren't straight-out retellings. Do you know how hard those are to find? (Hint: very.) So I was very glad to see A STOLEN KISS and knew I had to read it. I'm really glad I did because it was a fun ride which spoke much on the importance of being true to yourself, no matter what your station in life is, as well as the importance of good friends -- possibly even more important than romantic love.

There is a lack of YA novels that depict friendship in such as strong, positive way and that was one of the real strengths of this book that I appreciated. It also showed a strong female friendship, which is even rarer in YA fantasy. There's always some love triangle that gets between the two girls. There is a love triangle in this book but it's not nearly as endless love, eternal flame, pining and angst that I've seen in other books. In fact, it's pretty damn inconsequential now that I think more about it, and the friendship between Derric and Humphrey is stronger. So, hooray, again, positive depiction of friendship.

I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed it. There's a curse, an epic quest complete with mysterious yet helpful creature, dangerous beasts, and an evil sorcerer. I loved the characters and cheered for them to succeed. The plot was twisty and very satisfying.

My one quibble is that the language read as too modern for me. Maybe I'm used to other high fantasy books where authors take great pains to remove modern slang from the dialogue, but it was jarring for me to hear the characters say, "okay," or other modern sayings. The dialogue was also less formal than I would have expected in a fantasy novel, particularly as two of the main characters are royalty. This probably won't be an issue for most readers but I found myself getting thrown out of the story, particularly in the beginning of the book. Once the plot advanced and Derric et al were on the road, it was less of an issue as I got sucked into the story.

I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. Despite the bit of a rocky start, I liked it a lot, and want to see more of these characters and this world.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley
… (lisätietoja)
½
 
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wisemetis | 2 muuta kirja-arvostelua | Sep 15, 2022 |

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Tilastot

Teokset
3
Jäseniä
61
Suosituimmuussija
#274,234
Arvio (tähdet)
½ 3.7
Kirja-arvosteluja
25
ISBN:t
7

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