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The Rose Chronicles #1
The Order of the Rose
“You possess a power as great as that of the false Empress. You do not understand it yet but you will come to learn its true nature. It is the only match to true evil. You doubt it, but you must embrace it or you will fail.”
When Carey Lee discovers that not only is she a witch but also part of a rebel order, she figures it can’t be any worse than the life from which she just escaped. Little is she prepared though for what lies ahead - an all-powerful empire and a murderous Empress, a seemingly impossible quest to rescue her family, and a power so dark that Carey begins to doubt her very existence.
The Order of the Rose is the first in a series of three novels to be known as the Rose Chronicles.
When Carey Lee discovers that not only is she a witch but also part of a rebel order, she figures it can’t be any worse than the life from which she just escaped. Little is she prepared though for what lies ahead - an all-powerful empire and a murderous Empress, a seemingly impossible quest to rescue her family, and a power so dark that Carey begins to doubt her very existence.
The Order of the Rose is the first in a series of three novels to be known as the Rose Chronicles.
- GenresFantasy
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Alysha King
3 books37 followersMy first Young Adult novel, The Order of the Rose, was published in 2013 with its sequel, the Dragon's Heart, in 2019. The final instalment will be release December 2020.
In addition to writing the Rose Chronicles trilogy, I am researching for a queer YA historical fiction novel set in 1788.
My author influences range from Jay Kristoff to Isobelle Carmody with a particular love of any author who can take me away from reality for a bit.
When I'm not writing I love to create cosplay outfits for my family, bake ridiculous desserts, take on a new hobby, or add to my ever-expanding wardrobe of vintage-styled clothing.
In addition to writing the Rose Chronicles trilogy, I am researching for a queer YA historical fiction novel set in 1788.
My author influences range from Jay Kristoff to Isobelle Carmody with a particular love of any author who can take me away from reality for a bit.
When I'm not writing I love to create cosplay outfits for my family, bake ridiculous desserts, take on a new hobby, or add to my ever-expanding wardrobe of vintage-styled clothing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 15, 2019
A mix of Star Wars and Harry Potter with Rebel witches and wizards fighting against an evil Empire. We follow Carey and her friends as they fight back against the Empire with twists and turns and non-stop action.
I really enjoyed the novel's focus on friendship and the fantasy world. The book is set in an olden day Ireland and "mystic realm" full of magic, which includes anything from protectic spells to mermaids. I wish there was more world building, but I have a feeling book 2 might expand on this.
My main gripe was that some twists were quite obvious but Carey was soooo dumb and was walking into traps everytime. While saying that, I did have a fun time and wouldn't mind continuing on in the series.
I really enjoyed the novel's focus on friendship and the fantasy world. The book is set in an olden day Ireland and "mystic realm" full of magic, which includes anything from protectic spells to mermaids. I wish there was more world building, but I have a feeling book 2 might expand on this.
My main gripe was that some twists were quite obvious but Carey was soooo dumb and was walking into traps everytime. While saying that, I did have a fun time and wouldn't mind continuing on in the series.
June 21, 2019
This is a fast paced YA story in which the action never lets up from the first page. Though I’m no longer the right reader for it, I know my teenage self would have loved it!
Our heroine Carey, suffering amnesia, escapes from a horrible orphanage and finds herself, with friends from her unremembered past, Kat and Ji, instantly fleeing from, or fighting, evil. She not only discovers that she’s part of a rebel order set up by her grandmother many years ago to fight the evil Empress Malevolent, but that she possesses a very great power, if only she knew how to access and control it.
At seemingly insurmountable odds, the three teenagers, last remnants of the order, must resist the might of Malevolent’s empire. They bounce from one narrow escape to the next, walking into traps and ambushes, going to sea in rotten boats and generally making some pretty bad decisions!
The story is set mostly in Ireland at some time in the past. My chronological brain had to hunt around for clues as to an exact time so that I could picture what the world looked like, and I did find a couple - one of the characters talks about the 1700s as if they’re definitely past, and Carey uses a quill to write. As quills went out of use in the 1820s, this sets the story in Regency times (my brain is happy now as I can picture Carey and Kat in gypsified Jane Austen gowns).
Carey is a sometimes annoying heroine; she’s slow to learn, often forgets things of crucial importance, is clumsy, screams too much, and frequently ignores warnings, thereby putting herself in even more danger. But it’s interesting and satisfying to watch her discover her power and begin to learn how to master it, and there’s plenty of room for her to grow in wisdom and strength over the rest of the series.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Order of the Rose, however a couple of things marred it a little for me. Firstly, something that puzzled me, and I don’t think it was ever explained (or did I somehow miss it?), is what happened to Kat after the boat sank. When the two girls eventually meet again, Carey is remarkably incurious about what became of her friend, especially as she’d wept tears thinking Kat had drowned. I liked Kat; she’s feisty and capable, and I would have liked to know her story as well as Carey’s.
Also, I’d love to see this book get a go-over by a good editor to clean up a few typos (the ‘dead fouls’ hanging up in the caravan), grammatical errors, extraneous words and word repetition. There’s a bit too much telling - we don’t need to be repeatedly told what Carey’s emotions are when her actions have shown us this already.
Our heroine Carey, suffering amnesia, escapes from a horrible orphanage and finds herself, with friends from her unremembered past, Kat and Ji, instantly fleeing from, or fighting, evil. She not only discovers that she’s part of a rebel order set up by her grandmother many years ago to fight the evil Empress Malevolent, but that she possesses a very great power, if only she knew how to access and control it.
At seemingly insurmountable odds, the three teenagers, last remnants of the order, must resist the might of Malevolent’s empire. They bounce from one narrow escape to the next, walking into traps and ambushes, going to sea in rotten boats and generally making some pretty bad decisions!
The story is set mostly in Ireland at some time in the past. My chronological brain had to hunt around for clues as to an exact time so that I could picture what the world looked like, and I did find a couple - one of the characters talks about the 1700s as if they’re definitely past, and Carey uses a quill to write. As quills went out of use in the 1820s, this sets the story in Regency times (my brain is happy now as I can picture Carey and Kat in gypsified Jane Austen gowns).
Carey is a sometimes annoying heroine; she’s slow to learn, often forgets things of crucial importance, is clumsy, screams too much, and frequently ignores warnings, thereby putting herself in even more danger. But it’s interesting and satisfying to watch her discover her power and begin to learn how to master it, and there’s plenty of room for her to grow in wisdom and strength over the rest of the series.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Order of the Rose, however a couple of things marred it a little for me. Firstly, something that puzzled me, and I don’t think it was ever explained (or did I somehow miss it?), is what happened to Kat after the boat sank. When the two girls eventually meet again, Carey is remarkably incurious about what became of her friend, especially as she’d wept tears thinking Kat had drowned. I liked Kat; she’s feisty and capable, and I would have liked to know her story as well as Carey’s.
Also, I’d love to see this book get a go-over by a good editor to clean up a few typos (the ‘dead fouls’ hanging up in the caravan), grammatical errors, extraneous words and word repetition. There’s a bit too much telling - we don’t need to be repeatedly told what Carey’s emotions are when her actions have shown us this already.
May 20, 2020
Order Of The Rose 🌹
Stars: 🌟🌟🌟✨
I loved reading the magical world especially following our 3 main sorcerers in the story they were a joy to read let alone the magical creatures that show up along the way as the friends fight to defeat the evil empress with having nothing on there back besides there magic and a bit of luck.
What l liked most was the friendship between the 3 friends that grow on the way with a pinch of romance between Ji and Carey and the description of the places they visit.
Unfortunately, the writing style felt a bit up and down to me making it hard for me to get into the story.
Even if the writing style was different for me l felt it didn’t take away the richness of the book and towards the end, I did feel that the writing did get more immersive by the end and that is why I’m rating it
Stares: 3 1/2 🌟 🌟🌟✨
Stars: 🌟🌟🌟✨
I loved reading the magical world especially following our 3 main sorcerers in the story they were a joy to read let alone the magical creatures that show up along the way as the friends fight to defeat the evil empress with having nothing on there back besides there magic and a bit of luck.
What l liked most was the friendship between the 3 friends that grow on the way with a pinch of romance between Ji and Carey and the description of the places they visit.
Unfortunately, the writing style felt a bit up and down to me making it hard for me to get into the story.
Even if the writing style was different for me l felt it didn’t take away the richness of the book and towards the end, I did feel that the writing did get more immersive by the end and that is why I’m rating it
Stares: 3 1/2 🌟 🌟🌟✨
May 1, 2020
I honestly couldn’t stop reading once I picked this up. The world building was incredible, I loved the magic & fighting and the ninja feel of some of the attacks! Ive got so many feelings about this incredible trio of main characters. I look forward to finding out what happens in book two!
July 3, 2019
I loved this book, found it was an amazing start to a series which I truly look forward to carrying on when the next book is out! If you are a fantasy fan you are going to want to read this!
December 22, 2019
3.5 stars. This book is filled with magic and adventure. Carey Lee has just found out that she is a witch and that there is an evil mistress wanting to kill her and wipe out her kind. So an epic adventure begins with betrayals, deception, battles and friendship. I really loved how while this book is part of a series it still holds its own as a novel. Yes you are left with wanting more but it is its own complete story. You rarely see that especially in YA books nowadays.
June 22, 2019
Just finished this book - finally haha! But I really did quite like it. It’s a YA fantasy with plenty of magic that reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, in a good way!
The main plot is about a world in which a dark evil lead by a horrible enchantress is dominating. It follows our MC, Carey Lee, whose family was a group of seekers who sought to defeat this evil.
The characters. First, Carey. As the book was written from her perspective, we saw a lot of her fears, doubts and insecurities, which was great but at the same time sometimes hindered what she was able to do. This was little annoying at times, especially as it happened quite a lot and when she just questioned everything a lot I just wanted to scream JUST BELIEVE AND DO IT at her. I really liked Kat and Ji though. Kat was super strong, and a great side character. Ji - now he got interesting. With Carey’s dreams and everything I was super curious as to what was going on. But he’s such a sweet soul aw, definitely a cinnamon roll no question.
The plot line. It was a really interesting concept but I just feel like the first half was to me a little like say—a video game where the characters just go from one level to another without that much development in the plot? It was written well but I just wasn’t sure where it would be taken. It was just they got here, this happened, and then next event type thing. The second part I really enjoyed, where I was really anticipating where the story was going. And I loved the ending, it’s very well set up for the next book, but also has a nice well rounded finish as well! And again— Ji. Our cinnamon roll boy. Ahhh.
The world development was pretty good too, I could easily imagine what it looked like as each scene occurred. I love the idea of realms, the fantasy elements in the scenery, and also the various creatures that appeared throughout the book. I’m sure there’s plenty more to this world that we have yet to explore!
Overall, I think it’s quite a good book, with lots of potential for the future storyline. I’d say, in my opinion, that it could also be classified as middle grade! Although there are some slightly darker parts it’s nothing that is too bad. So I’d definitely recommend it both for fans of middle grade or YA fantasy!
The main plot is about a world in which a dark evil lead by a horrible enchantress is dominating. It follows our MC, Carey Lee, whose family was a group of seekers who sought to defeat this evil.
The characters. First, Carey. As the book was written from her perspective, we saw a lot of her fears, doubts and insecurities, which was great but at the same time sometimes hindered what she was able to do. This was little annoying at times, especially as it happened quite a lot and when she just questioned everything a lot I just wanted to scream JUST BELIEVE AND DO IT at her. I really liked Kat and Ji though. Kat was super strong, and a great side character. Ji - now he got interesting. With Carey’s dreams and everything I was super curious as to what was going on. But he’s such a sweet soul aw, definitely a cinnamon roll no question.
The plot line. It was a really interesting concept but I just feel like the first half was to me a little like say—a video game where the characters just go from one level to another without that much development in the plot? It was written well but I just wasn’t sure where it would be taken. It was just they got here, this happened, and then next event type thing. The second part I really enjoyed, where I was really anticipating where the story was going. And I loved the ending, it’s very well set up for the next book, but also has a nice well rounded finish as well! And again— Ji. Our cinnamon roll boy. Ahhh.
The world development was pretty good too, I could easily imagine what it looked like as each scene occurred. I love the idea of realms, the fantasy elements in the scenery, and also the various creatures that appeared throughout the book. I’m sure there’s plenty more to this world that we have yet to explore!
Overall, I think it’s quite a good book, with lots of potential for the future storyline. I’d say, in my opinion, that it could also be classified as middle grade! Although there are some slightly darker parts it’s nothing that is too bad. So I’d definitely recommend it both for fans of middle grade or YA fantasy!
June 24, 2019
3.5 stars! This review and others like it can be found on my blog: www.readingsumpton.com
This was an interesting read for me. I am definitely no longer the intended audience, and being a fairly well read adult woman, at times it felt a little too young for my tastes. However, I think younger readers would find this action packed adventure/fantasy rather enjoyable.
The Order Of The Rose tells the story of Carey. A young teenage girl suffering from amnesia after a traumatic childhood event. Who, upon escaping from a horrible orphanage, joins forces with Ji and Kat, two of her oldest friends (she just doesn't remember them!) Together they are the last remaining members of the magical rebel Order Carey's grandmother founded to fight the evil, Empress Malevolence.
I found this a little hard to get into to begin with, but again, I believe this is because it is intended for younger readers. The pacing felt a bit rushed and was driven mainly by the three protagonists having seemingly random encounters with evil. This was frustrating as it felt like there was constant action and very little quiet moments in between for us to really get to know the characters. Having said that, this was justified further into the novel once more of the plot was divulged, but it meant that the first half of the book felt slow and wasn't as enjoyable for me.
The second half of this book however, was where it started to really shine. Carey had some really nice character growth and became a far stronger, more likeable character and the action seemed to become more intentional when it came to driving the plot forward. I really enjoyed learning about the world and setting, however it was a little confusing at first as I wasn't sure where or when the story was set until about half way into the book.
The characters all had some great growth! I adored Kat! She was extremely fierce, capable and just an all round badass. Carey could be a little unsure and frustrating at times, but I think this was justified considering she was thrown into the middle of an epic battle between good and evil, having absolutely no idea what she was or who she was up against. The trio's dynamic was also really fun and not unlike the Harry Potter series in some ways, which I really enjoyed.
Overall I liked this book! I think I would have liked it more if I had read it when I was younger. I may even go as far as to say it could be classed as more of a Middle Grade read. But taking that into account, it was enjoyable and was a fantastic starting off point for the rest of the series.
This was an interesting read for me. I am definitely no longer the intended audience, and being a fairly well read adult woman, at times it felt a little too young for my tastes. However, I think younger readers would find this action packed adventure/fantasy rather enjoyable.
The Order Of The Rose tells the story of Carey. A young teenage girl suffering from amnesia after a traumatic childhood event. Who, upon escaping from a horrible orphanage, joins forces with Ji and Kat, two of her oldest friends (she just doesn't remember them!) Together they are the last remaining members of the magical rebel Order Carey's grandmother founded to fight the evil, Empress Malevolence.
I found this a little hard to get into to begin with, but again, I believe this is because it is intended for younger readers. The pacing felt a bit rushed and was driven mainly by the three protagonists having seemingly random encounters with evil. This was frustrating as it felt like there was constant action and very little quiet moments in between for us to really get to know the characters. Having said that, this was justified further into the novel once more of the plot was divulged, but it meant that the first half of the book felt slow and wasn't as enjoyable for me.
The second half of this book however, was where it started to really shine. Carey had some really nice character growth and became a far stronger, more likeable character and the action seemed to become more intentional when it came to driving the plot forward. I really enjoyed learning about the world and setting, however it was a little confusing at first as I wasn't sure where or when the story was set until about half way into the book.
The characters all had some great growth! I adored Kat! She was extremely fierce, capable and just an all round badass. Carey could be a little unsure and frustrating at times, but I think this was justified considering she was thrown into the middle of an epic battle between good and evil, having absolutely no idea what she was or who she was up against. The trio's dynamic was also really fun and not unlike the Harry Potter series in some ways, which I really enjoyed.
Overall I liked this book! I think I would have liked it more if I had read it when I was younger. I may even go as far as to say it could be classed as more of a Middle Grade read. But taking that into account, it was enjoyable and was a fantastic starting off point for the rest of the series.
May 26, 2019
I'm always on the lookout for local writers to support, so I snapped up a copy of Alysha's debut effort. When I heard that book two was in the works, I moved this to the top of my to-read pile.
Without getting into spoilers, the vibe of the book is not dissimilar to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: a trio of teens have a dangerous mission - but neither the teens nor the reader have any concrete idea how they will accomplish it. A lot of the story is shaped by the dynamics of the trio (again, not dissimilar to the vibe of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Random encounters happen while our heroes chase one lead to the next.
The writing style tends to reiterate what has just been stated in the text, and confirms the emotions that the main protagonist is displaying. As a well-read adult this feels like repetition to me, so I feel that am not exactly the intended audience. However, young-teenager-me would have better appreciated this writing style.
I note that main protagonist Carey near the start of the book, which can be a bit bothersome for the reader: as it is, Carey spends a lot of time in this book . This bothersome-ness is averted somewhat by the fact that the inciting incident occurs when she was quite young, so her knowledge prior to that moment may have been limited in the first place. This gives the reader the chance to explore this world and see what the magic is like at the same time as the main protagonist. Carey became a much more interesting character for me when . I'm hoping that a slightly more self-assured Carey joins us for book two, and that has a more key role. Also secretly hoping that but I suspect I'm wrong. But imagine if I were right!
I look forward to the publication of book 2. I will definitely be reading it.
Without getting into spoilers, the vibe of the book is not dissimilar to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: a trio of teens have a dangerous mission - but neither the teens nor the reader have any concrete idea how they will accomplish it. A lot of the story is shaped by the dynamics of the trio (again, not dissimilar to the vibe of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Random encounters happen while our heroes chase one lead to the next.
The writing style tends to reiterate what has just been stated in the text, and confirms the emotions that the main protagonist is displaying. As a well-read adult this feels like repetition to me, so I feel that am not exactly the intended audience. However, young-teenager-me would have better appreciated this writing style.
I note that main protagonist Carey near the start of the book, which can be a bit bothersome for the reader: as it is, Carey spends a lot of time in this book . This bothersome-ness is averted somewhat by the fact that the inciting incident occurs when she was quite young, so her knowledge prior to that moment may have been limited in the first place. This gives the reader the chance to explore this world and see what the magic is like at the same time as the main protagonist. Carey became a much more interesting character for me when . I'm hoping that a slightly more self-assured Carey joins us for book two, and that has a more key role. Also secretly hoping that but I suspect I'm wrong. But imagine if I were right!
I look forward to the publication of book 2. I will definitely be reading it.
July 3, 2019
3.5/5 – loyal friendships, spell-binding action and epic magic-use are among some of the things this wonderful little book has to offer.
This little book was jam packed from start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Not my absolute favourite read of the year and definitely not what I was expecting when I went into it, but a lovely adventure just the same.
We follow three young heroes on a quest to defeat the evil sorceress and basically save the world. I got strong Harry Potter/Throne of Glass vibes in terms of plot and world building, but there were creative twists that kept the story fresh and unique.
The characters were great! Carey Lee (the protagonist) could get on my nerves at times, but most of the time she was a good character to follow. I adored Kat and how feisty she was (she was probably my favourite of all the characters), and Ji has me feeling all kinds of things. There were a lot of interesting other characters introduced throughout the book and they all played specific roles. I’d love some more development for the main troupe in the next book (which after that ending I have a feeling we’ll get).
I think one of the best parts of this book for me were the twists and turns. This book left me surprised at every significant reveal which was so great because I love when a book can surprise me!! The pacing of this novel was also excellent and there were no weird nulls or boring points.
The only thing I would comment on was sometimes the writing could get a little repetitive, and the start was a little awkward, but once the story kicked in I had trouble putting it down. As a first novel I was pretty impressed!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the Order of the Rose and look forward to the next one! I’d probably recommend this book to a younger audience, like maybe early to late-ish teens and to people that love the Harry Potter books.
A big thank you to the lovely author for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review – definitely check her Instagram page, she’s awesome!
For more reviews and bookish posts, check out my blog :)
https://lolaslibrary.home.blog/
This little book was jam packed from start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Not my absolute favourite read of the year and definitely not what I was expecting when I went into it, but a lovely adventure just the same.
We follow three young heroes on a quest to defeat the evil sorceress and basically save the world. I got strong Harry Potter/Throne of Glass vibes in terms of plot and world building, but there were creative twists that kept the story fresh and unique.
The characters were great! Carey Lee (the protagonist) could get on my nerves at times, but most of the time she was a good character to follow. I adored Kat and how feisty she was (she was probably my favourite of all the characters), and Ji has me feeling all kinds of things. There were a lot of interesting other characters introduced throughout the book and they all played specific roles. I’d love some more development for the main troupe in the next book (which after that ending I have a feeling we’ll get).
I think one of the best parts of this book for me were the twists and turns. This book left me surprised at every significant reveal which was so great because I love when a book can surprise me!! The pacing of this novel was also excellent and there were no weird nulls or boring points.
The only thing I would comment on was sometimes the writing could get a little repetitive, and the start was a little awkward, but once the story kicked in I had trouble putting it down. As a first novel I was pretty impressed!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the Order of the Rose and look forward to the next one! I’d probably recommend this book to a younger audience, like maybe early to late-ish teens and to people that love the Harry Potter books.
A big thank you to the lovely author for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review – definitely check her Instagram page, she’s awesome!
For more reviews and bookish posts, check out my blog :)
https://lolaslibrary.home.blog/
June 24, 2019
I was sent a copy of the book by the author for review. I really enjoyed this book, it reminded me of Harry Potter and Deltora Quest with a bit of Narnia thrown in 😊 It had me hooked from the start and it included some twists and turns along the way. It has a good pace and Alysha has a way of describing things well but not going over the top with it 😊 It is set in real world Ireland with a fantasy world over the top. I didn't realise it was set in Ireland until it was mentioned but if I had known a few more Irish towns I would have known pretty much the start. It has everything from Wizards and Witches to Mermaids and a Pegasus. Alysha has done a great job building the world.
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The character development was good. Carey is the main character and I found her quite relatable. She is finding herself while she is trying to save her realm, which proves a bit tricky. Kat and Ji are her friends that help her and show her who she is and what she is capable of. Throughout the story she meets others who help her and some that are perhaps not all they appear to be. One other thing I loved was that there was quite a few redhead characters through the book, not main ones but I still loved it 😊
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Overall I really enjoyed this book and I am excited for the next book😊
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The character development was good. Carey is the main character and I found her quite relatable. She is finding herself while she is trying to save her realm, which proves a bit tricky. Kat and Ji are her friends that help her and show her who she is and what she is capable of. Throughout the story she meets others who help her and some that are perhaps not all they appear to be. One other thing I loved was that there was quite a few redhead characters through the book, not main ones but I still loved it 😊
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Overall I really enjoyed this book and I am excited for the next book😊
May 19, 2019
I was sent this book by Alysha the author for me to read and review. I really enjoyed this book. It has a great hook not even twenty pages into the book and I was already shocked in a good way!
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At the beginning of this book I was getting serious Cinderella vibes and I loved it! It was short lived but I enjoyed it while it was there!
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Carey grew throughout the book mostly towards the end which was brilliant and I was a little worried it wasn’t going to happen but it did 🎉
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The ending was great and definitely answered a few questions that kept running through my mind as I read the book, it also left me with other questions though! I need to read the next book now 😂
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My only issue with this book was the pacing. I would have liked some things to have gone on longer, it felt rushed in some places. It definitely would have benefited if some things had been stretched out further.
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Overall a great book and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one and find out what Carey and her friends get up too!
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At the beginning of this book I was getting serious Cinderella vibes and I loved it! It was short lived but I enjoyed it while it was there!
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Carey grew throughout the book mostly towards the end which was brilliant and I was a little worried it wasn’t going to happen but it did 🎉
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The ending was great and definitely answered a few questions that kept running through my mind as I read the book, it also left me with other questions though! I need to read the next book now 😂
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My only issue with this book was the pacing. I would have liked some things to have gone on longer, it felt rushed in some places. It definitely would have benefited if some things had been stretched out further.
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Overall a great book and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one and find out what Carey and her friends get up too!
December 9, 2019
Alyshia King’s debut novel is beautifully written and very promising. The first few chapters instantly caught my full and undivided attention and I found myself already reading 100 pages or so the moment I sat down. The characters are intriguing, hence, I was eager to get to know them better and deeper. It’s like Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson. Like these two series, it also involves the main character’s journey towards a certain goal whilst facing lots of challenges. Her strengths and weaknesses were both tested and revealed while embarking a journey towards finding out the truth and her purpose. The main character is Carey and there are two secondary characters which are Kat and Ji who both played vital roles in the story.
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Carey – I had high hopes for this character but she kept on disappointing me along the way. She has poor judgement which led them to all the weird turn out of events. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked her but I will be hoping that in the next books, she’ll do better.
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Kat– She would make a decent main character! Her personality kind of outweighed Carey’s. She is fierce and smart and I like her in so many ways. She is my favourite.
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Ji– I actually did not notice him much. His character building was lacking. I was excited for his love interest but was disappointed because of the major twist. My ship did not fully sail and I will be expecting more on the next book (keeping my fingers crossed).
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The plot twist may be predictable but I still managed to enjoy the story so much. You can assume how some things will turn out but the author will suddenly surprise you until you can no longer bear the excitement! There is something engaging about the trio which will make you want to finish the story immediately. I agree with some of the reviews that there are moments when I felt like the characters could have done better in a certain situation but they did the other way instead. SPOILER AHEAD! I repeat, SPOILER AHEAD! I also had a hard time accepting the protagonist’s fate in the end. It was an easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of thing for Carey and I was expecting more action-packed battle scene where Malevolence could have suffered more. Who knows? Maybe with the second book, the author will be cruel towards her (Please pelase please!). Did I mention that the OTP (one true pair) was also very promising? Yes. But things happened and my ship kind of went south. Sort of. Anyway, I will definitely read the second book because I need more answers.
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Positive
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Very promising and the Harry Potter like characters | Engaging | Fast-read
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Negative
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Predictable twist and turn out of events | Character’s poor decision making skills | The way the antagonist went down
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Overall, the concept is impressive and definitely my cup of tea. I always go for the wizard and witches kind of stories because they are magical and kind of dark and twisted. Speaking of which, this book surprised me in so many levels! Just when you think everything went plain, odd, and simple, the author will shock you with a new mind-boggling revelation. I am looking forward to the next book and I actually participaated with its Book Tour recently.
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I am giving this a four-star rating and I am now off to start The Dragon’s Heart.
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Thank you for reading my review.
.
Xoxo,
.
Janna
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Carey – I had high hopes for this character but she kept on disappointing me along the way. She has poor judgement which led them to all the weird turn out of events. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked her but I will be hoping that in the next books, she’ll do better.
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Kat– She would make a decent main character! Her personality kind of outweighed Carey’s. She is fierce and smart and I like her in so many ways. She is my favourite.
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Ji– I actually did not notice him much. His character building was lacking. I was excited for his love interest but was disappointed because of the major twist. My ship did not fully sail and I will be expecting more on the next book (keeping my fingers crossed).
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The plot twist may be predictable but I still managed to enjoy the story so much. You can assume how some things will turn out but the author will suddenly surprise you until you can no longer bear the excitement! There is something engaging about the trio which will make you want to finish the story immediately. I agree with some of the reviews that there are moments when I felt like the characters could have done better in a certain situation but they did the other way instead. SPOILER AHEAD! I repeat, SPOILER AHEAD! I also had a hard time accepting the protagonist’s fate in the end. It was an easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of thing for Carey and I was expecting more action-packed battle scene where Malevolence could have suffered more. Who knows? Maybe with the second book, the author will be cruel towards her (Please pelase please!). Did I mention that the OTP (one true pair) was also very promising? Yes. But things happened and my ship kind of went south. Sort of. Anyway, I will definitely read the second book because I need more answers.
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Positive
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Very promising and the Harry Potter like characters | Engaging | Fast-read
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Negative
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Predictable twist and turn out of events | Character’s poor decision making skills | The way the antagonist went down
.
Overall, the concept is impressive and definitely my cup of tea. I always go for the wizard and witches kind of stories because they are magical and kind of dark and twisted. Speaking of which, this book surprised me in so many levels! Just when you think everything went plain, odd, and simple, the author will shock you with a new mind-boggling revelation. I am looking forward to the next book and I actually participaated with its Book Tour recently.
.
I am giving this a four-star rating and I am now off to start The Dragon’s Heart.
.
Thank you for reading my review.
.
Xoxo,
.
Janna
July 20, 2019
The Order of the Rose' had a shocking beginning which effectively caught my attention and kept me hooked through the next chapters. Carey Lee was a strong character throughout the book and it took me a while to understand the complete situation because the story progressed pretty quickly. But, to be honest I felt the later chapters were a little too long. Now, don't get me wrong here, every detail of each chapter was totally necessary without which the story would feel empty. (I might have also felt like this because I was reading an e-book 😅). But, plot wise the story is solid. Every character played has a significant role in the progress of the story and all of them have a detailed description. This book is one that's on the re-reading list! If you're crazy for fantasy books like me then you're gonna love this book! Oh and to add to the excitement, it's part of a series!
May 3, 2020
The Order of the Rose, by Alysha King, is about a world in the grips of evil, and the few people remaining who haven't yet given up on freeing it. It follows a group of young people as they struggle to overcome evil.
I really enjoyed it. There is lots of character building in this book, and the main characters become more vivid as the story goes on. The world building is lovely and by the end of the book I was able to build a picture in my mind of the worlds.
There is a lot going on in this book, but overall I still found it easy to follow. At times I got confused but this was always cleared up down the track. I did get frustrated with the main character when I realised something that eluded her.
The pace was good, its action filled and the ending surprised me. I look forward to seeing what's in store for me with the next installment.
4 stars, definitely reccomend.
I really enjoyed it. There is lots of character building in this book, and the main characters become more vivid as the story goes on. The world building is lovely and by the end of the book I was able to build a picture in my mind of the worlds.
There is a lot going on in this book, but overall I still found it easy to follow. At times I got confused but this was always cleared up down the track. I did get frustrated with the main character when I realised something that eluded her.
The pace was good, its action filled and the ending surprised me. I look forward to seeing what's in store for me with the next installment.
4 stars, definitely reccomend.
June 25, 2019
Fairly well thought out and written with lots of action. Very easy to read. Geared to young adults.
NOTE: Received a complimentary review copy through Voracious Readers.
NOTE: Received a complimentary review copy through Voracious Readers.
July 30, 2019
Really enjoyed this book! The characters were relatable and had reasonable development given the time it was set over.
Easy to read and follow along, so looking forward to the next one!
Easy to read and follow along, so looking forward to the next one!
May 8, 2019
I just finished this book and was crying over the injustice of Carey and Ji's relationship issues. It was a great read filled with magic and battles of good vs evil. I cant wait to read the next book and see if Carey realizes Ji is her soulmate. I received this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for a honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2013
Review first published on my blog, Pieces of Whimsy
This book was epic, dark, magical fantasy, a kind I really, really like and Alysha has done an amazing job with it! The characters all had their own personalities/traits and were all brilliant to read.
I really love having heroes/heroines in books (especially fantasy books) and it makes me even happier when they're part of a small group, friends working together, through thick and thin, to save the day! I really loved the trio in this book, the 'last' of the Order of the Rose, and I thought they all balanced each other out quite nicely.
When I first started reading this book seemed very light, like the evil wasn't so bad and everyone would get over it eventually, but the further into the book I got, the more darkness seemed to appear. This pleased me because I like some darkness between the pages, makes the good feel that much more rewarding.
There were a few moments throughout the book where I thought 'this is absolutely ridiculous, no way would they escape Ms. Evils wrath so easily'. I worried this book was going to be filled with "holes", making the evil witch sound really bad, but actually being a complete pushover. Luckily that was not the case. The characters questioned their easy escapes, worrying over ulterior motives, and there were plenty of juicy, dark motives running rampant through this book!
This book was really great! I loved the idea of the "normal" world and "magical" world and the differences between the two types of people. I was happy the author wasn't afraid to get her hands, well, her characters hands, dirty and though there were a few times when I was a bit confused, my mind soon caught up with it all. I am definitely looking forward to the rest in this series!
This book was epic, dark, magical fantasy, a kind I really, really like and Alysha has done an amazing job with it! The characters all had their own personalities/traits and were all brilliant to read.
I really love having heroes/heroines in books (especially fantasy books) and it makes me even happier when they're part of a small group, friends working together, through thick and thin, to save the day! I really loved the trio in this book, the 'last' of the Order of the Rose, and I thought they all balanced each other out quite nicely.
When I first started reading this book seemed very light, like the evil wasn't so bad and everyone would get over it eventually, but the further into the book I got, the more darkness seemed to appear. This pleased me because I like some darkness between the pages, makes the good feel that much more rewarding.
There were a few moments throughout the book where I thought 'this is absolutely ridiculous, no way would they escape Ms. Evils wrath so easily'. I worried this book was going to be filled with "holes", making the evil witch sound really bad, but actually being a complete pushover. Luckily that was not the case. The characters questioned their easy escapes, worrying over ulterior motives, and there were plenty of juicy, dark motives running rampant through this book!
This book was really great! I loved the idea of the "normal" world and "magical" world and the differences between the two types of people. I was happy the author wasn't afraid to get her hands, well, her characters hands, dirty and though there were a few times when I was a bit confused, my mind soon caught up with it all. I am definitely looking forward to the rest in this series!
October 1, 2022
I got this book from Voracious Readers Only, in exchange for an honest review.
Loved this book, there was nonstop action right from the first page to the last page.
It was a roller-caster ride of a read and I loved every minute of it. I found myself going through so many different emotions while reading this book, it was incredible.
Loved this book, there was nonstop action right from the first page to the last page.
It was a roller-caster ride of a read and I loved every minute of it. I found myself going through so many different emotions while reading this book, it was incredible.
August 31, 2020
A delightful, adventurous tale, especially for younger readers. I highly recommend for a teen audience, Alyssa will have them utterly entranced
August 1, 2019
There were both positive and negative elements to the story writing technique deployed by the author, however, even with the positives I still found it a struggle to finish reading the book. I shall start with the positives;
The POV character that you follow through most of the story, Carey, is in a orphanage having lost her memory from before the age of 9 believing her parents to be dead. An evil witch controls the empire named Malovance- a name which I felt lacked creativity generally but decided to run with- who is set on wiping out any resistance, of which Carey is a part of. Her childhood friends Ji and Kat have been fighting the empire their whole lives, after finding Carey and reminding her of her heritage as a seeker they set off to fight back against the empire.
Elements of folklore deployed throughout the book were interesting, the blend of irish gypsy culture, witch burnings and celtic elements were woven throughout the story (along with the odd greek reference), creating two worlds, one a magical version of our world and the other wholly new gave a certain depth to the scenery.
Another positive point for this book was the tension between the three main friends, it was real in a way that some friendships aren't portrayed, there is tension between the characters. Jealousy, resentment, self doubt and hot headedness cause both Kat and Carey to have friendship fights, where as Ji appears to be the balm that diffuses tension and soothes the trio. Having Ji be replaced by a shapeshifter half way through the book however left like a predictable twist- common issue present throughout the entirety of this book.
A major issue for this novel is that almost every detail felt cliche and overused- any original elements were then quickly met by a generic plot point. Carey is alone, she finds friends and finds out she is part of a secret order looking to save the world, she feels as if her powers don't match up to those of the people around her, then she discovers that she is the chosen one ( the 'liberator'), and most put self doubt behind her to become what she was prophesied to be. Feels... tired doesn't it? All the positives would quickly become overshadowed by the feeling that I have read this same book a hundred different ways previously.
The writing itself was also fairly simplistic and- although technically grammatically correct- there were times when I felt phrases were too often repeated in quick succession. Ideas were also repeated, Carey has self doubt as a child in a flash back, she then has the same fears and self doubt as an adult, and in every new situation she responds initially in an almost identical way.
Another problem I found with the book was the unnecessary use of two different prologues, first the original prologue which briefly gave an overview of the history leading up to the book. And then the book starts off in a dream flashback, which rehashes these same conflicts already presented in the prologue, but this time from 9 year old Carey's POV. And then on chapter two Carey wakes from her 'dream' which is clearly a memory and it is only then you find out she has lost all her memories. Presenting the same information twice in two different ways may have been a stylistic choice purposeful by the author, I, however felt this was... odd and also boring. Flashbacks in general rub the wrong way as they are normally deployed in a way that is merely an information dump on the audience, I am a big believer in the rule of show don't tell, and this book as just reiterated that rule to me once again.
Overall I would say the premise of this book was good, but the author relied far too heavily on tired cliche and overused story telling techniques and I probably won't be reading anymore despite the authors best efforts at hinting towards a sequel. I think a younger audience may like this style more, think 10 year olds who also like Harry Potter, but as a connoisseur of the fantasy genre I was left bored and disappointed.
The POV character that you follow through most of the story, Carey, is in a orphanage having lost her memory from before the age of 9 believing her parents to be dead. An evil witch controls the empire named Malovance- a name which I felt lacked creativity generally but decided to run with- who is set on wiping out any resistance, of which Carey is a part of. Her childhood friends Ji and Kat have been fighting the empire their whole lives, after finding Carey and reminding her of her heritage as a seeker they set off to fight back against the empire.
Elements of folklore deployed throughout the book were interesting, the blend of irish gypsy culture, witch burnings and celtic elements were woven throughout the story (along with the odd greek reference), creating two worlds, one a magical version of our world and the other wholly new gave a certain depth to the scenery.
Another positive point for this book was the tension between the three main friends, it was real in a way that some friendships aren't portrayed, there is tension between the characters. Jealousy, resentment, self doubt and hot headedness cause both Kat and Carey to have friendship fights, where as Ji appears to be the balm that diffuses tension and soothes the trio. Having Ji be replaced by a shapeshifter half way through the book however left like a predictable twist- common issue present throughout the entirety of this book.
A major issue for this novel is that almost every detail felt cliche and overused- any original elements were then quickly met by a generic plot point. Carey is alone, she finds friends and finds out she is part of a secret order looking to save the world, she feels as if her powers don't match up to those of the people around her, then she discovers that she is the chosen one ( the 'liberator'), and most put self doubt behind her to become what she was prophesied to be. Feels... tired doesn't it? All the positives would quickly become overshadowed by the feeling that I have read this same book a hundred different ways previously.
The writing itself was also fairly simplistic and- although technically grammatically correct- there were times when I felt phrases were too often repeated in quick succession. Ideas were also repeated, Carey has self doubt as a child in a flash back, she then has the same fears and self doubt as an adult, and in every new situation she responds initially in an almost identical way.
Another problem I found with the book was the unnecessary use of two different prologues, first the original prologue which briefly gave an overview of the history leading up to the book. And then the book starts off in a dream flashback, which rehashes these same conflicts already presented in the prologue, but this time from 9 year old Carey's POV. And then on chapter two Carey wakes from her 'dream' which is clearly a memory and it is only then you find out she has lost all her memories. Presenting the same information twice in two different ways may have been a stylistic choice purposeful by the author, I, however felt this was... odd and also boring. Flashbacks in general rub the wrong way as they are normally deployed in a way that is merely an information dump on the audience, I am a big believer in the rule of show don't tell, and this book as just reiterated that rule to me once again.
Overall I would say the premise of this book was good, but the author relied far too heavily on tired cliche and overused story telling techniques and I probably won't be reading anymore despite the authors best efforts at hinting towards a sequel. I think a younger audience may like this style more, think 10 year olds who also like Harry Potter, but as a connoisseur of the fantasy genre I was left bored and disappointed.
July 29, 2019
While the premise of this novel has a lot of promise, the execution really was lacking for me.
The basic story is a sort of hero's journey/chosen one amalgamation. It draws upon fairy tales (both traditional and modern). There are a lot of intriguing elements that have been introduced, so the potential is definitely there to tell an interesting story.
The pacing of the story was quick - there was very little down-time for the characters between action scenes. At the same time, the novel felt bloated - I think about a third of it could have been cut without deterring from the main storyline. I found there were lots of hanging plot threads - characters that really didn't need to appear and whose subplots weren't resolved. So, while the pacing was good, the story felt a bit scattered. I also felt that the breakneck pace really hindered both the world-building and character establishment.
From what I could tell, the world the author attempted to build was interesting. Unfortunately, I found it very confusing and not well defined. I'm still not totally certain when this novel is set - much of it does seem to be set in our own world...I think. I also am not really clear on the mechanics of how the universes intersect: there's our world, a second world of magic, and I think even a third world? But I had a terrible time sorting them out. The rules of magic aren't explained at all, which definitely hurt my understanding of the universe. There are mythical creatures mentioned, although their attributes and roles within the universe are never really explained - yet another missed opportunity to really flesh out the world for the reader.
The character development was also lacking for me. The protagonists are young and have experienced much trauma in their short lives. I didn't feel that their actions and reactions, and even their knowledge, made sense, given what we learn of their respective histories. In addition, there are characters who really didn't serve much purpose in this novel - there were many other ways to account for plot developments that wouldn't have cluttered up the novel with useless and abandoned characters. (It's possible that these will play larger roles in later installments, but for this novel, it really didn't make sense to include some of them to me). Finally, and this I attribute both to the pacing and the plethora of characters, many of the characters are little more than caricatures, which was a pity as several among them had the potential to be really interesting.
The edition that I read was rife with errors and just plain weird word usage. I found this to be really off-putting. I didn't find that the prose had good flow - there were lots of instances where a word (or root of a word) was repeated several times within the same paragraph, instances where a sentiment was repeated using slightly different wording, and redundancies.
Overall, I found the novel read more like an early draft than a finished work. I think there's a lot of potential with some more development (character and world in particular), and additional editing.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
The basic story is a sort of hero's journey/chosen one amalgamation. It draws upon fairy tales (both traditional and modern). There are a lot of intriguing elements that have been introduced, so the potential is definitely there to tell an interesting story.
The pacing of the story was quick - there was very little down-time for the characters between action scenes. At the same time, the novel felt bloated - I think about a third of it could have been cut without deterring from the main storyline. I found there were lots of hanging plot threads - characters that really didn't need to appear and whose subplots weren't resolved. So, while the pacing was good, the story felt a bit scattered. I also felt that the breakneck pace really hindered both the world-building and character establishment.
From what I could tell, the world the author attempted to build was interesting. Unfortunately, I found it very confusing and not well defined. I'm still not totally certain when this novel is set - much of it does seem to be set in our own world...I think. I also am not really clear on the mechanics of how the universes intersect: there's our world, a second world of magic, and I think even a third world? But I had a terrible time sorting them out. The rules of magic aren't explained at all, which definitely hurt my understanding of the universe. There are mythical creatures mentioned, although their attributes and roles within the universe are never really explained - yet another missed opportunity to really flesh out the world for the reader.
The character development was also lacking for me. The protagonists are young and have experienced much trauma in their short lives. I didn't feel that their actions and reactions, and even their knowledge, made sense, given what we learn of their respective histories. In addition, there are characters who really didn't serve much purpose in this novel - there were many other ways to account for plot developments that wouldn't have cluttered up the novel with useless and abandoned characters. (It's possible that these will play larger roles in later installments, but for this novel, it really didn't make sense to include some of them to me). Finally, and this I attribute both to the pacing and the plethora of characters, many of the characters are little more than caricatures, which was a pity as several among them had the potential to be really interesting.
The edition that I read was rife with errors and just plain weird word usage. I found this to be really off-putting. I didn't find that the prose had good flow - there were lots of instances where a word (or root of a word) was repeated several times within the same paragraph, instances where a sentiment was repeated using slightly different wording, and redundancies.
Overall, I found the novel read more like an early draft than a finished work. I think there's a lot of potential with some more development (character and world in particular), and additional editing.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
January 5, 2020
I enjoyed this book for the most part, although there were quite a few things that irked me but these could be personal taste.
First, the good stuff - interesting characters, plenty of plot twists to keep it interesting, pacy, hefty length so you had enough time to get into the story and care about the outcome.
There were, however, a number of areas for potential improvement; I hope the author takes these comments in the helpful spirit in which these are meant.
The prologue felt longer than the whole first several chapters, in that it seemed to want to summarise an entire trilogy's worth of back story instead of simply setting up the opening scene. (Kind of like the opening bit of the original Star Wars...only 10x as long.)
Speaking of that incredibly well-known classic, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but the imitation in several spots was a bit too close for my liking. The author borrowed names and concepts from Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter... all unnecessary, as this story could have stood on its own two feet quite happily without those references. The fast pace and constant twists and turns succeeded in confusing the protagonist - but it did the same for this reader. Several times I had to flip backwards to work out what in the world was going on. The protagonist also felt entirely too naive and slow witted to have grown up bullied in an orphanage. Surely she would have developed more street smarts and adaptability? I'm all for the suspension of disbelief, but there were several things that didn't quite add up for me. Since this is clearly the start of a new series, it seems some of the twists should have been drip fed to the reader, rather than throwing in everything but the kitchen sink all at once. There were some sections towards the end that felt too long and I skimmed trying to get to the point and reach the end.
There was a lot about this book that could have made it tremendously successful in my opinion, but it unfortunately felt (at least) one rewrite short of a final version. That being said, I will probably still keep an eye out for the sequel in the hopes that the author will have more confidence in her own ideas.
First, the good stuff - interesting characters, plenty of plot twists to keep it interesting, pacy, hefty length so you had enough time to get into the story and care about the outcome.
There were, however, a number of areas for potential improvement; I hope the author takes these comments in the helpful spirit in which these are meant.
The prologue felt longer than the whole first several chapters, in that it seemed to want to summarise an entire trilogy's worth of back story instead of simply setting up the opening scene. (Kind of like the opening bit of the original Star Wars...only 10x as long.)
Speaking of that incredibly well-known classic, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but the imitation in several spots was a bit too close for my liking. The author borrowed names and concepts from Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter... all unnecessary, as this story could have stood on its own two feet quite happily without those references. The fast pace and constant twists and turns succeeded in confusing the protagonist - but it did the same for this reader. Several times I had to flip backwards to work out what in the world was going on. The protagonist also felt entirely too naive and slow witted to have grown up bullied in an orphanage. Surely she would have developed more street smarts and adaptability? I'm all for the suspension of disbelief, but there were several things that didn't quite add up for me. Since this is clearly the start of a new series, it seems some of the twists should have been drip fed to the reader, rather than throwing in everything but the kitchen sink all at once. There were some sections towards the end that felt too long and I skimmed trying to get to the point and reach the end.
There was a lot about this book that could have made it tremendously successful in my opinion, but it unfortunately felt (at least) one rewrite short of a final version. That being said, I will probably still keep an eye out for the sequel in the hopes that the author will have more confidence in her own ideas.
December 24, 2019
When Carey Lee discovers that not only is she a witch but also part of a rebel order, she figures it can’t be any worse than the life from which she just escaped. Little is she prepared though for what lies ahead - an all-powerful empire and a murderous Empress, a seemingly impossible quest to rescue her family, and a power so dark that Carey begins to doubt her very existence.
This is a very fast-paced plot, and for this reason I didn’t get bored while reading this. However, I would have loved more explanations on how their magic worked, and more detail about the world they lived in. There were some parts that also felt a little too convenient or coincidental for the plot line for me to find it believable.
I feel like teenagers who love YA fantasy may like this one - I definitely would have enjoyed it more as a teenager when I didn’t analyse these smaller details as much. Apparently Alysha started writing this one as a teenager, and wrote the sequel, The Dragon’s Heart, a few years later, so I’m interested to see if the second book has a different feel to it.
Thanks to the author for my review copy.
UPDATE: Check out my review of The Dragon’s Heart, because I loved it!! Completely different feel!
This is a very fast-paced plot, and for this reason I didn’t get bored while reading this. However, I would have loved more explanations on how their magic worked, and more detail about the world they lived in. There were some parts that also felt a little too convenient or coincidental for the plot line for me to find it believable.
I feel like teenagers who love YA fantasy may like this one - I definitely would have enjoyed it more as a teenager when I didn’t analyse these smaller details as much. Apparently Alysha started writing this one as a teenager, and wrote the sequel, The Dragon’s Heart, a few years later, so I’m interested to see if the second book has a different feel to it.
Thanks to the author for my review copy.
UPDATE: Check out my review of The Dragon’s Heart, because I loved it!! Completely different feel!
May 21, 2019
A good premise but the execution is lacking. I felt the author was telling rather than showing and a lot of sentences felt like she was stating the obvious. Another thing that got on my nerves was the number of times Carey passed out. This gave the impression that the author had got Carey into a sticky situation but didn’t know how to get her out and solved it by causing her to black out. By the time Carey comes round the situation has been resolved by Ji and Kat. As a character Carey was far too weak; she needs some fire and inner strength. As I said the idea is good: an order of underground white witches fighting against dark magic. But the world building needs some work too. It wasn’t made obvious until more than halfway through that the book is set in Ireland (no idea what time period but it definitely isn’t modern). There is another world but we never see it and not much is said about it. All in all this definitely needs a lot of work!
June 4, 2019
This one was a bit of a let down for me guys. It started off really well, the opening scene was so vivid and intriguing. I just felt like this book was all building up to something but the climax just fell flat.
I also found the plot to be very predictable. And (I can't think of a better way to say this but,) the characters are just not smart. They're teenagers but there are just some things that they should have obviously known.
Overall I'd say that there are some scenes that were done very well and I felt as if I was there with the characters, but for me that was the only redeeming quality. This also reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, like a little too much if you know what I mean.
I also found the plot to be very predictable. And (I can't think of a better way to say this but,) the characters are just not smart. They're teenagers but there are just some things that they should have obviously known.
Overall I'd say that there are some scenes that were done very well and I felt as if I was there with the characters, but for me that was the only redeeming quality. This also reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, like a little too much if you know what I mean.
December 3, 2019
The plot is often furthered by the main characters poor judgement, the romance leaves something to be desired, and the emotional scenes seem to just slightly miss the mark.
HOWEVER, there are definitely aspects of the book I did enjoy. There were a few twists that made me shout at the book, a scene that *almost* had me in tears, a character that I would sell my soul for, and the ending definitely left me wanting more.
Considering this is a debut novel, I think it is worth giving a chance, as I can only see it improving from here. Early reviews of the sequel are already very positive, and I'm excited to see how the writing has grown for The Dragons Heart!
HOWEVER, there are definitely aspects of the book I did enjoy. There were a few twists that made me shout at the book, a scene that *almost* had me in tears, a character that I would sell my soul for, and the ending definitely left me wanting more.
Considering this is a debut novel, I think it is worth giving a chance, as I can only see it improving from here. Early reviews of the sequel are already very positive, and I'm excited to see how the writing has grown for The Dragons Heart!
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