evie 's Updates

evie finished reading 'Cursed Crowns'

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 17:22:44 -0700

evie finished reading Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle

evie is on page 398 of 559 of Cursed Crowns

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 09:34:26 -0700

evie is on page 398 of 559 of Cursed Crowns.

evie liked a review

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 16:50:10 -0700

evie liked jolie's review of The Priest and the Shepherd (Foul Lady Fortune, #0.5):

"4.5 stars

“Some people fight for the nation; we fight for ourselves.��

first off: why the fuck was this so long bye 😭
second off: silas and phoebe 🥹🥹 so cute!! can’t wait to see rosalind and orion together

i liked that this was in phoebe’s pov!! even though i haven’t read foul lady fortune, ik the story isn’t about her. idk how to feel ab orion yet, but i’m confident i’ll like him! i wish i got to see a bit more of orion’s childhood through his pov in this story, but it was still cute <3"

evie wants to read 'The Sword of Kaigen'

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 04:33:32 -0700

evie wants to read The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

evie added 'Twin Crowns'

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 05:27:49 -0700

evie gave 4 stars to Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns, #1) by Catherine Doyle
SECOND READ

"Fly away safe, little Wren.
Rose, grow strong and true."

rating: ★★★★
it is time for me to finally finish this trilogy! i preordered the third book but never got around to reading it but now is the time! twin crowns is a typical young adult romantasy with compelling characters, an exciting and fun plot, and swoon worthy romances that is all so enjoyable to read! there is a lot of humour and fun packed into it which was refreshing and just what i needed right now! enjoy this book for what it is as a YA romantasy that is cliché and tropey but that is what makes it. it's light-hearted fun! while certain events are for convenience and to help progress the book, the storyline was compelling, adventurous, and fun and despite knowing what happens in this book and the next book, i was always entertained and intrigued to keep reading!
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THE WRITING AND WORLD
the writing is super easy to read and to understand which helps the book to fly by and means you easily get absorbed into the book and the world. everything about this book captivated me, all thanks to the well done descriptions and how because of this i could so vividly imagine every detail in this world. the world is simple but i enjoyed being back in it and learning about it once more.
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THE PLOT
like other YA fantasy books, twin crowns has pretty low stakes, making it more fun than thrilling but it doesn't mean the book is boring and uneventful!
this book features wren greenrock and rose valheart. wren has always known that one day she would steal her sister's place in the palace to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. princess rose knows that with power comes responsibility so waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of a handsome kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. however she soon learns that life outside the palace walls is wilder and vastly different than she ever imagined.
while the stakes are low, the plot is exciting and there is suspense at the end of each chapter that made me eager to keep reading! the chapters swapping points of view also adds to the excitement and adds to the fast pace the book has. towards the end the book becomes a lot more action-packed and the ending introduces the upcoming sequel perfectly and promises lots more action and twists!
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THE CHARACTERS
this book is dual pov with two strong and distinct voices and has an eclectic cast of characters from each side. both pov's are so distinct as despite being twins, rose and wren are incredibly different and so each pov is very enjoyable to read about and you root for both of them despite their different stories and ambitions! the characters easily steal the show in this book as there are many exciting ones to read about!
WREN GREENROCK is easily my favourite character and pov. she's more adventurous, outspoken and sarcastic than rose is and i really loved that about her. she also has a fierce spirit that i really admired and her love for her home and family was so endearing. she's one of those characters that you can't help but root for and i can't wait to see where her story goes.
ROSE VALHEART is a character who i had such little patience and empathy for on my first read but i really warmed up to her this time and enjoyed her story! i loved reading through her journey to discover who she is, what she is, her true history, and watching her become less naïve and sheltered. she still got on my nerves because of how incredibly entitled she is but i kept reminding myself that it's because of her upbringing and not her fault. what i really appreciate about her character is that she's softer and gentler than wren and doesn't shy away from that or try to change.
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THE ROMANCES
there are two main romances in this with one for each twin. both were so heart-warming and a delight to read about and i loved watching them develop and can't wait to see what happens in the next books!
WREN and TOR were also really sweet but i must admit that i got the worst second hand embarrassment from their first interaction but their chemistry and future scenes heavily made up for it! i loved how observant tor is and how many details he noticed about wren! there relationship is full of chemistry, flirtation and intrigue and after that ending the angst between them in the next book is going to be amazing.
ROSE and SHEN had some great tension between them and the bickering and banter was so entertaining! i loved seeing shen teach rose the truth and how that helped them form a connection and bring them together. it's also so sweet how caring shen is to both rose and wren and how he's always looking out for rose even from a distance.
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“Since we're trying to avoid suspicion on our way in, I'd rather not leave eighteen bodies behind us.��

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FIRST READ

'fly away safe little wren,rose grow strong and true'

🌟4🌟 this was really entertaining and fun! it had charming characters, an entertaining plot, an interesting plot/world with magic which i loved, romance and more! i appreciated that the story was well-paced and that the world was easy to digest and i could vividly see everything that was happening in my head and i just love cosy, fun fantasy books so much!!
PLOT/WORLD

~ i loved exploring more about magic and the history of eana and what a key role the witches have in the land and the events. we learn about magic along with rose and i really enjoyed that as it's easy to understand and intriguing.
~ i also really liked learning more about eana and the world and the people in power and the conflict between lots of people. the world/plot is quite simple but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book it just makes it a fun read that isn't very difficult to think about/understand.
~ the whole concept of the book was very entertaining and i loved seeing wren try and be her sister and her motivation to be queen and seeing rose learn about magic and the real history of eana was good as it made her wake up and realise that she really needed to help her kingdom.~ the plot immediately starts and i loved that as it made me more intrigued and hooked in the story and i could vividly picture the world and everything that happened.
~ the ending!?!? wow what a rollercoaster! the plot really picked up at the end and it was so entertaining and had me gripped.

CHARACTERS

~ i really appreciated the fact that the 2 sisters were rather different from each other as it's dual pov and the povs just need to be different but you can still tell they are sisters because they do have a few similar traits which is sweet. the journey they both take was compelling and so was their character development.
~ rose got on my nerves for so much of the book because of how spoilt, stuck up, and naïve she is and i tried to be nice to her and except that it was because of her sheltered upbringing but at some points she made me want to literally rip the book up. thankfully i have warmed up to her as she is sweet and strong-willed but i think the main reason i like her more/in general now is because she's been told the truth about everything and her eyes are actually open now and thankfully she is willing to change. her growth is a very strong part of the story and i really appreciate that.
~ wren is such a good character and i loved her pov. she's so strong and cunning and i loved watching her trick everyone.~ there were also many loveable
side characters like ansel, banba, thea, celeste and more that really added to the story and i loved seeing the relationships/dynamics they had with rose and wren and their own stories!

RELATIONSHIPS + ROMANCE

~ i was really intrigued to see how rose and wren's relationship/dynamic would be when they met and i really loved seeing them team up and scheme together and just seeing how deeply they came to care for each other by the end of the book was really heart warming. the way the instantly bonded with each other felt rather quick for me but honestly i came to not mind as i suppose that's what it is like to meet your twin and it was sweet to see them together.
~ both the relationships/romances were obvious like you can tell who it's going to be with but that didn't matter as they were still so entertaining and had some excellent tropes!
~ rose and shen's trope was 'enemies' to lovers as she's a princess and he's a bandit that kidnapped her and i loved it! the tension between them was awesome and so was the bickering/banter! i loved seeing shen teach rose the truth and how that brought them closer together!
~ wren and tor really reminded me of nina and matthias and when i realised that it made my heart hurt! wren and tor's relationship gave forbidden romance vibes and i love that trope so much it's so good. watching their relationship develop and the mutual pining was so good! and their first kiss! i love them together :)

evie wants to read 'The Rose Bargain'

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:50:52 -0700

evie wants to read The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

evie added 'A Fragile Enchantment'

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:56:30 -0700

evie gave 5 stars to A Fragile Enchantment (Paperback) by Allison Saft
bookshelves: books-gained-in-2024

“We all die. You and I are dying right now, but we are also alive. Love is what makes life worth living. Love is what makes us act when we most need to. That's what your legacy is. Its how you love the people around you, not how much you've sacrificed for them��

rating: ★★★★��
another whimsical allison saft book in which she has brought us the fantasy historical romance of dreams. this was an utter delight to read and i genuinely couldn't put this down! the cover is beautiful and what really drew me in! it offers the reader an enchanting escape into a world of magic and love while also addressing relevant and pressing issues. i wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves to get hooked on a whimsical, historical fantasy that has romance, found family, and political intrigue woven into the story! allison saft is quickly becoming not only a favourite author of mine but an auto-buy author as i desperately need to read everything she writes! the vivid imagery and descriptions quickly transported me into this wonder of a book and i could have happily never left!
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THE WRITING AND WORLD
once again allison saft's writing perfectly compliments and fits with setting of this book. it was whimsical and inspiring and just perfect for the regency-esque setting. also, her worldbuilding was unique and original and very well done and fleshed out which i was very glad about as standalone romantasy books often do the bare minimum and leave many plot holes and questions about the world. what was really interesting about the history and world of this book is how allison saft has taken real history and brought it into this fantasy world. the setting for this book is heavily inspired and inspired by england's occupation of ireland (avaland's occupation of machland in the book) and the famine (blight) that was experienced because of this. this has naturally led to tense political unrest that brews in the backstory. i was fascinated and intrigued by this aspect of the story and how alike it was to its real-life counterparts and how it would play out in this fantasy world.
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THE PLOT
niamh ó conchobhair possesses a unique magical ability in which she can weave emotions and memories into fabric. however, this skill is not limitless as it is slowly draining her life force. as the selfless and caring individual she is, she is determined to make the best use of her remaining time to help her family by accepting an offer to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding. but upon her arrival in the kingdom, she discovers that the reality is far from the fairy tale she had envisioned as beneath avaland’s glittery façade, unrest is brewing. while helping the groom kit carmine uncover the royal family’s secrets, niamh discovers that the rot and corruption at the heart of avaland goes far deeper than she bargained for.
despite the plot being on the slower side, the balance between plot and romance + vibes was excellent and really entertaining! this kept me invested in the story and while the plot was not always the main focus, there is plenty of other elements of the book to be invested and captivated by. i really loved the plot and found it very entertaining and intriguing and i never felt bored or that nothing was happening!
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THE CHARACTERS
one of the highlights of this story is definitely the characters and the supporting cast to the main characters. they each have their own compelling stories and unique personalities that you really fall in love with. i really enjoyed how well crafted the characters in this book were!
NIAMH Ó CONCHOBHAIR is a character that i adored and the perfect protagonist. she's so sweet and compassionate and i also loved her gift of being able to embroider feelings and memories into her creations. it's so unique and interesting but also very helpful! one thing i really appreciated about her character is that while growing throughout the story to be stronger, she never lost her soft, empathetic, caring persona. she's so selfless (a little too selfless) and cares so deeply for the people around her that she neglects her own wants and needs to make sure her family and friends are fulfilled. there was not a selfish bone in Niamh but that’s exactly what I rooted for throughout her journey
KIT CARMINE is proof that actions speak louder than words. he first appears abrasive and unsociable but we soon learn that he hides a caring and loyal persona. he is someone who doesn't know how to sit with his vulnerability, and it was wonderful to see his defences slowly go down for niamh as she takes the time to sit, listen, and empathise with him.
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THE ROMANCE
a beautifully romantic rivals-to-lovers storyline that felt believable and natural. kit and niamh actually really irritated each other to begin with which led to some great banter but they did get over their initial rivalry to have their arc of frenemies to friends to lovers and i loved every moment! their romance was gorgeous and soft and i'm so glad they got their happy ending as they both so desperately deserved it!
the platonic relationships were also just so good and fun to read about and the found family that develops between niamh and the other characters she meets such as sinclair, rosa, and mariane was so heart warming and fun to read about as they are all such spirited and enjoyable characters!
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FINAL THOUGHTS
allison saft has once again outdone herself with this fantasy romance with chronic illness representation, magic, queer main & side characters, a political unrest subplot, oppression, whimsical details, and bridgerton/regency vibes.
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“You have to choose your own happiness, whatever that looks like. You can’t live your life for other people.��

evie wants to read 'The Knight and the Butcherbird'

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:39:20 -0700

evie wants to read The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

evie wants to read 'Choking on Love, Vol. 1'

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:58:33 -0700

evie wants to read Choking on Love, Vol. 1 by Keiko Iwashita

evie wants to read 'The Starlight Heir'

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 11:29:35 -0700

evie wants to read The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard