cyaniderush

I'm drowning in feelings

Little Saint Bride definitely exceeds and shatters all my expectations. The premise is intriguing; the characters well-written, interesting, and distinct; and the plot twists mind-blowing. The first-person POV instantly helps the readers become emotionally invested in Nessa and all those she cares about. I love how Larissa created the characters, the world, and the politics all with a twist/quirk or two. And of course, the romance and tension is so palpable and thick I think I could cut through it like butter. As I said, since this story shattered all my expectations right from the start, it kept me reading on the edge of my seat all throughout, and I'm so excited to read the sequel to this breath-taking story! Thanks so much for sharing your story, Larissa!

Great story!

I really liked this story! I enjoyed the royal siblings and how much they care--in their own way--for Nick, as well as their interactions with each other. I appreciate the change in how Nick was addressed/mentioned throughout the story: at the start he was just Nicky, the childish, immature, youngest of the family; but at as the story progresses and we see Nick mature through all the sorrow and challenges, he was eventually addressed as Nick or Nicholas. I loved that the role of knight in shining armor fell on Elizabeth, and the care and patience of Winkershime. While the skill set and abilities that Elizabeth and Nick acquire in a year sometimes feel unbelievable, and another round of proofreading is needed for some grammatical errors here and there, all in all the story was a great read!

Going strong!

So many plot twists and unraveling mysteries in this second installment! The story just keeps getting better and sadder the more it unfolds. The events depicted here were so affective. The author never made it easy to escape or successfully execute the pirates' plans, most of the time succeeding with substantial losses. Rightfully so, because they were dealing with powerful nobles who have the resources and command to do almost whatever they want. But this difficulty, never overdone or underwhelming, only added more thrill and suspense for the reader progresses through the story. The depictions of abuse and cruelty felt so real they were heartbreaking. There was this underlying feeling of hopelessness and fear throughout the scenes that was also evident in the characters' actions and motives. I noticed a bit of grammar slips in the latter chapters, though they were inconsequential to the overall story. Again, I'm in love with this series, and I really wish this gets published so I could buy a copy support the author.

A must-read!

From the very first chapter I feel like I've been plunged right into this world, and I never wanted to surface. It's unbelievably engaging--I raced through all the available books/chapters with barely a rest. I absolutely loved the mysteries and how they slowly unfold throughout the books: what kind of life Liz lived before becoming Lizzie, who Sarah really is, how this whole novel-diving came about, and so many more. I really do wonder what happened to Liz and where she disappeared to right before Lizzie comes to the world. The only thing that quite confused me was how the timeline and the ages match. But other than that, I'm in love with this story, and I'm excited to read more of the series!

Incredible read!

I loved this story so much! Laura had good writing style, vivid descriptions, and novel world-building (or in this case, universe-building). But what got me completely engrossed and emotionally invested in the story were the characters and their dialogues. I loved Cassie and Finn's bond and dynamic. I enjoyed Cassie's dialogues with Finn, The Wanderer, and others who gave her guidance. I also appreciated the well-placed comedic scenes because they eased the growing tension within the story and prevented the ominous vibe from becoming overwhelming. Mystery and foreboding pervaded the story: each answered question posed a greater mystery, each choice brought the protagonists closer to the fulfillment of the prophecies, and I could barely stop reading. Until the end, despite everything that had been revealed, there remained many mysteries to be unraveled and prophecies to be deciphered. I look forward to reading the next installment, whether online or in print!

So cute!

The Aureate Spectacles easily won me over with its witty, humorous similes and descriptions -- the writing style was lovely. What I loved the most about this piece is that the romance didn't meddle with or distort any of the plot's elements and especially Michaela's growth as a person and leader, so unlike others I've read. And the forced subtlety of romantic scenes (due to Michaela's and Conrad's circumstances) increased their effect on me. A more thorough round of proofreading would make the story more perfect, as there were many run-on sentences and words replaced by their homophones (like "heal" instead of heel"). Do know that these can be overlooked (as I had) because the story truly is engrossing, but the quality of the work will improve and reading will have a more natural flow should these be rechecked. Anyway, thank you very much for this wonderful piece and for all the new words added to my vocabulary. It was one storm of a ride! Kudos!

Absolutely beautiful

Snow White has always been my least favorite princess. But the depth this story put to her fairy tale drastically changed that. The author misspelled words (such as 'shown' instead of 'shone') and had some minor grammatical errors, but the writing style was breathtaking, and I was drawn in right from the start. "Shattered" was absolutely beautiful and, as far as retold fairy tales go, the fairest of them all. Thank you so much for sharing such sweet, legendary, heartbreaking but hopeful once upon a time and happy ever after.

Adorable

Depicting seven princesses in one story is no easy feat, but Elysian was able to clearly differentiate all of them on the very first chapter. Their descriptions were spot on and their quirks memorable, and I'm satisfied to see all of them equally contribute to the story, no princess left behind. I love the depth of the main characters and the way in which the supporting ones, like Weston, Valeria, and Ty, were shown when they weren't serving the royal family. I simply love the story! However, another round or two of proofreading is needed. Halfway through, the princesses' bedchamber babysitter, who was first named Justine, had her name switched to Judith and then back to Justine for the rest of the story. While it stopped bothering me once I got used to it, the first instance of the change in name slightly confused me. There was also a lapse in grammar in the last few chapters, so rereading would really help. Other than those two small issues, I'd say the story was absolutely adorable!

Thrilling story!

I couldn't stop reading this story once I started. It was thrilling to journey with Ryden and Melca from Cadmir, the place of their happiness and innocence, to Sharbury and Jalapa, and finally to Rektor, where they are finally given the opportunity to exact revenge on those who destroyed hometown and as a result their lives as they knew it. I loved the contrasting, complementary personalities of quiet but optimistic Ryden and naggy but realistic Melca, because while they keep each other in check with their different perspectives, they always keep each other's best interests at heart and push each other onward. After finishing the story I saw with pride how much the two friends have grown from a novice smith and a young baker to two men who can fight to save themselves and what they believe in and even stop the war that can completely destroy their country. I'm excited to read its sequel!

Engaging

The story was gripping. The story flowed from one sentence to another that I did not even realize how much and how long I had been reading. There were run-on sentences in which the author used commas instead of semi-colons, but the meaning of the sentence was not lost. All in all, I enjoyed this story. It's a shame that it only had 13 chapters. If "The Prince" ever gets a continuation and gets published, I would definitely buy a copy. Kudos!