This was a great addition to the Villain series that gave us a deeper insight into the history of madness from the three odd sisters whom the entire series seems to revolve around. I don’t want to give too many spoilers because there were definitely some “aha!” moments when reading their history and making. Circe continues to be a great character that drives the series and is the heart and soul of it. She is the best of the odd sisters and continues to undo all their evil doings as she’s done throughout the series. I’m glad this book was positioned where it was in the series, at six instead of being the first one to introduce the odd sisters, because my interest in them was piqued by this point and this book satisfied my curiosity for them. I highly recommend the series and this addition to it. Serena Valentino is a great writer who has found a wonderful balance between fairy tale telling for all ages. It never feels like I’m reading a kids book but there really isn’t much in there that an almost teen or teen couldn’t read either. I love it!
My favorite edition to this series was all the sketches at the beginning of every chapter. They really added something to the story for me. The odd sisters were not really what I was picturing them as this entire time. I pictured them more as the Queen of Hearts from the live action Alice in Wonderland than what the sketches depicted them as.
An Odd Sister
I highly recommend this series. You can follow me on Goodreads and Bookbub to stay up to date on all my book reviews.
This trilogy has quickly skyrocketed to my top three series list, right there with Harry Potter and Outlander. I absolutely loved the old Russian folklore brought to life by the beautiful writing of Katherine Arden! Set in the 1300s in Russia, she described this far off foreign land vividly and I felt as if I were there amidst the chyerti and battles.
Vasilisa is the main character and she has been such a great one from the beginning of the story in book one when she was just a young girl. Now, in the final chapter, she is a grown woman though often disguised as a boy. She has come on such a long journey of self-discovery through this trilogy and it didn’t disappoint when the book was over. I felt like she was a close friend or sister to me! And I was in love with her horse, Solovey.
In this final book in the trilogy, everything is coming to a head. All the loose ends for saving Russia’s traditions and chyerti from destruction meet in the middle and Vasilisa is the only one who can do it. There are thrilling parts, lovely parts, and sad parts, but in the end I walked away feeling good about where the story concluded and how Katherine wrapped everything up. This series is one I’m recommending to everyone and one that I could read again and again!
I have to be honest when I say I only bought Fable #1 because the cover was too beautiful to not own and #2 everyone on my Instagram was buzzing about it. I’m a sucker for all things redheads and this cover spoke to me. When I saw the sequel fit together with the first book I decided I had to have it. I liked Namesake so much more than Fable. The first book was a good introduction to the Fantasy pirate world and the characters but I’m not big on the overly obsessive crushes and romances YA fiction often has. Namesake had way less of this and way more thrilling adventures. I loved that a lot of the second book also unraveled Fable’s family history. Now that’s the kind of stuff I can get into. This is the first time I’ve read an Adrienne Young book and I do really like her writing style. She’s descriptive in a unique and almost poetic way. Throughout reading I felt the book was an escape from reality. I could picture Jeval and the other pirate ports and the water and the ship and the gems. It’s a really creative world Young has built. I cannot tell if the story will continue or not, it could go either way. If she does come out with more I will read more for sure!
My latest release, Dead Beginnings Volume 3: Olivia Darling, came out April 16th and it has already accumulated some really great reviews thanks to my amazing ARC team and readers. Here are what some people are saying about the YA Zombie Apocalypse novella…
Loved this book from a younger persons point of view. No spoilers. But a lot of action, completely believable characters and a few twists. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
Janice, Amazon Reader
Dead Beginning’s Volume 3 was a great joy to read and review. I received this as an ARC and enjoyed every minute of it. The only thing I would wish for is for it to be longer.
I got caught up with Olivia and Axel, their love and carring for each other, Olivia’s mother, Mrs D and her concern for her 16 almost 17 year old daughter in this crazy mixed up world they woke and drove into on their way with friends to the last baseball game that could see Olivia getting picked by scouts for college.
The struggles, then the inevitable of finding their new normal. Existing and dealing with what had to be done in this new day, new world.
I would recommend this and the series to anyone. I loved every minute reading it and wouldn’t change anything except I never wanted it to end.
Jacquetta, Amazon Reader
I did not read the first two books, but it didn’t matter, as this could be a standalone book. The main character is teen-ager and so it gives a little bit of a different view on a zombie apocalypse. This is a great story, fast paced and engaging
Olivia is like most teenagers – a little naïve and sometimes doing things that are not too smart. However, when people start turning into zombies and attacking, she quickly steps up and starts learning what she needs to do to survive. The characters are realistic and relatable.
Tonya, Amazon Reader
I love zombies: novels, movies, the world of TWD. I especially enjoy the different takes authors and directors give to the genre. The author that can divert from the urban warrior/soldier stereotype is, when well-written, a favorite change of pace.
Alex Apostol has written this type of work with Dead Beginnings, Volume 3. The main character is a teenage girl and her circle of family, friends, and boyfriend. Her experiences in a world imploding around her shows a great understanding of how an everyday person would be likely to react while still giving the reader a roller coaster terror-driven ride into undead hell. In a word—awesome!!
I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
TC, Amazon Reader
This book is a good read I like characters in the story . It’s a action pack book great series .
Manisha, Amazon Reader
I’ve read all of the books in this series and enjoyed everyone.
Anonymous Kindle Customer
Awesome storytelling. I love the characters.
Anonymous Kindle Customer
A nice surprise for this excellent book, read in a go, which tells the story of Olivia, a very endearing young girl, at an important moment of her life. I loved the characters and the script! A great reading moment ! A must read, for fan of zombie stories.
Sentinelle23 on Bookbub
A great third part to this very enjoyable end of the world with zombies adventure series! A good bit of background on Olivia & a better understanding of where she has come from! I do really like this series & all stories by this writer! Always a good read!
Misfit66 on Bookbub
I received an ARC. This was a fast paced zombie story. It can be read as a stand alone story.
Mia Wolf On Goodreads
How would you react if the world you knew just ended.
Tragedy and loss, realisation, fear, retribution, love and hate.
It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions.
You like dark tales, then this is for you.
Laurie Robertson on Goodreads
This is a brilliant read. Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start. Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable. Great suspense and action with wonderful world building. Can’t wait to read what the author brings out next. Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Billie on Goodreads
I enjoyed the book. I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. Very good writing. Keep it up.
When I read the first book in this trilogy, “The Bear and the Nightengale”, I fell inlove with it almost immediately. It was different from anything else I’d read, it incorporated Russian folklore and history beautifully without making it feel hokey, and the character was a seemingly ordinary, not so beautiful, disobedient girl. I loved Vasya and related to her. The mythology was amazing and I learned so much seeing as I’d never read Russian folklore before. I know the author spent time living in Russia and she must have fallen inlove with it because it shows on her pages.
“The Girl in the Tower” is the second book in the trilogy and I was really hoping it would be as wonderfully charming as the first one, and guess what…it was! Sometimes second books can feel like repeats of the first one but this one felt like the same beloved characters but a completely different story that was just as good as the first one. In this one, without giving too much away, Vasya has left her small farm hometown to see the world. She dresses as a boy, rides her magical horse, and ends up in Moscow chasing bandits that are burning up towns one by one. She saves some people, she gains the trust of the Grand Prince, she sees her beloved monk brother again and her princesses sister, and that’s all I’m going to tell you because there are twists and turns and unexpectedness all throughout. Morozko, the winter king, is back again. I like his relationship and dynamic with Vasya, though it’s a little weird. More of it was explained in this novel though and I already can’t wait to start the final one, “The Winter of the Witch”. If you have not started this series, I highly recommend it!
