First of all, what a beautiful cover! And there’s bonus content 😊 I’ll start with my individual reviews per book, and end with some things about the bonus content.
Of Thorns and Beauty ⭐⭐⭐
Of Thorns and Beauty had been on my reading list for a while, with a cover that immediately attracts attention and an interesting blurb. So I started reading it with great enthusiasm, but had quite some trouble getting into the story. It takes quite a while before you get any background information about Zaina and her past, even about Einar and his court you get little explanation in the beginning. There is also little thrill in the first few chapters. Nevertheless, Zaina's character takes shape right from the start, she is sassy, does everything for those she cares about and stands her ground well.
Throughout the story, you gradually learn more about the characters' past by means of flashbacks that are really well and vividly told. I also really liked how Zaina's behaviour evolves throughout the story, how she starts to participate more in the world surrounding her. Yet she always remains herself, which makes her a really strong and realistic main character with recognisable strengths and weaknesses. While the story continues, you also get to know Einar better. By getting to know his history, he becomes a lot more likeable for both us as readers but also for Zaina in her daily dealings with him.
The story kind of ends in the middle of an important part, which makes you want to continue to the second book immediately. Overall, the story was slow to start, but it was worth the effort to keep on reading and find out what it is all about. Though it isn’t a classical Beauty and the Beast retelling, I am curious to find out how things will go with the "curse" that rests on the inhabitants of the castle.
Of Beasts and Vengeance ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5
Fantastic couldn't-be-better sequel to a great first part of an original Beauty and the Beast retelling.
The story of Zaina and Einar continues after a betrayal that was made to protect everyone she loves.
At the beginning of this book, Zaina and Einar their relationship is more of a hate-like one than it was at the end of the previous book. This made me a little hesitant at first, because in other books this always comes from a big misunderstanding that could easily be solved if the two characters would just talk and listen to each other. It looks the same here, but soon you realise that both Zaina and Einar are really trying to protect their beloved ones and keep their walls up for this exact reason. Still they decide to keep talking to each other, tentative at first but soon improving. So I definitely wasn't disappointed by the status of their relationship because they remain mature in their way of acting plus because of the intricately way it evolves and changes. The authors have done a fabulous job in capturing the complexity of the feelings of both Einar and Zaina. The characters also get a lot of room to remain true to themselves and evolve throughout the story.
In contrast to book 1, this one has alternating POV's. It is nice to get an insight into both Einar's and Zaina's being. The flashbacks therefore provide information about the history of both characters. I really appreciated that this time the flashbacks were present from the beginning of the book, in book 1 they appeared a bit too late in the story in my opinion.
One character that deserved more credits in my opinion is Sigrid. She is such a strong and interesting woman who notices everything and cares deeply. I get the feeling this is appreciated, but could have been appreciated a little bit more still.
The ending of this book won't disappoint you either, the straightforward yet detailed and thought out way it is plotted is truly a great finish. The way in which the lead-up to the next book is given at the very end is interesting too; you immediately notice the differences between Zaina and Aika and are stimulated to get to know her better and experience the dynamic between them yourself.
So I give this book a rating of 4,5 out of 5 stars and am really curious and excited to read the next instalment of the series.
PS does somebody know where I can find a chalyx of my own? Khija is just truly amazing 😁
Of Glass and Ashes ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5
After already having read several books by Robin and Elle, including the first two in this series, my expectations were high. After reading this book I can say that they did not disappoint. A worthy sequel in the twisted pages series.
The story has a strong beginning with enough room for both action and emotions. Aika's character is portrayed from the start in such a way that you want to get to know her better. Throughout her adventure, you get to know her better and you gain insight into her character traits and struggles, which are recognisable. She is sassy, confident, witty, but also very human. Just like in the previous two books, there are flashbacks that are a great added value to the construction of the story. Also Zaina, Einar, Remy, Damian, Madame and several side characters get their deserved place in the story and get some space for development.
The book is a bit slow in getting started, but nevertheless never boring. The writing style is fluent and pleasant, taking you right into the story. The plot twists are also well worked out, not too predictable but also not entirely unexpected. The Cinderella retelling-elements are clearly present, yet not too obvious, making them really nicely entwined with the rest of the story.
I'm going to hold back and not go into the story in any detail, you'll have to find that out for yourself. But it really is a series worth reading. It also deals with many different themes such as loyalty, betrayal, blackmail, but also friendship, family, standing up for yourself, moral grey feelings and thoughts.
Just like Of Beasts and Vengeance, I would also like to give Of Glass and Ashes a score of 4.5 out of 5. I enjoyed the story, discovering the intrigues together with Aika, seeing Zaina and Einar's plan develop further. I can't wait for the next part in this series.
Of Thieves and Shadows ⭐⭐⭐,5
Fourth instalment in the series, full of pining, miscommunication, who did this to you, deciding who you want to be, accepting others for who they are, and a pinch of fake dating.
I was really curious to find out how Aika's story continues since she's my favourite character in this series (next to Khija of course). Add cinnamon roll Remy to this equation and this becomes one of my most anticipated reads of the year. The story itself is rather slow at various moments in de book, because a lot of page time goes to how hard certain persons (pretend to) hate each other. Because of this, there was less witty banter in this book compared to the other books, which is something I missed here. The protectiveness, who did this to you, and the personal development of the main characters luckily made up for this. The flashbacks were also real added values. I also wanted to keep on reading, eager to discover what would happen next. At the end, you're left with a bunch of questions, hopefully they will be addressed soon in the next books. Although I'm curious to find out more about Mel, I really look forward to the chapters from Zaina, Aika, Einar and Remy's POV too. I would also love to see Einar and Zaina interact with the others more in a mundane way, about daily stuff for example, and not only when they're hatching a plan. Although this book felt a bit more like a necessary part in between the previous and the next book (even though it's a full length novel), and a bit less like an equivalent part of the story compared to the other books (partly because the ending and some other bits of Aika's story just felt rushed), it was still a nice book to read, hence 3,5/5 ⭐
Of Songs and Silence ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beautiful well-finished finale to a fine series.
OSAS is the fifth and final part of the Twisted Pages series and is a little mermaid retelling about Melodi, the sister of Zaina and Aika. Like the previous books, this one also has a beautiful cover.
I really enjoyed finally getting thoroughly acquainted with Melodi in this book. Zaina and Aika have captured my heart for some time already, but now Melodi has made her way there too. The different POVs complement each other well, it is definitely an added value that you not only crawl into the sisters' heads, but also into those of their romantic interests. Furthermore, you are well carried along in the story and it does not bore at any point. I perhaps just found the chapters a little too short, so some scenes lacked a little extra depth.
Time is taken to tell Mel her story, which is actually done well. Her patience and empathy are really admirable, a world of difference from her sisters. The other characters are also great to spend time with. It would have been even more enjoyable had we also been shown a bit more of the culture and customs of the Mayima. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed her story.
What I regretted most about this book was that the ending was somewhat rushed as far as both storylines were concerned. Especially regarding Aika and Zaina's story and plan, I would have liked to have seen this fleshed out a bit more. It's actually worked towards throughout the series like this, only to be wrapped up rather quickly. However, that doesn't change the fact that I was really intrigued for the whole book, I found it hard to put it aside. All the loose ends are also tied up nicely. The ending is therefore absolutely perfect, I think it is super fitting for this series.
So I would definitely recommend this series for anyone who likes fairytale retellings with a darker side, ones that deviate a bit more from the classic tale as everyone knows it. The books are filled with all these amazing and admirable and true-to-life characters, anyone will recognise themselves in one of them. In addition, you will be introduced to some amazing animal sidekicks you will never forget.
Bonus chapters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
As always, I loved the bonus chapters. They provide more depth to the stories in which they belong. However I would have liked to see the bonuses spread more evenly between the books. Nonetheless I especially liked the chapter from Madame’s POV (always fun to get a glimpse into the villain’s head), and the epilogue chapters (because who doesn’t want to peek into the future to see how the main characters will fare after the story ended?). So you should definitely check out this omnibus to get access to these chapters!