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Something So Lovely
Kalliope has been content spending her days in Heaven's library with her best friend, not that she was given a choice. Unable to leave and with no idea where she came from, answers are not forthcoming until she finds herself in the path of Emmanuel, the first evil in creation, and his ambitions to replace their long absent God.
Kalliope finds that she is all that stands between the Realms and Emmanuel’s desire for destruction. Thrown headfirst into a destiny kept hidden from her, she now must ascend the deserted throne of Purgatory and harness a rare power she never knew she held.
Her saving grace comes in the form of a flirtatious prince of Hell, Asmodeus, whose immediate attraction to her serves as an attractive distraction from certain ruination. A figure from her missing past, she is immediately taken with him and finds solace in his arms. He comes with his own set of problems, though, as his secrets might just be Kalliope's undoing.
Kalliope's problems only start with Emmanuel, as he might not be the only one the Realms need saving from when her fear takes hold and the temptation of taking godhood for herself instead of fighting sounds too good to pass up.
Kalliope finds that she is all that stands between the Realms and Emmanuel’s desire for destruction. Thrown headfirst into a destiny kept hidden from her, she now must ascend the deserted throne of Purgatory and harness a rare power she never knew she held.
Her saving grace comes in the form of a flirtatious prince of Hell, Asmodeus, whose immediate attraction to her serves as an attractive distraction from certain ruination. A figure from her missing past, she is immediately taken with him and finds solace in his arms. He comes with his own set of problems, though, as his secrets might just be Kalliope's undoing.
Kalliope's problems only start with Emmanuel, as he might not be the only one the Realms need saving from when her fear takes hold and the temptation of taking godhood for herself instead of fighting sounds too good to pass up.
415 pages, ebook
Published February 4, 2024
18 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 22, 2024
I don't even know where to start with this, so I'll just start with the protagonist.
Kalliope. Allie. This nickname threw me off the entire time, because Calliope in greek is pronounced Kuh Lai Uh Pee. Not Callie Oh pee. So right off the bat this book began to drive me bonkers, because the nickname comes from a mispronunciation of a name.
[insert benoit blanc it's just dumb gif]
Kalliope is a whole nothing of a character. I don't know what she likes. What she wants. Who she is. Throughout the entire book there's no development aside from her... awakening powers. And she gets mad. There's no arc. She's extremely flat, so there's no room to do any growth. And that goes for every character in this book, really.
The only other character in this book worth mentioning by name is Asmodeus/Kalav/Kal. The way he talks makes him feel like a knock-off of Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3, but without any of the depth or development. He doesn't act like Astarion, doesn't have the same level of depth at all. There's a hamfisted narrative about being accepted and name changes, which... doesn't work for me. How regularly do cis people ask to go by a different name and have 0 probem? It's such a normal thing. A cis man changing his name just isn't a big deal. But it's written as if its supposed to be a trans narrative and it just doesn't work.
All the other characters are just a variety of angels and demons who, again, are flat. There's no reason to care about them, since their only purpose is so stand there and tell the protagonist how amazing she is. She's amazing. She's smart. She's special. I genuinely wish I'd counted how many times she's praised for no reason--this gives Alex Aster a run for her money.
So much of this book reminds me of Hot and Cold by Katy Perry. They fight they break up, they kiss they make up. It's just back and forth forced romantic drama that drove me insane. When they've known each other for a day they're calling each other things like "my love" and "my sweet boy" and even in *established relationships* that just feels weird for this writing style. Every time I saw Kalliope call Asmodeus her "Sweet boy" I felt like I was reading about a mom.
...Which, uh. Kalliope is the reincarnation of Asmodeus' mother. Adoptive mother, but the mother referred to Asmodeus has her son/sweet boy in flashbacks. And Asmodeus killed her. Suffice it to say this made me uncomfortable. I'm really not here for pseudo-incest.
The book is technically about Kalliope learning she's the reincarnated Queen of Purgatory, and coming into her power. In actuality, it's about her sitting around talking to hunky boys who are all super protective of her and thinks she's so special. The setting of Heaven/Hell/Purgatory and use of Angels and Demons felt very shallow, like it was written by a teenager who doesn't actually understand how any of it actually works. It doesn't really build off of established religious canon in anyway, and also... Persephone? From the Greek Pantheon? She shows up for some reason. Doesn't do a whole lot, but she shows up. No explanation. There's no indication that the other greek gods exist, or that there's multiple worlds for gods and such. Just heaven, hell, purgatory. The worldbuilding was a big fat mess.
A whole lot of nothing happens for most of the book, and then suddenly it feels like there's 3 climaxes in a row. The Big Bad shows up, they fight him. He's gone! But wait, Kalliope's boyfriend was working with him all along! Betrayal! She'll never love him again! ...and then the Big Bad shows up again, mutilates a child (who was in like 2 scenes), kills her best friend, and sets Kalliope off so she fights him again.
This is very much a character driven story, since it's whole schtick rides on this romantic relationship, but I do not care about either of these characters. I do not care about the side characters, so when they're killed off, there's 0 impact (although I was left reeling from the dead mutilated child bc while child death was mentioned in the triggers, the mutilation absolutely was not).
It pains me to say that this was worth that Fourth Wing or Lightlark, because I don't want to believe that anything is worse than those books. But there was no thought to the worldbuilding. It was shallow. The characters were flat. And shallow. The relationship was so uncomfortable. The emotional devastation from the two deaths at the end doesn't land because there's no reason to care about those two characters.
The line level writing was not great. It wasn't the worst I've read (bad fanfic and wattpad exist) but it was by no means what I'd expect from a published novel. It needed a lot of work. Everything about this novel needed a lot of work. I feel like I was reading a story of a 15 year old who loves Inuyasha and angels/demons.
1 star. Shouldn't have been published without a lot more editing.
Kalliope. Allie. This nickname threw me off the entire time, because Calliope in greek is pronounced Kuh Lai Uh Pee. Not Callie Oh pee. So right off the bat this book began to drive me bonkers, because the nickname comes from a mispronunciation of a name.
[insert benoit blanc it's just dumb gif]
Kalliope is a whole nothing of a character. I don't know what she likes. What she wants. Who she is. Throughout the entire book there's no development aside from her... awakening powers. And she gets mad. There's no arc. She's extremely flat, so there's no room to do any growth. And that goes for every character in this book, really.
The only other character in this book worth mentioning by name is Asmodeus/Kalav/Kal. The way he talks makes him feel like a knock-off of Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3, but without any of the depth or development. He doesn't act like Astarion, doesn't have the same level of depth at all. There's a hamfisted narrative about being accepted and name changes, which... doesn't work for me. How regularly do cis people ask to go by a different name and have 0 probem? It's such a normal thing. A cis man changing his name just isn't a big deal. But it's written as if its supposed to be a trans narrative and it just doesn't work.
All the other characters are just a variety of angels and demons who, again, are flat. There's no reason to care about them, since their only purpose is so stand there and tell the protagonist how amazing she is. She's amazing. She's smart. She's special. I genuinely wish I'd counted how many times she's praised for no reason--this gives Alex Aster a run for her money.
So much of this book reminds me of Hot and Cold by Katy Perry. They fight they break up, they kiss they make up. It's just back and forth forced romantic drama that drove me insane. When they've known each other for a day they're calling each other things like "my love" and "my sweet boy" and even in *established relationships* that just feels weird for this writing style. Every time I saw Kalliope call Asmodeus her "Sweet boy" I felt like I was reading about a mom.
...Which, uh. Kalliope is the reincarnation of Asmodeus' mother. Adoptive mother, but the mother referred to Asmodeus has her son/sweet boy in flashbacks. And Asmodeus killed her. Suffice it to say this made me uncomfortable. I'm really not here for pseudo-incest.
The book is technically about Kalliope learning she's the reincarnated Queen of Purgatory, and coming into her power. In actuality, it's about her sitting around talking to hunky boys who are all super protective of her and thinks she's so special. The setting of Heaven/Hell/Purgatory and use of Angels and Demons felt very shallow, like it was written by a teenager who doesn't actually understand how any of it actually works. It doesn't really build off of established religious canon in anyway, and also... Persephone? From the Greek Pantheon? She shows up for some reason. Doesn't do a whole lot, but she shows up. No explanation. There's no indication that the other greek gods exist, or that there's multiple worlds for gods and such. Just heaven, hell, purgatory. The worldbuilding was a big fat mess.
A whole lot of nothing happens for most of the book, and then suddenly it feels like there's 3 climaxes in a row. The Big Bad shows up, they fight him. He's gone! But wait, Kalliope's boyfriend was working with him all along! Betrayal! She'll never love him again! ...and then the Big Bad shows up again, mutilates a child (who was in like 2 scenes), kills her best friend, and sets Kalliope off so she fights him again.
This is very much a character driven story, since it's whole schtick rides on this romantic relationship, but I do not care about either of these characters. I do not care about the side characters, so when they're killed off, there's 0 impact (although I was left reeling from the dead mutilated child bc while child death was mentioned in the triggers, the mutilation absolutely was not).
It pains me to say that this was worth that Fourth Wing or Lightlark, because I don't want to believe that anything is worse than those books. But there was no thought to the worldbuilding. It was shallow. The characters were flat. And shallow. The relationship was so uncomfortable. The emotional devastation from the two deaths at the end doesn't land because there's no reason to care about those two characters.
The line level writing was not great. It wasn't the worst I've read (bad fanfic and wattpad exist) but it was by no means what I'd expect from a published novel. It needed a lot of work. Everything about this novel needed a lot of work. I feel like I was reading a story of a 15 year old who loves Inuyasha and angels/demons.
1 star. Shouldn't have been published without a lot more editing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2024
This is the worst book I have ever read. It is filled with inconsistencies and grammatical errors. The plot makes no sense and every character is unlikable. There is not one single redeeming feature about this book except that eventually it ended. Cannot recommend strongly enough not bothering to read this.
June 26, 2024
DNF, this was like reading badly written angel/demon fanfic from a 15 year old and needs so much more editing and work. The FMC is a whole lot of nothing and everyone around her is constantly talking about how special she is, but I don't see it anywhere. MMC is cringe and I can't buy into their relationship, it's insta-love for days. The world building makes no sense and could have been explored in so many interesting ways. Overall a waste of my time, unfortunately
October 12, 2024
Felt very drawn out and underwhelming. Did not care for the storyline.
February 4, 2024
I was completely engrossed in the book, so much so that I considered sacrificing sleep to discover the identity of the villain. Although I believed I had it all figured out, the revelation came as a complete surprise.
The vivid imagery throughout the story made me feel like I was right there alongside the characters. If you're a fan of fantasy involving angels and demons, this book is likely to meet your expectations. However, if you're seeking a more spicy plot line this very likely won’t appeal to you. While there is a moderation of spice sprinkled throughout, the storyline is what captivates your attention.
The ending of this book is a cliff hanger 😫 I absolutely will be reading the second book if one is made!
The vivid imagery throughout the story made me feel like I was right there alongside the characters. If you're a fan of fantasy involving angels and demons, this book is likely to meet your expectations. However, if you're seeking a more spicy plot line this very likely won’t appeal to you. While there is a moderation of spice sprinkled throughout, the storyline is what captivates your attention.
The ending of this book is a cliff hanger 😫 I absolutely will be reading the second book if one is made!
April 9, 2024
I had to DNF. The book starts out very slow, and I just couldn’t get into it. Not any fault of the author I don’t think. Just not the type of book that I would normally read.
August 12, 2024
This book was okay. I was half tempted to DNF it but decided to just push through. I love the concept but the writing itself and the character traits didn’t pull through for me. The FMC is extremely annoying and she’s constantly scared. The “battles” or fights were the same thing over and over and nothing ever actually happened. The betrayal was expected and too easily forgiven. There’s still so many things left unanswered that I honestly don’t care to find out about either.
January 29, 2024
This was a great read for me. I loved the characters, and the whole concept of the realms and the relationships therein was extremely unique for me.
Kalliope, “Allie,” isn’t your strong FMC you might not be used to seeing, but it is worth it to say that she does grow into her own for the most part. She isn’t at all the same girl she was as the start, but she does have a way to go (it is the first of three after all).
Her companions and friends are all important to the plot development, and although there isn’t spice, there is definitely a love triangle and my guy needs to come out the victor. The deaths are absolutely devastating, and I was so upset, but it’s okay if it’s for the plot, right?
Some characters I’d love to see more of, and the bad guy could just die. I can’t wait to see him dead at the end of it, I feel my blood pressure raise.
Anyway, give this book a shot, 100% worth it, and I loved every second of it. Be aware of the cliffhanger. Somehow all the books I’ve read this year end in those 😂
Kalliope, “Allie,” isn’t your strong FMC you might not be used to seeing, but it is worth it to say that she does grow into her own for the most part. She isn’t at all the same girl she was as the start, but she does have a way to go (it is the first of three after all).
Her companions and friends are all important to the plot development, and although there isn’t spice, there is definitely a love triangle and my guy needs to come out the victor. The deaths are absolutely devastating, and I was so upset, but it’s okay if it’s for the plot, right?
Some characters I’d love to see more of, and the bad guy could just die. I can’t wait to see him dead at the end of it, I feel my blood pressure raise.
Anyway, give this book a shot, 100% worth it, and I loved every second of it. Be aware of the cliffhanger. Somehow all the books I’ve read this year end in those 😂
February 4, 2024
That cliffhanger, though! Great read! Excellent development of characters, world, and relationships. It started off a little slow, but that's to be expected. It made you think which I really like. Overall, it is a great start to the trilogy a quick, easy, engrossing read! I can't wait to see where the next books take us!
February 8, 2024
I loved this book so much guys! This book starts off at a slower pace, but gradually picks up. This story has very loveable characters, different realms, fantasy, and so much more! The ending is a cliffhanger, so I can't wait to read more! I'm also looking forward to seeing how the author will develop the plot more, as well as the characters 🖤❤️🔥
October 13, 2024
This book is going to haunt me for a while, I may have angrily messaged the author when I finished it. It goes a little slow in the beginning, but that's because it sets up a pace, builds tension, and makes you, the reader, try to solve the ever-growing mystery of what in the High Heavens (as Lucy may say) is going on!
I love Allie, she's spunky, she's typical and also NOT typical of the "Chosen One" thrust into destiny sort of character. You think you know something, and it just gets turned on its head before you know it!
Sel, Kal, Lucifer, Michael, and Heath are amazing supporting characters, each of them giving Allie a small piece of the mystery she needs to unravel to truly come into who she is.
I nearly cried SEVERAL times, and my heart was racing the last two or three chapters - which I was speed reading because HOLY CRAP!
If you like a medium burn, swoon-worthy story with danger, destruction and death - you've got to check this book out!
Salem knocked it out of the park!
I love Allie, she's spunky, she's typical and also NOT typical of the "Chosen One" thrust into destiny sort of character. You think you know something, and it just gets turned on its head before you know it!
Sel, Kal, Lucifer, Michael, and Heath are amazing supporting characters, each of them giving Allie a small piece of the mystery she needs to unravel to truly come into who she is.
I nearly cried SEVERAL times, and my heart was racing the last two or three chapters - which I was speed reading because HOLY CRAP!
If you like a medium burn, swoon-worthy story with danger, destruction and death - you've got to check this book out!
Salem knocked it out of the park!
September 6, 2024
*BOOKREVIEW*
BOOK: Something So Lovely
AUTHOR: Salem Lynn Thornton
REVIEW: This book was such a fun romantasy! I loved the character development and the world-building! The characters are lovely, especially Kalliope and Asmodeus. The book in short follows Kalliope who spends all of her time in Heaven's library with her best friend. One day, she meets Asmodeus when he was in the library, and suddenly, she's on the run from a force that's trying to kill her. She finds that she is the only one keeping this force from taking God's throne. She must ascend and take the throne in Purgatory and unleash a rare power she never knew she had. Asmodeus was everything, I fell in love with him and I adore him! Kalliope is a strong female lead. I absolutely loved every single second of this one, and can't wait for the sequel!
RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
BOOK: Something So Lovely
AUTHOR: Salem Lynn Thornton
REVIEW: This book was such a fun romantasy! I loved the character development and the world-building! The characters are lovely, especially Kalliope and Asmodeus. The book in short follows Kalliope who spends all of her time in Heaven's library with her best friend. One day, she meets Asmodeus when he was in the library, and suddenly, she's on the run from a force that's trying to kill her. She finds that she is the only one keeping this force from taking God's throne. She must ascend and take the throne in Purgatory and unleash a rare power she never knew she had. Asmodeus was everything, I fell in love with him and I adore him! Kalliope is a strong female lead. I absolutely loved every single second of this one, and can't wait for the sequel!
RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
September 9, 2024
First, let me say this might be the most beautiful cover I've ever seen. The wrap-around art is gorgeous, and the sprayed edges look stunning. This debut novel has a very interesting world where demons from hell, angels from heaven, and humans all seem to coexist well, if sometimes cranky.
The story is about a girl who thinks she's just a librarian but finds out she's much more and must learn to build up her power and fight against the evil one who has destroyed purgatory.
The questions that haunted me through the book were finally answered in the end. I was devastated by the ending, but the author assures me that the sequel coming out in February will renew my faith.
I'm normally a cozy fantasy reader, so the dark nature of this book was a stretch for me, but if you love dark fantasy and some romance, you'll enjoy it.
The story is about a girl who thinks she's just a librarian but finds out she's much more and must learn to build up her power and fight against the evil one who has destroyed purgatory.
The questions that haunted me through the book were finally answered in the end. I was devastated by the ending, but the author assures me that the sequel coming out in February will renew my faith.
I'm normally a cozy fantasy reader, so the dark nature of this book was a stretch for me, but if you love dark fantasy and some romance, you'll enjoy it.
May 20, 2024
This book is a romantasy (romance X fantasy) that explores the realms of Heaven, Hell, Earth, and Purgatory. I love the world building as well as the author's unique approach to exploring these realms and the dynamics between the characters within them. This book has good pacing and loveable characters. Though this is book one in the series it does read as a stand-alone in that it feels complete enough to leave you satisfied, but also enough still to explore to make you want more. I definitely loved this book and would say it is my favorite read so far this year.
I feel like people who enjoy romance, fantasy, and people into shows such as Supernatural would enjoy this book.
I feel like people who enjoy romance, fantasy, and people into shows such as Supernatural would enjoy this book.
March 17, 2025
I wanted to love this book, but it seems too drawn out and the FMC was annoying to say the least. I was confused at one point or another. We had Angels, Demons and they all seemed to be one big dysfunctional family, and the FMC was kind of like the chosen one who was the heir to purgatory and the balance between heaven and hell.
It was a decent debut but it didn't keep my attention the way other books in the same genre does. I literally only bought the book because of the beautiful cover. This one just wasn't for me.
It was a decent debut but it didn't keep my attention the way other books in the same genre does. I literally only bought the book because of the beautiful cover. This one just wasn't for me.
July 2, 2025
Interesting plot
The plot was interesting and kept my attention. It mostly takes place in heaven, hell, and purgatory. The fmc goes from "zero" to hero in a sense and catches the eye of of the F boy prince of hell. Still kind of a slow burn and low on spice but the plot definitely makes you keep going to see what's going to happen. Ends of a cliffhanger. I'll be reading book 2 to find out what happens for sure.
The plot was interesting and kept my attention. It mostly takes place in heaven, hell, and purgatory. The fmc goes from "zero" to hero in a sense and catches the eye of of the F boy prince of hell. Still kind of a slow burn and low on spice but the plot definitely makes you keep going to see what's going to happen. Ends of a cliffhanger. I'll be reading book 2 to find out what happens for sure.
May 25, 2024
I wanted to like this book, but just couldn’t get into as much as I wanted to. I just felt like the FMC was super whiney and cried every other page. I never trusted her romantic interest, I was super confused that they started to “love” each other super early onto their relationship, and it just felt like a whole lot of nothing happened. :/
February 6, 2024
Oh my God. The twists and turns of this book threw me for a loop. I loved the worlds/realms and the imagination that came into play. I loved the character building and all of their personalities. The CLIFFHANGER….. I need to know what happens next! Overall great storyline.
May 29, 2024
I almost feel bad reviewing something I loathe, but this book had possibly the most boring protagonist I've ever seen in a book, ever. She was just whiny and dull the entire time. I DNF, and I don't want to put more effort into a review than the author put in the book.
August 28, 2024
Overall, a hidden gem
Altogether, I enjoyed this.
The last about 20% or so was rough to me, but it's still a good book, and I still want the next one.
What happened to Danny? 4 why? 😩😩😩
Also, Sel? 4 why? 😩😩
Cruel, cruel author. Lol
Altogether, I enjoyed this.
The last about 20% or so was rough to me, but it's still a good book, and I still want the next one.
What happened to Danny? 4 why? 😩😩😩
Also, Sel? 4 why? 😩😩
Cruel, cruel author. Lol
March 6, 2024
This is not my kind of book at all but the author drew me into her world and by that time I was biting for a fantasy romance. The writing is spare but efficient. The price? A bargain!
July 16, 2024
I really enjoyed this story!! Such a cool concept with the realms and relationships!
August 19, 2024
I am actually in shock at how much I enjoyed this! It has it all! Angels, demons, doomed romance, hope, despair, angst! And it’s so, SO pretty! Do recommend!
December 28, 2024
Blasphemous drivel from a mentally deranged female satanist.
January 5, 2024
I have never read a book like this before, so it was new for me.
The beginning was a litle slow first, bit I think it is normal for this kind of books. World building and all that.
A story about demons, angels and humans in the realms of heaven, hell, earth and Purgatory.
Kalliope starts out as a shy and unsecure girl. She have a rough start, but it makes her who she becomes through out the story. I love her development from the beginning to the end. Even tough she cries a lot.
Asmodeus/Kalav is kind of the perfect man, but with flaws.
Lucifer is awesome, and I like him and his personal growt.
I loved Ast and her story. I think that was some of the best parts in the book.
Ast was probably my favorite and ofcourse Danny.
Danny, I loved him. So cute and innocent.
Heath I liked, but I did not feel like I got a close connection to him. But he was important in the story.
Selaphiel is kind of to perfect, so …
Michael, some times I liked him and some times I did not.
Emmanuel is a villain, the kind you hope gets killed or atleast gets what he deserve.
It was part of the story where it did not happen a lot, but it had really great parts trougout the hole story.
The plot twist is good, and sets the tone of the story.
I really liked the deaths (sounds horrible, but I allways enjoy a horrible death in books).
I liked the ending, it kind of was expected at the same time I was not sure what was going to happen. It gives the opportunety to end the story, at the same time it gives the opportunety to write another book.
I like spice, so I kind of missed more of that. But I understand that this was not a spicey book. But the slowburn and agonising complicated relationship between Kalliope and Kalav, gave me some cravings for spice between them.
It was a bit confusing with the name shift from Asmodeus to Kalav, it took me some time to get my head around that. But I think it was crutual to his story, so he could move on with his life. Kind of a new beginning for him.
Some words was hard for me as a norwegian to understand. It was som words I have never heard or read before. Google translate was helpful.
Conclution, It was a great read. I did enjoy the book.
The beginning was a litle slow first, bit I think it is normal for this kind of books. World building and all that.
A story about demons, angels and humans in the realms of heaven, hell, earth and Purgatory.
Kalliope starts out as a shy and unsecure girl. She have a rough start, but it makes her who she becomes through out the story. I love her development from the beginning to the end. Even tough she cries a lot.
Asmodeus/Kalav is kind of the perfect man, but with flaws.
Lucifer is awesome, and I like him and his personal growt.
I loved Ast and her story. I think that was some of the best parts in the book.
Ast was probably my favorite and ofcourse Danny.
Danny, I loved him. So cute and innocent.
Heath I liked, but I did not feel like I got a close connection to him. But he was important in the story.
Selaphiel is kind of to perfect, so …
Michael, some times I liked him and some times I did not.
Emmanuel is a villain, the kind you hope gets killed or atleast gets what he deserve.
It was part of the story where it did not happen a lot, but it had really great parts trougout the hole story.
The plot twist is good, and sets the tone of the story.
I really liked the deaths (sounds horrible, but I allways enjoy a horrible death in books).
I liked the ending, it kind of was expected at the same time I was not sure what was going to happen. It gives the opportunety to end the story, at the same time it gives the opportunety to write another book.
I like spice, so I kind of missed more of that. But I understand that this was not a spicey book. But the slowburn and agonising complicated relationship between Kalliope and Kalav, gave me some cravings for spice between them.
It was a bit confusing with the name shift from Asmodeus to Kalav, it took me some time to get my head around that. But I think it was crutual to his story, so he could move on with his life. Kind of a new beginning for him.
Some words was hard for me as a norwegian to understand. It was som words I have never heard or read before. Google translate was helpful.
Conclution, It was a great read. I did enjoy the book.
December 30, 2023
This was a really good fantasy book between realms, it did take me awhile to get into it because with the first part of the book I didn’t know where it was heading,but once I got into it I really got into it and couldn’t put it down…I love the demon cat that’s probably my favorite character in a book in a long time.
March 27, 2024
Salem T Lynn's "Something So Lovely" garners a 3 out of 5 stars for its intriguing take on the realms of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. The book weaves a narrative that oscillates between being a tad slow and unexpectedly fast-paced, leaving readers, much like the protagonist Kalliope, in a state of confusion especially at the outset.
Kalliope, the female main character, is a mix of frustration and fascination. Her character seems to flounder rather than flourish, struggling to make decisive growth throughout the story. While she does transform by the book's end, it's debatable whether this change can be termed as positive development, given the lack of sufficient backstory to gauge her evolution.
The world-building is a highlight, presenting a fantasy-laden version of theological concepts that will undoubtedly appeal to readers fascinated by such themes. The portrayal of celestial and infernal realms is interesting, though the settings could have been more vividly depicted to fully immerse the reader.
Themes like redemption, the reluctant savior, and the conflict among realms are explored, but the narrative's occasional repetitiveness and disjointedness prevent these themes from being deeply delved into. The relationship dynamics, particularly between Kalliope and Asmodeus, are compelling, with Asmodeus emerging as a more intriguing character than our lead.
Emmanuel, the antagonist, is well-crafted, and the story commendably avoids the common trope of the hero miraculously overpowering such a formidable foe. The author's writing style and descriptions are engaging, although there are parts that might require some perseverance to get through due to a dip in the narrative's grip.
In summary, "Something So Lovely" is an interesting fantasy novel with a unique perspective on spiritual realms. Its low spice level and creative take on classic themes make it a worthwhile read for fantasy enthusiasts seeking a different kind of story.
Kalliope, the female main character, is a mix of frustration and fascination. Her character seems to flounder rather than flourish, struggling to make decisive growth throughout the story. While she does transform by the book's end, it's debatable whether this change can be termed as positive development, given the lack of sufficient backstory to gauge her evolution.
The world-building is a highlight, presenting a fantasy-laden version of theological concepts that will undoubtedly appeal to readers fascinated by such themes. The portrayal of celestial and infernal realms is interesting, though the settings could have been more vividly depicted to fully immerse the reader.
Themes like redemption, the reluctant savior, and the conflict among realms are explored, but the narrative's occasional repetitiveness and disjointedness prevent these themes from being deeply delved into. The relationship dynamics, particularly between Kalliope and Asmodeus, are compelling, with Asmodeus emerging as a more intriguing character than our lead.
Emmanuel, the antagonist, is well-crafted, and the story commendably avoids the common trope of the hero miraculously overpowering such a formidable foe. The author's writing style and descriptions are engaging, although there are parts that might require some perseverance to get through due to a dip in the narrative's grip.
In summary, "Something So Lovely" is an interesting fantasy novel with a unique perspective on spiritual realms. Its low spice level and creative take on classic themes make it a worthwhile read for fantasy enthusiasts seeking a different kind of story.
July 27, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, but it fell flat for me. The story line itself is okay, but it moved very slowly. I never really felt much connection to any of the characters. I think it would have read better if it wasn’t in first person, and better content editing.
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