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To Stand Beside Her
To be the best courier in the world, eighteen-year-old Benét Leila follows three simple always work alone, never stay in one place too long, and never fall in love. Too bad she didn't follow her own advice. Leila is a courier. To the people she takes from, she is seen as a common thief; to the people she helps, she is a savior. Nalick is your typical king. He's rich, powerful, and always assumed to be right. When Leila crosses paths with King Nalick, she finds herself trapped. In a rush to save her best friend Kay from a prison sentence for a crime Leila committed, Leila trades her hand in marriage in exchange for Kay’s freedom. Tomboy Leila does not want to grow up, but in three months’ time, she will be married to King Nalick, if Nalick can keep his end of the bargain. First, Nalick must make Leila fall in love with him, a hard task since Leila is not ready to love again after losing her first love to a greedy king. Second, Nalick must keep her safe. He is not the only king trying to hold onto her. Leila has made many enemies over the years, and even more admirers that want her as a prize. Lastly, Nalick must convince Leila that ten years of love is better than a lifetime without. Unless Leila can trust her destiny, she might not reach her wedding day at all.
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2013
25 people are currently reading
5057 people want to read
About the author
B. Kristin McMichael
39 books1,578 followersOriginally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, three small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
December 31, 2014
This book made me a little emotional...
Okay - very emotional!
At first it seemed like this was just going to be another 'fearless assassin/thief-like female clashes with a guy she ends up with' book.
But To Stand Beside Her surprised me in so many ways.
The witty banter, of course, got me hooked:
He didn't miraculously transform into a knight in shining armor. Instead, B. Kristin McMichael reveals Nalick's many layers as the story unfolds, slowly but surely securing him a place in our hearts...and Leila's ;)
The only thing I couldn't get on board with? The ending.
I get it, authors, I do - you want shock value! Even if it breaks our bookworm hearts in the process...*stares pointedly at Veronica Roth*
But something just didn't feel right about this ending. Poor Leila goes through hell and back when it comes to her love life. And just when she thinks it's all gonna be rainbows, kittens, and sunshine...some stupid seer stuffs up everything. We're left with an Epilogue that sends you into a whirlpool of emotion without a life raft. It's truly a bittersweet ending...and call me spoiled, call me naive...but I wanted a happy ending!!
Instead I got an ending that guarantees that I'll be sobbing at the mention of true love for at least two weeks straight!
Okay - very emotional!
At first it seemed like this was just going to be another 'fearless assassin/thief-like female clashes with a guy she ends up with' book.
But To Stand Beside Her surprised me in so many ways.
The witty banter, of course, got me hooked:
'"I am guessing I can answer your questions just as well as he could."And then there was the character of Nalick.
"Okay," Nalick responded, taking the bait, "Are you the woman that I should marry?"
"Probably, but it is not going to happen," Leila responded.
(...)"And why not?" he inquired.
"Because in order to have a real marriage, both people need to be willing to marry each other." Leila looked him up and down. He was handsome, but he was also an arrogant jerk. "I am not willing to marry you."'
He didn't miraculously transform into a knight in shining armor. Instead, B. Kristin McMichael reveals Nalick's many layers as the story unfolds, slowly but surely securing him a place in our hearts...and Leila's ;)
The only thing I couldn't get on board with? The ending.
I get it, authors, I do - you want shock value! Even if it breaks our bookworm hearts in the process...*stares pointedly at Veronica Roth*
But something just didn't feel right about this ending. Poor Leila goes through hell and back when it comes to her love life. And just when she thinks it's all gonna be rainbows, kittens, and sunshine...some stupid seer stuffs up everything. We're left with an Epilogue that sends you into a whirlpool of emotion without a life raft. It's truly a bittersweet ending...and call me spoiled, call me naive...but I wanted a happy ending!!
Instead I got an ending that guarantees that I'll be sobbing at the mention of true love for at least two weeks straight!
May 10, 2013
To Stand Beside Her was described to me as a YA Paranormal Fantasy, but to me, historical/fantasy romance would be more accurate. The start of the novel started off with a bang as we meet Leila, a courier and a thief who is also known as a ghost, as she’s never been caught before. Leila is beautiful, a skilled fighter, and also spirited and fiesty. She has men wrapped around her little finger but also knows how to stand on her own two feet. She definitely isn’t the type that would let someone like a King sweep her off her feet.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what King Nalick did, which seemed incredibly uncharacteristic of the character that was set up. Nalick apparently isn’t like all the other Kings, not letting social class get in the way of love or acceptance, much to the nobles contempt. He’s noble, honourable, and protective, but Leila still manages to mesmerise him, much like she’s mesmerised every single male that she encounters.
While To Stand Beside Her had an interesting premise, Leila seemed a bit too unrealistic and perfect to be believable. Kings around the world want her, men will grovel at her feet and she’s falls in love with not one, but two men. She just doesn’t seem the type to settle into the court as comfortably as implied, taken care by a man.
The writing was also unnecessarily difficult to get into. It described every single minute detail about things that were seemingly unimportant, such as Leila’s leg injury yet would skip over things like the wedding and a competition between the kingdom’s best fighters. Throughout the course of the novel, we’re introduced to so many characters that aren’t an important part of the plot. We’re simply experiencing Leila and Nalick’s journey together after they meet, which certainly was not a journey I expected after the start of the novel.
There also didn’t seem to be any particular plot until late in the book, when the whole story title suddenly clicks and before you know it, it’s all over. With a bit of editing, polish and retweaking, I think To Stand Beside Her would be a much better title.
I received a review copy from the author and Tasty Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Check out the promo bliz and my review on the Happy Indulgence Book Blog.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what King Nalick did, which seemed incredibly uncharacteristic of the character that was set up. Nalick apparently isn’t like all the other Kings, not letting social class get in the way of love or acceptance, much to the nobles contempt. He’s noble, honourable, and protective, but Leila still manages to mesmerise him, much like she’s mesmerised every single male that she encounters.
While To Stand Beside Her had an interesting premise, Leila seemed a bit too unrealistic and perfect to be believable. Kings around the world want her, men will grovel at her feet and she’s falls in love with not one, but two men. She just doesn’t seem the type to settle into the court as comfortably as implied, taken care by a man.
The writing was also unnecessarily difficult to get into. It described every single minute detail about things that were seemingly unimportant, such as Leila’s leg injury yet would skip over things like the wedding and a competition between the kingdom’s best fighters. Throughout the course of the novel, we’re introduced to so many characters that aren’t an important part of the plot. We’re simply experiencing Leila and Nalick’s journey together after they meet, which certainly was not a journey I expected after the start of the novel.
There also didn’t seem to be any particular plot until late in the book, when the whole story title suddenly clicks and before you know it, it’s all over. With a bit of editing, polish and retweaking, I think To Stand Beside Her would be a much better title.
I received a review copy from the author and Tasty Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Check out the promo bliz and my review on the Happy Indulgence Book Blog.
January 28, 2013
5 hearts
I was lucky enough to receive this book for an honest review by the Author, B. Kristin McMichael. I don't think I could have loved this book any more than I did. My heart literally still hurts, from reading this. The story was brilliant and beautiful, and so amazingly well wrote. I instantly fell in love with the characters and went on an epic journey with them. I felt so emotionally vested with the characters in To Stand Beside Her.
Leila is a courier, and strives to be the best courier that she can be. Living in the North lands is great for her, no one can find her... and that's exactly how she wants it. Leila is strikingly beautiful, smart, funny, and every countries King wants her for himself. Until the day that her best friend Kay gets caught. Leila being the self sacrificing person that she is goes to rescue her best friend. While rescuing her, she gets herself caught. Freeing both Kay and herself wasn't much of an issue though, until Kay got caught again escaping from the prison. Leila then makes herself get "caught" again by the palace's gaurds. Upon reentering the palace, she meets King Nalick. Leila thinks she knows all about this King, but she could never be so wrong...
King Nalick, He has a reputation for being pretty ...mean. Leila thinks she has him pegged, until she gets to know him. In honor to free her best friend Kay, she agrees to a deal to marry King Nalick, and also agrees not to escape the kingdom. Nalick held up his end of the agreement, and then some. Nalick basically doted on Leila, making Leila [and myself] fall completely in love with him. Which is something she thought would never happen again.
Nalick will forever be one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. He was always surprising Leila with his kindness, and would go to the end of the earth to protect her. Leila will probably be one of my all time favorite Book heroines, as well.
The depth of the all characters and their interactions with eachother, blew my mind. Finishing this book was probably one of the saddest moments, but happiest moments. Bittersweet is definitely not a strong enough word for this novel. B. Kristin McMichael made me laugh, smile, cringe, and cry. Several times while reading this book I had to set it down, and take a minute to collect myself because of the potency of her words. The ending was phenomenal. Everything weaved together perfectly. Albeit I wasn't exactly happy about how it ended, it pulled the book together so fiercely and perfectly. I can't wait to read what B. Kristin publishes next. Amazing Amazing Amazing novel. A definite must read for anyone who loves strong female characters, or fantasy, or even just a love story. Once you pick this up, you'll be so grateful that you did! [Just be sure to have your tissues ready, cause this was a heartwrencher!!!]
I was lucky enough to receive this book for an honest review by the Author, B. Kristin McMichael. I don't think I could have loved this book any more than I did. My heart literally still hurts, from reading this. The story was brilliant and beautiful, and so amazingly well wrote. I instantly fell in love with the characters and went on an epic journey with them. I felt so emotionally vested with the characters in To Stand Beside Her.
Leila is a courier, and strives to be the best courier that she can be. Living in the North lands is great for her, no one can find her... and that's exactly how she wants it. Leila is strikingly beautiful, smart, funny, and every countries King wants her for himself. Until the day that her best friend Kay gets caught. Leila being the self sacrificing person that she is goes to rescue her best friend. While rescuing her, she gets herself caught. Freeing both Kay and herself wasn't much of an issue though, until Kay got caught again escaping from the prison. Leila then makes herself get "caught" again by the palace's gaurds. Upon reentering the palace, she meets King Nalick. Leila thinks she knows all about this King, but she could never be so wrong...
King Nalick, He has a reputation for being pretty ...mean. Leila thinks she has him pegged, until she gets to know him. In honor to free her best friend Kay, she agrees to a deal to marry King Nalick, and also agrees not to escape the kingdom. Nalick held up his end of the agreement, and then some. Nalick basically doted on Leila, making Leila [and myself] fall completely in love with him. Which is something she thought would never happen again.
Nalick will forever be one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. He was always surprising Leila with his kindness, and would go to the end of the earth to protect her. Leila will probably be one of my all time favorite Book heroines, as well.
The depth of the all characters and their interactions with eachother, blew my mind. Finishing this book was probably one of the saddest moments, but happiest moments. Bittersweet is definitely not a strong enough word for this novel. B. Kristin McMichael made me laugh, smile, cringe, and cry. Several times while reading this book I had to set it down, and take a minute to collect myself because of the potency of her words. The ending was phenomenal. Everything weaved together perfectly. Albeit I wasn't exactly happy about how it ended, it pulled the book together so fiercely and perfectly. I can't wait to read what B. Kristin publishes next. Amazing Amazing Amazing novel. A definite must read for anyone who loves strong female characters, or fantasy, or even just a love story. Once you pick this up, you'll be so grateful that you did! [Just be sure to have your tissues ready, cause this was a heartwrencher!!!]
July 6, 2013
I received an electronic review copy of B. Kristin McMichael’s fantasy romance To Stand Beside Her in exchange for an honest review from her husband. To be entirely fair I have to add that he did not force it on me. I had put the debut on my wishlist first and thus expressed my unmistakable interest. That means the blame for misspending 30 minutes by struggling twice through the first 10% should be entirely mine.
Before someone else repeats my mistake and maybe doesn’t even dare to throw the towel as early as I did, I offer my review both as a payment and as means to help like-minded readers to pass go without accepting or purchasing a copy.
Believe it or not, I even plan to entice some readers into pressing the to-read-button after browsing through my ramblings, for what is appalling to me might be appealing to others. And those others stand clear in front of my mind: The unabashed admirers of strong, beautiful, physically fit, unbeatably witty, unbearably female, lime-light addicted and uncompromisingly self-promoting heroines like assassin Celaena Sardothien.
The now wildly popular Throne of Glass, too, started out as a self-published novel, but having read more than half of the story my guess is that a lot of work went into re-structuring and basic editing afterwards. All in all it turned out to be quite readable in spite of not meeting my personal taste in character design and dynamics. To Stand Beside Her did not benefit of the services big publishing houses have to offer, but if you can generously overlook that the text does not tell you what a courier/ghost courier is - except that her job is split into six skill levels, extremely legendary, kind of hush-hush and certainly mind-blowingly dangerous - , that you will long await the moment when it will revealed to you were the story takes place – apart from that it is a world with at least eight kingdoms of which five kings are wifeless and keen on getting a feisty spouse that verbally abuses them on a day-to-day basis with her special brand of smirky wit -, and that other details keep leaping spontaneously at you – like that this fantasy world has running hot water even in windowless special-prisoner castle suites, then you may blissfully dive into a novel featuring Celaena reincarnated into a parallel universe:
"Leila was the best. [...] Leila could easily enter any heavily guarded place and leave unnoticed with her assignment."
"No one, no man, or woman, could keep up with her. Leila was a ghost to many and a legend to everyone else. Through her training, she had perfected the use of multiple identities so she could travel from city to city, fulfilling even the the most demanding assignments."
"She had yet to find a man who could beat her in both weapons and hand-to-hand combat."
"All told of encountering a lady so beautiful she would take your breath away and yet was so cunning none could cage her long enough to make her into a wife."
But, alas, almost right at the beginning Leila lets her guard slip in front of the guard after being really smug about losing a pair of newbie trackers. And, oops, the uncatchable maiden is caught. Surprisingly not for the first time. Leila proudly mentions she has already first-hand knowledge of both the men’s and the women’s section of the prison – and of five other kingdoms’, too, but she never intends to stay. She simply scales the prison’s inner and outer walls with her dainty, little feet and leaves before supper. Sadly her dumb Level-2-associate Kay is still inside the castle, which means she goes straight back in to fetch her out – and does not miss the chance to wiggle her tongue at the flabbergasted guards at the main gate.
Because she does not make her skills a secret and offers her new fans some in-detail glimpses into the tricks of her trade, cruel King Nalick – bless him, the first of acceptable height and muscle mass – is curious, sends for her, showers in a select mix of rude comebacks, seductive disregard and violent eye-lash-batting, and is instantly smitten. Leila languidly anticipates his proposal, because she had received five similar ones from his colleagues before. The offer of Nalick’s farther’s hand even resulted in the forced demise of her beloved fiancé. So keeping alive Level-2-Kay dictates taking different measures than that unrelenting "no" four years earlier . Right? It does not hurt, though, to ask the next best priest standing in the way to help her flee as if he regularly dismisses his ruler's instructions for fun. Strangly, he does not comply.
Well. If your Celaena-addicted mind is not yet salviating yet, I give you the following last bits on top:
"Leila did not approve of hurting innocent people. [...] Never once had she killed anyone who attacked her. Even those who would try to kill her did not deserve to die in her opinion."
This shocking revelation of Leila’s purity of heart is apparently necessary for the story to come, for according to the palace seer Miss Smarty-Parts-Dirty-Mouth has "the power to change the world". Naturally. He elaborates "When people come in contact with you, their aura becomes whiter in color to match yours."
Should you think this is sweet, but not stickily so, go ahead and indulge. The e-book is very affordable, but it seems to lack a love-triangle.
If you feel like wiping off your fingers, just stay well behind the yellow tape. I do no know for sure, but I cannot imagine that the story improves enough to brighten your day.
Before someone else repeats my mistake and maybe doesn’t even dare to throw the towel as early as I did, I offer my review both as a payment and as means to help like-minded readers to pass go without accepting or purchasing a copy.
Believe it or not, I even plan to entice some readers into pressing the to-read-button after browsing through my ramblings, for what is appalling to me might be appealing to others. And those others stand clear in front of my mind: The unabashed admirers of strong, beautiful, physically fit, unbeatably witty, unbearably female, lime-light addicted and uncompromisingly self-promoting heroines like assassin Celaena Sardothien.
The now wildly popular Throne of Glass, too, started out as a self-published novel, but having read more than half of the story my guess is that a lot of work went into re-structuring and basic editing afterwards. All in all it turned out to be quite readable in spite of not meeting my personal taste in character design and dynamics. To Stand Beside Her did not benefit of the services big publishing houses have to offer, but if you can generously overlook that the text does not tell you what a courier/ghost courier is - except that her job is split into six skill levels, extremely legendary, kind of hush-hush and certainly mind-blowingly dangerous - , that you will long await the moment when it will revealed to you were the story takes place – apart from that it is a world with at least eight kingdoms of which five kings are wifeless and keen on getting a feisty spouse that verbally abuses them on a day-to-day basis with her special brand of smirky wit -, and that other details keep leaping spontaneously at you – like that this fantasy world has running hot water even in windowless special-prisoner castle suites, then you may blissfully dive into a novel featuring Celaena reincarnated into a parallel universe:
"Leila was the best. [...] Leila could easily enter any heavily guarded place and leave unnoticed with her assignment."
"No one, no man, or woman, could keep up with her. Leila was a ghost to many and a legend to everyone else. Through her training, she had perfected the use of multiple identities so she could travel from city to city, fulfilling even the the most demanding assignments."
"She had yet to find a man who could beat her in both weapons and hand-to-hand combat."
"All told of encountering a lady so beautiful she would take your breath away and yet was so cunning none could cage her long enough to make her into a wife."
But, alas, almost right at the beginning Leila lets her guard slip in front of the guard after being really smug about losing a pair of newbie trackers. And, oops, the uncatchable maiden is caught. Surprisingly not for the first time. Leila proudly mentions she has already first-hand knowledge of both the men’s and the women’s section of the prison – and of five other kingdoms’, too, but she never intends to stay. She simply scales the prison’s inner and outer walls with her dainty, little feet and leaves before supper. Sadly her dumb Level-2-associate Kay is still inside the castle, which means she goes straight back in to fetch her out – and does not miss the chance to wiggle her tongue at the flabbergasted guards at the main gate.
Because she does not make her skills a secret and offers her new fans some in-detail glimpses into the tricks of her trade, cruel King Nalick – bless him, the first of acceptable height and muscle mass – is curious, sends for her, showers in a select mix of rude comebacks, seductive disregard and violent eye-lash-batting, and is instantly smitten. Leila languidly anticipates his proposal, because she had received five similar ones from his colleagues before. The offer of Nalick’s farther’s hand even resulted in the forced demise of her beloved fiancé. So keeping alive Level-2-Kay dictates taking different measures than that unrelenting "no" four years earlier . Right? It does not hurt, though, to ask the next best priest standing in the way to help her flee as if he regularly dismisses his ruler's instructions for fun. Strangly, he does not comply.
Well. If your Celaena-addicted mind is not yet salviating yet, I give you the following last bits on top:
"Leila did not approve of hurting innocent people. [...] Never once had she killed anyone who attacked her. Even those who would try to kill her did not deserve to die in her opinion."
This shocking revelation of Leila’s purity of heart is apparently necessary for the story to come, for according to the palace seer Miss Smarty-Parts-Dirty-Mouth has "the power to change the world". Naturally. He elaborates "When people come in contact with you, their aura becomes whiter in color to match yours."
Should you think this is sweet, but not stickily so, go ahead and indulge. The e-book is very affordable, but it seems to lack a love-triangle.
If you feel like wiping off your fingers, just stay well behind the yellow tape. I do no know for sure, but I cannot imagine that the story improves enough to brighten your day.
May 19, 2013
I was provided with an ARC for an honest review so here it is.
When I first signed up to provide the review I wasnt all that sure that I had made a good decision but wanted to give it a go, more for the fact I was told it wasn't your perfect happy ever after. It just didn't sound like it would be my kind of book. (even though I read pretty much anything) So ending first - my first reaction when I finished the book was to jump in the shower and bawl my eyes out then immediately pick the book back up and reread it to enjoy it all over again! It is not a horrible ending, it is as I heard described - bittersweet. Please do not be turned off by the thought of a bad ending.
It was fast paced, and with the perfect amount of action in it. I absolutely loved the book, the story and the characters just drew me in. Leila is fiesty and tough and I loved her to pieces. Nalick the apparently awful king who has a sweet side but is keeping a secret from leila.
The author kept me guessing and wondering the whole way through and I struggled to guess what this secret was. I love it whan an author is gifted enough to keep me guessing. She created this whole world for me and I was right there the whole way through.
I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to readers of any age. I look forward to reading more from this author as she has a true gift with the written word and plenty of imagination. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book, it is one I will definately reread - hence the 5 stars!!!
When I first signed up to provide the review I wasnt all that sure that I had made a good decision but wanted to give it a go, more for the fact I was told it wasn't your perfect happy ever after. It just didn't sound like it would be my kind of book. (even though I read pretty much anything) So ending first - my first reaction when I finished the book was to jump in the shower and bawl my eyes out then immediately pick the book back up and reread it to enjoy it all over again! It is not a horrible ending, it is as I heard described - bittersweet. Please do not be turned off by the thought of a bad ending.
It was fast paced, and with the perfect amount of action in it. I absolutely loved the book, the story and the characters just drew me in. Leila is fiesty and tough and I loved her to pieces. Nalick the apparently awful king who has a sweet side but is keeping a secret from leila.
The author kept me guessing and wondering the whole way through and I struggled to guess what this secret was. I love it whan an author is gifted enough to keep me guessing. She created this whole world for me and I was right there the whole way through.
I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to readers of any age. I look forward to reading more from this author as she has a true gift with the written word and plenty of imagination. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book, it is one I will definately reread - hence the 5 stars!!!
May 14, 2013
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Technically 2.4 rounded to 2
It really saddens me I had to rate this a two. There were five very important reasons why I had to lower my rating, otherwise I found it to be enjoyable. The premise was interesting. If these concerns were fixed, I'd rate it a four or a five. (Please note I am NOT bashing the book, but giving constructive criticism.)
Reason Number One: The Grammar
There seems to be a shocking number of books these days that have been published looking like they snuck past the editor's desk. Honestly, editors are not scary people. Really. All the red marks on the page are your friends. Spellcheck can only do so much. Unfortunately, I found a large number of mistakes such as wrong tenses, missing or wrong words as well as misspelled words that hindered my reading.
Reason Number Two: The Mythology & The Details
I could not figure out if this was based on a historical time period or modern day. She talked about swords, dresses and riding horses, which made me think 14th to 19th century. Then McMichael said one of the kids was playing with a toy car. CAR? Not once in the book did they ride in a car. Then Leila wore pants and a sweater, which made me think 20th or 21st century. There was no clarification of the time period and culture.
Major events were glossed over. How could they not prep Leila for her role as Queen? She had been a street rat, a thief, a commoner. What about the royal events? No one prepped her on what to do. Her leg injury? Barely a mention. It was a tiny blip on the radar. Meanwhile, large amounts meaningless details were given to unimportant things. Or details were repeated...repeatedly. The plot didn't seem to have much direction until late in the book.
Reason Number Three: The Lack of Will
Nalick knows the future because of the reports from his priest. So why does he lay down like a dog and take it? This was the poem that kept itself on repeat in my mind while reading:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
by: Dylan Thomas
There is a Divine plan, but there is also Free Will. If I knew my left leg wass going to get run over by a truck, I would not get up that morning and say, "Oh! Today's the day. Whoo hoo! Let's go crush a leg." I would duck tape myself to my bed and watch TV all day long. Maybe wrap myself up in bubble wrap. Who knows. The point is, I wouldn't just accept it. I don't think anyone would. The future is not written in stone.
Reason Number Four: Lack of Personal Perspective
If only I could have gotten into Leila and Nalick's minds. The connection was lacking and left me unengaged. I didn't understand why every King wanted her and made war over her. She was poor, a criminal, a smart mouth and not of noble birth. What was the draw? If Leila was this independent, lone wolf fighter, hater-of-the-indoors who refuses to stay put for anyone... then why would she drop everything so easily? I couldn't get inside her head to figure it out. It just didn't make sense. There was just no real character development to justify what happened in the book. A twist towards the end had me shaking my head. Ugh. **Squirms in seat** Kind of sick, really weird and felt completely wrong. Realistic? No way. The POV changed a lot and at awkward times in the writing. That didn't help me understand the characters.
Reason Number Five: Lack of Dialogue & Time
If Nalick was trying to get her to fall in love with him, he had to give the relationship attention and time. That didn't really happen. He supposedly had this big, drastic character development. If there was one, it seemed hurried and unrealistic. He knew everything from the priest, so then wouldn't his attitude have already changed? There wasn't a build up to back any sort of relationship. The turn around was too abrupt. Leila should have been raging with internal conflict, yet there is no conflict of feelings shown. He did lock up and hit her best friend after all.
Yes, there were positives. The pace was fast and fairly consistent, the premise was sound and there was a strong, fierce heroine. Leila was incredibly intriguing. Her past with Eric was tantalizing but all we were given was a skimpy appetizer. Lukewarm and vague. Flashbacks to situations with him would have greatly added to the depth of the book. Conversations from the past could have added much needed richness.
The action scenes were fun to experience. Leila was brilliant. Seeing how she handled situations was outstanding. Leila had a sharp sense of wit. Her fighting skills were impressive and I loved how she took on teaching.
I think if she gave this a through going over with an editor on these concerns, she could have a winner on her hands.
Technically 2.4 rounded to 2
It really saddens me I had to rate this a two. There were five very important reasons why I had to lower my rating, otherwise I found it to be enjoyable. The premise was interesting. If these concerns were fixed, I'd rate it a four or a five. (Please note I am NOT bashing the book, but giving constructive criticism.)
Reason Number One: The Grammar
There seems to be a shocking number of books these days that have been published looking like they snuck past the editor's desk. Honestly, editors are not scary people. Really. All the red marks on the page are your friends. Spellcheck can only do so much. Unfortunately, I found a large number of mistakes such as wrong tenses, missing or wrong words as well as misspelled words that hindered my reading.
Reason Number Two: The Mythology & The Details
I could not figure out if this was based on a historical time period or modern day. She talked about swords, dresses and riding horses, which made me think 14th to 19th century. Then McMichael said one of the kids was playing with a toy car. CAR? Not once in the book did they ride in a car. Then Leila wore pants and a sweater, which made me think 20th or 21st century. There was no clarification of the time period and culture.
Major events were glossed over. How could they not prep Leila for her role as Queen? She had been a street rat, a thief, a commoner. What about the royal events? No one prepped her on what to do. Her leg injury? Barely a mention. It was a tiny blip on the radar. Meanwhile, large amounts meaningless details were given to unimportant things. Or details were repeated...repeatedly. The plot didn't seem to have much direction until late in the book.
Reason Number Three: The Lack of Will
Nalick knows the future because of the reports from his priest. So why does he lay down like a dog and take it? This was the poem that kept itself on repeat in my mind while reading:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
by: Dylan Thomas
There is a Divine plan, but there is also Free Will. If I knew my left leg wass going to get run over by a truck, I would not get up that morning and say, "Oh! Today's the day. Whoo hoo! Let's go crush a leg." I would duck tape myself to my bed and watch TV all day long. Maybe wrap myself up in bubble wrap. Who knows. The point is, I wouldn't just accept it. I don't think anyone would. The future is not written in stone.
Reason Number Four: Lack of Personal Perspective
If only I could have gotten into Leila and Nalick's minds. The connection was lacking and left me unengaged. I didn't understand why every King wanted her and made war over her. She was poor, a criminal, a smart mouth and not of noble birth. What was the draw? If Leila was this independent, lone wolf fighter, hater-of-the-indoors who refuses to stay put for anyone... then why would she drop everything so easily? I couldn't get inside her head to figure it out. It just didn't make sense. There was just no real character development to justify what happened in the book. A twist towards the end had me shaking my head. Ugh. **Squirms in seat** Kind of sick, really weird and felt completely wrong. Realistic? No way. The POV changed a lot and at awkward times in the writing. That didn't help me understand the characters.
Reason Number Five: Lack of Dialogue & Time
If Nalick was trying to get her to fall in love with him, he had to give the relationship attention and time. That didn't really happen. He supposedly had this big, drastic character development. If there was one, it seemed hurried and unrealistic. He knew everything from the priest, so then wouldn't his attitude have already changed? There wasn't a build up to back any sort of relationship. The turn around was too abrupt. Leila should have been raging with internal conflict, yet there is no conflict of feelings shown. He did lock up and hit her best friend after all.
Yes, there were positives. The pace was fast and fairly consistent, the premise was sound and there was a strong, fierce heroine. Leila was incredibly intriguing. Her past with Eric was tantalizing but all we were given was a skimpy appetizer. Lukewarm and vague. Flashbacks to situations with him would have greatly added to the depth of the book. Conversations from the past could have added much needed richness.
The action scenes were fun to experience. Leila was brilliant. Seeing how she handled situations was outstanding. Leila had a sharp sense of wit. Her fighting skills were impressive and I loved how she took on teaching.
I think if she gave this a through going over with an editor on these concerns, she could have a winner on her hands.
May 12, 2013
I expected a much more upsetting ending after I was (rather forcefully) warned that this didn't have a happy ever after, but I'll get to that in a bit.
To Stand Beside Her is this in a nutshell: badass courier who can do basically everything willingly gets captured by a king to save her friend, then falls in love with said king.
I liked this story. Leila's skills were impressive and I think the best parts were the ones where we got to see her in action. There's not as much of that as I would have liked, but I can overlook that. She has expert training in battle both with weapons and without, with escaping, with camouflage, etc. She finds that everywhere she goes people align themselves to her because she's so honest and beautiful. And I stress that because it's very fair to say that people like to help pretty people. Especially if it's a pretty girl with a knockout bod (this was described to us every time a different guy kidnapped her) that's asking for the help.
The relationship between Leila and Nalick just didn't work for me at first. It was too quick of a turn around. She absolutely despises this guy, has heard numerous stories of his ruthlessness, and forces her to his kingdom (which basically every king has tried to kidnap her) by taking her friend. And within a very short span of time she's dropped all reservations. It was too sudden, as if she totally forgot the fact that he placed one of her loved ones in peril. While I can argue that all he did was throw her in jail, again, Leila supposedly heard all kinds of rumors about his ruthlessness, and yet this doesn't worry her one bit.
That aside, though, I really like the relationship between the two of them after that beginning point. It wasn't so gushy and annoying as many romance books, and I was appreciative that it managed to be romantic without shoving the gooey down my throat.
As a general rule I tend to like minor characters in novels more than the main characters, and that was the case here again. I always enjoyed anytime the children, Roger, Theo or Anatolio were in the scene. They were always supportive of Leila and Nalick and ready to help at a moment's notice. It was pleasant to learn more about these characters as the novel progressed.
Okay, now I'm going to talk about the ending...
Okay now that that's out of the way... I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were fleshed out enough that I had no problem with development, and I was pleased with the scenes of Leila teaching others the skills she had. The villains were especially villainy, essentially dirty old pervy men.
With the exception of quite a few missing words and wrong words, it's well written. I would definitely read this author again.
To Stand Beside Her is this in a nutshell: badass courier who can do basically everything willingly gets captured by a king to save her friend, then falls in love with said king.
I liked this story. Leila's skills were impressive and I think the best parts were the ones where we got to see her in action. There's not as much of that as I would have liked, but I can overlook that. She has expert training in battle both with weapons and without, with escaping, with camouflage, etc. She finds that everywhere she goes people align themselves to her because she's so honest and beautiful. And I stress that because it's very fair to say that people like to help pretty people. Especially if it's a pretty girl with a knockout bod (this was described to us every time a different guy kidnapped her) that's asking for the help.
The relationship between Leila and Nalick just didn't work for me at first. It was too quick of a turn around. She absolutely despises this guy, has heard numerous stories of his ruthlessness, and forces her to his kingdom (which basically every king has tried to kidnap her) by taking her friend. And within a very short span of time she's dropped all reservations. It was too sudden, as if she totally forgot the fact that he placed one of her loved ones in peril. While I can argue that all he did was throw her in jail, again, Leila supposedly heard all kinds of rumors about his ruthlessness, and yet this doesn't worry her one bit.
That aside, though, I really like the relationship between the two of them after that beginning point. It wasn't so gushy and annoying as many romance books, and I was appreciative that it managed to be romantic without shoving the gooey down my throat.
As a general rule I tend to like minor characters in novels more than the main characters, and that was the case here again. I always enjoyed anytime the children, Roger, Theo or Anatolio were in the scene. They were always supportive of Leila and Nalick and ready to help at a moment's notice. It was pleasant to learn more about these characters as the novel progressed.
Okay, now I'm going to talk about the ending...
Okay now that that's out of the way... I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were fleshed out enough that I had no problem with development, and I was pleased with the scenes of Leila teaching others the skills she had. The villains were especially villainy, essentially dirty old pervy men.
With the exception of quite a few missing words and wrong words, it's well written. I would definitely read this author again.
May 23, 2013
To Stand Beside Her is quite unique, I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that’s close to similar. Leila’s personality is not uncommon in today’s novels but what she goes through during her life is. I truly enjoyed the spunkiness that Leila displayed at every turn, and nothing could keep her down for long. Nalick starts out as the villain, and I wasn’t sure that I would like him, especially since he was trying to force Leila to stay with him. However, it soon became obvious that all he wanted was a chance for her to know him. The relationship between Nalick and Leila grew at the perfect pace, it didn’t feel contrived at all. It took a few steps forward, and a few steps backward and then settled down into contentment.
That was the part I most enjoyed about the book, when they finally both admitted they loved each other and accepted it. I think my favorite scene with them was after she broke her leg. Roger was on his way to visit and check on Leila, and she was doing a terrible job of keeping still, but somehow Nalick was keeping her contained and mostly happy. I also have to mention Philip, Tim, and Ruth. These children stole my heart from the moment they appeared, until the very end. Leila had a very caring heart and it made it easy for me to identify with her, because I would have wanted to take these kids as my own too. Anatolio simply captivated me with his shadowing of Leila. He truly cared about her, and I loved being able to see her through his eyes.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this book 5 stars, is the ending. I don’t mind that Nalick and Leila didn’t end up living happily ever after. They had a beautiful 10 years and a happy family. I even loved Anatolio as much as I loved Nalick, and I’m so happy that Leila would never be left alone. What I missed and wanted was more of Anatolio. I want to see Leila and Anatolio grow together, especially because his concern that she couldn’t grow to love him was big in the latter half of the novel. I just wanted to see a little more of Anatolio and Leila. Plus, I would really like to get to know the other kids as well as Philip, Tim and Ruth! If a sequel were to come out showing their growth together I would absolutely revise my review to being a full 5 stars.
That was the part I most enjoyed about the book, when they finally both admitted they loved each other and accepted it. I think my favorite scene with them was after she broke her leg. Roger was on his way to visit and check on Leila, and she was doing a terrible job of keeping still, but somehow Nalick was keeping her contained and mostly happy. I also have to mention Philip, Tim, and Ruth. These children stole my heart from the moment they appeared, until the very end. Leila had a very caring heart and it made it easy for me to identify with her, because I would have wanted to take these kids as my own too. Anatolio simply captivated me with his shadowing of Leila. He truly cared about her, and I loved being able to see her through his eyes.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this book 5 stars, is the ending. I don’t mind that Nalick and Leila didn’t end up living happily ever after. They had a beautiful 10 years and a happy family. I even loved Anatolio as much as I loved Nalick, and I’m so happy that Leila would never be left alone. What I missed and wanted was more of Anatolio. I want to see Leila and Anatolio grow together, especially because his concern that she couldn’t grow to love him was big in the latter half of the novel. I just wanted to see a little more of Anatolio and Leila. Plus, I would really like to get to know the other kids as well as Philip, Tim and Ruth! If a sequel were to come out showing their growth together I would absolutely revise my review to being a full 5 stars.
May 30, 2013
First off, since Goodreads won't allow 1/2 stars I upped this to a 4. Personally, I feel it was a 3.5. That isn't horrible by any means, I just didn't feel it was a full 4 star read.
I went into this book looking for something a bit different than the usual read. The author had stated that ending was not typical so I was itching for the difference. Unfortunately, getting to that point was a bit bumpy.
The author provided me a copy in exchange for an honest review. It started off interesting enough, but I just couldn’t get fully into the story. The main character Leila, is a very well-known mischief maker aka “expert courier”. As stated in the book she was “a ghost to many and a legend to everyone else. “ To me she comes across as many things but I wouldn’t label her a ghost. There were parts in the book that just seemed to contradict her awareness. One example is when the king picked her up, out of her bed and took her to the boat where she continued to sleep. Honestly, I would have seen her do some serious ninja moves and give the king a few bruises before someone calmed her down. Now that would have been believable.
The story itself is laid out nicely. Plenty of description, but not in an overbearing way. Sometimes too much going on in the story, trying to figure out who was who but all in all everyone had their place. Described with beauty, she can easily fool someone who is not knowledgeable of her toughness.
As the story evolves, so does the relationship between Leila and Nalick. The story starts off as one of adventure but the true story is the bond that binds the two and just how much he loves her. Along with the evolution of the characters, I found myself changing my perspective of the story. There was a tenderness that I didn’t expect to feel. And yes, I went from cynical reader to one who rooted for the relationship and hoping that the ending wasn’t what was prophesied by the seer.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good love story with a touch of toughness that round out the characters. I recommend this to anyone who has felt a loss but has come out stronger. This is a book that will tear at your heartstrings but in a way that doesn’t leave you devastated.
I went into this book looking for something a bit different than the usual read. The author had stated that ending was not typical so I was itching for the difference. Unfortunately, getting to that point was a bit bumpy.
The author provided me a copy in exchange for an honest review. It started off interesting enough, but I just couldn’t get fully into the story. The main character Leila, is a very well-known mischief maker aka “expert courier”. As stated in the book she was “a ghost to many and a legend to everyone else. “ To me she comes across as many things but I wouldn’t label her a ghost. There were parts in the book that just seemed to contradict her awareness. One example is when the king picked her up, out of her bed and took her to the boat where she continued to sleep. Honestly, I would have seen her do some serious ninja moves and give the king a few bruises before someone calmed her down. Now that would have been believable.
The story itself is laid out nicely. Plenty of description, but not in an overbearing way. Sometimes too much going on in the story, trying to figure out who was who but all in all everyone had their place. Described with beauty, she can easily fool someone who is not knowledgeable of her toughness.
As the story evolves, so does the relationship between Leila and Nalick. The story starts off as one of adventure but the true story is the bond that binds the two and just how much he loves her. Along with the evolution of the characters, I found myself changing my perspective of the story. There was a tenderness that I didn’t expect to feel. And yes, I went from cynical reader to one who rooted for the relationship and hoping that the ending wasn’t what was prophesied by the seer.
I recommend this to anyone who likes a good love story with a touch of toughness that round out the characters. I recommend this to anyone who has felt a loss but has come out stronger. This is a book that will tear at your heartstrings but in a way that doesn’t leave you devastated.
May 28, 2013
I just have to say before I begin my review that I cried. Yes, I did. I cried at the end of this book. It was bittersweet and I cried because I was sad and happy at the same time.
This book follows Leila and her strong independent ways. She's a courier, the best the country has. She takes assignments and delivers things (or takes things) making sure no one knows she was there. It's part of her adventurous spirit, the one that doesn't want to settle down, and never be still.
But when her friend, Kay, is captured, she strikes a bargain with king Nalick. A bargain that she has to come to terms with it. Having had her heart broken by love, the story unravels just as the walls she's built up around her, preventing herself from becoming hurt again. But Nalick is persistent and truly loves her. It warmed my heart to see that he wasn't just trying to get into her pants, but honestly wanted her to be happy. So happy that he was willing to forfeit everything for her.
And the twist that is Anatolio can't be forgotten. How could it be, he's such a big part of it all. The friendship that develops between Leila and him is sweet and warms my heart.
The ending of this book is like I said: bittersweet. I love that the author did that. It definitely made me cry, my heart is still heavy the next day, but I love it. I was prepared for the ending, but I didn't want to read about it, if that makes sense.
Reader: if you want to read a book that is adventurous and sweet, this is it.
This book follows Leila and her strong independent ways. She's a courier, the best the country has. She takes assignments and delivers things (or takes things) making sure no one knows she was there. It's part of her adventurous spirit, the one that doesn't want to settle down, and never be still.
But when her friend, Kay, is captured, she strikes a bargain with king Nalick. A bargain that she has to come to terms with it. Having had her heart broken by love, the story unravels just as the walls she's built up around her, preventing herself from becoming hurt again. But Nalick is persistent and truly loves her. It warmed my heart to see that he wasn't just trying to get into her pants, but honestly wanted her to be happy. So happy that he was willing to forfeit everything for her.
And the twist that is Anatolio can't be forgotten. How could it be, he's such a big part of it all. The friendship that develops between Leila and him is sweet and warms my heart.
The ending of this book is like I said: bittersweet. I love that the author did that. It definitely made me cry, my heart is still heavy the next day, but I love it. I was prepared for the ending, but I didn't want to read about it, if that makes sense.
Reader: if you want to read a book that is adventurous and sweet, this is it.
October 5, 2013
What the hell kind of ending was this?
I started out liking this book, but soon became annoyed. The protagonist is supposed to be some kind of ueber-thief that's so good at sneaking around that every king wants to marry her (????). It is repeatedly remarked upon how beautiful and famous she is for her amazing skills, but these supposed skills lack detail.
For example, when she is locked up somewhere, she thinks to herself that she can get out easily because she's done it so many times and she's so good at escaping. It is described how she is locked in, but later when she escapes it just reads "I escaped as soon as it was full dark" or something equally vague, and we never figure out how exactly she did escape. What I thought was one of the main problems with this book is that the author might have missed the memo about showing, not telling. There were random sentences like "So and so didn't like to do this or that because of X." and it was completely vague as to who's thought that had been, or how we would have known about it, I think it must have been some kind of general narrator but this was never very clear.
Then, the great dilemma at the end is just absurd. This supposed future set in stone is absolutely ridiculous and there is no reason whatsoever to make the ending so dramatic other than trying to force some sort of emotion from the reader so that it therefore might be considered a good book.
It's not.
I started out liking this book, but soon became annoyed. The protagonist is supposed to be some kind of ueber-thief that's so good at sneaking around that every king wants to marry her (????). It is repeatedly remarked upon how beautiful and famous she is for her amazing skills, but these supposed skills lack detail.
For example, when she is locked up somewhere, she thinks to herself that she can get out easily because she's done it so many times and she's so good at escaping. It is described how she is locked in, but later when she escapes it just reads "I escaped as soon as it was full dark" or something equally vague, and we never figure out how exactly she did escape. What I thought was one of the main problems with this book is that the author might have missed the memo about showing, not telling. There were random sentences like "So and so didn't like to do this or that because of X." and it was completely vague as to who's thought that had been, or how we would have known about it, I think it must have been some kind of general narrator but this was never very clear.
Then, the great dilemma at the end is just absurd. This supposed future set in stone is absolutely ridiculous and there is no reason whatsoever to make the ending so dramatic other than trying to force some sort of emotion from the reader so that it therefore might be considered a good book.
It's not.
March 30, 2013
I have been hesitating for a while now, not being sure on how I wanted this review to go. But I did receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review, and even though there won't be any goshing or any happy dancing going on (guessing the rating gave that much away), I still feel that there should be a review. So here we go. (Brutally honest I'm afraid.)
The plot itself had potential. The execution ...
The omniscient narrator confused me. A lot. The POV changed all the time. At times it was like it would change in the middle of a sentence? More than once I had to go back in order to understand what was happening and who was saying/thinking what. Often I wasn't sure how much each character knew about the other. And I didn't see how that was to add to the story or my experience. Again I did not believe that it was deliberate on the writers part.
The writing to me left something to be desired. I would have liked it if it had some more flow to it. Fx the almost constant use of the characters names in every line. Instead the use of pronouns could have maybe added a bit of variation. Alteration between longer and shorter sentences might also have had a positive effect. At least I found the language/writing came across some what simple, because most lines where short/cut off. It gives it kind of an staccato feel. And in this context I didn't see how it added anything (good). Maybe because I didn't believe it was deliberate on the writers part.
The story also had a lot of dialogue. Maybe too much for my liking. There were several parts of it that I didn't find believable.
Parts were skipped where I thought it would have been obvious with more explanation or description; parts where unnecessarily (overly) described where it slowed the pace. An example of the first: the development of the love between Nalick and Leila - It just happened? She hated him, then she saw something, and on the next page she loved him?
On top of that there were quite a few repetition (like how Leila "doubting her decision", and mentioning of what Erich ones meant to her). A couple of inconsistencies.
And lastly I will mention something that proved a big distraction for me. The grammatical errors (typos, incorrect usage of tenses, "her" instead of "here", ect.); and not just a couple of them. Those were errors that could have easily been caught in an extra proofreading, and they were very distracting to me. Oh, very, very.
For me it comes down to this: Had it been 1 or maybe two of these things that urked me, the positives could have outweighed those negative points. But that just wasn't the case with this.
I was never captured by the story. And through the end, I am sorry to say, I actually felt it a struggle to finish the book.
It felt like it lacked some effort. This sounds harsh, I know. And it might not be the case. Never the less, I as a reader was left with the feeling, that the book could have benefited from ... some more effort (more structure, clearer narration, cutting characters/scenes that aren't essential, more character development) and a good proofreading. And in the end, what the reader takes away from the book is what matters, right? Of course I am only one reader!
I have seen other reviews on this novel, and at first a had quite a bit of trouble trying to figure out the reasoning behind the number of stars given. So many stars. But upon reading the actual reviews I saw some of the same critique points that have caught my attention as well. Therefore I have drawn the conclusion, that those other reviewers are just ... more generous with their stars. I really wish that I could give this book at least two stars, but I can't do that while also being honest in my rating. So: 1 star. Had I felt the execution of it to be better, it could very well have been at least two stars.
The plot itself had potential. The execution ...
The omniscient narrator confused me. A lot. The POV changed all the time. At times it was like it would change in the middle of a sentence? More than once I had to go back in order to understand what was happening and who was saying/thinking what. Often I wasn't sure how much each character knew about the other. And I didn't see how that was to add to the story or my experience. Again I did not believe that it was deliberate on the writers part.
The writing to me left something to be desired. I would have liked it if it had some more flow to it. Fx the almost constant use of the characters names in every line. Instead the use of pronouns could have maybe added a bit of variation. Alteration between longer and shorter sentences might also have had a positive effect. At least I found the language/writing came across some what simple, because most lines where short/cut off. It gives it kind of an staccato feel. And in this context I didn't see how it added anything (good). Maybe because I didn't believe it was deliberate on the writers part.
The story also had a lot of dialogue. Maybe too much for my liking. There were several parts of it that I didn't find believable.
Parts were skipped where I thought it would have been obvious with more explanation or description; parts where unnecessarily (overly) described where it slowed the pace. An example of the first: the development of the love between Nalick and Leila - It just happened? She hated him, then she saw something, and on the next page she loved him?
On top of that there were quite a few repetition (like how Leila "doubting her decision", and mentioning of what Erich ones meant to her). A couple of inconsistencies.
And lastly I will mention something that proved a big distraction for me. The grammatical errors (typos, incorrect usage of tenses, "her" instead of "here", ect.); and not just a couple of them. Those were errors that could have easily been caught in an extra proofreading, and they were very distracting to me. Oh, very, very.
For me it comes down to this: Had it been 1 or maybe two of these things that urked me, the positives could have outweighed those negative points. But that just wasn't the case with this.
I was never captured by the story. And through the end, I am sorry to say, I actually felt it a struggle to finish the book.
It felt like it lacked some effort. This sounds harsh, I know. And it might not be the case. Never the less, I as a reader was left with the feeling, that the book could have benefited from ... some more effort (more structure, clearer narration, cutting characters/scenes that aren't essential, more character development) and a good proofreading. And in the end, what the reader takes away from the book is what matters, right? Of course I am only one reader!
I have seen other reviews on this novel, and at first a had quite a bit of trouble trying to figure out the reasoning behind the number of stars given. So many stars. But upon reading the actual reviews I saw some of the same critique points that have caught my attention as well. Therefore I have drawn the conclusion, that those other reviewers are just ... more generous with their stars. I really wish that I could give this book at least two stars, but I can't do that while also being honest in my rating. So: 1 star. Had I felt the execution of it to be better, it could very well have been at least two stars.
April 28, 2013
Ebook copy provided by author through the group We ♥ YA Books! in exchange of an honest review
Rating: 3.5 stars
Benét Leila is the best courier there can ever be. She follows strict rules as to not fail in any of her assignments. But when her best friend Kay is in the hands of King Nalick, she has to offer and break the most important rule of all: not to fall in love again. After exchanging her hand in marriage for her friend to escape, both Leila and Nalick begin to like the other -- or at least not hate mutually -- and just when you thought things could be already bad for Leila, all the kings around want to marry her. Putting her life at risk, and the ones she loves, at risk.
My thoughts on this book are very contradicting. But I'm gonna start by praising and then complain. Mrs. B. Kristin McMichael, I want to congratulate you on writing this excellent story that trapped me from the very beginning. It's hard to be an indie author because people automatically think that these kinds of books aren't worth reading. I beg to differ. And for this being your first book (that I know of), it was really good. I personally liked the cover a lot. Covers are really essential when it comes to attracting the reader (whether we like it or not). And having a good cover means that you actually care for this book. Thumbs up for that!
Now to what has my brain contradicting itself a bit:
I liked the characters. I perceived the images of the kings to be quite good and what I'd expect of kings in a time that I think would be the past (or I felt it was like that anyways). But that's not the point here, it's actually Leila and Nalick I'm concerned about. At the beginning, both Leila and Nalick make me perceive that they both dislike each other greatly. Leila seems like the kind of woman who is very stubborn and won't change her mind on important things so easily. So it caught me off guard when she went along with the whole wedding thing, defending Nalick, not making tantrums as one would expect. And Nalick changed too. He looked like the big bad wolf but then Leila saw him as someone gentle, caring, etc. Though, I understand that eventually they had to love each other for the plot to work out for what the end awaited. But I would have liked if this sudden change was slowed down at first, to let the reader know that Leila was really upset and rebellious, and that Nalick as smug, and arrogant, and all those stuff kings do when they get what they want.
Other than that confusion at the first few chapters, the story went well. What might have bothered me (aren't I going to stop?! lol) was that it became predictable that something was going to happen to Leila (I don't want to spoil). It left me wanting to at least deduct for myself what was happening in some things. But it got compensated with the mystery of Nalick, Roger and Anatolio, knowing something really important.
Now to praise something again... The story is really funny in some parts and extremely frustrating at others. The characters are wonderful and really thought through. The end was so shocking and bittersweet... It left me wondering what was going to happen, why it had to happen, it really broke my heart...
I'd say that this is a worthy read. Give it a try. It has it's action, adventure, humor, and romantic parts that's ought to gain the attention of both male and female readers. And it certainly won't leave your find for at least a week, making you wonder this and that, what would've happen if things had turned out the other way, and so on.
Thanks to the author for providing the ARR! :D xx
Rating: 3.5 stars
Benét Leila is the best courier there can ever be. She follows strict rules as to not fail in any of her assignments. But when her best friend Kay is in the hands of King Nalick, she has to offer and break the most important rule of all: not to fall in love again. After exchanging her hand in marriage for her friend to escape, both Leila and Nalick begin to like the other -- or at least not hate mutually -- and just when you thought things could be already bad for Leila, all the kings around want to marry her. Putting her life at risk, and the ones she loves, at risk.
My thoughts on this book are very contradicting. But I'm gonna start by praising and then complain. Mrs. B. Kristin McMichael, I want to congratulate you on writing this excellent story that trapped me from the very beginning. It's hard to be an indie author because people automatically think that these kinds of books aren't worth reading. I beg to differ. And for this being your first book (that I know of), it was really good. I personally liked the cover a lot. Covers are really essential when it comes to attracting the reader (whether we like it or not). And having a good cover means that you actually care for this book. Thumbs up for that!
Now to what has my brain contradicting itself a bit:
I liked the characters. I perceived the images of the kings to be quite good and what I'd expect of kings in a time that I think would be the past (or I felt it was like that anyways). But that's not the point here, it's actually Leila and Nalick I'm concerned about. At the beginning, both Leila and Nalick make me perceive that they both dislike each other greatly. Leila seems like the kind of woman who is very stubborn and won't change her mind on important things so easily. So it caught me off guard when she went along with the whole wedding thing, defending Nalick, not making tantrums as one would expect. And Nalick changed too. He looked like the big bad wolf but then Leila saw him as someone gentle, caring, etc. Though, I understand that eventually they had to love each other for the plot to work out for what the end awaited. But I would have liked if this sudden change was slowed down at first, to let the reader know that Leila was really upset and rebellious, and that Nalick as smug, and arrogant, and all those stuff kings do when they get what they want.
Other than that confusion at the first few chapters, the story went well. What might have bothered me (aren't I going to stop?! lol) was that it became predictable that something was going to happen to Leila (I don't want to spoil). It left me wanting to at least deduct for myself what was happening in some things. But it got compensated with the mystery of Nalick, Roger and Anatolio, knowing something really important.
Now to praise something again... The story is really funny in some parts and extremely frustrating at others. The characters are wonderful and really thought through. The end was so shocking and bittersweet... It left me wondering what was going to happen, why it had to happen, it really broke my heart...
I'd say that this is a worthy read. Give it a try. It has it's action, adventure, humor, and romantic parts that's ought to gain the attention of both male and female readers. And it certainly won't leave your find for at least a week, making you wonder this and that, what would've happen if things had turned out the other way, and so on.
Thanks to the author for providing the ARR! :D xx
May 30, 2013
This review is also available on my blog confessions of a broke bibliophile
for the most part this did not read like the first book of a self published author. From the beginning we are thrown into the action as Kay is trying to escape from the guards, this immediately caught my attention and i connected with her almost straight away, however this was not her story. it was Leila's cue her arriving in the next scene in a comparably dull entrance and unfortunately in my opinion this did not change all that much through out the book. Leila was the quintessential "perfect" character that i must say i kind of hate, although this somehow was contradicted many times as well. she was the "best" courier seen as the "ghost courier" (that even while Kay was running for her life in the first scene, she still found the time to look up to) and yet she has apparently been caught so many times , and apparently has 0 awareness i was expecting some sought of reaction when the king moved her when she was sleeping but nup nada nothing. however when she is caught she always manages to escape... usually with her feminine wiles, because despite being able to blend in she apparently seems to be the most beautiful girl any of these men have ever seen, and i am still wondering what is so special about her? then we come to King Nalick... who while i think he is charming and all the rest i don't see what Leila thought was different about him compared to all the other kings vying for her hand in marriage, this i think is where this novel fell down for me one of the big requirements Leila said about marrying him is there would have to be love... and i was waiting for them to actually fall in love i wanted some courtship, instead the next day she tattoos herself (which basically seems to be the human version of branding in this book) into his family. it is because of me not believing in this relationship that the ending which while admittedly was bittersweet i did not find to be the sad ending i was warned about.
this all in all was just not what i was expecting i was expecting a kick ass heroine with great fight scenes ala Yelena in poison study... which may have been the problem ... i was comparing it to one of my favorite books. i found the fight scenes lacking and clinical simply telling us what she did without any sought of description into how and they became almost non events.
finally i would like to say something about the writing style which while original i am starting to see more of at the moment. the writing style was a weird mix of 3rd person and 1st person with it being written in the 3rd person as if you were a mind reader this is not a writing style that i personally choose to read as i feel it lends itself to a story being told and not experienced, however i can understand why she did this as the story has so much to do with what characters are thinking.
while this book was not quite what i was expecting and not exactly my cup of tea i see potential in McMichael and i imagine this book will be enjoyed by many people.
for the most part this did not read like the first book of a self published author. From the beginning we are thrown into the action as Kay is trying to escape from the guards, this immediately caught my attention and i connected with her almost straight away, however this was not her story. it was Leila's cue her arriving in the next scene in a comparably dull entrance and unfortunately in my opinion this did not change all that much through out the book. Leila was the quintessential "perfect" character that i must say i kind of hate, although this somehow was contradicted many times as well. she was the "best" courier seen as the "ghost courier" (that even while Kay was running for her life in the first scene, she still found the time to look up to) and yet she has apparently been caught so many times , and apparently has 0 awareness i was expecting some sought of reaction when the king moved her when she was sleeping but nup nada nothing. however when she is caught she always manages to escape... usually with her feminine wiles, because despite being able to blend in she apparently seems to be the most beautiful girl any of these men have ever seen, and i am still wondering what is so special about her? then we come to King Nalick... who while i think he is charming and all the rest i don't see what Leila thought was different about him compared to all the other kings vying for her hand in marriage, this i think is where this novel fell down for me one of the big requirements Leila said about marrying him is there would have to be love... and i was waiting for them to actually fall in love i wanted some courtship, instead the next day she tattoos herself (which basically seems to be the human version of branding in this book) into his family. it is because of me not believing in this relationship that the ending which while admittedly was bittersweet i did not find to be the sad ending i was warned about.
this all in all was just not what i was expecting i was expecting a kick ass heroine with great fight scenes ala Yelena in poison study... which may have been the problem ... i was comparing it to one of my favorite books. i found the fight scenes lacking and clinical simply telling us what she did without any sought of description into how and they became almost non events.
finally i would like to say something about the writing style which while original i am starting to see more of at the moment. the writing style was a weird mix of 3rd person and 1st person with it being written in the 3rd person as if you were a mind reader this is not a writing style that i personally choose to read as i feel it lends itself to a story being told and not experienced, however i can understand why she did this as the story has so much to do with what characters are thinking.
while this book was not quite what i was expecting and not exactly my cup of tea i see potential in McMichael and i imagine this book will be enjoyed by many people.
May 23, 2013
I was given a free eBook copy by the author in exchange for a review. The read 4 review was offered through my Goodreads group Never Too Old For Y. A. Books. To sum up the story line, Leila is a courier; a one woman kick-butt fighting chick who steals things for a living. She encounters Nalick a King who, like every other king wants to marry her. Why not? She is gorgeous, witty, smart sexy and can take care of herself. He convinces Leila to marry him by kidnapping her best friend Kay and offering Kay’s freedom in exchange for Leila’s.
Let me start out by saying that I absolutely loved the story. It was fast paced, packed with action and full of suspense. The world building was well done and I could envision everything that was described. There were no flaws in the story that I noticed and everything fell into place and made sense. The main character Leila is a treasure. She is beautiful, sexy, smart, and cunning, and can fight her way out of any mess. She is often called the “ghost courier” for her tendency to escape any prison. The secret to her success is revealed in the story but I won’t give it away here. She is a truly likable character even if she is a little over the top. I mean she is perfect but in a good way. Kind of like superman is too perfect but totally makes sense in the story.
Nalick the king is the love interest in the story. I was not fussy on the way that Leila falls for him so quickly given the way she was forced to stay, but put that aside and the interaction between the characters is very real and believable. He is a likable person despite his flaws and referenced ruthlessness. His feelings for Leila are very believable and I love the two together.
Having said all that there were some flaws in the book, mainly the missing words, grammar errors and run on paragraphs that left me a little confused as I had to read them over a few times to understand what was going on. It didn't detract from the story but a good editor would be worth looking into to make it flawless and more seamless to the reader.
Some of the minor characters were well thought out and characterized and I loved Anatolio and Roger. Some of the other characters however could have been downplayed a little as it distracted me from the main plot. There were too many characters to keep track of and the description of everything that went on made it harder to keep up with the main story line.
Overall, I loved the story. I was swept away by the suspense and kept on the edge of my seat. The ending promised to be sad, however I found it was fitting to the story line and made me a little emotional at the end.
I think the author did a wonderful job with the story and look forward to reading another of her well thought out books. I give it 4 stars.
Let me start out by saying that I absolutely loved the story. It was fast paced, packed with action and full of suspense. The world building was well done and I could envision everything that was described. There were no flaws in the story that I noticed and everything fell into place and made sense. The main character Leila is a treasure. She is beautiful, sexy, smart, and cunning, and can fight her way out of any mess. She is often called the “ghost courier” for her tendency to escape any prison. The secret to her success is revealed in the story but I won’t give it away here. She is a truly likable character even if she is a little over the top. I mean she is perfect but in a good way. Kind of like superman is too perfect but totally makes sense in the story.
Nalick the king is the love interest in the story. I was not fussy on the way that Leila falls for him so quickly given the way she was forced to stay, but put that aside and the interaction between the characters is very real and believable. He is a likable person despite his flaws and referenced ruthlessness. His feelings for Leila are very believable and I love the two together.
Having said all that there were some flaws in the book, mainly the missing words, grammar errors and run on paragraphs that left me a little confused as I had to read them over a few times to understand what was going on. It didn't detract from the story but a good editor would be worth looking into to make it flawless and more seamless to the reader.
Some of the minor characters were well thought out and characterized and I loved Anatolio and Roger. Some of the other characters however could have been downplayed a little as it distracted me from the main plot. There were too many characters to keep track of and the description of everything that went on made it harder to keep up with the main story line.
Overall, I loved the story. I was swept away by the suspense and kept on the edge of my seat. The ending promised to be sad, however I found it was fitting to the story line and made me a little emotional at the end.
I think the author did a wonderful job with the story and look forward to reading another of her well thought out books. I give it 4 stars.
June 1, 2013
I have to say I loved every moment of this book. From page one all the way to the bittersweet and unexpected ending. I love the world of this book Lexia the desert city, Dria the river city, North Country the mountain city, each with their own unique way of life and each equally descriptive and beautiful. I especially love the characterization, each character has a different unique personality with their own individual quirks. I loved that I could relate to each and every one of them. I also like that the true bad guy in this novel is fate, life, and time. Though their were bad people they were not the main culprit. I haven't ever read a book quite like this one. It was unique and original. I loved how it was more about how she lived her life then her saving the world or some cliche thing. It was well developed, well thought out, and well written. The imagery was beautiful. My favorite part of the whole book was the characterization and the lives and choices each character made. It's been a long time since I've read a book like this not since Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran.
This book is about a woman named Leila who is a courier. Her friend gets caught one day and Leila barters her life for her friends. Nalick the king that caught her makes a deal with her if she stays and marries him he will let her friend go. Nalick is doing this in the beginning because his seer saw that Leila and he were fated to be together. At first I was pissed at Nalick for forcing her into this when she didn't want it but later I found he was a sweet, caring man that just wanted her to stay long enough to get to know him. I love how their relationship grows. Its slow but because it is its realistic, and there is no denying that they love each other. The other nobles of Lexia don't like Leila because she's a commoner and other kings are trying to kidnap her to make her their bride also, so their lives are hardly dull.
Leila is so cool. She can definitely take care of herself. She's strong-willed, head-strong, and stubborn, but she's also trustworthy, caring, and has a huge heart that is loyal and pure. I loved the children Phillip, Tim, and Ruth. They were adorable and just had my heart melting from the first page. Nalick is a strict and scary king, but underneath he's caring, loving, and a little bit of an anxious worrywart. But he's handsome and has a heart of gold. Anatolio well his character was incredibly done. He was Leila's protector, her shadow. He knew everything about her and he truly cared about her. Now I don't want to give the ending away so all I'm going to say is pay attention to his character because he plays a major role in Leila's life later.
This book is about a woman named Leila who is a courier. Her friend gets caught one day and Leila barters her life for her friends. Nalick the king that caught her makes a deal with her if she stays and marries him he will let her friend go. Nalick is doing this in the beginning because his seer saw that Leila and he were fated to be together. At first I was pissed at Nalick for forcing her into this when she didn't want it but later I found he was a sweet, caring man that just wanted her to stay long enough to get to know him. I love how their relationship grows. Its slow but because it is its realistic, and there is no denying that they love each other. The other nobles of Lexia don't like Leila because she's a commoner and other kings are trying to kidnap her to make her their bride also, so their lives are hardly dull.
Leila is so cool. She can definitely take care of herself. She's strong-willed, head-strong, and stubborn, but she's also trustworthy, caring, and has a huge heart that is loyal and pure. I loved the children Phillip, Tim, and Ruth. They were adorable and just had my heart melting from the first page. Nalick is a strict and scary king, but underneath he's caring, loving, and a little bit of an anxious worrywart. But he's handsome and has a heart of gold. Anatolio well his character was incredibly done. He was Leila's protector, her shadow. He knew everything about her and he truly cared about her. Now I don't want to give the ending away so all I'm going to say is pay attention to his character because he plays a major role in Leila's life later.
June 10, 2013
One of the biggest draws for me when reading this book was that the story was original. The world established by McMichael was very clear to me, despite discrepancies of an actual time (i.e. toy cars vs. actual cars exisiting). I love how we get the details and world of the courier throughout the novel, and just the fact that the novel dealt more with this type of character and strayed from the over-done fantasy novels of vampire/zombie/elf/insert-monster-of-choice-here. It was definitely a nice change. Leila is cast as the tough, yet lovable heroine, who smarts off and fends for herself most of the time. There are wonderfully developed side characters who support our eventual band of brothers, if you will; such as Roger, Anatolio, Phillip, Tim, Ruth, etc.
Although I am a strong believer in telling the story you want to tell as a hopeful future editor, there were a few suggestions I would like to merely mention.
Overall, this was a wonderful read. I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy novels, and are looking for something different than the over-done, run-of-the-mill reads out today.
Although I am a strong believer in telling the story you want to tell as a hopeful future editor, there were a few suggestions I would like to merely mention.
Overall, this was a wonderful read. I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy novels, and are looking for something different than the over-done, run-of-the-mill reads out today.
March 28, 2013
I was fortunate to receive this book in exchange for an honest review by the author.
I really enjoyed this book. I admit that the beginning was kind of hard for me to get into because I wasn't used to the author's writing style, but afterwards I was just drawn into the story and its characters. All the characters were great. I fell in love with Nalick. He was just so sweet and caring, and he won me over just like he did with Leila. There were so many other characters that I liked too including Leila, Anatolia, Roger, Phillip, Marx, Theo. There's too many characters to name, but they all made the story that much better with their different personalities.
The only thing that I didn't particularly like in the story was that some parts felt a bit rushed and unrealistic. I thought that some things happened a bit too fast, like the romance, but I still loved it. The relationship between Leila and Nalick was just so sweet. And also, while I appreciate a heroine who can kick ass and take care of herself, I found Leila's ability to get herself out of dangerous situations mostly by herself too easy and unrealistic at times. I kind of wanted Nalick to come charging to her rescue and show off his warrior skills at least once in a while. I also didn't really understand why the kings wanted to marry her. I knew she was like a legendary courier and very beautiful, but other than that it didn't quite make sense why all the kings wanted her.
Now, the ending. It was definitely not what I was expecting. I had mixed emotions about it. I was angry, sad, and happy. It made me want to cry yet I found myself quite satisfied with how it ended. Thoughstill kind of unsettles me. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were many sweet and tender moments in this story, as well as some action and humor. This story was unlike any other I've read before, and I'm very thankful to the author for giving me this opportunity to read such an amazing book.
I really enjoyed this book. I admit that the beginning was kind of hard for me to get into because I wasn't used to the author's writing style, but afterwards I was just drawn into the story and its characters. All the characters were great. I fell in love with Nalick. He was just so sweet and caring, and he won me over just like he did with Leila. There were so many other characters that I liked too including Leila, Anatolia, Roger, Phillip, Marx, Theo. There's too many characters to name, but they all made the story that much better with their different personalities.
The only thing that I didn't particularly like in the story was that some parts felt a bit rushed and unrealistic. I thought that some things happened a bit too fast, like the romance, but I still loved it. The relationship between Leila and Nalick was just so sweet. And also, while I appreciate a heroine who can kick ass and take care of herself, I found Leila's ability to get herself out of dangerous situations mostly by herself too easy and unrealistic at times. I kind of wanted Nalick to come charging to her rescue and show off his warrior skills at least once in a while. I also didn't really understand why the kings wanted to marry her. I knew she was like a legendary courier and very beautiful, but other than that it didn't quite make sense why all the kings wanted her.
Now, the ending. It was definitely not what I was expecting. I had mixed emotions about it. I was angry, sad, and happy. It made me want to cry yet I found myself quite satisfied with how it ended. Thoughstill kind of unsettles me. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were many sweet and tender moments in this story, as well as some action and humor. This story was unlike any other I've read before, and I'm very thankful to the author for giving me this opportunity to read such an amazing book.
May 20, 2013
All right so lets start here.. I normally do not read this genre. I enjoy fantasy, just not something I normally pick up. I am glad that I had the chance to read it. What I found was a fresh story, that I became engrossed in very quickly. It has a great fantasy theme, and the author took me on one hell of a ride.
Leila is a courier. She is a very determined and full of courage. I think this helps her. Since Leila has enemies! She is one that others want to possess.Her compassion and just overall the way she lives her life, her person as a whole keeps others interested.
King Nalick.. I enjoyed his character. He was different than I expected.. That was a good thing! Leila sees things differently because of Nalick.
All three of the main characters were well written, intriguing and so very interesting. Bravo! Anatolio too! They all make you like them, want to know more about them. I did however enjoy the relationship of Leila and Nalick more. It had just the right build within the story.
Twists and turns on every page. I really cannot even tell you more without giving it away! You just have to read the story! Honestly what I imagined would have happened is not at all what happens! I think my mouth hit the floor.. LITERALLY! Really it was just WOW! Rug pulled out from under me.. Wow!
The last part of the book, well minus the tears.(Yes I cried!) It left me wanting more. I needed another twist, another turn.. something! The author delivers, it just blew me away. Honestly see above statement about mouth hitting floor. The epilogue did give me more of what I needed. I was left settled but still thinking about it, that in my mind defines a good read. If you are looking for a good YA fantasy fiction this is for you.
April 29, 2013
Leila is a ghost courier and one of the best there is at it. She helps people who need it and this includes her friend Kay. Kay takes on a job she should not have took. It is up to Leila to get her out of trouble. The problem is the price is marriage to a king who she doesn't like. Nalick is a king that is powerful and not a very nice n from what Leila knows about him. She may just see another side to him as time goes by but she has to love him. With a bad history of caring for people and getting hurt she has to learn to open up. They also have to face her past enemies and other Kings who want her for their own.
When I first started reading this I was sure if I was going to like it. It is quite different from other books I have read. I was a little confused about what was going on. The more I read the more I got into it and started to really like it. Leila thinking she knew all about King Nalick she gets know the other side of him as she spends time him. Leila is strong and really sweet and helpful to a lot of people who need it. Nalick turns out to be someone different than what I expected. He is really a sweetheart and tries every way to show his love to Leila. One of my favorite scenes is when Leila gets to hear about Nalick and two of his friends when they were young. It gives you a good insight to what he was like and what kind of bond the three boys have. This book has plenty of action and adventure with the sweet romance in it as well. I will say that while I can see several people won't like the ending I think the author did a great job on it. I was surprised by it. Good book all around once you get into it.
When I first started reading this I was sure if I was going to like it. It is quite different from other books I have read. I was a little confused about what was going on. The more I read the more I got into it and started to really like it. Leila thinking she knew all about King Nalick she gets know the other side of him as she spends time him. Leila is strong and really sweet and helpful to a lot of people who need it. Nalick turns out to be someone different than what I expected. He is really a sweetheart and tries every way to show his love to Leila. One of my favorite scenes is when Leila gets to hear about Nalick and two of his friends when they were young. It gives you a good insight to what he was like and what kind of bond the three boys have. This book has plenty of action and adventure with the sweet romance in it as well. I will say that while I can see several people won't like the ending I think the author did a great job on it. I was surprised by it. Good book all around once you get into it.
June 2, 2013
First thank you to B. Kristin McMichael and Never Too Old For Young Adult for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I have a thing for kings and queens era books and I was really excited to read this.
When I started the book I forgot what the summary said so I was kind of confused when it started with Kay and I remembered that Leila was actually the main character. Also, there were many typos. Repeat words or words that weren't meant to be there but it's nothing that a good edit couldn't fix.
I was a little confused with the constant switching of POVs but I definitely think it added to the story knowing more than just what Leila thought, I just think it could have better transitions.
I thought it was a great and original idea and I loved the whole underlying theme of fate. If you had a chance to know how your whole life would play out and everyone you cared about would you want to know?
I don't blame Leila for not wanting to, but I also know why someone might.
While the ending wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be (the people who complained about it must not have read very many sad stories), a few tears did roll down my cheek.
I realized I did get very attached to the characters and because it was written so well I was emotional at the end.
I praise the author for this wonderful story and will definitely be checking out her other works.
I really enjoyed this book. I have a thing for kings and queens era books and I was really excited to read this.
When I started the book I forgot what the summary said so I was kind of confused when it started with Kay and I remembered that Leila was actually the main character. Also, there were many typos. Repeat words or words that weren't meant to be there but it's nothing that a good edit couldn't fix.
I was a little confused with the constant switching of POVs but I definitely think it added to the story knowing more than just what Leila thought, I just think it could have better transitions.
I thought it was a great and original idea and I loved the whole underlying theme of fate. If you had a chance to know how your whole life would play out and everyone you cared about would you want to know?
I don't blame Leila for not wanting to, but I also know why someone might.
While the ending wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be (the people who complained about it must not have read very many sad stories), a few tears did roll down my cheek.
I realized I did get very attached to the characters and because it was written so well I was emotional at the end.
I praise the author for this wonderful story and will definitely be checking out her other works.
June 18, 2013
Oh my gosh!!!! I was blown away by this novel!! In all honesty, that was the best book I have read this year. The characters were very well developed and the plot was amazing! Hearing the love story of Leila and Nalick was beautiful. The ending was very bittersweet. I won't reveal what happens because everyone seriously needs to read this book! I normally don't write reviews but this one defiantly deserves one. I can normally guess the outcome of the book but tho one kept me guessing until the very end! The children were adorable and Leila matured into a smart, young woman. Her wisdom and grace were far beyond her 18 years. B. Kristen McMichael, bravo! I absolutely, positively loved this book! I couldn't put it down! I read it in 2 days! I love how you incorporated the title into the ending of the book. It made me cry like I have never cried before! I felt the love that both Nalick and Leila had for each other. It was so powerful and deep that...just....wow. THE FEELS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC! It was clean and very appropriate which I loved! 10 stars! No 20!! AHHHH!! Just wow!
June 1, 2013
I received an ARC for an honest review. I don't really like to give out stars but if I did this would fall somewhere between 3.5 and 4.
I wanted to read this one because it was different from what I would normally read. I ended up really liking it.
Leila was a strong character and I really loved her. Between her loyalty to her friend ( I mean she ends up getting kidnapped trying to save her- that's a big deal) and her strength in learning to love again I was really a fan. I also loved her relationship with Anatolio.
I also liked Nalick. I knew I would though. I had a gut feeling that the image of him created ( even if there was any bit of truth to it) wasn't totally accurate or that at least there was the side of him he let Leila see.
I can't really pinpoint why I didn't love this and just liked it. The ending to me was a bit sad (others say bittersweet and i think that is accurate) and I do admit to being a lover of the HEA. But it was still really well done. And it wasn't a sad ending really. It was done well.
I did cry and I do think that any author that can invoke that kind of emotion is a good one.
I wanted to read this one because it was different from what I would normally read. I ended up really liking it.
Leila was a strong character and I really loved her. Between her loyalty to her friend ( I mean she ends up getting kidnapped trying to save her- that's a big deal) and her strength in learning to love again I was really a fan. I also loved her relationship with Anatolio.
I also liked Nalick. I knew I would though. I had a gut feeling that the image of him created ( even if there was any bit of truth to it) wasn't totally accurate or that at least there was the side of him he let Leila see.
I can't really pinpoint why I didn't love this and just liked it. The ending to me was a bit sad (others say bittersweet and i think that is accurate) and I do admit to being a lover of the HEA. But it was still really well done. And it wasn't a sad ending really. It was done well.
I did cry and I do think that any author that can invoke that kind of emotion is a good one.
March 10, 2013
I was given the oppertunity to read this book in return for an honest review. After reading the blurb I knew it was something that, I wouldnt normally read but still thought the story sounded interesting and was happy to give it a chance.
Im glad that i did! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found all of the main characters intruiging. After a couple of chapters in i was excited to see where the story was headed.
In fact i found it hard to put this book down :)
Leila was a strong and highly likeable character and it was nice to see her relationships develop with both the king and Anatolio.
If i had any qualms regarding this book it would be the ending... It happened so quickly. I was shocked it stopped where it did. That said, it could easily follow into a second book if the author chose to do so.
All in all a great read that i would recommend to my friends. Im glad i took a break from the norm and gave this book a try :)
Im glad that i did! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found all of the main characters intruiging. After a couple of chapters in i was excited to see where the story was headed.
In fact i found it hard to put this book down :)
Leila was a strong and highly likeable character and it was nice to see her relationships develop with both the king and Anatolio.
If i had any qualms regarding this book it would be the ending... It happened so quickly. I was shocked it stopped where it did. That said, it could easily follow into a second book if the author chose to do so.
All in all a great read that i would recommend to my friends. Im glad i took a break from the norm and gave this book a try :)
April 15, 2013
I wish I could give this book a 5-star review. I really do. It's just that although this book had an amazingly strong start, at about 70% into the book I could barely make myself keep reading it. I felt like the author stretched this story so much that it became almost boring.
Don't get me wrong- this book was absolutely amazing! The story was extremely unique, interesting and really gripping and the writing was really good! It just wasn't as great as it could have been. I felt like the ending was really rushed at some parts and stretched too thin on others. I would have much rather it had a sequel that contained all the information that was thrown onto the reader in the last couple chapters.
Overall, this was definitely a good book that's totally worth reading, even with the not-so-satisfying ending.
Don't get me wrong- this book was absolutely amazing! The story was extremely unique, interesting and really gripping and the writing was really good! It just wasn't as great as it could have been. I felt like the ending was really rushed at some parts and stretched too thin on others. I would have much rather it had a sequel that contained all the information that was thrown onto the reader in the last couple chapters.
Overall, this was definitely a good book that's totally worth reading, even with the not-so-satisfying ending.
February 12, 2013
This book was very interesting, I have not read anything quite like it which made it so much more exciting. It picks up pretty quickly and is easy and fun to read. The main character is funny and easy to relate to and the other characters are just as loveable. There is also a surprising twist at the end that caught me by surprise. I think this is a great book and would recommend it to others!
March 13, 2013
I received this book as a free copy for my honest review.
This was a great book. It caught me from the beginning and had me until the end. I have to admit that this book did make me cry towards the end because I never saw it coming. All of the characters were a delight to read about and the relationships between everyone was wonderful.
This was a great book. It caught me from the beginning and had me until the end. I have to admit that this book did make me cry towards the end because I never saw it coming. All of the characters were a delight to read about and the relationships between everyone was wonderful.
March 11, 2013
I loved this book. It was a good storyline with a twist I did not see coming. I do have mixed emotions about the twist, but I don't think I would like the story as much without the twist. I wish the author would have elaborated on the male lead a little more. I wanted to know more about him. However I still managed to fall for him. I would definitely recommend this book!
April 7, 2013
With reading The Legend of The Blue Eyes and finding that book quite enjoyable, I decided to read To Stand Beside Her as well. I didn't make a mistake in doing so, and I found this to be just as interesting and look forward to more from this author.
February 18, 2014
So painful. I couldn't even finish it...
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