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Abandoned Things
Frankie is a fifth-year college student with a secret. He's the writer and creator of the popular web novel Gold and Silver. At least, he thought he was the creator of it.
That belief is tested when one night Rook, the book's fan-favorite anti-hero, shows up outside Frankie's apartment, alive and very much real. Frankie isn't supposed to pick a favorite, but the wayward demon prince has always been his. Now that they've actually met, however, he finds keeping up with Rook's capricious nature exhausting at best and infuriating at worst. When he demands that Frankie rewrite the upcoming ending of the series, Frankie tries to resist, but Rook is known for getting his way, and he'll do anything and everything in his power to make sure Frankie complies with his wishes.
Rook Dalibor is the demon prince of the Bronze Kingdom, known for being clever and calculating. At least...that's who he's always thought he was.
After dying to protect someone, Rook wakes up in a strange land with even stranger people in it. There, he discovers Visera, his world, and everything in it is actually just part of an elaborate story written in a book. After reading the first two volumes, he's livid to discover that not only may he be the creation of some random writer, but he's also not even the main character. Determined to correct his story and prevent his untimely end, Rook sets out to force the writer's hand.
What starts out as a tumultuous relationship quickly turns into something else when they discover that Rook isn't the only character from the book that's entered the real world. Neko, one of the secondary villains has also found a way through the gateway, and he's brought his shadow monsters with him. Setting their differences aside, Rook and Frankie form a tentative truce to deal with Neko as they try to figure out how the gateways came to be and what the rules for traveling between realms entail. Along the way, Rook starts to realize the two of them may have more in common than he initially believed. But just as he starts to acknowledge he may have feelings for the writer, Sage, the main character in Frankie's story, suddenly appears.
Rook wants his happy ending, but what if he'll only be happy if he ends up with Frankie? Can he convince the writer to forget about the fact they started out as enemies and win him over, or will he forever be destined to play the part of the second male lead?
This is a slow-burn adult novel featuring a morally gray anti-hero and a writer trying to deal with old wounds. Please keep in mind there are themes in this book not suitable for younger readers, including explicit sexual scenes, violence, and a male lead who sometimes takes things too far. If you're looking for a knight in shining armor, Rook isn't the prince you're looking for. This is an enemies-to-lovers story and he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Trigger warnings include mention of an alcoholic parent, childhood trauma, and minor dub-con.
That belief is tested when one night Rook, the book's fan-favorite anti-hero, shows up outside Frankie's apartment, alive and very much real. Frankie isn't supposed to pick a favorite, but the wayward demon prince has always been his. Now that they've actually met, however, he finds keeping up with Rook's capricious nature exhausting at best and infuriating at worst. When he demands that Frankie rewrite the upcoming ending of the series, Frankie tries to resist, but Rook is known for getting his way, and he'll do anything and everything in his power to make sure Frankie complies with his wishes.
Rook Dalibor is the demon prince of the Bronze Kingdom, known for being clever and calculating. At least...that's who he's always thought he was.
After dying to protect someone, Rook wakes up in a strange land with even stranger people in it. There, he discovers Visera, his world, and everything in it is actually just part of an elaborate story written in a book. After reading the first two volumes, he's livid to discover that not only may he be the creation of some random writer, but he's also not even the main character. Determined to correct his story and prevent his untimely end, Rook sets out to force the writer's hand.
What starts out as a tumultuous relationship quickly turns into something else when they discover that Rook isn't the only character from the book that's entered the real world. Neko, one of the secondary villains has also found a way through the gateway, and he's brought his shadow monsters with him. Setting their differences aside, Rook and Frankie form a tentative truce to deal with Neko as they try to figure out how the gateways came to be and what the rules for traveling between realms entail. Along the way, Rook starts to realize the two of them may have more in common than he initially believed. But just as he starts to acknowledge he may have feelings for the writer, Sage, the main character in Frankie's story, suddenly appears.
Rook wants his happy ending, but what if he'll only be happy if he ends up with Frankie? Can he convince the writer to forget about the fact they started out as enemies and win him over, or will he forever be destined to play the part of the second male lead?
This is a slow-burn adult novel featuring a morally gray anti-hero and a writer trying to deal with old wounds. Please keep in mind there are themes in this book not suitable for younger readers, including explicit sexual scenes, violence, and a male lead who sometimes takes things too far. If you're looking for a knight in shining armor, Rook isn't the prince you're looking for. This is an enemies-to-lovers story and he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Trigger warnings include mention of an alcoholic parent, childhood trauma, and minor dub-con.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2023
112 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Chani Lynn Feener
68 books1,540 followersLibrarians, please don't add books. I stay up to date and add them myself and have ended up with many multiple copies because others add them later. Thank you!
Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...
Find her on Instagram @TempestChani
Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...
Find her on Instagram @TempestChani
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 10, 2023
Okay, enough is enough.
If I was a copy editor and had been hired to work on this book, I would have loved the job. There's something inherently fun about the setup for this take on the familiar premise of fictional characters coming to life in their creator's world. It would have been so satisfying to fix the many (many, many, many, many, many, many, many) typos along the way, knowing I was whipping the manuscript into publishable shape so other readers could enjoy it too.
But.
No one whipped this manuscript into shape. No one even threatened it with a vaguely concerned look. (And if I'm mistaken and anyone *was* paid to edit or proofread, they not only failed miserably, they should refund whatever they were paid, drop out of the business, don sackcloth and ashes, and spend at least five years groveling in order to atone for misrepresenting themselves as having any familiarity with the written form of the English language.)
One especially egregious recurring error is the bizarre misuse of apostrophes. These aren't actual quotes, but along the lines of: "The cow's came home. He could see mountain's in the distance. They ate bean's for supper."
Really.
Here's my advice: Don't buy this book. It was "free" for me through my KU subscription. Because I sampled it first, I knew perfectly well what I was getting into — the typos start in the third paragraph. But there was something cute (for lack of a better word) and charming about the setup, so I thought, "Why not...?" I honestly believe the author is talented — which makes it a shocking waste that she chose to publish an unedited defective version of this. I have to say I was stunned to learn it isn't her debut novel. She's actually published a bunch of books. Given that free proofreading assistance is almost always available to non-debut authors (via swapping the favor with other writers, recruiting friends, fan volunteers, etc), I think very poorly of her choice to try to take people's money away from them for an unedited defective version of a book.
But hey, that's just me! DNF @ 20% and moving on.
If I was a copy editor and had been hired to work on this book, I would have loved the job. There's something inherently fun about the setup for this take on the familiar premise of fictional characters coming to life in their creator's world. It would have been so satisfying to fix the many (many, many, many, many, many, many, many) typos along the way, knowing I was whipping the manuscript into publishable shape so other readers could enjoy it too.
But.
No one whipped this manuscript into shape. No one even threatened it with a vaguely concerned look. (And if I'm mistaken and anyone *was* paid to edit or proofread, they not only failed miserably, they should refund whatever they were paid, drop out of the business, don sackcloth and ashes, and spend at least five years groveling in order to atone for misrepresenting themselves as having any familiarity with the written form of the English language.)
One especially egregious recurring error is the bizarre misuse of apostrophes. These aren't actual quotes, but along the lines of: "The cow's came home. He could see mountain's in the distance. They ate bean's for supper."
Really.
Here's my advice: Don't buy this book. It was "free" for me through my KU subscription. Because I sampled it first, I knew perfectly well what I was getting into — the typos start in the third paragraph. But there was something cute (for lack of a better word) and charming about the setup, so I thought, "Why not...?" I honestly believe the author is talented — which makes it a shocking waste that she chose to publish an unedited defective version of this. I have to say I was stunned to learn it isn't her debut novel. She's actually published a bunch of books. Given that free proofreading assistance is almost always available to non-debut authors (via swapping the favor with other writers, recruiting friends, fan volunteers, etc), I think very poorly of her choice to try to take people's money away from them for an unedited defective version of a book.
But hey, that's just me! DNF @ 20% and moving on.
November 17, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this via BookSirens for free, and am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts.
2.5 rounded down. Chani is one of my fave authors right now, but I feel like this book fell a little flat when compared to her other works. And it's definitely not because this isn't a dark romance. 😂While I really liked the concept of the Stranger Than Fiction meets sort of reverse-isekai anime vibes, I could not buy into the romance (nor did I buy into the love triangle either.) It kind of just didn't really make sense to me how both guys were attracted to Frankie, to be honest? Which makes me feel bad, but like Frankie just felt flat incomparison to the rest of the cast and I think that if this had a little bit more about his past maybe that would've helped. It wasn't even just the insta-attraction. But again, the triangle just felt too forced. The mystery and the main conflict worked overall for me, though some parts of it felt a little rushed.
Overall, this book still give me some nice feels especially when it got towards the end, and Chani's easy breezy writing style still helped me read this in like two sittings, but the overall buildup didn't work for me.
----
10/4/23: I had trouble believing in the chemistry and the romance, but I still blazed through it. I think the love triangle overall didn't work for me either. The mystery of how things were happening and whatnot was pretty fun at least. Full RTC.
2.5 rounded down. Chani is one of my fave authors right now, but I feel like this book fell a little flat when compared to her other works. And it's definitely not because this isn't a dark romance. 😂While I really liked the concept of the Stranger Than Fiction meets sort of reverse-isekai anime vibes, I could not buy into the romance (nor did I buy into the love triangle either.) It kind of just didn't really make sense to me how both guys were attracted to Frankie, to be honest? Which makes me feel bad, but like Frankie just felt flat incomparison to the rest of the cast and I think that if this had a little bit more about his past maybe that would've helped. It wasn't even just the insta-attraction. But again, the triangle just felt too forced. The mystery and the main conflict worked overall for me, though some parts of it felt a little rushed.
Overall, this book still give me some nice feels especially when it got towards the end, and Chani's easy breezy writing style still helped me read this in like two sittings, but the overall buildup didn't work for me.
----
10/4/23: I had trouble believing in the chemistry and the romance, but I still blazed through it. I think the love triangle overall didn't work for me either. The mystery of how things were happening and whatnot was pretty fun at least. Full RTC.
September 8, 2023
Fun concept: a writer’s fictional characters come to life in the real world. That’s the short of it.
Chani brings great execution as usual, putting her own style on the trope.
It only keeps getting better the farther into it you get. Sloooow burn
That’s all I’ll say. Better to go in not knowing too much and let it all unravel for you.
Despite how the cover looks, this is not MMM.
”I don’t fuck like a character in a teen novel.” - Rook, the demon prince
Chani brings great execution as usual, putting her own style on the trope.
It only keeps getting better the farther into it you get. Sloooow burn
That’s all I’ll say. Better to go in not knowing too much and let it all unravel for you.
Despite how the cover looks, this is not MMM.
”I don’t fuck like a character in a teen novel.” - Rook, the demon prince
December 7, 2023
Chani is just a fabulous writer. this was over 600 pages and i had to read it slowly, but i'd think about it constantly while i was working fr. idk how she does it but her mind... is so powerful. i'm not usually one for sci-fi, but her brand of it doessss things to meee. i'm usually long-winded about her books, but i'd type forever if i tried to sum up all the things i loved about this. her plots go as hard as her romance.
i DO, however, wanna share my fav snippets bcs god, the way she writes jealousy? it's my catnip. she just gets me it's like she has insight into exactly what i ask for from a sexy mc and delivers it to me in written word until i'm foaming at the mouth.
“Too late for what?” Rook’s angry voice had Frankie jolting in his seat, quickly pulling his hand out from under Sage’s. The prince had just come back and was standing a few feet away with his arms crossed.
Sage rolled his eyes. “You really need to do something about that jealousy issue of yours. It’s incredibly unattractive.”
“Too late for what?” Rook insisted, eyes locked on Frankie, completely ignoring the King of Gold.
He’d wanted to talk to him about this anyway, hadn’t he? Since they’d been caught, he may as well get it over with.
“To get over you,” he offered, surprised when the statement came out firm and clear.
Rook seemed taken aback.
“It’s too late to get over you,” Frankie elaborated, just in case. Slowly, he stood and made his way over, stopping just in front of him. “So I’m not going to bother trying. Is that okay?”
He held his breath as he waited for a response, his heart sinking a little more with each passing second.
Then Rook closed the distance between them, the tips of his boots connecting with Frankie’s sneakers. He reached out and delved his fingers through the hair at the back of Frankie’s skull, pulled him in close so that their lips were a mere breath apart.
“Oh, Aardwolf,” he drawled, silky and suggestive, “there wasn’t even a slight chance I was going to let you run away from this. You can’t escape me.”
“You should work on that gross possessiveness too,” Sage chimed in.
“Shut up,” Frankie and Rook told him at the same time.
&
“Stop worrying about the King of Gold,” Rook told him. “You’re starting to make me jealous. Again.”
Frankie sighed. “Sage is right, you really do have to work on that. It’s not a cute look.”
Rook sent him a glare as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building and shut the car off. Undoing his seatbelt, he threw his hand over the back of Frankie’s seat and swiveled to face him. “Look me in the eye and say that.”
Frankie scowled. “Threatening me isn’t cute either.”
“You like me like this,” Rook disagreed, smirking. “You like me a little rough, a little bad. A little…” He licked his lips, drawing Frankie’s attention there instantly, “possessive.”
a blissful 5 stars and yet another couple to add to my rolodex of favorite mmcs. hallelujah
i DO, however, wanna share my fav snippets bcs god, the way she writes jealousy? it's my catnip. she just gets me it's like she has insight into exactly what i ask for from a sexy mc and delivers it to me in written word until i'm foaming at the mouth.
“Too late for what?” Rook’s angry voice had Frankie jolting in his seat, quickly pulling his hand out from under Sage’s. The prince had just come back and was standing a few feet away with his arms crossed.
Sage rolled his eyes. “You really need to do something about that jealousy issue of yours. It’s incredibly unattractive.”
“Too late for what?” Rook insisted, eyes locked on Frankie, completely ignoring the King of Gold.
He’d wanted to talk to him about this anyway, hadn’t he? Since they’d been caught, he may as well get it over with.
“To get over you,” he offered, surprised when the statement came out firm and clear.
Rook seemed taken aback.
“It’s too late to get over you,” Frankie elaborated, just in case. Slowly, he stood and made his way over, stopping just in front of him. “So I’m not going to bother trying. Is that okay?”
He held his breath as he waited for a response, his heart sinking a little more with each passing second.
Then Rook closed the distance between them, the tips of his boots connecting with Frankie’s sneakers. He reached out and delved his fingers through the hair at the back of Frankie’s skull, pulled him in close so that their lips were a mere breath apart.
“Oh, Aardwolf,” he drawled, silky and suggestive, “there wasn’t even a slight chance I was going to let you run away from this. You can’t escape me.”
“You should work on that gross possessiveness too,” Sage chimed in.
“Shut up,” Frankie and Rook told him at the same time.
&
“Stop worrying about the King of Gold,” Rook told him. “You’re starting to make me jealous. Again.”
Frankie sighed. “Sage is right, you really do have to work on that. It’s not a cute look.”
Rook sent him a glare as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building and shut the car off. Undoing his seatbelt, he threw his hand over the back of Frankie’s seat and swiveled to face him. “Look me in the eye and say that.”
Frankie scowled. “Threatening me isn’t cute either.”
“You like me like this,” Rook disagreed, smirking. “You like me a little rough, a little bad. A little…” He licked his lips, drawing Frankie’s attention there instantly, “possessive.”
a blissful 5 stars and yet another couple to add to my rolodex of favorite mmcs. hallelujah
February 3, 2023
*I received an ecopy of this book via BookSirens. This has not influenced my review.*
A writer’s characters coming to life is not a new idea, but the way this author wrote it was a lot of fun! It wasn’t just a character showing up in the real world, it was multiple characters showing up (including a villain), the MC (Frankie) traveling into the book world, and a whole magic system for how it all worked, how they were traveling back and forth, and how it affected Frankie’s story and the lives of the characters he’d created. Or maybe not created, since the characters and world went beyond what he had written or even known about them… All of this made for an attention-grabbing and interesting story with a fairly fast pace and plenty of action and stakes that was part low/paranormal/urban fantasy in our world and part portal fantasy in the world Frankie’s characters were from.
Another especially cool thing was how the author delved into Frankie’s feelings about finding out the world and characters he’d created were real. He thought he was just writing about fictional people who would never actually suffer, only to suddenly be faced with the idea that they were real and he gave them trauma and emotional struggles and killed off their loved ones and nearly killed off Rook himself.
The one place this fell a little short for me was in the romance. They spent time together in a dangerous situation, and Frankie already knew a lot about Rook, so I could understand him falling quickly after meeting him as a real person and seeing sides to him that he hadn’t seen before. But I didn’t quite feel Rook’s feelings. I’m not exactly sure why. I think I needed a few more scenes with the two of them bonding or having fun or sharing emotional intimacy or something. But it was still sweet and sexy, and they did have good chemistry in the sex scenes!
The characters were enjoyable to read about. Rook (the demon prince in Frankie’s books) could be demanding and rude and possessive and, well, an asshole. He was understandably angry when he first discovered his life, and death, were made up by someone writing a story. But he was very good at adapting and being self-sufficient when he was dropped into an entirely new world, I have to give him that, and it turned out he had a softer and sweeter side Frankie hadn’t known about. Sage (the king of one kingdom in Frankie’s books) was virtuous and responsible and caring, feeling somewhat crushed by the pressure but still wanting to do the right thing. And Frankie was sort of a normal guy doing his best, passionate about his writing, and even more passionate when it came to Rook.
Overall, this was a fun take on the idea of characters coming to life with a cool magic system, a gripping plot, and a demon prince with a secret soft side!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Ebook via TTS*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes characters coming to life, m/m romance, paranormal/urban fantasy + portal fantasy, and asshole characters with a secret soft side.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
A writer’s characters coming to life is not a new idea, but the way this author wrote it was a lot of fun! It wasn’t just a character showing up in the real world, it was multiple characters showing up (including a villain), the MC (Frankie) traveling into the book world, and a whole magic system for how it all worked, how they were traveling back and forth, and how it affected Frankie’s story and the lives of the characters he’d created. Or maybe not created, since the characters and world went beyond what he had written or even known about them… All of this made for an attention-grabbing and interesting story with a fairly fast pace and plenty of action and stakes that was part low/paranormal/urban fantasy in our world and part portal fantasy in the world Frankie’s characters were from.
Another especially cool thing was how the author delved into Frankie’s feelings about finding out the world and characters he’d created were real. He thought he was just writing about fictional people who would never actually suffer, only to suddenly be faced with the idea that they were real and he gave them trauma and emotional struggles and killed off their loved ones and nearly killed off Rook himself.
The one place this fell a little short for me was in the romance. They spent time together in a dangerous situation, and Frankie already knew a lot about Rook, so I could understand him falling quickly after meeting him as a real person and seeing sides to him that he hadn’t seen before. But I didn’t quite feel Rook’s feelings. I’m not exactly sure why. I think I needed a few more scenes with the two of them bonding or having fun or sharing emotional intimacy or something. But it was still sweet and sexy, and they did have good chemistry in the sex scenes!
The characters were enjoyable to read about. Rook (the demon prince in Frankie’s books) could be demanding and rude and possessive and, well, an asshole. He was understandably angry when he first discovered his life, and death, were made up by someone writing a story. But he was very good at adapting and being self-sufficient when he was dropped into an entirely new world, I have to give him that, and it turned out he had a softer and sweeter side Frankie hadn’t known about. Sage (the king of one kingdom in Frankie’s books) was virtuous and responsible and caring, feeling somewhat crushed by the pressure but still wanting to do the right thing. And Frankie was sort of a normal guy doing his best, passionate about his writing, and even more passionate when it came to Rook.
Overall, this was a fun take on the idea of characters coming to life with a cool magic system, a gripping plot, and a demon prince with a secret soft side!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Ebook via TTS*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes characters coming to life, m/m romance, paranormal/urban fantasy + portal fantasy, and asshole characters with a secret soft side.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
January 21, 2023
so impressed!
First book by this author and I really, really enjoyed it! The writing was incredible, and the ability to essentially weave two plots together was perfection! I enjoyed it right from page one all the way to the end!
Great spice, and I loved how it was more plot driven than steam driven. The connection between Frankie and Rook was 🔥
Only complaint would be some editing and typo errors, but otherwise, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys MM plot driven, fantasy romance!
First book by this author and I really, really enjoyed it! The writing was incredible, and the ability to essentially weave two plots together was perfection! I enjoyed it right from page one all the way to the end!
Great spice, and I loved how it was more plot driven than steam driven. The connection between Frankie and Rook was 🔥
Only complaint would be some editing and typo errors, but otherwise, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys MM plot driven, fantasy romance!
May 24, 2025
This book was really really long. And much sweeter than I was expecting out of a CLF book! The plot holes can be ignored I guess. You lose track when a book gets over 600 pages 🫣🫣🫣
Rook is fictional until he isn’t. Through trial and tribulation, this is really his story. Frankie is technically the writer but not everything is as it seems.
A book within a book. Very meta.
Rook is fictional until he isn’t. Through trial and tribulation, this is really his story. Frankie is technically the writer but not everything is as it seems.
A book within a book. Very meta.
October 5, 2023
I've read and loved several dark novels by Chani Lynn Feener and was thrilled to be offered this as an ARC. Unfortunately, this fell really flat. None of the characters drew me in. I almost DNFed several times. Maybe it's just me, but I was disappointed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 18, 2023
I absolutely love anything that Chani Lynn Feener writes and this book was no exception! Abandoned Things was released previously, but this edition comes with extra bonus content, which I very much appreciate!
This story was twisty - Frankie is an author in college who writes the highly acclaimed web series ‘Gold and Silver’. In order to further his plot and round out the story, he decides he had to kill off the story’s anti-hero (and his personal favourite character) Rook, the Demon Prince of Bronze. Imagine Frankie’s surprise when not only does that fateful chapter go missing, but someone who looks like, sounds like and in fact claims to be Rook turns up on his doorstep, threatening to hurt him unless he re-writes Rook’s ending.
I absolutely adored the plot, which plays on the idea of how much control writers really have over their creations as well as juggling threats in the real world and Rook’s (fantasy?) home-world. The jumps between worlds were well written and I enjoyed the unmasking of the real villain - I never saw it coming!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Chani Lynn Feener book without some scorching romance scenes, although if you are a fan of her dark romances, be aware that this one is very tame compared to those (it’s fantasy, rather than dark) although the chemistry between Rook and Frankie is still off the charts!
I’m giving this book 4.5 stars as the only (slight) criticism from me is due to the pacing - in the first half of the book there is a lot of cutting between the action that is happening in the ‘real world’ and exposition about what has happened previously in the ‘Gold and Silver’ story. I found it a little jarring on occasion and it took me out of the flow, but it’s definitely a ‘me’ thing and I know a lot of readers won’t mind it at all!
This book is out on 21st September, so definitely consider giving it a read for something a little different this spooky season! I recommend for fans of urban fantasy, high fantasy and those who enjoy a D&D-style theme!
I received an E-arc of this book from the good folks at Booksirens and all opinions are my own 💕
This story was twisty - Frankie is an author in college who writes the highly acclaimed web series ‘Gold and Silver’. In order to further his plot and round out the story, he decides he had to kill off the story’s anti-hero (and his personal favourite character) Rook, the Demon Prince of Bronze. Imagine Frankie’s surprise when not only does that fateful chapter go missing, but someone who looks like, sounds like and in fact claims to be Rook turns up on his doorstep, threatening to hurt him unless he re-writes Rook’s ending.
I absolutely adored the plot, which plays on the idea of how much control writers really have over their creations as well as juggling threats in the real world and Rook’s (fantasy?) home-world. The jumps between worlds were well written and I enjoyed the unmasking of the real villain - I never saw it coming!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Chani Lynn Feener book without some scorching romance scenes, although if you are a fan of her dark romances, be aware that this one is very tame compared to those (it’s fantasy, rather than dark) although the chemistry between Rook and Frankie is still off the charts!
I’m giving this book 4.5 stars as the only (slight) criticism from me is due to the pacing - in the first half of the book there is a lot of cutting between the action that is happening in the ‘real world’ and exposition about what has happened previously in the ‘Gold and Silver’ story. I found it a little jarring on occasion and it took me out of the flow, but it’s definitely a ‘me’ thing and I know a lot of readers won’t mind it at all!
This book is out on 21st September, so definitely consider giving it a read for something a little different this spooky season! I recommend for fans of urban fantasy, high fantasy and those who enjoy a D&D-style theme!
I received an E-arc of this book from the good folks at Booksirens and all opinions are my own 💕
September 20, 2023
September 2023
Epub edition
Initial afterthoughts: Do I need to read about Lis?
Received from Book sirens. Nope, I wasn't paid for this. Yep, full honesty.
The cover is very Anakin. I actually didn't know what the book was about. Got the link about the author. Clicked. Was denied. Clicked on desktop later on and all good. More spaces available. Yay.
This one follows along the lines of the current villainess isekais. A writer finds themselves in their own story. The difference was that this one had characters come out of the story and there were gateways between.
Initially, I liked the story very much. It's the ultimate book boyfriend hook up that starts off with a very grumpy Rook out of his book and out to make Frankie write him a proper ending, one where he doesn't die. I liked how their relationship grew and how Rook softened, taking care of him.
From the start Ri was a red flag for me. Initially, I thought it was going to be a love triangle and then after the next coincidence, decided he was the bad guy. I started losing interest with Sage's appearance and very short love triangle. At this point I felt sorry for Lis. Typical Villainess plot getting the guys on side. Sage's attraction felt very love potion.
From there, It felt like things were dragging a bit to get to the place you know its going to be. The book lost me when Frankie decided rushing off after the obvious bad guy was the best way to go. It felt like a TSTL horror movie. At that point I went bed, feeling what was coming.
I'll admit to skimming the reveal and villain monologue when I tuned back in. From there it was bitter sweet for both Rook and Frankie. I liked the ending, that was sweet. The extras were interesting but I wasn't really into Lis' story. Rook and Frankie were adorable. I do prefer the darker stuff from this author though.
3.5 stars.
Epub edition
Initial afterthoughts: Do I need to read about Lis?
Received from Book sirens. Nope, I wasn't paid for this. Yep, full honesty.
The cover is very Anakin. I actually didn't know what the book was about. Got the link about the author. Clicked. Was denied. Clicked on desktop later on and all good. More spaces available. Yay.
This one follows along the lines of the current villainess isekais. A writer finds themselves in their own story. The difference was that this one had characters come out of the story and there were gateways between.
Initially, I liked the story very much. It's the ultimate book boyfriend hook up that starts off with a very grumpy Rook out of his book and out to make Frankie write him a proper ending, one where he doesn't die. I liked how their relationship grew and how Rook softened, taking care of him.
From the start Ri was a red flag for me. Initially, I thought it was going to be a love triangle and then after the next coincidence, decided he was the bad guy. I started losing interest with Sage's appearance and very short love triangle. At this point I felt sorry for Lis. Typical Villainess plot getting the guys on side. Sage's attraction felt very love potion.
From there, It felt like things were dragging a bit to get to the place you know its going to be. The book lost me when Frankie decided rushing off after the obvious bad guy was the best way to go. It felt like a TSTL horror movie. At that point I went bed, feeling what was coming.
I'll admit to skimming the reveal and villain monologue when I tuned back in. From there it was bitter sweet for both Rook and Frankie. I liked the ending, that was sweet. The extras were interesting but I wasn't really into Lis' story. Rook and Frankie were adorable. I do prefer the darker stuff from this author though.
3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2023
“Tell me you want me,” he said, and the words poured out of Frankie’s mouth almost before he’d finished the sentence.
“I want you. I want you so bad.”
“How?”
“Hard,” he growled, that frustration growing even more. His d__ was heavy and tight and he was so close to the edge, but not quite there.”
I don’t know how she did it, but somehow the author wrote in my opinion her best book yet. I have been a long time fan of this author and regularly reread my favourites (I’m sorry Trystan, but your crown has been stolen as well as my heart)!
Rook is all those things you know you shouldn’t want and certainly wouldn’t in real life but make him the absolute perfect book boyfriend. He’s hot as sin, domineering, jealous, brilliant, daddy issues galore and let’s not forget the horns and tail… oh and he’s a Prince! Then theres the, I hate everyone and am super rude except to my love thing he’s got going on. And enemies to lovers! I was clearly a goner.
I digress though, because this book was so much more then just a hot beastly Prince. All the other characters in this book were spectacular including the other MC Franky. He was smart, brave and kind, a perfect offset to Mr Grumpy mentioned above. And this world?! It’s been a really long time that I was not able to guess the ending relatively early in the book. This seriously kept me on my toes which was a delightful surprise.
I will gladly reread this book upon its release. But will make sure to set aside a full day because it’s a big boy 😁
“I want you. I want you so bad.”
“How?”
“Hard,” he growled, that frustration growing even more. His d__ was heavy and tight and he was so close to the edge, but not quite there.”
I don’t know how she did it, but somehow the author wrote in my opinion her best book yet. I have been a long time fan of this author and regularly reread my favourites (I’m sorry Trystan, but your crown has been stolen as well as my heart)!
Rook is all those things you know you shouldn’t want and certainly wouldn’t in real life but make him the absolute perfect book boyfriend. He’s hot as sin, domineering, jealous, brilliant, daddy issues galore and let’s not forget the horns and tail… oh and he’s a Prince! Then theres the, I hate everyone and am super rude except to my love thing he’s got going on. And enemies to lovers! I was clearly a goner.
I digress though, because this book was so much more then just a hot beastly Prince. All the other characters in this book were spectacular including the other MC Franky. He was smart, brave and kind, a perfect offset to Mr Grumpy mentioned above. And this world?! It’s been a really long time that I was not able to guess the ending relatively early in the book. This seriously kept me on my toes which was a delightful surprise.
I will gladly reread this book upon its release. But will make sure to set aside a full day because it’s a big boy 😁
January 8, 2024
I wasn’t a fan of this and it sat in my kindle for nearly a year before I forced myself to read it. I love the premise of this book, book character coming to life and interacting with author but I didn’t like the protagonist very much and I didn’t really feel their chemistry. It was okay. I finished it finally.
This book had so so many errors in it that really made me cringe. Confusing affect and effect, using rouse instead of ruse, and the most egregious “They weren’t the same size but a t-shirt would probably due and he found a dark green one and held it out to Rook.”
It was annoying. And the whole book felt bloated like a self-publish that wasn’t edited and the story bounced back and forth too much from fictional to real world. Yeah I really wasn’t a fan of this one.
This book had so so many errors in it that really made me cringe. Confusing affect and effect, using rouse instead of ruse, and the most egregious “They weren’t the same size but a t-shirt would probably due and he found a dark green one and held it out to Rook.”
It was annoying. And the whole book felt bloated like a self-publish that wasn’t edited and the story bounced back and forth too much from fictional to real world. Yeah I really wasn’t a fan of this one.
February 22, 2023
How am I supposed to move on from this book...
Added to my list of favorite books. Just loved it so much
Added to my list of favorite books. Just loved it so much
February 19, 2023
Abandoned Things is my second novel by this author, a standalone fantasy with a premise I just couldn't resist. It opens with college student and secret author Frankie coming face to face with one of his creations when demon prince Rook, whom Frankie had just reluctantly killed off in his manuscript, turns up very real, very alive, and very displeased with his intended fate. Things become even stranger when Frankie is pulled through a gateway to Visera, the world he'd thought a fiction of his own creation, alongside Rook.
Fictional characters stepping out of the pages of their books is such a fun premise to play with, and Chani Lynn Feener has turned it into a very entertaining ride.
Unfortunately, much like in the other book of hers that I've read, I never quite warmed up to the romance between the two protagonists. Jealous, possessive, overbearing assholes are simply a character archetype I can't stand, and Rook is very much that. I liked seeing Frankie call him out on that behaviour repeatedly, but nevertheless I just didn't buy them falling in love.
The book would also have greatly benefitted from a proofreader - another issue that also bothered me in my previous encounter with this author.
All that said, I found the story sufficiently engaging to overlook at least some of my gripes with this book. A definite case of "I wish there were half stars", as this is really a 3.5/5 for me.
*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
Fictional characters stepping out of the pages of their books is such a fun premise to play with, and Chani Lynn Feener has turned it into a very entertaining ride.
Unfortunately, much like in the other book of hers that I've read, I never quite warmed up to the romance between the two protagonists. Jealous, possessive, overbearing assholes are simply a character archetype I can't stand, and Rook is very much that. I liked seeing Frankie call him out on that behaviour repeatedly, but nevertheless I just didn't buy them falling in love.
The book would also have greatly benefitted from a proofreader - another issue that also bothered me in my previous encounter with this author.
All that said, I found the story sufficiently engaging to overlook at least some of my gripes with this book. A definite case of "I wish there were half stars", as this is really a 3.5/5 for me.
*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
October 11, 2023
This book was a bit touch and go for me, but for the most part I enjoyed it!
For starters, the main characters Rook and Frankie were really interesting with some fun backstory! Rook was scary but playful, and Frankie had some serious trauma but was coping so well.
Sadly the other characters honestly didn't have too much to them personality-wise. Even Sage sadly didn't seem to get much time to really shine.
The best moments for me were during Frankies first trip into the other world when he first interacts with Sage. Those parts had me hooked on and desperate for more, but it seemed like once he got back the story lost that little bit of intrigue and extra character development. Sage almost seemed like just another additive to get the plot moving after that.
I really wish that the story could've kept that momentum going.
The plot was also a bit predictable, and I had guessed the end twist pretty fast, sadly. The pacing was also a little off where some parts felt like they took forever and others felt so fast.
Overall this was a good story that probably just needed a bit more fleshing out, but I did enjoy it! Just probably wouldn't re-read.
➛ 𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘯 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
For starters, the main characters Rook and Frankie were really interesting with some fun backstory! Rook was scary but playful, and Frankie had some serious trauma but was coping so well.
Sadly the other characters honestly didn't have too much to them personality-wise. Even Sage sadly didn't seem to get much time to really shine.
The best moments for me were during Frankies first trip into the other world when he first interacts with Sage. Those parts had me hooked on and desperate for more, but it seemed like once he got back the story lost that little bit of intrigue and extra character development. Sage almost seemed like just another additive to get the plot moving after that.
I really wish that the story could've kept that momentum going.
The plot was also a bit predictable, and I had guessed the end twist pretty fast, sadly. The pacing was also a little off where some parts felt like they took forever and others felt so fast.
Overall this was a good story that probably just needed a bit more fleshing out, but I did enjoy it! Just probably wouldn't re-read.
➛ 𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘯 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
November 27, 2023
"Frankie watched as Rook left, feeling a tumultuous twist of emotions that left part of him wanting to race after the guy and demand answers, and the other part wanting to lock the door behind him and not let him back in."
Loved everything about it! Not Chani Lynn Feener's usual darker MM sci-fi style but Abandoned Things was fabulous nonetheless!
Frankie is a fantasy writer and somehow his characters end up in his world, causing trouble and changing the outcomes in his story. Not to mention, the book's anti-hero and resident bad boy demon prince happens to be everything Frankie wants in a book boyfriend, straight from his pages and into his apartment!
Whilst it's slooooow-burn, Abandoned Things is a definite romance and when the steamy times hit, they hit haaaaarrrrrddd!
This is the revised and updated version - so get reading!
Loved everything about it! Not Chani Lynn Feener's usual darker MM sci-fi style but Abandoned Things was fabulous nonetheless!
Frankie is a fantasy writer and somehow his characters end up in his world, causing trouble and changing the outcomes in his story. Not to mention, the book's anti-hero and resident bad boy demon prince happens to be everything Frankie wants in a book boyfriend, straight from his pages and into his apartment!
Whilst it's slooooow-burn, Abandoned Things is a definite romance and when the steamy times hit, they hit haaaaarrrrrddd!
This is the revised and updated version - so get reading!
January 16, 2023
I've been a fan of Chani Lynn Feener since the Xenith trilogy, this was a great concept and I enjoyed how well this was written. I loved the idea of a fictional character being real and needing the author. It was really well done and work with the characters within. The characters were what I was hoping for and glad I got to read this. It was a great Enemies To Lovers story and it worked in the universe.
"Having to write that all again… It wouldn’t be the same. It would lack something that the original hadn’t. Sort of like how the suspense and thrill was removed the second time one watched a movie. The first viewing had mystery and appeal; the second had less since the viewer already knew what was going to happen."
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Having to write that all again… It wouldn’t be the same. It would lack something that the original hadn’t. Sort of like how the suspense and thrill was removed the second time one watched a movie. The first viewing had mystery and appeal; the second had less since the viewer already knew what was going to happen."
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 15, 2023
Frankie is an author who writes serial fantasy books. His world tilts when one of his characters, Rook, comes to life. In their quest to figure out how, love develops. An amazing idea for Chani has created a fascinating book filled with interconnecting worlds driven by an author's talent. I enjoyed this book with its adventure, intrigue and Frankie becoming the love interest for more than just Rook. I loved Rook's jealousy and possessiveness, not to mention his charisma and charm. Don't we all fall in love with book characters and want them to be real or feel like they are real to us? I love Chani's books! I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
January 22, 2023
loved it
I love the fact that the main character was Asian American. It’s hard finding a book where the main character is just like you. Too many books have been gentrified to one specific race. It’s nice to see diversity.
I love Frankie he’s sweet but snarky. Rook is everyone’s favorit3, he’s handsome, strong, and has a possessive personality.
I did not expect that villain at the end but I had my suspicions on who it was in the beginning. As much as I kind of liked Sage I thought his character didn’t reflect how Frankie had wrote him in the book.
Overall I loved it almost to the point I wished it was a M/M/M book but me personally I am more of a monogamous person so it all worked out.
I wished I had seen more of Lis and Sage to really get a feel of more characters. Overall I loved the book and can’t wait to see what the author has in store next.
I love the fact that the main character was Asian American. It’s hard finding a book where the main character is just like you. Too many books have been gentrified to one specific race. It’s nice to see diversity.
I love Frankie he’s sweet but snarky. Rook is everyone’s favorit3, he’s handsome, strong, and has a possessive personality.
I did not expect that villain at the end but I had my suspicions on who it was in the beginning. As much as I kind of liked Sage I thought his character didn’t reflect how Frankie had wrote him in the book.
Overall I loved it almost to the point I wished it was a M/M/M book but me personally I am more of a monogamous person so it all worked out.
I wished I had seen more of Lis and Sage to really get a feel of more characters. Overall I loved the book and can’t wait to see what the author has in store next.
January 23, 2023
This was not a bad read at all. But I think I prefer the sci-fi books written by this author better.
October 22, 2023
This will be quick:
I don't like Sage
I loved Rook
I didn't expect that plot twist with Gabriel
I liked that Frankie didn't give Sage's "feelings" a second thought
In conclusion: I loved the book
I don't like Sage
I loved Rook
I didn't expect that plot twist with Gabriel
I liked that Frankie didn't give Sage's "feelings" a second thought
In conclusion: I loved the book
November 2, 2023
"But like with all good villains, there was a good reason for his chaotic nature."
"Why did you write me as a villain?"
~ Abandoned Things follows an author who seems to have accidentally summoned his character to life. ~
Chani has quickly become one of my favorite authors and is very high on that list. She never disappoints, every book has its own unique flavor.
While reading this I found myself just as invested with this story as I've been with her other ones. The writing was easy to follow, and the characters were easy to love. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, the ending was not one I was able to figure out. I cried a little, I won't lie.
Rook has easily become my favorite book boyfriend, no one compares to him. He is the golden standard I have now.
"Why did you write me as a villain?"
~ Abandoned Things follows an author who seems to have accidentally summoned his character to life. ~
Chani has quickly become one of my favorite authors and is very high on that list. She never disappoints, every book has its own unique flavor.
While reading this I found myself just as invested with this story as I've been with her other ones. The writing was easy to follow, and the characters were easy to love. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, the ending was not one I was able to figure out. I cried a little, I won't lie.
Rook has easily become my favorite book boyfriend, no one compares to him. He is the golden standard I have now.
Read
February 24, 2023I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
FR- Alors alors... alors j'ai vraiment passé un excellent moment de lecture. J'ai été super attirée par le résumé et j'avais hâte de lire ce roman. Il s'agit du premier roman de l'auteure que je lis mes ses autres romans avaient de bonnes notes sur Goodreads donc je me suis laissée tenter. Comme d'habitude, je l'ai laissé dormir dans ma PAL pour le ressortir à quelques jours de la dead line de ma chronique....Et comme souvent, j'ai fait l'erreur de lire quelques avis négatifs sur Goodreads ce qui fait que j'ai commencé ma lecture avec quelques réticences. Et comme souvent, je n'aurai pas du.
Parce que j'ai vraiment apprécié ma lecture. Je suis vraiment entrée très très vite dans l'histoire et j'ai adoré les personnages principaux. J'ai adoré l'idée de base, je sais que c'est un thème assez classique mais je n'en avais jamais vraiment lu du coup j'ai vraiment aimé ma lecture. J'ai adoré le personnage de Frankie. Jai adoré être dans sa tête dans son histoire et j'ai beaucoup aimer le voir évoluer au fil des pages.
J'ai également beaucoup aimé le personnage de Rook qui s'adapte très facilement au monde de Frankie et qui est loin d'être aussi mauvais qu'on pourrait le penser de prime abord.
J'ai vraiment aimé le contre pied systématique que prend l'auteure avec les personnages de son roman. Que ce soit de son roman ou du roman à l'intérieur du roman.
Les deux univers proposés par l'auteure sont vraiment intéressants. Que ce soit l'aspect fantasy avec Visera ou l'aspect plus lié au monde de l'édition avec le monde réel de Frankie. On passe très facilement d'un monde à l'autre, d'un univers à l'autre et j'ai adoré en savoir plus sur ces deux univers et sur leurs personnages.
J'ai trouvé l'intrigue bien menée et je me suis laissée porter par l'histoire et les personnages. Les scènes hot sont rares mais savoureuses, la relation entre Rook et Frankie prend son temps mais est très belle et très forte, bref j'espère vraiment que l'auteure nous proposera d'autres romans dans cet univers. Ce qui est sûr , c'est que si c'est le cas, je les lirai avec plaisir.
ENG - So well well.... well I really had a great time reading. I was super drawn to the summary and was looking forward to reading this novel. This is the first novel by the author that I read my other novels had good ratings on Goodreads so I let myself be tempted. As usual, I let him sleep in my PAL to bring him out a few days before the dead line of my column....And as often, I made the mistake of reading some negative reviews on Goodreads this which means that I started reading with some reluctance. And as often, I shouldn't have.
Because I really enjoyed my reading. I really got into the story very, very quickly and I loved the main characters. I loved the basic idea, I know it's a fairly classic theme but I had never really read it so I really enjoyed my reading. I loved Frankie's character. I loved being in his head in his story and I really like to see him evolve over the pages.
I also really liked the character of Rook who adapts very easily to the world of Frankie and who is far from being as bad as one might think at first glance.
I really liked the systematic counterpoint that the author takes with the characters in her novel. Whether it's his novel or the novel within the novel.
The two universes proposed by the author are really interesting. Whether it's the fantasy aspect with Visera or the more publishing aspect with the real world of Frankie. We move very easily from one world to another, from one universe to another and I loved learning more about these two universes and their characters.
I found the plot well conducted and I let myself be carried away by the story and the characters. The hot scenes are rare but tasty, the relationship between Rook and Frankie takes its time but is very beautiful and very strong, in short I really hope that the author will offer us other novels in this universe. What is certain is that if so, I will read them with pleasure.
FR- Alors alors... alors j'ai vraiment passé un excellent moment de lecture. J'ai été super attirée par le résumé et j'avais hâte de lire ce roman. Il s'agit du premier roman de l'auteure que je lis mes ses autres romans avaient de bonnes notes sur Goodreads donc je me suis laissée tenter. Comme d'habitude, je l'ai laissé dormir dans ma PAL pour le ressortir à quelques jours de la dead line de ma chronique....Et comme souvent, j'ai fait l'erreur de lire quelques avis négatifs sur Goodreads ce qui fait que j'ai commencé ma lecture avec quelques réticences. Et comme souvent, je n'aurai pas du.
Parce que j'ai vraiment apprécié ma lecture. Je suis vraiment entrée très très vite dans l'histoire et j'ai adoré les personnages principaux. J'ai adoré l'idée de base, je sais que c'est un thème assez classique mais je n'en avais jamais vraiment lu du coup j'ai vraiment aimé ma lecture. J'ai adoré le personnage de Frankie. Jai adoré être dans sa tête dans son histoire et j'ai beaucoup aimer le voir évoluer au fil des pages.
J'ai également beaucoup aimé le personnage de Rook qui s'adapte très facilement au monde de Frankie et qui est loin d'être aussi mauvais qu'on pourrait le penser de prime abord.
J'ai vraiment aimé le contre pied systématique que prend l'auteure avec les personnages de son roman. Que ce soit de son roman ou du roman à l'intérieur du roman.
Les deux univers proposés par l'auteure sont vraiment intéressants. Que ce soit l'aspect fantasy avec Visera ou l'aspect plus lié au monde de l'édition avec le monde réel de Frankie. On passe très facilement d'un monde à l'autre, d'un univers à l'autre et j'ai adoré en savoir plus sur ces deux univers et sur leurs personnages.
J'ai trouvé l'intrigue bien menée et je me suis laissée porter par l'histoire et les personnages. Les scènes hot sont rares mais savoureuses, la relation entre Rook et Frankie prend son temps mais est très belle et très forte, bref j'espère vraiment que l'auteure nous proposera d'autres romans dans cet univers. Ce qui est sûr , c'est que si c'est le cas, je les lirai avec plaisir.
ENG - So well well.... well I really had a great time reading. I was super drawn to the summary and was looking forward to reading this novel. This is the first novel by the author that I read my other novels had good ratings on Goodreads so I let myself be tempted. As usual, I let him sleep in my PAL to bring him out a few days before the dead line of my column....And as often, I made the mistake of reading some negative reviews on Goodreads this which means that I started reading with some reluctance. And as often, I shouldn't have.
Because I really enjoyed my reading. I really got into the story very, very quickly and I loved the main characters. I loved the basic idea, I know it's a fairly classic theme but I had never really read it so I really enjoyed my reading. I loved Frankie's character. I loved being in his head in his story and I really like to see him evolve over the pages.
I also really liked the character of Rook who adapts very easily to the world of Frankie and who is far from being as bad as one might think at first glance.
I really liked the systematic counterpoint that the author takes with the characters in her novel. Whether it's his novel or the novel within the novel.
The two universes proposed by the author are really interesting. Whether it's the fantasy aspect with Visera or the more publishing aspect with the real world of Frankie. We move very easily from one world to another, from one universe to another and I loved learning more about these two universes and their characters.
I found the plot well conducted and I let myself be carried away by the story and the characters. The hot scenes are rare but tasty, the relationship between Rook and Frankie takes its time but is very beautiful and very strong, in short I really hope that the author will offer us other novels in this universe. What is certain is that if so, I will read them with pleasure.
February 23, 2023
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! It’s fun, an easy read where you sit down to read a chapter or two and whoops 5 or 10 chapters have just flown by. And I love it when I do that with books! Where I don’t even realise I’ve read 8 or even like 12 chapters because I’m so focused on reading the book. I’ve just started Feener’s other book now and I think it’ll be an easy read too as I think her books and writing are that easy and quick to read.
Abandoned Things tells a very interesting story about Frankie, a famous writer of a very popular web novel, who doesn’t realise the fictional world and the characters he’s so famous for (even though he writes under a pen name) is actually real. Not until some of the characters come into his world, our world as well.
It’s a thrilling ride of action and adventure, love and passion (regarding writing and romance). The characters drew me in and the story kept me wanting to read until the very end. It’s definitely something I also enjoyed and now makes me want to read more of the author’s other books.
As much as I enjoyed reading about Frankie, Rook definitely took the prize of the favourite character – he’s a bad boy, come on! Of course I’m going to root for him. He was sarcastic, romantic (which are two things that I do love a lot 😄). That type of character you can’t help but love because he makes you smirk at his antics or grin when he’s doing something romantic. And of course, he’s a good bad boy (as opposed to boring or supposed bad boys but all they do is like ride a motorcycle (wow!) or wear a lot of black (so bad!).
Frankie and Rook had great banter and I liked seeing them in scenes together. It was an easy banter which turned into a relationship I could see – which I like to see in books. And this was the case here. I’ve probably said this before but I do always enjoy when the banter and the relationship attached to that banter are both easy ones that I can see working out. Nothing I dislike more than relationships with no chemistry, or there’s ‘chemistry’ but it’s more platonic than romantic – you get my gist.
Then there was Sage, who’s one of the main characters in the web novel, who sort of becomes Frankie’s other love interest. I say sort of because it was obvious who Frankie would end up with. Not that I minded the lead up to that, definitely not. I like d what we got of him; and I definitely wouldn’t say no to Feener possibily writing Gold and Silver – Frankie’s series.
The plot and action that went along with that was both written quite well. I could tell that the author knew how to write action scenes well – either from reading a lot of fantasy books or from writing all of her other books- which she has quite a backlist of! That’s another thing I really enjoy being able to see when I read books – how much the author enjoys writing in the genre.
The easy way Feener wrote the plot also meant that it was an easy book to read – another point of the book that I liked. I’ve already started another book of hers and I think I’ll like it too! I can tell that I’ll like it too and probably/mostly other books of hers that I get around to read.
Abandoned Things tells a very interesting story about Frankie, a famous writer of a very popular web novel, who doesn’t realise the fictional world and the characters he’s so famous for (even though he writes under a pen name) is actually real. Not until some of the characters come into his world, our world as well.
It’s a thrilling ride of action and adventure, love and passion (regarding writing and romance). The characters drew me in and the story kept me wanting to read until the very end. It’s definitely something I also enjoyed and now makes me want to read more of the author’s other books.
As much as I enjoyed reading about Frankie, Rook definitely took the prize of the favourite character – he’s a bad boy, come on! Of course I’m going to root for him. He was sarcastic, romantic (which are two things that I do love a lot 😄). That type of character you can’t help but love because he makes you smirk at his antics or grin when he’s doing something romantic. And of course, he’s a good bad boy (as opposed to boring or supposed bad boys but all they do is like ride a motorcycle (wow!) or wear a lot of black (so bad!).
Frankie and Rook had great banter and I liked seeing them in scenes together. It was an easy banter which turned into a relationship I could see – which I like to see in books. And this was the case here. I’ve probably said this before but I do always enjoy when the banter and the relationship attached to that banter are both easy ones that I can see working out. Nothing I dislike more than relationships with no chemistry, or there’s ‘chemistry’ but it’s more platonic than romantic – you get my gist.
Then there was Sage, who’s one of the main characters in the web novel, who sort of becomes Frankie’s other love interest. I say sort of because it was obvious who Frankie would end up with. Not that I minded the lead up to that, definitely not. I like d what we got of him; and I definitely wouldn’t say no to Feener possibily writing Gold and Silver – Frankie’s series.
The plot and action that went along with that was both written quite well. I could tell that the author knew how to write action scenes well – either from reading a lot of fantasy books or from writing all of her other books- which she has quite a backlist of! That’s another thing I really enjoy being able to see when I read books – how much the author enjoys writing in the genre.
The easy way Feener wrote the plot also meant that it was an easy book to read – another point of the book that I liked. I’ve already started another book of hers and I think I’ll like it too! I can tell that I’ll like it too and probably/mostly other books of hers that I get around to read.
February 6, 2023
Abandoned Things was fantastic, and for something I didn’t even know I wanted, it gave me everything I could want out of it. Frankie is a college student and the anonymous author of a best-selling high fantasy serial novel. When he decides to kill off the antihero of his story towards the end of the trilogy, Rook comes to life. Rook, a demon prince, is aghast to find that he is simply a fictional character in a YA fantasy series and not even the primary male lead but just the secondary love interest (think Twilight’s Jacob to Bella and Edward). He makes it his mission to have Frankie rewrite him an ending he wants when they find that Rook isn’t the only one who has come to the real world, and the portal between their worlds is a two-way street.
I thought this was just such an inventive and creative concept, having multiple characters come to life as well as Frankie traveling into the world he created as well. The book really brings out some thought provoking issues like how Frankie’s own traumatic past has shaped his writing. He is also forced to face how it makes him feel knowing that some of the dark things he has written may actually be happening to actual people and not just characters on a page.
Chani Lynn Feener managed to write to stories in one. She built a high fantasy story (that I would have loved to read) with its own complex lore, mythology, and plotline, and she breaks it down by layering it under a story about an author struggling to finish the story that has made him (anonymously) famous. Although it may sound a bit like it crosses over to fan fiction territory, the book stands on its own.
Now let’s talk about Frankie and Rook. I just loved both of them and their gradual romance. There was chemistry, sparks, and heat, and I totally bought into their relationship from the initial adversarial interactions to the spicy relations and their eventual mutual declarations of love. Just discount the fact that one may essentially be the creation of the other.
Abandoned Things is a new adult fantasy with an Achillean romance that puts fun twist on the characters-come-to-life concept.
*I received an eARC via Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was just such an inventive and creative concept, having multiple characters come to life as well as Frankie traveling into the world he created as well. The book really brings out some thought provoking issues like how Frankie’s own traumatic past has shaped his writing. He is also forced to face how it makes him feel knowing that some of the dark things he has written may actually be happening to actual people and not just characters on a page.
Chani Lynn Feener managed to write to stories in one. She built a high fantasy story (that I would have loved to read) with its own complex lore, mythology, and plotline, and she breaks it down by layering it under a story about an author struggling to finish the story that has made him (anonymously) famous. Although it may sound a bit like it crosses over to fan fiction territory, the book stands on its own.
Now let’s talk about Frankie and Rook. I just loved both of them and their gradual romance. There was chemistry, sparks, and heat, and I totally bought into their relationship from the initial adversarial interactions to the spicy relations and their eventual mutual declarations of love. Just discount the fact that one may essentially be the creation of the other.
Abandoned Things is a new adult fantasy with an Achillean romance that puts fun twist on the characters-come-to-life concept.
*I received an eARC via Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2023
*Received a copy of Abandoned Things through BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Abandoned Things is an MM Romance Fantasy novel by Chani Lynn Feener. We follow Frankie, a college student that’s the author of a popular web novel, Gold and Silver. To wrap up the series, he decided to kill off his favorite character, Rook. It makes sense for his arc and the story, but Frankie is a sobbing mess because of it, getting drunk so he can write Rook’s death. When he sends the chapter to a publishing friend, he thinks all he has left is to write the last chapters, but it goes out the window when Rook shows up at his apartment and demands a better ending for himself. Oh yeah, the story follows Rook’s perspective too.
Rook wants a different ending to his story, one that ends with him alive and with the girl, the female lead. But something is messing with Frankie’s story behind the scenes, so Rook and Frankie team up to get the story back on track, catching feelings for each other on the journey.
I’m so relieved Rook quit it with the threatening-Frankie-with-violence-to-prove-a-point stuff because there was no way I’d root for their relationship if Rook kept reminding Frankie he could easily kill him, especially after Frankie revealed his trauma. I hate when aggression and violence get overlooked in romances. Later in the story, Frankie calls out Rook’s possessive and overprotective behavior when they’re serious, which I appreciate so much.
There are a ton of typos; some readers were frustrated by the errors and it took them out of the story, but I was so engaged it didn’t really phase me. I am mixed about the villain. I wasn’t really sold by the reveal and their actions came off as cartoonish since they were just power-hungry.
I loved the story though, Feener is a solid writer and I’m looking forward to reading her other books.
4 stars from me!
Abandoned Things is an MM Romance Fantasy novel by Chani Lynn Feener. We follow Frankie, a college student that’s the author of a popular web novel, Gold and Silver. To wrap up the series, he decided to kill off his favorite character, Rook. It makes sense for his arc and the story, but Frankie is a sobbing mess because of it, getting drunk so he can write Rook’s death. When he sends the chapter to a publishing friend, he thinks all he has left is to write the last chapters, but it goes out the window when Rook shows up at his apartment and demands a better ending for himself. Oh yeah, the story follows Rook’s perspective too.
Rook wants a different ending to his story, one that ends with him alive and with the girl, the female lead. But something is messing with Frankie’s story behind the scenes, so Rook and Frankie team up to get the story back on track, catching feelings for each other on the journey.
I’m so relieved Rook quit it with the threatening-Frankie-with-violence-to-prove-a-point stuff because there was no way I’d root for their relationship if Rook kept reminding Frankie he could easily kill him, especially after Frankie revealed his trauma. I hate when aggression and violence get overlooked in romances. Later in the story, Frankie calls out Rook’s possessive and overprotective behavior when they’re serious, which I appreciate so much.
There are a ton of typos; some readers were frustrated by the errors and it took them out of the story, but I was so engaged it didn’t really phase me. I am mixed about the villain. I wasn’t really sold by the reveal and their actions came off as cartoonish since they were just power-hungry.
I loved the story though, Feener is a solid writer and I’m looking forward to reading her other books.
4 stars from me!
February 7, 2023
Ugh! I hate when authors do that…
Okay, so the premise of this book is fantastic. Who doesn’t like the idea that a book character can come to life in the real world? Especially an antihero character (if you love them like me).
I enjoyed getting to know Rook and Frankie. Seeing the progression of their interactions from openly hostile, to the HEA, was amazing. I liked the twists of Sage coming through and I liked the little bit of suspense that’s woven into the story.
In fact, I was thrilled with how the story played out until nearly the end, when the author jumped the shark and ruined it. I did like the epilogue, but that wasn’t enough to overcome what I didn’t like.
This next part will contain spoilers, so if you don’t want details, go back now.
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***Spoilers***
Okay, so here is the issue I have with how this story played out near the end.
The hidden bad guy made assertions that he had heard about people that had the magic to turn the written word into reality. This character was from the world of Visera which our boy Frankie created. So my question is how is it possible that he was able to hear anything about magically inclined authors? Did he hear about them in the real world? If so, you’d think that rumors or myths or something would have been hinted at about that type of thing at some point earlier in the story. It makes no logical sense that this hidden villain could keep on the dl for a year… You’d think that the same rules that applied to the writing of Visera would have been applied to the writing of this book. As in, it needs to make some sort of sense in order to work.
Maybe since this isn’t Gold and Silver and the book couldn’t magically fix things, that’s why there’s a plot hole the size of the universe in this book.
Okay, so the premise of this book is fantastic. Who doesn’t like the idea that a book character can come to life in the real world? Especially an antihero character (if you love them like me).
I enjoyed getting to know Rook and Frankie. Seeing the progression of their interactions from openly hostile, to the HEA, was amazing. I liked the twists of Sage coming through and I liked the little bit of suspense that’s woven into the story.
In fact, I was thrilled with how the story played out until nearly the end, when the author jumped the shark and ruined it. I did like the epilogue, but that wasn’t enough to overcome what I didn’t like.
This next part will contain spoilers, so if you don’t want details, go back now.
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***Spoilers***
Okay, so here is the issue I have with how this story played out near the end.
The hidden bad guy made assertions that he had heard about people that had the magic to turn the written word into reality. This character was from the world of Visera which our boy Frankie created. So my question is how is it possible that he was able to hear anything about magically inclined authors? Did he hear about them in the real world? If so, you’d think that rumors or myths or something would have been hinted at about that type of thing at some point earlier in the story. It makes no logical sense that this hidden villain could keep on the dl for a year… You’d think that the same rules that applied to the writing of Visera would have been applied to the writing of this book. As in, it needs to make some sort of sense in order to work.
Maybe since this isn’t Gold and Silver and the book couldn’t magically fix things, that’s why there’s a plot hole the size of the universe in this book.
February 15, 2023
This is the third book by this author that I have been privileged to read, and it did not disappoint. Instead of the usual isekai trope of a person in the real world being transported into the fantasy realm of a book - this story turns it around and brings characters out of the book and into our world. And some of them don't like the way the story has been told. Demon Prince Rook Dalibor for one, does not appreciate being the third side of a love triangle, nor the way the author has planned to kill him off. So now that he is suddenly the the world of the author, Frankie, and his creative keyboard - Rook has a few things to say. A few not terribly nice things.
It was refreshing to read a twist on the "Spirited Away" story - like Inkheart by Funke, but for adults; with steamy bits, sweary bits, and do-I-kiss-him-or-kill-him bits. I loved Frankie and Rook's interactions. It was like watching Neil Simon's play, "The Odd Couple", where each knew exactly how to push the other's buttons. . . and took great delight in doing so as often as they could. They were so awful together that they were perfect for each other. I stayed up reading far past my bedtime because I just didn't want to wait to see what they did next.
The pacing of the story started slow, but quickly picked up with every new character added. Like Frankie, Rook was my favorite, but there wasn't a single member of the cast that bored or irritated me. Not even the villain - and for me, that's saying something.
I recommend this book to fans of Mercedes Lackey, David Eddings, and Mokgamgi.
* I received an eARC from the publisher via BookSirens. These opinions are my own and are given without compensation. *
It was refreshing to read a twist on the "Spirited Away" story - like Inkheart by Funke, but for adults; with steamy bits, sweary bits, and do-I-kiss-him-or-kill-him bits. I loved Frankie and Rook's interactions. It was like watching Neil Simon's play, "The Odd Couple", where each knew exactly how to push the other's buttons. . . and took great delight in doing so as often as they could. They were so awful together that they were perfect for each other. I stayed up reading far past my bedtime because I just didn't want to wait to see what they did next.
The pacing of the story started slow, but quickly picked up with every new character added. Like Frankie, Rook was my favorite, but there wasn't a single member of the cast that bored or irritated me. Not even the villain - and for me, that's saying something.
I recommend this book to fans of Mercedes Lackey, David Eddings, and Mokgamgi.
* I received an eARC from the publisher via BookSirens. These opinions are my own and are given without compensation. *
January 31, 2023
Thank you Booksirens and the author for the free copy of this book. All my opinions in this review are left completely voluntarily.
Where to start with this book… it was amazing, it was emotional, it was fun. This is the first time I have ever read anything by this author and was not entirely sure what I was going to be getting into when I started reading this. I am very glad that I did! I truthfully have not read many books about a character coming out of the book, more the mc going into the book so this provided a very interesting perspective. The fact that this was so character driven was a huge positive to me as well. I love plot and world building but if the characters fall flat it makes the rest of the book fall flat as well. I am extremely happy this was not the case, not only were the characters incredibly well thought out but the world was as well. The romance was fun to read as well. These two started out sort of enemies to lovers which is one of my favorite tropes.
The only things that prohibited this from being a 5 star book for me is the grammatical errors and frequent spelling errors. Unfortunately each time I hit one of those it kind of threw me out of the story. With that being I still highly recommend this book and will be checking out the authors other books as well.
Where to start with this book… it was amazing, it was emotional, it was fun. This is the first time I have ever read anything by this author and was not entirely sure what I was going to be getting into when I started reading this. I am very glad that I did! I truthfully have not read many books about a character coming out of the book, more the mc going into the book so this provided a very interesting perspective. The fact that this was so character driven was a huge positive to me as well. I love plot and world building but if the characters fall flat it makes the rest of the book fall flat as well. I am extremely happy this was not the case, not only were the characters incredibly well thought out but the world was as well. The romance was fun to read as well. These two started out sort of enemies to lovers which is one of my favorite tropes.
The only things that prohibited this from being a 5 star book for me is the grammatical errors and frequent spelling errors. Unfortunately each time I hit one of those it kind of threw me out of the story. With that being I still highly recommend this book and will be checking out the authors other books as well.
January 31, 2023
ABANDONED THINGS is a standalone book that I loved from beginning to end.
Frankie is an author, trying to finish college and his series. He goes incognito to book signings. Everything changes when Rook, a character from his book turns up. That can't happen, right? Wrong!
There is nothing about this book I didn't like. Frankie - prepared to stand by those he cares for and stand up for what is right. Rook - a grumpy a$$ who is able to see when he's made a mistake and change (a little bit). Together, they are just perfect. I loved how Rook was so grumpy with everyone else and, yes, even Frankie at times, but how caring and gentle he was too.
The other characters were just as good, doing what they do best and providing support to Frankie and Rook and letting the story move along. I can't say the twist was a surprise but I loved how it came about and the excitement it brought.
This was a fantastic story and I would love to see more from these characters. I have to say, I love this author's imagination and her stories never disappoint!
Absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Frankie is an author, trying to finish college and his series. He goes incognito to book signings. Everything changes when Rook, a character from his book turns up. That can't happen, right? Wrong!
There is nothing about this book I didn't like. Frankie - prepared to stand by those he cares for and stand up for what is right. Rook - a grumpy a$$ who is able to see when he's made a mistake and change (a little bit). Together, they are just perfect. I loved how Rook was so grumpy with everyone else and, yes, even Frankie at times, but how caring and gentle he was too.
The other characters were just as good, doing what they do best and providing support to Frankie and Rook and letting the story move along. I can't say the twist was a surprise but I loved how it came about and the excitement it brought.
This was a fantastic story and I would love to see more from these characters. I have to say, I love this author's imagination and her stories never disappoint!
Absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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