| Title | : | Catching Stars |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 335 |
| Publication | : | First published May 8, 2018 |
Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape -- and is determined to escape again.
Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witchhunters who are his only chance to find justice.
But all is not as it seems and Maddix soon finds himself on the run from the people he sought as allies. When their paths collide, Jayin and Maddix must put aside their prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance that could crumble at any moment. But if they want to survive in Aestos -- a brutal kingdom where magic and corruption lie hand in hand and enemies lurk around every corner -- they must first survive each other.
Catching Stars Reviews
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Super addictive, action packed and magical. I also totally loved these characters!
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Magnetizing—an intricate, brutal world of sorcery, betrayal, and mystery that will captivate and entice until the very last page. Emily R. King, author of The Hundredth Queen Series.
When I say this is one of the BEST fantasy's I've ever read. I mean it. I'm publishing it for a reason.
As you know I have loved everything to do with witches. This will NOT LET YOU DOWN. A bustling world of magic, murder, and characters you will love love love.
*I have one character I still think of every moment of every day.*
Six of Crows meets Truthwitch. -
I had hopes for this book but, sadly, I did not like it at all.
I often found myself skipping through the pages, looking for something that could grabbed my attention, but it never happened. And I liked the characters just fine, but they felt bland and your average fantasy book people.
That’s something that really hurt the story: the lack of characterization. None of them -or the story itself- were really fleshed out. It’s sad because it had potential but, in the end, it wasn’t that good. -
4.5 stars.
Oh my god. I need book 2 asap.
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hiii, hi hi hello, my full review is up, finally! you can read it on my blog (
here's a handy link) if you'd prefer to!
♫
I loooooove this book. Like. A ridiculous amount. I love the characters and the magic and, oddly enough, even the cruel and dangerous world all of this is set in because it was just sooo good.
Catching Stars has been comp'd to Truthwitch and Six of Crows, and it's easy to see why. You have the complex magic system and (uhhh) witchery (would that be the right word?) from Truthwitch and the grittiness of Six of Crows, both of which really make this novel. I'm eager to find out more about the magic system and follow Jayin and Maddix on their adventures.
I loved Jayin from the get go. Her POV was probably my favourite and it's definitely because of her sense of humour. She's tough, resiliant, and so, so real. Her voice just shone through the book and honestly, not to be dramatic or anything, but I would totally die for her. I just love her that much. I also need her to get a break hopefully, but that never happens, so I just hope she's okay soon.
I'll admit, it took me a while to get into Maddix's POV. I liked him--I really did, but I always found myself looking forward to Jayin's parts in the beginning. Afterwards, though, his point of view just grabbed my attention and would not let go. As the stakes got higher, I was just able to see him in a different light and I think it made a huge difference. By the end of the book, I wanted him to be safe and sound because he's just so [clenches fist] precious.
There is. Such. A. Slow. Burn. in this book that it actually kills me. I mean. The banter gave me life but dear god, these two are literally ready to protect each other until the ends of the world and neither will admit it and it makes me want to scream. I love the slow burn, I do, but I NEED SOMETHING MORE TO WORK WITH.
Suffice to say, I'm 100% aboard this ship and am ready for it to set sail. Any time now.
One of my favourite things about Catching Stars is that there's never really a point where the story lags. From the beginning, there's danger around every corner and both characters have to give up a lot on their journey. Keenan writes it all so well that you can feel the danger they're in and it genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat. Most of the time, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. It kept me hooked.
Like I briefly mentioned before, I was really into the magic system in this book. At some parts, I was slightly confused? So I hope in the sequels there's a bit more focus on that, especially Jayin's type of magic. It's really intricate and I'm interested in how it continues to play a role in future books.
Overall, hiiiiiiiighly recommend this one. When I finished it, I immediately needed book 2. I still do. Definitely pick this one up when you can because it is so good. -
the beginning wasn’t bad but damn ... the story was going in a circle going nowhere, the magic and world wasn’t explained at all and the characters were so flat and every 2 chapters someone fainted. i skim read the last 60 pages i am sad
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"you've tied yourself to the most dangerous sahir in aestos," she said. "and i am now bound to the most wanted criminal. we're going to die bloody."
as one of my favorite booktubers once said, i will happily give a book five stars when it brings me out of a reading slump.
before i picked up catching stars, i had no idea what i wanted to read. i swear i picked up seven books but put them all down because nothing was catching my attention. however, this book did. from the very beginning, i was hooked and needed to know more. and damn, i was not disappointed in this story.
i developed a strong attachment to jayin and maddix. they go through hell and back but they're so strong and are such fighters. i adore them with everything in me.
the ending to this book, SHUT UP. WHAT. NO. HOW? WHY?
words truly do fail me.
all i have to say is, please go pick this book up. if you're looking for a story that has badass characters, with witchy goodness, and an explosive ending.....then look no further because i highly recommend you check out catching stars. -
I just couldn't get into this at all.
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You can find this review and more like it on my blog, Ink & Illusion!
I had to think about writing this review. How did I want to handle it, because this is – for the first time since I decided to approach my reviews differently – a book that I feel no love for. And so it meant I had to ask some questions of myself; mainly, did I want to carry through and write the review anyways? Or did I want to DNF the book and stow it away, never to think of it again?
The book answered that question for me about a third of the way through. It was one of those accidents you just can’t look away from, waiting to see how bad it would be. I had to see how it all wrapped up, how much worse it could get. I’m a strong believer of DNF’ing books I’m not enjoying. But it was also the lack of discussion surrounding the issues I found that drove me to finish the book and write a review.HEADS UP
This review is going to discuss content that may be triggering, specifically about a group of nationalists and supremacists that seek to kill an entire population.
Catching Stars is being praised pretty highly, and I’d already been looking forward to it before Owlcrate included it in its Fight Like a Girl box.
It promises an exciting story about enemies working together in a world rich with magic and conflict. And while YA fantasy as a genre is no stranger to stories of magic users eyed with a certain degree of suspicion, none have gone quite as far as this. We’re promised conflict with the witches, but what we get is a group of supremacists looking to wipe out all magic users in the kingdom.
This isn’t an exaggeration. It’s the main subplot and hardly challenged – and the challenge that is made is the male MC falling in love with a witch and suddenly realizing that she’s human too. But just her; he still hates the rest of the witches for wielding magic.
Witches, and many other magic users, hated for their abilities isn’t a bad plot point on its own. And I may not have looked twice at it if the hatred hadn’t been so pronounced, so violent. In a lot of ways, the setup was similar to Shadow and Bone: magic users as the kingdom’s main force, with a high place in society under their leader, enjoying finer things as the kingdom around them deteriorates. But this is where it diverges into questionable territory; the non-magic users, especially those under the King’s employ, vehemently hate the witches (interchangeably called the sahir) and want to see their magic either stripped or see them destroyed outright. In one moment we go from seeing a disparity between magic users and the general populace causing tension to an explicit desire to see them all killed.
THE SETUP
Maddix is the male POV character, a guard possessed in the very beginning of the book and used to commit murders that he is later caught for and found guilty of. Locked away in the Pit, a dark prison hole meant for the worst criminals, his hatred for the witches turns into full-blown fanaticism. He becomes bent on finding the witchhunters, a group that wishes to find witches and kill them. And not long after his escape, he finds them and joins their cause – blindly following orders in the hope to track down the witch who possessed him, kill him, and then continue doing the same to other magic users.
Seeking revenge on the witch who ruined your life, used you to commit crimes from which you’ll never be able to escape? Alright, I can go with that. Wanting to wipe out an entire population because one man wronged you? That’s… disgusting and I’m fairly certain straight out of a white supremacist handbook. What should have garnered sympathy for Maddix turns him terrifying, and what I’m hopeful Keenan intended as a message to accept those different from you is… not.
Because not only is Jayin, the female POV character whom Maddix eventually falls in love with, a witch but also a woman of color. A descendant of immigrants who were chased from their homeland as it slowly dies. Because, of course, it would seem all witches originally came from an area known only as the Oldlands and fled to the kingdom in order to survive. Woman of color, magic user, hated by an entire group of supremacists (and the majority of the kingdom) preaching how they want to return the kingdom to its people, use only “pure Aestosi,” treat witches as less than human, and call their language “savage.” All of this written by a white woman.
Say it with me: this is not a white woman’s story to tell.
STILTED STORYTELLING
While the main story is supposed to be Maddix and Jayin’s hunt for the witch who possessed him, every other page is filled with a reminder for how much they hate each other. Maddix is constantly thinking about how much he hates magic, and by extension all witches, but how incredible Jayin is and how different she is from the rest. How he can’t “reconcile his hatred” with the girl traveling with him – a direct quote. For the fanaticism of the witchhunters being an underlying theme, but not the main conflict, it influences every little thought of both Maddix and Jayin. The entire story is them hating each other.
This isn’t just an enemies to lovers trope of questionable origin, it’s also unbelievable. The whole book feels like it lacks solid structure and focus, with no development of its worldbuilding elements or plot points. Rules are barely introduced to the reader, though Maddix is treated as ignorant for not knowing how magic works. It almost feels like pieces from popular YA fantasy were plucked and then arranged with the hope that they would fit together on their own. It makes for an awkward reading experience.
The haphazard plotting was also strewn with unnecessary minor plots. Twists, information, and conflict that added nothing to the story; remove them, and the overall story remained the same. They seemed to exist solely for shock factor, such as a scene where Jayin is kidnapped by another witch who would sell her for a bounty. Why witches would turn against their own, turn them in to the same people who would see them dead, is never built upon. But it occurs more than once and Jayin seems unsurprised.
REAL VS. BADLY DONE
There’s been a long-lasting discussion about realistic characters having problematic qualities. I’m a huge supporter of writing characters with “unlikeable” aspects; trust me, some of my favorite personal ones are littered with issues and even toxic (sometimes against themselves, sometimes against others) behaviors. I write them how they speak to me. But there’s a huge difference between writing realistic characters who have their issues challenged, and just writing bad ones.
It’s unfortunate, because I think a lot of characters here could have provided good commentary. Or they could have at least been tolerable. But instead we find… countless issues.
I’ve already discussed Maddix’s many issues, ranging from fanaticism and supremacy to (white?) savior syndrome. It honestly felt like reading Ember in the Ashes' Helene receive a redemption arc. Jayin, on the other hand, just feels all over the place underneath her tough as nails exterior. She’s enjoyable otherwise. But the romance between her and Maddix is unbelievable, ruining what development she could have had as she faces the conflict.
But it’s a more personal note that struck me the hardest about a particular character.
There is one character in Catching Stars with on-page queer representation: a witch under the employ of the kingdom, named Maerta. She’s an old acquaintance of Jayin’s, and certainly not a friend – that’s fine. But the passage where she is introduced as married to a woman, she’s also said to be having an affair. And after that it’s just a matter of time before she’s shown to be cruel and sadistic, bent on destroying Jayin for no reason other than her jealousy. And, in the end, she’s killed violently with her own magic.
Have we not been the subject of enough tragedies and villains? At least Maerta’s queerness is not the cause for her cruelty, but to have the only on-page representation be evil and then killed the way that she was – it hurts readers. Intent here doesn’t matter; it’s what we’re given to go off of. I was annoyed by her cruelty at first, but then completely taken aback when I read her murder. I am tired how, especially in fantasy, queer representation is sacrificed or ignored. And this was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for me; the final piece that cemented this book as one of the few I’ve actively disliked while reading.
Everything about its synopsis seemed promising, but Catching Stars was hurtful, ignorant of the issues it perpetuated, and from a technical standpoint poorly fleshed out. But all I’ve seen of this book was positive reviews, mostly five stars, with no discussion of its numerous issues.
Being a fantasy novel does not give any story a free pass to include whatever element desired. In a story which so clearly reflects issues that are a real threat to people, these elements still need to be challenged and they need to be dealt with properly. Instead we see these issues abused for the purpose of Catching Stars' story and used as shock factors. And it’s not okay. But it’s not being discussed, and that’s another part of a serious problem.OTHER CONTENT WARNINGS
I wanted to mention other content in the book that might triggering in case anyone does go to look into it, including: mention of suicide and suicidal thoughts/impulses (mostly by prisoners) and the use of phrases like “that’s suicidal” tossed around casually, self-harm, violence and gore, and a scene with a vague mention that could be assault or rape of Jayin. The scene is never directly referenced again or described in detail, but it left me feeling very uncomfortable and I had to take a break after reading it. -
CATCHING STARS
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• ⭐️: 5/5
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💬: Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape -- and is determined to escape again. Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witch hunters who are his only chance to find justice.
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🔰: UOU, this story really is incredible. I’m in love with the world building and the characters, especially our main duo, Jayin and Maddix, and can’t wait to read more of them. I loved to have a glimpse of these two alone and then as the story goes on we see them together and forming a bond of trust. Even with all their prejudices and previous notions of what they thought the other would be, they find solace on each other companies. And that was beautiful. Ravi’s character even if not so important he had a huge influence on Jayin’s life and how we perceive her outside of the persona of The Gullwitch, a part from the fact that he was incredible sweet and protective of her. Excited to see how the story will develop now with all that went down, I need them all to be happy. And for Maddix to be able to sleep in the dark.
I loved the narrative, the way Keenan describes the setting was fascinating. Also, her dialogues were incredible true to their speakers, making me even feel the sarcasm or tension behind the all so thought words. I’m so happy I got to receive an e-arc of this incredible book, so happy to have been read this fantastical story about a girl seeking freedom and a boy seeking redemption. -
*Disclaimer - I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Despite having a thesis to write, I stayed up into the early hours of the morning to finish reading this book instead.
That’s how good it was.
I might end up posting a full review on here in the future, but for now I’m going to keep it short and sweet.
If you like magic, beautifully crafted characters and a plot that doesn’t stop moving then this is the book for you.
Although it started off a bit slow for me, once I got through the prologue I was hooked. This book got me out of a major reading slump and I am beyond excited to see what comes next in the series! -
>>3.75<<
"They thought they were ridding the world of monsters by killing her people, but with every life they took, the more monstrous they became."
Where to begin with this one? Man, I've got so many feelings about this book. This YA fantasy was sent out as a bonus book in an Owlcrate box last year. I've been intrigued about it for a while and this month I found the perfect excuse to read it. It started off slow but I liked the ambiance, if you will. As I was reading I came across minor errors or just little things that didn't seem to fit so I looked this book up and found that it was published by a booktuber named Ben Alderson who had started his own micro publishing company. Being that it was a very small company I was impressed with the work done on this book. The cover is gorgeous and the writing is superb. It also made more sense why there were spelling errors pretty often and I also felt that a better editor could have cleaned this story up a bit more and helped elevate it as a whole. Because, let me tell you, Catching Stars has the potential to be a 5 star read. The premise of the story takes a trope that's been done a million times and spins it into it's own unique masterpiece. I love the characters, I love the setting, the magic, all of it. But it definitely could use some more explanation as far as the magic and how it works and the world building is a bit lacking."And so they walked, with Oskar's pyre till burning behind them. A pair of monsters, on their way back to the city that created them."
I then thought that since this book says 'one' on it's spine that there is obviously going to be a sequel so perhaps things will be explained in more detail in the next installment. So I went ahead and looked that up... and low and behold... the publishing company, Of Tomes Publishing, no longer exists. So I went ahead and looked up the author and very little can be found on her either. The book ended on a beautiful cliffhanger and, unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if a sequel will ever be forthcoming. This news saddens me so much! I need to know what happens next! I wish I had known about these issues going in and I probably would have skipped the book entirely to save myself from disappointment. So here I am letting anyone reading this know... there is no sequel as of right now and I cannot find any evidence that one will ever be published either. It's a travesty, really. Cayla Keenan's writing is more than good enough for traditional publishing. I'm not sure if she wanted to go with an indie publisher or if she tried traditional and was turned down. I honestly can't believe that is the case. The writing is SO good. my absolute wish is that, in the absence of the original publisher, a different one would pick up this story and release a sequel, and maybe they will. Who knows? All we can do is hope! -
Disclaimer: I have received this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank both Cayla Keenan and Ben Alderson for providing me with an eARC to review. First of all, I would like to apologize for being extremely late in reviewing this book due to some unanticipated personal issues. Second of all, I NEED THE SEQUEL!! This book is a beautifully written adventure that consists of two main characters' points of views: The first one is from Jayin's POV who is a witch (or a Sahirla) and the second is from Maddix's POVwho is a human (or a Dayri). It starts out as two separate stories of two people living in the same kingdom and how their lives intertwine. The prologue was fantastic. You know a great book by the first few pages, and Cayla did NOT disappoint. I devoured this book in a faster time than I usually do for ebooks. I love the magic system and the world building. I realized halfway through the book the use of the Arabic word for witch (Sahir) to describe those who have magical powers. There were different magical powers demonstrated throughout the book which makes me look forward to other abilities that will be found within the upcoming books. The world has several elements of a successful book which includes witches, magic, humans, gangs, witch hunters (and hunting), warring kingdoms, and a convict chase. Not sold yet? This book is FILLED with twists and turns in every chapter and you just hold your breath while rooting for the characters that you love. I've seen it described as a mix of Six of Crows with Truthwitch so if you love any of these books, you'll definitely love it. The developing relationship was beautifully written. It had the right amount of anticipation for a young adult fantasy novel and I can't wait to see how it develops in the sequel. All in all, I'd say that this is a book I'm willing to spend my money on even though I have already read it as an ebook. I still haven't seen the printed version but I am hoping that the printed version comes with a map as I always love seeing where characters are located, especially if there are multiple kingdoms in the story. Here is a quote I liked from the book: Watch the skies, catch the stars ~ Cayla Keenan Also, can we just fan girl about this beautiful cover? It depicts Jayin perfectly!
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** First of all, I want to clarify that the arc of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks Oftomes Publishing! :)
At first it was somewhat difficult for me to advance in the story, it was a little slow and I couldn't get hooked, but then, I got to this point where I got caught and couldn't leave until I finished it, even though I should have been studying, ups!
Cayla created a wonderful world, full of magic, intrigue and action.
With a great variety of characters that are incredibly not obnoxious, and very intriguing, I really want to know more about some of them in the future. It's very normal that you like the story but it's a bit ruined by the characters, luckily, it doesn't happen in this case!
Regarding the narrative I think it has very good descriptions and dialogue, is an easy but nice and attractive reading.
I can't wait to know how the story will develop!
**Primero que nada, quiero aclarar que el arc de este libro me fue proporcionado por la editorial a cambio de mi honesta reseña. Gracias Oftomes Publishing! :)
Al principio fue algo difícil poder avanzar, se me hizo un poco lento y no podía engancharme, pero luego llegué a este punto en el que me atrapó y no pude dejarlo hasta terminarlo, a pesar de que debería haber estado estudiando, ups!
Cayla creó un mundo maravilloso, lleno de magia, intriga y acción.
Con una gran variedad de personajes que increíblemente, no son odiosos y a la vez muy interesantes, realmente quiero saber mas sobre alguno de ellos en el futuro. Es muy normal que te guste la historia pero quede un poco arruinada por los personajes, por suerte no sucede en este caso!
Con respecto a la narrativa creo que tiene muy buenas descripciones y diálogos, es una lectura fácil pero agradable y atrayente.
No puedo esperar saber como se desarrollara la historia! -
To see this review and more, considering taking a peek at my first in series YA book blog
here
2.5 -3 stars
Catching stars has a fun, well tested premise. A convict and witch on the run from the king. Brought to hate each other due to misguided beginnings. As much as I wanted to love this story...I just couldn't get into it. Jayin was interesting but lacked a certain depth I crave in characters. And that's just it, she never became a person, she was always just a character I was reading about. Maddix, the male lead, was crafted a bit better. He has a burning desire for revenge and will use almost anything or anyone to accomplish it.
The big reveal about Jayin's heritage at the end was no surprise seeing as this is a YA novel and how she skirted around the topic all the time.
Let's talk about pacing for a bit. It was done well, mostly. The progression of Maddix and Jayin's hate for one another slowly moving into friendship was done well. It didn't feel rushed and was appropriate for what they were going through. However, here's that "almost" I was taking about: the times sucked. If you're going to force it, just don't add it in the first place. There is one very specific chapter that is like,"yep ok, this is the chapter they talk about having feelings. And then that's over with. I was like wait what!?. It was just rather abrupt and left as soon as it arrived.
Overall, it was fun but took way longer to read them it sounds have because I was dragging my feet and most likely won't read the next one -
This book was one of those "great blurbs not so great execution" books. The blurb is a good blurb. It grabs you and has enough that inspires you to read it. However, the bulk of the story was . . . repetitive.
Catching Stars starts strong. It pulls you in right off the bat with a flashback and scene on how Maddix gets to prison. But, I feel that's pretty much where the book ends in awesome.
The one thing I noticed about this book is that whenever there was a big event, one of the main characters ended up with being knocked out. It was like . . . run, run, big fight, bad guy, more fight, run, pass out. This happens roughly four times in this book. The first time was great. It pulled at my heartstrings and made me turn the page. The second time was so/so. The third . . . I was just getting annoyed.
The climax was decent. However, I didn't quite understand the dialogue between the female lead and what I suppose is the main baddie (who we only learn is the main baddie in that moment).
Overall, I feel that this book could have been better executed. The story itself, the bare bones of it, is interesting. I was pulled in and I did like the character dynamics. But, what made it a larger piece of work felt either lacking or slightly lazy in the storytelling.
I'm sure other readers would see this book as good. For me, I wasn't impressed.
Final Rating: 2/5 -
The first part of the book had some parts that were slow and a bit repetitive. I liked that Jayin was a strong, female character. Maddix developed into a better character than he was in the beginning. The second part of the book picked up speed and had more intense action. Overall it was a interesting read. I received an ebook at no charge for which I voluntarily provided an honest review.
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3.5
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Just no
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***I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
This book completely captured my attention, though I wouldn’t call it an amazing book. The storyline was both magical and action-packed, but sadly I felt that the writing style and tropes dampened the effect of this book. This story had great potential, but sadly it didn’t completely live up to it.
Catching Stars follows the perspectives of Jayin Ijaad and Maddix Kell, a witch and guard-turned-escaped-prisoner, respectively. Two years before the events of the book, Maddix was a new guard on patrol when he’s possessed by a demon and forced to murder 4 people. No one believes his story and he’s imprisoned. Two years later and he finally escapes prison in order to team up with the legendary witch-hunters to track down the demon that possessed him. Jayin, on the other hand, is living in hiding in the slums of the city Pavaal. When an old acquaintance from the King’s court finds her and tries to force her to do the Kingwitch’s bidding, Jayin goes on the run again. Eventually, Jayin and Maddix cross paths and are forced to team up, battling enemies that approach from all sides as they struggle to survive.
As I mentioned before, this book was very quickly paced, so it was almost never boring. I kept eagerly swiping through the pages on my phone, curious to see what would happen next. The trade-off for this captivation though, was that the writing style and depth of the book suffered. Action scenes occurred in such a never ending stream that I often struggled to picture what was happening. Descriptions were sparse and scenes never felt fleshed out. In addition to this, the beginning chapters held an enormous amount of exposition. And this info dump wasn’t even helpful because I was still confused on all the names, places, and kingdoms, especially later on throughout the plot. The protagonists moved so quickly between kingdoms and the timelines on their journeys never seemed consistent. Maybe it wasn’t included because I had an e-arc, but I really wish this book had a map.
That being said, the frequency of the action also weakened the plot, especially when it came to character development. The author set up these really great, dimensional characters, but she never developed them. I failed to see an arc for either Maddix or Jayin. Sure, the characters changed overtime, but it seemed to happen suddenly without warning. There was no progression, and I think this was because the author spent most of her pages on action.
I will say that I enjoyed the brutality and violence that was present in this book. It felt accurately graphic without being too morbid. I appreciate books that don’t shy away from bloodshed and don’t try to leave out graphic details because it’s “YA” (I will say that I found it a little unnecessary how often Jayin liked to cut off hands though). I also really enjoyed how expansive the variety of magic among witches seemed, though I do wish the magic system had been elaborated on more (once again, a shortcoming of the book being composed of 90% action).
Overall, despite my many complaints, I can’t get myself to rate this lower than 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3 for Goodreads) because of the story’s potential and how good of a job it did in captivating me. I’d recommend this book to non-critical readers that love action packed, witch-themed fantasies. Though I did somewhat enjoy this book, I’m not sure I’m invested enough in the story to continue on next year (I’m assuming) when the sequel releases.
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You can see this review, my other reviews & additional bookish posts at my blog:
Are You My Book? -
Actual Rating: 4.25
I didn’t go into this book with too many expectations since not many people have read it, but it was definitely an engaging read!
I love the world within this novel. I think Keenan developed both the magic and setting very well throughout. She created such a rich culture with plenty of depth to it while still leaving more to be uncovered. I’m excited to read more within this world whenever the sequel is published.
Jayin and Maddix were both well-developed and strong characters. Jayin’s magical abilities were extraordinary, in concept and in description, and combined with her combative skills with knives, she was a force to reckoned with. Maddix’s strength was also admirable, but there’s definitely more to be explored with him in future books. Both of them had very complex back stories and their emotions were described with an abundance of detail. Keenan certainly did a great job writing the two main characters.
Also, there were plenty of action scenes to keep the story moving with excellent descriptions of fight sequences. Slow parts are not around for long, that’s for sure. The stakes are set very high, and Keenan makes the reader feel that throughout the entire novel.
Despite enjoying most aspects of the book, I did have a few issues with it. Nothing major, but worth mentioning:
• Grammatical Errors - Of course, there are bound to be a few errors, but there were more than usual throughout this book. It didn’t necessarily lessen my enjoyment of the novel, but grammar is something I pay close attention to, so I couldn’t let it go unnoticed.
• Cutthroat Reflexes - Jayin’s immediate reaction to a threat or her own temper is to threaten people by pressing a knife to their throats, and she did it so many times that it became predictable. If someone kept threatening you with the same weapon repeatedly, would you take that threat seriously anymore? My guess is no, probably not.
• Wonky Pacing - For the most part, the pacing was fine, but there were times when transitions between scenes were a bit jagged.
Overall, this is an excellent debut fantasy for Keenan, and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the sequel. -
But actually 3.5 stars.
I got this book in an OwlCrate, and was pleasantly surprised. Something about it was addicting. I have a thing for witches and magic, I think, so there was that. I also found myself falling in love with both Jayin and Maddix, and their relationship, as well as a couple side characters (although the majority of the book was focused on Jayin and Maddix alone). Did I mention how much I love the hate-to-love trope? Because that was so present here.
Jayin is so kickass. I think she's one of the most badass female characters I've met. Not only does she have some insanely cool magical powers, she is clever and smart, and knows not to only rely on that. She would be badass even without her magic. She also has learned to work with what she's got. Lastly, she is actually moral. She cares about people, even those she's not supposed to care about, and has a big heart that she tries to hide.
Maddix breaks my heart a little. He was used and abused and ruined his whole life, and has to turn around and figure out what to do next. I love his little childish naivete, his want and desire to still believe in people even after all that's happened to him. I also like how in a way, he is the damsel in distress in this book. He's strong too, but it's clear that Jayin is keeping the two of them alive, not the other way around. His change of heart is so cute and happy to see.
Their relationship is the ultimate Romeo and Juliet- a witch, and a man whose life has been ruined by witches and magic. There's nothing that would suggest they could fall in love, except they do, slowly, and would die for each other. Give me more of them, please!
Be aware, this is a part of a series. Which I was not aware of, and therefore unpleasantly surprised by the cliffhanger at the end. (Boooo Kingwitch!!!!)
Also, I love Maia and Ravi. They are the cutest (not together, just, as individuals). -
This book was wonderful! There were amazing characters, epic battles, enemies to lovers romance, and lush magical settings. Everything I love in a fantasy book!
𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 is one of those severely underrated books that deserves more love. The two main characters, Jayin and Maddix, are both incredibly captivating. I love how they both have their own stories, and how those stories come together. The blend of magic, romance, and action is fantastic as well. Plus, this book has quite a few fun side characters, which is always a good thing! I also loved all the banter between Jayin and Maddix.
My only complaints with this book are that there were quite a few slower sections, which made some portions of the book drag a bit. The other complaint that I have is that this is 100% a book that needs a sequel; there’s a terrible cliffhanger ending! But I haven’t been able to find anything about a sequel online anywhere, so I’m not sure if it’s going to be getting one. I sure hope so, because I would love to read more and find out what happens to Jayin and Maddix! -
I liked this book, but also found it rather meh at times. It took me a while to get into, but about halfway through I was able to read at a steady pace because I was curious about what would happen next. The writing is good, although I did notice a couple typos, so the editing left a little bit to desired. The cover is gorgeous, especially considering that it’s an indie novel! I liked the plot, although it was a bit cliche. The characters left a lot to be desired. They weren’t very fleshed out, which tends to be important to me. Perhaps we’ll learn more about them in the next novel. It rather concerns me that it doesn’t have a Goodreads listing yet though, because that means it could be a while. While I’m not really dying to continue on, there was a pretty big cliffhanger. I really wish I could have connected more with this book overall, but I was still able to enjoy it. 3/5 October 9 2018
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So some honest truths:
1) This book is FULL of spelling and grammar errors. So many in fact that it was completely distracting from the reading experience.
2) It reads like a first draft of some mediocre fan fiction. The pacing is awkward at best and there are many very poorly done transitions. The plot is nothing new. The obstacles make little sense. For example, she leaves Pavaal on a boat and rather than going to her destination they stop in another Aestosi port just so everyone we were just introduced to (and most of the actually interesting characters) can be killed off.
3) The characters are dull. Perhaps if they back story of Jayin was actually given and not hinted at by the scars on her body and the fact that she ran away from the palace, she could have been interesting. Lumping it in at the end didn’t make up for how boring she was throughout. You could easily keep the one big secret to the end and have explained more of her motivations along the way. Maddix is pretty 1-dimensional. He goes from a boring guard that gets framed, to a boring person on a revenge mission, to a boring guy trying to leave, and back to a boring man in prison.
Both of them read like they're 12 years old but are supposed to be adults (at least I assume so by the fact that they call Maia a baby and she's 15).
Is this book better than anything I could have written? Absolutely
Does it have some good moments? Totally
Verdict: This book is in dire need of an editor. Someone needs to address the plot holes, inconsistencies, pacing, and transitions. This should have been done before the book was ever published.
I do wish the author luck on their next endeavour. There is certainly potential for future works. -
”You’ve tied yourself to the most dangerous sahir in Aestos,” she said. “And I am now bound to the most wanted criminal. We’re going to die bloody.”
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I love a good “emotionally constipated bad-ass witch with ridiculous amounts of sharp weapons” trope. It is a classic for a reason. (“It’s not a classic at all, what are you on about?” you say? Well, it SHOULD be. It’s just the best.)
And this emotionally challenged, world-weary witch of a main character is just the beginning in this unexpectedly fast-paced, magic-fuelled book. Admittedly, it has been sitting on my shelf for an unfair amount of time, which is a shame because it was really a blast. I needed an exciting distraction during my travels, and an exciting distraction was what I got. It was just full of mysteries to unravel, revenges to be plotted, pain to be suffered from start to end.
This book is catching (ha-ha) very, very solid 4 stars from me. -
Wow. So I had the opportunity to actually meet this author at the recent bookcon that just passed. As soon as she started explaining the book to me I was ready to buy it! I’m glad that I do not currently regret doing so either because I really loved this book! The world and the characters and the magic and just everything was amazing. It was dark and gritty and didn’t really spare anyone at all, which I was NOT expecting! Jayin and Maddox were quite the team. They HATED each other at first, and I loved how the author actually drew it out to being more realistic with the extremely slow trust that came from depending on each other throughout the book. There were a few moments that I felt like the timeline jumped a little too suddenly from one paragraph to another,but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book at all! I can’t wait for the next book!
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I loved this book! It's a good fantasy read if you're 1) into witches, 2) like fantasy but with a simple yet fleshed out world and 3) a clean yet interesting plot.
When I got this book in my May Owlcrate box the summary seemed pretty generic, so I didn't rush to read it and boy was I sorry. This book does what people preach good books should be, the plot is nothing new but the characters are so interesting and the world is unique yet doesn't overwhelm you. Jayin and Maddix are so adorable and their chemistry isn't rushed at all, and if this book wasn't Book 1 and I would have given it five stars. -
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I need more, desperately -
It's been a really long and rubbish week, but one of the things that got me through was being able to escape to this world for a little while every night. The world was beautifully and delicately weaved and the characters were complex and engaging - the bickering definitely helped. I'm super excited to see where more of the story takes Maddix and Jaylin!
