liz089
Written on Sep 27, 2019
- ISBN13 9798200370733
- Publish Date 19 February 2019 (first published 2 October 2018)
- Publish Status Active
- Publisher Tantor Media, Inc
- Imprint Tantor Audio
- Edition Library Edition
- Format Audiobook (CD)
- Duration 12 hours and 17 minutes
- Language English
Reviews
girlinthepages
Written on Oct 28, 2018
From the moment I first encountered Grim Lovelies, I was enchanted by its aesthetic. An urban fantasy set in Paris featuring magic and witches? Sign me up! The cover and all of the promotional materials were so gorgeous that I couldn't help but be excited to read my first Megan Shepard novel.
Though I haven't been to France (yet), Grim Lovelies gave me so many Parisian vibes while reading, from the stately home full of antiques that Anouk and her fellow Beasties (animals enchanted into humans) initially live in to the rolling estates of the Lavender witch to the underground neon goblin parties. The idea that there's a magical, paranormal Paris living right underneath the normal Paris was enchanting, and I love how humans weren't necessarily scorned, but were almost adored in a weird sort of way (hence them being called "pretties"). While they race against the clock (the book takes place over the span of just a few days due to an enchantment that must be dealt with) I still felt the atmosphere was very well written and I felt the glamour and grit in the setting of the story.
I also enjoyed the fact that the magic system was also pretty thoroughly explained in this novel, which is not something I often find in fantasy/paranormal books. Magic has to be drawn from living things, whether from eating a leaf to perform a very minor spell, to using actual human blood (for strong, potent witch magic). Each witch has a "witch's boy," a boy who is taken at a very young age to be raised like a pampered prince by the witch in exchange for their blood- providing vials and vials each week to ensure a steady supply of magic for their witch "mother." It was disturbing no doubt but also fascinating and I appreciated that the author took the time to explain the magic system and the costs associated with performing magic.
However, there were elements of the book that I found myself not as much of a fan of and that made the story drag a bit, especially during the later half. The book has a very middle-grade feel to it, and Anouk especially feels very young (which makes sense since she hasn't been a human for very long, having been turned human by her witch, Mada Vittora, relatively recently). There were some scenes that I was sort of grossed out by (Teapenny and his rat....ew). I also felt like the second half of novel had a LOT of similarities to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, during the scene where they break into the ministry- Anouk and the other Beasties break into the Royal's headquarters which is a magical building, get caught, fight, escape in the elevator and end up on a bunch of crazy floors- it really felt like the Ministry of Magic drama to me. I also feel like Anouk became VERY powerful in a very short period of time, and it was hard to suspend my disbelief to accommodate for that.
Overall: A thoroughly atmospheric read, Grim Lovelies will make you want to book a flight to Paris ASAP. While I enjoyed the setting of the book immensely and appreciated it's thoughtfully built magic system, I did find it dragged in places and the overall feel of the novel was a bit young for my taste.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
shannonmiz
Written on Aug 28, 2018
3.5*
I want to go to Paris. And you will too after reading this, just saying. Anyway, this is a really enjoyable book with a really clever magic system in an amazing setting. And now I shall break it down a bit for you!
The Things I Liked:
- •The characters, especially Anouk. The characters were really enjoyable- they are kind of like a family, with the same quirky relationships of a family of origin. I loved the dynamic between Anouk and Cricket (female friendships for the win!) and I loved watching the whole gang work together. Especially when they were also at each other's throats hah. But Anouk was just so very down to earth- she was really not trying to be a fighter, you know? She was meek, and she was just kind of forced to step up and try to save herself and her family, and it was nice to see for a change!
- •The magic system was really well done and interesting. Usually, I can take or leave the actual magic-building (is that a word? Should be), but in this case I was actually really into it. And while there were definitely questions answered, I feel like there's a lot that is still left to be uncovered about it.
- •Paris! I mean, obviously it's going to be a great setting no matter what, but it's so fun to think about witches and beasties and such running around the city too. And I loved that Anouk, who'd been basically trapped inside since she became "human", was as wide-eyed and eager to see Paris as the reader would be.
- •The stakes were very high. I mean, if Anouk and her friends didn't extend/amend/redo the spell that made them human to begin with, they'd revert back to their animal form. And from the way Anouk describes life in her animal body, it sounds like it's barely a life at all. So you could absolutely feel the tension and desperation of the situation. Plus, there's a literal countdown, which makes everything feel really urgent!
The Things I Didn't:
- •Ugh, the romance. I am honestly hoping that we're not supposed to ship it because there's going to be a better one that comes along? Because it isn't just that I didn't care about it- it actually made me cringe. First, Beau is my least favorite of the secondary characters. By a long shot. He just seemed really controlling, or patronizing, I don't know. And... it high key felt like a brother-sister dynamic which, ew.
- •Sometimes I got a little bored with the political stuff. There's some messy business going on between the witches and the other magical... dudes? Okay fine they aren't called the "dudes" but I don't remember what they are called. They're like, magic royalty. And then they were fighting with goblins or something, and look, I started to get a little iffy okay?
Bottom Line: Pretty good series start! Loved the unique magic-building (I am calling it, new word), incredible setting, and the family-feel of the characters. Anouk's character development was really good too. Aside from some minor issues, an enjoyable read!
cornerfolds
Written on Jan 12, 2017
*Review to come!*