First, I'd truly rate this 4.5 stars, however I didn't want to short Walls, so 5 it is.
The plotline is good, not great, but it is good overall- Walls has set up room to grow, so I'm hopeful for future books to take this to the next level, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Character development was great. I'm not a huge fan of Rune as of yet, as I cannot really relate to her. I relate more to Grey, her male protagonist counterpart. I think Rune is a bit to angsty for my taste - but this is YA so that's to be somewhat expected. The dynamic between the characters is very well written, you can't help but go through this journey with them. I like Verida (spoiler alert - daughter of dracula, that's pretty cool!) the best so far. There is good chemistry between all the characters.
I love Walls' writing style, very descriptive and draws you in and takes you to the setting of this alternate dimension.
One thing I will say is that I would never have picked up this book on my own (I saw an ad for it on facebook) as I have no idea what a venator is, and unless you're well versed in Latin, I doubt anyone else would either. I think this could hurt gaining readership- I also am not sure if I'm saying it correctly in my head. Is it Vee-nay-ter, veh-neh-tor, veh-nay-tor? No idea, and google has differing opinions on this as well. It's not a huge drawback, but since it's the title of the book, I'd definitely like to see a glossary added in the next book, especially for any other creatures we may soon encounter.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Fast-paced but had some issues
TW: Sexual Assualt, Child Abuse, Abuse, mention of slavery, mention of forced prostitution, Victim blaming verbiage.When I was approached about this book tour, I knew I needed to jump in. Magic Unleased is right up my alley, and I couldn't wait to get started. I ended up low on time, so I snagged the audiobook so that I could read it while reading a few other books in between. The narrator did a good job of portraying the characters, though, at times, his voice bordered on monotone.Devri Walls sure knows how to write a vast world. The descriptions were great, and at times I felt like I was walking around with Rune & Grey. The setting itself was well done, and I liked to see the author's interpretations of the supernatural characters. My favorite was how the fae were portrayed. They weren't sweet, helpful things but tricksters. I just loved it.The characters were also well done. I wanted to get to know more about Grey and Rune, and I liked seeing how they interacted with all of the characters. I enjoyed the side characters, as well. It seems like everyone, for the most part, was three dimensional. I will admit, I struggled with how young Grey & Rune acted though this is more of a me issue and not a book issue.The one thing that didn't sit well with me was some of the victim-blaming verbiages in a specific scene. I felt that the character had every right to be upset, and I feel like she was gaslit because she didn't just accept that something "had" to happen. This scene soured me on the book, and I have to admit, I almost DNFd right then and there. After that scene, I started to notice just some of the ways that Rune was treated, and I hated how she was consistently berated instead of helped.Though I did find some faults with this book, I ended up pushing through. In the end, I enjoyed the world that created. It was fun to see a more sinister side of faeries, and I enjoyed how fast-paced the plot was. I'm not sure that I will continue in the series, but I do understand why so many people have enjoyed it.
