Cover Image: Heaven's Silhouette

Heaven's Silhouette

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๐–๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐›๐ž๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐ž? ๐‡๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐š๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐›๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž? ๐ˆ๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐š๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ž, ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐Ÿ๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ž, ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐š๐๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ฆ๐ž, ๐›๐ฎ๐ญ ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ˆ ๐š๐ฌ๐ค ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ฆ๐ž.

This story is about a young woman, who from a very young age is bullied for being different. All her life even into adulthood she has never quite fit in, art became her passion and he escape. One day a very unique piece of art comes into her life that will change everything. This book was packed with action adventure and mystery.

I quite enjoyed this book, I did find some parts to be a little slow for me, not exactly sure why. I did find the plot and the details quite unique and fun.

Iโ€™m not quite sure if Iโ€™ve read anything quite like this but if you love angels/gods and fantasies with their won unique languages this books is for you!

I was given a copy this book for free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I did not finish this book. The title was intriguing and the art was spellbounding in attracting me. However the core dialogue, the writing, could not hold my attention. It took me a while to reread this to see if maturity in life was needed to get the book but no. Still did not like it.

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Com uma trama de fantasia interessante a leitura prendeu a minha atenรงรฃo.

Com uma sociedade angelical incluรญda na trama, a autora criou uma mitologia que mesclou bem com a nossa, tornando as diferenรงas sutis mas que tornam tudo diferente.

A leitura foi muito fluida e se pudesse eu jรก adoraria ter as continuaรงรตes!

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The description is what made me request this book. However it just felt so all over the place. I was really disappointed by the story since I was expecting a better polished book. This felt like a first draft and didn't flow at all. It just jumped around to much and the writing style really wasn't for me.

The characters are a bit too strange and far out there for even a fantasy novel. And it really took from the novel and made it more eye roll worthy.
I took a long time to decide if I should even post a review for this story but in the end I decided to since I was given it through netgalley for that reason. I do think this story could be released after some cleaning up and revising. It does have potential for that.

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While I loved this book, there were many typos, the progression of Lucien an Lia's love story was unrealistic and rapid, and the ending was abrupt and unexpected. I was angry and very disappointed that it ended with Hattan's funeral rite and that was it. No closure, no foreshadowing into the next book. That said, I will be purchasing or requesting the next book because the story has such great potential and I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

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This book produced so many mixed feelings inside me that I don't know how to best summarize my thoughts. On one hand I really liked the world-building. I love epic fantasies and the idea of a rebellion with many politics entwined in a fantasy setting was very appealing to me. However, the execution left much to be desired. Yes, Immortal Defiance has an interesting story, but it gets so dull sometimes it makes you wonder if it is really worth it. The story is told through flashbacks, and as much as I love jumping in time as it really makes for an interesting plot when done well, in this book it just bothered me. The flashbacks here were confusing and often threw me out of the story.

The relationship between the MC and the almighty vampire was also very boring for me. I expected a strong and capable rebellious queen and instead got a whining girl who didn't really grow on me as the book progressed.ย 

I must say that even though I appreciated the world-building and the fantasy setting, I couldn't really bring myself to love the book or to really care for the characters hence the 3 stars rating.

I would still recommend this book for fantasy readers, as many people have a lot of love for vampires and a great deal more patience than me.

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I really enjoyed reading this book, I liked the characters and the world built by the author. I think it felt different from other sci-fi novels and I really look forward to more from the author.

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This book was a beautifully written tale filled with angels and humans. The mythology for the angels was unique and interesting, and I never got tired learning more about them and their history. The writing was lush and enjoyable and I found the story to be intriguing as well.

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I received this book as an e-ARC from Netgalley. It's an enjoyable read, with solid writing and characterisation, intense action scenes and meaningful, realistic relationships between characters.

Pros:

- Action scenes are fast-paced and clear while avoiding tedious, mechanical descriptions of each and every swish and flick.

- Main characters are interesting, flawed people who have realistic wants and desires and make reasonable decisions that are a direct consequence of who they are as people.

- High standard of prose through the book, some passages really hooked me and any of the descriptions of the gory parts had me squirming in my seat (which may be a con for some).

- The character interactions are one of the highlights of the book, and seeing the ways that they clashed with one another as circumstances forced different characters together was quite exciting.

Cons:

- Some plot points/twists felt quite predictable, in particular most of the things involving the main villain.

- Pacing. The story mellows out a lot in the second half, and just sort of ends. I think a more intense ending with a stronger conclusion would have brought the book up a notch.

Overall, while Heaven's Silhouette isn't the sort of book I would normally read, I did very much enjoy reading it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a paranormal/urban fantasy or a contemporary fantasy of any description. I look forward to reading more books by the author and in this series.

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What a fantastic start to a new fantasy series!
The opening scenes are filled with action and draw you in right from the beginning, whilst also introducing a repertoire of different characters. I found the plot to be well written with good pacing as there weren't any points where I felt that the story was dragging at all. The sprinkling of Iyarri language was spot on and didn't feel overwhelming at all as it was easier to pick it up along the way in smaller chunks.
I loved the fact that our main female protagonist wasn't made out to be amazing at everything straight away - she had to learn and train just like everybody else. This was a breath of fresh air, as often with these YA books, the main characters are so overpowered that it just gets a bit dull, so thumbs up from me on that!
My only criticism was the insta-romance. It's one of my most despised tropes, and I honestly don't understand how someone can fall in love with someone in less than a couple of days - so this was a major gripe for me.

Overall, this was a good YA with a twist on the angel's trope. I really enjoyed it (more than I thought I would!), and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next installment.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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The instant I saw this beautiful cover I was like ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ Iโ€™ve been on a kick lately rereading Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick and other books that deal with the fallen. So I thought to myself, why not give it a try?!

It definitely was different! I didnโ€™t think I would enjoy this as much as I did! It held its own in a totally different way than the other books Iโ€™ve been reading in the similar genre!

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You think you know what an angel is.....read this Book and think again!!! A Pageturner from Start to End. Love every Moment of reading it.

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Heaven's Silhouette by Melissa Herold. Well written and intriguing. Aurelia discovers she is half human, and that her other half makes her despised and hunted.

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I was seduced by the cover and then pleasantly surprised by the story. Normally when I allow a cover like this to overcome my reservations, I end up with bog standard and bland paranormal romance. This book was different. There was far more of an action fantasy adventure vibe and plenty of emphasis on the MC finding out who she was. I ended up really enjoying the book. My only annoyance is that Aurelia was not very dynamic. I know that bursting into tears is a valid reaction for many people but it just irritates the hell out of me when an MC seems to cry at the drop of a hat. That aside this was a lot of fun.

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While the premise of the book sounded so interesting (I do love angels), I ended up being a little disappoint. The writing style really didnโ€™t do it for me.

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1.5 stars

*Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

This book is not entirely bad, the premise is very good but the execution itself is not.
The book starts out of nowhere, then out of the sudden starts trowing explanations of things on you and even when they to that the book does not manage to explain everything and you end up getting halfway information or not getting all the information you need making the book confused and me very frustrated.
Another thing that pissed me off in this book was the insta love, completely unnecessary in my opinion, the romance could have been worked out better all through the book and not in the first 100 pages (and the first 3 days the characters met). At the end, not an enjoyable reading experience overall.

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If you think you know what an angel is..... think again!

Review
For a debut novel this was a fantastic read! A must read for any Sci Fi & Fantasy Fan!

I wouldnโ€™t normally read a book relating to Angels but I am so glad I read this.

Melissa has a great writing style which flowed easily (I didnโ€™t have to jump back a page or so as I got lost in the story line and left wandering what happened).

Melissa sets the scene extremely well and her descriptives were spot on although gruesome in parts, I could picture the scenes so easily.

I particularly loved how at the end of the book there was a a section detailing Loageth Words and their pronunciations alongside the Cast list!

I can see this being a great series and look forward to seeing how the characters develop and get to know them better! I donโ€™t like to be bombarded with character descriptions and backstories that take up the best part of a book..... I like to watch them grow!

Thank you Netgalley and Wise Ink Creative Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis
Aurelia uncovers secrets about a painting, one that depicts an angelic figure who shares the traits sheโ€™s always thought of as monstrous.
Sheโ€™s attacked by fierce warriors with wings and sharpened blades. Shaken and bloody, Aurelia escapes, but finds herself hunted by the Iyarri, who are anything but angels. As she comes to terms with her connection to them, Aurelia is drawn deeper into an ancient struggle between humans and the winged Iyarri. If sheโ€™s not careful, the consequences will tear her body, her heart, and the Iyarri in two.

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This story sounded so interesting, and the idea of a winged race of warriors called Iyarri hiding in the lore of angels was intriguing.

The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Aurelia (Lia), and focuses on her constant struggles. It's hard to describe, but there was really no focus in this book, no characters to like, and no real resolution to anything.

Spoiler alert:
The entire thing is basically Aurelia bumbling around and being injured, exhausted, unconscious, confused and scared, her fate controlled by others. Inexplicably, she even continues to feel empathy for those who injure and harm her the most.

Granted, she endures a lot of violence, but she does not demonstrate any growth or gain strength from those encounters. She ultimately overcomes quite a bit, but she gains no confidence from it. I kept waiting for her to get angry and fight back and make her own decisions, but she didn't and she felt like a constant victim.

The other characters are pretty one-dimensional, and continue to act the same and hold the same beliefs regardless of what they see or encounter. The little bit of romance was insta-love. Aurelia's father has no redeeming qualities when it comes to how he treats and feels about his daughter. And it was so frustrating that Lia continued to believe her proven-to-be-a-liar betrayer, even after he tried to kill her.

I really wanted to like the Iyarri, but I couldn't due to their blind hate of humans and halfbloods, which did not change. There was no tension in the story, just a string of things just happening to Lia. The book ended with Lia sobbing (as per usual) and some events yet to come, but not exactly a cliffhanger.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

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Not for me sadly, just too convoluted and far fetched, everything was long winded and there wasnโ€™t much enjoyment to be found.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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** spoiler alert ** ***I received this book courtesy of Netgallery in exchange for an honest review***

I am not sure I enjoyed this book. The whole premise was unbelievable.

The idea is that there are angel-like beings called the Iyarri. They are not as forgiving and gracious as the angels we know, instead they are vengeful and murderous, especially more so when any human has the misfortune to learn about their existence.

What I found odd was that though they decided to use the "myth" of angels as a cover for their own race they still killed anyone that found out. The idea of hiding behind the biblical angels was sound, it just made no sense to go ahead and kill them still. Wouldn't that raise more questions? If anyone that thought angels were real suddenly died doesn't that mean more people will be willing to find out if angels are indeed real. That makes sense to me but maybe it does to only me.

The story starts with Aurelia, who works in a gallery seeing the depiction of an angel, she is shocked because she has feet just like the painting. She questions the artist and he tells her that he saw an angel one day, sitting above a church and so he painted what he could remember the angel looked like. While he was telling her another guy, Lucian joins them. He is also interested in the painting. They walk away leaving Aurelia sad about not being able to ask more questions. As luck will have it, the owner wants the painting back and Aurelia is happy to stay behind to give it to him. During the exchange the Iyarri appear and kill the painter, Lucian who was also there kills one of them and flees with Aurelia.

Again my issue is, if they are pretending to be Angels then why do they care if there was a painting depicting them. Almost everyone would think either the painter is religious or he's delusional when he says he saw an angel. It makes no sense to show themselves for something so trivial.

We spend about 60% on the run from the Iyarri, they keep trying to kill Aurelia and Lucian. During this time Aurelia finds out that one of her mentor, Aemon is an Iyarri and that he has been using glamour to hide his wings. He tells her who her father is and why he abandoned her. See , for the Iyarri having sex with a human is taboo and is an unforgivable sin. Apparently hundreds of years ago humans and the Iyarri lived in perfect harmony until the humans wanted a place in the council. When they were refused they murdered hundreds of Iyarri leading to them being expelled and the Iyarri passing that law. He tells her this in front of another Iyarri who turns out to be her aunt. Her aunt doesn't believe it and flies her to where her father has been hiding for the past twenty five years to question him.

Cael is overjoyed to see Aurelia and explains why he had to leave. He cannot be in her life because he is on a self imposed exile and associating with her will cause the council to find out which will put her in danger. He warns her to stay away from Aemon because he thinks Aemon is using her for revenge. Years past, Cael killed Aemon's soulmate for revealing her self to the humans, she posed for a painting and the council voted her death. Cael wielded the blade.

She disregards her father's wishes and sees him anyway. He tells her that there is a way to make her not so abominable to the Iyarri , there is a ritual which will give her wings making her an Iyarri, when she has that no one would even sneer in her face. She is hesitant but eventually caves when told Lucian is dead. Unknown to her, having wings as a halfbreed is even worse than having none. Aemon is conveniently revealed as the villain he is when he tries to kill her in front of thousands of people at a Christmas eve service. He pushed her through the window and the crowd notices her wings.

Naturally things come out and they have to face the council, Cael for having sex with a human and Aurelia for being a half breed. Through some maneuvering they are found not guilty. Aemon is sentenced to have his wings removed, something that is worse than death due to his role in having their race discovered. He somehow cheats the system and drugs someone else , that person suffers and has to be killed because when the wings are gone they are gone and he did not want to live like that.

Aurelia finds out Lucian is not dead and goes to see him, she reveals herself to him as half Iyarri and surprise surprise, he doesn't want her anymore so she leaves. The books ends with the burial of the Iyarri who was mistakenly killed.

After writing this long review, I realize I am being generous in attempting to give this book three stars. It does not even warrant two. The whole gist of the story has to be sifted through endless running, killing of the Iyarri and Aurelia learning how to fly. It was a tedious process for something that provides no enjoyment. I'll never get that time back.

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