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A review by blake_billings
Struck: Phoebe Meadows Book 1 by Amanda Carlson
3.0
I picked this up from as a Chirp audio book deal for $1.99. I was honestly a bit hesitant at first. It can sometimes be hard to tell what the direction of a story will be when it's a female lead and a female author. I don't automatically shy away from these books, but I will often check reviews to see if it is a vastly female audience. After seeing a pretty good mix of reviewers and knowing $2 isn't much of an investment, I decided to give it a shot.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I have a weakness for mythology. My love of the Percy Jackson books played a large part in my final decision to give this book a shot. Also, the most recent God of War game has given me a newfound interest specifically in Valkyrie. So, with that in mind, the story played really well into the things I was hoping for. Phoebe is older than Percy Jackson, so this is less a coming of age story and more a discovery of the unknown.
Phoebe is a really well written character. She is very determined and is willing to sacrifice a lot if her loyalty is questioned. Yes, there is drama. And yes, she complains about her situation, but I think all of those are warranted and I didn't find them to come off as whiny. And by the end of the story, she had made the strides and growth I wanted to see from her; accepting who she is and the new responsibilities therein.
I enjoyed the way other characters were introduced and returned in different parts of the story. It really helped the overall flow. Speaking of which, the flow of the story as a whole was really good, from the introduction to new mythos elements, to battles, and dialogue. I think what really holds me up from giving this book a higher star rating is the romance aspect. And it isn't that it was poorly written, more that it really isn't my style. Culminating in the...uh transfer of power. I'm pretty sure I was blushing and looked over to see if my wife could hear what was happening on my headphones.
In the end, I did find the story compelling, but I don't think this series is for me. If I see book 2 via a Chirp deal for $2 I will probably pick it up and give it a listen as I am interested in what happens next to Phoebe and friends, but I won't go out of my way to find it.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I have a weakness for mythology. My love of the Percy Jackson books played a large part in my final decision to give this book a shot. Also, the most recent God of War game has given me a newfound interest specifically in Valkyrie. So, with that in mind, the story played really well into the things I was hoping for. Phoebe is older than Percy Jackson, so this is less a coming of age story and more a discovery of the unknown.
Phoebe is a really well written character. She is very determined and is willing to sacrifice a lot if her loyalty is questioned. Yes, there is drama. And yes, she complains about her situation, but I think all of those are warranted and I didn't find them to come off as whiny. And by the end of the story, she had made the strides and growth I wanted to see from her; accepting who she is and the new responsibilities therein.
I enjoyed the way other characters were introduced and returned in different parts of the story. It really helped the overall flow. Speaking of which, the flow of the story as a whole was really good, from the introduction to new mythos elements, to battles, and dialogue. I think what really holds me up from giving this book a higher star rating is the romance aspect. And it isn't that it was poorly written, more that it really isn't my style. Culminating in the...uh transfer of power. I'm pretty sure I was blushing and looked over to see if my wife could hear what was happening on my headphones.
In the end, I did find the story compelling, but I don't think this series is for me. If I see book 2 via a Chirp deal for $2 I will probably pick it up and give it a listen as I am interested in what happens next to Phoebe and friends, but I won't go out of my way to find it.