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A review by kjanie
Avery by Charlotte McConaghy
5.0
RE-READ: June 2018
5/5 stars
I just love this book so much, it is definitely one of my all time favourites. The concept is so captivating and intriguing to me, I was so interested in it even though this is my second time reading it. The characters are so three-dimensional, charming and completely loveable. Each and every one of the main characters hold a special place in my heart and I adored them. In my first read I loved Ava and Ambrose’s story most, especially the romance. I still adored their story and their relationship, but I seemed to love Thorne and Rose’s chapters the most during this read through. There wasn’t one chapter that I didn’t feel intensely interested and emotionally invested in the story. This book has a complex fantastical world, amazing characters and a fantastic romance....ie. it is pretty darn perfect to me.
The people of Kaya die in pairs, that is until Ava. When Avery, Ava’s soul-mate was killed she was sure that she would die too. Instead, her soul was ripped in two and she was left alive, with sort of her soul missing and a chip on her shoulder. Shunned from her society, she dedicates her life to seeking revenge on the woman that killed her bondmate, the Queen of Pirenti. Her plans are thwarted when she is captured by a prince of Pirenti and she is condemned to be locked away on a prison island. Prince Ambrose was taught by his mother to hate and kill all enemies. When things go south while accompanying the Kayan prisoner to the island, Ambrose and Ava must help each other to survive. In the process, Ambrose realises that not all Kayans are enemies and Ava comes to the realisation that maybe she still has a soul.
I think this book is character-driven as well as having a very strong plot and world. The characters are all complex and their relationships are even more three-dimensional and dynamic. I fell in love with these characters and how they interacted with one another. The romantic relationships, the family and the relationship between enemies drives this book, and I loved every moment of it. The interesting concept of Kayans dying in pairs and the magic system in this world was equally as interesting to me. On top of it all, there are warring nations and a plot that attempts to overthrow this, which which is also phenomenally well constructed and fascinating. This book altogether has everything that I could possibly want in a fantasy.
Even though this is my second reading, this book spared none of my emotions. It was truly an emotional rollercoaster that I experienced from both complex and emotional storylines. During my first read I really focused on Ava and Ambrose, who had an amazing romance and story, but this time I felt equally towards Rose and Thorne’s story. I seriously admire the emotional complexity of this book as these two storylines are so strong by themselves but are even more perfect as they intertwine.
Ambrose and Ava have a very angsty relationship that is also full of healing and beauty. I absolutely loved watching their relationship unfold. This book has some of my favourite tropes of hidden identities as Ava hides her gender from Ambrose and also the enemies to lovers trope. This brought even more angst to their story, which was amplified considering they were both quite tortured souls, especially Ava. I especially loved how Ambrose admitted that he was falling in love with Ava even though at the time he thought she was a man. I feel like this showed the truthfulness and strength of their relationship as it wasn't asked on appearance or gender. Basically, I am complete trash and loved all the angst of their relationship.
This time around, it was Rose and Thorne that resulted in my river of tears. Seriously, I was so torn up by their storyline as it emotionally abused my poor heart. Thorne was the oldest son of the barbarian queen and he also had Berserker blood in him. He was hateful, angry and violent, even towards Rose. On the opposite spectrum, Rose was quite, timid and strange. All she wanted was for Thorne to love her. I'm not going to romanticise it, and neither did the author, this was an abusive relationship, but the characters were very self aware about it. It was Thorne’s attempt to better himself and change as well as Rose learning to become strong and empower herself that really got to my heart. Their storyline truly destroyed me as they grew to better themselves, they also grew together more. Even thinking back now, my heart hurts to think of them.
2015:
This book is absolutely amazing! This is definitely one of my absolute favourite books! This book is so full of hope and redemption and the way the characters build throughout the book is mesmerising. This is action packed, romantic and heart wrenchingly beautiful!
I loved the moral that's I found in this story. The way the characters fell in love with each other's souls and not their gender or their face! I absolutely recommend this book to everyone!
5/5 stars
“The people of Kaya die in pairs. So it is and will always be.”
I just love this book so much, it is definitely one of my all time favourites. The concept is so captivating and intriguing to me, I was so interested in it even though this is my second time reading it. The characters are so three-dimensional, charming and completely loveable. Each and every one of the main characters hold a special place in my heart and I adored them. In my first read I loved Ava and Ambrose’s story most, especially the romance. I still adored their story and their relationship, but I seemed to love Thorne and Rose’s chapters the most during this read through. There wasn’t one chapter that I didn’t feel intensely interested and emotionally invested in the story. This book has a complex fantastical world, amazing characters and a fantastic romance....ie. it is pretty darn perfect to me.
The people of Kaya die in pairs, that is until Ava. When Avery, Ava’s soul-mate was killed she was sure that she would die too. Instead, her soul was ripped in two and she was left alive, with sort of her soul missing and a chip on her shoulder. Shunned from her society, she dedicates her life to seeking revenge on the woman that killed her bondmate, the Queen of Pirenti. Her plans are thwarted when she is captured by a prince of Pirenti and she is condemned to be locked away on a prison island. Prince Ambrose was taught by his mother to hate and kill all enemies. When things go south while accompanying the Kayan prisoner to the island, Ambrose and Ava must help each other to survive. In the process, Ambrose realises that not all Kayans are enemies and Ava comes to the realisation that maybe she still has a soul.
"We have no say in this life, on how hard things will be. What we can control is how hard we fight. How long we endure. How strongly we love."
I think this book is character-driven as well as having a very strong plot and world. The characters are all complex and their relationships are even more three-dimensional and dynamic. I fell in love with these characters and how they interacted with one another. The romantic relationships, the family and the relationship between enemies drives this book, and I loved every moment of it. The interesting concept of Kayans dying in pairs and the magic system in this world was equally as interesting to me. On top of it all, there are warring nations and a plot that attempts to overthrow this, which which is also phenomenally well constructed and fascinating. This book altogether has everything that I could possibly want in a fantasy.
Even though this is my second reading, this book spared none of my emotions. It was truly an emotional rollercoaster that I experienced from both complex and emotional storylines. During my first read I really focused on Ava and Ambrose, who had an amazing romance and story, but this time I felt equally towards Rose and Thorne’s story. I seriously admire the emotional complexity of this book as these two storylines are so strong by themselves but are even more perfect as they intertwine.
“I love you as a women. I see you as you are, Ave – broken into pieces and suffocating – and I love all the pieces of you, no matter how small they’ve shattered, nor how far they’ve been scattered.”
Ambrose and Ava have a very angsty relationship that is also full of healing and beauty. I absolutely loved watching their relationship unfold. This book has some of my favourite tropes of hidden identities as Ava hides her gender from Ambrose and also the enemies to lovers trope. This brought even more angst to their story, which was amplified considering they were both quite tortured souls, especially Ava. I especially loved how Ambrose admitted that he was falling in love with Ava even though at the time he thought she was a man. I feel like this showed the truthfulness and strength of their relationship as it wasn't asked on appearance or gender. Basically, I am complete trash and loved all the angst of their relationship.
This time around, it was Rose and Thorne that resulted in my river of tears. Seriously, I was so torn up by their storyline as it emotionally abused my poor heart. Thorne was the oldest son of the barbarian queen and he also had Berserker blood in him. He was hateful, angry and violent, even towards Rose. On the opposite spectrum, Rose was quite, timid and strange. All she wanted was for Thorne to love her. I'm not going to romanticise it, and neither did the author, this was an abusive relationship, but the characters were very self aware about it. It was Thorne’s attempt to better himself and change as well as Rose learning to become strong and empower herself that really got to my heart. Their storyline truly destroyed me as they grew to better themselves, they also grew together more. Even thinking back now, my heart hurts to think of them.
2015:
This book is absolutely amazing! This is definitely one of my absolute favourite books! This book is so full of hope and redemption and the way the characters build throughout the book is mesmerising. This is action packed, romantic and heart wrenchingly beautiful!
I loved the moral that's I found in this story. The way the characters fell in love with each other's souls and not their gender or their face! I absolutely recommend this book to everyone!