The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles Book 1)

My read after onyx storm, so I might change this later...Really like Lena and Quill, although it is typical fast teenage love. But finding out then all the turns and lots of unexpected things happening, it really took such an interesting road. Like how it ended as well and excited for the next.But it cannot hold up currently to other reads, so putting it for now at 3,5⭐ with the potential to increase...

Booktok lied to me again. This felt like written by a child at first, and since I heard that it is just the first part in the past I kept going. But it really didn’t change that much. And there wasn’t much happening the whole time.

SPOILERS AHEAD I don‘t know what the f I just read, but it must have been something different than what y‘all are talking about! This was insta lust, insta love, too much too explicitly described smut scenes for a teenage couple, and ofc our FMC is a f-ing Mary Sue. I DESPISED her and her hypocrisy. „He didn‘t tell me he‘s the PRINCE I hate him sm how could he do this to me“ while hiding that she‘s a witch and that she‘s secretly friends with one of his guards, ok. She learned how to wield a GREATSWORD in like 3 weeks while training every thursday, and has the audacity to ask her lover „uHm, sO are you telling me that I‘m not wElL TrAiNed?!“ same with her magic, she goes like „mum what is my special power?“ „just concentrate- ah i guess it‘s electricity, well done!“ OK THANKS FOR GUBING ME NOTHING I GUESS?! In general, the relationship with her mother was so weird. Didn‘t feel like a mother at all, but maybe like a big sister? „Tell me all about your first time with your boyfriend girlieeeee“ No thank you?! 😭 ALSO what even is the setting here? They pay with coppers and silvers, live in a cottage, but they also have pizza and lipgloss?! 😭 And Lea uses Mascara on a daily basis but in the beginning they can barely afford FOOD. Someone explain the economics here please. Have I talked about the love interest yet? No? Maybe because he‘s BLAND AF that‘s why. Yeah whatever. The book also randomly drops that they‘re „soul-tied“, so we know it‘s gotta be something special right. So did his mother I guess. The „romance“ with Torrin also happened completely off-page, was I supposed to have any feelings about that? Because I don‘t know that guy AT ALL. Then there was this random as f r*pe scene that was absolutely uncalled for, and then I DNF‘d because this book just can‘t be redeemed in my eyes. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

This book was refreshing and sometimes a bit cringy. Is it a 4 star read because it’s soooooo good - no - but I liked it and the dramaturgy was very interesting. I like these indie authors who don’t give a shit how a book has to be written - they just tell their story the way they want it and this is happening in this book for sure. I loved it. I really like the FMC and MMC. They have a lot of potential and development I am sure I get to know in book 2. The cringy bit is that they have sex when they are 16/17 - and it is written like they know what they are doing and therefore I was like - uahhhh I don’t want to know. But a lot is plot anyway and you get the 5 years later thing after 50% of the book (which means they are grown ups.). I think cannot really tell more because I would spoil it. It’s a really easy story but the world is nice and you really get to know these characters. It’s without any huge plot twists but it’s just a nice read and I feel like book 2 might surprise me even more. Oh and the only thing I hated was the SA - and the FMC is traumatized for 2 seconds. I thought that was horrible. So yes, 4 stars - no masterpiece but a good time ;)