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    • MANGA
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    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
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  • book,  Uncategorized
    October 22, 2017 / No Comments

    The Firebird’s Tale – Anya Ow

    The Firebird’s Tale begins with the end of a familiar story: a Prince who never smiled, and by Imperial decree, has to marry the one who managed to make him do so.

    Except that it was all an accident, and the Prince would say he didn’t actually smile at the thief who dared to rob a Tsar, and the thief was not even a woman—or, as it turns out, even human.

    I love faery tales and MM so the combination of the two is a delight. This is the second firebird retelling I had come across with. It’s a story about the prince who was forced to marry the first person who made him smile. In addition, there are tales of different Russian magical creatures scattered throughout the story courtesy of the thief which is good but could have been better had it not been all over the place or dropped at inconvenient times. I would like some tweaks to the writing style, chief of which is the author’s tendency to namedrop magical creatures, people and places like the reader is suppose to know them already. Some explanation would have been appreciated. Like, what the hell are leshys suppose to be? What’s a vucari? What does their land look like? What are these dukes? A little depth to the characterization would also be nice.

    The highlights for me are the moments between the prince and the thief that were playful and sweet. And then there were the harsh commentary on human nature by the thief in connection with the tales that were a bit jarring sometimes. I liked it though because it was from the perspective of someone not human.

    Sadly, tried as I could, I couldn’t finish this story. The good parts were not enough to overcome the needs-improvement parts and reading has become a pain. An edited, more focused version of this would be appreciated.

    Rating:
    2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book

    Soundtrack: Bird of Prey
    Artist: Editors
    Album: The Weight of Your Love

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31923190-the-firebird-s-tale)

    Read More
    neverhollowed

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  • Uncategorized
    June 5, 2017 / No Comments

    The Bestiary: Cleanly Wrong – Mell Eight

    Rung is a half-breed orphan brownie who can’t do anything right, much to the worry of his cleanliness teachers. When he runs away, Rung decides that he can resist the need to clean. Only, there is that one office that so desperately needs help...

    OMG this is sooo cute and fluffy!!! This is my kind of faerie tale!

    Rating

    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits 

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15841288-cleanly-wrong)  

    Read More
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You can never have too much MM romance or indie music. Welcome and enjoy your stay!

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
18 Jun

PROMO BLITZ: To Defend a Damaged Duke by Fearne Hill



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/18/promo-blitz-to-defend-a-damaged-duke-by-fearne-hill/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
18 Jun

DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS: Oliver Takely

Our favorite  MM authors a.k.a. castaways are asked, what books, songs and luxury item would they take to a desert island?

#desertislandbooks

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
18 Jun

After spending the year suffering as a reality TV villain IRL, Alec Braud will do anything to get his redemption arc.

BOOK TOUR: America’s Not-So-Sweetheart by Blair Hanson



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/17/book-tour-americas-not-so-sweetheart-by-blair-hanson/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
18 Jun

Falling for a royal guard with glowing eyes and a lethal energy punch? Definitely not on my Terrafeara survival bingo card. But here we are.

PROMO BLITZ: Kael by Becca Seymour



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/17/promo-blitz-kael-by-becca-seymour/

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