Sydney Paige Richardson

Set in another realm of time and in another place, this fantasy is of twin girls raised to become leaders in their kingdom. The quiet one is a few minutes older so is to become the Ruler. The other sister is adventurous and outgoing and has "nursed" her sister through years of countless nightmares. They have always been very close to each other and their parents, too. Each has their own special place in the kingdom and their individual roles as leaders. When they turn sixteen and are to proceed into the next step of their training, they are surprised as to what is each's destiny.

The author has been very creative in developing her characters, in both personality and in physical traits. They are quite realistic and unusual. Some characters are easily visualized but others needed to be defined in more detail to really be able to visualize how they appear. The scenes are portrayed well and some are quite graphic.

This drama moves steadily "along", and the momentum builds as the story progresses. There is plenty if action and adventure throughout the tale. The story ends strong, yet leaves the listener/reader anxious to experience the next book of the series.

I listened to the audio version. The narrator, Rocky Taylor, did an excellent job in the narration with voice fluctuation in all of the right places and in designating different "voices" to separate characters.

This book ensures hours of entertainment.

*This was gifted me with no pressure for positive review. This is my honest review.… (altro)

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Pro: Twins! I love books that focus on twins and their relationship. Despite its ups and downs, I thought Aura and Addie had a very special and unique bond. I wish Adie had been a little more forthcoming from the beginning, but I can also understand her secrecy.

Con: I liked one sister more than the other. I really wanted to like them both, but one sister is incredibly frustrating and makes horrible spur-of-the-moment decisions that have serious consequences.

Con: Insta-love! I enjoy romance in books, but I'm not a huge fan of love at first sight. There was something that needed to happen in order for the story to progress the way that it did, but ugh. She "just knew" it was love, and I wish that had been done a little differently.

Pro: There are a lot of unexpected twists and turns that kept me on my toes! I enjoyed being tossed around the story without knowing where I would land.

Con: It was more tell than show, and I like being able to see the story for myself without feeling like every little detail is being described. Being able to use your imagination is part of the experience!

Con: The Halves of Us had underdeveloped characters and an overdeveloped world. The villains were basic baddies and were lacking a clear motive to drive their decisions. As for the world, there's an entire glossary at the beginning that explains different creatures and places, but none of that information stayed with me as I read through the story. I was reading an electronic copy, and didn't like swiping back to the beginning when I was confused about something.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wish some of them had been fleshed out a little more, but I'm hoping they get more attention in the second book. There were some unbelievable moments, like when the sisters slipped past guards in the beginning (they totally would have gotten caught), and I wish those scenarios had been more realistic.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on October 15, 2018.… (altro)