Coiled

**3.5 stars rounded down to 3**<br /><br />Oh boy. Okay, so I had the hardest time deciding how to rate this book because I had so many differing thoughts about it. I finished it last night but needed some time to organize my thoughts. <br /><br />First of all, Coiled was the first (I believe) romance novel I've read. Romance is not a genre that I've ever found appealing, but Coiled drew my attention through its fantasy-based setting and premise.<br /><br />Let me also point out that the writing itself was professional. Were my rating based on style/voice alone, this would have easily been 4-5 full stars. <br /><br />Here are some of the aspects of Coiled that I enjoyed/appreciated the most: <br /><br />-Laidra as a protagonist evokes a very tangible sense of empathy. Not only that, but she's a complex, relatable character that doesn't rely on physical prowess or a haughty nature to be "strong", something I detest about current trends. <br /><br />- The overarching themes/messages are convicting without being preachy, and they're lessons I think a LOT more YA books need to be instilling in young readers. Emphasis on the word 'overarching'. More on that later. <br /><br />- The bickering between the demi-gods (is that the right term?) towards the end got pretty entertaining. <br /><br />- I wasn't familiar with the Greek mythos behind this story, but I feel like the plot stands on its own. For a guy who generally avoids romance novels AND retellings like jalapeños on a summer day, the fact that I genuinely enjoyed this book--which is both--says something about the story's strength.<br /><br />- I really appreciated the fact that most of the antagonists ended up with varying degrees of redemption. A refreshing change from the average BAD GUY LOSE AND GO BOOM. <br /><br />I did, however, have a few problems:<br /><br />- Some of the moments that could have had a lot of emotional impact (<input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="53e22e2e-3bed-4e31-a02a-027a3ff6be00" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="53e22e2e-3bed-4e31-a02a-027a3ff6be00"> Calen's permanent transformation, Calen's attempted restoration with Volen, and Laidra giving up her gift, to give some examples</label>) and the affected characters' reactions to those moments felt glossed over. I felt they needed to slow down and really develop those moments to maximize that impact. They weren't bad at all, just...I was left wishing for more punch, I guess.<br /><br />- For a book that markets itself as clean YA (and given what little I know about the author's background), there was quite a bit of material that honestly made me uncomfortable. Naked characters (because of plot reasons), frequent and casual mentions of physical intimacy, drawn-out perversion in the case of some characters, and multiple instances of extended physical interaction with clear sexual implications between characters who barely know each other at first (again, for plot reasons) kept catching me off guard because the overall tone and "feel" of the book is based on genuine, clean/pure relationships. Never anything graphic or explicit, but it kind of felt like opposing magnets trying to coexist in the same space. This was my main issue with the book and the biggest reason why I didn't give it 4 stars. Because, again, it's marketed as a clean read for young audiences, but I just wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it to Christ-centered teens (which, as far as I can tell, are the primary intended target audience) despite its solid and valuable overall message. <br /><br />- On a less significant note (sorry, that last point really got me going!), I don't think the Greek mythology and the vague/subtle Christian worldview meshed as well as the author probably meant them to. It wasn't a prominent enough factor to make a huge difference for me, though. I just wish the author had chosen one or the other, and for this specific story, I think the mythology had more going for it for obvious reasons. <br /><br />- On an even less significant note, the magic (supernatural power?) was too ambiguous for me to really appreciate it. I didn't really understand the curses, or how they worked, until the very end. Moreover, Zephia's pendant/jewel thingy made no sense to me. It seemed to function based on plot convenience with little to no explanation of what it actually is or why it does what it does. <br /><br />All that being said, please take this review with the following grains of salt: <br /><br />-I'm not a romance genre reader. Never have been, never will be. <br /><br />-I'm a pessimist, and I'm picky when it comes to books. <br /><br />-I brought up these points not to be a party-pooper, but because I valued the book enough to put careful thought behind my review/discussion and the matters I thought were important. <br /><br />- I DID ENJOY READING THIS STORY OVERALL! It definitely has a lot of strengths and very human, relatable, and LIKEABLE characters. H.L. Burke is unquestionably a talented writer and story-teller, and I envy her ability to create such well-rounded protagonists.

The reviews that alerted me to its release said <i>Coiled</i> was a retelling of the myth of Eros &amp; Psyche, one of my favourites. Which proved to be true, although partially.<br /><br />Because I believe it's also based on the 17th century salon fairy tale <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2194941025?book_show_action=true&amp;from_review_page=1" rel="nofollow noopener">The Green Serpent</a> by Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy, that was also inspired by Eros &amp; Psyche, so it would make <i>Coiled</i> a retelling of a retelling. As it isn't well-known today, I don't expect most would've known and noted down that fact, but I bet author H. L. Burke has read (or at the very least is familiar with) the tale by Madame d'Aulnoy, owing to not only the presence of the basic plotline from that tale but also to the number of elements that will be recognisable to those who read the French tale. It's not hard to spot, really. Just a couple examples, Prince Calen's cursed state is exactly the same as for the Green Serpent, and the protagonist princess from d'Aulnoy is called Laidronette and in Burke's she is called Laidra (from <i>Laide</i> = ugly). <br /><br />But it isn't purely fairy-tale based; it also has other elements from Greek mythology, specifically the legend of Perseus and Andromeda, and the Gorgons that transform people into stone with a glance. And it also has the Hero Quest plot typical of Hellenic stories. Worldbuilding-wise, it's also recognisably an Ancient Greece derivative world, with the places and cities and gods sporting different nomenclature. And plot-wise, it's a sweet story, appropriate for the target audience, and uncomplicated, to be savoured when you're in for something shortish and charming.<br /><br />For those interested, SurLaLune has Madame d'Aulnoy's tale for reading online <a href="http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/aulnoy/1892/greenserpent.html" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>.

Greek mythology retold. A giant, man-eating serpent. A rejected princess with a hideous curse and an astounding gift.<br /><br />From the moment I first heard about H.L.'s upcoming novel to the moment I saw the cover, I knew this was a story I wanted to read.<br /><br />A retelling of <i>Eros &amp; Psyche</i>, as well as a <i>Beauty &amp; the Beast</i> retelling in its own right, <i>Coiled</i> is the story of Laidra -- a girl forced into hiding by her own family, treated as if she was the child who was never meant to be, and thrown into political schemes as bait for a monstrous snake.<br /><br /><b>The characters --</b> Calen is so adorable! Which is saying a lot, because I hate snakes. But (thankfully!), Calen was no problem for me! He was such a cute, lovely little ginormous guy! ^_^<br /><br />ZEPHIA. She was probably my favorite character in the entire book! A clever, powerful demigoddess, daughter to a wind god? Yes, please!<br /><br />And Valen. Uhg, Valen. He and his father are both such terrible people that I love/hate it. The pair of them would both, without a doubt, qualify for Paper Fury's "best worst villain to hate".<br /><br /><b>The romance --</b> The romance was definitely sweet. As the story progressed, however, I felt like the affection between Laidra and Calen was starting to be displayed a little too physically. A good dose of innocence in the romantic area would've been preferred, but otherwise, the romance was considerably clean. (See notes below.)<br /><br /><b>The writing --</b> H.L.'s voice is fast-paced, but not too much -- just enough to keep the story going at a likable, adventure-ready pace.<br /><br /><b>The setting --</b> The mythology elements shown through just enough to deliver an allegorical tale evidently set in a fantasy land inspired by ancient Greece. And, being the Greek mythology nerd that I am, I loved uncovering the subtle little references to characters such as Theseus and Perseus!<br /><br /><b>The plot --</b> About halfway through, when a certain unfortunate event occurred to a certain primary character, an unforeseen journey came into view. I tend to prefer romance in a story when it's "all or nothing", so I personally would've liked that journey to... not exist? It was certainly enlightening and relevant to the story, but I would've preferred to focus on the relationship between the main characters.<br /><br />This made for such a lovely read! I'd recommend this to anyone searching for a sweet, romantic read with mythological elements thrown in. :)<br /><br /><b>You may want to know:</b> There are some brief and rather undescriptive references to nudity, as well as strong suggestions/implications. There is violence and references to warfare, along with the involvement of "gods", drinking, magical elements, and kissing. The "ba-word" is used once.<br /><br />NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of <i>Coiled</i> from the author, in exchange for my honest review. Read my original review here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://livkfisher.blogspot.com/2017/06/coiled-blog-tour-book-review-giveaway.html">http://livkfisher.blogspot.com/2017/0...</a>.

I love the tale of Psyche and Eros ever since I studied it back in a mythology class in college. But retellings of it are rare, especially since most retellings end up more similar to East of the Sun, West of the Moon (a very closely related tale that is VERY similar) and less like Psyche and Eros. <br /><br />This one is a true Psyche and Eros retelling with a few glimmers of East of the Sun, West of the Moon thrown in. The main characters were well done, and I loved some of the ways that the tale was twisted and retold! As this one sticks very close to the myth, there are mentions of gods and goddesses in a very Greek/Roman gods kind of way, but these are revealed to be under the true power of the unknown God. <br /><br />I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator was all right. Not terribly annoying, but not spectacular either (and the narration had a background hiss the entire time). But I still enjoyed the book despite some of the flaws in the audiobook.

Thank you so much to NetGalley an Uncommon Universes Press for allowing me to read and review this lovely myth retelling by H.L. Burke. This was, I believe, actually based off a Greek myth, but also has strong elements of "Beauty and the Beast" incorporated. I thoroughly enjoyed it.<br /><br />It takes place in a mythical island kingdom where twin princesses have been cursed shortly after birth. One is incredibly lovely, and only grows lovelier every time she is cruel to someone or something. Her twin has a sort of opposing power, the power to heal, but is physically ugly, and every time she uses her power, a new wart or other blemish appears. Laydra, the shunned sister, is forced to live under veils and kept away from anyone who might see her. Eventually, her parents send her away to another island where another pair of male twins is also cursed, Calen, the "worse" twin of the pair turning into a giant snake anytime someone sets eyes on him. <br />'<br />As you can imagine, a touching and sweet romance ensues, and I genuinely enjoyed the way the author developed their relationship despite the challenges and insecurities both carried. The secondary characters and political machinations were also interesting to read. Overall a very nice fairy tale retelling. <br /><br />Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.<br /><br />Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

9/6<br />3.5 stars<br />I was looking for something short and pleasant, and this fit the bill. I liked the protagonists, the curses were interesting, and I love the concept behind the romance: two people become friends and then fall in love based solely on the strength of their respective characters and shared interests. Like sign me RIGHT UP.<br /><br />There's a few things you should probably know going in. In no particular order:<br />1. This book has some vague Christian overtones...or rather, vague monotheistic overtones, I suppose. I mention this because I know this can be a deal-breaker or a deal-maker for some readers.<br />It was a little jarring in a story set in a society with its own pantheon of gods, but it worked well enough, I guess.<br />2. There's some definite deus ex machina, BUT this book draws heavily from Greek mythology (especially Cupid and Psyche), and in my reading experience, Greek gods have a hard time NOT meddling, so it belongs here.<br />3. There's a scene in which Calen's brother and father are HUGE CREEPS (surprising no one) towards a woman who is, if not specifically a sex slave, a slave - like all slaves- who does not get a say in what sexual things they do/did/will do to/with her. This serves as an establishing character moment for them, but yIKES. Endless yikes. It seemed kind of unnecessary. <br /><br />I generally enjoyed this book, but I am super salty about the following very spoilery thing:<br /><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="0ac14228-1243-47b7-8839-645f4115b9c9" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="0ac14228-1243-47b7-8839-645f4115b9c9"> Right, SO: I kind of figured that the naiads would want Laidra's healing powers, but I also figured that she would decide that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one?? And instead of giving them up to save one person - even though he's the most important person to her, she'd tell them no, and then...idk go cry on the giant petrified snake and cure him with the Power of Her Love and Badass Healing Abilities. And then she could still help people??? Or even burn through her gift, but either way, she'd save him herself on her own terms. I felt like between that time she spent healing lots of people and people repeatedly making her consider what her gift's limits might be, that that was where we were headed.<br />Also, not sure how to feel about her suddenly being beautiful at the end? I didn't NOT want it for her, and life can be HARD when you don't conform to a very rigid set of beauty standards, but it just doesn't sit right either. It almost feels like...I don't know, like she inadvertently traded her abilities for conventional beauty?<br />Maybe that's how she would have looked if she had never been cursed, though? Maybe she was just given the life she would have had without the curse's interference? I'm just going to assume that that's the case, as it makes it much easier to swallow.</label><br /><br />I generally enjoyed this one, especially the first half (give or take), despite my saltiness, and would have liked for it to have been a bit longer (or maybe even stretched out into two books...yes, I know <br />I said I wanted something short. Shush.). I'd definitely read more books set in this world!<br /><br />9/5<br />3.5 stars. I need a bit to compose my thoughts, but I'll share em when I do.

Alright, I'll admit, I was leery going into this book because the cover is a little teenie bopper and the characters are 16. Not my usual style, but I'm a sucker for anything even vaguely beauty and the beast. And I was NOT DISAPPOINTED AT ALL. <br><br>If you haven't read this book, the only thing I have to say to you is <br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1476280348ra/20822299.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>This book was so incredibly sweet, and honestly, I've been in a reading funk. There are SO MANY books out there that are just.... blah. I've been avoiding reading lately just because I couldn't find something that made me want to keep reading. <br><br>Until this book. <br><br>I stayed up until 1am because I refused to put it down, and the ending was perfection. There were a few grammar and spelling errors I picked up on, but nothing to make me even think about docking this book any stars. <br><br>The lines were so beautiful I found myself reading them out loud to hear what they sounded like. Yes the characters read as a LOT older than 16 (like a lot) but that was part of why I liked this book so much. It didn't come off as a YA, although the parents were involved quite a bit, and I was thoroughly pleased by that. I mean some of the quotes are just perfection.<br><br><b>I can't imagine anything more valuable than what you have given to me and... I think I would sacrifice anything rather than lose your friendship."</b><br><br>Noooooooo my heart! Stop it. I can't.<br><br><b>Whatever happens, I don't blame you. I know you; you're good and kind and whatever happens next won't be you.</b><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1495204703ra/22796158.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Anyways, go run and grab this book. It's full of wonderful, realistic, heart wrenching characters. Gorgeous magical backdrops and a uniquely thought out world. Amazing snakes and inspiration taken from all kinds of interesting Pantheons. And wonderfully engaging, thoughtful, writing. <br><br>Now as soon as I get my paycheck, I'm ordering a hardcopy of this sucker to sit on my shelf with the rest of the books I was pleasantly surprised with. <br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1498388324ra/23120747.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

I got a copy of this at a conference and then read it on the plane ride home. Yep, read the whole thing in one sitting. I've said in my reviews of other of HL Burke's books that I've enjoyed them. Well, I'm pretty much a lifelong fan now. <br /><br />The story is gripping, the characters really interesting and developed, and relatable (even though I don't have magic and don't turn into a giant green snake if someone looks at me :P ). I loved Laidra. She was gentle and kind even if her appearance was considered hideous. She could have chosen to hide away forever, but she wants nothing more than to use her gift. She has a great and satisfying arc that leaves you cheering (but not loudly since I was on a crowded plane ;) ).<br /><br />Even if the villains are horrible, they're still portrayed as human and obviously hurting, so you end up kind of rooting for some of them to come back to being decent people. And a few of them do.<br /><br />The pacing was perfect. You think things are going well and then....they don't. A lot of fun twists and turns, and a very satisfying ending! The romance was adorable. Laidra and Calen are so precious together!<br /><br />The only thing I had a brief problem with is the ages of the characters. I was a bit confused on the MCs' ages and not sure I bought Laidra as a 16 year old. But it's not really a big deal at all. <br /><br />So yeah, loved it! And I highly recommend! <br /><br />* there was a bit of "sensual" stuff in here and references/characters feelings about consummating a marriage. There's no details, but since the breaking of the curse involves marriage, it gets brought up. But like I said, nothing specific and detailed.

I love H.L. Burke’s books, so I was absolutely delighted when I won this in a giveaway! (I loathe snakes, but her funny snek memes make me laugh, and I ended up really enjoying this book despite the scary snakes. XD)<br /><br />I was only vaguely familiar with the Eros and Psyche myth this retells, but it did feel familiar enough (and kind of Beauty-and-the-Beast-ish too), that I quite enjoyed the retelling aspect! :)<br /><br />The mirror curses were fascinating and that whole fairytale-ish element was well done!<br /><br />It had a rather “Greek myth” feel to it, even though it’s clearly supposed to be a bit different, which was interesting because I haven’t read much like that. It felt fresh and different for a fantasy novel. The mix of “gods” with a Christian theme was surprisingly well done!<br /><br />I loved the sweet true-love romance and these lovable characters and their great dialog. :D Quite fun! ^_^<br /><br />Laidra was such a good soul, and Calen was super nice and awesome. :) Also, Zephia was really cool. :O I loved the parts with her and Laidra as well, even if I missed Calen for those bits.<br /><br />The villainous characters were chilling and creepy, but also oddly human, so that you get the feeling they’re just hardened from their lives and more “real” and sometimes almost feel bad for a couple of them—almost. :P Not quite. XD<br /><br />Some of it was grittier than I would have liked and I could have done without a few of the references, but mostly it was just very well written and gripping. :)<br /><br />Overall, it’s not my favorite but I still really liked it! It’s a great fairytale romance tale, fresh, engaging—sometimes fun or heartbreaking or sweet by turns. I quite enjoyed it! ^_^ Looking forward to more great novels by this author! :)<br /><br /><i>(Note: I won a copy of this book in a giveaway and was not required to write a review; these opinions are my own.)</i><br /><br /><b>(Review originally posted here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/coiled-h-l-burke/">https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...</a>)</b>

I don't normally consider myself a romance reader--apparently, only when it's done right, and Coiled does it really right. I was originally interested in this book because of the myth-retelling aspect, but got sucked in to a well-told tale with many twists and coils. Pun intended.<br />A twist on Eros and Pysche, the story of Laidra and Calen is at times heartbreaking, heartwarming, and full of intrigue, adventure, and even an Olympian-style quest. <br />Laidra is cursed with hideousness that worsens whenever she heals someone, while Calen is cursed with the incredibly debilitating--and rather inconvenient to say the least--problem of turning into a giant snake when he is seen by another person. There's beautiful symmetry with the two curses, and ugly humanity rears its head in different ways when their respective families are confronted with just how to handle their cursed children.<br />I enjoyed this read from beginning to end, and though I thought I could see where it was going one moment, was pleasantly surprised by each turn of events. I thought the tale was expertly woven, and--importantly for me--no cringe-worthy romance: I loved watching Laidra and Calen's relationship develop right from the start.<br />Burke's characters always have real depth to them, especially here. Even the gods and demi-gods, though by definition are stuck within a certain role, each has quite a personality and lends their voice to the story.<br />Would highly recommend for a pleasant read that will give you a good adventure, love, curses, intrigue, and even a magical beast or two!<br />I read an advanced copy and was happy to review.