Seasons of the Storm

13/01: Serious question, what is it with me and getting declined for the arcs for all books I'm super excited for?<br><br>Me reading the blurb.<br><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1443042991ra/16309709.gif" width="380" height="250" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

Character artwork by @morgana0anagrom &lt;3<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1586180804i/29241421._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1586180804i/29241422._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1586180804i/29241423._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1586180804i/29241425._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

<a href="https://www.wordslikestars.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/words_likestars/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/WordsLStars" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHNFF5VVLACBYEO6A6RQHJPV53WQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a><br /><br /><i>Thank you Edelweiss and HarperTeen for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.</i><br /><br /><b> <i>"Winter's crown may be heavy on your head.<br />But you hold eternal spring in your heart."</i> </b><br /><br />If someone of flesh and blood embodied the concept of a season, what would that life entail? I don't think that I ever got an answer to that simple question. That's my main bone to pick with this novel: things are never quite concrete. <br /><br />Our world has four seasons, each waning and renewing depending on the time of year. As their respective seasons, Jack, Fleur, Julio and Amber “manifest” them. They go through a cycle of hunting each other so that they may take over as the standing season at that moment, and send the one before them “home.” The season that is then eliminated is kept sleeping in stasis, after which time they awaken again, train, and then go out into the world to find and kill the season before them and repeat the cycle. They're immortal after Gaia gifts them with the power of their season at the moment of their human death.<br /><br />That's the gist that I got from what the book told me before things started to develop. Because, unfortunately, we don't really get a lot of information on how things occur. Yes, obviously, we know the basics of that which comes to pass during each season because we live these seasons in our every day lives. But as characters in this story, we never live any certain period of time during their “reigning” moment over their section of the world. I don't know what usually happens when Jack resides as Winter. Does he touch things and freeze them? Does he blow cold breath on people? Does he just walk around aimlessly, day to day, covered from head to toe in frost, and then go to sleep only to wake up and do it again the next day? We never get any insight into what it really means to be Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn other than a peek of their abilities in times of crises.<br /><br />We are told, again and again, from the start of the novel, that Jack and Fleur are in love with each other. Because seasons are kept apart and are not allowed to bond with one another on penalty of torturous punishment that can end in a final death, this is forbidden. Jack and Fleur's romance never hit home for me. Yes, they are sweet together. Yes, they obviously fight to save each other. Yes, they have that Romeo and Juliet vibe going on. But I was more attached and fond of Amber and Julio's romantic moments because they got to flourish in front of me. Rather than have the point hammered home, I got to witnessed it. And because of that, it became more realistic for me. Throughout and nearly until the story's conclusion, I resisted Jack and Fleur. By the end, I accepted it almost to the point of it being brainwashed into me. <br /><br />There are a lot of things that feel incomplete about the book. <br /><br />I don't see how realistic it is that Chronos—who apparently sees into the future and can tell one's fate—doesn't pick up on the fact that a group of four seasons, along with their four handlers (those who partner up with them and are their protectors, and eyes and ears while on the field), are going to escape from a compound that has reportedly tight security. Even if they managed to slip past him, are there no cameras in there? They spend so much time monitoring them once they're out in the world, but apparently they don't keep a tight leash on them in the one place where they can also get together? No alarm goes off when a season breaks into an area that's not meant for them? No one keeps track of the employee smuggling these people out into the world? None of the spying bees and smazes that follow them around report back on what they're seeing? Okay then.<br /><br />Once they're out of the main compound, it's one thing after another. Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly fond of stories that move at a face pace, full of twists and turns with plenty of obstacles in the way of the leads when they try to accomplish a goal. But the action kept being thrown at these eight characters in a way that felt forced. As if the author felt that this <u> <i>needed</i> </u> to be as difficult as possible, rather than it happening organically. Wherever they go, they attract attention to themselves even without doing anything. There's always either a Gaia/Chronos agent nearby, or Chronos' guards are constantly finding them, or other seasons are trying to hunt them down as bounty, or humans find issue with them for no concrete reason. Rather than going on a smooth ride through the story, it was like being constantly jolted by rough breaks. <br /><br />Lyon and Gaia's use of Jack, Fleur, Amber and Julio to overtake Chronos felt shallow. Lyon subliminally feeds Jack the necessary information so that he may get the idea to escape (which Lyon more so refers to as a rebellion). Gaia puts the four of them in nearby areas because she assumes that they will be attracted to each other, and what do you know, what a coincidence that they are. I don't understand what is so special about Jack, Fleur, Amber and Julio. I still don't know what makes them the right people to help stir others into this take-down. Once again, I am being told to take this at face value, but I'm not given enough to believe in it.<br /><br />I had a very difficult time letting go and embracing this story. I wasn't fond of almost any character save for Amber and Julio at times, and Woody. The backgrounds for them were flat, and very lacking in detail or depth save for what was absolutely necessary to know in the moment. The chemistry between them as a tight group did develop as the novel progressed, and was believable as far as what comes to pass when a band of individuals is forced to work together in order to survive. <br /><br />This appears to be the first in a duology or series of books, though I'm doubtful on the necessity of this. The story ends without much room for further exploration, and everyone appears to be settled where they end up.

1) this sounds <b>so cool</b> (no pun intended) <br /><br />2) I think this is literally one of the prettiest covers I have EVER seen. I can't stop staring at it. Wow.<br /><br /><i>Thank you so much to HarperTeen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

I love the premise of this book and it definitely lived up to my expectations! <br /><br />Seasons of the Storm is a modern-day urban fantasy-esque story in which characters are the embodiments of the four seasons and must kill the Season that comes before them, every year, in order for their season to officially begin and continue the cycle. <br /><br />When Jack Sommers lays dying he’s given a choice. Choose death or choose to become a Winter and live a life of semi-immortality. Jack has been a Winter for over thirty years now but he’s begun to question the life he’s chosen to lead. And the crux of that questioning is bottled within his growing feelings for Fleur, the Spring that’s destined to kill him every year.<br /><br />Jack and Fleur are joined by a full cast, including Julio (a Summer) and Amber (an Autumn) who also harbor feelings for each other. As I was reading this, I got some strong squad good vibes and I really enjoyed the dynamic between all of the characters.<br /><br />The various Seasons have taken on their task as young adults on the cusp of their mortal death, but most characters in this book have been alive for decades past the age they physically appear. While this is a young adult novel, I questioned this at times, especially as some of the characters acted almost <i>too</i> much like teenagers, given the time they’ve been alive for. But, like I said, being that it is a young adult novel, I didn’t mind it so much as I questioned how realistic those personifications we.<br /><br />The heart of this plot lies in the character’s choices and whether they’re willing to continue hunting each other down, even while it eats away at their conscience and muddles the relationships they’ve built.<br /><br />I love the concept of this book. I love that it has a fast-moving plot that takes us through multiple settings and geographic locations. I love that there are so many great characters to connect with and root for and that the friendships are solid and the romance fulfilling.<br /><br />This novel does have an ending that is tied up nicely and makes it feel like a standalone, but there is a sequel coming now too, so I look forward to seeing what is next!

YALL I'M GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF GETTING DISAPPOINTED OVER NEW RELEASES. <br />I'm really disappointed with this one. It really met none of my expectations and it's so different from what I was expecting. I feel like everything was out of place and I just didn't like the worldbuilding or the pacing. I don't connect with the characters at all and it's just feel flat. I skimmed most part of the book since i felt like I didn't care anymore.<br /><br /><i> ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review </i>

I just love the idea of people becoming physical manifestations of the four seasons.<br /><br />Please tell me this was inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons Suite.

I've read a lot of non-flattering reviews about this book, but you know what? This is the perfect example of a fantasy YA: challenges, growth, love, loss, mystic elements, and friendship. <br /><br />The latter in particular made me enjoy the story even more than I expected. <br />Most of the time is all about love and, sorry to say that, in the end, someone always dies. What starts as friendship basically always ends up in love, and even if I fancy that I'm happy for once love is not the main topic. <br />From how I see it, love is what pushed the characters to do something but it's friendship the thing that made them stay together. During the story, they get to know each other and decide to help each other no matter what. It's a pure and beautiful feeling, even more than a cheap love story.<br /><br />If I didn't come here for that, so why I'm here? Well, we're talking about teenagers who become seasons after they die. It's not just an amazing idea, it's also so fresh than other stories. <br />The flaw is the poor execution of it. Personally, I would have written whole chapters differently: there's the need for more movement - especially when there is a fight - and the ending should be more specific. There’s nothing wrong with it if you like the kinda-happily-ever-after ending, but it isn't a closed ending nor an open one. This bothers me so much because it can be a single book or there could be more of this - in fact, the author already published another book connected to it. <br />My dilemma is that if I read it as a single book, I don't really like the ending because I just can believe all of that ends in this way; but if this is the first book of a duology, then the ending is just wrong because it's too closed and it doesn't let space for more. <br /><br />Besides this, I’d like to congratulate the author on this idea because now I can't stop looking outside the window and thinking stuff like “Autumn is probably hiding, its season is almost over” or “why can't Winter makes snowing here too” or also “it's raining, someone is not happy”, and I think is brilliant.<br /><br /><b>↠ <i>4 stars</i></b>

Reading the blurb like, <i>hmmm...ok....Oh wow.</i> Then, <i>wait, Jack? Like Jack Frost? Like a Jack Frost retelling? No effing way man sign me the eff up!</i>

C’était un peu lent dans l’ensemble, mais j’ai trouvé l’univers vraiment original et (paradoxalement) il y avait pas mal d’action alors j’étais quand même bien à fond ! Une chouette lecture malgré quelques tournures de phrases ou coquilles de traduction qui m’ont un chouïa dérangée !