Mini-Reviews : Compulsion by Martina Boone & The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson #1)
Author : Martina Boone
Publication Date : October 28th 2014
Publisher : Simon Pulse
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

Personal Thoughts

I haven't read many southern gothic books before, definitely not in the YA genre, so I was excited to pick up Compulsion by Martina Boone which promised a darkly romantic read. Unfortunately, Compulsion failed to impress me and I wound being bored for most of the book. Our main character moves into her aunt's house on Watson Island after her mother's death. I thought for certain that we would be welcomed with a creepy and mysterious storyline, but instead of keeping me on the edge of my seat, it did the complete opposite. The core of Compulsion was just really weak. The paranormal elements to the story made no sense to me and just the entire mystery was bland. I also failed to connect with the romance in any way. It was too fast for my liking and the fact that we didn't get to know the two characters better didn't help the cause either. Overall, this was a disappointing read and I will not be continuing this series.

Rating 

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 2/5
Characters : 2/5
Writing : 2/5



Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon Pulse for the e-ARC of Compulsion.



Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : The Fire Artist
Author : Daisy Whitney
Publication Date : October 14th 2014
Publisher : Bloomsbury
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

A forbidden romance literally heats up in this new fantasy from acclaimed author Daisy Whitney.

Aria is an elemental artist—she creates fire from her hands. But her power is not natural. She steals it from lightning. It’s dangerous and illegal in her world. When she’s recruited to perform, she seizes the chance to get away from her family. But her power is fading too fast to keep stealing from the sky. She has no choice but to turn to a Granter—a modern day genie. She gets one wish at an extremely high price. Aria’s willing to take a chance, but then she falls in love with the Granter . . . and he wants his freedom. Aria must decide what she’s willing to bargain and how much her own heart, body, and soul are worth.

In a world where the sport of elemental powers is the most popular form of entertainment, readers will be swept away by a romance with stakes higher than life and death.

Personal Thoughts 

The Fire Artist started off strongly for me and I was very curious about the world that Whitney had created. As the book progressed however, I found my attention waning. Mid-way through, I decided this just wasn't going to be the book for me and I abandoned it. My lack of interest in The Fire Artist stemmed from the fact that I could not for the life of me emotionally connect with Aria, the protagonist. She felt so insipid and lacked any spark. I felt similarly about the secondary characters and when I'm unable to connect with any character, then the book just isn't for me. It also didn't help that the world building was fuzzy and weak. And the romance that supposedly going to sweep you away? It was boring and lacked any chemistry. It's a shame because this book definitely had some unique and intriguing ideas that could have made for a decent fantasy book.


Rating 

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 2/5
Characters : 2/5
Writing : 2/5


Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC of The Fire Artist.

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