Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Granted had a interesting plotline and thesynopsisand the cover drew me in. However, I ended up DNFing the book as I felt the pacing was off, there was misspelt words (icicle is not spelt ice sickle) and Sabeara wasn't doing anything for me. It felt as though whenever she felt like she was in trouble she just acts defeated without putting much of a fight. Didn't help that I felt the plot was confusing and the magic system wasn't explained throughly enough for me.

See, I tried. I really did. But we are dnf'ing this one.
The two main reasons are the characters and the writing style, both of which are things that if they don't start from a reasonable point, they really don't get better.
The heroine is one of those protagonists who THINK they're so plain and ordinary but are actually GORGEOUS *gasp* and she literally cannot do one thing. When she's kidnapped, she takes ONE look around her prison tent and GIVES UP.
sorry girl, that kind of work ethic is a NO for me.

The hero isn't really much better. He kinda feels like a cardboard cutout with his eMErAld gReEN eyes.

Like tell me why I care.

The writing is stilted and has the most AWKWARD word choices. I quote:

"her long blonde hair was curled to perfection around her nimble shoulders"
what's a nimble shoulder

"I leaned back against a tree trunk, letting the bark dig into my innocent flesh"
what does innocent flesh even mean

"I tenderly stepped inside"
try a different adverb

"I found an empty abyss going up farther than I could see"
abysses are holes. holes going down.

anyways. It definitely had potential, but not for me.

I truly tried as hard as I could to finish this book, but I just couldn't force myself to keep going. The characters were unlikeable (and not in an anti-hero way) and the plot veered between boring and confusing. There just wasn't anything in here for me.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I couldn't be immersed in it enough to be able to continue my reading.

'Granted' is the first book in Kendra Thomas' series by the same name. It is colorful with well developed characters and worlds. Thomas is very capable of creating a full picture in the reader's mind.

Sabeara Aigoviel is from a world where when you reach the age of eighteen you obtain your stone-hearted power. It is something she very much looks forward to. During the celebration of her sister's granting, Sabeara is kidnapped by an opposing Kingdom. She is rescued by a handsome man named Mid who sweeps her off her feet and teaches her about the legend of a curse. Mid believes the dissent in their world is the precursor to this curse.

Loved this fantasy story so much! Definite one of those books I raced to finish with the same amount of enthusiasm as dread that it was almost at the end. A must read for anyone who loves a good coming of age, strong female protagonist, save the world from evil type of book. I definitely plan to rad the rest of the series!

Update: I have other books on my to read list, but I couldn’t wait. I went and purchased Hearted so I can continue the story. Those others will have to wait…

I received a copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light easy YA fantasy book. There’s magic, curses, a complicated romance, warring kingdoms, teen angst, and family problems. The main character acts her age. She’s 17, speaks before she thinks, has emotional outbursts, and sometimes embarrassed herself. The love interest is also immature at times like teenagers are. I found this book enjoyable to read. The cover is lovely and the description of dresses and landscapes were just as lovely.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was reeled in by the stunning cover, I had such high hopes for this book. I really thought I would be raving about this book, however it fell short.
Sabeara is the main female character and I just didn't like her. She came across as entitled and immature. I was expecting a character growth throughout but she just remained the same. I felt like her character was stagnant in her spoilt persona.
Mid is the main male character and the love interest, I didn't think he was the right fit to be paired up with Sabeara. He was quite arrogant and self-confident.
The pace of the story felt inconsistent, The relationship aspect felt rushed and something that seemed like it had to be done for the story purpose.
I felt the writing was good and definitely descriptive enough, if somewhat repeative.
However saying all of this I can see the potential in this story and there are definitely some questions that need answers which hopefully will feature in book 2.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4341703496

some random thoughts as i make my way through the book:

slightly confused by the magic system, but i’m sure it’ll get smoothed out in the sequel.

mid is a swoon worthy love interest.

what a plot twist, did not see the love interest + sister arranged marriage coming.

i mean who doesn’t love a good curse?

i LOVE the bad dream - partner wakes you up trope

“her. the one. the only one.” ugh MY HEART

i really hope there’s more of sunn in the next book, i love that girl.

wait did sis really burn down the magic tree? WHAT A CLIFF HANGER

thank you netgalley and kendra thomas for the copy of this book.

Confusing beginning with a basic YA plot, but I enjoyed the writing style and the gorgeous cover! Thanks for the read, Netgalley!

This was such a fun read, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the action and the relationships between all the characters. I can't wait to read more from this author

If I am being honest I walked into this novel with very low expectations. I expected a half-way developed plot and world-building. Boy was I wrong! As a Junior High English teacher I am always on the lookout for books that exemplify excellent world-building, and well-developed characters. I was really pleasantly surprised by this novel. It sucked me in and I could not put it down! *I received this novel in exchange for a free copy and review.

'Granted': 3⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to Netgalley, Kendra Thomas and the publishers for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

First, let's talk about that STUNNING cover, which instantly drew me into the story. 😍 Having a good cover is a great start, so let's talk about the content.
As this is a series, the ending really left me hanging and that's why I'm glad to be reading the next one as soon as possible. Loved the main character, Sabeara, a wise name for such a strong, heart-leading protagonist. However, I did expect more from the plot. It started off great for me, but then, it dragged a bit. Maybe it's because I'm very picky with my YA fantasy nowadays!

Family is always complicated but when you’re a princess trying to save your Kingdom from war the stakes could not be higher add in forbidden love courtly intrigue and a curse and the result is a spellbinding series opener.

I found the central romance endearing if slightly predictable, Princess Sabera herself was both likeable and relatable. I also loved the idea of being Stone Hearted, the sumptuous settings and the use of magic in this book.

Fascinating and well developed story plot that keeps the pages turning. The spirit tree seems to be slightly inspired after 'The Faraway Tree' and I like the entire idea of Stone-hearted people. I can clearly feel the internal struggles tackled by the main character. Most of all, the romance ain't over cringy.

However, I feel that the gender of the names of the characters can be clearer. Or at least use some gender neutral names so that readers will not be confused during the starting. Another question I'm asking: where's James? What happened to him after Mid used his powers to make him sleep? The exit of that character was too sudden and he did not appear in the later parts of the novel at all, vanishing in thin air. While the cliffhanging ending promises a sequel and I guess he may appear in the sequel, but it'll be weird for him to pop out suddenly after several hundred pages without his presence.

All in all, a good read. Just that it has the potential to be better.

Kendra Thomas’ Granted starts out with a twist on the classic “heir takes on the big bad to save her kingdom” storyline. Sabeara is the younger princess, not yet Granted her Stone-hearted powers. She has an adventurous spirit, as younger siblings often do in these stories. On the day of her older sister’s Granting, an attack on the kingdom sees Sabeara separated from her family, and soon on an adventure that will change her forever.

I loved the premise of Granted, however, I wanted more depth to the characters. I felt that too much time was spent on flowering up the prose rather than developing characters. It often felt like I was reading the same sentence two or three times, just rephrased. The tension between Sabeara and Mid was palpable, and I look forward to more of it in the follow-up books. Overall, with more character growth, Thomas will hit a great stride in the YA genre.

The book is very descriptive and the characters well developed, but the book is just not written for adults. It is more for young teens and pre-teens. I enjoyed reading it, but it was very repetitive and predictable. I can see where younger teens and pre-teens would enjoy the fantasy adventure. Just not for me.

NetGalley provided
I really enjoyed this books. I liked the idea that even if you don’t have powers you can still defend yourself like the main character did.

I absolutely LOVED that they want each other but can’t have a relationship as he is meant to marry her sister and i loved the mystery behind her mothers death

I didn’t exactly enjoy Mids personality tbh and i felt like all of the characters were very undeveloped and unoriginal

I LOVED the plot twist near the end and I can’t wait to read the second book and i hope it will get better!

Easy to read, gorgeously written. I feel I totally the story and was captivated till the end. Recommend for fans of winners kiss and tog

Thank you

Sabeara Aigoviel, princess of Aveladon, wants nothing more than for her heart to glow. The Stone-Hearted power that is received at the age of eighteen is her ultimate wish. When I started reading I couldn't put it down .Kendra Thomas is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this books.Can't wait for the next book