Reviews

Review One:

The Sacred Vine is Victoria M. Sorenson's debut novel and this is my debut ARC review but only one of us writes like a novice and it's definitely not Sorenson. This book was written beautifully! The Sacred Vine is easily one of the best books I have read this year. I could not put it down! A rejuvination of the YA fantasy genre, The Sacred Vine is a whirlwind of adventure and romance that whilst being seen through a teenager's eyes can be enjoyed at any age.
Sorensen effortlessly explains a complex world and magic system in way that is easily digestible and intriguing for the reader. Not to mention that the magic and the creation story in this novel is truly one of a kind. While I am a fantasy lover through and through, a lot of times it feels like I'm reading the same book with a different name, and that was definitely not the case here! I was awestruck with how creative and fresh the story was from the very beginning. There were even a couple poems which I loved!
The characters in this book were amazing! Even the minor characters are so well described that it was impossible not to feel adoration for all of them. The main character Sayah is so relatable and anyone who has ever felt themselves an outsider will feel a kinship with her. 
The romance in this book is the only reason I did not give this five stars. To me the relationship between Sayah and her love interest was too rushed. It is very much Insta-love and personally I would have liked to see a longer build up to their relationship. However, overall I did like the romance and I am looking forward to seeing the characters relationships develop.
Lastly, the PLOT TWISTS! I am usually the person who calls twists before they happen, but I will tell you I did not see these coming. I was sitting on the edge of my seat screaming WHAT??? I loved it every moment of it and was crushed with the massive cliffhanger! I need more!!!
Overall, I loved this book and I cannot wait to read the next one!

I want to thank Victoria for choosing me as one of her ARC readers and trusting me with her masterpiece ❤️

Review taken from Goodreads

 

Review Two:

For this to be a debut novel? Incredible.

I want to start this off at the very beginning before the story even starts. Tori did something that I think EVERY fantasy author should do. The glossary and pronunciations at the beginning was everything! I appreciated that I could read the story knowing what everything meant, how it was connected, and how to pronounce everything. It’s so much easier going through a fantasy read when you have a better understanding of the pieces that make up the story.

I ate this up! The storyline is so well written and thought out. It had me hooked from the very beginning, and continued to keep me hooked throughout. There were moments of sadness (I did shed a couple tears), anger, and happiness. And the PLOT TWISTS?! Excuse me. The only reason I personally knocked it down from 5 stars, was due to the romance between the two love interests. It was very much insta love, and if i’m being honest, i’m not the biggest fan of insta love.

I love fantasy reads but i’m definitely newer to the YA fantasy space. I primarily read adult romance/fantasy so I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy the YA aspect of it. However, the plot made up for it! It being YA didn’t even cross my mind as I was reading because I was so enthralled in the plot line. So, if you aren’t the biggest YA fantasy reader, take it from me. This book is worth the read!

Review taken from Goodreads

 

Review Three:

First and foremost, how is this a debut novel?? So good!!

“𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉- 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒆.”

The plotline is so unique from other fantasy novels that I have read so far this year. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗲 is a YA fantasy set in kingdoms tethered in magic and mystery. The story centers around two twin sisters who bloom from the vine of life and are rare 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘖𝘯𝘦𝘴 —blessed with gifted powers from the Creator. The story even has dragons corrupted by greed (there are good dragons too!). There’s no explicit language and some sweet, closed-door swoony romance.

The story includes intricate world building, likable characters, and a refreshing and unique storyline. I admit, it started a little slower than I am used to; however, the plot and characters were immediately intriguing. The plot picks up about halfway through and then at the last 10-20%, the author adds some 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 plot twists that will leave your mouth gaping. I literally stared at my kindle for like 5 minutes after I finished the last chapters. I NEED MORE!!

If you are the type who enjoys a mixture of cozy feelings, elemental magic, mystery, and a dash of danger and despair, then I can guarantee you that you will enjoy this one.

💚 Look at this cover! Stunning. 💚

Trope time:
💚 Unique magic system
💚 Chin lift
💚 Powerful twin sister FMCs
💚 Coming into powers
💚 Training scene
💚 Elves, werewolves, dragons
💚 Elemental magic
💚 Found family
Plus, more!
Rating: 4.75/5

Review taken from Goodreads

 

Review Four: 

First I want to personally thank Victoria Sorenson for this ARC! I’m truly honored.❤️ Also congrats on your debut novel!
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review…so here it is. This book was BEAUTIFULLY written. Sometimes fantasy books are hard to follow when you are world/ character building, but not with this one. I was also pretty excited about the glossary with pronunciations, I wish every fantasy book included that. I also have to say the concept of the pods from the videira(the vine), was probably the most creative idea I’ve ever read in a fantasy book. The vine was one of my favorite things, it sounded absolutely beautiful and magical, I wish I could experience it. A book that makes me go through all the emotions; laughing, crying, or on the edge of my seat, is instantly a top favorite! Highly Recommend this book. I literally can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

Quotes: **So many beautiful ones but I didn’t want to share too much before it’s released. But this one made me giggle…
“I, however, needed a cup of hot tea before anyone even tried to speak to me. I wasn’t coherent without its warm fragrance, delighting all my senses.” (I can relate to Sayah on this one 😂)

Review taken from Goodreads

 

 

Review Five:

What can I say about this book, aside from wow, easily one of my top reads this year. The author has managed to create such a magical world filled with the perfect balance of beauty and horrors. It starts with definitions and pronounciations which is a nice little touch. Then a beautiful dedication follows it. There's also a lovely little map at the start which helps you see the layout of the lands. Now we begin, the prologue really draws you in, this was a prologue that was something you would expect in Lord Of The Rings or series similar. That was when I knew I was hooked. The FMC is very relatable, outcast, weird, loner, studyaholic bookworm who is such a vibe. She is also strong, determined, caring, protective of those she cares about and fiercely loyal which I love her for.
The imagery the author manages to create with her descriptions is just phenomenal, a few times I was just in awe by how vivid the images were and that is coming from someone who struggles to picture things, yet I could picture everything so clearly. Not always a good thing though as whilst there is such beautiful magic moments and imagery, there are also soul crushing moments that feel so much more heartbreaking or so much deeper because you can picture it so vividly. The author managed to break me several times.
Speaking of breaking me a few times, the author manages to create such strong empathetic links between you and most of the characters even ones that are just in the book for a split second, just so she can tear your heart out while it's still beating and cause you to become a blubbering mess in the corner. There are also moments that make your heart feel so full, your mouth starts to hurt as you smile so widely you look like the cheshire cat. There are so many twists and turns that you absolutely will not see coming that had my jaw on the floor. If you are the type of person that shies away from YA fantasy, then you are seriously missing out as this book is iconic.

Review taken from Goodreads