I loved the cruel prince trilogy so i was looking forward to reading Holly Blacks other books. This was an okay book and I liked it but I didn’t love it. But it’s a fast read and the audiobook narrator was good which helped to enjoy the story.

Tithe by Holly Black is a decent book that I enjoyed but the audiobook was incredibly well done. The narrator was very good and I'm glad I read this book via audio.

Not going to lie, this is a super biased review.
I first read this book when back when it first was released and I was maybe 16 and very much going through my edgy goth phase. This book series instantly became my entire personally and I to this day still worship everything Holly Black writes.

I reread the books when the new editions hit the shelves and now listened to this new audiobook version of it, still can't get enough of it.
It might not be comparable to Holly Black's books nowadays, since her writing has improved so much over all these years and for first time readers it will surely give some very outdated retro YA vibes. But nonetheless, the themes, the characters, the world and prose all just resonate with me. I simply love it and the nostalgia hits me every time.

The narrator of the audiobook was easy to listen to, even though I preferred the narrator of the Cruel Prince series. But the voice acting here was also convincing and well matched for the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for proving me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

First time reading/listening to this author.

I found it very confusing and hard to follow, I had to skip back quite a few times to try work out what was going on. So many things seemed to just happen with no rhyme or reason to it!

I am definitely in my fantasy era but perhaps this was a step top far for me.

This was an intensely nostalgic read - I didn’t read the Black’s Modern Faerie Tales when they were first published in the early 2000s but listening to this new audiobook still felt like reading that era of YA when I was a kid. When I started writing this review I thought this was going to be in the 2.5/3 star territory, but as I thought about it more, I couldn’t justify that — there were certainly entertaining elements, but on the whole it was a let-down, especially since I really enough the author’s Folk of the Air series.

A positive - I loved the depiction of faeries. They’re wonderfully creepy and imaginative while still sticking to the roots of the British folklore that clearly inspired them.

The plot was… erratic. I had to skip back in the audiobook multiple times because I’d catch myself asking wft??? And I needed to work out where the logic was (nowhere, half the time). In the opening scene, someone tries to stab Kaye’s mother, and it never mentioned again?? And that’s just the beginning.

Kaye was generic enough that I wasn’t invested in her as a character, but specific in the sense that she was irritating. I love a deliciously flawed teenage girl; that’s not what was happening here. I was also kinda just unconvinced by the romance between Kaye and Roiben. To me, they didn’t really have chemistry, and the violent faerie shenanigans didn’t have the underlying pull of an enemies-to-lovers type situation, which it seemed to be going for. (Especially in the first half, my wtf moments were directed that their interactions.)

I received a free audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. The narrator was good for the most part, although she couldn’t seem to decide if Roiben was Scottish or Scandinavian. (Based on the Seelie/Unseelie folklore, it should be Scottish.)

Kaye seems to have quite a hard life, trailing after her musician mother and being the weird kid that can see faeries. Not that anyone really believes her. Then she discovers the reason she can see them and what that means for her.
I've wanted to re-read this series for ages so finding out there was an audiobook was the perfect excuse. This trilogy is what first that got me into reading books about faeries. These are definitely not the tiny sparkly creatures most people think of!
I mostly liked the narrator except after a while she started to sound a bit wet.

Tithe was earlier fairy book the author wrote. It was shown so much potential with beautiful story and fairy lores. I can saw the author honing her skills through the year.

The plot itself rather simple. It is following Kaye who the attitude is hardened by life issues. Growing up following immature mother who wanna be rockstars make Kaye appear as difficult and troublemaker teenager.
Some her action are unlikely make us reader choose on her side. But all her thoughts and decision seem consistent until the end for me. I wish personal growth for her at next installment.

The audio is good. The narration is suitable with Kaye's personality and successful to gave different voice for other characters except for Roiben part. But I really like how it delivers the story and make me easier to absorb into Tithe's world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 1 Jan 2024

Holly Black's writing never fails to transport me into an alternate dimension. Cruel Prince is one of my favorite series of all time, and it was so lovely to step back into the world of fairies and danger.

Special thanks to Bolinda audio and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic narration paired with truly immersive storytelling. The opening pace of the story was very slow and concerned me at first, however once the plot moved forward the narration started to shine—particularly in the darker, more emotionally tense scenes. Very moving while also disturbing.

Holly Black writes faerie stories like poetry, with veiled meanings and beautiful rhythm, and the narration for the audio book of this novel is spot-on in terms of matching this, the cadence is just beautiful. It's the kind of book I wish I'd had to read when I was a teen, as I think I'd have got a lot more out of it then. The story flits back and forth between the other-wordly fae realm and plot and the gritty, almost mundane reality of Kaye's teenage life, complete with friends-who-really-shouldn't-be-friends, crummy adults and overflowing and aggressive teen hormones. It's definitely not a book for younger kids, with dark themes and fairly adult behaviours in the teen protagonists, but unlike the Cruel Prince series which seems to transcend age brackets and appeal to Young Adults and grown adults alike, I think this one is very much for the (older) YAs who love a dark faerie story.

Having originally read Spiderwick Chronicles and read the Cruel Prince, this is the book that I would say is in the middle between the two. It’s the book to read having red Spiderwick Chronicles and grown up but not quite gotten to the Cruel Prince yet. if you are a Holly black fan, this is definitely the book to read as it develops all of her writing styles and the themes you have come to love.

This fae story is set in a modern world where our protagonist discovers she isn't just a normal human and decides to have a little fun with it. But the party doesn't last long as the perplexing world of nefarious fairies decides to intervene.

Starting with strange romances of fairie Knight and a sprinkle of powerplay amongst the fairie kingdom, this is exactly translating "Holly Black" vibes. The book felt more like a novella considering the short length. But the version suited well to the story, considering it got to cover the main plot appropriately. I did have a few turn-off moments like the unexpected steamy romance, and the lack of heart-melting quotes. Still, overall, the book was worth the read.

Thank you @bolindaaudio @blackholly for the Audiobook ARC.
Genre: #fae #fairies #faeromance #fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

This one by Holly Black was a tad bit hard to follow and it felt all tangled up. I have read all Holly’s books to date but this one just didn’t flow for me. The characters seemed to have no depth. The narrator was ok.

Thank you to Bolinda Audio and Netgalley for the access to the Audiobook of Tithe for an honest review.

Tithe follows 16 year old Kaye who travels from city to city with her mothers rock band until an attack forces her back to her childhood home.

There Kaye somehow finds herself an unwilling pawn in the war between two faerie kingdoms.

As a massive fan of The Cruel Prince I was really excited to listen to this story which seemed from the similar realm however I fear it wasn't really one for me.

The audio and narration were all really well done however the story itself just didn't capture my interest like Holly Black's other books do.

Maybe as this story is marketed too a YA audience and is abit on the shorter side. I just didn't feel like the characters were fleshed out enough to be discernable to the point where if I lost track of the Audiobook I would then become unsure who was who and how they related to the main character.

Not one for me sadly but the audio was very well done.

This is a good young adult book, similar writing style to Holly's other books, some twists and self discovery from the characters.

At first, this book was not what I was expecting and this was one of those times that I’m not sure I actually liked any of the characters… I did really enjoy this read, though!

For a sixteen year old, Kaye was forcibly mature and had experienced a life that was more of an adult’s and I kept having to remind myself of her age. The blend between a pretty traumatic and chaotic life and the world of faeries is something that really worked and showed the fabulous range of Black’s writing; both lyrical and harshly realistic.

A lot packed into a relatively short book and I really enjoyed reading the physical copy alongside the audiobook - it gave me such an absorbing and immersive experience. The twists and turns kept me gripped and I will definitely be continuing on with this series. I cannot quite believe aspects that happened but obviously, I won’t spoil them!

It was great to be back in the world of faerie. Holly Black never fails to deliver but this fell a bit short for me. I don't think I connected as much with the characters as I have in other stories.

Originally published in 2002, this dark Fae romantasy/fantasy is more than worthy of now being recorded as an audio book. This is a fun and compelling read, despite the actual Tythe being only a very small part of the story. The characters, especially Rioben, are engaging and realistic; for sure, kids Kaye's age (16) often talk exactly that way and although the book is most likely aimed at a YA audience, I believe it has a much wider appeal. I didn’t like the story as much as The Folk of the Air books, but nonetheless it is still a more than worthy read. Many thanks to NetGallery and Bolinda Audio for allowing me to get a copy of this narration - it is well produced and really adds something to the story. Highly recommended.

Despite being subtitled a 'modern' faerie tale, 'Tithe' feels rather dated, despite having been published just over twenty years before this review. The characters still use payphones, and social media is non-existent. It gives it an oddly quaint feeling, in contrast the timeless fantasy elements of fairyland. The story centres on a sixteen year old, Kaye, who has always been 'weird', seeing and hearing things that others cannot, such as fairy-folk. When she and her chaotic mother return to her hometown, she is reacquainted with old friends - both human, and otherworldly. Inadvertently she becomes caught in a battle between rival fae courts, putting both her and her human friends and family at risk.

The novel has a slow start - the first half I found hard to engage with. Kaye wasn't a character I really connected with, and despite us being told continually how she is 'clever and kind' her actions didn't necessarily show us that. The second half had more pace, and a will-they-won't-they love story which suckered me in as surely as such tales always do. I did find it quite gripping, but even so, I was never fully invested in the characters' fates.

I felt it lacked in originality - the fairy elements are pretty standard, as are the human world parts. There was nothing that didn't feel derivative in some way. I was frustrated with Kaye and some of the choices she made, and the parts set in the human world were a serious of tedious teen cliches. Maybe I was less sympathetic to these as an older reader, but I think young people are just as capable of spotting an overused trope and just as deserving of high quality fiction.

I always avoid saying what age range a book is suitable for, since I read many 'adult books' as a teen and still enjoy 'young adult' fiction to this day. With the sixteen year old protagonist it naturally suggests a younger readership, and there's nothing explicit to frighten parents.

The narration on the audiobook is good and the narrator manages an impressive range of voices for all the different types of fairy character. She read at a good pace and the story was easy to follow in audio form, although the long chapters can be annoying if you want to listen at bedtime without falling asleep too soon.

I wouldn't say 'Tithe' is a bad book, rather an indifferent one. I did get quite hooked by the end and I liked the romance despite its being cliched. But there are so many truly excellent books in this genre, for young adult and adult readers alike, that there really isn't a need to read anything that is merely OK. If you've read all the greats and need more, than absolutely 'Tithe' is a readable/listenable enough option. But there's a lot of better novels to get through first.

A very strange tale full of sinister and dangerous fae and unknown magic. It was an interesting story but reasonably dark - though that’s to be expected from Holly Black! Strange things happen around Kaye and she has a reputation for being weird, and seeing things, but as things become stranger, and secrets are revealed, it seems there’s a lot going on that Kaye didn’t know about and she’s being pulled in different directions without knowing who to trust. I wouldn’t say this was a compelling read, and I didn’t particularly like the characters, but it was enjoyable all the same and the audiobook was great to listen to with a good choice of narrator for Kaye, who also did a fantastic range of voices for other characters (especially Roibin!).