I hadn’t realised how much I was missing middle grade until now- but Brightstorm was just the book I needed to get back into it!! It was light, fun, aI hadn’t realised how much I was missing middle grade until now- but Brightstorm was just the book I needed to get back into it!! It was light, fun, adventurous, and just a really great time. I kinda picked it up on a whim but now I’m really glad that I did!
“Family isn’t always what you’re born into. It’s what you do for each other and the experiences you go through together that make a family.”
Brightstorm is basically about twins Maudie and Arthur Brightstorm, who are the children of the explorer Ernest Brightstorm. The twins are devastated when they receive news that their father died in an attempt to reach South Polaris, the southernmost point in this imaginary world. But when something strange makes them question this story, Maudie and Arthur must set out on a daring journey to try and discover the truth.
The basic set-up of the story is quite similar to lots of MG books: one of the protagonist’s parents died; they realise there might be more to it than that; they go on a miraculous journey to discover the truth; etc. I went into it kinda expecting it to average- but it definitely surprised me. Because although Brightstorm might not be the most original book out there, it’s still SUPER entertaining!!
Firstly, the characters. Our main protagonists are obviously Arthur and Maudie, although the book is only from Arthur’s perspective. We also have a whole load of side characters, like Harriet Culpepper, Felicity Wiggety and Eudora Vane. Although the characters could feel a bit more fleshed out imo, I did still like them! Arthur is a likeable enough protagonist, and it was nice to see that he made mistakes and wanted to make up for them. Often, the characters in MG books don’t feel realistic, but Arthur mostly did, so that was nice :)
The sibling bond between Arthur and Maudie was also so cute to see, as was the growing relationship between them and other members of the crew! It was kinda giving found family vibes, and as I’m a sucker for found family, I loved that!!
The writing was also very strong. It was super easy to read and this helped me get through the book really quickly. Vashti Hardy had a great balance between simplicity and descriptiveness, so that was great! I’m definitely eager to read more of this author’s work now!
The plot was also pretty good. You would think a story simply about a crew of people travelling would be boring, but the author managed to keep me invested throughout! The pacing was very well done, as it was neither too fast nor too slow, and it had enough action to keep my interest. I do think that the mystery could’ve been more, y’know, ~mysterious~, as it was kinda obvious all the way through… but oh well *shrugs* It didn’t really affect my enjoyment in the long run.
My main gripes with the book, that prevented me from giving it the full 4 stars, were the villain and the ending. The villain in the story was cartoonishly evil and although their motivations do make sense, it also just doesn’t feel that genuine! I feel like the characters fitted too well into the moulds of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, and that just isn’t realistic. This is a problem that I’ve seen a lot in MG, so it’s not only this book, but it still irritated me a bit :/
The ending also felt a bit too convenient. Like, there was lots of drama earlier on, but then everything was wrapped up so quickly??? That just didn’t feel right to me. And I know that the ending was preparing for the sequel, but there wasn’t enough closure for this specific book imo. And I also don’t really… want a sequel? Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed it, but I think it would’ve worked better as a standalone. Maybe that’s just me??
“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. You can be comfortable or courageous — never both at once.”
Overall, though, this was a very fun read! If you’re looking for a light and adventurous MG fantasy, then I would definitely recommend Brightstorm!! Although I would prefer it to be a standalone, I am still interested to pick up the sequel and see what happens next :)
~ 3.5 stars
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This was such a fun book- I had a really great time reading it!! ...more
I ended up really enjoying the Boneless Mercies!! I was expecting an action-packed fantasy and it DEFINITELY delivered. It was so unique & fun to readI ended up really enjoying the Boneless Mercies!! I was expecting an action-packed fantasy and it DEFINITELY delivered. It was so unique & fun to read! ...more
To be completely honest, this was a big pile of meh. I read this purely for my younger sister's sake (she's OBSESSED with this series) and while I didTo be completely honest, this was a big pile of meh. I read this purely for my younger sister's sake (she's OBSESSED with this series) and while I didn't have a horrible reading experience, it wasn't an amazing one either.
Just like the first book, The Lost Heir had lots of action and dragon drama, with a couple of betrayals along the way. This makes it sound really interesting, but lots of things about the book- the characters and their relationships with each other, the writing, etc.- felt very juvenile and BASIC. This made me enjoy it less.
The first book was from the perspective of Clay (the MudWing), but this one was from Tsunami's perspective. As a character, I found Tsunami very annoying and overdramatic. She kept going on and on about being an oh-so-important princess and often made a big deal out of little things. This was seriously annoying.
However, the action scenes were generally exciting and some of the twists were unexpected, I must admit. It was also a very quick and easy read which I practically flew through.
Overall, this was okay. There were some things I liked and some things I didn't. I MIGHT continue the series, but that depends...
This was such a fun story!! The focus on family and the way the found family trope was executed was so heartwarming and I also loved how it was a mix This was such a fun story!! The focus on family and the way the found family trope was executed was so heartwarming and I also loved how it was a mix of mystery and adventure. A must read for all MG readers! ❤
Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧
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