This is a quick read, and an interesting introduction to the world.
I liked Rhaka, and I felt for him when he felt trapped in the desStars: 4 out of 5.
This is a quick read, and an interesting introduction to the world.
I liked Rhaka, and I felt for him when he felt trapped in the destiny his father had laid out in front of him. I'm glad he got to experience life outside of his father's oppressive shadow and decide what was important to him. Though he still has a lot of growing and maturing to do if he wants to put things right.
This kingdom has experienced peace for a thousand years, but at what price? Anyone with magical ability must take an oath that turns them into slaves to the royal family, or they must hide and suppress their magic. And knights who are supposed to protect the weak and defend the innocent are more interested in duels and their ranking on a scoreboard.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series to see where all this is going....more
I like cozy cultivation novels from time to time, but they need to be well written. Unfortunately, this one isn't. The writing styleStars: 2 out of 5.
I like cozy cultivation novels from time to time, but they need to be well written. Unfortunately, this one isn't. The writing style is passable, if pedestrian, but the odd POV shifts sometimes mid-chapter make the story rather confusing at times. It is also way too long by at least 150 pages, so it becomes a slog in the end.
My biggest problem is that all of the fun action and actual cultivation and journey of self-discovery happens not to the protagonist, but to... his farm animals. Yep, you read that right. I mean, it was fun reading about Bi De becoming self-aware and striving to better himself, and Chon Ke the pig is a delight, but their story pretty much peaks at about 30% into the book with the big battle between the chicken and the rats who try to invade the farm. If this story was only about them, that would have made for a fun short story, and I would have happily rated it 5 stars.
Unfortunately, the protagonist's story is a lot less interesting, probably because he is the perfect example of a Gary Stu. He is a modern world guy whose soul got shoved into the body of a dying cultivator in this strange new world. That would have been a wonderful opportunity to explore a fish out of water scenario and make Jin try to adapt and survive in this new world, slowly learning the language and culture, making friends, and ultimately finding a place where he fits. Yeah, that doesn't happen. He has all of the original soul's memories and abilities, as well as the starter capital to do pretty much whatever he wants. Oh, and he is so much better at cultivation... and farming... and fighting... and pretty much everything than anyone else. And everyone loves him or is in awe of him, and yada-yada-yada.... Yawn.
There is no conflict, no tension, no obstacles to overcome. What obstacles there are, a series of coincidence always helps our protagonist along. Well, sorry, but this makes for extremely boring reading. Not to mention, doesn't make me like the protagonist any better. There is no point of mentioning any of the other human characters because their only distinctive features are how much they love/admire Jin.
It's sad when the animals in a book have more personality than the humans. Needless to say, I will not be continuing with this series....more
I am not usually a fan of collections of short stories about the same characters. I feel like the format doesn't give the author enoStars: 4 out of 5.
I am not usually a fan of collections of short stories about the same characters. I feel like the format doesn't give the author enough time to develop the characters and tell a compelling story at the same time, especially if the stories aren't in chronological order or were written for different magazines and published at different times. And this compilation suffers from the same drawbacks, but the characters are compelling enough that I derived some genuine enjoyment following them around.
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz make an odd pair, to say the least. One is a human knight, skilled with firearms and swords, also a dandy and a bit of a womanizer. The other one is... a living puppet with a singular mission of exterminating rogue godlets who intend to cause harm to the world. It's also implied that Mister Fitz is a lot older that anyone knows and suspects, older even than the order of Witches from which Sir Hereward originated. Add to that the fact that he used to be Hereward's nanny when he was a little boy, and their relationship is interesting, to say the least.
Sir Hereward himself is a bit harder to read, probably because we don't get to explore his needs and wants as much in these stories. We know that he is the forbidden child to an order of Witches that are supposed to only sire female (Dune anyone?), but since his mother was part of the ruling council, he was allowed to live, and even train with other witches, but then exiled forever to go and hunt down rogue godlets in the world away from the witch stronghold. But we never really explore what Hereward himself wants in life, or how he feels about being a perpetual nomad, not able to put roots anywhere, traveling from one battle to another with only a living puppet for company. I would have loved to have this aspect explored more in the stories I read.
The world these two characters inhabit is also really interesting. It's full of magic and different deities, called godlets. Some are powerful, some less so. Some are benevolent or simply harmless, while others either intentionally cause harm or are just so incompatible with the world they invaded that they slowly destroy everything around them. I loved the fact that Hereward and Fitz aren't heartless killers who eliminate any godlet they are pointed at. They always assess the situation and do what's right, even disobeying direct orders sometimes, when those orders are unjust.
I would love to read more stories about these characters, even maybe a novella or a full blown novel where we can explore their inner workings a bit more and dive deeper into this world.
PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I had read this series back when I was a teenager and remember loving it. Then I played all of The Witcher games and watched the NetStars: 5 out of 5.
I had read this series back when I was a teenager and remember loving it. Then I played all of The Witcher games and watched the Netflix series. The series was a huge disappointment, especially season 3, but Henry Cavil is 100% Geralt of Rivia. You can see that he loves the source material as much as I do.
Anyway, while I will not be continuing with the TV series, I decided to reread the books. And I started at the book that introduced me to this series the first time as well. I remember being fascinated by the way the author wove original Slavic monsters and folk tales into this rich and complex world.
And I absolutely LOVE Geralt of Rivia. This book is a collection of short stories that weave into a cohesive narrative that serves to introduce us to Geralt and the most important characters in future books, like Yennifer, Jaskier, the elves, etc. And while Ciri isn't in this book, she is mentioned and we get to read the story about how Geralt got to be linked to her by destiny.
I liked that not all of the short stories involve Geralt slaying soulless monsters. In fact, in a lot of them humans are worst monsters than the actual monsters. And some of those stories are actually rather heartbreaking. Like the whole horrible affair in Blaviken. Was Renfri born a monster like the sorcerer claimed, or did humans make her that way by driving her to become cruel and callus just to survive? Or what's the point of all your arrogance and pride if your entire race is dying off because of that pride?
I plan on rereading the entire series this year and I am looking forward to immersing myself in the complex and bloody world of witchers, monsters, and political intrigue.
About a quarter of the book in, I realized that this wasn't the first book in this series, because the characters referred to evenStars: 4.5 out of 5.
About a quarter of the book in, I realized that this wasn't the first book in this series, because the characters referred to events that had happened in previous books. This however didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story. I also must note that I didn't know that the Legend of the Five Rings was a table top RPG. Needless to say, I never played it, nor was I familiar with the lore and world. This, however, didn't hinder my enjoyment of this story. So I can affirm that this book can be read as a standalone.
The world depicted in this book has some strong similarities with medieval Japan (which I am all in for, since I love Japanese culture and history). It is, however, slightly more tolerant on some issues than its historical counterpart. For example, women can hold positions of power in the government (one of the characters is a general in her household), and it seems like same sex relationships aren't frowned upon.
I loved Shin and his sidekicks that he seems to accumulate with ease by turning criminals into allies and by knowing exactly how to get the best use of someone by allowing them the dignity of being themselves. Shin is smart, very curious, and with a mind honed to solve complex puzzles. He is definitely wasted as a mere representative of the Merchant Guild. He is also pretty fearless, which gets him in trouble more often than not, to the consternation of his bodyguard. I loved her too. She is Shin's exact opposite - impatient, a stickler for rules, and straightforward and unbending. Where Shin can be deceitful with words and actions to get results, she prefers to have her katana speak for her. Amazingly enough, they work pretty well together.
The main intrigue is also pretty interesting. Is Mosu an imposter or not? And if he is, why is everyone happy to pretend that he is not and proceed with the wedding like nothing happened? The more Shin digs into this sordid affair, the bigger a conspiracy he discovers. From what I can see, it even ties to some of the events that happened in previous books. Somebody is working to bring the demise of the Lyon Clan. Surreptitiously and from the shadows, using others to weaken their enemy. And that particular storyline isn't resolved by the end of the book either.
I will definitely pick up the next book in the series, because now I am invested. I want to know who the mastermind behind all this is. I will also definitely pick up the previous three books about Daidoji Shin, because he is such a likeable character, and I want to know what other mysteries he solved and how he came to have some of the servants he has at his service, like the smuggler Lun. And now I am also interested in checking out other novels set in the Legend of the Five Rings universe, because that world is fascinating.
PS: I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a good story, and a solid first book in a new series. I would argue that you might want to read Sand and Ichor before you staStars: 4 out of 5
This is a good story, and a solid first book in a new series. I would argue that you might want to read Sand and Ichor before you start this book, because a couple characters from that novella play a major part in the events happening in this book. Also, it will give you better understanding into Rhaka's motives, and why he behaves the way he does.
But ultimately, you don't have to read the novella to enjoy this book, because this story is about Genry and his difficult journey of trying to grapple with circumstances that are out of his control.
I liked Genry, though he came across as naïve and overly idealistic most of this book. But what else would you expect from a 17 year old boy? He is the youngest of the royal siblings. He never expected to assume any important political role in the kingdom. Everyone assumed that his sister Ellix would be the next Queen and she was groomed for this role since childhood. All Genry ever wanted was to become a knight. That's what he trained for, that's what he dreamt about, and he couldn't care about anything else.
I really felt for him when circumstances conspired against him, and he realized that that dream was now shattered. Talk about a soul-crushing discovery - that in order to do your duty to your kingdom and your family, you would have to abandon everything you ever dreamt about and become basically a puppet in the hands of your family. No wonder he ascended the stairs so quickly and without regret at the end of the book - he had nothing tying him to the world of the living.
It's also a very interesting world that the author created. At first, it seems almost a utopia - a thousand years of peace and prosperity... Until you realize that that peace is bought at the price of magical enslavement. The oaths that the citizens make to the crown are binding magical contracts, and attempting to break such a contract causes real physical pain. A kingdom where everything is a contract, where every good deed is expected to put the other person in debt. There is no altruism, only duty. There is no self-sacrifice unless it's worth something. That's a sad state of affairs.
And I would say that the mad seer created a self-fulfilling prophecy in the end. Had she not tried to kill Genry, who knows what kind of crown prince he would have become? If his soul had remained intact, he might made different choices when he becomes a king. I'm afraid she created the Tyrant she was so afraid of.
All in all, this is a really good book, even if the story dragged in place, and I felt like we were circling around the drain a couple times with nothing happening. I am definitely looking forward to the next book. I want to see what becomes of Genry, and Ellix, and Rhaka.
PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I loved the first book in this duology so much that I rated it 5 stars. Needless to say, I had high hopes for the second book as welStars: 2 out of 5.
I loved the first book in this duology so much that I rated it 5 stars. Needless to say, I had high hopes for the second book as well. Unfortunately, none of my hopes were realized, so this book left a bitter taste in my mouth and a sense that I had wasted several hours of my life. Now I realize that some of this might be subjective, and some of it might be higher than usual expectations, but I think the biggest issue for me is that the story didn't go in the direction I expected it to go.
I expected a direct continuation of the events that happened at the end of Seraphina - a war with the dragons, and Seraphina, Krieggs and Celda in the middle of it, trying to protect the kingdom of Goredd from the scaly monsters who try to destroy them...
Instead we get this road movie where Phina travels to different places throughout the book, meeting new people that she will never talk to again once she leaves, in search of the other half-dragons she saw in her mind garden.
It makes for a very disjointed and rather boring story, to tell you the truth. Gone is the sense of urgency we experienced at the end of last book. Yes, Seraphina has a deadline by which to reach her final destination, but it has nothing to do with the imminent war with the dragons. And honestly, the book drags until about three quarters of the way through when things finally pick up.
The issue here is that I, as a reader, don't care about the new people Seraphina encounters, and the author doesn't give me enough time to get to know them to actually care about them before the story moves towards another location, leaving them behind. And I am once again introduced to a whole different set of new characters who stay on the page just as fleetingly.
But I think my biggest problem is the villain in this story. Jannoula is so overpowered that it's almost laughable at the end. Also, her powers are inconsistent. First, it's mentioned that she can only control one person at a time, and even that tires her, but by the end of the book, she is suddenly able to control all the half-dragons and make her aura "glow" so that it's visible to humans, and she can manipulate humans at her will. Not to mention that she always seems one step ahead of Seraphina, no matter what she does or what happens. And the way she is defeated at the end stinks of deus ex machina as well.
Finally, I really hated the ending. I think it wasn't fair to the characters, especially to Seraphina. She spent all her life hiding and lying. She decided at the beginning of this book that she would not lie about herself anymore... yet she agrees to be the other woman? To live in shadow? To live a lie for the rest of her life? How is that a good ending for her? Not to mention that this paints Krieggs in a horrible way as well. He is a coward who just manipulated her into doing what he wants, not considering how that will impact her life.
Anyway, this was a huge disappointment, and I am kinda glad this was only a duology, because I would not have picked up another book in this series.
When I read the blurb of this book, this sounded like it should be right up my alley. Unfortunately, the execution was decidedly uStars: 2.5 out of 5.
When I read the blurb of this book, this sounded like it should be right up my alley. Unfortunately, the execution was decidedly underwhelming. And the opinions of my Goodreads friends are split on this one. One absolutely loved, and another one DNFed it. I'm tending to agree with my second friend on this one, though I managed to finish the book, and I now think that I shouldn't have bothered.
I have several issues with this book, so let's talk about the biggest two.
First of all, this book feels rudderless. This less of a cohesive story than a series of events that happen to Aelis. A bear attacks the sheep, some mercenaries bring cursed gold, then a villager seemingly goes crazy and attacks his brother, then all of a sudden we get a detour to kill a Demon tree... You get the picture. Aelis isn't the driving force behind this story. It feels like she is just a leaf being dragged along the current of things that happen around her. She is reacting to external forces all the time.
And this isn't a bad thing, if done well. In fact, there are book that managed to create a compelling story around a protagonist who had no agency of his/her own. Unfortunately, this is not that book.
The problem is that Aelis has no stakes in the events that happen around her. She has no goals to reach and, honestly, nothing to loose. So there is really no sense of urgency in the unfolding story. Which also means that the story meanders without a clear goal, just like Aelis and Tun in the wilderness. I grew bored following them, to tell you the truth, because I didn't particularly care if she caught up with the crazy brother. And even when the stakes seemed to finally get bigger (like the discovery of a rogue enchanter a few days away from the village), I was already too disengaged with the story to care.
And that stems from the second issue I have with this book - the character of Aelis herself. To put it bluntly she is a pretentious and extremely unlikeable. She is extremely condescending to EVERYONE around her, just because she went to the Lyceum of magic, and they are "simple peasants". Yes, because her having purely academic knowledge and no field experience in pretty much anything is so much better than the experiences of people who have been through a war, or who learned to survive in a harsh environment since their birth.
I would have been better able to stomach this if she learned and evolved throughout the book, made mistakes, got her nose bloodied, and came out humbler and wiser on the other side. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. In fact, there is no character growth for Aelis whatsoever. She is just as unlikeable at the end of the book as she is at the beginning of it.
So I finished this story, but I have no desire to continue with this series, because I really don't care about Aelis di Lenti and her overinflated ego.
PS: I received and advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I remember when I first read this book, it blew my mind. This was the first time I discovered humorous fantasy (that was before I fell in love with TeI remember when I first read this book, it blew my mind. This was the first time I discovered humorous fantasy (that was before I fell in love with Terry Pratchett and the Discworld). It's a fun ride, but it's also smart and heartfelt and I loved every moment I spent in this book.
I feel like the series goes downhill after a while, like it looses its soul, but this book will always be 5 stars for me....more
Sometimes you pick up a book because you like the cover or the blurb and discover a hidden gem. This is what happened to me with EmpiStars: 4 out of 5
Sometimes you pick up a book because you like the cover or the blurb and discover a hidden gem. This is what happened to me with Empire of Exiles. I haven't read other books by this author, so this book was a surprise hit for me. Now I have a new series to look forward to and a new author to follow!
I loved how complex and "lived in" this world feels. There is history there. There is a past. The different races feel distinct but also plausible, with their own religions, philosophies and physical attributes that don't feel shoehorned into the story just for the sake of diversity. I would love to explore Semilla more in future books.
The empire itself is an interesting construct. Like the title of the book says, it's an empire of exiles or of refugees, since all the races who call it home fled their native lands facing extermination by a common enemy - the changelings. Desperation and the threat of extermination are sure to force people to cooperate, but I love what they created out of the ashes. An empire that assimilated all these religions and philosophies and let them coexist.
This world wouldn't be as memorable if it wasn't populated by such vivid characters. I loved all of the protagonists in this story. They felt real. Sure, they had their quirks and their moments of weakness, but they always felt like people. I couldn't help but feel Quill's pain and confusion when his best friend dies in front of him after committing a crime that was completely out of character for him. I rooted for Amadea the more I discovered the depth of horror her childhood has been. Seriously, how did she manage to piece herself together and remain a functional human being after everything she'd been subjected to? I loved all the specialists in the archives and was truly worried about them when their affinities seemed to overwhelm them.
Speaking of the Archives, what a wonderful concept! A central repository of all the knowledge those fleeing nations brought to Semilla when they arrived ahead of a horde of changellings. Where all scrolls, works of art, religious text and everything else is perfectly preserved for future generations.
The magical system is also rather unique. I would like to learn more about it in future books. Especially what differentiates a specialist from a sorcerer, and is that what Yinnii is now? How would that affect the rest of her life?
My only complaint about this book is that the budding love stories feel forced. I mean, there is way too much blushing and stuttering during conversations. I would understand that from teenagers like Quill and Yinnii, but Amadea is in her thirties, so why does she behave like a hormonal teenager who never had a crush? That read so false that it took me out of the story.
Other then that small complaint though, I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to explore this world more in the next installments. There are still a lot of questions left unanswered, after all. Like is the world behind the Salt Wall really as desolate as we are lead to believe? What really happened with the changellings? What was the Usurper's endgame and why did he need Amadea for it? I'm definitely picking up the next book.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I must admit that I liked book 1 better than the continuation. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid book, and it packs an emotionaStars: 3 out of 5.
I must admit that I liked book 1 better than the continuation. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid book, and it packs an emotional punch in the end, but it was just not as entertaining as the first book. I think it might be suffering from the dreaded middle book in a trilogy curse.
But all jokes aside, I think I would have liked this book better if I hadn't been so irritated by the main character for about 80% of the story. This is how long it takes Raine to pull her head out of her ass, and by the time she does it, it's too late to change anything and to save a lot of people. Raine spends most of this book in a spiral of self-loathing and self-destruction. She hates what she is becoming, but can't help using the forbidden Sixth gate anyway. So she goes on a bender including drugs, alcohol, and mindless sex.
And even that would have been okay, though reading about it got old fast to be honest. The issue is that she lashes out against everyone who tries to get close to her, especially people who love her the most. She is truly horrible to everyone around her. I'm honestly surprised that she still has friends left by the end of the book. And yes, I understand why this is happening. I even understand her actions and her reaction, but that doesn't make it for a fun read. For most of the book, I wanted to smack some sense into her and tell her to quit the self-pity party.
The other issue I have with this book is that the middle section drags a bit with nothing much happening while the dominos are set in place. We start with such an explosive event that has Raine and her friends fleeing for their lives, but then they get back to Redwinter and... We get more studying, and practice combat, and Raine going to bars and gambling dens with Castus, and people (maybe) plotting something. As I said, there are a lot of words, but minimal action. It took me a while get through that part of the book. I even had to put it down and walk away for a couple weeks.
The last portion of the book kicks things in to overdrive though. Different plotlines collide with devastating results, and the true traitor of Redwinter is revealed. The ending was heartbreaking, and too many good people perished in the battle.
I will absolutely check out the third book when it comes out, because I need to know that bOvitus gets what he deserves, and with extreme prejudice.
PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This is such a fast-moving little story that serves as a great introduction to the series. Since I am planning on reading the other bStars: 5 out of 5
This is such a fast-moving little story that serves as a great introduction to the series. Since I am planning on reading the other books next year as part of cleaning my TBR shelf challenge, I figured this was a good entry point.
Loved Seraphina and the introduction to her world. We don't get many worldbuilding details since this story is only 17 pages long, but I loved the author's voice and the characters are intriguing. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series....more
The Portal Keeper by Lavie Tidhar: Stars: 5 out of 5. What an absolute delight of a short story. This gave me both Alice in Wonderland and A Night in The Portal Keeper by Lavie Tidhar: Stars: 5 out of 5. What an absolute delight of a short story. This gave me both Alice in Wonderland and A Night in Lonesome October vibes. It's short, sweet, and poignant at the same time. A must read.
Girl, Cat, Wolf, Moon by Rati Mehrotra: Stars: 4 out of 5. This was chilling and scary at times, but full of wonder like those Anderson fairy tales before Disney adaptations made them sanitized and safe. Miracles always have a price, after all. Wonders can be both good and bad. And in the end only you can save yourself....more
This book started so strong. The first chapter was intense and full of danger and tension... Unfortunately the rest of the book that I managDNF at 48%
This book started so strong. The first chapter was intense and full of danger and tension... Unfortunately the rest of the book that I managed to wade through before I gave up wasn't as good.
We start with a vicious attack and a young boy who lost everything in the space of a day, almost died, and discovered that he can rewind time. So he flees the city and vows to master his time-shifting gift enough to come back and save his family. Wonderful premise for what could have been a great story.
But that potential is wasted, because absolutely nothing happens for the next half of the book. Leones gets to the philosophers... and the story comes to a grinding halt. We have pages upon pages of Leones training with weapons, or drinking and gambling in an opium den, or just brooding around. He does nothing productive. He doesn't even explore the city he ended up with beyond the philosopher's gardens and the gambling dens. He doesn't try to find out what happened in the city he fled. He only uses his time rewinding ability when it's convenient for him. And he mops around and he feels sorry for himself. It's boring.
I think I wouldn't have been as boring if this part of the book was populated with interesting characters, but Leones is so self-absorbed that he barely pays attention to anyone besides himself, and only if those people can serve him in some shape or form. As a result, the other apprentices are barely described. I don't know anything about them beyond their names and physical appearance. And because Leones never bothers to ask, I don't know anything about their pasts or their aspirations. Heck, I don't even know what most of them do outside of the philosophers' gardens. As a result, they seem more like cardboard cutouts then real people that I should care about.
Even when Leones's maybe girlfriend is assassinated, which should be a big traumatic discovery for him, my reaction was very lackluster. Probably because Leones didn't particularly grieve for her either.
Speaking of which, Leones as a character didn't work for me at all. He is depicted as being completely detached from his feelings. He is either a sociopath, or so traumatized by what happened in chapter 1 that he can't allow himself to feel anything for anyone. If it's the later, it's not made clear enough in the book, so he comes across as self-absorbed, selfish, and unfeeling. Not a character I want to spend a whole book with.
By the time the action finally picked up in the book, and things were finally starting to happen, I realized that I simply wasn't interested enough to continue. I mean one of the characters seemed to have been erased from existence, but I couldn't' are less. So I decided to call it quits, because I didn't care how this story ended enough to invest any more time into it.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this book was a big disappointment, to tell you the truth. I love fairy tales. I love modern retellings of said fairy tales,Stars: 1.5 out of 5.
Well, this book was a big disappointment, to tell you the truth. I love fairy tales. I love modern retellings of said fairy tales, if they are well done. And that's a big IF. Especially when it comes to retellings of Slavic tales, because they are near and dear to my heart. I grew up with them.
Unfortunately, we don't really have a retelling here of anything. Honestly, if you had switched the Russian names of the main characters to typical English names, the story wouldn't have changed much at all. Peppering the story with typical Russian or Ukrainian dishes or things doesn't build an exotic atmosphere, like the author probably intended. It just served to irritate me.
The biggest problem with this book though is that it has no soul. Sure, the author can write pretty sentences, but that isn't enough to make a good story. The characters feel flat and one-dimensional. Even Valentina, our protagonist whom we spend most of the book with, is extremely boring. I don't know what makes her tick. I don't know what her dreams and fears are. The author tells us she wants to kill the Headmaster of the Bleak Academy because he took something from her, but what he took is described so vaguely, that I still don't understand what the big deal is. So you are made of blood and bones, and you can hear your heart beat. Big deal.
Same goes for the story of her falling in love... with a man she never spoke to, just saw in passing and heard play the piano. Sure, the author tells us that, but there is not a shred of feeling of it in the actual story. There is no feeling in the story at all, to tell you the truth. It's all very dry and soulless, if prettily written.
My other problem is that this world makes no sense. The author mentions that this was the land of eternal darkness until Valentina brought the sun to it and created the separation between night and day. Okay, I can get on board with that, but explain to me how this works? How do people grow crops in darkness? How do they survive without night and day? How do they travel about? Where do they get all the resources necessary to light their town? How do animals and trees survive there?
See, real fairy tales always have an inner logic and a rigid set of rules, no matter how fantastical those rules seem compared to our world. And characters, monsters, and even natural events follow those rules. In this book though, the rules are never explained, so the reasons behind why some things happen are very nebulous and often make no sense. If I can't make sense of that's happening, I won't be invested in the story.
To summarize, don't bother with this book if you like fairy tale retellings. There are much better books out there. Like Greymist Fair, for example.
PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stars: 2 out of 5. (Adding an extra star foe the gorgeous cover.
DNF at 25%.
This book needed a serious content editor to fix the numerous plot holes anStars: 2 out of 5. (Adding an extra star foe the gorgeous cover.
DNF at 25%.
This book needed a serious content editor to fix the numerous plot holes and continuity problems
But that's not even the biggest issue here. The problem is that the story is boring. The characters are skin-deep only. I never got to bond with them, or really understand their motivations. Also, their actions are so stupid at times that the only way they survive is by having plot armor.
The world... isn't explained at all in any sort of detail that would make sense. Who are these New Prophets? Why is magic frown upon, yet seems like a bunch of people can do it? What are the rules around this magic? No clue.
Also, this was a little bit too YA for me. I will not be continuing with this series.
PS: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review....more
What I like about Garth Nix's books is that he always creates memorable worlds. Worlds that I wouldn't mind exploring further. The same can be said abWhat I like about Garth Nix's books is that he always creates memorable worlds. Worlds that I wouldn't mind exploring further. The same can be said about this short story. I hope we get more stories set up in this particular world....more
I'm sorry to say this, but I couldn't get into this book at all, no matter how much I tried.
The characters aren't distinct or likable enougDNF at 25%.
I'm sorry to say this, but I couldn't get into this book at all, no matter how much I tried.
The characters aren't distinct or likable enough, and their motivations are not shown enough to me to care or get invested.
I mean, seriously, what does Savanta want? The author says that she misses her daughter, but we are never shown that. You could have shown us a scene of her sneaking over to her village at night to spy on her family at night, longing to talk to them, but unable to show them the monster she became... or working towards a way of restoring her humanity. I would have been invested in that. As it stands, I couldn't care less for her.
As for Threon, plot armor is strong with this one. The amount of stupid stuff he does is phenomenal. He should be dead 10 times over. The fact that he isn't, and doesn't seem to learn either, doesn't make him particularly endearing.
Add to that the fact that the world building is sketchy at best, and the story unfolds Ata glacial pace after a very strong opening chapter, and this is not a book I feel like sticking around for.
PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was one dark tale. I don't know if I should categorize it as a fairy tale or a gothic tale or just historical fantasy, but thaStars: 4 out of 5.
This was one dark tale. I don't know if I should categorize it as a fairy tale or a gothic tale or just historical fantasy, but that doesn't particularly matter, does it? It's a good book.
The world is reminiscent of Victorian England, only with traces of magic still around, and magical creatures still lurking in the shadows of everyday life (though who is to say that is not the case in our world as well?).
Asher Todd arrives at a remote manor in a remote village to assume the role of governess for the three grandchildren of the lady of the manor. Only Asher Todd is not who she seems, and her reasons for arriving here are not altruistic. She has two goals at Morwood Grange - one requested from her by the person who sent her there, and another one very personal. As customary for any gothic tale, things won't go well for anyone.
I liked Asher Todd, and I really rooted for her to accomplish her goals and win... until I slowly discovered what those goals were and who she was doing all this for. Then I rooted for her to finally break free of her past and the unhealthy hold her mother has on her. Because Asher never lived for herself a day in her life. Her mother made sure every breath she took was full of guilt and sense of duty. I'm glad that Asher managed to tear herself free of Morwood in the end.
The other inhabitants of Morwood Grange are rather depictable human beings. I was happy that they got their just desserts in the end. That whole house was like a big jar full of poisonous spiders ready to sting each other to death. The only innocents there were the children, so I'm glad they were spared.
I liked how the author introduced the world and slowly wove details from Asher's past into the unfolding story of Morwood Grange. And even though the book dragged a little in the dreaded middle, it still managed to keep me invested in Asher's quest. I will definitely check out other books by this author.
PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I like more substance in my fantasy stories than just a D&D campaign. What I got instead was stilted dialog, stereotypical characters with nDNF at 35%
I like more substance in my fantasy stories than just a D&D campaign. What I got instead was stilted dialog, stereotypical characters with no spark, and not a very exciting story.
Honestly, I'd rather play a D&D campaign than read it....more
Loading...
