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middleburybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this author’s storytelling style. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrators.
femaletitan_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hollyblack56's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Highly recommend this book!
It is a wonderfully written book set in a world that took me a couple of chapters to understand but developed into something magical and fascinating.
Glossary and maps are very useful to accompany you in your read! It was a welcomed refreshment from the overly western looking worlds that fantasy books tend to be set in. But then that might be my biased from the reads I've accrued... This book is definitely welcoming me into arabic folkore and imagery and I am all for it.
Characters and plot both sustain the test of logic which I am grateful for. Character personalities and complexities are interesting and really nicely woven into the plot. A coupl of characters felt maybe more surface level and functional than actual ones I would carry in my mind beyond the book end but thats ok. I enjoyed how a character like Yasmin who appears only in a handful of chapters is actually peppered throughout the book as Zafira thinks of her often and imagines her reaction to her adventrues, so we get second hand Yasmin personality which I enjoy. Characters often had a rich life before main plot begins and it is only fair that they call back to that life during their new turmoils.
Plot twists are clever and once again, they make sense! They aren't there just for show wotha convolutated explaination.
Death scene(s?) are gut ranching.
The romance is also sweet and incredibly slow burn (but there is a reason for it, the author isn't just dragging it along to our benefit).
Have I said it's beautifully written? because it really is.
Looking forward to book 2. I have come to believe the best stories are 2 books long. its complexe enough to built strong characters and an interesting world. But they don't allow for enough twists and turns and non sensical betrayals to make my eyes roll because the author is on book 4 and is running out of steam and deviating really far from what I originally enjoyed about the story.
Examples of excellent duologies
A dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Radiance by Grace Draven
A river enchanted by Rebecca Ross
It is a wonderfully written book set in a world that took me a couple of chapters to understand but developed into something magical and fascinating.
Glossary and maps are very useful to accompany you in your read! It was a welcomed refreshment from the overly western looking worlds that fantasy books tend to be set in. But then that might be my biased from the reads I've accrued... This book is definitely welcoming me into arabic folkore and imagery and I am all for it.
Characters and plot both sustain the test of logic which I am grateful for. Character personalities and complexities are interesting and really nicely woven into the plot. A coupl of characters felt maybe more surface level and functional than actual ones I would carry in my mind beyond the book end but thats ok. I enjoyed how a character like Yasmin who appears only in a handful of chapters is actually peppered throughout the book as Zafira thinks of her often and imagines her reaction to her adventrues, so we get second hand Yasmin personality which I enjoy. Characters often had a rich life before main plot begins and it is only fair that they call back to that life during their new turmoils.
Plot twists are clever and once again, they make sense! They aren't there just for show wotha convolutated explaination.
The romance is also sweet and incredibly slow burn (but there is a reason for it, the author isn't just dragging it along to our benefit).
Have I said it's beautifully written? because it really is.
Looking forward to book 2. I have come to believe the best stories are 2 books long. its complexe enough to built strong characters and an interesting world. But they don't allow for enough twists and turns and non sensical betrayals to make my eyes roll because the author is on book 4 and is running out of steam and deviating really far from what I originally enjoyed about the story.
Examples of excellent duologies
A dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Radiance by Grace Draven
A river enchanted by Rebecca Ross
sunnysideup1's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
emmareads__'s review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
pm22's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
shalice21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mah_jayjay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
edithvain's review against another edition
2.0
It was okay. It didn't really catch me like I expected. The little banter between the characters were good, but I found some typos. Unsure if that's on purpose or not It just threw me off. Overall a good book, but Tiktok hyped it up too much and it didn't live up to the expectation.