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starr27's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Misogyny, War, Colonisation, Self harm, and Sexism
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Animal death, and Vomit
catbag's review against another edition
3.0
Girls of Storm and Shadow ✵ Natasha Ngan
“Though I cheer along with the rest of the group, the words feel clumsy on my lips, and I can’t help but be reminded of another ruler who once spoke some very similar words, not too long before I drove a knife into his throat.”
Girls of Storm and Shadow was a solid three star read for me.
While there were a lot of things I disliked about this book, I’ll start with what I enjoyed.
Firstly, every single action scene was entertaining, had good pacing, and had noticeably high stakes, as Ngan wasn’t afraid to kill and/or injure her characters. These scenes were where her writing style was given a chance to shine and shine it did. Her dramatic flair worked wonderfully and sentences like “time takes on a staccato effect” had me thrown back into my chair in awe.
The ending was another case of an action scene that flowed into something wonderful and shocking and the small details Ngan peppered throughout the last twist had me shook.
I loved the way this book transitioned from and built off of the ideas in Girls of Paper and Fire. In the first book of the series, we find out about the horrors of the king and easily determine that his rule should end. In this book, the decisions aren’t that easy. The king is still a psychopath and sidenote, watching his moods swing wildly was intensely fascinating. We are also introduced to another potential leader in Girls of Storm and Shadow; one who also had noticeable and major flaws. The question of who deserves to lead was asked throughout the book, and each time, it became more difficult for Lei and the other characters to answer. Their choices only seemed to be between two leaders equally okay with committing atrocities in the name of victory. Lei had to wrestle with whether or not she could accept a Paper leader she didn’t entirely stand behind while also grappling with the loyalties of her heart. This entire plot line was very well done and was a fantastic idea to put in a sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire.
“Another pointless, ruinous war. And at the end of it, Ikhara will be even more fractured and dying than before, and we’ll have a new dictator lording it over everyone - only this time, a [different] caste one.”
The final thing I enjoyed had to do with Lei herself. In this book, she’s moved on quite a bit from where she was at the beginning of Girls of Paper and Fire. She finally decided to learn how to fight, and watching her be able to stand on her own rather than cower in fear was a refreshing and very welcome change. She was finally able to back up her claims of being a strong Paper girl by fighting for herself. I also enjoyed watching the ramifications of what happened to her in the first book manifest in the form of addiction. She used alcohol to cope, which was again, a great concept for a sequel, but unfortunately I don’t think it was a very good representation of how addiction actually works. Whenever alcohol isn’t present in the scene, Lei spares no thought for it and has no symptoms of craving. For most people, addiction is a constant struggle, and for Lei, it only popped up in certain scenes where alcohol was present and the narrative could be shifted to accommodate this problem.
Now, more into what I disliked. As a sequel to a book that didn’t have much going for it aside from a unique concept, it somehow fell even shorter in execution.
My biggest issue with Girls of Storm and Shadow was Lei’s relationship with Wren. As a whole, it felt hollow and cringey. Every scene where they were alone made me irritated or uncomfortable. Lei constantly pushed Wren to be vulnerable, even in very bad times to be emotional like when they were on a mission and it was extremely important for Wren to have her shit together. In these heart-to-hearts, Wren would confess that she wasn’t a great person and Lei would tell her to stop saying things like that because she had a good heart or something. Then, Wren would actually do one of these bad things and Lei would lose her shit and be mad at Wren forever. It was super annoying and I was just rooting for them to break up for the entire book.
I began to realize in this book that their entire relationship was because they met and fell in love purely because of circumstance; not because they had anything in common in any way. In Girls of Storm and Shadow, they’re constantly at odds in regards to ideology, loyalty, and pretty much everything else. It may not be a toxic relationship but it certainly wasn’t a good one and it caused me to actively root against the main character. Overall a big yikes.
This leads into another problem that just made me hate Lei: because everything was written from first person, any problems in the writing itself led to me faulting Lei. This manifested in three ways: repetition of an annoying habit, strange phrasing, and anachronisms/non-fantasy words. Firstly, every time Lei was in a new pace, she got unsettled said she preferred the last. It happened literally every time and it pulled me way out of the story. Secondly, sentences like, “If you didn’t know her the way I do, you’d think she was her usual calm, confident self” sounded so juvenile it made me roll my eyes at a character that’s supposedly nearing the end of her teenage years. And finally, the most irritating thing, the anachronisms like the abbreviation ‘B.O,’ the use of words and phrases like fanmail, erectile dysfunction, and ‘stealth mode, activated.’ They in no way fit the tone or lore of a fantasy book and thus negatively impacted my experience as a reader.
All in all, I’d say that Girls of Storm and Shadow is an appropriate sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire but that the series itself is lacking depth. It has no problem making jokes or fun action scenes, but beyond that, the writing, romance, and plot lines are all very basic. That doesn’t make it less fun, though, so I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
I received this book as an ARC at Bookcon.
“Though I cheer along with the rest of the group, the words feel clumsy on my lips, and I can’t help but be reminded of another ruler who once spoke some very similar words, not too long before I drove a knife into his throat.”
Girls of Storm and Shadow was a solid three star read for me.
While there were a lot of things I disliked about this book, I’ll start with what I enjoyed.
Firstly, every single action scene was entertaining, had good pacing, and had noticeably high stakes, as Ngan wasn’t afraid to kill and/or injure her characters. These scenes were where her writing style was given a chance to shine and shine it did. Her dramatic flair worked wonderfully and sentences like “time takes on a staccato effect” had me thrown back into my chair in awe.
The ending was another case of an action scene that flowed into something wonderful and shocking and the small details Ngan peppered throughout the last twist had me shook.
I loved the way this book transitioned from and built off of the ideas in Girls of Paper and Fire. In the first book of the series, we find out about the horrors of the king and easily determine that his rule should end. In this book, the decisions aren’t that easy. The king is still a psychopath and sidenote, watching his moods swing wildly was intensely fascinating. We are also introduced to another potential leader in Girls of Storm and Shadow; one who also had noticeable and major flaws. The question of who deserves to lead was asked throughout the book, and each time, it became more difficult for Lei and the other characters to answer. Their choices only seemed to be between two leaders equally okay with committing atrocities in the name of victory. Lei had to wrestle with whether or not she could accept a Paper leader she didn’t entirely stand behind while also grappling with the loyalties of her heart. This entire plot line was very well done and was a fantastic idea to put in a sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire.
“Another pointless, ruinous war. And at the end of it, Ikhara will be even more fractured and dying than before, and we’ll have a new dictator lording it over everyone - only this time, a [different] caste one.”
The final thing I enjoyed had to do with Lei herself. In this book, she’s moved on quite a bit from where she was at the beginning of Girls of Paper and Fire. She finally decided to learn how to fight, and watching her be able to stand on her own rather than cower in fear was a refreshing and very welcome change. She was finally able to back up her claims of being a strong Paper girl by fighting for herself. I also enjoyed watching the ramifications of what happened to her in the first book manifest in the form of addiction. She used alcohol to cope, which was again, a great concept for a sequel, but unfortunately I don’t think it was a very good representation of how addiction actually works. Whenever alcohol isn’t present in the scene, Lei spares no thought for it and has no symptoms of craving. For most people, addiction is a constant struggle, and for Lei, it only popped up in certain scenes where alcohol was present and the narrative could be shifted to accommodate this problem.
Now, more into what I disliked. As a sequel to a book that didn’t have much going for it aside from a unique concept, it somehow fell even shorter in execution.
My biggest issue with Girls of Storm and Shadow was Lei’s relationship with Wren. As a whole, it felt hollow and cringey. Every scene where they were alone made me irritated or uncomfortable. Lei constantly pushed Wren to be vulnerable, even in very bad times to be emotional like when they were on a mission and it was extremely important for Wren to have her shit together. In these heart-to-hearts, Wren would confess that she wasn’t a great person and Lei would tell her to stop saying things like that because she had a good heart or something. Then, Wren would actually do one of these bad things and Lei would lose her shit and be mad at Wren forever. It was super annoying and I was just rooting for them to break up for the entire book.
I began to realize in this book that their entire relationship was because they met and fell in love purely because of circumstance; not because they had anything in common in any way. In Girls of Storm and Shadow, they’re constantly at odds in regards to ideology, loyalty, and pretty much everything else. It may not be a toxic relationship but it certainly wasn’t a good one and it caused me to actively root against the main character. Overall a big yikes.
This leads into another problem that just made me hate Lei: because everything was written from first person, any problems in the writing itself led to me faulting Lei. This manifested in three ways: repetition of an annoying habit, strange phrasing, and anachronisms/non-fantasy words. Firstly, every time Lei was in a new pace, she got unsettled said she preferred the last. It happened literally every time and it pulled me way out of the story. Secondly, sentences like, “If you didn’t know her the way I do, you’d think she was her usual calm, confident self” sounded so juvenile it made me roll my eyes at a character that’s supposedly nearing the end of her teenage years. And finally, the most irritating thing, the anachronisms like the abbreviation ‘B.O,’ the use of words and phrases like fanmail, erectile dysfunction, and ‘stealth mode, activated.’ They in no way fit the tone or lore of a fantasy book and thus negatively impacted my experience as a reader.
All in all, I’d say that Girls of Storm and Shadow is an appropriate sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire but that the series itself is lacking depth. It has no problem making jokes or fun action scenes, but beyond that, the writing, romance, and plot lines are all very basic. That doesn’t make it less fun, though, so I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
I received this book as an ARC at Bookcon.
chloejen's review against another edition
5.0
Original: [4.5⭐️]
WDYM I HAVE TO WAIT TIL FEBRUARY FOR BOOK 3
11/9: HELLO. This rating is flat out wrong. I think I felt obliged to dock half a star because I thought the action scenes could be slightly hard to follow but SCREW MY NORMAL STAR SYSTEM THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL I HAVEN'T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT THIS BOOK FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS. I SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK EVERY DAY. I liked this book more than the first. Also, correction- I have to wait til JULY for book 3. I'm not bitter. Nope. Not at all.
3/22: THE RELEASE DATE IS NOVEMBER NOW. HELP.
WDYM I HAVE TO WAIT TIL FEBRUARY FOR BOOK 3
11/9: HELLO. This rating is flat out wrong. I think I felt obliged to dock half a star because I thought the action scenes could be slightly hard to follow but SCREW MY NORMAL STAR SYSTEM THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL I HAVEN'T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT THIS BOOK FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS. I SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK EVERY DAY. I liked this book more than the first. Also, correction- I have to wait til JULY for book 3. I'm not bitter. Nope. Not at all.
3/22: THE RELEASE DATE IS NOVEMBER NOW. HELP.
cconant265's review against another edition
5.0
A fabulous continuation to the Girls of Paper and Fire. Ngan tackles more very heavy topics in a well crafted and sensitive manner, using the characters in the book to connect with survivors of trauma. The twists and turns were unexpected but easy to follow, keeping me engaged through every minute.
aandrus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.0
tearsofchaos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
amarch88's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book!
eliza_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
evl204's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
themoonchild's review against another edition
5.0
Im loving this series.
Its getting better and better cant wait to read the next one
Its getting better and better cant wait to read the next one