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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did enjoy reading this and it's not my first Alisson Safts book, so I'm used to her structure by now.
For me these types of fantasy books are mostly just entertainment. They are enjoyable and I read this during a day long train journey. Nonetheless, I have to agree with a lot of reviews about the ending.
It felt strangely lackluster. Kind of like a fanfiction ending the author hastily slaps on because they never imagined their story coming to an end. The political implications of it all are quite messed up and while I enjoy the flaws of the characters and them making strange decisions, it ultimately fell flat for me.
Once again, it was an enjoyable read for me. All of the authors books have been so far and I will continue reading them. The author stated in the afterword herself how much of a struggle writing this was, so I will give her some grace there, but it makes me uncomfortable how politically lackluster the last pages ended up being.
For me these types of fantasy books are mostly just entertainment. They are enjoyable and I read this during a day long train journey. Nonetheless, I have to agree with a lot of reviews about the ending.
It felt strangely lackluster. Kind of like a fanfiction ending the author hastily slaps on because they never imagined their story coming to an end. The political implications of it all are quite messed up and while I enjoy the flaws of the characters and them making strange decisions, it ultimately fell flat for me.
Once again, it was an enjoyable read for me. All of the authors books have been so far and I will continue reading them. The author stated in the afterword herself how much of a struggle writing this was, so I will give her some grace there, but it makes me uncomfortable how politically lackluster the last pages ended up being.
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
This was well written and overall a decent book. I wasn't invested in the characters and it could have been a bit longer at the end to flesh out their relationships. My inability to connect with the characters (and the choices they made) is one of the reasons it took me a WHILE to get through it. Maybe I'm not in the headspace to read a book like this while in a reading slump but I can still appreciate how well-written it was. I liked Loralie despite how pessimistic she is (a consequence of being systematically oppressed) and especially how we get to know Sylvia through her. However, the ending was not what I expected and I was disappointed (honestly I would have sided with the "villains"). While I'm not sure if I will reach for this book again anytime soon I do know it was a well-written book that I might have read at the wrong time.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
No amount of whimsy in this book could absolve the glaring problem that was the horrific political implications presented here.
I guess I'll start on what I liked about this first. The sapphic relationship was honestly really cute. I loved their banter, and them being complete opposites of each other just makes it even better. The mystery element for the most part of the story was also quite intriguing (until we got to the motive part) because it kept me invested in it, wondering who the killer was and why they murdered Ziegler. I also enjoyed the folktale inserts in between expositions because it was something like a creative way of giving background to things.
But moving on to what I had an issue with, and what makes it worse is that it's the whole backdrop for the story, I didn't like the political context and motivations of the characters. It just seemed very off-putting that the kingdom that violently unified other regions is what got what it wanted in the end. I know that Sylvia just wants to preserve the peace, and it's valid for her character to feel that way especially after the trauma of experiencing war. But painting the colonizer kingdom of Brunnestaad as the lesser evil felt wrong. Maybe it's just to make the characters more complex, but I thought that Adelheid was way more compelling if that was the case. Because she wanted to rebel against the kingdom, and rightfully so, because her people were going to be mistreated and her culture to be erased. But she wasn't a perfect person as well because of the way she viewed the Yeva as pawns in her political play. But, yes, aside from this, I quite enjoyed the book.
I guess I'll start on what I liked about this first. The sapphic relationship was honestly really cute. I loved their banter, and them being complete opposites of each other just makes it even better. The mystery element for the most part of the story was also quite intriguing (until we got to the motive part) because it kept me invested in it, wondering who the killer was and why they murdered Ziegler. I also enjoyed the folktale inserts in between expositions because it was something like a creative way of giving background to things.
But moving on to what I had an issue with, and what makes it worse is that it's the whole backdrop for the story, I didn't like the political context and motivations of the characters. It just seemed very off-putting that the kingdom that violently unified other regions is what got what it wanted in the end. I know that Sylvia just wants to preserve the peace, and it's valid for her character to feel that way especially after the trauma of experiencing war. But painting the colonizer kingdom of Brunnestaad as the lesser evil felt wrong. Maybe it's just to make the characters more complex, but I thought that Adelheid was way more compelling if that was the case. Because she wanted to rebel against the kingdom, and rightfully so, because her people were going to be mistreated and her culture to be erased. But she wasn't a perfect person as well because of the way she viewed the Yeva as pawns in her political play. But, yes, aside from this, I quite enjoyed the book.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Saft is a prolific author. Reading this book felt like getting caught up in a weaver’s tapestry. Each page is precise but whimsical, purposeful and poignant but enchanting. I could clearly see the world being spun around me but Saft left just a little room for my imagination to soar within the confines of her world. I did not get lost in some fantastical place. Instead, it felt like I was invited into Saft’s world. Each character is flawed, but readers, like friends, are shown beauty within the evil of human nature. We feel the pain of nature, in its glory and horror, as man challenges it. To say this book is complex would be too simple, but I’m left in awe and so I can’t really figure out the depths of my own feelings.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I feel like I should have had this sentiment after reading A Far Wilder Magic, and maybe I did because it was my favorite book for a long time after that. Allison Saft, you are my new favorite author. I can’t believe I forgot I was waiting for this book’s release, and MISSED said release. I have no one to talk to about this.
This was so mesmerizing I literally had to force myself to stop reading so I could go to school, and that’s not even an exaggeration. Her writing is as magical as the stories she crafts. Like this was genuinely so beautiful? It also reminded me of one of my other favorite novels, Gideon the Ninth. Just a lil bit.
New favorite unlocked…woah?
This was so mesmerizing I literally had to force myself to stop reading so I could go to school, and that’s not even an exaggeration. Her writing is as magical as the stories she crafts. Like this was genuinely so beautiful? It also reminded me of one of my other favorite novels, Gideon the Ninth. Just a lil bit.
New favorite unlocked…woah?