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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
very cute, though their romance felt kind of abrupt
i wanted to love this SO BAD. but alas, i am here: thoroughly disappointed. the only praise i can offer is that alison saft has a beautiful handle on prose, rendering such a lush, rich atmosphere. also, the folklore elements were interesting as well. however, the plot, character development (or the lack thereof), the romance, the world building, and most of all: how colonization was glorified throughout the novel.
why is the villain of this story is the only person who does not believe in colonization? why does lorelei, who has first and second hand accounts of hate crimes and discrimination against the yevani, now work for the very son of the man who put her people in such a position (and reinforces such)? why does sylvia, even though her kingdom is under threat to be colonized, side with the colonizer and not her people?
i am not a writer by any means, but when i was under the impression that lorelei and sylvia were going to go against the king at some point during the novel-- especially since, at first, the story was heading towards very anti-colonist themes. but when they did not, i was truly perplexed, frustrated, horrified. ugh.
back when i thought i should go back to fantasy, this hits me in the head. maybe its a sign.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I rated this 5 stars at first, and then I realized I felt this book was rushed near the end, I wanted to learn more about the politics and how these characters moved in the world. Kinda sad she became a kings aid. But the romance was fun :D
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s amazing, definitely a must read if you like fantasy, folklore and sapphic love stories. I’d heard it “supported colonialism” but I don’t agree with that, I think the ending is more complicated than people are giving it credit for. I would have liked a more descriptive writing when it came to certain scenes and cultural aspects though.