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imaniodom's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Where the Rain Cannot Reach, is an inspired debut novel! This story explores the themes of belonging, loneliness, and identity. I enjoyed the world-building, and I adored Brown's vision. Initially, I struggled with the writing style, but that isn't a bad thing, it just took some time to get used to. Overall, I think that the novel was great and I can't wait to see what Brown produces in the future.
ginggercakes's review against another edition
the evils Humanity committed were certainly more than mere mistakes.
I felt that we received a lot of convoluted information in the beginning but it was either ill-paced or haphazardly strung together. The story itself had merit and I was very interested in it, but the way it was presented just did not vibe well with me. There was a lot of repetition and some of the sentence structure felt bland. The way this story was told didn't allow me to feel apart of the tale - I felt very much kept at a distance from the characters and the plotline, not unlike our main character. It very much felt like I was being told about the story instead of being part of the story which made it difficult for me to really get into it.
”It is in the refusal to defend others that one loses their ability to defend themself”
Our MC is young but I found that with them constantly being kept in the dark, they weren’t able to have strong character growth, I was confused that even during important scenes, characters refused to “let them in on it”. As for the other characters, I liked them well enough but once again I wanted more; to me they felt bland, very one dimensional. In fantasy, especially in “whole new worlds” I really need the characters to feel real, to be able to fully understand their emotions in a world so different than reality.
Much of her life had been crowded by noise - noise meant to hide the silence beneath the surface.”
Author clearly has the ability to write poetic verse and give the story depth but there just isn’t enough to paint a full picture. And with a story such as this - a story that clearly has a strong premise, what we are given just isn’t enough. Every time I saw this ability I craved it in the rest of the story but it poked through at random parts like sunlight through clouds. It wasn’t consistent, which was disappointing.
I did enjoy the complexities of the different communities and realms, I also could appreciate the need and feelings of wanting to belong to something but feeling other. Once our MC started on their adventure you could see the story start to come together but at 70% of the way through the book, thats a little long to wait for things to start feeling more seemless. I really think that author has the ability to create a great story but the set up of this one made it fall short for me.
I felt that we received a lot of convoluted information in the beginning but it was either ill-paced or haphazardly strung together. The story itself had merit and I was very interested in it, but the way it was presented just did not vibe well with me. There was a lot of repetition and some of the sentence structure felt bland. The way this story was told didn't allow me to feel apart of the tale - I felt very much kept at a distance from the characters and the plotline, not unlike our main character. It very much felt like I was being told about the story instead of being part of the story which made it difficult for me to really get into it.
”It is in the refusal to defend others that one loses their ability to defend themself”
Our MC is young but I found that with them constantly being kept in the dark, they weren’t able to have strong character growth, I was confused that even during important scenes, characters refused to “let them in on it”. As for the other characters, I liked them well enough but once again I wanted more; to me they felt bland, very one dimensional. In fantasy, especially in “whole new worlds” I really need the characters to feel real, to be able to fully understand their emotions in a world so different than reality.
Much of her life had been crowded by noise - noise meant to hide the silence beneath the surface.”
Author clearly has the ability to write poetic verse and give the story depth but there just isn’t enough to paint a full picture. And with a story such as this - a story that clearly has a strong premise, what we are given just isn’t enough. Every time I saw this ability I craved it in the rest of the story but it poked through at random parts like sunlight through clouds. It wasn’t consistent, which was disappointing.
I did enjoy the complexities of the different communities and realms, I also could appreciate the need and feelings of wanting to belong to something but feeling other. Once our MC started on their adventure you could see the story start to come together but at 70% of the way through the book, thats a little long to wait for things to start feeling more seemless. I really think that author has the ability to create a great story but the set up of this one made it fall short for me.
ashleysmilne's review against another edition
3.0
i received an ARC of this!
when i read the acknowledgments and saw the author was under 20 lots of things about it clicked in for me - attempts lots of things but doesn’t necessarily pull them all off? but has an energy and a potential to it. interesting?
when i read the acknowledgments and saw the author was under 20 lots of things about it clicked in for me - attempts lots of things but doesn’t necessarily pull them all off? but has an energy and a potential to it. interesting?
reads_must's review
3.5
Where the Rain Cannot Reach
Doman's Despair #1
Scfi-fi & Fantasy
Adesina Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The start of the book was a little too slow for me. It made it hard for me to become completely engaged from the beginning. The pacing did improve but it did feel a little inconsistent.
The world building was ok. It was more detailed in some areas than others. I liked that this wasn't the typical humans vs the fae/other mythical creatures where the humans are the victims and being oppressed. In this book, the humans are just as dangerous and responsible for horrible things happening too.
The characters were ok. I didn't connect to any of them in particular but that may be because it didn't feel like there was much character growth.
I think this book has a lot of potential. While it isn't 100% for me, I can see that other people might enjoy it.
*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*
Doman's Despair #1
Scfi-fi & Fantasy
Adesina Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The start of the book was a little too slow for me. It made it hard for me to become completely engaged from the beginning. The pacing did improve but it did feel a little inconsistent.
The world building was ok. It was more detailed in some areas than others. I liked that this wasn't the typical humans vs the fae/other mythical creatures where the humans are the victims and being oppressed. In this book, the humans are just as dangerous and responsible for horrible things happening too.
The characters were ok. I didn't connect to any of them in particular but that may be because it didn't feel like there was much character growth.
I think this book has a lot of potential. While it isn't 100% for me, I can see that other people might enjoy it.
*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*
burruitcha's review
adventurous
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
4.5
enchanted_reads26's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.25
I love the amazing imagery at the beginning of the book. It sets the mood for the rest of the story in my opinion. A slow start up, but a very interesting and greatly told story. I enjoyed this read.
sarahloving's review
adventurous
emotional
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? N/A
4.0
Thank you, Atmosphere Press, Adesina Brown, and NetGalley, for the ARC.
This world is amazing. Adesina did a fantastic job world building. I love the relationships between the characters. This is a high fantasy that will keep you guessing what is happening. Tair is learning who she is and how she fits into this world.
The world-building was really good, even though it made for a slow start in the book. It took me about 20% into the book to start picking up. But once it does, it is hard to put down.
I recommend reading this book.
gay's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
joulesserena's review
adventurous
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? No
5.0
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