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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was all political intrigue against a backdrop of fantasy, which would usually be disappointing for me but it worked excellently! I love Mia as a kind male protagonist. When I think of the events of the books I feel like it should have been boring (minus the end! That was a surprise!) especially considering all the complicated names, family trees and political structures that make up the Court. But it wasn’t. It felt ‘cozy’ and the writing is beautiful.
Some of my fav quotes:
“Sometime, Chavar, Maia thought, you must try living for ten years with a man who hates you and whom you hate, and see what it does to sharpen your wits.”
“Pazhiro had died in childbirth, and perhaps if Chenelo had done the same, he would have forgiven her.”
“She nodded, despising him for weakness, and whisked herself away.”
“She looked as if she’d just been bitten by a cushion.”
On principle though I wish there was more fantastical/magical elements woven into the book lol
Some of my fav quotes:
“Sometime, Chavar, Maia thought, you must try living for ten years with a man who hates you and whom you hate, and see what it does to sharpen your wits.”
“Pazhiro had died in childbirth, and perhaps if Chenelo had done the same, he would have forgiven her.”
“She nodded, despising him for weakness, and whisked herself away.”
“She looked as if she’d just been bitten by a cushion.”
On principle though I wish there was more fantastical/magical elements woven into the book lol
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
I picked up this book because I saw it was best to read before I read when of the books from the same universe. I did not expect to love it so much. I swear, there needs to be more stores for Maia’s POV. He was such a great character. The naming conventions were really confusing at times. It’s hard to remember who is who, but that isn’t enough to detract from how great this story is. I crave more.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
The book is well written and the narration is fantastic. That’s the only reason it gets three stars. Otherwise, it was a tedious slog. The language and the naming of characters was hard to keep straight, and I’m used to fantasy novels with unique names and words. I read this for a reading challenge, otherwise it would have been a DNF for me.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes