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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
I wanted to like this so much but the middle 200 pages ruined all of it. Didn’t mind the multiple POVs at all but some of them were completely unnecessary. Also didn’t jive with Jinao. He mostly got on my nerves. The pacing hurt this story so damn much. If the middle had been cut out, this book would have gotten a much higher rating. I just got so frustrated when absolutely nothing happened for hundreds of pages. There just wasn’t enough pay off to make 570 pages worth it. AND there was so much set up for the next book that AGAIN those 570 pages were an absolute slog to get through. And someone needs to tell these marketing agencies that if you market a book one way…..READERS EXPECT TO GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU LIED TO THEM ABOUT. I thought this was going to be loosely centered around Temi and less than a FOURTH of the book was about her. Not to mention her POV was the most entertaining. I’m legitimately upset I had to read this much book. Won’t be continuing with the series.
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was reading along enjoying this book for a while. There were two different main character threads and very little hope of them meeting up but I was interested in at least one of them. Temi's story was interesting to me.
The book's blurb acts like Temi is the main character but this is a Game of Thrones type book with several different viewpoint chapters that create a sort of literary collage, illuminating different aspects of this complicated world. One of the reasons I decided to skim the book is that Temi is a viewpoint in Part 1 but then she disappears until Part 4. Meanwhile several other characters were introduced in Part 2 and still more in Part 3 and I found some of them interesting and some of them really not. This felt like sort of a weird structure to me and I don't think it was entirely effective.
I also had a hard time visualizing the world. I know that a lot of people had grass skirts or bead skirts but I couldn't picture people or places. I'm a visual reader so this was frustrating for me.
The underlying plot was interesting. This seems to be a post-technology world. Priests and nuns have a sort of cargo cult level of understanding of ancient technology but this understanding is hidden beneath layers of meaningless rituals. Meanwhile, "greys" or creatures melded with technology keep trying to invade. Some of the best and most aristocratic warriors can summon a sort of ghost of ancient legendary warriors, who are the most effective deterrent to the greys.
I do like an ancient technology-equals-magic idea. But this book progressed very slowly. There were many POVs and it broke up the flow of each part of the story. In the end, the execution didn't live up to the concept for me. I'm not sure if I'll read more of this series or not, although I do think that the author shows promise.
The book's blurb acts like Temi is the main character but this is a Game of Thrones type book with several different viewpoint chapters that create a sort of literary collage, illuminating different aspects of this complicated world. One of the reasons I decided to skim the book is that Temi is a viewpoint in Part 1 but then she disappears until Part 4. Meanwhile several other characters were introduced in Part 2 and still more in Part 3 and I found some of them interesting and some of them really not. This felt like sort of a weird structure to me and I don't think it was entirely effective.
I also had a hard time visualizing the world. I know that a lot of people had grass skirts or bead skirts but I couldn't picture people or places. I'm a visual reader so this was frustrating for me.
The underlying plot was interesting. This seems to be a post-technology world. Priests and nuns have a sort of cargo cult level of understanding of ancient technology but this understanding is hidden beneath layers of meaningless rituals. Meanwhile, "greys" or creatures melded with technology keep trying to invade. Some of the best and most aristocratic warriors can summon a sort of ghost of ancient legendary warriors, who are the most effective deterrent to the greys.
I do like an ancient technology-equals-magic idea. But this book progressed very slowly. There were many POVs and it broke up the flow of each part of the story. In the end, the execution didn't live up to the concept for me. I'm not sure if I'll read more of this series or not, although I do think that the author shows promise.
I wasn’t paying attention. I don’t think this book is for me - world is too complex, too many characters, and I wasn’t engaged.
This could definitely just be a me thing, but I don’t really like multi perspectives. Or maybe this multi perspective just wasn’t done well to me. I don’t really care about any of the characters. Temi is probably the best one and I saw that she was missing for like all of the middle of the book. I think because that what was pitched on the back of the book I expected most of the book to be of her pov and the fact it’s not I’m kind of upset.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
I wanted to love this book so much but if after reading 600 pages, I still couldn’t understand what’s going on, something is wrong with the writing. The world Ayinde built is interesting and I commend her for that. But the story felt so sprawling that nothing was really explained well and most of the plot points are basically left unanswered by the end of the book. I was tempted not to finish at many points but kept going because I thought we’d get some clarity later on. I won’t be reading the sequels.
Half of this rating goes to my slump. my reading mood has been whack lately and this book sufferd for it.
however, it's still an enjoyable read, I'm just annoyed I didn't love it as much as I believe this book deserves.
This book hold complexity without confusing the reader, in an immersive and rich world that is both terrifying an fascinating. Ayinde manages to weave a large cast of characters without loosing me as a reader throughout this world and story she has crafted that seems effortless.
the magic woven among the plot, creating threads and tearing them apart until what I thought I knew was wrong-- this is a master storyteller at work and I cannot wait for book 2
SPOILERS
while my enjoyment of this book is tarnished with a slump, I was still hooked and taken by surprise. the Barineater having Jinao's mothers memories, of a long plan using him as a pawn, held my attention but I espeically loved when Jinao discovered, with help, that Mitzito wsan't his ansector, but he could call upon others. his journey of discovery and courage was one of my favourites.
Temi was a intresting character and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes her. from a lowborn to someone who manged to invoke Vanji, the chained man.
Beolo was cool and the ending with him, taking on someone that was meant to be Vanji (who was meant to Jinao) now THAT is something I cannot wait to read about.
and Runt. a child just into adulthood who is trying to care for her sick brother and gets swept up into the plot of his book by the pendant she wears, something that contains the Cloisters. and her father, behind it all.
but the ending, the ending where we can see the Barineater as human, as someone who is there fighting for his people but who also has a sick child.
a gripping tale with gripping characters.
however, it's still an enjoyable read, I'm just annoyed I didn't love it as much as I believe this book deserves.
This book hold complexity without confusing the reader, in an immersive and rich world that is both terrifying an fascinating. Ayinde manages to weave a large cast of characters without loosing me as a reader throughout this world and story she has crafted that seems effortless.
the magic woven among the plot, creating threads and tearing them apart until what I thought I knew was wrong-- this is a master storyteller at work and I cannot wait for book 2
SPOILERS
while my enjoyment of this book is tarnished with a slump, I was still hooked and taken by surprise. the Barineater having Jinao's mothers memories, of a long plan using him as a pawn, held my attention but I espeically loved when Jinao discovered, with help, that Mitzito wsan't his ansector, but he could call upon others. his journey of discovery and courage was one of my favourites.
Temi was a intresting character and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes her. from a lowborn to someone who manged to invoke Vanji, the chained man.
Beolo was cool and the ending with him, taking on someone that was meant to be Vanji (who was meant to Jinao) now THAT is something I cannot wait to read about.
and Runt. a child just into adulthood who is trying to care for her sick brother and gets swept up into the plot of his book by the pendant she wears, something that contains the Cloisters. and her father, behind it all.
but the ending, the ending where we can see the Barineater as human, as someone who is there fighting for his people but who also has a sick child.
a gripping tale with gripping characters.