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tolfarie's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
readingtheskyline's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.75
I loved so much about this book, yet it took me until I finished it to realize that it was based on Robin Hood, which made much more sense when I got the context. I loved Zev, his inquisitive nature and shapeshifting were so cool! I think the relationship was awesome and had enough tension that I was invested but not frustrated due to unnecessary miscommunication. I plowed through the ending, it was so interesting and fun! I enjoyed the side characters just as much as the main ones, and I thought the world-building was awesome! I'm so excited to read the other books! I love how characters from other books show up in different parts of their lives. You don't need to read the other books unless you want to because the character cameos are fun but not necessary to understand the context of the book. I love it! :)
Something that I loved about this book is that it changed my perspective of how people in wheelchairs are written. I have never had a book use the correct language to describe movement for the character (i.e. rolling down a hallway). It was so enlightening and fun to see how someone else in a different situation can view and explore the world. I thought the story was fun and I love the fairy tale underpinnings. Yet she still keeps the stories as her own. Very commendable! :)
Something that I loved about this book is that it changed my perspective of how people in wheelchairs are written. I have never had a book use the correct language to describe movement for the character (i.e. rolling down a hallway). It was so enlightening and fun to see how someone else in a different situation can view and explore the world. I thought the story was fun and I love the fairy tale underpinnings. Yet she still keeps the stories as her own. Very commendable! :)
shksprsis's review
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.75
cottonmouse42's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
qwordyq's review against another edition
5.0
4.5. It’s rare I find a book I just want to devour but this one did it to me. I really loved the storytelling in this and while I had some trouble reconciling what time period we were dealing with, I found it much more enjoyable as a kind of anachronistic fantasy with likeable characters. Some of the more religion-centered allegories were not exactly my fav but it worked for the world so I can’t fault it for that. I liked the turning the tale of Robin Hood a bit on its head to be very entertaining and a book easy to devour.
ephemerily's review
4.0
I loved a lot of things about this book: the world it was set in, the heroine and her "snarky" or clever comments, seeing a main character in a wheelchair, and the shape-shifting creatures. I also liked some of the deeper themes, like how what appears to be a flaw can actually be a strength, or the balance between good/evil/right/wrong, or the religious ideas that are presented but somewhat rejected by the narrator, so that the reader is free to take them as they want to.
I thought a few things could have been done better, though.
(1) The action starts right in the first chapter with an attack by monsters and Merry preparing to cast a spell, and the arrival of the team of monster hunters to save her. I was able to follow along well enough, so it was refreshing to have the action start like this. But at the same time, I didn't really know Merry yet, so I didn't have much reason to like her. She talked about being kicked out of boarding school, but I didn't know why (maybe she performed illegal magic that endangered the other students). And she was angry a lot, which I didn't understand at all until I learned more about her several chapters in. For example, she is angry with Whyn for saving her from the monster when she supposedly could have done it herself, but she did not seem confident she could succeed (she calls the attack her "unmaking" and is threatened by panic) and Whyn would have no way of knowing she knew magic and wouldn't have time to ask her. So I didn't care about her from the start as much as I might have.
(2) The plot seemed to fall apart somewhat, around the time of the train scene. Events and characters would appear that hadn't been set up (like the Duchess and John's motivations) or just didn't make sense. In particular, Cecily's reappearance confounded me. I also started to lose a grasp on how the magic worked. There seemed to be multiple types (spells and/or harnessing vytl) but I was not clear on how they differed or why Merry could sometimes use them and other times not be able to.
(3) Merry's insistence to herself that Whyn didn't like her because of one failed kiss started to grate after a while. I liked when we learn the reason he blanched after her kiss, but it didn't seem like enough to keep them apart for the entire book, and I wish there had been some more interactions or something to keep that tension going.
But overall, I enjoyed it!
I thought a few things could have been done better, though.
(1) The action starts right in the first chapter with an attack by monsters and Merry preparing to cast a spell, and the arrival of the team of monster hunters to save her. I was able to follow along well enough, so it was refreshing to have the action start like this. But at the same time, I didn't really know Merry yet, so I didn't have much reason to like her. She talked about being kicked out of boarding school, but I didn't know why (maybe she performed illegal magic that endangered the other students). And she was angry a lot, which I didn't understand at all until I learned more about her several chapters in. For example, she is angry with Whyn for saving her from the monster when she supposedly could have done it herself, but she did not seem confident she could succeed (she calls the attack her "unmaking" and is threatened by panic) and Whyn would have no way of knowing she knew magic and wouldn't have time to ask her. So I didn't care about her from the start as much as I might have.
(2) The plot seemed to fall apart somewhat, around the time of the train scene. Events and characters would appear that hadn't been set up (like the Duchess and John's motivations) or just didn't make sense. In particular, Cecily's reappearance confounded me. I also started to lose a grasp on how the magic worked. There seemed to be multiple types (spells and/or harnessing vytl) but I was not clear on how they differed or why Merry could sometimes use them and other times not be able to.
(3) Merry's insistence to herself that Whyn didn't like her because of one failed kiss started to grate after a while. I liked when we learn the reason he blanched after her kiss, but it didn't seem like enough to keep them apart for the entire book, and I wish there had been some more interactions or something to keep that tension going.
But overall, I enjoyed it!
emmac11's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
joonlily's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Murder, and Violence
editingkate27's review
4.0
This book was great. It was a really unique premise , an amazing heroine that was just a bit different from the typical, and wonderful characters. I hope to read more books by this author!