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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
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:
No
The premise of a world where magic suddenly returns, along with creatures that were remembered only as myths and legends, going all the way to demigods, is interesting enough. Somewhat as a fable, the book also makes some good points about humanity’s place in the world, albeit mostly in passing, and it depicts villains with understandable motives, some of whom may even turn out to not be actual villains. And it also mostly avoids what I call human filth, those behaviors typically only being mentioned as reminders that they exist and need to be fought against, and the main characters do so, this probably also being the explanation for how easily the situation is accepted by Devin, as well as a few other notable characters in similar positions. In addition, there are thrilling fights and some moments that have an emotional impact, the graveyard scene that comes before what probably should have been the finale standing out, along with the next few chapters.
The last chapter and the epilogue are rather weak, however, and the rest of the book, before that part that stands out, seems to lack the depth and the impact such a story and such momentous events should have. The pace is too leisurely, too much is glossed over, too many ideas seem to have just been briefly entertained and then discarded, and the immaturity of some of the secondary characters seems to sometimes bleed into the writing, at least Tommy’s moments often leaving the impression of comic relief inappropriately forced into the story. Also, on top of a typical dose of hero’s luck, the main characters are literally spared from death several times over, those who could and should have killed them simply deciding not to even if it makes little sense. On the other hand, while it does help explain their motives, directly presenting the point of view of deities just seems wrong. And, while I guess it’s a minor problem otherwise, I can’t help but point out that there’s one corpse too many in the first fight.
The last chapter and the epilogue are rather weak, however, and the rest of the book, before that part that stands out, seems to lack the depth and the impact such a story and such momentous events should have. The pace is too leisurely, too much is glossed over, too many ideas seem to have just been briefly entertained and then discarded, and the immaturity of some of the secondary characters seems to sometimes bleed into the writing, at least Tommy’s moments often leaving the impression of comic relief inappropriately forced into the story. Also, on top of a typical dose of hero’s luck, the main characters are literally spared from death several times over, those who could and should have killed them simply deciding not to even if it makes little sense. On the other hand, while it does help explain their motives, directly presenting the point of view of deities just seems wrong. And, while I guess it’s a minor problem otherwise, I can’t help but point out that there’s one corpse too many in the first fight.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was surprisingly good. For a very long book, this is a very absorbing read. There was a lot of world building that happened and it's well spread out through the book. The characters are charming and diverse and I really loved the representation and how certain characters were handled. It's rare for male writers to handle sensitive topics like rape and mental abuse which sometimes can be poorly handled in fantasy. It was handled in a delicate way and with an understanding that healing doesn't happen quickly or easily.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series. I'll be picking it up when it comes out.
Warnings for sexual assault, rape, slavery, abuse, allusions to the sexual abuse of a minor and more.
Update:
Oh! Forgot to add. Awesome representation for an epic fantasy. There is a queer main character who is absolutely adorable! I hope to see more of him in the sequel and more with his crush/potential love interest. Also, boosting the rating to five stars cause I honestly really liked this and feel it deserves it.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series. I'll be picking it up when it comes out.
Warnings for sexual assault, rape, slavery, abuse, allusions to the sexual abuse of a minor and more.
Update:
Oh! Forgot to add. Awesome representation for an epic fantasy. There is a queer main character who is absolutely adorable! I hope to see more of him in the sequel and more with his crush/potential love interest. Also, boosting the rating to five stars cause I honestly really liked this and feel it deserves it.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
CAWPILE rating: 7.21/10
STAR rating: ★★★★
REVIEW: I loved most of this, but there were chunks of it that I really didn't enjoy as much so trying to rate it has been interesting. Overall, a really good book and I'm diving into the sequel immediately. Longer RTC maybe.
warning/s: mentions of past rape, sexual assault, abuse
STAR rating: ★★★★
REVIEW: I loved most of this, but there were chunks of it that I really didn't enjoy as much so trying to rate it has been interesting. Overall, a really good book and I'm diving into the sequel immediately. Longer RTC maybe.
warning/s: mentions of past rape, sexual assault, abuse
4.5
I loved this too much to write a proper and well-articulated review so here are the main points I loved:
- the world and magic: they are very well-developed and so prominent in the story, I absolutely loved the way they are done. As a big fan of magic in fantasy books, I absolutely adored all of it, I adored the way its return was described and the people's reactions too. It's been a while since I read a book with such active magic, especially of this sort, with all kinds of magical creatures in it and I'm so excited for Ravencaller now.
The world and its lore seems pretty big and I'm very curious to see how it will be written in Ravencaller.
- the characters: honestly? I didn't find even one boring POV this time, all of them have their big roles in the story and each of them is very interesting to follow. Of them all, my favourite character is Puffy
I loved this too much to write a proper and well-articulated review so here are the main points I loved:
- the world and magic: they are very well-developed and so prominent in the story, I absolutely loved the way they are done. As a big fan of magic in fantasy books, I absolutely adored all of it, I adored the way its return was described and the people's reactions too. It's been a while since I read a book with such active magic, especially of this sort, with all kinds of magical creatures in it and I'm so excited for Ravencaller now.
The world and its lore seems pretty big and I'm very curious to see how it will be written in Ravencaller.
- the characters: honestly? I didn't find even one boring POV this time, all of them have their big roles in the story and each of them is very interesting to follow. Of them all, my favourite character is Puffy
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced