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mahaliathenerd's review
4.0
OK... where do I start? We follow two characters, Agatha and Jamie. Jamie ( the angler) is a groom of an arranged marriage. Agatha is demoted from her watchman post (the Hawk) due to almost killing Jamie’s Bride boat, thinking it was an enemy ship. The sprinkle of uniqueness within this dark and thrilling story is Agatha has Down syndrome. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would feel based on the way she was treated by some of her clansmen. Agatha is not afraid of anything! She becomes a favorite character that makes impulsive decisions based on her temper. Jamie is cautious, and Agatha can be ruthless when it comes to her best friend, Jamie. Agatha also has a special gift that makes this story action-packed.
saraza3's review against another edition
I could not deal with the writing style. I get that the main character is mentally disabled, but this is just frustrating to read.
kizzabell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
fluffy_piggy's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
womanon's review
4.0
This book was absolutely amazing. A truly stunning yet heroic tale.
2023 reread: although I still love it, I do not think it was worth 5 stars, so instead I gave it 4.
2023 reread: although I still love it, I do not think it was worth 5 stars, so instead I gave it 4.
nyxiabel's review
2.0
2.5 stars
I'm sorry, I think this one just wasn't for me. It wasn't a bad book I don't think, but I just didn't connect with it and have no desire to continue with the series. There seem to be plenty of others who have enjoyed this so please don't be put off by me!
There were a range of interesting elements present in the book:
- Agatha being able to talk to animals inside her head
- True history being weaved into the fantasy
- A down-syndrome narrator (I have never experienced that before!)
But even having read this book now, I'm still not sure what this trilogy is going to be about. I'm not sure the book even knows what it wants to focus on.
Reading from Agatha's perspective was probably the highlight of the book. Her chapters were my favourite and I enjoyed how they were written uniquely. Other than her, I honestly couldn't tell the characters apart. Nobody seemed to have any distinct voice and everything blurred together. This rolled over into conflicts too. Conflicts did not seem to have high stakes at all and the book stayed at one note without any real sense of climax. I did enjoy Nathara's intermittent chapters but was ultimately disappointed in the resolution of her storyline.
I received this book from Harper Collins NZ in exchange for an honest review
I'm sorry, I think this one just wasn't for me. It wasn't a bad book I don't think, but I just didn't connect with it and have no desire to continue with the series. There seem to be plenty of others who have enjoyed this so please don't be put off by me!
There were a range of interesting elements present in the book:
- Agatha being able to talk to animals inside her head
- True history being weaved into the fantasy
- A down-syndrome narrator (I have never experienced that before!)
But even having read this book now, I'm still not sure what this trilogy is going to be about. I'm not sure the book even knows what it wants to focus on.
Reading from Agatha's perspective was probably the highlight of the book. Her chapters were my favourite and I enjoyed how they were written uniquely. Other than her, I honestly couldn't tell the characters apart. Nobody seemed to have any distinct voice and everything blurred together. This rolled over into conflicts too. Conflicts did not seem to have high stakes at all and the book stayed at one note without any real sense of climax. I did enjoy Nathara's intermittent chapters but was ultimately disappointed in the resolution of her storyline.
I received this book from Harper Collins NZ in exchange for an honest review
sargjo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Violence
Minor: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
lara_bookella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Questo libro si presenta come un fantasy semplice per ragazzi, ma è secondo me è molto dark: ci sono le ombre, c’è la paura, ci sono anche le scene che non lasciano all'immaginazione. Ci sono i brividi, anche se non vanno mai oltre un certo limite.
La cosa che rende speciale questo libro sono i personaggi: ci sono tanti romanzi che hanno come protagonisti degli outsiders, ma questo autore si è proprio superato: Jaime si sente diverso dai suoi coetanei del clan, Agatha non riesce a capire perchè tutti la facciano sentire diversa.
Il libro è raccontato a voce alterne e ho molto apprezzato che ad ogni cambio di punto di vista cambia anche come vengano raccontate le cose a livello di registro e di stile linguistico.
L’ho trovato un romanzo interessante, avvincente, originale, pieno di azione, colpi di scena e mistero... e anche molto più "inclusivo" di alcuni romanzi che si fregiano di essere tali, quindi mi sentirei di consigliarlo anche a chi è sensibile al tema. Mi dispiace solo che è questo è il primo romanzo di una trilogia di cui non credo vedremo mai i seguiti in Italia.
La cosa che rende speciale questo libro sono i personaggi: ci sono tanti romanzi che hanno come protagonisti degli outsiders, ma questo autore si è proprio superato: Jaime si sente diverso dai suoi coetanei del clan, Agatha non riesce a capire perchè tutti la facciano sentire diversa.
Il libro è raccontato a voce alterne e ho molto apprezzato che ad ogni cambio di punto di vista cambia anche come vengano raccontate le cose a livello di registro e di stile linguistico.
L’ho trovato un romanzo interessante, avvincente, originale, pieno di azione, colpi di scena e mistero... e anche molto più "inclusivo" di alcuni romanzi che si fregiano di essere tali, quindi mi sentirei di consigliarlo anche a chi è sensibile al tema. Mi dispiace solo che è questo è il primo romanzo di una trilogia di cui non credo vedremo mai i seguiti in Italia.