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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Janny challenged me as a reader again with the first entry of The Wars of Light and Shadow. I love that she lets you decide what is right and wrong rather than telling you. She subverts tropes in a continuous beautiful way and her storytelling and the way she weaves the narrative is captivating. It did take me a bit to get into the groove of things but I feel like the payoff was truly worth it. If you’re a character-driven reader that wants to be challenged this is an absolute must.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's very interesting to read this book knowing it's the beginning of such a large series because it doesn't seem like there's enough here to occupy another 11 books. The main cast is quite small, principally focusing on two half brothers with elemental powers of shadow and light. The main characters seem generally likeable, although there's a quirk of the writing style that is making me struggle to connect to them. The narration switches points of view frequently, switching from outside observer to reflecting inner thoughts sometimes within a single paragraph. I'm having a hard time getting a read on some of the character's core personality as well, at least some of which seems to be driven by plot elements.
The world has several elements I enjoy. There are multiple worlds (we've seen two but there's at least one more). The magic system is quite soft, but I like the depictions of spellcasting. I get the strong feeling there is clearly one main character between the two princes, but I find myself responding well to both of them and generally wanting the best for them both.
I'm approaching this series as a reading project, so I'm fairly committed to seeing it through. I can see how this would filter out a lot of potential readers from the series. The book is quite massive with some heavy subject matter and a heavy sense of foreboding throughout. It also seems steeped in what I'm coming to recognize is a 90s fantasy angst that doesn't age all that well (or perhaps doesn't strike the same way now that I'm not an angst-ridden teen). People who have read the later books seem to like them, so I'll be very curious to see if it's a survivorship bias or if these do turn out to be a rewarding read.
The world has several elements I enjoy. There are multiple worlds (we've seen two but there's at least one more). The magic system is quite soft, but I like the depictions of spellcasting. I get the strong feeling there is clearly one main character between the two princes, but I find myself responding well to both of them and generally wanting the best for them both.
I'm approaching this series as a reading project, so I'm fairly committed to seeing it through. I can see how this would filter out a lot of potential readers from the series. The book is quite massive with some heavy subject matter and a heavy sense of foreboding throughout. It also seems steeped in what I'm coming to recognize is a 90s fantasy angst that doesn't age all that well (or perhaps doesn't strike the same way now that I'm not an angst-ridden teen). People who have read the later books seem to like them, so I'll be very curious to see if it's a survivorship bias or if these do turn out to be a rewarding read.
With deep characters, fantastic world building and amazing prose, this is a fantastic start to an epic saga..
Ending was amazing, and the true villain of this series remains a bit of a mystery.
The ending is dark, foreboding and leaves you with questions in a good way.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
4.5 STARS
Ending was amazing, and the true villain of this series remains a bit of a mystery.
The ending is dark, foreboding and leaves you with questions in a good way.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
4.5 STARS
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Everyone loves this book, loves the author, and thinks its top notch.
I'll be happy when I'm done with it.
My rating has more to do with prevailing sentiment and next to nothing in regards to how much I loathe this unpleasant book. You can't give negative star ratings.
So awful...
I'll be happy when I'm done with it.
My rating has more to do with prevailing sentiment and next to nothing in regards to how much I loathe this unpleasant book. You can't give negative star ratings.
So awful...
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book challenged me so much. I genuinely love it. I love the characters. I loved everything about it. I truly loved Arithon; his story was just so sad, and it brought tears to my eyes. I just wanted to see the man win, and I’m happy he found his happy ending. Because he could leave his responsibilities and become the musician he wanted to be. I just hated that so many people had to die because of it and that he lost his mage sight. I hated Lysaer. Indeed the worst character ever known to humanity. He just kept getting worse and worse and worse as the book progressed. He reminded me of a spoiled child who never got what he wanted and decided to take over the world. I hated how he twisted everything, and he’s not the good person he claims to be. He’s horrible, really conniving, really just disgusting. He killed hundreds of innocent people. And for what?!? I understand that he’s cursed. But the curse doesn’t create anything new; it just applies what was already there. His conniving and vindictive ways were already there, and it was just amplified. But I should expect anything less from someone who was a horrible dad; he is just like that horrible man. He thinks he is this all-around good guy, but he’s not. He is just a self-righteous, hypocritical asshole.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes