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roseleaf24's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much. Razo in the land of Tira is a delight, and with a mystery to solve in addition to the continuation of the powers of fire and wind, the story is engaging in all the right ways.
mrsbrharris's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one better than Enna Burning, but not as much as Goose Girl.
jamiehandy's review against another edition
4.0
This series has definately grown on me. There are several things I like about it. First, each book stands entirely on its own. No cliff hangers, no unanswered mysteries. As I finished each book (The Goose Girl, Enna Burning) I honestly did not even suspect there would be another. And yet it is fun to continue on with the same characters. I am excited to read the next one as it just came out. Second, I like that the central characters are different in each book. I always believe that every person is living a story worth telling and it seems Shannon Hale certainly believes that of her imaginary characters. Third, all the books (although slow to build at the first) provide a definate suspense that makes you want to keep reading. You want to stay up a little too late to see how it all ends. And for me, what more can you ask for in a good read!
sallyavena's review against another edition
5.0
I think Hale is an amazing story teller. She takes a simple yet captivating plot and tells it with detail without getting cumbersome. I can't put her books down and I really love how she builds in character traits that one would want to emulate.
bbexted's review against another edition
3.0
I like these Shannon Hale books that I have read; Goose Girl, Enna Burning and River secrets but, I don't love them. I would prefer maybe a 3 1/2 star option. Book of a Thousand Days is still my favorite from her.
katiebtatton's review against another edition
2.0
I plugged through this one, hoping it would catch my interest later in the book like [b:Enna Burning|248482|Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern, #2)|Shannon Hale|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255633610s/248482.jpg|1139000] did. Alas, it was not to be. Shannon Hale (the author) was quoted as saying that Razo was her favorite character, the easiest to write, the most real to her. Unfortunately, that's not the case for me. Razo is the short, funny guy in the group who questions his worth in the war and wonders if he'll ever get over his first love. As the youngest son, he wishes he was the best at something, just for once. He is shocked and happy when he is picked to accompany the ambassador on her peace mission to Tira. Enna and Finn accompany him in the group, and they're having trouble because apparently Enna's just watched "Ten Things I Hate About You" and is wishing for a Heath Ledger-esque show of foolishness and Big Declaration of Love (like singing and dancing on the bleachers to "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" in front of the entire soccer and track teams while he dodges campus police.) So anyway, pretty darn predictable in that lonely Razo will find a great girl, turn out to be crucial to the success of the mission, and I'll be darned, he even grew a few inches to boot. Sigh.
mary00's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one quite a bit more than Enna Burning but, for me, it still didn't quite live up to Goose Girl. I did adore the character of Razo and thought that the story was compelling and fleshed out.
On her blog, Shannon wrote that were she to write The Goose Girl today it would be shorter. The thing is, I like Goose Girl better than the subsequent books in the series precisely because it is more detailed and, yes, longer. So I, for one, am glad that she wrote that one earlier so that it could be the book that it is today. The follow-up books feel to me sometimes like they skip too quickly through time, that there is something missing. They don't have the same epic feel that The Goose Girl does. I especially noticed this with Enna Burning, but did notice it a bit with this book as well. But, I suppose Shannon is ultimately writing these books for a Young Adult audience who may not have the same patience for wading through the subtle parts of a story as an older audience would. So, perhaps for that audience the more fast-paced, less-detailed format works better.
In any case, even though I did not love this book as much as the first one in the series, it is still a cut above most other YA lit out there, and I would recommend it to anyone.
On her blog, Shannon wrote that were she to write The Goose Girl today it would be shorter. The thing is, I like Goose Girl better than the subsequent books in the series precisely because it is more detailed and, yes, longer. So I, for one, am glad that she wrote that one earlier so that it could be the book that it is today. The follow-up books feel to me sometimes like they skip too quickly through time, that there is something missing. They don't have the same epic feel that The Goose Girl does. I especially noticed this with Enna Burning, but did notice it a bit with this book as well. But, I suppose Shannon is ultimately writing these books for a Young Adult audience who may not have the same patience for wading through the subtle parts of a story as an older audience would. So, perhaps for that audience the more fast-paced, less-detailed format works better.
In any case, even though I did not love this book as much as the first one in the series, it is still a cut above most other YA lit out there, and I would recommend it to anyone.
hnbb's review against another edition
5.0
Of the 3 books so far in the series, this is my favorite. I am not quite sure why. I really like Razo as a character though and getting to know him better is fun.
thebooklovingpanda's review against another edition
5.0
Great book. The writing style reflects Razo's humourous and witty personality, which is cool, and makes for a lot of funny bits in the story. This is also the first book in the series to focus on some talent other than the elemental ones, though there is some in there as well. Lots of suspense, thrills and new characters.
qu33nofbookz's review against another edition
1.0
This book is very slow and plodding unlike the first two in the series and I almost didn't make it through the characters were so annoying this time around. The plot was a good idea and the setting great but the execution of the story was slow and flimsy with little character growth and cringe-worthy dialogue. It's like the author had a deadline and waited till the last minute to write this story, and despite her saying it was about her favorite character it seemed like she didn't really care that much. This could have been great but it just falls flat. The books have been on a downward spiral since the first one which is sad.
In a kingdom run by childish teenagers (seriously no one of the ruling class or the army is above 17/18 with exception to the captain of the army) with about 3 adults present a peace treaty is being made with the kingdom next door who the previous year invaded and tried to take over. They are still mad at being beaten but are willing to exchange emissaries to see how the other half lives and help with peace talks. However, once the emissaries arrive in the kingdom next door they find out that the people of that kingdom still want war. Someone has been stirring up trouble and murdering people and burning their bodies to make it look like someone in the emissaries camp is doing it.
Our main MC for this book is Razo and he is annoying. He's 15/16 but acts like he's 10 most of the time. All he does is whine! The whole book every other sentence he utters or thought he has is his whining! He could have been a 5 year old needing a nap he's so fussy. He is a whiny, wise-assed little snot with zero self-esteem who can't go long without eating (how he isn't fat is anyone's guess) or putting himself down or getting in trouble. He is seriously too stupid to live, the way he thinks and the things he does it's a miracle he's still alive. His relationship/romance with Dasha is cliched and forced plus given their ages kinda awkward to read. Also a weird time jump because by the end of the book he's magically 18 when it's stated he was about 15 when the book started and about only a year has passed.
There is a secondary romance between Razo's best friends that is completely and utterly cringe worthy too. It's something that carried over from the last book and didn't need to be such a big part of this book. It was also a downgrade in writing compared to the last book and the concept is so different that it made me think someone else wrote those parts they were so different and out of character from the last book.
There is only one book left in the series and while I want to know what happens I am wary about reading it since the writing style and contents of the books has lessened over the series instead of improved.
In a kingdom run by childish teenagers (seriously no one of the ruling class or the army is above 17/18 with exception to the captain of the army) with about 3 adults present a peace treaty is being made with the kingdom next door who the previous year invaded and tried to take over. They are still mad at being beaten but are willing to exchange emissaries to see how the other half lives and help with peace talks. However, once the emissaries arrive in the kingdom next door they find out that the people of that kingdom still want war. Someone has been stirring up trouble and murdering people and burning their bodies to make it look like someone in the emissaries camp is doing it.
Spoiler
It's a power hunger general who went deranged during the war.Our main MC for this book is Razo and he is annoying. He's 15/16 but acts like he's 10 most of the time. All he does is whine! The whole book every other sentence he utters or thought he has is his whining! He could have been a 5 year old needing a nap he's so fussy. He is a whiny, wise-assed little snot with zero self-esteem who can't go long without eating (how he isn't fat is anyone's guess) or putting himself down or getting in trouble. He is seriously too stupid to live, the way he thinks and the things he does it's a miracle he's still alive. His relationship/romance with Dasha is cliched and forced plus given their ages kinda awkward to read. Also a weird time jump because by the end of the book he's magically 18 when it's stated he was about 15 when the book started and about only a year has passed.
There is a secondary romance between Razo's best friends that is completely and utterly cringe worthy too. It's something that carried over from the last book and didn't need to be such a big part of this book. It was also a downgrade in writing compared to the last book and the concept is so different that it made me think someone else wrote those parts they were so different and out of character from the last book.
There is only one book left in the series and while I want to know what happens I am wary about reading it since the writing style and contents of the books has lessened over the series instead of improved.