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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There are two female characters and for most of the book all they do is be annoyed with each other and it's all about boys. Exhausting. Closer to the end they do become friends and they both get married off (kind of). Because that is the one thing all women have to do. Marry a guy. And the colonialism/white saviour-ism??? What??? Some casual blackface thrown in for absolutely no reason. I know I make this a bigger deal than it probably is but I have just read 400+ pages of this stuff and I am soooo fed up. Also some plot holes regarding the need of translators which was annoying but not the end of the world.
I loved these books as a kid and rereading them I did enjoy the first few but at this point I am so fed up with the Anglo-whatever main characters interacting with some dumbed down version of real cultures - that have been oversimplified to the point of being offensive - and just swoop in and save the day for these poor, uncivilised peoples. A white middle-aged+ man wrote this series and the further you get into it the more you can tell. Which is really unfortunate but honestly not too surprising. I can not wait to be done with this series so I can get rid of at least the second half (maybe all) of it.
I loved these books as a kid and rereading them I did enjoy the first few but at this point I am so fed up with the Anglo-whatever main characters interacting with some dumbed down version of real cultures - that have been oversimplified to the point of being offensive - and just swoop in and save the day for these poor, uncivilised peoples. A white middle-aged+ man wrote this series and the further you get into it the more you can tell. Which is really unfortunate but honestly not too surprising. I can not wait to be done with this series so I can get rid of at least the second half (maybe all) of it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, War
You know who I'm not fond of? Evanlyn. It was good tho. I WANT MOAR.
Phew! Ten books later and I am finally done.
Although it started off strong, this series is very repetitive and would have probably lost my interest sooner had I not promised my little cousin I would read it.
Although it started off strong, this series is very repetitive and would have probably lost my interest sooner had I not promised my little cousin I would read it.
adventurous
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great Ranger's Apprentice installment ( I really enjoyed the friendship Horace creates with the Emperor). A little more predictable than some of the others, but always wonderful to read about Halt and Will.
Short version: Read books 1-4 in this series and stop there.
Series Review: This series started strong but ended a bit predictably and more than a little weakly. I would suggest reading books 1-4 and stopping. There was actual magic in the first few books and creative story lines. Later books struggled with pacing, action, and excessive predictability. I have no plans to read any further connecting series but would definitely recommend the first 4.
Book review: In this book, worse than losing the creativity, forgetting magic and struggling with pacing (sadly, it does all 3), it also Is this really the same author from books 1-4? I started to give this 3 stars but I simply can't.
Series Review: This series started strong but ended a bit predictably and more than a little weakly. I would suggest reading books 1-4 and stopping. There was actual magic in the first few books and creative story lines. Later books struggled with pacing, action, and excessive predictability. I have no plans to read any further connecting series but would definitely recommend the first 4.
Book review: In this book, worse than losing the creativity, forgetting magic and struggling with pacing (sadly, it does all 3), it also
Spoiler
creates an unnecessary fight between the only female characters with the idea that it might make the whole book more interesting. I'm guessing there were no females involved in the editing phase. Females don't really quite fight in this way. It felt forced and fairly unrealistic. Also, the character Will is played off as part genius, part idiot which doesn't quite ring true to the wisdom of his character from prior books.
adventurous
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:
No