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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Beginning: Confusing
Middle: Fun
End: Messy
Hotel: Trivago
So many mixed emotions. On one hand, there were some plot twists that I didn’t see coming (though I probably should have). On the other, Anya just saying « lol bye » to Asgard and ruining Selah’s chances with the dude she loves? Hated that. Picture this: your new girl friend has fallen in love with one of your OG homies, but it’s forbidden love (gasp). One night, your super hot boyfriend that you’ve known for 12 days (which is like 2 years book time so no worries) is like « wear your favourite dress » (but what he really means is I’m gonna wife you up) so you’re obviously very excited. Then, your new girl friend just doesn’t show up to dinner which is sketch because you doesn’t love food. Suddenly, your boyfriend’s dad is like « you’re evil and I won’t let you marry my son because my daughter is late to dinner » and you’re like « excuse me? You know what, to PROVE that I’m not evil I’ll go find your daughter because I’m just that nice ». Then you huddle your girl friend’s brothers (boyfriend included) and you’re like « um hey guys...so I actually don’t know where she is » and they’re like « yeah neither do we so you gotta skrt so that our dad doesn’t, like, kill you or whatever. » so you make your Sweet Escape™️ to your swaggy boat and who’s there? YOUR GIRL FRIEND with your OG homie that she’s shacked up with. Um...so I don’t know about you, but if that I was Selah, Anya would be off my boat and back in the great hall real quick. You don’t get to ruin my life and then sail off into the sunset on my sick whip.
What I’m trying to say is that this book really tests the limits of my suspension of disbelief. Like, by the last 50 pages, my disbelief was hanging on a thread and about to crash down in a fiery light show. Actual rating: 3/5 stars for pissing me off.
P.S. How much are we willing to bet that Selah is going to fall in love with the Imperial dude and forget about the other two, since that’s exactly what she did with both of them (forgot about Peter with Bear and then forgot about Bear with Thorden or whatever his name was (I call him budget Thor)). We love a fickle queen who falls I love in 2 weeks and then dumps her boyfriend whenever there’s a minor inconvenience instead of working it out!!!
Middle: Fun
End: Messy
Hotel: Trivago
So many mixed emotions. On one hand, there were some plot twists that I didn’t see coming (though I probably should have). On the other, Anya just saying « lol bye » to Asgard and ruining Selah’s chances with the dude she loves? Hated that. Picture this: your new girl friend has fallen in love with one of your OG homies, but it’s forbidden love (gasp). One night, your super hot boyfriend that you’ve known for 12 days (which is like 2 years book time so no worries) is like « wear your favourite dress » (but what he really means is I’m gonna wife you up) so you’re obviously very excited. Then, your new girl friend just doesn’t show up to dinner which is sketch because you doesn’t love food. Suddenly, your boyfriend’s dad is like « you’re evil and I won’t let you marry my son because my daughter is late to dinner » and you’re like « excuse me? You know what, to PROVE that I’m not evil I’ll go find your daughter because I’m just that nice ». Then you huddle your girl friend’s brothers (boyfriend included) and you’re like « um hey guys...so I actually don’t know where she is » and they’re like « yeah neither do we so you gotta skrt so that our dad doesn’t, like, kill you or whatever. » so you make your Sweet Escape™️ to your swaggy boat and who’s there? YOUR GIRL FRIEND with your OG homie that she’s shacked up with. Um...so I don’t know about you, but if that I was Selah, Anya would be off my boat and back in the great hall real quick. You don’t get to ruin my life and then sail off into the sunset on my sick whip.
What I’m trying to say is that this book really tests the limits of my suspension of disbelief. Like, by the last 50 pages, my disbelief was hanging on a thread and about to crash down in a fiery light show. Actual rating: 3/5 stars for pissing me off.
P.S. How much are we willing to bet that Selah is going to fall in love with the Imperial dude and forget about the other two, since that’s exactly what she did with both of them (forgot about Peter with Bear and then forgot about Bear with Thorden or whatever his name was (I call him budget Thor)). We love a fickle queen who falls I love in 2 weeks and then dumps her boyfriend whenever there’s a minor inconvenience instead of working it out!!!
I really enjoyed this book-more than I thought I was going to. I love how it surprised me and didn’t follow the route I thought it was going to. Selah’s journey as a character was very intriguing and relatable and I am definitely happy with how her character is growing and coming into her own.
I can’t wait to find out what is to come next for all the characters and am very much hoping for more Torden in the future.
I can’t wait to find out what is to come next for all the characters and am very much hoping for more Torden in the future.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the premise but towards the end it felt like more plot was shoved in than in the rest of it put together.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In a word… farfetched.
Selah was not believable as a girl capable of being in charge of anything, let alone a kingdom. She read more like a 12 year old than whatever age she was purported to be.
The worldbuilding was deeply confusing. I could not tell what alternate time period it was supposed to be (sometimes it felt pseudo-modern, and sometimes it felt 1770s), and there were so many locations and names to keep straight.
The insta-lust was eye-rolling. I can barely acknowledge one romance per 400-page book, let alone 3 in one book.
Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel.
Selah was not believable as a girl capable of being in charge of anything, let alone a kingdom. She read more like a 12 year old than whatever age she was purported to be.
The worldbuilding was deeply confusing. I could not tell what alternate time period it was supposed to be (sometimes it felt pseudo-modern, and sometimes it felt 1770s), and there were so many locations and names to keep straight.
The insta-lust was eye-rolling. I can barely acknowledge one romance per 400-page book, let alone 3 in one book.
Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel.
In the beginning, the main character definitely annoyed me. I thought she was very whiny, cried over a lot of things, and is extremely weak-willed.
However, I did like the middle part of the book, which made DNFing difficult for me. I really thought the main character showed growth and seemed to develop a spine. I especially liked when she walked away from her second suitor.
And then the insta-love hit. The number of times the main character fell in love with someone in this book and idolized them is astounding. She really fell in love with 3 different men in a span of weeks. Also whenever someone tried to give her advice on her love life she really didn't listen to them. This made her come off as a whiny snot-nosed brat.
The world-building was also confusing. I could give a definite time for when the story is taking place. Some modern inventions that the main character is surprised by, but there is modern speech in the text. The contents and countries are the same as our world, but there are differences. Overall, just confusing.
I DNFed this at pg. 303.
However, I did like the middle part of the book, which made DNFing difficult for me. I really thought the main character showed growth and seemed to develop a spine. I especially liked when she walked away from her second suitor.
And then the insta-love hit. The number of times the main character fell in love with someone in this book and idolized them is astounding. She really fell in love with 3 different men in a span of weeks. Also whenever someone tried to give her advice on her love life she really didn't listen to them. This made her come off as a whiny snot-nosed brat.
The world-building was also confusing. I could give a definite time for when the story is taking place. Some modern inventions that the main character is surprised by, but there is modern speech in the text. The contents and countries are the same as our world, but there are differences. Overall, just confusing.
I DNFed this at pg. 303.
I loved Torden and that side of things and would love to see him stand up to his father! I am routing for Torden the whole way and feel that yes Selah is too quick to fall in love but we have to remember she’s been very sheltered and lived a naive life. I think Bear was her introduction to the possibility of a good live but I genuinely felt there was a connection with Torden and hope they find a way to be together.
I want to read the next one mostly to see who she does choose, see her confront the stepmother, and to see if she does grow into herself more
My major complaint with this book was the ended as the sudden change in pace it felt extremely rushed and I found it difficult to understand what was actually going on. I think I may just need to read it again tomorrow when it ISNT past midnight to make sure I did get everything right.
All in all I would say this is a 3.5/5 for me. There’s enough for me to want to read the next one, but I’m concerned it’s not got enough meat to carry it forward and I’m sons seed that the next book will just be Selah pining and whining a bit too much!
We shall see!
I want to read the next one mostly to see who she does choose, see her confront the stepmother, and to see if she does grow into herself more
My major complaint with this book was the ended as the sudden change in pace it felt extremely rushed and I found it difficult to understand what was actually going on. I think I may just need to read it again tomorrow when it ISNT past midnight to make sure I did get everything right.
All in all I would say this is a 3.5/5 for me. There’s enough for me to want to read the next one, but I’m concerned it’s not got enough meat to carry it forward and I’m sons seed that the next book will just be Selah pining and whining a bit too much!
We shall see!
So let's talk.
Selah, our beautiful protagonist.
I've seen other reviews commenting on the emotional state of Selah, and how easily she pours her emotions out to others. They pointed out that as someone who is going to rule Potomac in the future, her emotions are something that she should at least try to control a little since in this book they speak heavily about the importance of gossip between the rulers and status. For her to show everyone her emotional state, I bet to an evil leader she would be their first victim because it would be easy to manipulate her and take over her lands.
To be honest, I didn't mind this about her. I could sympathize with the fact that she was more sheltered than other rising leaders. Also the shite she goes through... I would be crying too.
But why did I knock off a star?
The worldbuilding was very, very confusing.
First, I didn't really understand these places that they spoke of other than Asgard, England, and Potomac (of course). If there was a map in the front of this book I'm sure that would have helped tremendously for me and I'm sure others would feel the same way.
BUT WHEN ARE WE???
Yes, WHEN? Not where, when.
First of all, Homer was a character in the story who talked about the events of the Odeyssey, which is fine... and to be fair I do not know if Potomac is real or fictional (I should probably look it up), but at this point, I'm thinking that maybe this is farther back than what I originally thought was the nineteenth century. Maybe more greek and roman times?
Then we get to England. So.... back to the nineteenth century?
Then we get to 'Asgard', and yet again I am very confused. However, we have the introduction of radios and flannels (still in Asgard) and I have given up.
Then, a character is told to come from New York...
WHEN DOES THIS TAKE PLACE???
And then... the romance.
Selah has three different romantic interests in this story, and I knew from the start that I wanted to find out who was endgame because I couldn't handle getting heartbroken.
First, we have Peter, and their romance is easily dismissed as it was never really there in the beginning. Then we have someone else (who is never labeled as a love interest but you can NOT convince me that there wasn't chemistry between them). But he kind of faded into the shadows at times, so he too was dismissed for a while.
Her first suitor is introduced, and this second/third love interest I like. I feel like this is the romance that was actually pulling me in and made me really really love their relationship. When that turned out to be lopsided, I did feel bad when she went away again because I really liked their romance. (Though I think she did the right thing leaving).
Her second suitor, 5th-I think-in line for the throne of Asgard is very beautiful. The author makes sure to tell us how he was different and wayyyy out of her league. Selah compares her looks and worth to him so much I was very annoyed and wanted to punch her. In this relationship, it just felt so FORCED! That was kind of the point for it to be forced as he was her last hope but at the same time, I just couldn't connect with them as a couple as I did with her previous suitor. They are completely different people who are the 'same' because of 'their courage and love for others' butttttttt I didn't feel it. Even their romantic scenes felt at loss for me.
Soooooooo, you're probably thinking why I rated it 4 stars when I was confused by the worldbuilding and the romance didn't click for me? Truth be told, I think this book held a lot of promise and it wasn't that hard of a book to get through. I was still interested in reading it and enjoyed traveling with Selah through her journey on the Beholder.
I'm not sure how quickly I would be to recommend this to someone, but I don't at all think it was terrible or a bad book in any way. I will be reading the sequel, so see y'all then when I finally get off my book buying ban :)
Selah, our beautiful protagonist.
I've seen other reviews commenting on the emotional state of Selah, and how easily she pours her emotions out to others. They pointed out that as someone who is going to rule Potomac in the future, her emotions are something that she should at least try to control a little since in this book they speak heavily about the importance of gossip between the rulers and status. For her to show everyone her emotional state, I bet to an evil leader she would be their first victim because it would be easy to manipulate her and take over her lands.
To be honest, I didn't mind this about her. I could sympathize with the fact that she was more sheltered than other rising leaders. Also the shite she goes through... I would be crying too.
But why did I knock off a star?
The worldbuilding was very, very confusing.
First, I didn't really understand these places that they spoke of other than Asgard, England, and Potomac (of course). If there was a map in the front of this book I'm sure that would have helped tremendously for me and I'm sure others would feel the same way.
BUT WHEN ARE WE???
Yes, WHEN? Not where, when.
First of all, Homer was a character in the story who talked about the events of the Odeyssey, which is fine... and to be fair I do not know if Potomac is real or fictional (I should probably look it up), but at this point, I'm thinking that maybe this is farther back than what I originally thought was the nineteenth century. Maybe more greek and roman times?
Then we get to England. So.... back to the nineteenth century?
Then we get to 'Asgard', and yet again I am very confused. However, we have the introduction of radios and flannels (still in Asgard) and I have given up.
Then, a character is told to come from New York...
WHEN DOES THIS TAKE PLACE???
And then... the romance.
Selah has three different romantic interests in this story, and I knew from the start that I wanted to find out who was endgame because I couldn't handle getting heartbroken.
First, we have Peter, and their romance is easily dismissed as it was never really there in the beginning. Then we have someone else (who is never labeled as a love interest but you can NOT convince me that there wasn't chemistry between them). But he kind of faded into the shadows at times, so he too was dismissed for a while.
Her first suitor is introduced, and this second/third love interest I like. I feel like this is the romance that was actually pulling me in and made me really really love their relationship. When that turned out to be lopsided, I did feel bad when she went away again because I really liked their romance. (Though I think she did the right thing leaving).
Her second suitor, 5th-I think-in line for the throne of Asgard is very beautiful. The author makes sure to tell us how he was different and wayyyy out of her league. Selah compares her looks and worth to him so much I was very annoyed and wanted to punch her. In this relationship, it just felt so FORCED! That was kind of the point for it to be forced as he was her last hope but at the same time, I just couldn't connect with them as a couple as I did with her previous suitor. They are completely different people who are the 'same' because of 'their courage and love for others' butttttttt I didn't feel it. Even their romantic scenes felt at loss for me.
Soooooooo, you're probably thinking why I rated it 4 stars when I was confused by the worldbuilding and the romance didn't click for me? Truth be told, I think this book held a lot of promise and it wasn't that hard of a book to get through. I was still interested in reading it and enjoyed traveling with Selah through her journey on the Beholder.
I'm not sure how quickly I would be to recommend this to someone, but I don't at all think it was terrible or a bad book in any way. I will be reading the sequel, so see y'all then when I finally get off my book buying ban :)
Rating: 2,5 stars.
This review has mild spoilers and talks about the plot of the book.
I can't with a clear conscience give this book 3 stars, I simply did not like it enough for that and I think it has way too many issues to deserve the same amount of stars that I gave Shadow and Bone.
Before going on a rant about the issues I had with the book, I want to say that I found the book alright. It did pick up after the mid-point and I was enjoying myself for a while. It was fun to see the different countries within the world (even though I was missing a map!!!) and some of the characters were really fun to read about. I think it was nice to see the main character's growth at the end of the book, even if it was nowhere near what I think it should have been. It was fairly easy to read and the second half had a good pacing. I did sort of like this book, but it had a lot of stuff that ruined my reading experience. Here are my issues with The Beholder:
Problem #1:
This book was just plain boring and a real drag to get through for the first 200(!) pages. It seemed like nothing happened and I severely struggled to get a hang of what the underlining plot was. If I hadn't been reading this for a buddyread, I doubt I would have made it through it (and I try to never DNF books).
Problem #2:
It's a mixture of lots of fairytales, countries, customs etc. I actually enjoyed the part that was set in "my country" (Norway/Norge), apart from the cringe-worthy random additions of Norwegian words, some misspelled and some used wrongly. But it felt like the last part of the book was heavily influenced by Norse mythology and the Vikings, but they also have radio transmitters and a lot of modern speech??? I just really struggled to get the hang of which time this was set in, and yes I know that is a fantasy world based on our own, but it seemed to be picking out pieces from so many historical periods that it was a mess to try to understand. I might have enjoyed it if there was a little less elements to the story, but sadly it just became a big mess to me.
Problem #3:
The heroine is very unlikeable. I really struggled with reading only her perspective. I wish we had got to see the story from several povs. Selah is very naïve, she is childish and nothing like you would think the future leader of a country to be. She has absolutely no air of leadership and she is bossed around through the entire book. She is way too passive for my tastes, it seemed like she (and through her: I) was just floating along with the journey across the sea, never taking control of aaaanything.
Problem #4, which ties in with #2:
There are so many characters. The entire crew of Selah's ship, and the full families of two suitors made for a huge mess of names and appearances that really made me lose my pace while reading. Some of these characters are supposed to be very important to the main character, but we never see them??? Where are they!? Let me get to know them too!!
Problem #5 (and the last one):
Who is the antagonist?? What is the main struggle of the book? Where is the main plot? The thing that is pushing the plot forward is barely even mentioned throughout the book. The ending is hugely unsatisfying, since it left me with even more questions than when I began reading. Nothing is really resolved?? We don't know any more about this main plot than we did when it was introduced?? But like 10 smaller plot-lines have been introduced and also not solved.
TLDR:
This book was like a huge sequel to something I am no longer interested in reading. Very confusing. Definitely not for me.
This review has mild spoilers and talks about the plot of the book.
I can't with a clear conscience give this book 3 stars, I simply did not like it enough for that and I think it has way too many issues to deserve the same amount of stars that I gave Shadow and Bone.
Before going on a rant about the issues I had with the book, I want to say that I found the book alright. It did pick up after the mid-point and I was enjoying myself for a while. It was fun to see the different countries within the world (even though I was missing a map!!!) and some of the characters were really fun to read about. I think it was nice to see the main character's growth at the end of the book, even if it was nowhere near what I think it should have been. It was fairly easy to read and the second half had a good pacing. I did sort of like this book, but it had a lot of stuff that ruined my reading experience. Here are my issues with The Beholder:
Problem #1:
This book was just plain boring and a real drag to get through for the first 200(!) pages. It seemed like nothing happened and I severely struggled to get a hang of what the underlining plot was. If I hadn't been reading this for a buddyread, I doubt I would have made it through it (and I try to never DNF books).
Problem #2:
It's a mixture of lots of fairytales, countries, customs etc. I actually enjoyed the part that was set in "my country" (Norway/Norge), apart from the cringe-worthy random additions of Norwegian words, some misspelled and some used wrongly. But it felt like the last part of the book was heavily influenced by Norse mythology and the Vikings, but they also have radio transmitters and a lot of modern speech??? I just really struggled to get the hang of which time this was set in, and yes I know that is a fantasy world based on our own, but it seemed to be picking out pieces from so many historical periods that it was a mess to try to understand. I might have enjoyed it if there was a little less elements to the story, but sadly it just became a big mess to me.
Problem #3:
The heroine is very unlikeable. I really struggled with reading only her perspective. I wish we had got to see the story from several povs. Selah is very naïve, she is childish and nothing like you would think the future leader of a country to be. She has absolutely no air of leadership and she is bossed around through the entire book. She is way too passive for my tastes, it seemed like she (and through her: I) was just floating along with the journey across the sea, never taking control of aaaanything.
Problem #4, which ties in with #2:
There are so many characters. The entire crew of Selah's ship, and the full families of two suitors made for a huge mess of names and appearances that really made me lose my pace while reading. Some of these characters are supposed to be very important to the main character, but we never see them??? Where are they!? Let me get to know them too!!
Problem #5 (and the last one):
Who is the antagonist?? What is the main struggle of the book? Where is the main plot? The thing that is pushing the plot forward is barely even mentioned throughout the book. The ending is hugely unsatisfying, since it left me with even more questions than when I began reading. Nothing is really resolved?? We don't know any more about this main plot than we did when it was introduced?? But like 10 smaller plot-lines have been introduced and also not solved.
TLDR:
This book was like a huge sequel to something I am no longer interested in reading. Very confusing. Definitely not for me.
Beautiful cover, but the plot was nonsensical. It wasn't even remotely intriguing and well, the plot happens to Selah. While she is supposed to rule, I would actually be worried if she did rule. Because the basis of her alliance is finding someone who is trying to be everything she wants it to be.
Which in real life wasn't the case. And there was seriously no pragmatic considerations about anything of the story, and it was just throwing random cultures into here without actually making an effort to integrate them or just using it to add a nice touch. The names are right, but I found that the plot had no cohesion.
And no way to make her choose hard choices, kingdom, love, power or anything that would matter for someone like her. She has a country to eventually rule, and that is only impossible should her stepmother have actual children (she's pregnant but I don't see anything to suggest that the healthcare of this world is probably 21st century, and even then, women died in childbirth, miscarriages happen. Most would place the odds on Selah, because she is actually alive and nearing adulthood, rather than an unborn baby. If it was a child, a stepsibling, then yes I could see it. But before it's even out of the womb, unlikely.)
As it doesn't see her having to get used to the idea that marriage even in these times are one thing, money and power. It didn't matter, and she being able to see her own groom that was lucky. And some courtship, I'm just surprised that it didn't end. Although her stepmother wanting her away that was fair enough. But I found the whole plot ridiculous, the blatant random throwing of a smattering of countries names which are all legitimate countries, without really expanding on it. And just slotting Potomac into perhaps the early modern world. Without an explanation of even where it is, and even by the end, I still barely know anything about the country.
And the ending was almost bizarre, and I felt that the whole premise just wasn't right with a lot of gaps just to get the story going. And even more just to make it to the end.
Overall, a disappointment.
Which in real life wasn't the case. And there was seriously no pragmatic considerations about anything of the story, and it was just throwing random cultures into here without actually making an effort to integrate them or just using it to add a nice touch. The names are right, but I found that the plot had no cohesion.
And no way to make her choose hard choices, kingdom, love, power or anything that would matter for someone like her. She has a country to eventually rule, and that is only impossible should her stepmother have actual children (she's pregnant but I don't see anything to suggest that the healthcare of this world is probably 21st century, and even then, women died in childbirth, miscarriages happen. Most would place the odds on Selah, because she is actually alive and nearing adulthood, rather than an unborn baby. If it was a child, a stepsibling, then yes I could see it. But before it's even out of the womb, unlikely.)
As it doesn't see her having to get used to the idea that marriage even in these times are one thing, money and power. It didn't matter, and she being able to see her own groom that was lucky. And some courtship, I'm just surprised that it didn't end. Although her stepmother wanting her away that was fair enough. But I found the whole plot ridiculous, the blatant random throwing of a smattering of countries names which are all legitimate countries, without really expanding on it. And just slotting Potomac into perhaps the early modern world. Without an explanation of even where it is, and even by the end, I still barely know anything about the country.
And the ending was almost bizarre, and I felt that the whole premise just wasn't right with a lot of gaps just to get the story going. And even more just to make it to the end.
Overall, a disappointment.