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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed TSDT, and was really excited to read this one. I thought the first book was great start, and really enjoyed the world building. That was a 3.5-4/5.
Overall, it delivered. I listened to both books on audio, and the narrators did a great job. The only downside for me was the third quarter of the book - things dragged quite a bit, and it felt like that section just needed to be pushed through. The action scenes were well described and tense, with my only complaint being the overuse of the “so-and-so waited for the blow to come but it didn’t because so-and-so showed up.” The last quarter was great, though, and it was worth it in the end. The ending leaves us in a great position for the final installment. Really interested to see how this trilogy finishes up.
Overall, it delivered. I listened to both books on audio, and the narrators did a great job. The only downside for me was the third quarter of the book - things dragged quite a bit, and it felt like that section just needed to be pushed through. The action scenes were well described and tense, with my only complaint being the overuse of the “so-and-so waited for the blow to come but it didn’t because so-and-so showed up.” The last quarter was great, though, and it was worth it in the end. The ending leaves us in a great position for the final installment. Really interested to see how this trilogy finishes up.
This is a light dnf with the possibility of coming back to it in the future. I absolutely LOVED The Stardust Thief, which makes me so sad I couldn't get into the sequel.
Its only been three months since I read book 1, so its not a problem of forgetting. The characters just dont feel the same to me. The relationships between everyone is very odd, and I feel like the glue that held the story together is gone.
The Stardust Thief grabbed my attention and had me intrigued from the very beginning, and nothing in the first 17% of this book has done that for me yet
~Also, and lot of the reviews ive read say this is FILLED with action but I hadn't gotten that impression in the first 17% not to say its not true, i just wish I had felt that way sooner
Its only been three months since I read book 1, so its not a problem of forgetting. The characters just dont feel the same to me. The relationships between everyone is very odd, and I feel like the glue that held the story together is gone.
The Stardust Thief grabbed my attention and had me intrigued from the very beginning, and nothing in the first 17% of this book has done that for me yet
~Also, and lot of the reviews ive read say this is FILLED with action but I hadn't gotten that impression in the first 17% not to say its not true, i just wish I had felt that way sooner
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
After absolutely loving The Stardust Thief, I was so excited to continue this series with The Ashfire King.
I liked this book, but I think I could have loved it like just as much as first one if 1) I read it closer to when I finished the first book, if only it were out then, and 2) I read it with my eyes rather than my ears.
I think a lot of the magic of the story was lost in the audio version. It’s no fault of the narrators—they did fine. Just for me personally, this is the kind of book I think I should have experienced visually. I know I will reread this trilogy one day and that’s for sure the way I’m going to do it.
This book, like the first one, leaves off on a cliffhanger that has me hungry for the finale. I am excited to read it to discover what happens next.
Overall, even though I ended up not loving this book as much as the first one, I think this is still an excellent series and it’s one I would recommend.
I liked this book, but I think I could have loved it like just as much as first one if 1) I read it closer to when I finished the first book, if only it were out then, and 2) I read it with my eyes rather than my ears.
I think a lot of the magic of the story was lost in the audio version. It’s no fault of the narrators—they did fine. Just for me personally, this is the kind of book I think I should have experienced visually. I know I will reread this trilogy one day and that’s for sure the way I’m going to do it.
This book, like the first one, leaves off on a cliffhanger that has me hungry for the finale. I am excited to read it to discover what happens next.
Overall, even though I ended up not loving this book as much as the first one, I think this is still an excellent series and it’s one I would recommend.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review coming very soon
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
Note: I received an advance review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
I gave this book the same rating as [b:The Stardust Thief|58950705|The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy, #1)|Chelsea Abdullah|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636396304l/58950705._SY75_.jpg|91801906], but for very different reasons. The sense of wonder from book 1 wasn’t *quite* there, but I was happy that the characters were more fleshed-out, and their relationships more thoroughly explored. I loved that there were multiple villains, and that atonement was a major theme. I also loved some of the new characters, like Amina and Rijah, but disliked how “on the nose” the feminism aspect was (females are strong and fearless! males are cowards!). I was also annoyed by the scattered plot with too many side quests as well as the inconsistent and confusing expanded lore. Above all, I felt like most of the book was simply filler action: bad decisions leading to consequences. I kept zoning out while reading and was fed up with Loulie or Mazen going like “I have an idea” and everyone just going along without question. This type of behaviour could be expected from twenty-something humans… but century-old magical beings...? If the characters had communicated and planned, the book would have been 75% shorter… and that’s saying a lot.
Pros and cons of the series so far:
❤️ Rich worldbuilding and intriguing lore
❤️ Strong female characters
❤️ In-page stories
❤️ Action sequences
❌ Too many Arabic terms
❌ Meh MMC
❌ Repetitive use of cliché phrases
❌ Pacing issues
❌ Lots of telling vs. showing
Trigger warnings for the series: violence, death and murder (parent, child, etc.), grief, blood and gore, injury and injury detail, torture, fire and fire injury, genocide, physical and emotional abuse, kidnapping and confinement, toxic relationship, war, sexism and misogyny, animal death, panic attacks/disorders, hate crimes, slavery, sexual assault, etc.
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
I gave this book the same rating as [b:The Stardust Thief|58950705|The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy, #1)|Chelsea Abdullah|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636396304l/58950705._SY75_.jpg|91801906], but for very different reasons. The sense of wonder from book 1 wasn’t *quite* there, but I was happy that the characters were more fleshed-out, and their relationships more thoroughly explored. I loved that there were multiple villains, and that atonement was a major theme. I also loved some of the new characters, like Amina and Rijah, but disliked how “on the nose” the feminism aspect was (females are strong and fearless! males are cowards!). I was also annoyed by the scattered plot with too many side quests as well as the inconsistent and confusing expanded lore. Above all, I felt like most of the book was simply filler action: bad decisions leading to consequences. I kept zoning out while reading and was fed up with Loulie or Mazen going like “I have an idea” and everyone just going along without question. This type of behaviour could be expected from twenty-something humans… but century-old magical beings...? If the characters had communicated and planned, the book would have been 75% shorter… and that’s saying a lot.
Pros and cons of the series so far:
❤️ Rich worldbuilding and intriguing lore
❤️ Strong female characters
❤️ In-page stories
❤️ Action sequences
❌ Too many Arabic terms
❌ Meh MMC
❌ Repetitive use of cliché phrases
❌ Pacing issues
❌ Lots of telling vs. showing
Trigger warnings for the series: violence, death and murder (parent, child, etc.), grief, blood and gore, injury and injury detail, torture, fire and fire injury, genocide, physical and emotional abuse, kidnapping and confinement, toxic relationship, war, sexism and misogyny, animal death, panic attacks/disorders, hate crimes, slavery, sexual assault, etc.
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
Love the world building and the relationships! Excited for the next book!