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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
I think this one could have been 5 stars but the transition from the slow paced first half to the fast paced second half was too jarring. However the worldbuilding was unbelievably complex and incredible!
This book is a feminist fantasy epic, and the language is absolutely gorgeous. My favourite thing about the book was probably that it was pretty gay, and I love fantasy in which being gay isn’t noteworthy or even commented on. There are also dragons, and I love dragons. The plot is really well formulated and unfolds in a well paced and dramatic way. Because Shannon develops such a deep lore behind every region and religion in the book, the plot and every character's action carries the weight of destiny behind them. There are 4 points of view for the narrative, and some of them are separated by continents, which gives the narrative a sprawling and vast feeling. The book very much reads like several books stitched together, and Shannon luckily possesses the skill to make that happen. The only thing that bothered me is that the characters in this book are so so intriguing, but are not quite fleshed out enough. They’re not quite two dimensional, but in moments of conflict they sometimes fall a bit flat. I think Shannon made a strategic decision to sacrifice some character development for plot, which I can’t be too mad about. So: would recommend, but wish it was a trilogy!
adventurous
challenging
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. The vastness of this universe is beyond my ability to describe it while also touching home and my heart in so many up close and personal ways. This book has everything I could ever ask for in a fantasy novel: dragons, multi-religious conflicts (that mirror current religious conflicts in a crazy way) the most beautiful world/setting building, political intrigue, insanely well-written prose, feminist governments, and most of all, PERSONAL GROWTH. I fell so in love with these characters and how all of them across the entire universe came together for a unifying purpose despite intense personal and religious conflicts.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No