You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Light fantasy read, thankfully no smut in sight
This first volume was a very easy read. What I appreciated the most was that it's fantasy, not romantasy — finally a break from all the smut scenes that seem to follow you everywhere these days.
The story itself is quite light. We follow Alina, our orphaned female protagonist, who becomes a cartographer basically to survive and have something to eat. Then, surprise surprise, she finds out she has some crazy powers that could potentially save the world. But because she’s young and, well... not the brightest, she immediately falls under the spell of the classic shadowy daddy-type villain. We've seen it before.
Thankfully, she starts learning from her mistakes, and the book ends with her and her best friend trying to come up with a way to fight back against evil.
It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t bad either. A solid “meh” — but enjoyable enough if you’re in the mood for something light and not emotionally draining.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the plot didnt feel smooth, i felt like we were just thrown into the book and left to delt with it. i think it did kind of missed a few descriptions of the setting bc i had kind of a hard time reading it although i rlly liked it i felt like there was something missing especially in terms of the romance? they just started liking each other ig there wasnt build up and anticipation but it did kept me reading the whole day
i liked the darkling during the first part whyd he have to be the villain grr i rlly though we were having a peeta gale moment with mal but ok i guess
i also didnt vibe with the characters that much
i liked the darkling during the first part whyd he have to be the villain grr i rlly though we were having a peeta gale moment with mal but ok i guess
i also didnt vibe with the characters that much
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
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:
Complicated
A good mix of fantasy, political intrigue, and swoon. I would read the sequel. Recommended for fans of Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, and Cinda Williams Chima.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book definitely feels very YA in how it’s written, as I have definitely read more compelling fantasy books, but this was still an enjoyable read.
A few of the twists were predictable, but other parts stood out as well-written world building paragraphs, or passages of text that described a dark or morbid event that sent a shiver down my spine.
A few of the twists were predictable, but other parts stood out as well-written world building paragraphs, or passages of text that described a dark or morbid event that sent a shiver down my spine.
