dalidja's review

3.75
adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
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: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The role of pathfinders is definitely intriguing to me. I love that Shea is so capable, smart, and cunning etc. Only thing I wish there was a bit more romance with Fallon and her.
adventurous medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

All four stars are for Shea lol. I loved her so much, I need all my fmcs to be like her tbh. Really just liked how good she was at what she did and how she wouldn't take any shit from anyone. Also the fact that she was doing the rescuing most of the time?? Loved it.

Also loved the world and found it really interesting, would love to see and learn more about all the beasts and stuff. Would so read a series where each book is just her dealing with a different one lol.

As much as I loved all that, I wasn't a huge fan of the last 20% when Shea's identity was revealed. Mostly because of how she was treated by Fallon and everyone else afterwards. Like had Fallon been like 'damn, can't believe the amazing guy who saved my life is also the girl who saved my life' and actually treated her like someone who saved him twice over, not to mention the amount of times her brains saved his men. But nope, he had to just treat her like a servant instead. Like part of it I got - like he couldn't just immediately treat her amazingly because she did lie to him and if he did so his men probably wouldn't like that - but the way he didn't let up on it at all? His + the troops' treatment of her during the last like 5% of the book with the horse and shit?? Ugh. And the way he was like 'either you leave or you become my mistress'?? C'mon.
adventurous challenging fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

This is an interesting fantasy read. It's set in a dystopian world filled with monsters and a hint of magic. The protagonist is cunning and frequently outsmarts all of those around her, but still has a lot to learn about herself. Shea is a pathfinder whose job is to help guide people through the wilderness safely. 

The one odd thing about this book is the romance seems to kick in towards the last 80% of the book. The first 80% reads as an action-fantasy and then the last 20% reads as a romantasy. I understand why, but it does feel like a somewhat of an abrupt shift.
adventurous funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: Yes

I liked this book a lot. I loved the heroine. She was badass in a very believable way. The romance in this book is secondary. A lot of the other reviews didn’t like Fallon, he was fine. Not my fav alpha male character… honestly just not on her level lol. Why is this man always being caught?
skaiste's profile picture

skaiste's review

4.75
adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Loveable characters: Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No