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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
The Binding was one of my absolute favourite books of last year, so my expectations going into this book were very high, which is always a dangerous place to start from. Initially, I found the worldbuilding more confusing than mysterious: very little is explained, and a lot is left to the imagination. While I did like the sense of mystery it created, I would have wished for just a little more background information, to feel a little more grounded in the story.
Bridget Collins' writing is incredible. This books reads as good (if not better than) the Binding, and if you are someone who loves gorgeous language above all else you are guaranteed to love this book. The plot is gripping and will keep you on the edge of your seat constantly. The twist literally made me slap the book, completely unpredictable and gasp-out-loud shocking.
I would love to give this book five raging stars, but sadly it fell short for me on two counts. First, the school (and the game) itself. I absolutely adore the premise of this book, and the background atmosphere of the story. It felt like Collins scratched the surface of a lot of different ideas, without properly developing any of them, which left my hanging in the balance more often than not, unsure of what exactly was going on and why. A part of that is the "historical" backdrop: many aspects of the book's setting had little to no impact on the story (especially the blatant and unresolved sexism throughout the book), making me wonder why it was included at all. Again, there were hints at the bigger picture that were seldom fully explained.
The second is the distinct lack of any character development. I will not go into detail on this (because spoilers!), but the ending did leave me with a feeling of "...that's it?". I was missing a central theme throughout the book, a central plot element being resolved. Something that would wrap up the story in a more satisfying way.
I did enjoy this book immensely while reading it, and was unable to put it down at all for the last 200 pages, needing to know what happens next. It is certainly a good book, just (for me at least) not the masterpiece I was hoping for.
Bridget Collins' writing is incredible. This books reads as good (if not better than) the Binding, and if you are someone who loves gorgeous language above all else you are guaranteed to love this book. The plot is gripping and will keep you on the edge of your seat constantly. The twist literally made me slap the book, completely unpredictable and gasp-out-loud shocking.
I would love to give this book five raging stars, but sadly it fell short for me on two counts. First, the school (and the game) itself. I absolutely adore the premise of this book, and the background atmosphere of the story. It felt like Collins scratched the surface of a lot of different ideas, without properly developing any of them, which left my hanging in the balance more often than not, unsure of what exactly was going on and why. A part of that is the "historical" backdrop: many aspects of the book's setting had little to no impact on the story (especially the blatant and unresolved sexism throughout the book), making me wonder why it was included at all. Again, there were hints at the bigger picture that were seldom fully explained.
The second is the distinct lack of any character development. I will not go into detail on this (because spoilers!), but the ending did leave me with a feeling of "...that's it?". I was missing a central theme throughout the book, a central plot element being resolved. Something that would wrap up the story in a more satisfying way.
I did enjoy this book immensely while reading it, and was unable to put it down at all for the last 200 pages, needing to know what happens next. It is certainly a good book, just (for me at least) not the masterpiece I was hoping for.
There's such a thing as too much mystery. The whole book centres around the characters playing the "grand jeu", which is some elusive mix of math, music, and composition that's never made clear. There's a whole POV from someone called The Rat, but we never find out who they are. The writing has the same lovely ethereal quality I enjoyed from The Binding, but I'm feeling left with more questions than answers...
Man ļoti reti kad ir sajūta, ka kādu grāmatu gribēšu izlasīt vēlreiz. Šeit ir tā sajūta. Nezinu, kā var tā mācēt aprakstīt emocijas un dzīvi.
Collins has such a knack for creating worlds and atmosphere. As with The Binding this was intriguing and enjoyable, with some nice imagery. In my opinion some sections could have used editing for brevity because they slowed the pace (I found the same with the Binding so this could be more my struggle with fantasy and world building in general) but overall I enjoyed it.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lots of good twists and turns, very atmospheric, I hope to read many other books by this author
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Incredibly slow, the last 1/3 of fhe book was my favorite part.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes