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bookish_emily's review against another edition
4.0
The Waking Land follows Elanna Valtai, a young woman who has grown up as a hostage in a foreign court since the age of 5. She is now 19, and as that court destabilizes she finds herself adrift and on her way back to the homeland she barely remembers. She must embrace the powers she has suppressed most of her life and decide who she truly is if she is to have any hope of saving the lands and people she holds dear. This book is a refreshing fantasy perfect for the often neglected late teens/early twenties age group, and anyone who enjoys strong female characters. The world-building draws heavily on existing cultures (Scottish/Celtic, French, Greek), but that makes it relatable. All in all, an enjoyable read.
sierraxwriterland's review against another edition
The main character is the most annoying, righteous, obnoxious character who thinks she knows everything DESPITE being brainwashed by a hostage kingdom and suppressing all her magic. She keeps defending the hostage kingdom when it is made very obvious she's been brainwashed and force fed lies. It is beyond stupid
sophiaonthefarm's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.5
hebberelle's review against another edition
3.0
This book was too long. It would also very nice tale in a new, wonderful world, but it was so long and so convoluted that the story was lost in the hard trek through the pages. I would have liked this much more of it had been half as long.
moshalala's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
newamsterdame's review against another edition
2.0
The Waking Land starts off with a fast-moving plot and a fascinating central emotional conflict. The world-building is lush, and the main character's narration is clear and compelling. However, I would have loved for the narration to linger more on the main character's emotional conflicts and especially her eventual changes of heart. About halfway through the book, the plot begins to move so quickly that there's no time to linger on anything, and barely enough time to understand why the main character is making the choices she does. It becomes increasingly difficult to buy into her relationships with other characters, even when the audience is told how strong those bonds are meant to be. This is particularly noticeable in the relationship between the main character and her central love interest. Both characters-- and the entire cast, really-- have a lot of potential, but the audience doesn't get to know them well enough to buy into their relationships and feel for their losses and difficult decisions. For a book with a dramatic tagline about the main character destroying what she holds dear, the promise of that internal strife and difficult decision-making never really plays out in the narration and emotions of the book. There's a lot of potential here, but the story really needed to slow down and allow its characters to develop.