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tkahler's review against another edition
1.0
The idea behind the book held promise and I was eager to read it, but after the first few chapters it took me weeks to finish the book.
It read like a rough draft. Interesting concepts that needed developed and edited with a harsh hand. The main character's internal monologues vacillated between repetitive, confusing, and annoying. The action jumped from scene to scene with little development or trite and tired litany. Most of the characters were flat.
All in all, I like the author's imagination and I hope in the future she devotes more time to the editing process.
It read like a rough draft. Interesting concepts that needed developed and edited with a harsh hand. The main character's internal monologues vacillated between repetitive, confusing, and annoying. The action jumped from scene to scene with little development or trite and tired litany. Most of the characters were flat.
All in all, I like the author's imagination and I hope in the future she devotes more time to the editing process.
thebalancedbri's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
chelsea_not_chels's review against another edition
2.0
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
Sigh. What a disappointment this one was. Recommended for people who liked Uprooted, which I loved, I found that it ultimately fell flat and felt more like the conclusion to a series, or at least a middle book, than it did a first book.
The story follows Elanna Valtai, who is taken hostage by the king of her country in exchange for her parents' good behavior after the foiling of a rebellion they were attempting to foment. Raised by the king like his second daughter, Elanna has become fiercely loyal to king and country and scores her home province, her family that never came for her, etc. Until the king dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is framed for the murder, and she throws everything she's ever loved out the window not to clear her name, but instead to support the very rebellion she scorned for so long and to embrace the magic she's always hated.
There is absolutely no consistency in Elanna's character. Yes, she is nineteen and some allowances can be made; but she flipflops between causes and decisions and abandons things she's loved and believed in her entire life so easily. She has no constancy in her character and it made me really dislike her as a heroine. I loved the idea of her magic, of her waking the land to go win it back for her people, but the way it was done just felt rushed. There are so many different possibilities Bates jumps between here, but she abandons them without developing them and left me wondering why they were introduced in the first place. This also affected the pacing, making it seem like a sprint for the finish instead of a slow building and developing of characters and world. There is so much potential here, but the jumpiness of the story meant that much of it was left undeveloped and underutilized. And the side characters! While Elanna's countrymen are wonderful, for some reason Elanna is one of those characters that everyone falls in love with, even though she's absolutely horrible.
This was such a frustrating book to read because I just kept wanting it to be more. More developed, more thought out, with more consistent characters--all of it. There was so much cool stuff in here, but it was never really brought out and used in the ways that would have best highlighted it, and it felt like Bates was trying to stuff three books' worth of plot into one, which didn't work out.
2 stars out of 5.
Sigh. What a disappointment this one was. Recommended for people who liked Uprooted, which I loved, I found that it ultimately fell flat and felt more like the conclusion to a series, or at least a middle book, than it did a first book.
The story follows Elanna Valtai, who is taken hostage by the king of her country in exchange for her parents' good behavior after the foiling of a rebellion they were attempting to foment. Raised by the king like his second daughter, Elanna has become fiercely loyal to king and country and scores her home province, her family that never came for her, etc. Until the king dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is framed for the murder, and she throws everything she's ever loved out the window not to clear her name, but instead to support the very rebellion she scorned for so long and to embrace the magic she's always hated.
There is absolutely no consistency in Elanna's character. Yes, she is nineteen and some allowances can be made; but she flipflops between causes and decisions and abandons things she's loved and believed in her entire life so easily. She has no constancy in her character and it made me really dislike her as a heroine. I loved the idea of her magic, of her waking the land to go win it back for her people, but the way it was done just felt rushed. There are so many different possibilities Bates jumps between here, but she abandons them without developing them and left me wondering why they were introduced in the first place. This also affected the pacing, making it seem like a sprint for the finish instead of a slow building and developing of characters and world. There is so much potential here, but the jumpiness of the story meant that much of it was left undeveloped and underutilized. And the side characters! While Elanna's countrymen are wonderful, for some reason Elanna is one of those characters that everyone falls in love with, even though she's absolutely horrible.
This was such a frustrating book to read because I just kept wanting it to be more. More developed, more thought out, with more consistent characters--all of it. There was so much cool stuff in here, but it was never really brought out and used in the ways that would have best highlighted it, and it felt like Bates was trying to stuff three books' worth of plot into one, which didn't work out.
2 stars out of 5.
titania86's review against another edition
2.0
Lady Elanna Valtai was kidnapped and held hostage to keep her father in check by the king. Raised in his court for most of her life, she is loyal to the royal family and calls her father and the rest of her own people from Caeris savages and backward thinking people. Elanna renounces her magic power and wants to become a botanist. When the king is killed with a poison mushroom, Elanna is automatically blamed and has to run or be executed with no trial. The only people who help her are those fighting for revolution to turn the corrupt monarchy to a just system. Elanna doesn't believe them until the evidence is right in her face and slowly starts to realize the lies she's been fed throughout her life. While she help the revolution or leave to find her own life somewhere else?
The Waking Land has an interesting premise and setup. I've read a lot of books lately that have two societies where one has conquered the other to oppress them and take away everything they held dear. This one is different in Elanna actually believing the awful things about her own heritage. Even though she is regularly mocked for her heritage, she tries to set herself apart and completely assimilate with the conquering society by rejecting her native language, her culture, and her father. This shows how people can be brainwashed against their own culture, through history lessons through the lens of the winner and bigoted treatment by everyone around them, and develop self hating behaviors that they justify to themselves. As the book goes on, Elanna finds out the truth through the lies she's been told and has to figure out a totally new world view to adapt.
Unfortunately, this is the only really interesting thing about this novel. Elanna turns out to be very wishy washy as the book goes on. One minutes she's totally commited to a revolution and the next she's right back to being selfish. This goes on for far too long. A similar thing happens when she continually refuses a person who says they can help her learn more about her powers. Why would she say no? She has no idea what she can do. The romance doesn't take time to develop and seems there because it's expected to be. Her powers are amorphous and having sex for the first time seems to make her more powerful for no defined reason. That particular scene where she "wed the land" was odd to say the least. The conclusion seems too easy after almost completely losing and everything is conveniently resolved at the end except for one person's death who could have easily been saved by his best friend. It's a weird detail to add just after the fact and makes that particular character seem like a sociopath.
The Waking Land starts out really well and then descends into Elanna making the same mistakes and going back and forth on several decisions. After a while, it grows frustrating and the book could have easily been a third shorter had all that flip flopping been taken out. Callie Bates has potential to be a good writer because her prose flows well, but there are so many things I don't like about the story and its mechanics. I'm only reading the second book because I already own it and may as well.
The Waking Land has an interesting premise and setup. I've read a lot of books lately that have two societies where one has conquered the other to oppress them and take away everything they held dear. This one is different in Elanna actually believing the awful things about her own heritage. Even though she is regularly mocked for her heritage, she tries to set herself apart and completely assimilate with the conquering society by rejecting her native language, her culture, and her father. This shows how people can be brainwashed against their own culture, through history lessons through the lens of the winner and bigoted treatment by everyone around them, and develop self hating behaviors that they justify to themselves. As the book goes on, Elanna finds out the truth through the lies she's been told and has to figure out a totally new world view to adapt.
Unfortunately, this is the only really interesting thing about this novel. Elanna turns out to be very wishy washy as the book goes on. One minutes she's totally commited to a revolution and the next she's right back to being selfish. This goes on for far too long. A similar thing happens when she continually refuses a person who says they can help her learn more about her powers. Why would she say no? She has no idea what she can do. The romance doesn't take time to develop and seems there because it's expected to be. Her powers are amorphous and having sex for the first time seems to make her more powerful for no defined reason. That particular scene where she "wed the land" was odd to say the least. The conclusion seems too easy after almost completely losing and everything is conveniently resolved at the end except for one person's death who could have easily been saved by his best friend. It's a weird detail to add just after the fact and makes that particular character seem like a sociopath.
The Waking Land starts out really well and then descends into Elanna making the same mistakes and going back and forth on several decisions. After a while, it grows frustrating and the book could have easily been a third shorter had all that flip flopping been taken out. Callie Bates has potential to be a good writer because her prose flows well, but there are so many things I don't like about the story and its mechanics. I'm only reading the second book because I already own it and may as well.
tangledinwordsandyarn's review against another edition
4.0
I really really enjoyed this book. The struggles that Elanna faces are written in such a realistic manner. I thought that this was yet another fantasy book in which women truly kick ass. I would love to read more about this world!
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2017/06/2017-book-96.html
I was eager to read this because the publisher compares it to Naomi Novik's Uprooted, but it doesn't have the charm or skill of that book. I mean, it's fine, it's your usual girl-with-magic thrust into a position of power amidst political turmoil fantasy kind of book--which I like--and the magic and politics here are pretty interesting, as are most of the characters. The problem is really the protagonist, who clumsily changes her mind about EVERYTHING like every five pages, so she seems really petulant and wishy-washy--which I doubt is the intent. I actually think this book would have benefited from being longer, when usually I feel like this kind of story is dragged out too far--this could have really benefited from some character development, and the end feels really rushed. There is also a romance and it is fine, if occasionally overdone. Shrug? B.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on June 27th.
I was eager to read this because the publisher compares it to Naomi Novik's Uprooted, but it doesn't have the charm or skill of that book. I mean, it's fine, it's your usual girl-with-magic thrust into a position of power amidst political turmoil fantasy kind of book--which I like--and the magic and politics here are pretty interesting, as are most of the characters. The problem is really the protagonist, who clumsily changes her mind about EVERYTHING like every five pages, so she seems really petulant and wishy-washy--which I doubt is the intent. I actually think this book would have benefited from being longer, when usually I feel like this kind of story is dragged out too far--this could have really benefited from some character development, and the end feels really rushed. There is also a romance and it is fine, if occasionally overdone. Shrug? B.
__
A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on June 27th.
leahb88's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
xplodybrain's review against another edition
3.0
The breakdown:
While trying to escape her 14 year political captivity, the daughter of a rebellious lord is taken hostage again, but this time by her own people. Returned to her homeland to which she'd forsaken, she must come to terms with her developing and forbidden powers, the land that seems to know and respond to her, and all the while also navigating her role within a threat of reawakened rebellion.
What there is to like:
-Very much a tale of female empowerment and agency, but not at the expense of the story's male characters. I should add that there wasn't any obvious pointing at said empowerment.
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing.
-Self-discovery is a big theme across the book whether it be the main protag or the people around her.
Caution (as a matter of personal taste):
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing. Seriously, some readers do not like intentional intrigue so fair warning as both a pro and a con.
-There is a glaring character continuity issue that I feel like an editor should've caught. Because I don't know if anyone but me will notice, I will not mention what specifically. Feel free to comment me with your guesses/observations.
-Some, what I feel, was unnecessary exposition at times.
-Some key characters felt a little bit flat, as if merely there to fulfill a role and therefore stamped with said part's trope charateristics and little else.
For:
-Women and Teens. I'm not sure why this is coded as General sci-fi when it seems more appropriate in Teen fantasy/adventure...perhaps because the protagonist, at 19 years of age, is on the cusp?
-This read as basically a "light" version of The Lord of the Rings crossed with a PG-13 version of GoT. I mean, really, the traditional fantasy characters are present (dwarves, elves, and human), but represented by a single species (humankind) and moved to a time period roughly somewhere/time in the 1700's Britain.
Final:
Overall a very quick and fun read, but in hindsight, somewhat forgettable and derivative. Having said that, I will probably pick up the sequel(s) if there are any because it really was a fast (read most of it in a single sitting) and entertaining read.
While trying to escape her 14 year political captivity, the daughter of a rebellious lord is taken hostage again, but this time by her own people. Returned to her homeland to which she'd forsaken, she must come to terms with her developing and forbidden powers, the land that seems to know and respond to her, and all the while also navigating her role within a threat of reawakened rebellion.
What there is to like:
-Very much a tale of female empowerment and agency, but not at the expense of the story's male characters. I should add that there wasn't any obvious pointing at said empowerment.
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing.
-Self-discovery is a big theme across the book whether it be the main protag or the people around her.
Caution (as a matter of personal taste):
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing. Seriously, some readers do not like intentional intrigue so fair warning as both a pro and a con.
-There is a glaring character continuity issue that I feel like an editor should've caught. Because I don't know if anyone but me will notice, I will not mention what specifically. Feel free to comment me with your guesses/observations.
-Some, what I feel, was unnecessary exposition at times.
-Some key characters felt a little bit flat, as if merely there to fulfill a role and therefore stamped with said part's trope charateristics and little else.
For:
-Women and Teens. I'm not sure why this is coded as General sci-fi when it seems more appropriate in Teen fantasy/adventure...perhaps because the protagonist, at 19 years of age, is on the cusp?
-This read as basically a "light" version of The Lord of the Rings crossed with a PG-13 version of GoT. I mean, really, the traditional fantasy characters are present (dwarves, elves, and human), but represented by a single species (humankind) and moved to a time period roughly somewhere/time in the 1700's Britain.
Final:
Overall a very quick and fun read, but in hindsight, somewhat forgettable and derivative. Having said that, I will probably pick up the sequel(s) if there are any because it really was a fast (read most of it in a single sitting) and entertaining read.
epreece229's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75