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emiontour's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
I just couldn't put these books down.
mrbear's review against another edition
4.0
I can see why this book is highly rated by many - it is by all accounts an impressive and imaginative story, with some (though not many) twists and turns. However, for me this book fell a bit flat. The scale was too large but somehow unrealized, people were too powerful (orogenes, stone eaters, etc.), the scenes were too rushed, and too many decisions were made based on random emotional whims. It felt very much to me like a book that could have been great with years of work, but was simply too hard to get right in just a couple. That’s a bit of a shame.
In the end, the series as a whole suffers for it. Thinking back, I can’t honestly say there are really any characters I liked or cared about, and many of them I didn’t even understand the motivations of (Nassun being top of the list - an 11 year old with such strong and randomly developed opinions about the world and what to do to it). There’s an extent to which 4 stars feels too generous for how I really feel about this book and series, but at the same time, I acknowledge that from a creativeness perspective, it deserves the score.
I draw many parallels to the Mistborn trilogy in my mind, which also ended with an attempt to pull the first books together cleanly, but did so in a way I found more satisfying. Many of the threads that are brought up in this book felt unexplained. The world of Syl Anagist was merely hinted at as the end product of many years of cocky technological advancement and certainty of human supremacy - a theme definitely interesting enough to have spent more time on. The major events in the book, like the rifting, could have been explained more. The fallout of the event could have been clearer, and the reason why, in the aftermath of the event, civilization *immediately* declines into barbarism (despite the fact that everyone knows about Seasons and anticipates them) should maybe have been discussed. The book features too many logical flaws for a series that clearly prides itself on being about the details.
Overall, I’m left with the feeling that this series could easily have been so much more. Indeed, that it could have been far and away the best book in this Fantasy Sci Fi blend genre, but instead is just another promising, intriguing, but ultimately forgettable tale.
In the end, the series as a whole suffers for it. Thinking back, I can’t honestly say there are really any characters I liked or cared about, and many of them I didn’t even understand the motivations of (Nassun being top of the list - an 11 year old with such strong and randomly developed opinions about the world and what to do to it). There’s an extent to which 4 stars feels too generous for how I really feel about this book and series, but at the same time, I acknowledge that from a creativeness perspective, it deserves the score.
I draw many parallels to the Mistborn trilogy in my mind, which also ended with an attempt to pull the first books together cleanly, but did so in a way I found more satisfying. Many of the threads that are brought up in this book felt unexplained. The world of Syl Anagist was merely hinted at as the end product of many years of cocky technological advancement and certainty of human supremacy - a theme definitely interesting enough to have spent more time on. The major events in the book, like the rifting, could have been explained more. The fallout of the event could have been clearer, and the reason why, in the aftermath of the event, civilization *immediately* declines into barbarism (despite the fact that everyone knows about Seasons and anticipates them) should maybe have been discussed. The book features too many logical flaws for a series that clearly prides itself on being about the details.
Overall, I’m left with the feeling that this series could easily have been so much more. Indeed, that it could have been far and away the best book in this Fantasy Sci Fi blend genre, but instead is just another promising, intriguing, but ultimately forgettable tale.
danielcasey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
vkealy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
steffan20's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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
5.0
arufo29's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
sushizhan's review against another edition
4.0
I can understand why the first two books of this won awards. (It’s still too early to know for the 3rd book, but it could def win another Hugo).
It’s not just a great concept — it’s well-written, almost poetic when I read it. There’s a lot of quotable portions of it I almost regret not being into annotating my books.
Anyhow, I gave this 4 stars because this book clears up a lot of who’s talking and why it’s been in 2nd person POV all this time and my love for Essun, Nassun, Alabaster, Hoa, the Castrima folks have greatly increased after the things that happened in book 2 and 3. I rated book 2 quite well, but it was very.. meh of a second book. This third book though, this is much better and still challenges the reader to decipher for themselves certain things.
Storytelling, characters, world-building, the series really is best read all in one go, if you can. (Like with most book series,IMO). I def recommend reading, if you have the book. I also recommend the audiobook, the narrator is quite good!
It’s not just a great concept — it’s well-written, almost poetic when I read it. There’s a lot of quotable portions of it I almost regret not being into annotating my books.
Anyhow, I gave this 4 stars because this book clears up a lot of who’s talking and why it’s been in 2nd person POV all this time and my love for Essun, Nassun, Alabaster, Hoa, the Castrima folks have greatly increased after the things that happened in book 2 and 3. I rated book 2 quite well, but it was very.. meh of a second book. This third book though, this is much better and still challenges the reader to decipher for themselves certain things.
Storytelling, characters, world-building, the series really is best read all in one go, if you can. (Like with most book series,IMO). I def recommend reading, if you have the book. I also recommend the audiobook, the narrator is quite good!
itsraymondhello's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25