Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have little to no interest 200 pages in and i'm just not in the mood to continue a book like that. Also i didn't like book 1 enough to force it.
I'll be honest, I had a disconnect straight away with the 3 year time skip. I'm not really a fan of how the civil war just ✨️happens✨️. Yes we knew it would - but to drop us in the middle and it basically be a background fact ? Because it definitely doesn't feel like its effecting Taishi or Jian. Going from book 1 were they were in the middle of it all, being chased, to having the main conflict now be background to them just,, idc. Also 3 year time skip and you spend 200 pages and they're still JUST training?? I understand that he had issues with his original training and needs it unlearning - BUT 3 YEARS?? And obv i want to see the progress - but either get rid of the time skip and have the progress in real time, or speed it up jesus.
Sali is the same - 3 years and she is still looking for a cure?? And again a similar issue - i get that she has been helping her people rebuild what little they can salvage - but 3 YEARS?? This actually specifically annoyed me because the whole will of the khan thing seemed to disappear and not be in effect during the last 3rd of book 1 - but now your full throttle hitting us with it in book 2? No.
Qisami - idec. Like its basically started her story afresh. Idc. And i should - because the duchess seems right up my alley for fc - but i couldn't care less. You went from the end of book 1 where all these plots where tgth - to now all 3 are SO seperated and different i just ?? I have such a disconnect from 1 to 2. Its like the end of book 1 was the end of a trilogy and book 2 is the start of a new one.
I'll be honest, I had a disconnect straight away with the 3 year time skip. I'm not really a fan of how the civil war just ✨️happens✨️. Yes we knew it would - but to drop us in the middle and it basically be a background fact ? Because it definitely doesn't feel like its effecting Taishi or Jian. Going from book 1 were they were in the middle of it all, being chased, to having the main conflict now be background to them just,, idc. Also 3 year time skip and you spend 200 pages and they're still JUST training?? I understand that he had issues with his original training and needs it unlearning - BUT 3 YEARS?? And obv i want to see the progress - but either get rid of the time skip and have the progress in real time, or speed it up jesus.
Sali is the same - 3 years and she is still looking for a cure?? And again a similar issue - i get that she has been helping her people rebuild what little they can salvage - but 3 YEARS?? This actually specifically annoyed me because the whole will of the khan thing seemed to disappear and not be in effect during the last 3rd of book 1 - but now your full throttle hitting us with it in book 2? No.
Qisami - idec. Like its basically started her story afresh. Idc. And i should - because the duchess seems right up my alley for fc - but i couldn't care less. You went from the end of book 1 where all these plots where tgth - to now all 3 are SO seperated and different i just ?? I have such a disconnect from 1 to 2. Its like the end of book 1 was the end of a trilogy and book 2 is the start of a new one.
adventurous
funny
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:
Complicated
I really enjoyed the first book The Art of Prophecy, so I was really looking forward to the sequel (book three is due out later this year). The Art of Destiny ended up having some middle-book-in-a-trilogy issues. I liked most of the characters from the first book, but the second seemed to introduce so many more characters that I found myself repeatedly flipping to the list of characters at the front to figure out who was who only to realize that the short blurbs were little more enlightening and eventually gave up. The action remains excellent and I continue to enjoy the world-building, but the plot replaced the relatively straightforward arcs of the first book with complex political machinations and moved the prophesied conflict between the Hero of Tiandi and the Eternal Khan of the Katuia in an entirely separate storyline from everything else. I largely enjoyed The Art of Destiny, but it very much read as though it were delivering the reader from the first book to the third rather than being a great book in its own right.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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
Wesley Chu the man that you are. No one could every make me hate you.
This might be the first serious review I've took the time to write in a good minute. Five-star ratings on books is a rarity for me. While one could argue that this novel is underserving of a perfect rating, I could give less of a rat's ass. This series has such a large affection in my heart. You can see how much Wesley Chu cares for this world and its characters, the devotion and care woven in these novels is actually insane.
Reading this series is just so fun! Reading never seems like a chore with this series, no matter if the version I had of this novel was over a thousand pages. These novels never take themselves too seriously, as so many series nowadays do, but it also lets itself stand as an intricate adventure series full of badass, heroic and maniacal people. CANNOT get enough of it.
The charm of the first novel still remains present in this sequel. With a slow pace (I don't care what people say it was such a win for me) and very descriptive world Chu has crafted this masterpiece of politics, world building and fight scenes that are just so full of character. The POVs were more distant from each other in this novel, but we have a payoff of that in the form of different character arcs being built across the world. While I have more affection for certain characters, I'm never left uncaring of the new characters presented in this novel. Wesley Chu has this knack for creating side characters that support the building of his narrative while also proving to live outside of it, as if they were living breathing creatures of their own merit.
Never again will I think I'm adding too many female characters to my own narrative, Wesley Chu has taught me more can never be enough.
I loved the character development. I loved Sali. I was always rooting for Qisami. I absolutely ADORED Jian, a character full of SO much heart. (Comparing the last chapter of this novel to his first introduction in the first novel has got to be soooo rewarding.) Taishi is the literal love of my life. I liked Lao. I liked Sunri. I like Hampa. I liked Daewon. I liked all of Qisami's little ragtag group. I even liked Cykk, his little useless bitchass. I loved Taishi's old friends (and enemies' that old baddie know who I'm talking about). I love how so many side characters impact so many things. I loved the character interactions, even when some of the got repetitive. Aghh characters actually matter and lie in the heart of this book it has me raving AGHHH.
I don't give a shit I want MORE. I expect novellas of random adventures of the side characters and shit.
In the beginning I told myself this novel felt like a filler arc, but I actually loved that about it. I actually resent how the very notion of that sentence insinuates negative feelings, because I still stand by that statement. The pacing of this novel wasn't as straightforward as you see in more mainstream fantasy/action narratives. It works for this novel, and it honestly has me wishing more novels took this route. So many book reviewers on Goodreads (me included sometimes) are so intent on rating novels based on the balance and intricacy of their integrity that sometimes our enjoyment we had while reading them is set aside for what seems to be a "fair rating". Sometimes I think the negatives we have regarding these novels actually add to its charm.
You have to let yourself get attached to the characters and just run for the ride baby. If you don't you ain't gonna have no fun.
I laughed, I didn't cry, and when I thought a specific character died, I almost went bannanas! (Literally lost my shit bro let me tell you I literally gasped, Chu is despicable for that one bro LMAO). This book had me in a chokehold and I will miss its grasp.
Wesley Chu if you give me that third book before you completely release it, I'll name my kid after you. :D
This might be the first serious review I've took the time to write in a good minute. Five-star ratings on books is a rarity for me. While one could argue that this novel is underserving of a perfect rating, I could give less of a rat's ass. This series has such a large affection in my heart. You can see how much Wesley Chu cares for this world and its characters, the devotion and care woven in these novels is actually insane.
Reading this series is just so fun! Reading never seems like a chore with this series, no matter if the version I had of this novel was over a thousand pages. These novels never take themselves too seriously, as so many series nowadays do, but it also lets itself stand as an intricate adventure series full of badass, heroic and maniacal people. CANNOT get enough of it.
The charm of the first novel still remains present in this sequel. With a slow pace (I don't care what people say it was such a win for me) and very descriptive world Chu has crafted this masterpiece of politics, world building and fight scenes that are just so full of character. The POVs were more distant from each other in this novel, but we have a payoff of that in the form of different character arcs being built across the world. While I have more affection for certain characters, I'm never left uncaring of the new characters presented in this novel. Wesley Chu has this knack for creating side characters that support the building of his narrative while also proving to live outside of it, as if they were living breathing creatures of their own merit.
Never again will I think I'm adding too many female characters to my own narrative, Wesley Chu has taught me more can never be enough.
I loved the character development. I loved Sali. I was always rooting for Qisami. I absolutely ADORED Jian, a character full of SO much heart. (Comparing the last chapter of this novel to his first introduction in the first novel has got to be soooo rewarding.) Taishi is the literal love of my life. I liked Lao. I liked Sunri. I like Hampa. I liked Daewon. I liked all of Qisami's little ragtag group. I even liked Cykk, his little useless bitchass. I loved Taishi's old friends (and enemies' that old baddie know who I'm talking about). I love how so many side characters impact so many things. I loved the character interactions, even when some of the got repetitive. Aghh characters actually matter and lie in the heart of this book it has me raving AGHHH.
I don't give a shit I want MORE. I expect novellas of random adventures of the side characters and shit.
In the beginning I told myself this novel felt like a filler arc, but I actually loved that about it. I actually resent how the very notion of that sentence insinuates negative feelings, because I still stand by that statement. The pacing of this novel wasn't as straightforward as you see in more mainstream fantasy/action narratives. It works for this novel, and it honestly has me wishing more novels took this route. So many book reviewers on Goodreads (me included sometimes) are so intent on rating novels based on the balance and intricacy of their integrity that sometimes our enjoyment we had while reading them is set aside for what seems to be a "fair rating". Sometimes I think the negatives we have regarding these novels actually add to its charm.
You have to let yourself get attached to the characters and just run for the ride baby. If you don't you ain't gonna have no fun.
I laughed, I didn't cry, and when I thought a specific character died, I almost went bannanas! (Literally lost my shit bro let me tell you I literally gasped, Chu is despicable for that one bro LMAO). This book had me in a chokehold and I will miss its grasp.
Wesley Chu if you give me that third book before you completely release it, I'll name my kid after you. :D
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes