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sallashelves's review
2.0
Full review:
https://bookstoldmeso.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-realm-of-beasts-legend-of.html#more
I couldn't get into the plot at all. The writing was good in many places, but the book didn't offer an opening to get in and form any connections with the plot or the characters.
https://bookstoldmeso.blogspot.com/2019/02/review-realm-of-beasts-legend-of.html#more
I couldn't get into the plot at all. The writing was good in many places, but the book didn't offer an opening to get in and form any connections with the plot or the characters.
kitvaria_sarene's review
2.0
This didn't work for me at all. For personal enjoyment I would even give it 1*, but as the other books I gave 1* are really awful I will go up to 2* for this one.
The world was interesting, the characters decently well done, but the writing itself just was an absolute "nope"for me.
First it's too many things like "her powerful calves" or "her fat legs" (not sure about the exact wording anymore) which just felt off to me. Also plenty of "males" and "females". I just find it strange to address a character as a "female".
Then even though there is sex scene at all and no real romance in the book either, there's quite some sections like (again not the exact wording) "leaner than the females he copulated with in the other land". -> Why do I need to know that? Or how she often used her charms on men, but not this time...
And then there was one name - Novor Tur Woodberry - that got repeated over and over and over and over so much, that I think I will have to punch something if I have to read it again. I think it was a style choice? But using the whole long name in almost every sentence instead of "he" or any other word annoyed the hell out of me.
So the plot and characters and world would have made it a 3 star for me, but the writing just grated from page one to the very end. If it wasn't pretty short I would never have made it to the end...
Not to say that the style can't work for other readers - it just wasn't my cup of tea at all...
The world was interesting, the characters decently well done, but the writing itself just was an absolute "nope"for me.
First it's too many things like "her powerful calves" or "her fat legs" (not sure about the exact wording anymore) which just felt off to me. Also plenty of "males" and "females". I just find it strange to address a character as a "female".
Then even though there is sex scene at all and no real romance in the book either, there's quite some sections like (again not the exact wording) "leaner than the females he copulated with in the other land". -> Why do I need to know that? Or how she often used her charms on men, but not this time...
And then there was one name - Novor Tur Woodberry - that got repeated over and over and over and over so much, that I think I will have to punch something if I have to read it again. I think it was a style choice? But using the whole long name in almost every sentence instead of "he" or any other word annoyed the hell out of me.
So the plot and characters and world would have made it a 3 star for me, but the writing just grated from page one to the very end. If it wasn't pretty short I would never have made it to the end...
Not to say that the style can't work for other readers - it just wasn't my cup of tea at all...
jlynnelseauthor's review
3.0
This is an interesting start to a new series by Ford. I found the world and the beasts very intriguing. However, I didn't like the main characters. They were inconsistent and didn't do much to influence the plot. Many things happen around them, but they do very little to affect the climax. For some reason, Citrine has problems with her memory which isn't fully explained. Tor Lir is captured for most of the book and is either emotionally flat or lusting after women.
All in all, I'd read more from this author. The world intrigued me enough to discover more adventures.
All in all, I'd read more from this author. The world intrigued me enough to discover more adventures.
inked_up_bookshelf's review
2.0
I listened to this novel via Audible and honestly it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It lacked the enthusiasm. I felt I was going through the motions of listening to an old school teacher. I wanted thrill lust danger. Sadly it fel very short for me
nbjackson's review
2.0
I wanted to love this book. The cover art is gorgeous. The idea of a man with no name but with a humongous destiny. An enchantress dedicating herself to creating a spell of protection over herself and her magical beasts. A great protector over a peaceful land guiding the two together into saving the world. I went into this book expecting glorious creatures and a D&D adventure feel. This is book one in a six-part series.
The creatures when described were really cool but they didn’t really come into play beyond dialogue with the Enchantress Citrine until the climax and the ending. To be fair the creatures were in hiding from the evil that The Nameless One and Citrine were trying to stop.
The writing style made me extremely uncomfortable. I’m okay with mentioning sexual things, for goodness sake I’ve read ACOTAR, but there is a line of objectification and at many points, the author crosses it. I actually stopped the audiobook to double-check that the author was a woman because if it had been a man describing a woman that way I would have DNF’d it right then and there. Since it was a woman I gave it the benefit of doubt of it just being one character's perspective but as the story went on it was obvious it was just her writing style. There were no actual sex scenes in the book but the characters regularly compare them to past “copulations” even when no sexual advances or even flirting has happened. It felt like I was listening to 13-year-old boys playing D&D before they had even seen a woman.
She is extremely descriptive of every little detail but for me, it was too many adjectives that made it feel like someone was describing a movie scene by scene rather than pulling me under into the story. I didn’t feel anything for the characters.
I stopped to read other people's Goodreads reviews to decide if I should finish the book and so many of the reviews were glowing and supportive that I pushed through it but I will not be reading the sequels.
If you are interested in giving this book a chance I do recommend reading the other GoodReads reviews to get encouragement on how this book would be a better fit for you than it was for me.
The creatures when described were really cool but they didn’t really come into play beyond dialogue with the Enchantress Citrine until the climax and the ending. To be fair the creatures were in hiding from the evil that The Nameless One and Citrine were trying to stop.
The writing style made me extremely uncomfortable. I’m okay with mentioning sexual things, for goodness sake I’ve read ACOTAR, but there is a line of objectification and at many points, the author crosses it. I actually stopped the audiobook to double-check that the author was a woman because if it had been a man describing a woman that way I would have DNF’d it right then and there. Since it was a woman I gave it the benefit of doubt of it just being one character's perspective but as the story went on it was obvious it was just her writing style. There were no actual sex scenes in the book but the characters regularly compare them to past “copulations” even when no sexual advances or even flirting has happened. It felt like I was listening to 13-year-old boys playing D&D before they had even seen a woman.
She is extremely descriptive of every little detail but for me, it was too many adjectives that made it feel like someone was describing a movie scene by scene rather than pulling me under into the story. I didn’t feel anything for the characters.
I stopped to read other people's Goodreads reviews to decide if I should finish the book and so many of the reviews were glowing and supportive that I pushed through it but I will not be reading the sequels.
If you are interested in giving this book a chance I do recommend reading the other GoodReads reviews to get encouragement on how this book would be a better fit for you than it was for me.
emilythesmelly's review
3.0
I had some pacing issues with this one. I felt like too many characters were introduced too soon, but their paths didn't cross (even though it was clear that they were going to) for too long, so it felt like the book never really got started. Then, when they were finally together and The Real Story began, I felt like we were almost done. Also thought that there was a lot of really sexual narration even though this wasn't a sexy book? A weird dissonance there.
foreverinastory's review
2.0
I really thought I'd like this book. Between the cover, the synopsis and the overall vibe, it seemed like the perfect fit for me. But sadly, nothing worked for me.
First off, I really hated the narrator. Their voice grated on my nerves and made it hard to concentrate on the story. The world and overall plotline of good vs evil was okay, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about either of the main characters. None of their motivations were relatable to me and it made it hard to connect to this story.
The combination of narrator and lack of interest makes this story not for me unfortunately.
First off, I really hated the narrator. Their voice grated on my nerves and made it hard to concentrate on the story. The world and overall plotline of good vs evil was okay, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about either of the main characters. None of their motivations were relatable to me and it made it hard to connect to this story.
The combination of narrator and lack of interest makes this story not for me unfortunately.
aconitecafe's review
5.0
This book was so hard to put down! I had so much adulting to do, and spent hours wondering how it would end. Citrine is a well rounded character, she has flaws and weakness. She has strength but it's a instant hero. Tor Lir is also not the sure of himself, these are traits I looks for in fantasy books. I want to discover them discover themselves. Loved all of the mythical creatures, each with their own distinct personalities. A great start to a series, and so glad I read Citrine's Monsters first. It gave me a bit of secret insight. Highly recommend it. I look forward to exploring more of Angela J. Fords books, her words are a pleasure to read.
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