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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
This book was shockingly surface-level? Violet was an avenue for the plot rather than an actual character, with the vast majority of her growth and struggles and development happening off page during time jumps. Aleksander at least had some depth to him, but he is technically the secondary character to Violet’s protagonist.
The descriptions and scenery were lovely and really lended the story a refined and flowery air. I understand why the book is comp’d to Addie LaRue (between the writing and also the lack of agency in the protagonist).
The biggest missed opportunities were: there’s no attempt made to explain how the reveurite works / what the Scholars do / why they’re so powerful, instead there are some corruptions hinted at but not explained or dismantled; and Violet and Aleksander’s entire relationship hinges on conversations and a connection that doesn’t actually take place on the page, instead skipped over as “they talk for hours every week for months” which is not remotely the same as selling your audience on their connection or chemistry.
And the only secondary/minor characters with any depth are… Penelope. And that’s it. Everyone else could honestly have just not been there and nothing would have been different.
I have high hopes for Summers’ future, but this debut was only okay.
{Thank you Redhook for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
The descriptions and scenery were lovely and really lended the story a refined and flowery air. I understand why the book is comp’d to Addie LaRue (between the writing and also the lack of agency in the protagonist).
The biggest missed opportunities were: there’s no attempt made to explain how the reveurite works / what the Scholars do / why they’re so powerful, instead there are some corruptions hinted at but not explained or dismantled; and Violet and Aleksander’s entire relationship hinges on conversations and a connection that doesn’t actually take place on the page, instead skipped over as “they talk for hours every week for months” which is not remotely the same as selling your audience on their connection or chemistry.
And the only secondary/minor characters with any depth are… Penelope. And that’s it. Everyone else could honestly have just not been there and nothing would have been different.
I have high hopes for Summers’ future, but this debut was only okay.
{Thank you Redhook for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you liked Divine Rivals, or Starling House, this has the same feel. Mortal against god, curse of an orphan. I really enjoyed it, however if you’re looking for romance or spice this is very tame. And no super happy ending either. And a huge unanswered question. But I still really enjoyed it!
I am so sad that this has to be a DNF at 65%, you can tell that I have really tried to give the book a fair chance but I just couldn’t bring myself to read any further than this. The book has an interesting premise with the promise of grand world building ,curses and mysterious portals to other worlds that opens with a key BUT it really fell flat in execution. I couldn’t really make sense of the world or the rules it abides by, the mix of magic realism just added more complexity. I kept getting frustrated because I couldn’t fully grasp the idea of the world and thus I was unable to focus on the plot which on the other hand felt quite dragged. I hadn’t felt any sense of intrigue with any of the characters either which is unfortunate, their chemistry and interactions felt super lackluster and the prose was unnecessarily dramatic/flowery. Sadly this isn’t a book for me
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit: the more I think about this and see other reviews, the more I'm leaning even lower than my original rating. 2.5-3.
I was going back and forth between a three and a four stars for this... The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards three, but part of that I can see being personal rather than a reflection on the quality of the book.
I'm sure this is going to be a hit when it finds the right audience, but I could see some not loving this. If you like those slow, atmospheric types of novels, I think you will love this story. If you're looking for something fast-paced with fully developed characters and clear answers at the end, I think this should be a pass for you.
The world is expansive and interesting, and that is truly the highlight of the story. I kept wanting to learn more and explore all of it. The writing is so beautifully descriptive that it makes the environment come to life. I found the concept unique and interesting.
The plot is probably where my enjoyment fizzled a little. There's always a lot going on, but at times it felt like it dragged, and it took until part 3 to hook me to the point where I couldn't put it down. Once it hit that point, I was all in. If you're okay with slower-paced stories, books that make you take your time when reading, then this will work for you.
There was something I found lacking in the characters as well. You aren't just in Violet's head, so you end up knowing more than she does, which ends up being frustrating and makes her feel a little underdeveloped. I also think the romance was rushed at the end. I liked them individually and together, but something was missing, and the ending didn't feel as earned as I wanted it to be.
For a debut, this is interesting, and I would be interested to see what this author does next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was going back and forth between a three and a four stars for this... The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards three, but part of that I can see being personal rather than a reflection on the quality of the book.
I'm sure this is going to be a hit when it finds the right audience, but I could see some not loving this. If you like those slow, atmospheric types of novels, I think you will love this story. If you're looking for something fast-paced with fully developed characters and clear answers at the end, I think this should be a pass for you.
The world is expansive and interesting, and that is truly the highlight of the story. I kept wanting to learn more and explore all of it. The writing is so beautifully descriptive that it makes the environment come to life. I found the concept unique and interesting.
The plot is probably where my enjoyment fizzled a little. There's always a lot going on, but at times it felt like it dragged, and it took until part 3 to hook me to the point where I couldn't put it down. Once it hit that point, I was all in. If you're okay with slower-paced stories, books that make you take your time when reading, then this will work for you.
There was something I found lacking in the characters as well. You aren't just in Violet's head, so you end up knowing more than she does, which ends up being frustrating and makes her feel a little underdeveloped. I also think the romance was rushed at the end. I liked them individually and together, but something was missing, and the ending didn't feel as earned as I wanted it to be.
For a debut, this is interesting, and I would be interested to see what this author does next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really enjoyed the world building and magic system of this book. It scratched the corner of my brain that loves fairy tales and the concept of adventure quite nicely. I’m not really a fan of open endings, but it was entertaining nonetheless