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m4tchabearv's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
youngling80's review
3.75
I'm always looking for books that my daughter would enjoy (and are appropriate for her to read), and this is one of those that fits the bill. It's a clean story with strong female characters that don't always have to be the center of attention, and male characters that have integrity and honor. Themes of magic, corruption of powers, political intrigue, found family, jealousy, competition in friendships, a light romance - a lot of themes that hit that YA sweet spot.
This is definitely a debut novel ... it lacks the eloquence of some of Ross's later work, but it's still an enjoyable novel and something I feel my daughter will enjoy greatly.
This is definitely a debut novel ... it lacks the eloquence of some of Ross's later work, but it's still an enjoyable novel and something I feel my daughter will enjoy greatly.
biliboc_diana_simona's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
parke20j's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
connie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
erikajay's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so good!
Pros:
-I love the idea of the 5 passions! And the passions that she chose were really interesting and definitely reflect the society that Brienna grew up in.
-Cartier! He obviously cares about her so much.
-The whole world building. There’s history to each family and the realm, which is well thought out and explained clearly.
-Jourdain will do anything to protect Amadine. At first, I didn’t like how quickly the two accept each other as father/daughter. But I came to love it! It doesn’t have to be complicated. They chose to have a positive relationship and make the best of things.
-The ability to experience your ancestor’s memories is really interesting.
-I feel like is VERY accurate how her one sister (I can’t remember the name, but the one also studying knowledge) was jealous of Brienna. I feel like it should have come up WAY before a few days before graduation - maybe 3 years ago when Brienna suddenly barged into studying knowledge? But it’s still accurate.
Cons
-I honestly would have liked to see more of why the king was so bad. We don’t get much of a feel for that except for that fact that he’s male and there’s supposed to be a queen on the throne.
-I hated how Brienna ruins her last lesson with Cartier and refuses to go after the best placement because her sister is jealous of her. Do what is best for you!
-As I said, the quick father/daughter thing with Jourdain was a bit rushed to me, but in the end I was okay with it.
Pros:
-I love the idea of the 5 passions! And the passions that she chose were really interesting and definitely reflect the society that Brienna grew up in.
-Cartier! He obviously cares about her so much.
-The whole world building. There’s history to each family and the realm, which is well thought out and explained clearly.
-Jourdain will do anything to protect Amadine. At first, I didn’t like how quickly the two accept each other as father/daughter. But I came to love it! It doesn’t have to be complicated. They chose to have a positive relationship and make the best of things.
-The ability to experience your ancestor’s memories is really interesting.
-I feel like is VERY accurate how her one sister (I can’t remember the name, but the one also studying knowledge) was jealous of Brienna. I feel like it should have come up WAY before a few days before graduation - maybe 3 years ago when Brienna suddenly barged into studying knowledge? But it’s still accurate.
Cons
-I honestly would have liked to see more of why the king was so bad. We don’t get much of a feel for that except for that fact that he’s male and there’s supposed to be a queen on the throne.
-I hated how Brienna ruins her last lesson with Cartier and refuses to go after the best placement because her sister is jealous of her. Do what is best for you!
-As I said, the quick father/daughter thing with Jourdain was a bit rushed to me, but in the end I was okay with it.
claramj27's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hardinthepages's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0