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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I Really enjoyed this book and the way Grace Draven can write such complex stories in not only one book but so few pages astounds me! This book is great for any high fantasy lover or some one in a bit of a book slump which i am both.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty good but for sure the weakest of her books I have read. Characters were just okay, but they were still pretty interesting. The relationship in contrast wasn't really that interesting but I think the story still carried, and made this quite an enjoyable read.
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was well written but I wasn't sold on the romance. It felt like that particularly was told rather than shown. I liked the characters alright but didn't love them the way you want to in these kinds of books.
This high fantasy is almost more romance than fantasy. Martise is sent by the Conclave to apprentice to the mage Silhara. But the Conclave does not trust their brother, Silhara, due to his disregard for authority and his hermit-like lifestyle. Martise is actually sent to spy on him, and find something that the Conclave can use to finally be rid of him once and for all. Well, we all know what happens next. :P This reminded me of [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542921s/60510.jpg|1180409] due to the setting, and the forbidden relationship between a powerful, dangerous, and misunderstood man and a servant. It also had a similar pace. There was a lot of underlying issues with magic and mystery. But most of the book was of Martise and Silhara working together and studying, similar to Poison Study.
And Silhara and Martise are amazing characters both. Silhara is gloomy and stern but hard working and passionate about the things he cares about. And hot! He is extremely tall and lithe, with bronze skin and raven black hair to his waist. Martise is a servant who is used to being quiet and submissive, but Silhara irritates her like no other and she cant resist occasionally being defiant. Their romance is very slow and smoldering, before it explodes with some very sexy scenes. Again, Silhara is extremely passionate and they are both extremely loyal and determined. It has a great ending, better than Poison Study.
And Silhara and Martise are amazing characters both. Silhara is gloomy and stern but hard working and passionate about the things he cares about. And hot! He is extremely tall and lithe, with bronze skin and raven black hair to his waist. Martise is a servant who is used to being quiet and submissive, but Silhara irritates her like no other and she cant resist occasionally being defiant. Their romance is very slow and smoldering, before it explodes with some very sexy scenes. Again, Silhara is extremely passionate and they are both extremely loyal and determined. It has a great ending, better than Poison Study.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Giving this a 4 star because it started off pretty slow, but once it had me hooked, I was all in!
Grace Draven is such a wonderful storyteller of mystic worlds that don’t feel like any other author I have read.
She weaves an elaborate story with magic, a slow burn of a relationship, and a fight against an ancient darkness that is enthralling. I had to go and grab the other books in this series so I could continue on this saga.
Grace Draven is such a wonderful storyteller of mystic worlds that don’t feel like any other author I have read.
She weaves an elaborate story with magic, a slow burn of a relationship, and a fight against an ancient darkness that is enthralling. I had to go and grab the other books in this series so I could continue on this saga.
The good- Gurn, the smelly dog, the writing, the spice, the Kurman women (horny and can own property, love that for them)
The bad- Martise never really finding her backbone, Silhara never really being less of a dick
The ugly- how many times I had to read the word “master”, how many times we had to hear about how plain Martise is, the asshole priest (??) survives, and to be honest the whole world never really felt fleshed out. I mean what is the Conclave?? Who knows
3.5 stars and I hope Martise eventually leaves Silhara to go eat pray love and find herself
The bad- Martise never really finding her backbone, Silhara never really being less of a dick
The ugly- how many times I had to read the word “master”, how many times we had to hear about how plain Martise is, the asshole priest (??) survives, and to be honest the whole world never really felt fleshed out. I mean what is the Conclave?? Who knows
3.5 stars and I hope Martise eventually leaves Silhara to go eat pray love and find herself
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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:
No
Grace Draven is one of my favorite authors, but this book was my least favorite of hers. It was slow and repetitive, with the magic system unexplained for a lot of the book. I forced myself to read it and even skipped chapters. The writing was not as beautiful as her other books, although it was descriptive and gave visual of a dark world seeped in magic. The characters were strong, endearing, and you were hoping for success throughout the story (much like her other books) but I found the plot to take too long to develop and didn’t understand what was actually the challenge until more than halfway through.