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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have questions....
To Kill a Shadow starts off so strong, the idea and premises, the crisis that this world is going through is well thought out but not greatly set up. In Asidian there is no more sun, the people believe the land has been cursed. We enter into the 50th year of the curse and meet Kiara. She's a girl living in a small village with her mother, father and brother Liam. Kiara isn't well liked in her village because of an incident that happened 10 years ago causing people to miss trust her and for her to always wear gloves as well as avoid touch. Its easy to like Kiara in the beginning and to feel for her and see her love for her brother, so her actions to protect him make sense, seeing as they are rounding up people to be warriors the actions of the hand of death switching her out for her brother makes sense. After that things kinda go down hill for me.
Spoilers coming up
Her size was mentioned too much, her strength and abilities was mentioned so much it was maddening. Once they got to the knights training grounds too much was about how she shouldn't be better than everyone but she was, also everyone loved her, she made zero enemies except for Adam but he's quickly kicked out and she goes on being perfect. Despite how weird it is that a little girl like her is the best she's obviously the best, and everyone wants to be her friend and work with her. It got real tiring. Then theres the instant love. Because of the sun thing I understand the connection and that they would be drawn to one another but it goes to far.
Once there are out on their mission, the back and forth, I won't be with her cause we can't be together then next time its Jude's point of view, we're all going to die theres no surviving this, it was giving me whip lash. I understand being unsure and how characters can change their mind but his back and forth of will he try to be with her or not was too much and his inner monologue of arguments made no sense when his primary reason for not being with her was because he was her commander, when he thought everyone was dead and they wouldn't make it back, it makes no sense to pull rank there and then.
The thing that bugged me the most was also the thing I liked the most, the world building the setting. Love the idea, but I kept having questions. Did just their kingdom loose the sun, has everyone tried to go out through the mist and find the end? Have they been completely cut off from everyone else? If they are, what's everyone eating? has agriculture completely stopped? Jude references going out and all the knights dying, that's why they are forcing people to sign up. Not once we do see anyone but the group of 4 adult knights with the recruits, but theres 3 groups to be sent out, two of the non recruit knights are with this group and one never leaves the training area. Are there more knights? did everyone not die? why don't they also take the guard? I could keep going, I will definitely read book two, really hoping things can get expanded on.
To Kill a Shadow starts off so strong, the idea and premises, the crisis that this world is going through is well thought out but not greatly set up. In Asidian there is no more sun, the people believe the land has been cursed. We enter into the 50th year of the curse and meet Kiara. She's a girl living in a small village with her mother, father and brother Liam. Kiara isn't well liked in her village because of an incident that happened 10 years ago causing people to miss trust her and for her to always wear gloves as well as avoid touch. Its easy to like Kiara in the beginning and to feel for her and see her love for her brother, so her actions to protect him make sense, seeing as they are rounding up people to be warriors the actions of the hand of death switching her out for her brother makes sense. After that things kinda go down hill for me.
Spoilers coming up
Her size was mentioned too much, her strength and abilities was mentioned so much it was maddening. Once they got to the knights training grounds too much was about how she shouldn't be better than everyone but she was, also everyone loved her, she made zero enemies except for Adam but he's quickly kicked out and she goes on being perfect. Despite how weird it is that a little girl like her is the best she's obviously the best, and everyone wants to be her friend and work with her. It got real tiring. Then theres the instant love. Because of the sun thing I understand the connection and that they would be drawn to one another but it goes to far.
Once there are out on their mission, the back and forth, I won't be with her cause we can't be together then next time its Jude's point of view, we're all going to die theres no surviving this, it was giving me whip lash. I understand being unsure and how characters can change their mind but his back and forth of will he try to be with her or not was too much and his inner monologue of arguments made no sense when his primary reason for not being with her was because he was her commander, when he thought everyone was dead and they wouldn't make it back, it makes no sense to pull rank there and then.
The thing that bugged me the most was also the thing I liked the most, the world building the setting. Love the idea, but I kept having questions. Did just their kingdom loose the sun, has everyone tried to go out through the mist and find the end? Have they been completely cut off from everyone else? If they are, what's everyone eating? has agriculture completely stopped? Jude references going out and all the knights dying, that's why they are forcing people to sign up. Not once we do see anyone but the group of 4 adult knights with the recruits, but theres 3 groups to be sent out, two of the non recruit knights are with this group and one never leaves the training area. Are there more knights? did everyone not die? why don't they also take the guard? I could keep going, I will definitely read book two, really hoping things can get expanded on.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
adventurous
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-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
emotional
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It wasn't bad just nothing to rave about. I'm annoyed with the ending because I feel like they could have just lifted the curse but were just selfish, and I guess the author wants this to be a series lol.
My biggest problem with this book was the fact that I listened to the Audiobook. I did not like the male actors voice. His character is supposed to be 19 and he sounds like a middle-aged man. So the entire first half of the book I honestly thought this creepy old guy was falling in love with the young female lead, bleh, until she finally asks his age. All of his voices for the other characters he was talking to sounded nothing like they probably should have and were just annoying. Like everyone else was made to sound like Bumi from Avatar in some way.
Summary: Probably don't listen to the audiobook version.
My biggest problem with this book was the fact that I listened to the Audiobook. I did not like the male actors voice. His character is supposed to be 19 and he sounds like a middle-aged man. So the entire first half of the book I honestly thought this creepy old guy was falling in love with the young female lead, bleh, until she finally asks his age. All of his voices for the other characters he was talking to sounded nothing like they probably should have and were just annoying. Like everyone else was made to sound like Bumi from Avatar in some way.
Summary: Probably don't listen to the audiobook version.