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sam_ness's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
This was a well done blend of opposites- science and belief, magic and technology, with a diverse cast of characters and interesting plot. The world building was vivid, the imagery (both explicit & implied) hooked me in, and overall this was a great read! I especially liked the LGTBQIA+ representation, the juxtaposition of modern + traditon, the character development, even the cliffhanger ending was great, I’ll be reading book 2!
mymidnightafternoons's review against another edition
I borrowed the audiobook from my local online library. It is narrated by Caitlin Davies, and no offence to her, but she sounds emotionless, like an AI is reading the book. Some words are spoken in such an odd way, that it sounds like the word is being abruptly cut off for no good reason. I couldn't bear to finish listening to the first chapter, stopping with around 10 minutes remaining.
The story itself seems interesting, so I will likely borrow the physical book at some point.
The story itself seems interesting, so I will likely borrow the physical book at some point.
kcmag1's review against another edition
Was reading on Libby, and it became unavailable. Will try again in a print version.
sunshineandhoney's review against another edition
Nothing worng with the book it just got a bit dark and I couldnt bring myself to keep reading.
otterdreamer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
el_fell's review against another edition
I forgot how much I didn't really enjoy first person. Worldbuilding seemed really good though, might pick it up again
ericadawson's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Original review: Boring. More later.
New, full review:
I don't know quite what I was expecting, honestly. I hate to use cliches like "gripping" and "page turning", but when I go into a book, I expect sensations similar to these as I'm introduced to the plot, characters, and worldbuilding. I didn't get what I expected.
Nimh is a 16-year-old living goddess forced to live life without ever experiencing human contact. She has been like this since she was five. North is a prince from the sky. Nimh's narration is rich, her inner turmoils growing more and more complex and interesting as the book continues. North is North. North's narration reads like the author wanted to put memes into prose. North's prose didn't mature until far too late, and for that reasons feels anachronistic, especially in the beginning.
I want to say that there was potential in both these characters, but I'm not quite sure I can grasp who they are. They just bored me. Nimh and Daoman have a strained father/daughter leader/successor relationship that I loved reading for the one scene we got to explore that dynamic. He gets murdered soon afterwards. The authors more said they had a relationship strained by an inevitable power struggled than showed it, and I remember a distinct point where I was confused that we were expected to trust Doaman.
North bored me. I didn't care for his crush on Nimh, and his science vs religion/magic arc also bored me, though I've never fared well with those plots to begin with. When he said a certain plant Nimh used must have a "logical explanation" and proceeded to say it cauterized the wound and therefore "wasn't magic", I near about rolled my eyes. I get that that sort of pointless contradiction--the implication that magic, plants, or magical plants can't cauterize wounds, that magic and chemical reactions are mutually exclusive--is the point of his character, but the flaw in his reasoning was too great for me to ignore. Everything was "there must be a logical explanation", nothing pointing him in the direction that magic is as much an exlpainable force like gravity, physics, or chemistry, with real-world effects.
The side characters sometimes had more interesting conflicts than the main characters.
Even the worldbuilding got to me at some points. It took me ages to figure out what heart/blood mothers were, and by the time I did, I was disappointed to realize that they were just the mother who gave birth and that parent's wife. I'd thought (hoped) the meaning was deeper.
I didn't find most of this story interesting until the very end, when cascading violence and revelations kept up the drama and tension. Unfortunately, this book also spends too long stretching out what little tension it does have. What comes to mind first is the scene where Inshara first arrives, and we're reading through what should be a dramatic and frankly short intrusion by the antagonist for two chapters. Inshara controlling Elkisa went from nail-biting to annoying because it was dragged out for so long.
Also, why was Inshara able to sap the power from Nimh? What was that about? And why does Inshara almost never get a physical description the way everyone else does?
Overall, I wasn't enthralled with it. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it. Interestingly enough, I'm curious to know what happens in the sequel despite the lack of pizzazz of the first.
Petty but prominent for me: The prophecy's script was clunky. The pieces Nimh was forcing onto it didn't line up realistically or believably. This book also would have benefited from a map.
New, full review:
I don't know quite what I was expecting, honestly. I hate to use cliches like "gripping" and "page turning", but when I go into a book, I expect sensations similar to these as I'm introduced to the plot, characters, and worldbuilding. I didn't get what I expected.
Nimh is a 16-year-old living goddess forced to live life without ever experiencing human contact. She has been like this since she was five. North is a prince from the sky. Nimh's narration is rich, her inner turmoils growing more and more complex and interesting as the book continues. North is North. North's narration reads like the author wanted to put memes into prose. North's prose didn't mature until far too late, and for that reasons feels anachronistic, especially in the beginning.
I want to say that there was potential in both these characters, but I'm not quite sure I can grasp who they are. They just bored me. Nimh and Daoman have a strained father/daughter leader/successor relationship that I loved reading for the one scene we got to explore that dynamic. He gets murdered soon afterwards. The authors more said they had a relationship strained by an inevitable power struggled than showed it, and I remember a distinct point where I was confused that we were expected to trust Doaman.
North bored me. I didn't care for his crush on Nimh, and his science vs religion/magic arc also bored me, though I've never fared well with those plots to begin with. When he said a certain plant Nimh used must have a "logical explanation" and proceeded to say it cauterized the wound and therefore "wasn't magic", I near about rolled my eyes. I get that that sort of pointless contradiction--the implication that magic, plants, or magical plants can't cauterize wounds, that magic and chemical reactions are mutually exclusive--is the point of his character, but the flaw in his reasoning was too great for me to ignore. Everything was "there must be a logical explanation", nothing pointing him in the direction that magic is as much an exlpainable force like gravity, physics, or chemistry, with real-world effects.
The side characters sometimes had more interesting conflicts than the main characters.
Even the worldbuilding got to me at some points. It took me ages to figure out what heart/blood mothers were, and by the time I did, I was disappointed to realize that they were just the mother who gave birth and that parent's wife. I'd thought (hoped) the meaning was deeper.
I didn't find most of this story interesting until the very end, when cascading violence and revelations kept up the drama and tension. Unfortunately, this book also spends too long stretching out what little tension it does have. What comes to mind first is the scene where Inshara first arrives, and we're reading through what should be a dramatic and frankly short intrusion by the antagonist for two chapters. Inshara controlling Elkisa went from nail-biting to annoying because it was dragged out for so long.
Also, why was Inshara able to sap the power from Nimh? What was that about? And why does Inshara almost never get a physical description the way everyone else does?
Overall, I wasn't enthralled with it. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it. Interestingly enough, I'm curious to know what happens in the sequel despite the lack of pizzazz of the first.
Petty but prominent for me: The prophecy's script was clunky. The pieces Nimh was forcing onto it didn't line up realistically or believably. This book also would have benefited from a map.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
yodamom's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderfully woven story from these two authors. Fantastic characters and two well developed different worlds. Two people from different worlds one tech world one magic world and the two struggle with believing in each other. Stuff happens. evil comes, battles happen, lives lost, goddesses lost it's all left on a cliffhanger. This beek spent a lot of time in the magic world I think the next might be more tech world based. I'm really looking forward to continuing with this series
oceanatthesky's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0