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knee's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
3.0
I was super invested in the story to need to find out what happens! Though it wrapped things up very nicely, there were bits that struck me as too convenient and easy, and a few things that bugged me about this last volume. Overall, though I’m glad I read the series, book one was my absolute favorite.
dwolfs's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
spammie's review against another edition
4.0
great story line and quite a nice finish. nicely enough wrapped up that you can continue if you want but don't have to. not usually a fan of the diary format but this is done well enough to keep you interested without, although I feel the impact on some of the bigger moments is lost somewhat. Definitely worth a read though!
elusivity's review against another edition
2.0
Cassandra moves in with Ruuel, while danger and conflict escalate all around.
---
What. A. Slog.
The diary format that had been so descriptive and interesting in the previous two books, with the benefit of being a clear window into Cassandra's perspective, has turned into a REAL DIARY. Like the one you're forced to write by your middle school teacher: "One entry a day required, or get 30% of your grade deducted!" The number of entries that are basically linear descriptions of everything she did that day: get up, get another new talent tested, get medical exam, get nap, get game time with orphans, get sex with Ruuel with conversations barely recounted, get more sleep. Occasionally, get near death. Rinse, repeat, repeat some more.
Who knew being the most important person on 3 planets, surrounded by hot psychic ninjas and being with the hottest ninja-est of them all!!!1!11!! can be so BORING?!
Why must there be orphans in their lives at all? Why is this 18-year-old suddenly spraying Oprah-level Selfless Caring at them, though she is in the midst of war and exhausted, practically dying at times? No ill-humor ever mars her perfect personality. The remaining characters have all morphed to idealized and featureless versions of themselves, losing their distinguishing differences and personality to become convenient backdrops to Cassandra's interminable swimming/shopping/picnicking and medical sessions. And for someone who is writing while obsessively in love, we actually don't learn much more about her love interest, Ruuel, as a human with vulnerabilities and wishes and personal aspirations, aside from a small glimpse into his family life. He is tirelessly loyal and singlemindedly devoted.
This world is DYING, attacked by psychic monsters from another dimension. Why is she not obsessively writing about these (and give us some plot to read)? Working through the conflicts and anger and sadness of possibly having to die for a world not her own, swept into ever-escalating terror without any choice, never seeing her family or anything familiar again?
The previous two novels were basically very well-written Wish Fulfillment stories, showing their realistic, darker aspects, with Cassandra's day-to-day thoughts and feelings, introspection, observations about her new environs and people. This novel, on the other hand.
Very disappointing.
2.5 STARS because the plot and world-building remains quite good, when the story chose to concentrate on these; there are still incidents here and there of similar quality as the first books; and the author is an excellent writer otherwise.
Spoiler
Nuria gets infiltrated by Crozatch, and its aristocrats had constructed shelters similar to the ones created a thousand years ago by the Lantarens, for the same reasons of genocide. People are locked into the chambers and killed. The planet then explodes. What remains are 8,000 orphans and a small handful of Nuran adults. Cassandra and Ruuel gets engaged, then in quick succession takes in 3 of the children. She discovers new talent, one of which is growing synchronicity with the aether devices.. Turns out the original Lantarens conspired to create a world to suit themselves somewhere in Ena, remade themselves there as gods, using the Pillars and a trapped Touchstone in the real world to anchor the whole thing in place. That world is becoming increasingly unstable. Both sides race to defeat the other and preserve themselves.---
What. A. Slog.
The diary format that had been so descriptive and interesting in the previous two books, with the benefit of being a clear window into Cassandra's perspective, has turned into a REAL DIARY. Like the one you're forced to write by your middle school teacher: "One entry a day required, or get 30% of your grade deducted!" The number of entries that are basically linear descriptions of everything she did that day: get up, get another new talent tested, get medical exam, get nap, get game time with orphans, get sex with Ruuel with conversations barely recounted, get more sleep. Occasionally, get near death. Rinse, repeat, repeat some more.
Who knew being the most important person on 3 planets, surrounded by hot psychic ninjas and being with the hottest ninja-est of them all!!!1!11!! can be so BORING?!
Why must there be orphans in their lives at all? Why is this 18-year-old suddenly spraying Oprah-level Selfless Caring at them, though she is in the midst of war and exhausted, practically dying at times? No ill-humor ever mars her perfect personality. The remaining characters have all morphed to idealized and featureless versions of themselves, losing their distinguishing differences and personality to become convenient backdrops to Cassandra's interminable swimming/shopping/picnicking and medical sessions. And for someone who is writing while obsessively in love, we actually don't learn much more about her love interest, Ruuel, as a human with vulnerabilities and wishes and personal aspirations, aside from a small glimpse into his family life. He is tirelessly loyal and singlemindedly devoted.
This world is DYING, attacked by psychic monsters from another dimension. Why is she not obsessively writing about these (and give us some plot to read)? Working through the conflicts and anger and sadness of possibly having to die for a world not her own, swept into ever-escalating terror without any choice, never seeing her family or anything familiar again?
The previous two novels were basically very well-written Wish Fulfillment stories, showing their realistic, darker aspects, with Cassandra's day-to-day thoughts and feelings, introspection, observations about her new environs and people. This novel, on the other hand.
Very disappointing.
2.5 STARS because the plot and world-building remains quite good, when the story chose to concentrate on these; there are still incidents here and there of similar quality as the first books; and the author is an excellent writer otherwise.
decodethebooks's review
3.0
3 stars★★★☆☆
First read: May 2019
Second read: August 2020
Third read: July 2022
Touchstone series reviews:
#1 [b:Stray|10837174|Stray (Touchstone, #1)|Andrea K. Höst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335183787l/10837174._SX50_.jpg|15399425] ★★★☆☆
#2 [b:Lab Rat One|11921067|Lab Rat One (Touchstone, #2)|Andrea K. Höst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335349017l/11921067._SX50_.jpg|15399450] ★★★☆☆
#3 [b:Caszandra|13111788|Caszandra (Touchstone, #3)|Andrea K. Höst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335349243l/13111788._SX50_.jpg|16476955][b:Iron Kissed|1412138|Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, #3)|Patricia Briggs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358229529l/1412138._SY75_.jpg|1178926] ★★★☆☆
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zoes_human's review against another edition
This one feels significantly slower than the first two and has a significant portion focusing on a romantic relationship.