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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
I was vastly disappointed by this book. I wanted to love it as much as I love The Vampire Academy Series and the Bloodlines series but I just can't. I was hoping it would be more of a mix of the Selection Series and A Great and Terrible Beauty, but I was definitely not.
The story moves too fast for liking and it's rather long too. I was hoping for more action and received hardly any. There was hardly anything, really. The story sort of glides through all of the events, and aren't allowed to fully develop.
I get the wanting of mixing Elizabethan and frontier eras (not really) but why was it necessary for Adelaide to keep jumping back and forth from being a noblewoman to a commoner ? This among a thousand more questions are plaguing me and thus I cannot be content with the story.
The story moves too fast for liking and it's rather long too. I was hoping for more action and received hardly any. There was hardly anything, really. The story sort of glides through all of the events, and aren't allowed to fully develop.
I get the wanting of mixing Elizabethan and frontier eras (not really) but why was it necessary for Adelaide to keep jumping back and forth from being a noblewoman to a commoner ? This among a thousand more questions are plaguing me and thus I cannot be content with the story.
Po celý čas som si hovoril, toto by vyzeralo staršne dobre ako taký seriál... Akože absolútne mimo môjho záberu, lebo je to čistá a stopercentná a nefalšovaná romantika, ale čítalo sa to taaak dobre, lebo proste Richelle Mead vie proste písať. A hlavne sa nenormálne teším na ďalšie dve knihy, mám pocit, že si na jednotku vybrala tú najnudnejšiu babu a dvojka a trojku budú ooooveľa lepšie :D
No. Don't read this book. I HATE IT. It was okay until they got to Adoria and then it just.... and the stupid goldpanning. Like seriously. WHO CARES? Just egh.
Honestly, I'm still not done with this book but I really can't see myself finishing it. The beginning was intriguing, and I actually liked it once I got in 30 pages or so. Then, I realized that we never know Adelaide's real name, and I feel like this actually bothered me quite a bit throughout the rest? The entire plot is about her being someone she isn't, and everything is very, very predictable. I wasn't totally upset with the book, and I got it for free from a giveaway after all, but I was hard for me to find a bond with the characters. I felt like Adelaide was too submissive at times, and only wanted to be dominant when she was faced with something she didn't like. Her relationship between Mira and Tamsin was another predictable thing, and when Adelaide finally got what she wanted by finding a relationship with Cedric...I pretty much stopped there. I have just under 200 pages left and they've begun to set up their life, so I'm not sure if it's even worth continuing. I've never read a Richelle Mead book before, so I wonder if any of hers are better than this? It's almost too YA for me, I like intricate plots and intricate characters with lots of twists. If there's one way to sum this up, it's predictable. If that's what you like, then I'd definitely suggest it. If not, then it's really not worth your time!
Wow. This book was a real struggle to get through, which I was not expecting.
I'd say the first 20% of this book is rather interesting as we learn about the world we're in and our main character's plans to trade places with her servant Adelaide (despite the fact that this is a terrible plan.). The ending was rather interesting, even though it seemed thrown together and didn't make a lot of sense.
The rest of the book was a boring mess.
Now, there were some interesting points, and pieces of the story that intrigued me, but overall this was one of the most boring books I have ever read. It was sooooo hard to get through. I really didn't care about these characters enough to keep reading about descriptions of dresses or the misogynistic and racist undertones going on.
The only character I really found interesting was Mira, and to be honest, this book kind of washed her out. She seemed to be a strong refugee that didn't put up with any crap and had a heart of gold. Throughout this book though, she is shoved into the background. I understand that she'll get her own companion book but it still felt wrong when she was diminished for her race and no one seemed to care that she kept disappearing. This was never addressed and it made the book a little uncomfortable.
Adelaide is super boring. I don't even know how else to describe her. She is a basic rich girl who runs away to avoid an arranged marriage, only to sign a contract that requires her to be sold to the highest bidder. WTF WERE YOU THINKING YOU IDIOT.
She thinks incredibly highly of herself, she's honestly stupid af, and half the things she mentions in her internal monologue are irrelevant. Plus, she does not grow at all during this book. She starts out an arrogant young woman with no options and she ends the book as an arrogant young woman with, like, three options.
The only interesting thing about Cedric was the topic of religion. This was a cool thing Mead could have dealt with, just like the racist/sexist/homophobic issues, but instead she kinda glossed over it and just used it as a plot point. It was just another problem, another reason their marriage was forbidden, blah blah blah.
Cedric and Adelaide's romance seemed sudden and rather forced to me. As soon as he was introduced I knew he was going to be the love interest but they quickly became boring. *shrug*
I have a LOT more issues with this book as far as racist/sexist/homophobic undertones go, but if I get into that this review will never end. Just be warned that is offensive at times. Especially Adelaide omggg.
I'll probably end up reading the next book anyway, seeing as it's from Mira's perspective. It's got to be more interesting than this. Mira kicks butt.
I'd say the first 20% of this book is rather interesting as we learn about the world we're in and our main character's plans to trade places with her servant Adelaide (despite the fact that this is a terrible plan.). The ending was rather interesting, even though it seemed thrown together and didn't make a lot of sense.
The rest of the book was a boring mess.
Now, there were some interesting points, and pieces of the story that intrigued me, but overall this was one of the most boring books I have ever read. It was sooooo hard to get through. I really didn't care about these characters enough to keep reading about descriptions of dresses or the misogynistic and racist undertones going on.
The only character I really found interesting was Mira, and to be honest, this book kind of washed her out. She seemed to be a strong refugee that didn't put up with any crap and had a heart of gold. Throughout this book though, she is shoved into the background. I understand that she'll get her own companion book but it still felt wrong when she was diminished for her race and no one seemed to care that she kept disappearing. This was never addressed and it made the book a little uncomfortable.
Adelaide is super boring. I don't even know how else to describe her. She is a basic rich girl who runs away to avoid an arranged marriage, only to sign a contract that requires her to be sold to the highest bidder. WTF WERE YOU THINKING YOU IDIOT.
She thinks incredibly highly of herself, she's honestly stupid af, and half the things she mentions in her internal monologue are irrelevant. Plus, she does not grow at all during this book. She starts out an arrogant young woman with no options and she ends the book as an arrogant young woman with, like, three options.
The only interesting thing about Cedric was the topic of religion. This was a cool thing Mead could have dealt with, just like the racist/sexist/homophobic issues, but instead she kinda glossed over it and just used it as a plot point. It was just another problem, another reason their marriage was forbidden, blah blah blah.
Cedric and Adelaide's romance seemed sudden and rather forced to me. As soon as he was introduced I knew he was going to be the love interest but they quickly became boring. *shrug*
I have a LOT more issues with this book as far as racist/sexist/homophobic undertones go, but if I get into that this review will never end. Just be warned that is offensive at times. Especially Adelaide omggg.
I'll probably end up reading the next book anyway, seeing as it's from Mira's perspective. It's got to be more interesting than this. Mira kicks butt.
Sooo, not one of my favorites. After comparing this book to The Selection I was expecting a better romance. This one wasn't bad by any means, I just never got to the point where I cared about their relationship that much. I do have to say that this book did a great job of packing a lot of things in. There were many times where I felt like I had read a much longer book with all the action that was packed in, when really I was only at the 100, or 300 page mark. There are also lots of side characters who I am intrigued by, and would love to hear how their own stories wrap up, but sadly I'm not interested enough to continue this series.
I was scared the author was gonna go for a love triangle and I am very glad she did not. Classic teen book with a forbidden love as the A-plot and a commentary religous freedom and colonialism as the B-plot.
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The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead is one of this month's most anticipated YA novels. Did it deserve all that attention? I personally don't think so. My recommendation for this book would be to borrow it from the library if you're interested in reading it. Or if you enjoyed The Selection series and/or the Matched series, then this book is might be for you. But I personally prefer more grit than this book has to offer.
The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, a countess who poses as her servant in order to escape an arranged marriage and enters the Glittering Court. The Glittering Court is both a business and school, designed to transform impoverished girls into educated, high class women suitable to be married to the elite of the overseas New World. So in essence, our heroine leaves one arranged marriage for another in hopes of having more choice in the matter. Only Cedric, the son of the Glittering Court's proprietor, knows Adelaide's true identity, but he is carrying a secret of his own.
This is another one of those romantic novels where I'm not sure why it was marketed and labelled as a fantasy. When I hear the word fantasy, I expect something fantastical. This book offers no magic, no unique creatures, no castles, nothing particularly otherworldly at all. I'm not sure whether to classify it as dystopian, western, alternative history, or simply general fiction. So we'll settle with romance.
There is large reference to different religions and their methods of worship, some considered pagan. However, these were extremely underdeveloped. In fact, the world building was pretty null and void, hence the genre confusion. Despite the importance of religion in the story, I can't tell you much about the religions of this world at all. The only clear thing in the book is that Osfrid is a representation of Elizabethan England while the New World, Adoria, symbolizes colonial and frontier America.
The writing in the book isn't bad, but it isn't particularly compelling. In fact, I'd say the first half of the book is fairly forgettable. It's basically a glorified, book version of the tv show The Bachelor. It's not much beyond the girls trying on dresses, going to parties, and talking about the rich men they someday hope to marry. And of course, we see Cedric and Adelaide's blossoming but forbidden romance. Some comedy results from Adelaide's attempts to conceal her identity and pretend to be part of the working class. But all in all, it was a bit boring.
The second half was much more enjoyable for me once the story focused less on the romance and more on the characters making lives for themselves in the New World. I wouldn't call it riveting, but definitely more interesting. Adelaide's character also gained some more emotional depth as she goes from the comforts of manors and ball gowns to living frontier life in the wilderness.
I like grit, remember?
The book ends with a few loose ends for the secondary characters, which I'm assuming means that they will take the reins in the planned sequels. I doubt I will read them. And if I do, I won't be spending the money on the book till after I've read it.
To each their own.
Tootle loo, darlings! Till next time!
The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead is one of this month's most anticipated YA novels. Did it deserve all that attention? I personally don't think so. My recommendation for this book would be to borrow it from the library if you're interested in reading it. Or if you enjoyed The Selection series and/or the Matched series, then this book is might be for you. But I personally prefer more grit than this book has to offer.
The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, a countess who poses as her servant in order to escape an arranged marriage and enters the Glittering Court. The Glittering Court is both a business and school, designed to transform impoverished girls into educated, high class women suitable to be married to the elite of the overseas New World. So in essence, our heroine leaves one arranged marriage for another in hopes of having more choice in the matter. Only Cedric, the son of the Glittering Court's proprietor, knows Adelaide's true identity, but he is carrying a secret of his own.
This is another one of those romantic novels where I'm not sure why it was marketed and labelled as a fantasy. When I hear the word fantasy, I expect something fantastical. This book offers no magic, no unique creatures, no castles, nothing particularly otherworldly at all. I'm not sure whether to classify it as dystopian, western, alternative history, or simply general fiction. So we'll settle with romance.
There is large reference to different religions and their methods of worship, some considered pagan. However, these were extremely underdeveloped. In fact, the world building was pretty null and void, hence the genre confusion. Despite the importance of religion in the story, I can't tell you much about the religions of this world at all. The only clear thing in the book is that Osfrid is a representation of Elizabethan England while the New World, Adoria, symbolizes colonial and frontier America.
The writing in the book isn't bad, but it isn't particularly compelling. In fact, I'd say the first half of the book is fairly forgettable. It's basically a glorified, book version of the tv show The Bachelor. It's not much beyond the girls trying on dresses, going to parties, and talking about the rich men they someday hope to marry. And of course, we see Cedric and Adelaide's blossoming but forbidden romance. Some comedy results from Adelaide's attempts to conceal her identity and pretend to be part of the working class. But all in all, it was a bit boring.
The second half was much more enjoyable for me once the story focused less on the romance and more on the characters making lives for themselves in the New World. I wouldn't call it riveting, but definitely more interesting. Adelaide's character also gained some more emotional depth as she goes from the comforts of manors and ball gowns to living frontier life in the wilderness.
I like grit, remember?
The book ends with a few loose ends for the secondary characters, which I'm assuming means that they will take the reins in the planned sequels. I doubt I will read them. And if I do, I won't be spending the money on the book till after I've read it.
To each their own.
Tootle loo, darlings! Till next time!
Overall rating: 2.75/5 stars
DNF at 74%
I can't believe that I've been so disappointed with Richelle Mead's books lately. Soundless was a flop, and so, it seems, was The Glittering Court. Filled with romance that made me want to puke and a boring, slow moving plot with a special-snowflake protagonist, I can't believe that I didn't put this book down sooner. I have to admit, I did give it a second chance as it started to slowly pick up around the middle, but after about fifty pages it became pretty clear to me that that was it. Everything else was boring, especially Cedric's so called "dark secret".
I was hoping Richelle, after Vampire Academy, would be able to recover from her past failures and give me something that would get me out of my reading slump, but sadly it just wasn't worth it. I don't think I'll be giving her books another shot any time soon.
DNF at 74%
I can't believe that I've been so disappointed with Richelle Mead's books lately. Soundless was a flop, and so, it seems, was The Glittering Court. Filled with romance that made me want to puke and a boring, slow moving plot with a special-snowflake protagonist, I can't believe that I didn't put this book down sooner. I have to admit, I did give it a second chance as it started to slowly pick up around the middle, but after about fifty pages it became pretty clear to me that that was it. Everything else was boring, especially Cedric's so called "dark secret".
I was hoping Richelle, after Vampire Academy, would be able to recover from her past failures and give me something that would get me out of my reading slump, but sadly it just wasn't worth it. I don't think I'll be giving her books another shot any time soon.
1.5/5
Ce livre la est juste une mauvaise idée. C’est l’histoire d’une genre de comptesse qui décide de fuir un mariage sans amour. Comment? En s’inscrivant dans une compagnie qui a comme objectif d’engager des servantes, de les former à la nobilité et de les shipper pour les marier à des nouveaux-riches sur une ile du nouveau monde... Donc bref se marier sans amour à nouveau, mais avec un délais d’un an. Mais twist non prévisible (sike): elle tombe en amour avec le fils du gars qui gère cette compagnie, qui est pauvre et elle se ramasse à faire plein de tâche ingrate. Well, c’était très décevant. J’ai pas hâte de lire la suite!
Ce livre la est juste une mauvaise idée. C’est l’histoire d’une genre de comptesse qui décide de fuir un mariage sans amour. Comment? En s’inscrivant dans une compagnie qui a comme objectif d’engager des servantes, de les former à la nobilité et de les shipper pour les marier à des nouveaux-riches sur une ile du nouveau monde... Donc bref se marier sans amour à nouveau, mais avec un délais d’un an. Mais twist non prévisible (sike): elle tombe en amour avec le fils du gars qui gère cette compagnie, qui est pauvre et elle se ramasse à faire plein de tâche ingrate. Well, c’était très décevant. J’ai pas hâte de lire la suite!