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jesshiltbrand's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC but unfortunately this book did not translate well for me. It took me almost 80% through the book to realize the characters were supposed to be in their late twenties to early thirties because they acted like they were teenagers throughout the entire book, to the point I also had to double check this was supposed to be an 'adult' fantasy and not YA. The writing itself felt very immature also, with the majority of the plot being spoiled within itself because of the prophecies riddled throughout the story. The world and characters felt like they needed to be significantly more fleshed out in order to match up to the big fantasy that I expected it to be. The romances were pretty rudimentary and borderline unbelievable between the couples, with most of their relationships and feelings being explicitly told for the reader rather than showing us throughout their actions and words.
hope97's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
smile_muse13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
mforsyth's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was so disappointing. I was excited for this book! Black and queer elves and fae? Animal magic? Sign me up! But while the world was lush, the writing was very lacking. Our protagonists are 28 and 34, but they act and speak like preteens. The stakes are so high from the start, but the writing and plot development make it hard to care.
becca5741's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
rock_hyrax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nxmcln's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
softrosemint's review against another edition
2.0
This faces the same problem a lot of recenty published fantasy seems to have - a novel that is for the purposes of marketing and including explicit scenes (from sex to gore) an adult one but it is in its spirit, plotting and execution young adult at best. I feel like the journal included at the end proves this more than anything else.
The pacing was all over the place, not allowing any event to take hold and causing the characters and their dynamics to feel flat and underdeveloped. The worldbuilding left quite a bit to be desired as it felt myopic and far less layered than any world at war between tribes, where two out of three core species have gone extinct and the discovery of one of them is at the heart of the novel, should be. The characters, who are all in their late 20's to early 30's, also did not behave plausibly or befittingly maturely, immediately throwing the reader off any time their actual age was brought up.
It is a shame because the novel could have come off much better with a YA tag and rating and another round of editing, either polishing its dialogue or taking advantage of the setting (which even focuses specifically away from humans as one of the three races). The world being queernormative and with a core of characters who are people of colour would have been an added bonus and not about 50% of what is to be appreciated about the novel. I think I would have been kinder then, too, and more forgiving.
But a good lesson for me to follow my gut and not pick up books just because my local library has brought something fairly recent to their "New" shelves.
The pacing was all over the place, not allowing any event to take hold and causing the characters and their dynamics to feel flat and underdeveloped. The worldbuilding left quite a bit to be desired as it felt myopic and far less layered than any world at war between tribes, where two out of three core species have gone extinct and the discovery of one of them is at the heart of the novel, should be. The characters, who are all in their late 20's to early 30's, also did not behave plausibly or befittingly maturely, immediately throwing the reader off any time their actual age was brought up.
It is a shame because the novel could have come off much better with a YA tag and rating and another round of editing, either polishing its dialogue or taking advantage of the setting (which even focuses specifically away from humans as one of the three races). The world being queernormative and with a core of characters who are people of colour would have been an added bonus and not about 50% of what is to be appreciated about the novel. I think I would have been kinder then, too, and more forgiving.
But a good lesson for me to follow my gut and not pick up books just because my local library has brought something fairly recent to their "New" shelves.
bogentusiast's review against another edition
4.0
Nok nærmere 3.9, langsom I starten men endte med at være ret stor fan af både karakterer og plot.
emilywickenson's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Was it just me of did the characters age not match their actions???