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cl4ir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alyssaindira's review against another edition
4.0
*no spoilers were harmed in the making of this review*
""This court, it's just another battlefield, only with less practical armor"
Hey guys, so I finished Rule (Rule, #1) by Ellen Goodlett. Let me just get my bias out there, I honestly thought and hoped to heck that it was not similar to Three Dark crowns, because I did not really enjoy that novel all to much. So i came into the book with slightly negative mindset. To my delight surprise, I enjoyed this book very much, and it didn't have the same feel and read as three dark cronws, in my opinion. I liked the authors writing, it wasn't too frivolous or junked up with careless detail, at least not for the majority of the book, there were a few spots, for world and scene building, but that was it. Other than that, the details were only there to truly help the story along, or to let you glimpse inside a characters mind, what they were thinking, feeling, etc. SO i really enjoyed how easily i could read, understand, absorb and get lost in the story. And it didn't feel too discombobulated, with to having three individual povs but parallel and interwoven storylines. It read smoothly, depsite the separation of character arcs. It ran even better when those arcs intersection with one another. HOnestly the joining of them was one of my favorite things about this book, the way the povss bounced off one another or complemented each other. SO yes, i like the writing. I also like how the mystery element was drafted into the story. Sometimes it can be hard to you knowk build suspense, or deliver clues or all that or discuss the suspect narrowing process, etc. But I felt like the author did a good job at conveying the mystery and running through the evidence and the suspect. All the pieces of the mystery fit into categories or position and the characters used those pieces to construct narratives or run through potential blackmailers. I like how they used what they knew to try and determine the blackmailer. It fit together perfectly. They didn't leave anyone out of the suspect pool, they were thorough and just great. I personally had my eye on a potential suspect towards the beginning of the book before it was evena possibility, so i didnt actually consiner anyone else, cause I was that sure in my prediction. And well.....yeah......That ending man. I feel so...betrayed? I mean we, they, us, did all the work then that happens?? Are you kidding me. All that drama and danger...for that??? UGH. I feel so jipped. Truly. SO yeah, other than the ending, that book was really good. It had some action scenes, and danger, and of course there was always the implied danger, more of that than actual danger. It centerd heavily around court intrigue and the process of solving the mystery, rather than their potential secrets being...ya know. I was a little bummed there awsnt alot of actual danger regarding spilled secrets, but again, that wasn't the novels focus. Though it would have upped the stakes, tremendously and made for Delicious drama. But then again, i suppose there was enough drama. Don't wanna overwhelm the reader. The drama surrodunign reach of the characters....I swear. MAN. Okay, so each of the characters, the three sisters, had their own individual stories and pasts that threaten their future. It was rallly interesting to see how they dealt with the danger looking over them in the present. Each had their own unique way of going about things. It was really cool, for that is when heir own personalities, beliefs, mindsets, bubbled to the surface. Then once those individual arcs crisscrossed. man that was something! Yes, each of the characters have their own strengths and weaknesses, and on their own. those are really big flaws, but together, they complement each other amazingly. Of course. Zofi was my fav. Ren was..okay. And Akey, damn that girl, i think she had the most drama out of all of em to be honest. But yeah, i like how the characters acknowledged their flaws and their strengths, but didn't let that stop them from fighting back, in their own way.That drama revolved around romance, forbidden romance for...i would say all of the characters based on their own reasons. Lukcily, the romance wasn't that big of a player in this novel, sure it contributed to the plot and the characters motives, directions, etc, but it didn't take over the story, in my opinion. It had its spotlight, every now and then , but that wasnt the primary focus, and i am glad. One of the main focuses, which is one of the BIGGEST reasons why i really liked this book, was the magic/culture involved. The magic that surrounds their world is so intriging. I never read about anyting like it before. Perhaps that is why I was so captivated with the arts. I mean, that was a big part of the story, how could one NOT be caught under its veil> MAN, those are some seriously cool and wicked powers. ANd to think, in their world...all it takes is a drop of blood. Alright, i think i prattled on long enough. As always, this is all my opinion, if you want your own read the book. Okay, till next time. Bye
""This court, it's just another battlefield, only with less practical armor"
Hey guys, so I finished Rule (Rule, #1) by Ellen Goodlett. Let me just get my bias out there, I honestly thought and hoped to heck that it was not similar to Three Dark crowns, because I did not really enjoy that novel all to much. So i came into the book with slightly negative mindset. To my delight surprise, I enjoyed this book very much, and it didn't have the same feel and read as three dark cronws, in my opinion. I liked the authors writing, it wasn't too frivolous or junked up with careless detail, at least not for the majority of the book, there were a few spots, for world and scene building, but that was it. Other than that, the details were only there to truly help the story along, or to let you glimpse inside a characters mind, what they were thinking, feeling, etc. SO i really enjoyed how easily i could read, understand, absorb and get lost in the story. And it didn't feel too discombobulated, with to having three individual povs but parallel and interwoven storylines. It read smoothly, depsite the separation of character arcs. It ran even better when those arcs intersection with one another. HOnestly the joining of them was one of my favorite things about this book, the way the povss bounced off one another or complemented each other. SO yes, i like the writing. I also like how the mystery element was drafted into the story. Sometimes it can be hard to you knowk build suspense, or deliver clues or all that or discuss the suspect narrowing process, etc. But I felt like the author did a good job at conveying the mystery and running through the evidence and the suspect. All the pieces of the mystery fit into categories or position and the characters used those pieces to construct narratives or run through potential blackmailers. I like how they used what they knew to try and determine the blackmailer. It fit together perfectly. They didn't leave anyone out of the suspect pool, they were thorough and just great. I personally had my eye on a potential suspect towards the beginning of the book before it was evena possibility, so i didnt actually consiner anyone else, cause I was that sure in my prediction. And well.....yeah......That ending man. I feel so...betrayed? I mean we, they, us, did all the work then that happens?? Are you kidding me. All that drama and danger...for that??? UGH. I feel so jipped. Truly. SO yeah, other than the ending, that book was really good. It had some action scenes, and danger, and of course there was always the implied danger, more of that than actual danger. It centerd heavily around court intrigue and the process of solving the mystery, rather than their potential secrets being...ya know. I was a little bummed there awsnt alot of actual danger regarding spilled secrets, but again, that wasn't the novels focus. Though it would have upped the stakes, tremendously and made for Delicious drama. But then again, i suppose there was enough drama. Don't wanna overwhelm the reader. The drama surrodunign reach of the characters....I swear. MAN. Okay, so each of the characters, the three sisters, had their own individual stories and pasts that threaten their future. It was rallly interesting to see how they dealt with the danger looking over them in the present. Each had their own unique way of going about things. It was really cool, for that is when heir own personalities, beliefs, mindsets, bubbled to the surface. Then once those individual arcs crisscrossed. man that was something! Yes, each of the characters have their own strengths and weaknesses, and on their own. those are really big flaws, but together, they complement each other amazingly. Of course. Zofi was my fav. Ren was..okay. And Akey, damn that girl, i think she had the most drama out of all of em to be honest. But yeah, i like how the characters acknowledged their flaws and their strengths, but didn't let that stop them from fighting back, in their own way.That drama revolved around romance, forbidden romance for...i would say all of the characters based on their own reasons. Lukcily, the romance wasn't that big of a player in this novel, sure it contributed to the plot and the characters motives, directions, etc, but it didn't take over the story, in my opinion. It had its spotlight, every now and then , but that wasnt the primary focus, and i am glad. One of the main focuses, which is one of the BIGGEST reasons why i really liked this book, was the magic/culture involved. The magic that surrounds their world is so intriging. I never read about anyting like it before. Perhaps that is why I was so captivated with the arts. I mean, that was a big part of the story, how could one NOT be caught under its veil> MAN, those are some seriously cool and wicked powers. ANd to think, in their world...all it takes is a drop of blood. Alright, i think i prattled on long enough. As always, this is all my opinion, if you want your own read the book. Okay, till next time. Bye
lunaballz's review against another edition
5.0
I actually really loved this? I love that each girl's huge secret is immediately revealed to the reader, and that the princesses actually communicate with each other. The magic system is also really interesting and I loved it each time new information was shared about it.
Also? The romance? Ok well each princess has their own love interest, but one princess's love interest is the queen, technically her step-mother, and if that isn't the greatest thing I've read lately I don't know what is.
I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but I found it to be a refreshing twist on the popular "siblings fighting for the throne" story.
Also? The romance? Ok well each princess has their own love interest, but one princess's love interest is the queen, technically her step-mother, and if that isn't the greatest thing I've read lately I don't know what is.
I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but I found it to be a refreshing twist on the popular "siblings fighting for the throne" story.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
Rule is a terrific young adult fantasy novel.
It's the story of three young woman who are called to appear before the King of Kolonya. Each of the young women has a terrible secret, and each assumes that the summons means that her secret is out and she's about to face punishment. All three are astonished when they come before the king and are told that they are his illegitimate daughters and that he's going to choose one of them to success him since his legitimate son was recently killed.
The three daughters are very different. Zofi is a traveler, a member of a nomadic band that is looked down upon by most of the other people of the kingdom. She loves her life on the road and finds her new existence in the palace torturous. Ren grew up at court as a ladies' maid, and she understands how this insular society works. Akeylah grew up in an outer province of the empire in an abusive household, so although she's not exactly sure she's queen material, she's relieved to have escaped her previous life.
Characters with secrets are pretty typical in YA fantasy, but often, the secrets turn out to be underwhelming. We learn the sisters' secrets early in the book, and they are all whoppers that would mean execution if they were discovered. So, when they begin to receive anonymous threatening messages indicating that someone knows their secrets, they all freak out.
The three main characters all have distinctive voices, and although the narration switches in each chapter, I never had any difficulty telling them apart; they're all very different characters. I found each of them appealing in their own way. There's a natural rivalry among the sisters at first, because only one can be chosen as heir, even if two of them aren't particularly interested in the job, and they all initially assume that the mysterious blackmailer is one of the three of them. But as the threats escalate, the three begin to work together. I loved watching them get to know each other, and figuring out their various strengths. Zofi is a fighter, Ren understands court machinations, and Akeylah is the researcher who can find anything in books.
I really liked the magical system in this book. People use blood magic, a system of tithing that gives them boosts in speed, agility, and other abilities. Zofi's people, unbeknownst to everyone else, have figured out a way to harness the blood magic to their advantage. And there's a more sinister form of blood magic, the forbidden Vulgar Arts, which involves tithing against someone else's blood and can be used to curse someone.
The book also has some decent diversity. Most of the characters are described as having darker skin, and one of the sisters is queer. There's not a ton of romance, but the most prominent is between two women.
I highly recommend this book, and I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel (there's a big cliffhanger, and I can't believe I have to wait over a year to find out what happens).
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
It's the story of three young woman who are called to appear before the King of Kolonya. Each of the young women has a terrible secret, and each assumes that the summons means that her secret is out and she's about to face punishment. All three are astonished when they come before the king and are told that they are his illegitimate daughters and that he's going to choose one of them to success him since his legitimate son was recently killed.
The three daughters are very different. Zofi is a traveler, a member of a nomadic band that is looked down upon by most of the other people of the kingdom. She loves her life on the road and finds her new existence in the palace torturous. Ren grew up at court as a ladies' maid, and she understands how this insular society works. Akeylah grew up in an outer province of the empire in an abusive household, so although she's not exactly sure she's queen material, she's relieved to have escaped her previous life.
Characters with secrets are pretty typical in YA fantasy, but often, the secrets turn out to be underwhelming. We learn the sisters' secrets early in the book, and they are all whoppers that would mean execution if they were discovered. So, when they begin to receive anonymous threatening messages indicating that someone knows their secrets, they all freak out.
The three main characters all have distinctive voices, and although the narration switches in each chapter, I never had any difficulty telling them apart; they're all very different characters. I found each of them appealing in their own way. There's a natural rivalry among the sisters at first, because only one can be chosen as heir, even if two of them aren't particularly interested in the job, and they all initially assume that the mysterious blackmailer is one of the three of them. But as the threats escalate, the three begin to work together. I loved watching them get to know each other, and figuring out their various strengths. Zofi is a fighter, Ren understands court machinations, and Akeylah is the researcher who can find anything in books.
I really liked the magical system in this book. People use blood magic, a system of tithing that gives them boosts in speed, agility, and other abilities. Zofi's people, unbeknownst to everyone else, have figured out a way to harness the blood magic to their advantage. And there's a more sinister form of blood magic, the forbidden Vulgar Arts, which involves tithing against someone else's blood and can be used to curse someone.
The book also has some decent diversity. Most of the characters are described as having darker skin, and one of the sisters is queer. There's not a ton of romance, but the most prominent is between two women.
I highly recommend this book, and I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel (there's a big cliffhanger, and I can't believe I have to wait over a year to find out what happens).
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
samrushingbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this story. It was fast paced and I enjoyed all the secrecy and subterfuge. I thought I figured out the betrayal but by the end I was proved wrong, and that was fantastic. But I also feel that this could have been a little more in depth and complex. Still, I definitely plan to pick up the sequel. I need answers.
searobin's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This was okish, but if it weren't for Zofi I most likely wouldn't have finished it, which goes to show how much of a sucker I am for the stubborn and strong tomboy characters. I have no idea how we got to the end with neither of the two big questions solved . There was too much exposition, and the twists had too clear a foundation laid, but maybe the later is more forgivable given the YA audience? But we should give them more credit than that, I think. I will likely still pick up the next book, and hope there is development on many fronts!
neonmuted's review against another edition
Plot went no where and I didn’t like one of the characters POV