Scan barcode
ninarotcajg's review against another edition
4.0
J'ai kiffé ce livre qui était vraiment un page turner. Je lisais un Wattpad en même temps d'où le délais. On suit trois héroïnes et je crois qu'on apprend à les aimer toutes les trois à leur manière, même si j'avoue aimer moins Ren que Zofi et Aykelah. J'ai aimé le fait que leur amitié ne soit pas faite d'avance, qu'on découvre leur secret petit à petit (peut-être un peu vite?) Je ne savais absolument pas qui était leur maître-chantage, même si j'avais finit par me douter que ça n'était pas Yasmin. Ça a été un peu le défaut du bouquin, sa prévisibilité, j'ai deviné beaucoup, et ait été peu surprise. Je trouve aussi que l'autrice pourrait un peut détailler leur monde, leurs coutumes.
kristid's review against another edition
DNF about 200 pages in. It all just boils down to not caring about what happens to these girls. I really thought I was going to love this one, I'm so disappointed.
someonetookit's review against another edition
3.0
ACTUAL RATING 3.5
I have seen so much hype surrounding this novel that when I walked into my local www.qbd.com.au and they told me they could order it, I was over the moon. After almost 3 months of waiting, I had it in my hot little hands and couldn't wait to read it. The 3 months of hiccups and lost orders should have told me something.
The premise of this novel is like many I have seen before - there are three sisters all battling it out for the throne [b:Three Dark Crowns|28374007|Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1)|Kendare Blake|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469265712s/28374007.jpg|42750582] style and only one shall survive *insert dramtic music here*. I was ready for battles and heroism and a minor love interest that didn't take over because honestly I can't deal with any more kissy faces right now... Instead I got three girls unaware of their heritage being boring - there was no stabby nastiness, no intrigue, not even a real love interest (except the Queen doing her thing).
So there are 3 POV's, one for each 'sister'. Florencia grew up as a maid and then found out she is royalty, for the majority of her tale she is all priss and manners and I kinda wanted to punch her (dont hate me). Akeylah grew up with a dad who was a jerk and abused the poop out of her, so her existence is pretty much a combination of 'oh no! what if i get caught out for my misdemeanours' and 'oh no! someone knows. Should I hide away? Maybe it was my sisters but I can't bring it up to them'. Finally there is Zofi, the sister who grew up as a 'Traveler" and pretty much carries the story; she's all things anti-conformity and kind of a bad arse, but she's a badarse who is trying to protect a guy who makes a very short appearance and then leaves because everyone wants to murder him. Also she can scale buildings and make herself invisible so that's a thing...
By around half way through, I found myself losing track of which flouncy sister was being narrated. Yes there are different POV's but they are also narrated in third person so I kind of don't understand why you would do this... Zofi's chapters were always interesting so that semi redeemed the novel.
When I finished, there was literally nothing tied up except that a secondary character had died. Yep, almost 400 pages and NOTHING HAD CHANGED. I understand cliffhanger because there are more novels but this wasn't even a cliffhanger. It was more a leisurely stroll along a rocky shoal whereby you simply stumbled in the ocean, brushed yourself off and continued on your boring scenery-less way.
Now why are you giving it an average rating if you didn't like it, you ask. The prose used within this novel was well formed and very polished compared to what one would usually expect from a debut author. The premise had promise, it still does if things actually move along at greater than a snails pace in the upcoming instalments. Also Zofi - yes it is a single character but damn I loved her. Being all things sass and unladylike behaviour, she was the star of the show and I definitely look forward to reading more about her in Rise.
I have seen so much hype surrounding this novel that when I walked into my local www.qbd.com.au and they told me they could order it, I was over the moon. After almost 3 months of waiting, I had it in my hot little hands and couldn't wait to read it. The 3 months of hiccups and lost orders should have told me something.
The premise of this novel is like many I have seen before - there are three sisters all battling it out for the throne [b:Three Dark Crowns|28374007|Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1)|Kendare Blake|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469265712s/28374007.jpg|42750582] style and only one shall survive *insert dramtic music here*. I was ready for battles and heroism and a minor love interest that didn't take over because honestly I can't deal with any more kissy faces right now... Instead I got three girls unaware of their heritage being boring - there was no stabby nastiness, no intrigue, not even a real love interest (except the Queen doing her thing).
So there are 3 POV's, one for each 'sister'. Florencia grew up as a maid and then found out she is royalty, for the majority of her tale she is all priss and manners and I kinda wanted to punch her (dont hate me). Akeylah grew up with a dad who was a jerk and abused the poop out of her, so her existence is pretty much a combination of 'oh no! what if i get caught out for my misdemeanours' and 'oh no! someone knows. Should I hide away? Maybe it was my sisters but I can't bring it up to them'. Finally there is Zofi, the sister who grew up as a 'Traveler" and pretty much carries the story; she's all things anti-conformity and kind of a bad arse, but she's a badarse who is trying to protect a guy who makes a very short appearance and then leaves because everyone wants to murder him. Also she can scale buildings and make herself invisible so that's a thing...
By around half way through, I found myself losing track of which flouncy sister was being narrated. Yes there are different POV's but they are also narrated in third person so I kind of don't understand why you would do this... Zofi's chapters were always interesting so that semi redeemed the novel.
When I finished, there was literally nothing tied up except that a secondary character had died. Yep, almost 400 pages and NOTHING HAD CHANGED. I understand cliffhanger because there are more novels but this wasn't even a cliffhanger. It was more a leisurely stroll along a rocky shoal whereby you simply stumbled in the ocean, brushed yourself off and continued on your boring scenery-less way.
Now why are you giving it an average rating if you didn't like it, you ask. The prose used within this novel was well formed and very polished compared to what one would usually expect from a debut author. The premise had promise, it still does if things actually move along at greater than a snails pace in the upcoming instalments. Also Zofi - yes it is a single character but damn I loved her. Being all things sass and unladylike behaviour, she was the star of the show and I definitely look forward to reading more about her in Rise.
zazabbh's review against another edition
4.0
Personally, I really enjoyed the novel. I thought it was fun and entertaining and honestly I really liked the plotline. I think the dialogue between the trio was witty and well-done and I thoroughly enjoyed the distinctive characters.
I don’t think it’s a classic, by any means but it is a quick and breezy read that has a interesting plot.
My main concern is the whole stepmother love angle thing because it’s just weird and uncomfortable to read about and I think all of the romances are not done justice but it was still decent and tbh, didn’t detract from the plot.
Not even that mad at the cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
I don’t think it’s a classic, by any means but it is a quick and breezy read that has a interesting plot.
My main concern is the whole stepmother love angle thing because it’s just weird and uncomfortable to read about and I think all of the romances are not done justice but it was still decent and tbh, didn’t detract from the plot.
Not even that mad at the cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
booksandladders's review against another edition
2.0
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
DNF @ 26% (page 112)
I started and stopped this one a few times because the magic system is based on self-harm. Every character has to cut themselves to access magic and it is stated in detail. So if that is triggering, please don’t read. In addition, each girl sounded exactly the same and that wasn’t made any better by the fact that we cycled through all three girls and POVs back to back to back about the same topic. I thought because of the Huge Aspect to the secrets and the fantasy, this would really keep my interest but I’m very bored and I don’t want to keep reading and getting triggered so I’m done.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
DNF @ 26% (page 112)
I started and stopped this one a few times because the magic system is based on self-harm. Every character has to cut themselves to access magic and it is stated in detail. So if that is triggering, please don’t read. In addition, each girl sounded exactly the same and that wasn’t made any better by the fact that we cycled through all three girls and POVs back to back to back about the same topic. I thought because of the Huge Aspect to the secrets and the fantasy, this would really keep my interest but I’m very bored and I don’t want to keep reading and getting triggered so I’m done.
emmirosereads's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you once again to TheNovl for sending an ARC for a review
Okay, I'm just going to start off by saying that this book was freaking amazing, and epic and I cannot wait for the sequel! Especially after that last chapter, and the last page, like WHAT!!?? I don't know how I'll be able to wait when this book isn't technically out until September, haha! If you're looking for an amazing high fantasy with incredible world building, fantastic characters, and a stellar plot, look know further! If you love mystery and lots of political intrigue, you'll love Rule. Also can we talk about how almost all of these characters are described as people of color and we also have a queer main character!
Okay, like I mentioned above, one of my favorite things about this book is the world building! As a writer myself and knowing how hard it is to create such a vastly different world from my own, I feel it's something I appreciate even more. This was such a refreshingly unique world and I loved learning about it. From the religion, to the politics, to how things are run, etc, etc. I do wish we could have seen a little more of it, more so then just hearing about it, but I completely understand that doing so wouldn't really serve the plot in this book. Nevertheless I do hope, maybe we can see more of it in book two.
Of course the plot and story itself was amazing and truly kept me on the edge of my seat! I was hooked from chapter one and this constantly kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were a lot of twist and turns that were revealed that just kept adding to my love for this book. I'm going to be honest, as the book kept creeping closer to the end, I thought it was going to disappoint me. I had thought I already guessed who was behind everything, and nothing too crazy was happening and nothing would shock me how I love to be in books. But, I was totally wrong! Those last few chapters completely turned my opinion around and like I said before I just loved that last chapter especially. I just have so many questions now!
I also loved the characters in this book, especially, the three sisters of course! They are all so vastly different from each other which I just loved seeing. I think Ellen Goodlette did a pretty good job on weaving three very different stories together in a way that makes sense and just telling the story of three completely different girls, raised in completely different ways. If I had to pick a favorite character I think I would probably have to choose Akeylah! I think she was the one I related to the most, and the one I would be if I was thrust into this world and situation. I think Zofi is a close second though! I just adore how fierce and strong she is. I also loved Vidal and Rozalind, like a lot! I hope we get to see way more of both of them because both of their stories interest me so much.
I think the only reason I'm knocking of half a star is because sometimes the narratives for each sister could sometimes feel a bit repetitive. This wasn't obviously a huge problem and didn't happen at all that often. I just felt like similar things happened to all three of the girls so it could feel that way in some parts of the book. Also I'm an impatient person sometimes and some chapters would be left on a cliff hanger from one girl's POV and then we would jump into another completely different POV and we would have to wait a few chapters to come back to the other POV. Which of course is important to the story but I just want to know what's happening like instantly, haha! Though these couple of things did bother me a little, it really wasn't like a super huge deal and obviously didn't effect my enjoyment of the book that much at all.
Basically in short, this book was so, so good and I HIGHLY recommend picking it up when it's released in September! And of course I'm way too excited about the sequel because I must know what's going to happen!
Okay, I'm just going to start off by saying that this book was freaking amazing, and epic and I cannot wait for the sequel! Especially after that last chapter, and the last page, like WHAT!!?? I don't know how I'll be able to wait when this book isn't technically out until September, haha! If you're looking for an amazing high fantasy with incredible world building, fantastic characters, and a stellar plot, look know further! If you love mystery and lots of political intrigue, you'll love Rule. Also can we talk about how almost all of these characters are described as people of color and we also have a queer main character!
Okay, like I mentioned above, one of my favorite things about this book is the world building! As a writer myself and knowing how hard it is to create such a vastly different world from my own, I feel it's something I appreciate even more. This was such a refreshingly unique world and I loved learning about it. From the religion, to the politics, to how things are run, etc, etc. I do wish we could have seen a little more of it, more so then just hearing about it, but I completely understand that doing so wouldn't really serve the plot in this book. Nevertheless I do hope, maybe we can see more of it in book two.
Of course the plot and story itself was amazing and truly kept me on the edge of my seat! I was hooked from chapter one and this constantly kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were a lot of twist and turns that were revealed that just kept adding to my love for this book. I'm going to be honest, as the book kept creeping closer to the end, I thought it was going to disappoint me. I had thought I already guessed who was behind everything, and nothing too crazy was happening and nothing would shock me how I love to be in books. But, I was totally wrong! Those last few chapters completely turned my opinion around and like I said before I just loved that last chapter especially. I just have so many questions now!
I also loved the characters in this book, especially, the three sisters of course! They are all so vastly different from each other which I just loved seeing. I think Ellen Goodlette did a pretty good job on weaving three very different stories together in a way that makes sense and just telling the story of three completely different girls, raised in completely different ways. If I had to pick a favorite character I think I would probably have to choose Akeylah! I think she was the one I related to the most, and the one I would be if I was thrust into this world and situation. I think Zofi is a close second though! I just adore how fierce and strong she is. I also loved Vidal and Rozalind, like a lot! I hope we get to see way more of both of them because both of their stories interest me so much.
I think the only reason I'm knocking of half a star is because sometimes the narratives for each sister could sometimes feel a bit repetitive. This wasn't obviously a huge problem and didn't happen at all that often. I just felt like similar things happened to all three of the girls so it could feel that way in some parts of the book. Also I'm an impatient person sometimes and some chapters would be left on a cliff hanger from one girl's POV and then we would jump into another completely different POV and we would have to wait a few chapters to come back to the other POV. Which of course is important to the story but I just want to know what's happening like instantly, haha! Though these couple of things did bother me a little, it really wasn't like a super huge deal and obviously didn't effect my enjoyment of the book that much at all.
Basically in short, this book was so, so good and I HIGHLY recommend picking it up when it's released in September! And of course I'm way too excited about the sequel because I must know what's going to happen!
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
3.0
I found Rule to be a really interesting and enjoyable read. I really liked the three sisters and their different reactions to finding out about their father, and their secrets.
I also loved the concept of the arts and how they can be used. Especially by the travellers as their vials were pretty cool. And the concept of the vulgar arts was interesting. Given what we learn towards the end of the book, I hope we find out more about this moving into book two.
I did have issues with the book in that not a lot really happened, and the threats seemed a little obvious. That said, the end of the book has definitely left me wanting more and pushed things back into the unknown! I also wanted a little more on the politics side. At the moment it’s sort of more mystery than anything else, but I feel politics would have added more to the intrigue.
The sisters were good leads - each with their own takes on things. I didn’t initially love Ren, but I definitely found her character more interesting as the book progressed. And Zofi was probably my favourite, just because I liked her determination and how she wanted to protect her friend.
I did really enjoy Rule, and will definitely be picking up book two. 3.5 stars.
I also loved the concept of the arts and how they can be used. Especially by the travellers as their vials were pretty cool. And the concept of the vulgar arts was interesting. Given what we learn towards the end of the book, I hope we find out more about this moving into book two.
I did have issues with the book in that not a lot really happened, and the threats seemed a little obvious. That said, the end of the book has definitely left me wanting more and pushed things back into the unknown! I also wanted a little more on the politics side. At the moment it’s sort of more mystery than anything else, but I feel politics would have added more to the intrigue.
The sisters were good leads - each with their own takes on things. I didn’t initially love Ren, but I definitely found her character more interesting as the book progressed. And Zofi was probably my favourite, just because I liked her determination and how she wanted to protect her friend.
I did really enjoy Rule, and will definitely be picking up book two. 3.5 stars.
littlewhiterabbitreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-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
4.75