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blurringpages's review against another edition
4.0
I nearly gave up on this book. The first 150odd pages seemed just like it wasn't going anywhere and the main character was just whining about everything. But it picked up a lot and I'll be definitely continuing this series.
pthornbury05's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book had very detailed descriptions of people and the places they inhabited. It was so interesting to get lost in the scenes picturing myself there along with the characters. There were lots of characters throughout this story, some only partially developed. I feel like they could very easily appear again in the remainder of the series which would negate the partial development here. This book also had a very interesting religious element to it with the Godstone and the bearer and heavy belief by many of the power of the entity that created these. Very fascinating to follow Eliza‘s journey and development throughout this novel. I felt like I grew with her and her choices she was prompted to make. She was developed so well am intrigued to see how she develops further in the other books. This story was beautifully told.
other_worlds_than_these's review against another edition
4.0
I need the second book now and it's out of stock on Amazon!?! WHY
rega1234's review against another edition
3.0
I would say it is overall a pleasant book however the action scenes are not very exciting. The majority of the book was filled with good writing and a female character who did not fit the social standards of beauty, and that made me like her even more. Overall, if you are extremely interested I would recommend, otherwise it would be a pass.
erpedraja's review against another edition
3.0
A really interesting read- I first thought it might have too many religious undertones for me to enjoy, but that aspect ended up taking a backseat to the action and intrigue that Elisa faced at a foreign court during war. The main character is a girl who is not perfect, does not deny her faults, but still tries her best to help those around her.
mackenziencheez's review against another edition
4.0
I really did like this book. I like that the heroine is not depicted as skinny. I like the religion Carson creates. I like that this is a fantasy novel that is not set in your typical Western European culture. We begin with a chubby (fat?) Hispanic girl who feels unsure of herself, and I can totally relate to that. Well, not the Hispanic part, but the chubby, insecure parts. My problems: 1. Since she's overweight, her husband doesn't love her. 2. Elisa only becomes sure of herself once she loses weight. 3. She becomes even more sure of herself once she realizes that a handsome rebel has fallen in love with her, and it is unclear whether he fell in love before or after the weight loss.
Basically, I love that Carson begins her story with a heroine other young girls can relate to. We hardly ever see overweight girls in YA lit. But I want a chubby heroine who is sure of herself and able to hold a romantic relationship while still overweight.
Basically, I love that Carson begins her story with a heroine other young girls can relate to. We hardly ever see overweight girls in YA lit. But I want a chubby heroine who is sure of herself and able to hold a romantic relationship while still overweight.
seholmes811's review against another edition
1.0
DNF. This book started off really well and very much drew me in…then it just did a complete 180 and got suuuuper slow and boring. I don’t have mental capacity to waste on boring books.
sugarsiege's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
A DuneXStevenUniverse crossover for girlies who had to take a hiatus from their #thinspo instagram during their mission trip to Costa Rica
yusra_s's review against another edition
The story was well written, however, the descriptions were not exactly likeable. The hero herself was not a very kind person, although it might seem otherwise, there were parts where the reader gets the feeling that the hero is not so good of heart and a little cold too. Like in every story, we readers like reading what looks nice and pleasant to the eyes. Just imagining what was happening there, and all the settings were a pain in the neck. There were no proper descriptions of anything. The only thing good about the book was the plot. Oh, and the sad scenes too. They make it all the more interesting.
smlplatz's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I LOVED this series.
As a half-Mexican (half Caucasian) girl, here are my reasons why I think you should read this series. (Major spoiler free)
- It is high fantasy and the world, culture, languages, people are *not* based predominately on some white European nation during the Middle Ages. Here we have a fantasy series with a firm Latin American foundation, and a few other cultures sprinkled in to create a large and diverse universe. VERY cool.
- The series opens with a narrator/protagonist who is known for her knowledge and girth, but not necessarily her beauty. And she struggles with this as any teenage girl does. HOWEVER, any physical changes that occur over the course of the novels are not a result of Elisa actively trying to be more attractive to men--they are a result of living life and being a total bad ass...and even then she is still described as being "chubby," but also lots of other really positive adjectives that having nothing to do with the shape of her body. There is a LOT more I could say about this subject, but you should just read the books instead.
- It is a really dynamic cast of characters. It's a first person narrative, with a pretty significant ensemble cast that ebbs and flows with the story. The characters are almost exclusively POC (and I don't think food is used to describe them even once...but if so, it's extremely infrequent) and none of them are stereotypes. And this cast is OBVIOUSLY POC. The author makes it VERY clear. It was pretty cool to read a series with that kind of representation. Also, complex and realistic relationships filled with humor and pain and loyalty and every other feeling under the sun.
- It is a romance series that has NO--I REPEAT: NO--love triangles. I nearly cried out of sheer joy. No instalove from our protag! Also, any romancing that does happen ADDS to the story and what is happening to the characters...*cough* Also, nothing inappropriately erotic for the target demographic.
- Magic! Magic with rules and a history!
Basically: read it because it's really a great story. If there are any flaws, all of the wonderful things above have made me completely blind to them and I don't even care.
As a half-Mexican (half Caucasian) girl, here are my reasons why I think you should read this series. (Major spoiler free)
- It is high fantasy and the world, culture, languages, people are *not* based predominately on some white European nation during the Middle Ages. Here we have a fantasy series with a firm Latin American foundation, and a few other cultures sprinkled in to create a large and diverse universe. VERY cool.
- The series opens with a narrator/protagonist who is known for her knowledge and girth, but not necessarily her beauty. And she struggles with this as any teenage girl does. HOWEVER, any physical changes that occur over the course of the novels are not a result of Elisa actively trying to be more attractive to men--they are a result of living life and being a total bad ass...and even then she is still described as being "chubby," but also lots of other really positive adjectives that having nothing to do with the shape of her body. There is a LOT more I could say about this subject, but you should just read the books instead.
- It is a really dynamic cast of characters. It's a first person narrative, with a pretty significant ensemble cast that ebbs and flows with the story. The characters are almost exclusively POC (and I don't think food is used to describe them even once...but if so, it's extremely infrequent) and none of them are stereotypes. And this cast is OBVIOUSLY POC. The author makes it VERY clear. It was pretty cool to read a series with that kind of representation. Also, complex and realistic relationships filled with humor and pain and loyalty and every other feeling under the sun.
- It is a romance series that has NO--I REPEAT: NO--love triangles. I nearly cried out of sheer joy. No instalove from our protag! Also, any romancing that does happen ADDS to the story and what is happening to the characters...*cough* Also, nothing inappropriately erotic for the target demographic.
- Magic! Magic with rules and a history!
Basically: read it because it's really a great story. If there are any flaws, all of the wonderful things above have made me completely blind to them and I don't even care.