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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
It's not like I hated reading it or that it was boring. The writing was nice like it was in all other books in the series but there was no point to the whole book. There was no plot. It was more like a memoir.
Hava's character enraged me at times. And trust me, that's rare. I get annoyed often, sure, but the way Hava was acting made me hate her.She's a double thinker(looked it up on Google) with severe cognitive dissonance (also Google) and a total hypocrite (bit relatable at times but she's just too much).
This book didn't need to be so damn long. The first two parts felt like watching Man vs Wild.The kits were cute nonetheless.
I have to mention, I don't think I'm a big fan of Kristin Cashore's style ofnot letting the FMC and the MMC become an actual 'couple' couple.
Hava's character enraged me at times. And trust me, that's rare. I get annoyed often, sure, but the way Hava was acting made me hate her.
This book didn't need to be so damn long. The first two parts felt like watching Man vs Wild.
I have to mention, I don't think I'm a big fan of Kristin Cashore's style of
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another book to love in the Graceling universe. It’s cool how she brings different perspectives of the same characters to deepen the overall story she’s woven. A little slow of a start getting used to Hava’s tone but worth sticking with it for sure.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
I tagged ‘Dementia’ meaning memory-loss in general (since that’s not its own tag) It’s not due to age but gaslighting/abuse and drug abuse (separate characters/occurrences)
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
adventurous
reflective
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
I don't know how much of it is due to the fact that I have loved Kristin Cashore since I first found Graceling on one of the bookshelves of my public library, and to the fact that I love her characters especially Bitterblue and Hava.
But reading this book felt as good as Winterkeep since I thought Fire and Bitterblue were going to be the last ones of the series. This universe is very important to me since I read the first one in 2008. I fell in love all over again with this world and its characters.
But reading this book felt as good as Winterkeep since I thought Fire and Bitterblue were going to be the last ones of the series. This universe is very important to me since I read the first one in 2008. I fell in love all over again with this world and its characters.
4.5 Stars - I'm rounding up as ultimately this is a incredibly well done book, the different style compared to the rest of the series took some getting used to. And well, this is a bleak hard book in a lot of ways.
This entire book is in a lot of ways a coming of age drama even though Hava is no longer a child. Her grace is one of hiding and makes her whole life one of loneliness and isolation. She's socially still fairly inept and isn't sure that connections with others is even something that she wants. Since the only perspective we get in this book, unlike others in the series, is Hava's we really get to know her. Hava isn't always pleasant. She's sharp tongued and quick to anger. She doesn't know how to relate to people trying to help her, or teach her. She pushes back against being asked to do things and nothing ever seems to be easy with her. But an ocean voyage in the winter, entrapped upon a ship with few outlets, starts Hava's own internal investigation and questioning. A shipwreck and the isolation, tragedy, and trials that the group much endure just compounds Hava's self analysis.
This journey is long and arduous. It forces Hava to address her own selfishness and upon discovery of a kidnapped blue fox, puts front and center Hava's inability to ignore someone in pain and trapped. She knows what it's like to be hidden away and damaged because of it. She's determined to rescue the blue fox and punish those responsible.
I found the first half of this book was hard. Hava isn't very likeable to begin with. Her sharp tongue and inability to let people in makes her very difficult to empathize with. But somehow I still kept rooting for her to find her way out of her own mental anguish and to realize that not all connections with people are bad. She has so much anger towards her past and her father, moving on isn't going to be easy for her.
The journey across the ice and snow is arduous and Kristin Cashore's writing is evocative. You really do feel the bleakness of their plight. The last third of the book really does pick up pace and the addition of the fox kits makes everything more enjoyable. I appreciated all of the change that Hava was going through while also still feeling trapped not just in her past, but in the miles of ice they barely escaped from.
I love this series. I do hope we get another book here. There's so much more to be explored. I hope to see Hava continue to develop as a person.
This entire book is in a lot of ways a coming of age drama even though Hava is no longer a child. Her grace is one of hiding and makes her whole life one of loneliness and isolation. She's socially still fairly inept and isn't sure that connections with others is even something that she wants. Since the only perspective we get in this book, unlike others in the series, is Hava's we really get to know her. Hava isn't always pleasant. She's sharp tongued and quick to anger. She doesn't know how to relate to people trying to help her, or teach her. She pushes back against being asked to do things and nothing ever seems to be easy with her. But an ocean voyage in the winter, entrapped upon a ship with few outlets, starts Hava's own internal investigation and questioning. A shipwreck and the isolation, tragedy, and trials that the group much endure just compounds Hava's self analysis.
This journey is long and arduous. It forces Hava to address her own selfishness and upon discovery of a kidnapped blue fox, puts front and center Hava's inability to ignore someone in pain and trapped. She knows what it's like to be hidden away and damaged because of it. She's determined to rescue the blue fox and punish those responsible.
I found the first half of this book was hard. Hava isn't very likeable to begin with. Her sharp tongue and inability to let people in makes her very difficult to empathize with. But somehow I still kept rooting for her to find her way out of her own mental anguish and to realize that not all connections with people are bad. She has so much anger towards her past and her father, moving on isn't going to be easy for her.
The journey across the ice and snow is arduous and Kristin Cashore's writing is evocative. You really do feel the bleakness of their plight. The last third of the book really does pick up pace and the addition of the fox kits makes everything more enjoyable. I appreciated all of the change that Hava was going through while also still feeling trapped not just in her past, but in the miles of ice they barely escaped from.
I love this series. I do hope we get another book here. There's so much more to be explored. I hope to see Hava continue to develop as a person.