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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Nevernight
Much better than anticipated. I was not a fan of the author's writing style and I complained to friends numerous times about it lol. However a certain incident 3/4 through the book shocked me so much that I was hooked. I love when I don't see something coming.
Much better than anticipated. I was not a fan of the author's writing style and I complained to friends numerous times about it lol. However a certain incident 3/4 through the book shocked me so much that I was hooked. I love when I don't see something coming.
I really liked this book; it’s quite violent and graphic (it’s about an assassin academy so you know...). Loved the writing style and footnotes, although some may not like that. I loved that all the characters, especially the main one, were super flawed.
It, quite literally, starts with a bang.*
And then from there, the action grows until it explodes into a cacophony of action. Majority of the book occurs within the Red Church, and because teenagers, it’s all very school drama (think How to Lead a Life of Crime), but more blood. Waaay more.
I did want more adventuring and assassin-ing, but given the conclusion, I’m sure I’ll get what I ordered in Book 2. Once again, the blurb is misleading.
Mia Corvere is out for blood. She’s done and seen some shit, but becoming a servant of Niah will help her on her quest for revenge. Sometimes, thanks to her sidekick’s abilities, she’s a little Mary Sue-like, but her lack of fear is foiled by her recklessness and short-temper, which makes her all the more realistic and loveable. She is in no way perfect; she's vindictive and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she's also learning. Mia is a special snowflake, but not really. Kristoff seems to enjoy making his female protags like that (and while there are several similarities with my bae The Lotus War, there are many more differences and I feel like it's a genre thing), which is a trend I enjoy, as they are always accompanied by a delightful animal(wish) companion. In this case, it’s Mister Kindly, a noncat. He is the best ever and I want ten.
Side characters were great as well, if not bizarrely cliched. We have the mean girl and her goon, spunky bestie, quiet bestie, hunk, jock, and the Onion,** as well as many more characters. While I adore Tric, he’s such a flippin’ boy sometimes that I just need a break. Boys. I loved the Shahiids, and want to know more, along with how to Itreyan government is ruled. The entire empire is intriguing, and Kristoff excels at world building.
While there are a few twists and turns along the way, there is One Big. Knowing Kristoff, I knew who it was a mile off, but maybe newer and more trusting readers will be surprised.
The story is told with footnotes that expand on the world and are very often hilarious. I straight-up cackled at times. Sometimes they can be distracting and I did lose my place, but I jumped back quickly. Nothing can be as bad as the footnotes in House of Leaves.
One thing can be said for Kristoff, and that’s how he never pulls any punches. Truly, no one is safe in his worlds, and everything is described in graphic detail. If you don’t like blood, violence, sex, or anything of the sort, seriously steer clear. This book is not for the fainthearted.
My favourite parts were the conversations with Mister Kindly and when Mia became introspective. I wasn’t really feeling the whole high school drama and am looking forward to the main quest being front and centre in the sequel.
*If you’ve read it, you’ll get this.
** If you watch Steven Universe, you get this.
28/01/2016
COVVEERRRRRRR. DAMN SON KRISTOFF'S COVER GAME IS LIKE: sign me the FUCK up
And then from there, the action grows until it explodes into a cacophony of action. Majority of the book occurs within the Red Church, and because teenagers, it’s all very school drama (think How to Lead a Life of Crime), but more blood. Waaay more.
I did want more adventuring and assassin-ing, but given the conclusion, I’m sure I’ll get what I ordered in Book 2. Once again, the blurb is misleading.
Mia Corvere is out for blood. She’s done and seen some shit, but becoming a servant of Niah will help her on her quest for revenge. Sometimes, thanks to her sidekick’s abilities, she’s a little Mary Sue-like, but her lack of fear is foiled by her recklessness and short-temper, which makes her all the more realistic and loveable. She is in no way perfect; she's vindictive and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she's also learning. Mia is a special snowflake, but not really. Kristoff seems to enjoy making his female protags like that (and while there are several similarities with my bae The Lotus War, there are many more differences and I feel like it's a genre thing), which is a trend I enjoy, as they are always accompanied by a delightful animal(wish) companion. In this case, it’s Mister Kindly, a noncat. He is the best ever and I want ten.
Side characters were great as well, if not bizarrely cliched. We have the mean girl and her goon, spunky bestie, quiet bestie, hunk, jock, and the Onion,** as well as many more characters. While I adore Tric, he’s such a flippin’ boy sometimes that I just need a break. Boys. I loved the Shahiids, and want to know more, along with how to Itreyan government is ruled. The entire empire is intriguing, and Kristoff excels at world building.
While there are a few twists and turns along the way, there is One Big. Knowing Kristoff, I knew who it was a mile off, but maybe newer and more trusting readers will be surprised.
The story is told with footnotes that expand on the world and are very often hilarious. I straight-up cackled at times. Sometimes they can be distracting and I did lose my place, but I jumped back quickly. Nothing can be as bad as the footnotes in House of Leaves.
One thing can be said for Kristoff, and that’s how he never pulls any punches. Truly, no one is safe in his worlds, and everything is described in graphic detail. If you don’t like blood, violence, sex, or anything of the sort, seriously steer clear. This book is not for the fainthearted.
My favourite parts were the conversations with Mister Kindly and when Mia became introspective. I wasn’t really feeling the whole high school drama and am looking forward to the main quest being front and centre in the sequel.
*If you’ve read it, you’ll get this.
** If you watch Steven Universe, you get this.
28/01/2016
COVVEERRRRRRR. DAMN SON KRISTOFF'S COVER GAME IS LIKE: sign me the FUCK up
4.5, but a high 4.5.
Basic premise: a vengeance tale involving a girl going into a school for assassins.
I really liked the pacing with this one, it does take a little time to get going at the start and frequently bounces between telling Mia's backstory and her in present day struggling to get to the "Red Church" (the afore mentioned assassin school) Since the school is what I mentioned, there's often the question of who is trustworthy, and that keeps changing as the story progresses. Once at the school the story picks up. I also liked the fact that despite the story often being high octane the ending goes out with quite the bang.
Now, the .5 off?
Okay, I didn't like that (especially at the start) there are multiple annotations where it's not uncommon to take up half of a page or more on some tangent or in order to make some anecdote in the name of amusement presumably. . . that being said I realized within the first few chapters that reading them is not necessary to understanding the plot and they're optional. (if you want something a little more light hearted read the annotations - if you want a straight up vengeance tale, skip)
Basic premise: a vengeance tale involving a girl going into a school for assassins.
I really liked the pacing with this one, it does take a little time to get going at the start and frequently bounces between telling Mia's backstory and her in present day struggling to get to the "Red Church" (the afore mentioned assassin school) Since the school is what I mentioned, there's often the question of who is trustworthy, and that keeps changing as the story progresses. Once at the school the story picks up. I also liked the fact that despite the story often being high octane the ending goes out with quite the bang.
Now, the .5 off?
Okay, I didn't like that (especially at the start) there are multiple annotations where it's not uncommon to take up half of a page or more on some tangent or in order to make some anecdote in the name of amusement presumably. . . that being said I realized within the first few chapters that reading them is not necessary to understanding the plot and they're optional. (if you want something a little more light hearted read the annotations - if you want a straight up vengeance tale, skip)
'You've got words in your soul' = New quote to write in every notebook I got :)
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3,5⭐
Este libro me deja sentimientos encontrados porque a pesar de que objetivamente me parezca una historia que atrapa y con un worldbuilding rico y creíble, siento que no desarrolla todo el potencial que podría. Creo que continuaré con la saga por ver si merece la pena, pero por el momento este primero es un 3,5 redondeado a la baja.
Este libro me deja sentimientos encontrados porque a pesar de que objetivamente me parezca una historia que atrapa y con un worldbuilding rico y creíble, siento que no desarrolla todo el potencial que podría. Creo que continuaré con la saga por ver si merece la pena, pero por el momento este primero es un 3,5 redondeado a la baja.