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30dollarbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
harleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the Queen Song novella but was unimpressed with Steel Scars. I feel that neither of these really offered much to the story. While it was nice to be back in this world again, and to be able to get a bit more background information, I wasn't overly jazzed or impressed. It was nice to see how things connected together though. All in all I feel this didn't offer up much to the main story line but it was enjoyable none the less. I look forward to continuing on with the series.
frostybee_bookcase's review against another edition
4.0
A solid 4-star read.
I enjoyed both short novellas that helped set up the storyline. I liked the plotlines being set up for Red Queen and the rest of the main storyline.
Other than that, I can't wait to see what Red Queen will bring me.
I enjoyed both short novellas that helped set up the storyline. I liked the plotlines being set up for Red Queen and the rest of the main storyline.
Other than that, I can't wait to see what Red Queen will bring me.
asunachidory's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Queen song was excellent. Gripping and engaging and kept me reading. Finished it in an evening. Steel scars took five days to read. It was so painful. If I didn’t know better I’d believe the two were written by different authors.
bella613's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I liked this prequel more than both the first and second books of the series!
I loved hearing from Coriane and while Farley isn't my favorite, Shade is probably the most interesting character to me in the series, so both sections of the book were great. I felt like the writing was a little more concise in this than the first two books as well.
I read this after Red Queen and Glass Sword but it probably could go before Glass Sword too if you wanted to read them that way.
I loved hearing from Coriane and while Farley isn't my favorite, Shade is probably the most interesting character to me in the series, so both sections of the book were great. I felt like the writing was a little more concise in this than the first two books as well.
I read this after Red Queen and Glass Sword but it probably could go before Glass Sword too if you wanted to read them that way.
leah_ruth's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I read this one years after finishing the series, so I wasn’t giving the book a fair chance. However, it did get me back into The Red Queen vibe to possibly reread the series or start another Aveyard book!
starcrossedstacks's review against another edition
2.0
“ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴄᴀʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴅʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴜꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄᴀʀʟᴇᴛ ɢᴜᴀʀᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ. ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ʙᴏᴛʜ.”
These two short stories take place prior and simultaneously to the first full book in this series, which I have recently started.
Full disclosure, I plan on revisiting this book and giving it an updated review - I think that reading these short stories first doesn't make a ton of sense. They don't fully build up the world enough to make sense as intros to the series. In fact, I have found after doing research it is highly recommended NOT to read these novellas first (yikes).
I always struggle with books that don't read in chronological order - I think it should be more common to put a suggested reading order more plainly inside of a book, especially in a case like this!
I will revisit this book - perhaps after I read the first full book in the Red Queen series (I still have yet to find a consensus on the correct reading order that isn't this, but let me know if it is wrong!)
As for a review: I think these stories don't build up the world as much as I was hoping for the first chronological books in the series, but have already found that the first Red Queen book addresses this and does a much better job. I had a hard time following the second story in particular because of this.
The writing is good and unique for both novellas, with the second having interesting war-message snippets throughout.
I look forward to coming back to this when the world is a bit more built up for me, and I understand the relevance of some of these characters in the main series!
Quotes:
“ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴋɪɴɢ. ᴜꜱᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀʏ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴇɴᴅꜱ. ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɢᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ꜰᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ꜰᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’ꜱ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛ.”
These two short stories take place prior and simultaneously to the first full book in this series, which I have recently started.
Full disclosure, I plan on revisiting this book and giving it an updated review - I think that reading these short stories first doesn't make a ton of sense. They don't fully build up the world enough to make sense as intros to the series. In fact, I have found after doing research it is highly recommended NOT to read these novellas first (yikes).
I always struggle with books that don't read in chronological order - I think it should be more common to put a suggested reading order more plainly inside of a book, especially in a case like this!
I will revisit this book - perhaps after I read the first full book in the Red Queen series (I still have yet to find a consensus on the correct reading order that isn't this, but let me know if it is wrong!)
As for a review: I think these stories don't build up the world as much as I was hoping for the first chronological books in the series, but have already found that the first Red Queen book addresses this and does a much better job. I had a hard time following the second story in particular because of this.
The writing is good and unique for both novellas, with the second having interesting war-message snippets throughout.
I look forward to coming back to this when the world is a bit more built up for me, and I understand the relevance of some of these characters in the main series!
Quotes:
“ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴋɪɴɢ. ᴜꜱᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀʏ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴇɴᴅꜱ. ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɢᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ꜰᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ꜰᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’ꜱ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛ.”