Reviews

The Bright and the Pale by Jessica Rubinkowski

sha_'s review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional

5.0

amybraunauthor's review against another edition

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5.0

I went into this book blind and am so grateful I did, because it did not disappoint! The story is intense, moody, and dramatic, filled with complicated characters, betrayal, and ancient magic. I absolutely loved it and am eagerly awaiting the next instalment!

The story is set in a cold world with a ruthless ruling system and a touch of magic, the story follows a young thief named Valeria as she is caught up in a mission that will lead into her tragic past. The writing style is excellent at building her inner turmoil as Valeria confronts old truths about her life and learns that nothing is as it seems.

I found Valeria to be a complex character throughout. She has a lot of angst to work through, but I never found her boring or dull. Alik is a poor, tortured soul who I love and want to see more of throughout as he grows. He’s a cinnamon roll and I actually loved his angst as it clashed with Valeria’s, since their pasts have changed them.

The book was filled with tension as the characters continued their journey, with all sorts of terrifying peril blocking their path. I loved the slow burn romance, the world lore, and the atmosphere that filled every page. I could not get enough of it!

A huge recommend for anyone who enjoys atmosphere, tragic backstories, friends-to-lovers, betrayal, drama, and winter magic! Bring on the sequel!

scosey's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

allisonsmith120's review

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adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

itsreb's review against another edition

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I got this book in a Fairyloot box and I wanted to read all of my Fairyloot books.  I started with this one, but it did not hold my interest.  I felt like I had to finish this one before I could read any of my other Fairyloot books, but I figure now is the time to set this down.  Maybe I will come back to it.  

littleduckreads's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

3.25

bkc's review against another edition

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Trigger warnings and seems cold. Sold.

maryconnors6's review against another edition

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2.0

2.5 Stars



The Bright & the Pale had a lot of potential, but became too muddled and repetitive. It's definitely more on the younger end of the YA spectrum in terms of really on the nose foreshadowing-- each character could have winked after saying something that would come into play, it was that obvious. I would say it's a mix of Shadow and Bone (not to the extent of Wicked Saints, which is basically a fan fiction of SaB) and a compilation of the Mines of Moria passages from The Fellowship of the Ring, but it sadly didn't measure up.

livinliterary's review against another edition

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3.0

The premise and a lot of the world building is pretty interesting, but unfortunately the writing really holds this book back. It takes way too long to actually get to the plot, and the whole time you don't really care about what happens to the characters. Could have really used some good editing to tighten it up and make it a bit more impactful. Good potential, but poorly executed.

hel_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

3.0