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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Ok.... This book was really boring and kinda depressing. The whole story is about an unconfident, overweight, outshone by her older sister 16 year old girl. I didn't even finish this book but I DO want to know what happens at the end. Anybody want to summarize the book for me? With lots of spoilers?
I really liked the way Elisa was portrayed and how her character developed. I am so grateful they changed the final cover-I had the ARC and every time I looked at the skinny white girl on the cover, I was annoyed since our heroine is a large, dark-skinned girl.
Elisa was born to a king and on her naming day, God marked her as his chosen one by shining a light from heaven on her and placing a Godstone in her navel. It warms when she prays, goes ice cold to warn her of danger, and predicts that she will someday accomplish some great task. Now, Elisa, 16, is to wed a stranger, the king of a Joya d'Arena, and to take with her only two servants, leaving everything she knows behind her. She is not confident, not ambitious, not beautiful--she loves food overmuch, drowns her insecurities in eating, and describes herself as fat. Her new husband, though, is stunning, and he's kind to her, but clearly, it's not exactly love at first sight for him, and when they arrive at his palace, it becomes clear to Elisa that he hasn't told anyone about having wed, and that he has no intention of immediately introducing her as his wife, the Queen. Elisa is just starting to settle into her role--as a VIP guest in the palace, studying the people around her, learning about an impending war with Invierne, a strange country across the desert. Then she's kidnapped, taken from her bedroom and forced to march across the desert, sweating and struggling and fed on starvation rations, to the furthest reaches of Joya d'Arena where the people are already at war with Invierne, where villages are already burning at the hands of the animaguses that head the Invierne armies.
I liked this book. I zipped through it in half a day, and enjoyed it while I did so. I actually liked the religious aspect, and what was so very interesting was that everyone in these lands had actual proof of God. Every century, one person was marked with a Godstone. And yet, still, there are different sects, the kingdom of Orovalle having formed by the Via Reformas when they decided that Joya d'Arena was not stringent enough in their worship, was not interpreting God's words correctly. And still, people in Joya d'Arena didn't fill their places of worship and were falling away from their faith. But it's not a question. When things come together miraculously, it's beautiful, but not surprising, because there is absolutely a God making everything possible.
I liked Elisa. I appreciated her transformation, and I appreciated that she was always intelligent, always studious. I liked the romances, and, although there were few fully developed characters, I very much appreciated Cosme and Rosario. I'd like to see more, and am extremely interested in the possibility that the gaps in the record of Godstone bearers were actually because Godstones were being given to Inviernos, when it seemed very much in this book that God was on the side of the Joya d'Arenas. I'd like to see Invierne, and I hope that there will be a second book, and that there will be an explanation of the quest for a seaport, of the animaguses and their Godstones.
I liked this book. I zipped through it in half a day, and enjoyed it while I did so. I actually liked the religious aspect, and what was so very interesting was that everyone in these lands had actual proof of God. Every century, one person was marked with a Godstone. And yet, still, there are different sects, the kingdom of Orovalle having formed by the Via Reformas when they decided that Joya d'Arena was not stringent enough in their worship, was not interpreting God's words correctly. And still, people in Joya d'Arena didn't fill their places of worship and were falling away from their faith. But it's not a question. When things come together miraculously, it's beautiful, but not surprising, because there is absolutely a God making everything possible.
I liked Elisa. I appreciated her transformation, and I appreciated that she was always intelligent, always studious. I liked the romances, and, although there were few fully developed characters, I very much appreciated Cosme and Rosario. I'd like to see more, and am extremely interested in the possibility that the gaps in the record of Godstone bearers were actually because Godstones were being given to Inviernos, when it seemed very much in this book that God was on the side of the Joya d'Arenas. I'd like to see Invierne, and I hope that there will be a second book, and that there will be an explanation of the quest for a seaport, of the animaguses and their Godstones.
This book was quite hard to get into, but once I was at the halfway point I couldn’t stop reading!
In the beginning of the book it was quite often mentioned that the main character was ‘fat’, so often it got to the point it was annoying..
I can’t wait to read the next book!
In the beginning of the book it was quite often mentioned that the main character was ‘fat’, so often it got to the point it was annoying..
I can’t wait to read the next book!
(5 OUT OF 5 STARS!!!)
This book was everything and so much more than I could have imagined. Beautifully paced, I was constantly enraptured while reading. This book constantly kept me on my toes, but all of the twists and outcomes felt genuine. The setting (with beautiful Hispanic influence) and politics are fleshed out and intriguing. The author takes a deep look at the complexities of female relationships, and battles girl-hate head on through the unique perspective of our narrator. Also includes great representation of plus-sized bodies. One of the best books I've read in years and I can't wait to continue the series!!
This book was everything and so much more than I could have imagined. Beautifully paced, I was constantly enraptured while reading. This book constantly kept me on my toes, but all of the twists and outcomes felt genuine. The setting (with beautiful Hispanic influence) and politics are fleshed out and intriguing. The author takes a deep look at the complexities of female relationships, and battles girl-hate head on through the unique perspective of our narrator. Also includes great representation of plus-sized bodies. One of the best books I've read in years and I can't wait to continue the series!!
Cover
Ich finde das Cover sieht wahnsinnig toll aus. Es war definitiv einer der Gründe, warum ich dieses Buch unbedingt lesen wollte. Mir gefällt die Gestaltung wirklich sehr gut. Es sind quasi keine Menschen darauf zu sehen, was immer ein Pluspunkt ist. Ich finde, es sticht aus der Masse heraus.
Meine Meinung
Gleich zu Beginn möchte ich sagen, dass ich sehr zwiegespalten bin, was dieses Buch betrifft. Einerseits finde ich es sehr toll, dass Elisa eine dicke, weibliche Hauptfigur gibt, was in solchen Büchern ja wirklich eine Seltenheit ist, allerdings wird sie ausschließlich über ihr Körpergewicht definiert und es ist auch das einzige, was sie selbst sieht. Ich finde es sehr schade, dass sie letzten Endes darauf reduziert wird und nicht zu letzt im Laufe des Buches natürlich auch abnimmt und das auch noch recht flott. Ihr eigentliche Charakterentwicklung geht nicht so schnell von statten. Hat sie mich am Anfang noch total genervt, als sie die ganze Zeit nur darüber nachgedacht hat, was sie als nächstes essen soll und wie dick sie doch ist, aber das es ihr überhaupt nichts ausmacht, fand ich sie am Ende noch nerviger, als sie einen auf großartige Königin gemacht hat!
Ich bin mit der Geschichte nicht so wirklich warm geworden. Das Elisa an einen fremden Prinzen verheiratet wird, nur um dort dann Entführt zu werden und als Rebellin einen genialen Schlachtplan auszuarbeiten. Insgesamt hätte die Idee auf jeden Falls ehr viel Potential, aber für mich fühlt es sich nicht an, als hätte man das ausgeschöpft. Ich fand besagten Prinzen eher als eine Art Witzfigur und hätte mir eine tatsächlich starken Prinzen und König gewünscht, mit dem Elisa dann auf einer Augenhöhe verhandeln und sprechen kann, so übertrumpft sie ihn natürlich um Welten.
Für mich kann ich ganz klar sagen, war diese Geschichte nichts. Die meisten Figuren blieben mir völlig fremd. Nachdem ich fertig war, hatte ich kein Bedürfnis, zu erfahren, wie die Geschichte weiter geht. Mir war das ganze etwas zu verwirrend.
Was die Bewertung betrifft, bin ich mir noch etwas unsicher, denn zu 100 % fand ich es ja nicht schlecht, es hat nur einfach meinen Geschmack nicht getroffen und konnte mich nicht überzuegen. Ich vergebe zwei von fünf Monstern und werde definitiv keinen weiteren Band dieser Reihe lesen.
Mehr Rezensionen auf meinem Blog Valaraucos-Buchstabenmeer
Ich finde das Cover sieht wahnsinnig toll aus. Es war definitiv einer der Gründe, warum ich dieses Buch unbedingt lesen wollte. Mir gefällt die Gestaltung wirklich sehr gut. Es sind quasi keine Menschen darauf zu sehen, was immer ein Pluspunkt ist. Ich finde, es sticht aus der Masse heraus.
Meine Meinung
Gleich zu Beginn möchte ich sagen, dass ich sehr zwiegespalten bin, was dieses Buch betrifft. Einerseits finde ich es sehr toll, dass Elisa eine dicke, weibliche Hauptfigur gibt, was in solchen Büchern ja wirklich eine Seltenheit ist, allerdings wird sie ausschließlich über ihr Körpergewicht definiert und es ist auch das einzige, was sie selbst sieht. Ich finde es sehr schade, dass sie letzten Endes darauf reduziert wird und nicht zu letzt im Laufe des Buches natürlich auch abnimmt und das auch noch recht flott. Ihr eigentliche Charakterentwicklung geht nicht so schnell von statten. Hat sie mich am Anfang noch total genervt, als sie die ganze Zeit nur darüber nachgedacht hat, was sie als nächstes essen soll und wie dick sie doch ist, aber das es ihr überhaupt nichts ausmacht, fand ich sie am Ende noch nerviger, als sie einen auf großartige Königin gemacht hat!
Ich bin mit der Geschichte nicht so wirklich warm geworden. Das Elisa an einen fremden Prinzen verheiratet wird, nur um dort dann Entführt zu werden und als Rebellin einen genialen Schlachtplan auszuarbeiten. Insgesamt hätte die Idee auf jeden Falls ehr viel Potential, aber für mich fühlt es sich nicht an, als hätte man das ausgeschöpft. Ich fand besagten Prinzen eher als eine Art Witzfigur und hätte mir eine tatsächlich starken Prinzen und König gewünscht, mit dem Elisa dann auf einer Augenhöhe verhandeln und sprechen kann, so übertrumpft sie ihn natürlich um Welten.
Für mich kann ich ganz klar sagen, war diese Geschichte nichts. Die meisten Figuren blieben mir völlig fremd. Nachdem ich fertig war, hatte ich kein Bedürfnis, zu erfahren, wie die Geschichte weiter geht. Mir war das ganze etwas zu verwirrend.
Was die Bewertung betrifft, bin ich mir noch etwas unsicher, denn zu 100 % fand ich es ja nicht schlecht, es hat nur einfach meinen Geschmack nicht getroffen und konnte mich nicht überzuegen. Ich vergebe zwei von fünf Monstern und werde definitiv keinen weiteren Band dieser Reihe lesen.
Mehr Rezensionen auf meinem Blog Valaraucos-Buchstabenmeer
I simply don't understand why so many people have given this book a 4-5 star rating. The main character is whiny and has zero depth. Oh no, I'm fat! Let's go eat some chocolate cake! I got really tired of the constant descriptions of her binge eating and then self-loathing. I thought it was great that an author created a heroine who wasn't a twig, but Rae Carson didn't pull it off. Why does she eat so much? I also thought that it was trite that it is only when she loses weight that she learns to love herself. The romantic portion of this book is a MESS. She shows romantic leanings towards three men in this book- none of these relationships are believable. It was like the author couldn't decide who her character should end up with, so she killed off the romantic interests one by one. I never felt any attachment for the characters or the plot. This religious novel did bring me closer to God however- I prayed often that it would end soon!
I thought the first half of the book was dull and revolved around food waaaaaaaaaay too much, but the second half of the book was amazing! I loved seeing Elisa grow as a main character and the turns this story took were very exciting, I loved how everything played out at the end, it wasn't a completely happy ending but I still enjoyed it
I really liked this. I haven't read an epic fantasy book in quite some time and this was perfect for getting back into it. I love that the main character, Princess Elisa, is not perfect physically or in attitude. She has flaws and she makes very realistic mistakes. She might be chosen for some great cause but she could be anybody. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
This was between 3 and 4 stars for me, but I'm rounding up. Such an interesting and different YA fantasy book. Excited to read more.