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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book felt like a new story with new characters and no development rather than completion of a trilogy. I finished because it was the third book but it felt very rushed and underwhelming.
Hard to stay engaged with this one. listened to the audio version, maybe better physical read
This is going to be highly opinionated but guess what? That's what reviews are--opinions!!
The series started off so strong and it's so sad to see it go down hill the way it has. This doesn't even seem very connected to the other two books and takes a wild turn that kinda just disregards the beginning of the series to create something new.
To start, the quality of writing and prose seems to have decreased. If the start of the series had been written this way, I never would've finished. As it's the third book, I powered through. But man was it hard.
Normally, I enjoy shorter chapters/scenes but here the chapters are way too short. I get she's trying to build tension but we're not in the scene long enough for that to occur. All the scenes are so shallow and happen so fast. Everything is rushed and underdeveloped. Nothing feels truly lived in. Or explained or described. 6 full pages wasn't the longest chapter. Some weren't even two full pages.
It's okay to describe something. Not everything should be revealed only through action. Give us an idea of what something is before it's being used otherwise it's just confusing.
There needs to be more varied and complex sentences. Everything is "the floor tilted. Our feet fly out from under us. The skull crashes in the wall. The skull shrinks." Combine connected actions.
A lot of the dialogue and character decisions and relationships feels forced and unnatural. That could be in part to the many time skips which don't allow us to see characters and their relationships develop and just jump to where that stuff has already happened. I get not every detail needs to be in a story but if romance or skills are building, if armies and nations are uniting, then we do need to see that. It can still be in a montage but some of that has to be there.
Too many POVs to be first person. None of them have a unique enough voice, except maybe Zélie because she's the most moody. And it switches between them too often. The POVs are off. The characters cannot know what someone is feeling or intending.
I shouldn't have been surprised by the lack of falling action and resolution to sum up this story but somehow I was. What happens next? To anyone? No idea because things aren't even hinted at. A disgraceful way to end a novel and a worse way to end a series.
I really think this should've ended at book two. They could've resolved everything if it was longer. It didn't need to be a trilogy.
Now just some nitpicky general complaints I have:
Why is Inan there so late? The whole situation on the boat needs to be better explained. Who all is there, why, where did they go, has she seen them, why is she specialed out but it takes them two weeks to test her?
They welded magacite to her temple and inject her with it? Why only her? What purpose does it serve other than dramatic effect? And why did it take so long to describe it?
The double brother sister romance thing is gross and annoying and I'm glad it ended.
The present tense is so annoying. Especially when it's used in flashbacks as well.
Always in large amounts of full body pain but still always able to achieve feats of physical performance. Even with serious wounds, such as stab wounds or skin being peeled back to reveal bone. I guess blood loss isn't a thing. Mind over matter truly knows no limit in this book.
Where's the editing? The wooden panels below their feet are blown out yet they're still standing and perfectly fine? Word choice could've really used some improvement. I know this sounds nitpicky and had it been a few sentences here and there, I would've let it go. But so much of the book is written this way.
Inan shouldn't have gone to New Gaīa. He should've stayed in Orïsha as he's an important link between the maji and the tîtáns and to let us readers see what they're accomplishing there. Having him go to New Gaīa served no plot purpose.
It amazes me that they're all so strong as to carry other people while they run.
Really? The two of them were going to take on the entire army that spend so much time emphasizing how strong it was all by themselves after the rest failed? How are we supposed to root for such stupid characters?
What was the point of making King Baldyr so young? It made no sense and didn't add to the plot. It would've made more sense if he was older.
Amazing how often just one strike can cut down multiple people at once.
A lot of the locations don't make sense. Where they attack the boats. Why, if they're coming from the east, they're attacking Lagos, the most western city. Weaken the country and move in? Especially since it's easy to predict they'd heavily defend their capital so maybe attack somewhere closer with less defenses? Idk what do I know.
Overall, I'm super disappointed by this series. Maybe the first book just set my expectations too high.
The series started off so strong and it's so sad to see it go down hill the way it has. This doesn't even seem very connected to the other two books and takes a wild turn that kinda just disregards the beginning of the series to create something new.
To start, the quality of writing and prose seems to have decreased. If the start of the series had been written this way, I never would've finished. As it's the third book, I powered through. But man was it hard.
Normally, I enjoy shorter chapters/scenes but here the chapters are way too short. I get she's trying to build tension but we're not in the scene long enough for that to occur. All the scenes are so shallow and happen so fast. Everything is rushed and underdeveloped. Nothing feels truly lived in. Or explained or described. 6 full pages wasn't the longest chapter. Some weren't even two full pages.
It's okay to describe something. Not everything should be revealed only through action. Give us an idea of what something is before it's being used otherwise it's just confusing.
There needs to be more varied and complex sentences. Everything is "the floor tilted. Our feet fly out from under us. The skull crashes in the wall. The skull shrinks." Combine connected actions.
A lot of the dialogue and character decisions and relationships feels forced and unnatural. That could be in part to the many time skips which don't allow us to see characters and their relationships develop and just jump to where that stuff has already happened. I get not every detail needs to be in a story but if romance or skills are building, if armies and nations are uniting, then we do need to see that. It can still be in a montage but some of that has to be there.
Too many POVs to be first person. None of them have a unique enough voice, except maybe Zélie because she's the most moody. And it switches between them too often. The POVs are off. The characters cannot know what someone is feeling or intending.
I shouldn't have been surprised by the lack of falling action and resolution to sum up this story but somehow I was. What happens next? To anyone? No idea because things aren't even hinted at. A disgraceful way to end a novel and a worse way to end a series.
I really think this should've ended at book two. They could've resolved everything if it was longer. It didn't need to be a trilogy.
Now just some nitpicky general complaints I have:
Why is Inan there so late? The whole situation on the boat needs to be better explained. Who all is there, why, where did they go, has she seen them, why is she specialed out but it takes them two weeks to test her?
They welded magacite to her temple and inject her with it? Why only her? What purpose does it serve other than dramatic effect? And why did it take so long to describe it?
The double brother sister romance thing is gross and annoying and I'm glad it ended.
The present tense is so annoying. Especially when it's used in flashbacks as well.
Always in large amounts of full body pain but still always able to achieve feats of physical performance. Even with serious wounds, such as stab wounds or skin being peeled back to reveal bone. I guess blood loss isn't a thing. Mind over matter truly knows no limit in this book.
Where's the editing? The wooden panels below their feet are blown out yet they're still standing and perfectly fine? Word choice could've really used some improvement. I know this sounds nitpicky and had it been a few sentences here and there, I would've let it go. But so much of the book is written this way.
Inan shouldn't have gone to New Gaīa. He should've stayed in Orïsha as he's an important link between the maji and the tîtáns and to let us readers see what they're accomplishing there. Having him go to New Gaīa served no plot purpose.
It amazes me that they're all so strong as to carry other people while they run.
Really? The two of them were going to take on the entire army that spend so much time emphasizing how strong it was all by themselves after the rest failed? How are we supposed to root for such stupid characters?
What was the point of making King Baldyr so young? It made no sense and didn't add to the plot. It would've made more sense if he was older.
Amazing how often just one strike can cut down multiple people at once.
A lot of the locations don't make sense. Where they attack the boats. Why, if they're coming from the east, they're attacking Lagos, the most western city. Weaken the country and move in? Especially since it's easy to predict they'd heavily defend their capital so maybe attack somewhere closer with less defenses? Idk what do I know.
Overall, I'm super disappointed by this series. Maybe the first book just set my expectations too high.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
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
Incredibly disappointing! Felt like a totally different series. All the new characters and world building and a new big bad enemy all came so out of left field. So much action and next to no character or relationship development. I sobbed in the first book and was so invested but by the we weep part of the epilogue I was just sad this book didn't make me weep at all.
Also, I love Cynthia Erivo but it was so jarring to go straight form the previous narrator to this and I definitely missed the dorst narrator, she distinguished between the characters voices much better.
And please tell me WHAT was the point of Roën as a love interest when he was just never mentioned again?!! I'm so confused....
Also, I love Cynthia Erivo but it was so jarring to go straight form the previous narrator to this and I definitely missed the dorst narrator, she distinguished between the characters voices much better.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
A lot shorter then the first two. Filled with action. Took a little to get into. I think I would have liked better if read closer together