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cynsworkshop's review
3.0
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
God Storm continues where Shadow Frost left off, following the characters as they deal with magic, dark and powerful.
Interesting Story
I am going to be honest; I got lost reading this novel. However, that is not because the novel itself is terrible. I honestly think part of the reason I could not enjoy this novel as much as I had hoped was that I had forgotten most of what had happened in Shadow Frost.
That does not mean Ma is a poor writer, but I think she relied too much on the reader’s ability to remember that she made minimal references to what happened in the first novel. Unfortunately, this is not enough to reestablish the world-building and the dynamics.
There are just too many characters pulling the story in various directions that some world-building would have benefitted the story’s foundation. God Storm seems as though it is barely connected to the previous novel, which is part of why some readers may feel lost. The villain is gone, and now something else entirely different is going on.
While the story is interesting, it feels like a far departure from the previous novel.
Characterization>
Another issue I had with God Storm was the character dynamics. Luna was terrific in the first novel, as was Asterin. Now, Asterin is still a formidable character when the reader gets to see her in action. Unfortunately, the reader does not see her in action much anymore now that she is Queen.
However, this goes in line with the storytelling. It is a fast-paced story, and Asterin is going places, but it is initially unclear where she is going and why. Transition-wise, the reader may have trouble understanding Asterin’s journey as she seeks to solve the mystery behind shadow magic.
Then there is Luna. It is clear Luna has abandonment issues, and her anger towards Asterin is understandable. Asterin’s fake mother forced her to chose between Luna or the man she loves. Asterin’s choice not to save Luna made her angry, understandably. She feels betrayed, but her anger is blinding her and makes her feel weak. Now she takes out all her anger on Asterin, giving away her freedom to Eoin, God of Shadows. Luna’s journey to be a villain makes her development interesting but her constant whining makes her unlikable.
Asterin’s mothers’ point of view also did not add much to the plot of the story. Asterin’s mother was just sort of there, and even by the end, she felt more like a plot device than a character worth caring about.
Final Thoughts
While the LGBTQ+ representation between Orion and Harry was as enjoyable as it was in the previous novel, the rest of God Storm fell flat. Like I said at the beginning of this review, I would probably have liked it more had I re-read Shadow Frost more because God Storm left me feeling lost from beginning to end.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
God Storm continues where Shadow Frost left off, following the characters as they deal with magic, dark and powerful.
Interesting Story
I am going to be honest; I got lost reading this novel. However, that is not because the novel itself is terrible. I honestly think part of the reason I could not enjoy this novel as much as I had hoped was that I had forgotten most of what had happened in Shadow Frost.
That does not mean Ma is a poor writer, but I think she relied too much on the reader’s ability to remember that she made minimal references to what happened in the first novel. Unfortunately, this is not enough to reestablish the world-building and the dynamics.
There are just too many characters pulling the story in various directions that some world-building would have benefitted the story’s foundation. God Storm seems as though it is barely connected to the previous novel, which is part of why some readers may feel lost. The villain is gone, and now something else entirely different is going on.
While the story is interesting, it feels like a far departure from the previous novel.
Characterization>
Another issue I had with God Storm was the character dynamics. Luna was terrific in the first novel, as was Asterin. Now, Asterin is still a formidable character when the reader gets to see her in action. Unfortunately, the reader does not see her in action much anymore now that she is Queen.
However, this goes in line with the storytelling. It is a fast-paced story, and Asterin is going places, but it is initially unclear where she is going and why. Transition-wise, the reader may have trouble understanding Asterin’s journey as she seeks to solve the mystery behind shadow magic.
Then there is Luna. It is clear Luna has abandonment issues, and her anger towards Asterin is understandable. Asterin’s fake mother forced her to chose between Luna or the man she loves. Asterin’s choice not to save Luna made her angry, understandably. She feels betrayed, but her anger is blinding her and makes her feel weak. Now she takes out all her anger on Asterin, giving away her freedom to Eoin, God of Shadows. Luna’s journey to be a villain makes her development interesting but her constant whining makes her unlikable.
Asterin’s mothers’ point of view also did not add much to the plot of the story. Asterin’s mother was just sort of there, and even by the end, she felt more like a plot device than a character worth caring about.
Final Thoughts
While the LGBTQ+ representation between Orion and Harry was as enjoyable as it was in the previous novel, the rest of God Storm fell flat. Like I said at the beginning of this review, I would probably have liked it more had I re-read Shadow Frost more because God Storm left me feeling lost from beginning to end.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
artsyvirgo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kayjaybeereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kiiitasticbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shaipanda's review against another edition
4.5
Finished it!!! Super excited to read the third one cause whoooo holy shit this one was wild and I'm super interested to see where she goes with it
sassyowlreads's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars!
As wonderful as Shadow Frost was, it didn’t have the complexity that God Storm did! The writing was even better, the plot kept surprising me but the characters are the true masterpiece. I won’t give any spoilers but Luna is a new all-time favorite character of mine! Gone is the sweet, timid, weak, virtually magic-less, handmaiden to the princess. She has been replaced with a total badass!
5 Reasons to read it:
1. Coco Ma’s writing style is:
2. There’s LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation! Being LGBTQ+ is pretty normalized in the book and I love that.
King Eoin, God of Shadows, is dark and broody while also being witty aka the trifecta. Not to mention he’s all powerful. Where do I sign?
4. The magic system is still one of my favorites! I love that we were able to find out more about that forbidden tenth element, Shadow.
5. I have to mention the badass characters again, particularly the women. Asterin is the black-haired version of Aelin in Throne of Glass basically with way more range. Rose manages to raise her siblings and somehow keep her kingdom together. I’m not sure what exactly Killian is yet but I 100% need to see more of her in the next book because she seems like a force to be reckoned with. Then there’s Luna who is a woman after my own heart for reasons I can’t say without giving spoiling.
Thanks so much to the publisher and MTMC Tours for the arc and letting me be a part of the blog tour!
As wonderful as Shadow Frost was, it didn’t have the complexity that God Storm did! The writing was even better, the plot kept surprising me but the characters are the true masterpiece. I won’t give any spoilers but Luna is a new all-time favorite character of mine! Gone is the sweet, timid, weak, virtually magic-less, handmaiden to the princess. She has been replaced with a total badass!
5 Reasons to read it:
1. Coco Ma’s writing style is:
2. There’s LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation! Being LGBTQ+ is pretty normalized in the book and I love that.
King Eoin, God of Shadows, is dark and broody while also being witty aka the trifecta. Not to mention he’s all powerful. Where do I sign?
4. The magic system is still one of my favorites! I love that we were able to find out more about that forbidden tenth element, Shadow.
5. I have to mention the badass characters again, particularly the women. Asterin is the black-haired version of Aelin in Throne of Glass basically with way more range. Rose manages to raise her siblings and somehow keep her kingdom together. I’m not sure what exactly Killian is yet but I 100% need to see more of her in the next book because she seems like a force to be reckoned with. Then there’s Luna who is a woman after my own heart for reasons I can’t say without giving spoiling.
Thanks so much to the publisher and MTMC Tours for the arc and letting me be a part of the blog tour!
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