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bookish_wanderluster's review
3.0
In general the book is well written, the story is appealing, and it is an easy read.
However, the book is quite focused on the main character's development and the plot takes a bit of time to be established.
Kaz, for many many chapters, appears to be younger than she actually is, there is a lack of maturity you expect for a 15 year old and it felt throughout the book that she was only 12 y.o.. Not exactly a problem as her character continues to grow, and by the book ends, she is now written in accordance to her age.
It ends with a good cliffhanger, and I'm curious with what will happen next.
I see the plot and the style of writing of this book appealing more to teens than to YA, and taking that in consideration I'll give it 4⭐
However, the book is quite focused on the main character's development and the plot takes a bit of time to be established.
Kaz, for many many chapters, appears to be younger than she actually is, there is a lack of maturity you expect for a 15 year old and it felt throughout the book that she was only 12 y.o.. Not exactly a problem as her character continues to grow, and by the book ends, she is now written in accordance to her age.
It ends with a good cliffhanger, and I'm curious with what will happen next.
I see the plot and the style of writing of this book appealing more to teens than to YA, and taking that in consideration I'll give it 4⭐
tatianavog's review
Arc received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a DNF for me i couldn't for the life of me read it I found it okay but I don't think the book was up my alley and that's okay. The writing was okay but nothing spectacular. I found Kaz kind of whiny and she irritated me a little bit. The plot felt non existing at times and I don't think I would have enjoyed it if I finished it
This was a DNF for me i couldn't for the life of me read it I found it okay but I don't think the book was up my alley and that's okay. The writing was okay but nothing spectacular. I found Kaz kind of whiny and she irritated me a little bit. The plot felt non existing at times and I don't think I would have enjoyed it if I finished it
trishacole's review
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
An ode to the feminine. Amethyst Pledge, somehow, reminds me of the beauty of the Pagan religions. It's a fantasy book that doesn't have anything to do with religion. Still, how the female characters are described in this book reminds me of the importance of the feminine in matriarchal cultures—Leoni Rogers created the Lady, instead of "the Lord." Kazari is our heroine, unlike the "charming prince" or the "strong male warrior" of other books. The feminine has been rescued and empowered in literature—by women themselves—as well as at the end of the 20th century, there was the rebirth of a religion considered dead for so long that humanity had almost forgotten that it once had existed. The Pagan religions came back, especially with Wicca, but not only. The Pagan faith is the worship of a Great Goddess, seen simultaneously as the Lady of Life, Death, and Regeneration. The Lady (still talking about Pagan religions, not the book) had a thousand faces: in Anatolia and Minoan Crete, she was Cybele, while in Egypt, it was Nut, and in Africa, her name was Nana Buluka. In Canaan, she was Astherah or Ishtar. The face of the feminine in Amethyst Pledge, both in the Lady and Kazari, together with the magical realism of the fantasy fiction, reminds me of the story of the feminine and the feminism and how the humankind tried to set up a place for women and reduce them to an adjuvant role that doesn't fit them. This remarkable book made me think about the role of women throughout history.
thebiasedbibliophile's review
4.0
I was so excited to read my first YA book with Blackberry Book Tours, Amethyst Pledge by Leonie Rogers. If you’ve seen my review for the second book in the series, Dark Days, then you likely already know how I feel about Amethyst Pledge!
In the world Rogers created, every 15-year-old must make a decision that will impact the rest of their lives; pledge their service for The Lady, or choose another path in life. Only a few are called on to serve The Lady, but Kazari knows she is one of them. Once a person declares that they will spend their lives in service to The Lady, she chooses what role they will have. Kazari never imagines that she would be destined to become a Hunter, but that is exactly what happens, and she is quickly thrown into a new and dangerous world.
So many aspects of this book were absolutely wonderful! First off, the writing and plot both flow really well, which made the book go by really quickly. The storyline is action-packed, and I felt like the writing swiftly carried me through the events of the novel. On top of that, I also thought that the events that occurred made sense for the storyline and kept the novel interesting throughout its entirety.
Furthermore, I found many of the characters captivating, especially Kazari. There was something about her that I couldn’t really put my finger on that felt fun, yet relatable. She certainly shows some immaturity, but it felt true to her age, and honestly added to the book as a whole. The character development for Kazari was absolutely phenomenal.
The one thing I didn’t necessarily love about the book was The Lady and the religious aspects. That addition just isn’t appealing to me, and I felt like Kazari’s references to The Lady were a tad bit annoying. That being said, there was a point in the novel where one of the other Hunters subtly suggests some hesitation in his faith in The Lady, so I think it’s possible that Rogers could further develop this idea into something more unique and exciting.
Overall, I was so pleasantly surprised by Amethyst Pledge. If you don’t already know, I ended up emailing Rogers’s publisher immediately after finishing it to see if I could read and review the sequel, Dark Days. If you’re looking for a fast paced fantasy novel that has compelling characters and a robust plot, then this is the book for you!
lilslillibrary's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
I really enjoyed this book.
I don't typically read YA anymore but i was pleasantly surprised by this one. I really loved watching Kazari grow from a small village girl into one of the Lady's servants. She is strong willed and deeply caring which i think is what makes her such a good ya main character. I enjoyed how Leonie created the world and the whole religious system and after this action packed first book I'd love to find out even more about it in the second book.
One of my favourite things was seeing Kaz's relationship grow through the book. The way her teachers and trainers became, first her friends, then her found family, and especially her relationship with Sendar. I loved watching them grow together through their training and the challenges they faced, their friendship has grown strong and I can't wait to see what's in store for their relationship in the sequel.
I don't typically read YA anymore but i was pleasantly surprised by this one. I really loved watching Kazari grow from a small village girl into one of the Lady's servants. She is strong willed and deeply caring which i think is what makes her such a good ya main character. I enjoyed how Leonie created the world and the whole religious system and after this action packed first book I'd love to find out even more about it in the second book.
One of my favourite things was seeing Kaz's relationship grow through the book. The way her teachers and trainers became, first her friends, then her found family, and especially her relationship with Sendar. I loved watching them grow together through their training and the challenges they faced, their friendship has grown strong and I can't wait to see what's in store for their relationship in the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
moiraines's review
4.0
Rating: 4 stars.
This book surprised me in all the best ways!
The worldbuilding was probably my favourite thing, it was so detailed and very unique, and I loved the idea of the different gifts and the magic system. I really liked that the reader learned about the world at the same pace as the protagonist and that not all details were immediately revealed.
I also really liked all of the characters, Kazari was so sweet and really likable and it was very refreshing to see that this book focused on friendship rather than romance. All her interactions with the other hunters were really well-developed and all the characters were likable.
The plot was well-developed and I really enjoyed the pacing, because even if not much action happened, it still didn't feel boring at all.
The ending has me waiting for more, and I can't wait for the second part now!
This book surprised me in all the best ways!
The worldbuilding was probably my favourite thing, it was so detailed and very unique, and I loved the idea of the different gifts and the magic system. I really liked that the reader learned about the world at the same pace as the protagonist and that not all details were immediately revealed.
I also really liked all of the characters, Kazari was so sweet and really likable and it was very refreshing to see that this book focused on friendship rather than romance. All her interactions with the other hunters were really well-developed and all the characters were likable.
The plot was well-developed and I really enjoyed the pacing, because even if not much action happened, it still didn't feel boring at all.
The ending has me waiting for more, and I can't wait for the second part now!
laurat88's review
3.0
A different type of fantasy read from what I'm used to. I feel it's leaning towards teen read rather than YA.
It is well written and is an easy read with an interesting plot. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.
It is well written and is an easy read with an interesting plot. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.
books_with_kenzie's review
2.0
DNF at 54%. I felt like I couldn’t care less about what was happening in this book. It wasn’t an awful book, but as an avid fantasy reader I felt the world, “magic system”, and characters were lack luster, and weren’t built up the best. I think that if there were more chapters explaining things, like the world and the sept system better I would’ve liked it better.
I, by no means, think this is a bad book. I just felt like I didn’t know enough about the world to care about the bigger things that were happening. Even when the stakes were supposed to be “high” I wasn’t on the edge of my seat.
I do like this authors writing and the idea of the book and the world though. And it was a rather quick read, but I wasn’t interested enough to keep going, unfortunately.
(High 2 stars, but still 2 stars).
I, by no means, think this is a bad book. I just felt like I didn’t know enough about the world to care about the bigger things that were happening. Even when the stakes were supposed to be “high” I wasn’t on the edge of my seat.
I do like this authors writing and the idea of the book and the world though. And it was a rather quick read, but I wasn’t interested enough to keep going, unfortunately.
(High 2 stars, but still 2 stars).
loveforwords's review
DFN-ed it after a little over 20% because it was getting way too long for the action to kick in. I expected a lot of wonderful wordbuilding and a fast, fast, faster!-paced adventure, but... it just didn't happen in the first fifth and I couldn't bring myself to read on. The plot advanced at a snail's pace.
There was too much introspection from the main character and the whole story was a bit too angled on spirituality, with the same concepts repeated over and over.
Not my cup of tea :(
**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.**
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There was too much introspection from the main character and the whole story was a bit too angled on spirituality, with the same concepts repeated over and over.
Not my cup of tea :(
**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.**
Blog | Twitter
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