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shksprsis's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.0
tashyj's review against another edition
This book sounded so good, but on reading it was just so incoherent, and it bounced around so much even my ADHD brain couldn't keep up
monique3's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
3.0
"Be a warrior but never an executioner." Page 96
"A weapon is only an extension of your hand. A warrior's power lies not in his weapons but in his heart." Page 101
""The Heart of the Earth beat there. It used to give the people love and strength, part of its motherly embrace. And Baiterek connected the heavens with the earth. The men in black jackets wanted to make us forget that the earth was our mother and the sky was our father. And truly, the people did forget, and they became weak, sick, and unkind." Page 173
"Yes... there was time when thought, word, and deed were all one. Poets were warriors, learned scholars were craftsmen..." Page 242
"And if you feel that pain, Kaira, it means that all is not lost. Don't be afraid of the pain. Listen to it, and you will do the right thing. Sometimes we would rather not feel, not think for ourselves, and we want to listen to the Scorpions of the world. But that always ends badly. Every person must make their own decisions and answer for what they do." Page 250
"A weapon is only an extension of your hand. A warrior's power lies not in his weapons but in his heart." Page 101
""The Heart of the Earth beat there. It used to give the people love and strength, part of its motherly embrace. And Baiterek connected the heavens with the earth. The men in black jackets wanted to make us forget that the earth was our mother and the sky was our father. And truly, the people did forget, and they became weak, sick, and unkind." Page 173
"Yes... there was time when thought, word, and deed were all one. Poets were warriors, learned scholars were craftsmen..." Page 242
"And if you feel that pain, Kaira, it means that all is not lost. Don't be afraid of the pain. Listen to it, and you will do the right thing. Sometimes we would rather not feel, not think for ourselves, and we want to listen to the Scorpions of the world. But that always ends badly. Every person must make their own decisions and answer for what they do." Page 250
solenophage's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I was drawn to this book because I had not read any stories that incorporate Kazakh mythology before and in that regard the book delivered. Batu's and his friends' adventures bring in many mythological figures as well as exploring some of the history of Kazakhstan under Russian control. A glossary in the back provides context for some of the vocabulary that might be unfamiliar, though pronunciations aren't given and were a struggle for me.
What I didn't like about it was the pacing and plot development. It didn't seem very cohesive to me or well paced. The characters' choices and motivations also seemed confused at times, like they've forgotten what they were thinking or planning from one scene to the next without explanation.
What I didn't like about it was the pacing and plot development. It didn't seem very cohesive to me or well paced. The characters' choices and motivations also seemed confused at times, like they've forgotten what they were thinking or planning from one scene to the next without explanation.
valodniece's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It's great to see a story of Kazakh history, myth and culture translated into English. As a middle grade book though, it kind of falters - the characters seem suitably preteen/early teen-ish in behaviour, but in terms of accessibility to English-speaking preteens, it doesn't quite work. I as an adult with a passing familiarity with Central Asian history and culture was able to figure out from context what the Kazakh and Saka words meant, but for your average kid, I think more detail would be helpful, through directly connected footnotes (yes there is a glossary at the end, but with an ebook that really needs in-text links) or images or so on. Interesting and unique story though.
alexandritewiz's review against another edition
Conceptually fantastic but I couldn’t get past the writing style. Could be lost in translation?
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