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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
My first fantasy book since about 10 years ago and woww I loved it so much!
I took my time reading it because I really wanted to understand the world building and not get confused.
Eliana & Simon have my heart
It’s so, so good. Can’t wait to start Kingsbane.
I took my time reading it because I really wanted to understand the world building and not get confused.
Eliana & Simon have my heart
It’s so, so good. Can’t wait to start Kingsbane.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-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:
Yes
The best YA Fantasy I have read since the first Throne of Glass.
Pros:
-I really like both of the main characters. Both Eliana and Rielle were relatable and imperfect. I liked that Rielle struggled with the darkness within herself, and vice versa with Eliana. They also were very comfortable with their sexuality and honest about their hunger for power and control, which was refreshing. I really enjoyed both of these women quite a bit.
- The plot and the general set up of having two different timelines and seeing how legend meets with the actual reality was a really cool aspect, that reminded me of reading historical fiction.
-The villian-hero dynamic! Really only two authors I have read (Leigh Bardugo and Claire Legrand) have been able to pull off such an amazing villian, Corien/The Emporer, who is alluring, terrifying, and quite complex. His relationship with Rielle is interesting and I can't wait to see how we get to the prologue.
-Female friendship! While it wasn't as fully developed as I wanted to be, both Navi/Eliana and Ludivine/Rielle were great examples of female friendship, based on compassion and love. I hope we get to their friendships grow and change.
Cons:
-The male characters besides Corien were flat and not very interesting. They seemed to just be place holders to stimulate change in the females around them. I hope that they gain more depth and understanding in the next one, because if not, this series will start to lack in quality.
-The romances were also flat and often insta-love-y which was upsetting and diminished the male characters agency again. Simon took a weird and unexpected character turn at the end which was unprecedented and made the ending feel badly written.
-Most of the side characters were also not very deep and I rarely was upset with any sort of ill fates that they experienced.
Overall a good read. I am really exited to see where this goes.
Pros:
-I really like both of the main characters. Both Eliana and Rielle were relatable and imperfect. I liked that Rielle struggled with the darkness within herself, and vice versa with Eliana. They also were very comfortable with their sexuality and honest about their hunger for power and control, which was refreshing. I really enjoyed both of these women quite a bit.
- The plot and the general set up of having two different timelines and seeing how legend meets with the actual reality was a really cool aspect, that reminded me of reading historical fiction.
-The villian-hero dynamic! Really only two authors I have read (Leigh Bardugo and Claire Legrand) have been able to pull off such an amazing villian, Corien/The Emporer, who is alluring, terrifying, and quite complex. His relationship with Rielle is interesting and I can't wait to see how we get to the prologue.
-Female friendship! While it wasn't as fully developed as I wanted to be, both Navi/Eliana and Ludivine/Rielle were great examples of female friendship, based on compassion and love. I hope we get to their friendships grow and change.
Cons:
-The male characters besides Corien were flat and not very interesting. They seemed to just be place holders to stimulate change in the females around them. I hope that they gain more depth and understanding in the next one, because if not, this series will start to lack in quality.
-The romances were also flat and often insta-love-y which was upsetting and diminished the male characters agency again. Simon took a weird and unexpected character turn at the end which was unprecedented and made the ending feel badly written.
-Most of the side characters were also not very deep and I rarely was upset with any sort of ill fates that they experienced.
Overall a good read. I am really exited to see where this goes.
Loved the premise, but there was too much filler and not enough character development/conversation between characters.
Definitely in the Top 5 Best Books I've read in 2017.
While this one was kind of predictable (I picked the whole Queen thing as soon as she popped up
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this book, after I adjusted to reading two different points of view set far apart in time. Even though you learn a lot of how Rielle’s story ends during Eliana’s chapters, there’s enough of a mystery behind Rielle’s drive/motives to keep you reading. The magic system is interesting and the world building is complex but not complicated, which I appreciate. I just wish both female protagonists were slightly more likeable.