Scan barcode
belindaclemons_123's review
5.0
this book was a really unique and interesting story. it had me intrigued and excited to know what was going to happen next. Mary-Jean is a talented author and I will be reading more of her books
hebeyoung1999's review
2.0
Ok, for those of you who looked straight at the rating and thought 'Oh, this must be a bad book.' you are mistaken! I can so easily see this book as being a favourite for some people and I've already recommended it to my Dad, who I know will love it. The problem was that it just wasn't my kind of book, I suppose. However, there were a lot of positives that I can happily share.
The best thing a bout Aizai the forgotten was the writing style. I absolutely adored it. Some of the imagery was terrifically beautiful, there character's descriptions and the fluidity of the style was simply wonderful. The language wasn't too complex so that I was lost in the words and therefore uninterested by it, but it was still not patronisingly simple, which was perfect.
I also liked the plot, I thought it was well structured and nothing was ever predictable. The only issue I found was that, at the beginning especially, I wasn't very hooked. Unfortunately I found it quite hard to get into but towards the end I was far more excited and the reading became easier.
I thought that the characters were portrayed excellently, the descriptions (as I mentioned before) were wonderful and I loved all the individual characters and the contrasts between them all, as well as the similarities.
I really liked Wolfdon, the main character and other characters that emerged as the story went on. I thought they were well developed and interesting in their own ways.
I also thought that the book was more interesting because it was unlike other fantasy books i've read before. The world and the magic involved was intriguing and I thought this was a good element to the book.
The main problem that I found over all was that mainly that I wasn't really gripped but also because I must say, especially at the beginning I was too confused. I say too confused because I often enjoy books where you don't really understand what's happening but gradually things become clear. Here, it seemed to me that Mary-Jean Harris had researched and planned the book wonderfully, but because of this I thought I was missing out on something. I felt like I was already supposed to know what Aizai was and what other things such as a 'wert' were. This may just be me being ignorant, but I felt like I wasn't 'clued up' as to what was going on.
I felt that the beginning of the book lacked momentum, if I'm honest. Towards the end I was more gripped and felt some excitement as the action crescendoed, but I felt like it dragged along a bit.
I really think that this book is a matter of taste. I can see so many people loving it, which is why I've already recommended it, but for me, it takes a lot of action and suspension to get me hooked. I recommend Aizai the forgotten to fantasy lovers, especially historical fantasy lovers!
Happy reading,
Hebe x
The best thing a bout Aizai the forgotten was the writing style. I absolutely adored it. Some of the imagery was terrifically beautiful, there character's descriptions and the fluidity of the style was simply wonderful. The language wasn't too complex so that I was lost in the words and therefore uninterested by it, but it was still not patronisingly simple, which was perfect.
I also liked the plot, I thought it was well structured and nothing was ever predictable. The only issue I found was that, at the beginning especially, I wasn't very hooked. Unfortunately I found it quite hard to get into but towards the end I was far more excited and the reading became easier.
I thought that the characters were portrayed excellently, the descriptions (as I mentioned before) were wonderful and I loved all the individual characters and the contrasts between them all, as well as the similarities.
I really liked Wolfdon, the main character and other characters that emerged as the story went on. I thought they were well developed and interesting in their own ways.
I also thought that the book was more interesting because it was unlike other fantasy books i've read before. The world and the magic involved was intriguing and I thought this was a good element to the book.
The main problem that I found over all was that mainly that I wasn't really gripped but also because I must say, especially at the beginning I was too confused. I say too confused because I often enjoy books where you don't really understand what's happening but gradually things become clear. Here, it seemed to me that Mary-Jean Harris had researched and planned the book wonderfully, but because of this I thought I was missing out on something. I felt like I was already supposed to know what Aizai was and what other things such as a 'wert' were. This may just be me being ignorant, but I felt like I wasn't 'clued up' as to what was going on.
I felt that the beginning of the book lacked momentum, if I'm honest. Towards the end I was more gripped and felt some excitement as the action crescendoed, but I felt like it dragged along a bit.
I really think that this book is a matter of taste. I can see so many people loving it, which is why I've already recommended it, but for me, it takes a lot of action and suspension to get me hooked. I recommend Aizai the forgotten to fantasy lovers, especially historical fantasy lovers!
Happy reading,
Hebe x
lyatslibrary's review
4.0
In this novel, the reader follows a young man named Wolfdon who is in search of the long-forgotten land of Aizai. In his journey he meets his noble steed, his mentor, and his nemesis. The challenge for Wolfdon is to determine what he is supposed to do in Aizai once he gets there. The reader is taken to another realm full of magic, wonder, and a whole lot of questions.
My favorite part of this novel is the magic. I have always been a huge fan of the use of magic and it is always interesting to see how a new author tries to breathe new life into an old concept. There is a clear journey that Wolfdon follows and it feels natural for the development of the character. I wished I could have seen a stronger need versus the want. It is pretty clear that Wolfdon wants to find Aizai but what is he running away from that he desperately needs to go on this journey?
The language is pretty descriptive, almost to a fault. It felt that the pacing was a bit disrupted because of the colorful wording. There are sections of the novel that I had to reread to understand what was happening and I still don’t entirely know if I understood it correctly. The main concern with pacing was evident during combat scenes. As a reader, I should not have to reread these sections, but rather fly through the pages to discover what happens to the hero. I often have a hard time with the concept of time travel because it leaves so many questions unanswered. Perhaps this was strategic to allow for sequels, but the time travel concept felt forced to accommodate the goals of the writer. I wonder what kind of book this could have been without the time travel and if we could have seen Wolfdon’s journey as a linear tale.
There are plenty of sections of this novel that sparked an interest in Wolfdon’s story, and I want to know more about him. I also want to know more about Sagittarius and how he continues to be in Wolfdon’s tale and what makes him the magical creature that he is and will become. The writer left some unanswered questions and I look forward to the next novel to discover what she does with the loose ends.
My favorite part of this novel is the magic. I have always been a huge fan of the use of magic and it is always interesting to see how a new author tries to breathe new life into an old concept. There is a clear journey that Wolfdon follows and it feels natural for the development of the character. I wished I could have seen a stronger need versus the want. It is pretty clear that Wolfdon wants to find Aizai but what is he running away from that he desperately needs to go on this journey?
The language is pretty descriptive, almost to a fault. It felt that the pacing was a bit disrupted because of the colorful wording. There are sections of the novel that I had to reread to understand what was happening and I still don’t entirely know if I understood it correctly. The main concern with pacing was evident during combat scenes. As a reader, I should not have to reread these sections, but rather fly through the pages to discover what happens to the hero. I often have a hard time with the concept of time travel because it leaves so many questions unanswered. Perhaps this was strategic to allow for sequels, but the time travel concept felt forced to accommodate the goals of the writer. I wonder what kind of book this could have been without the time travel and if we could have seen Wolfdon’s journey as a linear tale.
There are plenty of sections of this novel that sparked an interest in Wolfdon’s story, and I want to know more about him. I also want to know more about Sagittarius and how he continues to be in Wolfdon’s tale and what makes him the magical creature that he is and will become. The writer left some unanswered questions and I look forward to the next novel to discover what she does with the loose ends.
More...