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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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:
No
2.5* I'm interested in reading the rest of the series to see what happens.
The first half of the book was really enjoyable, but the second half felt like it was happening too fast and didn't make sense if you stopped to think about it. The ending was wrapped up with deus ex machina, after deus ex machina, after deus ex machina. There were no consequences for the actions of the main characters. It was just like "welp it all turned out okay, go us!"
I know the next two books will be about Mira and Tamsin. Focusing on what happens to each girl in the series is an interesting way to go. However, there's a fine line between keeping out the BIG secrets and not developing the characters at all when they appear in the other books. I know Mead doesn't want to spoil the rest of the series, but she could have given the girls a little bit more of a conclusion in this book so they didn't feel so flat. Hopefully, in the next two books, the other girls have enough detail that they feel like real people with secrets and not just people that are there with the protagonist.
The first half of the book was really enjoyable, but the second half felt like it was happening too fast and didn't make sense if you stopped to think about it. The ending was wrapped up with deus ex machina, after deus ex machina, after deus ex machina. There were no consequences for the actions of the main characters. It was just like "welp it all turned out okay, go us!"
I know the next two books will be about Mira and Tamsin. Focusing on what happens to each girl in the series is an interesting way to go. However, there's a fine line between keeping out the BIG secrets and not developing the characters at all when they appear in the other books. I know Mead doesn't want to spoil the rest of the series, but she could have given the girls a little bit more of a conclusion in this book so they didn't feel so flat. Hopefully, in the next two books, the other girls have enough detail that they feel like real people with secrets and not just people that are there with the protagonist.
This book was so-so. Definitely not my favorite of Richelle Meads books but it was good. Some parts of it towards the end were totally unexpected. She definitely wants you to buy the 2 companion novels because there are some holes that are, purposely, left unanswered. This was more historical fiction than fantasy, she literally just took things from the time period and changed names to make it seem more "fantasy". Slightly disappointed by the name changing simply to change the genre but whatever. It was a decent book and I am happy I only spent $8.
This book had a lot of potential but it really fell short. The plot was excruciatingly long with so many changes that it felt like three novels in one without any of the plots being developed at all. The characters fell flat for me and there was this whole bizarre frontier setting that felt a little too “Oregon Trail.” While I was reading this book, I realized that it isn’t really dystopian or fantasy. It’s like a historical romance which could have easily taken place in England and the U.S during colonization. I think it is a bizarre choice of setting/world building here and the overall story felt disjointed and boring. I definitely expected better from this book as I really like her Vampire Academy series, but alas, I am left disappointed.
3/5 stars
I went into this book with great expectations, really excited for its premise and the hole three POVs concept. To say the least, it was not what I expected. The part that I considered the most interesting happened too early, that is her whole training in the Glittering Court. I ultimately love books with schools, be it of magic, of ladies, of assassin training... and not only did this part was "unnecessary" because of the heroine's past and thus little mentioned as part of the plot but also, as before-mentioned, it took too little of the story. Furthermore, I disliked the disinterest of the main character in her friends stories, which I considered more intriguing than hers.
Also this book took me too much time to fisnish, it dragged a lot and I had to force me to finish it. Nevertheless, I am awaiting the other two, as I want to know what was going on with Tamsin and Mira, but I think I will wait till both are out, so I can marathon and not be left hanging as I am right now.
I went into this book with great expectations, really excited for its premise and the hole three POVs concept. To say the least, it was not what I expected. The part that I considered the most interesting happened too early, that is her whole training in the Glittering Court. I ultimately love books with schools, be it of magic, of ladies, of assassin training... and not only did this part was "unnecessary" because of the heroine's past and thus little mentioned as part of the plot but also, as before-mentioned, it took too little of the story. Furthermore, I disliked the disinterest of the main character in her friends stories, which I considered more intriguing than hers.
Also this book took me too much time to fisnish, it dragged a lot and I had to force me to finish it. Nevertheless, I am awaiting the other two, as I want to know what was going on with Tamsin and Mira, but I think I will wait till both are out, so I can marathon and not be left hanging as I am right now.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you pick this book up because you're in the mood for a fantasy, just go ahead and put it down. It's not a fantasy. It's more of a historical fiction than anything. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Until a little over halfway though, I was digging the historical fiction-ish side of Richelle Mead. Enter all of the actual Glittering Court drama.... and it became boring. The story was just pretty lackluster, along with 90% of the characters. And I hate to say it, but the world just didn't feel right. The world-building wasn't there, which is sad, because I really enjoyed Mead's writing in the past.
Until a little over halfway though, I was digging the historical fiction-ish side of Richelle Mead. Enter all of the actual Glittering Court drama.... and it became boring. The story was just pretty lackluster, along with 90% of the characters. And I hate to say it, but the world just didn't feel right. The world-building wasn't there, which is sad, because I really enjoyed Mead's writing in the past.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I usually love Richelle Mead books, but this one didn't quite hit the way I wanted it to.
The Glittering Court follows our main character, Adelaide, a countess who must marry well to save her family from financial ruin. However, when her grandmother encourages her to marry an exceedingly dull and controlling distant cousin, Adelaide decides to pose as her servant to escape to the Glittering Court where she will be trained to be a noble and have the opportunity to find a husband and start over in the New World. But this plan proves difficult, as Adelaide begins to realize she has feelings for the one person who knows her true identity, Cedric, the son of the owner of the Glittering Court.
This book has been pitched as The Selection meets Reign, so from the start I was absolutely all in, and the beginning of the book definitely delivers on that vibe, but towards the middle and end of the book the tone changes completely, and it really felt like the author lost the plot a little. I think Mead would've been better off expanding more on the first part of the book with the Glittering Court, and really diving into that world and the relationships between those characters, and then she could have used the new plot that starts at the end of the book for a sequel. Having two full plots happening made everything feel really rushed and underdeveloped, and it left a super cool premise to be poorly executed. The book was still a fine read. I enjoyed it for the most part. I just felt it could have been so much better. Not sure that I would recommend this one. If the premise sounds good to you, I'd probably just encourage you to read the Selection instead.
Read Oct. 14, 2024.
The Glittering Court follows our main character, Adelaide, a countess who must marry well to save her family from financial ruin. However, when her grandmother encourages her to marry an exceedingly dull and controlling distant cousin, Adelaide decides to pose as her servant to escape to the Glittering Court where she will be trained to be a noble and have the opportunity to find a husband and start over in the New World. But this plan proves difficult, as Adelaide begins to realize she has feelings for the one person who knows her true identity, Cedric, the son of the owner of the Glittering Court.
This book has been pitched as The Selection meets Reign, so from the start I was absolutely all in, and the beginning of the book definitely delivers on that vibe, but towards the middle and end of the book the tone changes completely, and it really felt like the author lost the plot a little. I think Mead would've been better off expanding more on the first part of the book with the Glittering Court, and really diving into that world and the relationships between those characters, and then she could have used the new plot that starts at the end of the book for a sequel. Having two full plots happening made everything feel really rushed and underdeveloped, and it left a super cool premise to be poorly executed. The book was still a fine read. I enjoyed it for the most part. I just felt it could have been so much better. Not sure that I would recommend this one. If the premise sounds good to you, I'd probably just encourage you to read the Selection instead.
Read Oct. 14, 2024.