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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
Okay. Hear me out. The writing is redundant and at times infuriating. BUT I genuinely loved the work building and main characters.
Just dont listen to it on audio book and you'll be fine.
Just dont listen to it on audio book and you'll be fine.
4,5/5 stars
Comment: I really enjoyed this book and its characters. If you want to read my full review, go to this link: https://beckyreadsblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/reign-of-shadows-review/
Comment: I really enjoyed this book and its characters. If you want to read my full review, go to this link: https://beckyreadsblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/reign-of-shadows-review/
There will be spoilers... because honestly theres kinda a big one thats hard not to talk about.
hmmm. How to rate this... I enjoyed it. I did. Kinda.. It was a little boring at times... most of the time actually. I wanted to like Luna. I tried really hard but her character was so freaking unrealistic. She is blind. I was like thats going to take this book up a notch because up until that point I was bored stiff. But then I just kept getting annoyed that she could do things like smell if someone was naked. Is that a real thing? It just seemed unrealistic that she had ZERO problems. It made perfect sense when she was at home and in an environment that she has been in her whole life but when she left that.. I don't know. I have issues walking around my own freaking house.
Another thing that really kind of pissed me off was that 75% of this book was kinda pointless.. They were wondering in the woods one way but then she decides to go back the other way and he follows. So they end up back where they started!! UGH. I felt like I wasted my time. Because nothing was learned. Not really. Sure there was a kiss or two and Fowler decides that he cares about her but ehh.. not enough reason for me to read a book.
But the absolutely worst thing about this book is at the very end. In the last 5 minutes of the book. Fowler tells Luna something important about himself and she freaks out on him! She turns into a huge bitch and basically pushes him away. She has spent the whole freaking book all over this guy, he has saved her life multiple times, he has proven over and over again that he is kinda an amazing guy and he has ONE little itty bitty thing against him ( something he can't help at all btw) and she is ready to throw him to the wolves. I hate her. If this would have happened earlier in the book I would have stopped reading. I was so mad.
I know I just ranted a bunch but I am glad I read it. I was entertained. Will I be jumping up for joy for the next book? No. Will I read it? Yes.
hmmm. How to rate this... I enjoyed it. I did. Kinda.. It was a little boring at times... most of the time actually. I wanted to like Luna. I tried really hard but her character was so freaking unrealistic. She is blind. I was like thats going to take this book up a notch because up until that point I was bored stiff. But then I just kept getting annoyed that she could do things like smell if someone was naked. Is that a real thing? It just seemed unrealistic that she had ZERO problems. It made perfect sense when she was at home and in an environment that she has been in her whole life but when she left that.. I don't know. I have issues walking around my own freaking house.
Another thing that really kind of pissed me off was that 75% of this book was kinda pointless.. They were wondering in the woods one way but then she decides to go back the other way and he follows. So they end up back where they started!! UGH. I felt like I wasted my time. Because nothing was learned. Not really. Sure there was a kiss or two and Fowler decides that he cares about her but ehh.. not enough reason for me to read a book.
But the absolutely worst thing about this book is at the very end. In the last 5 minutes of the book. Fowler tells Luna something important about himself and she freaks out on him! She turns into a huge bitch and basically pushes him away. She has spent the whole freaking book all over this guy, he has saved her life multiple times, he has proven over and over again that he is kinda an amazing guy and he has ONE little itty bitty thing against him ( something he can't help at all btw) and she is ready to throw him to the wolves. I hate her. If this would have happened earlier in the book I would have stopped reading. I was so mad.
I know I just ranted a bunch but I am glad I read it. I was entertained. Will I be jumping up for joy for the next book? No. Will I read it? Yes.
3.5 STARS
This was certainly entertaining. And I was pleasantly surprised considering I was just expecting some cheesy romance.
Great story, great world, great ideas and good characters. Sadly, and I hate to say this, but the writing style is a bit of a disaster. There were some tropes that made me cringe and clichés that could have been easily avoided.
The world is amazing. A fantasy fairy-tale like world, where an eclipse has brought an ever lasting night and human-eating monsters. I really loved the whole atmosphere, I wish there would be less insta love boring stuff and more about this world.
The author has these amazing ideas but everything is almost too fast-paced. She does know how to handle some really good twists. Which makes everything a bit frustrating at times because the book has SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. If only the writing style would follow.
I'm definitely gonna read the sequel though !
This was certainly entertaining. And I was pleasantly surprised considering I was just expecting some cheesy romance.
Great story, great world, great ideas and good characters. Sadly, and I hate to say this, but the writing style is a bit of a disaster. There were some tropes that made me cringe and clichés that could have been easily avoided.
The world is amazing. A fantasy fairy-tale like world, where an eclipse has brought an ever lasting night and human-eating monsters. I really loved the whole atmosphere, I wish there would be less insta love boring stuff and more about this world.
The author has these amazing ideas but everything is almost too fast-paced. She does know how to handle some really good twists. Which makes everything a bit frustrating at times because the book has SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. If only the writing style would follow.
I'm definitely gonna read the sequel though !
A new world!! Love it! And I want the next book....
Me gusto bastante!
No sabia muy bien que esperar, ya que las criticas no soy muy buenas, pero me encontré disfrutando bastante de la trama. Es una fantasía bastante simple, no lo digo como algo malo, y es fácil entender y meterte en la historia. La historia me pareció bastante interesante y tengo demasiadas ganas de ver como va a continuar. El único problema que tuve, pero me molesto bastante, es el asunto de la ceguera. No me gusto absolutamente nada como estaba planteado y como lo estaba desarrollando la autora, ya que en algunas escenas del libro me parecía bastante ilógico y muy poco realista. Pero en general fui muy fan de este libro y espero con ansias la secuela.
No sabia muy bien que esperar, ya que las criticas no soy muy buenas, pero me encontré disfrutando bastante de la trama. Es una fantasía bastante simple, no lo digo como algo malo, y es fácil entender y meterte en la historia. La historia me pareció bastante interesante y tengo demasiadas ganas de ver como va a continuar. El único problema que tuve, pero me molesto bastante, es el asunto de la ceguera. No me gusto absolutamente nada como estaba planteado y como lo estaba desarrollando la autora, ya que en algunas escenas del libro me parecía bastante ilógico y muy poco realista. Pero en general fui muy fan de este libro y espero con ansias la secuela.
Sophie Jordan has created a beautiful world shrouded in darkness in Reign of Shadows, which I had no idea was a Rapunzel retelling until I actually started reading this book. Her experience in writing romance novels is very apparent by the way she builds romantic tension throughout, making for one very enjoyable read.
My Review : FOUR STARS
I really enjoyed this retelling. Sophie Jordan managed to make this story her own while still maintaining the tone and magical feel of the original Rapunzel story.
My favorite part of this book is the world-building. I adored the idea of a kingdom cloaked in shadows due to an eclipse looming over it, as well as the malevolent creatures that inhabited it. The forest was filled with danger and wonder and a dark beauty in the plants, trees, and flowers, and it felt so alive and immersive.
I adored Luna as a main character. She was likable and strong despite her naiveté, which I felt was essential to her character, due to her upbringing. It was also very reminiscent of the original Rapunzel character. Her physical disability added to her strength and seems to have a magical element to it, since it hinders her less than would be believable without a magical component.
Fowler is a very swoon-worthy lead character. And though his character ARC and actions are admittedly predictable, it's near impossible to do a retelling without there being some elements that are easy for readers to anticipate.
I usually don't enjoy instal-love stories, which this certainly was; however, I felt that it worked in this story, because of Luna's up-bringing. She was so isolated, it's entirely believable that she would become almost immediately infatuated with the first guy of her age that she meets. This is also another element that is crucial in keeping with the original Rapunzel story.
I did really enjoyed this book, and I'm so looking forward to reading Rise of Fire when it comes out on Tuesday!
Cover Rating: FIVE STARS
This cover is just lovely. There is a definite flower movement going on in YA fiction, which has made for some STUNNING covers. I think this was one of the first in this recent trend when it released in early 2016. It also fits the story and the world just so well, and the Rise of Fire cover is equally beautiful.
Swoon Worthiness: FOUR STARS
Though there is definitely some instal-love going on, and I typically prefer a slow-burn kind of romance, it just worked in this particular story for me. Sophie Jordan's experience as a romance writer really came through in the way she managed to build romantic tension throughout the story despite that insta-love and the fact that this is a retelling, which of course created an element of predictability in the love story.
My Review : FOUR STARS
I really enjoyed this retelling. Sophie Jordan managed to make this story her own while still maintaining the tone and magical feel of the original Rapunzel story.
My favorite part of this book is the world-building. I adored the idea of a kingdom cloaked in shadows due to an eclipse looming over it, as well as the malevolent creatures that inhabited it. The forest was filled with danger and wonder and a dark beauty in the plants, trees, and flowers, and it felt so alive and immersive.
I adored Luna as a main character. She was likable and strong despite her naiveté, which I felt was essential to her character, due to her upbringing. It was also very reminiscent of the original Rapunzel character. Her physical disability added to her strength and seems to have a magical element to it, since it hinders her less than would be believable without a magical component.
Fowler is a very swoon-worthy lead character. And though his character ARC and actions are admittedly predictable, it's near impossible to do a retelling without there being some elements that are easy for readers to anticipate.
I usually don't enjoy instal-love stories, which this certainly was; however, I felt that it worked in this story, because of Luna's up-bringing. She was so isolated, it's entirely believable that she would become almost immediately infatuated with the first guy of her age that she meets. This is also another element that is crucial in keeping with the original Rapunzel story.
I did really enjoyed this book, and I'm so looking forward to reading Rise of Fire when it comes out on Tuesday!
Cover Rating: FIVE STARS
This cover is just lovely. There is a definite flower movement going on in YA fiction, which has made for some STUNNING covers. I think this was one of the first in this recent trend when it released in early 2016. It also fits the story and the world just so well, and the Rise of Fire cover is equally beautiful.
Swoon Worthiness: FOUR STARS
Though there is definitely some instal-love going on, and I typically prefer a slow-burn kind of romance, it just worked in this particular story for me. Sophie Jordan's experience as a romance writer really came through in the way she managed to build romantic tension throughout the story despite that insta-love and the fact that this is a retelling, which of course created an element of predictability in the love story.
Bastante interesante, aunque hubieron algunas cosas que me hicieron dudar entre 3 o 4 estrellas. Me mantuvo intrigada y se pasó muy rápido.
Algunas cosas que me molestaron fueron el instalove entre los personajes y que al final la protagonista pasa a un papel de víctima y parece darse por vencida, en lugar de luchar. A muchas personas les molesto que la protagonista ciega tuviera como súper oído u olfato, pero creo que yo tomé como que podría ser una mutación o algo así de la situación por la que está pasando el mundo (el eclipse y la falta de sol, además de los moradores), así que lo tomé más como una habilidad adquirida por eso y no como una total ignorancia.
Aparte de eso, realmente fue un buen libro y definitivamente voy a leer el segundo pero realmente no siento que sea uno de los mejores, pero lo recomiendo para leer a cualquiera. Es una lectura interesante, rápida y divertida en algunas partes, e incluso el instalove que describen no es súper molesto como en otros libros. Lo único que me hizo bajarle una estrella es el final cuando la protagonista se pone en el papel de martil sin pensar en las consecuencias globales de sus acciones, y me parece que incluso cuando decía que era una acción desinteresada, realmente me pareció muy egoísta porque para ella es más fácil renunciar que luchar, incluso ni siquiera es sugerido eso como opción, y no se da cuenta que realmente su renuncia no cambia en nada las situaciones en las cuales viven las personas, ni disminuye las muertes. Lo único que estaría haciendo es asegurarse que esa persona tirana y cruel siga en dominio de todo el reino, lo está ayudando a seguir cometiendo atrocidades. Y eso no me agradó ni un poco. Y que en algunos momentos parecía una realmente princesa mimada y consentida, haciendo rabietas, pero son pocos los momentos e incluso pueden ser vistos como divertidos.
PD: ¿soy la única que se imaginó a los moradores como dementores con tentáculos en la boca?
Algunas cosas que me molestaron fueron el instalove entre los personajes y que al final la protagonista pasa a un papel de víctima y parece darse por vencida, en lugar de luchar. A muchas personas les molesto que la protagonista ciega tuviera como súper oído u olfato, pero creo que yo tomé como que podría ser una mutación o algo así de la situación por la que está pasando el mundo (el eclipse y la falta de sol, además de los moradores), así que lo tomé más como una habilidad adquirida por eso y no como una total ignorancia.
Aparte de eso, realmente fue un buen libro y definitivamente voy a leer el segundo pero realmente no siento que sea uno de los mejores, pero lo recomiendo para leer a cualquiera. Es una lectura interesante, rápida y divertida en algunas partes, e incluso el instalove que describen no es súper molesto como en otros libros. Lo único que me hizo bajarle una estrella es el final cuando la protagonista se pone en el papel de martil sin pensar en las consecuencias globales de sus acciones, y me parece que incluso cuando decía que era una acción desinteresada, realmente me pareció muy egoísta porque para ella es más fácil renunciar que luchar, incluso ni siquiera es sugerido eso como opción, y no se da cuenta que realmente su renuncia no cambia en nada las situaciones en las cuales viven las personas, ni disminuye las muertes. Lo único que estaría haciendo es asegurarse que esa persona tirana y cruel siga en dominio de todo el reino, lo está ayudando a seguir cometiendo atrocidades. Y eso no me agradó ni un poco. Y que en algunos momentos parecía una realmente princesa mimada y consentida, haciendo rabietas, pero son pocos los momentos e incluso pueden ser vistos como divertidos.
PD: ¿soy la única que se imaginó a los moradores como dementores con tentáculos en la boca?
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Luna was born to the King and Queen of Relhok seventeen years ago. The exact same day, the same moment, that the darkness took over and the Dwellers emerged. Consequently a very enterprising (i.e. evil) chancellor decided that moment would be the best time to kill the King and Queen and usurp the throne for himself. Luna, being newly born and all, was spirited away by one of her nurses and a guard to live protected in a tower far away in the Black Woods.
Now, seventeen years later, despite the perpetual night that hovers over the kingdom, Luna longs for so much more than what the walls of her tower can offer, and this feeling only intensifies when she (literally) runs into Fowler; an archer who was out in the Woods and got into a skirmish with some Dwellers.
When the Tower is discovered by the King’s guards, Luna is no longer safe, and she’s forced to leave with Fowler, who is none too happy about the addition of an untrained, unskilled person on his journey. Because Fowler is looking for the mythical Isle of Allu. A haven that is said to be isolated enough that it’s free of Dwellers. Nothing will stand in the way of his goal. But the world they live in is an unforgiving place, and Fowler and Luna end up relying on each other more than expected. With that reliance comes an attraction that neither are ready to deny, but also not ready to explore.
The beginning of Reign of Shadows just pulled me in so quickly. The premise is quite interesting with the world cloaked in night plagued by these strange antennae sprouting creatures that leave nothing behind once they’ve got you in their grasp.
Then there’s Luna, who has an almost odd intuition regarding the darkness. Being a restless teenager she, of course, sneaks out of the tower to explore/hunt when she comes across three people in need of help. I felt like the standard was set pretty high when she helps Fowler fight off a group of Dwellers.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel like the overall story lives up to the picture we’re initially painted. First off, Luna doesn’t really turn out to be the capable, sword-wielding girl I thought she was going to be. I can’t fault her character too much, I mean being guarded away in a tower your whole life and only being able to know the area around said tower doesn’t really prepare you for what’s outside in the wide world. Then, it was at I’d say about the halfway mark where things started to digress for me and the love story started to really get on my nerves. Since this is a series, I feel like a slow development of feelings would have been a better route to take with Luna and Fowler.
With the romance taking up most of the story, I felt like the progression of the arc was not able to be developed enough. Added to this the fact that the story started to branch off in too many directions towards the end, and you wind up with none other than the dreaded cliffhanger.
Despite all of this, however, I’d still give the second book a chance based on the fact that I’d like to see what the characters do with everything started here, I’d like to see where the story takes them.
Luna was born to the King and Queen of Relhok seventeen years ago. The exact same day, the same moment, that the darkness took over and the Dwellers emerged. Consequently a very enterprising (i.e. evil) chancellor decided that moment would be the best time to kill the King and Queen and usurp the throne for himself. Luna, being newly born and all, was spirited away by one of her nurses and a guard to live protected in a tower far away in the Black Woods.
Now, seventeen years later, despite the perpetual night that hovers over the kingdom, Luna longs for so much more than what the walls of her tower can offer, and this feeling only intensifies when she (literally) runs into Fowler; an archer who was out in the Woods and got into a skirmish with some Dwellers.
When the Tower is discovered by the King’s guards, Luna is no longer safe, and she’s forced to leave with Fowler, who is none too happy about the addition of an untrained, unskilled person on his journey. Because Fowler is looking for the mythical Isle of Allu. A haven that is said to be isolated enough that it’s free of Dwellers. Nothing will stand in the way of his goal. But the world they live in is an unforgiving place, and Fowler and Luna end up relying on each other more than expected. With that reliance comes an attraction that neither are ready to deny, but also not ready to explore.
The beginning of Reign of Shadows just pulled me in so quickly. The premise is quite interesting with the world cloaked in night plagued by these strange antennae sprouting creatures that leave nothing behind once they’ve got you in their grasp.
Then there’s Luna, who has an almost odd intuition regarding the darkness. Being a restless teenager she, of course, sneaks out of the tower to explore/hunt when she comes across three people in need of help. I felt like the standard was set pretty high when she helps Fowler fight off a group of Dwellers.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel like the overall story lives up to the picture we’re initially painted. First off, Luna doesn’t really turn out to be the capable, sword-wielding girl I thought she was going to be. I can’t fault her character too much, I mean being guarded away in a tower your whole life and only being able to know the area around said tower doesn’t really prepare you for what’s outside in the wide world. Then, it was at I’d say about the halfway mark where things started to digress for me and the love story started to really get on my nerves. Since this is a series, I feel like a slow development of feelings would have been a better route to take with Luna and Fowler.
With the romance taking up most of the story, I felt like the progression of the arc was not able to be developed enough. Added to this the fact that the story started to branch off in too many directions towards the end, and you wind up with none other than the dreaded cliffhanger.
Despite all of this, however, I’d still give the second book a chance based on the fact that I’d like to see what the characters do with everything started here, I’d like to see where the story takes them.
A quick adventure. Action, love, monsters, a secluded tower in the woods, a kickass heroine princess, the fight for survival, the necessary elements of a fantasy...it's all here. And with that cliffhanger, how could I not read #2? Onward I go!