Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Interesting story.. looking forward to read second book
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
Dit is het eerste boek wat ik lees van Nora Roberts. Ik begreep dat ze al ruim 200 boeken geschreven heeft. Misschien heeft dit mijn verwachtingen te veel doen stijgen, maar jeetje. Dit boek is een worsteling om doorheen te komen. Het begin van het boek is heel sterk, Nora schetst een duistere, verwarrende apocalyptische wereld. Dan vind er een omslag plaats. Ik weet niet precies waaraan het ligt, maar opeens bevind je je in een wereld vol lege personage’s, mary sue’s en elfjes. De synopsis van het tweede deel in deze serie klinkt interessant maar ik ben behoedzaam met het nogmaals oppakken van een boek van deze schrijfster. Absoluut geen aanrader.
Reading a book that is driven in large part by a world ending/altering pandemic was difficult in 2022 even if it did shift to being fairly heavy on the fantasy elements pretty quickly
Lambda
Alpha : The Hobbit
Beta : Harry Potter
Gamma : Old Man and the Sea
Delta : The Martian
Zeta : Charlotte's Web
Theta : Ringworld
Kapa : The Road
Lambda : The Shining
Alpha : The Hobbit
Beta : Harry Potter
Gamma : Old Man and the Sea
Delta : The Martian
Zeta : Charlotte's Web
Theta : Ringworld
Kapa : The Road
Lambda : The Shining
Started off strong but then got really bland, really fast. It's been awhile since I've put my hands on a Nora Roberts book and I was kind of excited to read this one, partially because it seemed to be stepping somewhat away from the romance genre and I'd really enjoyed her detective series. Unfortunately, while the story followed a handful of characters, they were all pretty much exactly the same personality-wise, and the plot follows a pretty predictable pace. I probably should've guessed it from the title of the book but the entirety of this novel felt like a set-up for later books. So many characters and plot threads and ideas were introduced only to suddenly go nowhere as Lana, in particular, removed herself from those areas and situations. It didn't feel like Roberts was dropping those characters or threads, only that she had been introducing them so that she could use them MUCH later down the road.
I listened to this via audiobook so I'm not sure about the grammatical structure, but I can say that a lot of the dialogue felt almost... ritualistic and unnatural. Like, everyone was reciting lines instead of a natural flow of conversation. Some characters stood out as a charming break, like Eddie and Fred, but I almost cringed every time Lana or Max were speaking. I didn't even feel a real difference between Lana's prophesies and the normal way she spoke. That should be saying something.
Finally, and I really should've expected it (no, really, I should've) but maybe I've been immersed in other books for too long, but Gods, was this incredibly heteronormative. There was a nod towards the LGBT+ community at the start that I think maybe raised my expectations a bit and I really started to wonder about Fred and Arlys, and even ship them a little bit, but of course we couldn't have even somewhat nice things. Nope, gotta pair them off with some other randos so that all the ladies got a nice man to protect them.
Aaaaand that's why I left this particular area of literature some time ago. Not really my cup of tea and I am signing out.
I listened to this via audiobook so I'm not sure about the grammatical structure, but I can say that a lot of the dialogue felt almost... ritualistic and unnatural. Like, everyone was reciting lines instead of a natural flow of conversation. Some characters stood out as a charming break, like Eddie and Fred, but I almost cringed every time Lana or Max were speaking. I didn't even feel a real difference between Lana's prophesies and the normal way she spoke. That should be saying something.
Finally, and I really should've expected it (no, really, I should've) but maybe I've been immersed in other books for too long, but Gods, was this incredibly heteronormative. There was a nod towards the LGBT+ community at the start that I think maybe raised my expectations a bit and I really started to wonder about Fred and Arlys, and even ship them a little bit, but of course we couldn't have even somewhat nice things. Nope, gotta pair them off with some other randos so that all the ladies got a nice man to protect them.
Aaaaand that's why I left this particular area of literature some time ago. Not really my cup of tea and I am signing out.
Well. It’s not the worst book I’ve ever read. It’s really bad though. The characters are not likable and generally irritating. The book starts out promisingly, the idea of a global pandemic and survival is all there. The beginning was exciting and suspenseful. By 1/3 in I was having trouble turning pages. By the end, I wanted the bad guys to kill everyone. Needless to say, I won’t be bothered with book two.
I have to say first, I despise the theme of virus spread and zombie apocalypse and so on, because (and especially NOW) it feels too close to home. Again, the library picked out this book for me and I didn't know what to expect.
So with all that considered, I actually enjoyed this book. Yes, it's still apocalyptic theme, and Nora describes the atmosphere and human behaviour exactly as I would expect, but!! There's magick in the world, and that makes it all better. Some of the characters I liked more, some less, but all in all a good bunch. My first thought was that it would be like Walking Dead but instead of zombies we deal with magick and even after finishing I still agree with that opinion. This a Book 1 in a series, and I guess that's why I still don't know why some people are immune without getting abilities. Well written, fast paced and interesting theme made it, at least for me, unputdownable.
Recommended to all apocalypse book/fantasy lovers.
So with all that considered, I actually enjoyed this book. Yes, it's still apocalyptic theme, and Nora describes the atmosphere and human behaviour exactly as I would expect, but!! There's magick in the world, and that makes it all better. Some of the characters I liked more, some less, but all in all a good bunch. My first thought was that it would be like Walking Dead but instead of zombies we deal with magick and even after finishing I still agree with that opinion. This a Book 1 in a series, and I guess that's why I still don't know why some people are immune without getting abilities. Well written, fast paced and interesting theme made it, at least for me, unputdownable.
Recommended to all apocalypse book/fantasy lovers.
Reading this for the first time in post-Covid era, I have to admit it sent chills snaking down my back. Five stars for the chills alone.
The writing (of course, it is Nora Roberts) was great. The story plot was believable. The gore level was high, though most of the violence was off screen. The romance was subtle instead of in-your-face, and NOT the focal point of the story, which is just what I was in the mood for.
My only quibble was the ending.. slightly cringe-y and left me unsatisfied.. I would have liked a little more understanding of the supernatural shit too instead of vague allusions. But since there are another two books, I expect them to pick up the lag.
Overall, a good book, if a little lengthy.
The writing (of course, it is Nora Roberts) was great. The story plot was believable. The gore level was high, though most of the violence was off screen. The romance was subtle instead of in-your-face, and NOT the focal point of the story, which is just what I was in the mood for.
My only quibble was the ending.. slightly cringe-y and left me unsatisfied.. I would have liked a little more understanding of the supernatural shit too instead of vague allusions. But since there are another two books, I expect them to pick up the lag.
Overall, a good book, if a little lengthy.