Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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 way the themes: of love, of complicity, of forgiveness, of 'the lesser evil,' of what it means to be human, are woven in is so beautiful. The tight worldbuilding of the first two books really paid off as well. There was enough foreshadowing that I felt vindicated when my theories were correct.
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
My least favorite of the series. I spent the entire book with a thousand questions. It took until the last 30 pages to answer those questions, and it just caused me to become uninterested halfway through. The characters spent the majority of the book apart, and I think that bothered me because the characters spent the entirety of the other two books together. With all that being said, I still love these characters, and I was satisfied with the ending even if it took me a lifetime to get there.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Definitely the best book of the series. Ties up a lot of loose ends, builds out the world really well, and is overall just pretty good. The characters didn't infuriate me the way they did in the first couple books, even though they still had flaws. The actions that took place felt a lot more authentic and like reactions real people would have instead of just being convenient to the plot.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this book made me cry a lot. like, a lot. never got a break, man.
I think the first half of the book was definitely more slower to me, but also really enjoyed this.
Orion, himself, being a mawmouth, being a hero to other people even tho he's really in it for the mana but wanting so badly to be liked then meeting El and realizing another type of hero, this girl with an affinity for mass destruction who consistently keeps saving people is just such a thing.
I wish we also got to see more of El just being Very Powerful tm and people being in awe of her, but there were some very good momentslike her killing the london mawmouth after it runs away from her, and creating this spell where she just makes it die. which also showed a lot of her trauma as she goes on to monologue about her being a child and playing hide and seek with these children who never really accepted her but it was the only way for her to play but they were always laughing at her. literally makes me so sad thinking of it, because yes maybe this was the best future but it was still utterly traumatizing for a CHILD to be faced with such hatred
WHICH is why when she discoversthat her great grandmother knew the truth and made the prophecy purposefully ambiguous was such a scene that made me cry. because her great grandma KNEW the pain it would cause but she also knew the possibilities that would happen if it didnt. it's also why seeing her grandfather, this man who wanted so badly to kill her, who was planning to kill her but also kill himself alongside her when she was first born was so heartbreaking. because he realized and he just went and said sorry sorry sorry to her, to El because even here.
but another part I love about this book and also this series is the relationships that she makes with people. with Alfie, who's really just trying his bestwho sees her AS a person and not a means to an end. who's endlessly kind, who oathbounds himself, who looks at his father like "i told you so" when el doesn't ask for much more. especially with Aadhya and Liu, her two best friends who love her so much, who will always be there for her. when El goes into Aadhya's house and meets her family and are SO nice to her or **the other scene that made me cry** when she discovers Liu, bruised and bleeding and it's horrific but she's alive. and they make a whole enclave centered around staying and. and of course Liesel, this smart stubborn incredibly annoying valedictorian who's here for El
I hold a lot of admiration for El, who just keeps going for the good of everyone else while being incredibly humorous about it.
also lwk Eldritch horror orion lake i see you.
also will never not love Khamis he's so funny but he just loves his girlfriend and will do whatever she asks and maybe part of him cares about el too and ugh.
i do think that the way they resolved the whole evilorion lake's mom was kinda stupid and i dont like her but whatever.
not five star vibes like the last book gave me. but this was good. just me sitting on a couch with music playing and reading this.
OH AND ALSO the mother daughter relationship between gwen higgins and el?? el knowing her mother loves her so much. el panicking at the thought of her mother panicking
I think the first half of the book was definitely more slower to me, but also really enjoyed this.
I wish we also got to see more of El just being Very Powerful tm and people being in awe of her, but there were some very good moments
WHICH is why when she discovers
but another part I love about this book and also this series is the relationships that she makes with people. with Alfie, who's really just trying his best
I hold a lot of admiration for El, who just keeps going for the good of everyone else while being incredibly humorous about it.
also lwk Eldritch horror orion lake i see you.
also will never not love Khamis he's so funny but he just loves his girlfriend and will do whatever she asks and maybe part of him cares about el too and ugh.
i do think that the way they resolved the whole evil
not five star vibes like the last book gave me. but this was good. just me sitting on a couch with music playing and reading this.
OH AND ALSO the mother daughter relationship between gwen higgins and el?? el knowing her mother loves her so much. el panicking at the thought of her mother panicking
The first book in this series was amazing. The second one left it far behind. And this one left those two even farther behind.
SUCH a wonderful conclusion to one of the the best series I've ever read. Everything about it is perfection. The world-building, the writing, the plot choices, the big reveals. I wish I could forget the whole thing and read it again for the first time. It's that good.
Bravo, Naomi Novik. Chef's kiss. I am very much looking forward to whatever you decide to write next.
SUCH a wonderful conclusion to one of the the best series I've ever read. Everything about it is perfection. The world-building, the writing, the plot choices, the big reveals. I wish I could forget the whole thing and read it again for the first time. It's that good.
Bravo, Naomi Novik. Chef's kiss. I am very much looking forward to whatever you decide to write next.
I really enjoy these books, but I got lost in the political machinations and what exactly is a maw-mouth - basically the plot got a little hard to follow