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christajls's review against another edition
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
There’s a lot of things I really like about this series. First is it’s Korean influence. There are so many Western based fantasy novels out there, they can begin to feel repetitive. The Dragon King Chronicles offers some much needed diversity to the genre. I also really enjoy it’s episodic style. I tend to prefer fantasy books that function in journey form – like Lord of the Rings – because I like feeling as though I’m on the journey with the characters. And finally I like it’s lack of traditional YA romantic tropes. There are only hints at a potential romance and the characters recognize that there are more important things to be dealt with first. And as much as I want to see these two characters end up together I’m happy with the way things are progressing.
But unlike Prophecy which I loved, I found the second instalment, Warrior to be a bit dry. The prose has a very straight forward style, which at times can be a refreshing change, but it can also make it difficult to really lose yourself in the story. I felt distant from the text and as a result the characters. I also found the pacing to be quite a bit slower then the first book and the world building questions I had continue to remain unanswered. I’m happy to see that Ellen Oh kept many of the elements that I liked but it wasn’t the sequel I was expecting.
There’s a lot of things I really like about this series. First is it’s Korean influence. There are so many Western based fantasy novels out there, they can begin to feel repetitive. The Dragon King Chronicles offers some much needed diversity to the genre. I also really enjoy it’s episodic style. I tend to prefer fantasy books that function in journey form – like Lord of the Rings – because I like feeling as though I’m on the journey with the characters. And finally I like it’s lack of traditional YA romantic tropes. There are only hints at a potential romance and the characters recognize that there are more important things to be dealt with first. And as much as I want to see these two characters end up together I’m happy with the way things are progressing.
But unlike Prophecy which I loved, I found the second instalment, Warrior to be a bit dry. The prose has a very straight forward style, which at times can be a refreshing change, but it can also make it difficult to really lose yourself in the story. I felt distant from the text and as a result the characters. I also found the pacing to be quite a bit slower then the first book and the world building questions I had continue to remain unanswered. I’m happy to see that Ellen Oh kept many of the elements that I liked but it wasn’t the sequel I was expecting.
_camk_'s review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy this series. I am engaged with the characters and the story. Thankfully in this book, Taejo was a lot less irritable in this book also!
queen_rune's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Main character is very Mary Sue, and the overall writing is pretty weak. Cliche and awkward dialogue, and a lot more “telling” rather than “showing.” The plot is interesting if you can get past the MarySue-ness of the main character. Oh excels at writing scenery though - there are some really beautiful and well-written settings throughout.
siobhan27's review against another edition
3.0
I am going to preface this review by saying, yes I did read the first book in this series (Prophecy) and yes, I did love it. But, going into this book I remembered next to nothing about the first book, which in my opinion hindered my liking of this book.
Warrior pretty starts off right where Prophecy ended (or so I think), and I have to say, this book let me down a bit. Since this book was a sequel and all the history and back story were covered in the first book, I thought there would be more action, at least earlier than when it finally arrived. Honestly I felt a little confused and bored at the beginning because I didn't know what was going on and the characters were getting confused in my head.
This book is what I would call a bridge book. Considering this is a trilogy I know that all the action will appear in the last book as kind of a "final stand." But I was still looking for something that would help me connect with the story. I will admit that there were certain parts in the middle that I could not stop reading, they were very captivating and I loved it. But then I would come to another part that slowed the pace down and i began to lose interest.
Names of characters are very important because they are the basis of how a reader connects with them. And I am all for Foreign names, hell my name is unpronounceable to most people! But in Warrior I found that because I am not familiar with that culture, the names (and the quantity of them) was overwhelming. I found myself getting confused with character names and wondering if I accidentally mixed them up or if I just forgot them all together. I felt like I was missing out on a lot of minor details because I kept forgetting things and connections from the first book.
Warrior pretty starts off right where Prophecy ended (or so I think), and I have to say, this book let me down a bit. Since this book was a sequel and all the history and back story were covered in the first book, I thought there would be more action, at least earlier than when it finally arrived. Honestly I felt a little confused and bored at the beginning because I didn't know what was going on and the characters were getting confused in my head.
This book is what I would call a bridge book. Considering this is a trilogy I know that all the action will appear in the last book as kind of a "final stand." But I was still looking for something that would help me connect with the story. I will admit that there were certain parts in the middle that I could not stop reading, they were very captivating and I loved it. But then I would come to another part that slowed the pace down and i began to lose interest.
Names of characters are very important because they are the basis of how a reader connects with them. And I am all for Foreign names, hell my name is unpronounceable to most people! But in Warrior I found that because I am not familiar with that culture, the names (and the quantity of them) was overwhelming. I found myself getting confused with character names and wondering if I accidentally mixed them up or if I just forgot them all together. I felt like I was missing out on a lot of minor details because I kept forgetting things and connections from the first book.
aprilbooksandwine's review
3.0
Warrior by Ellen Oh is the sequel to Prophecy. In all honesty, it has been SO long since I’ve read Prophecy. So, I forgot basically everything about the first book. Read my full review here
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, wonderful book, I wouldn't want to be a of companion of them, because everyone who hasn't been a part of the group since the beginning doesn't survive, with one exception! And yeah, so glad that I have an ARC of King, after this ending!
samreads12's review against another edition
2.0
*Note: review for both Warrior and King*
I enjoyed reading Prophecy, the first book in Ellen Oh’s The Dragon King Chronicles. It follows a brave young woman set out to protect her younger cousin from literally the forces of evil. I loved that. I was excited to pick up Warrior and King, book 2 and 3 of the trilogy. I didn’t love them.
Perhaps it was the whole prophecy/chosen one plot line that made book 2 and 3 so dull. We as readers pretty much know what’s supposed to happen (and how it ends) during book 1. So it makes me wonder why push on two additional books.
There was little to no new developments, new tension, or discoveries in either Warrior or King. New characters appear, but with little to no significance. Don’t even get me started on the romance aspects. It all seemed so one-sided and Kira’s remarks about how she didn’t have time for that sounded so true. She has no time for that! So, why are they still pushing it onto her. Geez!
Oddly enough, even the characters felt out of character. All of a sudden they felt different or were acting in a different manner without any explanation or prelude.
Again, like I noted when I reviewed Prophecy, it felt like I was being told the story, instead of being immersed into the fantasy world of the Seven Kingdoms.
Unfortunately, although I enjoyed Prophecy, both Warrior and King fell short of my expectations. I honestly wish I liked them more, but nope.
I enjoyed reading Prophecy, the first book in Ellen Oh’s The Dragon King Chronicles. It follows a brave young woman set out to protect her younger cousin from literally the forces of evil. I loved that. I was excited to pick up Warrior and King, book 2 and 3 of the trilogy. I didn’t love them.
Perhaps it was the whole prophecy/chosen one plot line that made book 2 and 3 so dull. We as readers pretty much know what’s supposed to happen (and how it ends) during book 1. So it makes me wonder why push on two additional books.
There was little to no new developments, new tension, or discoveries in either Warrior or King. New characters appear, but with little to no significance. Don’t even get me started on the romance aspects. It all seemed so one-sided and Kira’s remarks about how she didn’t have time for that sounded so true. She has no time for that! So, why are they still pushing it onto her. Geez!
Oddly enough, even the characters felt out of character. All of a sudden they felt different or were acting in a different manner without any explanation or prelude.
Again, like I noted when I reviewed Prophecy, it felt like I was being told the story, instead of being immersed into the fantasy world of the Seven Kingdoms.
Unfortunately, although I enjoyed Prophecy, both Warrior and King fell short of my expectations. I honestly wish I liked them more, but nope.
seachelles7's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars. The storyline is great but the execution is lacking. I found myself skimming at parts and I think it's because the book has a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. Kira needs more connections that you can feel rather than her just saying them.
It was better than Prophecy though
It was better than Prophecy though