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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Okay, so...I didn't hate this book as much as I thought I was going to. I had BIG beef with the last book. Mostly because it's hard to cope with the fact that the witch of prophecy who is supposedly SUPER DUPER powerful can't access or control her powers. And in this book, she's not much better. HOWEVER, the end of the book redeemed this by providing the reason why her powers were bound, thank God. But, my god, was it painfully slow getting there.
I agree with another reviewer that much of this book should have been cut out and thrown into a novella. I won't lie, I am generally living for the romantic subplot...but this book focused far too long on the side characters coupling up and spent too much time away from the central storyline.
I also agree with other reviewers on Lukas as a character, he was dead long before he was gone. I recently watched a TikTok on the use of love triangles in YA books about how it is used to represent two different paths the main character can take, and I felt it was a miss for this book. Instead of allowing Elloren to make a choice between two different paths, in several cases in this book the choice is made FOR her. Yvan died so I'll be with Lukas for safety. I'll be with Lukas because of this sense of duty that is linked to my corrupt religion. Wait, Lukas died and he told me to be with Yvan for safety. So I'll share his dragon kiss. Like in the hunger games, I understand not being able to give in to your desires because of trauma, but here we have the (allegedly) most powerful mage ever binding herself to men for protection. gross.
Regardless of my criticism, I still had a nice time and I like Julia Whelan's voice. I have hopes for the next book now that certain developments in the plot have happened. Please, Laurie Forest, for the love of god, let the love triangle stay dead!
I agree with another reviewer that much of this book should have been cut out and thrown into a novella. I won't lie, I am generally living for the romantic subplot...but this book focused far too long on the side characters coupling up and spent too much time away from the central storyline.
I also agree with other reviewers on Lukas as a character, he was
Regardless of my criticism, I still had a nice time and I like Julia Whelan's voice. I have hopes for the next book now that certain developments in the plot have happened. Please, Laurie Forest, for the love of god, let the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, War
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Best book in the whole series and those plot twists, let me say wow, I can’t wait for the next book
I love this series and I am really looking forward to the final book. In my opinion this book was not as good as the others because of the fact that you knew what was coming and the plot moves forward pretty slowly but I really enjoyed the multiple points of view and the relationships that develop between different characters.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed that I got the Dyrad Storm release date wrong (by a whole fucking year) or that when the last installment does come out I'm going to have to do a full re-read, which will include this book. Sigh.
Listen, I've enjoyed The Black Witch Chronicles. I see our own world in this dystopian world. I've never been offended by the author because I knew she was only showing the fractures in our own world. Racism. Religion. Superior complexes. Corrupt power, etc. But, this book, this book is so thick (though standard for her series); it feels like so much could have been taken out and we could have been given so much more.
For example, I do not need to read seven? different POVs of the night of the twenty-first hour for the purple moon. I understand that Forest was trying to give each of our secondary characters their romantic moment, that last bit of happy before everyone goes to war and the world turns to shit. But this book is literally called "Demon Tide", it's the fourth book in a five book installment- happy endings are not in the cards right now. But, I really don't need to read every single secondary characters own experience on that night and I sure as hell don't need us to double back and then play out seven more chapters of all those same characters realizing the mountain range has caved in. I would have much rather gotten into the fight sooner.
All the POVs is tiring, much like in the last book. I would like to go back to learning about different characters through the story plot rather than getting first hand experiences from so many people. I honestly can't keep up with some of the people. Also, it is a tragedy that we don't get any Diana POVs. She was such a strong character in the first two books and she didn't even exist in the last one.
Also, I hated how this book kept changing the time of the story. Like part 1 is actually a month before anything in the prelude. There are actual pages of dialogue that can be read back and forth between Demon Tide and Shadow Wand, pretty fucking seamlessly I might add. I just couldn't keep the timeline completely straight. It was a mess.
I had a hard time following what was happening when Lukas came to Elloren as a vision and then she was with him in the hive, but then Vogel was there attacking and eventually Elloren snaps back into her cousins tower... it was just confusing. Oh, yeah, the unknown family bit- I don't mind this. I feel pretty neutral on it.
Back to things, I'm not neutral on [SPOILERS AHEAD]...I did not expect for Lukas to live through this book- however, I thought he would go in tortured scene rather then him sacrificing his own life to "save Elloren". But, you know what I really don't get? His initial reasoning was that killing himself wold sever their fast lines and Elloren would be free BUT, at this point Vogel had already transferred the fast lines to himself so what exactly was the point of Lukas killing himself?? (I would sincerely appreciate someone explaining this to me). I feel like he was a "dead character" for so long too, I would have rather him died immediately instead of all these weird back and forth stuff. Ugh love triangles.
Also, Vogel got... a little too rapey for me. I realize no one was actually raped, but with the transfer of fasting lines, his intent to sexually assault Elloren to seal the lines and then using her as a puppet by controlling her entire being. It all was just incredibly perverted. And, okay this book was already dark but we didn't need to ick it up even more. The chapters subtitled "Elloren Vogel" actually made my skin crawl. Ew.
I don't know, I just feel like this book was a bit of a miss for me. I mean, hell, Ariel Haven fucking SWOOPED in and saved Elloren and I wasn't even excited to see her. And, I really liked her. Since Naga flew her off into the sunset to die I've wondered if she really did die because we never saw a body or anything and alas here I am in a moment where I should be REJOICING but I can't even enjoy it because the book has been so slow just so absolutely lacking.
Listen, I've enjoyed The Black Witch Chronicles. I see our own world in this dystopian world. I've never been offended by the author because I knew she was only showing the fractures in our own world. Racism. Religion. Superior complexes. Corrupt power, etc. But, this book, this book is so thick (though standard for her series); it feels like so much could have been taken out and we could have been given so much more.
For example, I do not need to read seven? different POVs of the night of the twenty-first hour for the purple moon. I understand that Forest was trying to give each of our secondary characters their romantic moment, that last bit of happy before everyone goes to war and the world turns to shit. But this book is literally called "Demon Tide", it's the fourth book in a five book installment- happy endings are not in the cards right now. But, I really don't need to read every single secondary characters own experience on that night and I sure as hell don't need us to double back and then play out seven more chapters of all those same characters realizing the mountain range has caved in. I would have much rather gotten into the fight sooner.
All the POVs is tiring, much like in the last book. I would like to go back to learning about different characters through the story plot rather than getting first hand experiences from so many people. I honestly can't keep up with some of the people. Also, it is a tragedy that we don't get any Diana POVs. She was such a strong character in the first two books and she didn't even exist in the last one.
Also, I hated how this book kept changing the time of the story. Like part 1 is actually a month before anything in the prelude. There are actual pages of dialogue that can be read back and forth between Demon Tide and Shadow Wand, pretty fucking seamlessly I might add. I just couldn't keep the timeline completely straight. It was a mess.
I had a hard time following what was happening when Lukas came to Elloren as a vision and then she was with him in the hive, but then Vogel was there attacking and eventually Elloren snaps back into her cousins tower... it was just confusing. Oh, yeah, the unknown family bit- I don't mind this. I feel pretty neutral on it.
Back to things, I'm not neutral on [SPOILERS AHEAD]...I did not expect for Lukas to live through this book- however, I thought he would go in tortured scene rather then him sacrificing his own life to "save Elloren". But, you know what I really don't get? His initial reasoning was that killing himself wold sever their fast lines and Elloren would be free BUT, at this point Vogel had already transferred the fast lines to himself so what exactly was the point of Lukas killing himself?? (I would sincerely appreciate someone explaining this to me). I feel like he was a "dead character" for so long too, I would have rather him died immediately instead of all these weird back and forth stuff. Ugh love triangles.
Also, Vogel got... a little too rapey for me. I realize no one was actually raped, but with the transfer of fasting lines, his intent to sexually assault Elloren to seal the lines and then using her as a puppet by controlling her entire being. It all was just incredibly perverted. And, okay this book was already dark but we didn't need to ick it up even more. The chapters subtitled "Elloren Vogel" actually made my skin crawl. Ew.
I don't know, I just feel like this book was a bit of a miss for me. I mean, hell, Ariel Haven fucking SWOOPED in and saved Elloren and I wasn't even excited to see her. And, I really liked her. Since Naga flew her off into the sunset to die I've wondered if she really did die because we never saw a body or anything and alas here I am in a moment where I should be REJOICING but I can't even enjoy it because the book has been so slow just so absolutely lacking.
Spends way too much time on minor character romance arcs
The third quarter of this book is a drag to get through. The impending invasion and all stakes related to the central are forgotten to as the book spends hours of reading time establishing romantic bonds between characters most readers don't feel that invested in.
The theme of different groups having irrational hate for each other is really overdone in my view. I get that it's a central theme to the overall conflict but it felt it was hammered over my head.
I started to enjoy the book again once we got over everyone's obsession with the Purple moon and the plot began to advance again.
The third quarter of this book is a drag to get through. The impending invasion and all stakes related to the central are forgotten to as the book spends hours of reading time establishing romantic bonds between characters most readers don't feel that invested in.
The theme of different groups having irrational hate for each other is really overdone in my view. I get that it's a central theme to the overall conflict but it felt it was hammered over my head.
I started to enjoy the book again once we got over everyone's obsession with the Purple moon and the plot began to advance again.
adventurous
emotional
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