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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Happy Black History Month! Book fourteen of prioritizing books on my TBR written by Black authors:
I really loved this story. For some reason it doesn’t feel like a book I would typically give 5 stars to; there aren’t a bunch of crazy twists and turns and I didn’t spend any time gasping, crying, or outwardly exclaiming. It was bit of a slow burn. That said, I was still completely hooked from beginning to end. These characters filled my heart with an indescribable amount of hope and warmth, leaving me feeling lighter despite the many heavy topics covered in this book. Absolutely loved it. Very much looking forward to what the rest of the trilogy has in store.
I really loved this story. For some reason it doesn’t feel like a book I would typically give 5 stars to; there aren’t a bunch of crazy twists and turns and I didn’t spend any time gasping, crying, or outwardly exclaiming. It was bit of a slow burn. That said, I was still completely hooked from beginning to end. These characters filled my heart with an indescribable amount of hope and warmth, leaving me feeling lighter despite the many heavy topics covered in this book. Absolutely loved it. Very much looking forward to what the rest of the trilogy has in store.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
started off intrigued, the middle was okay and the end wasn’t for me. simply too much going on: two timelines, regency romance, lots of SW and DW esque things…I really wanted to be a fan but this was so busy 😭
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On paper everything about this was right up my alley; an epic space-opera set in a unique universe, an overarching theme of history and mythology, and lots to say about found-family, empires, and class politics. Unfortunately, there was just too much going on "mechanically". Barely had one idea been established and half-explored before something new was introduced. As a result some of the more important plot points, like character development and relationship building, felt really rushed and unbelievable.
Also, I'm really not a fan of books that are the first in a series and finish with major plot threads unresolved. I think it would have benefitted from tighter editing and a view that it should be a simpler launching off point into a series, rather than an introduction to everything all at once.
Also, I'm really not a fan of books that are the first in a series and finish with major plot threads unresolved. I think it would have benefitted from tighter editing and a view that it should be a simpler launching off point into a series, rather than an introduction to everything all at once.
The story is def interesting and while I want to know more and love the characters I will say the writing can feel so slow at times that I felt reading a chapter was torturous.
The relationship between Asha and xavior was my little light but didn’t happen as often as I had hoped and there was a lot of lore and backstory writing that the book can sometimes feel a little dry.
It’s cute, warm and cosy this novel and I enjoyed it mostly - but yeah it was hard going at times but I’ve got my hopes up for book two :)
The relationship between Asha and xavior was my little light but didn’t happen as often as I had hoped and there was a lot of lore and backstory writing that the book can sometimes feel a little dry.
It’s cute, warm and cosy this novel and I enjoyed it mostly - but yeah it was hard going at times but I’ve got my hopes up for book two :)
Yup. Uh-huh. Very doctor who but gayer and less english (complimentary). Very excited to read what comes next.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
Whatever its intent, this book is mid- to upper-YA, not Adult despite what Illumicrate claims (which is where I got my copy).
By Adult standards, it would be three stars. The two main characters are young in every way: they're physically young, they act young, they think young, their decisions are made based on the limited knowledge of someone young. Even Obi, a seasoned time traveler who should have a bigger impact on the adventure. The writing feels aimed at a high school level, not because of the words used but because many things just weren't as delved into as they would be in an adult book and a lot of events felt they had only surface-level depth.
But, I rated this book as a Young Adult book, because that's what it is. I read it with YA standards in mind, and enjoyed it by those standards.
The Principle of Moments is a book where the story happens to the characters. The plot is already decided by a prophecy, and Asha and Obi don't actually make any decisions. Everything that occurs in the book are things happening to them, to which they react. There's nothing inherently bad about that, but there also isn't a lot of tension. In many adult books, the theme would be the heroes attempting to throw off their assigned fate and the consequences of that, but in this one the resistance is barely there before they drift along with the flow.
The romance was, again, very YA. While Obi's felt genuine because it was pre-established, Asha's felt awkward because there wasn't any chemistry. A fated romance simply takes more time than this book had to effectively establish.
By YA standards, the story itself is enjoyable enough. I feel like the "adult" label might have been put on it by Illumicrate to excuse how long it is, since YA books are shorter, and there were genuinely places where I skipped paragraphs at a time over multiple pages because nothing in them felt important. Some sections I could tell were meant to give the characters depth either had very little to do with what was going on, reflected very little on the character, or were just the same re-hashed inner monologues already previously visited. Repetition in these moments weighed down the story.
I did find some errors, but nothing too bothersome. Throughout most, the writing was a good mix of prose and dialogue, and it was clear and easy to understand.
Some reviews have complained that the book is confusing, but it feels like it's meant to be that way. Most of the information gleaned throughout the book felt like it was just standalone bits of info, but it all crystalized together in the final pages. I felt that technical aspect was well done, as the three stories were, eventually well braided together into a single final thread.
I'm not a person who minds a more passive-feeling story, as long as I know what I'm getting into, and that's generally what prophecy stories are. So aside from the inner-monologue parts I had to skip, I genuinely enjoyed the story. I'll certainly be picking up book 2 when it comes out.
By Adult standards, it would be three stars. The two main characters are young in every way: they're physically young, they act young, they think young, their decisions are made based on the limited knowledge of someone young. Even Obi, a seasoned time traveler who should have a bigger impact on the adventure. The writing feels aimed at a high school level, not because of the words used but because many things just weren't as delved into as they would be in an adult book and a lot of events felt they had only surface-level depth.
But, I rated this book as a Young Adult book, because that's what it is. I read it with YA standards in mind, and enjoyed it by those standards.
The Principle of Moments is a book where the story happens to the characters. The plot is already decided by a prophecy, and Asha and Obi don't actually make any decisions. Everything that occurs in the book are things happening to them, to which they react. There's nothing inherently bad about that, but there also isn't a lot of tension. In many adult books, the theme would be the heroes attempting to throw off their assigned fate and the consequences of that, but in this one the resistance is barely there before they drift along with the flow.
The romance was, again, very YA. While Obi's felt genuine because it was pre-established, Asha's felt awkward because there wasn't any chemistry. A fated romance simply takes more time than this book had to effectively establish.
By YA standards, the story itself is enjoyable enough. I feel like the "adult" label might have been put on it by Illumicrate to excuse how long it is, since YA books are shorter, and there were genuinely places where I skipped paragraphs at a time over multiple pages because nothing in them felt important. Some sections I could tell were meant to give the characters depth either had very little to do with what was going on, reflected very little on the character, or were just the same re-hashed inner monologues already previously visited. Repetition in these moments weighed down the story.
I did find some errors, but nothing too bothersome. Throughout most, the writing was a good mix of prose and dialogue, and it was clear and easy to understand.
Some reviews have complained that the book is confusing, but it feels like it's meant to be that way. Most of the information gleaned throughout the book felt like it was just standalone bits of info, but it all crystalized together in the final pages. I felt that technical aspect was well done, as the three stories were, eventually well braided together into a single final thread.
I'm not a person who minds a more passive-feeling story, as long as I know what I'm getting into, and that's generally what prophecy stories are. So aside from the inner-monologue parts I had to skip, I genuinely enjoyed the story. I'll certainly be picking up book 2 when it comes out.
Felt like it could be a cool story, but doesnt really know how to.. hope the next books wil be better