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paigiee10's review
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
3.0
sophiesmith's review against another edition
2.0
2.5⭐️
I was really looking forward to this book, it actually took me three attempts to get through it because I really didn’t want to DNF it.
I was looking forward to a rich and in depth fantasy with a unique plot and interesting characters but I found this all fell flat.
I felt as though I read 550 pages of nothing. The plot could have been easily condensed into 300 pages but to be honest I don’t think there was much plot going on. It also wasn’t a character driven book. The characters weren’t anything special to me, I don’t care much for any of them, none of them seem to stand out.
Whilst I can appreciate the world building, it feels as though the author got carried away with this. Having many place names constantly thrown at me whilst reading was very off putting and the descriptions of settings, although written well, were just too long to hold my attention.
The ending was also very underwhelming. I was expecting a jaw dropping plot twist but instead the book just simply ended without anything spectacular happening.
I will be reading the sequel because my biggest problem with this book was the long and unnecessary world building and descriptions. I’m hoping this won’t carry into the sequel. I hope the characters flesh out a bit more too.
There were many moments where I honestly had no idea what I had just read, and I’m an avid fantasy reader and not shy of high fantasy, so I don’t think this book would suit those dipping their toes into the genre. It also wouldn’t suit those who like or need romance alongside their fantasy reads as there is none. The pacing is also quite slow and if you’re not a fan of a long chapters, it’s not for you.
I was really looking forward to this book, it actually took me three attempts to get through it because I really didn’t want to DNF it.
I was looking forward to a rich and in depth fantasy with a unique plot and interesting characters but I found this all fell flat.
I felt as though I read 550 pages of nothing. The plot could have been easily condensed into 300 pages but to be honest I don’t think there was much plot going on. It also wasn’t a character driven book. The characters weren’t anything special to me, I don’t care much for any of them, none of them seem to stand out.
Whilst I can appreciate the world building, it feels as though the author got carried away with this. Having many place names constantly thrown at me whilst reading was very off putting and the descriptions of settings, although written well, were just too long to hold my attention.
The ending was also very underwhelming. I was expecting a jaw dropping plot twist but instead the book just simply ended without anything spectacular happening.
I will be reading the sequel because my biggest problem with this book was the long and unnecessary world building and descriptions. I’m hoping this won’t carry into the sequel. I hope the characters flesh out a bit more too.
There were many moments where I honestly had no idea what I had just read, and I’m an avid fantasy reader and not shy of high fantasy, so I don’t think this book would suit those dipping their toes into the genre. It also wouldn’t suit those who like or need romance alongside their fantasy reads as there is none. The pacing is also quite slow and if you’re not a fan of a long chapters, it’s not for you.
sofantasy's review
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
haleynye's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
jessreads17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? No
4.5
jessrolo's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
alexlmj's review
A lot of world building early on that didn't get explained by the time I stopped reading. I think I’ll try to get back into it eventually, it was just too much for right now.
ssheehan1's review
I’ve given this way longer of a chance than I would on any other book because it’s fantasy from an author I’ve liked with overall great ratings—but this is just NOT it for me. The world building is tedious and overdone, the characters are dull and POVs too numerous, the slow pacing is actually painful. Something that would normally be my cup of tea—medieval world, pirates, magic, ragtag team saving the world—became a chore to read and was entirely unenjoyable and boring.