Reviews

El oso y el ruiseñor by Katherine Arden

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gg_reads_books's review against another edition

2.0

If we are talking about the quality of the writing, description, and style, this book is more deserving of 3 stars. However, as a whole, I was disappointed and would only deem it "ok."

I don't understand what I missed. This book was rated very highly, but I wasn't moved by the characters, nor was I invested in the plot. I think the heavy influence of fairy tale subject and structure is to blame. Fairytales feature archetypes, not characters. The plots are brief and direct. This doesn't translate well to a novel without changes. While this story wasn't completely without characterization or complicated relationships, hardly any of the characters changed (if any at all). Some disappeared entirely ,even after being featured as a POV character (though I assume they will return in the sequel).

As for the plot, it was lackluster because it was more of a sequence of events rather than moments where actions are later paid off by meaningful consequences. I was constantly waiting for my interest to be peaked again. A nice bit of description or a new character might give me hope, but ultimately I wanted much much more.

charli734's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

adenwatt's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

i absolutely loved this book. it captivated me right away, and if i did not have work, i probably would have finished it in one sitting. it is the first book that i’ve consumed in less than 24 hours in ages.

i enjoyed the world building, the dynamics between vasya and her family, the chyerti and how they were affected by konstantin’s presence and his fearmongering.

katherine arden is a fantastic writer and i look forward to reading more of her writing. i highly, highly recommend this novel. i think it has earned a spot as my number one favourite book, honestly.

hypocretin's review against another edition

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I will maybe try to come back to this one. The writing and atmosphere is lovely, but parts of it just stray a bit far into the realm of exoticism and fetishization for my taste, and it made me feel squeamish and uncomfortable in a way that took me out of the narrative. Also, "special" main characters just bore me to tears lol