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agenericmirkwoodelf's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book had a lot of potential! It was full of great ideas! It just needed editing. A lot more editing. I felt more like I was reading a first draft than a final.
I’ll start off with what I liked:
- The worldbuilding! The world of Algid is neat! It’s filled with fun imagery and interesting magic! It felt like a unique setting, and I was genuinely enjoying getting to read and learn about it. In fact, I’d say it’s one of my favorite fantasy universes I’ve read recently!
- A lot of the concepts for different reveals and plot setups were actually quite cool!
Now, onto some of the things that gave me trouble:
- Exposition. There is very little showing, and a whole lot of telling in this book. Which is a shame! Because the content that’s being told is not, in fact, half-bad! It’s just not presented in a way that does the ideas justice, or pulls you into the story.
- Plotline. There was very little consistency or direction. Half the events felt like they were improvised, while the other half felt like an excuse to show off the neat world. A lot of the plot events were overdone, and many things felt just a bit tooooooo convenient
-Romance. There’s something akin to a love square in this book. But I’m not entirely sure what the point of it all was, since it bounces from guy to guy without developing any of them fully enough for the reader to develop a strong attachment.
Aaaand some of the twists were a little obvious (though, some were fascinating)
So yeah! To sum up, I’d say amazing concept! Sloppy execution that just required a little more polishing. If the sequel ever does come out, I probably won’t look to buy it, but I’d be happy enough to check out a copy and give it a read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
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