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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
The best fantasy I've read in quite a little while. I absolutely loved this story. The plot was engaging, the characters were interesting, the magic system was so unique, and there's an adorable animal companion! What more could you want? I couldn't get enough of the bone shard magic, I really enjoyed learning about something so different and creative alongside Lin. The setting was different than the usual fantasy setting as well woth the island and sea dynamic. Almost felt like a pirate story at times. All of the characters were complex and flawed but likeable enough that you couldn't help but root for them to come out on top every time they (inevitably) wound up in danger. And Mephi is the absolute cutest 😍 I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series to find out what happens next. Top notch fantasy!
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A hell of a ride with a great premise
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mmmm 2.5, I think. At least a third of the plot (the governor's daughter and her girlfriend) didn't really feel like it tied to the main story particularly well, with no large stakes or investments or much relation to what was happening around it, and I at least felt like there were enough plot gaps (why not just use the smuggler's shard to get rid of him?) to make the story slightly less compelling. The smuggler, basically just Flynn Rider references with a cool sea cat thing, was fun enough to listen to (also, a great audiobook narrator). I was most engaged in the Emperor's Palace plotlines, even if I knew the twist fairly early on.
I appreciated the delightful bone magic aspect, and the idea of taking shards from children in "festivals" to fuel the empire, and wonder where it could go now with morals and questions about what is necessary and what is right. I just felt a little indifferent overall and ended up speeding the audiobook a little too much to try and punch through the stolid spots for the bits that I liked.
Again, though, I'm a big crabby fusspot dealing with tremendous covid burnout and very little makes me happy, so you'd better find a salt mine to go with my opinion here.
I appreciated the delightful bone magic aspect, and the idea of taking shards from children in "festivals" to fuel the empire, and wonder where it could go now with morals and questions about what is necessary and what is right. I just felt a little indifferent overall and ended up speeding the audiobook a little too much to try and punch through the stolid spots for the bits that I liked.
Again, though, I'm a big crabby fusspot dealing with tremendous covid burnout and very little makes me happy, so you'd better find a salt mine to go with my opinion here.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Incredibly original and exciting plot/story. The build of the mystery kept me intrigued and by the last few chapters, on the edge of my seat. Loved the description of magic and how the characters interacted with it. Also, this story was a beautiful telling of how humans can use their weaknesses to come together and resist oppression, all in the name of a better world.