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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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
4 stars. This book sets the stage for both a fairly traditional hero’s journey fantasy, while hinting at a much larger scope rarely ever seen in fantasy. This larger world could have been implemented better, as it was given too little time to be comprehensible or enjoyable. The plot was generally entertaining and the protagonist’s characterization was strong.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was very surprising. I read a lot of cultivation and litrpg stories and while this wasn't as fun as some of my favorites from that genre it was definitely more well written than 99% of the books in the genre. I would not expect to find writing of this quality in a self published fantasy novel of any kind. I can't say enough that I was blown away and can't wait to start the rest of the series. I would've given it a higher score but at its core it's a fairly standard "weak person starting a journey to be strong" first book of a fantasy series . I'm sure I'll be giving some fours to books in this series and maybe even a rare five if the world outside of sacred valley proves to be as exciting as the first book hints.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
So, I've read the whole series now, and the rating I'm giving is based on the whole series, not just the first book. The first book wasn't my favorite out of all of them, but that's pretty common with an initial world building book.
I like it when I read or watch something, and I can draw a direct correlation to something else that I read or watched and enjoyed. Specifically, if you liked Avatar the Last Airbender, then you'd probably like this series. This is a more complex/more adult version of Avatar.
I don't identify this as YA. It's not written in the style of YA, although the main characters do start the series around the age of 15/16, and end the series about seven years after that. I would be fine with a 13-year-old reading this (content wise), although, it might be a bit clunky for them, and I would happily recommend this series to adult friends also.
My biggest complaints about the series are that the explanations of certain aspects of the magic system get a bit repetitive. I get it, Yerin doesn't have a full body enforcer effect, you don't need to tell me that three times every book. The over explanation of this kind of thing, especially in the middle of a fight scene, gets a little tedious.
The other aspect of the series that I wasn't fond of was the Abidan/space arc. I really couldn't bring myself to care until Ozriel showed back up, and that's only because I was invested in him as a character prior to that moment. The "reports" in the first few books were also quite jarring and/or confusing. I tended to skim all those parts. If I read the books again, I'd likely skip over them altogether.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book series. It was full of found family, and "if all of us don't make it, none of us do". The characters were grounded, figured things out quickly and responded in a logical way. There was a romance involved, but it was done in the way that I like romance to be done in this genre, in that it was very secondary to anything in the plot, it just existed and was healthy for the two characters (no drama or angst associated with it).
This is a great series to binge. I'm pretty sure I started and finished it in about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks. Would highly recommend.
I like it when I read or watch something, and I can draw a direct correlation to something else that I read or watched and enjoyed. Specifically, if you liked Avatar the Last Airbender, then you'd probably like this series. This is a more complex/more adult version of Avatar.
I don't identify this as YA. It's not written in the style of YA, although the main characters do start the series around the age of 15/16, and end the series about seven years after that. I would be fine with a 13-year-old reading this (content wise), although, it might be a bit clunky for them, and I would happily recommend this series to adult friends also.
My biggest complaints about the series are that the explanations of certain aspects of the magic system get a bit repetitive. I get it, Yerin doesn't have a full body enforcer effect, you don't need to tell me that three times every book. The over explanation of this kind of thing, especially in the middle of a fight scene, gets a little tedious.
The other aspect of the series that I wasn't fond of was the Abidan/space arc. I really couldn't bring myself to care until Ozriel showed back up, and that's only because I was invested in him as a character prior to that moment. The "reports" in the first few books were also quite jarring and/or confusing. I tended to skim all those parts. If I read the books again, I'd likely skip over them altogether.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book series. It was full of found family, and "if all of us don't make it, none of us do". The characters were grounded, figured things out quickly and responded in a logical way. There was a romance involved, but it was done in the way that I like romance to be done in this genre, in that it was very secondary to anything in the plot, it just existed and was healthy for the two characters (no drama or angst associated with it).
This is a great series to binge. I'm pretty sure I started and finished it in about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks. Would highly recommend.
i can't say i have much investment in the characters or plot but damn it the wacky over the top anime nonsense is just FUN
the 'bloopers' at the end were one of the best bits
the 'bloopers' at the end were one of the best bits