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msmith7344's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bec2015bec's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? No
4.0
VERY slow start, but after they finally started the adventure I was done the book within a day.
daja's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was such a surprising read for me! When I first saw it in the library and read the summary, it sounded very interesting. Two princes are presumed dead until new evidence comes up, causing three friends connected to them to search for them. I'm so happy that the story delivered exactly what I wanted.
The mystery is the main thing that called to me throughout the story. The author was great at keeping me invested in the mystery and following the characters are they figured out the clues. Sometimes I did feel like the pacing was off, but right before the story felt too slow, the author would throw something in that would make me interested again. I also think the author did great building up the clues to make a satisfactory ending. Granted, I think the ending had some pacing issues, but the reveal was great as I was able to connect the earlier points in the story.
I also just really liked the character dynamics. I'm finding that I really like friendship dynamics and even though these characters had a pre-existing relationship when the book started, I really understood their dynamics. There was even a little bit of a romance that I found cute and not too much. The story is mainly told in Elias' POV with Mercedes and Ulises sprinkled in there occasionally. I liked following all of them, but Mercedes was definitely my favorite character. Even the side characters felt very distinct from each other.
The world building was also very good. The story was short so I wasn't expecting a super detailed world. However, I think the world was very well thought out and the writing made me feel like I was in the world next to these characters.
I'm definitely going to read the next story because it follows a character that I did enjoy. I'll also be reading more from this author because I really enjoyed this book.
The mystery is the main thing that called to me throughout the story. The author was great at keeping me invested in the mystery and following the characters are they figured out the clues. Sometimes I did feel like the pacing was off, but right before the story felt too slow, the author would throw something in that would make me interested again. I also think the author did great building up the clues to make a satisfactory ending. Granted, I think the ending had some pacing issues, but the reveal was great as I was able to connect the earlier points in the story.
I also just really liked the character dynamics. I'm finding that I really like friendship dynamics and even though these characters had a pre-existing relationship when the book started, I really understood their dynamics. There was even a little bit of a romance that I found cute and not too much. The story is mainly told in Elias' POV with Mercedes and Ulises sprinkled in there occasionally. I liked following all of them, but Mercedes was definitely my favorite character. Even the side characters felt very distinct from each other.
The world building was also very good. The story was short so I wasn't expecting a super detailed world. However, I think the world was very well thought out and the writing made me feel like I was in the world next to these characters.
I'm definitely going to read the next story because it follows a character that I did enjoy. I'll also be reading more from this author because I really enjoyed this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Torture, Death of parent, Child death, and Kidnapping
jubilee4's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kidneynerd's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hivequeen's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting book. I have to admit I didn't really get the point of the spirits considering they seemed to be the only supernatural part of the whole story. But other than that it was an interesting world and a cool mystery.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't the story I expected, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy the story! I liked the way the book was written and the idea of a young, dynamic trio going on an adventure to solve a mystery about events that occurred nearly twenty years ago. There was a little less magic than I thought there would be and I saw a couple twists coming, but the pacing is good and there were still some things I didn't anticipate. The romance was the highlight, completely sweet and fun to read. The characters are a little one note, but they are still people I cheered for and wanted to succeed, and their devotion and friendship and romance is endearing and nice to read. Their relationships were also interesting because they kept secrets from one another, and it makes me wonder if that will affect things later on, though I'm not sure where the series could go from here. Still, I recommend ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE to anyone looking for an adventure story that isn't terribly emotionally taxing.
scriptrix's review against another edition
2.5
I really liked the scene in the haunted forest with the kid ghosts, and the inclusion of a leper colony was an original idea. But the rest of this felt a little too Generic Fantasy(TM).