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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got bored. Not the best. Eloren is a bit much and very weak
Damn, I was really enjoying this series. This was not terribly exciting and as other readers have mentioned, oddly structured and the love triangle was blegh
This is my 2nd read and still love it. This is the 3rd book in the series and my favorite. The two other books start the world building, introduction of characters. I started annoyed with the main characters but loving their growth throughout the series. The first book is world building and a little magic learning at university but mostly the main characters seeing things that aren’t what they thought or were taught in their own biases. Book two is the understanding of those biases and growing out of them through knowledge one of my favorite quotes is in this book about what knowledge can do. It’s gets good towards the end so stick through the first two books. This one has one sweet open door scene and then two closed doors. I’ll end with, I’m team Lukas!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
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:
No
WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS
Remember how I said in my review of The Iron Flower that book 2 didn’t fall into the trap of middle-book-slump? I seem to have forgotten then that the series is slated to be a series of five books, making The Shadow Wand the middle book.
And I hate to say it, but there’s some serious disappointing middle book syndrome going on here.
From the start, I feel like at least 100-150 pages could have been cut out (for clarification, The Shadow Wand clocks in at 554 pages). The first portion of the book jumps between the POVs of several, completely new characters; they show up later, and those chapters gave a little bit of backstory for them, but I don’t think entire chapters were needed to explain their backgrounds. We also get to check in on a few favorites from the previous books, including Tierney and Wynter. I liked seeing where Wynter was (because I still have a major soft spot for her, and she deserves so much better), but I…don't know if it contributed to the story much at all. At least they’re…okay? Maybe? Sort of?
And…Forest is deeeeefinitely toying with our feelings here. The love triangle between Elloren, Lukas, and Yvan is expanded upon, but in…an interesting way. And by “interesting,” I mean “entertaining the notion that one party may or may not be dead.” We don’t see any of Yvan for the entire book, and the romantic aspects are primarily focused on Lukas. While that created an interesting dynamic between Elloren and Lukas, I feel like there could have been a bit of tension if Yvan had shown up once or twice.
For much of the book, it felt like the classic YA middle book where the Chosen One heroine (oh hey, look, another trope that this series fell into! Whoopee!) has to harness her abilities and build her army. There was quite a lot of the book that felt like a training montage, which, while I enjoy a good one every once in a while, was stretched out too long. The Shadow Wand needed a bit more tension and plot for me.
But for all that, that’s not to say that this book wasn’t entertaining. Even though we don’t see much of the wide and varied cast of the first two novels, I still love being back with Elloren and the gang. As always, Forest is a master at lush writing and worldbuilding, which shone through once more in this installment. And plus, who isn’t up for some good ol’ magic and dragons? I mean, COME ON. DRAGONS!
Aaaaaaaand of course, it built up to one of those “it looks like everybody’s dead, but chances are they’ll all be alive and well by book 4” endings. AND NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO SEE HOW IT’S RESOLVED. HOW DARE LAURIE FOREST PLAY WITH OUR FEELINGS IN SUCH A WAY…
Overall, The Shadow Wand was definitely a lower point for the series as of now, but it was still a (mostly) fun read. 3.5 stars!
Remember how I said in my review of The Iron Flower that book 2 didn’t fall into the trap of middle-book-slump? I seem to have forgotten then that the series is slated to be a series of five books, making The Shadow Wand the middle book.
And I hate to say it, but there’s some serious disappointing middle book syndrome going on here.
From the start, I feel like at least 100-150 pages could have been cut out (for clarification, The Shadow Wand clocks in at 554 pages). The first portion of the book jumps between the POVs of several, completely new characters; they show up later, and those chapters gave a little bit of backstory for them, but I don’t think entire chapters were needed to explain their backgrounds. We also get to check in on a few favorites from the previous books, including Tierney and Wynter. I liked seeing where Wynter was (because I still have a major soft spot for her, and she deserves so much better), but I…don't know if it contributed to the story much at all. At least they’re…okay? Maybe? Sort of?
And…Forest is deeeeefinitely toying with our feelings here. The love triangle between Elloren, Lukas, and Yvan is expanded upon, but in…an interesting way. And by “interesting,” I mean “entertaining the notion that one party may or may not be dead.” We don’t see any of Yvan for the entire book, and the romantic aspects are primarily focused on Lukas. While that created an interesting dynamic between Elloren and Lukas, I feel like there could have been a bit of tension if Yvan had shown up once or twice.
For much of the book, it felt like the classic YA middle book where the Chosen One heroine (oh hey, look, another trope that this series fell into! Whoopee!) has to harness her abilities and build her army. There was quite a lot of the book that felt like a training montage, which, while I enjoy a good one every once in a while, was stretched out too long. The Shadow Wand needed a bit more tension and plot for me.
But for all that, that’s not to say that this book wasn’t entertaining. Even though we don’t see much of the wide and varied cast of the first two novels, I still love being back with Elloren and the gang. As always, Forest is a master at lush writing and worldbuilding, which shone through once more in this installment. And plus, who isn’t up for some good ol’ magic and dragons? I mean, COME ON. DRAGONS!
Aaaaaaaand of course, it built up to one of those “it looks like everybody’s dead, but chances are they’ll all be alive and well by book 4” endings. AND NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO SEE HOW IT’S RESOLVED. HOW DARE LAURIE FOREST PLAY WITH OUR FEELINGS IN SUCH A WAY…
Overall, The Shadow Wand was definitely a lower point for the series as of now, but it was still a (mostly) fun read. 3.5 stars!
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
(3'5)
Yes bitch! ¡Sabía que Yvan estaba vivo!
Una tercera parte estupenda. (Aunque me hubiera gustado leer la desde la perspectiva de Aislinn como llegan a las Noi lands y se reune con Jared y el resto de lupinos)
Yes bitch! ¡Sabía que Yvan estaba vivo!
Una tercera parte estupenda. (Aunque me hubiera gustado leer la desde la perspectiva de Aislinn como llegan a las Noi lands y se reune con Jared y el resto de lupinos)
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
After my re-read, I had to promote this book up to 5 stars instead of 4.5 because there was so much raw emotion that I didn’t appreciate the first go around. This book can give “middle book of the series” vibes but also is still fast enough paced and giving us glorious action scenes and a redemption for a certain green hued man. Lukas is a 10/10 and I’m so happy that he was given this chance to be on the right side of it all AND the way he cares for Elloren is so sweet and fierce. The subtle other POVs helps to give an insight and foreshadow into what to expect when they reach the East and I just truly enjoyed getting to see how our other characters were doing. Listening this go around made me more in tune with Elloren’s feelings but also the emotions that everyone was feeling and I was fully immersed in their need to figure out how to take down Vogel, even though that dude is way too powerful now. The ending was yet again a great shock and cliff hanger to what will start the next book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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