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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
2023 reread
3.5 stars
meh....I don't think that I enjoyed this as much as I did the first time
3.5 stars
meh....I don't think that I enjoyed this as much as I did the first time
I can't remember last time when book surprised me as much as this one did. I honestly never would have suspect that I will be so interested in this story. Reading [b:The Demon King|6342491|The Demon King (Seven Realms, #1)|Cinda Williams Chima|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1379482652s/6342491.jpg|6528619] was almost a torture. It was slow, boring and lackluster. But this one? I was really tempted to give it 5 stars.
First of all - I love books which take place in magic schools or assassins schools - something like that. Two of our main characters spend almost the entire book in some sort of academy -. Thanks to this even slower moments were really interesting.
Not that there were a lot of slower moments. This book was so intense! There were so many things happening!
Characters in this one are not as flat as they were in previous book. I fell in love with both Han and Raisa. It was so easy to root for them, to care about them.
The romance was in this book, of course. But it was only an addition - it didn't dominate the entire story and it was quite interesting. Also the infamous love triange didn't occur (like I was sure it would) - which was a nice surprise.
In summary all I can say is that this book is a complete opposite of The Demon King. It's 100 times better. And getting through 1st book in this series is completely worth it. I need to get [b:The Gray Wolf Throne|9409469|The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms, #3)|Cinda Williams Chima|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312142235s/9409469.jpg|14293500] as soon as possible.
First of all - I love books which take place in magic schools or assassins schools - something like that. Two of our main characters spend almost the entire book in some sort of academy -
Spoiler
Han in magic school and Raisa in military schoolNot that there were a lot of slower moments. This book was so intense! There were so many things happening!
Characters in this one are not as flat as they were in previous book. I fell in love with both Han and Raisa. It was so easy to root for them, to care about them.
The romance was in this book, of course. But it was only an addition - it didn't dominate the entire story and it was quite interesting. Also the infamous love triange didn't occur (like I was sure it would) - which was a nice surprise.
In summary all I can say is that this book is a complete opposite of The Demon King. It's 100 times better. And getting through 1st book in this series is completely worth it. I need to get [b:The Gray Wolf Throne|9409469|The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms, #3)|Cinda Williams Chima|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312142235s/9409469.jpg|14293500] as soon as possible.
The Exiled Queen is the second (I stand corrected!) in the Seven Realms trilogy, and while I found it a great read, I didn't find it as gripping as Demon King, primarily because the characters seemed less firey and vivid -- more like water-color versions of themselves.
The characters are all there, and we get to find out what happened to them, but I found some of the relationships less compelling this time around. In Demon King, the tension between Han and Micah was so fierce and real, and I found it somewhat stilted in this book, for no apparent reason. I would have thought it would be moreso, now that Han nearly killed Micah's father. I also disliked the Crow character -- a bit of mystery surrounding a character is intriguing, but because we only meet Crow in the Aediion dream-world, I found Crow completely flat and devoid of interest. The fact that he was using Han, and possessing him, seemed on the one hand completely obvious, but there were so many irritating loose ends (like why was he possessing him? where did he go during those lost hours?) -- I wanted a reckoning between them (and to find out who s/he was, and why they could teach magic, but not use it).
I still liked Raisa, and her fumbling around, trying to find love, first with Amon, then with Han, was compelling. I found Amon much flatter in Exiled Queen -- clearly, the binding has done much to him, but I don't know that it's improved him for the better. When their relationship ended, he didn't seem like much of a loss, so it was difficult to feel sympathy for Raisa's tears. She also kind of latched onto Han pretty quickly thereafter, so it made you wonder if she ever really felt anything for Amon at all -- or if Han will just be some serious rebound material.
I'm being nitpicky, and on the whole, I loved the story, and getting to see the characters relationships develop, and I'm on pins and needles for book three... I'm hoping that, for the fight for Raisa, the characters throw off their reticence and go out in a blaze of glory.
The characters are all there, and we get to find out what happened to them, but I found some of the relationships less compelling this time around. In Demon King, the tension between Han and Micah was so fierce and real, and I found it somewhat stilted in this book, for no apparent reason. I would have thought it would be moreso, now that Han nearly killed Micah's father. I also disliked the Crow character -- a bit of mystery surrounding a character is intriguing, but because we only meet Crow in the Aediion dream-world, I found Crow completely flat and devoid of interest. The fact that he was using Han, and possessing him, seemed on the one hand completely obvious, but there were so many irritating loose ends (like why was he possessing him? where did he go during those lost hours?) -- I wanted a reckoning between them (and to find out who s/he was, and why they could teach magic, but not use it).
I still liked Raisa, and her fumbling around, trying to find love, first with Amon, then with Han, was compelling. I found Amon much flatter in Exiled Queen -- clearly, the binding has done much to him, but I don't know that it's improved him for the better. When their relationship ended, he didn't seem like much of a loss, so it was difficult to feel sympathy for Raisa's tears. She also kind of latched onto Han pretty quickly thereafter, so it made you wonder if she ever really felt anything for Amon at all -- or if Han will just be some serious rebound material.
I'm being nitpicky, and on the whole, I loved the story, and getting to see the characters relationships develop, and I'm on pins and needles for book three... I'm hoping that, for the fight for Raisa, the characters throw off their reticence and go out in a blaze of glory.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
[5 Stars] Oh my goodness I loved this book so much! It was slow at the start, but the writing is beautiful and well done and the fantasy elements are amazing, as are the characters, oh and don't even get me started on Raisa and Han. I love our two protagonists so much, so much depth to their characters. I suppose the only thing I am slightly disappointed about is Amon and Dancer. I wish their characters had a little more development, especially Dancer, but otherwise I enjoyed this so much. I just find the writing to be so amazing. Thoroughly impressed!
This book is excellent. The plot, the vibes, the drama. I can't wait to continue (re)reading the story I love all of these characters so much.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This cast of characters is STACKED.
If you want a character-driven fantasy, look no further. I didn't know what to expect from this series but it is just getting better as it progresses. It has me kicking my feet and squealing like a child and I NEED to talk about it.
The characters are a ton of fun. Everyone is a schemer with very mixed motives and I LOVE it. The love triangles are EATING with no crumbs left behind. If you want to read about a fantasy that has a lot of politicking and strategy you must try it out.
I'm tired of reading about hollow archetypal characters with no depth but that is not the case with this series. You know when you're reading a book and there's like 1, maybe 2 characters who you love, and the rest are solid, but you're really excited for the times when your favorites are on the page? This series does not have that problem: every pov is so much fun to read about and I love them all. Their interactions and motivations are PERFECTLY executed.
I love strategic and intelligent heroines. I can enjoy the popular "badass female character" trope but it's refreshing to read about a heroine who isn't a fighter, isn't meek, but is SO effective with her cunning and smarts. Raisa is that girl. The Princess Heir to the Fells refuses to go down marred by ignorance. She knows that there are forces at play that may threaten her and/or her realm, so she needs to get smart. Quickly. Raisa is a 10/10 fantasy heroine in a genre marred by the shallow and obnoxious. Raisa falls into none of these pitfalls and I love how her power is her mind and she's not turning into something she isn't. It also makes it easy to understand why other characters are so compelled by her. Finally! It's believable what all these men see in her!
Then we've got Han Allister: the gang leader from the previous book is in a very changed situation. In Book 1 I took him has more of a lovable rogue type but with powerful enemies, he knows he has to learn how to play their game, and fast. He's so charming but also has a savage side that comes out in the most delicious of ways.
If you want a character-driven fantasy, look no further. I didn't know what to expect from this series but it is just getting better as it progresses. It has me kicking my feet and squealing like a child and I NEED to talk about it.
The characters are a ton of fun. Everyone is a schemer with very mixed motives and I LOVE it. The love triangles are EATING with no crumbs left behind. If you want to read about a fantasy that has a lot of politicking and strategy you must try it out.
I'm tired of reading about hollow archetypal characters with no depth but that is not the case with this series. You know when you're reading a book and there's like 1, maybe 2 characters who you love, and the rest are solid, but you're really excited for the times when your favorites are on the page? This series does not have that problem: every pov is so much fun to read about and I love them all. Their interactions and motivations are PERFECTLY executed.
I love strategic and intelligent heroines. I can enjoy the popular "badass female character" trope but it's refreshing to read about a heroine who isn't a fighter, isn't meek, but is SO effective with her cunning and smarts. Raisa is that girl. The Princess Heir to the Fells refuses to go down marred by ignorance. She knows that there are forces at play that may threaten her and/or her realm, so she needs to get smart. Quickly. Raisa is a 10/10 fantasy heroine in a genre marred by the shallow and obnoxious. Raisa falls into none of these pitfalls and I love how her power is her mind and she's not turning into something she isn't. It also makes it easy to understand why other characters are so compelled by her. Finally! It's believable what all these men see in her!
Then we've got Han Allister: the gang leader from the previous book is in a very changed situation. In Book 1 I took him has more of a lovable rogue type but with powerful enemies, he knows he has to learn how to play their game, and fast. He's so charming but also has a savage side that comes out in the most delicious of ways.
"You need to learn that you can't have everything you want. I'm going to teach you. This is just the beginning."
His eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"
"Absolutely." Han smiled. "Any time you start a fight, you'd better know who you're coming against." He stood. "Be seeing you."
These streets made him hardened and distrusting but he's not a total cynic (yet) and his caring side is still there to keep him in check. Han is truly a badass mfing king.
MICAH. He's more antagonistic but his hidden depths are done so well. I literally had to re-read chapter 33 because it was so good. The maneuvering! The finessing! That ending! Does he actually like Raisa? Or is this all for his own ends? You still don't know what his goals are as he's arrogant and self-serving. He's not above cold-blooded murder but you get the feeling he's not totally evil. He can definitely have a fun redemption arc but I'm excited to see where his character will go.
Then we have Amon- loyal, honorable but with a bit of a slightly tragic and angsty trajectory. So often authors make their "nice" characters boring but not here! I kind of hate when the nice guy is painted as wet cardboard but Amon is everything good about the bodyguard trope. He's witty, intelligent and capable and the angst of his character is done so well.
"I've learned much from him... I think he makes me a better person."
Amon rolled his eyes. "It sounds like he's your priest, not your lover."
But that's not all: Fiona, Dancer, Cat, Reid... all a good time.
Aside from the absolutely stacked cast of characters, the plot itself was really fun in this one. I love a good academy setting and in this installment our characters are learning either magic or the military at Odeon's Ford. I enjoy how there's a ton of tension and rivalries but the action is more like a chess match, not as much about life and death (although the risk is there.) The magic system is a lot of fun and there are so many factions at play.
The romantic subplots are a ton of fun as well. The writing is really well done and again, Cinda Williams Chima is the type of author that can take normally innocuous moments and make them meaningful because she's so skilled at crafting her characters. There's also a maturity and intelligence to the book that doesn't have it feeling so YA.
If you're a character-driven fantasy fan check this series out.
"I would advise you not to do anything rash," she said.
"Never worry," Han said. "If I take revenge, I'll do it with great forethought and deliberation."
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
slow-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