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disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
3.0
A solid good time of a YA book, so close to 4 stars! There were just a few too many times I found myself saying "... wait, what? why... how? nope. *re-suspends belief* "
Because the story was enjoyable it was easy to jump back in each time, but those moments did take away from the experience a bit.
Pick this series up if you're looking for an easy, fun, YA fantasy read. I do recommend it if you are.
Because the story was enjoyable it was easy to jump back in each time, but those moments did take away from the experience a bit.
Pick this series up if you're looking for an easy, fun, YA fantasy read. I do recommend it if you are.
lordnikon's review against another edition
3.0
I have a few overall issues with the book, some bigger than others…but I’d say overall I enjoyed it.
I disliked large swathes of the dialogue, which often felt YA to me…when the book is clearly not meant to be that. Speaking of YA, the tone of the first half of the book, which was essentially the school/learning portion seems to try to ape other book series with magical schools in them…but kind of falls short in a number of ways. For example, Bree basically has plot amour with regards to the school rules. She effs up, gets sent to the barracks…stops not the way and breaks more school rules while doing something too advanced for her. Nothing happens to her. In fact she’s legit busted at least twice more (before the death of a certain character) and STILL the reprimands are minimal. It basically allowed me as the reader to assume that Bree was not only 100% safe….but that she could do what she liked. I know her rebellious spirit is a part of her character…but that must carry more weight and consequences if that’s the case.
My biggest gripe is the pace over story. It’s like Dalglish is in a rush to get to certain plot points, so he rushes around the narrative too fast. As a result, something like the “love story” (yes, in inverted commas) between Bree and Dean may not feel forced…but DAMN it was rushed as hell. That after a few days or weeks or whatever Bree and Dean would tell each other they “love” the other person…is far from believable. This is compounded when Dean is killed in the duel (a duel that is NEVER brought up beforehand; waved off as Dean not wanting to worry Bree…which I found suspect) and you are meant to feel the emotional heft of that loss keenly from Bree…but you don’t. Because you’ve only had…maybe 50-60 pages with him and her and two “dates”…I felt squat. This event drives Bree for a while, and that drive felt lacklustre as a result.
Kael’s relationship with Clara feels FAR more organic as it’s allowed to play out over the course of the entire book. As a result, I liked that dynamic better.
It felt like the second half of the book is a whole different volume from the first half. We get Harry Potter School Life for 50% and then Harry Potter and the Knock Down Battle Full of Death in the second. I mean…I got whiplash from that switch. Which again, didn’t feel earned. I need more time to understand the world building and relationship between Weshern and the other islands. Any conflict with Galen is spurious on the face of not having been in on that when it comes to the fore. That felt forced. The conflict (or eventual conflict) with Centre is more organic.
From the moment a disciple of Johan first speaks with Kael early on….you KNOW Centre is bad. You KNOW that the whole “god keeps these islands afloat” is hogwash. You KNOW that they are hiding something from everyone. That was a little overly telegraphed. I KIND of wish that it wasn’t. It would have been nice to see Centre as benevolent for the whole book, and only reveal the Disciples of Johan, and the evil bits about Center and the nature of the islands LATE in the book. Would have made for a sweet revelation. Instead I’m left knowing who the Big Bad is from about page 20. Which is sad.
Also, nitpick time. Weshern is a mere "30 miles end to end” according to the narrative…but it takes a full day to cross it by foot (that’s ABOUT 8 hours…so not exactly a “day") and a half-hour by wings (Are you FLYING MEGA slowly?). I’d love for David Dalglish to understand the concepts of time and space and geography a little more, because that stood out to me.
Overall I enjoyed the book. Great concepts. Interesting plot points. Characters I largely like…though no one but Kael and Bree get much personality. I mean the two school thug brothers…are essentially cardboard cutout bully villains. Even the teachers, like Kime and Dohn are mostly just caricatures…
So yeah, I’ll read the next one at some point…but I hope he fixes some of the issues from this one.
I disliked large swathes of the dialogue, which often felt YA to me…when the book is clearly not meant to be that. Speaking of YA, the tone of the first half of the book, which was essentially the school/learning portion seems to try to ape other book series with magical schools in them…but kind of falls short in a number of ways. For example, Bree basically has plot amour with regards to the school rules. She effs up, gets sent to the barracks…stops not the way and breaks more school rules while doing something too advanced for her. Nothing happens to her. In fact she’s legit busted at least twice more (before the death of a certain character) and STILL the reprimands are minimal. It basically allowed me as the reader to assume that Bree was not only 100% safe….but that she could do what she liked. I know her rebellious spirit is a part of her character…but that must carry more weight and consequences if that’s the case.
My biggest gripe is the pace over story. It’s like Dalglish is in a rush to get to certain plot points, so he rushes around the narrative too fast. As a result, something like the “love story” (yes, in inverted commas) between Bree and Dean may not feel forced…but DAMN it was rushed as hell. That after a few days or weeks or whatever Bree and Dean would tell each other they “love” the other person…is far from believable. This is compounded when Dean is killed in the duel (a duel that is NEVER brought up beforehand; waved off as Dean not wanting to worry Bree…which I found suspect) and you are meant to feel the emotional heft of that loss keenly from Bree…but you don’t. Because you’ve only had…maybe 50-60 pages with him and her and two “dates”…I felt squat. This event drives Bree for a while, and that drive felt lacklustre as a result.
Kael’s relationship with Clara feels FAR more organic as it’s allowed to play out over the course of the entire book. As a result, I liked that dynamic better.
It felt like the second half of the book is a whole different volume from the first half. We get Harry Potter School Life for 50% and then Harry Potter and the Knock Down Battle Full of Death in the second. I mean…I got whiplash from that switch. Which again, didn’t feel earned. I need more time to understand the world building and relationship between Weshern and the other islands. Any conflict with Galen is spurious on the face of not having been in on that when it comes to the fore. That felt forced. The conflict (or eventual conflict) with Centre is more organic.
From the moment a disciple of Johan first speaks with Kael early on….you KNOW Centre is bad. You KNOW that the whole “god keeps these islands afloat” is hogwash. You KNOW that they are hiding something from everyone. That was a little overly telegraphed. I KIND of wish that it wasn’t. It would have been nice to see Centre as benevolent for the whole book, and only reveal the Disciples of Johan, and the evil bits about Center and the nature of the islands LATE in the book. Would have made for a sweet revelation. Instead I’m left knowing who the Big Bad is from about page 20. Which is sad.
Also, nitpick time. Weshern is a mere "30 miles end to end” according to the narrative…but it takes a full day to cross it by foot (that’s ABOUT 8 hours…so not exactly a “day") and a half-hour by wings (Are you FLYING MEGA slowly?). I’d love for David Dalglish to understand the concepts of time and space and geography a little more, because that stood out to me.
Overall I enjoyed the book. Great concepts. Interesting plot points. Characters I largely like…though no one but Kael and Bree get much personality. I mean the two school thug brothers…are essentially cardboard cutout bully villains. Even the teachers, like Kime and Dohn are mostly just caricatures…
So yeah, I’ll read the next one at some point…but I hope he fixes some of the issues from this one.
chrstn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tmikerx's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It is one of those rare books that I just couldn't put down. I initially thought I wouldn't enjoy it because of the magic system (which is shallow of me, I know, but I like it when the magic is inherent in a person, not derived from an outside source), but my fears were quickly diffused. The world building is fantastic, and the characters are wonderfully developed. The battle scenes are stunningly vivid and engrossing, and chills went down my spine when a certain someone figured out how to use her power. Highly recommended!
powder_and_page's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up on a whim at the bookstore recently mostly because I liked the cover. I know, that seems very shallow of me, but the cover is really awesome! I’ve also got a fondness for winged people/creatures and though this wasn’t quite what I was expecting it still satisfied me. Humans now live on floating islands that lie high above an endless ocean and are bathed in the light of sky fires at night. It sounds beautiful, though harsh and the humans have adapted to this new world by using mechanical wings powered by crystals. Note that only the warriors and fishermen use these wings- the crystals are a pricey commodity controlled by the Center island.
I like the story and characters well enough, though the story itself lacked something to really draw me in. I can’t say what exactly because it contained everything that I usually love in stories- a unique society, magic-type powers, a love interest, and intrigue. I just wasn’t CRAZY about it. I will say that if it sound like it’s your kind of story, then go for it! It was quite good, but didn’t leave a lasting emotional impact on me. I may eventually read the second novel, Fireborn, just to see what happens.
I like the story and characters well enough, though the story itself lacked something to really draw me in. I can’t say what exactly because it contained everything that I usually love in stories- a unique society, magic-type powers, a love interest, and intrigue. I just wasn’t CRAZY about it. I will say that if it sound like it’s your kind of story, then go for it! It was quite good, but didn’t leave a lasting emotional impact on me. I may eventually read the second novel, Fireborn, just to see what happens.
fbone's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up because the blurb sounded interesting and overall this was a good read. It took about 175 pages before things became interesting and I was worried the entire book was an "intro" into the trilogy but it wasn't so. The main characters were fleshed out enough that they acted like teenagers. The action detailed and exciting. Be prepared for a lot of death and sorrow. However, the books ends on a cliffhanger of sorts so I'll read the follow-up sometime down the road.
buuboobaby's review against another edition
DNF at 48% - I just wasn't enjoying this. I didn't find the teen drama, politics, and jealousies interesting enough to continue.
rgreatreader's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. Reads like a YA book for the first third - pair of orphan twins with a greater destiny taken from their family to a military school (with wings!) who soon pair off with classmates.
After that, it takes a slightly darker, more serious turn and becomes a little less predictable, with a nice ending. Clearly builds up to a series, but pretty nice world-building.
Reminded me, setting-wise, a lot of [b:Updraft|18464362|Updraft (Bone Universe, #1)|Fran Wilde|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442426865s/18464362.jpg|26121406], by Fran Wilde, which I also read recently.
After that, it takes a slightly darker, more serious turn and becomes a little less predictable, with a nice ending. Clearly builds up to a series, but pretty nice world-building.
Reminded me, setting-wise, a lot of [b:Updraft|18464362|Updraft (Bone Universe, #1)|Fran Wilde|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442426865s/18464362.jpg|26121406], by Fran Wilde, which I also read recently.