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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Brilliant world building! Can’t wait to dive into book 2!
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I still have zero interest in this plot or characters after 6 hours, so I'm DNFing it. Disappointing because I LOVED The Will of the Many by the same author.
adventurous
dark
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:
No
Boy did I enjoy this. It had been several years since I read fantasy and this book got me back into the genre. For Islington's first book he did a superb job crafting an engrossing world with very lovable characters. I love books where, once finished, you can speculate about certain plot points and how they will unfold going forward. The world that Islington created is fascinating and I can't wait to see what comes next, well actually I currently am as I'm reading book 2 now.
My only disappointment, and it's small, is that he under describes characters to the point that you have a hard time picturing how they might look in your mind.
Good read.
My only disappointment, and it's small, is that he under describes characters to the point that you have a hard time picturing how they might look in your mind.
Good read.
READ. THIS. BOOK.
I’ve never read a debut novel as good as this. From the start you are sucked into the world of augurs and gifted. Things are never as they seem, and Islington does an incredible job of keeping you on your toes. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and anyone who is a fan of Sanderson will love this book. Caeden’s story alone had me wanting so much more and I’m diving into the second book straight away.
I’ve never read a debut novel as good as this. From the start you are sucked into the world of augurs and gifted. Things are never as they seem, and Islington does an incredible job of keeping you on your toes. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and anyone who is a fan of Sanderson will love this book. Caeden’s story alone had me wanting so much more and I’m diving into the second book straight away.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A new fantasy universe where people who can use and manipulate energy (Essence) are known as Gifted, but they are ostracized because of the war many years ago in which some of them behaved badly, or at least not to the benefit of all. Some young Gifted people are awaiting their final exams at school when events pull them into the renewed conflict. Davian needs to know who he is and why he can’t use Essence like the others. Wire is keeping a major secret but feels great loyalty to his friends. Asha is unwillingly turned into a tool of the kingdom but hopes to protect her friends. On the way, they meet Caeden, who is a mysterious stranger who has no memories but seems to have the answers to many of their questions.
I liked the complex setting and the novel Essence magic. The novel set some conventional elements with respect to gender roles (and certain other things) while sort of describing more equitable societies. Like there were women in many professions and roles involving power, but the female characters still behave like late-20th century women in a lot of ways, and the men similarly.
I liked the complex setting and the novel Essence magic. The novel set some conventional elements with respect to gender roles (and certain other things) while sort of describing more equitable societies. Like there were women in many professions and roles involving power, but the female characters still behave like late-20th century women in a lot of ways, and the men similarly.
It’s been a great year for me so far for high fantasy world building series