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Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Druid's Call by E.K. Johnston
13 reviews
andelion's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence, War, and Confinement
inkcharm's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Overall I wanted to like this book more than I did. The plot is fine, and Doric is a great character, but ultimately the book as a whole falls flat due to the writing style. We're meandering our way through so much telling instead of showing. Rarely will you feel transported into the story, setting r character's state of mind; instead you will be told things with the briefest of brushstrokes.
Worth a read only if you're interested in more of the character's backstory, decidedly not a great book on it's own - especially as the overall plot is merely setup for the movie and therefore remains largely unsolved and open in this novel.
Worth a read only if you're interested in more of the character's backstory, decidedly not a great book on it's own - especially as the overall plot is merely setup for the movie and therefore remains largely unsolved and open in this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Animal death
the_reading_wren's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Great story with a lot of interesting reflections on trauma and healing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Gore, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Grief, and Alcohol
whatdoiknowjr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
2.75
This is the story of Doric, from the Dungeons and Dragons movie, about her early life and how and why she trained to become a druid. It explores her relationship with her current community, as well as her fraught relationship with her family. It's a fun book with an ending that is a little rushed a just a wee bit unsatisfying, if only because the resolution still leaves room to segway into the story of the movie.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment
mythian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
fieldofhats's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
This was one of the best fantasy books I have read in a very long time. Great characters, interesting magic, beautiful themes, and genuine queer representation. For a book that’s a prequel to a mainstream movie, this went way above and beyond.
This book feels like the most fantastical elements of Dungeons & Dragons and I love it. It’s not often we get a druid-focused book, and this story explores druid culture and lifestyle absolutely wonderfully. It focuses on the elven and druid culture in one specific region, and it feels alive. The elven culture in the Neverwinter Wood is very stereotypical of fantasy elven cultures, but in a way that feels cozy. E.K. Johnston uses the conventional setting to ground us in this fantasy world so that we can focus on the characters. The Emerald Enclave isn’t anything special, either (in fact, it feels very similar to the Neverwinter Wood), but just like the elven settlement, the spotlight is on the characters and their relationships. All of the spells Doric and her colleagues learn are taken directly from the D&D druid spell list, and the various races and creatures we meet are unmistakably native to the Forgotten Realms.
The formula of this novel is amazing — an ominous (but far-off) threat is set up in the beginning, the main character goes on a journey to train and get better at what she’s good at, then she’s called back home to face the threat. It’s a basic three-act, magical training plot that’s done with ease and tact. The threat is an environmental one, which works perfectly for a druid-based story — and the parallels to the real world are poignant in an accessible and pressing manner. The power progression of Doric feels natural and earned. We actively see Doric and her colleagues train and fail and learn from those failures, just as they’re forced into action by unexpected forces. All the spells and abilities she learns how to cast and control feel earned and reasonable.
The theme development is simple, but good; it doesn’t do anything more than it needs to. Doric wants to belong, to feel wanted — not only does she find a way to do this, she realizes that the more important thing is to have friends that value and respect her, no matter what others think. She doesn’t want people to fear her — so she learns how to harness the power and nature and help it and the people who inhabit it. There is also a strong theme of found family. Doric was abandoned by her birth parents, but she finds family among the elves and the druids, particularly with Liavaris (her adoptive mother) and Torrieth (her best friend since childhood). One other theme that deserves a mention is that of nature vs. humans — almost none of the characters in this novel are human, except the villains. Taken literally, this story claims that humans are the antithesis to nature, and implies that they should strive to be more attune with it. It’s really nice to see a strong environmentalist theme explored in a YA fantasy like this.
The LGBTQ+ representation is subtle, surprising, and absolutely refreshing. Palanus, the head instructor for the druids in the Emerald Enclave, is non-binary. As a non-binary person who loves fantasy, it’s hard to describe how happy this makes me. There are probably other fantasy novels with non-binary characters, but this was the first one I have ever read. There are a few other characters who use they/them pronouns, but most of them are minor. Johnston addresses this in a perfect manner — when referring to a character in narration, she uses specific pronouns for them to indicate to the audience which set they use, and all the characters seemingly already know. This allows for casual, but vital, representation, for all gender identities. There is also a queer couple that is mentioned, and one of them, Ash, uses ze/zer pronouns (although ze play a minor role, I thought it worth mentioning nonetheless).
I cannot recommend this book enough. Even if you have no idea what D&D, you will enjoy this book. If you like fantasy at all in any capacity, definitely give this one a read.
Edit after watching the movie:
This book did a fantastic job developing Doric’s character and setting her up to be in the film. She doesn’t get a whole lot of development in the movie, but the development she does get feels fuller since I had background knowledge.
This book feels like the most fantastical elements of Dungeons & Dragons and I love it. It’s not often we get a druid-focused book, and this story explores druid culture and lifestyle absolutely wonderfully. It focuses on the elven and druid culture in one specific region, and it feels alive. The elven culture in the Neverwinter Wood is very stereotypical of fantasy elven cultures, but in a way that feels cozy. E.K. Johnston uses the conventional setting to ground us in this fantasy world so that we can focus on the characters. The Emerald Enclave isn’t anything special, either (in fact, it feels very similar to the Neverwinter Wood), but just like the elven settlement, the spotlight is on the characters and their relationships. All of the spells Doric and her colleagues learn are taken directly from the D&D druid spell list, and the various races and creatures we meet are unmistakably native to the Forgotten Realms.
The formula of this novel is amazing — an ominous (but far-off) threat is set up in the beginning, the main character goes on a journey to train and get better at what she’s good at, then she’s called back home to face the threat. It’s a basic three-act, magical training plot that’s done with ease and tact. The threat is an environmental one, which works perfectly for a druid-based story — and the parallels to the real world are poignant in an accessible and pressing manner. The power progression of Doric feels natural and earned. We actively see Doric and her colleagues train and fail and learn from those failures, just as they’re forced into action by unexpected forces. All the spells and abilities she learns how to cast and control feel earned and reasonable.
The theme development is simple, but good; it doesn’t do anything more than it needs to. Doric wants to belong, to feel wanted — not only does she find a way to do this, she realizes that the more important thing is to have friends that value and respect her, no matter what others think. She doesn’t want people to fear her — so she learns how to harness the power and nature and help it and the people who inhabit it. There is also a strong theme of found family. Doric was abandoned by her birth parents, but she finds family among the elves and the druids, particularly with Liavaris (her adoptive mother) and Torrieth (her best friend since childhood). One other theme that deserves a mention is that of nature vs. humans — almost none of the characters in this novel are human, except the villains. Taken literally, this story claims that humans are the antithesis to nature, and implies that they should strive to be more attune with it. It’s really nice to see a strong environmentalist theme explored in a YA fantasy like this.
The LGBTQ+ representation is subtle, surprising, and absolutely refreshing. Palanus, the head instructor for the druids in the Emerald Enclave, is non-binary. As a non-binary person who loves fantasy, it’s hard to describe how happy this makes me. There are probably other fantasy novels with non-binary characters, but this was the first one I have ever read. There are a few other characters who use they/them pronouns, but most of them are minor. Johnston addresses this in a perfect manner — when referring to a character in narration, she uses specific pronouns for them to indicate to the audience which set they use, and all the characters seemingly already know. This allows for casual, but vital, representation, for all gender identities. There is also a queer couple that is mentioned, and one of them, Ash, uses ze/zer pronouns (although ze play a minor role, I thought it worth mentioning nonetheless).
I cannot recommend this book enough. Even if you have no idea what D&D, you will enjoy this book. If you like fantasy at all in any capacity, definitely give this one a read.
Edit after watching the movie:
This book did a fantastic job developing Doric’s character and setting her up to be in the film. She doesn’t get a whole lot of development in the movie, but the development she does get feels fuller since I had background knowledge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
y3llow_umbr3lla's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Animal death and Injury/Injury detail
vixenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It’s a pleasant surprise to read a movie-tie in novel that actually has a good story, good writing, doesn’t rely entirely on the movie, and develops a character and their backstory so expertly. It’s not a masterpiece, but it is a fun, heartfelt read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Xenophobia, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing and War
Be warned that displacement, deforestation, animal attack, and neglect are explored within the book.hobbithopeful's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
How can a book about magic and elves be boring? Well this one was.
Honestly it's hard to find much to say about this book. It feels like so much happened yet nothing really happened. I'm still not sure what the plot was, or where the story was going other then backstory. I enjoyed the flashbacks to Doric's childhood the most, I really feel like those were well written. With so many other aspects of the story it feels like magic was just glossed over? So many details that could have been included about magic or the training just weren't. It's weird to say a book about magic and mystical creatures could feel boring but this one did. It seems like all of a sudden Doric knew how to do spells I would have love to have seen more time spent on descriptions and her learning them.
This is a hard book to review, I almost wished the author had spent more time with Doric learning how to fit in and healing from her trauma rather then said her out to learn how to be a Druid for a short time. There were so many characters and such introduced but none really seemed to have any effect on the story. We never get an explanation for why Doric can do different things that other Druids cannot, which was another let down. Simon being included was a nice touch, though I didn't read Doric as being ace coded at all. If anything she read to me as being traumatized and not being able to handle/understand affection well.
I mean it was a fine read, I loved the DnD movie, but this just kinda felt like a let down.
Honestly it's hard to find much to say about this book. It feels like so much happened yet nothing really happened. I'm still not sure what the plot was, or where the story was going other then backstory. I enjoyed the flashbacks to Doric's childhood the most, I really feel like those were well written. With so many other aspects of the story it feels like magic was just glossed over? So many details that could have been included about magic or the training just weren't. It's weird to say a book about magic and mystical creatures could feel boring but this one did. It seems like all of a sudden Doric knew how to do spells I would have love to have seen more time spent on descriptions and her learning them.
This is a hard book to review, I almost wished the author had spent more time with Doric learning how to fit in and healing from her trauma rather then said her out to learn how to be a Druid for a short time. There were so many characters and such introduced but none really seemed to have any effect on the story. We never get an explanation for why Doric can do different things that other Druids cannot, which was another let down. Simon being included was a nice touch, though I didn't read Doric as being ace coded at all. If anything she read to me as being traumatized and not being able to handle/understand affection well.
I mean it was a fine read, I loved the DnD movie, but this just kinda felt like a let down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Abandonment, Murder, and Child abuse
emohell's review against another edition
adventurous
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
2.0
this was cute! didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to, but it was nice to get some more insight into Doric’s character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Bullying, Death, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol