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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence
Minor: Sexual content
This is a good book, but it still doesn't come close to how good Poison Study was. That is the problem with continuing reading this author's work: I am constantly hoping for the next Poison Study, but end up disappointed.
There is another strong female narrating, this time not even half as irritating as Opal was. There is a host of supporting characters that don't always have a lot of depth to them, and a very irritating love interest in the form of
Belen reminded me of Ari and Janco, which I'm sure was the intention. I found him to be a much more pleasant character than any of the other supporting ones.
The love story didn't ring true at all. It seems to be one of the classic pig-tail-pulling love stories - I hit you and tease you and annoy you and you will see I love you at the end. This works better if there is more chemistry between the two, and somehow this just didn't translate while I was reading. I don't know if others who have read this have thought the same thing.
The plot itself was fairly well done, and something is always happening. The one thing you can rely on in Maria V Snyder's books is that there is action on nearly every page.
The world building again was relatively good, but I found myself confused by the influx of names. I didn't remember any of the fifteen realms in this world, except for Kazan and Alga, those being where Avry and Kerrick were from (if I remember correctly). I found some of the names quite ridiculous as well, particularly those that resembled alternative words for certain body parts (Belen and Peni for example). There were instances of contradictions. The world appears to be a medieval type of world, but the use of syringes and words such as "President" contradicts that (though in a fantasy novel this doesn't really matter as much because our medieval settings will not be theirs).
Overall this was a good story, and I'm tempted to read the follow-ups when they are published, just to see what happens.
There is another strong female narrating, this time not even half as irritating as Opal was. There is a host of supporting characters that don't always have a lot of depth to them, and a very irritating love interest in the form of
Spoiler
Kerrick. Kerrick is violent. Kerrick is abusive towards women. He is cold, heartless, and shows little affection. Somehow this translates into love for Avry and Kerrick. This disgusted me, to be quite honest. If a man ever hit me, you could be sure I would definitely not be falling in love with him afterwards. Not only does he hit Avry, but he chains her up, leaves her outside in the cold and generally tries to force her into healing someone. The only point in his favour is that he doesn't realise why Avry is refusing, as she does not tell him the consequences of healing someone with the plague.Belen reminded me of Ari and Janco, which I'm sure was the intention. I found him to be a much more pleasant character than any of the other supporting ones.
Spoiler
Tohon had no depth, and little reasoning behind his evil intentions. Ryne got a little redemption later on, as we learned he was actually a nice guy after all.The love story didn't ring true at all.
Spoiler
I thought Avry had more chemistry with Tohon than she did with Kerrick. She spent most of the book cursing Kerrick and hating him, though I did see the signs of self-denial later on.The plot itself was fairly well done, and something is always happening. The one thing you can rely on in Maria V Snyder's books is that there is action on nearly every page.
The world building again was relatively good, but I found myself confused by the influx of names. I didn't remember any of the fifteen realms in this world, except for Kazan and Alga, those being where Avry and Kerrick were from (if I remember correctly). I found some of the names quite ridiculous as well, particularly those that resembled alternative words for certain body parts (Belen and Peni for example). There were instances of contradictions. The world appears to be a medieval type of world, but the use of syringes and words such as "President" contradicts that (though in a fantasy novel this doesn't really matter as much because our medieval settings will not be theirs).
Overall this was a good story, and I'm tempted to read the follow-ups when they are published, just to see what happens.
As I read the book, I couldn't help but compare the plague in the 15 Realms to the pandemic currently gripping our world. Wouldn't it be nice if we were to stumble upon a vaccination by pure chance?
This was a long read. The journey of the characters took years. It was like reading a romance novel but with mild fantasy twist to it. The premise could have been so much better, with more world building, character development and unpredictable plots. Heck, when you have Peace and Death Lillies who can feel and move, why not make the story in-depth. I almost gave up around page 300 but then I had less than a 100 to go so I pulled through. I don't regret it.
I enjoyed Avry's character because I felt Avry is me. She is that person who can keep on giving and ask for very little in the end. But that's about the only facet we see of Avry. She is so invested in healing that she is stubborn about it. Her character was the most developed and still needed some work.
My opinion is that this is a comfort read. 3.5 Stars.
This was a long read. The journey of the characters took years. It was like reading a romance novel but with mild fantasy twist to it. The premise could have been so much better, with more world building, character development and unpredictable plots. Heck, when you have Peace and Death Lillies who can feel and move, why not make the story in-depth. I almost gave up around page 300 but then I had less than a 100 to go so I pulled through. I don't regret it.
I enjoyed Avry's character because I felt Avry is me. She is that person who can keep on giving and ask for very little in the end. But that's about the only facet we see of Avry. She is so invested in healing that she is stubborn about it. Her character was the most developed and still needed some work.
My opinion is that this is a comfort read. 3.5 Stars.
Actual Rating: 4.5
I have to say, I didn't have high hopes for Touch of Magic when I first read the synopsis and began reading it, despite the 4.2 star rating and the beautiful cover.
But then... well... I did read this in one sitting so I'm sure that tells you a lot.
I really, really liked this book, actually. It has a gradual, realistic budding romantic relationship, quite unlike the last book I finished, which I was relieved about. In addition, romance doesn't take up much of the book at all, and I feel like the author prioritized her novel, unlike many other YA Fictions.
The characters were beautifully developed. The scary, but caring Belen, the cold hearted Kerrick, the mentally disturbed and terrifying Tohon. And nothing thrills me more than an author who uses such original and creative names. I mean, think about it, how many Belen's and Kerrick's and Tohon's do you know... Combined? Exact spelling and pronunciation? For the record, I know exactly zero for all three.
Now, there was a half point taken off, mainly because of small confusing details that made me reread several times. Not to mention, I imagine this as a medieval world but... Presidents? Syringes?
But really, the book was really, really good. I'm off to read the sequel :3
I have to say, I didn't have high hopes for Touch of Magic when I first read the synopsis and began reading it, despite the 4.2 star rating and the beautiful cover.
But then... well... I did read this in one sitting so I'm sure that tells you a lot.
I really, really liked this book, actually. It has a gradual, realistic budding romantic relationship, quite unlike the last book I finished, which I was relieved about. In addition, romance doesn't take up much of the book at all, and I feel like the author prioritized her novel, unlike many other YA Fictions.
The characters were beautifully developed. The scary, but caring Belen, the cold hearted Kerrick, the mentally disturbed and terrifying Tohon. And nothing thrills me more than an author who uses such original and creative names. I mean, think about it, how many Belen's and Kerrick's and Tohon's do you know... Combined? Exact spelling and pronunciation? For the record, I know exactly zero for all three.
Now, there was a half point taken off, mainly because of small confusing details that made me reread several times. Not to mention, I imagine this as a medieval world but... Presidents? Syringes?
But really, the book was really, really good. I'm off to read the sequel :3
Re-read
Wow! That was so full of awesome sauce. A huge 5 stars!!!!!
Wow! That was so full of awesome sauce. A huge 5 stars!!!!!
It was an interesting and unique story, but I feel like the world-building wasn't as strong in this one as the Study series or Glass series. Again I've noticed that Snyder has issues of parallelism. It's pretty jarring as a reader to be reading paragraph after paragraph in past tense and then suddenly have a sentence in present. The story was told in past tense, so putting in a present tense just didn't make sense and it pulled me out of the story every time I saw it. There was a bit of predictability, but it was made up for by the fact that my guess was slightly off.
One of Snyder's strong points, however, is creating villains who are just so despicable. Ugh. The false charm and politeness of this novel's villain creeped me out so much, especially with what his magic could do. 3.5 stars.
One of Snyder's strong points, however, is creating villains who are just so despicable. Ugh. The false charm and politeness of this novel's villain creeped me out so much, especially with what his magic could do. 3.5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
The male and female lead were too immature. Also, the male lead hit her (in the face hard enough to send her flying) early on and there's no coming back from that.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated