Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
This book is 2 pounds. I weighed it! Surprisingly didn't take so long to get through nearly 600 pages. I kept waiting..because I pre-ordered this beautiful book. Everyone said, 'don't give up, it gets better!' But I shouldn't have to force myself to read to a point for it to 'get good.' Not saying I didn't enjoy it.
Positive:
+ Relationship displays of both sexes (Firsthusband, Secondwife)
+ The Wyrdwood and it's description, the mystery of what's in it
+ World-Building (Magic system of the cowl, the unique favouring of the gods)
+ Good for those who want a 'siege story.'
Negative:
- Unexplained fantastical terms
- Time jump
- Cahan's reluctance
- Sentence structure
- Confusing third gender
There's so much world-building! If someone was looking for a book about the woods, or a magic forest, this would fill that spot. How it opened, I was so intrigued. About how the world works,and the seasons, and all these strange priests and their competition to be the favored god. BUT then, there's a time jump, and I'm just waiting the whole time to figure out what happened between kid then and adult now. I thought Cahan would be harboring some major secret or plan, but... not really?
It's more about everyone finding an excuse for him to go into the creepy woods, when he really doesn't want to do anything. He wants to be left alone. This is 'reluctant hero,' to the extreme. Up until the end, where he even has to be TRICKED into doing something. It's kind of annoying, because he has the power the whole time to save everyone and make a difference, but just refuses to use it out of 'principal.' On one hand, I understand, but on the other, there's bad guys, and there's innocent people. Refusing is just selfish.
Naturally, the best part was getting to explore the legendary Wyrdwood. It's the scary layer to the woods that no one wants to go into. Everything there is powered by nature, and it's fun to discover more and more of the mystery. The main problem I had (besides Cahan's reluctance), was the language. By that, I mean that so many of the sentences didn't start as sentences. It would intentionally leave out nouns to be dramatic.
"Comes and goes like the tide. Has no idea what it means. Turns around like a whirling wind. The enemy sighs. All is lost."
That's okay once in a while, but it does this a LOT. Sometimes I have to go back and re-read just to make sure I've registered it right. And, I'm someone who LOVES world building. But there's so many made up terms thrown at you without explanations, I was struggling to remember what was what by the middle of it. Eventually I gave up and just took it at face value.
I do however, enjoy how non-chalant it was with how open the world is with their relationships. Everyone has wives, and husbands, sometimes numerous. "Secondwife, Firsthusband" etc. I think that's nice representation. However, there is also a "third gender," and it confuses the narrative entirely by having to address them as 'them/they.' It seems unnecessarily complicated, because it's hard to tell who anyone is referring to when they say 'they,' if it's them, if it's a group of someone else, etc.
Also, there's a map for a story that takes place in like three locations the whole time. I liked it! I just don't think I would re-read it..
Positive:
+ Relationship displays of both sexes (Firsthusband, Secondwife)
+ The Wyrdwood and it's description, the mystery of what's in it
+ World-Building (Magic system of the cowl, the unique favouring of the gods)
+ Good for those who want a 'siege story.'
Negative:
- Unexplained fantastical terms
- Time jump
- Cahan's reluctance
- Sentence structure
- Confusing third gender
There's so much world-building! If someone was looking for a book about the woods, or a magic forest, this would fill that spot. How it opened, I was so intrigued. About how the world works,and the seasons, and all these strange priests and their competition to be the favored god. BUT then, there's a time jump, and I'm just waiting the whole time to figure out what happened between kid then and adult now. I thought Cahan would be harboring some major secret or plan, but... not really?
It's more about everyone finding an excuse for him to go into the creepy woods, when he really doesn't want to do anything. He wants to be left alone. This is 'reluctant hero,' to the extreme. Up until the end, where he even has to be TRICKED into doing something. It's kind of annoying, because he has the power the whole time to save everyone and make a difference, but just refuses to use it out of 'principal.' On one hand, I understand, but on the other, there's bad guys, and there's innocent people. Refusing is just selfish.
Naturally, the best part was getting to explore the legendary Wyrdwood. It's the scary layer to the woods that no one wants to go into. Everything there is powered by nature, and it's fun to discover more and more of the mystery. The main problem I had (besides Cahan's reluctance), was the language. By that, I mean that so many of the sentences didn't start as sentences. It would intentionally leave out nouns to be dramatic.
"Comes and goes like the tide. Has no idea what it means. Turns around like a whirling wind. The enemy sighs. All is lost."
That's okay once in a while, but it does this a LOT. Sometimes I have to go back and re-read just to make sure I've registered it right. And, I'm someone who LOVES world building. But there's so many made up terms thrown at you without explanations, I was struggling to remember what was what by the middle of it. Eventually I gave up and just took it at face value.
I do however, enjoy how non-chalant it was with how open the world is with their relationships. Everyone has wives, and husbands, sometimes numerous. "Secondwife, Firsthusband" etc. I think that's nice representation. However, there is also a "third gender," and it confuses the narrative entirely by having to address them as 'them/they.' It seems unnecessarily complicated, because it's hard to tell who anyone is referring to when they say 'they,' if it's them, if it's a group of someone else, etc.
Also, there's a map for a story that takes place in like three locations the whole time. I liked it! I just don't think I would re-read it..
I got to about halfway through and gave up. It's on the slow side of the novel.
It uses they/them pronouns making it all confusing.
I'd rate this novel at 3.5 because it is well-written, plot thought out however it is far too slow, and of course the confusing pronouns.
It uses they/them pronouns making it all confusing.
I'd rate this novel at 3.5 because it is well-written, plot thought out however it is far too slow, and of course the confusing pronouns.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"You do not understand that you have been manoeuvered, forced and engineered to exactly this point. Of course you do not understand, because you are a child and you think as a child. You stare into eyes that beg you not to do what you are about to do. I beg you, not to do what you are about to do." ... "Do you remember now, Cahan, how I whispered into your ear? Begged you not to?" ... "You did not listen. You became the fire then. You are the fire, Cahan. You always were."
⭐⭐⭐/5
Upon finishing this book, I feel like I didn't understand as much of it as I thought I did.
I spent most of this book being a little bored. Not obscenely, just a little. Pair that with a lack of sleep (daylight saving's a bitch) and I was falling asleep every time I sat down to read this book. Maybe that means I wasn't reading as carefully as I should, because now I feel like I have no idea what just happened.
I still do not fully understand the Rais. Or the cowls, really. Or the boughry. I don't understand the cult that Cahan was raised in (although I am interested). I don't understand that epilogue. Maybe this is just me admitting that I totally failed this book. Maybe the next one will be easier for me. I really hope the next one will be easier for me.
I liked the cowls and their give-and-take possession system! It kind of sucked that the protagonists spent so long trying to avoid them, because they are very interesting. I liked some of the themes, although it did cause me to lose touch with some of the cast (fuck this town! they are the worst!). I like the weird political system we got going on. So, there are things to like.
Something about the plot progression felt kind of off to me. Even the scenes with a lot of action and discovery (excluding the last 100 pages) felt underwhelming to me, so I read a lot of this book wondering when the fun was going to pick up. This was probably partially cost by the fact that I didn't care much for the main characters. Nothing against them, they were just kind of okay.
That said, the ending gives me a lot of hope for the next one. If I lock in, I bet I can have a better time with it!
⭐⭐⭐/5
Upon finishing this book, I feel like I didn't understand as much of it as I thought I did.
I spent most of this book being a little bored. Not obscenely, just a little. Pair that with a lack of sleep (daylight saving's a bitch) and I was falling asleep every time I sat down to read this book. Maybe that means I wasn't reading as carefully as I should, because now I feel like I have no idea what just happened.
I still do not fully understand the Rais. Or the cowls, really. Or the boughry. I don't understand the cult that Cahan was raised in (although I am interested). I don't understand that epilogue. Maybe this is just me admitting that I totally failed this book. Maybe the next one will be easier for me. I really hope the next one will be easier for me.
I liked the cowls and their give-and-take possession system! It kind of sucked that the protagonists spent so long trying to avoid them, because they are very interesting. I liked some of the themes, although it did cause me to lose touch with some of the cast (fuck this town! they are the worst!). I like the weird political system we got going on. So, there are things to like.
Something about the plot progression felt kind of off to me. Even the scenes with a lot of action and discovery (excluding the last 100 pages) felt underwhelming to me, so I read a lot of this book wondering when the fun was going to pick up. This was probably partially cost by the fact that I didn't care much for the main characters. Nothing against them, they were just kind of okay.
That said, the ending gives me a lot of hope for the next one. If I lock in, I bet I can have a better time with it!
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
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
adventurous
dark
tense
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:
Complicated
Enjoyed the Tide Child series, and I think this is an even stronger start. Excited for book 2.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
