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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
It didn't take me long at all to dive in this fantasy story. Like with Night's Reign, there's something unique about the way in which this tale is told, among other things thanks to the remarkable attention given to each character. The cast is very diverse and important themes are addressed, like (mental) health, disability, and neurodiversity. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, and meeting some of the characters of Night's Reign again. I especially liked Garth. He's such a nice character!
Although this book is very much character-focused, the worldbuilding is amazing too. The different worlds in this universe (the All) each have a unique identity and are very rich in details, without being overwhelming. I often struggle with Fantasy books that do "info dumping" in order to create the world, so I highly appreciated the fact that this does not happen in this novel. The worlds are woven gradually throughout the story, without taking away from the zoom on the character development, so that the reader has an elaborate tapestry at the end of the tale in which the characters fully belong.
I also really liked the way Alysia's quest brought her and her friends from one world to another. Everywhere, there were things for the characters to learn, new aspects from the worldbuilding to get to know for the reader, and new stages to zoom in on important topics for the author. Some aspects of the story were definitely dark (check out the trigger warnings below!) but there was also a lot of humour, hope and wonder.
There were a couple of plot twists that I didn't see coming. One of which shocked me quite a bit…Twice.
Last but not least, the art in this novel is also very beautiful. The cover, the illustrations between the chapters, loved them!
Took me a bit to hit my stride, but I enjoyed the story and the world created.