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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Loved the characters and the plot twist was amazing!!! Finished it in 2 days and immediately onto the next one :)
adventurous
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Initially I had rated it 4 stars, but after much thinking I realised it was more of a 3 star to me. A solid 3 star. No one is more surprised than me to rate this book any less than 4 stars. But I have mixed feelings. I absolutely loved the first half and I had anticipated it to end up as a 5 star read for me. But after halfway mark, it just didn't go as I had expected. I cannot pinpoint exactly what it was that didn't work for me, just that I lost interest and the plot didn't work for me.
I will start with the positives which is, no prize for guessing- Prince Corrick. He is certainly a new book bf for me❤. Everytime I read from his perspective my heart ached. His pain was so raw and real and he had such complexity to his character. All I wanted to do is hug him and shield from the world. He had such unwavering loyalty to his brother, that he would go to any extent to protect him. I guess Kemmerer has a knack of writing such characters. He is quiet similar to Rhen in personality, which I don't mind since I am a Rhen worshipper( but we all know what Kemmerer did with Rhen, so yes I am terrified for Corrick too
I will start with the positives which is, no prize for guessing- Prince Corrick. He is certainly a new book bf for me❤. Everytime I read from his perspective my heart ached. His pain was so raw and real and he had such complexity to his character. All I wanted to do is hug him and shield from the world. He had such unwavering loyalty to his brother, that he would go to any extent to protect him. I guess Kemmerer has a knack of writing such characters. He is quiet similar to Rhen in personality, which I don't mind since I am a Rhen worshipper( but we all know what Kemmerer did with Rhen, so yes I am terrified for Corrick too
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book came recommended as a truly good YA fantasy and it managed to live up to those expectations. I was so happy I finally found a book with a small intimate cast, great worldbuilding and dynamic character relationships, and while there are some flaws holding it back it's certainly one of the best modern YA I've read in a long time.
STORY: A mysterious illness is spreading through the land of Kandala, and the only known medicine for it is in very short supply and high demand. The King and his brother appear to be cruelly and unecessarily rationing this, and this is causing high tensions between them and the people. This is the backdrop for our lead Tessa, a healer who is also stealing ingredients for the cure from the hoarding nobles to help those who can't afford it. She's accompanied by her partner in crime Wes, though they don't really know too much about each other.
The story is high stakes with heaps of political tension, drama and a memorable cast that flesh out the world and dire straits. It's a very nuanced exploration of what happens in times of rationing and this was definitely one of the strongest elements of the book. It's better written than a lot of adult fantasy that try this!
My only downside is that the ending felt incredibly rushed and somewhat unearned, which is what brought the review score down for me.
CHARACTERS: The book follows two points of view, Tessa, the healer, and Corrick, the King's brother. Both characters have distinctive voices and while I enjoyed both, Corrick was definitely a lot more interesting. Tessa also seemed to grow more passive towards the end in comparison and while I'm glad she kept to her character as healer and didn't suddenly become a sword wielding badass she didn't seem to have much agency towards the end. She also doesn't develop as much since she's pretty much 'good' but I will be interested to see where the sequels take her.
The side characters are well written and fleshed out enough and I had a clear sense of who was who, and I really really liked we didn't have a cast of thousands and got to know each of them properly. The society is a bit overly patriarchal though and it would have been interesting to see more women in positions of power.
SETTING/ VOICE: Kandala is well thought out and I could picture it and its districts well, and even though the entire story takes place in a small area it was engrossing and engaging throughout. The character voices are also distinct and their personalities come across well.
PRESENTATION: The cover is stunning and the formatting clear.
OVERALL: This was an amazing book full of intrigue, tension and decent characters, and while the ending didn't quick stick the landing completely I will be eager to jump into book 2!
STORY: A mysterious illness is spreading through the land of Kandala, and the only known medicine for it is in very short supply and high demand. The King and his brother appear to be cruelly and unecessarily rationing this, and this is causing high tensions between them and the people. This is the backdrop for our lead Tessa, a healer who is also stealing ingredients for the cure from the hoarding nobles to help those who can't afford it. She's accompanied by her partner in crime Wes, though they don't really know too much about each other.
The story is high stakes with heaps of political tension, drama and a memorable cast that flesh out the world and dire straits. It's a very nuanced exploration of what happens in times of rationing and this was definitely one of the strongest elements of the book. It's better written than a lot of adult fantasy that try this!
My only downside is that the ending felt incredibly rushed and somewhat unearned, which is what brought the review score down for me.
CHARACTERS: The book follows two points of view, Tessa, the healer, and Corrick, the King's brother. Both characters have distinctive voices and while I enjoyed both, Corrick was definitely a lot more interesting. Tessa also seemed to grow more passive towards the end in comparison and while I'm glad she kept to her character as healer and didn't suddenly become a sword wielding badass she didn't seem to have much agency towards the end. She also doesn't develop as much since she's pretty much 'good' but I will be interested to see where the sequels take her.
The side characters are well written and fleshed out enough and I had a clear sense of who was who, and I really really liked we didn't have a cast of thousands and got to know each of them properly. The society is a bit overly patriarchal though and it would have been interesting to see more women in positions of power.
SETTING/ VOICE: Kandala is well thought out and I could picture it and its districts well, and even though the entire story takes place in a small area it was engrossing and engaging throughout. The character voices are also distinct and their personalities come across well.
PRESENTATION: The cover is stunning and the formatting clear.
OVERALL: This was an amazing book full of intrigue, tension and decent characters, and while the ending didn't quick stick the landing completely I will be eager to jump into book 2!