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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very interesting concept and world building. Definitely a “heist” style book, which aren’t usually my favorite. But that’s not why I’m rating it 3 stars.
I have less and less tolerance for books that fail to connect me emotionally to the protagonist. Was Sancia’s backstory tragic? Sure. Was I sympathetic? Yes. Did I feel like she grew and learned and changed? Hardly.
Protagonists should start with a point of view, a desire, and a foundational misbelief that’s holding her back from reaching that goal. Over the course of the book, she should encounter obstacles that make her reassess her understanding of the world, and prove that what she WANTS isn’t necessarily what she NEEDS; and that it’s her false belief that’s holding her back from getting what it is she really needs to feel whole.
Technically, some of those elements were present. Spoilers ahead: Sanchia’s WANT was to be “fixed” of being a scrived human. The author would have us believe that her MISBELIEF (whether or not she could articulate it) was that she thought of herself as a slave/a tool. Her NEED was to feel free, regardless of her status as a scrived human.
But the biggest problem is that I did not, for one second, believe that Sanchia thought of herself as a slave. She was relentlessly independent and driven to achieve her own desires. She ALWAYS knew her past slavery was immoral and unjust, and we see that in flashbacks to when she was a little girl. She never believe she deserved to be enslaved. Before this book even begins, she literally freed herself from being a slave when she burned that plantation down and killed all her slavers in the same fell swoop. Someone who thought of themselves as a slave could never do that.
So when Sancia finally “overcomes” her misbelief of this “slave” mentality—which is the key (ha) to defeating the bad guy at 97% of the book—her victory fell totally flat.
Feels like the author had a great plot concept, and an editor told him there needed to be a real character story there. So he went back and added in Sanchia’s growth arc. But that’s not how good stories are written. They come from the internal change and growth of the character (i.e., the story) in response to the external events that force them to confront the lies they believe about themselves or the world (i.e., the plot).
And don’t even get me started on the “romance.” NOT believing it!!
(PS- A great example of a “slave” arc is the Founder Ymir in Attack on Titan. THERE is someone who truly believed she didn’t deserve freedom.)
I have less and less tolerance for books that fail to connect me emotionally to the protagonist. Was Sancia’s backstory tragic? Sure. Was I sympathetic? Yes. Did I feel like she grew and learned and changed? Hardly.
Protagonists should start with a point of view, a desire, and a foundational misbelief that’s holding her back from reaching that goal. Over the course of the book, she should encounter obstacles that make her reassess her understanding of the world, and prove that what she WANTS isn’t necessarily what she NEEDS; and that it’s her false belief that’s holding her back from getting what it is she really needs to feel whole.
Technically, some of those elements were present. Spoilers ahead: Sanchia’s WANT was to be “fixed” of being a scrived human. The author would have us believe that her MISBELIEF (whether or not she could articulate it) was that she thought of herself as a slave/a tool. Her NEED was to feel free, regardless of her status as a scrived human.
But the biggest problem is that I did not, for one second, believe that Sanchia thought of herself as a slave. She was relentlessly independent and driven to achieve her own desires. She ALWAYS knew her past slavery was immoral and unjust, and we see that in flashbacks to when she was a little girl. She never believe she deserved to be enslaved. Before this book even begins, she literally freed herself from being a slave when she burned that plantation down and killed all her slavers in the same fell swoop. Someone who thought of themselves as a slave could never do that.
So when Sancia finally “overcomes” her misbelief of this “slave” mentality—which is the key (ha) to defeating the bad guy at 97% of the book—her victory fell totally flat.
Feels like the author had a great plot concept, and an editor told him there needed to be a real character story there. So he went back and added in Sanchia’s growth arc. But that’s not how good stories are written. They come from the internal change and growth of the character (i.e., the story) in response to the external events that force them to confront the lies they believe about themselves or the world (i.e., the plot).
And don’t even get me started on the “romance.” NOT believing it!!
(PS- A great example of a “slave” arc is the Founder Ymir in Attack on Titan. THERE is someone who truly believed she didn’t deserve freedom.)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had high hopes for this book, but I found it to be extremely repetitive. I was skipping paragraph after paragraph of the same information written 4 different ways. I couldn't push myself to finish it after getting 1/2 way through. Definitely not a page turner for me.
The book was not a page turner. I had to skip paragraphs because I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over. It seemed like the writer was just trying to fill pages. Overall, I couldn't finish the book.
The book was not a page turner. I had to skip paragraphs because I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over. It seemed like the writer was just trying to fill pages. Overall, I couldn't finish the book.
A very good introduction to a new world of magic and thrilling events. There's not a single chapter which was boring!
The characters are a mix between lovely and human and hateful, which adds colour and flavour to the plot and liveness of it.
In some places I found that the author had a very direct approach to explain the lore of the book, but overall, it was a well executed action oriented book.
I am looking forward to read the next book, and I would really recommend this book to people who want to spend some time reading some cool concepts of worldbuilding without too many things said, and a plethora of characters who really look alive and more than we are used to cathegorize people.
The characters are a mix between lovely and human and hateful, which adds colour and flavour to the plot and liveness of it.
In some places I found that the author had a very direct approach to explain the lore of the book, but overall, it was a well executed action oriented book.
I am looking forward to read the next book, and I would really recommend this book to people who want to spend some time reading some cool concepts of worldbuilding without too many things said, and a plethora of characters who really look alive and more than we are used to cathegorize people.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
- Not reviewing in full because I finished reading this.... over a year ago? Pretty sure it was in August, when I started reading, but I set the finished date here to end of the year so it stays in that 2021 realm but I don't remember the details. And just forgot to update on goodreads, ever, for some reason. I recall enjoying it, and have a mild desire to read the sequels, but am not actively prioritizing that.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No