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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
(That's more like 3,5 stars, actually, but oh well.)
Up until around 20% of this book I absolutely hated it. It made me want to throw my Kindle through a window, it was just so boring — and the biggest crime was that it sounded so perfect! The world in Stormdancer is beautiful but instead of easing the reader into the reality the story takes places in, we are dump into a middle of it, with weird words and zero explanation. Zero explanation in the text itself, I mean, because sorry, but reading on an ebook I just can't be bothered to go look into the glossary five times a page.
But after a quarter or so, the story sucked me in, and all of a sudden I loved Yukiko and couldn't get myself to stop reading. The world-building is much smoother too, which helps tremendously.
Up until around 20% of this book I absolutely hated it. It made me want to throw my Kindle through a window, it was just so boring — and the biggest crime was that it sounded so perfect! The world in Stormdancer is beautiful but instead of easing the reader into the reality the story takes places in, we are dump into a middle of it, with weird words and zero explanation. Zero explanation in the text itself, I mean, because sorry, but reading on an ebook I just can't be bothered to go look into the glossary five times a page.
But after a quarter or so, the story sucked me in, and all of a sudden I loved Yukiko and couldn't get myself to stop reading. The world-building is much smoother too, which helps tremendously.
This book was SO good.
The world, the characters, the storyline....all big ticks from me!
The main character Yukiko is so great, I love how she developed and changed throughout the book.
Now remember to 'Close the fingers on your hand and raise it as a fist'
The world, the characters, the storyline....all big ticks from me!
The main character Yukiko is so great, I love how she developed and changed throughout the book.
Now remember to 'Close the fingers on your hand and raise it as a fist'
It was slow reading this. There was SO much imagery and description it took a long time to digest and get into the story. But after a while, once I started getting back into Stormdancer I'm glad I finished it.
L.O.V.E.D. This book! It was beautiful and enchanting, although a bit slow, it created an amazing atmosphere of the new world it created. Still some questions needing answering! Can't wait to read the next book!
L.O.V.E.D. This book! It was beautiful and enchanting, although a bit slow, it created an amazing atmosphere of the new world it created. Still some questions needing answering! Can't wait to read the next book!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Cultural appropriation
Original y con un desarrollo interesante de la historia. Recomendable.
I wavered for a long time on what to give this book. Because I want to give it three stars, this book should be something I like. But it took me so long to read and it felt like a chore. So, two stars.
Where to start.
First of all, I feel like very little happens in the three hundred pages of this book. The first chapter is full of action, as is the last chapter, but so much in between is long descriptions of things that don't really have bearing to what is going on in the moment. And sometimes that is fine, I read the Wheel of Time, I know all about page long descriptions of things. But I feel like if that's what your going to do, you have to make sure your plot and your characters can hold up the slack. And here? I don't think they did.
I don't like Yukiko. I found her to be childish, even for a sixteen year old, and sullen and bitter and judgmental and foolish. There was never a point where she did anything that made me think "okay, I guess she might grow on me". No. She was just awful the whole way through. The way she treats her father and her "friends" and jumps to suspect people actively helping her or sleeping with people that are ostensibly her enemy... I just didn't see anything redeeming about her.
Not to say there were no characters I liked. The back up dancers in this book are all very interesting. Buruu is a cinnamon roll and I would die for him. Michi is maybe the best character in the book. And Ashia and Kaori are mysterious and interesting and it is a shame we only see them for a handful of pages.
There are lots of interesting people here. Yukiko is just not one of them.
Also, her treatment of Kin is deplorable. Just saying.
At the end of the day, I feel like the actual plot of this book could be condensed down to maybe 150 pages. Everything else feels like excess. Unnecessary. There could have been so much more to this book if we hadn't spent so much time talking about the designs on everyone's kimono. Like, Aisha was introduced and I was super excited that we might be getting into political intrigue and learning to use brains and beauty to your advantage in a world dominated by men -
But no. It was mentioned, and then dropped, and then we never hear about it or really Aisha again.
The whole thing just feels like a huge missed opportunity. I own the second book, I don't know if I'll read it.
Where to start.
First of all, I feel like very little happens in the three hundred pages of this book. The first chapter is full of action, as is the last chapter, but so much in between is long descriptions of things that don't really have bearing to what is going on in the moment. And sometimes that is fine, I read the Wheel of Time, I know all about page long descriptions of things. But I feel like if that's what your going to do, you have to make sure your plot and your characters can hold up the slack. And here? I don't think they did.
I don't like Yukiko. I found her to be childish, even for a sixteen year old, and sullen and bitter and judgmental and foolish. There was never a point where she did anything that made me think "okay, I guess she might grow on me". No. She was just awful the whole way through. The way she treats her father and her "friends" and jumps to suspect people actively helping her or sleeping with people that are ostensibly her enemy... I just didn't see anything redeeming about her.
Not to say there were no characters I liked. The back up dancers in this book are all very interesting. Buruu is a cinnamon roll and I would die for him. Michi is maybe the best character in the book. And Ashia and Kaori are mysterious and interesting and it is a shame we only see them for a handful of pages.
There are lots of interesting people here. Yukiko is just not one of them.
Also, her treatment of Kin is deplorable. Just saying.
At the end of the day, I feel like the actual plot of this book could be condensed down to maybe 150 pages. Everything else feels like excess. Unnecessary. There could have been so much more to this book if we hadn't spent so much time talking about the designs on everyone's kimono. Like, Aisha was introduced and I was super excited that we might be getting into political intrigue and learning to use brains and beauty to your advantage in a world dominated by men -
But no. It was mentioned, and then dropped, and then we never hear about it or really Aisha again.
The whole thing just feels like a huge missed opportunity. I own the second book, I don't know if I'll read it.
I tried to read this book two times. The first one - I gave up on page one. The second one - I read only first chapter and also gave up. Third time lucky? It turns out that the old saying has worked in this case. ''Stormdancer'' is a book full of Japanese culture and slow-paced action, but the history told by Jay Kristoff is incredibly interesting. The first chapters were hard to understand because of so many foreign terms. I had to notoriously check the dictionary at the end of the novel. Then everything changed and I fell in love with Yukiko, Buruu (he's like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon) and their story full of lotus, war and difficult situation in the country.
I think that it is worth giving this book a chance, because after the slow and dull beggining there're so many things in this book that you'll fell in love with. Definitly one of my most likeable books I've read this year. Maybe not favorite, but this trilogy strives to become one in the future.
______
edit re-read 11.06.23:
okay after my re-read i love this book even more, that's it.
I think that it is worth giving this book a chance, because after the slow and dull beggining there're so many things in this book that you'll fell in love with. Definitly one of my most likeable books I've read this year. Maybe not favorite, but this trilogy strives to become one in the future.
______
edit re-read 11.06.23:
okay after my re-read i love this book even more, that's it.
Well I give this book a 3.5.
First, I think this book was about 40-60 pages too long.
I mean did we really need a minute to minute description of the market place? I think not. It just took away from the whole flow of the story.
I know one of the rule for authors is to show, not tell, but there is such a thing as taking it to far. I have clearly established the prototype of a bustling market in my head, so I dont need pages and pages to describe it, or I'll do what I did this time... skip it.
The author is clearly infatuated with japanese culture so if speak japanese or are an avid anime fan, words like gaijin, ryu, kitsune will make things a bit faster for you to read.
All in all, story has good ideas, nice writing (when there isn't too much) and good to read once.
First, I think this book was about 40-60 pages too long.
I mean did we really need a minute to minute description of the market place? I think not. It just took away from the whole flow of the story.
I know one of the rule for authors is to show, not tell, but there is such a thing as taking it to far. I have clearly established the prototype of a bustling market in my head, so I dont need pages and pages to describe it, or I'll do what I did this time... skip it.
The author is clearly infatuated with japanese culture so if speak japanese or are an avid anime fan, words like gaijin, ryu, kitsune will make things a bit faster for you to read.
All in all, story has good ideas, nice writing (when there isn't too much) and good to read once.