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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Ummmm what? That ending!!!
At times, this book did feel a little rushed. But overall, so enjoyable. Enebish made for a great main character, and watching her growth throughout was really rewarding. There aren’t really any slow points, but it gets WILD in the last 20%. It’s a relatively quick read and it’s a very engaging story
At times, this book did feel a little rushed. But overall, so enjoyable. Enebish made for a great main character, and watching her growth throughout was really rewarding. There aren’t really any slow points, but it gets WILD in the last 20%. It’s a relatively quick read and it’s a very engaging story
I liked Night Spinner, but not as much as I thought I would. It's a cool idea, though.
I think part of the problem is that in the week between finishing the book and writing this review, I've forgotten a lot. I haven't been reading much lately, so I honestly thought that I'd have no problem remembering one of the few books I've read. But that was not the case with this book. I remember some things, but not every little detail.
I wanted to know more about her world. I can't remember a lot about it, but the magic system was really interesting. Of course, Enebish has a rare magic, and when things go wrong one day, she's sent off to a monastery. As it turns out, what really happened that day isn't really what happened.
Everyone has a different magic, and it seems like they come into their magic around puberty. Well, mostly. There is a character who gets magic way late. I kind of wish we got more of that, because I thought that was pretty interesting.
The world was something that didn't stand out, and I wish it did, because my mind is coming to a complete blank as far as how people are trained and what the world is like.
Her relationship with Ghoa was interesting, though I felt like we didn't see enough of it. Her relationship with Ghoa's cousin was interesting as well. I wish I could remember his name- I think it starts with an S, but that's about it. And Temujin...we see more of him with Enebish than any other character, and I was certain they would end up together. I feel like there may be a love triangle in Enebish's future. I don't think things with Temujin are over...
Honestly, I'm not sure what else to say about Night Spinner, so I'll end with my rating.
My Rating: 3 stars. I liked Night Spinner, but I wish I remembered more of it. Still, I do want to know what happens next.
I think part of the problem is that in the week between finishing the book and writing this review, I've forgotten a lot. I haven't been reading much lately, so I honestly thought that I'd have no problem remembering one of the few books I've read. But that was not the case with this book. I remember some things, but not every little detail.
I wanted to know more about her world. I can't remember a lot about it, but the magic system was really interesting. Of course, Enebish has a rare magic, and when things go wrong one day, she's sent off to a monastery. As it turns out, what really happened that day isn't really what happened.
Everyone has a different magic, and it seems like they come into their magic around puberty. Well, mostly. There is a character who gets magic way late. I kind of wish we got more of that, because I thought that was pretty interesting.
The world was something that didn't stand out, and I wish it did, because my mind is coming to a complete blank as far as how people are trained and what the world is like.
Her relationship with Ghoa was interesting, though I felt like we didn't see enough of it. Her relationship with Ghoa's cousin was interesting as well. I wish I could remember his name- I think it starts with an S, but that's about it. And Temujin...we see more of him with Enebish than any other character, and I was certain they would end up together. I feel like there may be a love triangle in Enebish's future. I don't think things with Temujin are over...
Honestly, I'm not sure what else to say about Night Spinner, so I'll end with my rating.
My Rating: 3 stars. I liked Night Spinner, but I wish I remembered more of it. Still, I do want to know what happens next.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title ⤵️
Night Spinner
Author ⤵️
Addie Thorley
Rating ⤵️
Night Spinner
Author ⤵️
Addie Thorley
Rating ⤵️
adventurous
emotional
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
I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
The Night Spinner by Addie Thorley is set in a world where at the age of 11, some people manifest special powers. In this case, our protagonist Enebish develops a rare gift, the power to control darkness, and with such a powerful gift, many want to manipulate her and use her powers for their own cause. But who can Enebish really trust?
I came into this story thinking “surely it will be an anti-heroine epic” after reading the description. Though it didn’t really turn out to be one, I was not disappointed in the least.
Enebish, as much as I love her good heart, thought she was a bit too gullible. But that’s just her character and so even though I was annoyed by her, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her. She was so eager to do something good after being branded a monster, she forgot that there might be other monsters in the world.
Before I knew it I had read half the book, and all at once I felt that nothing yet so many things had happened. Pacing was interestingly done. This book had a great way of slowly building plots so that by the end you were completely satisfied by everything that had happened.
Speaking of the ending, it felt like the ending of Alita: Battle Angel (movie). As in, you didn’t realize there was a higher purpose to the storyline until those last few minutes, when all of a sudden, everything that has happened has finally ramped up into this upcoming task. And then the book ends, and I am sooo ready for that sequel. Because although I did like this book, that next book is already my favourite because I KNOW some crazy stuff is about to go down.
Also props to Thorley for writing a plot twist that I actually didn’t see coming from miles away, and for writing one that I did. Gotta keep me on my toes.
3.5/5
The Night Spinner by Addie Thorley is set in a world where at the age of 11, some people manifest special powers. In this case, our protagonist Enebish develops a rare gift, the power to control darkness, and with such a powerful gift, many want to manipulate her and use her powers for their own cause. But who can Enebish really trust?
I came into this story thinking “surely it will be an anti-heroine epic” after reading the description. Though it didn’t really turn out to be one, I was not disappointed in the least.
Enebish, as much as I love her good heart, thought she was a bit too gullible. But that’s just her character and so even though I was annoyed by her, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her. She was so eager to do something good after being branded a monster, she forgot that there might be other monsters in the world.
Before I knew it I had read half the book, and all at once I felt that nothing yet so many things had happened. Pacing was interestingly done. This book had a great way of slowly building plots so that by the end you were completely satisfied by everything that had happened.
Speaking of the ending, it felt like the ending of Alita: Battle Angel (movie). As in, you didn’t realize there was a higher purpose to the storyline until those last few minutes, when all of a sudden, everything that has happened has finally ramped up into this upcoming task. And then the book ends, and I am sooo ready for that sequel. Because although I did like this book, that next book is already my favourite because I KNOW some crazy stuff is about to go down.
Also props to Thorley for writing a plot twist that I actually didn’t see coming from miles away, and for writing one that I did. Gotta keep me on my toes.
I picked this up because of the cover, and because it sounded intriguing enough. A fantasy retelling of the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a disabled heroine (in a way that actually cripples her, and is not just the "pretty girl has a scar on her face")? Okay, let's go.
Sadly, though, nothing about the characters or the world they're in is really explained. I'm sure the author knows, but literally nothing is said about these various cultures other than a few throwaway lines about maybe a custom or two, and that the two nations at war have a religious conflict that our heroine is on the other side of.
I will say, however, that I did appreciate when Enebish was given an offer to heal her wounds/disability, she refuses. I've read so many other books where the offer is made very early in the story and BAM that pesky crippling is solved with no consequences and now our heroine can be the prettiest and most capable person EVER! I can honestly say that had that happened, this may have been a DNF for me.
As it is, though? It's fine. It avoids a lot of the pitfalls that other authors who dabble in cultures based on others fall into, but it just wasn't enough. I didn't know enough about any of the characters to really understand where they came from, and when you're taking huge risks by calling people Sun Stokers and Shoniin you'd better come prepared to explain why I am supposed to care about something so ridiculous.
Sadly, though, nothing about the characters or the world they're in is really explained. I'm sure the author knows, but literally nothing is said about these various cultures other than a few throwaway lines about maybe a custom or two, and that the two nations at war have a religious conflict that our heroine is on the other side of.
I will say, however, that I did appreciate when Enebish was given an offer to heal her wounds/disability, she refuses. I've read so many other books where the offer is made very early in the story and BAM that pesky crippling is solved with no consequences and now our heroine can be the prettiest and most capable person EVER! I can honestly say that had that happened, this may have been a DNF for me.
As it is, though? It's fine. It avoids a lot of the pitfalls that other authors who dabble in cultures based on others fall into, but it just wasn't enough. I didn't know enough about any of the characters to really understand where they came from, and when you're taking huge risks by calling people Sun Stokers and Shoniin you'd better come prepared to explain why I am supposed to care about something so ridiculous.
This was surprisingly good. I thought it was going to be a pretty typical fantasy, and it is in many ways, but I enjoyed it more than I expected to. The worldbuilding was intriguing, the plot twists predictable but surprising enough to make for a good story. I'm curious to see if there will be more character development and explanation.
Overall, pretty good! Not a top recommendation, but I liked it.
Overall, pretty good! Not a top recommendation, but I liked it.
3.5/5
A little predictable but otherwise enjoyable new fantasy with great worldbuilding and compelling characters.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
A little predictable but otherwise enjoyable new fantasy with great worldbuilding and compelling characters.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
I have been known to have unpopular opinions, from time to time. In fact, I have a whole shelf of them. Most of the historically most popular posts on my blog (and all posts on my blog are historical because that site is so outdated it could be an archaeological dig site) are unpopular opinion-related.
But the thing is, all of that probably only represents a small selection of my actual unpopular opinions. Because sometimes I just don't know.
Here's one example: Is it an unpopular opinion to think all fantasy kind of...is the same in hindsight?
Don't get me wrong - I thought, in the moment, that a lot of this book was unique. I mean yes, there's the outcast, the person whose immense magical power turned her evil, the revolutionary group acting against a monarchy that our protagonist is realizing veryyyy slowwwwly may be corrupt, the twist, the who-can-you-trust, the love triangle made up of The Boy Who Represents Your Past versus The Boy Who Represents Your Future.
But while I was reading it, that wasn't the overwhelming sense I was getting from it.
Now, all this has faded in my memory into not just the hero's journey, but all of these very overdone modern YA clichés that occur so frequently it feels like another, newer hero's journey.
Still. For being the same as everything else, this isn't a bad entry.
Bottom line: Maybe I just don't like fantasy?
---------------
pre-review
love to not realize a book is a retelling until i'm finished it.
really gives you the full experience.
review to come / 3.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
as far as made-up magical powers go, "night spinning" is a pretty cool-sounding one
---------------
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
ARC 1: spaceman of bohemia
ARC 2: in search of us
ARC 3: aerialists
ARC 4: the sound of drowning
ARC 5: unleaving
ARC 6: the other side of luck
ARC 7: romanov
ARC 8: the storm keeper's island
ARC 9: gut check
ARC 10: when force meets fate
ARC 11: sisters in hate
ARC 12: before i disappear
ARC 13: big time
ARC 14: stolen science
ARC 15: have a little faith in me
ARC 16: invitation to a bonfire
ARC 17: the splendor
ARC 18: how to be luminous
ARC 19: the little women cookbook
ARC 20: while we were dating
ARC 21: the lost girls
ARC 22: wait for it
ARC 23: your life has been delayed
ARC 24: a million things
ARC 25: the royals next door
ARC 26: the love hypothesis
ARC 27: we light up the sky
ARC 28: the printed letter bookshop
ARC 29: on location
ARC 30: how rory thorne destroyed the multiverse
ARC 31: the map from here to there
ARC 32: the last chance library
ARC 33: on the way to birdland
ARC 34: things in jars
ARC 35: night spinner
But the thing is, all of that probably only represents a small selection of my actual unpopular opinions. Because sometimes I just don't know.
Here's one example: Is it an unpopular opinion to think all fantasy kind of...is the same in hindsight?
Don't get me wrong - I thought, in the moment, that a lot of this book was unique. I mean yes, there's the outcast, the person whose immense magical power turned her evil, the revolutionary group acting against a monarchy that our protagonist is realizing veryyyy slowwwwly may be corrupt, the twist, the who-can-you-trust, the love triangle made up of The Boy Who Represents Your Past versus The Boy Who Represents Your Future.
But while I was reading it, that wasn't the overwhelming sense I was getting from it.
Now, all this has faded in my memory into not just the hero's journey, but all of these very overdone modern YA clichés that occur so frequently it feels like another, newer hero's journey.
Still. For being the same as everything else, this isn't a bad entry.
Bottom line: Maybe I just don't like fantasy?
---------------
pre-review
love to not realize a book is a retelling until i'm finished it.
really gives you the full experience.
review to come / 3.5 stars
---------------
tbr review
as far as made-up magical powers go, "night spinning" is a pretty cool-sounding one
---------------
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
ARC 1: spaceman of bohemia
ARC 2: in search of us
ARC 3: aerialists
ARC 4: the sound of drowning
ARC 5: unleaving
ARC 6: the other side of luck
ARC 7: romanov
ARC 8: the storm keeper's island
ARC 9: gut check
ARC 10: when force meets fate
ARC 11: sisters in hate
ARC 12: before i disappear
ARC 13: big time
ARC 14: stolen science
ARC 15: have a little faith in me
ARC 16: invitation to a bonfire
ARC 17: the splendor
ARC 18: how to be luminous
ARC 19: the little women cookbook
ARC 20: while we were dating
ARC 21: the lost girls
ARC 22: wait for it
ARC 23: your life has been delayed
ARC 24: a million things
ARC 25: the royals next door
ARC 26: the love hypothesis
ARC 27: we light up the sky
ARC 28: the printed letter bookshop
ARC 29: on location
ARC 30: how rory thorne destroyed the multiverse
ARC 31: the map from here to there
ARC 32: the last chance library
ARC 33: on the way to birdland
ARC 34: things in jars
ARC 35: night spinner