Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
this was okay.
despite the negative reviews, i was still looking forward to this as one of the pairings in this book is sapphic and sapphic romantasy is a pretty under-tapped market. and i enjoyed it for what it was.
the lack of world building was frustrating, the writing was trying too hard to be quotable, something about the dialogue didn't seem the most natural at times, and the history of the plot and the characters made this feel like a second book in a series more than a first. however, i do love a fantasy plot of taking down tyrannical leaders and found the characters enjoyable. i really liked galina and vasilisa (surprises no one) and honestly wish the story was more focussed on them as their dynamic seemed the most genuine and i felt more invested considering it grew in the book as compared to the messy history between sera and vitaly, whose romance kinda made me cringe anyway (take with a grain of salt, i have low patience for m/f romances.)
this definitely reads more young adult, which is a genre i've struggled with as i've exited my teens but i didn't hate it in this instance and felt it worked. however, the book definitely considers itself adult as these characters are thirty, which was an outright jumpscare when mentioned lol. i'm twenty and they act like my peers, so keep that in mind that this is very low adult. if you're making a transition from ya fantasy to adult fantasy, this may be a good transition considering it is very low adult fantasy in my opinion.
overall, while this had many flaws, i was still interested in what was happening and invested in Some of the characters, who may persuade me to pick up book two in the future.
despite the negative reviews, i was still looking forward to this as one of the pairings in this book is sapphic and sapphic romantasy is a pretty under-tapped market. and i enjoyed it for what it was.
the lack of world building was frustrating, the writing was trying too hard to be quotable, something about the dialogue didn't seem the most natural at times, and the history of the plot and the characters made this feel like a second book in a series more than a first. however, i do love a fantasy plot of taking down tyrannical leaders and found the characters enjoyable. i really liked galina and vasilisa (surprises no one) and honestly wish the story was more focussed on them as their dynamic seemed the most genuine and i felt more invested considering it grew in the book as compared to the messy history between sera and vitaly, whose romance kinda made me cringe anyway (take with a grain of salt, i have low patience for m/f romances.)
this definitely reads more young adult, which is a genre i've struggled with as i've exited my teens but i didn't hate it in this instance and felt it worked. however, the book definitely considers itself adult as these characters are thirty, which was an outright jumpscare when mentioned lol. i'm twenty and they act like my peers, so keep that in mind that this is very low adult. if you're making a transition from ya fantasy to adult fantasy, this may be a good transition considering it is very low adult fantasy in my opinion.
overall, while this had many flaws, i was still interested in what was happening and invested in Some of the characters, who may persuade me to pick up book two in the future.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A lovely Russian Revolution fantasy novel with dragons, a startlingly alive and vivacious main cast, and a page-turning story! While it's hampered by a fairly two-dimensional villain coming off the worse for me recently having read the Hollow Star saga (Isidora can't hold a candle to Riadne), and an overuse of conlang terms injected into the text, the romance was beautiful - full of yearning, desire, and flashpoint personalities meeting. The Slavic skin atop the fantasy meat and bones of Tumanny felt like coming home.
If Elizabeth May writes more in this world, I'm happily picking it up!
If Elizabeth May writes more in this world, I'm happily picking it up!
adventurous
dark
inspiring
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
This book came in the YA Illumicrate box. It has been a good and interesting reading experience. However, I have read better books, and while it is true that I have enjoyed it and it had potential, it has deceived me in some aspects. I think I will enjoy the second part better, as it looks like it is going to be really good.
I think I'm just going to settle in the fact that May's work isn't for me: she chooses words that don't sit right for me; she focuses on elements and events that I don't think are anything like the most interesting part of the vibrant ideas she comes up with. In this case, all the actual doing of the things that seemed like the story to me happened off-stage, and the scenes were crowded with emotional woffle, plus the chapters were very short, chopping breathlessly between viewpoints that still gave a very narrow view of the world. So basically no, not for me, that's fine. Onwards.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes