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4.63 AVERAGE
4.63 AVERAGE
challenging
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
i don’t know if i’ll ever be able to articulate exactly what this book made me feel but suffice to say it’s the epic fantasy equivalent of impossible soul by sufjan stevens - big and multitudinous and containing every human emotion
a few weeks have passed and while i haven't been thinking of this series daily, i find that every time i see a dandelion now it evokes a sense of melancholic nostalgia. "when you learn enough about the world, even a blade of grass can be a weapon." and yet weapons are not inherently evil, they are simply at the will of their wielder. and people are not ever one thing or another, they are formed and broken and repaired and loved and hated and changed over a lifetime of experiences. and the world is bigger and smaller than we could ever hope to understand. and history is a living thing.
thera stumbles and falls and fails and despairs and through those trials she learns to reach ever higher - not for power but for peace.
phyro trusts wholly and without reservation and is rewarded, as kuni was, with loyal friends and followers who believe in him and his vision. and yet his single-minded determination to avenge his mother's death is ultimately his downfall. he lived the life he had always so admired and revered - he was a good man, surrounded by good people, who died defending his mother's honor.
fara observes and understands, moreso than any of her siblings, the state of their world and what it takes to make progress, as well as the cost of that progress. she is clever and kind and unfailingly moral and even that does not ensure history will remember her kindly, because history is fickle and dynamic and unending, and she is one of the few characters who recognizes and accepts that.
the tragedy and the triumph exist together, hand-in-hand.
a few weeks have passed and while i haven't been thinking of this series daily, i find that every time i see a dandelion now it evokes a sense of melancholic nostalgia. "when you learn enough about the world, even a blade of grass can be a weapon." and yet weapons are not inherently evil, they are simply at the will of their wielder. and people are not ever one thing or another, they are formed and broken and repaired and loved and hated and changed over a lifetime of experiences. and the world is bigger and smaller than we could ever hope to understand. and history is a living thing.
thera stumbles and falls and fails and despairs and through those trials she learns to reach ever higher - not for power but for peace.
phyro trusts wholly and without reservation and is rewarded, as kuni was, with loyal friends and followers who believe in him and his vision. and yet his single-minded determination to avenge his mother's death is ultimately his downfall. he lived the life he had always so admired and revered - he was a good man, surrounded by good people, who died defending his mother's honor.
fara observes and understands, moreso than any of her siblings, the state of their world and what it takes to make progress, as well as the cost of that progress. she is clever and kind and unfailingly moral and even that does not ensure history will remember her kindly, because history is fickle and dynamic and unending, and she is one of the few characters who recognizes and accepts that.
the tragedy and the triumph exist together, hand-in-hand.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
What an astounding finish for one of the best series I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Everything I have said in my previous reviews of this series still apply. It is genuinely one of the most unique fantasy series out there. The way this story and world were crafted and explored throughout these four books is just magical. Dandelion Dynasty has firmly planted itself as an all-time favorite for me. The ending landed on every account and still managed to surprise me. It was so satisfying.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
If the other books in this series were already a 5, this deserves a 5.5.
An expertly crafted narrative spanning many years in a time of change for the setting.
By managing to contain decade spanning political plots, very thoughtful discussions of morality and right and wrong, multiple wars, multiple beautiful romances, magic, dragons, betrayals, heroic sacrifices and multiple moments that made me cry…
This really is what game of thrones wishes it was.
An expertly crafted narrative spanning many years in a time of change for the setting.
By managing to contain decade spanning political plots, very thoughtful discussions of morality and right and wrong, multiple wars, multiple beautiful romances, magic, dragons, betrayals, heroic sacrifices and multiple moments that made me cry…
This really is what game of thrones wishes it was.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
The pacing in this one was up and down. It always cut away from the action to explain some detailed engineering concept. However, Ken Liu's world of Dara was absolutely remarkable and I was simply along for the ride (as evidenced by the fact that I read all four chonks in the span of a month). The fate of the House of Dandelion was unpredictable and I ached for the characters as everything they worked for and built was toppled over and over again. But despite it all, the ending nailed the landing. I might have even teared up once. This series is going to be one I think about long after closing the pages.
adventurous
dark
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