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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Honestly, the only way I can describe this book is: split right down the middle. Everything from the writing, the plot, the characters, the pacing, the development... it's all just okay. Not great, not terrible. I totally get why some people might like it and others might not.
Personally, I didn’t mind it. It’s an easy read, nothing too deep or difficult to follow, which I appreciate sometimes. But at the same time, it didn’t hook me enough to keep going. I didn’t feel that urge to see what happens next. It's just not that interesting to me.
It’s not a bad book by any means. The story’s fine, the characters are fine, it’s just… so middle-of-the-road that I’d rather move on to something else.
Personally, I didn’t mind it. It’s an easy read, nothing too deep or difficult to follow, which I appreciate sometimes. But at the same time, it didn’t hook me enough to keep going. I didn’t feel that urge to see what happens next. It's just not that interesting to me.
It’s not a bad book by any means. The story’s fine, the characters are fine, it’s just… so middle-of-the-road that I’d rather move on to something else.
medium-paced
adventurous
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 was a super easy and fun read, i couldn’t put it down. had to keep reading to see what happened next
the first half was entertaining enough (despite being too "ya") but then it became clear that this isn't my cup of tea
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
More like early 2000s YA fantasy than what I was expecting based on all the “criminally underhyped” attention this has been getting. Vhalla Yarl is a 17 year old basically slave labourer from a rural part of the kingdom working from like age 10 in the palace library. One night the prince is brought injured by a magically poisoned knife from the battlefield and the librarians are asked to search the books for any hint of a cure. Somehow her margin notes contain traces of magic which heals the prince and creates a blood debt bound between them. Also, she’s the first windwalker in 150 years. The previous ones were all enslaves and kind of died out. The firebearer prince tries to be so mean to her that she will do what he wants and join the hated order of Sorcerers and harness her power for unknown reasons to use in unknown espionage. Hmmm, yes, all very mysterious. He pushes her off a roof to get her to manifest which causes her to like break every bone in her body. There’s grump/sunshine romance and then there’s this.
Things I didn’t like, which just didn’t need to happen:
- Unexplained hatred towards sorcerers and yet they are secretly wealthy from their alumni
- She’s 18 and petite and small and also powerful and so obviously we need to hear in detail how she gets brutally beaten up by rat and mole
- Why does the senator hate her? Just because she’s a commoner?
- Why the pseudo-enmity between the Princes Aldrick and Beldair
- Why the weird best friend love triangle?!?
- This guy straight up just does not like her, despite his desperate little monologue at the end. He is mocking and rude. Refuses to acknowledge or stand up for her. Uses and manipulates her at every turn. What must happen here?!
Things I didn’t like, which just didn’t need to happen:
- Unexplained hatred towards sorcerers and yet they are secretly wealthy from their alumni
- She’s 18 and petite and small and also powerful and so obviously we need to hear in detail how she gets brutally beaten up by rat and mole
- Why does the senator hate her? Just because she’s a commoner?
- Why the pseudo-enmity between the Princes Aldrick and Beldair
- Why the weird best friend love triangle?!?
- This guy straight up just does not like her, despite his desperate little monologue at the end. He is mocking and rude. Refuses to acknowledge or stand up for her. Uses and manipulates her at every turn. What must happen here?!
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so excited to read another Elise Kova book, and she did not disappoint. I loved the world building, the characters, the subtle details... everything.
I truly cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series, I hope in the next book we understand the politics more and the war, as this book definitely focuses more on the magic aspects.
I truly enjoyed this book, I found character to be a more unique FMC in this type of story. Often you see the femininity as a weakness but I feel this leans into her femininity and intellect producing a strong character that does struggle yet still manages to hold her own against the much more powerful characters.
I truly cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series, I hope in the next book we understand the politics more and the war, as this book definitely focuses more on the magic aspects.
I truly enjoyed this book, I found character to be a more unique FMC in this type of story. Often you see the femininity as a weakness but I feel this leans into her femininity and intellect producing a strong character that does struggle yet still manages to hold her own against the much more powerful characters.