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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
There were parts of this book that were interesting, including the characters and the settings, and the pacing kept me reading. I loved the intrigue and 'who done it' aspects of the the attack on the castle and the bravery the main character showed. I liked the romance in the begining but most definitely not at the end. However, by the end the story seemed to unravel. I no longer connected to the characters and relationships seemed strained. Not to mention the obnoxious cliff hanger that did not even remotely make me want to read the next book in the series.
I feel like there was a good book wrapped up in this weird GOT wannabes but I couldn't find it.
This is the second novel in a row I've read where getting migraines is a thing. So maybe I was projecting??
I finished it because I had insomnia and thought it would help me sleep. Ends on a cliffhanger and I have no intention of reading the second one.
This is the second novel in a row I've read where getting migraines is a thing. So maybe I was projecting??
I finished it because I had insomnia and thought it would help me sleep. Ends on a cliffhanger and I have no intention of reading the second one.
Really enjoyed this.
Some of the language is jarring and the first person perspective from Vianne is nice as you can tell something is up but until the next instalment - The Bandit King - you can really tell/trust Tristan's intentions though hope its for Vianne as is implies.
Well worth a read and not typical Saintcrow fair.
Some of the language is jarring and the first person perspective from Vianne is nice as you can tell something is up but until the next instalment - The Bandit King - you can really tell/trust Tristan's intentions though hope its for Vianne as is implies.
Well worth a read and not typical Saintcrow fair.
I really wanted this to be the next thing after Crown Duel, in terms of story style, characters, romance, and fantasy world. And on the surface, THE HEDGEWITCH QUEEN certainly seems promising in all those fields: Vianne is a humble minor noble lady who gets tangled up in the political court intrigue of a magical world that takes its inspiration heavily from a bastardized version of France and the French language. There's the strong and silent love interest who believes in the heroine long before she believes in herself. Doesn't that just remind you of Crown Duel and all that goodness?
Alas, the similarities end there. Vianne is no Meliara. I didn't get far into the story before Vianne was tripping over herself in an effort to prove herself to be the most tearful, pathetic, and un-self-confident female in all of Bastardized France. Vianne suffers from that literary syndrome I suppose I shall have to give a name to from here on out: the Anti-Histrionic Female Character Syndrome, in which the female MC goes out of her way to convince readers that she is worthless, plain, boring, uninteresting, by virtue of her lowly status, ordinary looks, absolute lack of character, (lack of intelligence), etc. Far from gaining my readerly sympathies, these females simply goad my ire. For this syndrome is wish fulfillment; it's trying to say that females don't have to actively improve themselves mentally, intellectually, or emotionally--because, of course, the hot guy loves them just the passive and pathetic way they are!
The way in which Vianne and Tristan d'Arcenne interacted simply made me feel tired. Everything they said to each other was riddled with misunderstandings--misunderstandings that didn't seem to be necessary to the main plot but rather only served to further the romantic intrigue. What's so romantic or intriguing about constant misunderstandings brought about by Vianne's lack of self-confidence, may I ask? Yeah... that's what I thought.
In the end, my lack of feelings for either of the main characters led to this being a DNF for me. I give Lilith Saintcrow props for trying, but the blandness, patheticness of the main characters could not hold my attention for the duration of the story.
Alas, the similarities end there. Vianne is no Meliara. I didn't get far into the story before Vianne was tripping over herself in an effort to prove herself to be the most tearful, pathetic, and un-self-confident female in all of Bastardized France. Vianne suffers from that literary syndrome I suppose I shall have to give a name to from here on out: the Anti-Histrionic Female Character Syndrome, in which the female MC goes out of her way to convince readers that she is worthless, plain, boring, uninteresting, by virtue of her lowly status, ordinary looks, absolute lack of character, (lack of intelligence), etc. Far from gaining my readerly sympathies, these females simply goad my ire. For this syndrome is wish fulfillment; it's trying to say that females don't have to actively improve themselves mentally, intellectually, or emotionally--because, of course, the hot guy loves them just the passive and pathetic way they are!
The way in which Vianne and Tristan d'Arcenne interacted simply made me feel tired. Everything they said to each other was riddled with misunderstandings--misunderstandings that didn't seem to be necessary to the main plot but rather only served to further the romantic intrigue. What's so romantic or intriguing about constant misunderstandings brought about by Vianne's lack of self-confidence, may I ask? Yeah... that's what I thought.
In the end, my lack of feelings for either of the main characters led to this being a DNF for me. I give Lilith Saintcrow props for trying, but the blandness, patheticness of the main characters could not hold my attention for the duration of the story.
This book was excellent! The only problem is the abrupt ending. It didn't even work up to a cliff hanger. It just ended in what seemed like the middle of the chapter.
I will say that the book has very believable characters. I love the development of the Vianne into a strong female character that still struggles with everything she's faced with. I really can't wait until the next one comes out this summer to see how the other characters develop.
I will say that the book has very believable characters. I love the development of the Vianne into a strong female character that still struggles with everything she's faced with. I really can't wait until the next one comes out this summer to see how the other characters develop.
argh!! what a terrible and great ending. you win saintcrow.
The Hedgewitch Queen was better than I expected. I think I had lower expectations for it because I had read the Strange Angels series.
+Writing: Saintcrow's writing was charming and added to the story.
+Characters: Although I was not overly fond of Vianne, she was a strongly written character who did not fall out of character which I often see happen.
The other characters like Adrien and Tinan I wish had more dialogue along with the guards because they were interesting.
+Logic: Saintcrow wrote about certain things logically, like Vianne thoughts on the lavatory usage, which was also humorous.
-Vianne: I think Vianne's naivety was the worst part of her character and it often annoyed me.
-Length: I found The Hedgewitch Queen was at times, lagging. It could have been a little shorter.
-Tristan: I do not like him nor do I trust him. I have a feeling he might be a little to obsessed with Vianne.
+Writing: Saintcrow's writing was charming and added to the story.
+Characters: Although I was not overly fond of Vianne, she was a strongly written character who did not fall out of character which I often see happen.
The other characters like Adrien and Tinan I wish had more dialogue along with the guards because they were interesting.
+Logic: Saintcrow wrote about certain things logically, like Vianne thoughts on the lavatory usage, which was also humorous.
-Vianne: I think Vianne's naivety was the worst part of her character and it often annoyed me.
-Length: I found The Hedgewitch Queen was at times, lagging. It could have been a little shorter.
-Tristan: I do not like him nor do I trust him. I have a feeling he might be a little to obsessed with Vianne.
I really enjoyed this. Vianne is a smart and strong character and the world she lives in is interesting and intricate. I'm not so sure about Tristan.
I don't necessarily understand the magic but that didn't seem to matter too much. The names and places were a bit determinedly medieval-french/fantasy in places and I hated the cliff-hanger.
I don't necessarily understand the magic but that didn't seem to matter too much. The names and places were a bit determinedly medieval-french/fantasy in places and I hated the cliff-hanger.