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_aoibheann_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
3.0
alexandergrantwriter's review
5.0
~ Amazing Story! ~
I really loved this one!! It’s probably my favorite of the series so far besides Dragon Ghosts (#3)!! I loved the civil war and even though it caused me pain, it was really well done!! Loved the upping of the stakes and the ending was also very solid!! Definitely made me glad I had the next one ready to start immediately after!!
•
It was also fun not knowing what was going to happen as this was the first one that wasn’t a reread for me!!
•
Now I’m terrified by how things will play out in the last two and I hope I don’t have go through more trauma and grief of losing some of my favorite characters…. Knowing Lisa though, I think I better get some tissues
I really loved this one!! It’s probably my favorite of the series so far besides Dragon Ghosts (#3)!! I loved the civil war and even though it caused me pain, it was really well done!! Loved the upping of the stakes and the ending was also very solid!! Definitely made me glad I had the next one ready to start immediately after!!
•
It was also fun not knowing what was going to happen as this was the first one that wasn’t a reread for me!!
•
Now I’m terrified by how things will play out in the last two and I hope I don’t have go through more trauma and grief of losing some of my favorite characters…. Knowing Lisa though, I think I better get some tissues
lydiastorytime's review
3.0
Positives: beautiful magical world with unique magical creatures. Loving found family. Mischievous twin girls with strong unruly magical abilities.
*the twins finally reconcile.
Negatives: Implied that the negative events bring out the best in people. Lack of parental guidance or appropriate adult child relationships. Inappropriately heavy leadership decisions laid on children. Idiotic adults and immature child leaders. I hate how repetitive the mistakes are. Another child mage… after another unprepared death of a head mage.
Glaring Inaccuracies
*in previous books it was clearly layed out that pressing all the buttons in the Kitchener tube leads to the jungle. For some reason this book says one button leads there.
*mrs. Octavia does not freeze when Artime disappears.
Triggers for sensitive minds
Physically violence: inhuman treatment of prisoners human and animal, cruel tyranny, slavery (work based), illness from hunger and dehydration, civil war, description of wounds, forced drinking of magical broth that causes physical changes, isolation, various forms of coercion, fighting to escape and to rescue with some lethal force used, mind control via magical animal instincts, weaponized fire, smoke inhalation.
Battle in Arteme with various magical weapons.
Death of magical statue who is revived, death of a villain. Kidnapping
Emotional pain: loss and grief of loved one, fear of death and imprisonment, abandonment, coercion, inappropriately heavy leadership decisions laid on children, grappling with the weight of taking a life.
*the twins finally reconcile.
Negatives: Implied that the negative events bring out the best in people. Lack of parental guidance or appropriate adult child relationships. Inappropriately heavy leadership decisions laid on children. Idiotic adults and immature child leaders. I hate how repetitive the mistakes are. Another child mage… after another unprepared death of a head mage.
Glaring Inaccuracies
*in previous books it was clearly layed out that pressing all the buttons in the Kitchener tube leads to the jungle. For some reason this book says one button leads there.
*mrs. Octavia does not freeze when Artime disappears.
Triggers for sensitive minds
Physically violence: inhuman treatment of prisoners human and animal, cruel tyranny, slavery (work based), illness from hunger and dehydration, civil war, description of wounds, forced drinking of magical broth that causes physical changes, isolation, various forms of coercion, fighting to escape and to rescue with some lethal force used, mind control via magical animal instincts, weaponized fire, smoke inhalation.
Battle in Arteme with various magical weapons.
Death of magical statue who is revived, death of a villain. Kidnapping
Emotional pain: loss and grief of loved one, fear of death and imprisonment, abandonment, coercion, inappropriately heavy leadership decisions laid on children, grappling with the weight of taking a life.
ccpprrjj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.75
This was probably my favorite Quests book so far. It was intense, the ideas were new, and it didn't drag. Probably because most of the time was spent in Artime, which is always the most enjoyable location for me to read about.
Stowe sibling/Artime Storyline
I loved how much focus on Artime we got in this book. That's something that's been missing in the previous four books. It just felt nostalgic to be back there. Even with everything going on. I felt like Mcmann handled the civil war in Artime very well. It was hard to see this place that our characters love and that has been a safe haven for people for many years fall to pieces like that. The fact that this was the first impression the black-eyed children had of Artime and how Thisbe kept telling them that Artime isn't like this was really sad. But it's true. Artime isn't supposed to be a place where Unwanteds fight each other. They're supposed to fight together; them against the world. It just goes to show how one bad person with a vendetta can destroy a peace that people have worked for for years. It was also interesting to see how a person who is pretty weak magically can take out the series' strongest fighters with enough allies. The main thing that bothered me with this storyline was the conflict between Fifer and Thisbe. It felt so childish and wasn't compelling. I'm not sure why it was less compelling than the Alex/Aaron conflict in the first series, but it just made me frustrated. Especially with Fifer. Although I will say that I've come to appreciate Fifer more as a character, especially towards the end of this book. I still don't like her as much as other new characters, like Dev, Thisbe, and Rohan- or anywhere near as much as characters from the first series like Alex and Aaron-but I actually felt something other than annoyance towards her in this book. Finally! While I do wish her storyline had been handled differently, I was surprised to find myself liking her as head mage. The internal conflict she felt over killing Frieda added some uncertainty that was missing from her character. It allowed me to sympathize with her and root for her, which I hadn't been able to do previously. She'll be a good head mage.
Dev/Grimere Storyline
We finally got to spend more time with Dev in this book! He's a character I've been dying to see more of for the last couple books, and we finally got to really understand where he's been coming from. His story is just so sad. He's a child who breaks down at the smallest bit of kindness from someone else because he's received so little of it throughout his life, even from the main characters. He's so lonely and tired of just trying to survive. Poor guy. I also appreciated that his POV kept us tied into Grimere. While everything was going down in Artime, his POV kept the plot of the series going on in a subtle way. We got to see a new part of Grimere, as well as a new ghost dragon, both of which were needed to flesh out that world. And the foreshadowing for the end of the book. I really should have seen that coming. All of these characters just can't catch a break.
Stowe sibling/Artime Storyline
I loved how much focus on Artime we got in this book. That's something that's been missing in the previous four books. It just felt nostalgic to be back there. Even with everything going on. I felt like Mcmann handled the
Dev/Grimere Storyline
We finally got to spend more time with Dev in this book! He's a character I've been dying to see more of for the last couple books, and we finally got to really understand where he's been coming from. His story is just so sad. He's a child who breaks down at the smallest bit of kindness from someone else because he's received so little of it throughout his life, even from the main characters. He's so lonely and tired of just trying to survive. Poor guy. I also appreciated that his POV kept us tied into Grimere. While everything was going down in Artime, his POV kept the plot of the series going on in a subtle way. We got to see a new part of Grimere, as well as a new ghost dragon, both of which were needed to flesh out that world. And the foreshadowing for the end of the book. I really should have seen that coming. All of these characters just can't catch a break.
the_forest_clown's review against another edition
im just not reading it, ill get back to it
pg: 122 - chapter: Meanwhile in the Lounge
pg: 122 - chapter: Meanwhile in the Lounge
marcel's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Let Dev Relax 2k22
connon's review against another edition
3.0
Det går inte bra för Artimé. Frieda Stubbs och the dissenters ökar i popularitet och plötsligt står Aaron och Fifer framför ett möjligt inbördeskrig. Thisbie kommer till undsättning tillsammans med de black-eyed children!
Ju längre jag kommer in i serien, desto mer framträder svagheterna (eller så är det jag som har blivit mindre förlåtande). Det är främst två saker jag stör mig på, först och främst är det berättartekniken som är väldigt mycket tell, don’t show. Och det är inte bara att den beskriver allt, utan att det överbeskriver (Exempel: Maja gick och pratade med Alfons om investeringar, de kom fram till att det är bättre att spara långsiktigt än att blixtinvestera i börsen. Efter deras samtal gick Maja hem och pratade med Örjan. Hon förklarade vad hon och Alfons kom fram till tidigare under dagen.). Den andra saken som jag stör mig på är att alla från Unwanteds-serien (som nu är äldre än mig, minst 25) dels inte ser problemet med att barn ska få utkämpa krig etc och att de själva inte har mognat mer än sagda barn. Inte ens statyerna som ska vara oerhört visa tänker ett steg längre… Men, det är bara två böcker kvar och denna slutade i en enorm cliffhanger, så...
Ju längre jag kommer in i serien, desto mer framträder svagheterna (eller så är det jag som har blivit mindre förlåtande). Det är främst två saker jag stör mig på, först och främst är det berättartekniken som är väldigt mycket tell, don’t show. Och det är inte bara att den beskriver allt, utan att det överbeskriver (Exempel: Maja gick och pratade med Alfons om investeringar, de kom fram till att det är bättre att spara långsiktigt än att blixtinvestera i börsen. Efter deras samtal gick Maja hem och pratade med Örjan. Hon förklarade vad hon och Alfons kom fram till tidigare under dagen.). Den andra saken som jag stör mig på är att alla från Unwanteds-serien (som nu är äldre än mig, minst 25) dels inte ser problemet med att barn ska få utkämpa krig etc och att de själva inte har mognat mer än sagda barn. Inte ens statyerna som ska vara oerhört visa tänker ett steg längre… Men, det är bara två böcker kvar och denna slutade i en enorm cliffhanger, så...
all_things_book789's review against another edition
4.0
This book is more 4.5 than 4 or 5 stars. It might be the influence of me reading on my computer that makes me think this, but I don't think that is all of it. The series is starting to maybe seem a little... repetitive. Also, I was not a big fan of the whole Frieda Stubbs problem. But that ending! Oof. I want the next book, and I don't know if I can't wait until September!
bagel_z's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing book! In my opinion it’s the best I wanted quest so far!!! I was constantly hooked, always wanting to know what happened and I can’t wait to read the next one and see if they ever defeat the Revinir!!
repunzee's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
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