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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
This review is going to, probably, sound mostly negative. But I do not want to give the wrong impression to people reading this review. I did enjoy this novel, quite a lot. I couldn't stop reading it, and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. This book was fast pace, and enjoyable. But in the end, I came to conclusion of giving it three stars. Now onto the review!!
Something in Mistwood that bothered me, was Isabel (protagonist) knew things that were never mentioned before. The best way to describe this is, there are scenes were she'll just randomly start thinking about someone (or talking). She'll say there name and all about them, and as a reader your thinking: when did she meet this person. I felt this story biggest problem was the timing. It was rushed way to much, to the point where I was getting confused.
Now for anyone who hasn't read this novel, Isabel comes to this castle as a shapeshifter. But she has no previous memory of her life. Now I believe that this rush in the story, made me feel that her loss of memory was unbelievable. I think that if the story weren't so fast paced, and spent more time going through the days when the main character first got there then it would be a bit more realistic.
The characters were all strongly built, my favorite being Rokan and his sister Clarisse. Even though the story is told in third person, which by the way was magnificently done, Isabel was the character you as a reader felt more in touch with. At first I found her character development quite slow, and really saw none. I really didn't notice any change in her until the very end, and somehow that worked out really well. Especially with the romance element, which is very distant in the novel. It's obvious, but you don't really feel it until mid way through. But when the scene comes for romance between protagonist and love interest you'll be happy and disappointed.
Which leads me to my next point, I hope there is a sequel. This novel would feel incomplete without it. Some of the mysteries are still yet to be resolved/found out.
The plot twists were mostly predictable, there was only one that shocked me.
Overall it was a good book, but I thought it could of been developed in some areas. The writing is beautifully done, and it will be easy for readers to get into the world of Mistwood and become attach to it.
Something in Mistwood that bothered me, was Isabel (protagonist) knew things that were never mentioned before. The best way to describe this is, there are scenes were she'll just randomly start thinking about someone (or talking). She'll say there name and all about them, and as a reader your thinking: when did she meet this person. I felt this story biggest problem was the timing. It was rushed way to much, to the point where I was getting confused.
Now for anyone who hasn't read this novel, Isabel comes to this castle as a shapeshifter. But she has no previous memory of her life. Now I believe that this rush in the story, made me feel that her loss of memory was unbelievable. I think that if the story weren't so fast paced, and spent more time going through the days when the main character first got there then it would be a bit more realistic.
The characters were all strongly built, my favorite being Rokan and his sister Clarisse. Even though the story is told in third person, which by the way was magnificently done, Isabel was the character you as a reader felt more in touch with. At first I found her character development quite slow, and really saw none. I really didn't notice any change in her until the very end, and somehow that worked out really well. Especially with the romance element, which is very distant in the novel. It's obvious, but you don't really feel it until mid way through. But when the scene comes for romance between protagonist and love interest you'll be happy and disappointed.
Which leads me to my next point, I hope there is a sequel. This novel would feel incomplete without it. Some of the mysteries are still yet to be resolved/found out.
The plot twists were mostly predictable, there was only one that shocked me.
Overall it was a good book, but I thought it could of been developed in some areas. The writing is beautifully done, and it will be easy for readers to get into the world of Mistwood and become attach to it.
I really enjoyed this book. Leah weaves a lovely tale and the twists and turns are thrilling and exciting. Can't wait to read her next book, even if it doesn't have Isabel or Rokan in it!
Quick read and a standalone. I'm sure I would've liked this more when I was 15, but it was still interesting. I liked the overall concept of the Shifter. Not a bad read.
Shapeshifter. Magic. Ancient power. A young girl. A very good book. Recommended.
Mistwood is a book shrouded in mystery and deceit, with a heroine who doesn't even know herself, which can make this a tough book to emotionally connect with at times. Isabel is a shifter, a mystical creature bound to protect the king of Samorna. She isn't human, but when the book opens she finds herself trapped in her human form, unable to remember the lifetimes that she has spent protecting the royal family. She returns to the castle at the request of Prince Rokan, who is preparing for his coronation. The castle is awash in treachery, and the more Isabel learns, the less certain she is of anything but her compulsion to protect the king.
I really liked this book, but as I said above, Isabel as narrator can be tough-going. She remembers very little of her past, and has no real emotional life beyond her need to protect the king, and she does this because she has to, not because she wants to. It can be like reading a book from the terminator's point of view, only this terminator is starting to feel human emotions, emotions that should not be happening to a creature with no heart and no soul. Because we get everything from Isabel's perspective, it can be hard to really feel what is going on with the characters. In the end it all works, though, and I look forward to reading it again.
My one complaint about Mistwood is that it needs a sequel. This story might be complete, but I want more. I want to know what happens next with these characters. To say anything else would reveal too much, but this is a story that needs another chapter. I really hope I get to read it one day.
I really liked this book, but as I said above, Isabel as narrator can be tough-going. She remembers very little of her past, and has no real emotional life beyond her need to protect the king, and she does this because she has to, not because she wants to. It can be like reading a book from the terminator's point of view, only this terminator is starting to feel human emotions, emotions that should not be happening to a creature with no heart and no soul. Because we get everything from Isabel's perspective, it can be hard to really feel what is going on with the characters. In the end it all works, though, and I look forward to reading it again.
My one complaint about Mistwood is that it needs a sequel. This story might be complete, but I want more. I want to know what happens next with these characters. To say anything else would reveal too much, but this is a story that needs another chapter. I really hope I get to read it one day.
I picked this book up because of the blurb comparing it to Graceling. I could see how this could appeal to fans of Graceling, but I don't think it's complex and detailed as Graceling was. It's still an enjoyable read and I found myself compulsively reading Mistwood over the course of a couple of days.
Isabel starts the novel not knowing anything about her shifter past-she really has no memories and we the reader feel Isabel's joltedness from the start. We're thrown in with her, with no back story and we learn what has happened as Isabel learns it. This was somewhat jarring at first, but I liked it as I felt it made me more empathetic towards Isabel.
Although this is a fantasy, I would give it to readers who might typically shy away from fantasy. I never found the world to be hard to understand and it's much more a mystery and conspiracy driven novel than it is fantasy. I kept trying to figure out who was telling the truth and there's a big twist about halfway through the book that I really liked. I did have the ending guessed pretty closely, but it was fun getting there.
My complaints would be the big fight at the end-I felt like that was the only part of the book I didn't follow as well-there was too much going on and it happened so fast I had to go back and re-read it to make sure I knew what was happening. There's also some mild romance, but it was so light and not really built and developed that I wasn't sure it fit. As much as I like romance, I either would have liked it more developed in the storyline or left out completely.
All in all, this was a good debut and I've recommended it my co-worker who enjoys fantasy and I'm eager to hear her thoughts. Overall, the book is pretty clean, so it would work for middle school and up and mystery fans as well as fantasy fans should enjoy Mistwood.
Isabel starts the novel not knowing anything about her shifter past-she really has no memories and we the reader feel Isabel's joltedness from the start. We're thrown in with her, with no back story and we learn what has happened as Isabel learns it. This was somewhat jarring at first, but I liked it as I felt it made me more empathetic towards Isabel.
Although this is a fantasy, I would give it to readers who might typically shy away from fantasy. I never found the world to be hard to understand and it's much more a mystery and conspiracy driven novel than it is fantasy. I kept trying to figure out who was telling the truth and there's a big twist about halfway through the book that I really liked. I did have the ending guessed pretty closely, but it was fun getting there.
My complaints would be the big fight at the end-I felt like that was the only part of the book I didn't follow as well-there was too much going on and it happened so fast I had to go back and re-read it to make sure I knew what was happening. There's also some mild romance, but it was so light and not really built and developed that I wasn't sure it fit. As much as I like romance, I either would have liked it more developed in the storyline or left out completely.
All in all, this was a good debut and I've recommended it my co-worker who enjoys fantasy and I'm eager to hear her thoughts. Overall, the book is pretty clean, so it would work for middle school and up and mystery fans as well as fantasy fans should enjoy Mistwood.
The Kings of Samora have always had one great weapon to protect the royal line. The Shifter is an ancient creature of unknown power that resides in the Mistwood. An ancient spell keeps the Shifter loyal to the royal family after it has been summoned to protect them.
When Prince Royan summons Isabella to be his Shifter he unleashes a series of evens that may do more harm to his Kingdom than good.
What I Liked: Isabella's exploration of herself through her discovery of her abilities as a shapeshifter and the recovery of her unwanted history. As she discovers new things about herself and her powers, Isabella finds her loyalties are being twisted in a way the Shifter has never been before.
The characters are complicated, determined to hide 'unnecessary truths' and manipulative to the point of forcefulness and more resourceful than I could have imagined.
Isabella's memories and history remained an intriguing mystery until the moment of revelation. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the surprise and was able to understand the clues retrospectively. I appreciated Cypess' imaginative writing.
What I Didn't Like: Sometimes, to keep secrets hidden and mysterious, it felt like Cypess just made the narrative confusing. Particularly when sorting through Isabella's thoughts. It was almost as though she was trying to stop anyone guessing the twist.
Find more here: http://raidingbookshelves.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/mistwood-by-leah-cypess.html
When Prince Royan summons Isabella to be his Shifter he unleashes a series of evens that may do more harm to his Kingdom than good.
What I Liked: Isabella's exploration of herself through her discovery of her abilities as a shapeshifter and the recovery of her unwanted history. As she discovers new things about herself and her powers, Isabella finds her loyalties are being twisted in a way the Shifter has never been before.
The characters are complicated, determined to hide 'unnecessary truths' and manipulative to the point of forcefulness and more resourceful than I could have imagined.
Isabella's memories and history remained an intriguing mystery until the moment of revelation. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the surprise and was able to understand the clues retrospectively. I appreciated Cypess' imaginative writing.
What I Didn't Like: Sometimes, to keep secrets hidden and mysterious, it felt like Cypess just made the narrative confusing. Particularly when sorting through Isabella's thoughts. It was almost as though she was trying to stop anyone guessing the twist.
Find more here: http://raidingbookshelves.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/mistwood-by-leah-cypess.html
While this book was really cool, it wasn't what I was expecting, and not in a good way unfortunately.
I was very let down by several times, the ending included. I wont be in a hurry to read the next one, but I will eventually.
I was very let down by several times, the ending included. I wont be in a hurry to read the next one, but I will eventually.
I picked up Mistwood by Leah Cypess with fairly low expectations. It has gotten quite a few mixed reviews that left me feeling a little wary – I put off reading it for over two years after its release despite my obsession for all things YA high fantasy! With a push from Liz at Consumed by Books, I finally read it over the Thanksgiving holiday. You guys? IT WAS AWESOME!
Thanks to an ancient spell, the rulers in the kingdom of Samorna have a long history of being protected by the Shifter- a mysterious immortal creature that lives in the Mistwood when not protecting her charge. When Isabel, the Shifter, is confronted with the newest king – her memories are suspiciously hazy and some of her powers are MIA. Loyalties are tested and lies are revealed as Mistwood unfolds – and no one is who they appear to be.
I could not believe this book, y’all. Seriously. I was going for that whole silly “just a chapter or two” goal when I started (even though it NEVER EVER works). Once I began, I didn’t look up until I had finished. Mistwood isn’t a slow-developing fantasy read where intrigues build and the world unfolds. Nope. It is IN YOUR FACE twists and turns and WTF plot bombs you don’t see coming.
Seriously, there were so many GASP! reveals that I got a little dizzy (in the best way possible). There were a few things I saw coming, of course. But man – there were so many that completely caught me off guard. Leah Cypess crafted one heck of a plot. And the characters certainly don’t suck either.
Isabel is freakin’ awesome. She doesn’t have any concrete memories of being the Shifter – but she knows she is. When she is backed into a corner – she reacts instinctively. She also has an innate talent for ferreting out Court politics and gossip that enables her to brazen things out despite feeling way out of her depth in the beginning.
Prince Rokan is great too – it took me a long time to figure him out. What are his real priorities? Is he lying…and what about? Does he really trust Isabel? WTF is up with his crazy sister? Speaking of – his sister was one of the best characters in Mistwood. I honestly had NO CLUE where her loyalties really were through the entire book. Sigh, genius.
So, Mistwood might be on the short side for the high fantasy genre, but that doesn’t stop it from being an EPIC read. I was absolutely blown away, and will be picking up the companion novel before the end of 2012 for certain.
To Sum it Up:
-Mixed reviews or not, Mistwood is a brilliantly executed high fantasy read. The plot had so many crazy twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming.
-The characterization was great also – one of the best parts of my reading experience was trying to figure out what side everyone was actually on.
-The world is a really intriguing one, and I’m really excited to pick up the second novel to see where it takes me.
Thanks to an ancient spell, the rulers in the kingdom of Samorna have a long history of being protected by the Shifter- a mysterious immortal creature that lives in the Mistwood when not protecting her charge. When Isabel, the Shifter, is confronted with the newest king – her memories are suspiciously hazy and some of her powers are MIA. Loyalties are tested and lies are revealed as Mistwood unfolds – and no one is who they appear to be.
I could not believe this book, y’all. Seriously. I was going for that whole silly “just a chapter or two” goal when I started (even though it NEVER EVER works). Once I began, I didn’t look up until I had finished. Mistwood isn’t a slow-developing fantasy read where intrigues build and the world unfolds. Nope. It is IN YOUR FACE twists and turns and WTF plot bombs you don’t see coming.
Seriously, there were so many GASP! reveals that I got a little dizzy (in the best way possible). There were a few things I saw coming, of course. But man – there were so many that completely caught me off guard. Leah Cypess crafted one heck of a plot. And the characters certainly don’t suck either.
Isabel is freakin’ awesome. She doesn’t have any concrete memories of being the Shifter – but she knows she is. When she is backed into a corner – she reacts instinctively. She also has an innate talent for ferreting out Court politics and gossip that enables her to brazen things out despite feeling way out of her depth in the beginning.
Prince Rokan is great too – it took me a long time to figure him out. What are his real priorities? Is he lying…and what about? Does he really trust Isabel? WTF is up with his crazy sister? Speaking of – his sister was one of the best characters in Mistwood. I honestly had NO CLUE where her loyalties really were through the entire book. Sigh, genius.
So, Mistwood might be on the short side for the high fantasy genre, but that doesn’t stop it from being an EPIC read. I was absolutely blown away, and will be picking up the companion novel before the end of 2012 for certain.
To Sum it Up:
-Mixed reviews or not, Mistwood is a brilliantly executed high fantasy read. The plot had so many crazy twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming.
-The characterization was great also – one of the best parts of my reading experience was trying to figure out what side everyone was actually on.
-The world is a really intriguing one, and I’m really excited to pick up the second novel to see where it takes me.