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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
“Not all dangers are obvious.”
Well this was boring, like a lot. I was a bit excited and I though yeah this will be pretty interesting but then I was like, I'm so bored I might just explode. Yes, explode because that would be a lot more interesting than just plain dying and a LOT more interesting than this book, so there you have it.
ANYWAY, here we go. The book starts with this girl in the trees except she's not a girl but she is and she can shape shift and some guy finds her naked in the woods, OK we're good so far. Then He takes her to the palace because he's the prince, though not really because he's not really part of the actual royal family and there are a lot of twists and turns and people switching sides and being two-faced like there is no tomorrow. First they're good and trust worthy, then they stab you in the back and then turns out they are actually good but then they have their own agenda, it's like pick a side and stick to it goshdarnit.
Then there are the characters, I didn't like them. In fact I don't even remember their names and I always remember the main characters names ALWAYS. But no, not them, I didn't relate and I found them just plain boring though I admit that the two main characters (what ever their names are) did have a cute relationship as far as I can remember. But...there was nothing memorable about any of them, nothing that makes me think 'oh yeah I remember that one guy/girl in that book that did that thing' with them it's more like 'yeah I remember reading that book but that's all I got'. I just didn't love them at all.
I will admit that was a good ending. That last twist at the end was like 'the FUN!?!? Where did that come from'. It was good and weird and it made total sense (sort of). I mean I had a feeling that something was up with the Shifter and the original Prince and Princess but I didn't know it was that. I liked the twist, a lot, it made the story interesting and managed to redeem it a bit, just a bit. I also liked that the story ended there and there was no over dramatic cliffhanger. Oh, I hate when boring books have cliffhangers because I feel like I just have to read the rest. So thank you [a:Leah Cypess|2915782|Leah Cypess|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1271641014p2/2915782.jpg] for not making me feel obligated to read the rest.
From the opening pages of the book I was completely under the spell of the story. I wanted to know and to understand what the Shifter was. The mystery surrounding the past, Isabel, and the kingdom continually kept me guessing. Isabel is a beautiful character equal parts strength and vulnerability. She struggles to be what is expected of her, but at the same time it is not quite clear what that means. Rokan on the other hand was not an immediate favorite for me. As I got to know him, however, I began to respect him and slowly began to love him. His sister, Clarisse, was just wow. From the beginning until the very end I was never quite sure what her motivations were, but I couldn’t hate her for it. Despite her sometimes dubious moments, I could not help but to have a lot of respect for her. She is a very strong character who will not hesitate to do what she feels is right to protect what she cares about.
The world that is creates within the pages of Mistwood is full of mystery and magic. The history of the Shifter and the kingship is revealed in bits and pieces. I was constantly trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together, but was repeatedly surprised at how they did. The end of the book was just epic. I totally did not see it coming until it was all right there, and I have so much respect for an author who is able to do that. I am usually fairly good at figuring things out, so when I cannot I love it!
This book just completely wowed me. It was so very good that when I finished it I was heartbroken because I just wanted to continue living in the world that was created and the characters I had come to know. I am sad because I feel this review is not doing this book justice at all. So I will state it again, I absolutely ADORED this book, and I am dying to get my hands on a copy of the companion novel that follows this! I highly recommend this, especially to fans of a good fantasy, with a nice, understated romance.
First read: Aug 19, 2011
Second read: Jan 4, 2017
I really hate saying this about books, but unless you're needing something to throw in a bag while on a bus or standing in line at the DMV-pass this one over.
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 is a shape-shifter. THE Shifter sworn to protect the king. She should not have emotions. She should be cold, calculating, and exist only to save the king from danger.
Except Isabel does have emotions. She does have feelings. She does form attachments and opinions about who and what she likes. So how can this be?
Similar to the tale of self-discovery told in Kristen Cashore's Graceling and Fire, Isabel will have to unravel the tales of her own existence, the secret history of the new king, and her own forgotten past lives in order to find out who and what she has the power to be.
A strong debut novel for Leah Cypress. This is a teen read, ideal for ages 12 through 15.