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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
Felt like a wattpad book but with good writing.
This YA novel has a neat hook: its thirteen-year-old protagonist has spent her whole life hiding superpowers, only to discover that her new neighbors have special abilities of their own and are here from a parallel dimension in search of a dangerous criminal hiding out in Joan's reality. I like this storyline a lot, and I think it would be good material for a TV or film adaptation. The worldbuilding is pretty imaginative, and I'm guessing author M. L. Wang will develop the concepts she's introduced even further in the sequel(s).
Unfortunately, this is a self-published book from a young debut author, and the writing is very exposition-heavy. There's a tendency for the narrative to tell instead of show, and this whole first book ultimately feels more like setup for what comes next in the series than a satisfying story in its own right. The heroine is also a bit overpowered in my opinion; she's strong, and fast, and telekinetic, and pyrokinetic, and hydrokinetic, and magnetokinetic, and fire-proof, with a perfect photographic memory to boot. (Did I miss anything?) Even the other 'theonites' she meets are in complete awe of her abilities, which makes it hard for the plot to maintain any tension or challenge her character effectively.
My copy of this book also contains a few typos, missing words, and other issues that an editor should have caught, although none are substantial enough to impede understanding of what the author means or detract from the story at hand. Still, this would be something else for Wang to keep in mind in her future publications or revised editions of this one. As with the plot, there are solid foundations but definite potential for improvement there.
[This book was passed along to me by a friend who knows the author's mother. If you'd like to read it next, I am happy to send it your way!]
Unfortunately, this is a self-published book from a young debut author, and the writing is very exposition-heavy. There's a tendency for the narrative to tell instead of show, and this whole first book ultimately feels more like setup for what comes next in the series than a satisfying story in its own right. The heroine is also a bit overpowered in my opinion; she's strong, and fast, and telekinetic, and pyrokinetic, and hydrokinetic, and magnetokinetic, and fire-proof, with a perfect photographic memory to boot. (Did I miss anything?) Even the other 'theonites' she meets are in complete awe of her abilities, which makes it hard for the plot to maintain any tension or challenge her character effectively.
My copy of this book also contains a few typos, missing words, and other issues that an editor should have caught, although none are substantial enough to impede understanding of what the author means or detract from the story at hand. Still, this would be something else for Wang to keep in mind in her future publications or revised editions of this one. As with the plot, there are solid foundations but definite potential for improvement there.
[This book was passed along to me by a friend who knows the author's mother. If you'd like to read it next, I am happy to send it your way!]
Too YA, didn’t have the same magic and complexity as Sword of Kaigen despite taking place in the same world.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had heard a review of Wang's [b:The Sword of Kaigen|41886271|The Sword of Kaigen (A Theonite War Story)|M.L. Wang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546137241l/41886271._SX50_.jpg|65383313], and the reviewer raved about it, so when I saw that the author had written this book first, I decided to read her books in published order. Anyway, I really liked this, and it ended on a cliffhanger, so I need to read the second book, as soon as I finish this review.
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
I would like to know more about Robin’s childhood and how he became Firebird. This was such a light and enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read the sequel and The Sword of Kaigen.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was incredibly short. I had just begun to sink my teeth back into the wonderfully detailed world when I was abruptly pulled out. So I’m docking a star.
Otherwise it is exactly what a young adult fantasy story should be - it’s gripping, it’s personal and relatable and incredibly intriguing. The main character is well developed and very far from being a self-insert character and the side characters are also interesting. It’s much less detailed and more streamlined than Mistborn (and no doorstopper), but the world has the same lived-in feel and the system of powers is fully developed and internally consistent, though this only becomes evident if you read the prequel.
Actually, this is a problem with the series: the prequel fleshes out not only the world but much of what happens here, but it is definitely too old for the target audience of this one. Can’t see them enjoying a novel about the tribulations of motherhood. As for older readers - if they’re anything like me they’ll consider this merely an appetizer and not really engaging (unless one has the benefit of having read the prequel).
Otherwise it is exactly what a young adult fantasy story should be - it’s gripping, it’s personal and relatable and incredibly intriguing. The main character is well developed and very far from being a self-insert character and the side characters are also interesting. It’s much less detailed and more streamlined than Mistborn (and no doorstopper), but the world has the same lived-in feel and the system of powers is fully developed and internally consistent, though this only becomes evident if you read the prequel.
Actually, this is a problem with the series: the prequel fleshes out not only the world but much of what happens here, but it is definitely too old for the target audience of this one. Can’t see them enjoying a novel about the tribulations of motherhood. As for older readers - if they’re anything like me they’ll consider this merely an appetizer and not really engaging (unless one has the benefit of having read the prequel).