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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not a particularly strong read, considering how slow I found the first half of the book, and even more so compared to its prequel.
Here, you can clearly see how much the author's has developed her skills, which isn't something to be ashamed of at all. You have to start from somewhere.
I didn't fall hopelessly in love with any character from this book -not like with the Matsudas, anyway-, but I've grown somewhat attached to Daniel and Robin, and, even though I considered her unbearable in the very beginning, I don't have strong feelings about the main character now.
Kinda boring at points, yet interesting when it has to be, I wouldn't say I hated this book, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone, unless that someone has already read The Sword of Kaigen and wants more Matsuda-related content from this series.
Here, you can clearly see how much the author's has developed her skills, which isn't something to be ashamed of at all. You have to start from somewhere.
I didn't fall hopelessly in love with any character from this book -not like with the Matsudas, anyway-, but I've grown somewhat attached to Daniel and Robin, and, even though I considered her unbearable in the very beginning, I don't have strong feelings about the main character now.
Kinda boring at points, yet interesting when it has to be, I wouldn't say I hated this book, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone, unless that someone has already read The Sword of Kaigen and wants more Matsuda-related content from this series.
Wow. This book was amazing. I read it after hearing about it on Merphy Napier's youtube channel and boy am I glad I did.
The way the author let us watch the MC grow up was really realistic, especially in the childish confusion that turned to fear in Joan's mind. And they way Joan and Daniel become such good friends as well as the relationship between Robin and Joan were just beautiful. All the character relationships were great. The plot was gripping and I sped through it. I can't wait to see how Joan and Daniel grow as people and in their friendship in the next books.
***SPOILER*** I can't put into words how much I loved that scene where Daniel reads his father's note and lashes out. It was so emotional and hard to read!
The way the author let us watch the MC grow up was really realistic, especially in the childish confusion that turned to fear in Joan's mind. And they way Joan and Daniel become such good friends as well as the relationship between Robin and Joan were just beautiful. All the character relationships were great. The plot was gripping and I sped through it. I can't wait to see how Joan and Daniel grow as people and in their friendship in the next books.
***SPOILER*** I can't put into words how much I loved that scene where Daniel reads his father's note and lashes out. It was so emotional and hard to read!
Dnf 50% I just found out the author discontinued this and I don’t like reading incomplete series.
This was such a unique take on a story that could have been one I'd seen before. I LOVED that we got to sort of grow up with our MC and watch her discover her powers, and then learn how to hide them. It was a much more realistic way of telling a story rather than the training montage I see in so many stories like this one. I loved that element of the story and now, I can't wait to get to know her powers more and see Planet Adyn in further books. This is a fantastic start to the series!!
This was a very enjoyable read, though the whole book feels more like an introduction and set-up for the story that would truly start in volume 2.
Except for a short prologue, the story is told entirely from the perspective of Joan Messi, a 13 years old girl born with strange powers she does her best to hide since childhood. Her life takes an unexpected turn when Daniel, a boy her age, moves to her neighbourhood, displaying powers similar to hers.
The story built up slowly, introducing Joan and her problems deriving from her unusual abilities, and her meeting with Daniel. The pace picks up gradually, till the final part of the book, where the action really starts, just in time for the end of volume 1, of course.
I found the pace of the story well done, and the characters well developed and relatable. All in all a very nice work, and I'll be looking forward to reading the other parts of this series.
Except for a short prologue, the story is told entirely from the perspective of Joan Messi, a 13 years old girl born with strange powers she does her best to hide since childhood. Her life takes an unexpected turn when Daniel, a boy her age, moves to her neighbourhood, displaying powers similar to hers.
The story built up slowly, introducing Joan and her problems deriving from her unusual abilities, and her meeting with Daniel. The pace picks up gradually, till the final part of the book, where the action really starts, just in time for the end of volume 1, of course.
I found the pace of the story well done, and the characters well developed and relatable. All in all a very nice work, and I'll be looking forward to reading the other parts of this series.
I'll be honest, I didn't go into this book expecting to love it. The blurb just didn't grab me, so I wouldn't have started reading it at all if not for the recommendation of a friend whose opinions I trust. And this book is now another reason why I trust those opinions.
Joan has spent her entire life teaching herself to pass as ordinary — hiding her superhuman strength, practicing her supernatural abilities in secret, making herself practically invisible at school and to her disappointing parents. She thought she was alone with her strange powers. But when Daniel and his father move into her small, dull town and immediately brighten it up, Joan realizes she's not the only one who can do things that should be impossible… and somewhere, there are answers to why she's like this.
I'm a sucker for friendship stories over romance stories. I loved Joan and Daniel, and the relationship between Daniel and his fathereven with that terrible thing the author did to us in the end! . And while the book was a little slow to grab my attention, once it got me interested in how Joan figured out her powers I was hooked. All the world building we got of Duna, even while still on Earth, was fascinating, and I'm very excited for the second book to come out and bring us deeper into this world (and I want answers to that cliffhanger!).
But that brings us to the things that denied this book a full five stars. I wish it stood on its own as a story a little more. It's a fascinating exposition, but still just an exposition. We learn a lot about Duna and Joan's powers that I assume we'll need for the next book, but not a lot about what happened in this one. Most of the answers are as hidden from us as they are to Joan and Daniel, and while that's a brilliant way to make us sympathize and share their frustration, it's still…. you know, frustrating. It was more dialogue and explanation than plot. Again, I enjoyed all that, but to me it seems like part one of a two part book, not an entire book. (Which will bother me less once the second book is actually available, I'm sure)
Also, a few notes about the age of the characters: Joan is thirteen, so we can assume her classmates are in that range too… yet there are dramatic breakup scenes between kids in her classes specifically described, and one girl who's always described as aggressively flirting with whoever is in the scene. Maybe I'm the one mixing up ages here, but I think the author forgot she put her main character in middle school for a moment there. I mean, thirteen-year-olds haven't had much time to form on-and-off-again relationships have they? (…have they?)
Well. Those things aside. I enjoyed this book, and I think you would too.
Joan has spent her entire life teaching herself to pass as ordinary — hiding her superhuman strength, practicing her supernatural abilities in secret, making herself practically invisible at school and to her disappointing parents. She thought she was alone with her strange powers. But when Daniel and his father move into her small, dull town and immediately brighten it up, Joan realizes she's not the only one who can do things that should be impossible… and somewhere, there are answers to why she's like this.
I'm a sucker for friendship stories over romance stories. I loved Joan and Daniel, and the relationship between Daniel and his father
But that brings us to the things that denied this book a full five stars. I wish it stood on its own as a story a little more. It's a fascinating exposition, but still just an exposition. We learn a lot about Duna and Joan's powers that I assume we'll need for the next book, but not a lot about what happened in this one. Most of the answers are as hidden from us as they are to Joan and Daniel, and while that's a brilliant way to make us sympathize and share their frustration, it's still…. you know, frustrating. It was more dialogue and explanation than plot. Again, I enjoyed all that, but to me it seems like part one of a two part book, not an entire book. (Which will bother me less once the second book is actually available, I'm sure)
Also, a few notes about the age of the characters: Joan is thirteen, so we can assume her classmates are in that range too… yet there are dramatic breakup scenes between kids in her classes specifically described, and one girl who's always described as aggressively flirting with whoever is in the scene. Maybe I'm the one mixing up ages here, but I think the author forgot she put her main character in middle school for a moment there. I mean, thirteen-year-olds haven't had much time to form on-and-off-again relationships have they? (…have they?)
Well. Those things aside. I enjoyed this book, and I think you would too.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review! My Spoiler-Free Video Review
Joan is an excellent POV character, leading the audience to follow her as we dive ever deeper into Duna's fascinating workings and the culture of the theonites.