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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Started out slow and confusing but then it got better. Still confusing but I sure I'll understand more as the series continues.
I have honestly never been more glad to buy a book on the strength of it's cover. This is a quality high fantasy that's suitable for a young adult audience without being one of those "YA fantasy" books - you know the ones, every emotion a tidal wave and every male a potential lust interest to the heroine. There were little niggles, sure, but I haven't enjoyed such a fresh epic fantasy in a long time.
The Kingdoms stand in an uneasy truce. Some are friends, some are foes, but all fear the encroaching mist that has been slowly devouring the land and killing those it touches. There are many characters in this story, but we mainly focus on Bleak. She's the local down-and-out drunkard and part-time pickpocket. By some unlucky quirk of fate, she's come to the attention of the king of Ellest who's sent a personal guard to "escort" her to the capital where he's rounding up other magic users. Commander Swinton, son of the kingdom's great hero, is to deliver her safely to the king for reasons unknown... Until the party are ambushed by a group of warrior women known as the Valian kindred. Lead by Henri, a queen amoungst her people and wielder of strong magic, they liberate Bleak only to take her for themselves. With them she begins to learn more about the power she never wanted, but not why it could mean so much to the king. Meanwhile in the royal castle, a young stable hand nick-named Dash is facing trouble when his friendship with the Princess Olena comes under threat. While it may seem all these people are only vaguely connected, there is one message, one word, that links them all: Oremere.
Despite a worryingly quick start to the plot, it became more of a slow-burn story of discovery which focused in on the characters themselves. Bleak does have one fantasy quirk, and that's her heterochromia. Otherwise she's quite an odd heroine. Her addiction peppers every part of her narrative, giving her a such a hugely consuming character flaw that should have been alienating. However, despite her rough demeanor, I found the writing of her character to be skillfully done. We're neither drowned in pity for her nor turned away by over-the-top reactions. While she's not the most likeable character, I still found myself wanting her to succeed, and her personal story is an interesting one. The cast of main and side characters are all interesting in their own way, made up of well-balanced good and bad points that make their chapters just as fascinating to read. Their additions to the overall plot kept the mystery intact while giving the reader enough information to put two and two together (finally, a book that allows readers to think rather then infodump and be done!)
I will agree that some of the details of the world could have done with some more explanation. The political landscape of the many kingdoms is alluded to, but doesn't always give us everything the perhaps we needed. Ellest doesn't like Valia because it's not a real kingdom, but still respected them enough in the past..? The king of Ellest seems to want magic banned, but is also asking people nicely if they'd come to him? What exactly is the hierarchy of the matriarchs/queens/warriors in Valia?
While there are flaws to the world building aspect, I still wouldn't hold it against such a well-written book. There is honestly so much going on in the plot that I fear I'll need notes! I enjoyed the magical mystery plot immensely, watching the characters change and grow in a natural way throughout. The ending was perfectly timed, with enough bite to make you want to know what happens next. There are revelations, but even then they leave so many questions. What is the king planning? Will everyone survive unscathed? And just what is the significance of the mist and the mysterious Oremere? I cannot wait for book 2 to find out.
The Kingdoms stand in an uneasy truce. Some are friends, some are foes, but all fear the encroaching mist that has been slowly devouring the land and killing those it touches. There are many characters in this story, but we mainly focus on Bleak. She's the local down-and-out drunkard and part-time pickpocket. By some unlucky quirk of fate, she's come to the attention of the king of Ellest who's sent a personal guard to "escort" her to the capital where he's rounding up other magic users. Commander Swinton, son of the kingdom's great hero, is to deliver her safely to the king for reasons unknown... Until the party are ambushed by a group of warrior women known as the Valian kindred. Lead by Henri, a queen amoungst her people and wielder of strong magic, they liberate Bleak only to take her for themselves. With them she begins to learn more about the power she never wanted, but not why it could mean so much to the king. Meanwhile in the royal castle, a young stable hand nick-named Dash is facing trouble when his friendship with the Princess Olena comes under threat. While it may seem all these people are only vaguely connected, there is one message, one word, that links them all: Oremere.
Despite a worryingly quick start to the plot, it became more of a slow-burn story of discovery which focused in on the characters themselves. Bleak does have one fantasy quirk, and that's her heterochromia. Otherwise she's quite an odd heroine. Her addiction peppers every part of her narrative, giving her a such a hugely consuming character flaw that should have been alienating. However, despite her rough demeanor, I found the writing of her character to be skillfully done. We're neither drowned in pity for her nor turned away by over-the-top reactions. While she's not the most likeable character, I still found myself wanting her to succeed, and her personal story is an interesting one.
Spoiler
The only downer would be her unreliable memory about her past. The flashbacks about her origins early on that she dismissed were written as if she truly didn't know about her own past. But much later we find out that actually she does. It seemed like an editorial flaw rather then the character being an unreliable witness to her own life.I will agree that some of the details of the world could have done with some more explanation. The political landscape of the many kingdoms is alluded to, but doesn't always give us everything the perhaps we needed. Ellest doesn't like Valia because it's not a real kingdom, but still respected them enough in the past
Spoiler
to go to queen-in-waiting Sahara's funeralSpoiler
And some of the things that happened right at the end in Heathton, like the wagon with "M" on the side, and the magical prison... Some foreshadowing of this knowledge would have made it feel less inconsistent with what we'd been told in the earlier chapters.While there are flaws to the world building aspect, I still wouldn't hold it against such a well-written book. There is honestly so much going on in the plot that I fear I'll need notes! I enjoyed the magical mystery plot immensely, watching the characters change and grow in a natural way throughout. The ending was perfectly timed, with enough bite to make you want to know what happens next. There are revelations, but even then they leave so many questions. What is the king planning? Will everyone survive unscathed? And just what is the significance of the mist and the mysterious Oremere? I cannot wait for book 2 to find out.
It takes a minute to get into but then it ends too quickly. Well developed characters and potential set ups for situations. I dig it... and then I realized the second book wasn't out yet and I was devastated...
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars actually
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
TW: rape, assault, abuse, graphic violence, death
Heart of Mist is a promising addition to the fantasy genre with its meticulous world-building, detailed writing, nuanced portrayal of societal issues, and remarkable characters. It's told in different perspectives which helped me in grasping the full scope of the world. My favorite POV was Dash's because he's so full of hope and is a ball of free spirit. His friendship with Princess Olena is one of the purest things I have ever read in my entire life so I'm looking forward to more of it in the next books. There's also an abundance of fierce female characters in this book which I really liked. I do not approve of "the Valian Way" which includes the banishment of those who aren't "worthy" but I commend Helen Scheuerer for writing such a form of society which may seem righteous to some but highly flawed to many.
However, I really thought that the first half of the book was dragging. I got tired of reading about all the endless traveling if I have to be honest. Heart of Mist had too many filler chapters for my liking which is why I found myself putting down the book at intervals. During these small breaks, I kept on convincing myself to push through because I knew the book had more to offer. I wanted to know where all the foreshadowing and scheming would lead, okay? Even though this book had boring parts, I can't deny that I was hooked by its mysteries.
I really enjoyed reading the last few chapters because THE CHARACTERS DROPPED ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED BOMBS THAT MY HEART ALMOST FLAT-LINED. All the revelations + the plot twists made me so invested in this series which is why I'm looking forward to the sequel. OH AND THAT CLIFFHANGER TOTALLY ENDED ME.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of high fantasy. Prepare yourself for revelation bombs.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
TW: rape, assault, abuse, graphic violence, death
Heart of Mist is a promising addition to the fantasy genre with its meticulous world-building, detailed writing, nuanced portrayal of societal issues, and remarkable characters. It's told in different perspectives which helped me in grasping the full scope of the world. My favorite POV was Dash's because he's so full of hope and is a ball of free spirit. His friendship with Princess Olena is one of the purest things I have ever read in my entire life so I'm looking forward to more of it in the next books. There's also an abundance of fierce female characters in this book which I really liked. I do not approve of "the Valian Way" which includes the banishment of those who aren't "worthy" but I commend Helen Scheuerer for writing such a form of society which may seem righteous to some but highly flawed to many.
However, I really thought that the first half of the book was dragging. I got tired of reading about all the endless traveling if I have to be honest. Heart of Mist had too many filler chapters for my liking which is why I found myself putting down the book at intervals. During these small breaks, I kept on convincing myself to push through because I knew the book had more to offer. I wanted to know where all the foreshadowing and scheming would lead, okay? Even though this book had boring parts, I can't deny that I was hooked by its mysteries.
I really enjoyed reading the last few chapters because THE CHARACTERS DROPPED ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED BOMBS THAT MY HEART ALMOST FLAT-LINED. All the revelations + the plot twists made me so invested in this series which is why I'm looking forward to the sequel. OH AND THAT CLIFFHANGER TOTALLY ENDED ME.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of high fantasy. Prepare yourself for revelation bombs.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, finally! A fantasy book with a young female lead protagonist that isn't just a flimsy veneer for a romance. The world building was excellent and not only were there other significant characters besides the heroine, but every side character was fully fleshed out with their own problems and flaws. AND, as a plus, the book was gritty and dark, none of the fluffiness omnipresent in the YA lit I usually read.
**Note, some spoilers below, besides the ones in the spoiler tags.**
However, I didn't like a large percentage of the characters, they drove me up the wall.
Swinton in particular, realllllly got on my nerves. Normally, in these types of books, he would be one of my favorites, but in this case Scheuerer did a great (if unintentional) job of making him despicable to me. I guessed what drove his actions as soon as she dropped the hints, however I also just assumed that the King knew all along and was blackmailing him, which would in some small measure excuse his blind loyalty. However, at the end, it was revealed that he'd thought the king was ignorant of his secret. And thinking back on all his actions, and how he'd probably condemned hundreds, maybe thousands to death with the mist-and-map scheme and had rounded up hundreds of Ashai for torture and death, I just can't excuse him for his behavior. Can't. He shows incredible selfishness throughout , and his selfishness is compounded by also displaying an incredible capacity for self-righteousness , and an incredible capacity for self-pity, along with all his other disgusting qualities. I understand that Scheuerer was trying to make him a flawed, yet sympathetic character, but in my eyes she went way overboard and ruined him, probably beyond redemption. (Depends on whether he improves in the sequels and whether I forget all my rage and frustration in this installment, lol.)
As for the other characters, let's see.
I hated Bren. He was pathetic, entitled, annoying , not to mention stupid .
I also wasn't a huge fan of Henri a lot of the time. She got better towards the end, but for a large chunk of the middle was a pretty unlikable chick, even after making allowances for her position and the weight of her responsibilities.
Dash got on my nerves because I thought, given his age, he should have been much more aware of the social/political consequences of his actions. I hate when authors forget that kids are actually pretty smart.
Fiore was alrightish, not too annoying, which is saying something with this lot, but also not great.
And then there was Bleak herself. Probably the main reason I kept reading (along with the fact that this book is goddamn addicting, so much Drama), and even she had her moments. Usually because I was cursing her for not even attempting to overcome her addiction.
Sidenote, Luka was great, and I really enjoyed Bleak's forays into her thoughts. Also, Athene was harsh.
Alas, despite all the numerous shortcomings of the characters and how much they all had me pulling out my hair, they were, for the most part, incredibly real and drawn with considerable thought. The plot also had a level of complexity and intrigue that I haven't encountered in a good long while, so win for that. I did manage to guess/predict a chunk of the twists, but that didn't diminish the reading experience except when I was hopping up and down cursing the characters for not figuring things out sooner.
To summarize (and repeat), I have very mixed feelings about this book. Was it great? Infuriating? Brilliant? Dissatisfying?
Probably all of the above?
Oh, and let's not forget the cliffhanger. No neat resolutions for this book, oh no. Will have to read the sequel, which I think isn't going to be released until sometime mid-2018, urg.
One last thought:
Listening Soundtrack:
- Purity of Heart - Steve Jablonsky (this! perfectly captures the tone of the book)
- Songs from Wonder Woman (No Man's Land, Pain, Loss & Love, etc)- Rupert Gregson-Williams
- Radiate - Joseph Trapanese
- other...
**Note, some spoilers below, besides the ones in the spoiler tags.**
However, I didn't like a large percentage of the characters, they drove me up the wall.
Swinton in particular, realllllly got on my nerves. Normally, in these types of books, he would be one of my favorites, but in this case Scheuerer did a great (if unintentional) job of making him despicable to me. I guessed what drove his actions as soon as she dropped the hints
Spoiler
his thought about how a previous relationship with a lower born woman hadn't ended well, his money mysteriously vanishing for parts unknown and being unable to afford to upkeep his gear)Spoiler
one of many examples is his relative indifference to the fact that one of his men is trying to rape(!) Bleak while she is under his care (da fuk, dude)Spoiler
he doesn't take any sort of responsibility or blame in his own mind for the fiasco at the tavern where Bleak was forced to defend herself and Henri by killing everyone since he'd essentially slipped Henri a date rape drug and she couldn't defend herselfAs for the other characters, let's see.
I hated Bren. He was pathetic, entitled
Spoiler
he thought he had some sort of claim on Bleak because of his attachmentSpoiler
why oh whyyy did he have to follow her everywhere??Spoiler
allow me to point you to the part where he shows up at the palace claiming to be one of a race of people who are persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered because he thinks that that will get people to take him to Bleak???I also wasn't a huge fan of Henri a lot of the time. She got better towards the end, but for a large chunk of the middle was a pretty unlikable chick, even after making allowances for her position and the weight of her responsibilities.
Dash got on my nerves because I thought, given his age, he should have been much more aware of the social/political consequences of his actions. I hate when authors forget that kids are actually pretty smart.
Fiore was alrightish, not too annoying, which is saying something with this lot, but also not great.
And then there was Bleak herself. Probably the main reason I kept reading (along with the fact that this book is goddamn addicting, so much Drama), and even she had her moments. Usually because I was cursing her for not even attempting to overcome her addiction.
Sidenote, Luka was great, and I really enjoyed Bleak's forays into her thoughts. Also, Athene was harsh.
Alas, despite all the numerous shortcomings of the characters and how much they all had me pulling out my hair, they were, for the most part, incredibly real and drawn with considerable thought. The plot also had a level of complexity and intrigue that I haven't encountered in a good long while, so win for that. I did manage to guess/predict a chunk of the twists, but that didn't diminish the reading experience except when I was hopping up and down cursing the characters for not figuring things out sooner.
To summarize (and repeat), I have very mixed feelings about this book. Was it great? Infuriating? Brilliant? Dissatisfying?
Probably all of the above?
Oh, and let's not forget the cliffhanger. No neat resolutions for this book, oh no. Will have to read the sequel, which I think isn't going to be released until sometime mid-2018, urg.
One last thought:
Spoiler
I can't help but be impressed at the degree of dislike that Swinton leveled at Dash during their encounters.Listening Soundtrack:
- Purity of Heart - Steve Jablonsky (this! perfectly captures the tone of the book)
- Songs from Wonder Woman (No Man's Land, Pain, Loss & Love, etc)- Rupert Gregson-Williams
- Radiate - Joseph Trapanese
- other...
adventurous
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:
Complicated
4.5 stars. Some pacing issues but overall a super engaging and original read with wonderfully fleshed out characters and a twisty plot. And a nasty cliffhanger! I can't wait for book 2!
I never managed to connect with either the characters or the story, and by 50% I was already skimming pages to get to the end, which turned out to be a massive cliffhanger. Unfortunately, this book was not for me, so I won´t be reading the rest of the series.