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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
When the main character of a book is meant to be unlikable, I always have a hard time getting into it. It’s always a hard thing to accept and recognize, for me, since the main character is usually someone you root for. About halfway through I accepted that Quintin is a piece of shit and the book became a much better experience. My favorite part was the goose scene. It’s a bummer of a book, everyone is so depressed and honestly disgusting human beings but that’s okay, it added some humor and something different than your average fantasy story.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When reading the introduction I was fascinated to ready to dive in. The first part of the novel, I enjoyed the magical system and loved how contemporary it was. But, it really fall out for me in the other half of the book. I feel that the author has a condescending tone all the time, even during the very boring action scenes. Quentin is insufferable and couldn’t take it anymore towards the end, give me a break man and get over yourself! I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, their personalities are not intriguing whatsoever. I felt that they where lacking charm
I might have gone in to the novel with expectations and came out unsatisfied. I really wanted to love this trilogy, but I probably would have enjoyed if the characters had more personality.
I might have gone in to the novel with expectations and came out unsatisfied. I really wanted to love this trilogy, but I probably would have enjoyed if the characters had more personality.
read after The Bright Sword and it really was so much worse lol, tough comparison. first 2/3 of the book I was just not invested and felt like nothing was happening except the 1 scene with the beast in the classroom and then finally something happened and the last bit was actually quite cool
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
only read the first half but the pacing in this book is terrible
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This ticks a lot of personal boxes for me: dark academic fantasy with unfathomable esoteric magic and skillfully crafted prose? Check, check, check. I also found it helpful to try to put the TV show out of my mind--the book is a lot weirder and more cloistered in a way that was reminiscent of Vita Nostra at times (a book I loved). I even appreciate the subversive enterprise of turning a skeptical eye on Narnia and HP and the like. Despite all that, I found it to be somewhat of a rollercoaster in terms of ping-ponging between poignant choices and completely baffling ones. Certainly not a balanced narrative, but had a lot going for it anyway.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes