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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ntrigued at the beginning and throughout but it lost charm and the vibe of the characters was too crass. I got the underlying commentary on power and magical charm creating life to be boring in certain aspects and the ever need of fulfillment but it wasn’t enough to overcome the odds of it. And it was very slow.
Pretty sure I tried to read this in full a long time ago and I was too young then but now it was just a bit too crass and a bit too wierd. But the world building and magic system was cool. Pacing is all over the place.
Pretty sure I tried to read this in full a long time ago and I was too young then but now it was just a bit too crass and a bit too wierd. But the world building and magic system was cool. Pacing is all over the place.
It's hard to understand how you get away with writing a book about Narnia without even thanking C.S. Lewis. It's also hard to imagine a book that simultaneously pilfers from Lewis & J.K. Rowling, but manages to steal the joy and wonder from both universes and replace it with a level of cynicism and dissatisfaction that Holden Caufield would be proud of. That may be precisely the point, but it doesn't make it any easier to suppress the urge to smack the protagonist into something more than a world-weary amoral slug.
I loved the beginning and end of this book, I really hated the people the character became in the middle but I couldn't turn away. Which has me excited to read the rest of the series.
The narrator/protagonist is a self-centered jerk in this novel populated by very bright people learning magic at a college dedicated to the study of the occult arts.
Despite Quentin's forays into utter unlikability the narrative moves along well, mostly. The characters sometimes read more like glosses than actual characters, but that very well could be an artifact of the narrator's voice.
Despite Quentin's forays into utter unlikability the narrative moves along well, mostly. The characters sometimes read more like glosses than actual characters, but that very well could be an artifact of the narrator's voice.
I just adored it from start to finish. It's sweet and clever and beautifully written. Gorgeous.
This is a great book for anyone looking to upgrade from series like Harry Potter (especially considering J.K. Rowling's disgusting views and such) while staying in the genre. The main characters are often annoying, though it is apparent that they are meant to be stuck-up about their academic prowess. This would not be as much of an issue for me if the book weren't quite so long.
If you want to read this book because you like the tv series, probably don't. There are some things that were skimmed over in the first season that the book clarifies but this is a case where I think the adaptation really improved the story overall. The show is fun and magical with a loveable cast of complicated characters with their own desires and motivations while the book is a slow march through several years of watching Quentin drift aimlessly, hoping that the next thing he stumbles into will cure his perpetual dissatisfaction and his life will finally begin. I don't think it's a bad book necessarily, but if you're craving more from the show I'd suggest some fanfiction instead. (And if you haven't seen the show, go watch it!)
Reviews for this book stated it as Harry Potter for adults. While it took some liberty with actually incorporating death and tragedy that I wish J.K. would have used (especially in the last book), it was fairly predictable but random with some twist. Somewhat exciting and original, but in the end fairly hoo hum.