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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
Interesting fantasy. Girl fairy main character, with plenty of action and creepy undertones.
I was so happy to find another series by Laini Taylor that I enjoyed nearly as much as "Daughter of Smoke and Bone". Laini does such a great job of drawing me into the imaginative worlds that she creates and her characters are an assortment of likeable, humourous and terrifying. Magpie, the heroine is feisty and independent, loyal to the murder of crows she travels with and to the friends she meets along the way. As she struggles to save Dreamdark and bring down the Blackbringer she meets many challenges and learns a lot about herself in the process.
Without giving away any spoilers, let me just say, it did make me laugh, it did make me cry, and I can't wait to delve into the next book in the series.
Without giving away any spoilers, let me just say, it did make me laugh, it did make me cry, and I can't wait to delve into the next book in the series.
adventurous
medium-paced
This was fine. It took me a long time to get engaged, and I think print would have been better than audio this time. By the end though, I was all in and rooting for Magpie & her wacky crew of cheroot smoking crow-nies (eh? eh?). Bottom line, I heart Laini Taylor.
I really enjoyed Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, so I thought I would give some of her other books a try. It almost felt as if I was reading a book from a completely different author (this was her first though, I believe). I had a hard time getting into the story or caring about anything that happened. I never had an emotional connection to any of the characters and it didn't feel as if anything bad was really going to happen to anyone (I was right). The story was a little too cutesy and lacked substance. I don't know, I guess it's just difficult for me to take faeries seriously.
I wish I was a good enough writer to convey exactly how much I loved this book. But I'm not, so I'm left with writing a review that will never do it justice. I think there are rare times in life when you read a book and you feel like it was written just for you. I can recognize that this book will never be as popular as some of the other juvenile or YA fiction out there, but it was perfect for me. I loved everything about it, and I can't think of one thing I didn't like.
For starters, this is what fairy stories should be like. The fairies were not humans with wings like I see so much of in stories now--they were small, completely different, exactly how fairies should be and so rarely are. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I love fairies. I have a fairly large collection, including a collection of warrior fairies, which made this book even better for me, because the main character in this is a warrior fairy. And she's so very likable and strong. This is what I've been missing in YA fiction. I'm sick of the simpering, man-obsessed girls, and this was exactly the opposite of that.
The other characters were wonderful. I loved the crows, more than I ever thought was possible to love animal characters. I loved the language, the writing, and the artwork--oh my goodness, I want to hang it on my walls; I just wish there would have been more! And I'm so excited that there's another book in this series for me to read. I would highly recommend this to YA fantasy fans--this will go on my very small list of all-time favorites.
For starters, this is what fairy stories should be like. The fairies were not humans with wings like I see so much of in stories now--they were small, completely different, exactly how fairies should be and so rarely are. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I love fairies. I have a fairly large collection, including a collection of warrior fairies, which made this book even better for me, because the main character in this is a warrior fairy. And she's so very likable and strong. This is what I've been missing in YA fiction. I'm sick of the simpering, man-obsessed girls, and this was exactly the opposite of that.
The other characters were wonderful. I loved the crows, more than I ever thought was possible to love animal characters. I loved the language, the writing, and the artwork--oh my goodness, I want to hang it on my walls; I just wish there would have been more! And I'm so excited that there's another book in this series for me to read. I would highly recommend this to YA fantasy fans--this will go on my very small list of all-time favorites.
a reread of what was one of my favourite childhood books. probably the fourth time i’m reading it?
a lot more dirty jokes that anticipated, which was frankly entertaining and it has been significantly long enough that i wasn’t sure which direction the plot was going in. i still mourn the third book, and as it looks nowhere in the making i probably won’t read the second because of the cliffhanger i’ve heard it ends on. sad because of how much i dearly enjoyed this.
the writing is easy to consume and perennially readable but not juvenile or middle grade. the characters are young, but they’re realistic and righteous and stubborn and very entertaining. they have clear flaws and clear goals, even magpie: the chosen one of this novel, is stubborn and mean at times. no one is perfect and that makes this book so much better.
the descriptions, as always with laini taylor, are really easy to envision, as are the characters. the settings is the real pièce de resistance here though, because i’ve talked many a time about my adoration for a magical forest. i would kill for my own magical forest but for now i’ll remain happy to read them, and dream dark is a quintessentially perfect magical forest.
a lot more dirty jokes that anticipated, which was frankly entertaining and it has been significantly long enough that i wasn’t sure which direction the plot was going in. i still mourn the third book, and as it looks nowhere in the making i probably won’t read the second because of the cliffhanger i’ve heard it ends on. sad because of how much i dearly enjoyed this.
the writing is easy to consume and perennially readable but not juvenile or middle grade. the characters are young, but they’re realistic and righteous and stubborn and very entertaining. they have clear flaws and clear goals, even magpie: the chosen one of this novel, is stubborn and mean at times. no one is perfect and that makes this book so much better.
the descriptions, as always with laini taylor, are really easy to envision, as are the characters. the settings is the real pièce de resistance here though, because i’ve talked many a time about my adoration for a magical forest. i would kill for my own magical forest but for now i’ll remain happy to read them, and dream dark is a quintessentially perfect magical forest.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So perfect. Sweet and exciting and perfect!
I remember seeing galleys of this book about a year ago, but for some reason, it never made it into my "to read" stack. But lately, I have been hearing so many good things about this book (plus I really like the author's blog) that I just really had to know what everyone was talking about. I love that the main female faerie, Magpie, is fierce and willful and unafraid and up for adventure and not about to back down. But she's not so far into fierce girl mode that she can't accept help when she needs it, especially when it's from a cute guard. And I love that the author left the opening for a sequel, which the author is currently working on and which will be called Silksinger.
This is such a wonderful faerie story. I wish I read this as a kid since I was obsessed with fairies. Magpie gives me tinkerbell vibes both cute and badass. Laini's writing style is magnificent as always and the drawings of our characters by Jim are super cute! Excited to read more about the quests of the fairies of dreamdark.