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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Sorry, DNF at 20%.
I remember liking the other Graceling novels, and it really has been a very long time since the last one. Maybe they aren't actually as good as I thought in retrospect, if this is book's quality if consistent with the previous ones.
What has done me in is how the Queen with the silly name conducts her royal duties not unlike the president of an afterschool club - no servants, no ministers, no actual duties beyond bumming around a castle that feels very empty apart from her immediate gang of friends. Everyone seems rather too busy talking about who is dating who, who is having sex... I feel like I'm reading a fanfic of the other Graceling books.
When you can lift the characters out of the fantasy and implant them into a high school setting without needing to change their dialogue or behaviour, I think there's a problem.
I remember liking the other Graceling novels, and it really has been a very long time since the last one. Maybe they aren't actually as good as I thought in retrospect, if this is book's quality if consistent with the previous ones.
What has done me in is how the Queen with the silly name conducts her royal duties not unlike the president of an afterschool club - no servants, no ministers, no actual duties beyond bumming around a castle that feels very empty apart from her immediate gang of friends. Everyone seems rather too busy talking about who is dating who, who is having sex... I feel like I'm reading a fanfic of the other Graceling books.
When you can lift the characters out of the fantasy and implant them into a high school setting without needing to change their dialogue or behaviour, I think there's a problem.
Kristin Cashore try to write a main character with a father that isn't either abusive, dead, or both challenge (impossible)
What I liked:
- The land of Winterkeep and its worldbuilding. It's so different from anything we've seen so far in the Graceling series yet Cashore puts so much detail into it that it feels believable and lived-in, from its conflicts to its culture to its natural landscapes and creatures.
- Lovisa!! She's a very complex and distant person and it's almost hard to root for her at first, but then when you go deeper you understand the reasons for her behavior and how her abusive home life affected her. Her arc in this book is incredible - heartbreaking, emotional, and ultimately powerful.
- Honestly, all the Keepish characters: Nev, Mari, etc., even the fox and the "Keeper". I loved them all, no complaints there. (Except Lovisa's parents, of course)
- Hava: She doesn't get much in terms of character development but she is iconic in this book, can't wait to read Seasparrow.
What I didn't like:
- Bitterblue and Giddon: why??? I mean, I can understand why - they did have some romantic-tinged undertones in the previous novel, but shoving them together here felt way too neat and convenient. Their arcs in this book revolve mostly around each other (though they spend most of it apart - and Bitterblue only starts to think of him like 50 pages before they meet). I appreciate their inclusion in this story so we could catch up with them 5 years later but I think there could have been more to their individual arcs - especially Giddon, who spends the entire book pining after Bitterblue and never once has any thoughts about himself apart from her, like about his past, his goals, etc. (No mention of Katsa at all?? Really??? Vague mentions of the other Council members? Does he remember why he's doing all this in the first place?) Not to mention the age gap - look, I get things are different in a fantasy world, and 23 and 31 are technically both adults, but come on! He knew her as a child - that just doesn't sit right with me, no matter how much the author emphasizes that this whole relationship is her idea.
- The timeline: This is a bit pedantic of a criticism, but I feel like 5 years is too short of a time for two completely different nations to learn so much about each other and for significant populations of each country to become fluent in the respective languages.
Overall though I was a bit put off by the main romance, my love for Lovisa and interest in Winterkeep kept me reading and the main plot itself was really intriguing and well written.
What I liked:
- The land of Winterkeep and its worldbuilding. It's so different from anything we've seen so far in the Graceling series yet Cashore puts so much detail into it that it feels believable and lived-in, from its conflicts to its culture to its natural landscapes and creatures.
- Lovisa!! She's a very complex and distant person and it's almost hard to root for her at first, but then when you go deeper you understand the reasons for her behavior and how her abusive home life affected her. Her arc in this book is incredible - heartbreaking, emotional, and ultimately powerful.
- Honestly, all the Keepish characters: Nev, Mari, etc., even the fox and the "Keeper". I loved them all, no complaints there. (Except Lovisa's parents, of course)
- Hava: She doesn't get much in terms of character development but she is iconic in this book, can't wait to read Seasparrow.
What I didn't like:
- Bitterblue and Giddon: why??? I mean, I can understand why - they did have some romantic-tinged undertones in the previous novel, but shoving them together here felt way too neat and convenient. Their arcs in this book revolve mostly around each other (though they spend most of it apart - and Bitterblue only starts to think of him like 50 pages before they meet). I appreciate their inclusion in this story so we could catch up with them 5 years later but I think there could have been more to their individual arcs - especially Giddon, who spends the entire book pining after Bitterblue and never once has any thoughts about himself apart from her, like about his past, his goals, etc. (No mention of Katsa at all?? Really??? Vague mentions of the other Council members? Does he remember why he's doing all this in the first place?) Not to mention the age gap - look, I get things are different in a fantasy world, and 23 and 31 are technically both adults, but come on! He knew her as a child - that just doesn't sit right with me, no matter how much the author emphasizes that this whole relationship is her idea.
- The timeline: This is a bit pedantic of a criticism, but I feel like 5 years is too short of a time for two completely different nations to learn so much about each other and for significant populations of each country to become fluent in the respective languages.
Overall though I was a bit put off by the main romance, my love for Lovisa and interest in Winterkeep kept me reading and the main plot itself was really intriguing and well written.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
moving and emotionally rich as well as fun and fantastical.
The best book in the Graceling series. Fire took a fascinating protagonist and thrust her into the dullest possible political plot with too many characters, Bitterblue was much more satisfying of a mystery but still dragged ON. Cashore has finally gotten the editor I wish she had for these books because Winterkeep is nonstop intrigue, whether fun or distressing. The inclusion of such fantastical animals was really endearing, and while some might have guessed the plot twists I was on the edge of my seat with some of the misdirection and close calls. I will say I absolutely hated the use of the word “kittens” in this book and did not find it cute or funny, just corny, but that’s pretty much the only issue. Themes seem even darker and more mature, which is something considering the plot points brought up in Graceling and Bitterblue, but it seems to delve into abuse, sex, etc in more detail.
Some points brought up in the more critical reviews - I’m always shocked people see fantasy animals as a childish thing. I want my fantasy worlds to remain fantastical even as an adult?
Second, the idea that Lovisa glorified casual sex to the point of exploitation without consequence is… quite superficial. She does experience consequences for using sex as a mindless distraction. She repeatedly asks herself “what’s wrong with me” and why she isnt able to experience sex like other people, but only uses it as a tool. If anything I think it makes her budding and chaste crush on [insert character here] all the more compelling in contrast.
Some points brought up in the more critical reviews - I’m always shocked people see fantasy animals as a childish thing. I want my fantasy worlds to remain fantastical even as an adult?
Second, the idea that Lovisa glorified casual sex to the point of exploitation without consequence is… quite superficial. She does experience consequences for using sex as a mindless distraction. She repeatedly asks herself “what’s wrong with me” and why she isnt able to experience sex like other people, but only uses it as a tool. If anything I think it makes her budding and chaste crush on [insert character here] all the more compelling in contrast.
I don't even know where to start with this review. I guess I'll start with the things I did like about it:
1. Much like "Fire", getting to know this new world and its characters was a nice break from the Seven Kingdoms/Nations and their characters. I thought there was a good balance of content from Lovisa's world and Bitterblue's world.
2. The character development across the board was slower than I would've liked it to be, but I particularly liked Lovisa's journey and Bitterblue and Giddon finally becoming a couple.
Now the things I didn't like:
1. The whole Keeper thing... At a certain point, the underwater world started giving me Finding Nemo vibes (I'm so sorry to Cashore - I know that's probably not what she intended), and the Keeper also reminded me of Sadness from the movie Inside Out. Once I thought those things, I couldn't un-think them so it was very distracting. (This was definitely a personal problem.)
2. Similar to the third book, this one was much too long for how much action it lacked. About halfway in, I felt bored and simply obligated to finish the book. I know there was a LOT going on with all the different plot points and characters so maybe that had something to do with the slow progress, but it was still too slow for me.
I'm probably forgetting to mention other thoughts (both good and bad) I had while reading it, but this is the gist of how I felt about it. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with it considering I had higher expectations for this than I did for Bitterblue, and this is the most recently published book in the series. I read somewhere that the fifth book is going to revolve around Hava. I do plan on reading it when it's published, but I don't know what to expect. I just hope it moves faster than the third and fourth books.
1. Much like "Fire", getting to know this new world and its characters was a nice break from the Seven Kingdoms/Nations and their characters. I thought there was a good balance of content from Lovisa's world and Bitterblue's world.
2. The character development across the board was slower than I would've liked it to be, but I particularly liked Lovisa's journey and Bitterblue and Giddon finally becoming a couple.
Now the things I didn't like:
1. The whole Keeper thing... At a certain point, the underwater world started giving me Finding Nemo vibes (I'm so sorry to Cashore - I know that's probably not what she intended), and the Keeper also reminded me of Sadness from the movie Inside Out. Once I thought those things, I couldn't un-think them so it was very distracting. (This was definitely a personal problem.)
2. Similar to the third book, this one was much too long for how much action it lacked. About halfway in, I felt bored and simply obligated to finish the book. I know there was a LOT going on with all the different plot points and characters so maybe that had something to do with the slow progress, but it was still too slow for me.
I'm probably forgetting to mention other thoughts (both good and bad) I had while reading it, but this is the gist of how I felt about it. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with it considering I had higher expectations for this than I did for Bitterblue, and this is the most recently published book in the series. I read somewhere that the fifth book is going to revolve around Hava. I do plan on reading it when it's published, but I don't know what to expect. I just hope it moves faster than the third and fourth books.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to be back in this world that I just love. I did think it went on a bit too long at the end. It was nice that all loose ends were closed, but it happened a bit slowly.
4.5
I really loved it; the beginning was a bit lethargic, but the pacing really came into its own and delivered such a precise, intentional and heart-felt end. I love being back in the world, even if this is the wider-world, but I mostly enjoy watching the kingdoms evolve and age.
I hope with the next book that the core characters of Katsa and Po will be involved again--it's wonderful to watch these initially peripheral characters come into their own, but I need a hit of nostalgic in the future.
I really loved it; the beginning was a bit lethargic, but the pacing really came into its own and delivered such a precise, intentional and heart-felt end. I love being back in the world, even if this is the wider-world, but I mostly enjoy watching the kingdoms evolve and age.
I hope with the next book that the core characters of Katsa and Po will be involved again--it's wonderful to watch these initially peripheral characters come into their own, but I need a hit of nostalgic in the future.
This was really good! Probably my last favorite of the series but I loved it still.
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated