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c1aud55n's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️
This book fell a little flat for me. I hope in the next few installments we get to see more character development, the main two character weren’t extremely compelling and the story was really heldback by how underdeveloped the side characters were. I just couldn’t really understand their motoves well. The world building and magic system was intriguing at first but ended up sorely undervdeveloped. i hope we get to see more of that in the next book. I feel like the story could be amazing depending on where the author decides to take it in the book.
This book fell a little flat for me. I hope in the next few installments we get to see more character development, the main two character weren’t extremely compelling and the story was really heldback by how underdeveloped the side characters were. I just couldn’t really understand their motoves well. The world building and magic system was intriguing at first but ended up sorely undervdeveloped. i hope we get to see more of that in the next book. I feel like the story could be amazing depending on where the author decides to take it in the book.
asreadbykat's review against another edition
3.0
Note: DNF'd at page 320.
True Rating: 3/5 Stars
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, racism and prejudice, panic attacks, animal death. Read the warnings at the beginning of the book for more.
My Thoughts
I considered not writing a review since I did, technically, not finish reading the book. However, I also felt that at 320 out of about 460 pages, I had read enough that I can give insight into WHY I decided to drop the book.
Plot-wise, the book was fine. I was extremely interested in the world the author was crafting, how the kingdom of Ziran was started and how it came to be as discriminatory as it is, despite it's own history. I liked that the book was very plot-focused, because it was giving me hope. So many books focus more on the relationship than the plot, and it was a breath of fresh air to see this first book doing the opposite.
Unfortunately, the author went too far in that opposite direction. Of our two main characters, the only one I felt I really knew was Malik. We learn way more about him than about our female lead, Karina, and to be honest I really liked Malik more. He's forced into a situation that terrifies him, and against all odds and what everyone says, he IS trying. In 300 pages, we learn more about Malik and his pain, motivations, and inner workings than our heroine.
Unfortunately, what made me drop the book is that I couldn't bring myself to care much about Karina. Given the time this book was published, I wasn't expecting to get yet another story about a princess who "doesn't want to be a princess, and who wants to run away and be free." I felt no sympathy for the problems Karina finds herself facing after her mother's death because, ultimately, Karina brought it on herself by acting as she did growing up. And she even continues to act in a similar way after her mother's death, and expects everyone to treat her differently and take her seriously. Honestly, any time a chapter was from her POV I was impatient to get through it and back to Malik.
So, yeah. This book just wasn't for me, and I will leave the duology to the people that do enjoy it.
True Rating: 3/5 Stars
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, racism and prejudice, panic attacks, animal death. Read the warnings at the beginning of the book for more.
My Thoughts
I considered not writing a review since I did, technically, not finish reading the book. However, I also felt that at 320 out of about 460 pages, I had read enough that I can give insight into WHY I decided to drop the book.
Plot-wise, the book was fine. I was extremely interested in the world the author was crafting, how the kingdom of Ziran was started and how it came to be as discriminatory as it is, despite it's own history. I liked that the book was very plot-focused, because it was giving me hope. So many books focus more on the relationship than the plot, and it was a breath of fresh air to see this first book doing the opposite.
Unfortunately, the author went too far in that opposite direction. Of our two main characters, the only one I felt I really knew was Malik. We learn way more about him than about our female lead, Karina, and to be honest I really liked Malik more. He's forced into a situation that terrifies him, and against all odds and what everyone says, he IS trying. In 300 pages, we learn more about Malik and his pain, motivations, and inner workings than our heroine.
Unfortunately, what made me drop the book is that I couldn't bring myself to care much about Karina. Given the time this book was published, I wasn't expecting to get yet another story about a princess who "doesn't want to be a princess, and who wants to run away and be free." I felt no sympathy for the problems Karina finds herself facing after her mother's death because, ultimately, Karina brought it on herself by acting as she did growing up. And she even continues to act in a similar way after her mother's death, and expects everyone to treat her differently and take her seriously. Honestly, any time a chapter was from her POV I was impatient to get through it and back to Malik.
So, yeah. This book just wasn't for me, and I will leave the duology to the people that do enjoy it.
bepettiford's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
triviarn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
bookswithbailee9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bookielover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
5.0
So admittedly I wasn't super into the book in the beginning. I love the idea of fantasy novels but I find them overwhelming so I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. But as the book went further the more invested and connected I became in the characters and what was happening to them. I went it ways that I wasn't expecting and turn into something I am really excited to continue with the second book.
jazmin_tillotson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kittykels's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0