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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
I really enjoyed this book, possibly because I have read so many romance or fantasy novels lately, that I liked going into a book and reading through it without knowing what would happen or how it would end. I liked the mystery historical fiction aspect of this book, but was surprised by the science fiction time altering aspect of things, which frequently made me take a moment to wrap my head around the set of rules in this world.
I liked all the main characters even if they had their flaws. Even the ones that had traits or mindsets that frustrated me, I still wanted them to reach their happily ever after. I enjoyed the hints of romance in the book too, but of course I may have been invested more if I got to see more interactions that showed it off, although the subtlety of it all did seem to match the genre and style of the book. Maybe I just wanted more interactions of the characters interacting warmly with each other as they joked around or just had more discussions. I'm just a sucker for strong relationships and lots of interactions between characters who have chemistry I guess.
I liked all the main characters even if they had their flaws. Even the ones that had traits or mindsets that frustrated me, I still wanted them to reach their happily ever after. I enjoyed the hints of romance in the book too, but of course I may have been invested more if I got to see more interactions that showed it off, although the subtlety of it all did seem to match the genre and style of the book. Maybe I just wanted more interactions of the characters interacting warmly with each other as they joked around or just had more discussions. I'm just a sucker for strong relationships and lots of interactions between characters who have chemistry I guess.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly I’m not really sure if I fully got what this book was putting down but I enjoyed it nonetheless and will read the sequel(?) at some point!
I felt confused and like I had little grasp on what was going on throughout the majority of my read but I don’t mind this one bit because I think it’s exactly what the author was going for (either that or I’m just an idiot). I also don’t think I helped myself by imagining Mori as an old man when he was supposed to be around 40. I didn’t realise this until I was over half way through. Oops
This is just my interpretation and I could be completely wrong but I liked the sort of open ended-ness of the ending. We don’t know if Mori did have bad intentions and if Grace’s actions were justified. Or maybe we do and I’m just dumb
I’m giving this less than 5 stars because, although I appreciate my confusion and how it aids the plot, I do think this could’ve been written a little more concisely because I think I’ve finished with less of an understanding of the story and its characters than I should have. Again, maybe this is just me being stupid but I found some of the chapters hard to digest
I felt confused and like I had little grasp on what was going on throughout the majority of my read but I don’t mind this one bit because I think it’s exactly what the author was going for (either that or I’m just an idiot). I also don’t think I helped myself by imagining Mori as an old man when he was supposed to be around 40. I didn’t realise this until I was over half way through. Oops
This is just my interpretation and I could be completely wrong but I liked the sort of open ended-ness of the ending. We don’t know if Mori did have bad intentions and if Grace’s actions were justified. Or maybe we do and I’m just dumb
I’m giving this less than 5 stars because, although I appreciate my confusion and how it aids the plot, I do think this could’ve been written a little more concisely because I think I’ve finished with less of an understanding of the story and its characters than I should have. Again, maybe this is just me being stupid but I found some of the chapters hard to digest
mysterious
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
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:
Yes
Gorgeous book! I haven't liked a story recently as much as I liked this one, mostly because i'm terrible at choosing books, but also because THE CHARACTERS I WAS ROOTING FOR CAME OUT WELL.
Whether or not the cliffhanger ending gave credence to Grace's idea that Mori was a wicked old puppeteer pulling the strings doesn't matter. I liked the fact that the book gave Mori his time to shine, as the main character. That Natasha Pulley made him so likeable that any insinuations didn't matter. And therefore, that she gave him a good ending with Thaniel (darling Thaniel!), forged him a relationship with his former enemy (Williamson), and made him technically the hero of the books (from catching the real bad guys). And Thaniel was lovely, and level-headed through it all. Especially through Grace's constant spouting at him (can you tell I didn't like her?)
Little details matter and I liked the clear description of the Japanese village, the signs that Mori's future may be changing (in his voice, or the way he acted), and even the set up of Grace's experiments. I could even imagine Matsumoto right in front of me, speaking in his posh British accent and affections.
True, the book's twists and turns could get confusing now and then. I think she was trying to throw a lot more on to the plate than she could simply explain, but overall it was still executed really well. 4 stars for plot and execution, and another 0.5 stars because I was so happy with the ending!
Whether or not the cliffhanger ending gave credence to Grace's idea that Mori was a wicked old puppeteer pulling the strings doesn't matter. I liked the fact that the book gave Mori his time to shine, as the main character. That Natasha Pulley made him so likeable that any insinuations didn't matter. And therefore, that she gave him a good ending with Thaniel (darling Thaniel!), forged him a relationship with his former enemy (Williamson), and made him technically the hero of the books (from catching the real bad guys). And Thaniel was lovely, and level-headed through it all. Especially through Grace's constant spouting at him (can you tell I didn't like her?)
Little details matter and I liked the clear description of the Japanese village, the signs that Mori's future may be changing (in his voice, or the way he acted), and even the set up of Grace's experiments. I could even imagine Matsumoto right in front of me, speaking in his posh British accent and affections.
True, the book's twists and turns could get confusing now and then. I think she was trying to throw a lot more on to the plate than she could simply explain, but overall it was still executed really well. 4 stars for plot and execution, and another 0.5 stars because I was so happy with the ending!
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Despite the fairly interesting set up, I couldn't get into this at all. Thaniel and Grace are nicely introduced, but the longer the story goes the weaker their characterisation gets. The world building also falls apart when you think about it too much.