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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If you don't mind a slower build-up, this book delivers an intriguing twist at the end and has me curious to see where the story goes next. While the characters and world-building fell a little flat for me, that ending suggests potential for more character, plot, and world development in the next book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
Kiva has spent more than half of her 17 years in a prison where her assigned job is being a healer, which according the prison’s warden includes “branding” prisoners. She knows she’s expendable since she’s not seen as human by the guards. However, she continues to fight to survive because she has a glimmer of hope of being rescued by her family – a rescue that never comes. When the queen of the rebel forces is brought to her seriously wounded, she’s told to keep her alive so they can condemn her through a trial by ordeal. Kiva believes that if she takes the queen’s place in the trials, she and the queen will both be freed. For Kiva, it’s worth putting her life on the line.
There is much to like with this book and, equally, much to dislike. The book is too long and a good editor should have insisted that the middle part of the book be cut down by half. Kiva is sometimes omniscient and charmed in that she knows things she has no way of knowing and she survives trials she doesn’t have the skill set to do so. There is a lot of brutality described in this book and said descriptions did not advance the story in any significant way.
The above being said, Noni has built a world that while we may not be able to relate to it, we nevertheless recognize it for what it is because of Noni’s skilled writing. The author’s main character, Kiva, is a strong young woman who has survived for ten years in a brutal environment. The adult male characters are very nearly so stereotypical as to be boring.
Noni’s writing entraps the reader from page one. However, the middle of the book – too long and often too boring – may lose some readers, while others will simply skim that section in order to get to the ending. And the ending was worth reading the middle section.
If you are a fan of epic stories, this may be the book for you if for no other reason than the beginning and ending.
My thanks to HMH Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.
There is much to like with this book and, equally, much to dislike. The book is too long and a good editor should have insisted that the middle part of the book be cut down by half. Kiva is sometimes omniscient and charmed in that she knows things she has no way of knowing and she survives trials she doesn’t have the skill set to do so. There is a lot of brutality described in this book and said descriptions did not advance the story in any significant way.
The above being said, Noni has built a world that while we may not be able to relate to it, we nevertheless recognize it for what it is because of Noni’s skilled writing. The author’s main character, Kiva, is a strong young woman who has survived for ten years in a brutal environment. The adult male characters are very nearly so stereotypical as to be boring.
Noni’s writing entraps the reader from page one. However, the middle of the book – too long and often too boring – may lose some readers, while others will simply skim that section in order to get to the ending. And the ending was worth reading the middle section.
If you are a fan of epic stories, this may be the book for you if for no other reason than the beginning and ending.
My thanks to HMH Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
kept reading this in hopes i’d eventually eat it up but alas:/ …
last 10ish% and the ending were the most enjoyable parts, even though it made no sense? lol...not feeling inclined to even continue the series
last 10ish% and the ending were the most enjoyable parts, even though it made no sense? lol...not feeling inclined to even continue the series