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emmylee04's review against another edition
3.0
This book continues Maread's journey to save the Light, discover the Tree Song and find herself. It's a rather standard Chosen One fantasy novel with characters that make it interesting and memorable enough to continue on. I am a huge fan of Cadavan and really wish the narrator was slightly more omniscient and would give us more in sit into his background. As with the last book in this series, the major issue is pacing. This book is 500 pages, but could easily be less than 400. There are entire sections where very little happens and the author almost overwhelms with detail in some parts.
My secondary issue, though, is with the visit to the Winter King. While I did love him as a character, I did not buy Maread's feelings for him at all. This is a girl who for 900 pages of series so far has been terrified to love anyone, including the nice young men she encounters along her journeys. And yet put her in a dungeon, back to being a slave and boom - love. I didn't get it.
My secondary issue, though, is with the visit to the Winter King. While I did love him as a character, I did not buy Maread's feelings for him at all. This is a girl who for 900 pages of series so far has been terrified to love anyone, including the nice young men she encounters along her journeys. And yet put her in a dungeon, back to being a slave and boom - love. I didn't get it.
windsinger's review against another edition
4.0
This is probably my favorite book in the whole series.
ajewel4books's review against another edition
2.0
Well pooh.... I loved the first book and was so excited about reading this series.. The Story line is a good one this had such the potential of a great fantasy.. But if I can not get behind the main character then I lose all love for the story.. In the first book I thought she was well done you like her and start really hoping things turn out for this poor girl who has had such tough life I love the magic she was capable of and was very excited about going into the sec book. The main character starts off ok I was feeling it and of course totally love Cadvan then the further we get in the story the more whinny Maerad became and then she just starts being mean and ugh she just started getting on my nerves she no longer was that great main character I was finding myself skipping through parts then she falls in love at the drop of a hat to the worst person possible in the book and I seriously wanted to smack her it did not even flow with the story all a sudden it is like HUH WHAT! Anyway I doubt I will read the the other two books.. I am pretty over it.. sad because I really think this story had the potential to be amazing..
linwearcamenel's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent second volume in the Books of Pellinor, well worth reading.
annalise's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mikkaybear's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, wow, wow. I loved the first book in the series, but this is something else entirely. I am blown away and can't wait to start reading the third.
toggle_fow's review against another edition
3.0
I FINALLY GOT THROUGH THIS BOOK. *sounds of muffled screaming in the background*
I literally... Like, I enjoy this series as a whole, but this has to be the most difficult book of the four (five) to slog through. I feel like John Henry trying to hammer my way through a mountainside.
It's not even unpleasant as in bad -- it's unpleasant in a "we're stuck in Maerad's head and that is a very unpleasant place to be right now" Catching Fire type way.
She's going through this thing where she's resentful and angry at everyone, her enemies, the Bards, Cadvan, etc., and sinks into this horrible miasma of self-pity and anger and angst that she has to overcome to go on to become the Chosen One that everyone needs her to be. And it's good! Character growth is good! But it's literally the whole book and it's just so unpleasant. And then, after all this unnecessary hostility towards Cadvan, when she's weirdly and inexplicably swooning for the Winter King in some gross and magical way? Frankly... why?
It's a constant process of opening the book, reading a paragraph, screaming UGH. MAERAD. in sheer frustration, and shutting the book again. I'm exhausted. The only thing that could have made this emotionally worthwhile for me would have been if the Cadvan reunion scene had been twenty times as long as it actually was.
I literally... Like, I enjoy this series as a whole, but this has to be the most difficult book of the four (five) to slog through. I feel like John Henry trying to hammer my way through a mountainside.
It's not even unpleasant as in bad -- it's unpleasant in a "we're stuck in Maerad's head and that is a very unpleasant place to be right now" Catching Fire type way.
She's going through this thing where she's resentful and angry at everyone, her enemies, the Bards, Cadvan, etc., and sinks into this horrible miasma of self-pity and anger and angst that she has to overcome to go on to become the Chosen One that everyone needs her to be. And it's good! Character growth is good! But it's literally the whole book and it's just so unpleasant. And then, after all this unnecessary hostility towards Cadvan, when she's weirdly and inexplicably swooning for the Winter King in some gross and magical way? Frankly... why?
It's a constant process of opening the book, reading a paragraph, screaming UGH. MAERAD. in sheer frustration, and shutting the book again. I'm exhausted. The only thing that could have made this emotionally worthwhile for me would have been if the Cadvan reunion scene had been twenty times as long as it actually was.
marneechua's review against another edition
5.0
As one reviewer puts it, "Maerad comes into her own in this book". I really enjoyed this book and thought it completely surpasses the first. The main character develops much more depth and you can not only feel her grow, but empathize with her needs, fears and desires. I loved the parts of the story that have to do with the elementals, while they are capricious and have unknowable plans, they are also beautiful and Maerad's choice to stay with her elemental side seemed all the more difficult because she had such a rough upbringing. She is wild and she understands the world of the wild elementals. I love that. I love that she is able to learn to forgive herself and others. This is a different story than a lot of fantasies because most of this book is devoted more to Maerad's inner turmoil than the fight between good and evil and you can't really say that her wild elemental relatives are "evil", although they don't necessarily want to do good either. Loved this book. Loved the final scene.
bentgaidin's review against another edition
3.0
'The Riddle' is book two of its series, where we get to see some one-note cultures, fail to treat teenage discontent with the questing life with the seriousness that it deserves, and find out several more mysteries of the world. It's not that it's bad, it's just that it's very of-its-time, and I still haven't quite caught the hook to appreciating it -- but I am enjoying talking about it with the friend who recommended it, so we continue onward to book three and the lost brother.