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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I got this as part of Kindle First. It's an interesting concept, but it reads as if it's been done before. Individuals fighting in an arena? Yes, it's been done before.
Kalinda, the main character, is an intriguing character at first. A religious girl raised in a convent who has never seen a man and suffers from fevers.
But Kalinda acts out of character several times throughout the book. She is rash, outspoken, & begins to act against her religion. It's quick changes that have no explanation & don't align with her previous characteristics.
The second worst part was the romance between her and Deven. It's love at first sight for these two & I'm never quite sure why. For a girl who had never see a man before, she sure does fall fast & trust this strange man immediately. The relationship didn't feel like it had any depth or reason, it just was.
The next book in the series seems to involve more fighting in an arena so I think I'll skip that one.
Kalinda, the main character, is an intriguing character at first. A religious girl raised in a convent who has never seen a man and suffers from fevers.
But Kalinda acts out of character several times throughout the book. She is rash, outspoken, & begins to act against her religion. It's quick changes that have no explanation & don't align with her previous characteristics.
The second worst part was the romance between her and Deven. It's love at first sight for these two & I'm never quite sure why. For a girl who had never see a man before, she sure does fall fast & trust this strange man immediately. The relationship didn't feel like it had any depth or reason, it just was.
The next book in the series seems to involve more fighting in an arena so I think I'll skip that one.
I HATE WHEN THE COVER DOESN’T MATCH THE BOOK.
So disappointing. I really didn’t understand the romance, and there were a lot of phrases that didn’t make sense. I guess the author was just going for something that sounded like prose, without caring about the actual meaning. The only redeeming quality was the relationship between Kali and Jaya but there wasn’t nearly enough of it and it really wasn’t enough to carry the book. There were several plot holes which makes me wonder if there was even an editor.
So disappointing. I really didn’t understand the romance, and there were a lot of phrases that didn’t make sense. I guess the author was just going for something that sounded like prose, without caring about the actual meaning. The only redeeming quality was the relationship between Kali and Jaya but there wasn’t nearly enough of it and it really wasn’t enough to carry the book. There were several plot holes which makes me wonder if there was even an editor.
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*Received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
I just don't feel much about this book. I generally liked it, but disliked so much about it.
The romance was, in my opinion, based on nothing and rubbed me the wrong way the whole book. Especially since the penalty for Kali and Deven touching or someone even thinking they were too close was death, they took really dumb, reckless risks.
There was a good amount of action between the ranking tournament and the antics at the end. The magical element was pretty good as well. Learning it's origin and what peoples' skills were.
I'd have to say my biggest dislike, sadly, was the main character, Kali. She was always talking about how ordinary and basic she was and I just wished she would've had some more self-confidence. I was actually wishing I'd learned more about her best friend because that girl seemed like she was made from tougher stock.
So overall, an ok read. I highly doubt I'll continue the series, although there was a cliffhanger at the end of this book.
I just don't feel much about this book. I generally liked it, but disliked so much about it.
The romance was, in my opinion, based on nothing and rubbed me the wrong way the whole book. Especially since the penalty for Kali and Deven touching or someone even thinking they were too close was death, they took really dumb, reckless risks.
There was a good amount of action between the ranking tournament and the antics at the end. The magical element was pretty good as well. Learning it's origin and what peoples' skills were.
I'd have to say my biggest dislike, sadly, was the main character, Kali. She was always talking about how ordinary and basic she was and I just wished she would've had some more self-confidence. I was actually wishing I'd learned more about her best friend because that girl seemed like she was made from tougher stock.
So overall, an ok read. I highly doubt I'll continue the series, although there was a cliffhanger at the end of this book.
Excellent fantasy story
I'm often wary of fantasy stories but this author drew me into the story from the beginning and held on until the end.. and thankfully, there are more books to read.
I'm often wary of fantasy stories but this author drew me into the story from the beginning and held on until the end.. and thankfully, there are more books to read.
Miałam nadzieję na przełamanie mojej złej passy książkowej ale się przeliczyłam. Książka wciąga i to bardzo mocno, czytasz i nawet nie zauważasz kiedy przewrocilas 100 stron. Problemy zaczynają się kiedy ja odłożysz i o niej pomyślisz. Świat wykreowany naprawdę na plus, ciekawy, jeszcze się z takim nie spotkałam, bohaterowie mimo instant love też okej, ale rozwiązania fabularne, ała. Wszystkiego idzie się domyślić i wszystkie najważniejsze rzeczy rozgrywają się w długości akapitu. Wskazówki rzucane przez autorkę są tak delikatne jak słoń w składzie porcelany. Postać radży wykreowana tylko do nienawiści i niczego więcej. Bohaterowie biało czarni. Niewykorzystany potencjał. Jako czysta rozrywka okej, ale są dużo lepsze pozycje do spędzenia z nimi wolnego czasu. A te rodzinne spotkanko na samym końcu było po prostu słodko pierdzące. Gdyby Deven zginął tak jak miał, wprowadziłoby to dużo więcej do fabuły i zneutralizowało plot armor głównej bohaterki.
Amazing
This book absolutely captured my attention and blew my mind. I loved it and can't wait until September for the sequel.
This book absolutely captured my attention and blew my mind. I loved it and can't wait until September for the sequel.
One of my new favorite books! I was leery of the story's society and culture at first, worried about this book being a quick read about women with no female power; but I'm so glad I stuck with it! I cannot wait to continue the series.
2.25/5.
This was a fast and easy read. I enjoyed the magic system and the themes of friendship and sisterhood. I appreciate that the author doesn't shy away from fight scenes (that I enjoyed) and death (that caught me off guard). The way all the storylines weaved together was gripping, but a little cliche. Devan's mother was a very interesting character.
The cons: insta-love (two dumb people fall "in love" despite it being a horrible idea and bad timing), mean-girl trope + clumsy redemption, everyone is secretly related trope, missed opportunity for more developed female characters with individual traits especially since there are 100 wives and over 200 courtesans in the book.
The audiobook narrator was really good, though, and really helped the story along.
This was a fast and easy read. I enjoyed the magic system and the themes of friendship and sisterhood. I appreciate that the author doesn't shy away from fight scenes (that I enjoyed) and death (that caught me off guard). The way all the storylines weaved together was gripping, but a little cliche. Devan's mother was a very interesting character.
The cons: insta-love (two dumb people fall "in love" despite it being a horrible idea and bad timing), mean-girl trope + clumsy redemption, everyone is secretly related trope, missed opportunity for more developed female characters with individual traits especially since there are 100 wives and over 200 courtesans in the book.
The audiobook narrator was really good, though, and really helped the story along.
This was my second read of 2019 and my first ever audiobook. *jazz hands* I've got to say, although I enjoyed the story, I don't think it does anything new within its genre. I was expecting a lot more from the narrative, based on some of the rave reviews I've seen, but I found the first person present tense stilted to begin with. It didn't make me warm to the protagonist, Kali, and I found her bland until about 50 pages in. The writing improves as the plot progresses, but to me, it should be in full flow from the first page; I think it was responsible for some of the cliches in the book. The subtle elemental magic was a good addition, but the romance was too much like instalove for my taste, although I did warm to the love interest as the plot developed.
One of my main issues with this book is that it's a story about Asian characters and culture, written by a non-Asian author, and as a white reader, I don't know whether the representation is accurate or not. I'd be keen to hear Asian readers' perspectives on this, and will be on the lookout for their reviews. Overall, this book was good, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations, and I don't feel invested enough to carry on with the series.
One of my main issues with this book is that it's a story about Asian characters and culture, written by a non-Asian author, and as a white reader, I don't know whether the representation is accurate or not. I'd be keen to hear Asian readers' perspectives on this, and will be on the lookout for their reviews. Overall, this book was good, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations, and I don't feel invested enough to carry on with the series.