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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
i mean i wanted to love this. the setting was so lovely and i love any asian-esque type thing in books but.... it was soooo slow. the book starts off as daring and fast and then grinds to a halt. maybe if the start wasnt so quick it would be better but like shit even the romance was slow. like death slow im talking a date was planned.. didnt even happen yet.... in the last pages. i get shes trying to set up some stuff but maybe shorten it a teensy weensy bit
It has such a compelling opening, straight into a richly imagined world. Immediately, I was fond of the protagonist, Tea, and her reluctance to join the world of the Asha. Her brother, Fox, is equally interesting. I could picture him in vivid detail.
By chapter 2, I was hooked and knew I'd be pulling an all-night reading session. I love a book that is unforgiving like this and drags you in.
The dual narrative is intriguing. It tantalises you with some details about the older Tea but leaves you desperately wondering what has happened in the time lapse between the main story and these italicised interjections.
I can't mention the ending without ruining the experience for the next reader. But to the author, Rin Chupeco, I say this... If there isn't a follow up novel, I'll find you and smash your heartsglass!
By chapter 2, I was hooked and knew I'd be pulling an all-night reading session. I love a book that is unforgiving like this and drags you in.
The dual narrative is intriguing. It tantalises you with some details about the older Tea but leaves you desperately wondering what has happened in the time lapse between the main story and these italicised interjections.
I can't mention the ending without ruining the experience for the next reader. But to the author, Rin Chupeco, I say this... If there isn't a follow up novel, I'll find you and smash your heartsglass!
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If you like ancient Asian fashion, read this book. No, I mean it. Half the book was about clothes and jewelry. I am not complaining about this, but it is...a lot if you're not into that kind of stuff. There were other elements I did not enjoy about this book, mainly the switch between the bard telling her current story and her talking about her past. I suspect that is just a preference thing and it didn't bother me THAT much. Tea is kind of a dull main character, but I think she will come to be more interesting as she grows up. She is not a bad character by any stretch, however. Still, the world was really well built and I want more of it. The plot was quite interesting and again I want more of it. I also love her dead pets, and I wanted more that cuteness as well. I finally settled on a three stars, but elements of it were four star material.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I LOVE this book. The two different timelines have you constantly wanting to know what led to that situation, which is a perfect contrast to the slower pace of the main plot. Can’t wait to read more.
Book was average. Nothing really stood out and it really made the plot slow. They only exciting thing was when she found her last familiar. But outside of that nothing else pulled me in. Hoping the next book is better. If not, then I'm afraid I won't finish the series.
Yet another 3.5 star review. This book started with a bang, and I was super into the premise at first, but it soon fizzled out into a book-long training montage that felt kind of repetitive. The plot really doesn’t pick up until the very end and then ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. I still want to read the next book, because I’m definitely invested now. I guess this is more one of those series where the plot really spans all three books. I just wish that there had been a bit more plot-driven action because I like when a book in a series still has a distinctive plot, whereas this book was just really setting up the rest of the series. I do really like the way the story is told with the bard’s POV is definitely teasing the future events in the story, and I have a feeling it will come together in a really cool way in the next books. Overall, a good read, I just wish it had been paced better. Like I feel like this maybe could have been a long standalone book instead of a trilogy or maybe even a duology.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book felt like a fantasy younger version of Memoirs of a Geisha.
This is one of those books where I think the age/era of it has a lot of impact on the writing style. Coming in to the Bone Witch world a bit late I wasn't exactly sure what to expect but I was plenty curious of the realm that Rin Chupeco had created.
Overall I think there's a strong plot here but it takes way too long to get to it. I understand that when creating something high fantasy its important to flesh out the details of everything so people aren't confused but I definitely think a lot of stuff was left unexplained and just sort of 'happened' where the reader has to roll with it and try to figure it out themselves. This isn't always a bad thing but I do think the book would benefit on more description of Tea's training versus all the tiny details of everyone's outfits. I feel the last 1/4th of the book had more plot driving it than the first 3/4's combine. I do love the strength Tea has and how determined she is to use her abilities as a Bone Witch to deviate from the norm, but she sometimes feels like your usual YA protagonist that is somehow already good/exceptional at many things that normally take years for others to learn (again, not a bad thing but just a little too cliché for me).
I definitely did love the changing perspective between present day Tea and the Bard as she told him the story of her past that led up to where she is now. It gives a new feeling to the timeline of the plot and really opens up a lot of doors of who, what, how, and where that I'm sure the next two books will elaborate on.
*Audiobook: The narrator for this one was really great. Emily Woo Zeller added a great personality to Tea and really divided the characters in their tones and emotions. It was easy to fall in to and absorb the story.
Overall I think there's a strong plot here but it takes way too long to get to it. I understand that when creating something high fantasy its important to flesh out the details of everything so people aren't confused but I definitely think a lot of stuff was left unexplained and just sort of 'happened' where the reader has to roll with it and try to figure it out themselves. This isn't always a bad thing but I do think the book would benefit on more description of Tea's training versus all the tiny details of everyone's outfits. I feel the last 1/4th of the book had more plot driving it than the first 3/4's combine. I do love the strength Tea has and how determined she is to use her abilities as a Bone Witch to deviate from the norm, but she sometimes feels like your usual YA protagonist that is somehow already good/exceptional at many things that normally take years for others to learn (again, not a bad thing but just a little too cliché for me).
I definitely did love the changing perspective between present day Tea and the Bard as she told him the story of her past that led up to where she is now. It gives a new feeling to the timeline of the plot and really opens up a lot of doors of who, what, how, and where that I'm sure the next two books will elaborate on.
*Audiobook: The narrator for this one was really great. Emily Woo Zeller added a great personality to Tea and really divided the characters in their tones and emotions. It was easy to fall in to and absorb the story.