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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
2 1/2 stars. Stars for readability & ease, some interesting plot work. Lost stars for totally unscary monsters, I mean cat people are just not that terrifying. And continuously telling me how terrifying they are, which is what the author does here, doesn't work. Overall I didn't think the writing was very good at evoking terror and honestly the descriptions of the magic was not that "magical" either. Too bad, there was potential here.
This story took awhile to grab my interest but when it did it was a fun roller coaster of a ride. I love how Egyptian, Celtic, and Greek Mythology are incorporated throughout the story. Very imaginative and magical! I can't wait to read the next one in this series.
This book was just okay. It ended up being more about Josh and Sophie than about Nicholas Flamel. Not only that, but it felt cluttered with every god and goddess and a lot of name-dropping that will definitely date the book in a few years.
It was pretty generic, relied a lot on clichés, and the characters were pretty superficial. It was mentioned at least once or twice that Josh and Sophie were not identical twins...they're different genders, so if they were identical, I'd be concerned. And then wonder why we never heard about twins of 2 different genders who were magically identical. I get some of the characters are hundreds of years old, but they act like fraternal twins are a new concept.
I was reminded of the Percy Jackson series when I was reading it- gods, goddesses and people living for centuries amongst regular people, prophecies, and a couple of 15-year-olds who need to save the world.
I give it a 1 out of 5. It's far too generic for me to like it.
It was pretty generic, relied a lot on clichés, and the characters were pretty superficial. It was mentioned at least once or twice that Josh and Sophie were not identical twins...they're different genders, so if they were identical, I'd be concerned. And then wonder why we never heard about twins of 2 different genders who were magically identical. I get some of the characters are hundreds of years old, but they act like fraternal twins are a new concept.
I was reminded of the Percy Jackson series when I was reading it- gods, goddesses and people living for centuries amongst regular people, prophecies, and a couple of 15-year-olds who need to save the world.
I give it a 1 out of 5. It's far too generic for me to like it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've been meaning to read this book for years now and I was not disappointed. I was only going to read the first one to see what it was about but now I have to read the whole series because it made me care about these characters.
Not sure if it was the narrator or the story, meh is how I would describe the books. Had to check it out 3 times to get through it. I’m not going to bother with the next ones.
I only got about 10% in. It just wasn't grabbing my attention.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hm...on the one hand, I just didn't get dragged into this story. Yeah yeah yeah, whatever - just nothing to fall in love with.
On the other hand, nicely put together. A sharp eye for detail. Great cliffhangers. Deft characterization. Neat magical system (involving smells). Fast pace - a page turner. The world pulls you in - every place you touch in this book, as a reader, from coffee shop to world tree, is memorable.
But. This book didn't have any emotional grabs, no inner transformations - all explosions and noise. Some hints toward later books having more heart, but I just don't have the patience to follow along with the series any further.
On the other hand, nicely put together. A sharp eye for detail. Great cliffhangers. Deft characterization. Neat magical system (involving smells). Fast pace - a page turner. The world pulls you in - every place you touch in this book, as a reader, from coffee shop to world tree, is memorable.
But. This book didn't have any emotional grabs, no inner transformations - all explosions and noise. Some hints toward later books having more heart, but I just don't have the patience to follow along with the series any further.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated