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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
What I liked:
-Agnieska is messy, bumbling, strong-willed...I really liked her character
-the Dragon's reactions to Agnieska being herself made me laugh; I also liked their dynamic (for the most part)
-pacing was well done; I listened to the audiobook and only stopped when I absolutely had to; I was engaged the whole time, and didn't find any parts of this that were unnecessary or stagnant
-the villain is interesting
-I liked that there were a couple of really strong women in this; I liked the friendship between Kasia and Agnieska (flawed and pockmarked but still a good solid friendship)
-good, solid writing, as far as I can tell from an audiobook perspective
What I didn't like:
-some of the Dragon's actions toward Agnieska (wanting to dress her a certain way, wanting her to change herself, etc.), especially at the beginning of the book; I know he was operating on the idea that anyone from a so-called "backward village" would want to have lovely clothes and change themselves, and it did cause a lot of humour on a surface level, but when examined closer, they aren't actions I would condone in real life; I'm glad Agnieska stood up to him in her own way!
-not sure the romance was convincing; some relationships can start off with the whole "opposites attract" idea, but I think that the Dragon still has a lot of growth to do when it comes to relationships (in a way, maybe that's why the book ended the way it did...hopeful but not conclusive)
-wish there had been a bit more information/history about the villain
-Agnieska is messy, bumbling, strong-willed...I really liked her character
-the Dragon's reactions to Agnieska being herself made me laugh; I also liked their dynamic (for the most part)
-pacing was well done; I listened to the audiobook and only stopped when I absolutely had to; I was engaged the whole time, and didn't find any parts of this that were unnecessary or stagnant
-the villain is interesting
-I liked that there were a couple of really strong women in this; I liked the friendship between Kasia and Agnieska (flawed and pockmarked but still a good solid friendship)
-good, solid writing, as far as I can tell from an audiobook perspective
What I didn't like:
-some of the Dragon's actions toward Agnieska (wanting to dress her a certain way, wanting her to change herself, etc.), especially at the beginning of the book; I know he was operating on the idea that anyone from a so-called "backward village" would want to have lovely clothes and change themselves, and it did cause a lot of humour on a surface level, but when examined closer, they aren't actions I would condone in real life; I'm glad Agnieska stood up to him in her own way!
-not sure the romance was convincing; some relationships can start off with the whole "opposites attract" idea, but I think that the Dragon still has a lot of growth to do when it comes to relationships (in a way, maybe that's why the book ended the way it did...hopeful but not conclusive)
-wish there had been a bit more information/history about the villain
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The parts of the story focused on the forest and the corruption there were pretty compelling. For a fantasy novel, it made for an interesting set up.
But the characters seem a bit surface level. I didn’t get a good sense of characters’ distinct personalities and how they fostered relationships with each other. I also didn’t like the romance, so I’ve chosen to just ignore it.
But the characters seem a bit surface level. I didn’t get a good sense of characters’ distinct personalities and how they fostered relationships with each other. I also didn’t like the romance, so I’ve chosen to just ignore it.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
medium-paced
I honestly can't decide if this was a 3 or a 4. I remember it moving a bit slowly in the middle, but the ending was so great that it's hard to be annoyed with the middle now.
Oh my, I loved this book so much! It was perfectly magical. This is one of those books that just fills you with joy and satisfaction to read. I came out of the end feeling like I had read something wonderful. It felt great to read a high quality standalone fantasy book. Some spoilers ahead All in all, I loved it.