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theaylien's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
barnes_and_nobles_girl's review against another edition
5.0
Very fun read. It's better and more enjoyable if you just casually read it versus dissecting it's themes, messages, symbolism etc.
acrdoodles's review
5.0
Reading this series after watching the netflix show and thus, knowing a l o t of the plot, you would think I would be able to predict what's going to happen and or/not be surprised by some of the plot twists that are the same in both books and show but nope! This series has me in a death-grip of anticipation and I am grateful to be along for the ride. I love how the events are similar yet distinct enough to still surprise me, and both familiar and new characters and plot points are just so fascinating to read about.
I really wish these books were longer because damn J.M. Lee's writing style is so good! The plot was way more fast-paced in this book, which was a bit much for me, but the characters were all so interesting, the prose really beautiful and the worldbuilding so fascinating - I wanted to spend more time diving into it and immersing myself in the story!
I really wish these books were longer because damn J.M. Lee's writing style is so good! The plot was way more fast-paced in this book, which was a bit much for me, but the characters were all so interesting, the prose really beautiful and the worldbuilding so fascinating - I wanted to spend more time diving into it and immersing myself in the story!
skipperdear's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
a_chickletz's review against another edition
3.0
Yikes.
Of the three books that have been released, this one I think suffered in terms of plot. Nothing really was happening and it was full of character development. Character development however isn't enough to cover this book's ass.
Another thing: I dislike books that most of the scenes take place on a boat. I've seen some books where it works, aka Robin Hobb's The Liveship Traders. But boy oh boy, nothing happened on the boat and or the boat wasn't that determental to the plot. I groaned every time I had to slog through a chapter on a boat or various other boats by other characters.
While I did enjoy the character development and where we are at now in the story, I do think more could have happened and or this was something that could have been wrapped up or tied up in less chapters than it was needed.
We have the show to focus on now, so I'm thinking the author did not want to get too involved so things wouldn't be revealed or explained before the show came out. Let's hope?
Of the three books that have been released, this one I think suffered in terms of plot. Nothing really was happening and it was full of character development. Character development however isn't enough to cover this book's ass.
Another thing: I dislike books that most of the scenes take place on a boat. I've seen some books where it works, aka Robin Hobb's The Liveship Traders. But boy oh boy, nothing happened on the boat and or the boat wasn't that determental to the plot. I groaned every time I had to slog through a chapter on a boat or various other boats by other characters.
While I did enjoy the character development and where we are at now in the story, I do think more could have happened and or this was something that could have been wrapped up or tied up in less chapters than it was needed.
We have the show to focus on now, so I'm thinking the author did not want to get too involved so things wouldn't be revealed or explained before the show came out. Let's hope?
thirs's review
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
emmaj_xo's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The action is ramping up and in the midst of it we’re introduced to two new clans (the sifa being my favourite) and a sapphic romance subplot. Excited to read the conclusion.
theinfamousj's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I am single-handedly responsible for every book but the first of this series being present at my local public library. Did you know that YA that can be read by those older than picture books but younger than high school is the hardest budget to justify. This book qualifies. So if a patron requests it, the youth librarians get to claim justification for their budget. Which is all to say that friends don’t let friends buy this book without making a purchase request at their library. Y’feel me?
Tides of the Dark Crystal is the third book in the Dark Crystal series, not that you’d have any way of knowing that from the markings on the books. Remember when series number was printed on spines or mentioned anywhere at all even in the card catalog information? Yeah, I mourn for those days. How bad would it be, really, to just write a “#3” in the public library book, do you think?
This book was very much about world building and world exploration. Not much happened in terms of plot save the death of a character and the ascension of another character to fill the role of the dead individual. Wars, man, why can’t they happen more snapily? That said, I chilled out and just enjoyed the tour of Thra from major tree to major tree.
We also meet the first confirmed female skeksis: skekSa. skekSa attaches herself to a Gelfling clan less in a friend way and more in a pet owner way where so long as the pets are behaving they are delighted but as soon as the pets show any autonomy then they deserve punishment.
I highly recommend reading the reading notes I made as I went through the book for more individualistic thoughts.
Tides of the Dark Crystal is the third book in the Dark Crystal series, not that you’d have any way of knowing that from the markings on the books. Remember when series number was printed on spines or mentioned anywhere at all even in the card catalog information? Yeah, I mourn for those days. How bad would it be, really, to just write a “#3” in the public library book, do you think?
This book was very much about world building and world exploration. Not much happened in terms of plot save the death of a character and the ascension of another character to fill the role of the dead individual. Wars, man, why can’t they happen more snapily? That said, I chilled out and just enjoyed the tour of Thra from major tree to major tree.
We also meet the first confirmed female skeksis: skekSa. skekSa attaches herself to a Gelfling clan less in a friend way and more in a pet owner way where so long as the pets are behaving they are delighted but as soon as the pets show any autonomy then they deserve punishment.
I highly recommend reading the reading notes I made as I went through the book for more individualistic thoughts.
.
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Reading Notes
- January 10, 2022 – Started Reading
- January 10, 2022 – page 0 0.0% "Hello and welcome to my reading blog for this book. I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-J who is responsible for the fact that the library bought this book. I'm the first person to check it out. You see, years ago, I found the first book in the series at the library and read it. They never voluntarily bought the rest of the books in the series. So I keep telling them to. And then they do. I have helped humanity."
- January 10, 2022 – page 0 0.0% "This reading journey has rules and those rules go as follows: I read two chapters a day and make snarky comments along the way into this here internet void machine. Follow along with me if you will."
- January 10, 2022 – page 3 1.01% "Tavra's a spider? How did that happen. I don't remember that. I thought I'd remember that."
- January 11, 2022 – page 12 4.05% "Who leaves a ship at full sail when tied to a shore tree. That's a quick way to have a broken tree."
- January 11, 2022 – page 14 4.73% "Linguistically correct that the tea of the world is 'ta'. Cha if by land and ta if by sea is the linguistic rhyme for our Earth. And, well, they are on a boat."
- January 12, 2022 – page 40 13.51% "I'm on a boat and, I'm going ... well I'm not actually. The boat is tied to a tree."
- January 13, 2022 – page 40 13.51% "Okay, so I'm doing super poorly at this accountability thing. But hopefully I can get back on track."
- January 16, 2022 – page 104 35.14% "So ... I'm still reading. Not much to say other than we've discovered a Skeksis that doesn't seem evil."
- January 18, 2022 – page 145 48.99% "With negotiation skills like that, I can see why the Skeksis were able to gain such control."
- January 22, 2022 – page 147 49.66% "River? What river? Ooooooh, the river OF SAND. Apparently this book is written for someone with concept permanence beyond two pages."
- January 22, 2022 – page 155 52.36% "Apparently what I do have concept permanence for is ship construction. When Onica was asked to read bones, the ship's deck was stretched leather, and toughened at that. When Amri is waking up, the very same deck is slatted. Are the slats of toughened leather? I think not. I think they are supposed to imply being made of wood. I suspect this didn't get as fine a goings over in the edit process."
- January 22, 2022 – page 168 56.76% "Oh goodie, another living ship. Saves on building materials and cost, I suppose."
- January 23, 2022 – page 172 58.11% "So the library emailed today and said I cannot have any additional time to read this book. So speed-run!"
- January 23, 2022 – page 176 59.46% "Last night I watched a mockumentary about the Bakhtiari people of Iran. It was called "People of the Wind". The Dousan seem to be modeled very specifically on them, down to the twelve xerics which would be the Babadi for those very real peoples."
- January 23, 2022 – page 190 64.19% "I'm starting to suspect that each clan has a tree associated with it, even if the Dousan's tree is taking a break from being alive right now."
- January 23, 2022 – page 209 70.61% "Oh no. I thought we weren't allowed to have death in these elementary level books."
- January 23, 2022 – page 209 70.61% "Guess what? I was able to renew the books. The library's auto-renewal process must have been down. So now I'm going to pause this book to read the one that could not be renewed. Be back with you shortly."
- February 3, 2022 – page 239 80.74% "I have had some conversations that are just this frustrating before. NGL."
- February 3, 2022 – page 241 81.42% "Wherein we learn the meaning of the words *deatea* (fire), *deratea* (air), *kidakida* (water), and *arugaru* (earth)."
- February 3, 2022 – page 242 81.76% "A beautiful quote worth immortalizing || 'I had the strangest dream,' he said. It tasted like a lie. It couldn't have been a dream, could it?"
- February 7, 2022 – page 260 87.84% "Been a while since we updated. Apparently there is no such thing as a good skeksis, not even the mariner."
- February 7, 2022 – page 266 89.86% "I would absolutely use this portion of the book in a course while teaching that even the generous and benevolent enslavers still were enslavers. skekSa was seen by the gelfling as an ally until one dared defy her and now she flexes on them as their master in a tale as old as time."
- February 8, 2022 – page 281 94.93% "Well, that last page happened much sooner than I expected. Okay, so I can remember where the story left off -- Tae unconscious, Tavara a spider piloting Tae, and all the other gelfling except for Naia are trapped in the guts of an ocean dwelling beheamoth with skekSa the Mariner."
- February 8, 2022 – Finished Reading
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Death of parent
There is a scene which describes the blade work necessary to severshawnas_booktime's review against another edition
4.0
The Dark Crystal is so special to me, it has fond memories for me. Reading this prequel series is a joyride for me, and I cannot wait to see the Netflix show. I enjoyed this book, being the third in the series, I just wish they would come out sooner than they do. Mr. Lee keeps it open for the next book and it feels like forever to see what happens. I'm excited to see what is to come.
emiwan_kenobi's review
4.0
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
I liked this one much more than I liked Songs. It didn’t have the problem of starting out slow as if the author needed a lot of filler, and Amri was a pretty good main character, a good sweet boy for sure, and more interesting as a POV character than I found Kylan. AND it’s the book where **spoilers** we find out Tavra has a cute sailor girlfriend!!!! I fully expected the book to be classically heterosexual so I was and am SO pleased by this lovely wlw pairing.
I also really like skekSa as a character—I mean, a female skeksis?? Heck-yes-sis! And then of course her female urRu counterpart who wasn’t in the book nearly enough but who I am intrigued by also.
Can’t wait to start the last book, although I’ll be sad to finish the series.
4.5 stars, 9/10, would recommend and will read again.
I liked this one much more than I liked Songs. It didn’t have the problem of starting out slow as if the author needed a lot of filler, and Amri was a pretty good main character, a good sweet boy for sure, and more interesting as a POV character than I found Kylan. AND it’s the book where **spoilers** we find out Tavra has a cute sailor girlfriend!!!! I fully expected the book to be classically heterosexual so I was and am SO pleased by this lovely wlw pairing.
I also really like skekSa as a character—I mean, a female skeksis?? Heck-yes-sis! And then of course her female urRu counterpart who wasn’t in the book nearly enough but who I am intrigued by also.
Can’t wait to start the last book, although I’ll be sad to finish the series.
4.5 stars, 9/10, would recommend and will read again.