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annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
3.0
Long before this book was in my Fairyloot I had already seen it everywhere. It was here on Goodreads, it was on Netgalley and I even thought about requesting it, but didn't end up doing it. However, the book was on my wishlist, so when it ended up in my Book Box I was happy. One less book to buy. And it seems one more book on the shelves rotting away because there were constantly other books demanding my attention. Until today.
And let me start with saying that this story is quite addictive. Because I literally had no idea what was waiting around the next corner, I was constantly on edge and on the tips of my toes. Rightly so. Because the Underworld as described here was quite gruesome and very dangerous. There was a new sickening scene waiting for me constantly and there was hardly a moment of quiet. And yet, the characters did get time to feel and show their emotions. Something that's quite unique in books that are as action packed as this one.
However, I had some trouble really connecting to the characters and feeling for them. At first glance we have a cast of different characters starting this adventure. There's a lot of potential there and a lot of room for conflict. But, I never get the feeling we get to see more than just the surface of the characters. They never move past their initial stereotypes. They have one outstanding and unique feature and it feels like their entire personality is based on it. I personally would have liked a little more depth to their characters.
And although there is a lot of action, I had some issues with the entire point of the plot. The finale is filled with a lot of reveals and a million things happening at once and yet it didn't really make a huge impression of me. And it never feels like everything that's happening in the first three quarters of the book really leads to something in the end. Everything that happens doesn't come neatly together or doesn't play a huge part in the finale. It just happened because it happened.
So, it was an amusing and addictive read, but not the good or even great read I had hoped for.
And let me start with saying that this story is quite addictive. Because I literally had no idea what was waiting around the next corner, I was constantly on edge and on the tips of my toes. Rightly so. Because the Underworld as described here was quite gruesome and very dangerous. There was a new sickening scene waiting for me constantly and there was hardly a moment of quiet. And yet, the characters did get time to feel and show their emotions. Something that's quite unique in books that are as action packed as this one.
However, I had some trouble really connecting to the characters and feeling for them. At first glance we have a cast of different characters starting this adventure. There's a lot of potential there and a lot of room for conflict. But, I never get the feeling we get to see more than just the surface of the characters. They never move past their initial stereotypes. They have one outstanding and unique feature and it feels like their entire personality is based on it. I personally would have liked a little more depth to their characters.
And although there is a lot of action, I had some issues with the entire point of the plot. The finale is filled with a lot of reveals and a million things happening at once and yet it didn't really make a huge impression of me. And it never feels like everything that's happening in the first three quarters of the book really leads to something in the end. Everything that happens doesn't come neatly together or doesn't play a huge part in the finale. It just happened because it happened.
So, it was an amusing and addictive read, but not the good or even great read I had hoped for.
sanne6je's review
2.0
The idea behind it is really cool, but the execution was horrible. A lot of characters are badly introduced, the important plot parts are quickly brushed over, and the magic, although interesting, was badly explained.
sara___'s review
3.0
I thought about dnf-ing this book so many times, but in the end I pushed myself to finish it. This book had so much potential, but it ended up being thrown out the window. It had a great idea for a plot. It had a great idea for MCs. But the characters had no development, the plot was stretched out so thin that it became incredibly boring and just...so much lost potential
emilye3's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
I really enjoyed this story. Some parts were creepy and I loved it. The atmosphere in the reach and all of the surprises it held made the story even better. The magic system was interesting and the characters were okay. I don’t feel like the characters were as good as they could have been though. This book was an easy read and I recommend if you want something that is a little cheesy.
I really enjoyed this story. Some parts were creepy and I loved it. The atmosphere in the reach and all of the surprises it held made the story even better. The magic system was interesting and the characters were okay. I don’t feel like the characters were as good as they could have been though. This book was an easy read and I recommend if you want something that is a little cheesy.
fluffles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chaosandbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I think the concept was pretty good, though the pacing lacked a bit. It went pretty slow and tacked on an enormous amount of worldbuilding as it went. It was hard to keep track of all the names, which were pretty relevant to understanding anything going on with the plot. I typically don't read anything of the horror variety, but I enjoyed this one enough. It reminded me a bit of Red Rising, but with a hint of magic. That was interesting to me especially since I DNF'ed Red Rising earlier this year. This book held my attention much more, though I found the main character a bit two-dimensional.
I do think the young adult marketing on this book is severely misplaced though. There's a lot of dark and grisly depictions within the book that I think would make it more new adult. I will admit it had me pretty creeped out several times, so I can't imagine having read this as a younger person.
I do think the young adult marketing on this book is severely misplaced though. There's a lot of dark and grisly depictions within the book that I think would make it more new adult. I will admit it had me pretty creeped out several times, so I can't imagine having read this as a younger person.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 3.5. I'm a little conflicted about this one. It has all the things that I like: inventive horror, wonderful prose, a big cast of characters, drama, monsters, and action. It is definitely one of the most unique books I've read in a while. The magic is incredibly cool and I would have loved to see more of it. Yet something about the book felt off. It didn't quite get me at all the emotional beats I wanted.
Larkin is a fiery character who does a good job as the protagonist for this strange and eclectic cast. I wasn't sure I liked how dark she turned by the end, but she was fairly engaging throughout. I didn't quite but her romance with Amais, though I might have if we'd spent more time on it.
The magic and world building are very entertaining and I would have loved to spend more time diving into the details of it. They are unlike anything I've seen before in YA fantasy and watching what the powers were used for was one of my favourite parts. The same can be said for the horror elements. This book took a dark, brutal turn, and is definitely not for people who don't like gore of body horror. Especially since characters drop like flies throughout. It got to the point where I felt many of the deaths were happening for shock value. Still, I applaud the author for making bold choices and diving into her unique imagination.
I'm not entirely sure why, but I didn't seem to connect to any of the characters that I wanted to. This book would have been better served as a longer story or duology, but it still held onto its identity. I struggled with Larkin's turn at the end. It seemed to change her and she was doing things that I don't normally associate with heroes. But she is not to be messed with.
All in all, this was a memorable horror fantasy with unique magic and lovely prose, but should have been extended into a series and lacking some of the character depth I hoped for.
Larkin is a fiery character who does a good job as the protagonist for this strange and eclectic cast. I wasn't sure I liked how dark she turned by the end, but she was fairly engaging throughout. I didn't quite but her romance with Amais, though I might have if we'd spent more time on it.
The magic and world building are very entertaining and I would have loved to spend more time diving into the details of it. They are unlike anything I've seen before in YA fantasy and watching what the powers were used for was one of my favourite parts. The same can be said for the horror elements. This book took a dark, brutal turn, and is definitely not for people who don't like gore of body horror. Especially since characters drop like flies throughout. It got to the point where I felt many of the deaths were happening for shock value. Still, I applaud the author for making bold choices and diving into her unique imagination.
I'm not entirely sure why, but I didn't seem to connect to any of the characters that I wanted to. This book would have been better served as a longer story or duology, but it still held onto its identity. I struggled with Larkin's turn at the end. It seemed to change her and she was doing things that I don't normally associate with heroes. But she is not to be messed with.
All in all, this was a memorable horror fantasy with unique magic and lovely prose, but should have been extended into a series and lacking some of the character depth I hoped for.