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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
fast-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:
No
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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:
No
I love this book, the switchup into the very japanese culture is great and shigeru is goated. Horace carries lowkey but obviously having the whole gang together is great and the moral of having the emperor who wants to do good for the people is great too.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I don’t normally review middle grade books because I know I’m not the target audience, but this series holds such a dear place in my heart that I have to say something.
Honestly, I’m glad this series came to an end (I know my younger self would gasp to hear me say it). The characters I had come to know and love have now become caricatures of themselves, as often happens in longer series. Choosing Horace as the main character for the “last” book was truly an odd pivot. I missed not having the horses, and we finally got Will a dog again only to have her not show up at all.
Worst of all was FINALLY having Alyss and Evanlyn in another book and then the author fumbled their personalities so badly I could barely get through their chapters. Jfc, was I really that blind to misogyny back when I first read this??? Their initial few mentions revolve entirely around the men staring at the “hot girls” and trying not to find their petty squabbles too attractive. The rest of the book is spent with them fighting over the boys, even after they allegedly make up and become besties. Where are the smart, resourceful, badass women I had looked up to as a kid? They could have easily been amazing characters if the author had tried even just a little.
Maybe having lived in Japan for most of my life made it more obvious to me now, but wow the racism is so bad here… (In all his books, as every nation in this series is a stereotype of real countries in really poor taste.) He uses real Japanese in some cases, butchers it in others, and completely makes up Japanese-sounding words in others. The “wow they sure do bow a lot” got old REAL FAST. Calling the Hasanu (based off a real ethnicity in the Japanese islands) animal-like monsters was horrific. The white savior plotline and having the emperor try to rebuild his country in the image of their superior western ways was so uncomfortable to read.
It’s just overall not a series that has aged well. The first few books where they stay in Araluen and don’t mention female characters too much were great - but it’s really really hard to pick up the later books now, and I don’t know if I’d be able to read this particular one again because of my proximity with Japanese culture.
That being said, there were some lines at the end that brought tears to my eyes and I enjoyed the book overall. I do still love this series and find it to be a cosy read, as long as I ignore its flaws…
Honestly, I’m glad this series came to an end (I know my younger self would gasp to hear me say it). The characters I had come to know and love have now become caricatures of themselves, as often happens in longer series. Choosing Horace as the main character for the “last” book was truly an odd pivot. I missed not having the horses, and we finally got Will a dog again only to have her not show up at all.
Worst of all was FINALLY having Alyss and Evanlyn in another book and then the author fumbled their personalities so badly I could barely get through their chapters. Jfc, was I really that blind to misogyny back when I first read this??? Their initial few mentions revolve entirely around the men staring at the “hot girls” and trying not to find their petty squabbles too attractive. The rest of the book is spent with them fighting over the boys, even after they allegedly make up and become besties. Where are the smart, resourceful, badass women I had looked up to as a kid? They could have easily been amazing characters if the author had tried even just a little.
Maybe having lived in Japan for most of my life made it more obvious to me now, but wow the racism is so bad here… (In all his books, as every nation in this series is a stereotype of real countries in really poor taste.) He uses real Japanese in some cases, butchers it in others, and completely makes up Japanese-sounding words in others. The “wow they sure do bow a lot” got old REAL FAST. Calling the Hasanu (based off a real ethnicity in the Japanese islands) animal-like monsters was horrific. The white savior plotline and having the emperor try to rebuild his country in the image of their superior western ways was so uncomfortable to read.
It’s just overall not a series that has aged well. The first few books where they stay in Araluen and don’t mention female characters too much were great - but it’s really really hard to pick up the later books now, and I don’t know if I’d be able to read this particular one again because of my proximity with Japanese culture.
That being said, there were some lines at the end that brought tears to my eyes and I enjoyed the book overall. I do still love this series and find it to be a cosy read, as long as I ignore its flaws…
A little slow in the beginning, but John Flanagan never disappoints his readers. This book was just as exciting and addictive as the first one!
Strong and fulfilling wrap to this series, though there's a book of "Lost Stories" that I am looking forward to reading.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
The resolution of the love triangle/square/rectangle/whatever was a bit too little too late for my taste. It is nice that Alyss and Evanlyn are finally friends but I never appreciated seeing them fight over two oblivious boys and a good portion of this book was dedicated to that.
I love the character of the emperor but now that I'm older, reading this feels a touch condescending? towards Japanese culture. The author was respectful on the whole but specific instances (like when the emperor was learning about how Evanlyn's court works to restructure his own) felt as though they were pushing Western superiority in a sense. Nothing extreme, but if you read this novel as propaganda, it's impossible to miss.
I feel like this was one of my favorite works in the series when I was a kid, but rereading it I'm a little unsure as to why that was the case. Whereas other novels might have had some factor of unpredictability, this novel felt the most predictable by far. Or perhaps I reread it too often as a kid? That or being at the end of the series it might have stuck around longer in my mind.
In any case it was still a good end to the series. I'm not sure how I feel about starting The Royal Ranger right away... I'm not ready for what's done to Will. I don't know it just feels a bit bittersweet. I think maybe I read too much from this world in too little time and I exhausted myself halfway through The Brotherband Chronicles.
I love the character of the emperor but now that I'm older, reading this feels a touch condescending? towards Japanese culture. The author was respectful on the whole but specific instances (like when the emperor was learning about how Evanlyn's court works to restructure his own) felt as though they were pushing Western superiority in a sense. Nothing extreme, but if you read this novel as propaganda, it's impossible to miss.
I feel like this was one of my favorite works in the series when I was a kid, but rereading it I'm a little unsure as to why that was the case. Whereas other novels might have had some factor of unpredictability, this novel felt the most predictable by far. Or perhaps I reread it too often as a kid? That or being at the end of the series it might have stuck around longer in my mind.
In any case it was still a good end to the series. I'm not sure how I feel about starting The Royal Ranger right away... I'm not ready for what's done to Will. I don't know it just feels a bit bittersweet. I think maybe I read too much from this world in too little time and I exhausted myself halfway through The Brotherband Chronicles.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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