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stefhyena's review
2.0
It seems to be one of those mass produced, written in a hurry series. There's an assumption that you will read the whole series it does not stand alone particularly well. The world-building is half-hearted (more like a D and D game thrown together one weekend than a carefully crafted thing) the plot is full of holes and it has that weird "pretend not to be sexist by having a strong female character but keep slipping into patriarchal ways of being every second" thing that used to annoy me about American TV back when I could still be bothered watching TV sometimes.
I predict that there are about 20-30 of these and they get progressively less thought out. I don't blame the author of course there are hundreds of series like this and it's a way to make a living by writing. I just feel really sad that it's harder for writers to get published by writing slow, careful, beautifully crafted stories.
The metaphysics of the book (God-like figure and Devil-like figure) was a bit intrusive and OTT (like the creator of the world seems to be kept in reserve to be deus-ex-machina eventually in a book when they run out of other options). My kids might have liked this when they were little and wanted lots of series to read. I will put it in a street library (probably where I found it).
I predict that there are about 20-30 of these and they get progressively less thought out. I don't blame the author of course there are hundreds of series like this and it's a way to make a living by writing. I just feel really sad that it's harder for writers to get published by writing slow, careful, beautifully crafted stories.
The metaphysics of the book (God-like figure and Devil-like figure) was a bit intrusive and OTT (like the creator of the world seems to be kept in reserve to be deus-ex-machina eventually in a book when they run out of other options). My kids might have liked this when they were little and wanted lots of series to read. I will put it in a street library (probably where I found it).
lesliecalhoun's review
4.0
After The Dark Hills Divide, the first book in the series, I didn't think anything more could be said or made better. When I found out it was only the start of a great series, I looked with excitement for the next book. Finally, years after reading the first book, I laid my hands on Beyond the Valley of Thorns, and I was not disappointed. Although these are meant for younger readers, I loved the story and the characters. I was amazed by the amount and level of Christian themes and truths present in this novel. Patrick Carman created almost an allegorical world in the Land of Elyon, where Darkness moves in the shadows and threatens to take over all that is good. An odd assortment made up of a young girl, a tiny man, a she-wolf, a frisky squirrel, a tall convict, a hawk, and a huge giant journeys on the quest to save The land of Elyon from the darkness and evil. Alexa learns about herself, her companions, but especially Elyon in this second book, and startling events lead to Yipes's capture and the discovery of old friends. With Alexa carrying the last Jocasta and the fate of the land around her neck, Carman trails off on a tale that is to be continued. I will not be waiting so long to read the next one!
measishouldbebooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I have read this series so many times and I still love it, however, I didn’t enjoy it as much this time around. I still love the characters and the story, but felt that some things could have been left out.
karingforbooks's review
5.0
I think this is my favorite of the series. We see Alexa come into her own in this book, accepting the decisions she made in the first book, and realizing what the world actually is and could be. The character cast is fantastic, and different from the first book, which I also loved. More thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj89IE1ybWU
boredomandwordsofbooks's review
5.0
See review for [b:The Dark Hills Divide|81524|The Dark Hills Divide (The Land of Elyon #1)|Patrick Carman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170998111s/81524.jpg|2478886]
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