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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Two things;
First of all, this is one case where I really wish Goodreads would let me give half-stars because 3.5 would be PERFECT for how I feel about this book.
Second, I kind of feel bad because I read this between These Violent Delights and The Burning God, two of my most anticipated releases of the year, so I might not have given it a 100% fair chance, but hey everything is subjective anyway.
The plot was really interesting and perfect for anyone who likes fast-paced fantasy, if you don't mind sacrificing some of the character development. The world-building was also well done but definitely check the glossary because not everything is explained on the page.
My biggest problem with this book was the lack of character development. Tau is very single-minded in his goals and ambitions, and doesn't really develop much. None of the background characters grow or develop much throughout the book either, and honestly, by the end, the names of secondary characters could probably be interchangeable because the way they interact with Tau isn't distinctive from one character to another.
And, for a book set in a matriarchal society, there isn't a single female character with a personality trait, and I don't even think this book passes the Bechdel test. Just making a matriarchal society doesn't compensate the lack of female characters.
First of all, this is one case where I really wish Goodreads would let me give half-stars because 3.5 would be PERFECT for how I feel about this book.
Second, I kind of feel bad because I read this between These Violent Delights and The Burning God, two of my most anticipated releases of the year, so I might not have given it a 100% fair chance, but hey everything is subjective anyway.
The plot was really interesting and perfect for anyone who likes fast-paced fantasy, if you don't mind sacrificing some of the character development. The world-building was also well done but definitely check the glossary because not everything is explained on the page.
My biggest problem with this book was the lack of character development. Tau is very single-minded in his goals and ambitions, and doesn't really develop much. None of the background characters grow or develop much throughout the book either, and honestly, by the end, the names of secondary characters could probably be interchangeable because the way they interact with Tau isn't distinctive from one character to another.
And, for a book set in a matriarchal society, there isn't a single female character with a personality trait, and I don't even think this book passes the Bechdel test. Just making a matriarchal society doesn't compensate the lack of female characters.
This was the most captivating fantasy series I’ve read in quite some time. It seldom did what I expected and I found myself holding my breath nearly the whole read through.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So it took me years to finish this book, through no fault of the book's own. Hear me out! I've struggled with reading a long time now, but this was the book I had started when I last fell out of the habit and every time I tried to get back in, I'd start from the beginning.
Even though I've said the book's pace is fast, it takes a little while to get going, and those first several chapters I read over and over at various times.
But! Once the protagonist hits the event that causes him to start driving the plot rather than things simply happening to him? Then the story really starts to soar, and after years of struggling to get into it, all I had to do was get far enough to get hooked.
I promised myself I would read at least one chapter a day to help get back into a reading habit, but once I hit that one moment, I found myself reading more and more each night, struggling to put it down when why not read just one more chapter?
I really came to love Tau and the journey he takes. Though he's definitely not lovable in a standard sense, he's exactly the kind of determined guy whose story I want to hear. This is not a cozy story, far from it, but it's got high adventure, high stakes, fascinating world building, all of which is great but wouldn't have been enough for me without Tau pulling it all together. At the end, I do want to know where he goes from here, and I'll have to check it out when I get the chance.
Even though I've said the book's pace is fast, it takes a little while to get going, and those first several chapters I read over and over at various times.
But! Once the protagonist hits the event that causes him to start driving the plot rather than things simply happening to him? Then the story really starts to soar, and after years of struggling to get into it, all I had to do was get far enough to get hooked.
I promised myself I would read at least one chapter a day to help get back into a reading habit, but once I hit that one moment, I found myself reading more and more each night, struggling to put it down when why not read just one more chapter?
I really came to love Tau and the journey he takes. Though he's definitely not lovable in a standard sense, he's exactly the kind of determined guy whose story I want to hear. This is not a cozy story, far from it, but it's got high adventure, high stakes, fascinating world building, all of which is great but wouldn't have been enough for me without Tau pulling it all together. At the end, I do want to know where he goes from here, and I'll have to check it out when I get the chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
It's what it says on the tin, so no one should be surprised.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Chosen One story all about a boy. Any women in the story are only there to advance the plot, and thrown away at will. Full of unnecessary blood and vengeance. The only reason I gave it the second star was for the interesting setting.
This is fully YA.
This is fully YA.