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arlena_stormblessed 's review for:
Eleventh Cycle
by Kian N. Ardalan
This book is dark. I absolutely loved this book! But this book is dark. You have been warned.
I have read books before that were said to be grim-dark but mostly I just shrugged them off saying they are not that grim nor that dark. Eleventh Cycle? Well...this book made me understand why some people need content warning.
If there was ever a book that is an emotional roller coaster, this one certainly is. There were chapter that had me gasping, some that almost made me cry and some that had me put the book down and just walk away for a bit. There was of course the occasional chuckle, giggle and even laughter but those were the rarer occurrence. This is a book that definitely does not pull punches and honestly, I really liked that.
I think my favourite part of the book is the world. Kian did an amazing job creating a word that's unique and the amount of thought that was put into the world building is stunning. There are many layers to this world and I can't wait to find out more about it in the next book. A highlight for me were the different magic systems that exist in this world. They feel distinctive yet they fit so well in the world.
For most of the book I felt like the pacing was spot on. With that said, there are some slower bits where the focus turns from the plot towards the characters. I find this was necessary given what the characters are going through. Trauma is a central theme in this book and Kian made sure to devote enough time to it and really show the ups and downs. I appreciated that because doing so he managed to convey the characters inner struggles perfectly and made me understand them better.
The characters are not perfect. Each and every one of them is flawed but they are trying their best to navigate their often cruel surroundings. There are 5 PoVs in this book and four of these is in first person. This caught me off guard at the beginning and I needed some time to get used to it. Luckily the characters find their own voices pretty early on so it's easy to get into their heads as the PoVs change. One thing that I particularly loved is the fact that the paths of the PoV characters crosses often and in meaningful ways. The characters are very different from each other but this made me feel like they indeed belong to the same story.
I can say for certain that Eleventh Cycle won't be for everyone but if you like a compelling story with less than perfect character that feel real, set in a cruel and unforgiving world, where sometimes hope is hard to find, this book is definitely for you.
Eleventh Cycle is dark. It is painful. It is beautiful.
*Note: I have read/listened to an ARC copy of the book but I am leaving this review on my own accord.
P.S: The audiobook is fantastic! Both narrators (yes there are two of them!) do a phenomenal job.
I have read books before that were said to be grim-dark but mostly I just shrugged them off saying they are not that grim nor that dark. Eleventh Cycle? Well...this book made me understand why some people need content warning.
If there was ever a book that is an emotional roller coaster, this one certainly is. There were chapter that had me gasping, some that almost made me cry and some that had me put the book down and just walk away for a bit. There was of course the occasional chuckle, giggle and even laughter but those were the rarer occurrence. This is a book that definitely does not pull punches and honestly, I really liked that.
I think my favourite part of the book is the world. Kian did an amazing job creating a word that's unique and the amount of thought that was put into the world building is stunning. There are many layers to this world and I can't wait to find out more about it in the next book. A highlight for me were the different magic systems that exist in this world. They feel distinctive yet they fit so well in the world.
For most of the book I felt like the pacing was spot on. With that said, there are some slower bits where the focus turns from the plot towards the characters. I find this was necessary given what the characters are going through. Trauma is a central theme in this book and Kian made sure to devote enough time to it and really show the ups and downs. I appreciated that because doing so he managed to convey the characters inner struggles perfectly and made me understand them better.
The characters are not perfect. Each and every one of them is flawed but they are trying their best to navigate their often cruel surroundings. There are 5 PoVs in this book and four of these is in first person. This caught me off guard at the beginning and I needed some time to get used to it. Luckily the characters find their own voices pretty early on so it's easy to get into their heads as the PoVs change. One thing that I particularly loved is the fact that the paths of the PoV characters crosses often and in meaningful ways. The characters are very different from each other but this made me feel like they indeed belong to the same story.
I can say for certain that Eleventh Cycle won't be for everyone but if you like a compelling story with less than perfect character that feel real, set in a cruel and unforgiving world, where sometimes hope is hard to find, this book is definitely for you.
Eleventh Cycle is dark. It is painful. It is beautiful.
*Note: I have read/listened to an ARC copy of the book but I am leaving this review on my own accord.
P.S: The audiobook is fantastic! Both narrators (yes there are two of them!) do a phenomenal job.