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A review by merryberries
The Beholden by Cassandra Rose Clarke
3.0
3.5/5 stars - this book REALLY needs a map included! If you read the description and it sounds like it would be right up your alley, you'll probably like it.
What I liked:
- The world building when it comes to the setting was really intriguing! With lush jungles, snowy mountains, harsh deserts, oceans, futuristic cities, old plantations, magical palaces, and more, this is definitely a world the characters can explore. I would love to see the fan art of all these locations! This is where a good map would come in, because it was hard to tell the scale of the world and the spatial relationship between locations.
- The pace of this book was good; there was always something happening and it didn't drag for me. Some (but certainly not all) of the plot points felt predictable but it was still enjoyable to read as the characters faced new challenges and explored new locations.
- Kristina Caroll, the artist who made the cover of this book, should be commended because the cover is AMAZING and is what drew me in and made me request the book in the first place!
What could have been better:
- The world building when it comes to the development of the world's magic was lacking for me. It seemed like we were sort of thrown into it with no explanation, and the system just kept expanding.
- Additionally, the time frame of the book wasn't really clear (in terms of how long the characters stayed in a location and how time passed). When you have a pregnant character and they find out they're pregnant and deliver the baby in the same book, it should take place over the course of multiple months, and with the way the plot moved this felt like it took a few weeks.
- The characters themselves felt sort of undeveloped and flat, which is sad because they had so much potential! Other than the unexpected romance threaded through that popped up at the end (no spoilers), it didn't feel like any of the characters really grew or changed as people or in their relationships with each other.
- I would have liked to see the characters actually interact with the main crisis in the story somehow (it seemed like they were just outrunning it the whole time without having to interact with it or realize how it's spreading).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked:
- The world building when it comes to the setting was really intriguing! With lush jungles, snowy mountains, harsh deserts, oceans, futuristic cities, old plantations, magical palaces, and more, this is definitely a world the characters can explore. I would love to see the fan art of all these locations! This is where a good map would come in, because it was hard to tell the scale of the world and the spatial relationship between locations.
- The pace of this book was good; there was always something happening and it didn't drag for me. Some (but certainly not all) of the plot points felt predictable but it was still enjoyable to read as the characters faced new challenges and explored new locations.
- Kristina Caroll, the artist who made the cover of this book, should be commended because the cover is AMAZING and is what drew me in and made me request the book in the first place!
What could have been better:
- The world building when it comes to the development of the world's magic was lacking for me. It seemed like we were sort of thrown into it with no explanation, and the system just kept expanding.
- Additionally, the time frame of the book wasn't really clear (in terms of how long the characters stayed in a location and how time passed). When you have a pregnant character and they find out they're pregnant and deliver the baby in the same book, it should take place over the course of multiple months, and with the way the plot moved this felt like it took a few weeks.
- The characters themselves felt sort of undeveloped and flat, which is sad because they had so much potential! Other than the unexpected romance threaded through that popped up at the end (no spoilers), it didn't feel like any of the characters really grew or changed as people or in their relationships with each other.
- I would have liked to see the characters actually interact with the main crisis in the story somehow (it seemed like they were just outrunning it the whole time without having to interact with it or realize how it's spreading).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.