Take a photo of a barcode or cover
maggieha 's review for:
The Invasion of the Tearling
by Erika Johansen
“Kelsea wondered suddenly whether humanity ever actually changed. Did people grow and learn at all as the centuries passed? Or was humanity merely like the tide, enlightenment advancing and then retreating as circumstances shifted?”
I feel so detached from this story and the characters. This series has some great thoughts and important messages, but the way it's told is so.. I don't know, dry and uninteresting. The storyline of this one actually dregged even more than in the first book, I was bore for the most part, only the very ending got more captivating. Overall, I think I liked book one a bit more.
“This, I think, is the crux of evil in this world, Majesty: those who feel entitled to whatever they want, whatever they can grab. Such people never ask themselves if they have the right. They consider no cost to anyone but themselves.”
I also honestly don't get why there have to be so many POVs. If the story was told only from Kelsea alone, then I think I would've connected to her at least a little (tiny) bit more. I love multiple POVs in high fantasy, but I do have to care for all the main characters then to love the book. And here I just did not. I am mildly curious about what's going to happen with Kelsea, even though I have to say I have a bit of a like-hate relationship with her. I found some of her behavior, especially here, annoying and overall couldn't connect with her much.
As for other characters (some of them with their own POVs): I liked father Tyler in this one somewhat, but was honestly bored with Lili's chapters, so much so that I plainly skipped long passegas of it. I also honestly don't get the appeal of the Fetch, both for Kelsea and the readers. The only thing interesting about him, to me, is his unknown identity. Otherwise he's as interesting as a piece of dry earth. Mace is pretty great character as well, and Pen had a few nice moments.
But.. I just don't feel strongly toward any of the characters, I can mildly like some of them or mildly dislike the other, but nothing more.
“When it fails, they do call it madness, Lazarus. But when it succeeds, they call it genius.”
The writing is, as always, great: eloquent and clever. The world building still aggravates me, but at least it's a little bit more explained here, though not by much.
Will continue with the last book to see how it all ends.
“If we could be better people,” she would say, “if we could care about each other as much as we do about ourselves, think about it, Lily! Think what the world would be!”
“Always, we think we know what courage means. If I were called upon, we say, I would answer the call. I would not hesitate. Until the moment is upon us, and then we realize that the demands of true courage are very different from what we had envisioned, long ago on that bright morning when we felt brave.”
- Father Tyler
I feel so detached from this story and the characters. This series has some great thoughts and important messages, but the way it's told is so.. I don't know, dry and uninteresting. The storyline of this one actually dregged even more than in the first book, I was bore for the most part, only the very ending got more captivating. Overall, I think I liked book one a bit more.
“This, I think, is the crux of evil in this world, Majesty: those who feel entitled to whatever they want, whatever they can grab. Such people never ask themselves if they have the right. They consider no cost to anyone but themselves.”
I also honestly don't get why there have to be so many POVs. If the story was told only from Kelsea alone, then I think I would've connected to her at least a little (tiny) bit more. I love multiple POVs in high fantasy, but I do have to care for all the main characters then to love the book. And here I just did not. I am mildly curious about what's going to happen with Kelsea, even though I have to say I have a bit of a like-hate relationship with her. I found some of her behavior, especially here, annoying and overall couldn't connect with her much.
As for other characters (some of them with their own POVs): I liked father Tyler in this one somewhat, but was honestly bored with Lili's chapters, so much so that I plainly skipped long passegas of it. I also honestly don't get the appeal of the Fetch, both for Kelsea and the readers. The only thing interesting about him, to me, is his unknown identity. Otherwise he's as interesting as a piece of dry earth. Mace is pretty great character as well, and Pen had a few nice moments.
But.. I just don't feel strongly toward any of the characters, I can mildly like some of them or mildly dislike the other, but nothing more.
“When it fails, they do call it madness, Lazarus. But when it succeeds, they call it genius.”
The writing is, as always, great: eloquent and clever. The world building still aggravates me, but at least it's a little bit more explained here, though not by much.
Will continue with the last book to see how it all ends.
Spoiler
Also because now I NEED to know who the hell is/was Kelsea's father. And who the Fetch is.“If we could be better people,” she would say, “if we could care about each other as much as we do about ourselves, think about it, Lily! Think what the world would be!”
“Always, we think we know what courage means. If I were called upon, we say, I would answer the call. I would not hesitate. Until the moment is upon us, and then we realize that the demands of true courage are very different from what we had envisioned, long ago on that bright morning when we felt brave.”
- Father Tyler