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A review by _cassidyreads_
The Red Queen by Isobelle Carmody
2.0
I'm quite sad,
While Carmodys' completely awe-inspiring imagination continued to delight me at points in this novel, I felt as if the book was full of insignificant words and sometimes, pages. I did not think the habitat/dome place with the cryogenic sleepers was interesting enough or important enough to warrant 483 pages ( The amount could have easily been cut in half and contain the same amount of VALUABLE content)
I was irritated that Elspeth (Being the intelligent Seeker we all know her to be) often, could not draw conclusions from obvious clues and also seemed to take a long time to ponder things. Whilst her 'gnawing' is a cherished and somewhat vital aspect of her character I felt that it was used as a way to put more words and less content into the story.
I enjoyed Daemons, Swallow and Ana's character development thoroughly, though I thought that Dragons' character development took a backwards twist, I felt that I got more development from Tash (the speci character we met in habitat) than from the Red Queen herself.
The exciting part of the book.....the conclusion also felt drawn out in all the wrong areas! It seems it takes Elspeth forever wandering around looking for Dragon, meeting new people...falling asleep... and doing all sorts of boring things before being catapulted into action, this part ran smoothly and I was intrigued by Carmodys' construction of Sentinal (and machines in general) being conscious and of having feelings.
I felt extremely disgruntled at the conclusion which left me with a sort of empty feeling - partially from the fact that this fantastic series has finished - but also because there was absolutely no reason for Elspeth to leave her friends and home behind!! I found it almost rude that she would be taken to Eden (thinking that she HAD to go) when her being there served no purpose to freeing the beasts, as to it being a gift........WHYYYYYYYY... what exactly made this a gift? Not all of the animals went to Eden and therefore Gahltha and Maruman could have easily stayed behind aswell?
I would have much more enjoyed the prophesy to be 'wrong' or even better!!! : That in order to complete her mission as the seeker Elspeth simply had to 'think' that she would never return (another reason for her to dislike futuretellers!) and if she had to leave, why not make her vital to freeing the beasts? or maybe Ruston was bitten by an animal that had the same disease as Miryum and he thus had to be taken with them to Eden?? I don't know, it simply felt way too long in places that didn't need to be long and then rushed in areas that I was genuinely drawn into.
I can't help but wonder if Elspeth is angry at being taken to Eden in this manner and is cursing Maryon and her prophesies.
I hate that this sounds like a rant because although there are many aspects of this book that bored me and made me feel really really irritated, I do absolutely love Carmodys' stories and endlessly love the world that began with Obernewtyn, but I hope desperately that this isn't the last we see of our characters because I would love to see how the rest of their lives played out!
Do Matthew/Dragon reconcile and maybe even state their feelings to one another??
Dragon in general!! I want to hear more of her time as Queen!!
What does Miryum do after she is cured?
Does Dameon find someone? What does he end up doing? He's my favourite character and I feel as if he was burdened constantly not only by the emotions of others, his own feeling of inadequacy due to his blindness and his passionate unrequited love for Elspeth who leaves and is never to return!? I want him to have a life that he deserves!
Does Lidge recover?
What happens to Brydda?
Does sentinel recover communication with Ines thus making it possible to communicate (haha Skype??) with Dell and the others?
I also want to know Ruston and Elspeths' story, what kind of place do they live in now? Do they have children? Do they learn how to contact their friends via the dream trails more efficiently now that the destroyer no longer seeks them?
What was the reaction of the freed beasts in Eden?
I love this world. I am sad that it feels so incomplete and pray to Lud that there will be a spinoff to satisfy the endless turmoil of questions that we were left with at the end of this series!!!!!
While Carmodys' completely awe-inspiring imagination continued to delight me at points in this novel, I felt as if the book was full of insignificant words and sometimes, pages. I did not think the habitat/dome place with the cryogenic sleepers was interesting enough or important enough to warrant 483 pages ( The amount could have easily been cut in half and contain the same amount of VALUABLE content)
I was irritated that Elspeth (Being the intelligent Seeker we all know her to be) often, could not draw conclusions from obvious clues and also seemed to take a long time to ponder things. Whilst her 'gnawing' is a cherished and somewhat vital aspect of her character I felt that it was used as a way to put more words and less content into the story.
I enjoyed Daemons, Swallow and Ana's character development thoroughly, though I thought that Dragons' character development took a backwards twist, I felt that I got more development from Tash (the speci character we met in habitat) than from the Red Queen herself.
The exciting part of the book.....the conclusion also felt drawn out in all the wrong areas! It seems it takes Elspeth forever wandering around looking for Dragon, meeting new people...falling asleep... and doing all sorts of boring things before being catapulted into action, this part ran smoothly and I was intrigued by Carmodys' construction of Sentinal (and machines in general) being conscious and of having feelings.
I felt extremely disgruntled at the conclusion which left me with a sort of empty feeling - partially from the fact that this fantastic series has finished - but also because there was absolutely no reason for Elspeth to leave her friends and home behind!! I found it almost rude that she would be taken to Eden (thinking that she HAD to go) when her being there served no purpose to freeing the beasts, as to it being a gift........WHYYYYYYYY... what exactly made this a gift? Not all of the animals went to Eden and therefore Gahltha and Maruman could have easily stayed behind aswell?
I would have much more enjoyed the prophesy to be 'wrong' or even better!!! : That in order to complete her mission as the seeker Elspeth simply had to 'think' that she would never return (another reason for her to dislike futuretellers!) and if she had to leave, why not make her vital to freeing the beasts? or maybe Ruston was bitten by an animal that had the same disease as Miryum and he thus had to be taken with them to Eden?? I don't know, it simply felt way too long in places that didn't need to be long and then rushed in areas that I was genuinely drawn into.
I can't help but wonder if Elspeth is angry at being taken to Eden in this manner and is cursing Maryon and her prophesies.
I hate that this sounds like a rant because although there are many aspects of this book that bored me and made me feel really really irritated, I do absolutely love Carmodys' stories and endlessly love the world that began with Obernewtyn, but I hope desperately that this isn't the last we see of our characters because I would love to see how the rest of their lives played out!
Do Matthew/Dragon reconcile and maybe even state their feelings to one another??
Dragon in general!! I want to hear more of her time as Queen!!
What does Miryum do after she is cured?
Does Dameon find someone? What does he end up doing? He's my favourite character and I feel as if he was burdened constantly not only by the emotions of others, his own feeling of inadequacy due to his blindness and his passionate unrequited love for Elspeth who leaves and is never to return!? I want him to have a life that he deserves!
Does Lidge recover?
What happens to Brydda?
Does sentinel recover communication with Ines thus making it possible to communicate (haha Skype??) with Dell and the others?
I also want to know Ruston and Elspeths' story, what kind of place do they live in now? Do they have children? Do they learn how to contact their friends via the dream trails more efficiently now that the destroyer no longer seeks them?
What was the reaction of the freed beasts in Eden?
I love this world. I am sad that it feels so incomplete and pray to Lud that there will be a spinoff to satisfy the endless turmoil of questions that we were left with at the end of this series!!!!!