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A review by layanneee
Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani
2.0
*aggressive sigh*
i’m finished this book, almost unbelievably, and quite frankly there is much to say.
because the first 70% of this book was a star, and the second half was another star. thats to say the second portion was much better than the first.
and unfortunately, i faced a few problems with this book.
firstly, i can’t say i liked ANY of the characters. there was one that i liked, but now he’s gone so oh well. the characters didn’t seem to have personalities or depth, just seemed to be the physical form of their abilities. Hitomi, for one, was a very unlikeable protagonist because, well, we still don’t get a sense of who she is.
as a reader and a writer, i know that its the little things a character does that gives them depth and makes the reader love them. for Val, that was those little wooden statues he carved, but Hitomi had pretty much nothing that made her seem human.
that was my first problem.
my second problem was through the world-building/exposition of information.
when i start a new YA fantasy, im always so excited for the world. because its THAT WORLD where the reader is going to be living with the character for the duration of the story. but unfortunately i still don’t understand the world of the “eleven kingdoms” at all, or the magical systems and creatures that live there.
and that’s a PROBLEM for me because why did i learn what a breather was two seconds before i learned that val was one? or why did fangs only be mentioned when we met kol? it made each new magical component like hitting a wall, because the reader has JUST learned about it and now oh boy there it is.
I must applaud the author, though, for creating such an elaborate system of rebels, both with the shadow league and blackflame, but i just gotta say
who the eff is running the kingdom of karolene??
if blackflame are really such a situation,, why not confront the king??
OOH OOH! or plot an assassination! those are cool!
anyhow i was quite a bit disappointed. i had really enjoyed Thorn and had high hopes for this, but it just didnt hit that note for me.
two stars for Sunbolt, and onto book 2 i guess!!
i’m finished this book, almost unbelievably, and quite frankly there is much to say.
because the first 70% of this book was a star, and the second half was another star. thats to say the second portion was much better than the first.
and unfortunately, i faced a few problems with this book.
firstly, i can’t say i liked ANY of the characters. there was one that i liked, but now he’s gone so oh well. the characters didn’t seem to have personalities or depth, just seemed to be the physical form of their abilities. Hitomi, for one, was a very unlikeable protagonist because, well, we still don’t get a sense of who she is.
as a reader and a writer, i know that its the little things a character does that gives them depth and makes the reader love them. for Val, that was those little wooden statues he carved, but Hitomi had pretty much nothing that made her seem human.
that was my first problem.
my second problem was through the world-building/exposition of information.
when i start a new YA fantasy, im always so excited for the world. because its THAT WORLD where the reader is going to be living with the character for the duration of the story. but unfortunately i still don’t understand the world of the “eleven kingdoms” at all, or the magical systems and creatures that live there.
and that’s a PROBLEM for me because why did i learn what a breather was two seconds before i learned that val was one? or why did fangs only be mentioned when we met kol? it made each new magical component like hitting a wall, because the reader has JUST learned about it and now oh boy there it is.
I must applaud the author, though, for creating such an elaborate system of rebels, both with the shadow league and blackflame, but i just gotta say
who the eff is running the kingdom of karolene??
if blackflame are really such a situation,, why not confront the king??
OOH OOH! or plot an assassination! those are cool!
anyhow i was quite a bit disappointed. i had really enjoyed Thorn and had high hopes for this, but it just didnt hit that note for me.
two stars for Sunbolt, and onto book 2 i guess!!