You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
libraryofavirgo's reviews
144 reviews
The Setting Sun is a solemn portrait of post-war Japan and the decline of the aristocracy. The author seamlessly combines the struggles of an aristocratic family with a glimpse into Japanese womens’ social mores. I have previously read and loved Dazai’s “No Longer Human” a few months ago, of which remains of of my favorite novels still. This novel came close to achieving the same level of dreariness but fell just shy of.
Dazai exemplifies how Western arts and literature are deeply embedded in Japanese culture, with the characters often making reference to famous French writers and painters. This serves as a relic from the era where Western influence first began to penetrate Japanese literature.
In this book, Dazai chose to tell the story from a female perspective, which was a bold choice. While many say the character lacked depth, it is essential to remember she was modeled after Japanese women at the time, who were still bound by societal norms.
I’m aware this book sounds very bleak though it isn’t a terrible book by any means. The Setting Sun has great qualities and amplifies the emptiness of human existence, the inability of Japanese people to cope with the loss of their great nation, a time where one keeps searching for the smallest glimpse of a silver lining that would reassure them life is worth living.
This novel is an elegy to the old aristocratic society which plunged into limbo in the blink of an eye, a heart-rending tale of a family torn apart by the beginning of a new era.
Dazai exemplifies how Western arts and literature are deeply embedded in Japanese culture, with the characters often making reference to famous French writers and painters. This serves as a relic from the era where Western influence first began to penetrate Japanese literature.
In this book, Dazai chose to tell the story from a female perspective, which was a bold choice. While many say the character lacked depth, it is essential to remember she was modeled after Japanese women at the time, who were still bound by societal norms.
I’m aware this book sounds very bleak though it isn’t a terrible book by any means. The Setting Sun has great qualities and amplifies the emptiness of human existence, the inability of Japanese people to cope with the loss of their great nation, a time where one keeps searching for the smallest glimpse of a silver lining that would reassure them life is worth living.
This novel is an elegy to the old aristocratic society which plunged into limbo in the blink of an eye, a heart-rending tale of a family torn apart by the beginning of a new era.
I’ll start off by saying, I am not the biggest fan of romance, so it’s rather unusual for me to pick this one up. What drew me to this novel was the focus on a romantic relationship between two women, and who are both diverse characters.
What I love about this novel was the plethora of experiences and issues that are dealt with and how well thought out it was. Within this love story, Wilber manages to address issues such as racism, sexual harassment, sexism, and homophobia.
Coming back to the romance, it was subtle but powerful and filled with emotions. This is a slow burn, so there is a sincerity to the way the characters fumble their way towards a relationship and the length of time it takes them to do so, giving the relationship a very organic feel rather than being forced.
Despite all of the wonderful aspects, this book fell short for me. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, of which this book contains much of. However, it made sense to me as the characters did not exactly have the luxury of always speaking freely with one another.
Ultimately, it was an interesting venture into a genre I don’t typically read
What I love about this novel was the plethora of experiences and issues that are dealt with and how well thought out it was. Within this love story, Wilber manages to address issues such as racism, sexual harassment, sexism, and homophobia.
Coming back to the romance, it was subtle but powerful and filled with emotions. This is a slow burn, so there is a sincerity to the way the characters fumble their way towards a relationship and the length of time it takes them to do so, giving the relationship a very organic feel rather than being forced.
Despite all of the wonderful aspects, this book fell short for me. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, of which this book contains much of. However, it made sense to me as the characters did not exactly have the luxury of always speaking freely with one another.
Ultimately, it was an interesting venture into a genre I don’t typically read
I really have close to no knowledge about this series and apparently when to read this prequel is HIGHLY debated. Some say after the second or third book, some say the beginning, and others say after the fifth or sixth book. I chose to start from the beginning. This prequel is separated into different novellas; novellas that are so well written and flow so well together that it all definitely feels like one coherent book.
The world-building and attention to detail that Maas gives to the fanciful world of Adarlan is amazing. There are fae, demons, pirates, magical healers, assassins, mafia gangs and so much more. The story building behind the origins of Celaena and her master, Arobynn Hamel, are enticing.
With each new adventure, we see Celaena go through tests and hardships that would break any regular person. By the end, we are set up for the first novel in the original series, “Throne of Glass”.
The world-building and attention to detail that Maas gives to the fanciful world of Adarlan is amazing. There are fae, demons, pirates, magical healers, assassins, mafia gangs and so much more. The story building behind the origins of Celaena and her master, Arobynn Hamel, are enticing.
With each new adventure, we see Celaena go through tests and hardships that would break any regular person. By the end, we are set up for the first novel in the original series, “Throne of Glass”.
This is one that was personally recommended to me by a friend who hasn’t steered me wrong (yet)! I had initially feared I would not enjoy this as much as I enjoyed ACOTAR as I had reservations about its content being more fit for a younger age group. Now, having read it I realise how truly wrong I was.
If you are amongst the minority (like I was) and have yet to read this, then I suggest you get your hands on it ASAP. Throne of Glass will have you on the edge of your seat for its entirety, with no will to put it down, and if you do find yourself putting it down, I guarantee you will be picking it back up mere moments later.
The storytelling is extraordinary, the plot is dark and twisted. You will find yourself guessing as to what might happen often, speculating as to who is killing off her fellow contestants, and what greater evil may be at play here.
Throne of Glass is undeniably gripping and magnificently told, with an abundance of characters you will come to love and love to hate. Further, it is tailored to a great many audiences, whether you love fantasy kingdoms, mystery, secrets and plots, or drama, gore, and bloodshed, Throne of Glass provides it all.
If you are amongst the minority (like I was) and have yet to read this, then I suggest you get your hands on it ASAP. Throne of Glass will have you on the edge of your seat for its entirety, with no will to put it down, and if you do find yourself putting it down, I guarantee you will be picking it back up mere moments later.
The storytelling is extraordinary, the plot is dark and twisted. You will find yourself guessing as to what might happen often, speculating as to who is killing off her fellow contestants, and what greater evil may be at play here.
Throne of Glass is undeniably gripping and magnificently told, with an abundance of characters you will come to love and love to hate. Further, it is tailored to a great many audiences, whether you love fantasy kingdoms, mystery, secrets and plots, or drama, gore, and bloodshed, Throne of Glass provides it all.
Not that anyone familiar with Maas's work had any doubt but the second instalment to the series is even better than the first.
Crown of Midnight is a thousand times more heartbreaking than Throne of Glass, and if you found yourself speculating, wondering, and assuming as to a number of things in the first book, then I guarantee you will have twice as many theories in the second installment.
To top it off, this book finally gives you the big reveal as to Celaena's background. I for one, had my suspicions from the very first chapters in the first installment but having it confirmed FINALLY was marvelous, especially since it carries so many implications.
This book goes one step further, giving you a deeper look into the worlds history, with a particular emphasis on magic and its disappearance, the wyrdmarks/gates, and what evil the king is up to.
The characters get so much more development in this one. If you loved them before then you will absolutely adore them now. Characters you might've found dull and annoying are given purpose and personality.
Crown of Midnight will have you reeling throughout and never more so than at the very end.
Crown of Midnight is a thousand times more heartbreaking than Throne of Glass, and if you found yourself speculating, wondering, and assuming as to a number of things in the first book, then I guarantee you will have twice as many theories in the second installment.
To top it off, this book finally gives you the big reveal as to Celaena's background. I for one, had my suspicions from the very first chapters in the first installment but having it confirmed FINALLY was marvelous, especially since it carries so many implications.
This book goes one step further, giving you a deeper look into the worlds history, with a particular emphasis on magic and its disappearance, the wyrdmarks/gates, and what evil the king is up to.
The characters get so much more development in this one. If you loved them before then you will absolutely adore them now. Characters you might've found dull and annoying are given purpose and personality.
Crown of Midnight will have you reeling throughout and never more so than at the very end.
Heir of Fire seems to mark the turning point of the story arc for the entire series. We’re heading into the bigger plot for the Throne of Glass series, and there is a lot of setup within this novel.
For that reason, I did feel like some of the plot points were lacking and used more for description and set-up. This novel was less action-based compared to the previous. This is not to say the book was bad or anything, the pacing was good, I’m just impatient.
This book marks the ‘new beginning’ for me. There’s a noticeable improvement in SJM’s writing style developing into its own that also highlights her growing experience. She now knows her characters and this book is very character-driven to match that.
Overall, this is ultimately my least favorite book of the series so far. Despite this, I will prevail as I desperately need to know how things will play out for the characters.
For that reason, I did feel like some of the plot points were lacking and used more for description and set-up. This novel was less action-based compared to the previous. This is not to say the book was bad or anything, the pacing was good, I’m just impatient.
This book marks the ‘new beginning’ for me. There’s a noticeable improvement in SJM’s writing style developing into its own that also highlights her growing experience. She now knows her characters and this book is very character-driven to match that.
Overall, this is ultimately my least favorite book of the series so far. Despite this, I will prevail as I desperately need to know how things will play out for the characters.
I was a bit hesitant before reading this because Heir of Fire was not my favorite and kind of let me down a bit. This one took me forever to get through. And it’s not because it’s a longer novel, I just got so unmotivated to read because it felt like it was going nowhere in the beginning. However, in similar SJM fashion, the last 50 or so pages make up for the slow start.
I loved how in this book Maas gave every single character their own sense of agency and a chance for growth and redemption. In Heir of Fire, we followed the different characters on disconnected plot lines, in this book we finally got to see the plots and timelines come together and how all of the main characters play into the bigger picture of the series.
Despite this, the novel came very close to falling short for me, there were parts that dragged a little too much, and some parts were just quite boring. However, there are two things that saved this novel: diving into the thoughts of the other characters more and the ending. As I stated before, the last 50 or so pages really save and make up for all.
After that ending, I will be starting Empire of Storms right away.
I loved how in this book Maas gave every single character their own sense of agency and a chance for growth and redemption. In Heir of Fire, we followed the different characters on disconnected plot lines, in this book we finally got to see the plots and timelines come together and how all of the main characters play into the bigger picture of the series.
Despite this, the novel came very close to falling short for me, there were parts that dragged a little too much, and some parts were just quite boring. However, there are two things that saved this novel: diving into the thoughts of the other characters more and the ending. As I stated before, the last 50 or so pages really save and make up for all.
After that ending, I will be starting Empire of Storms right away.
Look. I promise I’m not turning this page into a Sarah J. Maas fan account, but she really needs to stop twisting my heart during the last 10% of her books. I realize it’s a bit out of the ordinary to start with the end for a review, but honestly that was my favorite part.
This book was so full of action and adventure that if flew by very quickly, despite it being nearly 700 pages. All of the numerous side characters get their time in the spotlight, with their perspectives really having come into their own with this book, and I really appreciate that. This book splits up the characters and its a wild ride from start to finish. Honestly, the ones who really shine are the side characters. Manon being my absolute favorite.
Something else that I love about this series, and makes me glad that I read these books while I’m in my early 20s rather than my teenage years, is that I appreciate all the moral ambiguity of the characters. The weight of what they have to endure and decide is heavier than any burden that they should ever carry.
Overall, I think it was a great fifth book, and I appreciate the addition of new characters and callbacks to previous books in the series. This would be my second favorite in the series thus far, with Assassin’s Blade being number one, of course.
This book was so full of action and adventure that if flew by very quickly, despite it being nearly 700 pages. All of the numerous side characters get their time in the spotlight, with their perspectives really having come into their own with this book, and I really appreciate that. This book splits up the characters and its a wild ride from start to finish. Honestly, the ones who really shine are the side characters. Manon being my absolute favorite.
Something else that I love about this series, and makes me glad that I read these books while I’m in my early 20s rather than my teenage years, is that I appreciate all the moral ambiguity of the characters. The weight of what they have to endure and decide is heavier than any burden that they should ever carry.
Overall, I think it was a great fifth book, and I appreciate the addition of new characters and callbacks to previous books in the series. This would be my second favorite in the series thus far, with Assassin’s Blade being number one, of course.
Tower of Dawn is a weird one. It doesn’t follow the usual main character who we know and love but instead is written from the point of view of Chaol, the previous Captain of the guard and her first friend in the series.
I knew this going in, and because of the way Empire of Storms ended (no spoilers here, don’t worry), I really wasn’t keen to read it. I was so tempted to carry on with the main story and ignore this book altogether, but I’d been told by several people TOD contained key plot points that would be vital to the final book.
At first, I was incredibly impatient to get through this book and found myself more or less skimming, rather than reading. I was annoyed that I needed to get through a 600+ page book before learning of our main character’s fate. Though what happens to Chaol is equally important, even if it took over half the book to get there.
We find ourselves in the rich, warm desert city of Antica, the capital city of the Southern Continent. Sarah J. Maas makes it so easy to fall in love with this world, which is extremely beneficial considering we have only heard the smallest of hints about this land. You start to love and empathize with Chaol (I know he wasn’t the most popular character in the first few books), learning more about his upbringing and getting to know his thoughts. The character development from Chaol as he journeys through his recovery is just so gratifying.
Overall, this was not my most enjoyable read of the series. Personally, despite vital information, I do not believe this book should have been that long. Though, I did gain my favorite couple from the novel, so I can’t really complain too much. (And no it was not Chaol.)
I knew this going in, and because of the way Empire of Storms ended (no spoilers here, don’t worry), I really wasn’t keen to read it. I was so tempted to carry on with the main story and ignore this book altogether, but I’d been told by several people TOD contained key plot points that would be vital to the final book.
At first, I was incredibly impatient to get through this book and found myself more or less skimming, rather than reading. I was annoyed that I needed to get through a 600+ page book before learning of our main character’s fate. Though what happens to Chaol is equally important, even if it took over half the book to get there.
We find ourselves in the rich, warm desert city of Antica, the capital city of the Southern Continent. Sarah J. Maas makes it so easy to fall in love with this world, which is extremely beneficial considering we have only heard the smallest of hints about this land. You start to love and empathize with Chaol (I know he wasn’t the most popular character in the first few books), learning more about his upbringing and getting to know his thoughts. The character development from Chaol as he journeys through his recovery is just so gratifying.
Overall, this was not my most enjoyable read of the series. Personally, despite vital information, I do not believe this book should have been that long. Though, I did gain my favorite couple from the novel, so I can’t really complain too much. (And no it was not Chaol.)
adventurous
medium-paced
Phew! THAT was a long book. Possibly too long, but we'll get to that. I absolutely loved the Throne of Glass series from the minute I picked it up. Unfortunately, my love for the series dwindled as I read more. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and it was a good ending, but I'm QUITE the critical reader and so there were a few things that bothered me.
So what did I enjoy? Dorian. Who'd have thought the shining prince would become my favourite character! Manon was also another of my favorite characters, the dynamics within the witches are amazing.
What I’ve noticed with this series is how you can see the writing change throughout and the tone of the books with it. The first books were amazing but then suddenly you see it change drastically, and this didn’t work for me. Somewhere along the way all the things I loved about the main character was…different, as if all her original traits that made her, well her, just vanished.
Characters aside, maybe it’s just me that felt this, but this book was too long! There was so much dead space and chapters that could have been shorter or endless descriptions that could have been cut, it was almost as if it was long just for the sake of being long. I love a juicy long book to get stuck into, but there was too much fluff around the edges in this.
I guess this series changed too much for me halfway through. All in all, it was a nice end to the series. ToG is a series that I will recommend to anyone who loves fantasy, though I think it lost its way towards the end a bit.
Overall, I am relieved to be done. This is not a series I will likely be picking up again, even if I have this major love for some of the characters. And I know a ton of you out there love this series and I am so happy for you, this just wasn’t the one for me. So I hope you are not all angry with me.
And Finally… Farewell ToG, farewell my favs, farewell to all. We will not meet again.
So what did I enjoy? Dorian. Who'd have thought the shining prince would become my favourite character! Manon was also another of my favorite characters, the dynamics within the witches are amazing.
What I’ve noticed with this series is how you can see the writing change throughout and the tone of the books with it. The first books were amazing but then suddenly you see it change drastically, and this didn’t work for me. Somewhere along the way all the things I loved about the main character was…different, as if all her original traits that made her, well her, just vanished.
Characters aside, maybe it’s just me that felt this, but this book was too long! There was so much dead space and chapters that could have been shorter or endless descriptions that could have been cut, it was almost as if it was long just for the sake of being long. I love a juicy long book to get stuck into, but there was too much fluff around the edges in this.
I guess this series changed too much for me halfway through. All in all, it was a nice end to the series. ToG is a series that I will recommend to anyone who loves fantasy, though I think it lost its way towards the end a bit.
Overall, I am relieved to be done. This is not a series I will likely be picking up again, even if I have this major love for some of the characters. And I know a ton of you out there love this series and I am so happy for you, this just wasn’t the one for me. So I hope you are not all angry with me.
And Finally… Farewell ToG, farewell my favs, farewell to all. We will not meet again.