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libraryofhades's reviews
269 reviews
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was absolutely blown away by this book! Based on the reviews that I had seen prior to reading this book, I was expecting it to be excellent, but I could not have predicted the emotional impact it had on me. Despite being someone who reads a lot of fantasy and particularly a lot of character driven fantasy, this felt like something completely fresh. I have had a hard time trying to accurately trying to break down what exactly I feel about this book. I really enjoyed the world and the magic system, and also really loved the story itself. The real star of the book though was the character work. The characters and their development are incredibly well done. The way the author was able to capture the impact of the story's event on the characters is what really gripped me while reading. These characters are going to stick with me for a long time because of the depth they were given through the writing.
That definitely doesn't accurately describe all of my feelings about this book, but I have no real capability to effectively do that.
That definitely doesn't accurately describe all of my feelings about this book, but I have no real capability to effectively do that.
Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
After reading this sequel I found myself feeling very similarly about it as I did the first. I enjoyed it, it's is a very simple fantasy world with a relatively predictable plot, but it is a fun read. I think my main source of investment in this series is the romantic plot line. I don't dislike the overall story, but I find there is nothing particularly special that sets it apart.
I think that one of the main frustrations I do have with the series is that it feels quite immature for an adult series. For instance the main character is supposed to be in the later half of her twenties (I believe 27?) but the way she is written makes her seem several years younger. In between reading the first book and this one I completely forgot how old she was supposed to be and kept picturing as being barely 20. I don't think this has a huge impact on the story, but it was something that I found bothered me at times. I also felt like there a bit of a lack of tension in this book that was also present in the first book. It's not as though the story doesn't present reason for there to be tension, but because the plot is quite predictable I didn't feel worried about the characters.
There were a number of positive aspects to the story. As I mentioned I enjoy the romantic plot line in this series. The love interest is one of my favorite characters and I think that he has chemistry with the main character. I also enjoyed the amount of angst in the romance during this book, especially since the author did give a plausible reason for the angst which I appreciated. I also appreciated that the world was expanded in this book. It's still not a particularly complex world, but more was added to it in this installment which added to the interest in the political plot line for the series.
This is by no means a favorite series for me, however, I do enjoy it and I do plan on reading the next book.
I think that one of the main frustrations I do have with the series is that it feels quite immature for an adult series. For instance the main character is supposed to be in the later half of her twenties (I believe 27?) but the way she is written makes her seem several years younger. In between reading the first book and this one I completely forgot how old she was supposed to be and kept picturing as being barely 20. I don't think this has a huge impact on the story, but it was something that I found bothered me at times. I also felt like there a bit of a lack of tension in this book that was also present in the first book. It's not as though the story doesn't present reason for there to be tension, but because the plot is quite predictable I didn't feel worried about the characters.
There were a number of positive aspects to the story. As I mentioned I enjoy the romantic plot line in this series. The love interest is one of my favorite characters and I think that he has chemistry with the main character. I also enjoyed the amount of angst in the romance during this book, especially since the author did give a plausible reason for the angst which I appreciated. I also appreciated that the world was expanded in this book. It's still not a particularly complex world, but more was added to it in this installment which added to the interest in the political plot line for the series.
This is by no means a favorite series for me, however, I do enjoy it and I do plan on reading the next book.
Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
So, this book did unfortunately suffer from 'second book syndrome', but it did succeed in setting up quite well for what I hope is an exciting conclusion to the trilogy. I think part of the downside to this entry was the way the magic system was handled. Now, the magic system is this world is fascinating and it's plays a huge role in what made the first book so good. In this book, however, I felt like the story got bogged down in the details of the magic. It made things often feel over explained to the point of being quite repetitive, at least for my taste. I don't think it made the book boring, but there were moments where it felt like things really dragged. All this being said I did still enjoy this book. I do like the world and particularly I like the characters. I was also impressed by the ending. There were a few aspects of the conclusion that I anticipated, but in the way where I was happy to be correct. There were also several things that took me by surprise, and ultimately it did make me excited to see where the next book goes.
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5