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liz_ross's reviews
44 reviews
The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, War, and Violence
Minor: Slavery
The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
"Love is what makes us humans. There is value in it, even when it is not requited."
I will be honest.A weird way to start since I always am, but let's ignore that. This was not the kind of sequel for The Warded Man that I was expecting. It did continue to develop the story from the point where it was left in the last book, but more than that Brett focused on going back to the past and tell us Jardir's life story since he was a little boy, just like he did with Leesha, Rojer and Arlen in the first book.
The difference is that in the first book there was one single timeline. They started as children, became teenagers and ended as young adults. This time, there's no such thing as a clear timeline. Jardir starts as an adult, preparing for the war he promised at the end of The Warded Man, but then starts reminiscing on events from his past and the readers suddenly find themselves reading about a much younger Jardir. Just for a few pages, though, because then we come back for the present.
Of course, I know some readers do not like when writers do this. It can get messy, confusing. Personally, I think that will only happen if the writer does not bother to clarify where we are in a certain chapter, whether it be by stating the time or by always starting in the present and show the past as flashbacks. The problem is, Brett doesn't do any of those things; there's no way to know if the chapter is about present or past. Especially in the beginning, when Brett was still developing Jardir's younger self, I would start his chapters not knowing where the hell I was - in the present, witnessing the beginning of a war, or in the past, witnessing the growth and development of a future leader. As chapters passed by, things became easier (mostly because the chapters about the past would get less and less frequent), but there were a few chapters then that still managed to make me wonder were I was for a few paragraphs before I get some piece of information that would actually allow me to know the time.
I am not saying I didn't enjoy Jardir's chapters. I did. Truth is, even if I didn't like Jardir, I would have enjoyed the chapters as I had the opportunity to meet Inevera, who I know I shouldn't like, but can't help loving. But disliking Jardir isn't even an issue as although I hate him, I can't help loving and admiring him as well. He is such a strong character, brave and smart. And yet his moral compass is clearly broken and he does so many things I can't agree with. But truth is, I can't blame him for those things either, as he is not the one at fault for his questionable beliefs (that's all he was told to be right as he grew up) and everything he did, he did because he actually believed it was the right thing to do. He actually believed the path he took and the decisions he made were the right ones and the final goal he intends to achieve is the right one. I already thought like that in the first book and to learn about his past and to have entire chaoters about him only allowed me to confirm it.
I am still unsure if Brett intended to make him a villain or not (I mean, it seemed like it for a while in the first book, but if you think about it, the real villain are the corelings and I don't think I have ever seen any writer spend an entire book revealing the backstory and developing with such depth a villain - even if I do believe it would be great if writers started doing that; villains are often such underrated characters!), but whether it is his objective or not, I think that right now Jardir is closer to become an antihero than an actual villain.
However, even if I loved Jardir story, I felt like something was missing in this book. Something that existed in the first one and that was the reason it enchanted me and managed to get 5 stars. I have been thinking about it and yet I can't actually point out what I feel that is missing. Maybe it's the world, that although still beautiful and enticing, is no longer new - we got some new information (quite unsettling and yet brilliant if you want my opinion), but nothing compared to the first book and I kind of missed that feeling of entering such a refreshing, original, new world.
But it could also have been because of the story. I mean, it did develop the present, but it focused much more in Jardir's past. And while I had no idea how things would end in the present, I was fairly certain how the past would end, because well... I knew the present, so it was a bit obvious. I am not saying some things didn't surprise me and that I didn't like it (as I already said, I did), but enjoying a story when you know how most of it will end is not the same thing as enjoying one where you have no idea how things will turn out.
And then there's the fact that although still undoubtely brilliant and good and enjoyable, the plot in the present itself lacked something the first one had. Yes, the introduction of new characters was great and so was the new points of view that allowed the readers to get a break from Arlen, Leesha and Rojer more often. But new characters brought new problems. For starters, if the fact that every single female character seemed to fall in love with Arlen while every single male one seemed to fall in love with Leesha was tolerable in the first book, it quickly got old in the second one. I mean, Leesha is strong and smart and beautiful, but even a girl with all those atributes does <b>not</b> have the entire world at her feet, especially when she also has flaws, which I am sure some people wouldn't be able to stand. And no matter how much I love Arlen as a character, I can assure you if he ever showed up at my door and I had no idea who he was, I would run as fast as I can.
It's not just that it lacked something, though. It's also the existence of other small details that bothered me. Not enough to make me not enjoy the book as I don't think they were handled that bad (most of them, at least), but they obviously contributed to that feeling of something missing as I couldn't find small details like these to bother me in the first book. Brett trying to find a way of having Leesha and her mother make peace with each other isn't fine - I am not saying Leesha doesn't think too high of herself (again, she is not flawless, which is good), but what her mother did to her, how she treated her, is not something forgivable, especially when it was done for <i>years</i>.
Brett giving both Arlen and Leesha a second love interest would be fine if he wasn't so desperate to find them, he ended up creating and rushing up relationships that definitely didn't make much sense - especially in Arlen's case since no one holds on to a childhood love that badly, especially when the said love has not been around for more years than they have been together, and definitely does not claim to still love him without even trying to meet the grown up Arlen better; at least Leesha's love interest had several chapters and time to get to actually know Leesha.
And damn it, something about Rojer accepting the two women whose names I can't remember doesn't sit right with me - he did accept them to protect them, but something in the way Brett wrote it made it sound like it wasn't really the only reason and <i>that</i> is not understandable at all considering Rojer's personality.
All these would be easily ignored if they had shown up alone. But all together... they are not easy to ignore, or to let go.
However, there's another bright side! And a darkest side to it. Rape is still part of the story. And not exclusive to women, which awful as it is, is also an efficient way to remind people that rape victims aren't all women in real life either. Men are raped too. And they have to deal with the phsycological consequeces of it as well. And once again, I don't think the new rape cases were handled well enough - I mean, in the male case, the victim got "revenge", but revenge is not enough, doesn't cure a thing. Once again, Brett made it sound like the effects don't last.
So, where the hell is the bright side I mentioned? Leesha was raped in the first book and I feared exactly the same thing - it seemed like Brett used rape just as a way of adding drama to the story and wouldn't approach it again. But he did rememeber it, he did approach it again, he did show it had consequences on Leesha. I still think it wasn't dealt with long enough, but he treated it in a serious way and that makes me hope that he will also handle the new victims right, remembering it and approaching it in the next books.
Overall, brilliant, stunning book with a really good plot that takes place in an incredible and as vicious as original world. A quite good sequel to <i>The Warded Man</i>, even if it certainly wasn't what I was expecting, that offers the opportunity to learn more about a character that although interesting had very little time to shine in the first book and to know new ones that will certainly make the next book quite interesting.
And hopefully the spark that made me absolutely LOVE the first one will come back and I will be able to give the third book 5 stars as well.
I will be honest.
The difference is that in the first book there was one single timeline. They started as children, became teenagers and ended as young adults. This time, there's no such thing as a clear timeline. Jardir starts as an adult, preparing for the war he promised at the end of The Warded Man, but then starts reminiscing on events from his past and the readers suddenly find themselves reading about a much younger Jardir. Just for a few pages, though, because then we come back for the present.
Of course, I know some readers do not like when writers do this. It can get messy, confusing. Personally, I think that will only happen if the writer does not bother to clarify where we are in a certain chapter, whether it be by stating the time or by always starting in the present and show the past as flashbacks. The problem is, Brett doesn't do any of those things; there's no way to know if the chapter is about present or past. Especially in the beginning, when Brett was still developing Jardir's younger self, I would start his chapters not knowing where the hell I was - in the present, witnessing the beginning of a war, or in the past, witnessing the growth and development of a future leader. As chapters passed by, things became easier (mostly because the chapters about the past would get less and less frequent), but there were a few chapters then that still managed to make me wonder were I was for a few paragraphs before I get some piece of information that would actually allow me to know the time.
I am not saying I didn't enjoy Jardir's chapters. I did. Truth is, even if I didn't like Jardir, I would have enjoyed the chapters as I had the opportunity to meet Inevera, who I know I shouldn't like, but can't help loving. But disliking Jardir isn't even an issue as although I hate him, I can't help loving and admiring him as well. He is such a strong character, brave and smart. And yet his moral compass is clearly broken and he does so many things I can't agree with. But truth is, I can't blame him for those things either, as he is not the one at fault for his questionable beliefs (that's all he was told to be right as he grew up) and everything he did, he did because he actually believed it was the right thing to do. He actually believed the path he took and the decisions he made were the right ones and the final goal he intends to achieve is the right one. I already thought like that in the first book and to learn about his past and to have entire chaoters about him only allowed me to confirm it.
I am still unsure if Brett intended to make him a villain or not (I mean, it seemed like it for a while in the first book, but if you think about it, the real villain are the corelings and I don't think I have ever seen any writer spend an entire book revealing the backstory and developing with such depth a villain - even if I do believe it would be great if writers started doing that; villains are often such underrated characters!), but whether it is his objective or not, I think that right now Jardir is closer to become an antihero than an actual villain.
However, even if I loved Jardir story, I felt like something was missing in this book. Something that existed in the first one and that was the reason it enchanted me and managed to get 5 stars. I have been thinking about it and yet I can't actually point out what I feel that is missing. Maybe it's the world, that although still beautiful and enticing, is no longer new - we got some new information (quite unsettling and yet brilliant if you want my opinion), but nothing compared to the first book and I kind of missed that feeling of entering such a refreshing, original, new world.
But it could also have been because of the story. I mean, it did develop the present, but it focused much more in Jardir's past. And while I had no idea how things would end in the present, I was fairly certain how the past would end, because well... I knew the present, so it was a bit obvious. I am not saying some things didn't surprise me and that I didn't like it (as I already said, I did), but enjoying a story when you know how most of it will end is not the same thing as enjoying one where you have no idea how things will turn out.
And then there's the fact that although still undoubtely brilliant and good and enjoyable, the plot in the present itself lacked something the first one had. Yes, the introduction of new characters was great and so was the new points of view that allowed the readers to get a break from Arlen, Leesha and Rojer more often. But new characters brought new problems. For starters, if the fact that every single female character seemed to fall in love with Arlen while every single male one seemed to fall in love with Leesha was tolerable in the first book, it quickly got old in the second one. I mean, Leesha is strong and smart and beautiful, but even a girl with all those atributes does <b>not</b> have the entire world at her feet, especially when she also has flaws, which I am sure some people wouldn't be able to stand. And no matter how much I love Arlen as a character, I can assure you if he ever showed up at my door and I had no idea who he was, I would run as fast as I can.
It's not just that it lacked something, though. It's also the existence of other small details that bothered me. Not enough to make me not enjoy the book as I don't think they were handled that bad (most of them, at least), but they obviously contributed to that feeling of something missing as I couldn't find small details like these to bother me in the first book. Brett trying to find a way of having Leesha and her mother make peace with each other isn't fine - I am not saying Leesha doesn't think too high of herself (again, she is not flawless, which is good), but what her mother did to her, how she treated her, is not something forgivable, especially when it was done for <i>years</i>.
Brett giving both Arlen and Leesha a second love interest would be fine if he wasn't so desperate to find them, he ended up creating and rushing up relationships that definitely didn't make much sense - especially in Arlen's case since no one holds on to a childhood love that badly, especially when the said love has not been around for more years than they have been together, and definitely does not claim to still love him without even trying to meet the grown up Arlen better; at least Leesha's love interest had several chapters and time to get to actually know Leesha.
And damn it, something about Rojer accepting the two women whose names I can't remember doesn't sit right with me - he did accept them to protect them, but something in the way Brett wrote it made it sound like it wasn't really the only reason and <i>that</i> is not understandable at all considering Rojer's personality.
All these would be easily ignored if they had shown up alone. But all together... they are not easy to ignore, or to let go.
However, there's another bright side! And a darkest side to it. Rape is still part of the story. And not exclusive to women, which awful as it is, is also an efficient way to remind people that rape victims aren't all women in real life either. Men are raped too. And they have to deal with the phsycological consequeces of it as well. And once again, I don't think the new rape cases were handled well enough - I mean, in the male case, the victim got "revenge", but revenge is not enough, doesn't cure a thing. Once again, Brett made it sound like the effects don't last.
So, where the hell is the bright side I mentioned? Leesha was raped in the first book and I feared exactly the same thing - it seemed like Brett used rape just as a way of adding drama to the story and wouldn't approach it again. But he did rememeber it, he did approach it again, he did show it had consequences on Leesha. I still think it wasn't dealt with long enough, but he treated it in a serious way and that makes me hope that he will also handle the new victims right, remembering it and approaching it in the next books.
Overall, brilliant, stunning book with a really good plot that takes place in an incredible and as vicious as original world. A quite good sequel to <i>The Warded Man</i>, even if it certainly wasn't what I was expecting, that offers the opportunity to learn more about a character that although interesting had very little time to shine in the first book and to know new ones that will certainly make the next book quite interesting.
And hopefully the spark that made me absolutely LOVE the first one will come back and I will be able to give the third book 5 stars as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Ableism, Blood, Gore, Violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infertility, and Toxic relationship
The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"Let others determine your worth and you've already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves."
I hate reviewing five stars books. I think I have said it already, but I will say it again. I hate it. I hate it, because no matter what I say, in the end I will always feel like I haven't said enough, like I haven't made justice to the book. So, I really don't want to write this review, because my love for this book is huge and to reduce it to a few paragraphs doesn't really feel right. But I will try, because this book deserves A LOT more recognition than it gets and the only way it will get it is if more people hear about it and I am sure positive reviews is the way to go.
So, in case you haven't undersrood that yet, I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! And why? Well, because it is one of the closest things to perfection I have ever had the pleasure to read.
The world is amazing. It's so realistic and yet magical and once you have heard about it, you can't help wanting to find a way to get inside the book and visit it. I think Brett found the perfect balance between plot development and world building and I loved how I would get more and more information about the world while the characters' lives were being developed.
What I liked the most about it was the whole demons concept and the wards that allowed humans to survive against them. I think it was the first time I saw demons like these and it's not only refreshing, but also absolutely captivating, giving the whole story a really interesting dynamic. A dynamic that is obviously influenced by the existence of wards that protect humans from demons - which, although isn't as original as Brett's representation of demons, is still quite interesting as they have their own history and are actually vital to the turn the story takes.
But there's even more than that to the world. I mean, with such an amazing magical system, I wouldn't mind if there wasn't any more world building worth the name. I would take a "normal" world, one of those regular fantasy worlds that is nothing but a background for the story to happen. I won't say I would be happy to see that happen, but I wouldn't be that mad if it did.
And yet Brett doesn't do that. Brett creates and develops his own, unique world. A feudal system full of traditions and clearly patriarchal, but undeniably good and credible. A lot of authors forget that even in the same country, not every single area has the same traditions. Even if they have the same base, some villages or cities may give the culture and traditions more value and attention than others. Brett didn't forget it. While in cities like Miln, where the influence of the governors is stronger, culture and traditions are heavily supported and anyone that goes agaisnt them is likely to end up in prison or dead, in villages like Cutter's Hollow, those traditions, which are already slightly different (we don't have the Mothers/Daughters distinction), haven't as much influence and although the society is still patriarchal, patriarchy isn't as strong as in the cities. And then, of course, there's Krasia, that despite being technically part of the same divided country, couldn't be more different from the rest of the world. Although it is clearly based on the culture of the old Muslim societies, I don't think it intends to cast a bad light upon them as I have read in some reviews - in fact, Brett chose to make the Krasians the only ones brave enough to try to fight the corelings, making them a very different and undoubtely interesting addition to a world where everyone seems too afraid of demons to try to fight back.
I think what Brett really intends to do with what can be seen as his represention of Islamism is alert to the risks of fanatism. Because if we really think about it, we will realize that the rest of the world has as main religion his version of Christianism and both are extremes. Just different extremes. Krasians show the danger of turning a fair fight against demons into the only thing that matters because of religion. The Northerns show the danger of doing nothing and waiting for the arrivial of someone to save them, allowing the demons to kill, hurt and destroy everything they want.
However, no story will ever get five stars out of me just for its world (no matter how amazing it is). The Warded Man got five stars, because not only the world building is amazing but so are the characters and the plot.
The thing is, the characters are also amazing. Realistic, loveable, complex. No character does only good things or bad things. They are flawed, human. And because of that, there's no "good" or "bad" guys. Just people, doing what they think is better and making mistakes. I can give so many examples of what I am saying. Arlen, so desperate for love and so scared of it at the same time; wanting to get revenge so badly he doesn't realize he is giving too much away in order to get that. Leesha, smart, brilliant and strong, but so quick to judge others sometimes. Rojer, so easy to pity and love, but so infuriating when he decides to act like an idiot. Even Jeph, Jardir and Arrick are like that. I want to hate them all so badly, but how can I? They all did what they could, what they thought was better. Jeph and Arrick are cowards. But can we really judge Jeph' cowardice and prudence when we are not the ones living in a world filled with demons? I blame Jeph for breaking his promise so easily, but I can't help but understand him. And I want to hate Arrick so badly for everything Rojer lost because of him. But for every bad thing he did, he found a good one to balance. And the good doesn't excuse the bad, but I can't blame him for being human, especially when he did everything he could to grant Kelly her last wish. And Jardir... Oh, how I want to hate Jardir for what he did! But I can't. I feel an urge to strangle him, to kill him, slowly and painfully. And it should mean that I hate him, but I don't. I can see why he did what he did, I can see that he has good intentions, even if stained by his huge pride. And no matter how much I want to, I can't hate him when all he wants is to get rid of all the demons.
So, Brett created an extraordinary world and the proceeded to fill it with these amazing characters with unique personalities, allowing that world to come to life. And the story itself. These characters are the story. These character, who represent strenght and courage and intelligence, but also greed and pride and hate. They are the story, because more than anything this is a story about humanity. I can't help seeing it as a huge metaphor for the importance of fighting our fears, of not letting them control us and tell us what to do, but making sure that we don't become so focused on fighting those fears that we forget to live. These characters, their lives, their relationships, their growth are the plot. It's them that define what happens and it would only take one of them to vanish for the whole story to change irremidiably.
And it feels right. I can't imagine this story in any other way. But more than that, it makes the story unpredictable. Because humans are unpredictable. This unwelcoming world is unpredictable. And if I can't even find a predictable base to start building a theory, how can I have one at all? I go blind, living the story as it develops and never even if just a little step ahead. And that is amazing.
It isn't just a metaphor for the importance of fighting our fears, though. I can also see it as a very clear warning about many things wrong about our society. From the risks of fanatism (that I've already refered) to the problems with patriarchy, namely the sexism in itself and the hyper-sexualization of the woman body. These were matters that pissed me off, I felt the urge to choke every single man I found (with some especial exceptions) for the way they treated women. But Brett handled these matters well. He created these strong female character, who don't take crap from anyone, man or woman, and that are clear embodiments of the feminism ideals, especially Bruna. And he made some characters question the hyper-sexualization of the woman body and clearly stand against it.
I do have to give credit where it is due. All of this? It would be nothing without Brett's stunning writing style. I can live every scene, feel every emotion, imagine every place and person. I am immersed by this story, taken to its world by his addicting writing style that makes you unable to put the book down.
But if I have to give credit where it's due, I also have to point out the things I didn't like or that weren't as good. And if Brett handled well the sexism and hyper-sexualization well, I can't say the same about rape. He should have <i>never</i> decided to put it in his book, because he doesn't know how to handle it. People have to move on, yes. To cope, to heal. But it's not magical, it certainly doesn't take half a day to heal. Fuck it, most people never fully heal! And the way the character that was raped seems so fine after it, how she needs less than a day to move on? Not right. At all. The few times Brett tried to adress it later seemd artificial, which is great for Brett as an individual as it means he never had to go trhough such a traumatic experience or see someone deal with its consequences, but not good at all to the story or the subject as a whole. So, let me repeat something I have said in other reviews. You don't think you can handle rape well, then I don't care how much you believe it "fits" the story. DON'T. FUCKING. PUT. IT. IN THERE. I can guarantee you, if you don't know how to handle it, then it isn't needed in your story at all. Rape isn't something you can use to "spice up" your story. So, if you are not going to adress it correctly, there's no reason for it to be there.
This whole situation pissed me off so badly that I got really mad at the book. And I got even more mad when I finished the book and realized it <i>so</i> good that it didn't feel right to give it less than 5 stars. I am still pissed about it. But the book as a whole absolutely deserves those 5 stars.
It's a story of courage, love in its many ways, friendship. It's about learning to fight our fears, about not letting them control our lives. It's a story about humanity and how it can achieve great things and fight anything if they wish to do so.
Overall, no book is perfect. But this one is really close to perfection. It's an endearing story of love, sacrifice, courage and friendship set in a magnificent, well-developed world filled with extraordinary characters and inovating magical concepts. A world you will fall in love with so fast you will get to the end of the book without even realizing it and then find yourself wishing you had the second book, so you could find out more about it. Definitely a must-read for any fantasy lover.
"It's not brave to fight a battle you can't win."
I hate reviewing five stars books. I think I have said it already, but I will say it again. I hate it. I hate it, because no matter what I say, in the end I will always feel like I haven't said enough, like I haven't made justice to the book. So, I really don't want to write this review, because my love for this book is huge and to reduce it to a few paragraphs doesn't really feel right. But I will try, because this book deserves A LOT more recognition than it gets and the only way it will get it is if more people hear about it and I am sure positive reviews is the way to go.
So, in case you haven't undersrood that yet, I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! And why? Well, because it is one of the closest things to perfection I have ever had the pleasure to read.
The world is amazing. It's so realistic and yet magical and once you have heard about it, you can't help wanting to find a way to get inside the book and visit it. I think Brett found the perfect balance between plot development and world building and I loved how I would get more and more information about the world while the characters' lives were being developed.
What I liked the most about it was the whole demons concept and the wards that allowed humans to survive against them. I think it was the first time I saw demons like these and it's not only refreshing, but also absolutely captivating, giving the whole story a really interesting dynamic. A dynamic that is obviously influenced by the existence of wards that protect humans from demons - which, although isn't as original as Brett's representation of demons, is still quite interesting as they have their own history and are actually vital to the turn the story takes.
But there's even more than that to the world. I mean, with such an amazing magical system, I wouldn't mind if there wasn't any more world building worth the name. I would take a "normal" world, one of those regular fantasy worlds that is nothing but a background for the story to happen. I won't say I would be happy to see that happen, but I wouldn't be that mad if it did.
And yet Brett doesn't do that. Brett creates and develops his own, unique world. A feudal system full of traditions and clearly patriarchal, but undeniably good and credible. A lot of authors forget that even in the same country, not every single area has the same traditions. Even if they have the same base, some villages or cities may give the culture and traditions more value and attention than others. Brett didn't forget it. While in cities like Miln, where the influence of the governors is stronger, culture and traditions are heavily supported and anyone that goes agaisnt them is likely to end up in prison or dead, in villages like Cutter's Hollow, those traditions, which are already slightly different (we don't have the Mothers/Daughters distinction), haven't as much influence and although the society is still patriarchal, patriarchy isn't as strong as in the cities. And then, of course, there's Krasia, that despite being technically part of the same divided country, couldn't be more different from the rest of the world. Although it is clearly based on the culture of the old Muslim societies, I don't think it intends to cast a bad light upon them as I have read in some reviews - in fact, Brett chose to make the Krasians the only ones brave enough to try to fight the corelings, making them a very different and undoubtely interesting addition to a world where everyone seems too afraid of demons to try to fight back.
I think what Brett really intends to do with what can be seen as his represention of Islamism is alert to the risks of fanatism. Because if we really think about it, we will realize that the rest of the world has as main religion his version of Christianism and both are extremes. Just different extremes. Krasians show the danger of turning a fair fight against demons into the only thing that matters because of religion. The Northerns show the danger of doing nothing and waiting for the arrivial of someone to save them, allowing the demons to kill, hurt and destroy everything they want.
However, no story will ever get five stars out of me just for its world (no matter how amazing it is). The Warded Man got five stars, because not only the world building is amazing but so are the characters and the plot.
The thing is, the characters are also amazing. Realistic, loveable, complex. No character does only good things or bad things. They are flawed, human. And because of that, there's no "good" or "bad" guys. Just people, doing what they think is better and making mistakes. I can give so many examples of what I am saying. Arlen, so desperate for love and so scared of it at the same time; wanting to get revenge so badly he doesn't realize he is giving too much away in order to get that. Leesha, smart, brilliant and strong, but so quick to judge others sometimes. Rojer, so easy to pity and love, but so infuriating when he decides to act like an idiot. Even Jeph, Jardir and Arrick are like that. I want to hate them all so badly, but how can I? They all did what they could, what they thought was better. Jeph and Arrick are cowards. But can we really judge Jeph' cowardice and prudence when we are not the ones living in a world filled with demons? I blame Jeph for breaking his promise so easily, but I can't help but understand him. And I want to hate Arrick so badly for everything Rojer lost because of him. But for every bad thing he did, he found a good one to balance. And the good doesn't excuse the bad, but I can't blame him for being human, especially when he did everything he could to grant Kelly her last wish. And Jardir... Oh, how I want to hate Jardir for what he did! But I can't. I feel an urge to strangle him, to kill him, slowly and painfully. And it should mean that I hate him, but I don't. I can see why he did what he did, I can see that he has good intentions, even if stained by his huge pride. And no matter how much I want to, I can't hate him when all he wants is to get rid of all the demons.
So, Brett created an extraordinary world and the proceeded to fill it with these amazing characters with unique personalities, allowing that world to come to life. And the story itself. These characters are the story. These character, who represent strenght and courage and intelligence, but also greed and pride and hate. They are the story, because more than anything this is a story about humanity. I can't help seeing it as a huge metaphor for the importance of fighting our fears, of not letting them control us and tell us what to do, but making sure that we don't become so focused on fighting those fears that we forget to live. These characters, their lives, their relationships, their growth are the plot. It's them that define what happens and it would only take one of them to vanish for the whole story to change irremidiably.
And it feels right. I can't imagine this story in any other way. But more than that, it makes the story unpredictable. Because humans are unpredictable. This unwelcoming world is unpredictable. And if I can't even find a predictable base to start building a theory, how can I have one at all? I go blind, living the story as it develops and never even if just a little step ahead. And that is amazing.
It isn't just a metaphor for the importance of fighting our fears, though. I can also see it as a very clear warning about many things wrong about our society. From the risks of fanatism (that I've already refered) to the problems with patriarchy, namely the sexism in itself and the hyper-sexualization of the woman body. These were matters that pissed me off, I felt the urge to choke every single man I found (with some especial exceptions) for the way they treated women. But Brett handled these matters well. He created these strong female character, who don't take crap from anyone, man or woman, and that are clear embodiments of the feminism ideals, especially Bruna. And he made some characters question the hyper-sexualization of the woman body and clearly stand against it.
I do have to give credit where it is due. All of this? It would be nothing without Brett's stunning writing style. I can live every scene, feel every emotion, imagine every place and person. I am immersed by this story, taken to its world by his addicting writing style that makes you unable to put the book down.
But if I have to give credit where it's due, I also have to point out the things I didn't like or that weren't as good. And if Brett handled well the sexism and hyper-sexualization well, I can't say the same about rape. He should have <i>never</i> decided to put it in his book, because he doesn't know how to handle it. People have to move on, yes. To cope, to heal. But it's not magical, it certainly doesn't take half a day to heal. Fuck it, most people never fully heal! And the way the character that was raped seems so fine after it, how she needs less than a day to move on? Not right. At all. The few times Brett tried to adress it later seemd artificial, which is great for Brett as an individual as it means he never had to go trhough such a traumatic experience or see someone deal with its consequences, but not good at all to the story or the subject as a whole. So, let me repeat something I have said in other reviews. You don't think you can handle rape well, then I don't care how much you believe it "fits" the story. DON'T. FUCKING. PUT. IT. IN THERE. I can guarantee you, if you don't know how to handle it, then it isn't needed in your story at all. Rape isn't something you can use to "spice up" your story. So, if you are not going to adress it correctly, there's no reason for it to be there.
This whole situation pissed me off so badly that I got really mad at the book. And I got even more mad when I finished the book and realized it <i>so</i> good that it didn't feel right to give it less than 5 stars. I am still pissed about it. But the book as a whole absolutely deserves those 5 stars.
It's a story of courage, love in its many ways, friendship. It's about learning to fight our fears, about not letting them control our lives. It's a story about humanity and how it can achieve great things and fight anything if they wish to do so.
Overall, no book is perfect. But this one is really close to perfection. It's an endearing story of love, sacrifice, courage and friendship set in a magnificent, well-developed world filled with extraordinary characters and inovating magical concepts. A world you will fall in love with so fast you will get to the end of the book without even realizing it and then find yourself wishing you had the second book, so you could find out more about it. Definitely a must-read for any fantasy lover.
"It's not brave to fight a battle you can't win."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Rape, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Incest and Child death
Ariadnis by Josh Martin
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"Back then I thought that if it weren't for that cliff our cities would be one and there would be no need for all this fierceness towards each other. But then I learned about pride and tradition and prophecy, and those things are harder than rock."
The world as we know it is gone. There's only an island left. And in that island two cities that are the completly opposite of each other. One believing the technology should not be forgotten, the other believing we should live in connection with the nature. As they couldn't reach an agreement, the divinity of the island solved the problem, creating a competion where the Chosen Ones must fight and this way decide which city must rule the island. Aula from Athenas, that wants the technology to continue to be used, is stronger and faster than anyone. Joomia from Metis, that wants humans to live in connection with the nature, seems to have no special quality except for the fact that only a few people can hear her.
I must start by saying that I love the whole concept of the story. The competion where the Chosen Ones must participate is not the usual one. It was created by a divinity and no one knows what exactly it is. No one knows what will happen, how will the girls be able to show that they are the ones representing the best city, which makes everything more mysterious and therefore more interesting.
And the world Martin created, with one city literally on the top of the other, each one in a side of a cliff is undoubtely original and nicely described. However, that originality has a bad side. He created a world so unlikely and different that it is almost impossible to really imagine it. I mean, we are talking about cities that are each one is a side of a cliff, both built on the same trees, that grow in each side of the cliff. It is not exactly the easiest thing to imagine.
Unfortunatelly, a good concept and an original world is not enough to create a good story. And where the plot is concerned, I can't say it is as good as I was expecting considering the idea. The pace is so, so slow in the beginning that it's hard to keep reading, to find the strenght to do not drop the book. Multiple times I found myself skipping parts, hoping I would find one with a little more action that could convince me to do not stop reading. And I guess that it is a good thing that I didn't. The ending is quite amazing and with way more action, making it really good and easier to read and enjoy.
The characters too are a part of the story I didn't enjoy as much as I would like. I simply couldn't connect with Aula and Joomia and, honestly, I really can't understand why. The story is written alternating between Joomia and Aula's points of view, giving the reader plenty of time to fully connect with both. And yet I couldn't do it. Something about them was off, something I can't classify or explain, but that made it impossible for me to connect with them. On the other hand, Taurus, Joomia's best friend, was one of the easiest characters to connect with that I've ever read about. He sounded so incredibly real and such a nice person, despite his flaws, that I couldn't help but like him. And yes, I said flaws. Flaws as in the character was not perfect, flaws as in the character was human. That's something I noticed in all the characters and admire about Martin. He created <i>human</i> characters with behaviours that fit their ages. And that's so, so nice. To see Chosen Ones that did not behave as middle-aged adults but as teenagers (which is what they are), that had their flaws and strenghts just like anyone else. It is good to have characters like this for a change.
And other thing I definitely loved about this story was the love relationships. And no, this is not a romance. It's far from that. But through little details we can clearly understand that Taurus is a playboy. And bissexual. And that many of the charactares are also not straight. But Martin showed us that through little details, sentences said so casually we could understand that it was the normal and not something that caused problems among the people. He referred those characters and their sexual orientation as they should always be referred - as a normal thing about which no one needs to make a scene. Because it is a normal thing, everyone is free to be with whoever they want to be and no one else must have anything to say about that.
Overall, I think this book has some good things and could be an interesting read (to read slowly, stopping from time to time, because there's no other way you would be able to read it), but it could also be way better than it is, namely where the pace and the main characters are concerned.
The world as we know it is gone. There's only an island left. And in that island two cities that are the completly opposite of each other. One believing the technology should not be forgotten, the other believing we should live in connection with the nature. As they couldn't reach an agreement, the divinity of the island solved the problem, creating a competion where the Chosen Ones must fight and this way decide which city must rule the island. Aula from Athenas, that wants the technology to continue to be used, is stronger and faster than anyone. Joomia from Metis, that wants humans to live in connection with the nature, seems to have no special quality except for the fact that only a few people can hear her.
I must start by saying that I love the whole concept of the story. The competion where the Chosen Ones must participate is not the usual one. It was created by a divinity and no one knows what exactly it is. No one knows what will happen, how will the girls be able to show that they are the ones representing the best city, which makes everything more mysterious and therefore more interesting.
And the world Martin created, with one city literally on the top of the other, each one in a side of a cliff is undoubtely original and nicely described. However, that originality has a bad side. He created a world so unlikely and different that it is almost impossible to really imagine it. I mean, we are talking about cities that are each one is a side of a cliff, both built on the same trees, that grow in each side of the cliff. It is not exactly the easiest thing to imagine.
Unfortunatelly, a good concept and an original world is not enough to create a good story. And where the plot is concerned, I can't say it is as good as I was expecting considering the idea. The pace is so, so slow in the beginning that it's hard to keep reading, to find the strenght to do not drop the book. Multiple times I found myself skipping parts, hoping I would find one with a little more action that could convince me to do not stop reading. And I guess that it is a good thing that I didn't. The ending is quite amazing and with way more action, making it really good and easier to read and enjoy.
The characters too are a part of the story I didn't enjoy as much as I would like. I simply couldn't connect with Aula and Joomia and, honestly, I really can't understand why. The story is written alternating between Joomia and Aula's points of view, giving the reader plenty of time to fully connect with both. And yet I couldn't do it. Something about them was off, something I can't classify or explain, but that made it impossible for me to connect with them. On the other hand, Taurus, Joomia's best friend, was one of the easiest characters to connect with that I've ever read about. He sounded so incredibly real and such a nice person, despite his flaws, that I couldn't help but like him. And yes, I said flaws. Flaws as in the character was not perfect, flaws as in the character was human. That's something I noticed in all the characters and admire about Martin. He created <i>human</i> characters with behaviours that fit their ages. And that's so, so nice. To see Chosen Ones that did not behave as middle-aged adults but as teenagers (which is what they are), that had their flaws and strenghts just like anyone else. It is good to have characters like this for a change.
And other thing I definitely loved about this story was the love relationships. And no, this is not a romance. It's far from that. But through little details we can clearly understand that Taurus is a playboy. And bissexual. And that many of the charactares are also not straight. But Martin showed us that through little details, sentences said so casually we could understand that it was the normal and not something that caused problems among the people. He referred those characters and their sexual orientation as they should always be referred - as a normal thing about which no one needs to make a scene. Because it is a normal thing, everyone is free to be with whoever they want to be and no one else must have anything to say about that.
Overall, I think this book has some good things and could be an interesting read (to read slowly, stopping from time to time, because there's no other way you would be able to read it), but it could also be way better than it is, namely where the pace and the main characters are concerned.
And So It Begins by Rachel Abbott
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
"You can't build true happiness on someone else's misery."
I was so excited for this book. It was one of those book I really was looking forward to read, because I really thought it would be awesome. But it only took me a couple of pages to realize that I was wrong. That this book wouldn't be awesome. In fact, it couldn't be further away from awesome.
I can see the potential of the story so clearly. It was there. The story, the idea had a lot of potential. It just wasn't delievered. The thing about unreliable characters is that they can't seem unreliable. The readers have to believe those characters, trust them. Even when we feel like they're unreliable, we can't have proofs, let alone certainties.
Now let me talk about the unreliable character of this book. If there's a thing the narration of the story made clear was that the character was not someone I could rely on. Since page one. So, if I can't trust her, why would I believe anything? And if I don't believe anything, guessing the whole story is like adding 2 plus 2. Easy, simple, boring. This story would have been more surprising if I had got to the ending and realized this character was telling the truth since the beginning. And I hoped that would happen for a while. But the narration made it so clear that something like that would never happen, that I had to let my hopes die.
So, bye-bye plot twists. They never stood a chance in a book written like this. It was like torture reading about the characters walking around, ignoring what's right in front of them, and the author pretending she didn't give away the whole story in the first 5 chapters.
And I know I've said this already, but the book had potential. It had a great pace and the writing style wasn't that bad. It's a shame none of them was used in this book's favour. The plot was preditable, boring, infuriating. The twists don't deserve to be called that. And the characters... I just have so many questions about the characters and what exactly was Abbott's point when she created them.
I have an unreliable character that is so obviously unworth of anyone's trust that it's a wonder she wasn't more annoying. The lawyer whose name I can't remember was such a great, clearly strong character, that the real question is - WHY COULDN'T I GET MORE ABOUT HER? I would have rather had more of her and no Stephanie at all than the book as it was.
Speaking of Stephanie, what's really her role in this story?! I have the first book in a series named after her. But she isn't the main character. I can barely say she is a side-character. She is almost a background character, only showing up when Abbott didn't have anything else to talk about and clearly with the sole objective of annoying me. Her whole existence in this story is pointless. She complains and complains about how she is in love with her boss, even if she thinks he doesn't deserve her love after being shocked for a moment when she delievered news like the ones she did out of the blue (obviously he didn't deserve a little bit to process what she had just said). Sure, she is a cop. Sure, she is the one meant to uncover the whole mystery. But to make her the one the series is named after because of that?! Especially when everything she discovered could have perfectly been discovered by one of the characters that was actually essential to the story?! I mean, WHY?!!
And then, there's Cleo. The way I see it (and considering the whole story), she should have been that one character easy to like. Or at least likable enough for the reader to feel sorry for her. But Abbott seems to have gone to such lengths to make her sound so annoying and worth of my hate that clearly I have to be mistaken. It's impossible not to hate that woman! And I really can't understand why would Abbott want anyone to hate Cleo as much as Evie. However, if that's her objective, she did an excellent job...
Overall, this was a HUGE disappointment. It had undeniable potential, but it wasn't delievered in any way. The plot is boring and predictable, the characters range from indifferent to annoying and there isn't one that I can save, the writing style by far not good enough to save anything (even if it isn't bad).
I was so excited for this book. It was one of those book I really was looking forward to read, because I really thought it would be awesome. But it only took me a couple of pages to realize that I was wrong. That this book wouldn't be awesome. In fact, it couldn't be further away from awesome.
I can see the potential of the story so clearly. It was there. The story, the idea had a lot of potential. It just wasn't delievered. The thing about unreliable characters is that they can't seem unreliable. The readers have to believe those characters, trust them. Even when we feel like they're unreliable, we can't have proofs, let alone certainties.
Now let me talk about the unreliable character of this book. If there's a thing the narration of the story made clear was that the character was not someone I could rely on. Since page one. So, if I can't trust her, why would I believe anything? And if I don't believe anything, guessing the whole story is like adding 2 plus 2. Easy, simple, boring. This story would have been more surprising if I had got to the ending and realized this character was telling the truth since the beginning. And I hoped that would happen for a while. But the narration made it so clear that something like that would never happen, that I had to let my hopes die.
So, bye-bye plot twists. They never stood a chance in a book written like this. It was like torture reading about the characters walking around, ignoring what's right in front of them, and the author pretending she didn't give away the whole story in the first 5 chapters.
And I know I've said this already, but the book had potential. It had a great pace and the writing style wasn't that bad. It's a shame none of them was used in this book's favour. The plot was preditable, boring, infuriating. The twists don't deserve to be called that. And the characters... I just have so many questions about the characters and what exactly was Abbott's point when she created them.
I have an unreliable character that is so obviously unworth of anyone's trust that it's a wonder she wasn't more annoying. The lawyer whose name I can't remember was such a great, clearly strong character, that the real question is - WHY COULDN'T I GET MORE ABOUT HER? I would have rather had more of her and no Stephanie at all than the book as it was.
Speaking of Stephanie, what's really her role in this story?! I have the first book in a series named after her. But she isn't the main character. I can barely say she is a side-character. She is almost a background character, only showing up when Abbott didn't have anything else to talk about and clearly with the sole objective of annoying me. Her whole existence in this story is pointless. She complains and complains about how she is in love with her boss, even if she thinks he doesn't deserve her love after being shocked for a moment when she delievered news like the ones she did out of the blue (obviously he didn't deserve a little bit to process what she had just said). Sure, she is a cop. Sure, she is the one meant to uncover the whole mystery. But to make her the one the series is named after because of that?! Especially when everything she discovered could have perfectly been discovered by one of the characters that was actually essential to the story?! I mean, WHY?!!
And then, there's Cleo. The way I see it (and considering the whole story), she should have been that one character easy to like. Or at least likable enough for the reader to feel sorry for her. But Abbott seems to have gone to such lengths to make her sound so annoying and worth of my hate that clearly I have to be mistaken. It's impossible not to hate that woman! And I really can't understand why would Abbott want anyone to hate Cleo as much as Evie. However, if that's her objective, she did an excellent job...
Overall, this was a HUGE disappointment. It had undeniable potential, but it wasn't delievered in any way. The plot is boring and predictable, the characters range from indifferent to annoying and there isn't one that I can save, the writing style by far not good enough to save anything (even if it isn't bad).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
It's a beautiful book with gorgeous pictures that perfectly complement stunning descriptions so well-written that you can't help but imagine everything being described. It's a book that makes you dream of a world of snow and wolves and friendship - not only between humans, but between humans and animals as well.
There are many things about this book that just aren't realistic, I admit that much. But it's a book. It doesn't have to be credible as long as it is believable. Especially a book like this. It isn't meant to be realistic, it is meant to make us dream. And it does.
It's a beautiful story and one of the best middle grade books I've ever read.
Full review coming soon!
There are many things about this book that just aren't realistic, I admit that much. But it's a book. It doesn't have to be credible as long as it is believable. Especially a book like this. It isn't meant to be realistic, it is meant to make us dream. And it does.
It's a beautiful story and one of the best middle grade books I've ever read.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Police brutality
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence, Death, and Gun violence
Paranoid by Lisa Jackson
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A refreshing thriller that actually deserves that name. It's unbelievable the time that had passed since I had last read one as good as this one. I'm really glad I bought this book, clearly all my fears about it were groundless.
The way Jackson can change the mood of a scene so fast is insane and probably one of the best things (if not the best) about this book. There were chapters or scenes I started and I knew it's gonna be thrilling, but there were others that caught me off guard - everything is nice and calm and suddenly I'm feeling this chills and I am not even sure why yet but they are already being felt. And that's really great because I was never sure what to expect.
It's also amazing the amount of action lines Jackson runs at the same time. Rachel's motherhood struggles, Rachel's fears, nightmares, paranoia and trauma, the murders, the police investigation, Cade's life, the kids' lives. It's absolutely unbelievable the way Jackson managed to put them all in the book and pay attention to all of them.
And it really worked in her favour, because there was so much going on that it was hard to focus on one thing at the time - I wanted to know who the murder was, but I also wanted to know what the hell Rachel's kids were up too and I somehow ended up invested in the relationship between Cade and Rachel, wanting to know exactly what happened there. It's just like real life, messy and complicated, and I loved it.
The twists were also great. We can talk about two twists and a discovery - I mean, it was no secret there was a killer, we just don't know who that is. One of the twists was obvious that was going to happen and I also guessed how it would work - I just didn't have the reasons for it (and oh gosh I want to hurt someone so badly right now). The other twist I definitely saw it coming way too late. I found it out before it was revealed but I'm really mad at myself for not realizing it sooner (although I am aware the chances of doing that were almost zero). The discovery... that is the real star of the book. I was so damn sure of who wasn't responsible for the murders, but I just couldn't understand who it was. And I'm mad at myself for that too. Because damn it, it was so obvious!
AND THE ENDING! WHAT A FREAKING GOOD ENDING. TRUE PERFECTION FOR A BOOK LIKE THIS. A final shiver running down your spin.
A really, really great book. That will make you almost as paranoid as Rachel, because you'll find yourself suspecting of everyone. Except the real murderer. And damn it. It was so obvious.
Full review coming soon!
The way Jackson can change the mood of a scene so fast is insane and probably one of the best things (if not the best) about this book. There were chapters or scenes I started and I knew it's gonna be thrilling, but there were others that caught me off guard - everything is nice and calm and suddenly I'm feeling this chills and I am not even sure why yet but they are already being felt. And that's really great because I was never sure what to expect.
It's also amazing the amount of action lines Jackson runs at the same time. Rachel's motherhood struggles, Rachel's fears, nightmares, paranoia and trauma, the murders, the police investigation, Cade's life, the kids' lives. It's absolutely unbelievable the way Jackson managed to put them all in the book and pay attention to all of them.
And it really worked in her favour, because there was so much going on that it was hard to focus on one thing at the time - I wanted to know who the murder was, but I also wanted to know what the hell Rachel's kids were up too and I somehow ended up invested in the relationship between Cade and Rachel, wanting to know exactly what happened there. It's just like real life, messy and complicated, and I loved it.
The twists were also great. We can talk about two twists and a discovery - I mean, it was no secret there was a killer, we just don't know who that is. One of the twists was obvious that was going to happen and I also guessed how it would work - I just didn't have the reasons for it (and oh gosh I want to hurt someone so badly right now). The other twist I definitely saw it coming way too late. I found it out before it was revealed but I'm really mad at myself for not realizing it sooner (although I am aware the chances of doing that were almost zero). The discovery... that is the real star of the book. I was so damn sure of who wasn't responsible for the murders, but I just couldn't understand who it was. And I'm mad at myself for that too. Because damn it, it was so obvious!
AND THE ENDING! WHAT A FREAKING GOOD ENDING. TRUE PERFECTION FOR A BOOK LIKE THIS. A final shiver running down your spin.
A really, really great book. That will make you almost as paranoid as Rachel, because you'll find yourself suspecting of everyone. Except the real murderer. And damn it. It was so obvious.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Death
A Promise of Return by Rebecca Crunden
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I was provided with an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for a honest review.
"Arrogance is the downfall of even the best of men."
Crunden created this set of really complex, realistic characters that you can't help falling in love with. Especially the three main characters - Kitty, Nate and Thom. And you see, the first book was about Kitty. We see her development, her path that begins with her as Catherine Taenia, a young woman respectful of the laws of a rotten kingdon, and ends with her as Kitty, the young woman willing to fight for her freedom and what's right. The second book was about Nate. We see his struggle, his constant fight against his demons. We learn more about this brave man who is one of the most well-written male characters I've ever seen. A man whose strength comes from love. Who won't give up until he finds his way back to the woman he loves. Who won't let go of the hope of seeing his brother alive again.
So, it leaves Thom witnout a book. Which means it would be only fair if the third book is about him. And it is. So, 🎉🎉!!
Thom caught my attention since book 1. A master of words willing to do anything to save his brother and Kitty. Someone who navigates the intricate political sphere of Cutta like no one else. I really wanted to know more about him.
And I did get to know more about him and I didn't get disappointed by what I learnt - it only made me like Thom more. It is a heartbreaking story of survival, a clever way to make the readers like Thom while making us hate the kingdom even more.
I think most of the impact this story has is due to the fact thag Crunden cares deeply for the human side of stories - the effects every single action has on those experiencing them. There are so many authors who use rape or abuse or violence as a way to "spice up" the book and forget to mention it affects the characters that live through those experiences. Crunden doesn't. Everything that happens lasts, everything that happens matters. And while it makes the book more complex and sometimes even a little bit hard to follow, it also makes it much more interesting, special and unique.
Reading about Thom in the Red Arena is heartbreaking not only because of the actions as they happens but because of their lasting effects. We see a man who has always talked his way out of trouble, unable to do that. Forced to fight, to kill, so he can survive. We see, as the synopsis says, a master of words become a master of death, a murderer. And we see the nightmares, the pain, the emotional destruction it causes on Thom. However, Crunden doesn't lose sight of who Thom really is and that's the best part. He may have became a master of death by circumstances, but he is, first and foremonst, a master of words, a master of manipulating odds for them to be in his favour. And he keeps playing games of power, he is willing to sacrifice himself and to pay any price for those he grew to love in a place meant to destroy.
The lasting effects and consequences of being in a place like the Red Arena aren't exclusive to Thom, though. All the new characters that we meet are affected as well. We see breakdowns, tears, deaths. Pain. Which, obviously, makes it all even more realistic.
Among these new characters, it's Charles. Another strong man, really well-written and credible. I love how realistic Crunden's characters can be. Charles is tough and brave, but he can also be sweet, he can also be caring, he can also love. And he is far from perfect. Including physically. In fact, I think it's the first character I've ever meet who fights and has asthma. Which is great.
And there's yet another great thing about the story. So far I've told you how this is a heartbreaking story of survival. I haven't told you yet how it is also a reminder that love can flourish even in the darkest places. If Nate is one of the best male characters I've ever seen, Thom and Charles' relationship is one of the most beautiful relationships I've ever seen. It is so sweet and amazing, although it is kind of forced by circumstances. Hopefully, I'll get more about them in the fourth book and we can see if it can thrive or not.
There's something else, aside from the relationship itself, that I liked. The fact that Crunden doesn't make a fuss around the matter. They are in love and that's it. It doesn't matter if they are straight or gay. What matters is that they are in love and happy and their love is something good they get out of that horrendous circus of death. They love each other and that's all that matters and I'm really glad Crunden made things that way.
I must also praise Crunden's writing style. It is truly beautiful (although sometimes it makes the story a little bit more complicated to follow than it needed to be) and I mean, what story doesn't benefit from a great writing style?! Especially when it brings life to every single aspect of the story - descriptions, narrative and dialogues. Yes, dialogues. Some of the most lively and realistic dialogues I've ever read. That not only manage to sometimes ligthen the mood with jokes thrown in always at the right time, but also manage to strengthen an aspect of the story I've come to realize that will be a central point of the series - Thom and Nate's relationship.
In book 2, we see how Nate won't give up on Thom. Despite what logic says, despite being told otherwise by everyone, he doesn't allow himself to believe Thom is dead. He doesn't let his hope of seeing his brother again die. Now, we have Thom, that even before Charles came into the equation already had a reason to live - Nate. Thom promised him he would return to him and he was fighting so he could keep that promise. The bound between the brothers is stronger than anything, even stronger than the bounds each of them has with their love interest. And, as I'd already said, the dialogues make that fact even more clear: everytime Thom speaks about his brother, it's impossible to miss the love and worry that comes with every word.
So, there are all these beautiful things about this book. And yet I couldn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first two. Which breaks my heart. And considering that I love most things about the book, my only guess is that I couldn't enjoy it as much because I knew how it would end (most of the story at least). There wasn't this blind panic and concern about Thom for not knowing if he would survive - I knew that he would because of the ending of book 2. I was enjoying the story and it was importanto to know what Thom went through, but I wasn't actually concerned about him.
Overal, it's a beautiful book, just like the last two, but I honestly think Crunden gave too much away in the ending of book 2 to have a book 3 like this. If I didn't know what would happen to Thom, I think it wohld have been different. I would be worried and that would make me get much more invested in the story. As it was, I was enjoying the story (who wouldn't when it is this as well-written as this one?!) and meeting these new characters, but I was lacking the kind of worry and fear for Thom's life that would have made me unable to put a book down.
"Arrogance is the downfall of even the best of men."
Crunden created this set of really complex, realistic characters that you can't help falling in love with. Especially the three main characters - Kitty, Nate and Thom. And you see, the first book was about Kitty. We see her development, her path that begins with her as Catherine Taenia, a young woman respectful of the laws of a rotten kingdon, and ends with her as Kitty, the young woman willing to fight for her freedom and what's right. The second book was about Nate. We see his struggle, his constant fight against his demons. We learn more about this brave man who is one of the most well-written male characters I've ever seen. A man whose strength comes from love. Who won't give up until he finds his way back to the woman he loves. Who won't let go of the hope of seeing his brother alive again.
So, it leaves Thom witnout a book. Which means it would be only fair if the third book is about him. And it is. So, 🎉🎉!!
Thom caught my attention since book 1. A master of words willing to do anything to save his brother and Kitty. Someone who navigates the intricate political sphere of Cutta like no one else. I really wanted to know more about him.
And I did get to know more about him and I didn't get disappointed by what I learnt - it only made me like Thom more. It is a heartbreaking story of survival, a clever way to make the readers like Thom while making us hate the kingdom even more.
I think most of the impact this story has is due to the fact thag Crunden cares deeply for the human side of stories - the effects every single action has on those experiencing them. There are so many authors who use rape or abuse or violence as a way to "spice up" the book and forget to mention it affects the characters that live through those experiences. Crunden doesn't. Everything that happens lasts, everything that happens matters. And while it makes the book more complex and sometimes even a little bit hard to follow, it also makes it much more interesting, special and unique.
Reading about Thom in the Red Arena is heartbreaking not only because of the actions as they happens but because of their lasting effects. We see a man who has always talked his way out of trouble, unable to do that. Forced to fight, to kill, so he can survive. We see, as the synopsis says, a master of words become a master of death, a murderer. And we see the nightmares, the pain, the emotional destruction it causes on Thom. However, Crunden doesn't lose sight of who Thom really is and that's the best part. He may have became a master of death by circumstances, but he is, first and foremonst, a master of words, a master of manipulating odds for them to be in his favour. And he keeps playing games of power, he is willing to sacrifice himself and to pay any price for those he grew to love in a place meant to destroy.
The lasting effects and consequences of being in a place like the Red Arena aren't exclusive to Thom, though. All the new characters that we meet are affected as well. We see breakdowns, tears, deaths. Pain. Which, obviously, makes it all even more realistic.
Among these new characters, it's Charles. Another strong man, really well-written and credible. I love how realistic Crunden's characters can be. Charles is tough and brave, but he can also be sweet, he can also be caring, he can also love. And he is far from perfect. Including physically. In fact, I think it's the first character I've ever meet who fights and has asthma. Which is great.
And there's yet another great thing about the story. So far I've told you how this is a heartbreaking story of survival. I haven't told you yet how it is also a reminder that love can flourish even in the darkest places. If Nate is one of the best male characters I've ever seen, Thom and Charles' relationship is one of the most beautiful relationships I've ever seen. It is so sweet and amazing, although it is kind of forced by circumstances. Hopefully, I'll get more about them in the fourth book and we can see if it can thrive or not.
There's something else, aside from the relationship itself, that I liked. The fact that Crunden doesn't make a fuss around the matter. They are in love and that's it. It doesn't matter if they are straight or gay. What matters is that they are in love and happy and their love is something good they get out of that horrendous circus of death. They love each other and that's all that matters and I'm really glad Crunden made things that way.
I must also praise Crunden's writing style. It is truly beautiful (although sometimes it makes the story a little bit more complicated to follow than it needed to be) and I mean, what story doesn't benefit from a great writing style?! Especially when it brings life to every single aspect of the story - descriptions, narrative and dialogues. Yes, dialogues. Some of the most lively and realistic dialogues I've ever read. That not only manage to sometimes ligthen the mood with jokes thrown in always at the right time, but also manage to strengthen an aspect of the story I've come to realize that will be a central point of the series - Thom and Nate's relationship.
In book 2, we see how Nate won't give up on Thom. Despite what logic says, despite being told otherwise by everyone, he doesn't allow himself to believe Thom is dead. He doesn't let his hope of seeing his brother again die. Now, we have Thom, that even before Charles came into the equation already had a reason to live - Nate. Thom promised him he would return to him and he was fighting so he could keep that promise. The bound between the brothers is stronger than anything, even stronger than the bounds each of them has with their love interest. And, as I'd already said, the dialogues make that fact even more clear: everytime Thom speaks about his brother, it's impossible to miss the love and worry that comes with every word.
So, there are all these beautiful things about this book. And yet I couldn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first two. Which breaks my heart. And considering that I love most things about the book, my only guess is that I couldn't enjoy it as much because I knew how it would end (most of the story at least). There wasn't this blind panic and concern about Thom for not knowing if he would survive - I knew that he would because of the ending of book 2. I was enjoying the story and it was importanto to know what Thom went through, but I wasn't actually concerned about him.
Overal, it's a beautiful book, just like the last two, but I honestly think Crunden gave too much away in the ending of book 2 to have a book 3 like this. If I didn't know what would happen to Thom, I think it wohld have been different. I would be worried and that would make me get much more invested in the story. As it was, I was enjoying the story (who wouldn't when it is this as well-written as this one?!) and meeting these new characters, but I was lacking the kind of worry and fear for Thom's life that would have made me unable to put a book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Slavery
These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner, Amie Kaufman
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
After reading this book I don't think I will ever let myself trust a pretty cover again. Well, I probably won't be able to stop myself from doing that - pretty covers are my weakness -, but this book made me wish I could.
I still can't believe that a book with such a pretty cover can be so, so bad. It's just... I can't even describe how bad it is. There's just not a single thing that can save this book. And this is said by someone that always tries to find at least one positive thing about every single book.
Let's see... The world? Typical science-fiction world. But it could have been interesting, you know? It had a lot of potential. But it wasn't developed at all. It was just a background for the characters to move and the story to be developed.
A story that is nothing but a romance, by the way. Every single thing that happens is meant to force Lilac and Tarver to get closer to each other. There's this whole world to be explored, all these unimaginable possibilities, all these dangers that could have showed up, all this discoveries that could have been made. And it's all ignored for the sake of romance. Nothing happened if it couldn't help Lilac and Tarver's relationship.
It gets to the point of having no action whatsover. Every single thing is an excuse for them to profess their 💫love💫 for each other. It's sappy, it's unbearable. It made me wish I could have my eyes removed just so I had an excuse to stop reading (because my stupid ass seems to have no idea what DNFing is and insists on finishing every single book, no matter how bad it is or how long it takes).
It could have been a great romance even if it's sappy, couldn't it? Well, it could. But it isn't. It starts with Tarver and Lilac hating each other for no good reason. Actually they seem to hate each other for no reason at all. Unless we can count Lilac's stupidity as an acceptable reason.
I mean, Lilac and Tarver meet and it feels like this whole thing will be instalove (which would most likely have been better, because worst than this would have been impossible). And then the authors seem to think, "Oh wait! Why shouldn't they hate each other before falling in love?!". And bam, out of nowhere and for no good reason, Lilac and Tarver hate each other and are making my reading experience misarable, because they do nothing but complain about each other. Eventually they start making peace and I found myself dealing with the unbearable sappy romance I was complaining about before.
And as I said, it could have been good. Just like the world, it had potential. If Lilac and Tarver could have found a reasonable explanation for hating each other and the plot was more than excuses for them to fall in love and then profess that love, this could have been great. I mean, two survivors who hate each other in an unknown planet, not sure what they could find or if there was any chance of them being rescued? IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD!!
Of course, it would also need characters that could be interesting on their own. Which doesn't happen either. Lilac is the sterotype of a rich girl who is not "like other girls". Tarver is another sterotype - the boy from a poor family who does something memorable and heroic but feels like he doesn't deserve the fame and praises he receives. The problem with sterotypes is that their personalities are sterotyped as well, making everything they do predictable. Along with that, they are also annoying as they do nothing but complaining about being stuck with each other.
After all this, I bet you are thinking that it can't get worse. Well, it can. And it did. You see, as I've already said I don't DNF books. So, there I was, still reading, believing there was no way it could get worse, my last brain cells still working begging me to stop. And finally I reach the last chapters. And WHAT THE FU-- HELL?! If the body was gone, if there was an explanation, if it could make just a little sense, I wouldn't have complained. But the body is there, there's no explanation, it makes no sense. The plot was destroyed for the sake of love. So was the ending. The book could have redeemed itself in the end. Instead it only got worse. Beyond any salvation. Whatever the Lilac in ending of the book is, it's wrong. Tarver seriously needs therapy. And I need a new set of brain cells, because the ones I had commited suicide after reading that.
Overall, one of my biggest regrets ever. There's just no salvation for this book. Nothing about it is developed enough or makes enough sense for this book to be interesting. And I am quite sure too many of my brain cells commited suicide while I was reading for me to ever fully recover from the experience.
I still can't believe that a book with such a pretty cover can be so, so bad. It's just... I can't even describe how bad it is. There's just not a single thing that can save this book. And this is said by someone that always tries to find at least one positive thing about every single book.
Let's see... The world? Typical science-fiction world. But it could have been interesting, you know? It had a lot of potential. But it wasn't developed at all. It was just a background for the characters to move and the story to be developed.
A story that is nothing but a romance, by the way. Every single thing that happens is meant to force Lilac and Tarver to get closer to each other. There's this whole world to be explored, all these unimaginable possibilities, all these dangers that could have showed up, all this discoveries that could have been made. And it's all ignored for the sake of romance. Nothing happened if it couldn't help Lilac and Tarver's relationship.
It gets to the point of having no action whatsover. Every single thing is an excuse for them to profess their 💫love💫 for each other. It's sappy, it's unbearable. It made me wish I could have my eyes removed just so I had an excuse to stop reading (because my stupid ass seems to have no idea what DNFing is and insists on finishing every single book, no matter how bad it is or how long it takes).
It could have been a great romance even if it's sappy, couldn't it? Well, it could. But it isn't. It starts with Tarver and Lilac hating each other for no good reason. Actually they seem to hate each other for no reason at all. Unless we can count Lilac's stupidity as an acceptable reason.
I mean, Lilac and Tarver meet and it feels like this whole thing will be instalove (which would most likely have been better, because worst than this would have been impossible). And then the authors seem to think, "Oh wait! Why shouldn't they hate each other before falling in love?!". And bam, out of nowhere and for no good reason, Lilac and Tarver hate each other and are making my reading experience misarable, because they do nothing but complain about each other. Eventually they start making peace and I found myself dealing with the unbearable sappy romance I was complaining about before.
And as I said, it could have been good. Just like the world, it had potential. If Lilac and Tarver could have found a reasonable explanation for hating each other and the plot was more than excuses for them to fall in love and then profess that love, this could have been great. I mean, two survivors who hate each other in an unknown planet, not sure what they could find or if there was any chance of them being rescued? IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD!!
Of course, it would also need characters that could be interesting on their own. Which doesn't happen either. Lilac is the sterotype of a rich girl who is not "like other girls". Tarver is another sterotype - the boy from a poor family who does something memorable and heroic but feels like he doesn't deserve the fame and praises he receives. The problem with sterotypes is that their personalities are sterotyped as well, making everything they do predictable. Along with that, they are also annoying as they do nothing but complaining about being stuck with each other.
After all this, I bet you are thinking that it can't get worse. Well, it can. And it did. You see, as I've already said I don't DNF books. So, there I was, still reading, believing there was no way it could get worse, my last brain cells still working begging me to stop. And finally I reach the last chapters. And WHAT THE FU-- HELL?! If the body was gone, if there was an explanation, if it could make just a little sense, I wouldn't have complained. But the body is there, there's no explanation, it makes no sense. The plot was destroyed for the sake of love. So was the ending. The book could have redeemed itself in the end. Instead it only got worse. Beyond any salvation. Whatever the Lilac in ending of the book is, it's wrong. Tarver seriously needs therapy. And I need a new set of brain cells, because the ones I had commited suicide after reading that.
Overall, one of my biggest regrets ever. There's just no salvation for this book. Nothing about it is developed enough or makes enough sense for this book to be interesting. And I am quite sure too many of my brain cells commited suicide while I was reading for me to ever fully recover from the experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent
The Third Twin by Ken Follett
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The pace is great. And that is pretty much the best thing I can say about this book. Damn it, Follett. Showing the powerful people don't always win is obviously a great thing too. So is showing how things worked in 1996, when it comes to rape crimes (which makes me glad things are far better, even if still far from perfect). But obviously the powerful couldn't win when they are the bad guys. And the second one would only have worked if Lisa hadn't ended up forgotten and only brought up again when it was convinient for the plot.
The fact that every single reaction feels artificial doesn't help either. The problem wasn't the reaction itself. Everyone is allowed to react differently and I no one can judge that. But I sure as hell can judge the wya it is written and that made me want hit my head against a wall because there was nothing human about Follett's description. He seemed ditached from what was being written. And it was like that for the entire book, except in this one scene with Jeannie and Steve, which I will talk about later.
Knowing exactly what was going to happen didn't help either. What was Follett thinking when he named this book The Third Twin?? I just ended up frustrated it was taking the characters so long to figure things out even if I knew it wasn't really their fault. Only one plot twist surprised me. And it was quite well-done, I do have to give Follett that much.
But definitely this is far from one of Follett's best books.
Full review coming soon!
The fact that every single reaction feels artificial doesn't help either. The problem wasn't the reaction itself. Everyone is allowed to react differently and I no one can judge that. But I sure as hell can judge the wya it is written and that made me want hit my head against a wall because there was nothing human about Follett's description. He seemed ditached from what was being written. And it was like that for the entire book, except in this one scene with Jeannie and Steve, which I will talk about later.
Knowing exactly what was going to happen didn't help either. What was Follett thinking when he named this book The Third Twin?? I just ended up frustrated it was taking the characters so long to figure things out even if I knew it wasn't really their fault. Only one plot twist surprised me. And it was quite well-done, I do have to give Follett that much.
But definitely this is far from one of Follett's best books.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape and Police brutality
Minor: Infidelity and Dementia