In a move that probably surprises no one who is familiar with my recent reviews, I first came across this book because of the Vampire Book Club. It was an option in April's vote and, though it didn't win, sounded fun enough for me to snag a copy in anticipation of a future read. I mean, how could I turn down a YA vampire romance book? If it wasn't good, it could at least be hilarious, right?

Unfortunately, though I was intrigued by the setting and entertained by the characters, the final product left me less amused than disappointed.

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Still, I can't say I hated my time with this story. It was nice to turn off my brain for a bit and just read a pulpy YA vampire romance. Even if on reflection, there were some red flags in there, and even if the mystery and conclusion (and major cliffhanger) weren't completely satisfying, I did have fun while I was in the weeds.

Overall, this book had some interesting concepts, but could have definitely gained from a couple more passes of revising. It's probably fine for those new to the paranormal romance genre, but familiar readers may find themselves just going through the motions. I'd recommend it to middle grade or YA readers who like vampires or paranormal-tinged forbidden romance, or anyone in the mood for some vampire fluff. I may decide to return to the series just to see what, if anything, develops of this world and its characters, but I won't hold my breath for the next installment.

Content Warnings

Imbalance by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Faith Erin Hicks

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challenging emotional inspiring 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? Yes

3.0

This is it. The final chapter (so far) in Avatar Aang's journeys following the end of the war. I'll admit, I was both excited and cautiously apprehensive going into this. For all intents and purposes, this is the finale of the series, so a lot rides on this to get things right and give us a satisfying conclusion to everything that's come so far. But it should also work as its own story, and set up for the future we see in Legend of Korra. With so much riding on just one story, could it ever match my expectations?

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, Imbalance had a ton of baggage weighing it down to begin with, and I'm sorry to say it just couldn't overcome it. It had its bright spots in its story, its antagonists, improved characterization of some of Team Avatar, and a distinctly beautiful art style, but I was nevertheless underwhelmed when all was said and done. Perhaps I'm being too hard on a kids series, and younger fans of the show have and will continue to love all that comes out for this property, or perhaps I simply expect a story that introduces a complex issue to follow it through to a satisfying ending. Regardless, I'm not sorry to have read and finally completed this series as a whole, and I fully recommend these those who want to continue experiencing this world and these characters for as long as possible. I'll probably come back to the world of Avatar with Korra's series and some of the other spin-offs in the future, but for now my journey is complete.

North and South by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang

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challenging hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Welp, it's finally time to focus on Katara and Sokka. While they were present in books 1-3, and had a very short stint in book 4 (mostly setting up this book), I can't say the pair ever had much impact in their stories, aside from comic relief or sideplots. So I was happy to finally get them front and center, especially if their story was all it promised to be.

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, North and South felt better realized than previous entries, but still didn't quite live up to my expectations. I felt its story better fit the size limitations of this series, but I still wished some aspects (like the characters) were given greater focus or were allowed deeper exploration. It had some extremely poignant themes, and a couple moments even brought a tear to my eye, but, as I've found with the majority of this series, I'm still left wanting more. As the last of Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru's contributions to this series, I think it was a strong way to go out, and I'll definitely miss them going forward. But forward is where I must go...

Smoke and Shadow by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.0

I'll admit, when I realized that this would be a continuation of Zuko's family's story following The Search, I was a bit more excited than I was for The Rift. I mean, I love Toph, and it's interesting seeing what the Fire Nation colonies are getting around to, but between Zuko and Azula and their mother, there's just so much drama and baggage to unpack. Add in some good political intrigue and a mystery to things, and I'm sold!

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, Smoke and Shadow felt like it had just too much to say in the space it was allowed. An ambitious story, filled with political intrigue, emotional drama, and a kidnapping mystery to boot, it had a lot of great aspects to it, but the limitations placed on it just failed to wow me. It did a good job with its characters, expanding on their stories and moving them forward, but, as is common with this series, I'm left wishing for more. I think fans of Avatar, and this comic series will find a lot to like here, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of what comes next.

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stormywolf's reviews 814 reviews

stormywolf's reviews
814 reviews