YAY!! My favorite character made it! Good night everybody!
Wait... more? Okay, fine.
Overall, I liked this ending substantially more than I liked the eYAY!! My favorite character made it! Good night everybody!
Wait... more? Okay, fine.
Overall, I liked this ending substantially more than I liked the ending of the prequel series. I do feel like reading them in the reverse intended order might have skewed my opinion of this. It did make some potential plot holes seem a bit more noticeable like how the dragon creature things that I can never spell correctly are created and how that squares away with the dragon created thingy created. It was also EXTREMELY predictable. Let's face it, I think most of us knew how the main conflict was going to wrap up about halfway through book 2. That being said, I was actually more shocked than I should have been about Mawyndule and the role he played given that I just finished reading the prequel series. For all of its predictability, it was a fun ride and a satisfying ending and more importantly my previous little monk made it to the end. ...more
**spoiler alert** Well, crud I'm having misgivings about this series, and it started out so well!! The problems that first reared their head in the fi**spoiler alert** Well, crud I'm having misgivings about this series, and it started out so well!! The problems that first reared their head in the first book have only gotten steadily worse as the series goes on. What I liked about this series initially was that there were so many well-rounded interesting characters. Unfortunately, as the series progresses, those characters are starting to suffer from Flanderization and it seems like they are becoming more stock as the books progress.
My biggest issue with this particular book is the way that Raithe's death was handled. Not only is it somewhat repetitive (I'm still made about Minna), Malcom more or less talks Raithe into the idea. It's clear that he doesn't want to, but he feels it his duty and is guilted into it. This is just incredibly messed up. It also feels like there's too many characters for the author to keep track of so he shuffles off a few every book. Plus, my suspension of belief is being tested a bit more each book, especially when it comes to how quickly they are speeding through history altering inventions and how every single one has been invented by Roan.
I do have hope for Tressa's redemption arc. If nothing else that seems interesting, but I have to admit I am rapidly beginning to worry about how this series is going to go. ...more
Well... that did not get better. If anything that got worse. This book is so frustrated because it so close to being a good story, but it never quite Well... that did not get better. If anything that got worse. This book is so frustrated because it so close to being a good story, but it never quite gets there. There are a few elements of this book that I really enjoyed, but the world building and aimless plot squandered any potential this story had.
First, the good things! I did like the addition of the manticore character. Mainly because she was easily one of the most interesting characters available. She added some much needed personality to the story. I also thought this was one of the few fantasy young adult novels that had a halfway decently written LGBT character in Marjani. She was one of the better characters from the original and it was refreshing to see a healthy happy relationship between two women without anything too tragic happening.
And now everything else. I was rooting for the manticore to eat Naji. I find him incredibly bland. I don't buy the big love story that is supposed to be driving this story for a second. I found him to be really irritating and I don't understand the attraction at all.
Even though I like the Manticore (sorry I'm not attempting to copy her name here. I will just butcher the heck out of it), the addition of her home island really showcased how poor the execution of the world building is. The manticores were calming eating people while having a proper dinner with the main characters and they just kinda went along with it? It was very weird and the fact that no one commented on it even slightly just made it unbelievable. The plot also suffers from a lack of direction. It seems very aimless and the "impossible tasks" are resolve pretty easily for something that is supposed to be impossible and mainly due to dumb luck and plot armor. This is most noticeable in the second half of the book and I feel like the author didn't know how to end it. Having Ananna be suddenly okay with a long-distance relationship that she hated three pages ago just felt particularly uninspired.
The handful of good ideas that never fully developed didn't quite justify the muddled plot of the story for me. It's a pity because it could have been a really unique fantasy duology....more
This book is secretly a super hero book. I know it doesn't seem like it by reading the description, but trust me it is a super hero book in a fantasy This book is secretly a super hero book. I know it doesn't seem like it by reading the description, but trust me it is a super hero book in a fantasy setting. In many ways, I think this book would have been better off as a graphic novel. There are so many fantasy and super hero tropes and ideas at work that it is almost impossible to keep track of everything. The characters are pretty bland and all of the shields have an actual name and a super hero name. When you are introduced to so many characters at once and exposed to so many different species, it's hard to get invested in them. On top of that, the dialogue in this book never really sounds natural. It would be more at home in a comic book. The most interesting aspect of this book is the concept of the city which is built around the bones of a fallen giant. If the author had allowed the pace to slow down long enough to flesh out the world building, I feel like this book would have had a much stronger foundation. Also, I listened to this on audiobook. Typically, when a voice actor narrates an audiobook, they do not actually "scream" when a character scream. They alter their voice so the listener can tell that the character is yelling without having someone scream in their ear. This book had A LOT of actual yelling and it got old real quick. This book has a lot of interesting ideas, but it never comes together in a coherent way. ...more
Two books in and I still don't quite know how to feel about this series. It's a strange feeling honestly. Full disclosure: part of the problem is thatTwo books in and I still don't quite know how to feel about this series. It's a strange feeling honestly. Full disclosure: part of the problem is that it took me quite a while to get a hold of a copy of the second book so I'm a little fuzzy about some of the plot details from the first book, but I'm still finding a lot of positive things in these books, but also a lot of things that left me confused. On the plus side, I still love the characters. I find them very interesting. The banter is great and it's chock full of wonderfully juicy political intrigue. There were lots of twists and turns and I was very engaged in the plot throughout. I also liked how Falcio is forced to reexamine his relationship with Paelis in this series and come to terms with the fact that is king was idealistic, but not above doing terrible things as a means to an end. That being said, there's still a certain amount of things about the word that I don't quite grasp. Namely, the role of saints and how they relate to whatever deity is present in this world. I haven't quite worked that out since reading the last book. The author also had a tendency to shove oddly sexual moments into places where they really don't seem to fit (Ethalia's healing/Tailor's meltdown in the first book, Trin's role in the Greatcoat's Lament in this one). While I didn't like this one quite as much as the first one, it's still pretty good and I'm invested in the series now. ...more
Dang it! I like Kanda. Why do bad things only happen to the characters I like?! Kanda shows up, takes care of business, and doesn't like sentimental cDang it! I like Kanda. Why do bad things only happen to the characters I like?! Kanda shows up, takes care of business, and doesn't like sentimental cliches. Dang it he can't die, my cynical self needs him to hang around. I'm not against all the hopeful bright-eyed characters (with the notable exception of Lenalee), but his snarky-ness is pretty refreshing! ...more
This one was not my favorite volume. Like I said before in earlier reviews, for some reason it really bugs me that there isn't a lot of explanation foThis one was not my favorite volume. Like I said before in earlier reviews, for some reason it really bugs me that there isn't a lot of explanation for some of the Biblical references in this series. Noah is usually portrayed as a good guy so why is his family serving as the main villains in this series. Also, I think this series can get a little overly philosophical. I didn't care for Allen's big revelation about akumas and humans. It seemed to take forever. I get it. You're doing it for both akumas AND humans. Cut. Print. Check the gate. Moving on! However, Kanda has returned and if nothing else he keeps things interesting. I'm looking forwards to the next volume....more
I'm not crying. You're crying! Oy that ending though! I've officially been reduced to a sobbing puddle of fangirl.
I love the crew, Mahoja, and Anita. I'm not crying. You're crying! Oy that ending though! I've officially been reduced to a sobbing puddle of fangirl.
I love the crew, Mahoja, and Anita. Crowley was also really entertaining in this one, in a maniacal sort of way. Though I have to admit I'm somewhat relieved that this particular arc is over. Maybe it's the black and white illustrations, but sometimes these action-packed panels can get a bit busy and it's difficult to tell what is going on. ...more
Yay our favorite head case is back! I love Miranda! Once again, I love the new character additions. Fou and Bak Chan are both very interesting. I alsoYay our favorite head case is back! I love Miranda! Once again, I love the new character additions. Fou and Bak Chan are both very interesting. I also like that there's a lot of action, but they give it a rest on the gore. I also like that Anita, Mahoja, Bookman and Lavi get a bit more focus in this book. In fact, the only character that I continue to really actively dislike is freaking Lenalee! I realize I'm in the minority here, but I still find her whiny and melodramatic. I wanted to high five Lavi when he called her out on it (Bookman kinda high fived his face after that, but that wasn't exactly what I had in mind). Gotta say, I liked this volume WAY more than the previous one....more
This volume introduces a few more really great characters. I like Lavi and Bookman separately and the way they interact with each other is quite enterThis volume introduces a few more really great characters. I like Lavi and Bookman separately and the way they interact with each other is quite entertaining. I also loved Krory, the vampire with a heart of gold. He is very sympathetic and you can't help but feel bad for him. The "vampire" angle of this arc was also pretty unique. ...more
This book introduced Miranda who I can't help but feel for. She tries so hard to do well and her recurring attempts after so much failure is admirableThis book introduced Miranda who I can't help but feel for. She tries so hard to do well and her recurring attempts after so much failure is admirable. This book also has Rhode who is an exceptionally creepy character. I have to admit, my unpopular opinion about this series is that I don't like Lenalee. To me, she's kind of the Daphne Blake of the group in constant need of rescuing. She's also a touch melodramatic. I'm also a bit confused about whether how the author is trying to reference Christianity. There's a ton of Christian icons in this series (mostly in the form of crosses and "Noah"), but the connection is never explained particularly well....more
So we go from Titanic with zombies to Easter egg hunts? Okay...
This book was not my favorite. It feels like this was an odd sort of transition book beSo we go from Titanic with zombies to Easter egg hunts? Okay...
This book was not my favorite. It feels like this was an odd sort of transition book between the two arcs. It had its moments, but it seemed a little bit all over the place compared to others. I also can't find Sebastian celebrating Easter a bit odd given what he is. Still, I really enjoyed Grell who still managed to play an extremely minor role in this book and Sebastian's line about the ship's maiden voyage being awful was pretty funny....more
This book landed pretty squarely in the middle for me. It did quite a few things well, but there were a few things that made scratch my head as well. This book landed pretty squarely in the middle for me. It did quite a few things well, but there were a few things that made scratch my head as well. It ended up being a good book, not a great book, but I'm hopeful that the series can improve with each book.
First, the good things. This book was clearly inspired by Dumas' Three Musketeers, but it is not a carbon copy. This book has plenty of swashbuckling action and combines elements of fantasy to create a unique plot. The twists are pretty good and it has some pretty interesting characters. The characters are snarky and charming and you can't help but root for them. I loved Tailor and the role she plays and also really liked King Paelis. It's refreshing to see a character who is not a warrior, but uses his influence and intellect to try and make things better than ever.
That being said, there are a few aspects that left me a little disappointed. The worldbuilding is okay. The information surrounding the great coats and the political elements are pretty good, but some elements of this world are still a bit... fuzzy. Particularly the role of saints. It also really bugged me that the fight with Kest and the saint took place offscreen (so to speak). There are also quite a few plot points that are just too tired for me to enjoy at this point. This book has its own version of The Purge, Falcio serves as a bodyguard to a naive teen girl who forces him to make certain realizations about himself, Kest is the strong silent type... all of these things have been done ALOT in the past and they really drag down a plot that is better than this. There were also some WTF moments that I'm still not totally sure what they added to the story. Ethalia's role is just weird. She shows up and uses magical sexual healing to get Falcio back to normal, and then exits the story. Not only is this just really out of place, it seems to contradict a lot of Falcio's feelings about his wife. Also, Tailor's shall we say "breakdown" just seemed weird and I think there could have been better ways to reveal that information.
A lot of people have compared this book to the Lies of Locke Lamora (which happens to be my favorite book of all time). It's not as good in my opinion, but it is in the same category of fantasy (a little bit more light-hearted. Lots of snarky humor. More emphasis on humans and politics than enchantments and mythical creatures but with a side of practical magic). This book was decent debut and I think the series itself has a lot of potential....more
This was a good book, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed because I didn't LOVE it the way so many others do. I read all of the glowing reThis was a good book, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed because I didn't LOVE it the way so many others do. I read all of the glowing reviews and I think I set my expectations too high.
First, the good things (because there were quite a few good things!) This is a great heist story and it was interesting to see how the team was assembled and the roles they played. The plot is fast-paced and there's a a few decent lines that made me chuckle. Plus, the characters all have interesting backstories that I wanted to learn more about. Jesper is probably my favorite partly because of his sense of humor and partly because he is somewhat self-destructive in a way that you don't see very often in literature. He's not a hardboiled cynic, but a class clown who needs to stay occupied or he gets himself in trouble... the type of trouble that can be life threatening.
That being said, I was a bit underwhelmed by some elements of this book. While I like the characters' backstories, the characters themselves were a bit flat. For starters, I did not believe that they were teenagers. They all talked and acted like they were adults. It's hard for me to believe that ALL of them are that mature. Plus, it wouldn't have hurt the story if they WERE adults. I can't help but feel like that decision was made to appeal to the YA audience. Apart from the age issue, the characters themselves are kind of generic. I've seen these characters in some form before in other books. I'm also not a fan of books where all the characters are paired up especially when there's not a lot of visible chemistry (apart from a vague sense of "needing" another character). Plus, I'm not happy that Inej was delegated to the damsel in distress role. Even though the heist part of the book was good, I started predicting a lot of the twists for the last quarter of the book or so.
The world building of this story is a bit less detailed than I would like. This could be because I didn't read the previous trilogy. I tend to like fantasy books that have really detailed settings and magic systems. Books like The Gentlemen Bastard series, Mistborn, and A Song of Fire and Ice are so good because the authors include so many details about the cultures, religion, and social classes of the universe. Ketterdam is clearly inspired by Amsterdam, but the setting in general is a bit vague. It feels like this setting could be used for any fantasy story. Grisha are also pretty similar to the sorcerers in several other fantasy novels.
Even though I'm not singing the praises of this book from the rooftops, it was enjoyable enough that I will probably read the sequel at some point. ...more
I wish there was more appreciation for the standalone novel. After finally making it through the entire Wicked Years series, I honestly wish that MaguI wish there was more appreciation for the standalone novel. After finally making it through the entire Wicked Years series, I honestly wish that Maguire had just left it alone. WIcked was a unique, thought-provoking novel. Maguire has admitted that he originally had no intention of turning it into a series, and every sequel has been a little bit more watered down. This book was probably the best sequel and brings a lot of loose threads together, but it didn't have payoff that I was hoping for.
I think the biggest reason why I haven't liked the sequels is because at the end of the day Elphaba is the most important character in Wicked and the whole series a bit muted without her. Maguire and I are clearly have different preferences when it comes to characters. The characters that he seems to like and spends a significant amount of time focusing on, I can't stand, and the characters that I like don't get a lot of focus. I'm with the goose Iskanaary. I can't stand Candle or Rain. My hatred of Candle started pretty early on in this series. I really don't like books that feature dubious sexual consent without somehow indicating that it is wrong. The whole "Candle rapes Liir to save his life plotline always bothered me" and tested my suspension of belief. I also found Candle a bit whiny and that continues into this book. Her complete lack of empathy for Liir drove me crazy! And honestly, I've been wondering through this entire series, does Liir even really "like" her that much?
As much as I hated Candle, I disliked Rain even more. In general, she doesn't have much of a personality. And I hated the way that she was supposed to be perceived as Elphaba reborn. Rain is whiny, self-pitying and sullen. Elphaba was certainly prickly and usually had a righteous anger at people who would oppress other people (namely Animals), but I never got the impression that she felt sorry for herself despite having a pretty tough life. Rain spends so much time being angry at her parents. I wanted to smack her. She takes such a long time to forgive her parents for things they did to save her life.
This story also focuses pretty heavily on Brrr. While I don't hate him as a character, I don't think he needed that much spotlight. Arguably, A lion among men was the weakest book in the series and I just wanted the story to shift back to Liir. I think Maguire must hate Liir. He is barraged with tragedy and misfortune for this entire series. I actually like as a character and think his relationship with Elphaba was very interesting, but the story never seems to focus on him for long and usually bad things kept happening to him. Glinda, one of the few people from the original book, is also not featured in the book very much which is disappointing. I've also always wondered why Boq was never brought up again in the series.
Despite all of that, there were a few characters that I really learned to like. Dorothy, Little Daffy, Mr. Boss, and Iskinaary actually became my favorite characters in the series. Not only can you see them develop, but I found them really entertaining. They helped fill a void that Yackle left. And there were a few moments, where Maguire worked in lyrics from the musical and as a fan of the show it made me happy.
This book has its moments, but it feels very generic compared to the first book. All of the whimsy of Oz has been reduced and it could be any fantasy world. I really like Wicked, but I can't say that I love the rest of the series....more
For some reason my favorite authors are stumbling on book 3 in their series lately. First Scott Lynch, now Brandon Sanderson. For the record, I still For some reason my favorite authors are stumbling on book 3 in their series lately. First Scott Lynch, now Brandon Sanderson. For the record, I still love Brandon Sanderson and this is not a bad book, but I have to say I think this is the weakest book in the series and I'm a little bit disappointed. It took me more than on attempt to get through this book which is pretty unheard of for a Brandon Sanderson book. I don't normally don't complain about the length of books (I've read Gone with the Wind earlier this year and I am on the waiting list for War and Peace), but I got the audiobook for this novel and it was so large that it was constantly causing my app to freeze up. If the whole book was truly engaging I would have no problem with this, but there are a lot of slow sections. It feels like the plot of this story is running over its characters. The plot was already pretty complicated to begin with and now there are more POV characters than ever. This makes it very hard to keep track of everything and doesn't allow the plot of the story to focus on very many characters long enough for them to develop.
Despite my frustrations, there were still a lot of good things about this book. It was a Stormlight novel after all. The single greatest part of this book for me was Pattern telling Shallon "NO MATING!" That cracked me up. I also liked Elhokar's arc and seeing him evolve into a somewhat decent human being. Dalinar's backstory was very interesting and shows how much he has evolved. The reveal of Evi and her story was also very fascinating. There were also several major revelations that are definitely keeping the overall story interesting. It was not my favorite in the series and I'm somewhat relieved that I am finished, but I am looking forwards to the next one. ...more
It seems like every time I read another book in this series, Maguire improves one part of the story and then slips back on another. This one had betteIt seems like every time I read another book in this series, Maguire improves one part of the story and then slips back on another. This one had better pacing than the previous. It actually did feel like it was building up to something whereas Son of a Witch's plot just kinda meandered aimlessly. I also found the character of Yackle very interesting just because she has been such a driving force throughout this series and has a pretty entertaining personality. I also finally got closure and was able to find out about what happened to Nor. However, the overall plot of this story is just kinda meh. There's so little connection to the original Wicked universe. The story has kind of lost the world building that made the original story so engrossing. None of the religions, political ideologies and policies and other more whimsical Ozian elements are present enough in the sequels. Plus, the more interesting characters from the original are either dead (Elphaba, Nessarose, Nanny) or pushed out of the focus (Glinda, Boq). Apart from the last third of the book or so, the book is mainly a rehash of Wicked apart from Brr's personal stories and I really didn't find his portions all that interesting. There is one more book left in this series and honestly I'm a little bit relieved. ...more
I feel a bit like a hypocrite as I read this book. In my review for Wicked, I complained there a was a bit too much philosophy and not enough action. I feel a bit like a hypocrite as I read this book. In my review for Wicked, I complained there a was a bit too much philosophy and not enough action. In this book, I kinda miss the philosophical musings. In my defense, its probably because this is pretty slowly paced book. The plot meanders and there's never a real sense of urgency even during the more exciting moments. In Wicked, you had the sense that story was building up to some sort of exciting moment, this book has a much quieter conclusion. On the other hand, I did like that this is one of the few books that has a bisexual person as a main character who is well developed and not promiscuous. I'm also still curious about what happened to Nor. Unfortunately, I didn't find any of the characters as compelling as Elphaba so this story has a hard time living up to its successor....more
This one was really disappointing for me! It had a great premise and it's always refreshing to read a fantasy novel that is not rooted in European culThis one was really disappointing for me! It had a great premise and it's always refreshing to read a fantasy novel that is not rooted in European culture, but this story never came together for me. It started out well. I liked the idea of combining a vaguely Arabic culture with a vaguely western culture. The execution, however, wasn't the best. There wasn't enough detail and world-building to make this world realistic and fleshed out. Throwing in a few items of clothing with vaguely arabic sounding names is not the same as creating a unique culture. The pacing was also too fast. I wished that the author had taken more time to explore the world and give the characters more depth. There are certain books that you only have to read a chapter to realize "this is clearly a YA book." It hits a lot of the tropes that have already been worn out in other similar novels, a sarcastic female lead, an instant love connection, and a "rebel alliance" of some sort. The story itself is harmless. I didn't find it particularly interesting, but I could see why a person could like this story. For me this was just a run of the mill YA novel, which is more disappointing because I had such high expectations....more
Ugh... only one more Tamora Pierce book left. My goal for the last couple of years has been to reread or catch up on the series that I started in chilUgh... only one more Tamora Pierce book left. My goal for the last couple of years has been to reread or catch up on the series that I started in childhood. I actually stopped reading her books when I was still pretty young. I think I like the ideas featured in her books better than the books themselves.
The problems that I had with the first book in this trilogy are still present for the most part. If anything, they've gotten worse. Beka is still too perfect to relate to and her one major flaw (her shyness) from the first book is pretty much gone. The slang is also still pretty awful. I still REALLY hate the term "peaches" for breasts. It just sounds very juvenile for the gritty world that Pierce is trying to create. Now in this book we have an equally awful term for the male anatomy, "gems". UGH! That might be worse.
I've also noticed that in Pierce's more recent novels, she's trying to tackle relevant social issues. This would be admirable, but her execution is always a bit off for me. In the Trickster's Choice books, one of my biggest complaints was with how she handled the topic of colonialism and racism. She had good intentions, but the results were pretty uncomfortable. Pierce kind of does this again with the addition of a trans character, Okha. On the one hand, it's great to see a trans character being featured. But on the other hand... Pierce constantly refers to "her" with male pronouns even though she states quite clearly that she views herself as a woman. Okha falls into the drag queen character pretty neatly (P.S. Transgenderism, cross-dressing, and drag are all totally different concepts. They are not the same. Pierce does not differentiate any of these very well). Also, the fact that Okha doesn't really play a huge role beyond offering advice to Beka makes me wonder if Pierce didn't include Okha simply as a way to appear progressive. Again, it is important to include trans characters in literature, but proper representation is also very important.
This is also pretty minor, but it bugs me. Beka acquires ANOTHER dog-themed nickname. The whole "dog" motif always seemed a bit forced to me in the first book, but it's even worse in this sequel. It feels like Pierce is trying really hard to shoehorn the dog theme into this series and for me it just comes across as awkward.
The mystery of this book was somewhat better, but not especially suspenseful. You can usually tell how invested I am in a series by how long it takes me to read. This is a short book but it took me over a week to wrap it up. I'm a bit relieved that there is only one more Tamora Pierce book left for me to read....more
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