How deep will this go? How dark will this go? (That was a rhetorical question actually.) With war about to happen any moment, dark and deep seem ratheHow deep will this go? How dark will this go? (That was a rhetorical question actually.) With war about to happen any moment, dark and deep seem rather casual to almost everyone involved with the notable exception of "the kids." Why is it that in movies, books, and shows it's always the ones who didn't ask for it? But they are always the ones who are getting slaughtered and sent off into battle against their will. There's probably a name for this trope.
Everything keeps getting tighter; great new things are explored. One plot point is a bit of a throw-away and wastes some time however, it is there to keep things tense so I cannot really fault the author too much for that. While reading this I want things to end well for all the heroes but I keep thinking "This will not end well for everyone involved." It's like doom reading at this point in the series. I love it and yet I'm scared. ...more
There is so much crammed into this one plus the art is sometimes dark (it takes place primarily in the Weird Forest so what do you expect r3 1/2 stars
There is so much crammed into this one plus the art is sometimes dark (it takes place primarily in the Weird Forest so what do you expect really?) that I was lost sometimes and had to go back and look at the panels again to try and figure out what was happening. Vexing. All in all, I want to see what happens in the next book. Hoping for a happy ever after here or at least a not my favorite characters being killed off. ...more
I couldn't put this down, stayed up far too late because I had to finish reading it. Then when I needed the second book and discovered *horror* that tI couldn't put this down, stayed up far too late because I had to finish reading it. Then when I needed the second book and discovered *horror* that the second book wasn't out yet and wouldn't be out till Winter... I'm still trying to recover. Why didn't I check before I started this? I could have avoided the book trauma.
Don't read this...yet. Wait till the second book is out, and then gobble them both up together! That being said, this is fun, snarky, trauma, monster reading with a dark romance edge that made me laugh out loud....more
I loved how the color of the art signaled the state of the world and the characters. Things are balanced, precariously, in the beginning of the book fI loved how the color of the art signaled the state of the world and the characters. Things are balanced, precariously, in the beginning of the book for our characters. Life was better though it could be much worse. Lizzy, our main character, acts selfishly and recklessly and then must pay the price. This is a very familiar sort of trope except this world is done very well and the art is done even better. Things wrap up very quickly in the end (almost too quickly and easily) yet this was a fun read....more
This is not what I thought it was going to be because it was so much better. All those stories about knights and bravery and being true in desperate tThis is not what I thought it was going to be because it was so much better. All those stories about knights and bravery and being true in desperate times and fighting for noble causes (the Damar series and the Valdemar Chronicles, and the Tamora Pierce books can really get to you when you read them as a tween & teenager) so when you stumble across a great graphic novel about knights and bravery as a grownup person you think "Aha, I know where this is going!' I was wrong. But it was wonderful.
Our main character, Aiza, is also wrong though she doesn't know it. Everyone else around her is very quick to tell her how wrong she is about many things! Aiza doesn't let this stop her. She has a dream. When you have a dream, a quest, you shouldn't let the mundane things in life, like everyone being right, stop you. She isn't the only one setting off to achieve their quest, their dream, and all of these characters collide on the training grounds as they are told that war is coming their way. Will they be prepared? Or will they be shipped off to the front to fight? Or is there another story out there?
I am hesitant to say too much because I loved this so much for how it made me not just feel but really think about the stories we are told and the stories we tell in return....more
Well, that was totally unexpected. Everything was rushing to a conclusion and my oh my what a conclusion was thrown at the reader. I am ver3 1/2 stars
Well, that was totally unexpected. Everything was rushing to a conclusion and my oh my what a conclusion was thrown at the reader. I am very afraid that I will spoil something so rather than say too much I will say too little. Once again Henrietta proved herself to be a champion of the occasion. I love this character. I loved so many of the characters in this story.
I would love to read more of this world or see more of what this author could do in another world. Thank you very much for your stories and especially your strong female characters. We need more of this for our young girl readers....more
I just love this series. And I know that all good things have to come to an end at some point in time. (view spoiler)[I was not expecting the group toI just love this series. And I know that all good things have to come to an end at some point in time. (view spoiler)[I was not expecting the group to split in the middle of winter, however! That did not make any sense to me! How could they leave Henrietta like that? Wait for spring for Pete's sake! (hide spoiler)]
Henrietta once again shows how amazingly capable she is in the face of overwhelming odds that would certainly challenge others. We get to see more of this strange and magical world as bits of the past are revealed. I love how Henrietta has a way of bringing people/creatures together and compelling them to work for the greater good. She brings out the best in everyone (even when it's against their own nature sometimes, haha).
Looking forward to the next book, the conclusion? Such quick reads that I hate to think it will be over....more
She came back. Y'all, that could be a novel in itself considering her past. She. Came. Back. To. The. House. Period. Full Stop. Boom!
Grownups from theShe came back. Y'all, that could be a novel in itself considering her past. She. Came. Back. To. The. House. Period. Full Stop. Boom!
Grownups from the town won't even think about heading in this direction, and Henrietta heads back into the face of certain danger and maybe even death.
Okay, moving on now that I've overstated it because I want y'all to marvel along with me. A force from Henrietta's past is ready for a long overdue confrontation (because Henrietta doesn't have enough to deal with, right?) while the House prepares other surprises. The two main forces battling within the House must also deal with past problems as we are shown the source of their problems.
We go deeper and deeper, both into the past and into the House's magic, as Henrietta tries to prove her claims to this unruly and unsettling legacy. Why was she chosen? Will she prove powerful enough to save the town and herself?
I am loving this series! There is so much that speaks to girl power and survivors and building empathy here. Highly recommend this....more
How do you write about COVID without writing about COVID? Aha! You talk about COVID as if it is in the past, and then throw in a whole new, totally diHow do you write about COVID without writing about COVID? Aha! You talk about COVID as if it is in the past, and then throw in a whole new, totally different, very much worser plague that kills EVERYONE...except for one person. Okay, except we are all smart people, and this is a YA book so we know that there will be more than one person left alive. Right? Everyone with me so far?
I wasn't sure if I was really ready to read a book about a plague while still in the midst of a pandemic, yet there is something about a dystopian thriller that gets me every time. It's been ages, y'all, since I've read a dystopian book. (Maybe when you're living in times that feel a tinge too on the edge of things rather than fantastical, escapist fare.
Due to awkward, forced conversations on race, some really unbelievable situations, and a plot that I could see from miles away I really struggled to keep reading....more
Maybe I will pick this one up again someday? It all seemed to be driven in a certain direction which made me feel very *meh* honestly. Enough with YA Maybe I will pick this one up again someday? It all seemed to be driven in a certain direction which made me feel very *meh* honestly. Enough with YA insta-love and love triangles and gorgeous characters all that nonsense. Would one YA author please write characters that were like those in my high school? We were not Insta-worthy, filtered, beautiful people with everyone falling in love with us immediately. #unreal...more
What a let-down. I will recommend this but barely. I read this to finish the series and to find out what happened with Chariot and see if the MC grew What a let-down. I will recommend this but barely. I read this to finish the series and to find out what happened with Chariot and see if the MC grew or developed any sort of redeeming sort of character arc. NOPE.
Maybe the anime series is better?
Heads-up for fat-shaming and body dysmorphia in this book....more
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