I think the biggest let down is because of the humongous expectations. It is not that the book is bad. SJM has an obvious talent for weav *** 2.75 ***
I think the biggest let down is because of the humongous expectations. It is not that the book is bad. SJM has an obvious talent for weaving a story. I just really dislike the characters so far. It doesn't help that the female MC is an 18 year old, who apparently is the best assassin ever, which we are told from the get go, but we are not shown any signs of that. The opposite. If we weren't told, we would have never suspected for the rest of the book.
Also, since I have been hearing a lot of complaints from readers who are fans of this series, about how bad other series are because of the male authors "male gaze", I only want to point out that there was a ton of inappropriate "female gazing" going on in this book. An example, again, in the opening paragraphs of the book, so no spoilers, but this young woman, who has been slaving in the salt mines, is being escorted and her thoughts are about how the one dude was ruggedly handsome, while the other was pretty... So, is this what a beaten down by work and hunger woman, who most possibly is being led to get killed, would be thinking??? How handsome her captor is? Me thinks not...
I don't mind, on principle, when characters feel attraction to others. We are all human, or not, but we all have attraction as biological adaptation in order to achieve the biological imperative of procreation. Plus, it's fun ...more
I was hoping Raistlin is just a selfish, self-centered, egotistical, megalomaniacal young mage, who has some lofty goals and would sell every*** 4 ***
I was hoping Raistlin is just a selfish, self-centered, egotistical, megalomaniacal young mage, who has some lofty goals and would sell everything and everyone to achieve them. And yes, he is all those things, but I never thought him truly evil, and he decided to prove me wrong! I was so angry with him, at his callus disregard for the lives of anyone, and if you have read the book, you all know what scene I am talking about in particular! ...more
A hard book to rate and a difficult subject to read... I am a humongous fan of AT as an author and I have never been disappointed. I love*** 4.25 ***
A hard book to rate and a difficult subject to read... I am a humongous fan of AT as an author and I have never been disappointed. I love his passion for insectoid life and how he works with their characteristics to affect his creations. What makes this particular book uncomfortable is seeing one of our protagonists spiral into doubt and where that leads him. He is smart, he is not a bad person, but his passions and choices lead him on a very questionable path and although I hope he can find his way back, unfortunately I don't foresee a good ending for him in the future...
War and seeing all its victims is always hard to read. The subject is dark, the current situation is bleak and no end of suffering is in sight... So, bring it on!I am all in this series and can't wait to see where Tchaikovsky leads us!...more
I want to love this series so badly, since in theory it checks all the boxes of what I love in Fantasy! I was even excited that the book i*** 3.25 ***
I want to love this series so badly, since in theory it checks all the boxes of what I love in Fantasy! I was even excited that the book is long and I can really get lost in it... Unfortunately, it didn't work the way I imagined it. It is not bad by any means, it just didn't wow me and it was about to become a 2* read, but the final battle definitely bumped it up a ⭐. I think the book could really benefit from a tighter editing and it could have conveyed everything and even better, with more concise writing. Still, I am glad that we have a new promising author in the genre ...more
This is a really engaging series! I think it's perfect for all readers over the age of 13. Adults can enjoy it too. The main character and hi*** 4 ***
This is a really engaging series! I think it's perfect for all readers over the age of 13. Adults can enjoy it too. The main character and his familiar SquirrelCat are adorable! They have definitely done some growing up since the first book and I am enjoying the ride ...more
... " So you stand in the darkest winter of your life, Warrior. And so you must dig deep to find the warmth and the strength that will he*** 4 ***
... " So you stand in the darkest winter of your life, Warrior. And so you must dig deep to find the warmth and the strength that will help you survive the bitter cold and the terrible darkness. No longer do you have the bloom of spring or the vigor of summer. You must find the strength you need in your heart, in your soul. Then, like the Vallenwoods, you will grow once more. "...
These Adventure Fantasy books are very nostalgic! They remind me of the time I fell in love with the genre and related to Tasslehoff, full of adventurous spirit and mischief Kender. It is very interesting to return to these books now, many years later, and see I still adore Tess, but I relate to the broken down, again, let his body go and having no control of his life aging warrior, Caramon. Man, do I wish I could still be that full of vigor and adventure Kender, and not have lived through things that have made me more like Caramon... But life leaves its imprint on all of us to some degree and we try to fight for the light we cradle deep in our souls, so it would shine through us as we keep on going! ✨...more
Very disappointing! I remember when we first met Nesta, I was so excited for a strong, different female character. What happened? Don't t *** 2.01 ***
Very disappointing! I remember when we first met Nesta, I was so excited for a strong, different female character. What happened? Don't tell me she is just suffering from all the things she went through! Yes, her sisters did too and they are so much better at coping and still being decent humans. She became everything I hate in a person, selfish, self-centered, and irresponsible, hurting everyone around her, using them, and blaming everyone outside of herself for her feelings of unworthiness... Not once did she truly look in the mirror...
And what happened to her romantic interest? I guess it has nothing to do with romance, it's all about some really poorly written sex... Such a waste of potential...
There were a couple of good storylines, but they were only about 10% of the whole book, which by the way, should have been at the most half the length it is...