This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I’m just a sad about how I ended feeling abo*mixed feelings has entered the building*
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I’m just a sad about how I ended feeling about it. I just was not into the characters and the plot even though theoretically this would have been a story I would be into..
I think the main reason that I could not continue this was because the plot just felt non-existent and all over the place. The progression of the world-building wasn't working for me and I do have to say that it does focus a lot more on the character relationships than what what I wanted which was weird because I usually love character-driven plot.
I do think that if you are in it for the friendship and found family aspect, you are still going to get that. But just like with almost any story, I think we can agree that you need to at least be invested in main characters perspectives, which is not what happened to me *disappointed sighs*. I probably would have continued reading this for that found family aspect though. Those parts were the good parts. (and you know... sapphic... *twinkle*)
I can see this being loved by people who like relatively lighter Sci-Fi that focuses more on found family bonding and the enemies-to-lovers aspect. It just wasn't for me.
DNF @40%... Do with this knowledge what you will.
"To the reckless, lovestruck kids. (The former may be lethal, but the latter makes it worth it.)"
I enjoyed the idea of this book and what this book stood for more than my actual reading experience. I wrote in my notes that I was waiting for this tI enjoyed the idea of this book and what this book stood for more than my actual reading experience. I wrote in my notes that I was waiting for this to end three times.
Reading the other reviews for this book makes me feel like I have no taste but it is what it is and I wrote this review anyway.
Disclaimer #1: I didn't think this was a bad book I was just not invested in the plot or the characters.
If you liked/loved Addie LaRue but want more plot, I would recommend this book. Or vice versa: if you want something that is more character focused than this book go read Addie. These two books give me the same writing style and vibes.
Disclaimer #2: I loved Addie LaRue though.
"It is at the moments when the doors open when things flow between the worlds, that stories happen."
It's a whimsical and dreamy book while still being thought provoking. Which was the reason I loved the first part of this book.. but then it lost me. The idea of how these doors were literally portals to new dimensions was so intriguing to me but it took so long to get to that point where all the action was happening.
I was forcing my way through almost everything beyond the 40% mark and I would have DNFed this if I wasn’t buddy reading it. I just didn’t care about the characters. My interest kept lifting away from the pages.
I was really confused with what was supposed to be reality and what was not when I was convinced that it would be the reason that I would love this book at the beginning.
“I’ve heard it all so many times I could probably deliver the rest of the speech myself. How the hard work and dedication of persons like themselves wealthy, powerful, white, had improved the condition of the human race.”
The commentary on racism and how people weigh/judge a person’s value based on their skin color including white supremacy!! We absolutely love to see it. I liked how this was tackled in the story but it didn't hit me the same because it somewhere in the midst of everything that was going on, I got lost.
Even though I appreciated the addition of characters of color, they felt so bland to me and I wasn’t sold enough to be emotionally attached to them. Given that, I wasn’t affected by the plot twists and the weird happenings as much as I should’ve been. Thus, the romance felt unnecessary with no build-up, perhaps it was just not my style. January’s complicated relationship with her father and Loche was interesting but with that said, I could not seem to fully be devoted to them either.
“If you are wondering why other worlds seem so brimful of magic compared to your own dreary Earth, consider how magical this world seems from another perspective. To a world of sea people, your ability to breathe air is stunning; to a world of spear throwers, your machines are demons harnessed to work tirelessly in your service; to a world of glaciers and clouds, summer itself is a miracle.”
I would have rated this book 4 stars for the themes and that quote alone if I even somewhat enjoyed my reading experience. It talks about belonging, family, stranger worlds.... the more I talk about this book the more convinced I am that I should have loved this.
The writing style is humorous and light despite heavy hitting themes, which was my favourite aspect with how it felt like we were reading some kind of pseudo-academic report on whimsical topics. This kind of writing style would have been perfect for me if perhaps I cared.
“Stories are the red threads that we may follow out of the labyrinth. It is my hope that this story is your thread and at the end of it, you find a door.”
I want to talk more about the plot but, without spoiling anything, all I can say is that it was weird and I understand why people love this so much. It was just too much for me and the weirdness was absurd to me at times that it didn't feel relatable. Perhaps the point was that certain things should not be believable since it revolves around a literally out-of-this-world theme... I just was not the biggest fan of that.
However, the plot is fast-paced, unique, a lot does happen... it's a whole journey.
I realized that people were comparing this to the Wayward Children and I didn’t like the first book of that series as much as other people did so perhaps I should've been more wary going into this.
Reading a book while reading a book sounds cool in retrospect, but it was just so confusing to me.
↣ As long as you are in the mood for a whimsical, dreamy, adventurous, and thought-provoking story with weird things going on, if you don’t get bored, I feel like you will like this. ↢
January LaVoy I'm so sorry I didn't like the book but you're still one of my favourite narrators.
------------ PRE READ:
what ultimately sold me to picking this up was that the audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy (narrator of The Diviners series)...more
THAT WAS SO GOOD. This is exactly my vibe *cue the tears, old letters, top hats and split personality*
I have wanted to read this (well-deserved) classTHAT WAS SO GOOD. This is exactly my vibe *cue the tears, old letters, top hats and split personality*
I have wanted to read this (well-deserved) classic for the longest time and I'm so happy I finally got to buddy read this. And even though we all basically know what the outcome of the story is the way it was written just truly stands the test of time.
“You must suffer me to go my own dark way.”
the writing. the WRITING. It's so beautiful and I can see how this inspired so many more types of literature and musicals (ehem one of my favorite musical ever)
I never actually knew what the ending of the actual story was so I was really pleased with how it was tied together. It was perfect to me, I'm gonna scream.
Please read the audiobook if you can because the performance is amazing and the music that they pair it with just gives me all the Jekyll and Hyde vibes. There is a touch of humor among all the seriousness and I just love it.
“I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.”
I don't know what else to say but if you want a horror classic that isn't horror (am I making sense?) that is not a heavy read... perfect! read this.
this writing is SO good. I don't understand why people are saying there's no plot?? It's Vibes™️ but I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.
this writing is SO good. I don't understand why people are saying there's no plot?? It's Vibes™️ but it's not like there wasn't a solid flow of events that lead up to something which surprised me because I was really expecting no direction whatsoever.
[image]
— overall thoughts: 4.5 — *All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless stated otherwise*
PSA: I do not consider this as horror or even remotely scary
I'm weak for school and academy settings because of the character relationships that result from that. And this book gave all those dynamics that I was looking for without feeling redundant. The characters are very grey and are prone to teenage mistakes but that just made them feel more tangible and relatable.
“Because they have some delusion that to be human and perishable is divine.”
I think people expect a dynamic plot but it isn’t that but that doesn't mean it's bad? Honestly, I am so tired of books that try so hard to give out of this world plot twists that the essence of the book suffers greatly. Probably just my personal preference since I think I'm an unpopular opinion ...more
2nd read update: to absolutely no one’s surprise, i still loved it. The JL parallels… unmatched.
If you like politically intriguing urban fantasy t2nd read update: to absolutely no one’s surprise, i still loved it. The JL parallels… unmatched.
If you like politically intriguing urban fantasy that centers around morally questionable characters with complicated pre-established relationships that find themselves in the middle of inter-clan conflict but still sticks together in the end because they are family… this is the book for you. [ends run-on sentence]
Additional note: I think it's an underrated topic but the way subtle dynamics in the Hong Kong and Asian cultures play into the different scenes was so well-done that I think if you aren't familiar with Asian cultures and their cultural/family dynamics, you wouldn't get it. But if you do, you will really appreciate it.
“If heart alone could win the war, we’d already be victorious.”
*thinks about the quote* *slams hands on the table* *thinks about the quote again* *sobs*
my mind is reeling.
I was shocked at how easy it was to feel invested in these complex, calculating, and at times violent, characters but still possess so much heart for the people and things they love (no matter what kind of complicated relationship it may be)
Fonda Lee took her time in the beginning building the politics, character dynamics, and world-building in this multi-POV story but it balances its characters and plot so well that it never felt like it was dense or dragging. It was like we were slowly learning how the political dynamics works as the details unfolded at the start and I just have to say that it was nothing short of clever.
The fact that FL is both a black-belt martial artist and former corporate strategist SHOWS in the writing and details she put into the book.
“In general, however, people were uncomfortable around misfortune and reluctant to admit to their own.”
I find it very rare for a cast of characters to be so well-balanced in writing, page-time, and character development that you feel like you’re watching an extended version of a movie and that you could be an extra unseen member actually in story and following around the characters…. especially in stories centered around a family that already have pre-established relationships prior to the start of the story. But Fonda Lee found that balance and kept it going all throughout.
Jade City mainly follows four central characters: Kaul Lan, Kaul Hilo, Kaul Shae, and Anden Emery. Four siblings of the Kaul family that can’t be any more different but are all so uniquely intriguing. I don’t think I can give justice for my love of the sibling/family relationships and dynamics…. so all I will say is:
i am ATTACHED. i am INVESTED. i am HERE FOR IT.
“Screw you, Hilo,” she snapped. “I can kill my ex-boyfriends myself.”
ah yes… golden sibling dynamics right there.
If you want intensity and action, it doesn’t fall short either. It’s action-packed without forgetting the complex characters dynamics to back up the intensity and vivid imagery to keep you on your toes and feel like you never want to let these characters go.
“Drama and reminisce of classic Hong Kong ganster films” really is the vibe of what you’re getting if all of that was set in a fantasy metropolis that’s both gritty and vividly written. The world-building was subtle but effective and so cleverly written. Especially for a book that really isn’t that long, I was surprised at how much subtleties and nuance FL was able to weave in a dynamic plot that revolves around power, family, and all the technical in-betweens that comes with actually ruling a clan.
Themes revolve around family/brotherhood, power, and prejudice in a society. While showing perspectives from the top of the social ladder to those at the bottom, and everything in between.
“People were people. The power of jade didn’t make them better or closer to godliness; it just made them more powerful”
The addition of Jade as the main fantasy element that this world revolves on was the perfect cherry on top. It almost felt like the Jade just made them a little more super human and made the fight scenes/perceptions make a lot more sense even though I consider it as more of a soft magic system. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely still a violent and brutal book with graphic imagery and arguably cruel characters so just keep that in mind.
It truly has everything you want in a fantasy action novel from character dynamics that sweep you up to Jade-enhanced fight scenes that leave you gasping. My mind felt so alive. I absolutely loved the fact that we still see them bond over both trivial things like having dinner to major power-changing dynamics like you know… planning a siege.
“Nothing good's coming, when the dogs start disappearing from the streets.”
You know the plot is well-written when you realize that the twist and turns that happen have been building up to it the whole time but you are still shocked that it even happened at all. The fact that this book had me grieving over characters i’ve never even met should say something in itself. I truly felt like I cared about every minor character as much as Hilo did. Even the enmity between the two clans never felt short of perfectly paced that even though we don’t see them decided on the details, nothing ever felt like it didn’t make sense.
To be honest, this might be a new favorite of mine. It's really high up there.
↣ Highly recommended if you enjoy brutal, action-packed urban fantasy that have intensity levels turned on high at almost every chapter and perfectly balanced character-driven and plot-driven stories. Especially, if you like morally questionable characters full of scheming and betrayal that still leaves you wanting to always cheer them on. ↢
the things people do for power…. I have been shaken to my core.
Now, excuse me because I need to find a Kaul family that I can get myself adopted into, Anden Emery style.
I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST READ THAT. these plot twists make me want to scream (I did) and throw my phone (I did not)
I have no idea how y’all survived 3 yI CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST READ THAT. these plot twists make me want to scream (I did) and throw my phone (I did not)
I have no idea how y’all survived 3 years waiting for The King of Crows, *sends a thousand virtual hug*
“It was impossible to imagine that such harm could happen under the promise of such a blue sky.”
— overall thoughts: 4.5 — ⇢ content warnings// (view spoiler)[Blackmail, Death, Domestic Abuse, Eugenics, Institutionalization, Racism, Terrorism (hide spoiler)] ⇢ representation: poc main characters, asian main character with physical disability, african-american main character, lgbtq main character, latinx main character, side character with mental illness
the diversity of this cast, not just in representation but in their personality as well is just so distinct. this is what i crave!! at the same time, diversity reps don’t ever become a character’s defining trait which I love.
“All the times I say, ‘Don’t see me’? With you, I wish I had an opposite power: See me. See me, Evie. See all of me. There’s a fella who loves you right here. I’m not perfect. I’m a handful. But you know what? So are you. There. Not sugarcoating it.”
the twists drove me a lil crazy at the end and my theories were completely off so brownie points for that. That was the main reason I didn't end up giving this 2 stars. Also considering that there were certain parts that made me want to vomit imagining and that I was sort of creeped out by but not really.
“Few things in life are more disappointing than knowing your parents aren’t being honest with you.”
The parallelism of the two narrators in the story were interesting to me since we do get to figure out what really happened from the perspective of the dad, but I wished that there would be something different other than just the same thing feeling like it was being acted out.
From the beginning up to around 70% of this book (when the 5 plot twists started coming in) I was barely interested. It just really sounded like a rip-off of hill house to me with the amount of similarities:
- child being left the house by a parent who died - parent wrote a book about haunter house experience - said child being hounded by news reporters - said child trying to find out what actually happened because they can't trust their own memories - (view spoiler)[the fact that none of the ghosts were real and just people being weird and wanting to kill people. hill house had a better plot twist than this. (hide spoiler)] - (view spoiler)[everything about the plot twists but remove all supernatural elements, unlike what hill house did (hide spoiler)]
...but without the emotional attachment.
With that said, the characters felt flat to me and just didn't care about them. I love a good "haunted house" and "who done it" story (definitely my favorite kind to read) so that was probably why I was able to pull through but I feel like it relied so much on people just enjoying that aspect that the rest of the plot did not do it for me.
I prefer to be engaged, excited, and addicted with my thrillers.
I was almost up to 2.0x speed but I still thought that the good part was a long time coming.
In conclusion, I have mixed feelings but it's not a... "bad" book...? I just think that it's wholly unoriginal and not as exciting as I built up in my head.
I do think that if you're not someone who likes going into hardcore horror or too intense thrillers you might enjoy this since as I said, it's not that scary. Which makes it accessible. I haven't read any of Riley Sager's other books and I'm willing to give him a second chance.
key words for this series: time travel, cliffhangers, slow burn, urban fantasy, found family, betrayals, gangs, vi--Buddy Read with Bopeep and Emily--
key words for this series: time travel, cliffhangers, slow burn, urban fantasy, found family, betrayals, gangs, victorian-esque era, people with powers
if you haven't read the first book, what are you doing? and also... HARTE. JULIEN. THEO. read it for them. If the goal is to make me anticipate The Serpent's Curse, it's clearly working.
There were so many things for me to love about this book and I’ll probably reread a physical copy in the future because it has been one of my most antThere were so many things for me to love about this book and I’ll probably reread a physical copy in the future because it has been one of my most anticipated reads ever. But I just could not get into the characters and the world even though they are all elements that I love.
— overall: 2.5, DNF @57% — ⇢ content warnings// (view spoiler)[Body horror (graphic), Death (including children), Gore, Injury, Murder, Mutilation, Necromancy, Self-harm, Suicide (depicted and referenced), Trauma, Violence (hide spoiler)] ⇢ representation: Lesbian main character, Chronically/terminally ill side character
SIMILAR VIBES: Nevernight READ FOR: mysterious, gothic and dark in theory but humorous writing style
“If you do not find yourself a galaxy, it is not so bad to find yourself a star.”
Just the fact that this had a contest sort of setting is enough to make me reach for this book in the future. The writing is very visual, the bones, the necromancy... I love all of those elements and the way it technically plays into the magic system was so interesting. There was a lot more quirkiness than I thought it would have for a story about bones and dead people. But there was just something about how everything was woven together that was not working for me.
The magic system was very well established and I love how necromancy was incorporated while making it sort of… whimsical rather than straight out dark. It was fascinating. I would definitely want to read more necromancy-based magic systems.
The plot and world-building just throws you in and it’s very mind boggling at first so I thought that it would stick to that pacing all throughout but events started to slow down and my interest was just dwindling. Though I didn’t know where the story wanted to go and it just felt like everything was happening around our main character which I’m not exactly a fan of.
I don’t know if it’s because of the audiobook but I already had it at a significantly slower pace than usual and I had the ebook but I just could not follow all of the characters names. Harrow and Gideon were the only blatantly clear to me. I loved that we finally got some non overly sexualized women in fantasy but then again... I couldn't keep track of all of them gahhhh. It was so frustrating.
It was enjoyable reading about them but in my head they're just "that one character who died but it was funny" and "that one who was shirtless at that lake". I thought some of them were quite unnecessary and I didn't know how they fit into the plot. Granted I did DNF this so who knows.
With all that, it was definitely entertaining and the humor definitely sold me. This gave me nevernight vibes and even though I loved the premise and the world, it just wasn’t keeping my interest. I could have read this just for more of Gideon and Harrow because I think they were the saving grace
It’s definitely something unique and in most cases I probably would have liked this as a lover of gothic, dark, and sci fi stories… but my interest just wasn't there.
I have no other words to describe my feelings aside from frustrating because in theory, this is exactly my kind of story and I would have loved it if I was perhaps in a different mood. I was afraid I was going to get into a reading slump if I forced myself through this.
[ upon further consideration, I have lowered my rating from a 3.5 to a 2.5. I don't think this book was bad but I just did not enjoy my time reading i[ upon further consideration, I have lowered my rating from a 3.5 to a 2.5. I don't think this book was bad but I just did not enjoy my time reading it. I think that the characters get swept up by the plot more than them actually make decisions that drive the plot forward and the build up was just... not there. ]
I liked a lot of things, but I was also, unfortunately, underwhelmed by a lot more. If you’re someone like me who cannot handle slow-paced books, you’re going to need to pack a lot of patience.
“On the day of your judgement, when you’re asked why you didn’t stand up for what you knew was just… loyalty to your family won’t excuse you.”
Hiba said that this read like a 500-page prologue and… I agree?? this book promises a lot and I think I was waiting for that
for some good news: this gave me a lot of Gods of Jade and Shadow x Aladdin vibes which was really fun
I think my expectations were just too high. I do think we need more Islamic rep in books, especially since I actually found the mythology one of the most interesting aspects of the whole thing. The writing style is very accessible while still feeling entirely transportive but the plot failed to capture my interest for the most part and I could not get myself to be emotionally attached to the characters. The info dumpy parts didn’t really help either even though the ideas were unique. I’m not saying that there weren’t any interesting parts in this book at all… but it sure did take a long time for them to get to the point.
the parts I enjoyed the most were the first 30% and the last 30% of this book, the middle portion was shrivelling my brain cells.
I did love the 18th century Cairo setting and what Nahri’s character ultimately meant in the ending of the book being what she is: (view spoiler)[a healer (hide spoiler)]. The underlying themes of oppression and believing that a certain lineage/blood holds superiority that was discussed within the plot was intriguing… but, again, it was mostly in the ending.
!! There is Muslim representation (the mythology was what I loved), which I can’t comment on the accuracy of but I will now be directing you to May and Hiba for some #OwnVoices reviews !!
I wouldn’t go into this expecting a sweeping romance that fit my reading taste but there is a romance. For the most part, I saw Nahri and Dara as friends, the dynamic was intriguing at best and boring at worst. I acknowledge that this was very trope-y but it was executed in a better-than-usual-way. I just really wished I was more invested in the characters. There wasn’t really anyone I was too interested to learn more about, which is important for me in a story.
I do think it has a lot of unique twists but it just never felt like the stakes were high enough even though I knew it was. The slow pacing just doesn’t match my personal reading preferences, especially when it comes to bigger casts and complex world-building that require me to be invested in more than a few characters.
Chakraborty’s passion bleeds through the narrative. I just think this book dragged on longer than necessary without capturing my interest the way it should. I’ll still probably read the second book because I have heard that it does get better but we'll see.
“In what world do men and women pay the same price for passion?”
↣ If you enjoy a unique and descriptive world-building, you'll probably enjoy this as long as you don't mind the slow pacing. ↢
Still would recommend this, it just didn’t blow me way. I feel like if I read this a couple of years ago, I would have loved it.
--- Buddy Read with Bopeep (we also read Thunderhead together much luv hihi) and Emily <3 ---
“We are imperfect beings," Munira said. "How could we
--- Buddy Read with Bopeep (we also read Thunderhead together much luv hihi) and Emily <3 ---
“We are imperfect beings," Munira said. "How could we ever fit in a perfect world?"
If you want to read this series for something, read it for THE PLOT. + ethical/moral commentary in a dystopia world
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
THIS WAS SUCH A WILD RIDE. Finishing this series was such a journey and I still have a hangover.
So I finished crying over the ending and now here we are. Quick summary: I'm amazed. I loved the angsty ending. I live on angst, it's my way of life.
(view spoiler)[It was an open ending of sorts and a lot of things were honestly left to the reader to figure out and ponder on which is part of why my head went a little wild because that just opens up the door to endless possibilities (hide spoiler)]
“Not even the Thunderhead can be sure about tomorrow... Let’s be satisfied with today.”
--mild spoilers ahead--
themes: ★★★★★ I can’t talk about this series without mentioning the themes… again. As usual, Shusterman does not disappoint with all the morality commentaries. In this last book we get more of a look on how the Thunderhead itself views said morality... in it's own way.
But in this book specifically, it was the concept and discussions on time that got my attention a little bit more. In this world wherein people stopped marking numbers on years because it was simply no longer crucial to track. When that was taken away from them I like to believe that that was when they started to truly value what they had left.
“Time is never of the essence until someone decides that it is.”
It technically wasn’t a main focus of the book but it's basically the underlying point of everything: the fact that it presented how topics of racism and religious biases are still present in a dystopia that is deemed “perfect” and “problem-free”. But at the same time pointing out how stupid these biases are, proven by that one scene that said "maybe we should just glean short people too, I hate seeing them".
There were honestly so many underlying themes that went into the actual story and I'll probably reiterate this in a more sensical way after I get some sleep.
plot: ★★★★★ I’ll never get over how interesting the dystopia system of this world is to me. The Thunderhead as this entity/overseer of everything is just so fascinating and well-written for a character that isn't a human being. The way that the Thunderhead's role played out in this book and the second book was really not something that I imagined, but still realistic. Which means ANGST.
I could probably make an essay of how perfectly written I think the Thunderhead is.
When I thought this book made me reach peak brain blast, it just keeps on going. All the commentaries and discussions were so well put out even the subtle ones and even though we never really got a solid solution to most of them... I think that was the point. As the Thunderhead would say: there is no perfect answer.
this book in particular doesn’t have a lot of fast-paced action scenes but my brain just never stops trying to process everything that is going on. And when action packed scenes happen... it gets chaotic, in the best way possible.
characters: ★★★★★ (4.5) I just need to revel in the beauty of this quote for a moment:
“One of the benefits of being Madagascan is that we see people as people. When it comes to attraction, gender is never part of the equation.” Then Jeri looked up as the light dimmed slightly.
“You see? The sun has passed behind a cloud again, and nothing has changed.”
something I only realized in this book with neal shusterman’s writing: characters are always described by who they are as a person more than their outward physical qualities (i.e. Jeri, Cirrus). He gives emphasis more on their thoughts and motivations which says a lot about what the book is really about. Which I love.
my buddies and I agreed that there were characters introduced in this book that if we met them in the first book, we probably would have even more head over heels in love with. I just have a little pet-peeve with romance being forced into sci-fi books but I'm willing to overlook all of that because I love the themes of this book that much more. And I'm not really mad about the romance interactions (it's not even given that much focus) because I just want them to be happy, living peacefully (view spoiler)[in their little islands or you know... planets (hide spoiler)].
Not saying the characterization was bad because they weren't. and I was fully invested in all of them. I still hate Goddard with a burning passion but it's fine, we need an antagonist.
world building: ★★★★★ It never stops building. that's all I can say.
writing style: ★★★★★ SO BEAUTIFUL. from the in-between chapters to subtle hints underlying major plot points, every corner of each page was utilized to it's full extent in my opinion. I feel like my head is still running wild to even grasp everything that went down at this moment.
page turner: ★★★★★ Honestly, if you reached this part of my review that means this series interests you even a little bit and I see no reason for you not to. Personally, I was too curious to know what would happen to all my children (not children and they could probably glean me, no problem) that I want to protect from Goddard.
“Then, when the heavens were spent, the sun came out as it always did, and the Thunderhead got back to the solemn business of taking care of things."
//
so I FINISHED IT... and i'm sobbing right now so... i'll write a review when i stop crying <3
for now you get this gif as a summary of my thoughts: [image]
//
6/21/19 Dear Publisher,
please send me the ARC ;(((((((
Respectfully yours, the person who cannot stop thinking about this series :) and will read this the second it's sent to me soooooooo...... #responsibleARCreviewer :)
-- Buddy Reading with Bopeep <3 without whom I would be reading this book in the next 50 years --
”That’s exactly what the scythedom is: high school
-- Buddy Reading with Bopeep <3 without whom I would be reading this book in the next 50 years --
”That’s exactly what the scythedom is: high school with murder.”
FORMAT READ: Audiobook (Recommended) & eBook (iBooks) SIMILAR VIBES: A Monster Calls READ FOR: thought-provoking story and plot, well written A.I.
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸ ⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸ *All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
OVERALL: 5.0
MY BRAIN HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY EXPLODINGGGG !!!
One of my favorite things about this series is how the in-between entrys are always so thought-provoking and give the book that extra spice of uniqueness. This book was more mindboggling than Scythe if that is even possible. Neal Shusterman was such a master at creating such a logical persona for artificial intelligence (Thunderhead). It’s not really a spoiler but in replace of H.S. Curie, etc.’s in-between entries, it is the Thunderhead’s consciousness. I always love all the questions that this series raises.
I was very hesitant picking up this book because the first book felt contained to me in terms of plot and world-building BUT THIS BOOK... fixed all those problems. I am so glad I picked up this book even though I screamed at my iPad twice while reading (in a good way). This book took me by surprise to say the least.
”If we were judged by the things that we most regret, no human being would be worthy to sweep the floor.”
PLOT: ★★★★★
I NEVER would have thought that this book would go down the road that it did. NEVER. In a million years.
There is nothing else to say because I'd be spoiling you :) Just know that I loved it.
WRITING STYLE: ★★★★★ Neal Shusterman has a very unique writing style that will just suck you in. He did a really great job in making the Scytheverse deeper in this book and I feel more in touch with the world than in the previous book. The political system was better written here for me as well.
The change in POVs was very creative and were done in right times which I thought gave the story more depth.
WORLD BUILDING: ★★★★★ The world is so well thought-of it in the sense of a world where everything is automated and there are no life threatening consequences anymore. It was also better than the first book (I'm sorry I keep repeating this but it's true).
We also get to read more of the different methods that Scythe's choose to glean which I really appreciated because it made them feel more real to me in a way.
CHARACTERS: ★★★★★ The character developments were so well done in this installment.
Rowan and Citra’s relationship in this book seemed to make more sense to me than their out-o-nowhere romance in Scythe where, in my opinion, it would have been better if they were left platonic. The romantic build up was not there for me in Scythe, but I found it okay now since they have more history. I finally started caring about their relationship now.
I also really liked Citra’s relationship with Scythe Curie. The development was so well done and the timing just right. I didn’t expect for them to have the relationship they had but I was there for it <3 It warmed my heart.
There were also some new and interesting characters that were introduced. There were old characters that were put to good use in the plot. It honestly gave more depth to this world and added to the creativity.
THEMES: ★★★★★ There were so many questions about morality and they were explored so creatively that I was shocked in the best way possible.
PACING: ★★★★★ PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT
This was a face paced novel which was perfect for my reading style.
PAGE TURNER: ★★★★★ Once I start reading, I can’t stop. It’s just that intriguing!! AND I NEED MORE!!
I'm not sure if I'm giving this book justice with this review but if you were anything close to liking the first book... I DEFINITELY recommend this one.
Jude and Cardan’s dynamic just gets me every time. I feel every confusion, every
“Then let me be the Queen of Monsters.”
I bow down to 1 monarchy.
Jude and Cardan’s dynamic just gets me every time. I feel every confusion, every hope that Jude feels and I .... *screams out my window*
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You know…. the moment when the title + the broken crown + the serpent all clicked in my pea brain MY HEART TURNED INTO A COMPLETE MESS ALL OVER AGAIN
— overall thoughts: 4.5 — *All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless stated otherwise*
I find it so rare for a series to consistently get better per book but surprisingly this series does. I don't know when I started liking Cardan this much since I hated him at first. He literally turns into a cinnamon roll whenever Jude is around now.
I know Fae’s are such an overused concept at this point but the writing is just so entrancing and addicting. For a fantasy revolving around magic it always goes back to how magic is never always the answer.
I WILL KEEP SCREAMING ABOUT JUDE AND CARDAN EVEN UNTIL THIS FAE HYPE DIES DOWN.
There’s this (not so) little thing called ~character development~ that I think was executed so well throughout series but most especially in this last installment since we get to see the product of all the blood, sweat, and plot twists. What’s so great about the characters in general is that they are all flawed and it’s actively shown just how flawed they are. It’s stated plain and simple in the titles themselves: “The Cruel Prince” but it makes for a very effective tool to get the readers intrigued and makes for layers that Holly Black was peeling off at all the right moments.
“A king is not his crown.”
Cardan is much less the toxic prince that I could not stand in the first and much more like the King that he’s supposed to be. And hello? Cardan asking about the mortal world? Who is this man and what happened to “the wicked king”? I’m kidding I love the version of Cardan that has grown into power so much more. He makes a great king and we love him for it.
Like his dynamic with Jude makes me cheer them on every second of every page. We love a badass heroine and it’s my favorite thing about Jude but how Cardan deals with it and accepts that about her… I don’t know there’s just something about it. I love a well written unlikeable character but sometimes I just need to read about someone who obviously strives for good, no matter how many obstacles come their way.
And can we talk about that slow burn? It’s there and we are living so much for it. And I have to say that this might be one of my favorite slow burn romances in fantasy. The angst, pacing, anticipation, the little moments here and there…
“I think of his riddle. How do people like us take off our armor? One piece at a time.”
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It reminded me of the Katniss x Peeta heartbreak I went through when Peeta went kinda nuts.
Most of our characters are noble at heart but even though they make mistakes I never think “that was stupid” it was more “that makes sense” because of the flow of the plot. The reason for the conflict is not because the main characters were making stupid decisions but actually because we live in an imperfect world and people sometimes think about themselves a little too much.
That was so vague and but what I mean is: it didn’t feel like the author was making conflict just for the sake of conflict.
The character development doesn’t even stop at Jude and Cardan because all of the characters have so much depth to them even though I’m only now being aware of how short these books are. They are all layered and even though there are times when they do get trope-y, I never feel like their personalities are confined to the expectations that we have of that certain trope. Even to the most minor of characters.
If they are named. They have depth.
“I told you once that I am what you made me. But I am not only that. You raised me to be uncompromising, yet I learned mercy.”
I definitely pegged Taryn as that quiet and humble character, and Cardan as the broody bad guy but he’s actually a good guy type of characters, but I never expected them to do what they did.
This series is just so addicting from it’s characters to a plot that just makes sense and will keep you guessing. I also feel that it is more urban fantasy than high fantasy compared to most fae stories.
The series wrapped up so nicely but more Cardan wouldn't hurt...
If you still haven't read this book this is a sign to go do it. If you didn't like the first book... there's a 99.9% chance that you might like the second and third book more if you are into adventure, urban fantasy, and well-written casts.
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// Buddy Read with Bopeep because who else do I buddy read series with