**spoiler alert** Storm and Bella deserved better than this schlock. You know, I actually didn't love Bella in the first series; I thought she used Lu**spoiler alert** Storm and Bella deserved better than this schlock. You know, I actually didn't love Bella in the first series; I thought she used Lucky and showed poor judgment on multiple occasions. But she grew as a character. She became more stable and came to deserve the trust of others, then settled down with a family. It felt like the role Bella was always meant for, she was such a loving mate and mother.
Storm mastered her instincts, protected her pack and was the alpha the pack deserved, but never got. She had good instincts and a sincere, brave, loyal heart. The actual Alpha, meanwhile, could never see beyond her own pups, though the whole pack were her "pups."
This series was abominable to its best characters. Good riddance to the whole thing.
Merged review:
Storm and Bella deserved better than this schlock. You know, I actually didn't love Bella in the first series; I thought she used Lucky and showed poor judgment on multiple occasions. But she grew as a character. She became more stable and came to deserve the trust of others, then settled down with a family. It felt like the role Bella was always meant for, she was such a loving mate and mother.
Storm mastered her instincts, protected her pack and was the alpha the pack deserved, but never got. She had good instincts and a sincere, brave, loyal heart. The actual Alpha, meanwhile, could never see beyond her own pups, though the whole pack were her "pups."
This series was abominable to its best characters. Good riddance to the whole thing....more
There was nothing inherently wrong with this retelling; in fact, if it had been longer and more fleshed-out, I'd have easily given it a higher rating.There was nothing inherently wrong with this retelling; in fact, if it had been longer and more fleshed-out, I'd have easily given it a higher rating. Despite the art being meant to complement an existing story, the short length of the story made it feel like it was just there to contextualize some pretty pictures by a talented artist, if that makes sense. I'm not sure if this story exists by its own somewhere and is more detailed in its original format, but it didn't do it for me as a graphic novel. Take my opinion with a grain of salt; the few Gaiman works I've read are all hit or miss....more
Goodreads, please give a 0* option that actually carries weight and doesn't just mean No Rating. Or make the 1* rating explanation more severe, like "Goodreads, please give a 0* option that actually carries weight and doesn't just mean No Rating. Or make the 1* rating explanation more severe, like "Eww, who published this?"
I recieved this for free from a Goodreads giveaway, but I'm sure you'd know this is an honest review anyway.
A little history. I entered the giveaway for this book because I did have interest in it, a few years ago, like 2012 when the last book in the trilogy was published; I didn't JUST enter because I saw giveaway=free. I rarely buy and/or read books the year they're published, it doesn't mean I lose interest in them or I'd probably never read anything. Like many readers, I have hoarder tendencies and books sit around longer than most deserve.
BUT. My reading tastes have developed and changed since 2012. I have more books under my belt, and I'm just plain older. I haven't "outgrown" MG/YA, but a lot of what seems important to young people in books (like crushes and drama) weren't much important to me even when I was that age, myself. I care even less, now. So, to this book.
I hated everyone. The MC, Wendy, never reacts in any expected way. She's told she's not human, gets whisked away from family she says she loves, and on very short notice. Then she gets info withheld from her while she's *constantly* told, "Not right now, but soon", while"soon" never comes; but she only gets pissed when the guy she just met, and developed feelings for overnight, gets shipped off without her. THEN it's time to act.
The main love interest is an asshole, too, and, like Wendy, developed feelings overnight. I want an s/o who shows they care. How is this sexy? There's also a possible love triangle and it's a big nope from me.
Wendy's biological mother shows up 17 years later, and she's often enraged because she has cultural expectations of Wendy that Wendy has no way of knowing because she won't tell Wendy. Wendy wasn't raised among the Trylle due to her mother's self-admitted greed, but her mother sees it as Wendy's own shortcoming that she doesn't know what her mother wants. Worse, Wendy says she doesn't want to disappoint her, at one point. They don't know each other!
I was sent the whole trilogy but I am not reading it. I'm sorry, but I just can't....more
A solid installment to the series, the reason I'm giving it 3* is because it reads a little younger than the Tom Ward books from the same author and jA solid installment to the series, the reason I'm giving it 3* is because it reads a little younger than the Tom Ward books from the same author and just doesn't appeal to me as much as an adult....more
I hate rating this a 3, but not much of interest happened for me. I'm not really impressed with what the gods' secret has turned out to be, and that'sI hate rating this a 3, but not much of interest happened for me. I'm not really impressed with what the gods' secret has turned out to be, and that's all this volume was really about....more
**spoiler alert** This hurt to rate. Whereas La Belle Savauge seemed slightly inferior to the original His Dark Materials trilogy, it was still a fun **spoiler alert** This hurt to rate. Whereas La Belle Savauge seemed slightly inferior to the original His Dark Materials trilogy, it was still a fun book to read, if you could avoid putting too many expectations on it.
The major drawbacks of this installment was a personal, preconceived notion of what the titular Secret Commonwealth even was (based on the more traditional, fairy-oriented glimpse featured in La Belle Savauge). In general, there were too many ideas (refugees; oil wars; religion and abuse of power, but nothing that wasn't said better in HDM) that just make the overall plot jumbled and less succinct.
I didn't like how Pan and Lyra spent so much time apart without any clear, smart notion of why they were separating. It seems an important thing to think through, but Pan started traveling separately just because he was pissed. Searching for imagination? What, was Pan going to bring imagination back in his paws to Lyra? Pan, I thought, was too smart, since he's 20 and half of Lyra, but alas, no. So much drama ensued because of dumb characters.
The swearing. Adults swear, fine. I swear, too. But it really felt like, "Look, Lyra is an adult! She's swearing! Everyone is swearing! This is totally for adults," when the tone and writing wasn't much different from other books in the franchise. Just swearing thrown in.
I wish there were fairies like in La Belle Savauge. As much as I'd dreamt of Lyra being an adult MC, I wish we got more Malcom and Alice this time around, because they really grew on me. I wish Lyra and Pan were as smart in HDM. Overall, I will finish this series, but this put a damper on my excitement....more
I waffled between giving this one or two stars, but I'm pretty disappointed and don't feel generous. I won't continue the series, but I may check out I waffled between giving this one or two stars, but I'm pretty disappointed and don't feel generous. I won't continue the series, but I may check out the movie one day, when time distances me from this book; and then only because it's Tim Burton's work.
I loved the atmosphere the book built until Jacob met the peculiars, then it fizzled and I stopped caring. I'm not saying there weren't, what some may call, interesting plot points, but the brooding atmosphere got sucked right out of the book. Photos accompanying the story stopped being mysterious and just highlighted details of the story. It bored me....more
Michelle *is in an 'addicted to Dragon Age' slump*
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