This is a Robin McKinley compilation of several short fairy tales. I found it to be mostly uninspiring, like almost all short stories, but enjoyable aThis is a Robin McKinley compilation of several short fairy tales. I found it to be mostly uninspiring, like almost all short stories, but enjoyable and charming for what it is. There are four stories, some much longer than others, and our theme for the day is princesses. There are two original tales, as well as two retellings: the princess and the frog (my favorite, and the shortest) and the twelve dancing princesses.
Overall, I remain puzzled by the fact that I ADORE McKinley's Damar-world books, but have been somewhat less than impressed by everything else I've read from her....more
I'm not sure what to say about this. Book one is the GOAT. This one is also good, full of heightened stakes and iconic moments and throughout it all tI'm not sure what to say about this. Book one is the GOAT. This one is also good, full of heightened stakes and iconic moments and throughout it all the rising, single note of tension in the background.
The first half of the book is somewhat slow. All Katniss wants to do is live her life and heal from the Games as best she can. Somehow, no matter what she does, she cannot seem to NOT start a revolution. She's trying to twist her way out of the trap, but every move only tightens it around her.
The announcement of the Quarter Quell speeds things up. The prior victors are introduced, but in this book I don't really get to know them very well. Peeta continues to be a brilliant, selfless legend. (If it weren't for the baby!!!!!!!!) I continue to really like Haymitch. The action in the arena is typically interesting, but there's less of a climax than a sudden amputation of the narrative. It ends, and Katniss wakes up in an entirely different battle than the one she thought she was in.
The standout throughout this reread has been Katniss. I appreciate her so much as a character - her cynicism, her narrow ideals, her being great at ONE THING and pretty bad at everything else, her unlikableness, her unconscious search for something better despite mostly believing "something better" doesn't exist. I have massive respect for her construction as a character, and especially as a POV character. ...more
The ordeal of reading this felt a lot like going for a run when you really don't want to: constant thoughts of stopping, and an eWE DID IT BAYBEEEEEEE
The ordeal of reading this felt a lot like going for a run when you really don't want to: constant thoughts of stopping, and an exercise of willpower just to keep your feet hitting the ground at a good pace. I was tired. I wanted a drink of water and to go home. Every moment seemed like an hour. My library loan ran out twice on this, it took me so long to finish.
Anyway, now that I am finally done, in all ways other than physically I am standing atop a victor's podium right now.
It wasn't the WORST. What makes this series fun in general is still present here. But it's just so much and so long. I always talk about the Queen's Thief series as a masterpiece in minimalist writing, and now I think I've found the perfect counterpoint to that. Paolini is definitely a MAXIMALIST. We get to read about Eragon's day beginning and his day ending, every day. We get to read about his training, his eating, his worrying, his dreaming, his having meaningful moments with every single significant character before and after every single significant moment, etc.
There's a lot to talk about - Nasuada's capture, Galbatorix's defeat, Murtagh, the ending, the catastrophically harebrained "sneak into Dras Leona" mission - but I just have nothing to say. I'm WEARY. Galbatorix met his final end, and all I could think was, There's still 15% of the book left.
The only thing I really do have to say is about Nasuada's magician registration program. Respectfully, why the hell does she think that's a good idea? And why did Eragon think allowing her to do it was okay? I also don't understand how Eragon's plan to raise a new group of Riders is going to work, but I don't really care either because I'm too busy rejoicing that the book is over.
I'm supposed to go on to Murtagh now, but I think might have to wait a bit to gain a second wind....more
I was warned about this book being mostly filler and a massive slog. I actually didn't find it to be so!
This book does occupy a weird place, being whI was warned about this book being mostly filler and a massive slog. I actually didn't find it to be so!
This book does occupy a weird place, being what was originally intended to be the finale of the series, but now stuck between book 2 and what became book 4. So there is some feeling that the ball doesn't move as much as you feel like it should. However, I enjoyed the whole thing completely and chugged through it at a steady pace. I never got bogged down - I enjoy Roran's arc a lot, and am happy to follow along with Eragon's steady quest to become the most overpowered individual in the realm....more
This is possibly the most unhinged re-read experience I've ever had.
Like, what is even happening? Is it 2005? Am I 12 years old? THE ANSWER TO THAT ISThis is possibly the most unhinged re-read experience I've ever had.
Like, what is even happening? Is it 2005? Am I 12 years old? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS DECIDEDLY NO. And yet, here I am, frothing at the mouth because of Eragon of all things. Respectfully, what the hell?
This book will go down in my personal history because, as a goody-two-shoes teen, I was only ever grounded one (1) single time. And it was because I sassed my mom after she kept trying to talk to me when I was in the middle of something VERY IMPORTANT. (Reading this book.) I was grounded for a week from reading books. And I had to wait... to finish it. Only the fellow nerd kids can understand how agonizing that was.
Anyway. It's odd because I didn't even end up liking the book that much, the first time I read it. My vague memories are that it was slow, and that Eragon's unrequited crush on Arya became deeply cringeworthy.
This time - yes, it's slow. I don't care, though. And Eragon's crush is certainly cringeworthy, but not NEARLY as cringeworthy as I remember it being. There are only two brief awkward scenes and on the whole he holds it together pretty well, given how boneheaded he tends to be. It's a lot of traveling and dwarves in the beginning, and then the vast majority of the rest of the book is Eragon's education conducted through slow and painstaking infodumps.
I don't care though. I had FUN.
I do enjoy Roran's perspective a lot, so that helps. I love the crazy dissonance of him and Eragon finally meeting up again and they're both completely, totally different people than they used to be. I like the post-apocalyptic aspect of everything, with Eragon blindly stepping in the footsteps of an eradicated society. There is a LOT of worldbuilding and honestly, I respect it. I really enjoy Eragon coming back to rejoin the Varden and it's a completely different experience for both of them after his training. I like the return of MURTAGH, because that's my BOY. I continue to be intrigued and fascinated by Elva and her curse.
What can I say? I had fun and can't wait to read the next one.
I thought I was past the time in my life where I could be brought to such peaks of emotional investment by YA books, but apparently not! I'm humbled and it's actually awesome....more
Saving the galaxy through friendship and the healing power of slove*!
* (slug love)
Look. This was a good finale and a fun ride.
The simple truth is th
Saving the galaxy through friendship and the healing power of slove*!
* (slug love)
Look. This was a good finale and a fun ride.
The simple truth is that Spensa's POV doesn't work for me. I caught a second wind with the Skyward Flight novellas because, frankly, Spensa wasn't there. Now she's back, and I'm afraid she remains annoying. I also just don't vibe with her cast of increasingly quirky friends. It's beginning to give an XD Rawr Means I luv u in Dinosaur! vibe. The beginning was worse for this, but once we got past the halfway point and started hitting the action cascade, I enjoyed it more.
Unfortunately, I think I'm just too old. I accidentally got a 14-year-old into this series and everything here works for him PERFECTLY, which is as it should be. Nothing to be done about it, sadly, and I wish all of you still having fun here a wonderful experience....more
This is such a kind, wholesome Obi-Wan adventure. At several points it occupies a wholly incoherent position with reg
Obi-Wan at all times: ???????????
This is such a kind, wholesome Obi-Wan adventure. At several points it occupies a wholly incoherent position with regards to lore, but the heart of this book is as clear as crystal. It was an effortless and enjoyable read.
The plot is a solo Obi-Wan adventure. There's barely any Qui-Gon, or anyone else we know. The story starts with a 16-year-old Obi-Wan who is having a crisis of confidence. Qui-Gon has kept him at the Temple for his entire apprenticeship and they've never been on even ONE mission together. What can this mean, but that Obi-Wan is a failure at everything and not worthy of his position as a padawan? And what is the solution to this? Why, becoming SO MUCH BETTER AT EVERYTHING through sheer force of will, of course.
Obi-Wan finds a mysterious carving in an abandoned Temple library and somewhat for absolutely no reason decides that this will become his First Mission. He convinces Qui-Gon to go... only on the morning they're supposed to leave, Qui-Gon never shows up. In a fit of ill-considered rebellion, Obi-Wan flies off on his own into danger.
The rest of the story from there is a kinder, gentler Melida/Daan, if you will. Obi-Wan finds a mysterious planet populated by youths in a bad situation. With his first taste of life outside the Order, Obi-Wan has to confront his choices. Will he go native? Should he remain a Jedi? Where is his path truly leading? In facing the threats around him and his new friends, Obi-Wan ends up facing his own fears and doubts.
As you would expect, there's so much self-doubt. There's so much self-recrimination. He has zero self-esteem and there are SO many times where he's saying to himself, "I just want to belong somewhere. I just want to be needed by somebody. I just want to be wanted." There's a lot of fun Obi-Wan snark, but I cannot overstate how very BABY he is in this book. (Affectionate)
Indeed... some might even say he is TOO baby for a sixteen-year-old. On that note, I have two major flags for this book that consumed my mind and distracted me from enjoying the straightforward story.
1. Obi-Wan as a sixteen-year-old padawan.
Two disclaimers for this. This is a YA book, not a kids' chapter book like JA, so he's kind of required to be older. However. Maybe write a slightly older story for him then?
Also, this book strongly hints that Obi-Wan has only become Qui-Gon's padawan recently. The way he's insecure, acting like he doesn't know his master that well, doesn't know what he wants, doesn't know his sense of humor, is unsure of the pattern of his life, is constantly thinking about how being a padawan isn't what he thought it would be like when he was a youngling. The way he's never once been on a mission. Which, okay, Disney canon has been trending in the "older padawans" direction for a while. Dooku in Jedi Lost I think was sixteen when he was chosen. So it's not out of the question that Obi-Wan was fifteen or sixteen when he was chosen.
EXCEPT THAT IT IS, ACTUALLY. Because Master and Apprentice already recanonized that he was THIRTEEN when he became Qui-Gon's apprentice! Which means we are meant to believe that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon have been chilling in the Temple for THREE YEARS doing nothing but meditation, and haven't gotten to know each other at all.
Aside from being wholly out of character, that's just stupid, and so I have to believe (hope?) that Kiersten White didn't realize we already had a canon age for Obi-Wan's apprenticeship. Which is just... fabulous. We already have so much chaos in the Star Wars world when it comes to lore, it's actually becoming easier to name things that ARE coherent than things that aren't. The last thing we need is incoherency within the current and fairly limited canon.
2. Qui-Gon???
This man continues to be a conundrum and a bastard. I'm really not sure how to take him in this book.
Don't be deceived - this is not a Qui-Gon book. He has like three scenes. Two of which are entirely inscrutable interactions with Obi-Wan at the beginning. And one at the end where he heavily implies that he provoked Obi-Wan into flying out into the galaxy all by himself on purpose, so that he could get some real-world experience and shake off his mental block.
Okay. Sounds like Qui-Gon, right?
But remember. Obi-Wan, who has NEVER BEFORE LEFT THE TEMPLE ON A MISSION OF ANY KIND, took a single unarmed cruiser out to a lost planet. And because he's an idiot who's never been on a mission before, he forgot all means of long-range communicators and couldn't have even called for help if he needed it.
And remember. Obi-Wan's deepening insecurity? The doubt causing his mental block? Started AFTER he became Qui-Gon's padawan and the time began to stretch... and stretch... and they never went on a mission. Obi-Wan repeatedly talks about how his relationship with the Force was so easy when he was a youngling. It's only recently that he's developed this huge issue with meditation, and it's BECAUSE he's become so convinced Qui-Gon thinks he's a failure, unready and unworthy of being given the typical responsibilities and challenges of a Jedi padawan.
So what's a master to do? Qui-Gon clearly came to the conclusion that his current approach wasn't working. Valid enough. So maybe this kid needs a few real-world kicks to the head before he can get back in tune with the Force. Perhaps... ACTUALLY TAKE HIM ON A MISSION? Literally ANYTHING would have worked. They could have delivered supplies to some famine-torn planet or resettled refugees or absolutely literally anything.
Or, if that's too much work for Qui-Gon, he could have SPOKEN TO HIS PADAWAN. Just a tiny hint of straightforward communication between himself and Obi-Wan could have easily solved most of this. Just like. Hey. I don't think you're a worthless failure idiot moron, by the way. JUST THAT.
But no. No. All of these are far too pedestrian for the great Qui-Gon Jinn. Instead, his FIRST choice of attempts to shake Obi-Wan up was to send him into the wider galaxy totally alone. It's genuinely insane, and yet the narrative seems to still paint Qui-Gon as this wise mentor. Aha! We see that he was behind it all - he cared the whole time! With a gentle smirk, he reassures Obi-Wan that he is not only benevolent but also all-knowing. I love it when a plan comes together.
Crazy. Absolute lunacy. And yet - I was complaining about lack of consistency earlier? This is so consistent across every era and every medium. Both the way Qui-Gon always ALWAYS does things in a circuitous, inexplicable (negligent?????) manner when a straightforward manner would have done just as well if not better, AND ALSO the way the narrative always justifies him for doing it. JA, M&A, TPM, and now here. Qui-Gon. What is wrong with that man.
Some miscellaneous notes:
• The Wayseeker, I assume, is a callout to High Republic but I don't know enough about High Republic to enjoy it.
• Dooku showing up is interesting, especially the attitude everyone has towards him. Like, of course he can just waltz through the Temple as always. He's one of us!
• I loved the glimpses of Obi-Wan's friends and Temple life we get at the beginning. The differences and quirks each one has, and how they turn those to being a Jedi in a different way than any other Jedi. I LOVE JEDI CULTURE AND CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT OKAY.
• Living planets are always going to be a good vibe. Rogue Planet, but angry.
• It's soooooooooooooooo funny to me that by the time he was 16 years old in Legends Obi-Wan had killed like six men, left the Jedi Order twice, been tortured, been brainwashed, and was brought up on charges before the Galactic Senate. And here he's like (✿◠‿◠) hewwo?
Is this perhaps more accurate? Sure. But it's SO funny and I'm never going to stop talking about it.
• RE-CANONIZATION OF YODA PICKING OBI-WAN FOR QUI-GON. Okay, full disclosure, I can't remember if this was already re-canonized in Master and Apprentice, but if not it was re-re-canonized, so we're good. It was ALSO strongly hinted that Qui-Gon is haunted by some ghosts of his past. Yoda's involvement makes me think this, and so does Qui-Gon when he says, "I know I'm not what you expected" as if he thinks Obi-Wan should have some reason to find fault with him as a master instead of vice versa. What are these ghosts, hmm? We already know from M&A that he had a tragic love affair - is that it? Or is there deeper former apprentice trauma like in Legends?
• Fascinating scene where Obi-Wan ponders the idea of romance. It's like he's never thought about it before, and gives a very 13yo vibe rather than 16yo vibe. He ends up deciding he probably doesn't want to kiss anyone anytime soon.
I approached this with initial trepidation, not wanting to get caught in another Raven Boys slog. (No, I don't realThis was a fun, atmospheric fable.
I approached this with initial trepidation, not wanting to get caught in another Raven Boys slog. (No, I don't really like TRC. Yes, if you look at my TRC ratings on here they will all be insanely high. No, I will not elaborate.) HOWEVER... this was actually great.
It's the story of the Sorias family, who have a dangerous ability to work miracles. When one of the cousins breaks a rule and activates a curse, he is lost forever out in some corner of the Colorado desert. Or is he? An amateur radio station, a box truck, and a bunch of lost misfits might just be enough to heal what's broken and bring the family back together.
All the Crooked Saints is the smallest of Stiefvater's works, both in size and in ambition, but it still has her trademark unexpected prose and unique characters. Overall, an easy and satisfying read....more
This book was stupid throughout the entire reading experience, and having finally finished it is still stupid.
So. It's a fantasy re-imagining of the RThis book was stupid throughout the entire reading experience, and having finally finished it is still stupid.
So. It's a fantasy re-imagining of the Romanovs' captivity, exile, and eventual execution. I originally said "it's an Anastasia retelling," but putting a real life family's tragic ending on the same level as Cinderella is kind of distasteful. Yes, I loved the movie as a kid, yes I love the musical. Still.
The story is a riveting one. It's not surprising that it continues to capture imaginations a hundred years later. I do think it COULD be encapsulated by a historical fantasy retelling in a way that is true to the soul of everything: the chaos, the turmoil, the desperation of ordinary people strained by decades of poverty, starvation and war, and a helpless family caught in the center of it all.
But this was not that retelling.
Instead, this is the story of a Russia torn into civil war by the fact that Rasputin frightened the populace so much they reacted in violent, bloody retribution against all "spell masters" and magicians. Yeah.
No WWI? VERY little communism? We're not even going to nod at anything greater than some random anti-magic pogrom, beyond the occasional glancing namedrop of Lenin? There are so many trappings ("the Soviet," Bolsheviks, things being done by ponderous committee, a vague conversation about how the communist economic model of collective ownership of spells wouldn't work) and a bare minimum of exploration of anything at all.
There is, however, a lot of sitting and waiting. It does seem that the author did a lot of research, and I'm sure that the Romanovs' experience in exile DID consist of a lot of sitting and waiting. About half of the book consists of their daily existence, trapped under house arrest and trying to maintain what's left of their family life despite the tension.
Then they are executed, and the second half of the story begins. I'm not really going to talk about it, because I'm boring myself even writing this review. Suffice it to say that none of it was really endearing.
Not Anastasia's oh-so-cute "mischievous prankster" characterization. Not the STEEP glamorization of the Romanov family. (I'm sure they were nice people and they loved one another, but my gosh there was practically God Save the Tsar playing in the background several times.) Not the weird little romance Anastasia had with a Bolshevik soldier. (He's horrible, so severe and unyielding! → He smiles a little at me now, I'm in love! → He shot me, let him die! → Forgiveness is the true strength, I love him again!) Not that soldier's stupid "sympathetic explanation" of why he shot her. Not the happy ending. (Eighteen soldiers? Eighteen??? Do you have ANY idea the scale on which Russian civil wars are fought?? I'm screaming.) Etc.
Anyway. It took me forever to read this, because I actively didn't want to go back every time I stopped reading. It's just uninspired. Pedestrian. A whole lot of nothing. I'm glad it's over. Peace....more
I have found this to be a mix of boring and annoying. I don't particularly enjoy either main character, and I don't like the "make him love yDNF @ 31%
I have found this to be a mix of boring and annoying. I don't particularly enjoy either main character, and I don't like the "make him love you then kill him" dilemma or enemies-to-lovers dynamic that's currently being set up....more
Reading this was a rollercoaster, and not necessarily in a good way.
I loved Little Thieves. It took me completely by surprise, so I was RABID with excReading this was a rollercoaster, and not necessarily in a good way.
I loved Little Thieves. It took me completely by surprise, so I was RABID with excitement for this one to finally come out.
The plot is as advertised: Vanja, for absolutely zero necessary reason, starts a cult. Did she awaken a dormant Low God? Did she create one for profit? Or is it, in fact, a secret third thing? Emeric is assigned to find out, and possibly arrest her if she's committed whatever the crime name of Option #2 is.
At first, I was having a great time. Vanja is as snotty and as enterprising as usual. Emeric is awkward, smart, and caring. They get sent on a quest where they have to accomplish certain tasks in a certain time frame. Predictably, it turns into a Legend of Zelda dynamic where every quest item involves completing a further seven other quest items.
Things that were good:
• Vanja's Ocean's Eleven thievery and plots. There were at least 2 really fun plots with thievery, dressing up in costumes, etc.
• The lore mysteries. The big lore mystery had me fascinated from the beginning. Along the way, there were several other smaller ones that I enjoyed being solved.
Unfortunately, there were a few other things that jumped out as not quite as good.
Vanja and Emeric's having or not having of sex becomes a plot point. I HATE this trope.
Regardless of the plot-importance of their having or not having sex, Vanja and Emeric spent SO MUCH OF THIS BOOK romancing, kissing, mooning, almost-but-not-quite having sex, anxiously discussing the fact that they are almost-but-not-quite having sex, or silently worrying about the fact that they are almost-but-not-quite having sex.
It was insufferable. Not even the self-aware jokes about it made by other characters could take the edge off how truly frustrating this was to experience as a reader. I get that it's probably realistic for youths of their age, background, and situations. But oh my WORD I do not want to have to see it. So irritating.
Vanja's issues were also extremely overpowering here. A big part of what I loved about Little Thieves was her issues, the way they affected the story, and how they were handled. And some of them here (the family-oriented ones) I was absolutely onboard to experience and go through with her. The ones where she repeatedly and with zero justification jumps to assuming the worst about Emeric over and over and over and over and over, though? When SHE is in fact the one who is usually treating HIM poorly? It became somewhat grating.
The combination of these two things killed me for the first two thirds of the book. Emeric was doing most of the research into the lore mystery, which I WAS actually interested in, offscreen, leaving me to wallow in Vanja's perspective of them wasting their (extremely limited!!!) time getting handsy/not getting handsy/thinking about getting handsy.
The finale almost saved the whole thing for me, though. I ADORED seeing Vanja (view spoiler)[get to meet her family members. The whole dynamic created between them as individuals and then all together at the farm was great. I could have done with even more of that, exploring the complicated associations they all had with their mother, honestly. (hide spoiler)] Ragne was there!! Finally! Death and Fortune were back! And then when they finally go to confront the Scarlet Maiden, it was full of as many heart-stopping risks, sudden lore revelations, and daring choices as I could hope for. The whole thing was exciting and satisfying, and I was willing to forgive and forget.
But then, the WAY IT ENDED???
Yes, it's the middle book of a trilogy. No, that's not an excuse.
I feel like we just reset all the (painful, excruciating, terrible, unpleasant, way-too-long) emotional work we did throughout this book to get Vanja and Emeric to the place they were at. Now it seems like book three will begin ALL OVER AGAIN. From scratch. And have to rework the whole thing.
There are only so many times I can sit through them stumbling through their interpersonal incompetence, and I frankly think twice in two books is already plenty....more
Once more into the fever dream. Once more I rock up with nothing useful to say about a Raven Cycle-verse book.
So. Call Down the Hawk? I LOVED it.
MistOnce more into the fever dream. Once more I rock up with nothing useful to say about a Raven Cycle-verse book.
So. Call Down the Hawk? I LOVED it.
Mister Impossible. Sort of an unpleasant ramble through a disturbed dreamscape.
This book, the finale, is better than Mister Impossible. It is more concrete than a lot of TRC-verse books. I think I will actually remember parts of it weeks from now, instead of each plot point fading from my mind until I can't recall anything but the vibes.
We learn about the Lynch parents' past. We learn about the brothers' childhoods. About the secret at the heart of who Ronan is. Declan gets a finished arc, and I still ADORE what this series did to Declan's characterization. Declan is, in fact, for the majority of the story the only Lynch brother with any agency.
Did I like the book? Hard to say. I binged it in one day, because I knew from prior experience that if I didn't finish it quickly it would probably take me weeks to finish. It took until past the halfway point until the genuine investment and desire to keep reading kicked in.
It did feel a bit odd, just HOW MANY answers we got in such a short time. Especially given book 2, where so much faffing about was done to so little apparent purpose. Several of these revelations were things I hadn't even thought to wonder about, much less begin to suspect or expect. I do think this book's important plot points could have been spread out a little better, to add more logical suspense to the story and dilute the vagueness of Mister Impossible more.
There are a lot of things I don't enjoy. Hennessy. Farooq-Lane and their whole... situation. Bryde. Jordan. The vague nature of the """Lace""" and how I still don't understand WHY any of this is happening.
Frankly, I think it's odd this trilogy splurged on SO much content about the Hennessys, Bryde, so many other POVs, and all of this extraneous stuff and then barely touched on things I actually WANT to see, such as: Matthew discovering himself and his agency, Adam and Ronan resolving their conflict, the Lynch brothers interacting, Ronan actually doing something constructive and with purpose, etc.
Overall, if I had to restart the entire series from the beginning, I'm not sure I would do it. I'm glad this is the end of the TRC-verse journey....more
The cover of this book projects quirky, creepy, atmospheric. It is a little bit quirky and creepy, but NOT atmospheric.
ImagThis was HIGHKEY enjoyable.
The cover of this book projects quirky, creepy, atmospheric. It is a little bit quirky and creepy, but NOT atmospheric.
Imagine The Library of the Dead by T. L. Huchu, except if it were a cozy supernatural mystery instead of a dystopian one. It's in modern suburbia, the ghosts are mostly nice, and there are zero money troubles.
Ada Baker can talk to ghosts. She and her squad of friends (who are ghosts) get involved in a local murder mystery. The whole thing is an odd mix of "Criminal Minds" topics (sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, abuse) and cozy tone.
I had a lot of fun. I also was a little creeped out, but I'm also a soft touch when it comes to creepiness. Definitely recommend....more
This is a short and easy but still unique retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale.
Alden is a war-weary soldier who journeys in search of This is a short and easy but still unique retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale.
Alden is a war-weary soldier who journeys in search of a fabled kingdom of magic and peace. He finds it and settles down to live a peaceful life, apathetic about the whole "disappearing princesses" mystery up at the castle. However, he meets a pretty moneychanger and eventually gets wrapped up in the royal intrigue despite himself.
The story is written sparsely. Not a lot of energy is expended on the characters' emotions and the language is very straightforward. Despite this, I found myself believing and caring about Alden and the others. Given the brief length of the story, the resolution was a little quick and easy than what I would expect from a full-length book, but still enjoyable....more
This is a compilation of various Queen's Thief ephemera.
There are author's notes about various pieces of inspiration. There are old stories. There areThis is a compilation of various Queen's Thief ephemera.
There are author's notes about various pieces of inspiration. There are old stories. There are new stories. There are illustrations and recipes.
Several of the stories I had already read, from when they were included as add-ons to the paperbacks I already have. Several of them were new. Some highlights:
• Hints of Pheris
• Young Attolia flashbacks
• Young Gen
• Several Return of the Thief postscripts!! These made me feral in both good and bad ways. I still have very little idea what happened on the Little Peninsula, even thought I feel like the last story explains it in great detail.
• Relius and Teleus
• Eddis's mountain prophecy coming true
There were also a lot of things NOT present here. Namely, Sophos. Also Costis and (barely) Kamet, though we do at least get hints at THEIR future.
Overall, this book was a mix of homey post-scripts, familiar feelings, and profoundly unsettling tidbits not NEARLY explored enough. So. Here we are.
I'm going to take this as optional bonus content, and continue focusing heavily on the end of Return of the Thief.
Edit 02/23/2024: This book is so bittersweet. It answers approximately 3 questions and posts 33 more.
The story of Gen finally making up with the kitchen staff is a highlight. AND I FINALLY CLOCKED THAT THE MAGUS' NAME WAS LOWKEY REVEALED. UHHH. OKAY. But please... I'm crying... what happened to Hector... how did Gen and Irene's story end... ...more
I was concerned by the uncanny valley, doll-like cover art and the fact that the synopsis reminded me of Three Dark CrAlright! This one almost got me.
I was concerned by the uncanny valley, doll-like cover art and the fact that the synopsis reminded me of Three Dark Crowns. However, a while back I read Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian and though it was worthwhile, so I took a risk on this.
At the beginning, it was merely okay.
Our MCs are three triplet sisters, raised from birth to marry princes of neighboring countries so that their (conniving, power-hungry, sociopathic) queen mother can destroy and conquer those countries. There is a bit of a tell/show gap at the beginning. The narrative insists about all the sisters that "she's fluent in [x] languages, an expert seductress, experienced in all manner of lies and political intrigue, etc." when the sisters insist on acting just like every teenager.
This is always a little annoying, but as the sisters split up into their various roles and start taking action, the gap narrows and we get to see them as the prose intends us to.
Each sister has a love interest, and encounters challenges in her respective country. There are politics and betrayal, but the twists are pretty pedestrian and expected, right up until about the 80% mark. Then I started going... wait... oh shoot.
And then at the 95% mark... wait. Oh SHOOT.
Like I said, it almost got me. I was truly hooked at 80%, which is nice but is way too long to wait for the investment to really hit. I'm very interested in the ending and where everything is going from here, but I'm not sure I trust the next book to keep the momentum going....more
Catrin is a teenage orphan in fantasy Italy, working for the architect in charge of building a massive catThis is a YA fantasy Criminal Minds episode.
Catrin is a teenage orphan in fantasy Italy, working for the architect in charge of building a massive cathedral. Prostitutes start being murdered. Enter Simon, teenage expert in crime scene analysis and modern forensic psychology.
For some reason, Catrin ends up working on this investigation with Simon and the members of the city's leading noble family. There were contrived reasons for this initially on both sides, but it seemed to end up continuing mostly because of Catrin and Simon's crush.
It does take a while to figure out who the actual murderer is. Mostly because all FOUR of the prominent male characters fit the profile.
This book held my attention. I do love Criminal Minds. Catrin's backstory and special abilities were also an interesting detail.
In general though, this story was nothing special. I can guarantee that its striking cover art is going to live in my imagination far longer than the book itself.
It also read rather young, shying away from touching on sexual assault and toxic family situations in a way that seemed unnecessarily delicate for YA. Catrin and Simon's relationship also seemed only shallowly explored, and the fact that SO many of Catrin's male acquaintance were obsessed with her began to be a little ridiculous by the end....more
I hate getting super excited for a book based on its premise, and then the whole thing topples like a scaffolding of playing cFriends, this is not it.
I hate getting super excited for a book based on its premise, and then the whole thing topples like a scaffolding of playing cards when read.
This should have been a good story, but it wasn't. The relationships didn't resonate. The adventures came the closest to actually being interesting, but still fell short of real points of interest. The side-plot of Spirit Freedom Fighters never got off the ground. So many of the characters were just cutout caricatures with 2 catchphrases and nothing else.
The end was just... weird. Nothing was resolved, everything fell apart into chaos, and the final "surprise" just made me scoff and shake my head.
D. B. Guin
>
Books:
ya
(254)
Loading...
