Melissa
This was a really rough start. I was incredibly bored and pushed through only because of other reviews. And I'm so glad I did!
Things slowly get more interesting once Hayholt is behind you. The lore and characters of the world start making sense. It's so lush and immersive. I wound up getting very invested, despite how many players are involved in the plot. Gods there are a lot of characters! You flit around so many perspectives and it made my head spin occasionally. But in the end, it makes sense. I was not left confused by who each character was.
Also thrilled that there are Asian and Inuit inspired peoples, at least in language formatting. Binabik and Jeriki are the absolute best characters. Even Simon stops being an idiot eventually. I cut him some slack because all teenagers are cringe. It's par for the course.
There are also two women being set up for greater things so we're going to get more female representation, I hope.
“Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself in your own head. You'll find what you need to furnish it-memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey. You'll never lack for a home-unless you lose your head, of course”
So, so satisfying! Everything really comes together in the final book. The tense moments had my palms sweating. I was excited to finally learn this is a far off prequel to her Nightrunner series. Happy to not have to leave Skala behind just yet.
Very LGBTQ+ friendly and I feel the author handled gender identity with grace.
This was such a fun read! I love the world Lynn has made. The main characters are a lovable group, both competent and humorous. Contains horror fantasy elements, political intrigue, and fun spy hijinks.
A coming of age story set in a gothic fantasy. This first installment seems to focus on building up the reader's knowledge of Skalan politics and magics while watching our lead protagonist grow up.
The cast of characters includes frustrating wizards, an earthy witch, an angry ghost, and endearing warriors. I loved seeing the bonds between characters develop. This is a story where I had many favorites.
I could barely put this one down.
Very good! I never expect much from my Book of The Months, but this exceeded expectations. Suspenseful, but also fuzzy sweet. I should call my sister.
This sequel didn't need to happen. The flowery descriptions do not make up for the cringe love triangle, flat characters, and repeated villainous monologues. The new threat served no purpose. This sequel's purpose seems to have been to give the heroine a final love interest.
Liwei and Wenzhi have been reduced to feuding man children existing only for Xingyin. The moon goddess herself is still a shallow character despite her having more presence here. The main baddie will not shut up in the middle of battles with his incessant backstory monologues. And the entire plot depends on a single item to save the day.
I loved the first installment, but it should have been a standalone.
Incredibly fun and exciting, until you get hit with a cheap hook for a sequel. I'll be generous and give it two stars for interesting beginnings.
Solid YA thriller. Suspenseful, but not overly gruesome. I could hardly put it down, so anxious was I to see what would happen next.
This book surprised me! I went into it expecting classic sword and sorcery, but this proved to be far more complex. This stands as unique fare even among modern fantasy. Beautifully descriptive writing style and in-depth character study as well!
This is a sci-fi story made possible with a fantasy magic system. It deals with a lot of heavy topics one might see in science fiction that left me with some existential dread I didn't enjoy. It is wonderfully written, but also painful to read the ending.
Spoilers
Being absorbed into hive minds and leaving the planet nearly abandoned is way too much for me. Talk about a nightmarish future.
Much more satisfying than the first novel, which mostly gave me anxiety. Things start falling into place and interactions between characters become more satisfying. Still more drama than an episode of Jerry Springer, but the plot is coming along nicely.
Wow. That was an emotional rollercoaster. I couldn't put this one down! My anxiety and confusion wouldn't let me. I think I burned some calories with how fast my heart rate was going.
This is a quick paced, easy read. Perfect for when you want something with a straight forward plot, without sacrificing interesting characters. If you enjoy classic fairytales with a darker fantasy twist, this is up your alley.
She's done it again! A new cast of characters so vivid and real and flawed. So easy to get invested in. A little bit Tarzan, a little bit Lord of The Flies are some of the vibes I get. Not to mention the incredible cast of dragons! We get to see how individual they actually are. I'm completely emotionally invested, again.
A slow, emotional burn. This is a very political fantasy with easy to understand themes that have been both relevant in the time periods this novel was inspired by, to present day.
Paula Volsky does an excellent job building the plot and political climate to explain just how the masses can become agreeable or complacent with tyranny. We see how initial good intent can grow to something catastrophic. We see all the ugly and beautiful sides of human nature.
This is far more than a fantasy version of the French Revolution. That is but the tip of the iceberg, here. Paula Volsky has taken inspiration from several dark times in history. It's an intensely emotional ride.
What a journey! Samantha Shannon took many cultural inspirations and somehow laced them together to make a novel I could barely put down. So satisfying!
What a ride. The bitter bleakness is perfectly paired with dark humor for exceptional palatability.
This doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to. This was so much fun, with hilarious banter between characters.
It takes a bit for things to start coming together, but when it does, it takes you for a ride. This was a deeply beautiful story. I loved so many of the characters. They held so much depth in their stories. I felt for them. I laughed and cried.
Trigger warning, though: child abuse
DNF'ed. This is a painfully predictable anime written as a book. The character tropes are overused and shallow. You have an uwu fox girl and a stuffy ninja boy. They both lack common sense. The story also reminds you constantly that it's Japanese by littering words such as “ne”, “ano”, “sugoi”, etc. The actions of the characters are not well thought out, no matter if you're reading of the wise monk or a highly disciplined Shinobi.
It's hard to explain just how much I loved this trilogy, yet am so emotionally taxed by it. It's so profoundly sad. Yet, I am so happy to have taken this journey with these characters.
Robin Hobb has made a world and cast of characters I'm now so deeply invested in. I'm appreciative at the depth of her characters, the rich descriptions of their travels, and the history of the world. I want to keep living in it. I can't stop thinking about it.