Melissa

This story is thick with politics and religion that make it painfully slow.

I disliked every character by the end of this book. The Ali POVs were especially difficult to get through, as he's an incredibly self-righteous religious fanatic.

I wish I had DNF'ed this one. I kept hoping it would turn around, but it did not. The cliffhangers didn't give me any confidence that the second installment would be worthwhile.

I'll give it 2 stars only because it taught me a little mythology I was previously unfamiliar with. Otherwise this story left me in an absolutely terrible mood.

I had completely missed out on this book as a child. So how is it for someone in their 30's?

Very enjoyable, actually. The story, travel, and resolution is obviously aimed at children. Nonetheless, these themes have a unique charm. An oracle pig, a bard who maybe embellishes too much, a grouchy dwarf, a hairy manlike creature, and a very cheeky sorceress come together to help create a truly memorable cast.

The moral lessons contained within are still relevant for children today. I think this should be on the shelf of any fantasy lover, at the very least to be available for child readers.

A classic fantasy adventure story- with cats! This is a fun journey about a cat trying to locate his missing girlfriend. He winds up getting into more than he bargained for! This story is an adorable palette cleanser, with a few dark twists. One moment you'll read subtle Lord of The Rings references, the next you'll encounter light body horror. Probably not something to read as bedtime story material. A must read for classic fantasy lovers.

I have loved each installment of this series so far. The religious themes were always apparent, but in an open and vague sort of way that didn't isolate a non-Christian reader. I also very much enjoy angel versus demons themes pulled from Christian mythology. The author being Catholic is very apparent, and that was also perfectly okay by me. Of course he's going to explore his existential musings in his books with that religious lens. I quite enjoy that as long as I'm not being preached at.

But then, boom! Egg Jesus. The Quiet being a monotheistic entity was always known, but vague and nuanced. Now, there's no wiggle room. This is the Christian god. Our “good” angel explains this by describing that, actually, Hadrian isn't saving the existence of this god. Silly Hadrian, god wants to save you! The egg is just an incarnation of himself that will still inevitably come, and that their Oracle incarnation has been killed once before (Jesus). You can't stop egg Jesus, Hadrian. Judgement Day is coming no matter what you do.

We the readers get to experience a whole sermon directed at egg Jesus's wayward sheep (Hadrian). In a church, no less. By an angel. And don't forget God is like, so sad by human suffering. He'd really like to save you from this galactic genocide with scary predator aliens but that would make him a tyrant to interfere. Don't worry, he totally loves you. Now follow His plan already!

If this was clearly labeled as Christian Fic, I would have been able to make an informed choice. Christian Sci-Fi as a genre should absolutely exist. But I shouldn't have had to experience a bait and switch 6 books in for that sub-genre to make itself clear.

I'm not sure how to write a review for this. Did I enjoy it? Was locking myself in the bathroom sobbing enjoyable?

It's not a fun read, but it's an important one. We get inside the main characters head through journal entries. We see him as a simple minded person who is blissfully socially unaware. Then we see his mind expand to proportions where he experiences the social pitfalls of intelligence without experience. And then everything falls apart.

We as readers are forced to confront our biases against people who are more or less intellectual than ourselves, and confront possible ignorance over the subject of disability entirely. Most people still have a lack of exposure to people with these disabilities. They get swept under the rug. Out of sight, out of mind. People are often in the habit of ignoring what makes us uncomfortable. We shouldn't be doing that to people.

It hurt to read, but I'm glad I did.

And don't forget to leave flowers for Algernon.

This started off exciting. We finally get to see Talia out in the world! Except shortly into the novel, all forward momentum is lost. It devolves into circular ponderance of ethics and her ability. Stuck in a single spot, rather than getting to see Valdemar.This is the majority of the book. If the characters were more interesting then this could have been okay. The dialogue between characters was pure torture. Attempts at humorous conversation made me feel uncomfortable. There's a problematic mentor/mentee relationship to boot. Not cool.

An incredible amount of world building with a significant cast of characters. The first half was unfortunately a chore to read. There's a lot of people and cultural nuances to navigate initially. Once I got to the halfway mark, it really took off. I was hooked. If the first half was presented in an easier fashion I'd have given this another star. Still worth the read if you're a veteran of fantasy slogs and can weather the journey.

A very whimsical YA fantasy that sometimes feels closer to middle grade. My biggest criticism is that issues are solved too quickly and conveniently. It's still a lovely, light read. Nothing gritty. The bleakest part of this world is the religious commune she escapes from. Think fundamentalist compound where women are abused and married off in polygamist fashion.

Obviously, this story is a 1980's horse girl fantasy. Exactly as the cover suggests. If this sounds corny to you, it's best to stay away.

I'll be continuing Valdemar as occasional pallet cleanser reads.

What a fun time! Tiger's internal dialogue is hilarious. It can be a bit heavy handed with explaining to the reader how he's wrong about women, but this was written in the 80's. And it quickly establishes what we all know nowadays, that women are badass too. Tiger gets better. He grows up about it. Then you get an emotional story of two broken people figuring out their lives, together.

This has many interesting concepts of gods, demons, and time travel. I'd say a fairly original plot even held up against modern fantasy.

However, there are times when it feels a chore to read. The plot could have developed more smoothly and the Hunter/huntbrother relationship could have been developed more believably. The brother's chapters were more difficult to get through and I found myself just wanting to focus on Evayne and Kallandras.

You get thrown around a lot in a jarring way, but there's something special here. A clumsy start with infinite promise.