Krysteena

I don't know exactly how I feel about this book, so I gave it an average rating because of my conflicting feelings. On the one hand, it was a very engaging read–especially with all the hilarious illustrations, and Allie Brosh's voice is witty and funny and casual, and honest. I just had a hard time relating to some of the stories. I am not sure if it was how she was writing it, or if it was the situation itself, but I was definitely forcing myself to just get through with some of the chapters. I don't know how to explain it, but I guess the tone was just off for me.

3 out of 5 stars

I love this author! And I seriously cannot get enough of her novels!!Like her Inheritance Trilogy, this Dreamblood series is set in a very non-traditional fantasy world, which is one of the many reasons I love her books. It so refreshing to see multiple cultures, multiple races, multiple religions with in the fantasy genre–you can bet that the setting is not your typical medieval Europe. Her characters are complex and her magic system is unique. This is the fourth book I've read by N.K. Jemisin, and I feel like her writing is just getting stronger with each novel. I am eager to pick up the next book in this series [b:The Shadowed Sun 11774295 The Shadowed Sun (Dreamblood, #2) N.K. Jemisin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331143933s/11774295.jpg 14757897].5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

3.5 out of 5 stars from me (I rounded up this time).

This was a really fun and fast read. I loved all of the female characters in this story, which is why I rounded up. The faceless, a group of religious female assassins (hard to explain, but believe me, they are badass), were probably my favorite part of this novel. And Kayla was just awesome. She dies at the end, which is one of the reasons I decided not to go on with the series =/

I mainly took off points because of all of the violence–there was just so much death and almost all of the problems were resolved with bloodshed. Plus, I just felt like the book needed a tighter focus. The plot was kind of all over the place because there are a lot of characters and subplots and power players within the novel–it just need, IDK a better outline. Some of the character deaths seemed to have been added as a way to kill off characters before the big showdown during the Kensgold.

Overall, an entertaining story–very different from the novels I usually pick up. Recommend to people who like assassins and just want to read a book with a bunch of well-written fight scenes.

This was a great read! I was intrigued from the very beginning, which started with a very science fiction-like prologue that quickly turned into a more fantasy-type read for the rest of the book (at least in my opinion–I know many people consider this scifi with all the time traveling and star gazing and whatnot, and that's fine with me).

The Dragonriders of Pern starts with Volume I: Dragonflight, which I think was my favorite part of this book because, as a reader, this is where you first get introduced to the world of Pern and the (awesome!) dragons while you follow Lessa and F'lar on their journey as they become principle leaders of Pern. I have to say that I instantly related to Lessa; however, the evolution and growth of her character was a bit disappointing to me. She starts off as a very resourceful, independent woman harboring this revenge for Fax, a tyrant who murders her family for control over Ruatha Hold. As the last member of the Ruathan bloodline, she is able to survive on her own for years under Fax's rule without being caught.. But when she gets to Benden Weyr and becomes Weyrwoman by impressing Ramoth her character changes in response to how the male characters treat her. They constantly blame her for her poor choices while they continue to keep her ignorant. It was extremely annoying to read how caged-in she was, but things start to look up. The society slowly starts to change andLessa eventually gets to ride Ramoth, fight thread, and save the day, so it's not too bad...

Volume II: Dragonquest focuses on the aftermath and consequences of bringing the Oldtimers forward and the impact it makes on present Pern society. You get to follow more secondary characters from Vol I, like F'nor and Masterharper Robinton. One complaint I have is that we never get to hear what happens to Kylara after her queen dies. As a reader, I feel a little cheated regarding this character because there are a few chapters where we get to view the story from Kylara's point of view. Because of this, I developed an understanding for her. I didn't like her, but I was interested in seeing what happens to her because I invested some time into understanding her character. However, after that tragic incident involving Brekke and the queens, we never hear from Kylara again. Not even in Volume III: The White Dragon, where we follow Jaxom and Ruth. This part of the book is very much a coming of age story. It ends with a very cute scene between Lessa and F'lar that made the book feel like it came full circle for me. However, I would have felt even more satisfied if they would have been able to rid Pern of thread completely (much like F'lar), but we can't have everything. Overall, a 4 star, solid read.

Great read! I can't wait to watch the television series.