Runebinder

Uhm...Okay. So I don't like this book as much the second time around as I did the first time. I also really don't like Tenn much so...

When I read this book the first time, I was reading two or three other books at the same time. Rereading it, I've finished three or four books in the time since I started it. This is not a quick read and, most importantly, it doesn't feel like a quick read. Not only are things really intense (everyone feels things really intensely, especially Tenn) but it's also kind of dense because there's a lot of internal ruminating, and the book really tends to drive the point home about something.

Hypothetically, if the book wanted to call someone ‘wicked' it probably wouldn't just stop there, but add on vile, reprehensible and a whole slew of other words. This...really bogs down my rereading, though I do know I liked it the first time.

After listening to the audio book of the second in the series last fall I realized I remembered nothing from the first book (this one) and decided to reread it before finishing the series.

Both Tenn and Aiden are emo, but where Aiden is entertaining with his skewed outlook and moral bankruptcy, Tenn is like an emo woobie that suffers from self hatred. Aiden also has a better sidekick than Tenn does. Aiden also, really, doesn't have a real, true love interest - which is a relief, because Tenn is way too obsessed with his love interest. (In fact, I think his love interest accounts for a good, solid eighty percent of his personality.)

All that being said, (and I'm still oddly fascinated by the world building) I don't tend to adjust the rating of books that I reread. If I did, I think this would be three stars. (Much, much better the first time around.)


Original Review
...This is what I get for waiting three days to write up my review of this book - I can't remember what I wanted to say!

This book wasn't what I expected. I thought it'd be a fairly light, fantasy story and instead it's a strangely intense...well, I hesitate to say dystopian, but that's kind of what it is. If you consider Shannara Chronicles (the show as I've never read the books) or Falling Skies (also, the show) dystopians. It's kind of like a zombie apocalypse, in fact. I like the world building, I like the characters and, oddly for a YA from a male's perspective, I like Tenn, the main character. He's actually surprisingly easy to get attached to. (Kind of wavering between 4 and 5 stars, so I rounded up.)