2.5
I had a lot of mixed feelings for this novel upon finishing it.
I think for one overhype played a key role in my disappointment. It seems to be effecting a lot of my recent reviews/ 2019 reads, and it leaves me with this empty feeling.
There's a wonderful world surrounding TMC, and I adored the magic system and its relation to birds in a caste form. Fie and her crows deal with significant prejudice, and it leads to a wonderful theme about ending stereotypes and judgment of others because of who they are.
Fie also deals with moments of misogyny in and outside of her group, and I was always warmed at the heart by her handling of these situations. Fie is a strong example of a strong woman who does not let others dictate her life. She does what she desires (most of the time haha) and what she deems acceptable for her crew. Her loyalty and her crews were beautiful to one another.
Now onto the things that were not my favorite.
The story is one big journey in my opinion, and it was not one done to my tastes. I felt like I was pushed onto their never-ending ride, and the story became more and more stretched out. Pacing and writing styles have become so important to me as a reader, and the length of time it took/ felt to read one scene felt like an eternity. It's one of the reasons my excitement quickly turned to neglect. I was bored and felt no connection to any of the characters, and a book that should've taken me a day or two to finish ended up becoming a week. Events happened and I could not care less, which is the exact opposite feeling I want.
In terms of the characters.. Jasimir annoyed me A LOT, and while his character was meant to hold that role, I could never enjoy him even at his few moments of "redemption". Fie annoyed me a little less than Jas, and I cannot really put my finger onto why. You know when you just do not like a character? That was me. Plus, I, ultimately, never felt any real connection. Lastly, Tavin was the only one I never really wanted to throttle for a decent portion of the novel. Though I couldn't help but my roll my eyes a few times.
My final thought is: as I'm writing this review, I really cannot remember a decent portion of this book. It's been about two weeks since I finished, and I forgot the end and a significant portion of the book. I READ THE WHOLE THING. How did it fall out of my head so fast? I- Well.. my only answer is that the story was not memorable.
All in all, I think a lot of people could enjoy this novel, but sadly, it was not the one for me.
Thank you Macmillan for sending me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.