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110 reviews by:
alexandrian_arxhives
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Listen, I definitely know that this series is intimidating because of the whole “oh my gosh, there are literally 14 books and each one is like over 500 pages, Ahhh”. But hey, Lord of the Rings is also slightly intimidating and there are only 3 books. I think it comes down to how much the story captures your interest and attention as well as the time you can set aside to read the 3 (or 14) books and other factors. I am listening to The Hobbit audiobook (which is fantastic and I have almost finished it) but then again, there is a difference between The Hobbit being literally a Middle Grade and Lord of the Rings being adult fantasy (with a more descriptive and…dense, for lack of better word, writing style that takes quite a bit to get into. From personal experience).
Either way, let’s get onto the review for the book and leave Tolkien and the World of Middle-Earth for another post :)
First off, a lot of plot points are probably very reminiscent of LOTR and The Hobbit. We follow ordinary characters (farmers and shepherds specifically) named Rand, Matt and Perrin (a.k.a my fave so far) who live in a very detached place called The Two Rivers (very reminiscent of The Shire) and inevitably get attacked after a celebration (Bel Tine for EoTW and Bilbo’s birthday party for LOTR). There are other aspects (keep in mind that the LOTR aspects I am taking from the generally known plot as well as from the movies. Horrible I know but I will read LOTR one day, hopefully) that I will not get into because I don’t want to put out spoilers but I highly recommend trying out Eye of the World if Fellowship of the Ring seems intimidating.
Continuing on…
Second off, the world-building. One thing that is so, so great about this book is the glossary! Honestly, all big fantasy books need glossaries, especially if they use made-up words. Seriously. I would be reading, see a word and be confused then go to the glossary at the back and bam! word has been found and I could continue with the story. The good thing is that the glossary does not spoil any part of the book which is always nice. I do, however, have to hold myself back from searching characters up on Google in fear of spoilers because I truly do want to continue reading the series knowing the littlest amount of information possible. I really like how much importance women are given and how they are the powerful beings rather than men which isn’t something I really expected since so many powerful, magical characters are often men (an example being Gandalf. I do realize Galadriel is incredibly powerful as well but she is outnumbered by the likes of Elrond, Saruman and Gandalf.)
Third off, the characters! My favourite, as I have finished the first book is definitely Perrin. I am also a huge fan of Rand (as most farmer girls are apparently because I do live…around farms and honestly, if I were to say what the Amazon show did right, I would say it was the casting of Rand al’Thor that they did right. But then again, I can’t form much of an opinion because I did only watch like the first 20 min of the show. MOVING on). I am genuinely feeling quite neutral about Nynaeve and Egwene. At first I didn’t really like Nynaeve but liked Egwene but now I just feel more neutral about them both. I can see that they’re definitely good characters and there is definitely room for more character development! I am really excited to get to the second book (not to mention the other 12 after…what a fun adventure THAT is going to be)
Well, this was a really fun read, much to my pleasant surprise and of course, my first 5 star of the year!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Following a strong character that Lim has obviously crafted with much care, Six Crimson Cranes follows Princess Shiori: a princess, the youngest out of her and her 6 brothers who does not want to marry and let go from the pleasures of royal life. Having been promised to a Prince from another kingdom, Shiori wants nothing to do with him. After a chance encounter with a dragon draws the unwanted attention of her stepmother. After being cursed to not speak or else her brothers will die and her brothers being turned into cranes during the day to then turning back to humans after sunset, Shiori makes a surprising alliance with the one person she hates, finds out the truth about her stepmother and the truth about her blood, this blend of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen and East Asian folklore makes for a stunning first book in a new series. Highly recommend for those that want a refreshing re-telling of The Wild Swans with hints of East Asian folklore featuring a strong main character who would do anything to break the curse on her and her brothers and protect her family.
**Thank you to the author and publisher for sending an e-ARC**
**Thank you to the author and publisher for sending an e-ARC**
Following Wu Zetian, we enter a distant world where these giant robots called the Chrysalises are the only ones that can defeat the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. Inspired by Ancient China, Chinese culture and history and China's only female emperor, Zhao creates a masterful sci-fi story with amazing world-building, an amazing set of characters, an equally stunning romance and of course masterfully weaving East Asia myth creatures. Zetian is a strong female character who, despite all the obstacles years of history and the society has put up against her, gets what she wants in the end and wins, despite it all. Following the premise of The Handmaid's Tale, the treatment of the girls in society will definitely open your eyes. Zetian is aided by two male characters who then are entangled at first, in a sort of love triangle typical in YA: both boys are in love with the girl and the girl has to choose. Zhao, on the other hand, puts an even better perspective on it: she makes it a polyamorous relationship, something rarely seen in YA but she weaves it into the story so incredibly well that you don't even need to blink twice.
I really enjoyed this book and Zhao's writing is so powerful and they really manage to capture female rage through Zetian because of the lies that the leaders have been telling the society. It is incredibly masterful, I loved all the characters and the story was so rich and imaginitive and definitely different than that of what I usually read. I didn't even realize it was 400 pages long, I just got sucked into it and now I want more tbh.
**Thank you the publisher for sending an ARC in exchange of an honest review**
I really enjoyed this book and Zhao's writing is so powerful and they really manage to capture female rage through Zetian because of the lies that the leaders have been telling the society. It is incredibly masterful, I loved all the characters and the story was so rich and imaginitive and definitely different than that of what I usually read. I didn't even realize it was 400 pages long, I just got sucked into it and now I want more tbh.
**Thank you the publisher for sending an ARC in exchange of an honest review**
Holy Saints of Ravka, I have no words, NO WORDS, can't form a coherent review because I'm just in shock.
In short: fucking FANTASTIC
In short: fucking FANTASTIC
Holy Mother of Zeus, I am going to be thinking about this book until it comes out and again when I read the finished copy.
This was definitely out of my usual comfort zone reading. I am picky with my books and even more so with ARCs that I hope to get but this one blew me away.
Joan He tells the story so masterfully: two sisters, worlds apart as well as secrets, memories, technology, disasters, a lot of which reflects, in a sense, today's world, or perhaps, the world we are heading into if we don't do something about our actions.
But that is a topic of discussion for another day.
I loved Celia, or Cee as she is called as well. But I also loved Kasey. I really loved the contrast between the two but still, they fit together like puzzle pieces.
I will probably be screaming about this book until and after it is published (Less than a month away! May 4th!) and people can buy it. This might become my new comfort book and it is definitely one of my favourites, despite reading only 2 other books and being in the middle of like 5.
*Thank you to the published for giving an ARC*
This was definitely out of my usual comfort zone reading. I am picky with my books and even more so with ARCs that I hope to get but this one blew me away.
Joan He tells the story so masterfully: two sisters, worlds apart as well as secrets, memories, technology, disasters, a lot of which reflects, in a sense, today's world, or perhaps, the world we are heading into if we don't do something about our actions.
But that is a topic of discussion for another day.
I loved Celia, or Cee as she is called as well. But I also loved Kasey. I really loved the contrast between the two but still, they fit together like puzzle pieces.
I will probably be screaming about this book until and after it is published (Less than a month away! May 4th!) and people can buy it. This might become my new comfort book and it is definitely one of my favourites, despite reading only 2 other books and being in the middle of like 5.
*Thank you to the published for giving an ARC*