competencefantasy's Reviews (912)

Please note: My brain thinks Moiraine is a protagonist and won't be convinced otherwise.

This is one of my favorite books in terms of plot development and has several of my favorite moments. I especially like the introduction of Liandrin's circle. The scope of the world broadens, and my favorite characters get a lot of screen time. However it also starts the motif of everyone hates Moiraine and thinks she's so manipulative and cruel, when it seems clear to me that she's buckling under the strain of being one of the only competent/knowledgeable people around half the time. I just think of how the only times Perrin smells fear on her are the times when she thinks she might be wrong, have the wrong dragon or the wrong timing to be prepared, but she's fearless when she just thinks she might die or have to exhaust herself to the point of passing out.

Not the Right Time

All of the language and theme work with the sense of mystery that I loved in Vita Nostra is here. Nevertheless I had some trouble getting through it. It lost my attention several times, as the gender dynamics didn't do it for me. I think the ending was very well done and timed exquisitely. That said, I really and sincerely did not need a black death subplot right now.

Ok look there's a lot wrong with it, but this book is too fundamental to the way my brain works to rate lower.

I'm not going to rate this one because it's supposed to he very referential and I find I lack context for the reference in almost every case. That's not the work's fault but it also leaves me a bit too lost for rating. I think, for example, that the pieces are chopped up too small for my taste, but would I think differently if I understood better? I don't think I am the audience for this one.

It's very dark and noire. It has a much more varied and interesting cast than older noire. The themes are very old school though. The drawing has a lot of character. I like it.

This is really seriously adorable. It even mostly got around my aversion to sappy holiday stories. Ok so I like sappy holiday stories. But there weren't as many triggers as most happy family stories have so I appreciated that. I'm babbling. It's cute ok?

The beautiful pictures make the book. The words are also much better than I expect from poem books. And I got something in for readcarrabean!

It's a bit tropy and very gory. I am still mad at it for doing an obvious move it made that never the less worked. And yet it still does it for me. It's my popcorn. I kind of want a tv show of it.

It's not quite as much my catnip as the last one, but it's sweet and cute. I find myself getting more into the world and the gods. And I like the romance yet again. Both the characters are distinct and likeable, and I love some of the backstory. Time to put a hold on the next one.

Well it got me to read a contemporary during a fantasy kick so there's that. I think it's really fantastic and straddles the line between literary and readable very well. I do think I went into it expecting the ending to be a little more brilliant than it was. Overall though, great characters, well defined relationships, solid book.