This is much more of a mystery novel than a thriller. It wasn't what I was expecting (having gone in expecting thriller), but it was still a very well-written and engaging book. The plot is well constructed and interesting. There are some pieces that are somewhat predictable and the twists are not necessarily shocking, but it is still quite creative and fun. The protagonist is a good character and I appreciated the fact that she had a unique profession. I don't know why I found that so intriguing, but it kind of made the book for me in a way. I enjoyed her character arc quite a bit and I appreciated the ending. Without too many spoilery comments, I will just say that the ending is a bit less rosy and a bit more realistic than most books would have ended. It was a good read and definitely has me interested in Laura Dave's other work. 

This read was a very mixed bag for me. It was fantastic in some ways and quite meh in others. The premise was interesting and the writing was decent, but the arrangement and construction of the novel weren't quite what I was looking for. 

The story is told in multiple time lines with protagonists from several different points in history. It traces the lives of the previous Animas (animal women) with the power to speak with animals and the responsibility to help reunite balance between humans and the world. These stories are interwoven with a timeline for the current development towards the birth of the 12th and final Anima. While this makes sense conceptually, it was a bit difficult to follow and it felt like it was presenting only small snippets of the previous Animas. This left the story feeling a bit sparse and didn't give the characters as much depth as I would have liked. The current storyline was more complexly followed and did give a greater picture of the characters, which made these parts much more engaging. I did like the storylines and the characters. I found them interesting and I liked the world that was created. I just needed a bit more body.

The pacing is somewhat slow as the world begins to make sense and the pieces start to connect into a cohesive story. This is high fantasy, so it's not a swift read. You have to invest the time to get to know the inner workings of the political and magical systems. 

Things were going really well and I was gaining a bit more interest in the overarching plot when the story ended at a high crux moment. Though this did undoubtedly create a fantastic cliffhanger, it was incredibly frustrating. There was some good characters development, but the plot had just begun to really gain speed. I am curious where the story goes, but now I'm nervous to go into the next book, as this ending did not give me any satisfaction for the amount of time I put into reading this first installment. Whether I will continue the series is currently up for debate.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

I'm still not 100% on board with the whole alien/space thing, but the series is definitely growing on me. It's a fun read with great images and way too much creativity. The amount of imagination going on to create this plot is ridiculous.

The pacing is a little slow and the story can feel drawn out, but there are a lot of pieces at play. The tangents and backstories are all entertaining, so it doesn't feel like wasted space. It's weird, but it's a good time.

Still gratuitous nudity and adult content? Yes. It doesn't play important to the plot, but whatever. I'm more or less brushing it off at this point. This content isn't really my style, but the story is still interesting and it doesn't take a lot of time to get through, so I'm just going to enjoy the ride. 

I was a little iffy on whether or not this premise would be for me. I like fantasy, but for some reason space and alien type stuff just isn't really much in my wheelhouse. But...there was a LOT of hype about this series, so I decided to pick it up. I admit...I'm warming to it.

The artwork is absolutely amazing. There are great details and a lot of detail. The story has a ton of imagination to it and the characters are interesting and diverse. It's a little weird, but I'm starting to like that about it.

I went it thinking I would probably DNF the series...I finished finding myself somewhat invested in the story and curious about where it would go. I was put off by some of the more "adult" content present in the story as it seemed a bit gratuitous, but I was still interested in the plot. So...this gets an "okay" from me with the caveat that I now have interest in the series and I will be reading volume 2. I'm guessing my ratings will go up as I continue the series, but we will see. I will say that I understand the hype and it's beginning to suck me in...

 

As a travel guide, this book is good. There is a lot of practical information that is presented in a clear and helpful manner. However, it is admittedly lacking the Bourdain flare. Primarily written by Laurie Woolever based on clips from Bourdain's various shows and essays by those who worked and traveled with Tony, there are definitely pieces of him in the book, but it was a let down based on what I expected from reading his prior books. I appreciate that they gave him credit for this book since a lot of the information and opinions are his, but it almost feels like a disservice to him as it fails to capture the true exuberance, quirkiness, and irreverence of Anthony Bourdain...all those things that made him...well, him.

I did enjoy learning about the different cultures and locations and there is absolutely a place for this book in the travel guide sphere. I just expected something different since it has been branded with the Bourdain name. Also...I miss him. 

This was a fantastic read! I loved the premise right off and it really did not disappoint. Time travel and alternate history are always a very hard thing to logically pull off well, but this book does it. The atmosphere is fantastic and the dual timeline (though occasionally confusing) is really intricately done. There is a lot of cerebral work in this writing and I totally ate it up.

The characters are great and complex with some good nuance. They aren't just going along with the flow, they think things through and have some great conflict in terms of ethics and loyalty. Some bits are totally heart-wrenching, but so well done.

There are moments where the pacing does lag a little bit and I got caught up in some of the complexity, but overall this was a fantastic and mind-bending read. I could totally envision a reread in the future and I'm sure, now that I have the lay of the land, I would likely enjoy things even more.

Wonderful fantastical world with hints of dystopia and some interesting things to consider...how easily do simple changes and/or choices change the future? Brilliant.


* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. * 

Not bad for a debut novel. The writing style is fun and there is some good suspense built into the atmosphere. I loved the premise, but it just didn't pan out how I had imagined, so that was a bummer. I had a fun time with my read though. The tension was great until about the last third. After that the pacing somewhat dragged and I just lost my fervor for the plot. The twists were decent, but I did guess the ending pretty early on. I will read Sarah Pearse again, but this was was just an okay read for me.