I definitely enjoyed this book and I think it is worth reading for anyone that started the series and didn’t strongly dislike the first two books. However, a few things about this book brought down the rating for me. One of the main things that I found bizarre was the fact that a lot of backstory and past events are presented in this book- Definitely a lot compared to previous books. In fact, this is the only book we get a real, in-depth look at Holland’s life. The third book simply feels too late to start giving a characters backstory to the reader. I would have had more complex feelings about any and all interactions with Holland throughout the entire series if we had gotten some of this backstory in the first or second book. Not only that, but it simply feels unbalanced to have so much backstory present in the last book of the series. Another thing that took away from the rating, as well as my overall impression of the book, was the fact that a major villain in the book has chapters/sections from his point of view. Since this villain is somewhat inhuman, giving him a point of view humanized him too much for me in a way that made him less mysterious and took away from his otherworldliness. I don’t really know why the writer decided to do that and perhaps some people enjoyed it, but I did not. Something that I thoroughly enjoyed was some of the foreign cultures present in the book compared with the previous installments. I always enjoy reading about different cultures and traditions in fantasy settings and while this series doesn’t do a lot of that, this final book definitely did more than the previous two. Also, some of the more minor/ side characters were interesting and unique and I found myself wanting to know more about them. Overall, the ending of the book wasn’t bad on the whole and some of it was satisfying. However, I think the ending that Holland got seemed bizarre and too rushed. Still, I liked the book and I think it is worth reading. I had a good experience overall.

For those that saw the show- the book has amazing details and certain scenes in the show make much more sense in the book. I definitely prefer this book to the first in the series. Daenerys feels slightly more real in this one (though still oddly distant), the action is much faster, and the intrigue is greater. As Bran is older, his character is slightly more developed and the same for Sansa and Arya. Sansa’s chapters definitely have a unique voice, as do Arya’s and I’d argue the weakest ones might be those of Daenerys who feels hard to relate to/ less round of a character. The ambience is great and I had no major issues overall. A nice point to leave off on as well.

A wonderful guide with insightful tips, particularly on novel writing and memoirs. It references MANY other guides so it’s a good starter guide if you want references to other work you might want in the future.

DNFed at about 1/3 of the way through. That’s saying quite a lot since I almost never quit books. I can deal with an unlikable character- which is what most of the reviewers seem to have complaints about. The reason I had to stop reading this book was because I was listening to the audiobook and it is awful. Not just the quality, but the fact that the narrator decides to make mock “Chinese sounding” voices for the Chinese characters in the novel. It’s beyond offensive and hard to listen to.

DNFed at 20%. Ugh I’m not happy about having to DNF this book. Honestly, I hate quitting any book but this one put me in a reading slump. First, I should say that I loved Dangarembga’s first novel “Nervous Conditions”. My love of that novel is what pushed me to purchase this one. The issue is that this novel is vastly different in tone, POV, voice, pacing, and many other things. The second POV seems a bit unnecessary as it isn’t used to its full effect. The dialogue is often oddly sparse and on occasion it’s difficult to follow who is who. That being said, it isn’t all bad- some of the topics brought up include colorism, sexism, and the value of/ perception of education and all these are interesting discussions. I should also say that people who loved second POV or novels with a jumble of info or odd pacing similar to (but not exactly like) stream of consciousness may like this more than I did.

Wonderful. This book has a lot of illustrations so expect it to go by quick. It is simple, relaxing, and visually appealing. Lists famous bookstores, books by genre, places writers would write, the pets of writers, and many other tidbits that will fascinate book lovers. A lovely tabletop book too.

This book wasn’t what I was hoping for. While there were some interesting facts, on the whole the book perhaps tried to fit too many nobles/ royals into one work. The length distribution was ridiculously uneven too- Boudicca only got about three sentences despite details on her battles existing to this day. The writing style was also very penny dreadful/ pulp fiction in style and not the historical speak I was expecting. I’m a little let down but it wasn’t awful.

This book was enjoyable, though a slow read. The story focuses on a very young girl who can suddenly taste emotion through foods- ie she can taste the feelings of the people who made the food. It's a good read if you want to read magical realism that has one magical element and doesn't go overboard. It is, however, a very slow read and focuses on domestic issues and a child's development more than any fast moving plot or conflict so don't expect a roller coaster.