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4.5 stars! The only reason it's getting a half star down is that there quite simply was not enough!! NOT ENOUGH! I need more of this world! I would have liked to see some of the scenes drawn out a bit but ugh.. I loved this and this world and I miss it already
*takes a deep breath*
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Spooky, atmospheric, mysterious, funny.. this book has it all. I love the way Leigh pieces together a world and it's history as the story is taking place. It is done so faultlessly. I was supposed to be reading this for a bookclub, but it got to the point where I just couldn't put it down. Absolutely fantastic and I can not wait until the second book comes out.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Spooky, atmospheric, mysterious, funny.. this book has it all. I love the way Leigh pieces together a world and it's history as the story is taking place. It is done so faultlessly. I was supposed to be reading this for a bookclub, but it got to the point where I just couldn't put it down. Absolutely fantastic and I can not wait until the second book comes out.
What an ending! So many twists and turns and stunning reveals that I NEVER SEE COMING. That is hard to do to me, okay. That is hard to do. Can't believe I was sleeping on this series
Sanderson just knows how to write an adventure and to put together a fun group of people! I did miss the old Skyward crew but the new people we get to meet in this installment are just amazing and I love seeing the universe of this world expand! I can't wait to see where we go next!
4.5 stars. WOW what an ending! Tears were brought to my eyes so many times. At first I was thrown by all of the different povs, some of which we only see once or twice, but it was done so perfectly. It was exactly what was needed to properly tell this story. I loved this, I love it. I am going to miss quite of few of these characters.
This is what I needed after the disappointment that was EFH. My heart is fixed! I'm ready for CTD
Wow, this was completely different to what I expected. Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars. I had some issues with it that pertained more to pacing of the story, but all in all, this book was definitely an interesting and intricate read. The world building was seriously some of the coolest I have read and a couple of the characters were really enjoyable.
Starting off- world building. This world was so different to anything I had ever seen before. It was confusing at first because we are kind of thrown into the middle of the world with Csorwe, but it is very easy to get your bearings quickly and then find yourself captivated. There are different worlds and cities, different gods and races and creatures. I don't know how A.K kept them all straight, but she did a beautiful job. One of the things I really liked about all of these worlds and settings that A.K gives us is the different races. Oftentimes in fantasies we just see humans, elves, dwarves, and that's about it. Here our main character is completely unique when compared with any other fantasy I have read in the past few years. In fact, she has tusks!! I just thought the setting was one of the biggest strengths to this.
Next up- characters. Some of the characters I had a little bit of difficulty understanding and getting to know. Csorwe was one of those. At times, I found her vividly entertaining and at times I didn't really understand what was going on in her head or what her motivations were. She confused me at times, though perhaps that was because she herself was confused and struggling to find her home and her purpose. I did enjoy her but not nearly as much as I enjoyed.....
TAL! Wow, I love Tal. And not because he is a good guy. No, he's annoying and selfish but he was meant to be. I thought he was very well-written and a compelling and engaging character. He constantly had me chuckling with his quips and just the way he spoke and reacted to the events surrounding him and Csorwe.
Honestly, there are several amazing characters, and although I didn't always understand them and I certainly could not trust them (Oranna cough) I really had a lot of fun reading about them.
My biggest issue was the pacing of this story. The book spans YEARS, something I am not used to in my reading. It made it difficult for me to connect at times, because it seemed like so much had happened and so much character growth had occurred off the page. I think this was another part of my problem with Csorwe. This could, of course, just be my personal preference and I am sure that there are plenty of people who wouldn't mind it.
All in all, however, this was an enjoyable read! I definitely recommend this to you if you are a fan of more detailed and high fantasy. I felt like this one book could be enjoyed as a standalone if you wanted, but the ending did leave plenty more to be discovered and dealt with in the future installments!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Starting off- world building. This world was so different to anything I had ever seen before. It was confusing at first because we are kind of thrown into the middle of the world with Csorwe, but it is very easy to get your bearings quickly and then find yourself captivated. There are different worlds and cities, different gods and races and creatures. I don't know how A.K kept them all straight, but she did a beautiful job. One of the things I really liked about all of these worlds and settings that A.K gives us is the different races. Oftentimes in fantasies we just see humans, elves, dwarves, and that's about it. Here our main character is completely unique when compared with any other fantasy I have read in the past few years. In fact, she has tusks!! I just thought the setting was one of the biggest strengths to this.
Next up- characters. Some of the characters I had a little bit of difficulty understanding and getting to know. Csorwe was one of those. At times, I found her vividly entertaining and at times I didn't really understand what was going on in her head or what her motivations were. She confused me at times, though perhaps that was because she herself was confused and struggling to find her home and her purpose. I did enjoy her but not nearly as much as I enjoyed.....
TAL! Wow, I love Tal. And not because he is a good guy. No, he's annoying and selfish but he was meant to be. I thought he was very well-written and a compelling and engaging character. He constantly had me chuckling with his quips and just the way he spoke and reacted to the events surrounding him and Csorwe.
Honestly, there are several amazing characters, and although I didn't always understand them and I certainly could not trust them (Oranna cough) I really had a lot of fun reading about them.
My biggest issue was the pacing of this story. The book spans YEARS, something I am not used to in my reading. It made it difficult for me to connect at times, because it seemed like so much had happened and so much character growth had occurred off the page. I think this was another part of my problem with Csorwe. This could, of course, just be my personal preference and I am sure that there are plenty of people who wouldn't mind it.
All in all, however, this was an enjoyable read! I definitely recommend this to you if you are a fan of more detailed and high fantasy. I felt like this one book could be enjoyed as a standalone if you wanted, but the ending did leave plenty more to be discovered and dealt with in the future installments!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this free copy in exchange for an honest review!
First of all, thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and The Parliament House for the e-arc to review!
Hans and Greta are two outcast orphans living in Krume, a village on the outskirts of a haunted wood plagued by a witch. The witch is known as the Shrike, and she terrorizes the villagers by taking the men and leaving their hearts as a bloody token of her visit. When Hans and Greta are soon met with accusations of being witches themselves and are forced to enter the wood the Shrike calls home...
First things first, I absolutely love the premise and the idea behind this story. It is a dark and twisted Hansel and Gretel retelling that definitely gives the creeps. The setting is well done, evoking foreboding and dread. The writing had flashes of brilliance, however, between those flashes I felt the writing lacked a bit, becoming mundane and too simple.
I had such high expectations for this book, so ultimately I was left a bit disappointed and there are two main reasons why.
First is that I actually had a lot of trouble connecting with both Hans and Greta. I found Hans to be rather unlikeable. There were mentions of how he wasn't acting how he normally was but since I felt I never got to see the supposed 'real' Hans, I didn't feel affected by anything he was going through. With Greta, she was far too naive for me and seemed to be crying all of the time? Granted, she was going through a lot but I found myself being annoyed with her rather than sympathizing.
Secondly, the story felt so slow. I felt like there was no clear goal with the plot and that I was just a passenger on some wayward vehicle with no set direction. This wouldn't have bothered me as much if the characters were more well-written and likable, then the more emotional part of the journey with the two characters would have been more captivating and able to carry the story better.
Overall, it wasn't bad. There were parts I really liked, the overall intent behind the story, the setting, the twist at the end, and of course there was Barin. But some inconsistent writing and lack of plot points as well as two protagonists I wasn't completely sold by have let this story down a bit.
If you like dark, spooky tales that are definitely more mature in theme, I would recommend you give it a read and see what you think!
Hans and Greta are two outcast orphans living in Krume, a village on the outskirts of a haunted wood plagued by a witch. The witch is known as the Shrike, and she terrorizes the villagers by taking the men and leaving their hearts as a bloody token of her visit. When Hans and Greta are soon met with accusations of being witches themselves and are forced to enter the wood the Shrike calls home...
First things first, I absolutely love the premise and the idea behind this story. It is a dark and twisted Hansel and Gretel retelling that definitely gives the creeps. The setting is well done, evoking foreboding and dread. The writing had flashes of brilliance, however, between those flashes I felt the writing lacked a bit, becoming mundane and too simple.
I had such high expectations for this book, so ultimately I was left a bit disappointed and there are two main reasons why.
First is that I actually had a lot of trouble connecting with both Hans and Greta. I found Hans to be rather unlikeable. There were mentions of how he wasn't acting how he normally was but since I felt I never got to see the supposed 'real' Hans, I didn't feel affected by anything he was going through. With Greta, she was far too naive for me and seemed to be crying all of the time? Granted, she was going through a lot but I found myself being annoyed with her rather than sympathizing.
Secondly, the story felt so slow. I felt like there was no clear goal with the plot and that I was just a passenger on some wayward vehicle with no set direction. This wouldn't have bothered me as much if the characters were more well-written and likable, then the more emotional part of the journey with the two characters would have been more captivating and able to carry the story better.
Overall, it wasn't bad. There were parts I really liked, the overall intent behind the story, the setting, the twist at the end, and of course there was Barin. But some inconsistent writing and lack of plot points as well as two protagonists I wasn't completely sold by have let this story down a bit.
If you like dark, spooky tales that are definitely more mature in theme, I would recommend you give it a read and see what you think!