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emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tallstar’s journey from a grief-stricken young apprentice to a confident and wise clan leader is fascinating. It’s incredible to see the complexities and structure of WindClan. Definitely a solid super edition, if a bit long.
The pacing is very, very slow and I would have liked to see more of Tallstar as a deputy.
Palebird and Sandgorse are the worst parents ever. Unsupportive, ignorant, neglectful, and often downright cruel. 0/10.
The pacing is very, very slow and I would have liked to see more of Tallstar as a deputy.
Palebird and Sandgorse are the worst parents ever. Unsupportive, ignorant, neglectful, and often downright cruel. 0/10.
First, I read an advanced copy of this book before the list of content warnings was finalized. My abandonment of this book is heavily related to encountering content warnings the author did not make expressly clear. Those warnings have since been added for new readers, so I won’t go into those issues in this review. Below are some additional thoughts.
This book was a trauma dump, there is no way around that. The r@pe mentioned in the content warnings is directly by the MMC and it is NOT enjoyed by the FMC at all; I feel that needs to be made very, very clear. She has serious trauma from the incident, but then just…gets over it and falls in love with him anyway? It’s unbelievable, sickening, and insulting to survivors.
Additionally, I felt the writing was completely insufferable and very difficult to get through, clearly an amateur work. The FMC is such a child. She whines constantly and waits for someone else to come rescue her. When no one does, she simply rolls over and accepts her lot in life. Pathetic. She is also inexplicably uneducated despite being raised as an heir to the throne. Poor character planning, poor development, poor writing all around.
This book was a trauma dump, there is no way around that. The r@pe mentioned in the content warnings is directly by the MMC and it is NOT enjoyed by the FMC at all; I feel that needs to be made very, very clear. She has serious trauma from the incident, but then just…gets over it and falls in love with him anyway? It’s unbelievable, sickening, and insulting to survivors.
Additionally, I felt the writing was completely insufferable and very difficult to get through, clearly an amateur work. The FMC is such a child. She whines constantly and waits for someone else to come rescue her. When no one does, she simply rolls over and accepts her lot in life. Pathetic. She is also inexplicably uneducated despite being raised as an heir to the throne. Poor character planning, poor development, poor writing all around.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So glad to see Yor step into the leading role in the volume! I feel that we often see her as a supporting character to Loid and don’t often get to appreciate her on her own. She is badass, wicked strong, and has a heart of gold.
Mooncakes is an incredibly beautiful story with unique and lovely characters. Nova and Tam each have their own hardships in their past, but are able to move forward together and navigate the world side by side. I adore the mix of modern world technology and witchcraft. My only complaint was that some of the world-building and magical elements were poorly explained. I was often confused about what spells were being performed or how the magical abilities functioned. Nevertheless, Mooncakes was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.
The story is interesting and the interactions between the two leading characters can be very sweet. Kitagawa is constantly encouraging Gojo to not only continue to enjoy his interests, but to not be ashamed of them and be unapologetically himself. I really enjoy the idea of a cosplay-loving girl pairing up with an awkward guy who loves to sew doll clothes.
This book was definitely heavy on the fanservice, and the male lead falls too hard into that “overly freaked out over a woman’s attention” stereotype. Does he seriously have to stammer fifteen times in one sentence EVERY single time they interact? It gets a bit annoying after a while and I found myself skipping over chunks of his dialogue to bypass those moments.
This book was definitely heavy on the fanservice, and the male lead falls too hard into that “overly freaked out over a woman’s attention” stereotype. Does he seriously have to stammer fifteen times in one sentence EVERY single time they interact? It gets a bit annoying after a while and I found myself skipping over chunks of his dialogue to bypass those moments.
The saving grace of this manga is the characters. They are lovely. Kitagawa is a sweet and thoughtful girl who pays attention and listens to Gojo. She takes the time to get to know him, remembers all the little details about himself that he’s told her, and is genuinely concerned for him in times of distress. Their interactions and relationship is very sweet, when he isn’t stammering seventeen times in the same sentence.
However, I could seriously do without the insane amount of fan service plaguing this series. I do not understand how it is possible that a female author wrote this book. The convention scene was a complete train wreck. An overheated, sweaty woman on the verge of passing out is not hot. The focus should have been on taking care of her and getting her help, instead of turning her situation into an excuse to display her body. The scene was incredibly uncomfortable to read through, so that alone takes this volume down another star.
However, I could seriously do without the insane amount of fan service plaguing this series. I do not understand how it is possible that a female author wrote this book. The convention scene was a complete train wreck. An overheated, sweaty woman on the verge of passing out is not hot. The focus should have been on taking care of her and getting her help, instead of turning her situation into an excuse to display her body. The scene was incredibly uncomfortable to read through, so that alone takes this volume down another star.
I read this book for the first time eight or so years ago, but I am reading through the series again now so that I can eventually read the fourth installment, Winterkeep. It’s very difficult for me to believe that this is an author’s debut novel, as it doesn’t read like one. Cashore’s writing style is quite compatible with me as a reader; sophisticated and polished, while not being so impersonal that I’m unable to form attachment to her characters. And what lovely characters they are! There are times when the story progresses slowly, but then sharp twists and new revelations drag the reader right back into the action. I have been struggling with my reading lately, going months without having the energy to progress through books, but Graceling was so enjoyable to me that I finished it in less than a month. I am very much looking forward to continuing with the rest of the series.