sarahxify's Reviews (703)

This book was a lot more character driven than the previous ones in the series, which I really enjoyed. I really like all the characters except for Jace and Clary, both of whom tend to be rather selfish and really only like talking about how in love they are. The plot of this book left a lot to be desired for me, mostly because it was all over in a very short space of time. It seemed like an unbelievably short amount of page space to dedicate to such a seemingly big event.

I'll really be carrying on with this series for the other characters such as Magnus and Simon, and I really hope the last two books will focus on them as least as much as this one did.

4/5/17 - This was a little slow, but otherwise a really damn good read. It was good to learn more about Iceland and to imagine the harsh life one would have led living there in the 19th century. Highly recommend.

20/10/17 - Just updated this to five stars. This book has really stayed with me in the months since I've read it thanks to its incredible sense of place and Hannah Kent's wonderful writing.

I liked this one a lot more than Cinder. The characters are more interesting in this book and the story is picking up a bit, for me.

I am mainly keeping on with this series because I want to know what happens to Alec and Magnus, and Simon and Isabelle. Jace and Clary are pretty boring to me, and this plot felt recycled from one a few books ago when Jace was possessed.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first two. The story is really starting to pick up, and I really like a lot of the characters.

For me, the weakest part of this series is probably the fairy tale retelling elements. It kind of ruins the story for me, as you're just waiting to see how it matches up with the story that you already know. I also think the pairing off of every main character with another one is unnecessary, and I think the opportunity for some strong friendships are missed (especially Cinder and Scarlet, are they even friends? They barely seemed to have any dialogue together).

Overall, this was fantastic.

I do have a few minor complaints that stop me from giving it five stars, plus I think it was a little too young for me. Nonetheless, this was seriously good and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it.

I'm a bit unsure what to make of this book. Trying to work out what was happening by reversing the conversations or the descriptions in your head got a bit tiring for me after a while, but the the truth behind who the protagonist was being slowly unveiled was something I really liked. I didn't really get into the story very much, probably because it was just too much of a brain exercise for me late at night, which is when I normally read. I found it hard to feel sympathy for the characters, probably because you saw their emotions first, without knowing why they felt that what. Without knowing whether you agreed with them or not, I found it hard to particularly like or dislike any of them. Unique literary device though, it was nice to read something so unusual.