thaisasaurusrekt's Reviews (115)

What an amazing read. I hadn’t heard a thing about this story before its release, though I was intrigued by the visuals from the fairyloot edition, giving palw purple dreamy gothic visuals with a diviner looking like Aurora and a knight looking Timothy chalomet. I’m glad there was so much more to the book than that, and I’m truly blown away.

Following six we see the impact faith has on a people, how it’s but another form of oppression used to exert influence for the powerful, how the weak are starved by the powerful and made to be used in such a way to make them long for what the other have, but never able to reach it.

How an errant knight is able to show a nameless diviner that she does matter, that there is more to her then what she has been told to be, that she may choose her own path in this world, that her voice does matter. And that certain things are worth defiance, if only one stays true to themself.

While the ending didn’t have me surprised, I was surprised she took this route, and I’m looking forward to reading the second part of their story.

This story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Not just wanting to find out if the mystery of who caused the main characters near murder would be solved, but also if justice would be served for it. 

And wow, the layers of intrigue just kept going, with politics, classism and just exploition on every level by the rich and powerful being interwoven into her murder. And the ruthless head of state trying to topple the regime only to be forced to work with him while suspecting that he was the killer, but their chemistry and his fierce protectiveness complicating matters. 

The ending was so incredibly satisfying to me as well, plus a cool magic system, the ancient Roman inspired setting and just justice being the main theme, what a great mix. I have no idea what the sequel will bring, I actually think it would have been fine as a standalone. But I’m sat for whatever’s next.

This was the slowest of slow burns and we didn’t even get an acknowledgment of romance at the end of the book, just the faintest of hopes that they might travel off somewhere together. While the book was an enjoyable bit of slice of life and healing from past traumas, it didn’t have nearly enough fluff or sweetness for me to truly be invested. Cute enough story though, the magic system was interesting with them always needing a scriver to write and infuse spells with magic, and a caster to cast and perform the spell, leading to everyone always having to perform magic in duo’s or more or face the cost. I do hope the main characters finally realize their feelings for one another in the next book.

This book brought me back to reading my first fantasy novels like letter to the king and the rangers apprentice. Where it’s a coming of age story for a boy in medieval times, who is of questionable birth and seemingly gaining an opportunity to amount to more, with a hidden talent many do not understand. And as you grow up with them you learn more of the political intricacies of court and of the nearby territories, of legends of magic thought long gone, and while the boy might not understand and grasp it all due to their age, you as the reader instinctively know that there is more to the story then meets the eye, and the further you read on, the more sucked into the world and story you get. 

I figured I’d try to read this book after discovering the praise the series has gotten from fans of epic fantasy, with it being one of the first fantasy book for many. And I believe it definitely is worth the hype, as I was sucked into this world immediately. The prose that hobb writes took a bit of getting used to, but thanks to the vivid descriptions I could actively see, hear and smell every location we passed through, every conversation between characters. I’m looking forward to continue the series.

I’ve never watched a kdrama before but I imagine that this was a similar experience, just on paper. Somehow the stakes were both grand and little with the focus on two people who could not hate eachother more, grown to slowly appreciate one another as they go on a wild chase for two killer demons threatening the mortal realm. It was a fun ride seeing Hani join detective Seokga to investigate her own murders and cover her tracks, but never quite get caught until the deaths become bigger then her. It was an entertaining read, with a bittersweet ending, though not one I feel the need to continue I believe.

I don’t even really know what to say except for amazing and heart wrenching read. Suzanne shows us a world in which I wonder how far it really is for our own, with oppression, propoganda, brainwashing, torture and all hope of rebellion gone from the oppressed.

 Where the way of life is interrupted every year with a forced killing of children orchestrated to be the most grandiose event of the year for some and the most horrific for others, where the fate of your life lays in your compliance to the very much unfair and biased laws, and where every toe out of line will cause your misery or you or your loved ones deaths. 

Idk if the writing style has always been so easy to get into, but it was both easy to read and engaging, and Haymitch really managed to humanize the tributes, highlight that everyone is a pawn in Snows game, and that there are never any winners to the hunger games. And despite the children being guaranteed death, there’s other ways to be true to yourself and manage to go out with your head high. 

When it comes to propaganda it highlights exactly how it’s used to control the narrative in everyone’s lives, to control the masses in the capitol laying in luxury, but crushing any sense of hope inside of the districts.

All in all she told a story that we all vaguely knew, and crafted an amazing tale of a fight that might be known to some, and a reality that might not be so far off.

The fantasy setting and magic had a good idea behind them, just a bad execution. Which is too bad because I was actually excited to read it, partially due to the representation which this book does well, but also to see how a magicless human would navigate a world filled with it.

Unfortunately, the story is stuffed by bland dialogue, predictable and stilting plot and a focus on all the non interesting things for some reason. Might give the second book a read at some point because the book ended so abruptly, but there are many other books on my tbr that will be coming first.