the_pale_woman's Reviews (542)

Solid follow-up to the first book. I think I would have rated this higher if two scenes had played out differently. One with the poet in which I needed more explanation. The other is a scene where a strong character turns into a caricature of a hysterical woman. That being said, I enjoyed this, and I am curious where the story goes from here.

This has a rocky start. Like with some fantasy, the names and titles were so unique as to sound foreign. It added a learning curve but not an insurmountable one. To start the story seems simple and familiar but it went in unexpected directions. It's not my favorite start to a series but a solid read that makes me curious for its continuation.

There's a secondary language of gestures built into this culture that I liked. It felt bulky at first, but I later enjoyed how it added an other layer of subtlety to every conversation.

Super satisfying. So much of this story comes off as intentional. I love to find that feat in fantasy. It's something I hunt for, and in this series, I found treasure. It's not perfect. It also has one of the worst covers I've ever seen. Specifically the audio version. No one should ever have to look at that cheap weekend cosplayer thumbnail when they open this book. It doesn't even have anything to do with the contents of the book. But I digress. 

The series is not perfect. However, more importantly, it was ultimately satisfying. The writing, especially the dialog, improves with each book. The pacing while slow finds its rhythm by the second half. It's an enjoyable, unexpected, slow burn. 

I would recommend this series to any fantasy reader. It gets my seal of approval. 

This is a terrible book. Ruins the whole series. It's not like the second book was great, but the first had a good story and characters. The big question on my mind is why people would recommend this to adult fantasy readers? Only a young child could read this and feel entertained and satisfied. I thought this series would have depth and even a plot of religious commentary. Instead, it was a random collection of words without reason or emotion. It was a real struggle to get through it. The dialog was voiceless, and the plot was nonsensical. I just didn't like it. 

I'm not completely satisfied with the motivations given for certain actions, but I can overlook it. 

I wish it had been something more, but I appreciate it for what it was. It is a beautifully detailed world with a cute young love story. 

I was surprised by how much I liked this. It's more of a typical fantasy novel to start, then turns into more of a romance. 

I'm not a fan of Minya tho. Weird children are never a welcome addition to a story, in my opinion. I wish her character was the same age range as the rest. I don't see the point in adding this unnecessary selective anti aging thing. 

The ending could have been quicker. I enjoyed the detailed writing more when it wasn't happening during the climax of the book. 

If not for those two things, this could have been a 5 star read. Both are more reading preferences than actual criticism. 

It's best not to think too hard about the details in this series. I found it entertaining and would recommend it for a quick casual read, but again, it's something you don't want to think too hard about. Unless you can convince someone to read it with you so you can rant about everything you're questioning. 

I considered the first book to be a slightly above average read. It has a cool twilight zone horror vibe that I appreciate. The sequels lose that aspects but you can't continue a plot with it. 

Wayward was a step down, in my opinion. The believability of the situation further diminished. It was still entertaining, but you could spend hours dismantling every character and plot point. That has its own appeal, but it won't earn you stars. 

This conclusion was pretty good, which elevates the others. Making for an overall entertaining series experience. It spends more time in other characters' perspectives, which I think helped with the progression of the story. It also added some drama, which was unexpected. The last parts of the book felt a little rushed. However, I liked where it all ended up. 

Not the best. I think it's because I don't believe what's happening to these people. It just doesn't make much sense. The situation and how people are choosing to deal with it seem wrong or stupid. 
Not to say that I didn't like it overall. It's entertaining and had a quick pace. I kinda like it in a bad TV way. First book was better.