Greenwood truly did a fantastic job showing the blurred lines of right and wrong in this book, and no I do not mean Kellen and Wavy here but all the mGreenwood truly did a fantastic job showing the blurred lines of right and wrong in this book, and no I do not mean Kellen and Wavy here but all the major and minor decisions of the people surrounding those two. Because damn it did they pull off some messed up shit occasionally. ...more
After the Paranormalcy trilogy, which I had started but abandoned, and the Chaos of Stars, which was far from good as well, I had not expected anythinAfter the Paranormalcy trilogy, which I had started but abandoned, and the Chaos of Stars, which was far from good as well, I had not expected anything out of the ordinary in this one. That said - there is nothing ordinary about this story and nothing light or happy either.
I cannot say that I absolutely adored it, but there really is not one negative thing to say about this book. At least nothing, that bugged me enough to write it here. So let's start the gushing, shall we?
Excellent research. Sure, there is one major twist that changes everything, your whole perception, of the novel, but also plenty of minor changes, as it is to be expected from a historical fiction novel. But apart from this necessary changes for the story many aspects were excellently researched. And I always appreciate a certain degree of historical accuracy in a novel. So kudos for that and the period that was chosen. You know how dozens of authors like to fixate themselves on certain countries? So the countries chosen for this one were like a gulp of fresh air. I hope that more author's will follow White's example so that we'll have more diversity in this genre. The story of Radu and Lada. Or basically, everything else in this novel. The POVs alternate between Lada and Radu, following their stories as they grow up in a world full of intrigues and conflicts of fate, mentality, gender-roles and sexuality. The writing, which I'll mention but briefly, is beautiful and elaborate. There is no lack of world-building, atmosphere or action. The latter is mostly due to Lada and her fierce personality. Lada is not a typical protagonist, particularly if you take into account that she's a girl. I would not describe her as either psychotic or a psychopath, since Lada lacks all the superficial charm of a psychopath, but rather as someone who is bitter and furious. Lada is all anger and violent passion and cunning, calculating mind. She does not care for anything but herself, her Wallachia, her brother (questionable) and her people. It was fascinating to follow the process of her growth, how she changed and how these changes affected her relationships. Then, there is her younger brother Radu (the Handsome). While Lada prefers to let physical violence rule conflicts out, has no sense of tact or understanding of human nature, Radu is the perfect opposite. Soft and yielding and all in all a perfect manipulator. He is the perfect spy. And his relationship with his sister is something I enormously enjoyed and I am looking forward to the changes in said relationship in the following books. Another aspect I loved was how the siblings challanged gender-roles. Not only that of the past, but the echoss of the traditional gender-roles in the present. And in connection with the gender-roles another point comes in. The pyramid of power. It's pretty complicated in this novel, to put it mildly. Watching the characters' attempts at navigating between the different levels of power and intrigue was truly captivating and White did well here. She intertwined gender-roles with power hinting here and there at mistakes that are at times still made in the present. I was deeply impressed by that, but maybe that's just the scholar in me speaking who is slowly loosing the ability to read a novel without interpreting and interconnecting.
But White didn't stop here, oh no. The topic of religion is addressed in a very interesting manner repeatedly and if I recall the actual history of Vlad the Impaler correctly the conflict of religions is yet to come. And I am looking forward to it. I enjoyed how White's take on the Islam of that time and the various nations that could be found in the Ottoman Empire. There is no negative connotation whatsoever of the Islam, which was unexpected but appreciated. It was like a short excursion in the past and again, White did well. Of course there is also Mehmed, the Sultan. Yeah, I did not really like him although, I understand why he means so much to both Lada and Radu. Both Lada and Radu are more well-rounded and authentic than him, but perhaps that's the author's intention. Anyway, Mehmed adds to the overall complexity of the novel and especially to the endlessly complex web of relationships between characters. There is no love-triangle, at least it didn't feel like one to me, but there is unrequired love and forbidden love and the question posed what love is and how powerful it truly is. Love has many faces in this novel, and not all of them are nice, but I still liked the author's take on it. (view spoiler)[And though I knew that ultimately Lada wouldn't choose Mehmed, I still cheered when she finally left him. I've grown rather tired of the mottos - "All you need is love" and "Love will save the world" etc. I am tired of romantic bullshit. There are many types of love and I am sick and tired of author's who focus solely on romantic love. Urgh. So kudos for Lada who chose her country instead. (hide spoiler)]
To sum it up, a very dark and unique read that reflects a lot of research and makes me look forward to the next installment. Though, I am anxious about Lada's future and what Radu and Mehmed will be up to in the next books. So far, it doesn't really look good for her. Highly recommended. ...more
Generic "teen"-romance with many "original" (debatable) elements. About as deep in its meaning (whether there is a message/meaning/moral in thi[image]
Generic "teen"-romance with many "original" (debatable) elements. About as deep in its meaning (whether there is a message/meaning/moral in this one is also debatable) as a puddle.
You know, there's emotionally shaken, and then there is - so badly emotionally shaken, that tea is the only thing that can safe you. I have a very larYou know, there's emotionally shaken, and then there is - so badly emotionally shaken, that tea is the only thing that can safe you. I have a very large cuppa before me right now.
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This duology has been one hell of a ride in the best possible sense. While Six of Crows, at least occasionally, had a slower pace particularly in the beginning, in this one Bardugo throws the reader right into the maelstrom of action, completely mind-blowing scheming, fantastic character development and heartbreak. Oh, the heartbreak in this novel.
The stakes were high in the first novel, but in this one? They are gargantuan. And it felt like the six protagonists are balancing on a knive's edge the entire time, which was both exhilarating and terrifying. The plot is incredible. I cannot say much without spoiling, but what I can say is that the scheming is taken on a whole new level until, as a reader, I felt like the situation had spiralled out of control at some point because at some point I stopped trusting everyone and focused on the descriptions of Kaz' facial expressions. If something can go wrong, it will. Lies and gambles and lucky guesses and not-so-lucky guesses. Crooked Kingdom is "organised" chaos. I cannot say that I didn't love it. I did. But I must also state that it was totally nerve-wrecking.
“Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.�
Let's be honest, I was afraid throughout the entire book. At some point my fondness for Inej and Kaz, Nina and Matthias, Jes and Wylan grew into utter adoration and I was just so damn afraid that something horrible would happen to them. (view spoiler)[Fuck. Matthias' death. I am usually not a crier when it comes to...basically anything, but this moment? I cried. Had to stop reading for a while to just get a grip. It was such a, not stupid death, but a horrible one in its simplicity. I loved him and Nina together. I loved them, okay? And then at such a moment. Life isn't fair, of course it isn't. And I accept his death, I do, but I am just heartbroken over it, okay? Besides, after R&R I knew someone would die. I had thought it would be Nina (with her new, strange powers) or Kaz, but no. Matthias. Why? Alas, I do not know. (hide spoiler)] In the end, lots of awful things happened. And some of them are the reason why I struggle to rate this book with five stars. The ending, while overall satisfactory, lacked a lot to be brilliant. (view spoiler)[Wylan wanted to free his mother? I understand that she's not the most imporant issue, but hell, why did Bardugo not elaborate more on what went down there? Did she recognize him? Anything more? That would have been appreciated. Kaz overcoming his fears? Opening up and explaining at least bits and pieces to Inej? That would have been welcome, if not necessary. And perhaps a passage or so on Nina, because really, after such a death Matthias deserved a bit more and so did Nina's powers. But maybe that's just me... (hide spoiler)] The rest, however, was brilliantly executed and I truly cannot complain. Yes, there was a lot of action, but there was also enough space for character development and enough to explore the past of each of them, which I greatly appreciated.
“Until this moment, Wylan hadn't quite understood how much they meant to him. His father would have sneered at these thugs and thieves, a disgraced soldier, a gambler who couldn't keep out of the red. But they were his first friends, his only friends, and Wylan knew that even if he'd had his pick of a thousand companions, these would have been the people he chose.�
Inej's and Nina's friendship was perhaps the most beautiful thing about this book. I loved their development, their struggles, particularly Nina's, and their enormous growth. Nina is perhaps the character who underwent the most drastic changes in this installment. But Inej isn't far behind with her wisdom and enormous depth. Like in the first installment Inej again felt like a solid safe haven in the middle of a storm. In every way a multi-faceted character I'd love to read more about. Same goes for Nina. I hope at some point Bardugo will write a novella or, if we are really lucky, a new series about what happened to her after Crooked Kingdom. Then, there are Jes and Wylan. So adorable. Just so freaking adorable. Damn, I don't even know what else to say. They had a lot to accept in this one, as well. Basically, every character in this duology has a shitload of emotional baggage, and the way they handle it is truly admirable, but Jes' and Wylan's story was the sweetest of all. Kaz and Matthias. Both favourites of mine. I'd have loved to see more of what was going on inside Kaz because he is such a fascinating and morally ambigious character, but alas, maybe in another novella?? I have my fingers crossed that Bardugo will publish some novellas like e.g. SJM. I am not sure I'll be able to let go of the story and the characters any time soon, so I hope to get more reading material on them. Maybe someday. I cannot say much to Matthias, except that I found his development the most believable and radical one. Mostly, because it was very deliberate and voluntary, not like in Nina's case forced onto her due to certain circumstances. What have I not commented on? Ah, the world-building. Well, its astonishing how there is still some world-bulding present in such an action-driven book. I honestly did not expect that, but no, Bardugo managed to squeeze it in in a manner that was neither boring nor out of place, so kudos for that too. Lastly, the writing. Brilliant, simply brilliant. With some gems quote-wise that I think will stay with me for a very long time.
Okay, I am feeling emotional all over again, so I'll just stop here. What can I say? This is my Best Book of 2016 even though I didn't give it 5 stars, but it's not about the stars in the end, is it? I don't think that I'll be over it any time soon.
Highly recommended. Now let me drink my tea and sob somewhere in a dark corner. ...more
What I thought I'd get in this one: - more character development - more of the secondary characters, because honestly, this series needs it - some actioWhat I thought I'd get in this one: - more character development - more of the secondary characters, because honestly, this series needs it - some action, or rather actual plot apart from the love-story because there is a war and an evil king and everything - perhaps something original/ world-building
What actually happened: - endless obsessing over the love interest - weak dialogue (mostly with the love interest or about the love interest); or inner monologue concerning Vhalla's confused feels and her love interest - Vhalla's enormous competence that comes just from reading books -> not believable - almost no plot whatsoever; even the fight scenes involved some romantic bullshit, it wasn't even close to being believable - write style that reminded me on my 12-year-old self that wrote fantasy stories rather than listening to the teachers at school - secondary characters were barely ever mentioned and if...correct they appeared only when they were important for Vhalla and Aldrik
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I decided to write this review in key words because otherwise I would have simply diverted to cursing and raging. I thought that the author had figured a more or less acceptable balance out in the second book, but nope, this one totally falls back into the category "almost-worse-than-Twilight" for me.
That was all the bullshit I could take. Never again.
This one provides the background story to several gods and also a new insight into the intrigues and lies. At times it is very confusing, other times This one provides the background story to several gods and also a new insight into the intrigues and lies. At times it is very confusing, other times totally mind-blowing, but overall very enjoyable and I am really looking forward to the next volume after the cliffhanger in this one...
BUT - I hope the graphic unity will return because while I had no issues with several styles used in this volume, there was one I don't want to see again, like, EVER:
[image] or: [image]
No. Just no. I'd prefer it if the authors used one style, or at least settled on two or three that look good enough, not this..."art" that looks like the artist was VERY drunk while drawing.
How am I supposed to review this masterpiece? Okay, okay, I've got it. I got my shit together, so on to the review...Dear author,
HOW COULD YOU?
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How am I supposed to review this masterpiece? Okay, okay, I've got it. I got my shit together, so on to the review...
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So...About Damianos. And Laurent. And the mesmerising plot, the brilliant writing and unforgettable characters. There is a lot I'd like to say. Where do I start? Ah, the relationship between Damianos and Laurent.
You know what?
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Still too many feels. Sorry, dear fellow readers. ...more
"We don't fit in," she went on. "Not just because we're new. We see the world for what it is. No one else does." "Or maybe they do," he cut in, "bu
"We don't fit in," she went on. "Not just because we're new. We see the world for what it is. No one else does." "Or maybe they do," he cut in, "but they're too afraid of you to say it."
Violence breeds monsters. Quite literally, in the world of August and Kate. Savage and terrible and perhaps even uncontrollable. There are the Corsai, the Malachai and the Sunai, depending on what type of violence one is talking about - non-lethal, like street fights, murder or death of masses (e.g. shootings, bombings). I personally found this idea both delightful and terrifying because I immediately tried to imagine what would happen to our world if there were such "consequences" to deal with after violent acts. Anyway, the monsters swept me of my feet. I immediately wanted to know more and I found the song that describes the different monsters hauntingly beautiful.
Logically - since they make part of the world - the worldbuilding was superb. Not too much, not too little, just the right dose to keep the reader on edge and make him/her crave for more. I do hope that Schwab will dive deeper in the second book regarding the why and how as well as a bit more precise geography and why the regions are named the way they are. So, I hope there will be a bit more background knowledge in the second one, although the amount of it in this one was pretty close to perfect already. I suppose that it would have been too confusing if there had been more in this one. However, when I say superb worldbuilding I mean dark, cruel and merciless to its inhabitants. This book is anything but light. It felt more like a thriller in a magical world to me, particularly due to the complete lack of romance. Which is another aspect that I loved. No romantic or sexual tension whatsoever. FINALLY. By now I am so annoyed with the fact that the majority of YA, but also non-YA, novels simply MUST feature a romance. No, just no. So the lack of any romance was a great addition to the already almost perfect book. Although for those of you who prefer books that feature romance it might be more of a turn off, since, well, no romantic love in this one. *sorry, not sorry* There is love, but not of the romantic kind.
Instead questions like - what makes a family, can a monstrous person be human, how do the different types of loves differ - are asked in a very subtle, unobtrusive manner. Not talking about moral questions, good and evil, darkness and light questions here, because obviously they play a major role in the book. And I loved the subtlety that I found in this story. I like it when books contain a message, when the stories written in them have a meaning or ask questions. It's important to me, always was and always will be, which is probably why I hate the NA/Romance genre, because it's not all about romantic love. It just isn't. And I liked the fact that this book pointed it out as well. Sorry, I got sidetracked.
The writing of the author...I will never tire of repeating just how fantastic it is. How graceful and balanced and flawless. It lacks the drama that some authors use in order to impose the "deep" feelings of their characters on the readers. Instead it is all balance and keeps, despite its enormous depth, a safe distance to the characters' inner worlds giving the reader a chance to choose whether to embrace the feelings of the characters or not. I appreciated the lack of drama and hence, of eye-rolling moments. The brilliant writing also wove a complicated but highly intriguing image that contains it all - superb worldbuilding, terrific atmosphere, well-rounded characters and a captivating plot.
"People are users. It's a universal truth. Use them, or they'll use you."
Finally, the characters. Well-rounded, unique, flawed, complicated, surprising, sometimes wonderfully humorous in situations that are far from funny. There is a vulnerability that both August and Kate have and accordingly it is not too difficult to relate to them, their struggles and their fears. Particularly August has been easy to relate to (I don't know what it says about me, and honestly, I don't even want to know it). Their confusion and inner conflicts contributed to the plot progression and the development of the other MC a great deal. But the secondary characters aren't lacking either, don't worry. Ilsa and Sloan, Henry and Emily and even the brief glimpses that we get of Alice. They are all well-rounded and unique, having their own motives and life-stories.
All in all, I loved it. And while it didn't end in a cliffhanger, the epilogue still makes me want to read the second book as soon as possible because it's going to get even more serious in the second book, judging from the last two pages. Recommended? Oh hell yes!
P.S. I cannot stop thinking about how the Sunai are made and I cannot help but link their personalities, at least partially, as well as their motives, to the motives that caused the deaths they were "born" from. (view spoiler)[So I suppose it is unsurprising that my suspicion towards Leo spiked up a notch after I learned what type of mass death resulted in his "birth". If fanatics killed themselves and their families, it only makes sense that the result would be fanatic as well. (hide spoiler)] I want the second book. Like, now. ...more
“I’m a bloodydamn Helldiver with an army of giant, mildly psychotic women behind me and a fleet of state-of-the-art warships crewed by pissed-off p
“I’m a bloodydamn Helldiver with an army of giant, mildly psychotic women behind me and a fleet of state-of-the-art warships crewed by pissed-off pirates, engineers, techs, and former slaves.�
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Frankly, I am at a loss for words. Or rather do I have too many, dozens and dozens adjectives with solely positive connotations. This is one of my all time favourite series, without doubt, but this book. My God. Breathtaking, horrifying, glorious, heartbreaking and completely and utterly unique. After this exceptional reading experience I feel wrung out and thoughtful about many topics, mainly about the destiny of humanity though. Also, I must admit that no other series in the sci-fi genre will ever come close to this one in my eyes. I am too enamored with it, it was too grandiose, included too many sides of life and aspects of history that I value and love. Besides, Mr. Brown delived a masterclass on how to write the finale of a series with this book. So, dear majority of YA authors, get in line to take classes. Because such books, such series', are the reason why I love literature so dearly and never cease searching for more books worth reading.
Morning Star takes all the action and thrill, all the excitement and heartbreak, all the bloodshed and hilarity to a whole new level and it's outstanding. There is a not-too-big time lapse between the beginning of this one and the end of Golden Son, but the reader is thrown right into the disaster and horror of what happened to Darrow. And after that, there is no time to take a breath, because it's a pure roller coaster of emotions and actions and reactions. I will not comment any further on the plot, for the fear of spoiling something, except for a remark that I think it processes in a fantastic, completely insane way and lacks nothing. I am dead serios, this book has everything. There is a retraceable logic in it, it is as realistic/authentic as science-fiction can be, no questions are left unanswered, no plotholes (at least none I could discover after the first reading, but I doubt that there are any at all) and an exquisite balance of a variety of topics. We get history, mythology, philosophical and political topics. We get a bit of insight into the psychology of war and the possible outcomes, and linked to that quite well-developed strategy and tactics. There are mind-blowing action scenes, space battles, intrigues, and last but not least themes that have always mattered and will always matter to humanity. Freedom and slavery, morals and honour, loyalty and betrayal, what makes us human and what deprives us of our humanity, family and romance. This book has it all. And hope. First and foremost, there is hope that lies at the core of every action, every death and every sentence.
“The greatest weapon a rebellion has is its spiritus. The spirit of change. That little seed that finds a hope in the mind and flourishes and spreads.�
The characters. They grew on me in the course of the books. All, even the villians, even the merciless and terrible. The Jackal, Cassius, Roque, Octavia and so many others. Perhaps it is only me, but I saw reason why they were the way they were. What I mean is, even the "bad guys" are written in a way that made it impossible for me to hate them because it seemed to me that the author wrote them in a manner that did not make them soulless monsters, but rather results of their society and environment. The results of hundreds of years of mistakes. They were still terrible, and I still wanted many of them to die, and I was still glad about many deaths but... It was difficult to feel untamed joy or relief about the death of a character, especially a villian, since I saw the reasons, the logic, behind it all. Okay, I admit it there is one character I loathed beyond reason and for whom I felt nothing but deep hatred - Aja.(view spoiler)[I wanted that bitch to die a slow and torturous death. The most twisted and horrible you can imagine. Because of Ragnar, who was my favourite character. So this was just personal. (hide spoiler)] About the "good guys" - bloodydamn were they amazing. Darrow, Sevro, Mustang, Victra, Ragnar and sooooo many others. All of them so heart-wrenchingly alive. But the relationships that really pulled at my heartstrings were those between Darrow and Sevro, or rather the Darrow-Sevro-Ragnar triangle (view spoiler)[and between Darrow and Cassius and Roque. The final scene of the latter just made me cry. Darrow's grief for Roque cut really deep. But the resolution with Cassius was beautiful. Well and truly beautiful. (hide spoiler)] Also, I adored the Obsidians and the Telemanuses, just saying.
What else? The write style. Well, after all my gushing I think it is pretty obvious that the write style is superb. This book contains many terrible, ugly topics that are beautifully written so at times I felt quite overwhelmed by the intensity of it all. It's a masterpiece, simple as that. It's perfect.
And saying that I highly recommend it is pretty much an understatement. It's more like:
[image] Or rather the TRILOGY, in this case.
P.S. I feel completely drained after this one. Just want to curl up somewhere and cry. ...more
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