nerdkitten's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Violence, Xenophobia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Classism, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Sexual violence, War, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Death of parent, Biphobia, and Racial slurs
amelia_d's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I'm quite disappointed to be honest, but my feelings about the book are very mixed so it's quite hard to give it a star rating that feels right.
The main positive for me is the incredible, detailed and original world building. I felt really engrossed in the world and loved learning more about how this world works.
For the most part I also found the story very compelling and intriguing, although it is quite scattered in a real-worldy kind of way which I'm aware some people didn't like.
Despite all that, the negatives for me almost made it unreadable at times. The main issue for me was that I found Kvothe thoroughly unlikeable, for most of the book he's constantly bragging about everything he does and how brilliant he is at everything he tries. I found this very grating. However it was almost unreadable due to the way Kvothe talks about women. I won't get into the details so this can remain spoiler free but at times I felt like I was reading a fanfic written by a 14 year old boy or an incel. I was cringing and sending pics to my friends/boyfriend of some paragraphs because I actually couldn't believe what I was reading. It felt very much like reading an incel's sexual fantasy who wishes that they could be Kvothe and I absolutely hated it. (also mild spoiler, there's a bit where Kvothe almost literally says "not all men" to a SA victim, seriously.)
So I am very torn. As I say, the story is compelling and intriguing and the world building is very impressive but at times the writing got so bad in terms of female characters in particular that I really don't know that I could bring nyself to read the 3rd book if it's ever completed.
The main positive for me is the incredible, detailed and original world building. I felt really engrossed in the world and loved learning more about how this world works.
For the most part I also found the story very compelling and intriguing, although it is quite scattered in a real-worldy kind of way which I'm aware some people didn't like.
Despite all that, the negatives for me almost made it unreadable at times. The main issue for me was that I found Kvothe thoroughly unlikeable, for most of the book he's constantly bragging about everything he does and how brilliant he is at everything he tries. I found this very grating. However it was almost unreadable due to the way Kvothe talks about women. I won't get into the details so this can remain spoiler free but at times I felt like I was reading a fanfic written by a 14 year old boy or an incel. I was cringing and sending pics to my friends/boyfriend of some paragraphs because I actually couldn't believe what I was reading. It felt very much like reading an incel's sexual fantasy who wishes that they could be Kvothe and I absolutely hated it. (also mild spoiler, there's a bit where Kvothe almost literally says "not all men" to a SA victim, seriously.)
So I am very torn. As I say, the story is compelling and intriguing and the world building is very impressive but at times the writing got so bad in terms of female characters in particular that I really don't know that I could bring nyself to read the 3rd book if it's ever completed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
xjr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
While in general I enjoyed the plot more of the second book, it being slightly more witty and answering a lot of the first book's questions, I also had more gripes with it.
It is the consequence of the way Kvothe decides to tell his story. Some adventures relevant to the plot were skimmed over leaving only an interesting and at the same time infuriating synopsis. Worse, Kvothe argues in one of the chapters why this is the case and let's just say I did not personally appreciate it. At the same time, other chapters are long-winded while providing little more than charming writing and showing what's been already established. Admittedly, it for the most part makes sense within the universe and framing of the story, it's just not my preference.
What I did appreciate was how this book delved deeper into the multifaceted layers of culture, language, court society, and at last tangible exposition on the mysterious realm of the Fae!
As always it ends with a cliffhanger and many things are still up in the air so I'm hoping this series gets finished properly before the end of my life time.
It is the consequence of the way Kvothe decides to tell his story. Some adventures relevant to the plot were skimmed over leaving only an interesting and at the same time infuriating synopsis. Worse, Kvothe argues in one of the chapters why this is the case and let's just say I did not personally appreciate it. At the same time, other chapters are long-winded while providing little more than charming writing and showing what's been already established. Admittedly, it for the most part makes sense within the universe and framing of the story, it's just not my preference.
What I did appreciate was how this book delved deeper into the multifaceted layers of culture, language, court society, and at last tangible exposition on the mysterious realm of the Fae!
As always it ends with a cliffhanger and many things are still up in the air so I'm hoping this series gets finished properly before the end of my life time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Physical abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, Stalking, and Xenophobia
quirkyaquarian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Violence
mikki_9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It feels so melancholy to finish this book and know we’ll never find out the end of these characters. Even if the final book were written, and it had a tragic ending, it would feel different (better?) than the story dying before it’s time.
I enjoyed this book a lot, although a couple parts of Kvothe’s adventures seemed a bit out-of-the-blue and poorly built? Idk how to explain it, but they seemed unrealistic, which is silly to say for a fantasy novel lol I suppose there are plenty of people in the book who also thought some of Kvothe’s adventures were unrealistic as well, so I’m in good company
I enjoyed this book a lot, although a couple parts of Kvothe’s adventures seemed a bit out-of-the-blue and poorly built? Idk how to explain it, but they seemed unrealistic, which is silly to say for a fantasy novel lol I suppose there are plenty of people in the book who also thought some of Kvothe’s adventures were unrealistic as well, so I’m in good company
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Rape
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