baya_111's review against another edition
3.0
The premise is pretty cool and the story itself is fine but I failed to connect to any of the characters and I was pretty annoyed at the end of the story as it felt like the main character was not being very smart compared to earlier in the book.
connorjdaley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
The Warden by Daniel M. Ford. I was apparently approved for this from NetGalley, but then I got so busy that I completely missed it. So, very sorry about that! The narration by Lindsay Dorcus was awesome.
Wardens are like rangers and wizards mixed into one. Our main character, Aelis, is a sword wielding, wand caster, and the new arriving overseer of Lone Pine. She is a necromancer, an anatomist, and pretty good with a sword too. The world pieces Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and even Harry Potter, and I could see people thinking Gideon the Ninth too. With all that in mind, the blend read very unique to me, as well as fully fleshed out.
The inner thoughts of Aelis, somewhat sarcastic and even self-deprecating, mixed with the more deadpan and steadfast personality of her half-orc guide, Tun, read as a great dynamic. I did struggle a bit with the half-elf love interest though. It felt kind of like pushing for a sapphic subthread that didn’t really need to be there. Or at least it wasn’t fleshed out enough for me.
I’d also liken it to some older fantasy series in the sense that it doesn’t deliver on some gigantic climax. That didn’t really work for me in the moment, but I think I’ve just become so engrained in the modern delivery of heavy action before the end. This does not have that, and that’s actually okay. It’s not without action, nor is it boring at all!
Personally a 4/5*. The peppered in flashbacks from school at the Lyceum really added depth to the world and the MC.
cedardleland's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book is well written, but the execution of the premise rubbed me the wrong way. It's about a pseudo magic cop who is a fish out of water and starts in conflict with her wary neighbors. But instead of getting embedded into the community and learning that they are knowledgeable and worthy of her respect, it's the opposite. The townspeople just slowly realize that she knows everything and is totally worthy of having all of this power.
momankara's review
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the audiobook. Overall, the audiobook was well done. I liked the narrator, even if she spoke a bit slowly. The listener can always speed it up. She did other voices fairly well, although this audiobook would have been a hoot with a full cast.
The story itself was a lot of fun. It felt like an 80s movie. Not heavy on self-reflection, but action-packed (at least in the second half), and the heroine always triumphs without too much bother. I liked the main character quite a bit, which you needed to because she was pretty well the whole show. She could be described as an older, more foul-mouthed Hermione Granger. The first half does take some patience to wade through and the flashbacks to university days are an overworn plot device. It was still a blast. We could do with more books like this.
The story itself was a lot of fun. It felt like an 80s movie. Not heavy on self-reflection, but action-packed (at least in the second half), and the heroine always triumphs without too much bother. I liked the main character quite a bit, which you needed to because she was pretty well the whole show. She could be described as an older, more foul-mouthed Hermione Granger. The first half does take some patience to wade through and the flashbacks to university days are an overworn plot device. It was still a blast. We could do with more books like this.
flutist59's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
zana_reads_arcs's review
2.0
I think this novel is perfect for fans of Legends and Lattes or anyone who wants to dip their toes into fantasy without being overwhelmed by too many confusing terms and concepts.
With that being said, The Warden just wasn't for me. It felt like a cozy fantasy because everything was resolved quickly and any conflict that the MC found herself in felt very low stakes.
The audiobook narrator was great and I think she was the only reason that I actually finished this book.
Aelis, the MC, wasn't likeable or relatable at all. I was hoping for some character growth by the end of the novel, but there was none. I honestly don't mind unlikeable characters, but she was so conceited the entire time and acted like she was above everyone else. She couldn't stop talking about being a noble who went to university and was an expert in 3 (I think? Idk) specialties or whatever it was. There was seriously nothing redeeming about her.
Other than that, the world building was just okay. Everything felt very copy and paste from generic fantasy novels that have been written hundreds of times before. There was nothing that really stood out for me. I've read fantasy novels with boring or despicable characters, but the world building was exceptional. But this ain't it though.
Also I didn't understand why Aelis had so many flashbacks to her university days. I'm all for backstory but at that point, why couldn't the book just be about her time at the lyceum? That would've been more interesting.
And I didn't realize that Aelis was literally talking out loud to herself until I read the other reviews. The audiobook did a great job masking that fact.
The one character I found interesting, Tun, didn't get enough air time imo. I didn't care for any of the other characters. Maurenia wasn't fleshed out enough so I couldn't be bothered about the romance. I ended up zoning out a lot so I can't really pick out any specific character and name their traits. Other than Aelis and her haughtiness.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc.
With that being said, The Warden just wasn't for me. It felt like a cozy fantasy because everything was resolved quickly and any conflict that the MC found herself in felt very low stakes.
The audiobook narrator was great and I think she was the only reason that I actually finished this book.
Aelis, the MC, wasn't likeable or relatable at all. I was hoping for some character growth by the end of the novel, but there was none. I honestly don't mind unlikeable characters, but she was so conceited the entire time and acted like she was above everyone else. She couldn't stop talking about being a noble who went to university and was an expert in 3 (I think? Idk) specialties or whatever it was. There was seriously nothing redeeming about her.
Other than that, the world building was just okay. Everything felt very copy and paste from generic fantasy novels that have been written hundreds of times before. There was nothing that really stood out for me. I've read fantasy novels with boring or despicable characters, but the world building was exceptional. But this ain't it though.
Also I didn't understand why Aelis had so many flashbacks to her university days. I'm all for backstory but at that point, why couldn't the book just be about her time at the lyceum? That would've been more interesting.
And I didn't realize that Aelis was literally talking out loud to herself until I read the other reviews. The audiobook did a great job masking that fact.
The one character I found interesting, Tun, didn't get enough air time imo. I didn't care for any of the other characters. Maurenia wasn't fleshed out enough so I couldn't be bothered about the romance. I ended up zoning out a lot so I can't really pick out any specific character and name their traits. Other than Aelis and her haughtiness.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc.