haia_929's review against another edition
3.0
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
For Katie and Tomo time is running out. They'll soon have to face the destiny written for them by the kami. The tragedy of the gods is about to repeat itself and Katie and Tomo's lives are at stake because of it. They'll have to gather the secrets of the kami as well as their three treasures in able to stop the world from coming to an end in an epic repeat of a centuries old battle between gods.
This was probably not my favourite of the books in the series, but I still really liked it a lot. As always I liked the action and the plot the most, the characters are a little less that perfect. The main problem with this final installment in the series though is that the pacing was really rather bad.
I really enjoyed the action in this book. There were a few really cool fights making use of the magic ink powers that Jun, Ikeda, Tomo, and Katie all have. I especially loved the final fight of the book, I think it was the best written one of the series and will surely prove to be the most memorable. Beyond the fighting though I really enjoyed the exploration into the past of the kami and the trekking all around Japan that Tomo and Katie did because it really brought something interesting to the book.
The characters to me are just sort of...meh? I don't know if it's a problem of the narrative (first person), but to me everything felt kind of passive and uninvolved. I've never been a huge fan of Katie, she's not a particularly strong lead. Tomo's characterization has always felt kind of wishy washy to me, and I think that's excused a lot by the warring gods inside of him, but it still feels very inconsistent. I thought Jun was better developed by the end of this book but it came too late. Overall they're not really the best thing about this book, and often feel like a shortcoming for the novels.
The biggest problem by far was the pacing though. It took me well over 50 pages to really get into the book, before that I couldn't get 3 pages without becoming bored. Even past that point that I often found the action to drag or become overly contemplative instead of really active.
This wasn't the best in the series but it is still a very good series in general. I'd recommend reading it, because it's a unique and interesting read.
For Katie and Tomo time is running out. They'll soon have to face the destiny written for them by the kami. The tragedy of the gods is about to repeat itself and Katie and Tomo's lives are at stake because of it. They'll have to gather the secrets of the kami as well as their three treasures in able to stop the world from coming to an end in an epic repeat of a centuries old battle between gods.
This was probably not my favourite of the books in the series, but I still really liked it a lot. As always I liked the action and the plot the most, the characters are a little less that perfect. The main problem with this final installment in the series though is that the pacing was really rather bad.
I really enjoyed the action in this book. There were a few really cool fights making use of the magic ink powers that Jun, Ikeda, Tomo, and Katie all have. I especially loved the final fight of the book, I think it was the best written one of the series and will surely prove to be the most memorable. Beyond the fighting though I really enjoyed the exploration into the past of the kami and the trekking all around Japan that Tomo and Katie did because it really brought something interesting to the book.
The characters to me are just sort of...meh? I don't know if it's a problem of the narrative (first person), but to me everything felt kind of passive and uninvolved. I've never been a huge fan of Katie, she's not a particularly strong lead. Tomo's characterization has always felt kind of wishy washy to me, and I think that's excused a lot by the warring gods inside of him, but it still feels very inconsistent. I thought Jun was better developed by the end of this book but it came too late. Overall they're not really the best thing about this book, and often feel like a shortcoming for the novels.
The biggest problem by far was the pacing though. It took me well over 50 pages to really get into the book, before that I couldn't get 3 pages without becoming bored. Even past that point that I often found the action to drag or become overly contemplative instead of really active.
This wasn't the best in the series but it is still a very good series in general. I'd recommend reading it, because it's a unique and interesting read.
foodtabas's review
emotional
fast-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
3.5
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Loved reading this book, and it was a fantastic end to this series! Loved how things wrapped up!
thechaoshour's review
5.0
Initial Thoughts
I knew nothing going into this book. I was expecting something along the lines of Inkheart if anyone has read that. I’m so glad that I was wrong and that it turned out to be an incredible series that I couldn’t put down.
My New BFF
I really liked Katie in this series. I liked how she wasn’t just in a new city in the same country like we tend to see, but she’s in a new city in a whole different country! I loved learning all about the Japanese culture with her. We got to see so many little things that I wasn’t expecting. It’s like I had moved with her and was learning it all at the same time. Katie made it all seem so easy though. I’m jealous of her ability to adapt so quickly.
My Crush
Tomohiro is an easy character to fall in love with. At first he seems like the bad boy which is what gets you at the start. Then once Katie starts being around him more you see how sweet and selfless he is. Can you imagine being a teenager and going through all those emotions and then having crazy, out of control powers at the same time? I admire him for keeping his control for so long. I didn’t like how he just accepted his fate though. Maybe he was just tired of fighting but he always just figured he’d die in the end. I’m glad Katie was there to tell him otherwise.
Writing Style
My favourite part about this book was learning about the culture. I don’t think I’ve read any other books set in Japan so it was really refreshing to read something not set in the U.S. You get tired of being in the same place for so long. I also really loved all the characters. There was almost a love triangle, which I got nervous about, but you could tell that Katie and Tomo were going to stay together. All the other characters were really interesting though.
Closing Thoughts
This will forever be a favourite series I think. I’m a sucker for any book that relates to any of the Gods. I’m glad that I got to learn about the Japanese Gods this time because I’m getting a little tired of the Greek ones. I’m really happy with how this series turned out and I’ll probably recommend it to just about everyone.
I knew nothing going into this book. I was expecting something along the lines of Inkheart if anyone has read that. I’m so glad that I was wrong and that it turned out to be an incredible series that I couldn’t put down.
My New BFF
I really liked Katie in this series. I liked how she wasn’t just in a new city in the same country like we tend to see, but she’s in a new city in a whole different country! I loved learning all about the Japanese culture with her. We got to see so many little things that I wasn’t expecting. It’s like I had moved with her and was learning it all at the same time. Katie made it all seem so easy though. I’m jealous of her ability to adapt so quickly.
My Crush
Tomohiro is an easy character to fall in love with. At first he seems like the bad boy which is what gets you at the start. Then once Katie starts being around him more you see how sweet and selfless he is. Can you imagine being a teenager and going through all those emotions and then having crazy, out of control powers at the same time? I admire him for keeping his control for so long. I didn’t like how he just accepted his fate though. Maybe he was just tired of fighting but he always just figured he’d die in the end. I’m glad Katie was there to tell him otherwise.
Writing Style
My favourite part about this book was learning about the culture. I don’t think I’ve read any other books set in Japan so it was really refreshing to read something not set in the U.S. You get tired of being in the same place for so long. I also really loved all the characters. There was almost a love triangle, which I got nervous about, but you could tell that Katie and Tomo were going to stay together. All the other characters were really interesting though.
Closing Thoughts
This will forever be a favourite series I think. I’m a sucker for any book that relates to any of the Gods. I’m glad that I got to learn about the Japanese Gods this time because I’m getting a little tired of the Greek ones. I’m really happy with how this series turned out and I’ll probably recommend it to just about everyone.
chantie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow what a conclusion to this series. I enjoyed reading and learning about the characters and the Kami. I loved how Katie was from Canada, as I am from Canada, so it was cool to have that connection. I thought she was a strong character who was willing to fight for what she loved and believed. I thought it was great to have the Japanese words with the English words in the glossary. I loved how the ebook actually had a link to connect us to the glossary and then a link to take is right back to where we were on the book.
darkclouds's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 or maybe 4 stars. I'm still undecided.
Hm. I guess I just didn't expect things to unfold the way it did at the end. Again, I love this series for its mythology and Japanese themed goodness, but it all keeps coming back to Katie. I realised my main issue was with her inner thoughts and way of thinking. For example, in situations where lives are at risk, she has the most ridiculous and random thoughts like romantic notions about Tomo, or correcting herself mentally when she uses a characters first name rather than last name (out of respect, which I understand but does this need to be highlighted in situations where they're in the face of danger?). Silly stuff like that. It bothered me. It ended up with me losing the drive to root for her and Tomo and instead I just wanted to see Jun kick ass. Ishikawa is pretty hilarious too - I totally support our white haired Yakuza bandit!
It was still pretty entertaining, the mythological aspects were pretty interesting and were a redeeming quality. I loved exploring more of Japan and learning new phrases through this series. Of course, things got pretty ugly and dramatic which lifted my mood. I'm still feeling a little mixed about that ending but my love for Japan kind of overrides my conflicting thoughts. There are just so few YA Japanese centric stories out there so I'm learning to appreciate what we got.
I do love this series overall, and I think INK was my favourite out of the 3. I'd recommend it, especially if you wish to try something different.
Hm. I guess I just didn't expect things to unfold the way it did at the end. Again, I love this series for its mythology and Japanese themed goodness, but it all keeps coming back to Katie. I realised my main issue was with her inner thoughts and way of thinking. For example, in situations where lives are at risk, she has the most ridiculous and random thoughts like romantic notions about Tomo, or correcting herself mentally when she uses a characters first name rather than last name (out of respect, which I understand but does this need to be highlighted in situations where they're in the face of danger?). Silly stuff like that. It bothered me. It ended up with me losing the drive to root for her and Tomo and instead I just wanted to see Jun kick ass. Ishikawa is pretty hilarious too - I totally support our white haired Yakuza bandit!
It was still pretty entertaining, the mythological aspects were pretty interesting and were a redeeming quality. I loved exploring more of Japan and learning new phrases through this series. Of course, things got pretty ugly and dramatic which lifted my mood. I'm still feeling a little mixed about that ending but my love for Japan kind of overrides my conflicting thoughts. There are just so few YA Japanese centric stories out there so I'm learning to appreciate what we got.
I do love this series overall, and I think INK was my favourite out of the 3. I'd recommend it, especially if you wish to try something different.
robert_redmann's review against another edition
3.0
[a:Amanda Sun|4649677|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1349367928p2/4649677.jpg] manages to hit it out of the park yet again in [b:Storm|30066762|Storm (The Paper Gods, Book 4)|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1462098027s/30066762.jpg|25473109] while she describes Japan and all of its locales and customs. It’s a pity then that I didn’t enjoy Storm as much as I think I could have. Overall, this series has been enjoyable and Storm was absolutely no different, however, I feel as if it was a bit rushed towards the end, which left me wanting way more than I got.
My major issue in this book continues to be Katie’s indecisive nature. She does and awful lot of whining about her predicament, but not a whole lot of anything to solve it. This left me more irritated with her than in the previous installments of the series, which then made me irritated with the book in general.
Another issue that I had was how fast this book seemed to be trying to go through the motions, just so it could come to a neat and tidy conclusion. We had Tomohiro, Katie and Takahashi rushing to find all of theDeathly Hallows Imperial Treasures so that they could solve the mystery of how to defeat the “ink,” and live to tell the tale. All the while, Tomo becomes the epitome of angst; unlike anything we’ve seen so far in the series (which if you’ve read the series so far, you’d know that he’s quite the angst-ridden character). This all leads to a rather bland conclusion to the series that, in my opinion, was awfully convenient.
In terms of the series as a whole, I would definitely recommend it. While I took slight umbrage with the last two installments, I felt that their pros outweighed the few cons that I had. If anything, read this book for the descriptions of Japan as a whole.
My major issue in this book continues to be Katie’s indecisive nature. She does and awful lot of whining about her predicament, but not a whole lot of anything to solve it. This left me more irritated with her than in the previous installments of the series, which then made me irritated with the book in general.
Another issue that I had was how fast this book seemed to be trying to go through the motions, just so it could come to a neat and tidy conclusion. We had Tomohiro, Katie and Takahashi rushing to find all of the
In terms of the series as a whole, I would definitely recommend it. While I took slight umbrage with the last two installments, I felt that their pros outweighed the few cons that I had. If anything, read this book for the descriptions of Japan as a whole.