lauraspages's review
5.0
I raved passionately about this book after reading the first 200 pages and recommended it to everyone I know who loves reading. To begin with it had everything I like in a fantasy book: vivid description that makes you feel as though you're there in the setting; four intriguing points-of-view characters with different personal journeys and really imaginative world building.
All of those things remain true and are definitely reasons to read the book. It was also refreshing to read a recently published fantasy book with strong female characters where romance is not the main focus of the story and the plot doesn't hang on a timeline of tropes we've seen time and time again.
Having said all of that, I was disappointed with the last third of the book, and the end in particular because it felt like the balance between world building and plot & pacing was a bit off. Let me explain.
If the author writes more books set in this world I will definitely give them a chance because there were lots of things to like about this book.
All of those things remain true and are definitely reasons to read the book. It was also refreshing to read a recently published fantasy book with strong female characters where romance is not the main focus of the story and the plot doesn't hang on a timeline of tropes we've seen time and time again.
Having said all of that, I was disappointed with the last third of the book, and the end in particular because it felt like the balance between world building and plot & pacing was a bit off. Let me explain.
Spoiler
The Nameless One (the big baddie who needs to be defeated or else) emerges after 773 pages of build up and then he is defeated in 10 pages. Then there are 25 pages of ending, in which everyone anticlimactically goes back to their corners. The glossary and endnotes were twice as long as the scene we were waiting for all along because it was heavily signposted as a big deal.If the author writes more books set in this world I will definitely give them a chance because there were lots of things to like about this book.
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