stacyjenson's review against another edition
4.0
Fun! Parts I liked:
- Valek. He's basically a ninja and ninjas are awesome. And he sculpts little animal figurines for his friends. Sensitive!
- The emotional/moral ambiguities. Was I, the reader, supposed to approve of the Commander's coup? Are things really better post-coup? Can rule by military junta ever turn out well? I flip-flopped about this a lot. This aspect of the story was downplayed in favor of a light-hearted fantasy/adventure/romance romp, and you could point this out as a plot hole. But, the nagging feeling of whether I should be rooting for the guys in charge added some texture and depth to the story.
- The Commander's secret. Whaa? A little strange, a little random, but I'm putting it in the Like category.
- Dialogue. I sometimes find that romance-ish writers do not have their male characters talk in any way real living men really talk and interact with each other. (JD Ward, I'm looking straight at you.) I thought the interactions here were genuine.
Disliked:
- Some hackneyed fantasy tropes. The learning-to-fight scenes, a la Karate Kid. The friendly seamstress. The grumpy head servant.
- Aside from Yelena, the female characters were pretty 1-dimensional. Same for the bad guys.
- Setting. I'm not sure anything in the story required this to be set in the usual medieval fantasy world. The Commander and military districts reminded me of Handmaid's Tale, so I kept wondering how this story could've played out in the far future, post-civilization.
Minor complaints, though.
- Valek. He's basically a ninja and ninjas are awesome. And he sculpts little animal figurines for his friends. Sensitive!
- The emotional/moral ambiguities. Was I, the reader, supposed to approve of the Commander's coup? Are things really better post-coup? Can rule by military junta ever turn out well? I flip-flopped about this a lot. This aspect of the story was downplayed in favor of a light-hearted fantasy/adventure/romance romp, and you could point this out as a plot hole. But, the nagging feeling of whether I should be rooting for the guys in charge added some texture and depth to the story.
- The Commander's secret. Whaa? A little strange, a little random, but I'm putting it in the Like category.
- Dialogue. I sometimes find that romance-ish writers do not have their male characters talk in any way real living men really talk and interact with each other. (JD Ward, I'm looking straight at you.) I thought the interactions here were genuine.
Disliked:
- Some hackneyed fantasy tropes. The learning-to-fight scenes, a la Karate Kid. The friendly seamstress. The grumpy head servant.
- Aside from Yelena, the female characters were pretty 1-dimensional. Same for the bad guys.
- Setting. I'm not sure anything in the story required this to be set in the usual medieval fantasy world. The Commander and military districts reminded me of Handmaid's Tale, so I kept wondering how this story could've played out in the far future, post-civilization.
Minor complaints, though.
janeeein123's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
kendall_paigeee's review against another edition
5.0
Ella gave me this book to borrow, and it is amazing. I mean i was only 50 pages in and i was invested. It is so good and one of my favourite standalones! I don't want to give it back but next time i see her in person then i will give it back to it's rightful owner.
lemon_'s review against another edition
2.0
Holy moly this book is the definition of mediocre. I've never read a hard bound book that so screams "fan fiction" quality to me. The main character is a complete mary sue, and nothing is ever shown or unfolded naturally in the plot - the main character just kinda knows and every tiny little aspect is explained. There is no concept of "show, don't tell" in this book. The plot is fairly generic outside of the poison taster bit and it's thoroughly predictable. The world the book is set in is not fully formed and not particularly interesting. I hate to be harsh, but man this book was hard to finish.
abbeyclawrey's review against another edition
3.0
i enjoyed it, am still looking to read the second. definitely not my fave series
kzhrng's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
endemictoearth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
After talking animatedly at my spouse for ten minutes about this book and reading some 1 and 2 star reviews, I think I can say a few things. I agreed most with the sentiments of the 2 star reviews. Because I did mostly enjoy the first 75% and I was drawn in and along for the ride as we learned about this world and the role Yelena had within it. Valek was kind of a dick, but didn't do anything so egregious that I couldn't ship them. But the closer we got to the end of the book, there were so many threads, I knew they wouldn't all be woven in or tied up satisfactorily. I know this is the start of a series, but I do believe every book should have a beginning middle and end, even if some elements are carried over. This book did have some resolutions, but the execution of the last 20% or so really let me down big time.
Lots of convenient magic-related things popped up (previously hinted at, but lazily executed), and the villains became even more cartoonish as the story went along (and the stuff, even if it's pointed out as being unoriginal was SO obvious and kind of stupid). I also thought that the inconsistent presence of the ghost of the man she killed was convenient to the plot, as well.
The love story went from 2 to 11 out of nowhere; we definitely needed more moments between Yelena and Valek before they start
There was just 20 pounds of plot in a 5 pound sack in the last part of the book, and all the intrigue and potential that had been built up just evaporated in a tornado of Things Happening Abruptly. Not to mention the clumsy handling of the Commander's. I understand this is 2005 YA, so it could have been a lot worse, but it was very ham-fisted and confusing and kind of pointless? Unless it plays into something later in the story, it was mostly just baffling.
(I will say I liked Ari and Janco, both their relationship and how they remained loyal to Yelena (and that they’ll accompany her to Sitia); they were my favorite characters and I could have read a whole book of them)
Lots of convenient magic-related things popped up (previously hinted at, but lazily executed), and the villains became even more cartoonish as the story went along (and the
Spoiler
Mogkan/KangomThe love story went from 2 to 11 out of nowhere; we definitely needed more moments between Yelena and Valek before they start
Spoiler
banging (in a fade to black sort of way). Their romance could have been drawn across the series, instead of cramming it in and giving us this whole “the Commander who you saved but has still ordered your death needs me more than you do right now; we’ll be reunited someday” is BULLSHIT. If it leads to pining letters in book 2, that could work (not that I'll ever know.)There was just 20 pounds of plot in a 5 pound sack in the last part of the book, and all the intrigue and potential that had been built up just evaporated in a tornado of Things Happening Abruptly. Not to mention the clumsy handling of the Commander's
Spoiler
trans identity(I will say I liked Ari and Janco, both their relationship and how they remained loyal to Yelena (and that they’ll accompany her to Sitia); they were my favorite characters and I could have read a whole book of them)
ceelie's review against another edition
5.0
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!
I used to think that romance usually has a big role in these kinds of reads. But I was wrong. Since this book didn't emphasize much on romantic relationship, it still had that factor which makes you want to read more after every chapter.
If it wasn't for the holiday festivities, I wouldn't have put this down. The writing was so intriguing and flawless. The characters. Valek is just to die for! *swoons* And Yelena!! She was such a great female lead in the story.
I enjoyed this a lot. Actually, I enjoyed this book so much that I'm kind of afraid to read the next two books.
Here's to hoping I'd enjoy them just as much!!
I used to think that romance usually has a big role in these kinds of reads. But I was wrong. Since this book didn't emphasize much on romantic relationship, it still had that factor which makes you want to read more after every chapter.
If it wasn't for the holiday festivities, I wouldn't have put this down. The writing was so intriguing and flawless. The characters. Valek is just to die for! *swoons* And Yelena!! She was such a great female lead in the story.
I enjoyed this a lot. Actually, I enjoyed this book so much that I'm kind of afraid to read the next two books.
Here's to hoping I'd enjoy them just as much!!
setauuta's review against another edition
4.0
It's been a while since I've read this one, and it's held up well. There's some solid worldbuilding and character development, and it leaves the reader wanting to know more about the world.