vandelocht's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
5.0
kimmahkimmah's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A dazzling fun book about adventure, monsters, friendship, and finding home and figuring out family. Cannot wait for more!
bookishlytammie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mat_tobin's review against another edition
Oh, I really wanted to like this. It was literally the Forgotten Realms for younger readers (I'd say MG but I really hate the term so think 7+) and I thought that with such a rich world and backstory that it would be ripe for the picking.
Zellidora has grown up in the Dungeon Academy for most of her life. Raised by two minotaur mums she has successfully integrated herself into the monster culture and society as they train to fight and take on the humans who would get in their way. Think Hogwarts but replace humans with Monster races. Unfortunately, there's a hitch. Zelli is absolutely no monster nor a minotaur: she's human. So when she discovers an image of a brave warrior in one of the library's lore books who looks 'just' like her, she sets out in search of the woman who could be her biological mother. But she's not alone, several monster companions believe in Zelli and join her on her quest.
I think it was the whole carnivalising of the genre that perhaps didn't work for me but probably 'will' work for younger readers. Having played around in the Realms for decades I had envisioned a young group of adventurers heading off but I suspect there's something more playful in having the monsters be the centre of attention.
I also think this could have worked if I didn't have a problem with 'how' Zelli gets by as a minotaur in the Dungeon Academy for so long. Zelli and her minotaur mothers believe that Zelli's disguise is good enough because she's wearing a pair of fake horns - but it is also because she has thick hair and is black too? Would it have worked if the character was white and blond? I think it's this concept that I just didn't feel sat right with me.
The story too was a nice idea - evil necromancer trying to take over the realms but it felt as if the author was trying really hard to juggle plot and character at the same time. Again, parallels to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone abound but Rowling manages that balance a little better by a gradual introduction to the 'bad guy' perhaps.
There are many things that could and probably will work in the future though: the Monster cast is sweet and I think if their characters are allowed to grow then all the better. I had a really sweet spot for Bauble the mimic (who doesn't like fighting) but uses their smarts instead. I also thought that Probert's illustrations were gorgeous too. It's clear that we're to expect more from the series and I just hope that character building continues.
A final niggle was the format of the book. For some reason, the text starts a little higher at the top of each page and I thought this an unusual design. Younger readers tend to enjoy less text on the page and slightly larger gaps between lines and I wondered what the choices were here.
Overall, I felt that Roux had a LOT to juggle here - there are attempts at diversity that are admirable but are problematic in places; there's the introduction to a host of monsters that children might not know (which makes it difficult to understand the audience - a Bestiary at the back could have helped?) and then there's the plot which is thin on the ground but will probably grow as the series continues.
** I don't think it's fair to star this as it's the first review on Goodreads and I'd rather her from other readers' perspectives**
Zellidora has grown up in the Dungeon Academy for most of her life. Raised by two minotaur mums she has successfully integrated herself into the monster culture and society as they train to fight and take on the humans who would get in their way. Think Hogwarts but replace humans with Monster races. Unfortunately, there's a hitch. Zelli is absolutely no monster nor a minotaur: she's human. So when she discovers an image of a brave warrior in one of the library's lore books who looks 'just' like her, she sets out in search of the woman who could be her biological mother. But she's not alone, several monster companions believe in Zelli and join her on her quest.
I think it was the whole carnivalising of the genre that perhaps didn't work for me but probably 'will' work for younger readers. Having played around in the Realms for decades I had envisioned a young group of adventurers heading off but I suspect there's something more playful in having the monsters be the centre of attention.
I also think this could have worked if I didn't have a problem with 'how' Zelli gets by as a minotaur in the Dungeon Academy for so long. Zelli and her minotaur mothers believe that Zelli's disguise is good enough because she's wearing a pair of fake horns - but it is also because she has thick hair and is black too? Would it have worked if the character was white and blond? I think it's this concept that I just didn't feel sat right with me.
The story too was a nice idea - evil necromancer trying to take over the realms but it felt as if the author was trying really hard to juggle plot and character at the same time. Again, parallels to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone abound but Rowling manages that balance a little better by a gradual introduction to the 'bad guy' perhaps.
There are many things that could and probably will work in the future though: the Monster cast is sweet and I think if their characters are allowed to grow then all the better. I had a really sweet spot for Bauble the mimic (who doesn't like fighting) but uses their smarts instead. I also thought that Probert's illustrations were gorgeous too. It's clear that we're to expect more from the series and I just hope that character building continues.
A final niggle was the format of the book. For some reason, the text starts a little higher at the top of each page and I thought this an unusual design. Younger readers tend to enjoy less text on the page and slightly larger gaps between lines and I wondered what the choices were here.
Overall, I felt that Roux had a LOT to juggle here - there are attempts at diversity that are admirable but are problematic in places; there's the introduction to a host of monsters that children might not know (which makes it difficult to understand the audience - a Bestiary at the back could have helped?) and then there's the plot which is thin on the ground but will probably grow as the series continues.
** I don't think it's fair to star this as it's the first review on Goodreads and I'd rather her from other readers' perspectives**
cloudylueur's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
mis_chievous's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
arizonahurn's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I was going to like this book a lot more than I did. I loved the art style (Tim Probert did The Girl and the Galdurian, which I adored) but the illustrations sometimes were contrary to what the text said was happening. I love the idea of a human masquerading in the monster world, especially when she has two minotaur moms. I love the reject found family trope and I love how they resolved the ending. There were just so many moments where I felt the loss of this being a novel with illustrations instead of a graphic novel. There were parts where I felt like I was trudging through it instead of savoring the moment. There were a lot of good things about this book, but I still ended up feeling a little disappointed.
kitisreadinggbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.75
ttreadsya's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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
3.5
Loved the artwork and style of this book! The story was sweet, and the message was simple but important!
I adored the characters, specifically the vegan owlbear! And i, of course, loved the setting.
But overall, i wish there was just more to the book and that it was a little less following a basic plot. The characters deserved better from the predictable plot.
I adored the characters, specifically the vegan owlbear! And i, of course, loved the setting.
But overall, i wish there was just more to the book and that it was a little less following a basic plot. The characters deserved better from the predictable plot.