kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.5 stars for me.
Hmm.....much like some other reviewers I really wanted to like this one. In the same way I really wanted to fall head over heals with Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and Ruth Nestvold's Yseult.
I never fell in love with either Maara (who remains so mysterious and opaque except for when dishing out wisdom) or the main character, Tamras. Possibly it was because the voice of Tamras is so naive and reactive as to feel flimsy at times. It isn't until about the last third of the book that things get interesting, and just when Tamras begins her own apprenticeship, makes some intriguing enemies by standing up for her own feelings, and begins a political manuevering game that draws her warrior into the life of the homestead, the book ends.
Not a fan of the clearly "go buy the next book" in the series kind of dealio either, actually.
Still, I appreciated Tamras' naivete at times because one of the strengths of this book is the way innocent way it approaches life and male-female and female-female politics. Not as something unusual or surprising, but just as a natural matter of course.
Very refreshing.
And while there are a plethora of attachments and love amongst characters in this book of various genders and power status, it was interesting to me to see that Tamras still called "love" a heterosexual experience, as in "I can't experience love until I become a warrior and am free to lie with a man", and focused mainly on the feelings and sensations and political implications of her emotions with her best friend Sparrow and warrior, Maara.
And the bits of wisdom are good. I especially appreciated the whole "self control instead of indulging feelings" and "realizing you don't have to let anger use you" kind of philosophy Maara espouses (while rolling my eyes a bit whenever she gets on her high horse.)
So a mixed bag for me. Lovely, refreshingly unjudgmental approach to various relationships, interesting world in terms of the the pseudo-medieval politics of the homestead, and a sprinkling of wisdom-bits to wash it all down. In the end, however, I need to fall in love with a character in order to stick with a series and that didn't happen for me here.
Hmm.....much like some other reviewers I really wanted to like this one. In the same way I really wanted to fall head over heals with Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and Ruth Nestvold's Yseult.
I never fell in love with either Maara (who remains so mysterious and opaque except for when dishing out wisdom) or the main character, Tamras. Possibly it was because the voice of Tamras is so naive and reactive as to feel flimsy at times. It isn't until about the last third of the book that things get interesting, and just when Tamras begins her own apprenticeship, makes some intriguing enemies by standing up for her own feelings, and begins a political manuevering game that draws her warrior into the life of the homestead, the book ends.
Not a fan of the clearly "go buy the next book" in the series kind of dealio either, actually.
Still, I appreciated Tamras' naivete at times because one of the strengths of this book is the way innocent way it approaches life and male-female and female-female politics. Not as something unusual or surprising, but just as a natural matter of course.
Very refreshing.
And while there are a plethora of attachments and love amongst characters in this book of various genders and power status, it was interesting to me to see that Tamras still called "love" a heterosexual experience, as in "I can't experience love until I become a warrior and am free to lie with a man", and focused mainly on the feelings and sensations and political implications of her emotions with her best friend Sparrow and warrior, Maara.
And the bits of wisdom are good. I especially appreciated the whole "self control instead of indulging feelings" and "realizing you don't have to let anger use you" kind of philosophy Maara espouses (while rolling my eyes a bit whenever she gets on her high horse.)
So a mixed bag for me. Lovely, refreshingly unjudgmental approach to various relationships, interesting world in terms of the the pseudo-medieval politics of the homestead, and a sprinkling of wisdom-bits to wash it all down. In the end, however, I need to fall in love with a character in order to stick with a series and that didn't happen for me here.
jamietherebelliousreader's review
4.0
4 stars. Such a unique read. The writing is beautiful and very easy to get into and I really liked the plot and characters. The way this ended makes me want to immediately jump into book two to see what is going to happen next. This isn’t a slow story per se but the way the plot unfolds is. I really liked the subtle character growth of our main character, Tamras. The exploration of what makes a warrior is very well done as well as the discussion of gender and how sexuality is handled. Tamras wants to be a warrior and she doesn’t let her smaller frame deter her and she fights for what she believes in. She’s just a really likable character with a big heart.
I’m on to book two because I think this series is going to get better from here.
I’m on to book two because I think this series is going to get better from here.
theirdarkmaterials's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
trans_ishtar's review against another edition
4.0
A really sweet story of courage, companionship, loneliness, and love. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
saraishelafs's review against another edition
2.0
A different take on a warrior's path describing the emotional journey of women seeking to bind themselves to one another. I prefer blades.
gizmoto16's review against another edition
4.0
I easily got hooked on this book. Can't wait to read the rest in the series.
librinaut's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This trilogy is one of those rare gems you find by accident and then want to tell the entire world about. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will not get into too much detail about the story here. The story follows Tamras, a young woman on her way to becoming a warrior. But it's also so much more.
This is not a story packed with action and epic battles. It's a story about so many things but in its essence, it's about different relationships between very different women. This book will have some elements and hints of romance (between two women mainly, which is why I read this in the first place) in it but it's not a romance-focussed story. It's more about how a mentor and a student get along or how they don't. It's about friendship and deep bonds that you wouldn't call one. It's about loyalty, different definitions of family and ah so much more.
The worldbuilding is solid, it doesn't give as extensive detail as other books but it's still beautifully done and more than enough to make everything believable. Not for a second did I doubt any of what I was seeing before my mind's eye. The characters are the driving force in these books so of course they are fantastically written as well. Overall Wilsons writing style is beautiful, elegant and wonderful to read. It just sucked me in and didn't let me go.
This reads like something that should be on the shelves in every book store and would have been such an important read for me as a teenager. But I enjoy it just as much as an adult and I highly recommend it!
This is not a story packed with action and epic battles. It's a story about so many things but in its essence, it's about different relationships between very different women. This book will have some elements and hints of romance (between two women mainly, which is why I read this in the first place) in it but it's not a romance-focussed story. It's more about how a mentor and a student get along or how they don't. It's about friendship and deep bonds that you wouldn't call one. It's about loyalty, different definitions of family and ah so much more.
The worldbuilding is solid, it doesn't give as extensive detail as other books but it's still beautifully done and more than enough to make everything believable. Not for a second did I doubt any of what I was seeing before my mind's eye. The characters are the driving force in these books so of course they are fantastically written as well. Overall Wilsons writing style is beautiful, elegant and wonderful to read. It just sucked me in and didn't let me go.
This reads like something that should be on the shelves in every book store and would have been such an important read for me as a teenager. But I enjoy it just as much as an adult and I highly recommend it!
wombie's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0