linneahedvig's review
2.0
This was kind of a retelling of East of the Sun West of the Moon, but only at the beginning. After that story ends, this one carries on with the troll queen's daughter. The story had some good fairy tale elements, but on the whole it felt like it was trying to do too much. It wants to have the emotional realism of something like The Goblin Emperor, looking at how someone survives abuse and abandonment and takes over a kingdom, and it also wants to tell a fairy tale with the rule of threes and archetypal characters. I have also been having a hard time with audiobooks lately, so it might have also been that.
turnherintoliterature's review against another edition
2.0
I found it difficult to stay interested in this story. Hulde was, frankly, fairly annoying in her stubbornness and her constant “woe is me, people are using me when I thought they were my friends”. The plot was also a bit simplistic in comparison to the other book I’ve read by this author. Slightly disappointing, unfortunately.
akhamilton's review against another edition
3.0
Perhaps I didn't read the description well enough when I started this story. I assumed the entire novel was a retelling of the traditional east-of-the-sun story. Imagine my surprise when that concluded in part 1. I LOVED the way in which that story was upended - Hulde's perspective, the three pets, the "friend" in need of help.
Part 2 came as a bit of a shock and, as a result, was difficult for me to embrace. Honestly, I almost DNF because I was not connecting with the plot as much as I did in the first part. I'm glad I stuck it out though. Hulde's journey was, in fact, beautiful!
If you're a fan of fairy tales and are willing to give a chance on a story that moves a bit slowly in the middle, you won't be disappointed.
Part 2 came as a bit of a shock and, as a result, was difficult for me to embrace. Honestly, I almost DNF because I was not connecting with the plot as much as I did in the first part. I'm glad I stuck it out though. Hulde's journey was, in fact, beautiful!
If you're a fan of fairy tales and are willing to give a chance on a story that moves a bit slowly in the middle, you won't be disappointed.
charitie's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
jlynnelseauthor's review against another edition
4.0
While I really liked the story, I didn't like the Audible narrator. I felt she completely rushed through the prose with very little color to her voice.
This is a story about a sheltered girl trying to find her path but has no clue about the world and its people outside her mountainous home. She's understatedly courageous while also very humble and kind. I found her to be a compelling lead undergoing a large amount of character growth which propels the plot forward. This is a unique world with hints of magic yet to be explored. Recommended.
This is a story about a sheltered girl trying to find her path but has no clue about the world and its people outside her mountainous home. She's understatedly courageous while also very humble and kind. I found her to be a compelling lead undergoing a large amount of character growth which propels the plot forward. This is a unique world with hints of magic yet to be explored. Recommended.
tyrshand's review against another edition
4.0
Much of this is charming and fun, while exploring how independence and solitude mix and conflict, as well as how to recognize true companionship. It straddles the line between YA and adult, making it appeal to a wide audience. However, there is quite a lot going on here and as the story moves on it begins to feel more and more like too much is happening too quickly. I'd have enjoyed a more leisurely trek through the latter half of the book. I did love that the troll princess got to be the star, though, and may never view the heroine of West of the Sun, East of the Moon in the same way again. (what a jerk) I also appreciated the idea that stories have power.
opheliajblack's review
5.0
Please note; my star rating on any book is completely subjective and limited to the label for each star.
1 Star I didn’t like it
2 Stars It was okay
3 Stars I liked it
4 Stars I really liked it
5 Stars It was amazing!
If I do actually have something to say about a book other than what my enjoyment factor was, I will write a review and share my thoughts. If I say I didn’t like a book but there wasn’t anything about it that I thought needed to be shared, then that’s it, I just didn’t like it.
If you’d like to start a discussion about a book or you’d like an actual review, ask any question you like and I’ll be happy to try and comply/respond.
Additional note; I do not feed the trolls. If you don’t have something constructive to say, or if you can’t say it in a respectful way, you won’t get a response from me. Ever.
1 Star I didn’t like it
2 Stars It was okay
3 Stars I liked it
4 Stars I really liked it
5 Stars It was amazing!
If I do actually have something to say about a book other than what my enjoyment factor was, I will write a review and share my thoughts. If I say I didn’t like a book but there wasn’t anything about it that I thought needed to be shared, then that’s it, I just didn’t like it.
If you’d like to start a discussion about a book or you’d like an actual review, ask any question you like and I’ll be happy to try and comply/respond.
Additional note; I do not feed the trolls. If you don’t have something constructive to say, or if you can’t say it in a respectful way, you won’t get a response from me. Ever.
bookphenomena_micky's review
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one started stronger than it ended, with the first quarter being really enjoyable but then slowing up as it went. What pulled you in on this one was the uniqueness of the tale (a norse retelling basis) and the concept of beauty. The good narration kept me going. Definitely not my fav JM.
mckitten01's review
3.0
Gripping writing, as usual for Marillier, but the story lacks a bit. Perhaps I'm just too attached to her long trilogies, but the ending to the story felt way too short, or that there should be more books added to fill the space. If I had to guess, I'd say it was an earlier book of hers, maybe a story she'd been playing around with. Definitely amazing writing, though. That's why I was instantly addicted to Marillier's books.
edb14's review
3.0
I was very excited to find out about this novel as it is yet another adaptation of my favorite fairy tale, the Norse myth East of the Sun and West of the Moon . I always try to read every possible adaptation of this tale, and there aren't many of them out there.
But then, oh noo... The tale itself only appears in small hints at the beginning, and almost no focus is given to the brave heroine of many (and no) names that is usually front and center. The grand climax of confronting the evil Troll Queen takes place in the first third of the novel. Swiftly dropping my beloved characters in the literary dutstbin like a used washrag, Juliet Marillier cracks her knuckles and proceeds with the story that she wanted to tell. Oh, my heart...
Though reeling from the shock of having my precious story swept aside lightly, I was intrigued by the tale that Marillier weaves in her own way. The heartwarming conclusion of one story is also the cruel disappointment to our actual main character, the rejected troll bride (neatly reflecting my own feelings about the novel lol). The troll bride must accept that the future she imagined for herself was merely a childhood dream, and she must set out in search of a new purpose. In the process, she begins to discover a purpose for her people as well, and many ways that her unique talents could be used to change the world. She may not resemble the heroines from the human storybooks she loves, but she will create her own narrative as best as she knows how.
Thematically, it is brilliant and well-told. The plot itself I found to be a bit rushed and simplistic. Though purporting to record a great character arc and explore a vast world, the story actually covers two human settlements and one-and-a-half troll clans before our heroine and her army must march back to her castle to fend off a new treachery. The novel proceeds in stops and starts and is tonally inconsistent. One of the most bizarre elements is the magic. Having stripped away the nostalgic beauty of the original tale, Marillier seems to be going for a more realistic portrayal of a magical world, which I enjoy usually. She usually has the characters respond to problems in realistic ways and describes the characters' talents as being innate to troll or human folk rather than the product of magic explicitly. The magic she describes seems to be a part of the royal family and is difficult to control. This is all fine and I was starting to understand her magic system. However, she keeps certain elements from the fairy tale unchanged with no explanation, such as the insistence on the power of three. Some elements are whimsically left mysterious, which does not work if you are going for a gritty re-imagining of a classic tale. The toothpaste will not go back into the tube, Marillier; the fairy will not go back into the bottle. You held up the old tale as a sham ending that left certain characters callously left out; you can't just go back to relying on the old tropes that gave that fairy tale its feel. Instead, Marillier hops back and forth between modern realistic attitudes and reliance on fairy-tale logic in order to drag the novel to a dramatic conclusion reminiscent of the original tale that contains the powerful and inexplicable three deus-ex-machinas, but that also solves the problems of all the sad side-characters whose dreams are not fulfilled. In my opinion, Marillier is trying to have her cake and eat it too.
This was a thoroughly middle-of-the-road novel. It is short, punchy, and moderately interesting, but not well-written enough or meaty enough to stick in my mind or overcome its tonal problems. I will probably have forgotten it in a year.
But then, oh noo... The tale itself only appears in small hints at the beginning, and almost no focus is given to the brave heroine of many (and no) names that is usually front and center. The grand climax of confronting the evil Troll Queen takes place in the first third of the novel. Swiftly dropping my beloved characters in the literary dutstbin like a used washrag, Juliet Marillier cracks her knuckles and proceeds with the story that she wanted to tell. Oh, my heart...
Though reeling from the shock of having my precious story swept aside lightly, I was intrigued by the tale that Marillier weaves in her own way. The heartwarming conclusion of one story is also the cruel disappointment to our actual main character, the rejected troll bride (neatly reflecting my own feelings about the novel lol). The troll bride must accept that the future she imagined for herself was merely a childhood dream, and she must set out in search of a new purpose. In the process, she begins to discover a purpose for her people as well, and many ways that her unique talents could be used to change the world. She may not resemble the heroines from the human storybooks she loves, but she will create her own narrative as best as she knows how.
Thematically, it is brilliant and well-told. The plot itself I found to be a bit rushed and simplistic. Though purporting to record a great character arc and explore a vast world, the story actually covers two human settlements and one-and-a-half troll clans before our heroine and her army must march back to her castle to fend off a new treachery. The novel proceeds in stops and starts and is tonally inconsistent. One of the most bizarre elements is the magic. Having stripped away the nostalgic beauty of the original tale, Marillier seems to be going for a more realistic portrayal of a magical world, which I enjoy usually. She usually has the characters respond to problems in realistic ways and describes the characters' talents as being innate to troll or human folk rather than the product of magic explicitly. The magic she describes seems to be a part of the royal family and is difficult to control. This is all fine and I was starting to understand her magic system. However, she keeps certain elements from the fairy tale unchanged with no explanation, such as the insistence on the power of three. Some elements are whimsically left mysterious, which does not work if you are going for a gritty re-imagining of a classic tale. The toothpaste will not go back into the tube, Marillier; the fairy will not go back into the bottle. You held up the old tale as a sham ending that left certain characters callously left out; you can't just go back to relying on the old tropes that gave that fairy tale its feel. Instead, Marillier hops back and forth between modern realistic attitudes and reliance on fairy-tale logic in order to drag the novel to a dramatic conclusion reminiscent of the original tale that contains the powerful and inexplicable three deus-ex-machinas, but that also solves the problems of all the sad side-characters whose dreams are not fulfilled. In my opinion, Marillier is trying to have her cake and eat it too.
This was a thoroughly middle-of-the-road novel. It is short, punchy, and moderately interesting, but not well-written enough or meaty enough to stick in my mind or overcome its tonal problems. I will probably have forgotten it in a year.