kmherkes's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun book, and reading it whiled away a pleasant afternoon. I recommend it to people who love a good portal fantasy the way I do, and I'm following on Amazon so I can grab the next in the series as soon as it comes out.
The author has a clean, straightforward storytelling style, and the first-person point of view in this book brings out the best in it. The setting is a basic fantasy world (magic, dragons, semi-feudal societies warring over territory and power) Nothing notably twisty or shockingly original, but all perfectly enjoyable. The story is YA-friendly with a romantic pairing that never goes behind closed doors. I would put 3.25 stars if Goodreads would allow fractions.
You may well ask, why the compliments but not more stars? Because I am a mean and horrible person. No, wait, that isn't it. Because I am a literary snob? Bwahahahahaha. no. I like all kinds of books in all genres, and I enjoy a wide variety of writing styles and levels of complexity.
I am an avid reader, however, with a lot more books in my brain than my Goodreads profile indicates. (I am also lazy, and rating hundreds of extensive bibliographies holds no appeal.) My experience does influence my evaluation.
A book has to have something special to even catch my eye these days, and I don't start from five stars and subtract. Like a figure skating judge, I start at zero, and a book has to earn my interest and respect one character, one trope, one plot twist at a time. "I liked it" describes my satisfaction level for a lot of good books.
So. Read the "Look Inside," and if the main character makes you smile, then grab this one up and enjoy the adventures.
The author has a clean, straightforward storytelling style, and the first-person point of view in this book brings out the best in it. The setting is a basic fantasy world (magic, dragons, semi-feudal societies warring over territory and power) Nothing notably twisty or shockingly original, but all perfectly enjoyable. The story is YA-friendly with a romantic pairing that never goes behind closed doors. I would put 3.25 stars if Goodreads would allow fractions.
You may well ask, why the compliments but not more stars? Because I am a mean and horrible person. No, wait, that isn't it. Because I am a literary snob? Bwahahahahaha. no. I like all kinds of books in all genres, and I enjoy a wide variety of writing styles and levels of complexity.
I am an avid reader, however, with a lot more books in my brain than my Goodreads profile indicates. (I am also lazy, and rating hundreds of extensive bibliographies holds no appeal.) My experience does influence my evaluation.
A book has to have something special to even catch my eye these days, and I don't start from five stars and subtract. Like a figure skating judge, I start at zero, and a book has to earn my interest and respect one character, one trope, one plot twist at a time. "I liked it" describes my satisfaction level for a lot of good books.
So. Read the "Look Inside," and if the main character makes you smile, then grab this one up and enjoy the adventures.
miroen's review
3.0
This is a fun book, and reading it whiled away a pleasant afternoon. I recommend it to people who love a good portal fantasy the way I do, and I'm following on Amazon so I can grab the next in the series as soon as it comes out.
The author has a clean, straightforward storytelling style, and the first-person point of view in this book brings out the best in it. The setting is a basic fantasy world (magic, dragons, semi-feudal societies warring over territory and power) Nothing notably twisty or shockingly original, but all perfectly enjoyable. The story is YA-friendly with a romantic pairing that never goes behind closed doors. I would put 3.25 stars if Goodreads would allow fractions.
You may well ask, why the compliments but not more stars? Because I am a mean and horrible person. No, wait, that isn't it. Because I am a literary snob? Bwahahahahaha. no. I like all kinds of books in all genres, and I enjoy a wide variety of writing styles and levels of complexity.
I am an avid reader, however, with a lot more books in my brain than my Goodreads profile indicates. (I am also lazy, and rating hundreds of extensive bibliographies holds no appeal.) My experience does influence my evaluation.
A book has to have something special to even catch my eye these days, and I don't start from five stars and subtract. Like a figure skating judge, I start at zero, and a book has to earn my interest and respect one character, one trope, one plot twist at a time. "I liked it" describes my satisfaction level for a lot of good books.
So. Read the "Look Inside," and if the main character makes you smile, then grab this one up and enjoy the adventures.
The author has a clean, straightforward storytelling style, and the first-person point of view in this book brings out the best in it. The setting is a basic fantasy world (magic, dragons, semi-feudal societies warring over territory and power) Nothing notably twisty or shockingly original, but all perfectly enjoyable. The story is YA-friendly with a romantic pairing that never goes behind closed doors. I would put 3.25 stars if Goodreads would allow fractions.
You may well ask, why the compliments but not more stars? Because I am a mean and horrible person. No, wait, that isn't it. Because I am a literary snob? Bwahahahahaha. no. I like all kinds of books in all genres, and I enjoy a wide variety of writing styles and levels of complexity.
I am an avid reader, however, with a lot more books in my brain than my Goodreads profile indicates. (I am also lazy, and rating hundreds of extensive bibliographies holds no appeal.) My experience does influence my evaluation.
A book has to have something special to even catch my eye these days, and I don't start from five stars and subtract. Like a figure skating judge, I start at zero, and a book has to earn my interest and respect one character, one trope, one plot twist at a time. "I liked it" describes my satisfaction level for a lot of good books.
So. Read the "Look Inside," and if the main character makes you smile, then grab this one up and enjoy the adventures.
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