fifa12's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
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
4.5
mhirsch1213's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
berethnara's review against another edition
3.0
its alright, rushed through a lot of parts and felt more like playing a side mission in a game
snowbenton's review against another edition
3.0
Shannon has a tendency to put her characters into so many bad situations so quickly that it starts to get exhausting. This book either needs to be much shorter with less drawn-out action, or much longer and have greater stretches of character development and world-building. (For example, if the voyants are so clear-cut and powerful that they can be categorized and plan a takeover of the government, how is it possible that other countries don't believe voyants exist?) It's a wild story, and most parts are fun to read, but it's definitely exhausting to get through.
jhynes2824's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
katiew14's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
kstanbridge26's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely love this series! Can't wait for the next book! Such rich world building and interesting complex characters!
pumpkinpuke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
zoem31's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
J’ai vraiment eu du mal à accrocher sur la première moitié mais la fin était bcp plus engageante
dani005's review against another edition
3.0
I have to say that the first two-thirds of this novel deserve three stars in my opinion, with the last third earning five stars, enough to redeem this book for me as deserving three and half stars.
The first two thirds of the novel focused mainly on political technicalities; Paige's struggle for power exhibited as little more than what felt like a cyclical continuous argument that was leading nowhere with no resolution and building zero tension. To me it felt like a cumbersome nuisance of squabbling powers while the citadel of Scion only tightened its grip on the city, exerting more power and more control. Perhaps the author intended for this mounting sense of frustration but it made the first bit of the novel feel tiresome.
With the plot trudging along as slowly as it was, I would have thought there to be compensation through character development but I felt that there was little to none. The first couple books I loved for the diverse set of characters displayed, as for example in the seven seals; Jaxon being one of my favourite characters. In Sheol I there was also a multitude of various characters creating dynamic relationships between Paige and her supporting characters, adding dynamics of uncertainty as you never truly knew where people's loyalties lay. In the third book, the commanders and other followers in the mime order seemed to become little more than naive witless pawns that were blandly interchangeable with one another. There was little to set each person apart from one another so that I found myself mixing up the characters of each of Paige's commanders, forgetting who was who, interchanging their personalities and histories because of how similar they were. These characters seemed to add neither insight nor any real help but were there as fodder to follow Paige's whims who luckily and coincidently always seemed to find the right information (albeit with some hiccups at the start of the novel) at the right time. It seemed too coincidental to me and proved to take away some of the sense of realisticity in the novel.
Also the romance between Warden and Paige was something that had seemingly been added as an afterthought. It felt as though Warden's presence was a strained effort on the author's part, trying to force a relationship between the two amidst all the political turmoil. The romance therefore, had little depth or substance and seemed more as stuffing to create an effect of a "love interest" for a relationship that I felt was dynamic and intriguing in the first two novels.
The political arguments and transition scenes where little of importance was discussed between the characters were dragged out as though just to kill time and make the novel longer despite the interchanges having little to add to the plot of the novel and neither exposing any new information about the characters themselves; their values, histories or past. The exchanges between characters seemed frivolous, and I felt these exchanges consisted mostly of superficial complaints and worries which didn't really develop how the character thought.
The action scenes in the first two-thirds of the novel were rushed, written as though a summation of parts and not written truly as how experienced. It might as well have been written in bullet point form for all the depth, emotion and attention to detail that was put into it. It was as though the author was trying to rush through this transition period as Paige gained her status of Underqueen and struggled with its trials and tribulations, instead rushing to the end where the real confrontation took place between Paige and all of those who were pulling the strings behind Scion's movements.
The last third of the book was spectacular. Old characters were twisted into new lights, revealing new aspects about themselves and creating depth to the Scion's movements and the help that Paige had received. It sparked a new interest for me in old characters in the first two novels that I had thought little of up until this point. Paige's character also displayed a new strength and the action was finally being written as an experience rather than a summarization.
For me, I feel as though the author could have done more with this book. It felt like a transition; a bridge gapping Paige's old status as a mollisher and her new status embodying a powerful force to be reckoned with. This book felt like a prelude and so I am still excited for what is to come but was disappointed by the beginning of the novel and its lack of drive, ambition, plot, character development and proper execution of action scenes.
The first two thirds of the novel focused mainly on political technicalities; Paige's struggle for power exhibited as little more than what felt like a cyclical continuous argument that was leading nowhere with no resolution and building zero tension. To me it felt like a cumbersome nuisance of squabbling powers while the citadel of Scion only tightened its grip on the city, exerting more power and more control. Perhaps the author intended for this mounting sense of frustration but it made the first bit of the novel feel tiresome.
With the plot trudging along as slowly as it was, I would have thought there to be compensation through character development but I felt that there was little to none. The first couple books I loved for the diverse set of characters displayed, as for example in the seven seals; Jaxon being one of my favourite characters. In Sheol I there was also a multitude of various characters creating dynamic relationships between Paige and her supporting characters, adding dynamics of uncertainty as you never truly knew where people's loyalties lay. In the third book, the commanders and other followers in the mime order seemed to become little more than naive witless pawns that were blandly interchangeable with one another. There was little to set each person apart from one another so that I found myself mixing up the characters of each of Paige's commanders, forgetting who was who, interchanging their personalities and histories because of how similar they were. These characters seemed to add neither insight nor any real help but were there as fodder to follow Paige's whims who luckily and coincidently always seemed to find the right information (albeit with some hiccups at the start of the novel) at the right time. It seemed too coincidental to me and proved to take away some of the sense of realisticity in the novel.
Also the romance between Warden and Paige was something that had seemingly been added as an afterthought. It felt as though Warden's presence was a strained effort on the author's part, trying to force a relationship between the two amidst all the political turmoil. The romance therefore, had little depth or substance and seemed more as stuffing to create an effect of a "love interest" for a relationship that I felt was dynamic and intriguing in the first two novels.
The political arguments and transition scenes where little of importance was discussed between the characters were dragged out as though just to kill time and make the novel longer despite the interchanges having little to add to the plot of the novel and neither exposing any new information about the characters themselves; their values, histories or past. The exchanges between characters seemed frivolous, and I felt these exchanges consisted mostly of superficial complaints and worries which didn't really develop how the character thought.
The action scenes in the first two-thirds of the novel were rushed, written as though a summation of parts and not written truly as how experienced. It might as well have been written in bullet point form for all the depth, emotion and attention to detail that was put into it. It was as though the author was trying to rush through this transition period as Paige gained her status of Underqueen and struggled with its trials and tribulations, instead rushing to the end where the real confrontation took place between Paige and all of those who were pulling the strings behind Scion's movements.
The last third of the book was spectacular. Old characters were twisted into new lights, revealing new aspects about themselves and creating depth to the Scion's movements and the help that Paige had received. It sparked a new interest for me in old characters in the first two novels that I had thought little of up until this point. Paige's character also displayed a new strength and the action was finally being written as an experience rather than a summarization.
For me, I feel as though the author could have done more with this book. It felt like a transition; a bridge gapping Paige's old status as a mollisher and her new status embodying a powerful force to be reckoned with. This book felt like a prelude and so I am still excited for what is to come but was disappointed by the beginning of the novel and its lack of drive, ambition, plot, character development and proper execution of action scenes.