mangocookie124's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Disturbing imagery
safsaf118's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How was this book 700 pages I literally breezed through it so easily??? Look, I am obsessed with this series and it gets better every new book. Keefe, you are the moment. Sophie, you need a lot of psychological help. I've been reading this since 2012 you best believe I am awaiting eagerly for the next. one.
friendshipbravery's review against another edition
3.0
Soooo! First book of the new year after my friend told me that it's worth reading, and shit--it is. That being said, here's why it's good and here's why I rated it a 3 stars.
Sophie really changes! I love her character development and it feels like a series worth of character development happens in this one book; I'm not exactly mad, but it is disappointing that she changes the most in this book than all the others. That being said, Sophie's mind and narration is REALLY stressful to be in. Her mind overthinks a LOT and it makes me stressed out how much she overthinks things and I don't like that feeling of constant anxiety while I'm reading the book. Sophie's not a very calm character.
Two: the cast is large! That's good, and at the same time, that's poor writing because everyone will feel like a plot device. I do appreciate that everyone has lives outside of Sophie and they're all working on something and have fleshed out characters and flaws and such. That being said, Rayni/Glimmer really carried this story. I want to shove Stina in a hole--what a fucking bore. There are characters that I absolutely loved at the beginning (Dex, Tam) that lose their endearment because they're such side characters in the story.
Writing is dialogue heavy--not bad, just a writing choice for the medium that this story is written in. It's middle grade, what do you expect?
SOPHIE AND KEEFE GOT TOGETHER IM SO HAPPY PLS I JUST--THEIR KISS AND SOPHIE'S CONFESSION WAS THE CUTEST AND HONESTLY; IM HAPPY FOR THEM TRULY. Keefe did feel like a toned down version of himself in this book, and that says a lot about his character and it's so sad :( that being said, I'm glad that the whole love triangle with Fitz is finally resolved and she got to keep her Cognate connection and face her denial of Keefe and Fitz' love for her head on. That was truly a go girl move; all the denial culminated in the moment where she decided to be brave, for herself, and for her friends.
And they're together. that's all that matters.
The PLOT!! Plot was actually cohesive this time and wasn't confusing! She tied up a lot of lose ends from previous books succinctly and just gave us the answers this time instead of making the characters fight for one answer so intensely, which is great considering the last few books were... awful.
After that ending, I'll definitely be reading the last book and I'm soooo ready to finally finish a series I started in eighth grade :))) I thought a lot about the theories, but if Elysian is the biggest reveal of the entire Lost Cities, this BETTER BE GOOD AND CLIMACTIC. I SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PREDICT IT.
Sophie really changes! I love her character development and it feels like a series worth of character development happens in this one book; I'm not exactly mad, but it is disappointing that she changes the most in this book than all the others. That being said, Sophie's mind and narration is REALLY stressful to be in. Her mind overthinks a LOT and it makes me stressed out how much she overthinks things and I don't like that feeling of constant anxiety while I'm reading the book. Sophie's not a very calm character.
Two: the cast is large! That's good, and at the same time, that's poor writing because everyone will feel like a plot device. I do appreciate that everyone has lives outside of Sophie and they're all working on something and have fleshed out characters and flaws and such. That being said, Rayni/Glimmer really carried this story. I want to shove Stina in a hole--what a fucking bore. There are characters that I absolutely loved at the beginning (Dex, Tam) that lose their endearment because they're such side characters in the story.
Writing is dialogue heavy--not bad, just a writing choice for the medium that this story is written in. It's middle grade, what do you expect?
SOPHIE AND KEEFE GOT TOGETHER IM SO HAPPY PLS I JUST--THEIR KISS AND SOPHIE'S CONFESSION WAS THE CUTEST AND HONESTLY; IM HAPPY FOR THEM TRULY. Keefe did feel like a toned down version of himself in this book, and that says a lot about his character and it's so sad :( that being said, I'm glad that the whole love triangle with Fitz is finally resolved and she got to keep her Cognate connection and face her denial of Keefe and Fitz' love for her head on. That was truly a go girl move; all the denial culminated in the moment where she decided to be brave, for herself, and for her friends.
And they're together. that's all that matters.
The PLOT!! Plot was actually cohesive this time and wasn't confusing! She tied up a lot of lose ends from previous books succinctly and just gave us the answers this time instead of making the characters fight for one answer so intensely, which is great considering the last few books were... awful.
After that ending, I'll definitely be reading the last book and I'm soooo ready to finally finish a series I started in eighth grade :))) I thought a lot about the theories, but if Elysian is the biggest reveal of the entire Lost Cities, this BETTER BE GOOD AND CLIMACTIC. I SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PREDICT IT.
lentils1012's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What can I say - I've just always loved this kind of "teenager-finds-out-that-they're-special-and-saves-the-world" type of books, such as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Nevermoor, Charlie Bone and so on.
So far I've really enjoyed this series, however, Stellarlune wasn't my favorite one of it.
That's because it felt like everything was going sooo slowly. Who read the books 1-8 already knows that usually, in the first 75% of the book, there isn't happening that much and in the end of it, it gets really exciting and there's a lot going on. So far I didn't mind that, but in Stellarlune many chapters are just about relationships and searching for clues not knowing what to do or where to start.
But I liked Sophie's confidence and new attitude and also chapter 42 (:
I'll read the 10th book once it'll be published anyways. The cliffhanger kinda made me curious again and really caught me off guard. Even the confusion is confused, I have no idea how the story will go on.
So far I've really enjoyed this series, however, Stellarlune wasn't my favorite one of it.
That's because it felt like everything was going sooo slowly. Who read the books 1-8 already knows that usually, in the first 75% of the book, there isn't happening that much and in the end of it, it gets really exciting and there's a lot going on. So far I didn't mind that, but in Stellarlune many chapters are just about relationships and searching for clues not knowing what to do or where to start.
But I liked Sophie's confidence and new attitude and also chapter 42 (:
I'll read the 10th book once it'll be published anyways. The cliffhanger kinda made me curious again and really caught me off guard. Even the confusion is confused, I have no idea how the story will go on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Murder
tizard_the_wizard's review against another edition
5.0
I first saw “Keeper of the lost cities” sitting on a table at a local hall years ago. My little bookworm self thought, that looks cool! Maybe I’ll give it a try!
Little did I know that the following months of my life would include hunting down the rest of them in libraries and bookshops until I had read them all.
10 books later, here we are.
Sophie Foster and her friends have helped me through a lot, and I am so incredibly thankful for them.
I have been waiting for the next book to come out since unlocked did, and Yesterday I finally managed to find Stellarlune.
It was well worth the wait.
It’s probably my favourite KOTLC book, no competition. All the characters are well-written and loveable, and it has been put together superbly to convey the story. I couldn’t stop grinning all through the book.
And then again, it is over. We get the most AMAZING cliffhanger, which I don’t mind in the slightest. I’m never annoyed at the long wait when the book was wonderful enough on its own. I finished it at around 1:30 am, and I was still too awed to sleep when it was done!
Reading the acknowledgements made me smile, especially the touch at the end (I felt called out too- how did you know about chapter 42??).
Thank you Shannon Messenger, for this incredible series that takes up so much room on my shelf. You haven’t once given us a book that hasn’t been spectacular.
You have put so much work into these books, and we KOTLC fans are more grateful than you know.
Ps. Proudly Team-Foster-Keefe since book one! (Fitz can go die. :)And thank you Ro for the nudges!)
Little did I know that the following months of my life would include hunting down the rest of them in libraries and bookshops until I had read them all.
10 books later, here we are.
Sophie Foster and her friends have helped me through a lot, and I am so incredibly thankful for them.
I have been waiting for the next book to come out since unlocked did, and Yesterday I finally managed to find Stellarlune.
It was well worth the wait.
It’s probably my favourite KOTLC book, no competition. All the characters are well-written and loveable, and it has been put together superbly to convey the story. I couldn’t stop grinning all through the book.
And then again, it is over. We get the most AMAZING cliffhanger, which I don’t mind in the slightest. I’m never annoyed at the long wait when the book was wonderful enough on its own. I finished it at around 1:30 am, and I was still too awed to sleep when it was done!
Reading the acknowledgements made me smile, especially the touch at the end (I felt called out too- how did you know about chapter 42??).
Thank you Shannon Messenger, for this incredible series that takes up so much room on my shelf. You haven’t once given us a book that hasn’t been spectacular.
You have put so much work into these books, and we KOTLC fans are more grateful than you know.
Ps. Proudly Team-Foster-Keefe since book one! (Fitz can go die. :)And thank you Ro for the nudges!)
mona_ambt's review against another edition
5.0
To be honest, I don't know how to feel.
I'm rating it 5 stars because of Foster-Keefe but the plot is confusing. If there is any.
I don't remember having such a long beginning without anything important happening in the other Keepers. Yes Keefe is gone but let's not do anything for 500 pages and go back to school !
Yes, I do understand why they chose not to go after Keefe and yes things did happen in the intro of the book. I'm just a bit bitter that no major event occurred (exept for Vespera
I'm rating it 5 stars because of Foster-Keefe but the plot is confusing. If there is any.
I don't remember having such a long beginning without anything important happening in the other Keepers. Yes Keefe is gone but let's not do anything for 500 pages and go back to school !
Yes, I do understand why they chose not to go after Keefe and yes things did happen in the intro of the book. I'm just a bit bitter that no major event occurred (exept for Vespera
deerrgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Like a 4.75 because of the cliff hanger. I MEAN COME ON.
Though other than that, I still very much enjoyed this addition to the series. Bring on book 10.
Though other than that, I still very much enjoyed this addition to the series. Bring on book 10.
cateslittlelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
This was the only book in this series that I hadn't already read, so it gets an actual review! my review is: FINALLY! WE'RE GETTING SHIT DONE! Sophie, growing frustrated of her thousands of pages of pretty useless discoveries and missions, sets out to be more assertive (which everyone hates, for some reason??) Anyway, we finally learn stuff that actually explains the whole shebang we don't understand and ALSO! Keephie? Unexpectedly fast-paced emotional discovery by Sophie, there, after she spent 8 books pining over Fitz being all "what if he doesn't like me back??" Took her about a hundred pages to accept that she liked Keefe and then confess all by herself. She's growing up, yippee! I hate the boys in this series, but it was a sweet moment and somewhat redeeming for him. Fitz is just a dick, Keefe at least has some rhyme and reason (mommy & daddy issues). Anyways, I actually liked this one much more than I assumed I would, though Messenger did her normal thing of backseating half the side characters for the entire book.
margaux_gdb's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.25