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lunabstract's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mysteriesofmar's review against another edition
5.0
tws: death, graphic violence, body mutilation
if u rated this book less than a 4 star i don't trust u anymore
WOW. the amount of planning, of world-building, and word-crafting here was phenomenal and absolutely mind blowing. it took me a bit to get into it but once i noticed the words at the bottom of the page i knew i had to read it quickly, and soon enough i was HOOKED. so many stories that weave together beautifully and kept my mind sharp as i tried to put the pieces together. wowowow!!!!
super shout out to mori for nagging me to read this!!!
if u rated this book less than a 4 star i don't trust u anymore
WOW. the amount of planning, of world-building, and word-crafting here was phenomenal and absolutely mind blowing. it took me a bit to get into it but once i noticed the words at the bottom of the page i knew i had to read it quickly, and soon enough i was HOOKED. so many stories that weave together beautifully and kept my mind sharp as i tried to put the pieces together. wowowow!!!!
super shout out to mori for nagging me to read this!!!
chrispyschaller's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.0
pievcz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ceza's review against another edition
1.0
dnf at 68%
long story short, i rage quit
the concept is cool, but the actual execution is lacking big time. i hated every pirate related chapter. they got so drawn out and uninteresting i just started skipping them when they came up. the only thing that kept me engaged was the puzzle element. i enjoyed finding all the hidden words and seeing sentences form. but all of my hopes and dreams shattered when I wanted to check how many pages the book has...and the answer to the puzzle was at the end....i can't do it anymore, I'm too angry
long story short, i rage quit
the concept is cool, but the actual execution is lacking big time. i hated every pirate related chapter. they got so drawn out and uninteresting i just started skipping them when they came up. the only thing that kept me engaged was the puzzle element. i enjoyed finding all the hidden words and seeing sentences form. but all of my hopes and dreams shattered when I wanted to check how many pages the book has...and the answer to the puzzle was at the end....i can't do it anymore, I'm too angry
ihateprozac's review against another edition
2.0
The Reader is set in Kelanna, a world that cannot read. One day, an orphan named Sefia stumbles across a strange object that her parents died to protect: a book. She teaches herself to read and takes off on a journey and along the way encounters slavers, assassins, pirates, warriors, and more.
Y’all know that I am here for Asian fantasy, sea fantasy, and books about books, but this was legit one of the most disappointing reading experiences I’ve had all year.
The only thing saving this from a 1 star rating is that the writing style is beautiful, enjoyable to read, and the audiobook narrator was super emotive.
The problem is there’s no story to speak of. The book reads as a bunch of disparate scenes without any central narrative driving them forward. You read from multiple perspectives and it’s unclear how any of them link together (if at all), and our protagonist Sefia just seems to be making it up as she goes along.
She’s not on some magnificent quest to bring written language to the world, nor does she seem to be in a hurry to rescue her adoptive grandmother. She’s just kinda there and trouble happens around her. This is a book filled with pirates, assassins, and special abilities, and yet none of it is compelling.
I wish I’d listened to my gut and DNFed this audiobook at 60%.
Y’all know that I am here for Asian fantasy, sea fantasy, and books about books, but this was legit one of the most disappointing reading experiences I’ve had all year.
The only thing saving this from a 1 star rating is that the writing style is beautiful, enjoyable to read, and the audiobook narrator was super emotive.
The problem is there’s no story to speak of. The book reads as a bunch of disparate scenes without any central narrative driving them forward. You read from multiple perspectives and it’s unclear how any of them link together (if at all), and our protagonist Sefia just seems to be making it up as she goes along.
She’s not on some magnificent quest to bring written language to the world, nor does she seem to be in a hurry to rescue her adoptive grandmother. She’s just kinda there and trouble happens around her. This is a book filled with pirates, assassins, and special abilities, and yet none of it is compelling.
I wish I’d listened to my gut and DNFed this audiobook at 60%.
ceceewing_'s review against another edition
4.0
This was so utterly thrilling and captivating. I adored it.
tantons25's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0