The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
stacylmoll's review
1.0
I started this book because I was looking for a quick read, but thank you KitCat for offering this up as a choice. This book will reel you in from the beginning and you will not want to put it down. Prince Galian and Theo, a soldier from a warring country end up on an island together and have to learn to get along since she needs his medical attention and he needs her survival skills. Their time on the island will have you laughing out loud and hoping that what is blooming between them will bring their countries together.
bayy245's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5
I’m not going to lie, when I read the back I was not exactly enthused. I thought this was going to be a book filled with clichés and I would hate the whole thing. Now don’t get me wrong there are some clichés but I found I didn’t mind them as much. There is the royalty falls for lowly citizen and torn apart by a war trope, but I didn’t even really notice it there. It was a unique story. But I’m happy to report there is absolutely no love triangle! Love triangles are what I can’t stand above all else.
I really liked how we got both points of view and the parallels we saw between the two. I really liked the bickering and dynamic between Theo and Galian. I loved the unique names and how the author sprinkled in the unique language of the Raven people. I loved seeing the culture of the two different sides. It was also nice to see the prejudices and ideas the sides had about each other and how wrong they were. One thing I admired more than anything is that both girl and boy Ravens were conscripted.
Theo wasn’t another Katniss, it was refreshing. She wasn’t the chosen one or born for this. She survived on will and skill alone. Skills she’d fought for and learned in battle. I loved the wordbuilding too. I really felt like I was on that island with them. I could feel their desperation and hunger. I loved the journey both of them had to go through: both to see the other side as not an enemy and specifically Galian to see that his family are indeed monsters and that the Raven people aren’t as stupid and naïve as he thought.
It ended with sort of a cliff hanger, leaving me tweeting the author for book two. I honestly couldn’t put it down.
I’m not going to lie, when I read the back I was not exactly enthused. I thought this was going to be a book filled with clichés and I would hate the whole thing. Now don’t get me wrong there are some clichés but I found I didn’t mind them as much. There is the royalty falls for lowly citizen and torn apart by a war trope, but I didn’t even really notice it there. It was a unique story. But I’m happy to report there is absolutely no love triangle! Love triangles are what I can’t stand above all else.
I really liked how we got both points of view and the parallels we saw between the two. I really liked the bickering and dynamic between Theo and Galian. I loved the unique names and how the author sprinkled in the unique language of the Raven people. I loved seeing the culture of the two different sides. It was also nice to see the prejudices and ideas the sides had about each other and how wrong they were. One thing I admired more than anything is that both girl and boy Ravens were conscripted.
Theo wasn’t another Katniss, it was refreshing. She wasn’t the chosen one or born for this. She survived on will and skill alone. Skills she’d fought for and learned in battle. I loved the wordbuilding too. I really felt like I was on that island with them. I could feel their desperation and hunger. I loved the journey both of them had to go through: both to see the other side as not an enemy and specifically Galian to see that his family are indeed monsters and that the Raven people aren’t as stupid and naïve as he thought.
It ended with sort of a cliff hanger, leaving me tweeting the author for book two. I honestly couldn’t put it down.
thechaoshour's review against another edition
4.0
I had fairly high expectations going into this book. Not the highest of expectations but they were pretty far up there. This tends to lead to disappointment but it this case it turned out very well. I hadn't read anything previously written by this author or even any books similar to this so I wasn't sure what to think when starting this book.
I would 100% be BFF's which Theo. I thought she was a great character! My favourite part about her was that she always, always, always fought for what she thought was right. She could never just sit by while something horrible was happening. I also think she's going to be a great character in the later books. She just has so much potential right now and a great sense of right and wrong.
I fell in love with Galian easily during this book. He's just an easy character to like. It was nice seeing that a prince, who you would think to have a great life, actually have a really hard time growing up. It pushes the fact that it doesn't matter who you are, everyone grows up differently and experiences life in different ways. I loved that the characters sympathized with each other's situations and didn't compare as to who's was worse.
My only complaint with the writing style was that some parts could be a little rushed. It wasn't bad though because the plot kept me interested the whole way through and I wasn't concerned about small technical details. There's some books where you can put down and pick up no problem and this was one of those books. The only thing was that I didn't want to put it down, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I think the only reason this book got 4 instead of 5 stars was because it didn't have that one special thing to really push me over that edge. I thought the plot was great and the characters were well done but I wish there was just a little bit more to this book. If I gave out half rating then this would get the 4.5 stars.
If you've read the summary of this book and thought "oh that's interesting" then you're probably right because this was an interesting book. It was fun while being serious at the same time which I think is hard to do. I'm extremely glad I picked this book up and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. I highly recommend this book to more mature young adults (and older!) that love fantasy with some romance mixed in. This was a great start to a hopefully incredible series.
I would 100% be BFF's which Theo. I thought she was a great character! My favourite part about her was that she always, always, always fought for what she thought was right. She could never just sit by while something horrible was happening. I also think she's going to be a great character in the later books. She just has so much potential right now and a great sense of right and wrong.
I fell in love with Galian easily during this book. He's just an easy character to like. It was nice seeing that a prince, who you would think to have a great life, actually have a really hard time growing up. It pushes the fact that it doesn't matter who you are, everyone grows up differently and experiences life in different ways. I loved that the characters sympathized with each other's situations and didn't compare as to who's was worse.
My only complaint with the writing style was that some parts could be a little rushed. It wasn't bad though because the plot kept me interested the whole way through and I wasn't concerned about small technical details. There's some books where you can put down and pick up no problem and this was one of those books. The only thing was that I didn't want to put it down, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I think the only reason this book got 4 instead of 5 stars was because it didn't have that one special thing to really push me over that edge. I thought the plot was great and the characters were well done but I wish there was just a little bit more to this book. If I gave out half rating then this would get the 4.5 stars.
If you've read the summary of this book and thought "oh that's interesting" then you're probably right because this was an interesting book. It was fun while being serious at the same time which I think is hard to do. I'm extremely glad I picked this book up and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. I highly recommend this book to more mature young adults (and older!) that love fantasy with some romance mixed in. This was a great start to a hopefully incredible series.
maxines_obsessions's review against another edition
2.0
I won this through Goodreads First Reads.
This tells the story of two enemies stranded on an island together, with no real hope of being found. Theo is a fighter pilot from Rave, she is an orphan who was conscripted into the army at twelve, she has had a very hard life and is a survivor. Galian is third in line for the Kylean throne. He isn't interested on the throne or the 50 year war with Rave. He is sheltered and naive. They have to learn to rely on each other and trust each other if they are going to have any hope for surviving.
It's an ok book, hampered by really short narrative swaps. It's told from both characters perspective, but they are so short, it's hard to get into the story or go with the flow. The plot itself is quite simple and that isn't a bad thing, I just wasn't overly entertained. I think the writing fell short. The world building wasn't great and it was predictable, but if it was well written and entertaining, that probably wouldn't have been such a problem.
It's a quick read.
This tells the story of two enemies stranded on an island together, with no real hope of being found. Theo is a fighter pilot from Rave, she is an orphan who was conscripted into the army at twelve, she has had a very hard life and is a survivor. Galian is third in line for the Kylean throne. He isn't interested on the throne or the 50 year war with Rave. He is sheltered and naive. They have to learn to rely on each other and trust each other if they are going to have any hope for surviving.
It's an ok book, hampered by really short narrative swaps. It's told from both characters perspective, but they are so short, it's hard to get into the story or go with the flow. The plot itself is quite simple and that isn't a bad thing, I just wasn't overly entertained. I think the writing fell short. The world building wasn't great and it was predictable, but if it was well written and entertaining, that probably wouldn't have been such a problem.
It's a quick read.
elizafiedler's review against another edition
5.0
It's a fast-paced adventure-romance with fantastic characters, Theo and Galian. They're star-crossed lovers whose story is anything but a cliché, and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy when it comes out. The story is told from alternating points of view, both his and hers. The world Evans creates in this novel is her most detailed and compelling yet, and you won't believe the ending!
*I received an advance copy for backing the kickstarter.*
*I received an advance copy for backing the kickstarter.*
zany07's review against another edition
4.0
A great novel
This novel had me hooked and I couldn't stop reading. Highly recommend to all young adults. Can't wait to start book 2
This novel had me hooked and I couldn't stop reading. Highly recommend to all young adults. Can't wait to start book 2
booksofkings's review against another edition
4.0
I would rate this book 4.5 stars for being such an amazing surprising find.
This is easily a book i would read any day, but because it's not very well known I'm very happy that i discovered it. The way i came across this story and this author is a fun story involving Princess Bride, My lady Jane and Twitter. But I'm very happy i have discovered this.
The Island follows Theo, a Captain and Pilot in the Raven's 'Airforce'. Rave is a newly independent country of Kylae of which Galian is the 3rd son and princes of the king. Galian just wants to be a Doctor (no not THE Doctor, i dont think he wants to travel in Time) after being inspired by his family Doctor and the Chief of Medicine. Due to Kylae being very territorial and wanting to get Rave back, they have been at war for the past 50 years and no end in sight. Due to some family circumstances, Galian is also now a pilot on an air raid of Rave when Theo let's her pride get the best of her and targets Galian's plane. And low and behold, this doesnt' work out and they end up stranded on a deserted island and must rely on each other for survival.
S. Usher Evans makes it so easy to fall in love with these characters and this surrounding, once i started the story I knew i had to finish it that night. It being not even 300 pages, made it really easy. To be honest, a book jsut under 300 was a nice warm welcome. So many books these days are being published with 500+ pages and as nice as that is, it can just be too much. I do actually quite like books that are 300-400 pages. Those books that i can just curly up and really make a dent in over the course of one night. So The Madion War trilogy is just perfect for me.
The Characters are just so lovable, Galian is an innocent special little snowflake, and Theo is that snarky, walls up heroine that is very common amongst YA novels these days. Within just 10 minutes of meeting each other, you already ship them. They seem to balance each other so perfectly.
There was one romance/sex scene that caught me off guard because i just wasn't expecting it at all. but over all this book was a lovely reading and i can't wait to start on book 2.
This is easily a book i would read any day, but because it's not very well known I'm very happy that i discovered it. The way i came across this story and this author is a fun story involving Princess Bride, My lady Jane and Twitter. But I'm very happy i have discovered this.
The Island follows Theo, a Captain and Pilot in the Raven's 'Airforce'. Rave is a newly independent country of Kylae of which Galian is the 3rd son and princes of the king. Galian just wants to be a Doctor (no not THE Doctor, i dont think he wants to travel in Time) after being inspired by his family Doctor and the Chief of Medicine. Due to Kylae being very territorial and wanting to get Rave back, they have been at war for the past 50 years and no end in sight. Due to some family circumstances, Galian is also now a pilot on an air raid of Rave when Theo let's her pride get the best of her and targets Galian's plane. And low and behold, this doesnt' work out and they end up stranded on a deserted island and must rely on each other for survival.
S. Usher Evans makes it so easy to fall in love with these characters and this surrounding, once i started the story I knew i had to finish it that night. It being not even 300 pages, made it really easy. To be honest, a book jsut under 300 was a nice warm welcome. So many books these days are being published with 500+ pages and as nice as that is, it can just be too much. I do actually quite like books that are 300-400 pages. Those books that i can just curly up and really make a dent in over the course of one night. So The Madion War trilogy is just perfect for me.
The Characters are just so lovable, Galian is an innocent special little snowflake, and Theo is that snarky, walls up heroine that is very common amongst YA novels these days. Within just 10 minutes of meeting each other, you already ship them. They seem to balance each other so perfectly.
There was one romance/sex scene that caught me off guard because i just wasn't expecting it at all. but over all this book was a lovely reading and i can't wait to start on book 2.
megmeg123's review
3.0
This book was very "meh." It picked up towards the end, and now I need to read the next books to find out what happens. However, I think the characters could have been deeper, and even though the time moved on, it still felt almost "instalovey." I'm curious if anyone else has read this and feels the same way??
imjustcupcake's review
5.0
Woah! I started this book one day and then the next day it was finished. I didn't want to put it down. It made me sad when I had to take a break from it to eat or sleep or talk to someone.
It was horrible! I wanted/needed to continue. I was so involved with the characters/story and the need to know what was going to happen.
It also didn't hurt that the story just flowed and was easy to read. It was quite fantastic!
The Island is about two individuals, orphan Theo from Rave and Prince Galian from Kylae. Two opposing worlds at war with each other. One day both Galian and Theo are up in the air shooting at one another...and then the next thing they know they are stranded on an island in the middle of no where.
Oh geez. If that doesn't tell you that there is some built in angst between the characters, I don't know what else would. But you can definitely feel it!
Something The Island does when telling us the story is that it rotates between the two characters points of views. I won't lie, I was worried in the beginning that I wasn't going to be able to tell the difference between Galian and Theo personality wise. I thought that they were going to end up sounding the same in my head as I read through the story. Thankfully, my fear was taken care of rather early on. Once I got used to the way the story was written, I was easily able to tell the difference between the two characters. It is something that could have gone very wrong, but thankfully it went very right.
Over all, I enjoyed the world building. However, I do wish it was painted a little bit more for me. I am kind of unclear as to what kind of technology the world had. If it was more futuristic or if it was a bit in the past (when compared to our world and our time).
All in all, I loved this book. I wanted a little bit more from it, but not too much. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
My Rating
4.5 Stars
This review is based on a copy provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
It was horrible! I wanted/needed to continue. I was so involved with the characters/story and the need to know what was going to happen.
It also didn't hurt that the story just flowed and was easy to read. It was quite fantastic!
The Island is about two individuals, orphan Theo from Rave and Prince Galian from Kylae. Two opposing worlds at war with each other. One day both Galian and Theo are up in the air shooting at one another...and then the next thing they know they are stranded on an island in the middle of no where.
Oh geez. If that doesn't tell you that there is some built in angst between the characters, I don't know what else would. But you can definitely feel it!
Something The Island does when telling us the story is that it rotates between the two characters points of views. I won't lie, I was worried in the beginning that I wasn't going to be able to tell the difference between Galian and Theo personality wise. I thought that they were going to end up sounding the same in my head as I read through the story. Thankfully, my fear was taken care of rather early on. Once I got used to the way the story was written, I was easily able to tell the difference between the two characters. It is something that could have gone very wrong, but thankfully it went very right.
Over all, I enjoyed the world building. However, I do wish it was painted a little bit more for me. I am kind of unclear as to what kind of technology the world had. If it was more futuristic or if it was a bit in the past (when compared to our world and our time).
All in all, I loved this book. I wanted a little bit more from it, but not too much. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
My Rating
4.5 Stars
This review is based on a copy provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/