jsmith3's review
4.0
I plan on re-reading this again. I read this over a long span of time and forgot certain things and couldn't enjoy it as much if I had read it continuously. However, it was enjoyable and interesting from what I read. There were parts that weren't resolved or barely explained (like the Mardus guy???) or didn't make sense, but it was still an interesting world with some interesting characters.
jortsfan's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
claudiatralenuvole's review
4.0
Un primo volume molto promettente. Sarebbero 3.5 stelline, ma arrotondo per eccesso perché leggerlo mi ha reso felice.
Fin dalle prime pagine mi sono sentita coinvolta e a casa in questo nuovo mondo (cosa rarissima quando leggo fantasy). Il merito è soprattutto di Alec e Seregil, dei loro siparietti comici ma anche della profondità che dimostrano in più di una occasione.
Sono curiosa di vedere come cresceranno insieme, e apprezzo che siano entrambi pieni di difetti tanto quanto di pregi. La chimica tra loro arriva fortissima pur non essendo questo un romance e apprezzo che l'autrice si sia presa il suo tempo per farceli conoscere e amare singolarmente prima che insieme.
Lo stesso vale per la schiera di personaggi secondari che conosciamo - alcuni meglio di altri - insieme ad Alec. Ho l'impressione che gli uomini siano in netta maggioranza, ma non mancano personaggi femminili forti e carismatici. Spero che abbiano maggiore spazio nei libri successivi.
Questo volume è senza dubbio una introduzione della saga, quindi ci sono alcuni "spiegoni" che rallentano il ritmo della narrazione, però non sono mai arrivata ad annoiarmi.
Certo, l'autrice imbastisce delle premesse che verranno chiaramente risolte più avanti, ma credo abbia fatto un ottimo lavoro tutto sommato. Non vedo l'ora di proseguire il viaggio, anche perché il finale mi è parso un po' affrettato e "di passaggio" per il secondo volume.
Fin dalle prime pagine mi sono sentita coinvolta e a casa in questo nuovo mondo (cosa rarissima quando leggo fantasy). Il merito è soprattutto di Alec e Seregil, dei loro siparietti comici ma anche della profondità che dimostrano in più di una occasione.
Sono curiosa di vedere come cresceranno insieme, e apprezzo che siano entrambi pieni di difetti tanto quanto di pregi. La chimica tra loro arriva fortissima pur non essendo questo un romance e apprezzo che l'autrice si sia presa il suo tempo per farceli conoscere e amare singolarmente prima che insieme.
Lo stesso vale per la schiera di personaggi secondari che conosciamo - alcuni meglio di altri - insieme ad Alec. Ho l'impressione che gli uomini siano in netta maggioranza, ma non mancano personaggi femminili forti e carismatici. Spero che abbiano maggiore spazio nei libri successivi.
Questo volume è senza dubbio una introduzione della saga, quindi ci sono alcuni "spiegoni" che rallentano il ritmo della narrazione, però non sono mai arrivata ad annoiarmi.
Certo, l'autrice imbastisce delle premesse che verranno chiaramente risolte più avanti, ma credo abbia fatto un ottimo lavoro tutto sommato. Non vedo l'ora di proseguire il viaggio, anche perché il finale mi è parso un po' affrettato e "di passaggio" per il secondo volume.
ashtwhite's review
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
sebbyroth's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
straaawbs's review
3.0
Look, I enjoyed this quite a bit. I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to.
I liked the characters. They're interesting. They're smart. They're flawed. I feel invested enough that I do want to continue with this series, because I want to see how the characters develop. Like a lot of reviewers, I was pulled in by the m/m element (although there's not much of that in the first book). I'm always looking for characters in fantasy that I can relate to and want to emulate in some way, ie. interesting male characters with strong friendships and who don't get sidetracked by pretty girls. I think this series is going to offer that, so I'm happy. The main characters are all male, which is fine for me, but there are also some interesting female characters in the background, who don't just exist for the mens' gratification. Oh, and this world's monarchy is based on matrilineal descent, so that's pretty cool.
The trouble with fantasy books sometimes is, being introduced to a new world, a magic system, all the religious stuff they believe in, and so forth...it's a lot of new information to take in. It can be tricky to introduce these elements in a natural and clear way. Here, the author was prone to info-dumping, so I often found I was no longer following what was happening. I could tell that the author had a vivid picture in her mind, but was struggling to convey it on the page.
I found the plot in the first half of the book stronger than the second half. It became kind of a political intrigue in the second half, which is the sort of story I never find overly compelling. The plot lagged a lot in the middle, but I managed to plough through to a fairly satisfying and wide-open ending. My interest is mildly piqued. Like I said, I'm definitely planning to read the second book.
I liked the characters. They're interesting. They're smart. They're flawed. I feel invested enough that I do want to continue with this series, because I want to see how the characters develop. Like a lot of reviewers, I was pulled in by the m/m element (although there's not much of that in the first book). I'm always looking for characters in fantasy that I can relate to and want to emulate in some way, ie. interesting male characters with strong friendships and who don't get sidetracked by pretty girls. I think this series is going to offer that, so I'm happy. The main characters are all male, which is fine for me, but there are also some interesting female characters in the background, who don't just exist for the mens' gratification. Oh, and this world's monarchy is based on matrilineal descent, so that's pretty cool.
The trouble with fantasy books sometimes is, being introduced to a new world, a magic system, all the religious stuff they believe in, and so forth...it's a lot of new information to take in. It can be tricky to introduce these elements in a natural and clear way. Here, the author was prone to info-dumping, so I often found I was no longer following what was happening. I could tell that the author had a vivid picture in her mind, but was struggling to convey it on the page.
I found the plot in the first half of the book stronger than the second half. It became kind of a political intrigue in the second half, which is the sort of story I never find overly compelling. The plot lagged a lot in the middle, but I managed to plough through to a fairly satisfying and wide-open ending. My interest is mildly piqued. Like I said, I'm definitely planning to read the second book.
minegyu's review against another edition
5.0
amé este libro con toda mi alma! amo como no se enfoca totalmente en la relación que llevan alec y seregil si no más bien en las cosas y las travesías que realizan juntos. amo como su relación se ha ido desarrollando poco a poco en el transcurso del libro, aunque debo admitir que había partes en las que me desesperaba y me sacaba de quicio que fuera tan lento jaja pero realmente disfruté mucho leerlo y ya compré el segundo libro para darle con todo🤧
plottingintheshadows's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.75