tifftastic87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Oooh boy, where to start. I really liked the synopsis of this and the idea of the story but it was just so poorly executed.
Our main character is a Hunter in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world. The things she hunts, othersiders, are all sorts of mythical beings that have broken through the veil between worlds. The story follows Joy (spelling cuz I listened to audiobook) as she gets called up from the mountains to the main city. There she learns that things are not what she thought, but in a much different way.
First off, the world building. We got it all through info dumps from the main character. Phrases like, "you might think that would mean [x thing], but you'd be wrong" were used A LOT. Especially since the story was first person, it could have been shown to us in a much better way.
The actual world building itself, wasnt anything special. The political system is a sci-fi big brother that is very 1984 with the government heavily scrubbing the info the citizens. Hunters are celebrities that get followed by cameras and are ranked by views, Iron Widow did this trope but much better I think - playing with the capitalism behind it. But then its the magic, the first question is what the fuck are the hounds? The second is why do all of the Hunters have mandalas to call their hounds when everyone is from a different ethnic background?! I could go on, but it's not worth it.
The characters are pretty flat. Joy is a bog standard YA Mary Sue who is never really in any real danger because she's just so dang good at everything, and selfless, and humble, and smart. Her one flaw is that she's maybe a little vain? Which doesnt even make sense with the character.
I could keep going. This book is only getting 1.5 stars because the premise was really interesting, the hounds being unique to each person is an interesting premise and there may be something set up for political intrigue. But just too much fell flat.
Honestly, I expected better from the reviews and the authors long career.
Our main character is a Hunter in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world. The things she hunts, othersiders, are all sorts of mythical beings that have broken through the veil between worlds. The story follows Joy (spelling cuz I listened to audiobook) as she gets called up from the mountains to the main city. There she learns that things are not what she thought, but in a much different way.
First off, the world building. We got it all through info dumps from the main character. Phrases like, "you might think that would mean [x thing], but you'd be wrong" were used A LOT. Especially since the story was first person, it could have been shown to us in a much better way.
The actual world building itself, wasnt anything special. The political system is a sci-fi big brother that is very 1984 with the government heavily scrubbing the info the citizens. Hunters are celebrities that get followed by cameras and are ranked by views, Iron Widow did this trope but much better I think - playing with the capitalism behind it. But then its the magic, the first question is what the fuck are the hounds? The second is why do all of the Hunters have mandalas to call their hounds when everyone is from a different ethnic background?! I could go on, but it's not worth it.
The characters are pretty flat. Joy is a bog standard YA Mary Sue who is never really in any real danger because she's just so dang good at everything, and selfless, and humble, and smart. Her one flaw is that she's maybe a little vain? Which doesnt even make sense with the character.
I could keep going. This book is only getting 1.5 stars because the premise was really interesting, the hounds being unique to each person is an interesting premise and there may be something set up for political intrigue. But just too much fell flat.
Honestly, I expected better from the reviews and the authors long career.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Animal death, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Religious bigotry
fuguefire's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.5
Pretty good book! Reads a lot like a better version of Hunger games, where the main character is much more loveable and less whiney. Not a ton of character development, but only because there is really only negative development that can be made-- to the point that the mc is almost a Mary Sue. Her focus on community building, responsibility, and compassion make her incredibly easy to love and want to root for and simultaneously makes this story almost happy-go-lucky (as far as dystopian stories go). Very much a YA version of Nona Grey from Book of the Ancestor. I liked this book a lot, it didn't fall into many annoying tropes I expect from dystopian YA and was written with a lot of self-awareness, which is a breath of fresh air. Also, includes some LGBT+ characters. Would recommend it, and I would love to read the second book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, and Death
Minor: Bullying and Gun violence
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