lorien13's review
4.0
This was a bit of a letdown, especially after how fucking AMAZING Shatter the Sky was. It had a lot to live up to, and it didn't, really.
I was excited to see Kaia and Maren burn the empire down together and maybe build a three way relationship with Sev, and that 100% did NOT happen. The drama between Maren and Kaia was painful and felt stupid to me, detracting from plot of Maren freeing dragons. I LOVED Sev's side, but it was like pulling teeth to get through Maren's chapters. Sev's plot of undermining the emperor really kept me going, and kept my rating at a four star, or it would have been a two.
I was excited to see Kaia and Maren burn the empire down together and maybe build a three way relationship with Sev, and that 100% did NOT happen. The drama between Maren and Kaia was painful and felt stupid to me, detracting from plot of Maren freeing dragons. I LOVED Sev's side, but it was like pulling teeth to get through Maren's chapters. Sev's plot of undermining the emperor really kept me going, and kept my rating at a four star, or it would have been a two.
lucaengelhard's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
dianafraser17's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
While I do think this duology could have been a two-part single book and edited with a closer hand, I did really enjoy them and flew (heh!) through both books.
Seeing a side character become the main character by going on their own journey is a powerful YA story, and there will always be love in my heart for dragon adventures seeking justice, peace, and freedom. Maren, Sev, Tasia, and Naava and their companions embody the future I hope we create.
Seeing a side character become the main character by going on their own journey is a powerful YA story, and there will always be love in my heart for dragon adventures seeking justice, peace, and freedom. Maren, Sev, Tasia, and Naava and their companions embody the future I hope we create.
elfycatwoman's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
I wish that this book had been better. I really do.
It wasn't bad. It just felt very rough around the edges and could have done with a lot more work in a lot of areas.
Shatter the Sky was hardly the best book I've ever read, but I enjoyed it so much. It played with familiar tropes in ways that I enjoyed. It was deliciously queer. I got attached to the characters.
Storm the Earth is similarly tropey. I like Maren and Sev, and they both get good arcs here. The dragon lore is great. But the whole story plays it safe in ways that frustrated me. I wanted Wells to take more risks here. I wanted the story to have room to breathe, not just in the romance aspect but in the revolution stuff as well.
A lot of basic writing stuff falls down a bit in this one. Characters who were never previously mentioned appear to help at the eleventh hour, which feels deeply unsatisfying and also hints at a whole chunk of plot that we never got. A longer book with more point of view characters actually might have been a smart move here, but that's something that Wells probably would have had to set up in book one since this was just a duology rather than a longer series.
And I'm not mad at how the romance stuff played out, but it did feel very safe. I think that if we'd gotten Kaia's perspective in this book (and maybe in the first one as well), things might have felt more satisfying. Or if, but that would have required large-scale changes to the whole book. Oh well.
Overall, I still mostly enjoyed this and would recommend the duology to fellow queer dragon book fans or just anyone looking for a YA fantasy novel with a bisexual lead. I just wish that book two had taken more risks and gotten some better editing and maybe been paced a bit better.
I would absolutely love to revisit this world if the author is interested in doing that cause I think there's a lot of potential to tell interesting stories in it.
It wasn't bad. It just felt very rough around the edges and could have done with a lot more work in a lot of areas.
Shatter the Sky was hardly the best book I've ever read, but I enjoyed it so much. It played with familiar tropes in ways that I enjoyed. It was deliciously queer. I got attached to the characters.
Storm the Earth is similarly tropey. I like Maren and Sev, and they both get good arcs here. The dragon lore is great. But the whole story plays it safe in ways that frustrated me. I wanted Wells to take more risks here. I wanted the story to have room to breathe, not just in the romance aspect but in the revolution stuff as well.
A lot of basic writing stuff falls down a bit in this one. Characters who were never previously mentioned appear to help at the eleventh hour, which feels deeply unsatisfying and also hints at a whole chunk of plot that we never got. A longer book with more point of view characters actually might have been a smart move here, but that's something that Wells probably would have had to set up in book one since this was just a duology rather than a longer series.
And I'm not mad at how the romance stuff played out, but it did feel very safe. I think that if we'd gotten Kaia's perspective in this book (and maybe in the first one as well), things might have felt more satisfying. Or if
Spoiler
things had just ended in polyamoryOverall, I still mostly enjoyed this and would recommend the duology to fellow queer dragon book fans or just anyone looking for a YA fantasy novel with a bisexual lead. I just wish that book two had taken more risks and gotten some better editing and maybe been paced a bit better.
I would absolutely love to revisit this world if the author is interested in doing that cause I think there's a lot of potential to tell interesting stories in it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship
shmarr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
jessiriegs's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
3.0
taylor_riegs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-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? Yes
3.0
library_brandy's review against another edition
Marin and Kaia are reunited, but there's still so much to be done--freeing the dragons and rescuing Sev, but also renegotiating their relationship given all that's happened to each of them.
renatasnacks's review
3.0
I have a hard time retaining details from books after I read them--I mostly remember sort of a feeling/sense of "Oh I liked it" or "It made me feel sad" or whatever and maybe a few key moments. So when I'm reading series books with a pause in between I either need to re-read the series (big time commitment!) or read a helpful wiki summary (my usual go-to). Unfortch Shatter the Sky didn't develop the kind of devoted fandom who would make a wiki for this so I came up pretty dry looking for a good summary of the last one. Someone please make this.
Anyway I couldn't find a wiki and didn't re-read Shatter the Sky and as a result it took me awhile to find my footing with this one. Like wait......who? What? Why is everyone so concerned about essential oils??? (It's because you can use essential oils to brainwash dragons I guess)
So anyway it was kind of a confusing ride which is partly on me for not doing all my research. But still fun and interesting worldbuilding! I've had a big uptick in kids asking for dragon books lately (thanks Wings of Fire) and this has some choice dragon stuff in it.
PS also I read some other reviews on here who are upset bc this book has a love triangle with a bi main character, her girlfriend, and a new boy love interest, and like, not to deny anyone's feelings about wanting more purely f/f fantasy ofc but...it's valid for a bi woman to end up with a man! It doesn't make her not bi! And from the start Maren identified as bi! OK bye/bi.
Anyway I couldn't find a wiki and didn't re-read Shatter the Sky and as a result it took me awhile to find my footing with this one. Like wait......who? What? Why is everyone so concerned about essential oils??? (It's because you can use essential oils to brainwash dragons I guess)
So anyway it was kind of a confusing ride which is partly on me for not doing all my research. But still fun and interesting worldbuilding! I've had a big uptick in kids asking for dragon books lately (thanks Wings of Fire) and this has some choice dragon stuff in it.
PS also I read some other reviews on here who are upset bc this book has a love triangle with a bi main character, her girlfriend, and a new boy love interest, and like, not to deny anyone's feelings about wanting more purely f/f fantasy ofc but...it's valid for a bi woman to end up with a man! It doesn't make her not bi! And from the start Maren identified as bi! OK bye/bi.