bookwormmuse's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
maryamhussain's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Was not expecting to like this series as much as I did. It’s not like I went in thinking I wouldn’t like it - why would I read it - but it surprised me. Love how Daleina, despite never being as powerful as the others, is the best through sheer determination (and other things too, like noble and brave and smart etc.)
kmfeeney's review against another edition
4.0
The first half of the book was rather boring but once it picked up it was fantastic. I'm super happy with the conclusion although I'd like to know more about the future of Renthia.
clauleesi's review against another edition
4.0
When I first read [b:The Queen of Blood|25036395|The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia, #1)|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462331047l/25036395._SY75_.jpg|44712641], I was completely mindblown. It had it all - adventure, great characters that you could relate to and root for and hate, a gorgeous and complex world, an unique magic system and great female friendships. It's one of my favorite books ever, and even though [b:The Queen of Sorrow|36039814|The Queen of Sorrow (The Queens of Renthia, #3)|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513185111l/36039814._SX50_.jpg|44737365] didn't quite reach that same level for me, [a:Sarah Beth Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] ended this series beautifully.
Now that Aratay has both Daleina and Naelin as it's queens, Daleina is positive about the future. The two queens will bring prosperity and joy to their country after an invasion almost brought its end. But when foreign spirits kidnap Naelins children, she wreaks havoc in her quest to get them back - and as she thinks Queen Merecot of Semo guilty of the crime, it's Merecot who will pay.
For me, the biggest strengths of this series has been two things; it's brilliant world, and Daleina. Daleina is one of my favorite characters of all time as she manages to be both intelligent and kind while still managing to stay believable. She doesn't feel like nor a Disney princess or a Mary-Sue, but a complex and fleshed-out person that has her heart in the right place. I wish there was more character like her.
The world [a:Sarah Beth Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] has created never ceases to amaze me, and it saddens me that [b:The Deepest Blue|36315937|The Deepest Blue|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538070634l/36315937._SY75_.jpg|57989438] might be that last book we get in this setting. These books more than paints Renthia up - they completely transport me there, makes me actually smell the forest and feel the leaves on my skin. It's truly a fantasy lovers dream. We get to explore the land of Renthia further here, and meet some of the other queens briefly, which was incredible although I would have liked even more of it.
Sadly though, I do feel that these books also have a weakness. Or not a weakness, but something that I didn't love just as much as everything is. And that is Naelin.
Naelin was introduced in [b:The Reluctant Queen|32600602|The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia, #2)|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481737807l/32600602._SY75_.jpg|44737355] and ever since our first chapter with her I've absolutely loathed her. You could say that her only redeeming quality is her love for her children, but it is also that which makes her so horrible as she only ever thinks of her children, even when her love for them makes her blind to see how she's hurting them.
Oh, ignore the entire country of Aratay to protect her children? Sure, if only her children didn't live in Aratay themselves and were affected by Naelin ignoring her responsibilities. Naelin refusing to see reason and lashing out everytime her children were in danger? Fair, except that that same lashing out always risked the safety of those very same children.
She were so selfish, dumb, lacked empathy for anyone who wasn't her children, impulsive and immature that I just couldn't stand her. [a:Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] has undeniably created a rarely seen character that does bring a new perspective to this series, and I do like that we get to follow an middle-aged woman, but Naelin is just so, so horrid. Daleina might be one of my favorite characters ever, but Naelin is definitely one of my most hated ones. I'm sure she and Aelin from [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495278054l/7896527._SY75_.jpg|11138426] would love each other.
If Naelin hadn't been in these last two books I'm sure I would have loved them just as much as [b:The Queen of Blood|25036395|The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia, #1)|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462331047l/25036395._SY75_.jpg|44712641]. Don't get me wrong, they're all amazing books. And even though I hope that Daleina won't break her back by carrying all my love by herself, she was far from the only great character - Merecot is an extremely morally grey character that I still adored, Garnah is horribly entertaining, Hamon the sweet love interest that should be the norm for romance and Daleina's little sister Alin that is so much her own, very intelligent person. They all brought their fair share to the table and I couldn't get enough of their dynamics.
Although I'm glad to see Naelin go, I will miss this series so much and will never for the life of me understand why it's so underrated. [a:Sarah Beth Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] has created something magical and special that everyone should experience.
Now that Aratay has both Daleina and Naelin as it's queens, Daleina is positive about the future. The two queens will bring prosperity and joy to their country after an invasion almost brought its end. But when foreign spirits kidnap Naelins children, she wreaks havoc in her quest to get them back - and as she thinks Queen Merecot of Semo guilty of the crime, it's Merecot who will pay.
For me, the biggest strengths of this series has been two things; it's brilliant world, and Daleina. Daleina is one of my favorite characters of all time as she manages to be both intelligent and kind while still managing to stay believable. She doesn't feel like nor a Disney princess or a Mary-Sue, but a complex and fleshed-out person that has her heart in the right place. I wish there was more character like her.
The world [a:Sarah Beth Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] has created never ceases to amaze me, and it saddens me that [b:The Deepest Blue|36315937|The Deepest Blue|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538070634l/36315937._SY75_.jpg|57989438] might be that last book we get in this setting. These books more than paints Renthia up - they completely transport me there, makes me actually smell the forest and feel the leaves on my skin. It's truly a fantasy lovers dream. We get to explore the land of Renthia further here, and meet some of the other queens briefly, which was incredible although I would have liked even more of it.
Sadly though, I do feel that these books also have a weakness. Or not a weakness, but something that I didn't love just as much as everything is. And that is Naelin.
Naelin was introduced in [b:The Reluctant Queen|32600602|The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia, #2)|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481737807l/32600602._SY75_.jpg|44737355] and ever since our first chapter with her I've absolutely loathed her. You could say that her only redeeming quality is her love for her children, but it is also that which makes her so horrible as she only ever thinks of her children, even when her love for them makes her blind to see how she's hurting them.
Oh, ignore the entire country of Aratay to protect her children? Sure, if only her children didn't live in Aratay themselves and were affected by Naelin ignoring her responsibilities. Naelin refusing to see reason and lashing out everytime her children were in danger? Fair, except that that same lashing out always risked the safety of those very same children.
She were so selfish, dumb, lacked empathy for anyone who wasn't her children, impulsive and immature that I just couldn't stand her. [a:Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] has undeniably created a rarely seen character that does bring a new perspective to this series, and I do like that we get to follow an middle-aged woman, but Naelin is just so, so horrid. Daleina might be one of my favorite characters ever, but Naelin is definitely one of my most hated ones. I'm sure she and Aelin from [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495278054l/7896527._SY75_.jpg|11138426] would love each other.
If Naelin hadn't been in these last two books I'm sure I would have loved them just as much as [b:The Queen of Blood|25036395|The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia, #1)|Sarah Beth Durst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462331047l/25036395._SY75_.jpg|44712641]. Don't get me wrong, they're all amazing books. And even though I hope that Daleina won't break her back by carrying all my love by herself, she was far from the only great character - Merecot is an extremely morally grey character that I still adored, Garnah is horribly entertaining, Hamon the sweet love interest that should be the norm for romance and Daleina's little sister Alin that is so much her own, very intelligent person. They all brought their fair share to the table and I couldn't get enough of their dynamics.
Although I'm glad to see Naelin go, I will miss this series so much and will never for the life of me understand why it's so underrated. [a:Sarah Beth Durst|99117|Sarah Beth Durst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1188007776p2/99117.jpg] has created something magical and special that everyone should experience.
monicaokta's review against another edition
4.0
This trilogy really deserve more hype in my opinion. Such a great story, worldbuilding and characters.
bookishnicole's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this conclusion to the story of these queens, and they really were QUEENS.
parue's review against another edition
2.0
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand, I hated the first half of it. Naelin was incredibly annoying and I was so frustrated with her that she almost single-handedly ruined the entire book for me. On the other hand, the second half of the book was enjoyable for the most part.
Some relationships felt completely forced. There is one in particular that happens within the span of a page. I wish it was more fleshed out because one of the characters seemed interesting, though we barely know a thing about her other than she's shy and unsure of herself??? Then there are some people (like Hamon) that felt like they didn't really exist as people outside of their relationships. Hamon's mother is ten times more of an interesting character than Hamon, and we see much less of her in comparison.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I only characters I really liked were Daleina and Garnah. I felt lukewarm or annoyed by pretty much everyone else.
On the one hand, I hated the first half of it. Naelin was incredibly annoying and I was so frustrated with her that she almost single-handedly ruined the entire book for me. On the other hand, the second half of the book was enjoyable for the most part.
Some relationships felt completely forced. There is one in particular that happens within the span of a page. I wish it was more fleshed out because one of the characters seemed interesting, though we barely know a thing about her other than she's shy and unsure of herself??? Then there are some people (like Hamon) that felt like they didn't really exist as people outside of their relationships. Hamon's mother is ten times more of an interesting character than Hamon, and we see much less of her in comparison.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I only characters I really liked were Daleina and Garnah. I felt lukewarm or annoyed by pretty much everyone else.
cainacol12's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was a 5 star read all the way until the last third. The ending ruin it for me. But still love the characters and the world. I'll pick up the next book eventually.
lib_britannia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
quiet_chaos's review against another edition
3.0
*Thank you to edelweiss for the advanced copy I received in exchange for an honest review.*
I wanted to love this so much more than I did. But alas, I was left fairly disappointed. I thought I was reading a finale, but throughout the book there were several times when I felt like there was not much story happening. Toward the end, I wanted more Arin, I wanted more Bayn and Naelin and the wild spirits, and more of the other lands. Reading the acknowledgements it looks like we'll get another book at some point set in one of the other lands and I'll definitely read it. This one just lacked something I loved so much about the first two I guess. Definitely one I'm glad I read, but more so that I can pick up the next one.
I guess I'm also sad that at least for a while I'm sad that it's over. I loved Renthia, even if I didn't love Daelinia especially in this one.
I wanted to love this so much more than I did. But alas, I was left fairly disappointed. I thought I was reading a finale, but throughout the book there were several times when I felt like there was not much story happening. Toward the end, I wanted more Arin, I wanted more Bayn and Naelin and the wild spirits, and more of the other lands. Reading the acknowledgements it looks like we'll get another book at some point set in one of the other lands and I'll definitely read it. This one just lacked something I loved so much about the first two I guess. Definitely one I'm glad I read, but more so that I can pick up the next one.
I guess I'm also sad that at least for a while I'm sad that it's over. I loved Renthia, even if I didn't love Daelinia especially in this one.