Scan barcode
gay's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
phantasmaboo's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
The Beholden by Cassandra Rose Clarke tells the story of two sisters who, after having made a pact with an ancient goddess, are called upon by her for a favor. The favor -- to find an ancient mage who has apparently resurrected himself -- draws them to far corners of their land and into the depths of the jungle. Together, along with their companion Ico, they go on a journey that will define them and their future home.
I honestly did not like this book at all. It is soulless, dry, and memorable only in how much injustice was done to the characters and plot. Worse, there was potential here, but the book is weighted down by its inability to get out of its own way. it is almost a parody of fantasy. To break it down:
The Characters
The book starts promising enough with three characters: Izara, Celestia, and Ico. Izara and Celestia are sisters, who make a pact with an ancient goddess in exchange for Celestia's finding of a husband. Ico is along for the ride as their guide. When they are called upon, Celestia is playing the perfect wife and soon-to-be mother while Izara is studying magic. Ico is living with another goddess, after having seen atrocities. This, however, is where the character development ends.
These characters lack so much depth that they become caricatures. Celestia is defined solely through her husband and her future child. About every 4 pages, the author reminds us that Celestia is pregnant, lest we have forgotten. In every moment where there is a moment for growth, they remain staunchly the same as the world whirls around them. By the end of the book, you will find yourself facing the same people at the end, which will make you question what the purpose of this journey was.
The characters do not even successfully bond throughout the tale, because that would require changing who they are. Overall, they are just bland and quickly fade into the background of their own story.
There is some attempt at diversity in this book, but it is not handled well. This is a true example of diversity at the expense of inclusion. Nearly all of the characters are described as Black or brown-skinned, but that is the extent to which we examine these characters' cultures or background. There is the feeling of little lore that motivates them, and what lore we do see is poorly explained (see below). A brief moment of LGBTQ representation appears at the end of the book, but it is too late to be anything but a footnote.
The Plot
The plot is just...there. Despite coming in at 544 pages, nothing much happens and the characters barely do anything from one moment to the next other than travel. In the final chapters of the book, I counted at least for deus ex machina tropes that resolved the characters' conflicts without them having to do much if anything at all. There is no pacing; it's just a monotonous meandering from one point to the next with some uninteresting people defined by only a few character traits.
I think the worst part is that there was potential in this plot. At times the author gave us fleeting glimpses of deep questions, such as "What would happen if death stopped happening?", "Is there beauty in death and impermanence?", and "How do we maintain balance in the world?". However, none of the characters dare to truly examine these in depth and, as I mentioned, none of them change throughout the events of the story. The most horrifying experiences are instead drowned out by the need to narrate 3 days on a boat from 3 different perspectives in a sharp stop to any potential threads.
The Setting/World-Building
The setting was interesting in terms of it being a jungle, but that's about where it stops. The magic system is crude and poorly defined. In fact, I would say it is defined solely by what characters need to get them from one point to the next. The author's stream of consciousness approach leaves much to be desired in creating the complex systems that she wishes to convey.
Furthermore, it is unclear what time period this is in, what technology is available to characters and why, where in the world this is based off of, or any other indication of the world. There's an Emperor, but of what? They're in conflict with someone, but why? We get surface-level answers to these questions, but it's just not enough to motivate the characters, the plot, or really anything.
Overall
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I gave it one star because the cover is pretty and I think there was something there, but it's far from being even an average fantasy book. There are many more books with more interesting characters, magic systems, and purposeful writing that are far more interesting than this book was.
I honestly did not like this book at all. It is soulless, dry, and memorable only in how much injustice was done to the characters and plot. Worse, there was potential here, but the book is weighted down by its inability to get out of its own way. it is almost a parody of fantasy. To break it down:
The Characters
The book starts promising enough with three characters: Izara, Celestia, and Ico. Izara and Celestia are sisters, who make a pact with an ancient goddess in exchange for Celestia's finding of a husband. Ico is along for the ride as their guide. When they are called upon, Celestia is playing the perfect wife and soon-to-be mother while Izara is studying magic. Ico is living with another goddess, after having seen atrocities. This, however, is where the character development ends.
These characters lack so much depth that they become caricatures. Celestia is defined solely through her husband and her future child. About every 4 pages, the author reminds us that Celestia is pregnant, lest we have forgotten. In every moment where there is a moment for growth, they remain staunchly the same as the world whirls around them. By the end of the book, you will find yourself facing the same people at the end, which will make you question what the purpose of this journey was.
The characters do not even successfully bond throughout the tale, because that would require changing who they are. Overall, they are just bland and quickly fade into the background of their own story.
There is some attempt at diversity in this book, but it is not handled well. This is a true example of diversity at the expense of inclusion. Nearly all of the characters are described as Black or brown-skinned, but that is the extent to which we examine these characters' cultures or background. There is the feeling of little lore that motivates them, and what lore we do see is poorly explained (see below). A brief moment of LGBTQ representation appears at the end of the book, but it is too late to be anything but a footnote.
The Plot
The plot is just...there. Despite coming in at 544 pages, nothing much happens and the characters barely do anything from one moment to the next other than travel. In the final chapters of the book, I counted at least for deus ex machina tropes that resolved the characters' conflicts without them having to do much if anything at all. There is no pacing; it's just a monotonous meandering from one point to the next with some uninteresting people defined by only a few character traits.
I think the worst part is that there was potential in this plot. At times the author gave us fleeting glimpses of deep questions, such as "What would happen if death stopped happening?", "Is there beauty in death and impermanence?", and "How do we maintain balance in the world?". However, none of the characters dare to truly examine these in depth and, as I mentioned, none of them change throughout the events of the story. The most horrifying experiences are instead drowned out by the need to narrate 3 days on a boat from 3 different perspectives in a sharp stop to any potential threads.
The Setting/World-Building
The setting was interesting in terms of it being a jungle, but that's about where it stops. The magic system is crude and poorly defined. In fact, I would say it is defined solely by what characters need to get them from one point to the next. The author's stream of consciousness approach leaves much to be desired in creating the complex systems that she wishes to convey.
Furthermore, it is unclear what time period this is in, what technology is available to characters and why, where in the world this is based off of, or any other indication of the world. There's an Emperor, but of what? They're in conflict with someone, but why? We get surface-level answers to these questions, but it's just not enough to motivate the characters, the plot, or really anything.
Overall
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I gave it one star because the cover is pretty and I think there was something there, but it's far from being even an average fantasy book. There are many more books with more interesting characters, magic systems, and purposeful writing that are far more interesting than this book was.
openmypages's review
3.0
A young debutante makes a deal with a god to help her find a worthy husband, in the process she, her sister (a scholar) and their guide (a pirate) are made beholden to this goddess. Years later, the goddess calls in that favor and the three find themselves on an epic quest to capture an evil force bent on the destruction of the world as they know it. Their journey takes them through dangerous jungles, hidden cities and an epic cold desert. It also places them at odds with the emperor. Danger abounds and each of the three react quite differently.
This one took me a long time to get through, two weeks where I had to really press myself to keep going. I'm not sure quite what it was, there is interesting magic, an epic quest, the walking dead, hidden cities and arguing Gods. I think maybe it was the lack of attachment to the characters? No real character development? The writing was overly descriptive which was immersive but it meant there were long stretches without much action. I think had this been a 300 page book with an editor that tightened it up significantly, it would have scored much better for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.
This one took me a long time to get through, two weeks where I had to really press myself to keep going. I'm not sure quite what it was, there is interesting magic, an epic quest, the walking dead, hidden cities and arguing Gods. I think maybe it was the lack of attachment to the characters? No real character development? The writing was overly descriptive which was immersive but it meant there were long stretches without much action. I think had this been a 300 page book with an editor that tightened it up significantly, it would have scored much better for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.
wildflowerz76's review
DNF. Not my thing, but since the publisher sent it to me, I gave it a go.
bookish_penguin's review
2.0
Thank you Netgalley for the free copy of this book that I got in exchange for an honest review!
Honestly, I only even looked at this book because the cover is STUNNING. The makings of a great, really atmospheric book. But then I read the synopsis and the plot seemed pretty basic and totally done before.
Not to say I'm an oracle or anything, but I was bang on the mark.
The plot just really wasn't it for me. And for me, the plot is everything. I want the action, the suspense, but that just isn't what I got enough of for a fantasy. And the magic system was totally lacking.
But here is a (short) list of good qualities this book has, that I'm sure made this book for some people, but just weren't enough to bring it back for me.
1)The jungle made for such an amazing setting. And with that sprinkle of disease and war and all that good stuff, it really was the thing that kept going. Anyone else get major Pandora vibes?
2) The sister relationship. It wasn't all hugs and kisses, but it was real AF. And had that underlying comitment to each other-even when screaming.I always appreciate sibling/platonic relationships in books more than romantic ones, so this one totally delivered on that front.
Wow, that really was a short list.
Honestly, I only even looked at this book because the cover is STUNNING. The makings of a great, really atmospheric book. But then I read the synopsis and the plot seemed pretty basic and totally done before.
Not to say I'm an oracle or anything, but I was bang on the mark.
The plot just really wasn't it for me. And for me, the plot is everything. I want the action, the suspense, but that just isn't what I got enough of for a fantasy. And the magic system was totally lacking.
But here is a (short) list of good qualities this book has, that I'm sure made this book for some people, but just weren't enough to bring it back for me.
1)The jungle made for such an amazing setting. And with that sprinkle of disease and war and all that good stuff, it really was the thing that kept going. Anyone else get major Pandora vibes?
2) The sister relationship. It wasn't all hugs and kisses, but it was real AF. And had that underlying comitment to each other-even when screaming.I always appreciate sibling/platonic relationships in books more than romantic ones, so this one totally delivered on that front.
Wow, that really was a short list.
ferndust's review
adventurous
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
2.5
There were interesting ideas here, but the plot floundered a bit and many of the characters did not have satisfying arcs.
The relationship and development between Omaira and Celestia is the big exception. I greatly enjoyed their part of the story.
I was disappointed with Ico and Izara though. Ico just ended up in the same exact spot (literally) that he started, with no exploration of his past trauma besides a few nervous moments in the forest that are quickly forgotten.
And why would Izara stay with Decay? It would make much more sense for her character to go back to the secret technologically advanced city. She was very interested and invested in learning more about how the magic there worked and how it differed from the Academy…until they left and forgot about it for the rest of the book. Izara even hates working with Decay’s magic at the beginning of the book, so it was unclear why she decided to devote her life to him at the end.
Speaking of the Academy, I would have enjoyed (and was expecting) more discussion about how they were hiding aspects of magic and controlling the mages learning there. Alas, there was very little exploration of this.
The climax of the story (if you can call it that) was very underwhelming. The crew is like “please don’t leave” and Decay is like “too bad lol”, and Celestia is like “look a baby” and he’s like “oh well sucks to suck”. And then when Celestia is like “well at least I tried” Decay goes “well actually sure, I’ll stay”. What actually convinced him besides the necessity to the plot? It would have been much more satisfying, if the author really wanted Izara to become an acolyte of Decay, for her to take his place as the new god of Decay while Kajri disappears as he wishes.
Overall it was an interesting world with compelling characters, but neither the plot nor the characters had satisfying arcs. Disappointing, as it had so much potential.
I was disappointed with Ico and Izara though. Ico just ended up in the same exact spot (literally) that he started, with no exploration of his past trauma besides a few nervous moments in the forest that are quickly forgotten.
And why would Izara stay with Decay? It would make much more sense for her character to go back to the secret technologically advanced city. She was very interested and invested in learning more about how the magic there worked and how it differed from the Academy…until they left and forgot about it for the rest of the book. Izara even hates working with Decay’s magic at the beginning of the book, so it was unclear why she decided to devote her life to him at the end.
Speaking of the Academy, I would have enjoyed (and was expecting) more discussion about how they were hiding aspects of magic and controlling the mages learning there. Alas, there was very little exploration of this.
The climax of the story (if you can call it that) was very underwhelming. The crew is like “please don’t leave” and Decay is like “too bad lol”, and Celestia is like “look a baby” and he’s like “oh well sucks to suck”. And then when Celestia is like “well at least I tried” Decay goes “well actually sure, I’ll stay”. What actually convinced him besides the necessity to the plot? It would have been much more satisfying, if the author really wanted Izara to become an acolyte of Decay, for her to take his place as the new god of Decay while Kajri disappears as he wishes.
Overall it was an interesting world with compelling characters, but neither the plot nor the characters had satisfying arcs. Disappointing, as it had so much potential.
queserasarah_'s review
3.0
Celestia and Izara De Malena are orphaned sisters who, desperate to keep their family name and estate, make a deal with the Goddess of the River, The Lady of the Seraphine - a husband for Celestia in exchange for a favor. Finally, after five years, the Lady calls in her favor, at a time when Izara is pulled from the magical Academy, and Celestia is newly pregnant. Not to mention Ico, the ex-pirate river guide who got roped into their deal by either fate or hapless proximity. Together, the three of them venture out on a quest to stop the return of one of the most powerful mages in history, thought to have died half a millennia ago - Lord Kjari.
My favorite part of this book was the hierarchal nature of the gods, the Airiana & Laniana, and the magical system connected to siphoning their power. While elemental magic and alchemy are not anything new, there were elements to the mythology that felt new and fresh. The inventiveness of the gods is what drew me in the most.
Unfortunately, that's about all I really liked about it.
The characters, while engaging, did not inspire any attachment from me. I never felt invested in any of their stories, and I wanted to so badly! There were times when Ico's sass added a bit of zest and fun, but that's about it.
And, omg, the plot! I love a good quest, but it was such a struggle to get through at certain points. It's a wonder the book is so long because, by the time I finished, I felt like nothing noteworthy had happened. It was just a string of little moments with little to no meaning. I think the most frustrating part of this book was that there were multiple moments along the quest where they'd face a challenge, and the anticipation would build, and then it would just deflate like a remarkably sad balloon. There was no follow-through on these promised moments of tension, and everything seemed way too easy. Every time there's a proposed hardship or task to overcome, the characters are like, "oh, it's actually not so bad." Really!? Like, fine, the author explains why things seem to just work out, something about magic creating coincidences, but that's a shoddy excuse at best. And when we finally do get a moment of tension, it lasts about half a second before we're on to the next scene. And the ending! UGH, it was just so unsatisfying - you put these characters through all that, and for what!? An entirely predictable and unmemorable finale.
All in all, I wanted to like this book so much. Nothing makes me more heartbroken than a fantastic concept with so much potential that's lost in the plot because it's executed poorly.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3!
Thank you, NetGalley and Erewhon Books, for the e-book!
My favorite part of this book was the hierarchal nature of the gods, the Airiana & Laniana, and the magical system connected to siphoning their power. While elemental magic and alchemy are not anything new, there were elements to the mythology that felt new and fresh. The inventiveness of the gods is what drew me in the most.
Unfortunately, that's about all I really liked about it.
The characters, while engaging, did not inspire any attachment from me. I never felt invested in any of their stories, and I wanted to so badly! There were times when Ico's sass added a bit of zest and fun, but that's about it.
And, omg, the plot! I love a good quest, but it was such a struggle to get through at certain points. It's a wonder the book is so long because, by the time I finished, I felt like nothing noteworthy had happened. It was just a string of little moments with little to no meaning. I think the most frustrating part of this book was that there were multiple moments along the quest where they'd face a challenge, and the anticipation would build, and then it would just deflate like a remarkably sad balloon. There was no follow-through on these promised moments of tension, and everything seemed way too easy. Every time there's a proposed hardship or task to overcome, the characters are like, "oh, it's actually not so bad." Really!? Like, fine, the author explains why things seem to just work out, something about magic creating coincidences, but that's a shoddy excuse at best. And when we finally do get a moment of tension, it lasts about half a second before we're on to the next scene. And the ending! UGH, it was just so unsatisfying - you put these characters through all that, and for what!? An entirely predictable and unmemorable finale.
All in all, I wanted to like this book so much. Nothing makes me more heartbroken than a fantastic concept with so much potential that's lost in the plot because it's executed poorly.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3!
Thank you, NetGalley and Erewhon Books, for the e-book!
sarahmayerwriter's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Thank you to Erewhon Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. The Beholden takes the reader on a unique adventure through the rainforest forest, over mountains, and into the desert. It follows two sisters and an ex- pirate, which adds some humor and reliability to the fantastical storyline. The relationships are well developed and the overall concept of death retaliating was what piqued my interest.
I enjoyed the book overall. There were some small inconsistencies with the plot, but they do not take away too much from the story. I would have liked some more individual character development and lore, but it was a decent read and unique.
I enjoyed the book overall. There were some small inconsistencies with the plot, but they do not take away too much from the story. I would have liked some more individual character development and lore, but it was a decent read and unique.
cheyenneb's review
I really struggled with this one as it has a beautiful cover. I pushed through a third of it and I gave it the benefit of the doubt with needing to set up a lot in the world, but in the end I was just a little bored. The main point of the plot never seemed very urgent and I don't like it when the gods just tell people to do things but then say "I can't tell you why"