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kathrynleereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rin Chupeco really outdid herself with this one. The Heart Forger follows Tea across the Eight Kingdoms as she explores the extent of her powers as a Dark asha.
First of all, the pace of this book picked up so much from The Bone Witch, it was incredible. We went from nothing happening in 300 pages to so much happening that it was nearly (but not quite) hard to keep up.
While the plot of The Heart Forger was fantastic, what really took the cake in this book were the characters.
Tea continued to be her marvelous self, and it was interesting to see her slowly changing from the girl we know into the girl she is in the Bard’s chapters.
Kalen surprised me by becoming my favorite character, which I was not anticipating after despising him in the first book.
Fox continued to be his loyal, unshaken self, while also developing his own relationships.
Likh has made impressive strides when it comes not only to personal development but also to sparking conversation in (and beyond) the Willows.
We got to see a lot more of Khalad and get to know him better, and the more I learn about him, the more I love him.
Honestly, this book just grew my love and respect for all the characters. Mykaela, Polaire, Althy, Inessa, Zoya, Shadi, Empress Alyx, they all grew in the best ways.
The only character whom I lost any respect for (other than the actual villains) was
Kance.
Despite my misgivings throughout the first book, I cannot express how in love I am with this series so far.
I have high hopes that Chupeco will finish off strong in The Shadowglass.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia and Murder
Minor: Medical content and Classism
amre23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Grief
kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I like the characters and I like the world building but holy moly does the narrative style not do it for me.
I’ve seen in other reviews that people love the flashback-flashforward effect but for me it was exhausting trying to keep up with what’s going on knowing that there are only a few months in between. I don’t think the “present day” story from the Bard should have come until book 3; frankly all it did was annoy me in books 1 & 2 because I had no way of knowing how the actions in the flashbacks led up to the events in the present. Something that helped me enjoy this book more was reading all the “present day” scenes then going back for all the flashback scenes; that helped me feel less thrown around by the two ends of the same story.
Overall, these books have felt like when you get a really pretty skein of yarn & go against your better judgement & try to pull from the center only for it to prolapse into a mess of tangles that you have to pick through for hours to put back in order. gorgeous material, bad execution.
I’ve seen in other reviews that people love the flashback-flashforward effect but for me it was exhausting trying to keep up with what’s going on knowing that there are only a few months in between. I don’t think the “present day” story from the Bard should have come until book 3; frankly all it did was annoy me in books 1 & 2 because I had no way of knowing how the actions in the flashbacks led up to the events in the present. Something that helped me enjoy this book more was reading all the “present day” scenes then going back for all the flashback scenes; that helped me feel less thrown around by the two ends of the same story.
Overall, these books have felt like when you get a really pretty skein of yarn & go against your better judgement & try to pull from the center only for it to prolapse into a mess of tangles that you have to pick through for hours to put back in order. gorgeous material, bad execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, and War
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
noellelovesbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
2/9/2022
Content Warnings: Sexism, blood/gore, murder/death, homophobia, transphobia, torture, imprisonment, death/murder of a loved one.
Although I’ve read “The Bone Witch” three times now…this is only the second time I’ve read through “The Heart Forger” and I forgot how emotional it would make me. This book picks up immediately after the first book ends as we continue to see the current time through the eyes of “the bard” and see past events through Tea’s eyes.
We were told and taught, many things in book one that book two reveal to be false. I absolutely love the back and forth between times, there are so many important things happening in both timelines and you’re left desperately wanting to know everything going on in both. The pace of book two is definitely faster than book one, as book one taught us much of the backstory to the world and people.
Without giving anything away, in case you haven’t read through “The Bone Witch” just know that “The Heart Forger” made me cry…just as much and as hard as I did when I first read it almost two years ago. The world that Rin has created for us can be so beautiful and so cruel at the same time…and I love every second I spend in it.
9/24/2020
Rin Chupeco is a master storyteller...
The Heart Forger picks up where The Bone Witch ends and leads us on more of Tea's current, and past, path. There are so many thing's that we thought to be true in "The Bone Witch" that we find aren't what they appeared to be. This book is full of more beauty and ugliness set in this masterful world Rin has created for us. These first two books have put me through so many intense emotions that I know that I'm not yet ready to face the final book.
Although this is only the 2nd book of Rin's I've ever read...I can honestly say she's one of my favorite author's and I can't wait to meet the other world's she created in her other books.
Content Warnings: Sexism, blood/gore, murder/death, homophobia, transphobia, torture, imprisonment, death/murder of a loved one.
Although I’ve read “The Bone Witch” three times now…this is only the second time I’ve read through “The Heart Forger” and I forgot how emotional it would make me. This book picks up immediately after the first book ends as we continue to see the current time through the eyes of “the bard” and see past events through Tea’s eyes.
We were told and taught, many things in book one that book two reveal to be false. I absolutely love the back and forth between times, there are so many important things happening in both timelines and you’re left desperately wanting to know everything going on in both. The pace of book two is definitely faster than book one, as book one taught us much of the backstory to the world and people.
Without giving anything away, in case you haven’t read through “The Bone Witch” just know that “The Heart Forger” made me cry…just as much and as hard as I did when I first read it almost two years ago. The world that Rin has created for us can be so beautiful and so cruel at the same time…and I love every second I spend in it.
9/24/2020
Rin Chupeco is a master storyteller...
The Heart Forger picks up where The Bone Witch ends and leads us on more of Tea's current, and past, path. There are so many thing's that we thought to be true in "The Bone Witch" that we find aren't what they appeared to be. This book is full of more beauty and ugliness set in this masterful world Rin has created for us. These first two books have put me through so many intense emotions that I know that I'm not yet ready to face the final book.
Although this is only the 2nd book of Rin's I've ever read...I can honestly say she's one of my favorite author's and I can't wait to meet the other world's she created in her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Torture and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, and Transphobia