paumat's review
3.0
It felt like it never really took off for me.
Bonus star point for Shianan and Luca as characters, amazing chemistry and development.
But otherwise it felt like something was missing… still entertaining though, and decent writing except from when they were in the other world with the otherly creatures… I love fantasy but felt like that could have been better.
Bonus star point for Shianan and Luca as characters, amazing chemistry and development.
But otherwise it felt like something was missing… still entertaining though, and decent writing except from when they were in the other world with the otherly creatures… I love fantasy but felt like that could have been better.
ksmith23's review
5.0
A must read
I loved this book and cannot wait to pick up the rest of the series. The character relationships were wonderfully complex and compelling. The plot had me interested at the start and continue hold my attention. I loved the journey this book has started me on and cannot wait to get more of these characters and get further into this world.
I loved this book and cannot wait to pick up the rest of the series. The character relationships were wonderfully complex and compelling. The plot had me interested at the start and continue hold my attention. I loved the journey this book has started me on and cannot wait to get more of these characters and get further into this world.
kitvaria_sarene's review
3.0
I liked, but didn't love this. It's hard to put my finger exactly on what it was that was missing for me, as I liked most of the single contents, but somehow they didn't all add up to a "I can't stop reading!" It had all the right ingredients, but maybe the balance wasn't right for me?
I liked the setting of two worlds with different cultures and races, but I feel it could have been fleshed out a lot more. Both worlds had interesting cultures, but the way the switch between worlds worked, and how one world raids the other felt a bit on the shallow end. Compared to the the court and world's this part just didn't hold up.
The whole magic and fantasy part of the book wasn't really explained, so it's not a hard magic system at all, just people being able to do what needs doing by magic. Which isn't a bad thing in itself, I am happy with a hard or a soft magic system. In this book it just added to slightly two dimensional feel of some parts of the world.
The characters... I liked each of them in their own, and I especially enjoyed the interaction between the king's bastard Shianan and the slave Luca. They grow and learn about themselves as well as about each other.
Tam was interesting to read about, and I liked to see him switch between his two very different lifes.
Ariana and her father are supposed to be very powerful, and had a few moments were they could actually shine, but a lot of the time there was little agency. They just deal with what fate deals them, without really fighting it. This was also true of Shianan a lot of the time - just resign to how things are. At times I just wanted to shout at them all to just go and do things, instead of just reacting to things. Some of it for well with his backstory and the way he grew up, other times it just felt like it was simply convenient for the plot, and he changed his mind within a snap of fingers.
That's abothe rod my gripes - like with my last book - this seems to be mostly reactive instead of proactive, and there doesn't seem to be a clear focus on the plot. We just follow along as things happen, and don't really know what even is the "point" of the book.
One bit I really enjoyed was the almost non existent romance in Shard and Shield, so I found it rather annoying to have that seemingly added in at the end of the book. Yes, there's little clues along the way, but everyone is way too busy to deal with stuff to think about anything like romance. And then at the end
This didn't feel like a smooth part of the book, but really like it was an added afterthought the way it was handled. This is the main reason why I won't read teh sequel, as I have a big inclubg it will have a romance plot. Nothing wrong with romance, I just don't like to read it personally, as I usually find it boring. The little bit we got to see here, does not make me optimistic that any romance that might be in the sequel would be smooth and well developed.
Despite all this complaints, it was an entertaining read, which I did enjoy, it just didn't manage to fully grip me.
I liked the setting of two worlds with different cultures and races, but I feel it could have been fleshed out a lot more. Both worlds had interesting cultures, but the way the switch between worlds worked, and how one world raids the other felt a bit on the shallow end. Compared to the the court and world's this part just didn't hold up.
The whole magic and fantasy part of the book wasn't really explained, so it's not a hard magic system at all, just people being able to do what needs doing by magic. Which isn't a bad thing in itself, I am happy with a hard or a soft magic system. In this book it just added to slightly two dimensional feel of some parts of the world.
The characters... I liked each of them in their own, and I especially enjoyed the interaction between the king's bastard Shianan and the slave Luca. They grow and learn about themselves as well as about each other.
Tam was interesting to read about, and I liked to see him switch between his two very different lifes.
Ariana and her father are supposed to be very powerful, and had a few moments were they could actually shine, but a lot of the time there was little agency. They just deal with what fate deals them, without really fighting it. This was also true of Shianan a lot of the time - just resign to how things are. At times I just wanted to shout at them all to just go and do things, instead of just reacting to things. Some of it for well with his backstory and the way he grew up, other times it just felt like it was simply convenient for the plot, and he changed his mind within a snap of fingers.
That's abothe rod my gripes - like with my last book - this seems to be mostly reactive instead of proactive, and there doesn't seem to be a clear focus on the plot. We just follow along as things happen, and don't really know what even is the "point" of the book.
One bit I really enjoyed was the almost non existent romance in Shard and Shield, so I found it rather annoying to have that seemingly added in at the end of the book. Yes, there's little clues along the way, but everyone is way too busy to deal with stuff to think about anything like romance. And then at the end
Spoiler
both men profess their love for Ariana, and not even to her, but to her father.This didn't feel like a smooth part of the book, but really like it was an added afterthought the way it was handled. This is the main reason why I won't read teh sequel, as I have a big inclubg it will have a romance plot. Nothing wrong with romance, I just don't like to read it personally, as I usually find it boring. The little bit we got to see here, does not make me optimistic that any romance that might be in the sequel would be smooth and well developed.
Despite all this complaints, it was an entertaining read, which I did enjoy, it just didn't manage to fully grip me.
josiahdegraaf's review
4.0
Unique fantasy world with likeable characters, complex relationships, intriguing choices, and an entertaining plot. The problematic economics of the worldbuilding were especially interesting for me and I'm quite curious to see how the problems innate with the world end up resolving themselves over the course of the series. Enjoyable read overall!
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
adamdavidcollings's review
Shard and Shield introduce us to a fantasy setting where winged creatures invade from another world, a mysterious ancient artifact that can block passage between worlds, and some likably downtrodden characters who must sacrifice much to save their world.
I found myself very invested in Shiannan, Tam, Ariana, and Luca. I felt the injustices they suffered greatly, and celebrated their triumphs.
The book examines ideas of peace, slavery, and friendship across unlikely boundaries.
I look forward to seeing how this story progresses in subsequent books.
I found myself very invested in Shiannan, Tam, Ariana, and Luca. I felt the injustices they suffered greatly, and celebrated their triumphs.
The book examines ideas of peace, slavery, and friendship across unlikely boundaries.
I look forward to seeing how this story progresses in subsequent books.
michellembruhn's review
4.0
*runs to join the many fans screaming "LUUUUUUUCAAAAAAA"*
And gosh, Shianan. Love him too, flaws and all. <3
It took me till about the 20% point to really get into this book, but once I got there, I could. Not. Stop. Reading. Complex characters, intricate relationships, great action—so excited to continue with the series soon!
And gosh, Shianan. Love him too, flaws and all. <3
It took me till about the 20% point to really get into this book, but once I got there, I could. Not. Stop. Reading. Complex characters, intricate relationships, great action—so excited to continue with the series soon!
jettye's review
4.0
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The really good stuff: great world building, interesting characters, an exciting plot. Mage Ariana sets off with Soldier (and bastard of the King) Shianon, to retrieve a Shard that has properties that will, they hope, close the door to another world from where their enemies attack without warning. Accompanied by Ariana's servant, Tam, the trio tentatively bond on the journey, much - apparently - to Shianon's chagrin.
Retrieving the Shard from the religious cult that owns it turns out to include an "invitation" to the religious leader to visit it in it's new location at the capital. Bad idea.
I don't want to give any spoilers, so let's just say a lot happens after the Shard is activated!
The one thing I found frustrating is that I never really understood the motivations of Shianan the lead male character. He did some things that I found rather jarring; perhaps I needed a little more backstory from his point of view to understand why he was making certain choices. Honestly, I wanted to slap him several times for doing the most stupid things! There were also a couple plot points that seemed a bit contrived, but these were fairly minor and might become more clear in the forthcoming sequels.
Overall, I think this is a very enjoyable read with characters I cared about (important to me) and I look forward to the next chapters!
Retrieving the Shard from the religious cult that owns it turns out to include an "invitation" to the religious leader to visit it in it's new location at the capital. Bad idea.
I don't want to give any spoilers, so let's just say a lot happens after the Shard is activated!
The one thing I found frustrating is that I never really understood the motivations of Shianan the lead male character. He did some things that I found rather jarring; perhaps I needed a little more backstory from his point of view to understand why he was making certain choices. Honestly, I wanted to slap him several times for doing the most stupid things! There were also a couple plot points that seemed a bit contrived, but these were fairly minor and might become more clear in the forthcoming sequels.
Overall, I think this is a very enjoyable read with characters I cared about (important to me) and I look forward to the next chapters!
deearr's review
5.0
It has been a long time since I chose to read a fantasy story, even longer since one actually grabbed my attention and compelled me to continue turning pages long into the night. I usually don’t say I am happy when I finish a good book, but completing “Shard and Shield” will at least allow me to get to bed at a decent hour tonight.
Author Laura VanArendonk Baugh has crafted a story that succeeds on many levels. A well-written fantasy demands deep, illustrative world-building. Most often, this is achieved through information dumps, pages of prose that inform yet are barely entertaining. “Shard and Shield” continually offers glimpses, primarily through character conversations, which keep the story moving at a quick pace.
There are a number of characters who tell the overall story through their thoughts and actions. At least four (Shianan, Ariana, Luca, Tamaryl) could be considered main characters in the tale, and the author provides ample opportunities for readers to learn their thoughts and what prompts their actions. Minor characters such as Soren, Ewan, and Maru also receive some of the same treatment. This culminated in a rich tableau of personalities that I found it easy to identify with and thus more people that I cared about. There are so many interesting subplots that it was hard to stop reading at the end of any of the chapters.
The plot blossoms with originality, twisting and turning in different directions and constantly presenting more challenges for the characters. ¬¬¬Even though this is the first in a series, the story proceeds to a solid conclusion and doesn’t rely on a cliffhanger to convince people to purchase the next book. Happily, the author allowed her writing to do that. Five stars.
Author Laura VanArendonk Baugh has crafted a story that succeeds on many levels. A well-written fantasy demands deep, illustrative world-building. Most often, this is achieved through information dumps, pages of prose that inform yet are barely entertaining. “Shard and Shield” continually offers glimpses, primarily through character conversations, which keep the story moving at a quick pace.
There are a number of characters who tell the overall story through their thoughts and actions. At least four (Shianan, Ariana, Luca, Tamaryl) could be considered main characters in the tale, and the author provides ample opportunities for readers to learn their thoughts and what prompts their actions. Minor characters such as Soren, Ewan, and Maru also receive some of the same treatment. This culminated in a rich tableau of personalities that I found it easy to identify with and thus more people that I cared about. There are so many interesting subplots that it was hard to stop reading at the end of any of the chapters.
The plot blossoms with originality, twisting and turning in different directions and constantly presenting more challenges for the characters. ¬¬¬Even though this is the first in a series, the story proceeds to a solid conclusion and doesn’t rely on a cliffhanger to convince people to purchase the next book. Happily, the author allowed her writing to do that. Five stars.
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