nsb94's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
millie_vk's review against another edition
1.0
Things I liked:
- Mirryn. That's it.
Things I didn't like:
- Mirryn was only in it for like two pages
- it was slow and boring. The blurb made the Trials sound like the main conflict of the story, which they technically are, but most of the book is just Kiva going around between the Trials trying to figure things out and chatting with the other characters. The actual Trials were always over within a few pages, and the lull between them was a real slug to get through. It did not need to be 400 pages long.
- there is no subtlety in the writing. The author writes exactly what she means, and will often explain what she meant directly after when there was really no need. I get it. I can read.
- this style of writing made it very easy to predict what would happen. Nothing really came as a surprise.
- very basic elemental style magic system, nothing new or different to make it interesting.
- inconsistencies in the characters. Kiva makes a point early on that she heals anyone despite who they are or what they've done; murderers, rapists, rebels, whatever. There's then a point when she's investigating the illnesses with Naari that she admits she purposely made a guard's STI worse instead of healing him. Which I don't disagree with, make the rapist's rash worse by all means bestie, but it doesn't track with your characterisation.
- the romance between Jaren and Kiva was boring and flavourless. Jaren was fine, I found him respectful and pleasant, but like a lot of the main cast in this book, he was somewhat flat and boring, which bled into the romance.
- Kiva's fixation on believing that Naari and Jaren were together was annoying and juvenile and felt like I was reading a book set in high school, not a high security fantasy prison
- apparantly Kiva used to give her father, an adult man who was a healer by trade, tips on healing that he hadn't considered before. She was seven.
- the Trials were lame. If the whole thing is meant to be some grand gesture to symbolise the royal family's power then they could've been more epic. I was expecting an arena with elemental monsters or something. Instead Kiva had to jump off a building and sit in an oven for ten minutes.
- Kiva didn't pass any of the Trials without direct and essential help. She literally wouldn't have survived any of them if someone didn't save her every time. I get they're meant to he impossible or whatever, but it would've been nice if the main character figured at least one of the Trials out on her own.
- what was the point of Tipp getting sick?
- the healer-who-refuses-to-follow-her-own-advice-and-take-care-of-herself character quirk isn't endearing, it's annoying.
- how did Kiva not find out about the poison earlier? It was literally stored in her cupboard. This, like many of the other plot points, was flimsy.
- Kiva was being dramatic and hypocritical at the end. I also didn't care enough about the whole thing to be anything other than annoyed.
- Jaren is the Avatar.
- Kiva used her Deus Ex Machina healing powers on her adopted rodent child but not her own mother
- if I have to read the words Stay alive. Don't let her die. We are coming. one more time i will scream.
- Mirryn. That's it.
Things I didn't like:
- Mirryn was only in it for like two pages
- it was slow and boring. The blurb made the Trials sound like the main conflict of the story, which they technically are, but most of the book is just Kiva going around between the Trials trying to figure things out and chatting with the other characters. The actual Trials were always over within a few pages, and the lull between them was a real slug to get through. It did not need to be 400 pages long.
- there is no subtlety in the writing. The author writes exactly what she means, and will often explain what she meant directly after when there was really no need. I get it. I can read.
- this style of writing made it very easy to predict what would happen. Nothing really came as a surprise.
- very basic elemental style magic system, nothing new or different to make it interesting.
- inconsistencies in the characters. Kiva makes a point early on that she heals anyone despite who they are or what they've done; murderers, rapists, rebels, whatever. There's then a point when she's investigating the illnesses with Naari that she admits she purposely made a guard's STI worse instead of healing him. Which I don't disagree with, make the rapist's rash worse by all means bestie, but it doesn't track with your characterisation.
- the romance between Jaren and Kiva was boring and flavourless. Jaren was fine, I found him respectful and pleasant, but like a lot of the main cast in this book, he was somewhat flat and boring, which bled into the romance.
- Kiva's fixation on believing that Naari and Jaren were together was annoying and juvenile and felt like I was reading a book set in high school, not a high security fantasy prison
- apparantly Kiva used to give her father, an adult man who was a healer by trade, tips on healing that he hadn't considered before. She was seven.
- the Trials were lame. If the whole thing is meant to be some grand gesture to symbolise the royal family's power then they could've been more epic. I was expecting an arena with elemental monsters or something. Instead Kiva had to jump off a building and sit in an oven for ten minutes.
- Kiva didn't pass any of the Trials without direct and essential help. She literally wouldn't have survived any of them if someone didn't save her every time. I get they're meant to he impossible or whatever, but it would've been nice if the main character figured at least one of the Trials out on her own.
- what was the point of Tipp getting sick?
- the healer-who-refuses-to-follow-her-own-advice-and-take-care-of-herself character quirk isn't endearing, it's annoying.
- how did Kiva not find out about the poison earlier? It was literally stored in her cupboard. This, like many of the other plot points, was flimsy.
- Kiva was being dramatic and hypocritical at the end. I also didn't care enough about the whole thing to be anything other than annoyed.
- Jaren is the Avatar.
- Kiva used her Deus Ex Machina healing powers on her adopted rodent child but not her own mother
- if I have to read the words Stay alive. Don't let her die. We are coming. one more time i will scream.
lan_aa's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Le plot twist de zinzin quelques intuition que j'avais ce sont révélée vrai mais les dernières phrase... je ne m'y attendais pas
Hate de lire le tome 2.
Hate de lire le tome 2.
karissakate's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
angelssend's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
chiarabaruae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
wyleus's review against another edition
4.0
there is NO WAY the author dropped a bomb in the last FOUR SENTENCES. now i need a sequel, for kiva and jaren as well (there was too little content of them).
this took me out of my reading slump!!!
this took me out of my reading slump!!!
smcsally's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Crazy twist in the last 2 chapters
illiumbluebell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this book in 1 go because I couldn't put it down. The story sucked me in completely.
The plot is well done with some very compelling characters. I really liked Kiva and very much enjoyed following her on her at times dark journey. That last sentence though! So happy I'm not the type to read the last page first because that would have ruined the entire book.
The plot is well done with some very compelling characters. I really liked Kiva and very much enjoyed following her on her at times dark journey. That last sentence though! So happy I'm not the type to read the last page first because that would have ruined the entire book.