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spacey_kate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
pauradisparire's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book as an e-ARC.
I absolutely loved the world in this book and there was so much potential. The magic seems so interesting, but there's barely any attention for it.
The first half of the book bored me (could've just been me) but the second half got me a bit more hooked.
I'm usually not really a romantasy fan (I just miss worldbuilding aspects in these books), but if you are I'm sure you will love this book.
I do feel hopeful going into book 2, just because there's so much potential!!
I absolutely loved the world in this book and there was so much potential. The magic seems so interesting, but there's barely any attention for it.
The first half of the book bored me (could've just been me) but the second half got me a bit more hooked.
I'm usually not really a romantasy fan (I just miss worldbuilding aspects in these books), but if you are I'm sure you will love this book.
I do feel hopeful going into book 2, just because there's so much potential!!
dolken's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This really isn't it. The pacing is a huge issue, along with jumping right into a ploy that isn't carried out to the end. After 1/3 of the book I wasn't sure what the plot was, and things that was important in the beginning was completely left out in the end.
Also, description was severely unbalanced. I have full understanding and a clear picture of all food that was eaten, but I'm still not sure what Laura's race and star-ancestry really meant or why her powers were the way the were.
Also, description was severely unbalanced. I have full understanding and a clear picture of all food that was eaten, but I'm still not sure what Laura's race and star-ancestry really meant or why her powers were the way the were.
twiggytwicks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mercedeswright's review
5.0
PHENOMENAL!! I had the privilege of receiving this story in the form of an e-ARC! The extensive use of descriptive language allows you to really imagine the world of Mortos and Soleterea, as well as the bond between Darius and Laila (which was heart wrenching at the end??!!). I could not recommend this story enough! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
avniavnipatel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
nikathegoblin's review
3.0
I received an ARC in return for an honest review.
I have to say, i took my time reading this book. Honestly I don’t know why it took me so long but it surely took me by surprise finding myself in difficulty for the first time to get to the end of the book.
I’m not a fan at all of the omniscient-head bobbing narrator, so to me it was a true thrown back while I was reading the book and it truly left me feeling somewhat uncomfortable and confused the majority of the time. Adding a specific trigger warning of the book, I have to admit, I was quite unsure weather to continue the reading or not, but it ended up with a pleasant surprise, and now I’m happy I kept reading.
Having said so, now I will explain my rating further.
To “When the stars alight” by Camilla Andrew, I’ve given 3 stars, and this is my rating explained:
* ONE STAR FOR THE CHARACTERS
This was one of the few times I actually appreciated the main character without wanting to smack my head into the wall several times. I loved h how she represented the bisexual community and how much potential she has as a main character. In all honesty I found myself bonding with her and Lyra much more than with any other character in many other books.
* ONE STAR FOR THE “AESTHETIC”
While I saw most reviews judging negatively the prose and the far-too-long descriptions, I have to say that I quite enjoyed them and intrigued by them. Did they make the book sightly slower? yes. But was that a problem? Not to me, for I truly loved them and honestly they were to me the best parts of the book.
* ONE STAR FOR THE WORLDBUILDING
Now, I was waiting for something sightly more structured on the plot rather than the main character’s relationship, but i was completely blown a way by the worldbuilding even though some parts were sightly off and I didn’t grasp everything completely, however i sure hope to get to know better this world and all the other amazing characters in the following book!
I have to say, i took my time reading this book. Honestly I don’t know why it took me so long but it surely took me by surprise finding myself in difficulty for the first time to get to the end of the book.
I’m not a fan at all of the omniscient-head bobbing narrator, so to me it was a true thrown back while I was reading the book and it truly left me feeling somewhat uncomfortable and confused the majority of the time. Adding a specific trigger warning of the book, I have to admit, I was quite unsure weather to continue the reading or not, but it ended up with a pleasant surprise, and now I’m happy I kept reading.
Having said so, now I will explain my rating further.
To “When the stars alight” by Camilla Andrew, I’ve given 3 stars, and this is my rating explained:
* ONE STAR FOR THE CHARACTERS
This was one of the few times I actually appreciated the main character without wanting to smack my head into the wall several times. I loved h how she represented the bisexual community and how much potential she has as a main character. In all honesty I found myself bonding with her and Lyra much more than with any other character in many other books.
* ONE STAR FOR THE “AESTHETIC”
While I saw most reviews judging negatively the prose and the far-too-long descriptions, I have to say that I quite enjoyed them and intrigued by them. Did they make the book sightly slower? yes. But was that a problem? Not to me, for I truly loved them and honestly they were to me the best parts of the book.
* ONE STAR FOR THE WORLDBUILDING
Now, I was waiting for something sightly more structured on the plot rather than the main character’s relationship, but i was completely blown a way by the worldbuilding even though some parts were sightly off and I didn’t grasp everything completely, however i sure hope to get to know better this world and all the other amazing characters in the following book!
wwrlad's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sashiko's review
One of the most insidiously racist books I have read in a long time.
I watched good video ab this topic -not book- that helped me put thoughts together, but it missed also something very important unfortunately that i noticed in this.
The author used „military“ language to describe a nation in this world which is modelled after mena, something which plays into what is now used to wage g-noc-de, but also has in history. The „east asian“ country is mixed up china and japan and possibly more and described to be very technologically advanced which plays on racist tropes. The author seems to have thrown together a bunch of esthetic elements of a lot of different cultures like persia and arabia - and even Turketi with rakwa „cezve“ in this novel - which don't make a cohesive picture to anyone who understands this cultures. It is also a very long known phenomenon of arab persian and indian traditions being mashed together because they look similar to people which happened here imo. It is a product of colonization and incredibly disappointing to see as a mena reader.
Characters with roman noses in this book, especially main love interest, are described with „hooked“, a very racist caricature which go back to protocol of the meetings of the learned elders of zion and fuel antisemitic conspiracy theories.
A country which I read as having be a mix of roman empire and tsarist russia having three groups of inhabitants who are all some kind of creepy beings was icky. One of them is egregious because they are very much JKRlike goblins. Then, having the rulers of this country be demons with a appropriated russian folklore look and one prominent member who is portrayed as one of the sole more „decent“ men of this „race“ in the text, having a secret quest of what basically amount to human experimentating is very disturbing, only only worse for this fantasy country is populated by just animal-like or only /humanoid/ people.
There's also the talk of ethics in writing a tsarist russia type culture in english-language fiction at all while russian imperialism is currently k-ll-ng thousands of people. The fence on the north border of my country creeps further more south every day because of russia's military intimidation so it's always honestly evil to see western people take things for the obvious esthetic of it and then to be xenophobic still- I can still defend people who do harm to me because racism isn't okay ever.
This book also has very bad western savior complex and supremacy. A country that clearly supposed to resemble france is portrayed in the only remotely „positive“ detailed way, and nothing this nation does puts it on any way a similar level to the evils of its opposition - russia/rome, I read. It is like if a country was Mary Sue who was clumsy, which is concerning when it's the only country with whiteness in its culture.
On a story level, the plot is shallow - it is basically some water to hold the sm-t. Style over substance, and the substance is racist.
I watched good video ab this topic -not book- that helped me put thoughts together, but it missed also something very important unfortunately that i noticed in this.
The author used „military“ language to describe a nation in this world which is modelled after mena, something which plays into what is now used to wage g-noc-de, but also has in history. The „east asian“ country is mixed up china and japan and possibly more and described to be very technologically advanced which plays on racist tropes. The author seems to have thrown together a bunch of esthetic elements of a lot of different cultures like persia and arabia - and even Turketi with rakwa „cezve“ in this novel - which don't make a cohesive picture to anyone who understands this cultures. It is also a very long known phenomenon of arab persian and indian traditions being mashed together because they look similar to people which happened here imo. It is a product of colonization and incredibly disappointing to see as a mena reader.
Characters with roman noses in this book, especially main love interest, are described with „hooked“, a very racist caricature which go back to protocol of the meetings of the learned elders of zion and fuel antisemitic conspiracy theories.
A country which I read as having be a mix of roman empire and tsarist russia having three groups of inhabitants who are all some kind of creepy beings was icky. One of them is egregious because they are very much JKRlike goblins. Then, having the rulers of this country be demons with a appropriated russian folklore look and one prominent member who is portrayed as one of the sole more „decent“ men of this „race“ in the text, having a secret quest of what basically amount to human experimentating is very disturbing, only only worse for this fantasy country is populated by just animal-like or only /humanoid/ people.
There's also the talk of ethics in writing a tsarist russia type culture in english-language fiction at all while russian imperialism is currently k-ll-ng thousands of people. The fence on the north border of my country creeps further more south every day because of russia's military intimidation so it's always honestly evil to see western people take things for the obvious esthetic of it and then to be xenophobic still- I can still defend people who do harm to me because racism isn't okay ever.
This book also has very bad western savior complex and supremacy. A country that clearly supposed to resemble france is portrayed in the only remotely „positive“ detailed way, and nothing this nation does puts it on any way a similar level to the evils of its opposition - russia/rome, I read. It is like if a country was Mary Sue who was clumsy, which is concerning when it's the only country with whiteness in its culture.
On a story level, the plot is shallow - it is basically some water to hold the sm-t. Style over substance, and the substance is racist.