lazygal's review
3.0
As an adult, I've read this before (think, the various books in the Giver series, City of Ember, etc.) but as a pre-teen probably not so using that as my guide... it's ok. At times I had to remember how old Octavia was, but perhaps that was due more to living in a city that was the only place to survive the war. And those ferox? Such an interesting creation. I wish we'd learned more about the magic charms that keep them under control, and spent a little more time with Master Flavia. Instead, we get a lot of the action and adventure parts being a little rushed - usually I'm part of the "less is more" brigade, but here more would definitely been better. Not a lot more, just enough to really flesh out the world that Wallace has created.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
scoutabout's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
5.0
foreverbookwandering's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- 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? No
3.0
I don’t normally read dystopian type books but this one sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a go.
The story develops at a good pace with just the right amount of intrigue to keep you guessing. The characters are engaging and likeable, which has you rooting for them to succeed. The writing and atmosphere helped imagine the city of Vittoria and its residents growing up inside the walls and the surrounding desolate areas.
It was interesting to see how characters and the town as a whole reacted to outsiders and when they realised everything they’d been brought up with wasn’t necessarily true. Definitely relevant in today’s society. A good book with a great message.
The story develops at a good pace with just the right amount of intrigue to keep you guessing. The characters are engaging and likeable, which has you rooting for them to succeed. The writing and atmosphere helped imagine the city of Vittoria and its residents growing up inside the walls and the surrounding desolate areas.
It was interesting to see how characters and the town as a whole reacted to outsiders and when they realised everything they’d been brought up with wasn’t necessarily true. Definitely relevant in today’s society. A good book with a great message.
bellebookcorner's review
4.0
Magical world building and dangerous monsters lurking around will sure get the attention of fantasy readers!
I really like the writing style of this book, it describe things quite detailed which makes it easier to envision especially for middle grade readers.
The plot is packed with actions, twists, lies and betrayals that you won't see coming.
The pacing was a bit slow but it was necessary for the readers to be able to understand the magic system in this world works.
All the characters are well developed and relatable, especially the main character-Octavia. Octavia is a courageous strong young woman who is trying to uncover the truth about her city when she realize the world is bigger than she thinks.
I love her new friendship with the girl beyond the walls-Sima and I adore her sibling relationship with her sister, Hana.
The ending was wrapped up pretty nice. It's the kind of ending that end with 'happy for now' since the people in the city still need time for adjustment with the truth. Change is not easy and not a lot of people accept that easily but, progress are being made and eventually things will get better with the new normal.
This book covers an interesting topic and written it in a magical way for middle grades to be able to enjoy it.
Overall, this is a really good after-apocalypse fantasy book. It's an easy read, perfect for getting out of a book slump.
Thank you to Netgalley, Kali Wallace and Quirk Books for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really like the writing style of this book, it describe things quite detailed which makes it easier to envision especially for middle grade readers.
The plot is packed with actions, twists, lies and betrayals that you won't see coming.
The pacing was a bit slow but it was necessary for the readers to be able to understand the magic system in this world works.
All the characters are well developed and relatable, especially the main character-Octavia. Octavia is a courageous strong young woman who is trying to uncover the truth about her city when she realize the world is bigger than she thinks.
I love her new friendship with the girl beyond the walls-Sima and I adore her sibling relationship with her sister, Hana.
The ending was wrapped up pretty nice. It's the kind of ending that end with 'happy for now' since the people in the city still need time for adjustment with the truth. Change is not easy and not a lot of people accept that easily but, progress are being made and eventually things will get better with the new normal.
This book covers an interesting topic and written it in a magical way for middle grades to be able to enjoy it.
Overall, this is a really good after-apocalypse fantasy book. It's an easy read, perfect for getting out of a book slump.
Thank you to Netgalley, Kali Wallace and Quirk Books for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
kylielovesbooks's review
4.0
Hunters of the Lost City was a fun book with a great premise. The overall plot was really fun, I loved the idea of the only city left after a war finding out that maybe that isn't the truth. The journey that Octavia takes really had my attention for the most part. I was happy to see her leave her town despite the fact that it isn't allowed because of the monsters. It was a little bit predictable but I still enjoyed my time with this book.
The characters were ok, I didn't really connect with any of them immediately, but they were all still great in their roles and necessary for the story. I really appreciated Octavia's desire to get to the bottom of things I will not spoil. The adults though just seemed totally blinded by -everything- that kind of seemed obvious to me while I was reading. This though may have been the desired affect since it was a middle grade book.
The writing style had me able to either fly through parts, or almost dread the pages full of dense description. There were pages where there were no dialogue and the paragraphs were so long, it just felt like it would take me forever to get through them. I was really able to get into the story for most of it though.
I was actually hoping this was going to be a series, but right now it only looks like a standalone. I would love to read more about these characters!
The characters were ok, I didn't really connect with any of them immediately, but they were all still great in their roles and necessary for the story. I really appreciated Octavia's desire to get to the bottom of things I will not spoil. The adults though just seemed totally blinded by -everything- that kind of seemed obvious to me while I was reading. This though may have been the desired affect since it was a middle grade book.
The writing style had me able to either fly through parts, or almost dread the pages full of dense description. There were pages where there were no dialogue and the paragraphs were so long, it just felt like it would take me forever to get through them. I was really able to get into the story for most of it though.
I was actually hoping this was going to be a series, but right now it only looks like a standalone. I would love to read more about these characters!
nerdypotsie's review
2.0
Hunters of the Lost City was a book that I was really looking forward to and I was shocked when I got an arc of it at Emerald City Comic Con up in Seattle. My mom is a chronic over sharer and somehow sharing her story about being a teacher to a publisher convinced them to give an arc to her? I don’t understand why but I am so grateful to have been able to read and review this one.
The world building in this novel was my favorite part. It was a well thought out, captivating world that was filled with a unique history to the land and an interesting magic system. The magic system made for a really fun final battle.
Unfortunately that was my only major praise for this novel as I didn’t really enjoy much else about it. The pacing was my biggest issue. It was extremely slow. There was lots of descriptions and flowery sentences used that slowed the pace. I was nearly falling asleep at some parts because it moved along at a snail’s pace. This story could’ve drastically improved if the pace was faster.
The characters were also a big issue for me. I didn’t like any of them and I couldn’t get myself to care about the characters enough to feel super interested in the story. The characters were all dull and slightly annoying.
The writing style was another problem for me. It wasn’t a particularly interesting writing style and a lot of the writing felt too dense, especially for a middle grade novel. Speaking of it being middle grade, the violence seemed a bit too intense at parts for a middle grade story.
This book unfortunately just wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for it much and I was constantly hoping it would just be done soon. There will for sure be people that will like this book, but if you don’t like slow paced books, you should skip this one.
The world building in this novel was my favorite part. It was a well thought out, captivating world that was filled with a unique history to the land and an interesting magic system. The magic system made for a really fun final battle.
Unfortunately that was my only major praise for this novel as I didn’t really enjoy much else about it. The pacing was my biggest issue. It was extremely slow. There was lots of descriptions and flowery sentences used that slowed the pace. I was nearly falling asleep at some parts because it moved along at a snail’s pace. This story could’ve drastically improved if the pace was faster.
The characters were also a big issue for me. I didn’t like any of them and I couldn’t get myself to care about the characters enough to feel super interested in the story. The characters were all dull and slightly annoying.
The writing style was another problem for me. It wasn’t a particularly interesting writing style and a lot of the writing felt too dense, especially for a middle grade novel. Speaking of it being middle grade, the violence seemed a bit too intense at parts for a middle grade story.
This book unfortunately just wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for it much and I was constantly hoping it would just be done soon. There will for sure be people that will like this book, but if you don’t like slow paced books, you should skip this one.
drsdon's review
4.0
Fast-paced, compelling, middle-grade fantasy work. Speculative fiction is such a diverse genre at times, where the fantastical world can sometimes be its own character, other times the fantastical element is really about the characters (not the setting), and yet others when the fantastical element is present throughout but simply serves as backdrop for a compelling plot. It is in this third group that this book falls. The world - with sorcerors and monsters and magic and healers - with walled cities (Vittoria) and tales of the world shaped by the damage and loss of war - is the setting of really good story involving Octavia, the friendship she forges with Sima, and how Octavia's courage to do what she knows is right pushes the story forward. Because the story doesn't get too bogged down in explaining all the fantastical element of the story's universe, nor in exploring the inner workings of multiple characters, the plot pushes incessantly, making this a compulsively readable book. Throw in such a strong adoloscent girl (12 almost 13 year old Octavia) as the protagonist as well as great themes such as the acceptance of others, having courage to face stand up against wrong, and placing community health over individual glory, makes this a very strong middle-grade read.
erraticelle's review
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.5
Incredibly clever and fun middle grade fantasy adventure. The world-building was interesting and I loved the atmosphere that was created here. I'm actually surprised I haven't heard more about this book and definitely recommend that others check it out. It's a very entertaining read.
The plot is unique and adventurous with a good female protagonist. There is a lot of the world that still could have used some exploration, but I think there are some good foundations in place and the general principles of the story were well-developed. The character interactions are fun and, for the most part, realistic.
The writing gets more relaxed and mature as the story evolves, making this a story that took a little bit to get into but one that really hooked me once I got going. I wound up staying up late in order to finish. The ending was very solid and I think some of the more difficult & mature situations were handled quite well for middle grade readers. There are some great lessons about personal strength and believing in yourself. I also appreciated that there is a strong focus on the importance of verifying information and not just believing everything that you are told. The journey is one that developed a strong character and sets a good example for young readers.
The plot is unique and adventurous with a good female protagonist. There is a lot of the world that still could have used some exploration, but I think there are some good foundations in place and the general principles of the story were well-developed. The character interactions are fun and, for the most part, realistic.
The writing gets more relaxed and mature as the story evolves, making this a story that took a little bit to get into but one that really hooked me once I got going. I wound up staying up late in order to finish. The ending was very solid and I think some of the more difficult & mature situations were handled quite well for middle grade readers. There are some great lessons about personal strength and believing in yourself. I also appreciated that there is a strong focus on the importance of verifying information and not just believing everything that you are told. The journey is one that developed a strong character and sets a good example for young readers.
lydiatrbl's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5