erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett had my attention from the second I saw the cover. I know, I know…but the cover is gorgeous and ultimately, I found the story was great too! I will say the twist wasn’t unexpected but I found myself unable to put this one down once I started.
Kamzin is the main character and has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother and be able to map the empire – her problem is opportunity. As the second daughter or the elder, she is being pushed toward the role of Asmiri’s shaman even though she doesn’t really have an affinity (or interest) in it. When she finds out that the famous River Shara is coming to their lands, she knows this is her only chance to get what she wants.
Kamzin was an interesting character for me. She clearly wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted and if that meant she had to put herself in danger, she would do it. As the younger daughter, she was at a disadvantage to her sister who apparently was super smart and would be a great leader someday but she didn’t let that stand in her way. She cared about her people and that was clear in the actions she took throughout the book.
River Shara is from one of the oldest and most prestigious families in the Empire and he also happens to be the greatest explorer ever known in the Empire. When he visits Kamzin’s village, he expects to take Kamzin’s older sister, Lusha, with him on his expedition to retrieve a rare talisman from Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Unfortunately for River, Lusha takes off with a rival to find the talisman on their own. When Kamzin leaps at the opportunity to join him instead, River takes Kamzin with him and quickly realizes it was a good decision. Along the way, we find out River has some secrets and they create some tension between him and Kamzin. On the other hand, Kamzin and River form a friendship and despite her concerns, they become pretty close.
The other characters in the book helped to move the story along and while there were times that I felt they slowed the pacing down a bit, they still added to the story. Tem is Kamzin’s best friend and he refuses to let her go on the trek without him. He knows he isn’t the best climber and with his breathing problems might even slow them down, but he isn’t willing to leave Kamzin on her own on the most dangerous expedition ever. Tem was a solid character and while he and Kamzin had something more in their past, she was careful to keep him in the friend-zone and even if he wanted more, it was clear he truly cared about her and would do whatever he could to keep her safe.
Lusha is Kamzin’s sister and I admit it…I didn’t care for her at all. She kept things from Kamzin and she treated her like she wasn’t worth her time. Even when Kamzin was the one who could complete the climb and potentially protect everyone, Lusha talked to her like she was a child. She just rubbed me the wrong way from the very first time we meet her in the book and that never changed.
The world that Fawcett has created here was great. There’s magic and dragons as well as ghosts and the fiangul which are described as “a human figure, tall and skeletal. But in place of a human head, it had that of a bird with the curved beak of a vulture. Its shoulders hunched and…its bony legs bent the wrong way.” Not going to lie…that thing sounds like something out of a nightmare. Most of the book is the group trekking to Raksha and facing challenge after challenge which kept things interesting. Add in the twists and turns the story takes as they climb and I found myself pulled into this story and unable to put it down.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out book two. I can’t say much more as I don’t want to give anything away but based on the way this book end, there is a lot more to look forward to for these characters and I can’t wait to see what happens. If you are looking for something a little different in the fantasy genre, consider checking this book out.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Kamzin is the main character and has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother and be able to map the empire – her problem is opportunity. As the second daughter or the elder, she is being pushed toward the role of Asmiri’s shaman even though she doesn’t really have an affinity (or interest) in it. When she finds out that the famous River Shara is coming to their lands, she knows this is her only chance to get what she wants.
Kamzin was an interesting character for me. She clearly wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted and if that meant she had to put herself in danger, she would do it. As the younger daughter, she was at a disadvantage to her sister who apparently was super smart and would be a great leader someday but she didn’t let that stand in her way. She cared about her people and that was clear in the actions she took throughout the book.
River Shara is from one of the oldest and most prestigious families in the Empire and he also happens to be the greatest explorer ever known in the Empire. When he visits Kamzin’s village, he expects to take Kamzin’s older sister, Lusha, with him on his expedition to retrieve a rare talisman from Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Unfortunately for River, Lusha takes off with a rival to find the talisman on their own. When Kamzin leaps at the opportunity to join him instead, River takes Kamzin with him and quickly realizes it was a good decision. Along the way, we find out River has some secrets and they create some tension between him and Kamzin. On the other hand, Kamzin and River form a friendship and despite her concerns, they become pretty close.
The other characters in the book helped to move the story along and while there were times that I felt they slowed the pacing down a bit, they still added to the story. Tem is Kamzin’s best friend and he refuses to let her go on the trek without him. He knows he isn’t the best climber and with his breathing problems might even slow them down, but he isn’t willing to leave Kamzin on her own on the most dangerous expedition ever. Tem was a solid character and while he and Kamzin had something more in their past, she was careful to keep him in the friend-zone and even if he wanted more, it was clear he truly cared about her and would do whatever he could to keep her safe.
Lusha is Kamzin’s sister and I admit it…I didn’t care for her at all. She kept things from Kamzin and she treated her like she wasn’t worth her time. Even when Kamzin was the one who could complete the climb and potentially protect everyone, Lusha talked to her like she was a child. She just rubbed me the wrong way from the very first time we meet her in the book and that never changed.
The world that Fawcett has created here was great. There’s magic and dragons as well as ghosts and the fiangul which are described as “a human figure, tall and skeletal. But in place of a human head, it had that of a bird with the curved beak of a vulture. Its shoulders hunched and…its bony legs bent the wrong way.” Not going to lie…that thing sounds like something out of a nightmare. Most of the book is the group trekking to Raksha and facing challenge after challenge which kept things interesting. Add in the twists and turns the story takes as they climb and I found myself pulled into this story and unable to put it down.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out book two. I can’t say much more as I don’t want to give anything away but based on the way this book end, there is a lot more to look forward to for these characters and I can’t wait to see what happens. If you are looking for something a little different in the fantasy genre, consider checking this book out.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
2.0
Romance 1.5 Typical and lacking.
Characters 2 I just didn't find any of the characters that interesting. I liked the animals of course but the humans were all very meh and when you don't care about the characters, what is to care about?
Enjoyability 2.5 I don't know whether reading about someone climbing a mountain is just not that fun or something else was missing but the constant mountain climbing never seemed to change or be anything different. It was a little repetitive.
Plot 2.5 Expedition race to save the world sounds more exciting then the book actually delivered.
Writing 2.5 The mountains I felt could have been written to be a bit more interesting considering they were the entire backdrop.
Originality- 2 I liked that we were shown this mountain culture but that's pretty much where it stops.
World Building-2.5 While it was there, I didn't get a sense of the world as a whole.
For a total of 2.21 rounded down to 2.
Characters 2 I just didn't find any of the characters that interesting. I liked the animals of course but the humans were all very meh and when you don't care about the characters, what is to care about?
Enjoyability 2.5 I don't know whether reading about someone climbing a mountain is just not that fun or something else was missing but the constant mountain climbing never seemed to change or be anything different. It was a little repetitive.
Plot 2.5 Expedition race to save the world sounds more exciting then the book actually delivered.
Writing 2.5 The mountains I felt could have been written to be a bit more interesting considering they were the entire backdrop.
Originality- 2 I liked that we were shown this mountain culture but that's pretty much where it stops.
World Building-2.5 While it was there, I didn't get a sense of the world as a whole.
For a total of 2.21 rounded down to 2.
readabookorfive's review against another edition
4.0
I did enjoy this book! I just found it took a while to get going and I found parts of it a little boring but the last 200 pages were so good, I ate them up so easily and really enjoyed them.
I adored Tem so much he was a great character and I can't wait to see how he develops in the future. I found Kamzin annoying to start with but she really came into her own and I really liked her by the end. River I really struggled with and I'm interested to see where his character goes.
THAT TWIST THOUGH.
I adored Tem so much he was a great character and I can't wait to see how he develops in the future. I found Kamzin annoying to start with but she really came into her own and I really liked her by the end. River I really struggled with and I'm interested to see where his character goes.
THAT TWIST THOUGH.
raereadings's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
marineb09's review against another edition
5.0
Wow 😱😱😱
I wasn't expecting to love this book so much ! It was amazingly great !
Thank you FairyLoot for this book It was a precious gem to stumble upon and I can't wait for the second book !
The characters were great, especially Kamzin and River. Ragtooth and Azar-at are amazing as well !
The description is not too complicated and the action is going full strength without slowing down and getting boring.
The only downside the lack of map in the book ... It's really unnerving in a fantasy novel to not have a map to help you figuring where they are going ... Fingers crossed for book 2 !
I wasn't expecting to love this book so much ! It was amazingly great !
Thank you FairyLoot for this book It was a precious gem to stumble upon and I can't wait for the second book !
The characters were great, especially Kamzin and River. Ragtooth and Azar-at are amazing as well !
The description is not too complicated and the action is going full strength without slowing down and getting boring.
The only downside the lack of map in the book ... It's really unnerving in a fantasy novel to not have a map to help you figuring where they are going ... Fingers crossed for book 2 !
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe more like 3.75 stars?
Ummmm... WHAT?!? I did not have very high expectations for this book. The synopsis is honestly nothing like it. The real book is an intense fantasy with dragons and witches and fire demons and... other lovely things. I was genuinely shocked and impressed by the ending; I believe it takes a lot of guts to finish a book like that. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel!!
Ummmm... WHAT?!? I did not have very high expectations for this book. The synopsis is honestly nothing like it. The real book is an intense fantasy with dragons and witches and fire demons and... other lovely things. I was genuinely shocked and impressed by the ending; I believe it takes a lot of guts to finish a book like that. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel!!
wraithandmermaid's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book a long time ago and I haven't read it since, but I'm going back and reviewing books, so bear with me.
I originally picked this (and the second book) up because a popular artist on IG kept promoting it, saying they were her favorite books. With a treacherous Himalayan setting and a sister rivalry, how could I not be interested? Sadly, I was disappointed. I expected more out of this book. I don't even remember much of it.
The book advertises dangerous action (which makes sense, given the mountainous setting), and yet, so much of the book is just the cast struggling to climb the mountains, and a lot of dialogue. Like a lot of YA books, the protag (Kamzin) ends up with the "mysterious traveler/ stranger" (River) and you can see it coming from miles away. Kamzin's relationship with her sister Lusha was nothing special either, with all the tough love, and naturally, a sibling/ girl rivalry (aka one of my least favorite tropes). There was a lot of focus on how cool Kamzin thought River was, not enough on the sibling relationships. The plot blurb on the book was also not accurate with the way Kamzin joined up with River. I think one of the few good things about this book was the actual plot twist at the end when they finally found what they were looking for, I guess. I just remember rooting for River more than Kamzin.
I have only read the ETDS duology and none of Heather Fawcett's other work, so I have no idea if she's improved, but the worldbuilding in this was not used to its full potential. The whole world wasn't. As I said, there was too much focus on dialogue and not enough on emphasizing the weight and danger of the journey. I never see settings like this, so it was truly disappointing to just know the world was mountains and empire. That's about it. The Himalayan setting was one of the few things I enjoyed, but at least it's expanded on in the next book.
Anyway, that's my review. I haven't reread it and I probably won't again. It was fine for a one time read, I suppose.
I originally picked this (and the second book) up because a popular artist on IG kept promoting it, saying they were her favorite books. With a treacherous Himalayan setting and a sister rivalry, how could I not be interested? Sadly, I was disappointed. I expected more out of this book. I don't even remember much of it.
The book advertises dangerous action (which makes sense, given the mountainous setting), and yet, so much of the book is just the cast struggling to climb the mountains, and a lot of dialogue. Like a lot of YA books, the protag (Kamzin) ends up with the "mysterious traveler/ stranger" (River) and you can see it coming from miles away. Kamzin's relationship with her sister Lusha was nothing special either, with all the tough love, and naturally, a sibling/ girl rivalry (aka one of my least favorite tropes). There was a lot of focus on how cool Kamzin thought River was, not enough on the sibling relationships. The plot blurb on the book was also not accurate with the way Kamzin joined up with River. I think one of the few good things about this book was the actual plot twist at the end when they finally found what they were looking for, I guess. I just remember rooting for River more than Kamzin.
I have only read the ETDS duology and none of Heather Fawcett's other work, so I have no idea if she's improved, but the worldbuilding in this was not used to its full potential. The whole world wasn't. As I said, there was too much focus on dialogue and not enough on emphasizing the weight and danger of the journey. I never see settings like this, so it was truly disappointing to just know the world was mountains and empire. That's about it. The Himalayan setting was one of the few things I enjoyed, but at least it's expanded on in the next book.
Anyway, that's my review. I haven't reread it and I probably won't again. It was fine for a one time read, I suppose.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
2.0
When I first saw what this book was about, before it even had a cover, I wanted to read it. The premise alone is amazing. A journey through mountains on a quest to find some ancient talisman that can save the world, sign me up! Especially when you add magic, ghosts, and witches. Then when the cover was revealed I was even more excited for this debut novel.
That being said, wow was this book a complete disappointment. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. I kept telling myself, eventually it will get more action and less walking through wilderness. Well that action occurred at roughly 90% into the book. And the big twist at the end, I probably should have been shocked and desperate to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next, but honestly I did not care one bit about it.
Now I've been super negative so far, and I don't want to be, but I really struggled with this book. I also think my expectations were way to high and it left me really disliking this book when it failed to meet expectations. If you are a fan of wandering through the woods looking for a special object while also having the risk of weather, ghosts, or witches killing you, you would probably love this book. I just found the constant walking through the forest or climbing ledges to be incredibly boring. This book had so much potential but was severely lacking. Even the ghosts and witches that are promised are not at all prominent in this world.
That being said, I had no issues with the writing and loved the scenery and the concept, I just think it was poorly executed and would have benefited from more action and less descriptions of the characters walking. My rating is solely based on how much I loved the concept of this book but also how much I disliked actually reading it. I'm sure they are people who will read this book and fall in love with the characters and the story. I'm just not one of them.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an early copy*
That being said, wow was this book a complete disappointment. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. I kept telling myself, eventually it will get more action and less walking through wilderness. Well that action occurred at roughly 90% into the book. And the big twist at the end, I probably should have been shocked and desperate to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next, but honestly I did not care one bit about it.
Now I've been super negative so far, and I don't want to be, but I really struggled with this book. I also think my expectations were way to high and it left me really disliking this book when it failed to meet expectations. If you are a fan of wandering through the woods looking for a special object while also having the risk of weather, ghosts, or witches killing you, you would probably love this book. I just found the constant walking through the forest or climbing ledges to be incredibly boring. This book had so much potential but was severely lacking. Even the ghosts and witches that are promised are not at all prominent in this world.
That being said, I had no issues with the writing and loved the scenery and the concept, I just think it was poorly executed and would have benefited from more action and less descriptions of the characters walking. My rating is solely based on how much I loved the concept of this book but also how much I disliked actually reading it. I'm sure they are people who will read this book and fall in love with the characters and the story. I'm just not one of them.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an early copy*
aggielexi's review
2.0
I thought it was better than some of the reviews. I'm not sure if there were changes in the original version and what I listened to. Will I read the next one? Hmmm maybe not, I have more interest in working on my current TBR pile instead of continuing this.
Pros:
Setting - a bit different than what I typically read.
Love triangle - I wouldn't even call what I read a love triangle. I thought there were teeeeeeeeny tiiiiiiiinny maybe hints of romance. Which I was fine with, I don't want to read a love triangle in every YA book out there.
Cons:
The blurb about this "River Shara, demands to hire Kamzin - not her older sister".
Ok, that is a lie, there was no demanding, and there was no pitting sister against sister like you are lead to believe. The sister relationship doesn't even exist much.
Pet dragons....Glorified lamps
Some inconsistencies, one day she's a heavy sleeper, the next she's a light sleeper.
Pros:
Setting - a bit different than what I typically read.
Love triangle - I wouldn't even call what I read a love triangle. I thought there were teeeeeeeeny tiiiiiiiinny maybe hints of romance. Which I was fine with, I don't want to read a love triangle in every YA book out there.
Cons:
The blurb about this "River Shara, demands to hire Kamzin - not her older sister".
Ok, that is a lie, there was no demanding, and there was no pitting sister against sister like you are lead to believe. The sister relationship doesn't even exist much.
Pet dragons....Glorified lamps
Some inconsistencies, one day she's a heavy sleeper, the next she's a light sleeper.
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
4.0
Even the darkest stars shone here, so far from the earth.
I don't really know what I was expecting going into this one. I hadn't heard much about it, but a lot of my bookish friends loved it. I think going in with little expectations and little knowledge of what the book was about worked in my favor, because I really enjoyed it!!
The main complaint I have about this book is that it is really slow. Not much happens other than climbing for a good portion of it. In fact, it goes into pretty gory detail about said climbing. And, unless you're a mountain climber for a living and have a great passion for climbing (which I am not and do not), it's boring.
But, that being said, it didn't ruin the book for me. My attention waned in a couple of places and I had to do a bit of skimming, but the world was so beautiful and intriguing that I never lost interest! Shamans, witches, fire demons - this book was so magical! I loved the feel this book had - like a fresh blanket of snow on a still, starry night. (But magical!!) It sounds weird but that's how it felt. It was unlike anything I've ever read before!
I didn't care much for the main character - I found her rather flat. I didn't care about her best friend much either. I was super intrigued by River, though! And I especially loved Ragtooth and Azar-at! (What does it say about me that two of my fave characters were animals) I freaking LOVE Ragtooth!!!!
Spoiler
RAGTOOTH NOOOO!!! OMG WHY. I knew he was going to die, but I cried. I loved him so much :(Hearts of shadow, eyes of flame. None escape who witches claim.
This book is basically a story about climbing Mount Everest, but with magic. There's real dangers - starvation, frostbite, avalanches - but also scary magical ones too; like witches, creepy bird-demons, and mountain guardian ghosts. If it weren't for the magical qualities of this book being so interesting and epic, I have no doubt I would have been bored. Sorry, but climbing a mountain is not something I want to read about. *shrugs* But, those magical qualities were there, so I found myself drinking up this stunning and vivid world, wanting more! You don't know much about the witches or the illusive talisman, so the air of mystery surrounding it really draws you in.
THAT ENDING!! I was totally not expecting that! I'm kind of pleased with the way things left off and I definitely want to pick up the next book to see where the story goes!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.