lordgustoff's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
alyssaarch's review
4.0
The beginning of The Arm of the Stone was really rocky for me. Honestly, it got to the point where I thought about giving it up; however, I didn't and I'm glad I stuck with it.
I thought the beginning was rather drawn out and overloaded with characters, history, etc. Also, the conflict didn't seem very interesting to me: Bron's family swears to take back the Stone, which was once theirs and reclaim their power from the Guardians who now hold it. I thought this was too simplistic and it didn't really hold much promise. However, there is a huge turning point in the novel, and that's when the novel picked up its pace and started to become interesting.
What I love most about The Arm of the Stone is the story and the world. Strauss does an excellent job in making the story seem very straightforward, and then she throws a curveball at you, completely changing your perspective of what's happening. Also, the world is extremely well-constructed. When I read the novel, I was completely immersed because of the level of detail Strauss includes.
Another thing I liked was that I felt that the characters showed a lot of growth. The Bron we meet on page one is completely different than the Bron we know on the last page, which I think is one sign of a successful book. The same goes for many of the characters in the novel, including Liliane and Goldwine, to name a few.
There were times when I got confused about jumps in time and it did take me a long time to finish this novel, because it's loaded with so much. I don't think the latter is necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely not a quick summer read. It is, however, one of the best fantasies I've read in awhile and I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel.
I would recommend this for fantasy fans who enjoy coming-of-age adventures.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I thought the beginning was rather drawn out and overloaded with characters, history, etc. Also, the conflict didn't seem very interesting to me: Bron's family swears to take back the Stone, which was once theirs and reclaim their power from the Guardians who now hold it. I thought this was too simplistic and it didn't really hold much promise. However, there is a huge turning point in the novel, and that's when the novel picked up its pace and started to become interesting.
What I love most about The Arm of the Stone is the story and the world. Strauss does an excellent job in making the story seem very straightforward, and then she throws a curveball at you, completely changing your perspective of what's happening. Also, the world is extremely well-constructed. When I read the novel, I was completely immersed because of the level of detail Strauss includes.
Another thing I liked was that I felt that the characters showed a lot of growth. The Bron we meet on page one is completely different than the Bron we know on the last page, which I think is one sign of a successful book. The same goes for many of the characters in the novel, including Liliane and Goldwine, to name a few.
There were times when I got confused about jumps in time and it did take me a long time to finish this novel, because it's loaded with so much. I don't think the latter is necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely not a quick summer read. It is, however, one of the best fantasies I've read in awhile and I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel.
I would recommend this for fantasy fans who enjoy coming-of-age adventures.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
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