bunnerz's review
3.0
claire_blanchard's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
edwardvl's review
4.0
I picked this book up in a Rotary book sale. I was impressed by how real the lead character felt, especially considering it was a female lead in a fantasy novel written in the 1980's. Then I realized that the author was a woman. It explained a lot. I enjoyed the setting and the system of magic. There were a few societal norms that I didn't appreciate and I found it frustrating that that heroine had to choose between two societies that were not concerned with the wants, needs or agency of women though her own personal powers did give her leverage in carving out a space that she found acceptable.
vaderbird's review
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
badlibrarians's review
2.0
When I was a teenager, I found all four omnibus editions at a used bookstore and snapped ‘em up bc I liked the covers. I loved this series from beginning to end and remembered crying with Alix. God, how embarrassing. This is awful. Alix is a spoiled self-righteous brat who flips allegiances like pancakes. There are all sorts of colloquialisms like “What do you say?” (Whaddaya mean?) and “I have ever loved him.” (I’ve always loved him.) that sound like lines from a bad ren fair scene. Not to mention the allusions to Cheysuli as Native Americans are so thinly veiled it’s actually kind of gross. Let’s also romanticize attempted rape while we’re at it and using a pregnancy to trap a man into marriage. Both of these things are positive(!) preludes to the star relationship of the book. I’d give the whole thing up as a bad rap, but all the reviews say the rest of the books are better. I sure hope so. I’m so mad at my teenage self right now. But those omnibus covers sure were purty.
mikimeiko's review against another edition
Ok, no. I loved the first two books of this series when I was younger, but I think I outgrew them now.
mikeebeth's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I appreciated the female main character being so determined and outspoken but she was stubborn in a way that seemed careless and often put herself and others I n unnecessary danger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
penwiper's review against another edition
1.0
Dnf. Whiny protag, bit too naive. Felt repetitive the little I read, also.