A review by carroq
A Sparrow's Roar by Paolo Chikiamco, C. R. Chua
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The idea of this book sounded really exciting to me. Who doesn't love stories about knights and political intrigue? And Per's story is good. She fights with her sister, struggles to be the best knight she can be, and gets into some shenanigans as leaders of surrounding nations jockey for power.
There are a couple things that didn't work for me though. The characters didn't feel distinct for a good portion of the book. I had a hard time distinguishing between Per, her sister, and some of the other characters toward the beginning. Going back and reading it again might have helped alleviate that problem. Some of the better moments in the book didn't have quite the impact on me as they should have because of that confusion.
The structure of the political balance is cool. It plays a big part in the conflicts of the story. The way that Per gets involved and the impact it has on her lends to some of the strength of this book. This story felt aimed at a younger audience, and I think someone in their teens would get a lot out of reading Per's story.
The idea of this book sounded really exciting to me. Who doesn't love stories about knights and political intrigue? And Per's story is good. She fights with her sister, struggles to be the best knight she can be, and gets into some shenanigans as leaders of surrounding nations jockey for power.
There are a couple things that didn't work for me though. The characters didn't feel distinct for a good portion of the book. I had a hard time distinguishing between Per, her sister, and some of the other characters toward the beginning. Going back and reading it again might have helped alleviate that problem. Some of the better moments in the book didn't have quite the impact on me as they should have because of that confusion.
The structure of the political balance is cool. It plays a big part in the conflicts of the story. The way that Per gets involved and the impact it has on her lends to some of the strength of this book. This story felt aimed at a younger audience, and I think someone in their teens would get a lot out of reading Per's story.