A review by pinkhydroflask
The Demon World by Sally Green
4.0
RATING: 7.5/10
Okay i have to admit it, i did NOT want to put down this book at all from beginning to the end.
THE PACE
i'm generally a little less inclined towards filler books in trilogies, but i'm happy to say that i really enjoyed this one because of the pace! not once was there a dull moment, and i loved how the pace could move from brutally fast to suspensefully slow. it was such a good read, and i enjoyed every minute of it.
THE CHARACTERS
this was a huge YES for me.
the issue with stories that have 5 protagonists/POVs is that the author never seems to be able to find the perfect balance of page time. it always ends with someone getting half the book and the others fighting for the scraps of page time.
this book really sealed the deal for me. page time was so well distributed that the story never had a slow moment. it was always a series of unfortunate or heart-pumping events happening one right after another. i loved the way the author managed to split the characters into such wildly different situations, and then suddenly connect all of them once and again.
it made the book so much fun to read!
THE TALKING
i would like to put it out here that i'm not a fan of long dialogue. in fact, when we're in the midst of war and there is literally a fight waiting to come, there is absolutely no reason for the characters to be making conversation, no matter how important.
more than once, i found myself getting a little annoyed by how much the characters seemed to talk. it was as though they had all the time in the world to discuss what they wanted, instead of just moving forward or taking action.
THE PLOT
Y'all.... this concept of demon smoke was truly something amazing. i thought it reeked of individuality and uniqueness, and I was not disappointed. it was something new i'd never seen before, and definitely deserves a thumbs up from me.
but taking it out of the equation meant that i had in my hands yet another YA novel. it's the same formula that seems to be employed all the time - the fugitives escape from the castle, journey across a frozen tundra or a scorching desert, lose their close friends during the journey, reach a new city and suddenly they are safe!.... or are they?
it just feels very "wash, rinse then repeat", and for that, i'm disappointed.
THE ENDING
I admit, the ending got me HOOKED. it builds up in the typical showstopping crescendo, in the battle waged by two sides. everything is on fire and people are dying and someone important is killed blah blah blah. it's a trope that every. single. author. uses in their second book, but it works. IT WORKS. That final battle got me all messed up wondering what's going to happen next. I'm a sucker for cliffhangers, and this is the most cliche of all, but it works. it got me excited over the next book, and for that, i'll accept it with a smile.
OVERALL,
this was definitely a good read. it's not a book i'd reread anytime soon, but it's definitely something worth picking up.
Okay i have to admit it, i did NOT want to put down this book at all from beginning to the end.
THE PACE
i'm generally a little less inclined towards filler books in trilogies, but i'm happy to say that i really enjoyed this one because of the pace! not once was there a dull moment, and i loved how the pace could move from brutally fast to suspensefully slow. it was such a good read, and i enjoyed every minute of it.
THE CHARACTERS
this was a huge YES for me.
the issue with stories that have 5 protagonists/POVs is that the author never seems to be able to find the perfect balance of page time. it always ends with someone getting half the book and the others fighting for the scraps of page time.
this book really sealed the deal for me. page time was so well distributed that the story never had a slow moment. it was always a series of unfortunate or heart-pumping events happening one right after another. i loved the way the author managed to split the characters into such wildly different situations, and then suddenly connect all of them once and again.
it made the book so much fun to read!
THE TALKING
i would like to put it out here that i'm not a fan of long dialogue. in fact, when we're in the midst of war and there is literally a fight waiting to come, there is absolutely no reason for the characters to be making conversation, no matter how important.
more than once, i found myself getting a little annoyed by how much the characters seemed to talk. it was as though they had all the time in the world to discuss what they wanted, instead of just moving forward or taking action.
THE PLOT
Y'all.... this concept of demon smoke was truly something amazing. i thought it reeked of individuality and uniqueness, and I was not disappointed. it was something new i'd never seen before, and definitely deserves a thumbs up from me.
but taking it out of the equation meant that i had in my hands yet another YA novel. it's the same formula that seems to be employed all the time - the fugitives escape from the castle, journey across a frozen tundra or a scorching desert, lose their close friends during the journey, reach a new city and suddenly they are safe!.... or are they?
it just feels very "wash, rinse then repeat", and for that, i'm disappointed.
THE ENDING
I admit, the ending got me HOOKED. it builds up in the typical showstopping crescendo, in the battle waged by two sides. everything is on fire and people are dying and someone important is killed blah blah blah. it's a trope that every. single. author. uses in their second book, but it works. IT WORKS. That final battle got me all messed up wondering what's going to happen next. I'm a sucker for cliffhangers, and this is the most cliche of all, but it works. it got me excited over the next book, and for that, i'll accept it with a smile.
OVERALL,
this was definitely a good read. it's not a book i'd reread anytime soon, but it's definitely something worth picking up.