A review by mayflower_ng
Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin
3.5
3.5 Stars
Dauntless was a fantastic time! It truly deserves credit for being the only thing I could read during the school year reading slump. With that, I’ll start with the positives. This book was a WIN for the girls out there. It featured strong, growing, but also struggling women. I rooted for all of them and found myself genuinely excited about how their missions were doing and the developments that came with it.
The other nice thing about Dauntless was how friendly of a fantasy book it is to those new to the genre. The matter is like two sides of a coin. Power systems here aren’t very elaborate, though enough for me to personally enjoy the story while keeping track of everything. Overall, it depends on your level of wants when it comes to fantastical elements.
Like any other book, there were aspects of Dauntless that I struggled with while reading. The pacing was frustrating with the way it kept turning in circles. Progress came, but I constantly felt like old repetitive events turned back when they could’ve left more room for world development.
The romance here was slightly disappointing. I can count on my fingers the amount of Southeast Asian sapphic books I’ve read, so I was ready for more. The excitement was definitely there for the relationship, but it took a hard hit with how tight the dedicated time was. There was constantly show rather than tell and I was left without feeling their supposed deep attachment or feelings. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just a very minor light background element.
To wrap it up, this was a lovely book! A fun, enjoyable time that marks ground as a solid debut. I recommend you check it out for a quick Asian inspired fantasy read!
Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
~~~~~~~
excited for arc but name is giving very much divergent flashbacks !
Dauntless was a fantastic time! It truly deserves credit for being the only thing I could read during the school year reading slump. With that, I’ll start with the positives. This book was a WIN for the girls out there. It featured strong, growing, but also struggling women. I rooted for all of them and found myself genuinely excited about how their missions were doing and the developments that came with it.
The other nice thing about Dauntless was how friendly of a fantasy book it is to those new to the genre. The matter is like two sides of a coin. Power systems here aren’t very elaborate, though enough for me to personally enjoy the story while keeping track of everything. Overall, it depends on your level of wants when it comes to fantastical elements.
Like any other book, there were aspects of Dauntless that I struggled with while reading. The pacing was frustrating with the way it kept turning in circles. Progress came, but I constantly felt like old repetitive events turned back when they could’ve left more room for world development.
The romance here was slightly disappointing. I can count on my fingers the amount of Southeast Asian sapphic books I’ve read, so I was ready for more. The excitement was definitely there for the relationship, but it took a hard hit with how tight the dedicated time was. There was constantly show rather than tell and I was left without feeling their supposed deep attachment or feelings. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just a very minor light background element.
To wrap it up, this was a lovely book! A fun, enjoyable time that marks ground as a solid debut. I recommend you check it out for a quick Asian inspired fantasy read!
Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
~~~~~~~
excited for arc but name is giving very much divergent flashbacks !