Reader thoughts: Based on a true story! This was fun and had some witty banter and tricky dialogue. Miss Morris is Benedict's idea of who Agent 355 miReader thoughts: Based on a true story! This was fun and had some witty banter and tricky dialogue. Miss Morris is Benedict's idea of who Agent 355 might have been, even though all we know is that Agent 355 was an uncommon woman who helped in the Revolutionary War and might have been key to discovering the treachery of Benedict Arnold. We know little else.
The ending was sad. At least, at <3 hours, I hadn't gotten too attached to the characters.
Writer thoughts: When you have the frame of a true story and want to fill in the rest, how do you do it in an interesting way? Benedict chose to make the MC likable, somewhat rich, well-read, and smart. She used first person to get inside this unknown lady's head and give her just enough personality and background to be interesting to the reader.
Merged review:
Reader thoughts: Based on a true story! This was fun and had some witty banter and tricky dialogue. Miss Morris is Benedict's idea of who Agent 355 might have been, even though all we know is that Agent 355 was an uncommon woman who helped in the Revolutionary War and might have been key to discovering the treachery of Benedict Arnold. We know little else.
The ending was sad. At least, at <3 hours, I hadn't gotten too attached to the characters.
Writer thoughts: When you have the frame of a true story and want to fill in the rest, how do you do it in an interesting way? Benedict chose to make the MC likable, somewhat rich, well-read, and smart. She used first person to get inside this unknown lady's head and give her just enough personality and background to be interesting to the reader....more
Reader thoughts: There were quite a few things I enjoyed with this book and quite a few I disliked.
I liked that the heroes weren't overpowered. What cReader thoughts: There were quite a few things I enjoyed with this book and quite a few I disliked.
I liked that the heroes weren't overpowered. What can Sawyer do? He can learn martial arts by watching videos. That's it. He doesn't have super strength/flexibility/laser eyes/etc. The other heroes seemed about the same. They had Batman-level tech but no real powers.
I liked the MC's funny commentary . . . mostly. He kept talking dirty, which put me off and made me consider not finishing the book. He was always looking at girls' butts or boobs and thinking about getting into bed with them. It happened at least once per chapter. Nasty mind. Yuck.
I did like that the girl wasn't mary sueish and that Sawyer saw her flaws (that she didn't plan when attacking).
I didn't like that she and the cheerleader girl from school were both flirting with Sawyer for no real reason. Power fantasy, much?
The plot was decent. The action was decent. The danger felt real since the powers were minimal, and Sawyer kept ending up in the hospital, except that he healed way too quickly. The dialogue was pretty funny, and the bad guys were suitably bad (no sympathetic villains and betrayals by new friends).
I wanted someone in charge, though. I like it when the superheroes are working with the government or with their own organization (like in Wearing the Cape: A Superhero Story). I wanted someone to be on the radio, calling in for help and telling supers where to go. Instead, Sawyer just wanders around and helps whomever. That sounds rather inefficient and dangerous.
Writer thoughts: Superheroes is a rather specific genre with several tropes readers want to see. Castle brought in these elements: secret identities, costumes, fun tech, bad guys with a message, a deadly countdown, action and injuries, balancing superhero life with normal life, self-doubt, and daring rescues....more
Reader thoughts: This book was kind of forgettable compared to the others. Some of it was just too easy. Some of it was sad. None of it measured up toReader thoughts: This book was kind of forgettable compared to the others. Some of it was just too easy. Some of it was sad. None of it measured up to the first book where everyone was against Spensa, and she had to prove herself to everyone, and she was so driven to get to her goal.
Spensa didn't have a strong central goal here. She sort of wanted to escape and sort of wanted to learn more about the past of the cytonics and sort of remembered to care about the humans now and then.
Now, this dilemma made for a neat moment where Spensa got to choose between staying in the nowhere or not, but I'd rather have had her focused on a goal.
Writer thoughts: Trust. How does an author get the reader to trust a character? Sanderson introduced a new friend for Spensa and did several things to play with readers' trust.
*This character is a pilot, like Spensa, and so readers want to trust him. *Spensa trusts him with her life very quickly, which makes readers suspicious. *This character shows up at a convenient moment with a convenient amount of knowledge, which makes readers suspicious. *This character gets injured, which makes readers again want to trust him.
See? Here are some strategies for making readers trust (or distrust) new characters....more
Reader thoughts: A retelling of Scarlet Pimpernel? Yes, please!
I really enjoyed this book, although some pieces of the conflict were resolved too easiReader thoughts: A retelling of Scarlet Pimpernel? Yes, please!
I really enjoyed this book, although some pieces of the conflict were resolved too easily (Theo's and Lily's relationship, for instance). I wish we had more scenes between the two of them. I wish that the magic was better explained (travel between worlds, but how exactly does it work? And the glamors had limits but didn't seem consistent).
I like that the Wraith was rescuing children, not just political royals from France. I like how nice people were to each other, that Theo was (mostly) a genuinely gentleman.
Writer thoughts: If a relationship is too easy in a book, that doesn't mean just add conflict. It means show them learning each other and struggling to get along more and more, not that something has to happen to make them not get along. It just can't be simple....more
Reader thoughts: I'll probably borrow the second one and read it too. I enjoyed this book and liked the characters, but I just wasn't impressed. I wanReader thoughts: I'll probably borrow the second one and read it too. I enjoyed this book and liked the characters, but I just wasn't impressed. I wanted more details about how the magic worked. I wanted the MCs to act more grown up and competent; they're 18! I wanted more info on the country and other nobles and how the power structure worked in the land.
Wren is supposed to be all business and no nonsense, but she lets herself get distracted from her duties a lot by a guard she just met. I don't have any patience for the trope of "I'm a focused girl who won't be distracted by boys but will totally get distracted by the first handsome man who pays me any attention." Yeah, this doesn't say much for her willpower and self-control. It makes her seem pretty weak, actually.
Rose was fun to read ... at first. She thinks she is in love with the visiting prince and thinks she wants an easy life with dresses and parties and desserts and NO magic. Then she gets hit with reality and doesn't completely fall apart (just a little). However, she seems to drop some of her old life too quickly (the prince, for one), and I think I wanted to see more struggle or see her trying to fit her old life into her new understanding a little longer.
Writer Thoughts: Two pov characters (and sisters!) is a fun way to show opposite sides of a war. Sometimes an author chooses to show two sides by picking two characters who become romantically interested. This book was refreshing in that Doyle picked two sisters. She is showing that the sisters' relationship is more important than their romance. In this book and in this kingdom, a twin sister relationship is definitely important....more
Reader thoughts: What a fun book! I'll have to check out the rest of the series. I liked Alexandria's arrogant attitude at the beginning since it was Reader thoughts: What a fun book! I'll have to check out the rest of the series. I liked Alexandria's arrogant attitude at the beginning since it was set up as a character flaw. She was still likeable through her self-control and her compassion (selective though it was). I liked how organically she grew as she saw the worthlessness of high blood and beauty compared to hard work and friendship.
There were a few moments that were too convenient (Mr Woodsman showing up just in time to save Alexandria on several occasions).
I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was never worried she would make it back to her family. I never felt real tension. What brought me back again and again? I think it was the character's voice. Alexandria was so haughty that she was fun to read. I won't say I was hooked, but I looked forward to turning the audiobook on as much as possible.
Also, I liked that the Beauty and the Beast tale was present but not dominant.
Writer thoughts: So, how can an author hold a reader's attention aside from raising tension?
In this book, a unique character voice kept me interested.
In books like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, the humor pulls readers in. There's mounting tension, but it won't compel the reader to stay in the book like the level of humor and quirkiness inside.
Reader thoughts: I'm not sure whether to classify this as a retelling. I think not. It's more of a book written inside the world invented by Jules VerReader thoughts: I'm not sure whether to classify this as a retelling. I think not. It's more of a book written inside the world invented by Jules Verne.
I enjoyed this book, but I have qualms about it.
First, the schools don't make sense. They are rivals, but they want to kill each other? The first or second chapter has 150 people die. Also, the HP school teaches its students "interrogation techniques," but they punish their enemies by putting them in pink floaties and leaving them free in the water. LI first try to blow everyone up, but they try to not be lethal later. Are these schools seriously trying to hurt each other or not??
Second, the borrowed world just isn't interesting to me. Jules Verne? What happened to the rich lore of the Greeks or Romans or Egyptians? Now we have a story based on a couple of novels, and the characters repeatedly talk about the flaws or inaccuracies of the novels. This mythos isn't built from some religious texts but from secondhand stories. Thus, the imagination that goes into Daughter of the Deep seems limited in scope. There's not as much to pull from. Ooh, alternative tech that Captain Nemo made and an orangutan that can cook. This isn't very fantastical. I want magic powers!
Thirdly, I didn't like the ending. I'll only spoil a sliver here. Throughout the novel, Ana keeps complaining (and hearing complaints) that HP can help the world with their advanced tech. Then, at the end, she decides to NOT reveal the advanced tech to the world because "the world wasn't ready." So, just because a few people would be unkind, the rest can die? She has tech that can (view spoiler)[ freaking cure cancer and grow food from the ocean and make a real AI and communicate with cephalopods and travel 2500 miles an hour underwater and (hide spoiler)] . . . and you want to keep that to yourself so that no one can abuse it? She seems like a controlling dictator.
Actually, I liked Ana most of the time. Her internal dialogue was relatable and realistic to me. She freaks out in her thoughts but tries to keep cool on the outside. She leads and tells people what to do but questions whether she should be in charge. I also liked that she was honest with her classmates, although she could have been more open about the footage of HP. I also liked that she knew languages.
The other classmates weren't really fleshed out, except maybe Esther.
Writer thoughts: The metaphors were awesome! I noticed them from the beginning, but I don't remember any except a couple.
One had something to do with some emotion/tension dissolving like sodium bicarbonate (or some other chemical?)
One was something like, "She took her glasses off and blinked like a mole that stepped out of a dark hole and into the sun."
These metaphors reveal Ana's character and personality. She is a scientist, observant, and makes interesting comparisons. As an author, your very descriptions should reflect the pov character's thinking. You can do this with metaphors or just changing the language of the prose. Steelheart's MC also uses a lot of interesting metaphors (really they are similes) as both a comic relief and a way to reveal his personality....more
Reader thoughts: I thought I was prepared to be disappointed. I wasn't.
Too much was said, not shown. Too much was given, not earned. Example, in one oReader thoughts: I thought I was prepared to be disappointed. I wasn't.
Too much was said, not shown. Too much was given, not earned. Example, in one of the fights, the MC suddenly sees a gap in the bad lady's defenses and uses a spell to attack and knock her down. Just "suddenly," not that she was looking for a gap in her defenses nor that her allies created this gap. Nope. This gap just appeared, and the MC took advantage of it.
The magic system is too soft to allow for cleverness. So, that's the first point against the book. Other books, however, manage to still pull together an interesting story with interesting characters. This one didn't.
There was no trial and error. There were few try-fail cycles. Sure, they failed to make the mother book a couple of times, but this failure didn't have any bad consequences.
When things finally did work, it wasn't effort but "instinct" and "the magic wants it." This is not just a byproduct of having a soft magic system. This was lazy plot writing. How do Sarah and the others finally make the mother book? By feeling what magic was right. How do Sarah and the others know which spells to use together and use against the bad necromancer lady? By just picking a spell by instinct. This is as bad as using deus ex machina to solve problems.
Oh, and the romance was advanced without reason and time. Her love interest didn't seem to have any personality. He was only in maybe 2 scenes.
Also, I couldn't figure out how old the "kids" were. They acted like 4-6 year olds (throwing jam on the ceiling?) but they were expected to follow a routine and do school (so, 6-9 years old?). But then they perform a successful rescue mission against some adults. Also, how many kids are there? 4, or 12? I was thinking about 7 of them, but the book didn't have much specific information.
Writer thoughts: Not satisfying. Authors, you have to have characters win through effort and clever strategies that are foreshadowed, not win through happenstance. Coincidences to get characters into trouble make great plot devices. Coincidences that get characters OUT of trouble make terrible plot devices....more
Reader thoughts: Since Enola was supposed to only be 14, the book became implausible. For never having traveled anywhere, her understanding seemed to Reader thoughts: Since Enola was supposed to only be 14, the book became implausible. For never having traveled anywhere, her understanding seemed to manifest from nowhere.
I disliked that she was so against normal female things (such as sewing or tea) for reasons that weren't well thought out. I liked that she had fun hobbies such as bike riding and code breaking and drawing. I suppose the Holmes family wouldn't have a normal education, although Mycroft thought it should.
I disliked the overall plot. (view spoiler)[ Her mother disappeared because she ran away because she was tired of running the estate for her son? She didn't even do a good job running the estate! And she was 65! Who runs away at 65? What about when you need care? She had plenty of independence.
Sherlock and Mycroft didn't seem like the characters I've read about before. They seemed to just be stuffy old men taking the typical role of anti-feminism. They weren't geniuses. They weren't interesting.
In the end, Enola decides to open and run a business by herself. How can this be something a 14-year-old can do? She has the savings from her mother but almost no knowledge of London. (hide spoiler)] So, the whole book seemed to have a "females rule" and "traditions suck" attitude.
Writer thoughts: There was one line that was repetitive. It went something like, "This was so shocking. I was shocked." A few other minor but similar instances made me unimpressed....more
Reader thoughts: Ack! The twist at the end! It was beautiful and foreshadowed, and I couldn't conceive of a better ending!
This has serious spoilers. DReader thoughts: Ack! The twist at the end! It was beautiful and foreshadowed, and I couldn't conceive of a better ending!
This has serious spoilers. Don't click if you want to be surprised. (view spoiler)[It turns out that the old mad bloke "Les" is really an heirling and Pet/Ruth is the harbinger. It was perfect! Les can become the king of the fae, and Pet can threaten him and draw out the sword and all.
I even love that she was tortured and lost her right arm. That level of loss really keeps the ending from being too easy (plus losing Kevin or Kyle) considering more of them should have or could have died.
I also love that she kept trusting Athelas, even though she really shouldn't trust him. She gave him a chance and believed that he could change. He was nearly not as bad as he kept pretending.
The human friends are alive!! I kept hoping so. I've been waiting 7ish months to find out if they were okay and thinking they were actually dead.
Oh, and Pet and the vampire (Jean Yung, sp?) had a clean relationship with rather a lot of kissing and snuggling but no sex or nudity. Yay! (hide spoiler)] Very few series end well. This one did. I'm shocked and rather impressed.
Hmm. What can I say that is not a spoiler? That I knew Pet was going to be clever and tricksy and kept trying to predict how, but she kept surprising me? That I am determined to read these books again and try to pick up on all the hints Gingell sprinkled throughout so that I can see how the books are really put together? That I love that the books didn't commit any egregious sins to make me never recommend them to others?
I'm still a little confused at the difference between fae magic, human magic, and manipulating between.
Writer thoughts: How do I write without giving away spoilers? So, the ending particularly impressed me because it hit the perfect balance between "so difficult to win that everyone dies" and "too easy so that no one even gets hurt." Authors need to find a happy medium on that scale when wrapping up a book, especially wrapping up a series.
How do you know, as an author, what level of difficulty/violence to conclude a tale? Well, consider how violent the story/book/series has been so far. Is there a lot of death and torture? Then the ending should have a bit more. Has there been just sleuthing and threatened danger? Then pull in a little more danger for the end, but nobody should die. Basically, the problems should escalate at the end, but not extremely so. Each book can ramp up the danger a little more (like: stranger dies in book 1, little-known side character dies in book 2, friend dies in book 3)....more
Reader thoughts: What a fun book! I liked that Jon was genuinely good. He kept weighing his actions against his morals, although he several times bentReader thoughts: What a fun book! I liked that Jon was genuinely good. He kept weighing his actions against his morals, although he several times bent the rules (eavesdropping on the king).
In those instances, he berated himself and apologized later. He did make too many promises, however, promises that he'll "never" do something again, but he kept doing similar things. ("I'll never let your daughter misbehave again, King!" and then he follows her in eavesdropping.)
Still, Jon kept pushing himself to be better. He always worked hard into the night, over lunch breaks, until he couldn't hold his head up. He learned ridiculously quickly (2 spells in one week!) compared to the rest of the trainees, but at least it was backed up by hard work. His sword and bow ability came from a decade of training with a master. So, that was justified.
Was Jon about 20? Maybe 19? His dad died a year ago and gave him 10 years of training with the sword and bow. Jon had a scruffy start to a beard. 16 or 17 would be too young. Besides, he lived on his own, can take care of himself, is larger than most men, looks intimidating even, and keeps stepping into leadership roles effortlessly. So, I'm guessing about 19 or 20.
Writer Thoughts: I kept trying to explain to my husband why Jon wasn't a Mary Sue (Marty Stu?), and I failed. Jon IS a Mary Sue; it just didn't both me too much (well, 4 stars instead of 5).
1, Jon is good at everything. Sword, bow, tracking, riding, leading, learning, reading, running, memorizing, magic, people, politeness, languages, and even getting the hostile foreigner to trust him when the foreigner would trust no one else.
2, People all like him. The mentally different character (maybe autistic?) sets Jon above the rest. Even the crotchety instructor likes him by the end. Even the trainee bully guy trusts and values Jon by the end. Even the King, whom Jon treasonously disobeys multiple times, looks up to Jon by the end. This isn't just other characters tolerating him. This is other characters looking to him to lead and protect them and do what's right.
3, Jon gets away with anything. He doesn't come to training and doesn't get punished because "he doesn't need it." He can't pass his test and begs for an extra day . . . twice . . . and gets it both times. He commits literal treason, putting many people's lives at risk, and then he barely gets any punishment. (view spoiler)[ He gets to choose his own punishment, and he asks to work with the city guard 2 hours a day for a week. How is this punishment? I'm not sure. I thought it would be a whipping, especially since he expected the king to try and hang him. (hide spoiler)] So, these incidents show that the world bends itself around Jon to make his life easier/better.
Reader thoughts: I got 75% or so into the book. I kept pushing myself to read but was so frustrated with all the issues. I ended up returning it.
BiggeReader thoughts: I got 75% or so into the book. I kept pushing myself to read but was so frustrated with all the issues. I ended up returning it.
Biggest problem: Jon suddenly decided he wanted to sleep with his classmate/coworker Kat (I don't know how to spell her full name). In 2 days he goes from barely noticing her to deciding she is witty and blunt and has nice boobs. They talk privately in his bedroom. She explains how they can never be romantically involved because she is noble, and her family has expectations, and she kind of likes the guy she's half-betrothed to anyway. Then (view spoiler)[ she and John are kissing and passionate and ... I stopped. I think Kat was just pulling away (being responsible?), but I can't stand characters who sleep around or think it's okay. I especially can't stand it when they have great reasons to NOT be together and are acting irresponsibly to even consider having sex together. Really, any extramarital sex is nearly a guaranteed DNF for me. (hide spoiler)]
Other problem: Jon is still a Mary Sue. He doesn't win all of his fights, but he survives them against ridiculous odds and is trusted by everyone and liked by everyone. He is learning new spells much faster than the others and not running against any real barriers.
One part of the plot was kind of dumb. (view spoiler)[ The king sent 4 of his fledgling sorcerers (and their instructor) out of the castle for a few hours. The king brought in a group of hired sorcerers to guard the castle while these amateurs were gone. So, you'd think the castle is guarded better than ever. Nope. The bad guy attacks and isn't even slowed as he grabs treasure, kills guards, and leaves. Later, they speculate the bad guy is a demigod, which makes sense. (hide spoiler)]
Other parts were fine. Everyone is a suspect! (except Jon) I don't really like plots that have everyone under suspicion. It's too depressing. I want to trust someone.
I still like the magic system and that the characters are exploring its theory and how the notes affect spells to invent new ones. That's cool. It shows characters being clever.
Writer thoughts: One author said the best way to write a novel (especially fantasy) is to set up a world that works one way and then have a character come along and change (or break or bend) one of the rules. Maybe a character's magic is different from everyone else's. Or they are from the wrong background or can't do X even though everyone else can.
If Jon Oklar could figure out how to add new notes to his spells to alter them in new ways (with Charlie's ideas), that would be enough of a novel concept (pun intended) to hold the book with a decent plot thrown in.
The Un-Magician uses this idea. Everyone in the world can do magic except Timothy. Open Minds also uses this idea. Everyone in the world can read minds except Kira. The Final Empire uses this idea. Magic lets allomancers burn a metal for one power, but Vin can burn ALL the metals for ALL the powers! Ella Enchanted wasn't blessed by her fairy godmother but accidentally cursed. In Changeling (and Voice of Power), only nobles have magic, except Sarah (and Elena) is born a peasant and has magic....more
Reader thoughts: So, I read a LOT of fairytale retellings (maybe 2 or 3 a month? About 1 of every 3 or 4 books I read?). This book had potential but fReader thoughts: So, I read a LOT of fairytale retellings (maybe 2 or 3 a month? About 1 of every 3 or 4 books I read?). This book had potential but fell short on many levels.
1 reason is my fault. I thought the last chapter was part of the book, but now I think it was a preview. I spent an hour listening to a chapter that had nothing to do with Thorn/Alyrra's story.
Another reason is that I can't stand when named characters die (or rarely stand it). (view spoiler)[ Not only did the horse die, but the one stable lady died. And she was cruelly raped and beaten before she died. Ick. Please, no. And it didn't feel like Thorn OR Falassa tried to save the horse. (hide spoiler)]
The political intrigue was incomplete. Like, there's unrest in the city, but it wasn't clear what the cause was or what Thorn expected the prince to do about it. The guards are a bit lax. Is that it? Also, the country is supposed to be powerful, but we're just told that; we don't see it.
The romance was too full of lies (not just secrets) to really catch my interest.
Don't get me wrong. I LIKED Thorn. She kept pushing forward and trying and surviving, BUT she was rather reactive instead of proactive. She kept not really trying to solve problems. Like, she didn't go searching for the wind or ways to protect Falassa or ways to break the curse or ways to get ahead at her new job. She just kind of lived and met people. What about meeting nobles, making allies, checking on whether the kingdoms are all getting along or not? She didn't know enough for me. I wanted more info on what was going on.
Writer thoughts: A character should display curiosity. That is one way the character can be proactive. So, authors, have your character searching and asking questions and trying to change whatever is wrong with their situation. Proactivity is one of the 3 likable traits. Another is competence (which Thorn didn't have either). The last is sympathy (which Thorn DID have in abundance).
So, make your character proactive, competent, and sympathetic. That's how to make readers like them....more
Reader thoughts: Recommended by a friend who adored the MC's voice and style. I didn't. I thought she was annoying. Isabella was so proud and haughty Reader thoughts: Recommended by a friend who adored the MC's voice and style. I didn't. I thought she was annoying. Isabella was so proud and haughty and looked down on people.
The first half of the book spanned about 20 years and didn't settle in one time. This felt unfocused to me.
I hated that (view spoiler)[ Isabella's husband died at the end. He didn't have to! The rest of the book wouldn't have been affected! Why?? (hide spoiler)] In my friend's defense, she recommended the book before reaching that point. But still.
Writer thoughts: What is a writer to do with a time period where wealthy women didn't have jobs? 1, Give the women productive hobbies (as in this book). 2, Give the women creative hobbies (like piano or art). 3, Ignore this by creating a fast-paced plot where the characters can't slow down to lounge. 4, Make the women busy-bodies who meddle in others' business (see many Austen books). 5, Let the character be lazy and/or bored (don't do that).
I'm sure there are other options. I just don't relate to non-productive female characters. At least Isabella's hobby was somewhat useful, but I just couldn't care about all her collecting and cataloguing. I didn't see a real point to it....more
I want to give it more stars but have the rule that sex-outside-of-marriage automatically drops a book to 2 stars max. At least the sexual immoraArg!!
I want to give it more stars but have the rule that sex-outside-of-marriage automatically drops a book to 2 stars max. At least the sexual immorality was, well, plot relevant? (view spoiler)[The whole point is that Serilda ends up being pregnant by Gild at the end but lies and says she'll marry the Erlking and say the child is his. It was extra awkward since I found out I was pregnant the same day Serilda did. (hide spoiler)] Does that make it better for a book? At least the author had a reason. I don't know. Bah.
Reader thoughts: Serilda's storytelling is outlandish, as per her curse/gift. I usually liked her stories, except sometimes should could have told the truth and chose to lie.
I think I cared more about the fate of her horse than about her father. Hmm. Oops.
I liked Gild (all except for that one part, see above). He was fun to read about, his pranks and conversation. I'm pretty sure he's the boy from Serilda's first story about the Erlking stealing Gild's little sister. I do wonder at the mystery of the town of Adelheid and what happened there.
Writer thoughts: Good use of time bombs. If the Erlking rides every month, the reader knows that Serilda only has 1 month to plan and try to flee every time. She always has a deadline. She always has to face him again. As the month passes, readers can feel the tension rise for the inevitable showdown....more
Reader thoughts: I can't point to anything wrong with the book, but I kept losing interest while I listened to it.
Tanwen was an okay MC. She didn'3.5?
Reader thoughts: I can't point to anything wrong with the book, but I kept losing interest while I listened to it.
Tanwen was an okay MC. She didn't seem as competent as I wanted her (handling crises and fleeing and such), but that lets her grow. I liked that she thought about her accent and vocab while she spun stories. I wanted her to tell the truth more and stop trying to lie for the bad guys, even though it might get her killed.
The romance was all confused. Does she like the farm boy or the outlaw? The farm boy seems nice. Why does she like this outlaw guy she just met? Now she's (view spoiler)[ engaged to the farm boy because she thought he was dying (hide spoiler)]. Honestly, I loved that part. It will make her deal with consequences in the next book. Also, I don't know if I've seen it before. Maybe once in a book?
I may have also rushed through the book to finish it before the end of the year. Maybe that's why it didn't hold my interest.
I liked Princess Braith but thought she was a bit naive and not forceful enough against Lord Dray. I want to see her doing more in secret to save her people. Open defiance can only help so many.
Writer thoughts: I have read several stories that included a powerless princess trying to secretly help her people despite corrupt officials (Runaway Deception, Nameless Queen, The Orphan Queen, The Two Towers, and more), some better than others. Why would this trope catch readers' attention?
1, readers can relate to feeling powerless but wanting to make change anyway. 2, making the character a princess rather than a servant or outlaw gives her legitimacy and authority while also forcing the double life on her. 3, this gives the readers access to inside information, since a princess is usually inside the castle and meetings.
Reader thoughts: Maybe as high as 3 stars? No, maybe not.
I never connected with Coin, the nameless MC. Toward the end was a little better, but she wasReader thoughts: Maybe as high as 3 stars? No, maybe not.
I never connected with Coin, the nameless MC. Toward the end was a little better, but she was too impulsive, angry, uncooperative, and bent on blaming everyone but herself. She apparently cared about Hat but nothing else.
I suppose we started off on the wrong foot/page when she saw Marcher, the nameless thief who raised her and other nameless orphans, and kept describing him as a bastard without giving a reason for the moniker. Later, we find out he didn't protect one of the orphans as well as he could have and let them die. Hmm. That doesn't make him a bastard in my book.
Then Coin kept ignoring advice and pissing off everyone, even her bodyguard the princess. She wasn't trying to build allies and learn the system in order to overturn what she didn't like. She was just arguing inanely and violently and not letting people into her confidence about the traitor in their midst.
Oh, and she gains the tattoo mid morning . . . even though the king had been dead since at least the night before. Why??
The timing was off. In one scene, they have 12 days left. In the next, they have 6. In the next, they have one, but all three scenes sounded like they were within a day of each other. Hmm.
The traitor lady was dumb. (view spoiler)[ She attacks the beloved princess and expects everyone to just follow her blindly? Why not attack Coin, whom few people like? Why not kill one of them at another time? Why give up her duel spot if she is planning a betrayal anyway? Why not stage a fake riot/problem at the assassin festival and then step in to "protect" the princess but happen to kill her? There are so many smarter ways she could have won!
Also, the traitor lady's plot was dumb. Oh, let's threaten Coin, who could tell anyone about her secret bad army. If we threaten the nameless orphan, she will of course feel obligated to hand over the crown peacefully. (hide spoiler)]
The government was really really unclear, too. Coin kept arguing that the treatment of the nameless was unfair, but I couldn't figure out how people were actually treating the nameless. Were the nameless not allowed to have jobs? She said at one point that there were no laws for or against the nameless, something like the nameless could steal if they got away with it, but others could punish them if they were found. Um. What kind of system is this?? It doesn't make any sense.
Writer thoughts: Why are so many YA MCs so angry recently? It seems like a bunch of the recent books I've tried to read have featured protagonists who argue and complain and fight against the system, and without being competent and intelligent about it. All the adults are wrong. The system is unfair.
Better to have an MC who proposes a solution and offers practical and concrete ways to change to make the system NOT unfair. Like, what if Coin found a way to give all the people some names? But we never see her working on the problem, just complaining about it. To have a proactive character, they have to work to fix what is broken, not just complain about it....more
Reader thoughts: It made me cry. A student recommended this book, and then I cried.
I really appreciated Hollis for not being stuck up and jaded like mReader thoughts: It made me cry. A student recommended this book, and then I cried.
I really appreciated Hollis for not being stuck up and jaded like many of the foster kids in books I have read. Some seem to just hate the world and don't care what happens to anyone else since the world has given up on them. Hollis wasn't like that. She messed up a few times, but it was not because she had a "screw it" attitude for the world. She was just a little independent with her own safety.
You can see her character by the way she cares for Josie and takes care of her, even though Hollis keeps skipping school.
I was a little annoyed by not being about to track how long it had been since was with the Regans. 2 years? 4? A few months? We finally find out in the end, but I think some parts would be clearer if we knew Hollis's age throughout.
This is one of the few books where parallel stories in 2 timelines actually work. Each story drives up the tension for the other. We find out that SOMETHING happened to the brother, Steven, and (view spoiler)[ I was just certain he was going to be dead at the end and because of Hollis. No, phew, he was just injured, but she blamed herself and left. She didn't leave because she gave up on the family but because she thought she was tearing up the family and didn't want them to be at odds on her account. Ah! So self-sacrificing! (hide spoiler)] So, readers get tenser and tenser as we wait.
Writer thoughts: Foreshadowing comes in many shapes and sizes. This time, it comes from a character who knows the future and is reflecting through the story. The character mentions something about, "ever since that day with the truck," and then the reader pays 100% attention to any mention of the truck.
Foreshadowing should hint at what is to come, make the readers care, and raise the tension. But don't give away the event, just part of it....more
Reader thoughts: I just loved loved loved the curse on Shiori. I'm a sucker for secret identities, and being a princess forced to stay silent and wearReader thoughts: I just loved loved loved the curse on Shiori. I'm a sucker for secret identities, and being a princess forced to stay silent and wear a magical bowl over your face . . . it's great!
I also liked her power, basic but cool. She can origami things to life. Ha!
I kept worrying about the dragon and thinking this would turn into a love triangle, but it didn't. Phew.
I also love that she ended up in the land of the guy she refused to marry and gets to hear how he's actually this really cool guy (duke?). Serves you right, stuck up princess! Now you have to learn your lesson! (The princess-fleeing-arranged-marriage trope bugs me so much, but this book showed that she shouldn't have fled.)
I also really liked what was done with the stepmother in the end, (view spoiler)[ how she was actually trying to help Shiori in her own way. Too bad she died (if I'm remembering right; I rushed through the end). (hide spoiler)]
Warning: this book was good, but her Spin the Dawn has premarital sex. So, now I'm worried about the second crane book.
Writer thoughts: Shiori had many try-fail cycles with her curse and trying to break it or tell people her identity. This serves a major purpose: the readers are frustrated with her. She's trying and failing and making a little progress. She got a job, she found her brothers, she foiled one plot, but she still had her curse!
So, authors, please use try-fail cycles. Do NOT let your MCs succeed on their first try....more
Reader thoughts: The conflict between Verene and her parents (you're too valuable to risk in Kallorway and can't be with Darius and etc) didn't feel rReader thoughts: The conflict between Verene and her parents (you're too valuable to risk in Kallorway and can't be with Darius and etc) didn't feel realistic/organic. It felt like conflict for the sake of conflict just to add tension somewhere. Readers know how it is going to end, and there were no lasting consequences. Therefore, it was unnecessary conflict.
Verene was still a more mature version of Elena, having been brought up in court and all. Still, it felt like Elena's struggles with her power and taking her place among nobles was harder with more setbacks. Verene's struggles to learn her powers were almost non existent. It takes her nearly no time to be accepted among nobles once they learn she does have power.
Writer thoughts: I've said this before. Characters (esp MCs) have to struggle. They have to fail. They can't just be handed things. They have to have try-fail cycles. If their successes are too easy, readers won't care....more