This was like the most stressful book I've read in my life. It was also beautiful and oh my gosh, I loved it so much and the first half made me S4.5/5
This was like the most stressful book I've read in my life. It was also beautiful and oh my gosh, I loved it so much and the first half made me SO happy. Then, all of sudden it started to crush my heart and it touched me in such a personal level and I think it's the first time I've felt really sad reading a book because some of the situations the characters went through were so relatable and it really made me feel things I didn't want to.
I have so many more things to say about this book but it's all weird in my head so I'll try to think more about it and then write a proper review and I promise I will do. I feel like I must do it for real and not only say I will and then completely forget....more
Wow. I don't even know how to start this. This isn't actually a review, just me writing how I felt reading this volume. I no longer have emotions, thoWow. I don't even know how to start this. This isn't actually a review, just me writing how I felt reading this volume. I no longer have emotions, though. I was so sad when I read the last page and now I just kinda feel... numb. I can't believe they did what they did. ...more
I'm stupid and deleted my review of this so let me tell you that although this is not the best in the series (but hey, that only means it gets better!I'm stupid and deleted my review of this so let me tell you that although this is not the best in the series (but hey, that only means it gets better!) I enjoyed it a lot, it's full of twists and the characters are the best. It's fast paced and it had me on the edge the entire time. Plus, the art by Gabriel Rodríguez is fantastic....more
This was so emotional. I didn't expected it at all. I mean, Killing Gravity already was but this just... Ah, it was so hard to read some parts. I loveThis was so emotional. I didn't expected it at all. I mean, Killing Gravity already was but this just... Ah, it was so hard to read some parts. I love Mars so much and my heart breaks for her and everything she has to get through....more
What do you do when you don't know how to rate a novel?
I have been thinking about it since I finished this book but I can't decide if it's a 3, 4 or aWhat do you do when you don't know how to rate a novel?
I have been thinking about it since I finished this book but I can't decide if it's a 3, 4 or a 5 star read :__
I really liked most of the book, except one part at the beginning when is said that girls almost never make to the highhest ranking academy in the country, I'm still mad about it but I'm kinda okay but just because it doesn't get mentioned again (?. After that, I started to really enjoy the story, Rin is a great protagonist and we can see her development through the book and it wasn't as in other books when the main character learns to be a badass warrior in like a week?? nope, this doesn't happen in The Poppy War. We get to see Rin training and getting beated over and over again and slowly she starts to get better at what she does. She is also smart but she actually spends time doing her homework and studying a lot to pass her exams. So yeah, Rin is a very very realistic character.
As a military fantasy (I think it's the first time I read a military book) it gets pretty twisted and dark at some point. Part III has some specially gruesome parts and if you want to read it you should be aware of the following trigger warnings: self harm, torture, genocide, rape, mutilation and many more. The story is mainly about war and the role humans have in it, the choices they have to make that often have terrible consequences, part III has some scenes that were so hard to read for me because it was so fucked up that I couln't make myself to continue reading. Although the violence in the book is not a shock value factor but R.F. Kuang uses it to show the nature of war with all its atrocities. This is when I get to talk about what I didn't like, I think it's more because I am still so shocked of what happened and not the fact that it just shows how war is for both bands but there's something almost at the end of the book (view spoiler)[the part of Rin killing everyone (hide spoiler)] and I guess I didn't like that. It's a shame I can't talk clearly about it because spoilers but now I want to know how the author will develop that in the next books. If she does it in a good way, I will come back and probably give this book a higher rating.
Anyway, The Poppy War is an awesome debut and I wish I could have a clear mind now and write a better review but if you want to read one that I think I mostly agree with (except for the part where I liked the book less) you can read Petrik's review. ....more
I just finished this book last night and I need to write down how I feel about it because guys, I need you all to understand how amazing this book is!I just finished this book last night and I need to write down how I feel about it because guys, I need you all to understand how amazing this book is! *___*
But first I want to made something clear: this is not a ground breaking fantasy story because it has plenty of the fantasy tropes we know: ...a Chosen One? Check. ...Good vs. Evil fight? Check. ...creatures already known in other fantasy books? Check. ...mystery character that is a warrior in hiding? Check. ...prophecies? Check.
...and I could include many other things. But you know what makes this special? The way all those tropes are included. It's SO WELL DONE. I mean, there are things I could see coming long before but it's done in a way that keeps stuff still interesting, like, you are actually happy to confirm them; apart from the ones when you only want to die because it's too much to handle but that's another matter.
I knew little of the story before starting to read it but of one thing I was aware of, I was said to prepare myself because characters die. Important characters. Characters you love. But how little I knew about the bare truth of this. This is even worse than A Song of Ice & Fire because in those books, most of the characters who died are secondary or is just lots of people you barely know dying around. But in Malice, NO ONE IS SAFE and when the first ones died I just keep wondering what beloved character will die next. IT WAS SO HEARTBREAKING. (view spoiler)[ I think I lost it when Thannon died, I loved him so so much and I keep hoping he wasn't actually dead but he was truly gone and read about his hound Buddhai not wanting to left his side was extremely painful. Another awful death was Kastell's, this one was even more unbelievable because I was so sure I will be seeing more of him in the next book but again, John Gwynne crushed my soul. My hope now is for Jael to die in a slow and very painful death. (hide spoiler)]
My favourite thing was the characters, there are plenty of them (and the names are so weird and from many different places over The Banished Lands) but eventually it's easy to identify them. We get to know at least a little about each one, the secondary characters aren't only noise at the background of the main ones and there is growth in them. And don't get me started on the main characters, they are so fleshed out, so beautifully written that I loved them almost from the very first page. Corban, the main protagonist is so special, yes, he's the Chosen One and all but damn, his growth through the story is so worth seeing and I can't wait to see what else is in store for him, he also has a bond with a wolven and she's so precious too! I love her loyalty and how she protects Corban at all costs.
Some other great characters are the healer Brina and her crow Craft; Gar, the stablemaster and the warriors Halion, Kastell and Maquin. Corban's sister Cywen, who wants to be a warrior and is the bravest girl ever. Corban's and Cywen parents are also great, I love to read about families like theirs, they are very supportive with each other and they love their children so much. A shout-out for characters like Aquilus, Brenin and Alona who aren't blinded by the power they hold and more than kings or queens they are to serve their people. (view spoiler)[ Too bad they ended up dead but anyway, I love seeing this kind of rulers ❤ (hide spoiler)] I could not mention princess Edana because even though she isn't too developed in this book, I'm hoping to see great things in her future! I'm not mentioning more names but trust me, I could keep going.
I don't want to say much of the plot becuase it's the kind of book when the less you know about it the better. But the story has so many surprises, some you see coming, some you don't but as I said at the beginning, the author manages to write them in a really good way; that's what I think at least. The Good vs. Evil battle I know doesn't look original but the author presents it in a different way. Please, read the next spoiler only if you have read this book and Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson(view spoiler)[ some of this I found quite the same as Dalinar's plot in Oathbringer, the part about champions and I really thougt Nathair was going to be like Dalinar, that he wouldn't turn bad but how little I knew! This went far worse than Oathbringer! T__T (hide spoiler)] Something you need to remember while reading Malice is that what matters the most for the characters is "whose side you are on", there are plenty of characters whom you don't know if you can trust and what's left it's only to keep reading and find out.
It's very surprising that is John Gwynne's debut novel because I think it's pretty well written and I'm so looking forward to read Valour but let me say this: I have a feeling that this series, along with Robin Hobb The Liveship Traders Trilogy and Mistborn Trilogy, it's going to be an absolute favourite....more
4.5/5 This book has been my favourite of the trilogy so far, I know many people hated it or didn't like it too much, I know it is dense, I know Fitz su4.5/5 This book has been my favourite of the trilogy so far, I know many people hated it or didn't like it too much, I know it is dense, I know Fitz suffering so much seems unnecessary, but, I loved everything! The prose, the friendship between Fitz and the Fool and I loved every bit about Patience whereabouts but mostly, I fell in love with Nighteyes. What an amazing character. Robin Hobb is so good a writing non human characters and Nighteyes is so well done.
Ah, I'm going to write a proper review later, today I just wanted to tell you all how much I enjoyed it :D....more
“Honor is not dead so long as he lives in the hearts of men!”
Shortly after I finished reading Rhythm of War I told myself that I should write a review, even though I don't even know how to write those anymore, but this book has left me with so many feelings and the impression it made on me is so big that I had to find a way to express how I feel.
To be honest, what I was compelled to write was something like: omg i loved this book SO MUCH and you all should read it!!! The characters are AMAZING and I LOVE ALL OF THEM WITH MY SOUL and the magic is the best thing ever and my mind was blown away with all the Cosmere lore and new connections and AAAAAH, Syl is too CUTE i'm gonna dIE but guess I could write a sort of serious review so here we go... [image] art by: Ahsley Coad
I started reading Sanderson 4 years ago, I've read almost all of his published books and since reading Oathbringer in 2017, like every die-hard fan, I was looking forward to the fourth installment in his master piece, the Stormlight Archive series and let me tell you that I was not disappointed. After pondering it for a few days I can conclude that this is my favorite book by the author so far and it is part of my favourite books of all time.
Rhythm of War kicks off with a one-year time jump after the events in Oathbringer, this can be a bit disorienting but Sanderson manages to catch us up with the current events. Unlike the first installments, this one begins quite action packed, it's a way of letting us know what has happened during the previous year and a sort of conclusion to said events which then give way to the main plot and the role that the different characters will play throughout the book. It could be said that it's a mini sanderlanche at the beginning of the book that feels a lot like an end-of-the-book sequence.
The structure is the same as in the previous books: a prologue recounting the events of Gavilar's death from a new point of view, followed by five parts with a series of three interludes between each one. In part one we start with all the characters in the same place and then they are split into three main groups with arches distributed in the next four parts of the book. Some have more prominence than others and more importance is also given to characters who have had a minimal role in the first three books. I have nothing negative to say about it, I have faith in the decisions that Sanderson makes when deciding what and who is going to tell the story. The interludes have been progressing in their function, because unlike in the first book where they seemed to cut the flow of the plot, although I always found them interesting, since Oathbringer we can appreciate more cohesion hehe between these and the main story, giving us a look at other characters and their motivations and I have to say that some of the interludes in Rhythm of War have been my favorites so far.
“He hated that to every one of them, he was some kind of representation of an entire people. He wanted to be seen as a person, not a symbol.”
To avoid spoilers, I won't talk about the plot itself, for that I think the synopsis is enough; so I will move on to the main objective of this review which is, of course, to yell to talk about how much I liked this book.
The progress made in terms of character development is very noticeable, this book is one of the darkest that I have read by the author, many times I felt hopeless with the events the characters were going through, my poor babies were in Damnation itself. I feel very emotionally attached to most of them so the pain I felt with what was happening was A LOT and I often had to stop to scream into the void process what was happening and there came a point when I refused to continue reading for several hours because I couldn't stand it anymore. [image] One thing I appreciate about Rhythm of War is the way Sanderson represents and develops mental health topics such as depression and dissociative identity disorder, of which I am not an expert but I know that Sanderson has sought feedback from readers who know or identify with the characters to approach these issues in a better way and that makes the reading experience more realistic. This is one of the most character driven books I've read by Sanderson so far although this doesn't mean that the world or the main conflict is relegated to the back, but the development of the characters is the main point and it's brilliant. I think there isn't a single one that has not advanced even a little in their growth and as this is a book with many characters, it's something to admire.
I also can't leave aside the antagonists, old and new and especially one of the new ones, who I can affirm is one of the best and most intriguing antagonists that Sanderson has written, because it made me feel all the emotions and it was really a pleasure to read about them and discover their motivations which, like with most Sanderson villains, they aren't just cartoons that are bad for their own sake.
“And you know, I’ve listened to ardents talk. I’ve been poked and prodded. I’ve been stuck in the dark. None of that worked as well as knowing this one thing, sir. He still gets up. He still fights. So I figure … I figure I can too.”
Another topic of importance was the world-building. If you tought this was already sufficiently developed in the previous books, Sanderson continues to surprise us with more information about the spren, the nature of the world and the magic system. Added to this is the quality and the care with which the book was made. It contains several illustrations representing maps of different locations, spren, various fabrials and new inventions. The magic system stands out even more thanks to new technological discoveries and I was fascinated by the way in which the author unites magic with real science and even with music (!!!). I'm not going to say I understood all of this, because I'd be lying but still, I found myself enraptured while reading about fabrials and the science behind it all and I'm excited to think about the implications the new discoveries will have in the future.
Speaking of implications ... it's been a few days since I finished the book and my mind is still buzzing with that ending, which has me terrified excited for what is coming in the fifth installment that we know will be the end of the first arc in the ten book series. Also, the connections with other worlds in the Cosmere are expanding more and more and it was a delight to be able to understand the references to characters and magic systems from other worlds and books. Rhythm of War gives a lot of information about the Cosmere which makes it a fantastic experience. I'll add that, for those who have yet to read other cosmere books, you shouldn't worry yourselves thinking that you won't be able to understand or enjoy because even though it's very exciting to know what these details refer to, for the reader who doesn't know any of that, it creates mystery and the story is perfectly understandable and Sanderson gives information in case it becomes necessary. [image] Art by: conjchamberlain
Something that I love about this series, apart from the character development, are the social issues that the author touches in terms of cultural diversity, colonization, racism, gender roles in society and the changes these need to have. As Sanderson said at some point, the story is not only about a specific group of characters but about the world, in this case it's about Roshar and this is demonstrated in each book. It has been fantastic to learn more about the different cultures and species that populate the rosharian continent and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters on each side. It is not only about saying these are the good guys and those are the bad guys, but for us, as readers, I think it's important to know the motivations and the different aspects of the story and it leaves us with a lot to think about.
To finish this already long review, I'll say that Saderson prose is as easily readable as always, it sucks you in and the moment I started reading I was deeply inmersed in the world. The pacing was perhaps slower than previous books and the Sanderlanche wasn't what we have come to expect but still, it was exilarating and the entire book has some of the most devastating emotional moments but also beautiful ones that I know I'll be constantly rereading until the next book comes out.
That’s stupid. The story is really long. He needs to hear the ending so he’ll know it’s worth listening all the way.”
Loading...
