I wanted so badly to like this, but I DNF'd around halfway through.
The main character, Luzia, was just so annoying and unlikeable. Her main characterI wanted so badly to like this, but I DNF'd around halfway through.
The main character, Luzia, was just so annoying and unlikeable. Her main character trait appears to be greed, and I just ... did not care about her journey or her motivations. I get that her life as a scullion is a dreary, work-filled existence, but her motivation for many of her actions seems greed (i.e beyond just bettering her station) and to get back at her mistress, and is just not sympathetic.
Santangel appears to be some sort of love interest, with little characterization beyind 'creepy'. There's several instances of dialogue between Luzia and Santangel that I think are meant to depict their growing relationship, but are just very off and don't work.
The premise also doesn't make much sense: the disgraced advisor to the superstitious king in post-inquision Spain is hosting a tournament to find someone who can perform magical 'miracles' to present to the king to help him in his war against England. I would think that in this time period, there would be a lot of distrust in, and fear of, individuals who could perform miracles, and that people with magical talent would keep such abilities hidden out of fear of attracting the interest of the Church and Inquisiton. Displaying such abilities in a tournament in this time period seems unlikely, or that the king would publicaly rely on these abilities.
Latter stages of the tournament were going to test the candidates' faith, but I DNF'd before getting there - perhaps this issue is more adequately addressed at that point....more
I think I am no longer Sanderson's target demographic. It's been a couple of years since I read one of his books, in part because of his sheer prolifiI think I am no longer Sanderson's target demographic. It's been a couple of years since I read one of his books, in part because of his sheer prolificness (it's so difficult to keep up with him!), but also because I'm realizing I get bored by his prosaic prose
I recognize that he is *excellent* at worldbuilding, setting, magic creation, etc, might even be one of the best authors out there in these arenas. The worlds of Painter and Yumi are fascinating settings, and I enjoyed reading about them.
But the dialogue? Prose? Sanderon tells instead of shows.
Characterization? Yumi was a great, fascinating character. Painter was cool loner on a redemption arc. I enjoyed reading Yumi's POV in both worlds way more than I enjoyed Painter's. Neither of them felt like they were the adults they were described as, it felt way more like a YA novel
The narrative was clunky (omniscent narrator providing an info dump 3x to make sure we all understood what had happened because there was no way to work that info into the book naturally) , and I am well aware that there were quite a few Cosmere references that just went over my head.
Cute book, wasn't great, wasn't awful. Reminded me that I don't actually enjoy readinf Sanderson...more
I read the original Shades of Grey probably close to 15 years ago, and it's one of my favorite books of all time. I loved the irreverent, whimsical toI read the original Shades of Grey probably close to 15 years ago, and it's one of my favorite books of all time. I loved the irreverent, whimsical tone that was used to depict an utterly messed up dystopia. The contrast between the tone and the subject matter made this book so unique and memorable. The worldbuilding of Shades of Grey is also excellent - I've read it probably at least a dozen times, and on each reread, would discover a new nuance or detail that I'd missed before. It's a dystopia that initially reads like a cozy day-in-the-life in a strict Rules-based society, but the reveal at the end of the book exposes the rot that the society's innumerable Rules hide.
At the end of Shades of Grey, we were left with many, many questions: What was the Something that Happened? How deep was the corruption? Would Eddie be forced to marry Violet? Could Eddie and Jane reform their world? Would people ever see more than one color? Would Eddie and Jane be able to marry despite being complementary colors? How did this society even come to be?
Some of those questions, but not all, get answers in this book, but I found a lot of the answers unsatisfactory - the Something That Happened, and the establishment of Munsell's Rules don't really make that much sense to me.
The tone switched from more 'whimsical British humor' to that of a more classical action-dystopia, and I feel like a lot of the conceits underpinning the original novel were undone in this one. For example, when Eddie learns the truth in Shades of Grey, it's depicted like he's one of the *only* people in the society to have figured it out. In Red Side Story, it seems like at least half the cast is aware of what's actually going on, and are fine with it. These sort of changes undermine a lot of what I loved about the original novel.
Jane loses a lot of characterization, and Eddie loses a lot of agency. Violet's personality undergoes a total 180 shortly before the end of the book.
I think all in all I'm disappointed in this book that I've been waiting for for so long; I do not know how to satisfactorily rate it via the star system. I'm just going to selectively remember the bits of it I enjoyed, and otherwise forget the bits I didn't like....more
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