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my rating |
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| 0399244557
| 9780399244551
| 0399244557
| 4.31
| 128,857
| May 02, 2005
| Jun 08, 2006
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really liked it
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 24, 2024
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May 08, 2024
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Mar 24, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0316572101
| 9780316572101
| 0316572101
| 4.60
| 83,746
| Sep 26, 2023
| Sep 26, 2023
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it was amazing
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Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times. Well. I just finished this one and I've got a lot to say. Since Troubled Blood, the mystery side o Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times. Well. I just finished this one and I've got a lot to say. Since Troubled Blood, the mystery side of this series has got way more interesting. While I was already completely in love with Strike and Robin before that and invested in their personal stories and their relationship, before book 5, I wasn't as invested in the cases they were solving. But with both "Troubled Blood" and The Ink Black Heart, I was suddenly really obsessed with the cases! And let's just say "The Running Grave" didn't disappoint in the regard. It's another really fascinating case that had me unable to put it down all day, and staying up all night reading, especially when it was getting close to the end. I was desperate for the final reveal and now I've finished the book, I feel like there's something missing in my life. Despite all this, I did have some reserves towards this one that I didn't have towards any of the previous books. Let me start by saying that I never thought I would go near a book about a cult, and when I found out that was what this was, I was quite nervous. I've never been one of those people who are obsessed with reading about (or watching movies/TV shows about) cults- I find them too unsettling. To me, the fact that these kinds of themes are so popular speaks to a darkness in the general population. That being said, this wasn't that bad. As someone who used to be a big dystopian reader, I'm not sure exactly why I drew the line at cults when it's not so different, really. I didn't get particularly scared, but I still found some the content challenging. As someone who grew up with spirituality and still very much considers it part of my life, I'm mainly talking about the way different spiritual concepts are portrayed, appropriated and often twisted. The way the concept of nonattachment was twisted into this horrible anti-family rhetoric was a bizarrely frightening stroke of genius on Rowling's part. I've got to say a couple of other things though. I don't think chanting has to be a negative thing. I recognised the chant used at the UHC, and I think it can have beneficial effects. Robin even notices that the chanting makes her feel really good, but it was written off as part of the brainwashing. I wish it wasn't. The other thing, and perhaps the most unsettling thing, was that Jonathan Wace's first speech sounded so similar to the kind of spiritual books I read for inspiration. So similar, in fact, that at one point I forgot I wasn't reading one of those books and just started smiling as I was reading. I had to remind myself that I was not reading one of those books, and this wasn't even a good character speaking. And, well, that realisation was kind of unsettling. I grew up with a lot of these spiritual ideas and they've really helped me in my life. Also, I liked how Robin was more open to spirituality than Strike, but I suspect she won't be after this book! And in regards to the characters... boy, does Strike get some long overdue character development in this one! Rowling had a tough job with this one, trying to keep us engaged in Strike's POV conducting the investigation as usual alongside Robin's POV in the cult, and I admit I did want to switch back to Robin a lot. But I think it was done really well with Strike having a bit of a crisis with himself, and some of his chapters were really emotional. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 15, 2024
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Mar 03, 2024
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Feb 15, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 3.41
| 1,251
| Sep 01, 2015
| Sep 29, 2015
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it was amazing
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Wow. I really don't know where to start. I already knew this was going to be good from the description on the back, but was totally unprepared for how
Wow. I really don't know where to start. I already knew this was going to be good from the description on the back, but was totally unprepared for how amazing it was! It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was probably better and had everything I love. The fantastical aspect, a good heroic quest but also lots of twisty turns and subverted tropes. Gorgeous prose with beautiful imagery created. The stock standard flowery fantasy names that I'm not ashamed to admit I go crazy over. The spiritual aspect which is something I'm particularly fond of in a fantasy. Amazing characters (I LOVED most of them). And of course, music! I will admit I expected this book to be all about Lin. Actually, there are four main characters, and a few other significant characters who get POVs as well. And I loved most of them. Even the ones I didn't love I couldn't help at least sympathising with by the end of the book. Lin: She was the most likable at the start of the story. The typical tough girl on the edge who's had a hard life and is actually secretly a big softie, but she was still a very believable character. She is extremely cool and I often felt sorry for her. I was surprised at how little time was spent on her. It kind of seems like the other characters were more focussed on. Darien: Oh sweet, cute, impulsive, immature, sensitive, romantic, idealistic, caring, ambitious, charismatic, adorable Darien. I loved him so much! He felt so completely real to me and okay, at first he just seemed like an arrogant prick, but his character growth was monumental and he never ceased to surprise and amaze me. (view spoiler)[In a sense, the ending made me love him even more, but still, I wish authors would STOP KILLING MY FAVES. (hide spoiler)] Marlen: Okay, he was the one I didn't love. The obligatory anti-hero POV and I'm thinking some girls will fall head over heels, but I just couldn't get past how weak and self serving he was, although at some points I was able to feel sorry for him. Not enough to be super invested in his redemption, though. I guess you could say he sort of redeemed himself at the end, but I still felt it wasn't enough. (view spoiler)[Also, I can't believe he ended up with Marilla, who I hated and thought was supposed to represent his inner darkness. In this regard, I think Myer went a little too far with the trope subversion thing. (hide spoiler)] Rianna: She didn't turn out at all like I (or I bet anyone) expected, but I loved her too. What an unexpected symbol of female empowerment. I love and deeply resonated with the fact that her arc included the realisation that not all that glitters is gold, and the things (and people) that mean the most aren't necessarily the fancy ones. Some other characters Valanir: I liked him a lot too. At first I was crazy about him. Hassen: I loved him! Probably the purest character in the book, and also a great laugh. (view spoiler)[ And I know he doesn't want to be a tragedy, but honestly, what happened to him is so sad! He's reminding me of Cedric Diggory. (hide spoiler)] Ned: At first I didn't like him, but by the end I loved him too. He reminded me of Neville Longbottom. Edrien Letrell: Extremely interesting. (view spoiler)[I love how Myer subverted expectations yet again, by the revelation at the end that he wasn't such a hero after all. (hide spoiler)] Rayen: Well. (view spoiler)[ Characters like this, especially in books like this one which have really realistic characters, always strike me as out of place and unrealistic, and I have to remind myself that psychopaths exist in real life too. And I feel like Rayen embodies a particular kind of dangerous man that women fall prey to, that you don't often see in fiction. He's charismatic, and good looking. He seems like a good person who cares about others, and can fake vulnerability convincingly. For a while I was even thinking he'd redeemed himself. In fact, I cried when he called himself a monster. It's now one of the book scenes I most regret crying at. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 02, 2024
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Feb 15, 2024
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Feb 02, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0312254997
| 9780312254995
| 0312254997
| 3.80
| 11,933
| Apr 1999
| Mar 16, 2000
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it was amazing
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Wow. I'm speechless. I really don't know what to say. I mean... I have a lot of thoughts. This was just such a world. I completely lost myself in it. F Wow. I'm speechless. I really don't know what to say. I mean... I have a lot of thoughts. This was just such a world. I completely lost myself in it. For the first two chapters it was boring, but once I was in, I was IN. The third chapter swept me up and it just got better and better. I wasn't a fan of the majority of the characters- especially not Piloo, who's the most hateable character I've read in a good while- but that didn't even matter, because I absolutely loved the three central characters, Rai, Ormus and Vina. All three of them had characteristics I could complain about too, but I'd rather not go into them because overall, it was love. I also loved Mira. I could probably go on for ages right now, but I don't feel like it. I just want to finish by saying that I wish I could listen to VTO. I'm imagining they might sound a little like Dirt Poor Robins (that's a good thing, btw). (view spoiler)[ But did our world actually get destroyed??? Is that how I'm supposed to interpret it? Or is it our world that is colliding with theirs at the end and ours will survive or something... (hide spoiler)] There was one thing about this book that really annoyed me, but wasn't even to do with the story or writing style. Halfway through the book, my copy stopped using quotation marks when characters talked. It was just so weird and made it harder to read, and it took me a while to adjust. I'm thinking it might just be one copy because, for some reason, I don't see anyone else complaining about it. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 11, 2023
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Jan 25, 2024
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Dec 11, 2023
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Paperback
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| 0473499444
| 9780473499440
| 0473499444
| 5.00
| 2
| unknown
| Aug 23, 2020
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 17, 2023
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Nov 14, 2023
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Oct 17, 2023
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Paperback
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| B07Y9YZGBP
| 5.00
| 2
| unknown
| Dec 31, 2019
|
it was amazing
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Wow. That was such an intense, wild ride. And I have a lot of feelings. |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 09, 2023
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Oct 16, 2023
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Oct 09, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0473479915
| 9780473479916
| B07VCLF3QD
| 5.00
| 5
| unknown
| Oct 01, 2019
|
it was amazing
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This book completely ruined me. It broke my heart and stomped all over the pieces and then put it back together and did it again a million times. At l This book completely ruined me. It broke my heart and stomped all over the pieces and then put it back together and did it again a million times. At least it's not the last book in the series. Things could work out. But I really did not want this to turn into another "you can't save the world, and trying will just make everything worse" narrative. I'm sick of those. I want the utopian vision of book 1 back. My god, I'm glad I waited so many years to read the rest of the series. Don't get me wrong, though. I loved this book. In fact, amazingly, I hadn't realised how deeply I cared about this story and its characters until this book. Which is incredible, because I already counted the Shadows series as one of my all time favourite series, and was saying that I loved several of the characters. (view spoiler)[On the up side, it looks like Calvin and Hanna are finally about to get the redemption arcs they deserve. As in genuine ones, rather than them just pretending. Also, Raven was so interesting in this one. One of the most complex, realistic and fascinating villains I've ever read. I was shook when he saved Griffin. It made me think maybe he could have a redemption arc himself! I'd like to see that, although I'm not 100% sure if it would work, since it seems like he's supposed to represent the issues plaguing both worlds. It's almost over the top how the failure of their mission is basically all down to him. My favourite scene was when Griffin met his mum. I cried all the way through that. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 2023
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Oct 08, 2023
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Oct 04, 2023
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0553588486
| 9780553588484
| 0553588486
| 4.44
| 2,557,645
| Aug 06, 1996
| Aug 2005
|
really liked it
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I finished this last night and I don't know what to think. At all. I mean, there's a lot that I think. But I can't decide what my overall opinion of t
I finished this last night and I don't know what to think. At all. I mean, there's a lot that I think. But I can't decide what my overall opinion of the book is, or if I should continue the series. At times, this was a challenge to get through. Something about Martin's writing style didn't completely work for me. While it was good enough to keep me considerably invested, it wasn't good enough to be immersive all the time. For me, the selling point is the descriptions. When the style completely works, I can see everything described very clearly. When it doesn't, I just see words on a page. Not that I couldn't see it at all, but A Game of Thrones had a lot of words on a page moments. Even more worrying, narrative is increasingly becoming a similar problem. I will read whole paragraphs of narrative and not take in what the characters are doing. I'll have to go back and read them again. So there are three things to clarify here. The first is that I'm not saying that Martin's writing style is bad. I'm only talking about what works for me. Different writing styles work for different people. Some people won't be able to put down books that I find boring, and vice versa. The second is that I was unfamiliar with a lot of terms used to describe structures. Despite being a fantasy reader, I'm not really a medieval architecture expert. None of this helped with visualising things. The third is that I'm not saying Martin's writing style didn't work for me at all. It didn't completely work for me, but there were a lot of things that did work. Otherwise I wouldn't be rating this four stars, and I wouldn't be saying what I'm about to say. I thought I'd be relieved to finish this book, but when I did finish it, I actually felt sad. I realised I was going to miss the characters. I didn't see myself continuing the series, but now I'm considering it. First things first, and this is another thing that initially got to me: this is not an escapist fantasy. The world presented here is not whimsical or wondrous or beautiful in the ways that I tend to like my fantasy worlds. It's dark, and gritty, and bleak, maybe even a little depressing. At times, it feels even more mundane than real life. Another thing that I had to get used to: this is not a heroic fantasy. I may have already known this to some extent, but actually reading it made it crystal clear what kind of readers A Song Of Ice And Fire fans are. They're a bunch of hipsters, edgelords and English teachers. They hate traditional morality in stories, and are averse to common tropes. They are obsessed with "grey characters" and "moral complexity," and they probably think that most fantasy is "unrealistic" and "doesn't have anything important to say" (this last claim is one I have a big problem with ... ). Basically, they're not interested in reading about good characters who succeed in what they're trying to do, because apparently that doesn't happen in the real world. (I should note that I'm exaggerating here for impact. Obviously, not all readers of the series will hold these beliefs to such an extreme extent, but most will probably have them to some extent.) I suppose the simple fact that Eddard Stark was my favourite character should highlight the differences between me and these kinds of readers. I love heroes. I wouldn't say I'm completely opposed to the tastes of the stereotypical fan I described. I do occasionally indulge in morally complex stories, just for a bit of a change, and I usually find it a breath of fresh air. I have liked plenty of morally complex characters, despite my tendency to love heroes the most. The closest I've gotten to something as amoral as A Game of Thrones was probably Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, which I loved, and is billed as "perfect for Game of Thrones fans." Xifeng, that book's anti-hero, touched me profoundly in a way I wasn't prepared for and am not sure I completely understand. But even she is defeated by the end of Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, the sequel which focusses instead on the more traditional hero Jade. Unsurprisingly, the first book drew a lot of those kind of readers, who all complained about the second. Point being that this series was tame compared to what I just read. In A Game of Thrones, heroes do not succeed. Villains are more than just temporarily triumphant and waiting to be taken down. In fact, success changes you into a somewhat of a villain yourself. The moral is that to get what you want, you have to be a little ruthless. The question is whether this is worth it? Does the end justify the means? You know, the same universal question that crops up everywhere in literature. Once I got past feeling depressed, I realised what a brilliant portrayal this is of ruling classes in general. Almost every character in this is a noble or related to a noble. They have their own world, their own society where everyone knows each other, and their own rules. The commoners are only considered in a vague sense, and often spoken of disparagingly as "small people." The more powerful characters often talk about having people die for them. This struck me as an interesting double standard and not without resonance in the real world. The non-ruling class are still bound by the rules of morality, by ideals such as "heroism" and "valour." The ruling class deliberately construct a culture where it's seen as the ultimate virtue to work, fight, die and even kill for these rulers that actually care nothing about them and view them as disposable. It's like a one sided relationship where your partner expects your complete and unquestioned devotion but doesn't even love you themselves. Anyway, onto the characters, because that was what I wanted to focus on. There are 8 POV characters. I enjoyed some POVs way more than others. I applaud the complexity of the story, with all its different interweaving storylines, and was able to appreciate most of the POV characters. I've attempted to rank them in order from favourite to least favourite. 1) Eddard Stark. As I said above, I loved him, right from that first scene where he's explaining to Bran about the execution. He is not completely pure or anything—he has done some shady things, fathering a bastard being the most prominent. But it is clear he regrets these things, although not in the sense that he wishes Jon didn't exist. In fact, he's more accepting of Jon than most lords are of their bastards. It's more in the way that he's willing to face up to what he's done wrong and improve himself, which to me, is one of the most admirable character traits ever. Ned is undoubtedly a good person and the most stable character in the series. He is brave, resilient, caring and has a lot of conviction and integrity. He knows his morals and he sticks by them. These are all my favourite traits in a character. I love heroes. I already said that. And Ned is certainly a tragic hero. (view spoiler)[ By the time I was halfway through the series, I knew Ned was going to die. Not only because I seem to have an unfortunate tendency for picking favourite characters who die, but the way the story is going, that outcome seemed inevitable. I was bracing myself for it, and deliberately attempting to emotionally detach from the story and make myself not care about it. Honestly, though, I think I did that because what happens to Ned is painfully close to the aspects of real life that I can't handle looking at. The aspects of real life which I attempt to use fiction to distract myself on. At first glance, at least, it reinforces the idea that heroes don't stand a chance against the system. They will be more than just ridiculed and smeared. More than demonised or even fought. They will be effectively snuffed out of existence. No one will ever know their side of the story. They will never make any sort of impact, and over time they will be forgotten. It will be almost as if they never existed at all. When Ned died, the truth died with him. Everyone else who knew the truth was committed to keeping it secret. In fact, I bet Joffrey himself didn't even know he wasn't the king's son (not that it makes me like Joffrey any more, mind you). And instead of a hero fighting for truth, the public see an evil traitor. Ned's family, of course, will say they don't believe he is a traitor. But all they can do is speculate. They don't know the full picture. No one does, or ever will. It really makes you wonder how many dark secrets have been buried in a similar way throughout history. When I looked at exactly how things played out, however, I realised there's a bit more hope to Ned's story than I realised at first. Truth be told, it played out the way it did as a result of his foolish actions. Honestly, how can someone be smart enough to figure out that the "king's children" weren't really his children, but stupid enough to literally go to Cersei and tell her he'd figured it out? If he hadn't done that, Robert would still have been alive! And what was his reason for this ... "mercy?" Whatever, Ned. You could've saved your best friend's life by leaving Cersei out of it. And then to completely miss his last chance at telling Robert (and thus fixing it all) because "he didn't want to hurt him?" Absolutely ridiculous! You could've saved your own life, saved your family a whole lot of grief and saved the family from a tyrannical rule. The more you think about it, Ned's case becomes less of a "heroes don't stand a chance" tale and more of a "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Someone could totally succeed at exposing a secret such as this if they were smarter about it! And this is where I think the moral about being a little ruthless rings the truest. Being too softhearted was his downfall and the kingdom's. If only he had done what had to be done, he would've spared everyone a lot of suffering, including himself. I'm glad he at least did the right thing when it came to confessing. It's sad that the truth died with him, but at this point, he'd worked his way in too deep and he no longer had a choice. If he'd decided to endanger his family, I would've been thoroughly disappointed in him. Thinking about Joffrey, though, and how he decided to kill him anyway, makes me too angry for words. It really makes you wonder ... what mistake did Jon Arryn make to end up in the same position as Ned? Were the two Hands exactly the same? Isn't it weird, then, Robert's propensity for choosing Hands with that exact same paradoxical smart-but-stupid brand of heroism? It does signify his desire but lack of commitment, doesn't it? Of course, he also grew up with both of them, but somehow turned out rather less brave himself. Honestly though, I am upset that he died in only the first book. The fact that he won't be in the sequels makes me a lot less interested in reading them. I wonder if they will replace his POV with someone else's and if so, with who. (hide spoiler)] 2) Daenerys Targaryen. She is actually the main reason I'm considering continuing the series. I will say she had to grow on me a little. I never actually disliked her, but at first, her chapters were hard going. I think at first it was a little hard because the other 7 POVs are very connected to each other and in the same place a lot of the time, whereas she's the only POV in her storyline. She's basically just got this whole separate storyline, and while it's connected to the backstories of the other 7 and I'm sure will connect up again honestly, it's also just its own thing and is very cool. People will inevitably have issues with the representation of the Dothraki. Honestly though, while I can see the issues, I still enjoyed reading about them. I found them fascinating, and their culture rich and colourful and fascinating and beautiful. It was a very different feel from the stiff, cold Medieval England inspired Seven Kingdoms, and there was something that really moved me about it in a spiritual way. I think it was the connection to nature, the celebrations and revelling, the colour and expression and being out under the stars. All that isn't about Dany herself. But it provides the backdrop for her epic character arc, which is intensely satisfying and deeply beautiful. She starts out very insecure and scared, but over the course of story we see her gaining confidence, and it's beautiful to watch her perspective on the world grow and change throughout the story. She is like Xifeng from Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, but with the potential to be even more amazing. She is still relatively innocent by the end of this book, but I'm expecting she will probably become a villain in a similar way to Xifeng. The book finishes with her POV, and without spoiling anything, I just wanted to say I was really proud of her at the end, and my final thought on closing the book was: "I LOVE HER!!!" 3) Sansa Stark. Poor, poor Sansa. Aside from her overdramatising everything making her chapters invariably fun to read as there was always some huge, life altering catastrophe, I loved her because I really saw myself in her (especially myself at her age, but even myself now to some extent). She's a sensitive, naive dreamer who can barely handle the real world. She's extremely judgemental but it's in an innocent, childish and oversensitive way ("i cAnT hAnDlE aNyThInG nOt BeAuTiFuL") rather than a malicious way. And she's a hopeless romantic (emphasis on "hopeless"). Her whole character arc is coming to terms with the fact that the things she loves are nothing like her romanticised image of them. That's traumatic, and painful, and something I deeply sympathise with. She has some awful things happen to her. (view spoiler)[In fact, when Joffrey killed Ned, it wasn't even Ned I immediately felt sorry for. He's a hero. He'd accepted his own death, plus I'd already spent a lot of time feeling sorry for him and trying to extract myself. No, my first thought was "poor Sansa." What kind of person does what Joffrey did? What kind of person promises to spare his girlfriend's father and then kills him anyway? I already didn't like Joffrey, but this scene made me hate him with a passion. And then to start abusing her afterwards and force her to stay with him? Sansa was so determined to see the good in him even though he'd already shown her what a piece of trash he was, because she really loved him. To her, nothing was worse than the person she loved turning out to be bad. I'm convinced that Loras Tyrell would've been a way better match for her. She shows interest in him at one point but it's just kind of forgotten about. (hide spoiler)] 4) Jon Snow. Jon was another character who captured my attention right from his first POV. There's something about his POV that just causes you to immediately feel for him (and no, it's not his upbringing, it's his POV—I don't automatically feel for characters just because of their past, the characters themselves have to be likeable). His internal monologue is always interesting, and he seems like a good person despite having anger issues. (view spoiler)[ He ends up joining the Night Watch, of course, and it pleased me to have a POV character there, especially as the book opened with it. I love how the Watch becomes a family to him, and the way he fits in so well with the other boys. I love how kind he is to poor Sam. Sam's backstory is the most tragic in the whole series to me. When I read it, I experienced this intense reaction that I don't often get anymore. I really enjoyed watching him grapple with his confused loyalties and desire to completely fit in with the Starks, and how he even ran away from the wall, but his friends cared about him so much that they came after him to stop him. (hide spoiler)] 5) Arya Stark. There is a sister war between her and Sansa. I found it interesting how opposite these girls are. Where Sansa is the girly girl, Arya is the tomboy. She doesn't mind getting dirty. She hates being a lady and wants to learn to use a sword ... you know, all the usual tropes. She's also a lot more resilient and resourceful than Sansa. What's the most interesting thing about her, though, is how much anger she has in her. That's what makes her compelling. I also loved her bond with Jon, and wished they could've spent more time together. Weirdly, her chapters started out engaging but became less so as the story went on. I'm not sure why, especially as it was only later on that she started having actual adventures. 6) Bran Stark. To be honest, he doesn't deserve to be so low down. I love him. I feel nothing but love for him. I especially loved reading his earlier POV chapters. He's one of those precocious child characters who you can't help but fall in love with. (view spoiler)[ However, after he had that fall and became a cripple, I found his chapters incredibly difficult to read. I would dread them, even. I think it was just because what happened to him is so devastatingly sad. I even think death would've been kinder. Keeping him alive like this is just cruel, Martin. (hide spoiler)] 7) Catelyn Stark. I'm not sure how I feel about her. Her chapters were always boring for some reason, and as a character I didn't find her particularly interesting. In fact, for a large part of the book I found her incredibly annoying, but I realised she had grown on me significantly while reading her final chapter. (view spoiler)[ Her last scene, where she's begging Robb & co to make peace, was heartbreaking. It really showed what a sensitive and loving soul she is. The poor woman has lost her husband, is about to lose her father, had one son become crippled and the other beginning to start down a dark path. (hide spoiler)] 8) Tyrion Lannister. Ready for an inflammatory opinion? Okay. I HATED Tyrion. His chapters were a chore to get through. Despite his obvious struggles due to his size, I couldn't make myself feel sympathy for him. As I said above, I have to like a character to find them sympathetic, and Tyrion was just a horrible person. If I decide not to continue the series, it will be because of him. Other thoughts: I would've liked Robb's POV. I'm confused why he didn't get one, to be honest. He would've been so interesting. Also, if this is meant to be the kind of book I think it is, why so few Lannister POVs? We only get Tyrion, who's a bit of an outcast. The vast majority of POVs being Starks (I'm counting Jon here, which would please him), naturally I sided with them. Why not give us at least one other Lannister POV, just to show some perspective? Or maybe I'm missing the point. Maybe I'm supposed to hate Lannisters. I thought we were getting something more complex! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 15, 2023
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Sep 27, 2023
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Aug 17, 2023
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0316473537
| 9780316473538
| 0316473537
| 4.12
| 98,986
| Aug 30, 2022
| Sep 21, 2022
|
it was amazing
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I'm at a loss for words at this one. This. Was. AMAZING!!! I already knew this book was going to be good, but I didn't think topping Troubled Blood was I'm at a loss for words at this one. This. Was. AMAZING!!! I already knew this book was going to be good, but I didn't think topping Troubled Blood was possible. Well, this series keeps getting better and better. I'm not sure if I'd say "The Ink Black Heart" was better than "Troubled Blood." But it was at least as good, and it will probably live in my memory for longer. In this book, Rowling creates an incredibly twisty, immersive and believable online fan community. It feels like a whole world or entity exactly in the way a real fandom would. This is unique in the Strike series and JK Rowling's work. There are probably other books that do something like this, but I haven't read any of them, so it felt completely new to me. And as always, Rowling's razor sharp observations and social commentary lend authenticity to this online world. The comments, tweets, interactions and everything about it just feels exactly like real people on the internet. It's so brilliant it hurts, and I'm at a loss for words to sufficiently describe it. Add to that Strike and Robin's amazing characters, who have been beloved to me for quite some time now, and their developing relationship... and I just could not put it down. I don't know if I've ever read such well written characters and romance. Just about every other book I've read involving romance does insta-love. Even the ones that try hard not to do it still do it, because the whole storyline just takes place in such a short space of time. Everyone seems to think they can get away with characters meeting and then already being together by the end of one book, which might not feel like insta-love, but this one book usually only encompasses a few months at the most. Often less. Obviously, not all books are like that, but the ones I've read tend to have characters meeting, developing feelings for each other and getting together within a very short time frame. And I'm not saying that never happens in the real world. But it taking longer is probably more common. Harry Potter actually comes to mind as an exception, as both Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione didn't officially get together until the end. Their feelings developed over seven years. This shows that Rowling has always been good at exercising restraint in regards to characters' relationships, but it also shows how much she's improved as a writer, because Strike/Robin is a level up from the relationships in Harry Potter. And yes, the pair drive me crazy sometimes with their constant denial that they like each other. But that's also what makes it feel so real, and their little breakthroughs so much more satisfying. This book is the longest in the series so far, which did make me frustrated towards the end. It didn't drag per se, it just got more and more twisty and I just became desperate to find out who Anomie is. Every night I'd read for hours, stay up too late reading and then force myself to put the book down, even more frustrated: why can't I just know already? Unfortunately, I'm getting better at figuring out culprits so the reveals are getting less impactful. I didn't actually figure it out this time, but there were a bunch of suspects who were so obvious that I was thinking if it turned out to be any of them, it would be a letdown. At least the culprit didn't turn out to be any of those, but there were a couple of people I suspected who I thought would've made more interesting culprits, and a lead I reckon should've been pursued but wasn't. (view spoiler)[ I'm talking about Josh suspecting Bram. Now, I don't think Bram should actually have been Anomie, but I was sure that this suspicion wouldn't turn out to be entirely based. Nils was one of the "too obvious" crew, but I think it would've been really interesting if Anomie was Mariam, and she was finding out information by getting Bram to listen in at the door for her. I also didn't like Katya and thought she seemed more sus than she ended up being. I fancied her as Anomie too, and I think that would've been more interesting than her son. However, I also think having her as an accomplice to Mariam would have worked, feeding Mariam information after the attacks, when neither cartoonist is at North Grove anymore so Bram doesn't have easy eavesdropping access. (hide spoiler)] Now I just have to wait impatiently for the next book in the series! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 29, 2023
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Aug 04, 2023
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Jul 29, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0473479885
| 9780473479886
| B07R5QRV2Q
| 5.00
| 5
| unknown
| Jul 28, 2019
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it was amazing
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This series has been taking me an incredibly long time to read, especially considering how much I love it. I read the first book all the way back in 2
This series has been taking me an incredibly long time to read, especially considering how much I love it. I read the first book all the way back in 2017, when I was still the same age as Griffin and in high school (I'm graduated from uni now). It wasn't until 2021 that I read the second book, and now, in 2023, I've finally read the third book. Better late than never, I say... and Sam Blood doesn't disappoint. This book was as good as all the others and impossible to put down. Having said that, I'm actually glad I didn't read this right after I read the first one. This one is darker than the previous books in the series. It's more mature, and less resolved. It wouldn't have satisfied the overly sensitive, idealistic dreamer that I was at 16- the girl who was so moved by the perfect triumphant arc and grand utopian vision of Shadows. This one is more of a reality check. It shows us that we can't save the world as easily as we'd like to. Coming to it now, though, I was able to fully appreciate it- although I need book 4 right away. This one was told through two POVs- Griffin and Eclipse- with plenty of action and excitement in both POVs. The characterisation is great- every single character is so complex and developed. Firstly, we need to talk about Calvin. He really threw my head for a spin in this one. There I was after reading the first book, thinking I not only understood him, but related to him, even! I thought he and Griffin were like me and my 11-years-younger brother- well, we are nothing like them! Shame on me for imagining that I would treat my brother the way Calvin treats Griffin. The worst part, though, is the implications that this book's revelations about him have about humans and Shadows being united. Calvin was the case study. He was the example of how people can change once united (or, in his case, reunited) with their Shadows. But in this book, we discover that he hasn't changed as much as we thought he had, and what does that say about the whole vision? We also need to talk about Eclipse. I live for his character arc in this one. It was one of those instances of the right book coming into my life at exactly the right time, because his character arc mirrors exactly what I'm going through at the moment. My favourite characters are still Phoebe and Ember. I don't think the fact that I happened to choose a Shadow and human pair as my favourites is any coincidence, either- they have the same spirit, and I love them for it. (view spoiler)[ I feel weirdly conflicted about Phoebe's "resurrection" in this one, though. I usually hate it when my favourite characters die, but occasionally there'll be a character whose death is one of the reasons I love them so much, and Phoebe was one of those characters. Her sacrifice was the perfect conclusion to her beautiful character arc, and a deliciously dramatic ending to Raven: Book Two in the Shadows Series that was bittersweet but still intensely satisfying. It certainly made me love her so much more. Also, it just made Ember's backstory all the more interesting. Her backstory about losing Phoebe was one of the main things that made me fall in love with Ember! I loved how it made her a foil to Raven. Taylor is a human who couldn't be with his Shadow, and because of this, he tries his best to make sure no one gets to experience what he can't. Ember is a Shadow who couldn't be with her human, and she fights to make sure as many people as possible get to experience what she can't. Oh well... I guess it wasn't a perfect fit anyway, as Winter wasn't actually dead. And it is great that I get to keep reading about Phoebe. Although the poor thing can never be in a relationship now without it seeming creepy. And what about the ending... I need the next book! I'm scared Ember and Phoebe are going to die, for real this time. And that Calvin chapter at the end nearly stopped my heart- I was wanting his POV for the whole entire book, and I'm so glad Sam Blood delivered. But I'm also seriously concerned for his life. Were those his last thoughts I just read? I desperately want him to get out of that place and get the redemption arc he so deserves. Also, I desperately want Hanna to get a redemption arc. Some of the way she acts/reacts to revelations at the end makes me think it might be coming, but she's such an actor that you never know with her. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 18, 2023
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May 31, 2023
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May 18, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0751579939
| 9780751579932
| 0751579939
| 4.37
| 132,471
| Sep 15, 2020
| Sep 15, 2020
|
it was amazing
|
This was the best Strike book so far. And I say this as someone who was already a fan of the series, and was really invested in Strike and Robin's cha
This was the best Strike book so far. And I say this as someone who was already a fan of the series, and was really invested in Strike and Robin's characters, and the development of their relationship. I took quite a break between Lethal White and this, and coming back to these two characters felt like such a relief. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed them. We see some significant development in their relationship in this one, of the kind we've all been waiting for. But in addition to that, the case in this one was just more interesting than any of the previous cases they've solved. It grabbed my attention in a way the others hadn't quite done. In the past I would sometimes get a bit bored doing the interviews. This time, the interviews would get me so excited. Such a vivid picture of the victim, Margot Bamborough, is painted, that she feels thoroughly real, and my goodness- what a great character! I absolutely loved her! I also found all the other people involved in the case really fascinating. I would be really impatient to hear their side of the story, and really excited whenever they found another person and got to interview them. I did, unfortunately, figure out the culprit this time, so the revelation was a lot less impactful then usual. However, I'm pretty sure I was only able to figure it out because I was looking at Goodreads reviews before I got to the reveal, and saw a spoiler of the culprit's gender. They certainly weren't the person I was initially suspecting before seeing that spoiler, but that person was the wrong gender. This was the only thing I didn't enjoy- I love having my mind blown by the culprit reveals, and to have my suspicions confirmed felt disappointing and anticlimactic. Fortunately, though, the book's final scene more than makes up for it. This book has an extremely complex plot- kudos to JK Rowling for pulling it off! Not only is the central case itself very complex, but somehow Rowling also manages to have both Strike and Robin go through intensely personal stuff, and also include a few side cases which are quite fleshed out themselves. Not only that but she continues to develop the central relationship, and she pulls all these subplots together so well and doesn't leave any loose ends! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 14, 2023
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May 04, 2023
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Apr 14, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0062063693
| 9780062063694
| 0062063693
| 4.49
| 5,326
| Sep 01, 2015
| Sep 01, 2015
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it was amazing
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**spoiler alert** This book tore out my heart and broke it into a million pieces, then it threw the pieces into the mud and stamped on them. And it's
**spoiler alert** This book tore out my heart and broke it into a million pieces, then it threw the pieces into the mud and stamped on them. And it's one of the best books I've ever read. I was hesitant to read this series. The only reason I read it was for my eleven year old brother, who pretty much made me read it. I was not expecting to care about the series independently of caring about him, and for this reason, the connection I felt to Gray Wing was completely unprecedented. He's not just my favourite Dawn of the Clans character, he's one of my favourite characters I've ever read. And I've read a lot of books, and connected with a lot of characters. I connected with him right from the first book, but it just grew the more I read. By A Forest Divided, I couldn't read his chapters without feeling his emotions incredibly viscerally. I could barely get through a chapter of his without crying at least once, or feeling overwhelming surges of joy. If you've read this book, you can probably guess what I'm going to say next. Gray Wing dies at the end of this book, and I've got to say, I've never grieved for a character as intensely as I grieved for him. There were two whole days when I was just overwhelmed by it, and also having to deal with my shame at feeling such intense emotions over a fictional cat. But I've got to say this: the cats in this book are people in the same way that any human character is a person, and to me, Gray Wing felt incredibly real. At this point I feel it would be dishonest not to admit that I did have his death spoiled for me sometime before actually reaching it (the two days of grieving actually happened after my brother spoiled it). However, I still was completely unprepared for how beautifully his death scene was written. Even if I wasn't a fan of Gray Wing, I wouldn't have been able to help feeling something, because this was the most beautifully moving death scene I've ever read. I had tears streaming down my face through the whole entire chapter. Every single line was so impactful, so powerful and so quotable. Kate Cary somehow managed to make it feel uplifting rather than just depressing. It was so touching when he named the clans on his deathbed, and it ending with him joining the spirit cats' world rather than just his last breath just caused so many intense emotions that I could never possibly attempt to describe. But let me just say that some of them were positive. It made me feel a lot more at peace than I have since his death was spoiled. And although I simultaneously feel so bad for him and how his health was in the end, I can't help but actually feel a little happy for Gray Wing. All his troubles are over, and he's in a better place. He hasn't ceased to exist- he may have left his body, but he's still following the sun trail! The real tragedy, though, is his kits. They were barely a moon old when he died. Being a father figure is so central to Gray Wing's character. Throughout the series, we see him raise so many other people's kits, and raise them well, but he hardly got the chance to raise his own! These kits could have got the chance to have the best father in the world. Instead, they'll have to grow up without a father, and this just breaks my heart. I know this isn't what Gray Wing would have wanted for them. He would've been horrified! I love how Cary actually addresses this by having him apologise to Slate that he's going to die and won't be able to raise the kits with her. Obviously it was completely out of control and he shouldn't have to apologise, but this kind of thing is just so Gray Wing, and it broke my heart. The whole thing just broke my heart, actually, but I was still able to appreciate the message his death sends about self sacrifice and the negative aspects of heroism, and for this I say THANK YOU! These kinds of issues have been keeping me up at night for the past year, and I've yet to find a more honest representation in literature of the consequences of constantly risking your life to save people. Gray Wing always wanted to protect everyone, and I love that about him, but it was ultimately his downfall. He ran into a forest fire to save his brother, Clear Sky, and it damaged his lungs, which severely affected the rest of his life. It put his life on a timer, and it made things which used to be easy a lot more difficult. And not only that, but he kept refusing to rest and look after himself. He kept pushing himself to his absolute limits. Kept putting others before himself, and putting himself in danger for their sake. This is not an uncommon heroic trait- in fact, literature is full of characters like this, and so often, authors completely neglect to address the kind of effects this kind of behaviour has on people's health. Heroes go willingly into life threatening situations and emerge virtually unscathed. They literally sacrifice themselves only to be miraculously resurrected. But this team of writers don't shy away from the unromantic truth. In real life, the hero doesn't always get a fairy tale ending. You can't save everyone, and constantly putting others first can be extremely detrimental to your health. Sometimes, it's important to put yourself first. In trying to save Clear Sky, Gray Wing pretty much sacrificed himself, and not only did it affect his personal health, but it affected his ability to be there for others. If he hadn't run into the fire, his relationship with Slate wouldn't have been so brief. He would have had the chance to father his own kits, and to see them grow into young cats. If he hadn't pushed himself to the absolute limit following the fire, he would at least have bought himself some time. For this reason, his character and arc were incredibly cathartic for me to read, and I'm so grateful he came into my life when he did. The question is: was any of it worth it? It's up to the reader to decide, and from a certain perspective, you might say it is. Gray Wing may have died at the end, but in many ways, his life was a triumph. Though they are a weakness in some ways, his self sacrificing tendencies come from how deeply he feels, and how deeply he loves, and this is a rare strength indeed. Gray Wing had such a positive impact on the lives of so many cats, and had deep and meaningful connections not only with all the clan leaders, but many others besides. He was ready to forgive and understand others rather than fight them. Despite how much praise and respect he received, he still retained an impressive level of humility and never had ambitions for power. And even when people he loves hurt or betrayed him, he still wouldn't hesitate before risking his life for them. He and Clear Sky were on bad terms when the forest fire happened, but he was still willing to walk into a fire for Clear Sky. If that isn't unconditional love, I don't know what is. On that note, I was really pleased with how the series ended for the other two POV characters, Thunder and Clear Sky. Unlike Gray Wing, for whom I have nothing but love, I've always felt a little conflicted on these two characters. Both really got on my nerves at times, but over the course of the story, I still grew to deeply care for them and view them with affection. The part of my brain that gets overly attached to characters is more than a little annoyed that Gray Wing didn't get a beautiful triumphant arc the way these two did, but it was still incredibly satisfying to see these two getting that, and I'm so proud of both of them. Thunder grew from a hot-headed, rebellious kit into a strong and conscientious leader, and in some of his thought processes you can tell Gray Wing raised him (and raised him well!). He feels the weight of responsibility and worries who will look after his group when he's gone, and it was incredibly satisfying to see that weight ease a little during this book, when he saw Lightning Tail's leadership potential. His friendship with Lightning Tail is so beautiful. It's the kind of friendship most would dream of having in their life. Also, I'm so happy for him that he finally found love. Clear Sky completes his redemption arc in the most beautiful and satisfying way. Over the past two books, he's been struggling to come to terms with all the things he's done, and struggling to forgive himself. He's been working hard to redeem himself since the end of book 3, but the other cats are colder towards him than before. As the series progresses, Clear Sky spends increasingly more time regretting the connections he's sabotaged, and the loved ones he's pushed away. He especially seems to regret his lost connections with the other two POV characters, who both happen to be his kin. Although Gray Wing forgives him, they aren't as close as they once were. He's distanced himself, and we hear Clear Sky comparing himself to Gray Wing a lot in his thoughts, and wishing he was more like Gray Wing. His relationship with Thunder is never that great, and he deeply regrets that he wasn't a proper father to Thunder. I love how he makes it up to both of them in this book. Both he and Gray Wing save each other's kits, and this fully mends their relationship. At the end, when Gray Wing's on his deathbed, you really get the sense that they've recovered the deep connection they once had. Clear Sky also saves Thunder's life, and while their relationship still has a way to go by the end of the book, you get the feeling that it's starting to mend. He also finds redemption for the way he treated Thunder in fathering his new kits. In regards to his kits, they are a discussion on their own, because he has them with Star Flower. I'm very conflicted about their relationship. Surprisingly, she doesn't betray him, which makes me like them together a lot more. However, I can't quite get over the fact that she used to be in a relationship with Thunder, Clear Sky's son, which makes the whole thing a little creepy to me. Which is a real shame because, in terms of Clear Sky's and Star Flower's actual personalities, I think they're incredibly suited for each other. I love how they've both done bad things in the past but are able to find redemption in each other. They improve each other, which is the hallmark of an ideal relationship. I just wish Thunder hadn't been involved. I would go crazy over their relationship if he hadn't. There were some things about this book that didn't work. The main one was how it all ended with Slash. Do you really expect me to believe that, after everything he'd done, he would just be scared off so easily by Clear Sky and Thunder, and run off into the night like a complete mouse heart, never to be seen again? Knowing that they rescued Black Ear? It just makes no sense at all. After everything we know about his character, I can't believe that he wouldn't at least try to get revenge on them for saving the kit, Black Ear. I thought he must come back in Moth Flight's Vision, but my brother, who's read that, told me this really is the last we see of him. Also, I hate that Sparrow Fur and Owl Eyes didn't get to say goodbye to Gray Wing. Okay, this might just be a sad plot point rather than bad writing, but still... imagine finding out that your father figure is dead and you didn't get to say goodbye? I'm going to finish with a personal memory. It was the day my brother spoiled Gray Wing's death for me. Me, him and our father had gone out for the evening, which had been a welcome distraction for my grief, but now it was late, I was exhausted and it was coming back in full force. I was barely holding myself together. I was sitting in the back of the car with my brother, and our dad was driving us home. We were all talking, and my brother and I had a disagreement about something stupid, which ended in us fighting and me crying. This was when the grief completely overwhelmed me. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I just started crying really loudly. Dad turned up the song on the radio. Piano, and a comforting voice: When you're weary/ Feeling small/ When tears are in your eyes/ I'll dry them all... It was Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I stopped crying, and let the music take me away. Let the beautiful voice speak to my soul, telling me that he cares, that he'll always be there for me, and would give anything for me. Like a bridge over troubled water/ I will lay me down... At some point, I suddenly realised how much these lyrics fit Gray Wing's character. I could just see him thinking the lyrics in relation to any of the cats he cared about. He will, and does, lay himself down for those he loves. Listening to the song, it felt like Gray Wing was speaking to me. And I realised that, in a sense, I'll never lose him. He'll live forever in the stars, and in the pages of Dawn of the Clans. Because book characters are not like real people. When they die, they're not forever lost to this world, or to the people who love them. And all I have to do is open a Dawn of the Clans book, and I'll be with Gray Wing once again. P.S. I couldn't resist making a Spotify playlist of considerable length, dedicated to Gray Wing. And yes, I know the cats in Warriors do not listen to music, but I couldn't resist. Once I'd started, I couldn't stop thinking of songs I thought he'd relate to. You can listen to the playlist here. And if you have any suggestions for songs I could add, I'd love to hear them. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 04, 2023
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Apr 12, 2023
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Apr 04, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0062063626
| 9780062063625
| 0062063626
| 4.37
| 5,441
| Apr 07, 2015
| Apr 07, 2015
|
it was amazing
|
Well, that was yet another amazing Dawn of the Clans book. And emotional. And impossible to put down. This one was a bit different from the previous b Well, that was yet another amazing Dawn of the Clans book. And emotional. And impossible to put down. This one was a bit different from the previous books. The cats start to divide into smaller groups which I'm thinking are going to evolve into the clans. The sad part is that all the moor cats completely leave the hollow behind- and when I say "completely," I mean they leave it deserted. No one decides to stay there! And that just makes me so sad, because I loved their hollow. Gray Wing's character arc in this one is just so flipping beautiful! Upon finishing his last POV chapter, I put the book down and cried for ages, because he made exactly the choice I wanted him to make, and it was so overwhelmingly joyful and bittersweet at the same time. In case you haven't read my previous Dawn of the Clans reviews, Gray Wing is my favourite character. I connected really strongly with him right from the first chapter of The Sun Trail, and as is always the case with favourite characters, I just grew more and more attached to him. Now I can hardly read a word of his POV without feeling intense emotions. And he managed to grow so much just in the space of this one book. I'm so proud of him. He's come so far. *Cue "Wide Open Spaces" by Anna Hawkins to start playing as Gray Wing races across the moor.* I've also changed my mind about Slatewing. I ship it now. Initially I was so adamant about not shipping anything other than Turtlewing, and a younger me might have gotten too attached to it to see the beauty of Slatewing. I'm sick of the whole "shipping culture" thing of how when one half of your ship dies, you get upset that the other half moved on. I don't think this is healthy, and it's a good thing to show characters moving on from grief and finding new relationships- it's the healthy thing to do in real life situations, as opposed to "i'LL nEvEr lOvE aGaIn" and just wallowing in grief forever. Turtlewing was beautiful while it lasted, and it was heart breaking that it was cut so short. However, I feel like Gray Wing gave me permission to move on, because he finally did. His character arc over books 4 and 5 has been to do with dealing with intense grief, and moving on from it. He likes Slate but is hesitant to completely commit to her because of Turtle Tail. His character emphasises the importance of finding joy after grief, which is an important lesson. He even says something at one point in this book about how it's our duty to be happy after grief. I'd already decided that I wanted him to end up with someone else anyway, because I cared about him that much. But now, not only am I happy for him, but I think I might like Slate as a character more than Turtle Tail, and think she's more suited for Gray Wing than Turtle Tail is. We got bonus chapters with her POV, too, and that just made me like and admire her even more. She's brave and loving and also just a little complex. They're a power couple. Then there's Clear Sky, who's an idiot, as usual. His decisions during this book lowered my opinion of him considerably. (view spoiler)[ I'm talking about him getting into a relationship with Star Flower. What was he thinking? It's not lost on me that Gray Wing liked both his previous mates, but it's one thing to steal mates from your twin brother. It's a completely different thing to steal mates from your son! That's just messed up and gross. And also, she's Star Flower. She's not exactly the most trustworthy cat. She has a history of betraying those she claims to love, and Clear Sky knows it. How is he stupid enough to fall for her? (hide spoiler)] It's a bit of a shame really, because I also felt sorry for him in a way. He wanted so desperately for everyone to unite. This was obviously supposed to paint him as misguided, as per usual, which just made it even worse. It would obviously have been great for everyone to unite, and the whole having to split into clans felt a little forced. Poor misguided, stupid Clear Sky... I got through this book pretty quickly. It was a bit slow at the start, but then I couldn't stop reading. (view spoiler)[ Quiet Rain turns up in this one, and as soon as she showed up, I couldn't put the book down. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 20, 2023
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Apr 02, 2023
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Mar 24, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 4.37
| 6,058
| Nov 04, 2014
| Nov 04, 2014
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it was amazing
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*Spoilers for books 1-3 unhidden.* Wow. I just finished that final scene and... I'm kind of at a loss for words. This was yet another amazing Dawn of th *Spoilers for books 1-3 unhidden.* Wow. I just finished that final scene and... I'm kind of at a loss for words. This was yet another amazing Dawn of the Clans book. I found it incredibly hard to put down, and I can tell you, a lot happened in it. So, in this one, the conflict with Clear Sky is over. The moor cats and forest cats are friends again, but now they have to fight off a new evil. The introduction of One Eye was in some ways a little disappointing for me, because I loved how there was no completely evil character in the first 3 books. You could understand everyone's motives, and everyone made bad decisions sometimes, but they were all at least a little sympathetic. However, it was rewarding to see all the cats fighting alongside each other rather than against each other, and it made for an exciting plot. It also gave Clear Sky a great chance to redeem himself, because it involves him majorly putting his life at risk for his friends and family. It really made me respect him a lot more. Speaking of Clear Sky... we continue with the three POVs we had in the previous book without adding any new ones. I'm relieved to say that Clear Sky becomes immensely more likable in this instalment, which is a huge relief because his POV chapters in The First Battle were my main complaint about the book. He was so unlikable that having his POV made that book a lot harder to get through. I'm glad he got the redemption arc that was hinted at the end of The First Battle, and now I can actually enjoy his POV chapters. Despite being more likable as a person, however, Clear Sky remains a complete idiot. His lack of intelligence was what made him somewhat of a villain in the first place, and now it causes him to make several more stupid decisions which put other cats in danger. At least he has the self awareness to actually try and correct his mistakes now. Then, of course, we have Gray Wing, whose arc in this one is intense. If you've read any of my previous Dawn of the Clans reviews, my love for Gray Wing should be no secret. I was even disappointed that he seemed to be a bit more of a background character in The First Battle, with not as much attention given to his arc. The Blazing Star more than makes up for this, though, by putting him through a whole bunch of inner turmoil, and giving him lots of realisations and character development. The first time we get his POV, he's grieving intensely. As you'd expect for someone so sensitive, who cares so much about others, he took the whole battle thing really hard. Possibly even harder than anyone else, and especially considering that he was still grieving Turtle Tail when it happened! I was literally crying in the scenes of him grieving at the Four Trees. Going through hard times exacerbates issues you're already facing. Throughout the whole series, Gray Wing's main character conflict has been his lack of self confidence, and how hard he is on himself. I just don't understand how he doesn't see what a natural leader he is, and how important he is to all the other cats. That aside, his failing health, as well as all the loss he's suffered, is really getting to him, because he's been basing his self worth on how he can contribute, what he can do for others, and how successful he is in protecting those he cares about. He struggles to come to terms with the fact that he can't save anyone. Sometimes people he cares about will be in danger or even die, and there's nothing he can do about it. Jagged Peak has a quote where he says to him, "you can't always protect everyone, Gray Wing," and I was just like, yes! Say it! You're saying exactly what he needs to hear! But then, unfortunately, something happened that made me think Gray Wing wasn't going to listen. I will say first that, although I loved Jagged Peak in the first book, I didn't really like him that much from the second book onwards. He is really irresponsible, and although he says he wants to prove himself, he screws up every time he's given the chance to. This is not the first time he hasn't looked after Gray Wing's kits properly. In fact, I'm amazed Gray Wing even leaves them with him anymore. (view spoiler)[ This time, he let Sparrow Fur go off to the forest and visit her real father, Tom, who renounced his kittypet origins and joined Clear Sky's camp (idiot Clear Sky, of course, had no idea he was a no good character, or that the moor cats had had issues with him, when taking him in). It resulted in her being badly injured in a fight with One Eye. Although, to be fair, Gray Wing was a little harsh, blaming Jagged Peak for everything, and short sighted not to see his own part in all this. If instead of acting all uncomfortable and evasive whenever the kits asked about their real father, he'd actually explained, maybe Sparrow Fur wouldn't have wanted to go off in the first place. And why is he taking his kits' interests in their real father so personally, anyway? It's quite possibly the most unreasonable he's ever been. Although maybe Jagged Peak did get through to him, because he starts having all these thoughts about how he's overprotective and "getting in the way," and he actually leaves the moor camp for a while. (hide spoiler)] The two of them have this fight that honestly really sad. Their relationship in the first book was honestly so beautiful. Despite Jagged Peak being a kit in that one, I felt like they had more respect for each other. Jagged Peak did run away from home, but you could still see his love and admiration for Gray Wing, who was the older sibling everyone wishes to have. Gray Wing in turn admired Jagged Peak's talent. Before becoming crippled, he was a quick learner with unusually sharp instincts and lots of potential. He was a lot more worthy of Gray Wing's respect than older, irresponsible Jagged Peak. It's been sad to see their relationship gradually sour over the subsequent books. I think there is a hint that they might rebuild it, though. (view spoiler)[My heart melted when Gray Wing sent Jagged Peak off to get the Blazing Star, because this was basically giving him another chance. Of course, Jagged Peak didn't actually come back with the flower, but at least it wasn't really his fault, and Gray Wing didn't get too angry about it, which is a positive development. (hide spoiler)] (view spoiler)[ We can't talk about this plot point without mentioning Clear Sky and how stupid he was to just sit there and let One Eye attack a poor defenceless kit. What was he thinking? Aside from actually letting One Eye join his group in the first place, this is the stupidest thing he does in the book. And also, Tom... I was not expecting him to get any kind of redemption, but he literally sacrifices himself to save his kit! I was shook. (hide spoiler)] Gray Wing's friendship with River Ripple in this one is just so beautiful, though. I've always loved River Ripple, and he's been my second favourite character from the moment he first appeared (after Gray Wing, of course), but until this book, he was more distant. In this one, they actually become really close, and River Ripple helps Gray Wing through what he's going through. Not only am I so happy to see my two favourite characters become so close, but the friendship they ended up having is more beautiful than I ever could have hoped for. (view spoiler)[ Then, of course, we have Slatewing... which I'm not sure how I feel about it, although at least it's a cool ship name (Gray Wing and Slate, in case you were wondering). Even though I'm a Turtlewing shipper, after she died, I was actually hoping Gray Wing would find someone else, because I want him to be happy. I literally love Gray Wing that much. What I wasn't counting on was for it to be so soon, or for it to be a cat that literally looks like him and is almost too perfect. Slate herself is pretty likable enough, and I enjoyed the scene where she saves him from a fox. That established her as worthy of Gray Wing's admiration, in my eyes (that's a high honour, by the way, and not one many cats meet). However, I don't like how this could undermine the significance of his relationship with Turtle Tail, which just felt so monumental to me, and so meant to be. And also, as I've said above, it seems a little too perfect and overly romantic, not all that different from this book's other major-talking-point love affair- that is, Thunder and Star Flower, which of course did not end well. While I'm on the topic... poor Thunder. I hope he finds someone. Although I'm interested to know what happens to Star Flower, as her character is confusing in the same way Clear Sky's was when he was still making borders. I just don't understand how a cat like One Eye could possibly have it in him to be the kind of father you actually love. (hide spoiler)] What else? Oh, yes. There are some kind of annoying new characters- especially Holly. And Wind Runner is just getting more and more insufferable with each passing book. Seriously, I don't know how any of the other cats can stand her, but they even seem to respect her! (view spoiler)[ She did not deserve to be one of the "chosen ones" (Thunder's words, not mine, but I like to use it because it sounds funny) at the end. She's literally the only one of the six leaders that I have no feelings of affection for. (hide spoiler)] (view spoiler)[And now for my ongoing gripe with the series: I am so angry at how the Fox situation wasn't dealt with properly! At the end of The First Battle, Gray Wing misses his opportunity to apologise to Fox's spirit. He also never apologises to Petal, but somehow, in this book, Petal suddenly goes from literally wanting to kill him to... being nice to him? And then she just dies without it being addressed. If nothing else, Gray Wing apologising to her on her death bed would have sufficed, and actually been quite emotional, but instead, he was conveniently off getting the Blazing Star when she died. Unacceptable. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 12, 2023
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Mar 20, 2023
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Mar 12, 2023
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 0062063537
| 9780062063533
| 0062063537
| 4.46
| 6,995
| Apr 08, 2014
| Apr 08, 2014
|
it was amazing
|
Wow. This was so intense and amazing. I don't know what to say. At first I thought I wasn't enjoying this one as much as the first two, but then the ac Wow. This was so intense and amazing. I don't know what to say. At first I thought I wasn't enjoying this one as much as the first two, but then the action picked up about 2 thirds through the thing, and it just swept me along on this crazy wild ride... and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it! I actually literally cried several times. This book adds Clear Sky's POV, so now there are 3 POVs. My brother told me Clear Sky gets added in this book and I was really looking forward to seeing his side of the story. I thought it would be really interesting and give us an insight into his honestly very confusing character. Well, for most of the book that wasn't the case. We didn't learn anything new about him at all- all we got was exactly the kinds of thoughts we expected. Him being greedy over territory and acting like a bully (thinking like one too), and getting it into his head that Gray Wing wanted to fight him, when all Gray Wing wanted to do was make peace, and for them to be close like they once were! This part just made me angry because it involved all these angry thoughts directed at Gray Wing, who'd done nothing wrong and is my favourite character. At one point I actually started to really hate Clear Sky. He was just such an unreasonable idiot for most of this book. I enjoyed his last two POV chapters at the end, though. It seems like he was actually finally starting to see sense, and that he may get a redemption arc. I sure hope so. Other than Clear Sky, my main issue with this book is that we didn't get enough of Gray Wing's POV. Maybe I shouldn't be complaining seeing as the whole first book and most of the second book was from his POV, but in this one he seems to be relegated to a bit more of a background character, which is sad to me as I was so invested in his character arc and POV. He still gets POV chapters, but not too many- mostly we just got a lot of Thunder and a fair bit of Clear Sky. I was really surprised that we got no Gray Wing chapter during the battle sequence at the end, especially seeing as he played such a central role in that battle. He does get a POV chapter after the battle, but it feels short and excessive, sandwiched between two longer, more important seeming Clear Sky chapters. I just hope that the authors continue to give his character arc the attention it deserves, rather than neglecting it. (view spoiler)[ I'm relieved, though, that at least we got to experience his grief when Turtle Tail died. This was one of the most impactful chapters in the whole series for me, and I cried most of the way through it. Why did she have to die? Their relationship was so perfect! I'm a Turtlewing shipper for life. (hide spoiler)] Thankfully, I actually liked Thunder a lot more in this one than in Thunder Rising. We got to know him quite a lot better, and got to see a lot of very intense, action packed scenes through his eyes. His character voice reads as quite objective and observant to me, which I appreciate. (view spoiler)[ Bringing him along to the four trees so he could provoke Clear Sky was a mistake, though. I suspect the battle might not have happened if he hadn't come. (hide spoiler)] (view spoiler)[ I'm really annoyed, though, at how terribly the whole Fox situation continues to be dealt with. At the end of the book, the spirits of all the cats who've died in the series come and speak to the living cats. Including Fox! It specifically mentions that Fox was there! And they completely missed the opportunity to have Gray Wing feel any regret, or say anything. They should've had him apologise to Fox for killing him! But instead the fact that he killed him isn't even acknowledged. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 2023
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Mar 10, 2023
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Mar 06, 2023
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0062063545
| 9780062063540
| 0062063545
| 4.35
| 7,685
| Nov 05, 2013
| Dec 03, 2013
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it was amazing
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*Spoilers for The Sun Trail unhidden* Oh, Gray Wing... you've wrapped your adorable dark grey paws around my heart, and are not letting go. I really enj *Spoilers for The Sun Trail unhidden* Oh, Gray Wing... you've wrapped your adorable dark grey paws around my heart, and are not letting go. I really enjoyed this second instalment in the Warriors: Dawn of the Clans series. While the first book was told through just Gray Wing's perspective, this one adds another perspective: Thunder, who we meet briefly as a kit at the end of The Sun Trail. At least at first, I was not too sure about the addition of another perspective. I get that Thunder is a VIC (Very Important Character), and his perspective was inevitable, but for most of the book, I was just wishing his perspective wasn't there. His character took me a while to appreciate, and I found his chapters hard to get through- I would just want to get back to Gray Wing's POV the whole time. This is a shame, because Thunder's character arc in this story should've been far more interesting than Gray Wing's. Not that nothing happens to Gray Wing (in fact, plenty happens to him- including something really sad. (view spoiler)[ His lungs are damaged in a forest fire, which they all went into but he seems to have been effected the worst of the survivors. I'm glad they're showing the negative side of his self sacrificing character traits, and the detrimental effects it can have on you personally. It's really important to be teaching this to kids, but still... Why? My poor baby... (hide spoiler)] ), but Thunder's arc just seems more... monumental, somehow. He's grown up away from his father, Clear Sky, who you'll remember rejected him at the end of The Sun Trail. This is hard for any kid, and he feels a very natural, very understandable longing to be with his father. In this book, goes to the forest to live with his father, only to learn that it's not all he expected. The book sees him struggling with his disappointment and cognitive dissonance- he wants to love and be accepted by his father, but also sees that what Clear Sky's doing isn't right, and that unsettles him. His arc involves finding the courage to accept what is- not some idealised fantasy, but the ugly truth- and to stand up to his father. The last chapter from Thunder's POV actually was emotional. This was when I was finally won over by him. The thing that still hits me every time is Gray Wing's inner turmoil, specifically when he fails to save someone. He's so hard on himself. It's relatable. I love having something to relate to in a character I admire- it makes me feel like I'm a better person than I am, which is inspiring in an odd way. That doesn't mean I don't wish he wouldn't beat himself up so much, though- I'm always like "Give yourself a break, Gray Wing, you're amazing!" Some of the other characters/ interesting character arcs: River Ripple: He was a new introduction in this book, and I loved him! So mysterious and cool. Turtle Tail: Poor Turtle Tail... she has a very interesting character arc in this book, which is quite bittersweet. At least it ended happily for her- her relationship with Gray Wing and how he plays substitute father for her kits was my favourite part of the book. Reading his intense feelings of love for them just made my heart melt. Come to think of it, Gray Wing has such a tendency to adopt kits and I love it. He's just so caring and just wants to protect everyone... okay, you probably get at this point that I'm obsessed with him and could have made him the topic of a very long review, but there is other characters I want to mention. Pebble Heart: He was very sweet, and I enjoyed how he had visions. Bumble: Poor sweet Bumble. Petal: What surprised me is that I actually started to really like Petal in this one. I tend to get really aggressively protective of my favourite characters and hate every character who doesn't like them, so it really surprises me that I was grew to like Petal despite the fact that she hates Gray Wing (who, loathe am I to admit, she hates for good reason- he killed her brother and closest friend in self defence). But she does something in this book that really melted my heart and made me immediately love her. Shattered Ice: He is insufferable. Leaf: He is also insufferable. Wind Runner: She is also insufferable. I get the feeling I'm supposed to like her at this point, but I still can't stand her. Clear Sky: I still don't quite understand what is wrong with him. He's really manipulative towards Thunder, which disgusted me, but I think he and Gray Wing are probably way more similar than they think. This strikes me as a Gryffindor/Slytherin sort of situation- two sides of the same coin, used to be best friends but driven apart by the flaws they share and one crucial difference. Misty: She was food for thought, that's what she was. Jagged Peak: My heart aches for him. All he ever wanted was to be independent, and now he doesn't even get that as an adult cat! In conclusion... "Go and catch me some pray, flea-pelt." "Who are you calling flea-pelt?" Just kidding. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 21, 2023
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Feb 28, 2023
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Feb 23, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 0062063464
| 9780062063465
| 0062063464
| 4.31
| 11,969
| Mar 05, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
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it was amazing
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I tend to be pretty bad at actually getting around to reading people's recommendations, and my brother can vouch for that. He's recommended so many bo
I tend to be pretty bad at actually getting around to reading people's recommendations, and my brother can vouch for that. He's recommended so many books to me over the years, and somehow, I never got around to reading any of his favourites. So Warriors recently became his latest book obsession, I decided I had to read it (note: I haven't read any of the original series. It was his decision to start with the prequel series, and he got me to do the same). I was a little hesitant after finding out this was a Working Partners series, because I've never had much respect for Working Partners. My main experience with them in the past has been with Rainbow Magic, which I did used to read as a girl but haven't taken seriously for years. I have had a small amount of experience with Animal Ark as well. I called them "fake, mass produced books," having never completely gotten over the betrayal I felt at the realisation that the author's name on the cover was a lie, and that the books were actually written by a "company." In the case of Warriors, my brother and I did end up finding out the names of the people behind the series- it was interesting to see that Tui T Sutherland is one of them, as her Wings of Fire series is another one of his favourites. I was still hesitant to read this though, but he basically forced me and I'm glad he did, because this book is actually good. There isn't much more wholesome than a series where all the main characters are cats. And these cats have a lot of personality. First of all, I fell in love with Gray Wing, the main character, as soon as I first set eyes on him. For me at least, a great main character is one of the main things that gets me into a book, and I found Gray Wing to be an extremely likeable and sympathetic main character. In fact, he's my favourite character I've read in several years! His POV was written in a way that you could really feel his feelings, and he just came across as incredibly sensitive and compassionate in the most lovable way possible. Okay, he wasn't perfect- he was ridiculously unobservant when it came to love, and could be really judgemental and stuck in his ways, both characteristics that got me really angry at him at one point. But all great characters have their flaws and, well... I get angry at all my favourites at some point. It almost makes me love them more. In regards to characters who aren't Gray Wing, well they're not as important. Just kidding (sort of). Another interesting character was Jagged Peak, who I found annoying at first but quickly grew to love. His character arc is based around wanting to go out and experience things rather than stay home- and he'll stop at nothing to achieve that. He's so adorable and so talented! (view spoiler)[ It was heart breaking what happened to his leg, especially after how much promise he had! (hide spoiler)] Some other noteworthy characters: Stoneteller: I loved her! The obligatory old, wise leader/mentor, but I don't mind as I always tend to love those characters. Quiet Rain: I liked her- she's Gray Wing, Clear Sky and Jagged Peak's mother, and she seems like a very good, gentle mother from what we see of her. Clear Sky: He's interesting, and his character arc a little confusing, but we can kind of see where he's coming from. He's Gray Wing's twin (or "littermate") and at the start, they're inseparable. It's heart breaking how they end up by the end of the book, and also how much loss he has to suffer. At this point I'm imagining his POV would read like Gray Wing's but even more intense. He's basically Gray Wing but less emotionally resilient. Shaded Moss: All I can think of to say is... poor Shaded Moss. Bright Stream: And poor Bright Stream too! She was very sweet, and I liked her a lot. Tall Shadow: She was cool. I just really liked her personality. Moon Shadow: A little annoying. Dewy Leaf: She got on my nerves the most, and I was glad she got left behind. Quick Water: She was very cute and funny. Wind and Gorse: I wasn't a fan of them, and found them very confusing. One time they're hostile, and then all of a sudden, they not? I don't get it. Turtle Tail: I feel really sorry for her. She was very sweet, and I wish Gray Wing had been more considerate to her! Bumble: She was just very sweet, and everyone was really mean to her. Storm: She was okay, I guess- I don't really have much of a problem with her as a character. She felt more of a plot point than a character to me though. Actually, the whole story was kind of heart breaking- these authors do not pull their punches. (view spoiler)[ Wouldn't it have been so much easier, and more satisfying, to have Gray Wing save Storm and win back Clear Sky's favour? But no, instead we get Storm dying and Clear Sky disowning his whole family. I'm glad they went for it rather than playing it safe, but I cried all through the ending. This is no tame, mild mannered "kids book," by any means. (hide spoiler)] Things which could've been better: (view spoiler)[ I think the part where Gray Wing accidentally killed Fox was glossed over a bit too much, and its implications not explored enough. Gray Wing should've been shown to be way more affected by it- we should've got mental turmoil. Yes, I know he's a cat but he's supposed to be a decent character who cares deeply about others- he beats himself up over character deaths that weren't really his fault at all. Any decent character would be horrified at accidentally killing someone- they wouldn't just be fine a few moments later. They would experience at least some level of mental turmoil that would impact their life for a long time afterwards- possibly even their whole entire life. Even if it wasn't someone they particularly liked, and even if the other person attacked first. And don't bring up war, because a) war does give people this kind of trauma and b) Gray Wing isn't a warlike personality. He never wants conflict, and at one point, is horrified when another cat mentions the possibility of a battle. I refuse to believe he got over killing Fox that quickly and easily, and just wish we'd seen more of his mental struggle with it. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 16, 2023
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Feb 20, 2023
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Feb 08, 2023
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0316422770
| 9780316422772
| 0316422770
| 4.24
| 171,929
| Sep 18, 2018
| Jun 11, 2019
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it was amazing
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NO the one suspect that I really didn't want to be the culprit turned out to be the culprit! I loved them and literally didn't care who it was just as
NO the one suspect that I really didn't want to be the culprit turned out to be the culprit! I loved them and literally didn't care who it was just as long as it wasn't them- JK Rowling, how could you do this to me? (Yes, I know I technically should call her Robert Galbraith, but I don't care, it's not her real name.) Apart from that, though, I loved this book! I liked it a lot more than Career of Evil, which I wasn't the biggest fan of.
...more
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Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 30, 2022
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Jan 15, 2023
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Dec 30, 2022
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1534499970
| 9781534499973
| 1534499970
| 4.03
| 17,367
| Nov 08, 2022
| Nov 08, 2022
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 27, 2022
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Dec 30, 2022
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Dec 28, 2022
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Hardcover
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| 1524738336
| 9781524738334
| 3.65
| 2,600
| Nov 06, 2018
| Nov 06, 2018
|
it was amazing
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I loved the first book in this series, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I loved this one too, but for completely different reasons. Forest of a Thousand I loved the first book in this series, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I loved this one too, but for completely different reasons. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns was more edgy and convention bending. It was less like the kind of books I'm used to reading, and it really made me think. This one was more your conventional fantasy hero's journey. I've read a lot of books like this, but actually hadn't in a while, and it was just so comforting. All the old familiar tropes, such as the quest (view spoiler)[ and resurrection! Which has always been one of my favourite done-to-death fantasy tropes (hide spoiler)], just felt like a warm fuzzy blanket. It felt like I was returning home after being away for a long time, and it was exactly what I needed. The traditional hero's journey narrative is just so wholesome and inspiring. It shows us that we can overcome! Not to say that I didn't enjoy the more distinctive aspects of the book. I love Julie Dao's aesthetic, surrealist style, which is as present here as it is in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, though in a different way. She wrote a quest not quite like any I've ever read, and it was beautiful. (view spoiler)[I wasn't as upset about Xifeng's end as I would have thought. Though I loved her in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, I was invested enough in the storyline of this one to wholeheartedly accept the need for her defeat. It was inevitable, and I loved the way it tied up the storyline with Wei and added even more depth to his association with sacrifice in the series. He still loves Xifeng, but he sacrifices what he loves for the greater good. Though I accept this ending, I do wish Xifeng had given up her empire and ran off with Wei instead. That would have been the perfect ending for me. (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 21, 2022
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Nov 29, 2022
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Nov 21, 2022
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ebook
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my rating |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 4.31
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really liked it
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May 08, 2024
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Mar 24, 2024
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| 4.60
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it was amazing
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Mar 03, 2024
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Feb 15, 2024
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| 3.41
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it was amazing
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Feb 15, 2024
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Feb 02, 2024
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| 3.80
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it was amazing
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Jan 25, 2024
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Dec 11, 2023
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| 5.00
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it was amazing
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Nov 14, 2023
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Oct 17, 2023
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| 5.00
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it was amazing
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Oct 16, 2023
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Oct 09, 2023
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| 5.00
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it was amazing
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Oct 08, 2023
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Oct 04, 2023
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| 4.44
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really liked it
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Sep 27, 2023
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Aug 17, 2023
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| 4.12
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it was amazing
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Aug 04, 2023
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Jul 29, 2023
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| 5.00
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it was amazing
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May 31, 2023
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May 18, 2023
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| 4.37
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it was amazing
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May 04, 2023
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Apr 14, 2023
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|||||
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| 4.49
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it was amazing
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Apr 12, 2023
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Apr 04, 2023
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| 4.37
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it was amazing
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Apr 02, 2023
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Mar 24, 2023
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| 4.37
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it was amazing
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Mar 20, 2023
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Mar 12, 2023
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| 4.46
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it was amazing
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Mar 10, 2023
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Mar 06, 2023
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|||||
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| 4.35
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it was amazing
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Feb 28, 2023
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Feb 23, 2023
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|||||
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| 4.31
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it was amazing
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Feb 20, 2023
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Feb 08, 2023
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| 4.24
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it was amazing
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Jan 15, 2023
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Dec 30, 2022
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| 4.03
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it was amazing
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Dec 30, 2022
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Dec 28, 2022
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| 3.65
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it was amazing
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Nov 29, 2022
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Nov 21, 2022
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