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fadingapple's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I struggle to write reviews for my favorite author because I literally just want to write: “She’s the best. Everyone should read her books, all of them. Do it.” But that doesn’t make for a great review so…I’ll give it a better shot.
Tamora Pierce has a unique ability to make everything magical while also allowing readers to escape into the magic. Her writing is perfect for kids and adults and her stories are timeless.
I adore all the characters in this heavily character driven book. They’re each unique but accessible and everyone can find themselves in at least one of the main kids. Their stories, while magical, are incredibly real and relatable no matter your age and Pierce captures them, and the world they live in, beautifully.
I look forward to more training, character development, and plot in the next books!
Tamora Pierce has a unique ability to make everything magical while also allowing readers to escape into the magic. Her writing is perfect for kids and adults and her stories are timeless.
I adore all the characters in this heavily character driven book. They’re each unique but accessible and everyone can find themselves in at least one of the main kids. Their stories, while magical, are incredibly real and relatable no matter your age and Pierce captures them, and the world they live in, beautifully.
I look forward to more training, character development, and plot in the next books!
motheroffae's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nickibuzzbuzz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fish_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Perhaps it’s because I’ve become more invested in the world and the characters, but I enjoyed this book more than Sandry’s. It was interesting to see the repercussions of the end of the previous book, and how the relationships are forming. Also, pirates!!! The intrigue was good, the little clues were well done, and you can’t go wrong with a little moral quandary about killing pirates.
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
miles862's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Similar to my reading of Sandry's Book - this series is best read all together. They're very short, so it's easy to do. I love the magic and worldbuildling that we get in this series.
nicoles_bookish_space's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
alexblackreads's review
3.0
I like this book a little more than the first, but not by a whole lot. Most of my thoughts remain the same.
It feels like the overall plot of pirates takes over anything else that happens in the story. So often the teachers will say "oh I wish I had time to teach you/explore something with your magic, but I don't so we'll deal with it later." So many times. And as a reader, that was what I was thinking as well. I wanted so many things explored that just got pushed to the side to be dealt with later.
Because of that, it was hard to get into a lot of the rest of the story. A 250 page fantasy middle grade that I've read twice before shouldn't take me more than one sitting to read, and yet it took me three days. It's not that I didn't want to pick it up, it's just that suddenly I'd remember all the other things I could or should be doing, while usually I tend to put everything off in favor of a book I'm enjoying.
The things I liked more about this book had to do with Tris's past and her learning control. I really liked that she started to see real consequences with her magic and real consequences if she didn't start dealing with it in an appropriate way. I loved her dealing with her family history, being abandoned by them as such a young child and now meeting up with the only cousin who had been kind to her. All of that was really enjoyable, but their wasn't much of it compared to the rest of this book.
I do still quite enjoy the premise and the characters, I just need to wait a little longer to get into the books I remember really enjoying. I remember the story improving with each book, so I hope to see at least one four star by the time I finish this first quartet.
It feels like the overall plot of pirates takes over anything else that happens in the story. So often the teachers will say "oh I wish I had time to teach you/explore something with your magic, but I don't so we'll deal with it later." So many times. And as a reader, that was what I was thinking as well. I wanted so many things explored that just got pushed to the side to be dealt with later.
Because of that, it was hard to get into a lot of the rest of the story. A 250 page fantasy middle grade that I've read twice before shouldn't take me more than one sitting to read, and yet it took me three days. It's not that I didn't want to pick it up, it's just that suddenly I'd remember all the other things I could or should be doing, while usually I tend to put everything off in favor of a book I'm enjoying.
The things I liked more about this book had to do with Tris's past and her learning control. I really liked that she started to see real consequences with her magic and real consequences if she didn't start dealing with it in an appropriate way. I loved her dealing with her family history, being abandoned by them as such a young child and now meeting up with the only cousin who had been kind to her. All of that was really enjoyable, but their wasn't much of it compared to the rest of this book.
I do still quite enjoy the premise and the characters, I just need to wait a little longer to get into the books I remember really enjoying. I remember the story improving with each book, so I hope to see at least one four star by the time I finish this first quartet.
joviyanna's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
17kmcollins's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25