bkpub's reviews
106 reviews

While I didn’t hate my time with this book, I can’t say that I would ever recommend it to others. Like other reviews have said, the storyline was rather recycled. I did, however, appreciate Abby as a character. I really feel like Ritter spent a lot of time shaping her and bringing her to life. There’s some beautiful poetic lines in this book as well.

While I didn’t think this was the best book, nor was it incredibly exciting, I do think that Ritter has a great writing career ahead of her. I have a feeling her books will morph into something similar to Steig Larson novels and I look forward to watching her evolve as an author.

What a great debut for C. J. Tudor! If you enjoy a nice murder suspense novel, you’ll definitely like this one. As others have said, it has a sort of Stand By Me feel and I was often reminded of the group of kids from IT - down to the one tom-boy girl with red hair.

I felt it really difficult to sleep when reading this novel because every chapter ends with a tiny cliffhanger that begs me to keep reading. Not such a bad thing, I suppose.

I loved the characters. Without going into spoiler detail, there is a touch of morbidity surrounding everything in this novel, which is right up my alley.

Overall, this book was great and I definitely have, and will continue, to recommend it to others.

It’s a wonderful thing to finish a novel where you feel like everything happened and then the characters ended up right back where they started. I’m sadden. Not by the book exactly, but by an overwhelming feeling that nothing happens in life. A feeling that life is a whole lot of events that drop us right back off where we started and it all just continues on. There is no change - even after.

Personal existentialism aside, I enjoyed this novel. It took me a bit to get into it as Zumas’ writing style is different than most.

Im happy to announce that the feminism level in this novel was just right. It’s not as far reaching as The Handmaids Tale, but definitely tangible.

At some points in this book, I was emotional. As a 31 year old woman who can’t have children, I’m a little sensitive to some of the topics.

Overall, it didn’t feel like a waste of time... but don’t expect extravagant events and happiness in the end. It’s rather melancholy.

I enjoyed this book but it was so repetitive. I listened to it on Audible and I felt like digging my own grave after I heard “little man” the 40th time. It just grinds on your nerves.

I really enjoyed Fires of Heaven. I heard from other fans that this was probably the weakest book in the series, and if that’s the case, I’m super excited to continue.

I was missing on Perrin a lot since he doesn’t make an appearance in this book. But overall, a lot of great battles and shocking developments.

I enjoyed reading this book. It has a Harry Potter-esque kind of feel. Or maybe more like Name of the Wind.

Robert Weekes is a male character living in an upside down world. It’s almost like a mirror. The same, but not. Women are the strength in this dimension. Men are picked on. And sexualized. It’s an interesting dynamic.

While there’s no outright magic, there are Philosophers (alchemists - even more like Name of the Wind) who are able to use sigils that utilize energy in many ways; hovering, transporting, killing.

Robert is on his journey to mastering sigilry at Radcliffe college. One of few boys even given the opportunity.

I liked the radical religious Trenchers as antagonists in this world. It brings to mind Salem and witch hunts. I enjoy the concept of WW2 while also battling enemies at home.

Although I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to it’s sequels, I do feel like there was a lack of character development. There is no character that would have broke my heart if they died. And that is a downside. I’d say that world building took precedence for Miller. I think I would have enjoyed introduction where only necessary, in a HP fashion.

Overall, 4 stars. Will recommend. And definitely a story, and world, that will stay with me.