To all of those who kept recommending Sanderson's books to me. I should have listened to you sooner.
I decided that Warbreaker would be a great start tTo all of those who kept recommending Sanderson's books to me. I should have listened to you sooner.
I decided that Warbreaker would be a great start to Sanderson after it was recommended to me by several people, and I liked that it could be considered a standalone even if it's getting a sequel which it really needs!
I had no idea what to expect from this, and I was pleasantly surprised. I won't say that I love everything about this book because that was not the case. But even being unhappy about certain things was so much fun that I did not care.
I do not have much to say about the story, so, I will only write a bit about the characters.
Vasher, definitely my favourite POV, I wish there was more of those. And honestly, part of the reason why I enjoyed that so much was Nightblood. The whole best "character" in the entire book! I could read the whole book from Nightblood's POV.
Siri is still a bit of an enigma for me. I love her then I dislike her then I'm unsure about her then I'm annoyed by her and then all above. She was introduced as a free-spirited girl, but that aspect was very soon lost. She was so obedient. I expected her to flip and scream at the next person who calls her "Vessel". Like, come on! How was she okay with that? But then she got into the "scheming", and it was so much fun. I had fingers crossed for a showdown between her and Blushweaver.
Vivenna. It's very surprising at; first I thought that I would prefer her to Siri, but in the end, I just wanted her to keep quiet and get lost. I have to say that sometimes when I turned the page and saw that the next POV was her's, I felt a bit sad, and I hoped for Vasher's instead. Denth and Tonk Fah were mostly the only reason why I could get through her chapters. This duo is so much fun, and I would not be angry to get more of these two! Denth and Tonk reminded me a bit about Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar, which made me so happy and wanting more of them. Together with Nightblood, the best parts of the book. I wondered if they were meant to be only a comic aspect to the book or something to carry Vivenna's chapters, but I quickly decided against that and started listening to what Denth was saying and doing! (view spoiler)[I very quickly realised that what they were pushing Vivenna to do was more likely to cause the war than anything else. And I was sure that it was what they were trying to do. I'm really surprised that Vivenna did not think about that. (hide spoiler)] It's also why I'm so annoyed with Vivenna; she was all about how she was prepared for Hallandren that they taught her everything but then she has a meltdown when she sees a Lifeless. What preparation. She's constantly bragging about not judging people but judges everyone all the time. "Poor Jewels, she is a Drab." Then. "Poor, Stupid Jewels, she does not realise how poor she is that she's Drab." "Poor Siri who loves colours she must be terrified in that horrible city. I must save her." "Siri is not ready for this! I'm I was so prepared for this." "I must be really careful in the city, but I will only dress in such a way that I do not compromise how I would dress at home, spending money left and right! But I will also judge "my friend" who's doing a better job to blend in, and I will subtly call him stupid."
Somewhere halfway through the book, I wished that those poor statues, which she could not stop badmouthing (how people dare to have a different customs in how to honour/remember something/someone that she does?!), to step down and slap her stupid. (view spoiler)[And when they turned out to be the secret army I had a really good laugh! (hide spoiler)]
Wow, finally done. I really, really dislike Vivenna if you did not get the message.
Susebron is probably one of the purest characters I read about in a very long time. I kept wishing that he had a POV, but in the end, I was happy that he did not have a one because it was not really that important. Because even without one, it was really easy to get his view on the story, he was that much of an open book. (view spoiler)[But I have to say that I still find it hilarious that the priest kept pushing Siri to sleep with him when he had no idea what to do. One would expect them to give him some... pointers? (hide spoiler)]
And now, Lightsong. Another character who was up and down for me. He was hilarious! But sometimes it crossed the line and the funny aspect of his acting got lost, and it was very forceful and just asking for an eye roll. But then I enjoyed when he got stuck in politics, so much fun. And the end? PERFECT.
So, the end? Yeah, it was a bit rushed. Suddenly so much happened a bit out of nowhere and I wanted a bit more time spend on it. I wanted more on those priests and Bluefinger.
I may be complaining a bit... a lot, but overall I really enjoyed this book. Even Vivenna's chapters which were horrible could be so much fun because of Denth and Tonk Fah. So, even if I was unhappy about something, other aspects could outweigh it very quickly.
And the important question now is which book from Sanderson I should read next? Or does any of you have a good reading order for his books?...more
I'm not really sure how to start this... Bardugo's books always sound like something I'm going to love. Her characters sound like the type of characteI'm not really sure how to start this... Bardugo's books always sound like something I'm going to love. Her characters sound like the type of characters I'm going to adore. However, in the past, I started two of her books, and I do not believe I did get past chapter three in either of those.
And then this book came, I fell love in with the cover. The blurb seemed fantastic. Reviews came, and it seemed so twisted, I book I would love. Then I noticed that the friends' average rating was way lower than the global one, and I was unsure. Should I read it or not?
Thankfully, Alex being the hero she is offered me a buddy read. So, I finally had a reason to read the book. And you know, it was time to know for good. To finish Bardugo's book. Either to fall in love with her work or to finally accept that her books are not for me.
So, I was finally able to pick up this book. And, now I'm unsure how to write this review. I keep going back, thinking that something is missing. But this is what it is.
I felt like CinemaSins (or BookSins?) every time I thought "hmm, narration." There was so much narration, description of unnecessary things and a lot of it felt like it was just told instead of shown. I got bored, really, really fast. I was reading very slowly, and I was not really interested in the story right from the beginning, which probably was not the best thing. And then Alex DNFed on me and I wondered if I should as well. But I had a goal, to finish a Bardugo book.
I started skimming certain parts which were dragging which helped a lot.
I cannot really say that there is really a moment where the story picks up. It always felt like there was something coming, some tension, some revelation and then the next chapter crashed down, and I was sad that for a moment I thought it would get more interesting.
There was so much said about this book being "adult" and how to expect gruesome things etc. Which were there... but somehow did not leave any impression. This connects to the main feeling I got from this book "plastic" and "flat". It should have been horrible, but it was sort of... just there? (view spoiler)[Even the moment when the guy ate from the toilet. Which feels super yucky just writing down had no effect on my while reading. (hide spoiler)]
If you read the spoiler, you saw that I referred to that person as that guy... which is because I had a terrible time trying to remember the names of the majority of characters. Sometimes after several chapters, a character was mentioned, and I was unsure which one was it, and I had to go back to see who they were and what they did.
Darlington... What can I say? Even people who disliked this book seemed to love Darlington. And you know what? I did not. For a character (view spoiler)[which actually was not in the story, only in the strange flashbacks from his POV (hide spoiler)] I really disliked him. I just could not get to like him. He was annoying, and I wished Alex would punch him. I was glad that he was gone (view spoiler)[I just wish his POV would have stopped soon and he would remain lost. (hide spoiler)] I have no idea how to describe him. On one side he has a bit of Hermione Granger feel to him. And on the other, he feels a bit like the usual bad/mysterious boy which he really was not. And the mix did not really work.
As for the villain. Well, I got two suspects. One became suspect to me the moment they appeared on the page. Because they just behaved suspiciously and the character was otherwise really out of the place even if others were put around to make it like there is a reason for this person to be in focus. It just seemed rather obvious. Then I got a second character I started to distrust. Because they just tried to keep everything way too hush hush. (view spoiler)[What a surprise that there were two villains who were not connected to each other and I guessed both of them. However, I have to say that I also had a moment of stupidity there. The moment Daisy was mentioned, I thought: "That's funny, the author got two characters named after the same flower only in different languages. I wonder if she did that on purpose or it is a coincidence." (hide spoiler)]...more
I cannot say much about this one becI cannot believe that this is it...
I'll miss my apple-eating Shinigami.
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I cannot believe that this is it.
I cannot say much about this one because the first twenty pages killed me.
This series gave me so many great characters to love. I had to love Kira even though he is the villain and mass murderer. I love Misa (not only because she's my namesake) but because she was who she was. She was the girl who loved a boy who did not love her back and only used her. She lived blissful life thinking he loved her back. And she was a ball of energy which was hard to control! I loved Mello because he was neither the good guy nor a bad guy. He only wanted to be better than Near, and in the end, he was because he became the last key to succeeding. I loved Matt who was hardly there and yet I had to love him and wish there was more of him. I still hope that Matt and Mello would get their own series.
I knew this would happen and Ryuk said it right away that he would do it.
And yet here I have to say something about one theory. (view spoiler)[What if Near used the Death Note. What if when he got the real one, he wrote down that Mikami would come and do what he did and not suspect that his Death Note is fake and then commit suicide. It is very possible. Or maybe I just don't want Near to win this easily. I can agree that Light might have missed this possibility and he was supposed to lose. But still... This is not how it ends in my mind. (hide spoiler)]
And I have to wonder how different it would be if Ryuk was more like Rem or if Rem was alive?...more
***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Romanov family fascinates people for a century. Well***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Romanov family fascinates people for a century. Well, mainly their end does. And I was curious what Nadine Brandes would do with the story. And mainly how she's going to end the story, that's what I'm always curious to see.
I believe that the book had great potential. However, it seems a bit like a miss. Like the story is always the one note away for me to really enjoy. But it's still an enjoyable read, and I think that you won't be disappointed reading this.
Roughly the first 60% follow the Romanov family from Tobolsk to Ekateringburg. Here, it seems very precise. The author then said that she did a lot of research. However, it seemed like she mainly used the Wikipedia article about the Execution of the Romanov family. There are some sentences that seem very similar. Or they might have the same source. (No judgement, only stating my subjective feeling). However, the result is that it seems a bit textbook said from the POV of a teen girl. And I'm not sure this is the desired result.
Then the last 40% is a fiction. Following the myth that Anastasia and fully developing the fantasy element of this book.
Strangely enough, I prefer the textbook beginning. Why? Because it at least makes sense. Unfortunately, the author seems to be lost when she suddenly does not have a history to follow. What to do now? And suddenly there are so many problems for me to unsee.
I have several things I need/want to point out.
- There is a lot of Russian words used to describe things. Budenovka, fortochka, droshky. I understand all of them. But, I really doubt that someone who does not speak a Slavic language will know all of them. And unfortunately, it is not a good thing to be forced to google things, especially in fantasy. Also, I saw that several times the Russian was done wrong as well. In a basic sentences. If I remember correctly the "Good morning" was wrong.
- The Romanov family was shown as the nicest people ever. And while I understand that of course, Anastasia would love her parents... It does not work. The author claims extensive research, but here I believe she fails. Nikolai was very much a family man who loved his wife and children. But, he was a very bad tsar. Meek. Under the influence of his wife who was HATED by the Russian people. But here Nikolai is suddenly the perfect leader who leads his family and supposedly was a devoted leader to his people. It seems fake. Romanticised. (But I have to say that I loved the relationship in the family! Well written).
- The book should have started at a different point; not everyone is familiar with the Revolution and the Romanov family. If the book started maybe with the abdication, it would make more sense. Explain why Nikolai was forced to abdicate. Why people hated him and his wife. Explain Bolsheviks, Mensheviks. Why the revolution started, how badly the Russian people were affected by the First World War. And I wish Grand Duke Michael was at least mentioned in the book.
-This is one of the problems. People need knowledge. One time Nicholai talks about his cousin King George V of the United Kingdom. But he does not say his name and people are left guessing. Or confused. (view spoiler)[From the book it sounded as if Nicholai was hurt that George did not take them to Britain to save them. But he did not know that George refused; he believed that it was the UK's government! So, do not try to be historically correct and then drop things like that. (hide spoiler)]
- There is a lot of talk about the White Army, but once again I felt like it was very confusing unless you know the history. And by the way, correct me if I'm mistaken. But wasn't it the Czechoslovak legion that was reaching Ekaterinburg? They were going East so that they could go back to Czechoslovakia if I remember correctly.
- Also, Maria went with her parents first and once they left her sisters sewed the jewels in their dress. So, how is it possible that Maria wore jewellery in her dress as well in the end? The jewels had to be put there before leaving Tobolsk but they started to do it once Maria left.
- Do I have any Russian friends here? If yes, please, help me here. Zash. I'm really confused by the name. I know the name Zasha exists, but I never saw Zash. I know that защитник (zashchitnik) means defender. But is there Zash as a name?
- Also, Zash is supposed to be from an aboriginal tribe from Siberia, but his description makes him sound more Scandinavian than Siberian.
- Talking about Zash. (view spoiler)[ The supposed romance between him and Anastasia does not work. At all. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[Oh my main issue! The anjin spell takes them into a shadow world or whatever and whatever happens to their bodies after that will be erased. But not before. Anastasia says it after the execution while lying in a car. And then when they come back, she only has bruised ribs. The way they were killed was a massacre. They were butchered; there is no way she would be shot only one time. They would put more bullets in her and then take a bayonet on her. This is nonsense! (hide spoiler)]
- And the ending: (view spoiler)[ Anastasia asks to be buried with her family. And it's true that she and Alexei were found in a different grave. But still, I don't like this because if they lived a long happy life and then they were buried with their family, their skeletons would be of old people. I know fantasy... but still. And talking about this I just want to point out that the point where Alexei tells the soldiers that he is now the tsar there is no way they would just let him go! If they were truly the Whites, Alexei is the most important thing to them. They would have stayed with him, protected him and tried to get him to their leaders. They would have not just waved goodbye and watched as they went back to the enemy. (hide spoiler)]
- Also, Anastasia is injured if only cracked ribs, but she was starved for months with a minimum of exercise. She's wearing a skirt, corset and heavy coat. But suddenly she's able to walk for a day while carrying her brother. Then she manages to jump out of the train on a horse and then from horse to the train... Oh, I almost forgot, MOVING train. I'm saying no. Making her a superhero is stupid and I hated this part.
- The problem with this book is simple. It tries very hard to be historically correct but always fails in small things which matter. And it does not work with the fantasy element. I want to believe that if it was fantasy all along, different names, different family, setting it might have worked. This book needs to be more fantasy, or more historically correct, the mix right now is very in between and seems artificial....more
♥“If I was drunk, I wouldn’t be here at all. And really, this is pretty good for four White Russians.” “White what?” I almost sat down but was afraid t♥“If I was drunk, I wouldn’t be here at all. And really, this is pretty good for four White Russians.” “White what?” I almost sat down but was afraid the chair might dematerialize beneath me. “It’s a drink,” he said. “You’d think I wouldn’t be into something named that—you know, considering my own personal experience with Russians. But they’re surprisingly delicious. The drinks, not real Russians.” (Side note, White Russian is really a great drink!)
This was amazing! I'm pretty sure that I'll die before I get Fiery Heart! You know, after the second book I was really afraid that the whole begging of this book would be WITHOUT Adrian. So I was really happy, that he was there almost all the time! And he was charming as always. Sometimes I was almost sorry for Sydney because she had really too many problems going on. Anyway, I'm really glad that she finally became confident with the whole situation, it's such a relief! Then since the whole Marcus think I was so afraid that Richelle will put a love triangle in this story. (view spoiler)[ She didn't, really good decision (hide spoiler)].
There is also one difference between VA and Bloodlines, Rose could work without Dimitri, and you still enjoyed the book so much. I love Adrian since the first time in VA, and I wanted him to be with Rose, but now I'm happy that he didn't. :)
I'm still curious what's going to happen with whole magic thing storyline :) The end of this book almost killed me!
Love it so much! - Pretty sure that what I'm saying is 100% confusing the book kept me reading for hours, and I was re-reading the best parts again and again :D
And the Zoe thing? Kill me, that's going to be epic, well there is like hundred other things which going to be epic, but whatever :D
♥“You're not as much of a lost cause as she was. I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic love with a Russian warlord. You and I just have to overcome hundreds of years' worth of deeply ingrained prejudice and taboo between our two races. Easy.”
♥“Adrian looked over at me again. “Who knows more about male weakness: you or me?”
“Go on.” I refused to directly answer the question.
“Get a new dress. One that shows a lot of skin. Short. Strapless. Maybe a push-up bra too.” He actually had the audacity to do a quick assessment of my chest. “Eh, maybe not. But definitely some high heels.”
“Adrian,” I exclaimed. “You’ve seen how Alchemists dress. Do you think I can really wear something like?”
He was unconcerned. “You’ll make it work. You’ll change clothes or something. But I’m telling you, if you want to get a guy to do something that might be difficult, then the best way is to distract him so that he can’t devote his full brainpower to the consequences.”
“You don’t have a lot of faith in your own gender.”
“Hey, I’m telling you the truth. I’ve been distracted by sexy dresses a lot.”
I didn’t really know if that was a valid argument, seeing as Adrian was distracted by a lot of things. Fondue. T-shirts. Kittens. “And so, what then? I show some skin, and the world is mine?”
“That’ll help.” Amazingly, I could tell he was dead serious. “And you’ve gotta act confident the whole time, like it’s already a done deal. Then make sure when you’re actually asking for what you want that you tell him you’d be ‘so, so grateful.’ But don’t elaborate. His imagination will do half the work for you. ”
I shook my head, glad we’d almost reached our destination. I didn’t know how much more I could listen to. “This is the most ridiculous advice I’ve ever heard. It’s also kind of sexist too, but I can’t decide who it offends more, men or women.”
“Look, Sage. I don’t know much about chemistry or computer hacking or photosynthery, but this is something I’ve got a lot of experience with.” I think he meant photosynthesis, but I didn’t correct him. “Use my knowledge. Don’t let it go to waste.”
♥“The future of our relationship hinged on advice from a fifteen-year old girl, a probably untrue story from a one-eyed Chihuahua trainer, and me unromantically – yet skillfully – kissing you on top of silverware and china?”
♥“Look at it this way," Ms. Terwilliger said, after several moments of thought. "The callistana thinks of you two as its parents.”
♥“Adrian sifted through the bags and pulled out a slice of coconut cream. "If I were a dragon, this is what I'd go for." I didn't argue, mainly because that statement had no logical argument.”
♥“I tried to dredge up the same reaction other girls had around Marcus, but nothing happened. No matter how hard I tried, I just didn't have that same attraction His hair was too blond, I decided. And his eyes needed a little more green.”
♥“Adrian: Sometimes it’s worth lingering on the journey for a while before getting to the destination.” Metaphors. This was the cost of making out with an artist.”
Really good idea to put Rose and Dimitri for a while into the story :D...more
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