Ellen Oh was highly ambitious with Prophecy. While the concept and setting were highly attractive and creative, at the end of the day all I can 1 star
Ellen Oh was highly ambitious with Prophecy. While the concept and setting were highly attractive and creative, at the end of the day all I can think is, "I want more."
And for a change, I don't mean a sequel. I want more of this book. I feel like where Prophecy ultimately will lose in popularity and readers is the length. Three hundred pages is not a lot, especially when you're attempting a high fantasy genre. The story just felt like it was rushing through a lot, like it was trying to tell it in as few words as possible. And what was missing are those beautiful scenery passages, overflowing with imagery that tend to absorb you into the story. I mean, when I think fantasy, the first thing in my mind is The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien easily spent 50 or so pages describing setting, especially during those long treks where the characters were just walking along for a month. Ellen Oh almost seems like she's trying to revolutionize the fantasy genre by cutting out those sections. Instead of it, we get "they walked for ten days, then arrived at their next destination."
Admittedly, if you're not a typical fantasy fan and want an action-driven story with fantasy elements, you may enjoy this one very much. I know enough people who dislike long, descriptive passages typical of fantasies. And the concept in and of itself is really cool. Demon slaying. Asian elements (well-researched and realistic). I love it!
Another point I have to note, however, is the main character, Kira. She is definitely bad-ass, and an extremely strong female character. It seems like Ellen Oh was trying to raise the bar on strong female characters. But with the fast pacing, I did sometimes lose the connection I had to her. And I must mention, in comparison to Kira sometimes the other characters just seem like useless rag dolls. While the story is told in third person, it is really limited to Kira's perception only. This is a bit jarring during fight scenes, where I found myself wondering if the other characters were even fighting at all, or just standing around.
Summing Up:
Despite the useless secondary characters, lack of imagery, and unsurprising plot twists, Prophecy kept me reading. The story did engage me and made me crave the knowledge that it all turns out okay in the end. However, my piece of advice to Ellen is "Show. Don't tell." If this book gets a lot of hype, I fear a lot of people will be disappointed.
I would advise hardcore fantasy fans to stay away. But if you're looking for a nice quick, action-driven read, this may be worth checking out. I never thought I would dislike a story because it's too fast-paced, but here it felt really rushed, and as a high fantasy fan, I'll be bowing out of this series now....more
I'm just going to give this a quick review, instead of what I had been thinking of not reviewing it at all. Exams next week, lol. I laugh in th2 stars
I'm just going to give this a quick review, instead of what I had been thinking of not reviewing it at all. Exams next week, lol. I laugh in the face of exams. So. Tempting the Best Man. Light erotica. "Are you really reading erotica???" Whatever, haters gon hate. Honestly, so many people have read 50 Shades, I won't feel ashamed for this.
So J. Lynn is the pen name of Jennifer L. Armentrout, which is what incited my curiosity for this book. My obsession with the Lux series knows no bounds, really. But anyway, the romance she had written in the Lux series was so hot I just had to try this out.
It was okay. I'd like to say I loved it but there was just too little real story. The end kind of had me rolling my eyes because the two main characters were being so stupid. Though I suppose it was rather realistic. The sex scenes were relatively hot but they didn't blow my mind or anything. I think ultimately this book was just too short to be really well-developed and well-delivered.
Recommended To:
People looking for a quick, fun romance with a bit of hotness....more
Why do you do this to me Jennifer? I'm such a mess right now. My emotionsssss.
We left Katy and Daemon after a big shocker in Onyx and most of O4 stars
Why do you do this to me Jennifer? I'm such a mess right now. My emotionsssss.
We left Katy and Daemon after a big shocker in Onyx and most of Opal is spent trying to repair the damage. In terms of characterdevelopment, this installment is amazing. Katy comes to terms with the guilt of lying to her friends and family about, well, everything. Daemon transforms and finally trusts Katy enough to show his truly cuddly side. Dee is left in depression after the events of Onyx, understandably, and shows an amazing transformation throughout the novel (though it was sad for Katy in most of Opal, I'm so glad that Dee didn't just shake it off and be her bubbly self. It was way more realistic this way).
All that development in terms of characters means the plot progressed much more slowly than usual. If this were a three book series this one would suffer just a little bit from middle book syndrome. And it is the middle book, so I guess it's fitting. But at times it was just a bit slow, which explains the four orange rating. In this case, four oranges means I still absolutely adored it, but it didn't quite blow me away. I think it's mostly due to the unanswered questions that I'm really getting desperate to know the answers to.
A lot of time was spent developing the relationship between Katy and Daemon and I loved that. Although it was sooo frustrating at times too. I love the relationship though. They're able to be so supportive of each other and I swear, lying in bed, reading this, I just kept asking, "Where's my Daemon???" Seriously. I want him. But so many interruptions, I almost feared we wouldn't get to the hot smexy scenes in this one. Thank god I was wrong. Also - THANK YOU Jenn for no stupid teenage angsty arguments. It's a perfect relationship between two characters who I absolutely love to bits. Their personalities are absolutely wonderful, distinctive, entertaining, and adorable.
Blake and Will. Two masterfully crafted villains. Jennifer did a really great job of adding the necessary creep factor. But I still have so many unanswered questions. Ahhh.
Towards the end, the action scenes are looming, and I felt it coming. Only 50 pages to go - there's no way this is going to end well. Not enough time for a real resolution. But though I sort of expected the cliffhanger, it really tore me to shreds at the same time. I'm a bit speechless. I don't really know what to do... That last chapter pretty much brought tears to my eyes. How am I going to survive the wait for Origin?
Summing Up:
I feel like I have to say this in each review of this series, defending my love for it: admittedly, this may not be the best written series in the world. For YA however it's much more amazing than most. And Jennifer just has this amazing skill of seizing my heart and right at the end tearing it to shreds. Honestly, reading these books is like an emotional rollercoaster. And I am immensely enjoying the ride.
Recommended To:
Are you still not reading this series? How else can I convince you?...more
Imagine all the gushing sounds on the planet and that's basically what I am right now. I'm just one puddle of goo, and don't roll your eyes a4.5 stars
Imagine all the gushing sounds on the planet and that's basically what I am right now. I'm just one puddle of goo, and don't roll your eyes at me, that's so opposite to how I usually am. This series is just plain amazing. While I personally don't think it was as great as Obsidian, it was still amazing. This series is turning out to be one of my absolute all time favorites. This book seriously just had me trembling, giggling, squealing and I don't do that. I just don't.
Let me get this out of the way, the reason why I'm giving a book that I absolutely loved 4.5 stars is because the book itself wasn't flawless. There were just some things that frustrated me a bit. I felt like the STORY improved immensely compared to Obsidian. It pretty much blew my mind. The romance was just as hot. But some sections just felt like they were dragging a bit, I dunno. It's just not the "5 stars amazing awesome omg wow" feeling, now that I'm done, but maybe that's because I'm just really sad it's over and now I have to wait for the next one. And, let's face it, it's a guilty pleasure book, it's not going to be perfect.
I still think the reason this series has so captured my heart is three main things: the super awesome, relatable Katy, the amazingly hot and UNF Daemon, and their awesome, witty banter, love-hate relationship. It's such a great formula. Maybe my reluctance to give the book five stars is because I was frantically motioning "NOW KISS" all through the book and sometimes they just wouldn't listen to me, haahaha. But seriously though, I love Katy. Such a perfect main character. And pretty much every emotion, every thought she has I've had in the past. I see so much of myself in her it's ridiculous.
The story this time was surprisingly good and it really sucked me in. I can't wait to see how it turns out next.
You know, I'm really tired. I stayed up until 2 am last night reading this and had to wake up early today for a meeting. Somewhere this week I have to start seriously studying for exams next week. I might just leave this review for some more expansion another time. I will leave you with gifs depicting my emotions.
With all my love for the Lux series, this prequel novella doesn't disappoint.
My biggest worry about this story was that I wouldn't connect as m3 stars
With all my love for the Lux series, this prequel novella doesn't disappoint.
My biggest worry about this story was that I wouldn't connect as much with Bethany and Dawson - and that the characters and the relationships would look identical. Well I worried for nothing. Armentrout does an amazing job of creating characters that are distinctively different and a love story that holds its own. It's really a beautiful, but terribly tragic story.
The ending, even though I knew what happened since I'd already read Onyx, was so awful (in the heart-breaking sense). I teared up. So tragic. But despite the pain and everything for Bethany and Dawson, what brought it home was the last chapter, from Daemon's point of view. Suddenly you find yourself completely forgiving him for all his jerkface actions and everything in the Lux series. The prequel was a beautiful way to open up that backstory and show the rationale behind Daemon's actions. I totally understand now. And I just want to give him a hug. A big, big hug.
Given that I've only said positive things, you may wonder why it's 3.5 oranges and not higher. This is mostly due to the fact that the relationship between Dawson and Bethany edged towards being instalove (more insta-attraction, but still). Which I really, really dislike. And I just like Katy so much more than Bethany. I didn't connect to Bethany as much as I did to Katy.
Summing Up:
Overall, this novella is a must-read for fans of the Lux series (and, I'd say, for people not as amazed by Daemon already and thinking he's too much of a jerk). The depth provided for Daemon's character is beautiful, and I can't wait to hear more about Dawson and Bethany too. While I'm not as wowed by their relationship as I am by Daemon and Katy's, they're absolutely precious together.
*sigh* - that's the only appropriate way to start this review. Now I gave City of Bones 3.5 stars, and was even sort of debating giving it an e2 stars
*sigh* - that's the only appropriate way to start this review. Now I gave City of Bones 3.5 stars, and was even sort of debating giving it an extra star, and now I'm thinking that even 3.5 was too many. I've reached a few conclusions about why that is: first off, I've definitely reached my YA bullshit quota for the month, and need a break from that. And secondly, I've realized that The Mortal Instruments are guilty pleasure books. Except this time I felt none of the pleasure in it. By this term I mean to say that these books are fine if your read them really quickly and don't ever stop to question anything. But halfway through the book, my patience was wearing thing, and I started paying attention to the flaws. And there were a bunch of them.
The only thing that really caused me full enjoyment in this book were the romantic scenes. I guess I'm a sucker, but boy Cassandra Clare knows how to describe two people kissing. And the rest of the book was just a bit bland, also filled with plot elements I just don't agree with. Sadly those kissing scenes were few and far between and wrapped with this melodrama that just asdfjkl; Let me be clear, I didn't mind the incest *that* much. I managed to get myself over that part. But especially the epilogue just killed everything for me. Simon greets her with hey baby and then says he wants to break up. And Jace is holding her hand and then says he will just be a brother to her and she "feels a pang in her chest" and oh geez. Just. Ugh.
[image]
Simon turning into a vampire is one example of a plot element I really hated. How stupidly lame. So now there's not a single mundane person in their group. I really liked that element. I understand that people mixed up in this world eventually become a part of it and everything, but in the SECOND BOOK? Also a VAMPIRE jesus, why. This just comes back to remind me that paranormal romance SO ISN'T MY THING.
[image]
The switching of points of view really bothered me. I don't know, I told myself it shouldn't bother me because we get a whole view of the story, know everything that's going on, and that's a good thing! But it still bothered me. I think what it was is that they switched points of view too often and each view point was too short (I'm especially referring to the middle bit, where there were something like four different viewpoints). It was just really jarring. Especially when some view points are really action packed and then others are really boring (*cough*SimonandMaia*cough*).
I'm going to take a hater moment and lay it on Maia. I really dislike her as a character. Where the hell did she come from, and all of a sudden I'm supposed to feel sympathy for her? And her stupid crush on Simon, WHAT? Where did THAT come from? Seriously, you spoke to him for like two seconds? I'm calling bullshit. She's only there to resolve the stupid love triangle and give Simon someone else, well you know what, the Romeo and Juliet vampire x werewolf love drama is really not appealing nor interesting to me. Just, NO.
[image]
In terms of worldbuilding, the book is seriously lacking. Seriously, you make this beautiful world of magic and demons and you take NO time to build it up. Which leaves me with all these questions. The world has potential but doesn't use any of it. Like, for example, the seraph blades? Seriously, they have such a "mighty" kind of name, you'd think they're pretty rare, but Jace produces like 1384957346209 of them and tosses them away like they're nothing. What is up with that? And the runes. Okay, putting aside how lame it is that Clary can make her own runes - these ancient magic spells, how do they work? Seriously, no thought is put into them. Even just an image of the different runes they use would be a nice addition. It just feels like, at any time CC can invent a new trick, spell, weapon, whatever and just NO EXPLANATION. Well you know what?
[image] I'm growing impervious to your bullshit.
Summing Up:
To be honest, it's not the worst series in the world. It's definitely better than Twilight. But it's hard for me to really like it. Reading this book, I really had to force myself to keep reading, to not give up. And in the end there were still many unanswered questions that kind of make me want to continue with the series, but to think that I'd have to sit through so much bullshit again... I don't know if I want to. So I'm not putting it on my dropped series bookshelf yet. I'll put City of Glass on my to-read list, but it's not high on that list. And I have an excuse for that, seeing as the next three months are filled with new releases I've been dying for.
The simplest way to describe this book is "Twilight done right". Now I feel your eyes rolling and your opinion of me falling, b5 glorious stars
[image]
The simplest way to describe this book is "Twilight done right". Now I feel your eyes rolling and your opinion of me falling, but let me be clear, I hate Twilight with pretty much every bone in my body. But this was perfect. My review is a bundle of emotions and squees, so if you want a more objective opinion of why this is so good, what "Twilight done right" really means, check out Stephanie Sinclair's review.
If I were to look at the novel critically it wouldn't deserve the five stars. I mean, I found grammatical errors, sometimes the writing style was awful, it was rather predictable, but I enjoyed it with every fiber of my being.
First off, getting rid of vampires and putting in aliens is like the coolest thing ever. Thank you so freaking much. I'm so ridiculously tired of stupid vampires, can only stand them in The Vampire Diaries, so it was a relief. And making them aliens really just makes me less biased against it, since I don't really get along with the Paranormal Romance genre.
Katy is one of the best main characters I've ever read. It's ridiculous. Her point of view is a unique delight in YA. I don't think I've ever related to a character more. She's a book blogger. She is sarcastic. She's stubborn. She doesn't take any bullshit, isn't afraid to call Daemon out on being a giant ass. And the best part was the ending, she didn't fall all head over heels and is making Daemon WORK FOR IT.
[image] Cheering for your awesomeness, Katy.
Daemon is just UNF OMG. This is the best, most droolworthy, tortured hero, badass character I've read so far. Seriously. This is how you do it. YA authors, take a note. Please. He seriously brings chills to my spine. You sexy, sexy fool.
[image] Pretty much how I imagine Daemon.
And their romance is flawless. I love love-hate relationships. They're the absolute best to read. The make out scene... Omg. I don't even remember the last time I read something that hot. Seriously. This seriously had me squealing, gasping, flailing, pretty much EVERY EMOTION IMAGINABLE. It's irresistable. It's...
[image] ^ Me
The story doesn't disappoint either. This is just on all fronts SO MUCH BETTER than Twilight. So much better. I want a movie. Like yesterday. I need to continue the series, but I sadly have new releases to read. Sigh. I can't wait though, I'm so excited to continue this.
And now, more emotional flailing, through more gifs. Basically, all these emotions were felt at one point or another.
First read: December 2012 Second read: August 2015 - just as good ♥
5 stars
Woah, woah, woah, WOAH! I know people have been saying this book is good but First read: December 2012 Second read: August 2015 - just as good ♥
5 stars
Woah, woah, woah, WOAH! I know people have been saying this book is good but WOAH. Seriously. I have a very pressing question... WHEN does the sequel come out exactly??? And will donating a first-born child help to get it here sooner? Because, seriously, I might want to do that.
I don't know what exactly I expected from this book but it completely blew me away. First of all, realism and honesty. This sounds weird. I don't proclaim to be a post-apocalyptic fiction expert, but this was a perfect rendition of such a world. The world descends into chaos and I just felt this was such an honest portrayal of how people would react to it. It's not always pretty, but it shouldn't be. Stealing, looters, distrust, cannabalism... Honestly the world was terrifyingly realistic, it gave me chills. Perfection.
I was constantly impressed by Penryn's relationship with her mother. It's such a delicate subject, having an insane mother... I mean, I can imagine there's a thousand ways to do it horribly wrong. But this was a beautiful portrayal. The constant doubt Penryn has. Fearing her mother yet feeling morally obligated to take care of her - and hating that. Penryn's reactions just sucked me in. And her mother's fear of demons coincided beautifully with the chaos of the post-apocalyptic world. Her fear gave it an extra dimension.
And I have to throw it out there, I love Penryn. What a fascinating, beautiful, strong female character. I love everything about her. She's so well fleshed out and just... I'm gushing. I can't even think of the words to compliment her character enough. Headstrong, stubborn at exactly the right times, self-aware, caring, funny... Perfection!
And then there's Raffe and the romance. This is how I want my romance guys. So subtle, but beautiful, and to die for. Seriously, last couple of chapters there may or may not have been some tears in my eyes. The struggle Raffe visibly goes through with his feelings for Penryn, and vice versa... so addictive to read! And done impeccably, at just the right pace. It never feels cliche, or inevitable, it's just beautiful. If paranormal romances were more like this I could be a huge fan of the genre. But alas.
Summing Up:
Overall, this story is extermely original and creative. The prose is solid. The plot sucks you in and doesn't let go. I almost wanted to skip my father's birthday to keep reading and read the whole book in one sitting. It's basically everything I could ever wish for in one book. And if you had told me a few months ago that this would be my reaction to a book about angels with some pretty creeeeepy elements towards the end I would never have believed you. But I love everything about it. And I want the next one, oh, hmm, yesterday.
I genuinely feel guilty now that neither this book nor this author is in my Top Ten Tuesdays for top books/authors I read this year. You can just put them up there. Top five most likely. Just woah. So seriously, read this book if you haven't already. And it's only like $7 on Amazon. What's your excuse? What's keeping you? Why are you still here and not ordering the book right now?
Wow. I can't really believe I finished reading it. Granted, some of the appendices I skipped. But I mean, why would I read about the family tre5 stars
Wow. I can't really believe I finished reading it. Granted, some of the appendices I skipped. But I mean, why would I read about the family trees, calendars, pronunciations? Heh, Tolkien was a bit optimistic about his readers there, but they're not called appendices for nothing.
Once again, the first half, Book 5, was amazing. It slowed down with Frodo and Sam. Really, though it was only three chapters, it felt like ages, because all they were doing was walking among the rocks and thorns. But anyway.
I don't know, I really enjoyed it. Surprisingly so. I think it might be in some part due to Faramir and Éowyn. Seriously what an adorable love story. They never quite went into that in the movies, so I think that was probably the chapter I enjoyed reading the most.
I also liked seeing the end of Saruman. Good to know what exactly happened there, and all things considered it was rather realistic.
But that's it guys. I can finally say it. I've read the Lord of the Rings. And it feels pretty damn good.
Quite a bit better than The Fellowship of the Ring. I just enjoyed it a lot more, despite the fact that it took me like 3 times longer to read.5 stars
Quite a bit better than The Fellowship of the Ring. I just enjoyed it a lot more, despite the fact that it took me like 3 times longer to read. But hey, whatever, it's vacation, there's no rush.
While I didn't remember the movie version of The Two Towers being better than the movie version of the Fellowship, I felt like the book improved rapidly. The pacing was better: there was more action, less descriptive setting sections (they were still there, but notably less). I think what helped here is that Tolkien put all his effort into building up the world in the Fellowship, which led to the long descriptive passages. That all being done, he was able to focus more on the action and the story in The Two Towers, which is vastly more interesting.
I loved Book 1, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin's story. Book 2 was a bit less for me. It picked up when Faramir arrived. But having the two storylines separated like that leads to a bit of confusion as to when the events coincide, and can cause disinterest. I just found Frodo's story much less interesting. But oh well.
The only thing that I can really note as a disappointment is the speed with which the Battle of Helm's Deep was done. That was such a short passage, and I was expecting a totally amazing fight sequence. So that let me down just a little.
But yeah, five stars :) really glad I'm reading the series, finally....more
The one star rating may be a little harsh since I didn't finish it, but I just can't deal with it, and I really tried. I don't understand why pe1 star
The one star rating may be a little harsh since I didn't finish it, but I just can't deal with it, and I really tried. I don't understand why people are in love with this series. I wasn't convinced after Across the Universe and while reading this my apathy only grew.
Not only do I not feel any sort of connection or liking towards either Elder or Amy, I find their relationship so asdfjkl; annoying. I just found myself rolling my eyes the entire time. It may be that I've reached my YA capacity again and need to mix it up with more adult books - that does tend to happen to me. There comes a time when my ability to accept bullshit fails. Like I'd mentioned in my review of Across the Universe I just don't understand why Amy is still attracted to/not repulsed by Elder, or refuses to show any sign of a backbone. Like, one moment she says she blames him (rightfully so) for waking her up, but then she still loves him. There's so little development to their relationship that I can't buy it. I just can't.
But the characters (or should I say lack of personalities) are to me inexcusable. The personalities are so static and so undeveloped, I can't handle it. To me, if I finish a book (or in this case get halfway through the sequel) and still can't think of one good adjective (besides, in this case, stupid, annoying, or ignorant) to describe the personalities of the main characters, that book is nothing for me.
But yeah, I got almost half way, didn't enjoy a second of it and just gave up. I was only growing more annoyed reading it. And while what bothered me the most was the characters, the story couldn't hold my attention either. After officially giving up, I read some other reviews and saw similar criticisms - also indicating it didn't get any better. And I spoiled the story for myself by looking at plot summaries and the "twists" sounded like plot elements I'd *headdesk* at. So yeah.
TL;DR: this series just isn't for me. This is not how I like my sci-fi, or basically any series at all.
I absolutely adore this. It's been a while, but... This series still steals my heart. These little bonus stories were an absolute delight to re4 stars
I absolutely adore this. It's been a while, but... This series still steals my heart. These little bonus stories were an absolute delight to read.
Luke's story was SO GREAT. I've adored Luke as a character from the start, and reading his "beginning" from his POV was so great. His narration was really enjoyable and comical, almost like Percy's. I loved seeing his feelings towards Thalia. And meeting Annabeth - so adorable.
Leo's story... blah blah blah. I can't bring myself to give a rats ass about Leo, Jason and Piper. [image] Well, Leo's okay. And I appreciated the Psych reference. That was really awesome.
Percy's story was absolutely perfect. Ugh, I cannot deal with his perfection. And his relationship with Annabeth is so perfect I can't deal. I have a lot of feelings right now. [image] [image]
And lastly, Haley Riordan makes a stunning debut with his short story. I am really impressed and it was a delightful read. I have pretty high hopes for him now. So much talent. And it fit so well in the PJO universe, so 4 for you, Haley :D...more
Wow. That's the best way to start this review. Brodi Ashton delivers on this beautifully original paranormal romance. The story, shrouded in 4.5 stars
Wow. That's the best way to start this review. Brodi Ashton delivers on this beautifully original paranormal romance. The story, shrouded in mystery that unravels at just the right pace, will keep you reading until deep in the night.
The story is rooted in Greek mythology. I've always been a fan of the Persephone myth. It's my favorite of all the Greek myths. Persephone is my favorite goddess. I think that helped a lot with being sucked into this story. But it worked so well. The execution was amazing. The concept was really original, creative, and well constructed.
So the story tells the tale of Nikki, who was tricked to follow bad boy Cole into the Everneath (underworld) to let him Feed on her (not vampire type stuff, energy sucking stuff). It simultaneously tells the events leading up to her descent into the Everneath and the events during her six month Return (before she is sent back to the Everneath forever). That means a lot of time jumps (or flashbacks, I guess). I'm amazed by how much this didn't bother me. Each scene, present or past, revealed one more element of the mystery surrounding the Everneath and Nikki's decision. Therefore, each scene sucks you in and keeps you reading. The pacing is just wonderful. You gradually get more insights into this world, and before you know it you've been absorbed by the whole story and can't stop reading until the end.
There is a potential love triangle. Which, just as the time jumps, I usually hate. But not here. Wow, Ashton, you really did a remarkable job. I digress. The love triangle is different from your average love triangle. Both love interests have distinct personalities. With Cole, you're tempted by the hints of redeeming qualities, while at the same time desperate to know what he's scheming. With Jack.... oh, Jack. It took a while for me to understand the history behind their relationship (at first I thought it was ridiculous, a 'normal' girl dating the quarterback, like wuuut?) but as that gradually got revealed, wow. I just want to hug him. And, yeah. It's a love triangle that kind of has me dying for more (wow, that never happens) -- although I am more on the Jack side of things.
Aside from it being a love triangle, this book screams paranormal romance. Which, also, is something I usually do not like. The novel is very romance-centric - which usually I hate (I want depth, story, action). God, this book is surprising on so many fronts. Because I was so sucked in, I didn't mind. Any of it. You may have converted me, Ashton.
The only negative thing I can say about this story is that the pacing (which, again, I found to be perfect) does mean that character development and depth also gradually comes about - it took me quite a while to actually get a sense of who the characters were and what they were like. It's not the strongest connection I've ever had to characters. But overall, the story was so well executed that this doesn't bother me as much as it might in another novel.
Summing Up:
Overall, I'm amazed. Ashton can take some of the most hated plot elements and make you love them. Her pacing, story telling, and world building will blow you away. The ending cliffhanger will leave you heartbroken and desperate for more. I NEED that sequel, Everbound.
Do I even need to mention how stunning that cover is?
First off, I AM IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION. (Because the ending. Yeah.)
*cough* So after devouring the original Percy Jackson & the Olympians se5 stars
First off, I AM IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION. (Because the ending. Yeah.)
*cough* So after devouring the original Percy Jackson & the Olympians series in May and the first two books of The Heroes of Olympus in June, the time finally came that I had to wait for the next installment. Ew, waiting. However, I was not totally convinced by The Heroes of Olympus - I didn't like it as much as PJO. I didn't feel like it was quite at the same level. So waiting was not too awful. But The Mark of Athena changes things.
Obviously, looking at the title, Annabeth plays a far greater role in this novel. Especially since she was missing in the first two installments of the series, I appreciated having a lot more Annabeth in my life. And, it was her POV. In my review of The Son of Neptune, I mentioned that I thought Rick just couldn't manage writing a female POV. I take it back. My apologies. Annabeth is flawless. So much depth to her character, and so realistic. I see a lot of myself in her, especially the flaws that we share. And her take down of Arachne was awesome, and pretty much had me cheering for her.
In this novel I also came to terms with the idea of seven equal heroes. Like I've said before, I think the first two novels suffered a bit because it took so long to introduce the new characters which would all play vital roles. The setting up of the characters and the prophecies all just took a bit long and that is ultimately the reason why I didn't like those two so much. Here the momentum picked up, and basically all the characters I can stand. Except Piper. I just can't stand Piper. Such a Mary Sue character. I seriously just want to bash her head in. But that would be a personal bias, I suppose. And people like her do exist in the world, so it's still very realistic. Leo is now my third favorite character (after, obviously, Percy and Annabeth). Every character development for him is getting me more excited. So much depth - but at the same time his POV is constantly amusing, much like Percy's.
But I digress. If you've read PJO and The Heroes of Olympus, you know Rick's formula. Every book basically has the same qualitites of adventure and same kinds of twists. Sometimes I wonder why I'm not getting tired of it, but it's so compulsively readable and enjoyable. I think this installment in particular just added so much depth that it was much easier to forgive.
And now comes the flailing - because PERCABETH. It's perfect. Absolutely perfect. I love romance - I do - but I hate it when it's the main topic. Rick strikes exactly the right balance of adventure and action with a BEAUTIFUL love story on the side. When you look for it, it's there, but it can be easy to overlook if that's not your thing. But how could you not like it? Because seriously, their relationship is perfect and basically everything I'd ever want. Every moment, every mention between the two of them basically had me squealing. Which is not something I do all too often.
Now, finally. That ending. How. How could you do this to me, Rick? How???!?! I'm so close to crying, it's ridiculous. And at the same time, while I HATE YOU for your stupid cliffhangers that kill me, I think this was a really cool move. A super twist. One I absolutely NEVER saw coming. But one that will ultimately have a great, positive impact on the story just because it adds a bit of a darker edge.
Summing Up:
Before the ending I was thinking this book would be a 4 or 4.5 orange rating, but just that totally unexpected twist makes me give mad props to Rick, and yeah, another 5 orange rating for you. Bravo man. Now the wait for The House of Hades will surely kill me.
Recommended To:
Fans of Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus....more
Wow. After The Lost Hero, which was extremely disappointing to me, The Son of Neptune is a definite improvement. I started really skeptically, 4 stars
Wow. After The Lost Hero, which was extremely disappointing to me, The Son of Neptune is a definite improvement. I started really skeptically, and the first half was extremely slow and contrived, but the second half more than made up for it.
The Positives
I think should first give honorable mention to Ella. I think of all the new characters introduced in The Heroes of Olympus, she is by far the best one. She's extremely adorable, I love all the facts she spouts out - her dialogue is epic. The only less awesome thing to say about her is that I have no idea how to picture her in my mind. Riordan could have elaborated a bit more of just what a harpy looks like.
Percy finally returned to us, and what a breath of fresh air it is. I wish it were still only Percy's POV. He's still the most hilarious, however in this installment we also get to see more emotional depth to him than in earlier books in the entire Percy Jackson saga. The scenes where he is struggling to regain his memories and coping with missing Annabeth are honestly beautiful. When he contacts Tyson, it almost brought a tear to my eye. Their relationship is so adorable as well. Riordan creates so much depth to this one character that it is just a pity that he wastes his time trying to flesh out these other POVs that don't have the same effect at all - they're still characters taken out of nowhere and declared to be important, without a real build up. I really believe that if he focused on Percy's POV alone, Percy would quickly become my favorite hero character in any book ever (yes, even over Harry Potter, who I always found a bit stiff).
Arion is awesome and must be mentioned. Any time Percy converses with a horse I just burst out laughing. I should also give props to Frank's grandmother, who is just epic as well.
Riordan's humor is still top level. Iris wanting Frank to become a ROFL-copter. Four for you, Riordan. Anyone who orders anything from Amazon is funding the Amazonian nation. Snicker. Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go. Hilarious. Death with his iPad, skyping Pluto. Priceless.
While the first half was very slow and felt contrived and sub-par, the second half definitely picked up. The scenes at Amazon reminded me of how awesome this series can be, the first time I was so delighted since I put down The Last Olympian. Hazel finally became tolerable in the escape, because she started fighting - really fighting (not summoning jewelry) - and I guess I sort of like that side of her. The battle at Camp Jupiter was also epic.
The Negatives
Dear Riordan, how dare you bring us so far into the story and just as the ship lands, end it. I need my Percy/Annabeth reunion now. *sigh* A couple more months... (This isn't really negative, as I'm sufficiently excited for the next installment, but I just have so many feels about this it's ending up under negative.)
Percy losing the mark of Achilles was super lame. It makes that whole part of the original series almost completely meaningless. What. While I understand the difficulty of continuing a series where the hero is invulnerable, it just felt so contrived and lame. Within the first 20 pages too! And he had to make the choice to cross the river. (Maybe, if he had just woken up and it had already been taken because he crossed into the Roman world, it would have felt less lame.)
Riordan cannot write tolerable female POVs in my eyes, although Hazel is more tolerable than Piper. In the beginning I really had trouble taking her "curse" seriously, because it just sounded like she was pooping diamonds. *cough* But that was mostly because I entered the book really skeptically. Once she meets Arion, she does get more tolerable, because she's genuinely happy at times and it's not all teenage angst and ~omg I love Frank~. When Riordan creates female personalities, it sometimes works - like Hylla! How awesome is she? But the female POVs he writes... hmm.. This makes me really nervous for when he'll write Annabeth's POV in The Mark of Athena. Although, I still am relatively confident that that'll succeed if only because he's already fleshed out her character and personality, so it won't be completely out of the blue. And she'll have less angst that makes me roll my eyes.
I was really disappointed to find within 50 something pages that Riordan already created a couple in Frank & Hazel. Yay, instalove. It was done better than Jason & Piper in The Lost Hero, because there there was absolutely no build up to speak of. Frank and Hazel towards the second half of the book become sort of all right, but it feels like a cheap trick because you already know it's going to happen within 50 pages. I really prefer relationships to have such a buildup that you couldn't imagine it any other way - like Percy & Annabeth. But I suppose Riordan didn't have the patience to develop this relationship over 5 books or so like Percy's. And considering how much broader the cast of characters is, I can sort of understand not wanting to take so long to create a relationship, but 50 pages is pushing it. Cheap.
Frank was a satisfactory character. Likeable enough and of the 5 new main characters introduced in The Heroes of Olympus, I think he was the most well developed one. Toward the end, I definitely thought he was kind of cool. The only thing that I can say against it (besides not liking the Frank/Hazel) is that it's kind of distracting to have two hero characters, especially here - when the focus is on 3 characters. Two of the three are heroes? (Ultimately, they're all heroes, I know, but for all intents and purposes, I mean the "main" hero, because you know there's always one leader and a group of followers, etc.) It was a bit weird, especially when they left Frank's grandmother's house, and Frank is the one fighting the Laistrygonians and telling Percy to go ahead and run - despite Percy's experience with Laistrygonians. I like him stepping up to the plate and proving his worth, don't get me wrong, but then I got an image of Percy running away from a battle? That.. doesn't really work. I guess I'm still coping with the fact that this series is more of a spin-off of Percy Jackson & the Olympians than a sequel, and it's not really Percy-centric anymore. A cast of seven heroes, each one must have their time in the spotlight, I get it. But I'm still getting used to it.
Summing Up:
I rather enjoyed this one. I'm glad I didn't give up after The Lost Hero. I'm hoping that now that all the new character introductions (which Riordan completely rushes and butchers imho) are done, the story will be much less annoying, move faster, and be more epic. I still have my reservations though. I don't think this series is at the same level as Percy Jackson & the Olympians.
The prospect of the new book kind of scares me because you KNOW the hinting about Reyna/Jason/Piper, and now Frank/Hazel/Leo - love triangles. They're going to happen. And I'm going to bash my head into a wall. Please don't make the story about that Riordan! Please! Let romance stay a side story, don't put too much focus on it, and please no female POV where it's like "Ohhh, I don't know what to doooo, I still like himmmm, but he's cool tooooo!" If that happens in The Mark of Athena I'm going to be massively disappointed.
Recommended To:
Fans of Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus....more
Wow guys. Wow. Honestly, this book is probably worth 5 stars, and I might change that later, but I missed some things. Mostly that happened d4.5 stars
Wow guys. Wow. Honestly, this book is probably worth 5 stars, and I might change that later, but I missed some things. Mostly that happened due to me reading this during the first, sleep-deprived, exhausting week of grad school.
When it comes to (I guess YA) fantasy novels, this is the way you do it. Seriously. Awesome worldbuilding. Intriguing prophecy. Ass-kickingly awesome heroine. Cool hero. Romance that is to die for, but NOT the main focus. A book that can very well standalone even though it's in a series.
What I missed out on basically boils down to the fact that I read this on some days when I was completely exhausted and read like 7 pages before falling asleep with my ereader in my hand. And this isn't the kind of book you easily stop and start. Sometimes I was a bit confused about things that had happened way earlier - like the prophecy that Finnikin is given: it's only mentioned full out one time, I think? And then later in the story when all those threads start coming together I couldn't for the life of me remember what the full prophecy was, and kept waiting for it to be repeated but it wasn't. So I guess it's more clarification issues - but again, mostly my own fault for how I read it.
Anyway, this was just great and I can't wait to move on to the sequel. This book alone is definitely worth a reread as well, when I get around to that (say in like 3 years or so).
I have to say, coming off the high of The Last Olympian, this book is plain and simple: a letdown. There may be slight spoilers, so beware.
Le3.5 stars
I have to say, coming off the high of The Last Olympian, this book is plain and simple: a letdown. There may be slight spoilers, so beware.
Let's start, however, with the positives. I was immediately ecstatic when I started reading because Riordan had decided to switch to third person narrative. I've always been a bigger fan of this style of writing, and here it did the story justice as well. The immediate result is a tone that just seems a lot more mature, and that suits the story because the characters are now in the later teen years.
Riordan stuck to his winning formula, but honestly the sixth time... He's walking a thin line - kind of getting repetitive. I'm fully aware however that my exhaustion with the formula is due to me reading all of these Riordan books in a row. However, that was never an issue with, for example, Harry Potter.
Although the story started slow, the last quarter of it definitely picked up and made up for some of the...shortcomings.
Now, I may have ruined this book for myself by reading at a slow pace (averaging 10% per day), but hey, exams are next week, give me a break. But whether or not that be the reason, I just could not connect to these characters. They're plucked out of nowhere, no introduction at all, and honestly during the whole book all I'm thinking is "Where is Percy?" "What's Annabeth doing?" "Can they meet up already?" I had no patience for these new characters. I couldn't relate to them, but I can't put my finger on why. At the end, Leo is the only one of the new "main" characters that I thought was sort of cool. He'd really be cool if he stopped thinking that every girl that comes along is hot. Piper annoys the HELL out of me because she's... she's like the damsel in distress, Mary Sue character, but then they try to make her better than that by giving her mindbending powers? But no actual fighting strength? And honestly, reading her POV, her convictions aren't that strong anyway. In the first half of the book I just wanted to halfway strangle her because of the teenage angst. I like my female characters to be good for something. But hey, she's Aphrodite's daughter. Surprise, surprise. And Jason. I don't want to be so hard on him because he lost his memories, but the result of that is that he became a completely stiff and static character. Even now, having finished the book, I have no idea how I would describe him or his personality, and that to me is a sign that you haven't fleshed out your characters enough.
That all being said, I think the multiple POVstyle probably contributed to not being able to connect to them. Multiple POV to me is such a disjointed writing style and the result is I don't have a grasp or true liking of any of the characters. Although, since the three characters were still there, together, for all the events, Riordan did multiple POV better than some other books I've read recently. However, I do still think it was unnecessary! Honestly, if the whole book had been from Jason's POV I think it would have been much better. I'd gladly read the thoughts of someone desperately grasping for any hints of his old memories and who he truly is. That sounds way more appealing than what we ended up with here. And that may have enabled me to like a couple of the characters more. (Never not never ever need to read Piper's POV.)
The story itself seemed a bit contrived... I can't help it. I mean, at the beginning they're given a prophecy to save Hera and then the whole journey long they just think about saving Piper's dad. I get it, that's important too, and it would be heartless not to. But you know, when the result is that at the end they were JUST A BIT too late to stop Porphyrion from rising.... it's just... Exhausting. Also, all the constant hinting, "Oh, it's forbidden to speak of this, I swore on the River Styx" "You must find out for yourself, or it will have no meaning" - it's a requirement for these fantasy/adventure books, I know, but after 50th time, you start wanting to bang your head against the wall.
The ending just completely killed the book. I mean, it wasn't a surprise. Honestly, if you hadn't figured it all out yet by like halfway through the book, you weren't paying attention. But when it's just written like that: Percy's in the Roman camp. He has to prove himself to aggressive Roman demigods. And he probably has no memories whatsoever. My reaction: UMMM CAN THIS BOOK BE REDONE FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE THEN? Seriously. I feel like his story would be SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING than this one.
Summing Up:
Ultimately, I think for one: I should have read this book more continuously to be able to enjoy it. My fault, I admit. But furthermore: it rushed into the story, introducing characters I had absolutely no idea about and just kept me from connecting. For this book I was really on the outside, looking in, and that left way too many opportunities to roll my eyes at the characters, their actions and their thoughts. That was never a problem during Percy Jackson & the Olympians. I will, however, continue with the series. I'm not giving up here. Despite the issues I had with it, it wasn't all bad, hence the 3.5 rating. I firmly believe that once Percy comes around I will truly enjoy it again. And the prophecy sounds interesting enough.
Nice extra insights into the world of Percy Jackson. I particularly liked the interviews, and Annabeth and Percy's pointed answers avoiding tal4 stars
Nice extra insights into the world of Percy Jackson. I particularly liked the interviews, and Annabeth and Percy's pointed answers avoiding talking about their feelings for each other. The short stories were quite nice too, I especially liked the one with Clarisse, because she just doesn't appear too often in the books. The puzzles look pretty cool, but I won't attempt them on my e-reader, that'll be for a day when I have the actual book....more
Okay, this book was PERFECT. JUST PERFECT. That is the single best word to describe it.
In each book one of my absolute favorite elements has 5+ stars!
Okay, this book was PERFECT. JUST PERFECT. That is the single best word to describe it.
In each book one of my absolute favorite elements has been the introduction of the gods. In this book I must say it was Hestia. Goddess of the hearth - you always forget about her, but to me it strikes a chord, as home has always been the most important thing to me. So her character to me was a beautiful addition that really made you think. I was surprised because usually in all mythology Persephone is my favorite, but Riordan's adaptation of her wasn't that amazing to me.
So much action. It's amazing. When you think about it, like 200 or so of the 250 pages is just the battle. Or that's what it feels like. It goes on and on but it NEVER GETS TIRING. It was beautifully constructed. And while it did get a *little* bit corny after a while that every x pages a new reinforcement would appear, it was awesome because all of the characters came back. And if they had all been there from the beginning, in the end no one would have gotten the right amount of attention.
What scene was amazing to me? Just every every every single bit of it. Seriously, thinking back, it was just completely solid. Each scene was an absolute page turner and added to the story. I just couldn't read fast enough. I must admit, if they do ever get to a movie of this book, it will be completely and totally epic. I already realized that when Percy bathes in the River Styx, and the battle following that. That was SO FREAKING AWESOME. The images in my head, gah, it makes me wish I could work in the movie industry or something. And just after that, all the fight scenes... amazing.
The ending just had me flailing. Flailing and flailing. Percy/Annabeth is PERFECT. I just love their relationship. I love the teasing and the .. the... adorable cuteness of it all xD Especially when Percy tries to confess. That was just a perfect perfect scene. Seriously.
Summing Up:
This book was absolutely perfect, the best book in the series. My heart is totally sold to this fandom right now. And I will be continuing with The Heroes of Olympus very very soon.
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