If you are unaware what the Buzzword Readathon/Challenge is see my prior post HERE. Last month the buzzword prompt was to pick a book with a ‘light/dark‘ related word in the title and unfortunately I didn’t end up completing this prompt so I am going to try and get to it this month as well! For October the prompt is a title with an ‘animal/creature‘ and my options are:
If you are unaware what the Buzzword Readathon/Challenge is see my prior post HERE. Last month the buzzword prompt was to pick a book with an ‘item/object‘ in the title and for this prompt I read Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller which was just ok for me! For September the prompt is a title with ‘Light/Dark‘ related words and my options are:
Miyoung and Jihoon are picking up the pieces of their broken lives following the deaths of Miyoung’s mother, Yena, and Jihoon’s grandmother. With the support of their friend Somin, and their frenemy, Junu, they might just have a shot at normalcy. But Miyoung is getting sicker and sicker by the day and her friends don’t know how to save her. With few options remaining, Junu has an idea but it might require the ultimate sacrifice and, let’s be honest, Junu isn’t known for his “generosity.”
The characters just didn’t seem to evolve and learn from everything that happened in the first book. It was just this never-ending cycle of each of them trying to protect each other and then getting mad that the other person was doing the protecting. They all read a lot younger than what they actually were and their conversations just didn’t seem believable or realistic to me. These are supposed to be 18-19 year old’s and yet they continue to act like angsty adolescents.
I didn’t like the fact that Somin and Junu fall in ‘love’ so quickly. Usually I don’t mind a hate to love trope but this felt so rushed and juvenile to me. Somin as a character was kind of annoying, she just took on way too much for her to handle and would put everyone else and their feelings above her own. I liked the fact that Junu called her out on this and just told her to chill out
Miyoung and Jihoon didn’t really change at all from the first book either. Even though so many traumatic things have happened to them they just seem to stay the same. I didn’t really understand why Miyoung was still holding on to her mother, from what I can remember from the first book I thought she treated her horribly and isolated her from anyone her age. I understand that it would still be traumatizing to loose the one person you depended on the most but that whole plotline didn’t really make sense to me until the end.
I still quite enjoy the lore and myths surrounding the Dokkaebi and learning all about Junu’s background and how he became one. Also learning about the Sansin and the Reapers were also really interesting to find out about. There just wasn’t enough action to keep me entertained throughout the book. The pacing was up and down and there were periods of time where all the characters were just sitting around waiting and it wasn’t very enjoyable.
⭐️2/5 stars the characters just didn’t do it for me
*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC for review!*
Wandering cleric Chih of the Singing Hills travels to the riverlands to record tales of the notorious near-immortal martial artists who haunt the region. On the road to Betony Docks, they fall in with a pair of young women far from home, and an older couple who are more than they seem. As Chih runs headlong into an ancient feud, they find themselves far more entangled in the history of the riverlands than they ever expected to be.
I liked the fact this this book is a little bit of a departure from the other two novellas. Chih is travelling with other people on the road through the riverlands and learning along the way as opposed to meeting someone and stopping to acquire their story. This is such a engaging and entertaining way to learn about the other characters and still get to hear the different tales.
All of the characters we meet were interesting and distinct. Lao Bingyi was one of my favourite characters in this series that we’ve met so far! She was just so sure of herself and took charge in all the different situations the group came upon. I liked the fact that she kept her own story to herself yet had so many opinions about all the other stories, almost as if she was there for them and not knowing for sure who she is adds that layer of mystery and intrigue. I think Khahn was a great contrasting character to her and his stoicism and quiet strength was nicely balanced with his desire to share stories as well.
Wei Jintai and Sang were another pair I found to be very likeable. Their relationship is so strong yet playful and both understand the roles that they have grown into. I would of loved to learn more about their upbringing and the journey they had undertaken to get as far into the riverlands as they have but alas this is the nature of these novellas.
I loved hearing about lore and tales woven throughout the book as this group undertakes this journey and I enjoyed the fact that there was also some action along the way that reinforces that Chih and Almost Brilliant aren’t always immune from harm.
⭐️4/5 stars This was just such an enjoyable and memorable read!
Eighteen-year-old Ziva may have defeated a deadly warlord, but the price was almost too much. Ziva is forced into a breakneck race to a nearby city with the handsome mercenary, Kellyn, and the young scholar, Petrik, to find a powerful magical healer who can save her sister’s life. When the events that follow lead to Ziva and Kellyn’s capture by an ambitious prince, Ziva is forced into the very situation she’s been dreading: magicking dangerous weapons meant for world domination.
Ziva’s perspective in this book was just so exhausting to read from. I understand how debilitating her social anxiety is but the way she just continuously hyper focuses and second guesses every decision she and everyone around her makes gets repetitive and boring. There was a little bit of growth in the fact that she came to eventually stop putting herself down and minimising all her achievements and actually feel proud of herself which was nice.
When it came to her relationship with Kellyn is was frankly just frustrating to read. Again, I can understand she has this disorder but he tells and shows her multiple times that he wants her and she is his forever but still she doesn’t believe him and pushes him away. The fact that she was just going to give up on him after the war ends and just walk away without even talking to him first and being surprised he was willing to compromise got on my nerves.
Other than that I was pretty invested in the storyline. It was still a bit repetitive with all of the travelling that we get but there was always a new setting that we got to explore in this world. I liked the fact that we get to learn more about the other magic users and Ziva got more of an understanding about her abilities through them. The fighting scenes were very entertaining and the couple of twists were quite surprising.
⭐️2/5 stars Just a bit disappointed
Amy Leigh Reads 