Even with a considerable amount of world-building information and several interesting concepts, the fantasy world seemed underdeveloped and shallow. I also struggled with the awkward writing style that told more than it showed and dragged down the narrative with information dumps about the world and characters.
2-stars
Book reviews with 2 star rating
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ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN by Hannah Nicole Maeher
Writing: 🌟🌟
With a loose historical setting, random creatures and unexplained magical powers, the world-building in this story lacked the depth needed to make much of an impression on me. I also struggled to find the simplistic, fairytale-style narrative engaging, especially since the humour fused into it generally fell flat for me. Despite all this, there were some vivid scenes that stood out to me, and it was very satisfying to have dual points of view from both Evie and the Villain.
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A DISCOVERY OF SECRETS AND FATE by Sawyer Bennett
A casual writing style packed with extensive descriptions brings this story to life and expands the worldbuilding. However, I felt the excessive details made the story less engaging, as it caused a lot of telling and little showing.
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THE FOXGLOVE KING by Hannah Whitten
Through vivid details, an impressive world rich with magic, religion and politics is gradually established. However, I struggled with the disorientating way the complex worldbuilding is presented and the constant information dumps.
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BOOK OF NIGHT by Holly Black
The fascinating concept of shadow magic was what drew me to this book. Sadly, this concept is not well-developed and is slowly established in a manner that had me confused for most of the story. The lack of tension and suspense generated by the writing style also failed to keep me engaged in the unfolding story. However, I did find the transitions between current and past events very smooth, and I thought these added some much-needed depth to the story.
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AS GOOD AS DEAD by Holly Jackson
Holly Jackson’s writing is just as vivid and striking as ever. The story she weaves is brought to life through the intricate details and creative media elements I have come to expect from this series. However, I was slightly disappointed that this book only has a few media elements compared to previous books since these were one of my favourite things about the series.
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THE STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern
Here is the thing, I know exactly how ‘The Starless Sea’ is supposed to make me feel. I hear it repeatedly in Erin Morgenstern’s poetic writing – like the pause before a clearly expected applause. Yet, I do not feel that way.
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THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
I seem to be one of the few readers unimpressed by this fantasy “masterpiece”. Perhaps my taste in fantasy books is not mature or profound enough for such an elaborate tale. Or, perhaps I am merely disinterested in fantasy books that read like a convoluted autobiography and have no clear storyline.