Rating: 87% (4.35 stars)
The Good
- Henry. I loved Henry so much. Henry is now my favorite character in this series. I want more Henry but that's really just me being selfish.
- Li Min. Li Min is a close second favorite. I loved her so much, I just wish we had more of a chance to explore who she really is.
- Interracial relationships. I think I can say that I've read a pretty decent sampling of YA literature, but I can count the number of interracial relationships that I've seen in it on one hand, and only counting main characters, that'd be even less.
The Bad
-My issues with the pacing were really emphasized in this one, in fact. I understand the want to go and explore as many time periods and places as possible, but the awe and wonder were not there. They flitted from period to period and didn't really go into great detail into many specific eras, which was something from the first novel that I liked much better.
- Nicholas and Etta's reunion was held over our heads for so long. They didn't see each other until at least 400 pages in. The first novel was a little over 300 pages if I remember correctly; at least in page length, they spent longer missing each other than actually being together. By at least halfway through, it felt pretty repetitive. So far, this series is only meant to be a duology, which means that their relationship was only beginning to develop.
- The general concept of time travel isn't too difficult to grasp, and it is really a unique take on it. In show more general with stories in any form that contain time travel, these are two of the elements to contend with. However, in this book, the timeline became so muddled and confusing to keep track of. A good portion of the time, I couldn't tell what the situation with the timeline was and if it meant good or bad things.
- Hasan never really reappeared. Small detail, I know, but it made a little sad.
- Rose felt a little underdeveloped to me as well. We did get a much better understanding of her by the end of the series, but considering how her choices played such a hand in this story, Rose herself as a character remained pretty murky.
- Most of the characters, to me, even the most central ones, felt undeveloped. I wish I could explain more exactly what about it made it feel that way. In general, it seemed like there were certain details of most of the characters that defined them, and outside of that, they didn't really have much depth.
My Conclusion
If you really loved Passenger, I think you will still really like Wayfarer. Personally, I felt a little lukewarm towards both of them. If you felt similar to me, I don't think Wayfarer should be completely written off, but do be aware that the pacing does not change much. Overall, I feel as though the story and characters felt a little underdeveloped in general. I'd really like to see an extension of the series. show less
- Henry. I loved Henry so much. Henry is now my favorite character in this series. I want more Henry but that's really just me being selfish.
- Li Min. Li Min is a close second favorite. I loved her so much, I just wish we had more of a chance to explore who she really is.
- Interracial relationships. I think I can say that I've read a pretty decent sampling of YA literature, but I can count the number of interracial relationships that I've seen in it on one hand, and only counting main characters, that'd be even less.
The Bad
-My issues with the pacing were really emphasized in this one, in fact. I understand the want to go and explore as many time periods and places as possible, but the awe and wonder were not there. They flitted from period to period and didn't really go into great detail into many specific eras, which was something from the first novel that I liked much better.
- Nicholas and Etta's reunion was held over our heads for so long. They didn't see each other until at least 400 pages in. The first novel was a little over 300 pages if I remember correctly; at least in page length, they spent longer missing each other than actually being together. By at least halfway through, it felt pretty repetitive. So far, this series is only meant to be a duology, which means that their relationship was only beginning to develop.
- The general concept of time travel isn't too difficult to grasp, and it is really a unique take on it. In
- Hasan never really reappeared. Small detail, I know, but it made a little sad.
- Rose felt a little underdeveloped to me as well. We did get a much better understanding of her by the end of the series, but considering how her choices played such a hand in this story, Rose herself as a character remained pretty murky.
- Most of the characters, to me, even the most central ones, felt undeveloped. I wish I could explain more exactly what about it made it feel that way. In general, it seemed like there were certain details of most of the characters that defined them, and outside of that, they didn't really have much depth.
My Conclusion
If you really loved Passenger, I think you will still really like Wayfarer. Personally, I felt a little lukewarm towards both of them. If you felt similar to me, I don't think Wayfarer should be completely written off, but do be aware that the pacing does not change much. Overall, I feel as though the story and characters felt a little underdeveloped in general. I'd really like to see an extension of the series. show less
Rating: 98% (4.9 stars)
Woah....just woah. This book was incredibly hilarious and easy to get into. I read it in a single night because I couldn't imagine sleeping. I fell so easily into this book and it was absolutely incredible. For one thing, I loved the characters and their interactions, they felt so right and easy. Another thing I noticed and really liked was the way the exposition was handled. The story just easily flowed without paragraphs upon paragraphs of exposition or unnecessary detail, and I think that played a big role in its ability to suck me in.
Woah....just woah. This book was incredibly hilarious and easy to get into. I read it in a single night because I couldn't imagine sleeping. I fell so easily into this book and it was absolutely incredible. For one thing, I loved the characters and their interactions, they felt so right and easy. Another thing I noticed and really liked was the way the exposition was handled. The story just easily flowed without paragraphs upon paragraphs of exposition or unnecessary detail, and I think that played a big role in its ability to suck me in.
Rating: 90% (4.5 stars)
It has been a long time since a book has made me cry, but this one got me really bad, even though I knew it was coming. I relate so much to Patroclus and I'm very glad that the story was told through his point of view. He isn't incredibly talented and is overshadowed by Achilles most of the time, but this genuinely doesn't bother him. This allows the story to stay focused on human relationships, despite the mythology that is in it. Miller really made the story her own, and used the parts of the myths (which are, at times, quite contradictory) that best suited her purposes and did not try to force material, and yet still stayed quite true. It reminds me a bit of how Maggie Stiefvater uses myths in her books. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes mythology.
It has been a long time since a book has made me cry, but this one got me really bad, even though I knew it was coming. I relate so much to Patroclus and I'm very glad that the story was told through his point of view. He isn't incredibly talented and is overshadowed by Achilles most of the time, but this genuinely doesn't bother him. This allows the story to stay focused on human relationships, despite the mythology that is in it. Miller really made the story her own, and used the parts of the myths (which are, at times, quite contradictory) that best suited her purposes and did not try to force material, and yet still stayed quite true. It reminds me a bit of how Maggie Stiefvater uses myths in her books. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes mythology.
THERE'S MORE?!???!! OHMYGODS THERE's MORE!!!
I don't even care that I have to wait 2 years!
I don't even care that I have to wait 2 years!
THE GOOD
❈ I found myself feeling much less annoyed at and much more pitiful for Jacks than I did in Legendary. I have a strange attachment to him now and I felt sad at the end that he didn't get a very happy ending.
❈ I was also much less annoyed at Tella for her secretive plots and impulsiveness. I think this is partially because she became a lot more honest in this book. I think she grew so much as a character in this book. Overall, the characters spent a lot less time arguing with each other for having to do risky things and were more open with each other. Or well, I guess to put it more clearly, they didn't play games with each other as much.
❈ I enjoyed learning more about the Fates, but I also wished we could've gotten a deeper glimpse into that part of their world. Only a handful of them really played any role at all. Then again, if we get a sequel, that might be different.
❈ The scene in the marketplace made me bust out laughing, which is something that rarely occurs in books. It was a nice break in the tension.
❈ Usually, when there are two love interests battling it out for the attention of a character, I find it extremely frustrating and not very enjoyable to read. I guess its just not my thing. But surprisingly I didn't mind it here.
THE BAD
❈ For the first few chapters, the romance between Tella and Legend seemed a bit too sappy for my taste and I had some trouble getting into the book, but after that it didn't really interrupt the flow for me show more anymore.
❈ I was a bit annoyed at the fact that the secret Tella exchanged her daughter's weakness for in the future didn't play as much of a role. I know it most likely served as a plot device to set up for future books, which I am for, but it felt disappointing that Tella went through all of that for a secret that didn't help them that much in the end. Having the Assassin on their side, I immediately thought that they might go back to that moment in time and murder him, but it ended up just leading to a plot to dress Scarlett up similarly to their mother to have Gavriel fall in love with her again, which they totally could've come up with without that secret they bought.
❈ The way Nicolas's story ended was very sad and abrupt, and it felt like it was unnecessarily so. I don't think the side plot really brought anything to the story and I could've done without it. And more importantly, what happened to Timber afterwards? Who is taking care of him now? I need to be reassured on this matter.
❈ I want to see more development with the other performers in caravel please!
❈ I also wanted to hear more about Julian and Legend's backgrounds. I know it wasn't entirely relevant here but I'd enjoy it if we got the opportunity in the future.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
❈ This was definitely a change of pace from Caravel and Legendary, but I didn't think that was necessarily a fault. If there had been another caravel, it probably would have felt too repetitive. I thought the pacing was pretty good throughout the book.
❈ I was a bit surprised that Scarlett and Julian, and not Legend and Tella, were pushed forward as the new rulers. Scarlett has matured a lot, but I still have trouble imagining her personality being compatible with the constraints of ruling. But, you never know.
❈ We never quite closed up that loose thread with Esmeralda. She's most likely dead, but you can assume such things.
❈ There is going to be a spinoff about Tella's daughter??? You can't just leave that hanging there.
❈ I'm curious what role Jacks would play in this hypothetical spin-off novel. Will he fall in love with Tella's daughter? Or plan to destroy her for Tella's betrayal? Or both? I don't know I just miss Jacks now for some reason ):
❈ Although, giving up Tella's daughter's weakness seems like horrible betrayal, theoretically they could sell it to the sisters and buy it back immediately afterward, eliminating the risk because they would forget immediately afterward, if I'm correct. Then again, that isn't as dramatic. But they would still have to give up / find a secret of equal value, which could make for an interesting sequel. show less
❈ I found myself feeling much less annoyed at and much more pitiful for Jacks than I did in Legendary. I have a strange attachment to him now and I felt sad at the end that he didn't get a very happy ending.
❈ I was also much less annoyed at Tella for her secretive plots and impulsiveness. I think this is partially because she became a lot more honest in this book. I think she grew so much as a character in this book. Overall, the characters spent a lot less time arguing with each other for having to do risky things and were more open with each other. Or well, I guess to put it more clearly, they didn't play games with each other as much.
❈ I enjoyed learning more about the Fates, but I also wished we could've gotten a deeper glimpse into that part of their world. Only a handful of them really played any role at all. Then again, if we get a sequel, that might be different.
❈ The scene in the marketplace made me bust out laughing, which is something that rarely occurs in books. It was a nice break in the tension.
❈ Usually, when there are two love interests battling it out for the attention of a character, I find it extremely frustrating and not very enjoyable to read. I guess its just not my thing. But surprisingly I didn't mind it here.
THE BAD
❈ For the first few chapters, the romance between Tella and Legend seemed a bit too sappy for my taste and I had some trouble getting into the book, but after that it didn't really interrupt the flow for me show more anymore.
❈ I was a bit annoyed at the fact that the secret Tella exchanged her daughter's weakness for in the future didn't play as much of a role. I know it most likely served as a plot device to set up for future books, which I am for, but it felt disappointing that Tella went through all of that for a secret that didn't help them that much in the end. Having the Assassin on their side, I immediately thought that they might go back to that moment in time and murder him, but it ended up just leading to a plot to dress Scarlett up similarly to their mother to have Gavriel fall in love with her again, which they totally could've come up with without that secret they bought.
❈ The way Nicolas's story ended was very sad and abrupt, and it felt like it was unnecessarily so. I don't think the side plot really brought anything to the story and I could've done without it. And more importantly, what happened to Timber afterwards? Who is taking care of him now? I need to be reassured on this matter.
❈ I want to see more development with the other performers in caravel please!
❈ I also wanted to hear more about Julian and Legend's backgrounds. I know it wasn't entirely relevant here but I'd enjoy it if we got the opportunity in the future.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
❈ This was definitely a change of pace from Caravel and Legendary, but I didn't think that was necessarily a fault. If there had been another caravel, it probably would have felt too repetitive. I thought the pacing was pretty good throughout the book.
❈ I was a bit surprised that Scarlett and Julian, and not Legend and Tella, were pushed forward as the new rulers. Scarlett has matured a lot, but I still have trouble imagining her personality being compatible with the constraints of ruling. But, you never know.
❈ We never quite closed up that loose thread with Esmeralda. She's most likely dead, but you can assume such things.
❈ There is going to be a spinoff about Tella's daughter??? You can't just leave that hanging there.
❈ I'm curious what role Jacks would play in this hypothetical spin-off novel. Will he fall in love with Tella's daughter? Or plan to destroy her for Tella's betrayal? Or both? I don't know I just miss Jacks now for some reason ):
❈ Although, giving up Tella's daughter's weakness seems like horrible betrayal, theoretically they could sell it to the sisters and buy it back immediately afterward, eliminating the risk because they would forget immediately afterward, if I'm correct. Then again, that isn't as dramatic. But they would still have to give up / find a secret of equal value, which could make for an interesting sequel. show less
Rating: 99% (4.95 stars)
I don't typically read poetry but woah???
I don't typically read poetry but woah???
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋Spoilers for books 1-6 (all of the books before this one) below the cut❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
Update ➜ March 25, 2018
We now have a cover!!!
So obviously, we have Tam, Sophie, and Wylie. Or maybe Prentence? I'm feeling it's probably Wylie, though. He really looks similar to his picture in the official art.
They are all wearing cloaks that are white underneath and black on top. Sophie's cloak has a pin with what appears to be wings holding it together. I'm not sure if that's a reference to anything we know of yet so far. Sophie is wearing her gloves and a purple dress, and is throwing what I believe to be a ninja star. I don't see anything else that seems to be distinctive about their outfits.
Tam appears to be shadowcasting (the best word I can think of for what they are doing, I'm not really sure) with Wylie. Wylie is a Flasher, so I guess it would make sense that he would be able to work with Tam. I think whatever they are casting is causing the image of the stairway to appear. I think the forest is separate from the image with the stairs, maybe they are creating some kind of portal there? I think the stairs place may be the same as the ones they went up before (I am terrible with names, I should really look this up), the ones where Fitz let Sophie throw his brother's award off of. However, I don't believe those had railings on them, so maybe not. I also don't really have many ideas of where the forest may be. It doesn't seem particularly distinctive.
Interestingly, if you think about the staircase image as a portal to the forest and think about how Sophie appears to be coming out of it, the placement of Tam and who I guess to be Wylie doesn't make sense, unless you consider that Tam and Wylie were already at the forest and made the portal for Sophie to come through. We have seen Tam trigger the opening of a portal, or at least make the appearance of one known before, so I guess it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. And we did hear some vague mentionings of the Vacker's ancient relative, Fallon Vacker, who could possibly be a Flasher like another one of their relatives, Orem Vacker.
Update ➜ February 20, 2018
This is it guys, we have a teasing title and the cover is soon to follow - who do you think will be on the cover? I'm going to place my bets on Keefe, Sophie, and Fitz.
We also have some info from Shannon (which is a relief!)
Sidenote, it just occurred to me that Psychic/Livie was also (probably?) in the Black Swan before Sophie was born. So we can add that to the list of possible suspects: Squall/Mrs. Diznee, Wraith, and Blur. I think it would be pretty cool if Squall was Sophie's mother because then Sophie would also be biologically related to Edaline (because Mrs. Diznee is her sister). Although, that might make things between Sophie and Dex quite awkward. (Watch, the book will end right before we learn who her real parents are - Shannon please do not do that!)
Update ➜ December 30, 2017:
I say it many times, that I hate people who review unreleased books, but I allow myself this one exception because Shannon Messenger never fails to deliver. My excitement is definitely a 5/5 stars!
Among the many unanswered questions: (spoilers for all previous books, of course)
1. Why is Lady Gisela hiding her face? Obviously, she most likely has gruesome scars, but I intensely suspect that there is some deeper motivation.
2. Silveny's panic. Why was she so panicked and secretive that one time when Sophie tried to contact her? I know this has kind of drifted to the back burner in light of some more....immenent issues, but it still remains a mystery unsolved.
3. Sophie's biological parents. We've been teased at this since basically the beginning of the series. I know its probably being withheld until it is significant to the current state of the plot but I REALLY NEED TO KNOW OKAY!! We do know that her parents don't know who the other parent is. And its pretty much confirmed that it isn't Kenric, Jolie, Tiergan, Prentence, and Mr. Forkle (I think but I don't 100% remember??). They were probably in the Black Swan at the time of her....creation, I guess you could call it. So far, of characters we know, that includes Squall/Mrs. Diznee and whoever Blur is. Also, he did mention that Enhancer was naturally a part of her genome and he decided to keep it, so maybe she's related to a character with that ability.
4. Sophie's other abilities. So far we've got Telepath, Enhancer, Polygot, Teleporter, and Inflictor. We also know that it most likely isn't something extremely volatile, like Pyrokinetic. It sounds like she does have at least one other ability, from Mr. Forkle's cryptic answer to her when she asked.
5. Alavar. I don't really know what else to say about this. It's almost completely certain that he isn't faking his memory loss, so what/who caused it, and why exactly did they decide to leave him for dead? Can his memories be triggered or are they gone forever? And this will definitely be a difficult situation to deal with in this next book. Is it morally acceptable to punish someone for something that they don't remember? Will he be just as manipulative and awful without his memories, meaning that his terrible person tendencies are deeply embedded in his character, or will he be different without them?
6. What is in the caches? Its nigh time that we get at least one thing out of those darn caches that were so hard won. Obviously, there will be information about Vespera.
7. Prentence. GUYS, THIS IS IT, HE'S FINALLY HEALED!!! But.....of course, it's complicated. Will he return to himself to be able to tell the Black Swan about what exactly happened before his arrest and mind break? Will he even be able to deal with his wife's death, son's torture, and all of their lost years?
8. Vespera What is the intent of her experiments, and why was Gisela so interested in them? I've wanted to punch her in the face for being such a stubborn pain in the butt for most of the book and I know I'm not alone in that. We do know it has something to do with human emotions and the capacity for violence so it already sounds quite unpleasant. Also, how does Fallon Vacker factor into this?
9. Biana. I know she's going to survive, but how will this change her personality and the group's chemistry as a result? Also, I'm hella proud of her. And Linh. And Tam. And Dex. And Fitz. And yes, even Keefe.
10. Keefe in general. Will we find out why he is so in tuned with Sophie's emotions in particular? And the rest of his hidden memories? And his "legacy"? Gisela made some loose references to what it actually may be but I don't really think its as simple as being Nightfall (either one of them) or a book or something. It seems to carry a lot more weight than even that.
11.What is Fintan's plan? Of course, it is never really what's expected. We can't really get an idea at the moment, and even if we did it would probably be wrong I'm guessing.
12. Marella's secret. Will this become public now, because of the events at Nightfall? And what will that do to her? Is there hope for progress with the Pyrokinetic ability? I mean, tbh, trying to making people with a dangerous, hard to control ability just ignore it sounds like a recipe for disaster to me personally, at least try to teach them to control it at the very least. It seems as though Bronte will be accepting at the very least, as he already knows about it. Also, there was a tease at what happened to Marella's mom as far as her sanity goes, and it seems that she was involved with the Black Swan in some way before it happened?
13. Will Sandor x Grizel happen? I really hope it does. Speaking of which, Sophie owes Fitz a dance as well as Sandor owes Grizel one, so dance party in the near future?
14. Fitzphie or Keephie? The romantic tension has definitely been rising, between the Dezphie incident, Fitz's very frequent gifts, and Ftiz's determination to find out what her secret is. Personally, I think both Keefe and Fitz have feelings for Sophie, and Sophie has an intense crush on Fitz and doesn't exactly know what to feel about Keefe. Sidenote, Biana most likely has a crush on Keefe. Or Dex?? Idk this is confusing. Maybe even Tamphie might be a thing?? Who knows, I have a feeling things are about to get very romantically interesting in the next book.
15. Will this be the last book? I'm assuming the "confirmed another 2 books" includes [b:Nightfall|32762917|Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6)|Shannon Messenger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488996054s/32762917.jpg|53353021] and [b:Untitled|32762937|Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7)|Shannon Messenger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520545883s/32762937.jpg|53353040], so could this be the last book? And if not, I assume there will be one more book after this and no more. I don't want to think about that. HOWEVER, there is a lot of room for spin-offs in this universe, because let's face it, there are still so many unanswered questions about the very rich universe of these books and their characters that could definitely be answered and expanded upon.
16. Damel I like the guy's personality, but something about him just feels off. I think it was one of his comments about a past wash he has done although I don't completely remember. But I am suspcious. We do know the Neverseen have a Telepath, and presumably a Telepath trained in washing. Connection? Maybe. show less
Update ➜ March 25, 2018
We now have a cover!!!
So obviously, we have Tam, Sophie, and Wylie. Or maybe Prentence? I'm feeling it's probably Wylie, though. He really looks similar to his picture in the official art.
They are all wearing cloaks that are white underneath and black on top. Sophie's cloak has a pin with what appears to be wings holding it together. I'm not sure if that's a reference to anything we know of yet so far. Sophie is wearing her gloves and a purple dress, and is throwing what I believe to be a ninja star. I don't see anything else that seems to be distinctive about their outfits.
Tam appears to be shadowcasting (the best word I can think of for what they are doing, I'm not really sure) with Wylie. Wylie is a Flasher, so I guess it would make sense that he would be able to work with Tam. I think whatever they are casting is causing the image of the stairway to appear. I think the forest is separate from the image with the stairs, maybe they are creating some kind of portal there? I think the stairs place may be the same as the ones they went up before (I am terrible with names, I should really look this up), the ones where Fitz let Sophie throw his brother's award off of. However, I don't believe those had railings on them, so maybe not. I also don't really have many ideas of where the forest may be. It doesn't seem particularly
Interestingly, if you think about the staircase image as a portal to the forest and think about how Sophie appears to be coming out of it, the placement of Tam and who I guess to be Wylie doesn't make sense, unless you consider that Tam and Wylie were already at the forest and made the portal for Sophie to come through. We have seen Tam trigger the opening of a portal, or at least make the appearance of one known before, so I guess it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. And we did hear some vague mentionings of the Vacker's ancient relative, Fallon Vacker, who could possibly be a Flasher like another one of their relatives, Orem Vacker.
Update ➜ February 20, 2018
This is it guys, we have a teasing title and the cover is soon to follow - who do you think will be on the cover? I'm going to place my bets on Keefe, Sophie, and Fitz.
We also have some info from Shannon (which is a relief!)
WE HAVE A TITLE!!!!!!!!
Cover and plot description to come later (and no, I don't know when)--but just so we're clear:
WHAT THE TITLE *DOES* MEAN: Memory plays a BIG role in book 7 (which you can probably guess from certain things that happened in NIGHTFALL--please don't spoil)
WHAT THE TITLE DOES *NOT* MEAN: The entire book is one long flashback. Mind you, it'd be fun to mess with you guys that way, but even I'm not *that* evil. 🤣 (this is also not a prequel. this is the seventh book, and a continuation of everything. Calling it flashback will make sense when you read)
Sidenote, it just occurred to me that Psychic/Livie was also (probably?) in the Black Swan before Sophie was born. So we can add that to the list of possible suspects: Squall/Mrs. Diznee, Wraith, and Blur. I think it would be pretty cool if Squall was Sophie's mother because then Sophie would also be biologically related to Edaline (because Mrs. Diznee is her sister). Although, that might make things between Sophie and Dex quite awkward. (Watch, the book will end right before we learn who her real parents are - Shannon please do not do that!)
Update ➜ December 30, 2017:
I say it many times, that I hate people who review unreleased books, but I allow myself this one exception because Shannon Messenger never fails to deliver. My excitement is definitely a 5/5 stars!
Among the many unanswered questions: (spoilers for all previous books, of course)
1. Why is Lady Gisela hiding her face? Obviously, she most likely has gruesome scars, but I intensely suspect that there is some deeper motivation.
2. Silveny's panic. Why was she so panicked and secretive that one time when Sophie tried to contact her? I know this has kind of drifted to the back burner in light of some more....immenent issues, but it still remains a mystery unsolved.
3. Sophie's biological parents. We've been teased at this since basically the beginning of the series. I know its probably being withheld until it is significant to the current state of the plot but I REALLY NEED TO KNOW OKAY!! We do know that her parents don't know who the other parent is. And its pretty much confirmed that it isn't Kenric, Jolie, Tiergan, Prentence, and Mr. Forkle (I think but I don't 100% remember??). They were probably in the Black Swan at the time of her....creation, I guess you could call it. So far, of characters we know, that includes Squall/Mrs. Diznee and whoever Blur is. Also, he did mention that Enhancer was naturally a part of her genome and he decided to keep it, so maybe she's related to a character with that ability.
4. Sophie's other abilities. So far we've got Telepath, Enhancer, Polygot, Teleporter, and Inflictor. We also know that it most likely isn't something extremely volatile, like Pyrokinetic. It sounds like she does have at least one other ability, from Mr. Forkle's cryptic answer to her when she asked.
5. Alavar. I don't really know what else to say about this. It's almost completely certain that he isn't faking his memory loss, so what/who caused it, and why exactly did they decide to leave him for dead? Can his memories be triggered or are they gone forever? And this will definitely be a difficult situation to deal with in this next book. Is it morally acceptable to punish someone for something that they don't remember? Will he be just as manipulative and awful without his memories, meaning that his terrible person tendencies are deeply embedded in his character, or will he be different without them?
6. What is in the caches? Its nigh time that we get at least one thing out of those darn caches that were so hard won. Obviously, there will be information about Vespera.
7. Prentence. GUYS, THIS IS IT, HE'S FINALLY HEALED!!! But.....of course, it's complicated. Will he return to himself to be able to tell the Black Swan about what exactly happened before his arrest and mind break? Will he even be able to deal with his wife's death, son's torture, and all of their lost years?
8. Vespera What is the intent of her experiments, and why was Gisela so interested in them? I've wanted to punch her in the face for being such a stubborn pain in the butt for most of the book and I know I'm not alone in that. We do know it has something to do with human emotions and the capacity for violence so it already sounds quite unpleasant. Also, how does Fallon Vacker factor into this?
9. Biana. I know she's going to survive, but how will this change her personality and the group's chemistry as a result? Also, I'm hella proud of her. And Linh. And Tam. And Dex. And Fitz. And yes, even Keefe.
10. Keefe in general. Will we find out why he is so in tuned with Sophie's emotions in particular? And the rest of his hidden memories? And his "legacy"? Gisela made some loose references to what it actually may be but I don't really think its as simple as being Nightfall (either one of them) or a book or something. It seems to carry a lot more weight than even that.
11.What is Fintan's plan? Of course, it is never really what's expected. We can't really get an idea at the moment, and even if we did it would probably be wrong I'm guessing.
12. Marella's secret. Will this become public now, because of the events at Nightfall? And what will that do to her? Is there hope for progress with the Pyrokinetic ability? I mean, tbh, trying to making people with a dangerous, hard to control ability just ignore it sounds like a recipe for disaster to me personally, at least try to teach them to control it at the very least. It seems as though Bronte will be accepting at the very least, as he already knows about it. Also, there was a tease at what happened to Marella's mom as far as her sanity goes, and it seems that she was involved with the Black Swan in some way before it happened?
13. Will Sandor x Grizel happen? I really hope it does. Speaking of which, Sophie owes Fitz a dance as well as Sandor owes Grizel one, so dance party in the near future?
14. Fitzphie or Keephie? The romantic tension has definitely been rising, between the Dezphie incident, Fitz's very frequent gifts, and Ftiz's determination to find out what her secret is. Personally, I think both Keefe and Fitz have feelings for Sophie, and Sophie has an intense crush on Fitz and doesn't exactly know what to feel about Keefe. Sidenote, Biana most likely has a crush on Keefe. Or Dex?? Idk this is confusing. Maybe even Tamphie might be a thing?? Who knows, I have a feeling things are about to get very romantically interesting in the next book.
15. Will this be the last book? I'm assuming the "confirmed another 2 books" includes [b:Nightfall|32762917|Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6)|Shannon Messenger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488996054s/32762917.jpg|53353021] and [b:Untitled|32762937|Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #7)|Shannon Messenger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520545883s/32762937.jpg|53353040], so could this be the last book? And if not, I assume there will be one more book after this and no more. I don't want to think about that. HOWEVER, there is a lot of room for spin-offs in this universe, because let's face it, there are still so many unanswered questions about the very rich universe of these books and their characters that could definitely be answered and expanded upon.
16. Damel I like the guy's personality, but something about him just feels off. I think it was one of his comments about a past wash he has done although I don't completely remember. But I am suspcious. We do know the Neverseen have a Telepath, and presumably a Telepath trained in washing. Connection? Maybe.
Rating: 98% (4.9 stars)
I don't have enough stars to give to this book. My world has been blown open. My emotions are still in recovery, so I'll be come back to review later.
I don't have enough stars to give to this book. My world has been blown open. My emotions are still in recovery, so I'll be come back to review later.
Rating: 96% (4.8 stars)
I've had this book (and wanted to read it) since it was released in 2015. It's now the end of 2018 and I've finally gotten around to reading it, and I'm so glad I did.
I've had this book (and wanted to read it) since it was released in 2015. It's now the end of 2018 and I've finally gotten around to reading it, and I'm so glad I did.
Rating: 95% (4.75 stars)
Wow, I was really surprised. I was able to read this very quickly. I enjoyed it a lot - it was a fun read and I genuinely didn’t have any major complaints. The style was very different, but I liked it. I didn’t ever feel like I had to push myself to read it, it felt very natural.
Wow, I was really surprised. I was able to read this very quickly. I enjoyed it a lot - it was a fun read and I genuinely didn’t have any major complaints. The style was very different, but I liked it. I didn’t ever feel like I had to push myself to read it, it felt very natural.
Rating: 85% (4.25 stars)
Ooof, so I have mixed feelings about this one. But not in the way I typically am. There was nothing that really made me want to tear out my hair, thankfully. I didn't really feel much towards this book.
While reading the Legend series and the Young Elites, I felt a lot. The most of the characters were very interesting and the situations genuinely brought me to the edge of my seat. The worlds of both of those series were very interesting and unique, and her descriptions seemed to flow easily. I loved and hated and rooted for the characters, I felt their bonds. When I heard about the concept of Warcross, which reminded me of New Antartica in the Legend series, I was genuinely excited to see such a world be the focus of a novel.
Sadly, the characters in Warcross all felt quite bland to me. They didn't feel very real to me. Their bonds, friendships, and romances did not really make me feel anything at all. When a book's characters do not interest me very much, it's really hard to make up for that. The technology and descriptions of it really felt lacking to me for some reason. I had a hard time picturing many of the scenes that were described. The descriptions of both the settings and characters, in general, felt very bland and uninteresting.
I believe this could partially be because of the nature of Emi's work. Unlike in Legend or The Young Elites, where the powers were very appealing to read about, whether because of their physicality or the show more interesting ways in which they worked, most of Emi's impressive coding skill was vaguely described as her "hacking through a shield". There was not much of a mental or physical struggle in the book. I understand that we couldn't be lead through the step by step process, but it really took a lot of the momentum out of the "action".
The plot was just interesting enough for me to hang on to. I had guessed from the beginning that Hideo was hiding something dirty and pretty quickly realized the possibility of Sasuke being Zero (although I understand that this isn't 100% confirmed yet). Again, I didn't feel a great sense of danger or fascination with the plot. The twists didn't surprise me very much.
Overall, although I feel that the book was lacking in many areas, I didn't feel immense frustration at it. If I had, I would have placed the review much lower. In my mind, I one example of a book that I had similar feelings about the characters' descriptions, the settings, and the plot was Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I rated that book lower though because I was extremely frustrated at the characters, mostly Mare, for the majority of the book. Although they are flawed similarly in my mind, I personally think Red Queen had much greater issues. In general, I felt very lukewarm towards Warcross, I was surprised and impressed that I was still able to read through it without feeling too frustrated despite it.
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While reading the Legend series and the Young Elites, I felt a lot. The most of the characters were very interesting and the situations genuinely brought me to the edge of my seat. The worlds of both of those series were very interesting and unique, and her descriptions seemed to flow easily. I loved and hated and rooted for the characters, I felt their bonds. When I heard about the concept of Warcross, which reminded me of New Antartica in the Legend series, I was genuinely excited to see such a world be the focus of a novel.
Sadly, the characters in Warcross all felt quite bland to me. They didn't feel very real to me. Their bonds, friendships, and romances did not really make me feel anything at all. When a book's characters do not interest me very much, it's really hard to make up for that. The technology and descriptions of it really felt lacking to me for some reason. I had a hard time picturing many of the scenes that were described. The descriptions of both the settings and characters, in general, felt very bland and uninteresting.
I believe this could partially be because of the nature of Emi's work. Unlike in Legend or The Young Elites, where the powers were very appealing to read about, whether because of their physicality or the
The plot was just interesting enough for me to hang on to. I had guessed from the beginning that Hideo was hiding something dirty and pretty quickly realized the possibility of Sasuke being Zero (although I understand that this isn't 100% confirmed yet). Again, I didn't feel a great sense of danger or fascination with the plot. The twists didn't surprise me very much.
Overall, although I feel that the book was lacking in many areas, I didn't feel immense frustration at it. If I had, I would have placed the review much lower. In my mind, I one example of a book that I had similar feelings about the characters' descriptions, the settings, and the plot was Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I rated that book lower though because I was extremely frustrated at the characters, mostly Mare, for the majority of the book. Although they are flawed similarly in my mind, I personally think Red Queen had much greater issues. In general, I felt very lukewarm towards Warcross, I was surprised and impressed that I was still able to read through it without feeling too frustrated despite it.
This was a really interesting read. I did read it for school, so I didn't have high expectations, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. I'll admit, keeping track of the characters, who were only known by their juror numbers, was a bit difficult, although I understand why the decision to do so was made. The moral and legal questions brought by the story are still very relevant today - the setting could've just as easily been in modern times with very few adjustments to minor details. I think this is a great story for everyone to read as a citizen in general, whether or not you are involved with the law.
I do understand that this piece was originally intended to be a cinematic piece, and I really do think it would thrive the most in that form, although I haven't watched it yet. That being said, the message still is adequately expressed.
I do understand that this piece was originally intended to be a cinematic piece, and I really do think it would thrive the most in that form, although I haven't watched it yet. That being said, the message still is adequately expressed.
I did read this for school, so naturally, I came in with low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the theme of this story. My biggest gripe is that it was difficult to understand what was going on or what the characters were saying because of the writing style, but that is understandable because it was written over a half a century ago.
Rating: 85% (4.25 Stars)
I’m really happy that Tahereh addressed many of my issues with the previous books. Most notably, the world building and background info. Although I haven’t reread the previous books yet, I do still feel like there is a noticeable improvement in the writing technique.
I have a pretty solid expectation in my head for Tahereh’s writing. If this was the first time I had ever read her work, I may have different feelings towards it. Some people may very well like her style, but personally it is not my favorite. However, there was definitely refinement that I can appreciateThis was definitely the easiest of the series for me to read and it didn’t feel painful to make myself read at any points, which I am grateful for.
Part of this may also be due to the character development in Juliette. I’m glad with Tahereh’s choice in continuing the series and allowing herself the freedom to make the changes that needed to happen. It was cohesive, however it didn’t feel like she was recycling elements from the previous novels, good or bad. I know some people were unhappy with the shift, but personanlly I agree with what she has done with the series.
I’m really happy that Tahereh addressed many of my issues with the previous books. Most notably, the world building and background info. Although I haven’t reread the previous books yet, I do still feel like there is a noticeable improvement in the writing technique.
I have a pretty solid expectation in my head for Tahereh’s writing. If this was the first time I had ever read her work, I may have different feelings towards it. Some people may very well like her style, but personally it is not my favorite. However, there was definitely refinement that I can appreciateThis was definitely the easiest of the series for me to read and it didn’t feel painful to make myself read at any points, which I am grateful for.
Part of this may also be due to the character development in Juliette. I’m glad with Tahereh’s choice in continuing the series and allowing herself the freedom to make the changes that needed to happen. It was cohesive, however it didn’t feel like she was recycling elements from the previous novels, good or bad. I know some people were unhappy with the shift, but personanlly I agree with what she has done with the series.
Rating: 95% (4.75 stars)
First off, I'd like to say that I could not put this book down. It was appealing for entirely different reasons than the first book of the series. I enjoyed them both, but for separate reasons. In the first novel, it felt like I was getting lost and entranced by Caraval with Scarlett. In this book, I wasn't swept away by the secrets and wonder. In Legendary, Caraval is stripped down in many ways. Legendary doesn't try to replicate the same feelings of mystery around Caraval itself that the first book does, and this makes sense, due to the difference in the characters narrating the novel. While the first book is about weaving the beautiful world of Caraval, Legendary is about unweaving it, which is fascinating in a different way.
Now for my list of unanswered questions posed by this book.
1. Tella's bleeding. Jacks's heartbeat has returned, which suggests that Tella is his true love, and therefore is immune to the deadly effects of his kiss. So, why is she still bleeding from her eyes, nose, mouth, fingertips, and her heartbeat is slow? Even after she received Legend/Dante's blood, she still bled.
So why? Is Tella not his true love? (Did he kiss someone else in the meantime, and Tella is still dying?) Or possibly, did Legend give some of his blood to Jacks as the sacrifice needed to open the vault?
2. Legend's sacrifice. This is quite obvious. What was the loophole? We know Legend/Dante must have given something dear in order to temporarily break the curse. As mentioned before, maybe he gave some of his power to Jacks. That's all I can think of at the moment.
3. Jacks's escape. How did he so fully escape the cards when the rest of the powerful Fates appeared to not be able to do so? Seems shifty to me.
4. Jack's as the heir. Since he is a Fate, it would be impossible for him to be Elantine's heir, so how does he have everyone convinced that he is the heir? (unless I missed something)
5. Jacks's last finacee. It seems like he really did care for her and did not kill her. So who killed her? He did vaguely say someone did it because they didn't want him to come to power. (Someone who would not want him to be in power = Legend?)
6. Paradise/Paloma's imprisonment. Who imprisoned her and how did they find her?
7. Dante/Legend as the heir. After I heard Dante's story about the how his parents sold him off and Elantine's story about how she lied to one of her children to protect them and that caused them to never speak again, I figured that Dante/Legend being Elantine's child could be a possibility. (this would mean that Julian, if he really is Dante/Legend's brother, would also be an heir??) Tella believes that he is only putting on an act, but could it actually be true?
8. Scarlett x Julian x the Count. Where was Scarlett sneaking off to when Tella tried to contact her? That was never revealed. It seems like Scarlett has forgiven Julian by the end of Legendary, but she's also in contact with the Count, so what role will this play in their relationship?
9. Caraval's winner's prize. Last time, it was clear that it was Tella. However, in this Caraval, the prize is still unknown, although it seems as if we'll find that out pretty quickly in the next book. Honestly, I'm not really sure what it could be at this point. There is nothing that Tella seems to obviously desire now that her mother has been returned to her.
10. How did Paradise/Paloma acquire the Deck of Destiny? Who did she steal it from, and how? And why?
11. What happens with the Fates now? We know there is still time before the Fates are able to fully awaken even though they've been released, but what will happen once that occurs? They are powerful, but they don't have their full powers, so how will they proceed?
12. The witch's identity Who is this mysterious figure who was able to trap all of the Fates within cards and grant Legend powers? I feel like she's going to make an appearance in the next book.
13. Nigel. He is obviously more than just another Caraval actor, and his intentions don't seem to exactly be for the benefit of Legend. Maybe he is a fate? Who knows.
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First off, I'd like to say that I could not put this book down. It was appealing for entirely different reasons than the first book of the series. I enjoyed them both, but for separate reasons. In the first novel, it felt like I was getting lost and entranced by Caraval with Scarlett. In this book, I wasn't swept away by the secrets and wonder. In Legendary, Caraval is stripped down in many ways. Legendary doesn't try to replicate the same feelings of mystery around Caraval itself that the first book does, and this makes sense, due to the difference in the characters narrating the novel. While the first book is about weaving the beautiful world of Caraval, Legendary is about unweaving it, which is fascinating in a different way.
Now for my list of unanswered questions posed by this book.
1. Tella's bleeding. Jacks's heartbeat has returned, which suggests that Tella is his true love, and therefore is immune to the deadly effects of his kiss. So, why is she still bleeding from her eyes, nose, mouth, fingertips, and her heartbeat is slow? Even after she received Legend/Dante's blood, she still bled.
So why? Is Tella not his true love? (Did he kiss someone else in the meantime, and Tella is still dying?) Or possibly, did Legend give some of his blood to Jacks as the sacrifice needed to open the vault?
2. Legend's sacrifice. This is quite obvious. What was the loophole? We know Legend/Dante must have given something dear in order to temporarily break the
3. Jacks's escape. How did he so fully escape the cards when the rest of the powerful Fates appeared to not be able to do so? Seems shifty to me.
4. Jack's as the heir. Since he is a Fate, it would be impossible for him to be Elantine's heir, so how does he have everyone convinced that he is the heir? (unless I missed something)
5. Jacks's last finacee. It seems like he really did care for her and did not kill her. So who killed her? He did vaguely say someone did it because they didn't want him to come to power. (Someone who would not want him to be in power = Legend?)
6. Paradise/Paloma's imprisonment. Who imprisoned her and how did they find her?
7. Dante/Legend as the heir. After I heard Dante's story about the how his parents sold him off and Elantine's story about how she lied to one of her children to protect them and that caused them to never speak again, I figured that Dante/Legend being Elantine's child could be a possibility. (this would mean that Julian, if he really is Dante/Legend's brother, would also be an heir??) Tella believes that he is only putting on an act, but could it actually be true?
8. Scarlett x Julian x the Count. Where was Scarlett sneaking off to when Tella tried to contact her? That was never revealed. It seems like Scarlett has forgiven Julian by the end of Legendary, but she's also in contact with the Count, so what role will this play in their relationship?
9. Caraval's winner's prize. Last time, it was clear that it was Tella. However, in this Caraval, the prize is still unknown, although it seems as if we'll find that out pretty quickly in the next book. Honestly, I'm not really sure what it could be at this point. There is nothing that Tella seems to obviously desire now that her mother has been returned to her.
10. How did Paradise/Paloma acquire the Deck of Destiny? Who did she steal it from, and how? And why?
11. What happens with the Fates now? We know there is still time before the Fates are able to fully awaken even though they've been released, but what will happen once that occurs? They are powerful, but they don't have their full powers, so how will they proceed?
12. The witch's identity Who is this mysterious figure who was able to trap all of the Fates within cards and grant Legend powers? I feel like she's going to make an appearance in the next book.
13. Nigel. He is obviously more than just another Caraval actor, and his intentions don't seem to exactly be for the benefit of Legend. Maybe he is a fate? Who knows.
Rating: 93% (4.65 stars)
Woah, that was really interesting! I didn't really get that into it until about halfway through or so, but the wait was worth it. The settings and plot were really what drew me in. Now that I'm used to the flow of it, I'm really excited to dive into Wayfarer. Overall, I'd recommend this one, but make sure you understand that it works it way on you slowly.
The romance felt a little insta-love-y to me, but it wasn't super cheesy, so I'm okay with it. I feel like at least by the end of the book, they had a genuine bond and understanding of each other. They didn't meaninglessly fight about protecting each other or withholding knowledge from each other and were actually quite mature about those issues when they appeared.
I was a bit frustrated with Etta and her foolish bravery at the beginning, but she did improve over the course of the novel and I have gained respect for her. I still think she could've done more to prevent the situation from unfolding the way it did in the end, though. Hasan is probably my favorite character, followed by Nicholas. I dislike Sophia, but I sympathize with her because of her upbringing.
Woah, that was really interesting! I didn't really get that into it until about halfway through or so, but the wait was worth it. The settings and plot were really what drew me in. Now that I'm used to the flow of it, I'm really excited to dive into Wayfarer. Overall, I'd recommend this one, but make sure you understand that it works it way on you slowly.
The romance felt a little insta-love-y to me, but it wasn't super cheesy, so I'm okay with it. I feel like at least by the end of the book, they had a genuine bond and understanding of each other. They didn't meaninglessly fight about protecting each other or withholding knowledge from each other and were actually quite mature about those issues when they appeared.
I was a bit frustrated with Etta and her foolish bravery at the beginning, but she did improve over the course of the novel and I have gained respect for her. I still think she could've done more to prevent the situation from unfolding the way it did in the end, though. Hasan is probably my favorite character, followed by Nicholas. I dislike Sophia, but I sympathize with her because of her upbringing.