Well, well... It's about time! I haven't finished a book since January until this past weekend. And FINALLY I am on a roll. I've actually finished two this week, but we'll get to that later.
My first read was The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Now, I have to admit, this was one of those "Bookstagram buys." You know what I'm talkin' about... Yes, I liked the synopsis too, but overall this was really bought because I saw the beautiful cover all over bookstagram. I had never read this author before, and I decided to give her a shot. There was a lot of buzz surrounding this book and although I enjoy the fantasy genre as a general rule, I have been let down by a lot of over-hyped books.. especially young adult fantasy.
So, what did I think of this one? Did it live up to the hype?
Yes and no. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Pretty good, right? Let's back up. Let's start with my few complaints...
Other than the main character, Jude, I really didn't connect or care for any of the characters in this story. I thought that Jude was strong and I liked reading from her point of view, but everyone else was pretty "meh" if you ask me. Even *gasp* the "Cruel Prince" himself.
Secondly, the pacing. After an extremely engaging first chapter, I found that the proceeding 5-6 chapters were pretty difficult to get through. I enjoyed the world-building (a lot) that was going on, but I didn't care much for the introduction of the supporting characters and setup of the story itself. Pretty disappointing.
So, how did this still manage 4 stars?? THE WORLD-BUILDING. I absolutely love the world that Holly Black created. I got lost in it. And honestly, after the first half of the book, the rest of the pace picked up fairly quickly and created good tension and a climax that didn't necessarily have me on the edge of my seat, but definitely kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Four stars may seem generous, but considering I finished this in just over a day, I would say it was a success. I don't have much patience for books that don't keep me hooked, so when I can plow through something that quickly, it means a lot. And to say that the world was described and developed enough that I kept reading despite the mostly flat characters, that definitely says something!
I'll definitely be reading book 2, The Wicked King. What about you??
My first read was The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Now, I have to admit, this was one of those "Bookstagram buys." You know what I'm talkin' about... Yes, I liked the synopsis too, but overall this was really bought because I saw the beautiful cover all over bookstagram. I had never read this author before, and I decided to give her a shot. There was a lot of buzz surrounding this book and although I enjoy the fantasy genre as a general rule, I have been let down by a lot of over-hyped books.. especially young adult fantasy.
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| Click the image above to read the full synopsis on Goodreads! |
So, what did I think of this one? Did it live up to the hype?
Yes and no. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Pretty good, right? Let's back up. Let's start with my few complaints...
Other than the main character, Jude, I really didn't connect or care for any of the characters in this story. I thought that Jude was strong and I liked reading from her point of view, but everyone else was pretty "meh" if you ask me. Even *gasp* the "Cruel Prince" himself.
Secondly, the pacing. After an extremely engaging first chapter, I found that the proceeding 5-6 chapters were pretty difficult to get through. I enjoyed the world-building (a lot) that was going on, but I didn't care much for the introduction of the supporting characters and setup of the story itself. Pretty disappointing.
So, how did this still manage 4 stars?? THE WORLD-BUILDING. I absolutely love the world that Holly Black created. I got lost in it. And honestly, after the first half of the book, the rest of the pace picked up fairly quickly and created good tension and a climax that didn't necessarily have me on the edge of my seat, but definitely kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Four stars may seem generous, but considering I finished this in just over a day, I would say it was a success. I don't have much patience for books that don't keep me hooked, so when I can plow through something that quickly, it means a lot. And to say that the world was described and developed enough that I kept reading despite the mostly flat characters, that definitely says something!
I'll definitely be reading book 2, The Wicked King. What about you??
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