Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
I'm a bit torn about this one, because the world that Stewart created is full of incredible beings and seems to have a rich history that I would have loved to explore. However, the writing made reading it like a giant chore that I had to force myself to get thru.
It took me over 200 pages to feel any connection with lead character, Wull. The secondary characters that get introduced made things a lot more interesting, but it bothered me that some of them only get little cameo-like appearances that get you interested but don't really go anywhere.
That said, I ended up getting hooked on the last 40 pages and really liking how Wull's storyline played out, but the somewhat chaotic writing style almost made me give up on it long before I reached the "good" parts.
It might just be that it's not my kind of fantasy storyline, but not even the fantastic world-building and explosive ending were able to save this book for me.
It took me over 200 pages to feel any connection with lead character, Wull. The secondary characters that get introduced made things a lot more interesting, but it bothered me that some of them only get little cameo-like appearances that get you interested but don't really go anywhere.
That said, I ended up getting hooked on the last 40 pages and really liking how Wull's storyline played out, but the somewhat chaotic writing style almost made me give up on it long before I reached the "good" parts.
It might just be that it's not my kind of fantasy storyline, but not even the fantastic world-building and explosive ending were able to save this book for me.
I received a free book from Penguin First to Read in exchange for an honest review.
Being the Riverkeep of the Danék is a difficult task--lighting the lamps, clearing the weeds, and pulling corpses from the water to ensure they get a proper burial. Wulliam's father respects the job, and in a week, Wull will be old enough to be the Riverkeep himself--a task he isn't ready for. Especially when his father falls into the river and emerges possessed, and Wull must abandon the river to seek a dangerous monster who can cure his father. Wull isn't the only one seeking the glory and riches of slaying this beast, and will become tangled up in some dangerous affairs as he draws closer to his goal.
The world is well built, full of all sorts of creatures, which are described in snippets at the beginning of the chapters. I liked Wull and the other characters well enough, though some of them don't get quite enough page time to be well-developed. Those that did get the space were complex, sometimes funny, and quite determined. The plot moves along quickly enough after an initial slow start, but then rushes along at the end so abruptly it seems to almost abandon the whole point of story. That lost a lot of points with me.
Being the Riverkeep of the Danék is a difficult task--lighting the lamps, clearing the weeds, and pulling corpses from the water to ensure they get a proper burial. Wulliam's father respects the job, and in a week, Wull will be old enough to be the Riverkeep himself--a task he isn't ready for. Especially when his father falls into the river and emerges possessed, and Wull must abandon the river to seek a dangerous monster who can cure his father. Wull isn't the only one seeking the glory and riches of slaying this beast, and will become tangled up in some dangerous affairs as he draws closer to his goal.
The world is well built, full of all sorts of creatures, which are described in snippets at the beginning of the chapters. I liked Wull and the other characters well enough, though some of them don't get quite enough page time to be well-developed. Those that did get the space were complex, sometimes funny, and quite determined. The plot moves along quickly enough after an initial slow start, but then rushes along at the end so abruptly it seems to almost abandon the whole point of story. That lost a lot of points with me.
I really wanted to like this, and it began promisingly enough, but I just couldn't get into it right now. One day I'll give it another go.
I’m torn between a 3 and a 4 on this one. On the one hand, there are some interesting characters and ideas; on the other hand, the story moved fairly slowly and some of the characters were just a little “too” quirky.
A book written for kids.... and this one was super weird, dead people, dead, not dead people and that poor kid. And what the hell was that????
An easy afternoon read.
An easy afternoon read.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No