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brisingr's reviews
1232 reviews
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
5.0
I wanted to read this book from the first second after I ordered it. I knew how great it must be, since it was recommended to me by a friend with great and similar to mine tastes. So the only problem here is: why did I wait so much until I read it?
Across the Nightingale Floor is the first volume of the Tales of the Otori series. Situated in a medieval Japan, but totally different, filled with something like magic, but still keeping its strong sense of honor, the plot follows two protagonists that couldn’t be more different: Takeo, saved from death by a disgraced senior and for whom he is ready to do anything; and Kaede, a young, beautiful girl, separated from her family because of clans’ misunderstandings, who has the reputation of bringing death to the men that desire her. But the past, and especially the destiny, don’t bypass anyone.
I don’t even know where to… really start. I am stuck in that world, still, that it’s quite hard for me to write some coherent thoughts. I will try though. And I will start by saying that this is probably the first book I’ve read where I really wanted to be there, to take part in the action. I felt my blood boiling at the thought that I could be doing some things, that I would like to have a saying in how my life will play off in a world where I don’t belong to myself, that I could prove my own honor. I was hooked by a history that doesn’t belong to our world, but one that has been based on the same cruelty and selfishness of humans. I found myself crying, sighing and hoping, as all the aspects of the story were revealed to me. All these things only helped me realize how much the book resonated with the hopes of my heart, and so I just loved it even more.
I really liked how the action went and how all those happenings brought us the ending we have. I was expecting some things, of others you are told, and at others you’re looking like an idiot, without realizing they are there to begin with. The fact is that you’ll get hooked by the book, and the writing style, sometimes simple, sometimes filled with subtle meanings, only made me think of Japan and the way its population is. Lian Harn manages to skillfully describe the new world and its rules, combining the political, racial, religious and clan issues.
The characters were lovely! I didn’t think I will get attached so fast or so strong to so many, but somehow it happened. I seriously wish for all the best to happen to them, but unfortunately the world is not made of pink, puffy clouds, so I just had to look at them evolving, challenged and passing all the obstacles in their way, becoming characters worth admiring. The characters are well-written and through them, the book destroys a lot of misconceptions that you might have upon starting to read this book. You can emphasize with them because they have unexpected reactions, typical for real life.
Usually, the first volume in a series rarely gets my tears, but for this story… I felt desperately every single emotion, this is how involved in the book I was. Plus, I was fascinated by some images described during the story… Those kind of visual images that leave an impact on you, that will stay imprinted on your mind for years and years. If I will ever get over the love that starts growing towards this series, I know those images will remain with me, putting the sign of a good book.
Long story short, I was charmed by this book and the next books in the series are just as good and captivating as this one.
Across the Nightingale Floor is the first volume of the Tales of the Otori series. Situated in a medieval Japan, but totally different, filled with something like magic, but still keeping its strong sense of honor, the plot follows two protagonists that couldn’t be more different: Takeo, saved from death by a disgraced senior and for whom he is ready to do anything; and Kaede, a young, beautiful girl, separated from her family because of clans’ misunderstandings, who has the reputation of bringing death to the men that desire her. But the past, and especially the destiny, don’t bypass anyone.
I don’t even know where to… really start. I am stuck in that world, still, that it’s quite hard for me to write some coherent thoughts. I will try though. And I will start by saying that this is probably the first book I’ve read where I really wanted to be there, to take part in the action. I felt my blood boiling at the thought that I could be doing some things, that I would like to have a saying in how my life will play off in a world where I don’t belong to myself, that I could prove my own honor. I was hooked by a history that doesn’t belong to our world, but one that has been based on the same cruelty and selfishness of humans. I found myself crying, sighing and hoping, as all the aspects of the story were revealed to me. All these things only helped me realize how much the book resonated with the hopes of my heart, and so I just loved it even more.
I really liked how the action went and how all those happenings brought us the ending we have. I was expecting some things, of others you are told, and at others you’re looking like an idiot, without realizing they are there to begin with. The fact is that you’ll get hooked by the book, and the writing style, sometimes simple, sometimes filled with subtle meanings, only made me think of Japan and the way its population is. Lian Harn manages to skillfully describe the new world and its rules, combining the political, racial, religious and clan issues.
The characters were lovely! I didn’t think I will get attached so fast or so strong to so many, but somehow it happened. I seriously wish for all the best to happen to them, but unfortunately the world is not made of pink, puffy clouds, so I just had to look at them evolving, challenged and passing all the obstacles in their way, becoming characters worth admiring. The characters are well-written and through them, the book destroys a lot of misconceptions that you might have upon starting to read this book. You can emphasize with them because they have unexpected reactions, typical for real life.
Usually, the first volume in a series rarely gets my tears, but for this story… I felt desperately every single emotion, this is how involved in the book I was. Plus, I was fascinated by some images described during the story… Those kind of visual images that leave an impact on you, that will stay imprinted on your mind for years and years. If I will ever get over the love that starts growing towards this series, I know those images will remain with me, putting the sign of a good book.
Long story short, I was charmed by this book and the next books in the series are just as good and captivating as this one.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
4.0
I am so late in the Harry Potter phenomena. I am 17 and barely now starting to read the series (I lie, I've read the first volume once, before, when i was 9 or 10, but I don't remember much, so it was a real pleasure reading it this time too).
I suppose there is no need to say what Harry Potter is about, even those who haven't read it have quite extended knowledges on the world of Hogwarts and its hero with round glasses and lightning scar.
I have been told from the beggining that the style might be a little bit childish, fit for a children's book, but this wasn't a real problem for me. I love children books and my nine years old self enthusiastically screamed at lots of parts from this book. The me now simply laughed and read those parts out loud to her deskmate. I mean... Ok, maybe the style isn't that great right now in the first book (from what I've heard, it evolves together with the story), but the characters' charm is obvious from the very beggining, which I didn't exactly expect from the first book in a series. They are only kids, but each of them has something magical and special, powerful and invincible, and the fact that I could see this from the very first volume simply made me love the characters to the maximum.
And Hogwarts is a big, perfect craziness! I'd do almost impossible things just to be allowed to go to a school of magic! All you have to do is to study about magic and only magic (and for us, muggle-borns this is just fascinating!). The simple fact that this school is based on magic, makes it special. And the happenings there are the same type of weirdness, be it either a game of footbal-basketball-baseball on brooms, or playing with 'pets'. It's simply that place that you can only dream and sigh about. But the chance of reading about it was enough to make me fascinated.
It wasn't a book that made me feel too strongly, but it was a book that brought me joy. And I know for sure that the series is only getting better and better, so I am looking forward to that!
I suppose there is no need to say what Harry Potter is about, even those who haven't read it have quite extended knowledges on the world of Hogwarts and its hero with round glasses and lightning scar.
I have been told from the beggining that the style might be a little bit childish, fit for a children's book, but this wasn't a real problem for me. I love children books and my nine years old self enthusiastically screamed at lots of parts from this book. The me now simply laughed and read those parts out loud to her deskmate. I mean... Ok, maybe the style isn't that great right now in the first book (from what I've heard, it evolves together with the story), but the characters' charm is obvious from the very beggining, which I didn't exactly expect from the first book in a series. They are only kids, but each of them has something magical and special, powerful and invincible, and the fact that I could see this from the very first volume simply made me love the characters to the maximum.
And Hogwarts is a big, perfect craziness! I'd do almost impossible things just to be allowed to go to a school of magic! All you have to do is to study about magic and only magic (and for us, muggle-borns this is just fascinating!). The simple fact that this school is based on magic, makes it special. And the happenings there are the same type of weirdness, be it either a game of footbal-basketball-baseball on brooms, or playing with 'pets'. It's simply that place that you can only dream and sigh about. But the chance of reading about it was enough to make me fascinated.
It wasn't a book that made me feel too strongly, but it was a book that brought me joy. And I know for sure that the series is only getting better and better, so I am looking forward to that!
Tides by Betsy Cornwell
5.0
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
God! I wanted to read this book for the longest time, but the waiting sure paid off. To put it simply, the book is heartbreakingly beautiful.
The book follows the summer of Noah and Lo, brother and sister, that has just arrived to their grandmother's house, to spend a lovely season (and filled with work and art, maybe) breathing the waves of the ocean, tasting the salty air. But they're faced with secrets and new knowledges that will change their perspective about this place.
I don't think I appreciated selkies enough up until now. The idea was so original and I feel like the magic of the book is still with me, and will probably stay for a while. We all know of mermaids (sirens), but I haven't actually read about seals and humans in one being... Well, up until now. And I loved this.
"Tides" also manages to bring some new issues to light (ones that are probably ignored in most books), like LGBTQ and eating disorders, but it does so without putting down the characters or using them as a way of moving the plot. They're there because it happens a lot around us, and also because those things belong to the characters and formed their personality. It's there as a way of bringing the characters to life, in a human way.
Oh, and what incredible characters we have! I think this is the part I loved the most in the book. I could get attached to the characters, I learned to hope and love together with them, I rooted for them and feared for them. It made me hope for the best for them, and even the characters I thought I disliked proved to be lovely in their own way. We had strong female characters (My name is Mara. For future reference, I don't need saving.), a caring, loving and wise grandmother and boys who tried their best without disrespecting other people, without sassying others, boys that weren't afraid to accept when they were wrong and when they should apologize. We had normal human traits, it allowed me to feel them close. For me, having characters I can love is the most important thing in a book.
I even found myself teary-eyed several times. Maybe the style of writing isn't filled with long descriptions, but where it was... Well, it was just in the right places, striking a chord in my heart whenever I thought I was okay (just to prove me wrong, and maybe make me unable to stop reading). The narration also had a dreamy, fluid tone to it, and I loved this. I was caught in the story like a fish in the net (all puns intended). Though, I felt that the relationship between the characters that just meet could have been more developed, on more plans (romance, but friendship as well), but I still loved their conversations a lot (and especially those between selkies, but also Lo's smart remarks).
I really felt like this book managed to break all the stereotypes, bringing a wide variety to the characters. It's an unique story and I deeply enjoyed reading it. Recommending it especially to fantasy lovers, but also those who don't really appreciate the genre, but wish for a beautiful book that has the skill to enchant the reader.
God! I wanted to read this book for the longest time, but the waiting sure paid off. To put it simply, the book is heartbreakingly beautiful.
The book follows the summer of Noah and Lo, brother and sister, that has just arrived to their grandmother's house, to spend a lovely season (and filled with work and art, maybe) breathing the waves of the ocean, tasting the salty air. But they're faced with secrets and new knowledges that will change their perspective about this place.
I don't think I appreciated selkies enough up until now. The idea was so original and I feel like the magic of the book is still with me, and will probably stay for a while. We all know of mermaids (sirens), but I haven't actually read about seals and humans in one being... Well, up until now. And I loved this.
"Tides" also manages to bring some new issues to light (ones that are probably ignored in most books), like LGBTQ and eating disorders, but it does so without putting down the characters or using them as a way of moving the plot. They're there because it happens a lot around us, and also because those things belong to the characters and formed their personality. It's there as a way of bringing the characters to life, in a human way.
Oh, and what incredible characters we have! I think this is the part I loved the most in the book. I could get attached to the characters, I learned to hope and love together with them, I rooted for them and feared for them. It made me hope for the best for them, and even the characters I thought I disliked proved to be lovely in their own way. We had strong female characters (My name is Mara. For future reference, I don't need saving.), a caring, loving and wise grandmother and boys who tried their best without disrespecting other people, without sassying others, boys that weren't afraid to accept when they were wrong and when they should apologize. We had normal human traits, it allowed me to feel them close. For me, having characters I can love is the most important thing in a book.
I even found myself teary-eyed several times. Maybe the style of writing isn't filled with long descriptions, but where it was... Well, it was just in the right places, striking a chord in my heart whenever I thought I was okay (just to prove me wrong, and maybe make me unable to stop reading). The narration also had a dreamy, fluid tone to it, and I loved this. I was caught in the story like a fish in the net (all puns intended). Though, I felt that the relationship between the characters that just meet could have been more developed, on more plans (romance, but friendship as well), but I still loved their conversations a lot (and especially those between selkies, but also Lo's smart remarks).
I really felt like this book managed to break all the stereotypes, bringing a wide variety to the characters. It's an unique story and I deeply enjoyed reading it. Recommending it especially to fantasy lovers, but also those who don't really appreciate the genre, but wish for a beautiful book that has the skill to enchant the reader.