Ashley A

Unfortunately a rare situation where the show is in fact better than the book. The characters fell flat and there was no reason to connect to them. Joe lacked the charisma and charm that has you secretly rooting for him in the show. Had I not seen the show prior to reading this, I would've dropped it long before finishing it.

Shallan's chapters were insufferable and made it hard to invest in the first two parts. My interest picked up in part 3 when she was no longer one of the main characters

Gave it a shot as the series is highly recommended for Red Rising aficionados. I didn't find the book engaging until the 2nd half after trogging through Hadrian's cold upbringing and constantly referring to the two indexes and dramatis personae to even have a clue what was going on or who he was talking to. I appreciated the reference section, but wish that Ruocchio committed to putting everything in it rather than some choice words. From what I understand, Empire of Silence's strength comes from it being a series. The first book and introduction to the series was okay. I'll give the next book a chance, but I'm not in a rush to do so.

Light cozy read with a lot of passive action. I enjoyed the thought of having to describe coffee to people who have never had it before. Between the two, I enjoyed the prequel more. I felt like this book lacked the depth and character development Bookshops and Bonedust brought.

3.5