Silviya

I liked the book well enough. I think it's the best vampire book I've read so far, though I haven't read a lot of those.
It had a great atmosphere - gloomy and depressing.
Some good character work and nice plot twists.

And it didn't get 5 stars, because it was so damn long for no damn reason.
This was 750 pages long book to tell 3/4 of an eighth of a story. The author threw endless hints and mentions of things that supposedly happened, but barely showed any of it at all. The story he told could've rested comfortably in 500 pages, if that.
There was so much repeating of scenes, of feels, of descriptions, of metaphors... like a dear friend who came to visit and overstayed his welcome (see, we can all do it).
By the time I reached 80%, I was tired of metaphors and “the taste of blood in my mouth” and just wanted it all to end. And that kind of ruined the moment of the big reveal... which at that point I had guessed 200 pages ago.

Regardless, I recommend and will look forward to the next book, which will hopefully tell more story and describe less feelings.

What a trip this book is!

This is a science fiction novel that leans heavily on the science part and I quite enjoyed that.
If you're into quantum mechanics and astrophysics, as well as the deeper implications of extraterrestrial contact, this book is for you!

In addition, the story features historical events and the consequences of them on a level more personal than macro economics and politics.

I am really impressed and now have the urge to learn more about subatomic particles and the possibility of 11 dimensions. Very well written mind-bending book.

Ah, what a story!

I cried, I laughed, I was outraged, I was on the edge of my seat. And more than anything, this book sparked a tremendous curiosity about the 18th century France.

I loved the plot of the story, but even more, I loved the author's writing style. There is such skill, such subtlety - it is truly exquisite!

If there's one thing the book lacks in, at least at first glance, that will be character work - the author drops these people in the action and doesn't spend too much time dwelling on their personalities or quirks. Personally, I do not find this to be a negative, as it's my impression that this is not the point of the story itself. It is to some degree an action-drama (if that is a thing you can imagine) and to a greater one a social commentary. The personality of the characters is not as relevant as their unique position in the more global events in which, through no fault of their own, they have been pulled.
The society itself is the main character of this story, and the protagonists and villains we follow are the supporting cast to help showcase the character and sensibilities of said society.

Do not be fooled by the page count, this is not a light read to pick up for pure entertainment (though I myself was greatly entertained). It pays off to take your time and think through the meaning behind the specific words utilised by the author. I promise you, the deservedly famous opening paragraph is not the only infinitely quotable one in this story.

This book is a masterpiece!

It tells the story of two brothers who love each other immensely and how that love turns them into heroes. But also demonstrates how stories can make life bearable when nothing else can.
The book deals with very heavy topics and does it in a spectacular way.

It is essentially a children's book, but I think reading it as an adult is more meaningful somehow.

Very engaging and managed to expand not only Scadrial, but the Cosmere in general.
I already have a million theories about Trell, the next book etc.

I didn't give it 5 stars, because I continue to feel like one of our POV characters is a cardboard cutout. I find absolutely nothing of interest in Marasi. Each time I read from her POV, I feel like I've been forced to endure a very boring work meeting.

I also didn't like how convoluted the outcome of the last big battle was. Wax agreeing to duel his stupid uncle? For what? You wait until the guy disables the bomb and pull the old "just kidding" and blast push the bastard off the plane. And you're done.

Other than that, I can't wait for The Lost Metal!

P.S.: I just KNEW it was Kelsier and not the Lord Ruler who helped the "new" race. There was no way the Lord Ruler wouldn't have joined the battle against Ruin had he been around, considering how extensively he prepared for it and how much he knew. The question is, where is Kelsier now? Did he really fall dead?

DNF at 35%

I just couldn't get into this one.
I'm not saying it's bad, just wasn't for me.
Therefore, of course - no rating.

Amazing art and a great story.

I am a bit disappointed by how the mother turned out to be and how the Avatar acted during the defining action. So I took away a star. But still enjoyed it quite a lot and am looking forward to continuing with the series.

I can't express how much I love this series!

In this one Anne is a young woman already. The book deals with higher education, making friends, losing friends, and the first trepidations of love. It touches on a number of other subjects as well but is, as the previous two entries in the series, steeped in cosiness, dreams, and simple everyday “magic”.

I loved reading this book and I will remain forever grateful to L.M. Montgomery for writing it!

I read this entire book within a day without at all intending to do so initially. That is the power of Jane Austen's writing - she manages to make unputdownable page turners from the most (seemingly) flat stories about mundane and dull human interactions.
I just needed to know what happens next and was immensely satisfied with each scene of a conversation in a sitting room or a slow walk in a garden.
As always with this author, each character was vivid and distinct. Always on the edge of being a caricature but never crossing the line.
The writing style of Jane Austen is superb to anything anyone will ever be able to achieve and I will die on this hill.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I didn't like the ending. As with every romance, you build an expectation who the main protagonist will end up with, and I had build a thoroughly different expectation of who would be Elinor's match. This was dictated by their continuous partnership throughout the narrative, along with their conversations and compatibility.
And instead of him, she ended up with a man whom we barely saw at all (much less saw any sort of connection between the two of them), and who has proven to be more than a little senseless.

Regardless, I still leave this book with fond feelings and an even more solidified love for the author.

A number of people have praised this book's writing style. They are correct. Though please don't mistake the prose for being “purple” or “flowery”. It is just beautiful and fitting. It requires no effort of the mind to understand. It's like emotions - you understand them naturally and you can't remain indifferent.

A number of people have praised the plot. They are also correct. There are layers to the plot, levels to the intrigue. Reading this book left me with an array of questions with different intensity and scope. And again, no indifference at all.

The book is slow. It has a self centered main character. It's the epitome of the chosen one trope. It made me almost unreasonably emotional.

I liked it. I will read the next book in the series. I will be sorry to see it unfinished. I will be sorry to see it finished.

Highly recommend.

A story so brutal and beautiful!
It made me hear the call myself!

Adorable! This book is the definition of cosy (though I would recommend to read it in winter and not at the beginning of summer like yours truly did here).

I could not recommend this book enough, especially if you have children!

4.5 ⭐️

Indiana jones for team players! Same spirit, more characters and set in (relatively) modern times.

This was the perfect mixture of thriller, adventure and sci-fi to get me super excited!
And the execution matched it perfectly!

If you're looking for an exciting, mysterious and adventurous thriller, in the style of Indiana Jones, this one is definitely for you!

A wonderful fable about life and living it without fear and doubts.

I really enjoyed it and it made me want to walk the grassy fields and the desert sands equally.

Well, that was unexpected!

I opened up this book yesterday, almost reluctantly, thinking how it will probably take me forever to finish it. And then proceeded to spend the following 24 hours doing nothing but reading it and thinking about what I read.
I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. Angst, melancholy, suspense. It made me emotional and thoughtful.
What an experience it has been!

I expected to hate this book. Instead, I found it relatively enjoyable. If you can separate enjoyment from moral message.

The author has a pretty good and engaging writing style, she knows how to write attraction (and is great at helping women develop some very unrealistic expectations). I also liked the pacing - made it so easy to read. And the dual timeline was very well done - the desire to know what occurred in the past, helped me read the last 60% of this book in one sitting. And the trauma Miles suffered delivered quite the gut punch. I was impressed.

What bothered me was the unhealthy over-attachment that both main characters were exhibiting. Especially Miles. The chapters from his pov were damn near concerning. Not to mention his entire persona seemed so over the top, that the story lacked believability.
Tate, on the other hand, was just delusional. I found her inert and boring, just going with the flow of what others choose to do. All we saw from her were some pretty cringe-inducing thoughts and no action.
All supporting characters were either textbook cliches or rom-com placeholders.

All in all, I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but the 20-year-old me would be eating this up and drawing all the wrong conclusions.
So, if you're looking for some angsty, unrealistic, wishful thinking trash, with some steamy scenes, this is the book for you.

Short and sweet.

A nice little fable, with a nice little twist which, although I managed to guess almost immediately was still revealed very satisfyingly.

I wouldn't say the story is related to the Grisha Trilogy in any way except (likely) taking place in the same universe. But it was okay and I enjoyed reading it.

Great art and a good deeper look into the ASOIAF universe.
I have re-read this book a number of times and each time I find something new and interesting.

Update 2023:
This story is so magnificent on such a grand scale and with such fantastic flawed characters!
It has gotten me inspired and helped me get through tough times. It takes its time, yet never feels like dragging, because reading it is such a profound joy. I feel like it could go on forever and I'd gladly read it all.

Original review 2019:
Fantastic entry! I liked it even more than “The Way of Kings”!

Ah, this was so well set up and executed!
The unfolding of the plot was masterful and I wasn't able to guess the murderer, while all the clues were actually well laid out, which recently is more and more rare.
Great book to read around Christmas, if you don't mind a murder or two with your eggnog and such.

I debated long and hard whether to give this book 5 stars, mostly because I was unfairly comparing it to other great books from other genres and age groups.

The truth is, as far as young adult fantasy goes, this book is one of the best I have ever read.
The plot is engaging and twisted, the stakes are high, the characters are surprisingly well developed and the world building is damn good. Not to mention, there are some semi-horror elements, which were executed to perfection and I loved! Oh, and quite a few things that I scoffed at after reading book one now make sense - I am genuinely impressed.

As always, I didn't much care about the romance, but I think it's just me, and in all honesty, it wasn't too much. Now, mind you, if you're not familiar with Sarah J Maas, she likes to be messy when it comes to romance, so be prepared.

All in all, I am enjoying this series way more than I thought I would.

What a nice quick read!

I couldn't guess the murderer this time and I liked that fact quite a bit. The author has truly outdone herself with crafting this particular mystery and the details around it.

Loved it, can't wait to read more from the series!

What a book!

This is by far the darkest and most disturbing Agatha Christie's book I have read and I loved it!

It is so elaborate and well crafted, it kept me at the edge of my seat and gave me this sense of dread and even fear at times.
The mystery and the plot were masterfully developed, and the characters were so very interesting! Their back stories were so surprisingly twisted and kept on surprising me throughout the book.
I changed my mind as to who the killer is at least 5 times. And even though I correctly guessed who they were pretty early in the book, the author managed to throw me off the scent and in such an obvious way (in hindsight) that I have to tip my hat to her.

The one thing that was a bit far fetched in my opinion was the explanation about the gun at the end. It seemed way too unreliable to get rid of it in such a way, but I guess it is not impossible.

I really enjoyed reading this and I am so happy I finally did.

Another great entry in this series!

I liked that the plot happened on such a big scale and how it was set up. The twists and turns were plentiful and very well executed. And the ending was slightly ambiguous which left me wanting and expecting more from some of the following books.

Very exciting read and masterfully executed by the queen of the mystery.

Can't wait to continue with the series!

Loved the art and it was nice to be back in this world.
The story was interesting but a tiny bit disjointed.