Yorha
This book definitely has its flaws but it's was so silly and fun overall. I think my love for magical girl genre is what made me ignore the silly parts of the book and just somewhat enjoy the ride. It's definitely nothing special but if you want a magical girl anime in the form of a book, I think it definitely does its' job. Its a fun book to pass the time, but it's not without flaws.
As mentioned, it's pretty silly. It reads very young, and the humor is also on the juvenile side. I think it reads younger than YA personally, and I am definitely waaaay past the age range to laugh at the jokes. It was my biggest complaint in the book, and it took me out of the story. Also keep in mind the humor is very present throughout the book.
The characters also feel very young and I don't think any of them really stand out much. I don't think I will think back fondly on them in the future, just kinda forget about them. Same goes for the romance — it was a cute puppy love kind of romance but it's not really my thing. At all.
The lore could've been so much more interesting, but it fell flat for me. It all felt very simplistic.
Also it's worth noting it's a Cinderella retelling of a sort. The comparison to both Sailor Moon and Cinder are definitely accurate.
So yea, I can't really say I was disappointed cause I felt like this might not be that great but it was fun enough to go through and I might pick up the sequel when it comes out. Maybe. If not just for the magical girl vibes and animal familiars.
Also, for the love of all that is holy, stop repeating the term “good-looks giggles”. It's not cute, it's so cringe I can't believe it kept getting brought up so often 😭 the characters are supposed to be 17, not 7.
So this book very much reads like an action cartoon/anime. It's a bit silly because it can be dramatic, and it has no nuance/politics but honestly it was a fun time? It's so easy to read and the characters are likeable enough. You even get talking dragons! I also loved the plot of tomb/temple raiders, and I really hope this concept isn't ditched in future books because it was honestly my favourite aspect.
I'd say it's perfect to read if you want a light read or are too tired for anything complex but don't except anything you haven't seen before. Also, the characters are adult (with a wide age range) but it very much reads like a simple YA novel due to its writing the lack of politics and nuance.
I struggle to decide what i think about this book. It started out so strong and i had high hopes but the more i read, the less impressed I was.
Let me start off by saying that the world building and the politics were done superbly well. I was so invested in the politics of the world and made sure i am not missing any details that might later end up being important. However, I kind to slowly but surely stopped caring past the 30-40% mark.
One of my gripes is the fact that we get info-dumps throughout the entire book. As much as i loved the world-building, I felt like i couldn't just relax and go with the flow because new information was given throughout the book at all times. Every 5% we are learning something new and it never! stops! The issue isn't that in itself cause yay! more world-building! BUT for me was that it felt like this book had very little to offer outside of it. For most of the book, nothing much happens aside from the very beginning and the very end of the book so the new info felt, to me, more like reading a textbook a times. Maybe that's just me?
Another thing is that the characters felt so flat and uninteresting. Both the main characters, and all of the side ones. Side characters kept appearing but they had one, maybe two, traits assigned to them without offering anything else. The main characters definitely had more personality, but none that were interesting for me to read and explore. I felt zero attachment to them, or the plot itself. Deaths were happening, and were written to be emotional but as a reader you don't really care because nothing in the book made you care for them at all. The character deaths felt simply like plot devices for the main character's journey and growth and that feels cheap to me.
It was sadly also pretty predictable. The writing was very pretty though, alas a bit too flowery for me at times.
Unfortunately, as much as i loved the beginning and thought it was gonna be a solid 4*, it just ended up falling short and not really make me feel much at all. It will probably be the kind of forgettable read that you won't remember in a year. I definitely did not dislike it, but I can't say it really stands out amongst other books I read. Overall, I just don't really... care, and I really wanted to love it.
Would've been a 3 star if I didn't think the begining of the book was done so well.
I think my enjoyment of this book wasn't high solely because I did it as an audiobook. I think I prefer Christie books read. Also the fact that one girl helped solve the murder because she knew who the killer was, solely because she thought a ghosts told her who was so silly, it drags the rating down.
After the first 30% i thought i was going to absolutely hate the book, i almost dropped it at 50% but i kept going because i was curious and I was actually kinda sorta interested in the next 30% following that (only to get annoyed again at the latter parts of the book) and i don't hate the book.
The world-building was ABSOLUTE rubbish, it was a mess. The world-building details were scattered throughout the book at random moments and it was wasn't well done at all. It was as if Chloe Gong came up with an semi-interesting magic system/plot but had no idea how to actually make it work and made it up as she wrote the book (at least in my humble opinion). I am not usually one to be super nitpicky (at least i dont think i am) but the world-building was so jarring i just couldn't help but pin point and get really annoyed. I don't think it makes very much sense at all. The games also felt like an accessory just to make the plot a bit more entertaining and action packed more than anything else. At the end of the day, i feel like i have way more questions than I have answers.
All this being said, despite the characters and the romance both reading YA (unsurpisingly), i did not hate them. Am i attached? no, not at all, but unlike in the last two books I've read, i did not want to throw the characters off the cliff.
They are by no means outstanding or unique in any way, but i enjoyed them enough tbh. The characters however, especially the MC, were not morally gray or too complex. Also, the romance could've been so much better if it was more build up before the confessions started slapping you in the face – but i am generally an advocate of slow burn so maybe this is why it kinda ruined what could've been. It just ended up feeling very juvenile at the end of the day.
I also enjoyed the overall vibes and the violence in the book, i thought they were both kinda fun. Would've loved to see more violence tbh (sorry not sorry).
Overall, the writing was a mess but i didn't hate it like i hate some other books. Will I read a sequel? I am not sure, i might depending on what will be the setting/plot for it, but i did not enjoy the ending to this book so maybe not.
I will also say that throughout listening to the book, i felt like it read like an action flick. A lot of action, some violence, some romance and a plot that didn't make a lot of sense. I can totally see the appeal and i think if you go in with the right expectations, it can be an enjoyable read! but if you go into it expecting a well-thoughtout fantasy, you might be disappointed.
I hope this review doesn't come off as too negative, you're totally valid if you love the book!! I just wish i did.
[2.5]
This series felt awfully average, don't really get the hype. The world building is non-existent, the romance is way too underdeveloped and the characters outside of Jude don't really get that much focus or development. Even Cardan felt like a side character 90% of the time and we don't really see that many interactions with him. Enjoyed the first book way more than the last 2, and found Cardan so much more interesting there with a lot of room for growth. Granted, it was entertaining enough to make me want to finish the series.
Wanted to read it solely for the Arabian inspired story but ended up loving this book! Loved the setting, loved how the stories were implemented into the main story – they were so fun to read. But most of all, I loved the characters, their growth, their interactions, and their journey. They were so much fun to read about, felt so fleshed out and I was extremely invested throughout. Was tough to choose my faves but in the end it has to be either Mazen or Aisha (and their interactions together!!). I thought that since the book is so thick, it will surely have moments where the story will start to drag or become dull but I was not bored at any moment and was delighted to have more of the world to read about before it ends. Can't wait for the sequel, honestly don't know how i will survive the wait (i probably won't...).
