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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
The Promise of Shadows is a really underrated book by Justina Ireland that re-imagines certain aspects of Greek mythology. I'm a huge geek when it comes to my Greek mythology, having spent one summer as a child completely obsessed with the different Greek gods and goddesses and laying my hands on whatever that I could get about them. And in this book, Justina Ireland introduces some new elements into the myths but also brings back some of my old favourites, such as Hermes and Hades.
Zephyr Mourning is a harpy, who has spent her childhood training for war and battles, even though she was never very good at her training since she was never very good at using æther, the magic that derives from light. Zephyr had been dreaming of an ordinary life in the mortal realm, a place that she's only ever seen on television. But one horrible day changes everything, because when her older sister Whisper is killed by one of the more minor gods, a dark force is released in Zephyr and she loses control of herself, killing the god.
This is when Zephyr gets banished into the Pits of Tartarus and has to go through menial labour as part of her punishment. There is no way to escape from the Pits and there is no life outside of the Pits for her. And the Pits is a very bleak place that rains fecal matter, where everyday melts into the others and where Zephyr is constantly tired and hungry. But Zephyr knows that she's a lot better off being banished to the Pits than the other alternative that Hera and some of the other gods were pushing for in her trial. That alternative is death.
But Zephyr still can't get over what happened that one day when she had lost control. Something within her feels different, like it has been unleashed and she had felt powerful and strong in killing the minor god. And Zephyr isn't the only one who is interested in what she can do. Hermes is repeatedly sent down to the Pits to find out how Zephyr managed to kill the god but Zephyr can't provide any answers because she has no idea herself. When an opportunity arises to escape from the Pits, Zephyr and her friends grab the opportunity to leave for the mortal realm.
But when Zephyr escapes, she realises that her dream of living an ordinary life would never materialise because she's believed to be Nyx, a dark champion to protect the half-gods. There is a prophecy that Nyx will help to free the half-gods from their servitude to the gods, where the half-gods have constantly lived in fear of the god's powers. Zephyr doesn't think that she's the one at the center of the prophecy but one by one, the gods come after her.
This book is seriously amazing when it comes to world-building and the plot, because there are just so many layers to the story. There is Cass's backstory, which is tragic and heartbreaking and explains why everyone else (aside from Zephyr) doesn't trust her friendship with Zephyr:
Hera advances, clucking her tongue as she approaches Cass, who lies flat on her back. "He never would have been yours, anyway. It was just a matter of time before he found a more suitable match."
Cass coughs and mutters something, blood foaming her lips. Hera frowns. "What did you say, girl?"
"She said it never mattered because she loved him.
There's also the story of Zephyr growing up and the training that all the harpies had to undergo in the Aerie, which Zephyr had sucked at. And there's also stuff about Zephyr's childhood best friend, Tallon, whom she's starting to feel something completely unexpected for:
Tallon's changed from a gawky kid with too-big eyes to a guy who looks like he could break hearts without even trying. He's tall, with the sleekly chiseled form of a runner. The thin cloth of his shirt drapes over broad shoulders and does nothing to hide the slopes and angles of his muscles. His hair hangs past his shoulders, longer than it ever was when we were kids, but his dark eyes still seem to see too much as he glances at me and Cass over his shoulder.
I loved all these different layers and how everything comes together at the end, when there's an epic showdown.
At the same time, I can totally understand why this book isn't the book for everyone, because it's a very complex world that assumes that you have some knowledge of the characteristics of the different creatures from Greek mythology. Justina Ireland also has the tendency to just drop us into the middle of the story, leaving it for the reader to figure out what things like a Fae, a harpy and the Aerie refer to. And while I could've done with more information about these things, I eventually got really into the story and managed to figure these things for myself. But yes, more information could definitely have been given to us.
The other flaw with this book is Zephyr's jealousy when it comes to other girls and Tallon. Her jealousy is really overwhelming and she basically hates every girl that comes into contact with Tallon and it gets old pretty fast, especially when this immaturity isn't something that she's called out for or that she ever grows from.
All the same, I really did enjoy this book and would highly recommend it for lovers of Greek mythology who are in search of something completely new and original in the field!
Zephyr Mourning is a harpy, who has spent her childhood training for war and battles, even though she was never very good at her training since she was never very good at using æther, the magic that derives from light. Zephyr had been dreaming of an ordinary life in the mortal realm, a place that she's only ever seen on television. But one horrible day changes everything, because when her older sister Whisper is killed by one of the more minor gods, a dark force is released in Zephyr and she loses control of herself, killing the god.
This is when Zephyr gets banished into the Pits of Tartarus and has to go through menial labour as part of her punishment. There is no way to escape from the Pits and there is no life outside of the Pits for her. And the Pits is a very bleak place that rains fecal matter, where everyday melts into the others and where Zephyr is constantly tired and hungry. But Zephyr knows that she's a lot better off being banished to the Pits than the other alternative that Hera and some of the other gods were pushing for in her trial. That alternative is death.
But Zephyr still can't get over what happened that one day when she had lost control. Something within her feels different, like it has been unleashed and she had felt powerful and strong in killing the minor god. And Zephyr isn't the only one who is interested in what she can do. Hermes is repeatedly sent down to the Pits to find out how Zephyr managed to kill the god but Zephyr can't provide any answers because she has no idea herself. When an opportunity arises to escape from the Pits, Zephyr and her friends grab the opportunity to leave for the mortal realm.
But when Zephyr escapes, she realises that her dream of living an ordinary life would never materialise because she's believed to be Nyx, a dark champion to protect the half-gods. There is a prophecy that Nyx will help to free the half-gods from their servitude to the gods, where the half-gods have constantly lived in fear of the god's powers. Zephyr doesn't think that she's the one at the center of the prophecy but one by one, the gods come after her.
This book is seriously amazing when it comes to world-building and the plot, because there are just so many layers to the story. There is Cass's backstory, which is tragic and heartbreaking and explains why everyone else (aside from Zephyr) doesn't trust her friendship with Zephyr:
Hera advances, clucking her tongue as she approaches Cass, who lies flat on her back. "He never would have been yours, anyway. It was just a matter of time before he found a more suitable match."
Cass coughs and mutters something, blood foaming her lips. Hera frowns. "What did you say, girl?"
"She said it never mattered because she loved him.
There's also the story of Zephyr growing up and the training that all the harpies had to undergo in the Aerie, which Zephyr had sucked at. And there's also stuff about Zephyr's childhood best friend, Tallon, whom she's starting to feel something completely unexpected for:
Tallon's changed from a gawky kid with too-big eyes to a guy who looks like he could break hearts without even trying. He's tall, with the sleekly chiseled form of a runner. The thin cloth of his shirt drapes over broad shoulders and does nothing to hide the slopes and angles of his muscles. His hair hangs past his shoulders, longer than it ever was when we were kids, but his dark eyes still seem to see too much as he glances at me and Cass over his shoulder.
I loved all these different layers and how everything comes together at the end, when there's an epic showdown.
At the same time, I can totally understand why this book isn't the book for everyone, because it's a very complex world that assumes that you have some knowledge of the characteristics of the different creatures from Greek mythology. Justina Ireland also has the tendency to just drop us into the middle of the story, leaving it for the reader to figure out what things like a Fae, a harpy and the Aerie refer to. And while I could've done with more information about these things, I eventually got really into the story and managed to figure these things for myself. But yes, more information could definitely have been given to us.
The other flaw with this book is Zephyr's jealousy when it comes to other girls and Tallon. Her jealousy is really overwhelming and she basically hates every girl that comes into contact with Tallon and it gets old pretty fast, especially when this immaturity isn't something that she's called out for or that she ever grows from.
All the same, I really did enjoy this book and would highly recommend it for lovers of Greek mythology who are in search of something completely new and original in the field!
I didn't fall in love with Tallon but it was still a pretty good book.
Really enjoyed this book and how she makes it an every day thing for POC and gay characters to be fantasy/Greek heroes. I think Dread Nation was a little better, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there are more given how it ends. If you tolerated the Percy Jackson series, you might enjoy this book better.
DNF @ 21%
This is a perfectly serviceable YA that will appeal to others, but it's not for me.
Our heroine is Zephyr Mourning (oof, the names in this are very 2010s writing), a Harpy who has been sent to toil in Tartarus after she killed the god that murdered her sister, Whisper. Zephyr is merely a vaettir (any mythological/supernatural creature such as minotaurs or pixies), which should make it impossible to have killed an Aethereal (a god). All the Aethereals want to know how Zephyr did it, but she refuses to say. The synopsis states that Zephyr is on the run from Tartarus and unexpectedly runs into a hot childhood friend (Blue - another oof name), which had just happened by the time I gave up. The first nearly quarter of the book is all set-up, which is too slow of pacing for me.
I didn't love the use of mythology in this book - why are the gods now Aetherals and harpies now vaettir? Why is the mythology 99% Greek (Hermes, Hera, Hades Elysium Fields, Taratrus, harpies, minotaurs, etc.) but then pixies and Fae are thrown in as well? They are just set dressing, so it is unclear why they are included when it just confuses the mythology for no purpose (at least in the 21% I got through).
I also didn't love that Zephyr -despite being a harpy, raised in the Aerie and steeped in the vaettir world - reads exactly like a normal contemporary YA heroine. It is stated that she is obsessed with mortal culture and wants to be a normal human girl, but it's a little much that all her references are very normal high school, like Tim Burton and haunted houses and Easter Egg hunts.
I did love Cass, Zephyr's best friend in Tartarus. She was clever and blunt and deadpan. She was hilarious and capable and bolstered every scene she was in. I almost kept reading just for her.
This is a perfectly serviceable YA that will appeal to others, but it's not for me.
Our heroine is Zephyr Mourning (oof, the names in this are very 2010s writing), a Harpy who has been sent to toil in Tartarus after she killed the god that murdered her sister, Whisper. Zephyr is merely a vaettir (any mythological/supernatural creature such as minotaurs or pixies), which should make it impossible to have killed an Aethereal (a god). All the Aethereals want to know how Zephyr did it, but she refuses to say. The synopsis states that Zephyr is on the run from Tartarus and unexpectedly runs into a hot childhood friend (Blue - another oof name), which had just happened by the time I gave up. The first nearly quarter of the book is all set-up, which is too slow of pacing for me.
I didn't love the use of mythology in this book - why are the gods now Aetherals and harpies now vaettir? Why is the mythology 99% Greek (Hermes, Hera, Hades Elysium Fields, Taratrus, harpies, minotaurs, etc.) but then pixies and Fae are thrown in as well? They are just set dressing, so it is unclear why they are included when it just confuses the mythology for no purpose (at least in the 21% I got through).
I also didn't love that Zephyr -despite being a harpy, raised in the Aerie and steeped in the vaettir world - reads exactly like a normal contemporary YA heroine. It is stated that she is obsessed with mortal culture and wants to be a normal human girl, but it's a little much that all her references are very normal high school, like Tim Burton and haunted houses and Easter Egg hunts.
I did love Cass, Zephyr's best friend in Tartarus. She was clever and blunt and deadpan. She was hilarious and capable and bolstered every scene she was in. I almost kept reading just for her.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars.
Another book with great promise that failed to live up to its potential. Promise of Shadows is an evenly balanced book; it has both good and bad points. But everything is worth ignoring for the awesomely drool-worthy, sinfully superb Hades. I think.
Longer review to come.
Another book with great promise that failed to live up to its potential. Promise of Shadows is an evenly balanced book; it has both good and bad points. But everything is worth ignoring for the awesomely drool-worthy, sinfully superb Hades. I think.
Longer review to come.
This was better than I expected! It was fun, the protag was flawed in all the best ways, and I'm just amused by the idea of Hermes wearing couture (because he would) (possibly even Hermès lmao) I had even more fun with the story when I pretended that it took place in the same universe as the Raven Boys books - similar geographical area, fun fantastical stuff, they just seemed to fit together. The ending was left wide open IMO so I'm hoping there's a sequel coming out in the future.
This book was a fluffy palate cleanser after the insanity of the Southern Reach trilogy, and for that I appreciate it <3
This book was a fluffy palate cleanser after the insanity of the Southern Reach trilogy, and for that I appreciate it <3
I just can't get into this book. I wanted to, but the plot was one I couldn't connect to.
Review copy: library
The book starts out with Zephyr Mourning serving time in the Underworld, in the pits of Tartarus. Zephyr is, essentially, a failure of a harpy. She’s no military genius like her tough, high-powered mother and she’s not much good at magic either. How Zephyr, a peace-loving harpy afraid of the dark, ends up a murderer shovelling mud in the pits of Tartarus is a story that slowly unfolds as the plot moves forward.
Zephyr’s background and past are revealed through a series of convenient reminisces and flashbacks that gradually color in the story. At times, I felt like I’d picked up the wrong book, and that there was a prequel waiting to be read first. (There isn’t, alas.) Some of the relationships were explained through flashbacks — with Nanda, her godmother, and with Tallon, her childhood-friend-turned-hot-love-interest — which made it a little difficult to connect with them. Fortunately, her relationship with Cass, her levelheaded companion in Tartarus is both believable and heartwarming.
Promise of Shadows is set in a modern-day world where, where Greek mythology is both true and relevant. The immature, petty behavior of the pompous Greek gods and goddesses is the highlight of the book and pretty hilarious. More than once, Hera (Zeus’s wife/sister) makes an appearance just so she can act haughty and turn her nose down at Zephyr. Both the worldbuilding and the background history in Promise of Shadows are fascinating enough that I would love to read a prequel.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, Promise of Shadows is definitely a must-read!
Recommendation: Get it soon!
Review originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/04/review-promise-of-shadows/
The book starts out with Zephyr Mourning serving time in the Underworld, in the pits of Tartarus. Zephyr is, essentially, a failure of a harpy. She’s no military genius like her tough, high-powered mother and she’s not much good at magic either. How Zephyr, a peace-loving harpy afraid of the dark, ends up a murderer shovelling mud in the pits of Tartarus is a story that slowly unfolds as the plot moves forward.
Zephyr’s background and past are revealed through a series of convenient reminisces and flashbacks that gradually color in the story. At times, I felt like I’d picked up the wrong book, and that there was a prequel waiting to be read first. (There isn’t, alas.) Some of the relationships were explained through flashbacks — with Nanda, her godmother, and with Tallon, her childhood-friend-turned-hot-love-interest — which made it a little difficult to connect with them. Fortunately, her relationship with Cass, her levelheaded companion in Tartarus is both believable and heartwarming.
Promise of Shadows is set in a modern-day world where, where Greek mythology is both true and relevant. The immature, petty behavior of the pompous Greek gods and goddesses is the highlight of the book and pretty hilarious. More than once, Hera (Zeus’s wife/sister) makes an appearance just so she can act haughty and turn her nose down at Zephyr. Both the worldbuilding and the background history in Promise of Shadows are fascinating enough that I would love to read a prequel.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, Promise of Shadows is definitely a must-read!
Recommendation: Get it soon!
Review originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/04/review-promise-of-shadows/
It's official, I am a sucker for Greek myth in YA. Has there been one yet I haven't given 5 stars? 'cause I don't remember one.
Promise of Shadows is definitely one of the better myth books I've read, too. Can I give it 6 stars instead? Here we have a story that doesn't just play with the stories we have learned over time, but creates a new one, a new myth that fits right in with the modern world and the classical one of yore. With the new myth we get evil monkeys, human dragons, and so many interesting characters that even though I'm totally over the YA trilogy thing, I've been left hoping that there will be more of this world.
Huge thanks to the publisher for allowing me advance access to the e-galley through Edelweiss.
Promise of Shadows is definitely one of the better myth books I've read, too. Can I give it 6 stars instead? Here we have a story that doesn't just play with the stories we have learned over time, but creates a new one, a new myth that fits right in with the modern world and the classical one of yore. With the new myth we get evil monkeys, human dragons, and so many interesting characters that even though I'm totally over the YA trilogy thing, I've been left hoping that there will be more of this world.
Huge thanks to the publisher for allowing me advance access to the e-galley through Edelweiss.
Well. I wanted to like that more than I did. But while the story was creative and had so much potential to be engrossing, the author interrupted the flow constantly with repetitive statements followed by sudden leaps to conclusions that never should have been made.
It's not that uncertainty over a potential relationship and wondering if someone is trustworthy aren't valid. It's that we were pummeled with statements about these issues--and frequently told that they shouldn't matter when I completely agreed that they did not.
A good editor could have pruned this by a third to make a great story. I loved the spin on gods, goddesses, and demi-gods and the rich world they inhabited with rules that we mortals would never suspect.
It's not that uncertainty over a potential relationship and wondering if someone is trustworthy aren't valid. It's that we were pummeled with statements about these issues--and frequently told that they shouldn't matter when I completely agreed that they did not.
A good editor could have pruned this by a third to make a great story. I loved the spin on gods, goddesses, and demi-gods and the rich world they inhabited with rules that we mortals would never suspect.