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hilaryistired's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will say honestly that I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book. It’s an apocalyptic story, there are dragon/human hybrids, travel around the universe, and a dose of romance, all jammed into a relatively short book. That’s a lot of stuff going on, and a lot of things I wouldn’t have really put together. So when it came through in an email, I had to give it a go, because I needed to see how you handle a story like that.
I don’t know how, but Sinclair somehow pulled all those things together and came up with one hell of a story. It’s put together beautifully, and while there are lots of crazy things happening, it doesn’t come across as a bizarre or crazy story. All of the elements of this story fit together like a puzzle, leaving you wondering how you ever questioned the premise in the first place.
The Good Points of Wucaii:
The writing is absolutely beautiful in this story. It flows so well that it’s easy to forget that you’re actually reading, and you get completely wrapped up in the story.
Wucaii flashes back and forth between what happened in Aelana’s past, and what is happening currently. I’ve seen this done in a lot of books, and it can be a really sticky thing, but Sinclair makes it work. The scenes flow together nicely, and the bits of the stories being revealed match up in such a way that you never feel lost, or as though you’ve been given too much.
The pacing of this story is so well done. It’s not too long, and the energy keeps up throughout the whole story, so you are able to fly through it without wanting to set it down for ‘slow bits’. And the way that the energy builds throughout and towards the climax of the story is addictive.
I loved the magic system in this one. I’ve read a lot of books where magic is connected to the Earth, but I loved how Sinclair went beyond that and had levels of natural magic. It did irk me sometimes that Aelana could basically do what she wanted with magic, though I did understand why that was possible. I won’t say too much more, because it does play a role, but it’s definitely one of my favourite magic systems to date.
There are a lot of themes in this book – compassion vs. self-serving, the inevitability of death, second chances, and so on – and they all come together in such a wonderful way. I can’t comment too much without giving away plot points, but trust me when I say that it’s well done.
The Downsides of Wucaii:
This is a matter of opinion sort of thing, but I would have preferred Aelana to speak better. She spoke in a very modern matter, and since she is 500 years old, I felt it would have made more sense for her to speak a little more old-fashioned.
The love story was a bit weird. It worked, and it definitely gave me a few feels, but it did seem a little hokey and cheesy. If you love romantic stories, this will probably be right up your alley, but it was a bit too much for me.
I regularly forgot and was surprised by the fact that Aelana was an adult. She seemed very young and childish to me much of the time, and I would be thrown off when she would respond to the romance plot points in a very adult manner or when she would drink. Honestly, I forgot that most of them were adults much of the time, with the exception of Bayn.
All in all, I did really enjoy this book. I’ve attempted to read a lot of dragon/human hybrid books before, and this is the first one that I’ve actually enjoyed. It doesn’t feel silly or hokey like so many others do. It’s a fun, easy read that will definitely appeal to all dragon, urban fantasy, or good vs. evil fans.
Now excuse me. I need to go get the mark tattooed on my body before the dragons come to destroy the world.
I will say honestly that I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book. It’s an apocalyptic story, there are dragon/human hybrids, travel around the universe, and a dose of romance, all jammed into a relatively short book. That’s a lot of stuff going on, and a lot of things I wouldn’t have really put together. So when it came through in an email, I had to give it a go, because I needed to see how you handle a story like that.
I don’t know how, but Sinclair somehow pulled all those things together and came up with one hell of a story. It’s put together beautifully, and while there are lots of crazy things happening, it doesn’t come across as a bizarre or crazy story. All of the elements of this story fit together like a puzzle, leaving you wondering how you ever questioned the premise in the first place.
The Good Points of Wucaii:
The writing is absolutely beautiful in this story. It flows so well that it’s easy to forget that you’re actually reading, and you get completely wrapped up in the story.
Wucaii flashes back and forth between what happened in Aelana’s past, and what is happening currently. I’ve seen this done in a lot of books, and it can be a really sticky thing, but Sinclair makes it work. The scenes flow together nicely, and the bits of the stories being revealed match up in such a way that you never feel lost, or as though you’ve been given too much.
The pacing of this story is so well done. It’s not too long, and the energy keeps up throughout the whole story, so you are able to fly through it without wanting to set it down for ‘slow bits’. And the way that the energy builds throughout and towards the climax of the story is addictive.
I loved the magic system in this one. I’ve read a lot of books where magic is connected to the Earth, but I loved how Sinclair went beyond that and had levels of natural magic. It did irk me sometimes that Aelana could basically do what she wanted with magic, though I did understand why that was possible. I won’t say too much more, because it does play a role, but it’s definitely one of my favourite magic systems to date.
There are a lot of themes in this book – compassion vs. self-serving, the inevitability of death, second chances, and so on – and they all come together in such a wonderful way. I can’t comment too much without giving away plot points, but trust me when I say that it’s well done.
The Downsides of Wucaii:
This is a matter of opinion sort of thing, but I would have preferred Aelana to speak better. She spoke in a very modern matter, and since she is 500 years old, I felt it would have made more sense for her to speak a little more old-fashioned.
The love story was a bit weird. It worked, and it definitely gave me a few feels, but it did seem a little hokey and cheesy. If you love romantic stories, this will probably be right up your alley, but it was a bit too much for me.
I regularly forgot and was surprised by the fact that Aelana was an adult. She seemed very young and childish to me much of the time, and I would be thrown off when she would respond to the romance plot points in a very adult manner or when she would drink. Honestly, I forgot that most of them were adults much of the time, with the exception of Bayn.
All in all, I did really enjoy this book. I’ve attempted to read a lot of dragon/human hybrid books before, and this is the first one that I’ve actually enjoyed. It doesn’t feel silly or hokey like so many others do. It’s a fun, easy read that will definitely appeal to all dragon, urban fantasy, or good vs. evil fans.
Now excuse me. I need to go get the mark tattooed on my body before the dragons come to destroy the world.
flaviathebibliophile's review
2.0
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book when I was approached about it. The cover is definitely not one I would be drawn to in a bookstore. While I know that one should not judge a book by its cover, I think that I would actually be unlikely to even pick this book up in the store, much less flip it over and read the blurb. But since the ratings for this book are fairy decent on Goodreads, I agreed to read and review it.
My first impression when reading the first few pages was that the writing was alright, and that the story had potential. As I continued reading, I became more intrigued about how the story would wrap up, but found that the writing and plotline became more and more frustrating.
There was a lot of repetition, and there were also numerous contradictions. What I found to be the most frustrating was how characters would go back and forth about their decisions; particularly the main character, Aelana. She would constantly go off considering the pros and cons of things, for pages on end. And it became especially irritating, when she was considering the same issues over and over.
Another frustrating thing was how Aelana was portrayed as all powerful, and then weak at the same time. The author would switch between the two, depending on how she wanted the plot to go. I recall one page containing words similar to "she hated that he had overpowered her" and then the words "she was the most powerful and she was eternal." Note, those are not exact quotes, but I cannot be bothered to go and find the exact words.
Many of the characters would also realize things which did not make sense for them to realize. They would acquire knowledge, while it was not explained how they came to acquire it, and there were also numerous other aspects of this book which were never explained.
The reason why I gave this book two stars, in stead of one, is because I did like the idea behind the story and characters. I simply did not like the style in which the story was told.
My first impression when reading the first few pages was that the writing was alright, and that the story had potential. As I continued reading, I became more intrigued about how the story would wrap up, but found that the writing and plotline became more and more frustrating.
There was a lot of repetition, and there were also numerous contradictions. What I found to be the most frustrating was how characters would go back and forth about their decisions; particularly the main character, Aelana. She would constantly go off considering the pros and cons of things, for pages on end. And it became especially irritating, when she was considering the same issues over and over.
Another frustrating thing was how Aelana was portrayed as all powerful, and then weak at the same time. The author would switch between the two, depending on how she wanted the plot to go. I recall one page containing words similar to "she hated that he had overpowered her" and then the words "she was the most powerful and she was eternal." Note, those are not exact quotes, but I cannot be bothered to go and find the exact words.
Many of the characters would also realize things which did not make sense for them to realize. They would acquire knowledge, while it was not explained how they came to acquire it, and there were also numerous other aspects of this book which were never explained.
The reason why I gave this book two stars, in stead of one, is because I did like the idea behind the story and characters. I simply did not like the style in which the story was told.
ashleym10148's review
2.0
This book had an interesting concept, but it fell short for me. I couldn't get myself into it and it seemed really boring at times.
rachelannekass's review
3.0
This was the first fantasy book in awhile that interested me from start to finish. It was unique, well thought out, and the world it was set in was well developed. I loved that it flipped from her growing up (500 years previous to when the book is set) and the present. The main character is a dragon/human hybrid and that in itself is awesome!
wulfwyn's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about dragons! I had not realized that I was looking for something new to me until I got into this book. I did find the beginning a bit slow but I understand the need for the background. I did figure out the who was the bad guy right away but this did nothing to impede my enjoyment. I knew who, not the how. The how was awesome, taking me through a range of emotions. I liked the ending, which gave me a moment to calm my emotions.
There was not anything in the book that would prevent me from recommending it to YA readers, (or to anyone who finds certain language objective).
Thank you to Pamela from Moonlight Reader Reviews and the author for providing me with a review copy.
There was not anything in the book that would prevent me from recommending it to YA readers, (or to anyone who finds certain language objective).
Thank you to Pamela from Moonlight Reader Reviews and the author for providing me with a review copy.
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