Scan barcode
apersonallibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
fallingwings's review against another edition
1.0
*SIGHS FOR ALL OF ETERNITY*
DNF @ CH5
How does this have so many great reviews?? Are we reading the same book? What am I missing?
This feels like a rough / first draft of what the author has planned for their novel, not the final thing that gets published. The narration is on the meh side, the characters aren't really interesting and fall flat, there's no world building (I can't even figure out what type world this is?? There's modern day things, like TV's and cell phones that function, but there are other things that lead me to believe this takes place in a time period hundreds of years prior to our own), I have no idea what's going on besides a group of rich boys chase a girl name Wren each year the day after Christmas and the Wren hunt...is celebrated all over the world or something? Also, why the hell aren't words like "Judges" and "Augos" (I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong) capitalized? They're clearly main names/terms for importance regarding this story. Wren apparently has "visions" and there's something about a necklace connected to her mother who took off when she was a baby and Wren needs to find special...stones? before other people? or the Judges? do?? So she and her brother are going to the government? higher-ups? JUDGES! that hate their guts to help find them?? Just...what? WHAT IS HAPPENING? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. It all feels so sloppy to me.
The best thing I saw was the creepy atmosphere, but it's not enough to keep me interested.
DNF @ CH5
How does this have so many great reviews?? Are we reading the same book? What am I missing?
This feels like a rough / first draft of what the author has planned for their novel, not the final thing that gets published. The narration is on the meh side, the characters aren't really interesting and fall flat, there's no world building (I can't even figure out what type world this is?? There's modern day things, like TV's and cell phones that function, but there are other things that lead me to believe this takes place in a time period hundreds of years prior to our own), I have no idea what's going on besides a group of rich boys chase a girl name Wren each year the day after Christmas and the Wren hunt...is celebrated all over the world or something? Also, why the hell aren't words like "Judges" and "Augos" (I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong) capitalized? They're clearly main names/terms for importance regarding this story. Wren apparently has "visions" and there's something about a necklace connected to her mother who took off when she was a baby and Wren needs to find special...stones? before other people? or the Judges? do?? So she and her brother are going to the government? higher-ups? JUDGES! that hate their guts to help find them?? Just...what? WHAT IS HAPPENING? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. It all feels so sloppy to me.
The best thing I saw was the creepy atmosphere, but it's not enough to keep me interested.
leilaxx's review against another edition
4.0
Finished it in less than a day, a unique and beautifully written novel. The ending didn’t do its justice, there was still so much more that needed to be added and explained. I was not satisfied with the ending. I wanted to know more about tarc, sorcha, cass, the whole plan and the stones. Maeve and Smith, I need to know their reasons and history of what went down. I feel incomplete, and I hope there’s a second book and at the same time don’t, but I’m 99.8% there isn’t. I loved wren, everything about her, ash and tar. Amazingly written fantasy novel. I loved it so much that I left all my deadlines to read this. I’m going to regret this tomorrow ;(
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
1.5/5
I was excited about the premise of the book but when I started reading it, it was a slow pace to me and it felt like it took forever to finish it.
I was excited about the premise of the book but when I started reading it, it was a slow pace to me and it felt like it took forever to finish it.
jenns_bookshelf's review against another edition
First impressions: I have no idea what’s happening or what genre this is supposed to be, but I do know one thing; these boys are predators and I’m UNCOMFY WITH THE NARRATIVE BEING OKAY WITH IT (or at least the narrative not doing enough to make it believably wrong in the scope of the story)
I tried. I really did. I got 190 pages in. I have no idea what’s happening or why, the worldbuilding is NONEXISTENT, I still hate all the boys, and the romance is just bad? And again. WHATS HAPPENING? Why does this plot feel like it’s trying to be a horror and a romance and a mystery and a cozy atmospheric read and yet ~failing at every one it tries~???
Ugh. Nope. Nope nope.
I tried. I really did. I got 190 pages in. I have no idea what’s happening or why, the worldbuilding is NONEXISTENT, I still hate all the boys, and the romance is just bad? And again. WHATS HAPPENING? Why does this plot feel like it’s trying to be a horror and a romance and a mystery and a cozy atmospheric read and yet ~failing at every one it tries~???
Ugh. Nope. Nope nope.
rainbowsunreads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
This is a difficult book to review. On the one hand, it's beautifully written, the prose is fantastic, and the backstory has clearly been meticulously planned out. On the other hand, not much happens and that backstory makes things a little confusing.
Wren is an Augur, one branch of the old Druids of Ireland. Augurs are at war with Judges, the other branch, over magical sites called nemeta. Without nemeta, each side loses their powers. A nemeta can only work for either augurs or judges, not both. The judges are 'winning' at the moment, with more and stronger nemeta than the augurs have. Wren's coven come up with a risky plan to have her work for the area's leading judge to look for a map that will help them find nemeta. At least, that's what Wren is told is the plan.
Of course there's a handsome boy judge, and of course there's double crossing and confusion and changes of information and Wren wavering from one group to the other. By the time the story ends I'm honestly not 100% sure which side she's on; I'm fairly sure I know, but not certain.
The story's unmoored in time, too. There's one mention of Coke and one of a Kardashian. If not fir those I would have guessed 100 years ago.
Apart from those things, though, it's a good, interesting story, and I'll be watching out for the sequel.
Receiving an ARC did not alter my opinion in any way.
Wren is an Augur, one branch of the old Druids of Ireland. Augurs are at war with Judges, the other branch, over magical sites called nemeta. Without nemeta, each side loses their powers. A nemeta can only work for either augurs or judges, not both. The judges are 'winning' at the moment, with more and stronger nemeta than the augurs have. Wren's coven come up with a risky plan to have her work for the area's leading judge to look for a map that will help them find nemeta. At least, that's what Wren is told is the plan.
Of course there's a handsome boy judge, and of course there's double crossing and confusion and changes of information and Wren wavering from one group to the other. By the time the story ends I'm honestly not 100% sure which side she's on; I'm fairly sure I know, but not certain.
The story's unmoored in time, too. There's one mention of Coke and one of a Kardashian. If not fir those I would have guessed 100 years ago.
Apart from those things, though, it's a good, interesting story, and I'll be watching out for the sequel.
Receiving an ARC did not alter my opinion in any way.