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mllejoyeuxnoel's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, actually. I was realllllllly excited to read this book; it had me at "dead people." And this cover! Oh, man - are we possibly going to see another cover so beautiful this year?! Absolutely stunning.
But overall the book kind of fell a bit flat for me. The main character was very typically Brooding YA Hero, and I figured out who the bad guy was within the first 30 pages or so. The plot meanders a bit in the middle, but the ending was solid. The writing didn't totally grab me, but it didn't feel like I was making myself finish the book, either. What was incredibly unique and lovely about this book was the world Glenn Marsh built.
Reign of the Fallen truly gets all the points in my book for executing feminism and LGBTQ+ inclusion so well in a fantasy setting. There is no drama about women having to prove themselves in order to be mages, and all of the romantic relationships feel pure and unremarkable in the best way.
"Oh, hey - you want some gay dudes? Here ya go. Here's a healthy romantic subplot for ya. Oh, we're not going to discuss bisexuality as being someone's defining character trait BECAUSE SEXUAL ORIENTATION IS NEVER SOMEONE'S DEFINING CHARACTER TRAIT. Cool? Cool." - Sarah Glenn Marsh, probably.
Also? Someone in this book has a pet bear. I mean... that was at least two stars of fun right there! So! In conclusion, I'll definitely read the next one. Because zombies and pet bears.
But overall the book kind of fell a bit flat for me. The main character was very typically Brooding YA Hero, and I figured out who the bad guy was within the first 30 pages or so. The plot meanders a bit in the middle, but the ending was solid. The writing didn't totally grab me, but it didn't feel like I was making myself finish the book, either. What was incredibly unique and lovely about this book was the world Glenn Marsh built.
Reign of the Fallen truly gets all the points in my book for executing feminism and LGBTQ+ inclusion so well in a fantasy setting. There is no drama about women having to prove themselves in order to be mages, and all of the romantic relationships feel pure and unremarkable in the best way.
"Oh, hey - you want some gay dudes? Here ya go. Here's a healthy romantic subplot for ya. Oh, we're not going to discuss bisexuality as being someone's defining character trait BECAUSE SEXUAL ORIENTATION IS NEVER SOMEONE'S DEFINING CHARACTER TRAIT. Cool? Cool." - Sarah Glenn Marsh, probably.
Also? Someone in this book has a pet bear. I mean... that was at least two stars of fun right there! So! In conclusion, I'll definitely read the next one. Because zombies and pet bears.
danielled75's review against another edition
4.0
Going to get this out of the way right now, THIS IS NOT A ZOMBIE BOOK!
I was super intrigued about this book when it was first talked about it year, I mean how many books do you see that have a female necromancer as the main character? Odessa is such a wonderful character. She has her faults and doubts despite being such a highly praised master necromancer.
I found the idea behind the dead unique, they need to wear shrouds or risk being turned into Shades. Even knowing this, people still choose to have family members brought back from the dead and continue to live with them.
Odessa and the other necromancers in the book were all amazing characters, and their relationships were indeed like a large family and you do get to see a bit of their past and how heir bonds were made.
The other mages in the book were nice to see also, and how magic is determined was different to see also. I do hope that we get to see more types of mages in the next book.
I had a few small issues in the book, but nothing that stopped me from enjoying the story as a whole. The necromancers bring people back from the dead, but nothing has changed, there has been no progress in the city itself. No medical advancements, no new fashions, new music, new foods, etc. Change is not allowed per say as long as the King is in reign. I somewhat understood the reason why, but at the same time I was WHY?
Another issue I had which I will be vague about so not to spoil the book, has to do with the Shades themselves, and how key they are in the plot of the book. I have so many questions about them and their interactions with the other necromancers in the book.
I am curious to see where the second book takes us.
I was super intrigued about this book when it was first talked about it year, I mean how many books do you see that have a female necromancer as the main character? Odessa is such a wonderful character. She has her faults and doubts despite being such a highly praised master necromancer.
I found the idea behind the dead unique, they need to wear shrouds or risk being turned into Shades. Even knowing this, people still choose to have family members brought back from the dead and continue to live with them.
Odessa and the other necromancers in the book were all amazing characters, and their relationships were indeed like a large family and you do get to see a bit of their past and how heir bonds were made.
The other mages in the book were nice to see also, and how magic is determined was different to see also. I do hope that we get to see more types of mages in the next book.
I had a few small issues in the book, but nothing that stopped me from enjoying the story as a whole. The necromancers bring people back from the dead, but nothing has changed, there has been no progress in the city itself. No medical advancements, no new fashions, new music, new foods, etc. Change is not allowed per say as long as the King is in reign. I somewhat understood the reason why, but at the same time I was WHY?
Another issue I had which I will be vague about so not to spoil the book, has to do with the Shades themselves, and how key they are in the plot of the book. I have so many questions about them and their interactions with the other necromancers in the book.
I am curious to see where the second book takes us.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
I'll admit early reviews of this book had me worried. Okay but, this book did not play around with my emotions. There were a few slower bumps along the way, but I highly recommend this. Honestly, why wouldn't I with a bisexual necromancer as the protagonist?
chaoticallymaya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i don't know if there's a word limit on reviews, but all the things i disliked about this book would far surpass that
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty unique story with a lot of LGBT characters and interesting magic. I feel like it's a good start to what could be a unique series. The main character, Odessa, is a strong lead with complex emotions and a strong will. I really loved some of the side characters like Jax and Simeon, and thought Meredy was super cool. The only issue I had was with the pacing and the world building. The story moved at a weird clip for me, with things happening that didn't really add to the plot, with certain characters disappearing, issues being resolved fairly simply when I would have wanted more depth. I also wanted to know a little more about the world and its magic. There is a lot of potential here and I would like to see it expanded. The romance element is pretty strong, though there was a secondary romance that seemed out of place for me. I just didn't sense the connection between them at first. I also don't know how I feel about the ending. It was a good ending, but there was one thing I wish Odessa had done that she didn't. Regardless, this is a unique story and a great foot forward for LGBT characters in YA Fantasy.
lildrinkwater's review against another edition
2.0
I've tried to read this book a few times now and have just failed to really get into it. I'm not sure whats wrong with it either. It's got a relatively interesting plot with high stakes, there's romance and action, but for some reason it doesn't capture my attention.
bmzhang's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Enjoyed the new world, but events unfolded too quickly and without enough substance. Fmc annoyed me. Still wanna find out what happens next, but only sort of.
nekopersona's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0