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goodbetterbetsy's review
3.0
This started out so good but then about half way through I just lost interest. I finished the book and am glad it's not a series (or it doesn't appear to be). The ending kind of redeemed the book. But I don't know, I think the author tried to put in too much conspiracy and too many twists and turns for it to be easy to keep track of people's allegiances.
lassarina's review
4.0
A fast, enjoyable read about an immortal shape shifting witch bound to serve the king of a certain kingdom--but she's lost her memory. I whipped through it in one sitting and had a good time with it - the characters are interesting and the flow of political intrigue was well done. I did not predict the twist and it was good stuff.
catyalice's review
2.0
There is a story line in there I promise.... The book starts off so confusing and then not all my questions were answered. The narrator switches to different characters too quickly. There is little development and the thoughts are incomplete. I liked the main character somewhat but it was a very hard book to follow. It doesn't even end.
cyberhuman's review
5.0
I purchased this book for my daughter but ended up reading it myself too. What makes the book YA is not so much the youth of the main characters as the theme of a young woman finding her own place in an unfamiliar world. However, the story is full of adult themes (in the sense of depth and honesty) that would appeal to mature readers. The ending is especially striking. I had many serious and interesting discussions with my daughter on the choices made the protagonist toward the end. Indeed, the matter stays in mind.
The story has a certain contest-of-wills, duel-of-minds character, much of it revolving around the character of Clarisse, who's among the most memorable secondary characters in the books I've read (and I have read a lot).
The story has a certain contest-of-wills, duel-of-minds character, much of it revolving around the character of Clarisse, who's among the most memorable secondary characters in the books I've read (and I have read a lot).
linneahedvig's review
3.0
The main thing that held me back from getting into this book was that the protagonist wasn't really human, or at least, her humanity was fuzzy. She/It is introduced as this mystical force called the "Shifter" (ooooo) that has only one purpose--to protect the king (boring...). So the king goes to the Mistwood and gets the Shifter and brings her back to the castle and then she's all like "I'm not sure what I am or what I'm supposed to do, but I can't tell the king that because he thinks I'm the best weapon ever." Anyway, so mystical force that doesn't know what to do--should have been intriguing, but none of the characters was really compelling enough to make it work for me. The book was only 300 pages so I plowed through the first hundred or so until I was caught up in the story enough to make it fun to read. It was an experience a lot like [b:Graceling|3236307|Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #1)|Kristin Cashore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255623835s/3236307.jpg|3270810]--female killing machine, vaguely interesting characters, good plot, but not much to flesh it out.
kblincoln's review
3.0
A prince rides into the Mistwood and binds a magical creature to his service with a magical bracelet.
The Shifter has served the King for thousands of years, rooting out conspiracies, stopping assassins, protecting the throne.
But something happened to the last King, something that changed the Shifter forever.
Now both prince and Shifter are not what they seem. And the Shifter herself must decide where her true loyalties lie.
The story of the shifter is interesting, well-paced, and has a few characters (notably Ven the sorceror's apprentice and Clarisse, the prince's sister with secrets of her own, and a fierce personality not usually enountered in fantasy princessess) that felt vital to me.
However, whether it was due to the difficulty of identifying with a main character unsure of her own identity, or the tendency for long swaths of time to be summarized rather than shown to us (including the main relationship between the Shifter and Prince Rokan), I never found myself emotionally invested.
Overall a pleasant tale, but nothing that grabbed me.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Peanut butter and jelly sandwhich on white bread for the wholesome sweetness of the story that never breaks out of a plain mold.
The Shifter has served the King for thousands of years, rooting out conspiracies, stopping assassins, protecting the throne.
But something happened to the last King, something that changed the Shifter forever.
Now both prince and Shifter are not what they seem. And the Shifter herself must decide where her true loyalties lie.
The story of the shifter is interesting, well-paced, and has a few characters (notably Ven the sorceror's apprentice and Clarisse, the prince's sister with secrets of her own, and a fierce personality not usually enountered in fantasy princessess) that felt vital to me.
However, whether it was due to the difficulty of identifying with a main character unsure of her own identity, or the tendency for long swaths of time to be summarized rather than shown to us (including the main relationship between the Shifter and Prince Rokan), I never found myself emotionally invested.
Overall a pleasant tale, but nothing that grabbed me.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Peanut butter and jelly sandwhich on white bread for the wholesome sweetness of the story that never breaks out of a plain mold.
tabandvelcro's review
4.0
how does an immortal being deal with human feelings? this is a theme I loved when it was dealt with in "the last unicorn" and I loved it just as much here. it's like a graceling/last unicorn awesome hybrid. but, with no unicorns. sorry. looking forward to the companion novel!
peruseproject's review
3.0
More like a 3.5. It was decent, I really started enjoying it in the last 30 pages or so.
ex_libris_ad_astra's review
3.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
Isabel is a shifter. When Prince Rokan arrives in Mistwood seeking the shifter's protection, Isabel agrees to go with him. However, she has no memory of her past life before her time in Mistwood. Isabel knows Rokan is keeping something from her, but she doesn't know what.
I was expecting a pretty standard plot. Nothing too unusual, but a decent sort of fluff read. Instead, I found myself captivated by the way Cypess has crafted this story. As a reader, we only knows what Isabel knows, which isn't a lot to begin with. She's familiar with the castle where the majority of the book takes place, but that's about it. We learn things at the same pace Isabel does, which brings the reader into the story. If something is not making sense, there's usually an answer out there- Isabel just hasn't figured it out yet.
Cypess included a few plot twists I hadn't seen coming. I enjoyed them, but they could have had a bit more set up. I can't easily think of things that were foreshadowed within the book, so the "A HA!" moments just turn into "ohhhhh" moments.
The biggest thing I wished this novel would have included was more character development. There were several scenes where I thought we were almost there, but the author seemed to lose steam. The interactions between Isabel, Rokan, and the rest of court could have used a bit more of something. It could have been longer conversations, interactions between the characters, or even Isabel's thoughts about how the characters were talking and acting toward each other. These small changed would have taken the book from good to great.
Overall, I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars, and decided to round down to a 3. While I loved the way the story was told, it definitely won't be for everyone. However, if you're looking for a stories about shifters that's outside of the box, I would definitely suggest checking out Mistwood.
Isabel is a shifter. When Prince Rokan arrives in Mistwood seeking the shifter's protection, Isabel agrees to go with him. However, she has no memory of her past life before her time in Mistwood. Isabel knows Rokan is keeping something from her, but she doesn't know what.
I was expecting a pretty standard plot. Nothing too unusual, but a decent sort of fluff read. Instead, I found myself captivated by the way Cypess has crafted this story. As a reader, we only knows what Isabel knows, which isn't a lot to begin with. She's familiar with the castle where the majority of the book takes place, but that's about it. We learn things at the same pace Isabel does, which brings the reader into the story. If something is not making sense, there's usually an answer out there- Isabel just hasn't figured it out yet.
Cypess included a few plot twists I hadn't seen coming. I enjoyed them, but they could have had a bit more set up. I can't easily think of things that were foreshadowed within the book, so the "A HA!" moments just turn into "ohhhhh" moments.
The biggest thing I wished this novel would have included was more character development. There were several scenes where I thought we were almost there, but the author seemed to lose steam. The interactions between Isabel, Rokan, and the rest of court could have used a bit more of something. It could have been longer conversations, interactions between the characters, or even Isabel's thoughts about how the characters were talking and acting toward each other. These small changed would have taken the book from good to great.
Overall, I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars, and decided to round down to a 3. While I loved the way the story was told, it definitely won't be for everyone. However, if you're looking for a stories about shifters that's outside of the box, I would definitely suggest checking out Mistwood.