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crimsoncor's review against another edition
5.0
Strong finish to the Duology. Some great world building in limited space (due to the novella format)
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
And what a bleak little series this turned out to be! It's beautifully told and beautifully written, evoking moonlight and darkness and raising questions about truth and trust and connections between sisters. The fantasy empire is based on Russia or China or something Eurasian; some of the reviewers say it's the story of the Romanovs. Anyway, the Empire is coming apart at the seams, and Celestia, the eldest of five sisters of the Imperial family, is supposed to become the next Crescent Empress. She and her four sisters are isolated in a country estate far in the north of the Empire. They don't know who will survive and who will not. It's told in each of the five sisters' voices. It's beautiful and melancholy.
bookswithbets's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
writingwwolves's review against another edition
5.0
Just as incredible as the first book! But with even more surprises & clever plot twists.
Leena has managed to create five different narratives that were all so individual & unique that each sister was totally exceptional & noteworthy in their own right. The book was written eloquently throughout & the ending was beyond unpredictable. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who loves historical fantasy or just fantasy YA in general. I'm sure I will read this duology many times during my life time.
I was sent a copy of this book by the author as an early birthday present, but this has in no way affected my opinion of the book.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2op
Leena has managed to create five different narratives that were all so individual & unique that each sister was totally exceptional & noteworthy in their own right. The book was written eloquently throughout & the ending was beyond unpredictable. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who loves historical fantasy or just fantasy YA in general. I'm sure I will read this duology many times during my life time.
I was sent a copy of this book by the author as an early birthday present, but this has in no way affected my opinion of the book.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2op
mmefish's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
A disappointment.
The sisters continue keeping secrets from each other, like in book 1, only it doesn't make sense anymore. They don't grow. They repeat the same mistakes. They repeat the same words, sentences, paragraphs.
And nothing happens.
All interesting ideas (Alina interracting with shadows, the Witch/the magpie, Elise's romance with a captain, the Moon powers) are wasted. We get more pointless poundering instead. Oh, and one (1) scene with the caricature of a villain, who is apparently both Lenin and Rasputin. He basically eats children's souls by the way.
Speaking of, what was the point of even including the revolution? It's a plot device and nothing more. Only there is no real plot to find.
Then we come to Merile and her dogs. Oh boy, this girl really just exists to speak differently. Merile literally adds nothing to the plot, and as there were only four Romanov sisters, I really don't see the point of her character.
And her dogs were written only so they could conveniently die, which I just knew from the beginning. We love to include animals to kill them 🥰
If all of that wasn't bad enough, the book doesn't even resolve anything. It's not even an open ending, it's just trash.
What an utter waste of time.
The sisters continue keeping secrets from each other, like in book 1, only it doesn't make sense anymore. They don't grow. They repeat the same mistakes. They repeat the same words, sentences, paragraphs.
And nothing happens.
All interesting ideas (Alina interracting with shadows, the Witch/the magpie, Elise's romance with a captain, the Moon powers) are wasted. We get more pointless poundering instead. Oh, and one (1) scene with the caricature of a villain, who is apparently both Lenin and Rasputin. He basically eats children's souls by the way.
Speaking of, what was the point of even including the revolution? It's a plot device and nothing more. Only there is no real plot to find.
Then we come to Merile and her dogs. Oh boy, this girl really just exists to speak differently. Merile literally adds nothing to the plot, and as there were only four Romanov sisters, I really don't see the point of her character.
And her dogs were written only so they could conveniently die, which I just knew from the beginning. We love to include animals to kill them 🥰
If all of that wasn't bad enough, the book doesn't even resolve anything. It's not even an open ending, it's just trash.
What an utter waste of time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
wordnerdy's review against another edition
4.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2017/11/2017-book-191.html
The second book in Likitalo's duology, a fantasy/alternate history inspired by the Romanovs, left me almost breathless! I loved the journeys of the five sisters (though Elise is more sympathetic and compelling in the first one) and the end had me going “oh whaaaaaaat” but like in a good way. I a, pretty sure this is the end of the story, and while I found the ending fitting, I would one hundred percent read more in this universe. And will definitely read more from this author. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released tomorrow.
The second book in Likitalo's duology, a fantasy/alternate history inspired by the Romanovs, left me almost breathless! I loved the journeys of the five sisters (though Elise is more sympathetic and compelling in the first one) and the end had me going “oh whaaaaaaat” but like in a good way. I a, pretty sure this is the end of the story, and while I found the ending fitting, I would one hundred percent read more in this universe. And will definitely read more from this author. A/A-.
__
A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released tomorrow.
endlessmidnight's review against another edition
1.0
I would have liked this more if it wasn’t just so boring, nothing really happened or even caught my attention here at all.
The characters were really bland, and I often forgot about them. Not to mention the fact that the plot often lead to nowhere, in the sense that I just didn’t want to read on, sadly.
Although the premise was intriguing, but I felt that there was not anything that really kept my attention here. Although it is a sequel, but it still has to be engaging, and actually make me care.
The world was something that I thought really lacked something, something that will have drawn me into the story.
But, I just don’t, and I barely understand what this story is all about.
The characters were really bland, and I often forgot about them. Not to mention the fact that the plot often lead to nowhere, in the sense that I just didn’t want to read on, sadly.
Although the premise was intriguing, but I felt that there was not anything that really kept my attention here. Although it is a sequel, but it still has to be engaging, and actually make me care.
The world was something that I thought really lacked something, something that will have drawn me into the story.
But, I just don’t, and I barely understand what this story is all about.
jskstarr's review
3.0
Strangely paced
The story is an odd mix of anti communist fantasy and historical fiction reimagining. What felt gleaming and original in the first half of the duology was done to death. Merile's speech pattern made me want to scream, and after nothing much happening for the first 60% or so of the book, suddenly plot threads are dropped and the characters race to an inevitable finish line. I really thought this book would be much more unique given how promising the first one was. Disappointed. I'm disappointed that this book wasn't better.
The story is an odd mix of anti communist fantasy and historical fiction reimagining. What felt gleaming and original in the first half of the duology was done to death. Merile's speech pattern made me want to scream, and after nothing much happening for the first 60% or so of the book, suddenly plot threads are dropped and the characters race to an inevitable finish line. I really thought this book would be much more unique given how promising the first one was. Disappointed. I'm disappointed that this book wasn't better.
oliviagwynne's review against another edition
3.0
I really didn’t like the ending. And Elise went from being one of my favourites of the sisters to being the one I hated the most. She’s such an idealistic idiot.
utopiastateofmind's review
5.0
WOW. This was an absolutely stunning conclusion. It had an incredibly lush setting. The writing was this mixture of luxurious detail and thrilling suspense. The characters were incredibly complex and their journeys were mesmerizing to read. And Likitalo continuously outdoes herself with plots that challenge our expectations. If you loved the first, or even liked it, you need to read this one. If you're at all interested in the Romanov sisters, this duology needs to be on your list.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-sisters-crescent-empress-leena-likitalo/
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-sisters-crescent-empress-leena-likitalo/