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losetimereading's review against another edition
3.0
I never thought I would interested in mythology, I had a brief run in with a mythology course in University and did not enjoy it. My reading tastes are far more diverse now but for some reason I didn’t want to dabble again because of the bad taste in my mouth from my younger years. Then in the fall I read The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White – which is about Egyptian mythology – and realized I really enjoyed it. When Promise of Shadows came up on Edelweiss I knew I had to read it, it sounded so interesting and I really wanted to read another mythology book!
When I started reading Promise of Shadows, I had to do a lot of Googling. I had no idea what a Harpy was, I couldn’t remember what half of the Greek mythology terms meant and I definitely couldn’t remember what God and Goddess did what. I thanked my lucky stars for my Kindle at that point because it seemed every second word I was using the dictionary or Wikipedia feature on! Once I got all of the terms down pat I settled in and had quite a pretty good experience with this book!
I really liked Zephyr. She was insecure and very indecisive but I thoroughly enjoyed her character, especially her personal development and growth once she finds out she was the Nyx. There was times that she was annoying when she refused to believe that she was part of the Prophecy but ultimately I really liked her. I actually really enjoyed all of the characters, Tallon, Blue, Cass (especially Cass!), Nanda and my favorite of all, Hades! A lot of the characters were built of Gods and Goddesses so I can’t attest to the originality of those characters (I’m assuming that their characters are fairly similar from story to story) but I loved them just the same! I was so interested in all of the stories behind them, from Dragon to Harpy to the Nyx and I loved learning about all of them. One thing that I should point out, and I’m not sure if this is common amongst mythology or not because I am NOT well read in this genre at all, is that the explanations (as I said above) are few and far between about what each God/Goddess’ story is. I had no idea who Hera was, or Persephone is so if you aren’t familiar with mythology either you might spend a bit of time looking up who each character is.
I quickly fell into the story once I started. I adored the worlds from the Underworld to the stories of Aerie and even the Mortal Realm. I loved it. I do think that the worlds should have had a bit more explanation though. I thought it was a bit confusing with the Aerie and how you could pass so freely between them, and I would have liked a bit more in-depth explanation. Another qualm I had about it is that the ending did start to get a bit slow and I was anxious to get the finale started, but there is a good buildup with character growth and journey beforehand.
Another major plus for me was that Promise of Shadows is a standalone. I really loved that the entire story was wrapped up in one book. While I would love to read more about Zephyr, it’s nice to know that I don’t have to wait another year for a sequel!
The ending also was slightly strange to me. I did like it and thought it was nice, I guess it was just a bit different from what I was expecting. Despite those issues, I did really enjoy Promise of Shadows. The story was fascinating and fun and I really enjoyed the characters. I was completely invested in the story and I couldn’t resist reading large amounts of it in one sitting! definitely recommend if you are looking for a fun, interesting mythology read!
When I started reading Promise of Shadows, I had to do a lot of Googling. I had no idea what a Harpy was, I couldn’t remember what half of the Greek mythology terms meant and I definitely couldn’t remember what God and Goddess did what. I thanked my lucky stars for my Kindle at that point because it seemed every second word I was using the dictionary or Wikipedia feature on! Once I got all of the terms down pat I settled in and had quite a pretty good experience with this book!
I really liked Zephyr. She was insecure and very indecisive but I thoroughly enjoyed her character, especially her personal development and growth once she finds out she was the Nyx. There was times that she was annoying when she refused to believe that she was part of the Prophecy but ultimately I really liked her. I actually really enjoyed all of the characters, Tallon, Blue, Cass (especially Cass!), Nanda and my favorite of all, Hades! A lot of the characters were built of Gods and Goddesses so I can’t attest to the originality of those characters (I’m assuming that their characters are fairly similar from story to story) but I loved them just the same! I was so interested in all of the stories behind them, from Dragon to Harpy to the Nyx and I loved learning about all of them. One thing that I should point out, and I’m not sure if this is common amongst mythology or not because I am NOT well read in this genre at all, is that the explanations (as I said above) are few and far between about what each God/Goddess’ story is. I had no idea who Hera was, or Persephone is so if you aren’t familiar with mythology either you might spend a bit of time looking up who each character is.
I quickly fell into the story once I started. I adored the worlds from the Underworld to the stories of Aerie and even the Mortal Realm. I loved it. I do think that the worlds should have had a bit more explanation though. I thought it was a bit confusing with the Aerie and how you could pass so freely between them, and I would have liked a bit more in-depth explanation. Another qualm I had about it is that the ending did start to get a bit slow and I was anxious to get the finale started, but there is a good buildup with character growth and journey beforehand.
Another major plus for me was that Promise of Shadows is a standalone. I really loved that the entire story was wrapped up in one book. While I would love to read more about Zephyr, it’s nice to know that I don’t have to wait another year for a sequel!
The ending also was slightly strange to me. I did like it and thought it was nice, I guess it was just a bit different from what I was expecting. Despite those issues, I did really enjoy Promise of Shadows. The story was fascinating and fun and I really enjoyed the characters. I was completely invested in the story and I couldn’t resist reading large amounts of it in one sitting! definitely recommend if you are looking for a fun, interesting mythology read!
i_will_papercut_a_bish's review against another edition
4.0
Zephyr is the sort of heroine who makes the average person think, "Yeah, I could deal with hard situations, too." Relatable (in specifically *female* ways), her friendships and family ties, especially her female relationships, ring true and relatable. Can't wait to put this in the hands of my daughter. :)
siobhan27's review against another edition
4.0
Like I have said before i am a sucker for everything Greek Mythology and it so happens that I found Promise of Shadows in the Simon and Schuster catalog and once I saw the premise I knew I had to read it, and I have to say this is one of my favorite Greek mythology adaptations i have read in a very long time.
Zephyr is our narrator and I have to say I love her so much. I really wish she was a real person because I have a feeling we would be best friends. I think what I loved lost about her was the fact that she was not up front with the readers about her past and what she did. We first meet her when she is in Hell for killing a God. Now first of all this is bad-ass in a of itself because it is not everyday that you read about a girl kicking the ass of someone that is not only older than her but also very much larger than her. And I thought that was very refreshing to read.
I also loved the secondary characters and how much they added to the overal story arc. There was one in particular that I found very interesting and that was Tallon. He was Zephyr's childhood friend that comes back to rescue her because they believe that she is the savior for all. But the tension that is between these two character is amazing, and reading it was both frustrating and amazing at the same time. Their relationship was a large part of why I loved this book so much.
Another reason I loved this book was the mystery element, Zephyr might have been told that she is the savior of all mankind but what does that really mean? And quite frankly finding out with her as you read was a great way to get into not only the story but her character as well. I really loved her and I really hope that there is a second book to this story because I would really like to revisit these characters and see what is happening with them.
Zephyr is our narrator and I have to say I love her so much. I really wish she was a real person because I have a feeling we would be best friends. I think what I loved lost about her was the fact that she was not up front with the readers about her past and what she did. We first meet her when she is in Hell for killing a God. Now first of all this is bad-ass in a of itself because it is not everyday that you read about a girl kicking the ass of someone that is not only older than her but also very much larger than her. And I thought that was very refreshing to read.
I also loved the secondary characters and how much they added to the overal story arc. There was one in particular that I found very interesting and that was Tallon. He was Zephyr's childhood friend that comes back to rescue her because they believe that she is the savior for all. But the tension that is between these two character is amazing, and reading it was both frustrating and amazing at the same time. Their relationship was a large part of why I loved this book so much.
Another reason I loved this book was the mystery element, Zephyr might have been told that she is the savior of all mankind but what does that really mean? And quite frankly finding out with her as you read was a great way to get into not only the story but her character as well. I really loved her and I really hope that there is a second book to this story because I would really like to revisit these characters and see what is happening with them.
sukino's review against another edition
5.0
I am not always one for sci-fi -ish tales as I lean more for fantasy, but I started reading this after I ordered it for my bookmobile. I was sucked in with the first pages and just kept reading wherever ever I had free time at work or at home until I was done. The story was compelling and while the MC was a little whiny at times, I enjoyed her and the other characters. To be honest but in the MC situation I probably won't have fared as well as she did. There as a bit on an info dump at times in some chapters, but it didn't bother me.
sarahanne1994's review against another edition
4.0
: I loved this book. A good thing too since this was a birthday gift. Buying books for me is always tricky since nobody really knows what books I own or have read, but I loved this book. It was a cool blend of greek gods and the creatures that come with it and the real world, but far different than Percy Jackson. And also, just reading about a harpy was pretty cool too. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I keep reiterating, for lack of words to properly articulate how good I thought this book was.
liatrek's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the story and world building. The romance was very YA but I liked the characters and kind of wish there was a sequel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
lothlorienne's review against another edition
4.0
I would definitely agree with those that have said the book's summary does not draw you to the story, but I'd recommend that you disregard the summary and dive right in.
Obviously, we have seen Greek mythology modernized in a few other YA novels. I've always been a bit drawn to these, as the Greek myths are fascinating in themselves. To add a modern connection begets an interesting setup for a story that could be headed almost anywhere. In this book, the mythos is focused on harpies, which I found to be very unique, and well done. Zephyr is a character I enjoyed. Strong, but not overtly feminist.
The book draws you in almost immediately, with the opening setting in Tartarus (hell). How could that not be fascinating?
I felt the book sustained a good pacing and plot development to keep a steady interest without many lulls. The characters introduced continued to be well-written, and the author did a good job of building up their personal twist on the mythos as the story progressed.
The only complaint I might have is that the love/attraction was a bit like every other YA relationship - overly crush-oriented and based on appearances, but this can be largely overlooked for the quality of the story.
This one has great originality, good flow, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Greek myths modernized.
Obviously, we have seen Greek mythology modernized in a few other YA novels. I've always been a bit drawn to these, as the Greek myths are fascinating in themselves. To add a modern connection begets an interesting setup for a story that could be headed almost anywhere. In this book, the mythos is focused on harpies, which I found to be very unique, and well done. Zephyr is a character I enjoyed. Strong, but not overtly feminist.
The book draws you in almost immediately, with the opening setting in Tartarus (hell). How could that not be fascinating?
I felt the book sustained a good pacing and plot development to keep a steady interest without many lulls. The characters introduced continued to be well-written, and the author did a good job of building up their personal twist on the mythos as the story progressed.
The only complaint I might have is that the love/attraction was a bit like every other YA relationship - overly crush-oriented and based on appearances, but this can be largely overlooked for the quality of the story.
This one has great originality, good flow, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Greek myths modernized.
mslibrarynerd's review against another edition
4.0
I very much enjoyed this Greek myth inspired book of a hero quest. The main character is a blue haired, dreadlocked harpy, full of sass and the requisite resistance to being the chosen one. Family secrets unfold as her quest does. Plenty of YA feels and adventure.
choirqueer's review against another edition
5.0
I'm always excited for a good Greek myth remix, and I absolutely loved this one. Justina Ireland never disappoints! I wish I could have read it a little more slowly and really savored each twist and turn, but it was a can't-put-down story and I was up all night with it. The ancient and contemporary elements of this story were interwoven spectacularly. Highly recommend this one.
cw: magical and physical violence, mass killing, sexual violence mention (no details), violent death and subsequent grieving of loved ones (very detailed)
cw: magical and physical violence, mass killing, sexual violence mention (no details), violent death and subsequent grieving of loved ones (very detailed)