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hannykin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
vandavknihach's review against another edition
3.0
Druhý díl jsem četla hned po prvním, abych to měla přečtené v kuse. V některých částech mi to přišlo lepší jak Magonie, někdy naopak horší. Pozitiva u mě vlastně zůstala stejná, toť celkem hezky (i když krátce) vystavěný svět a jeho návaznost na jednotlivé skutečnosti. Občas to umělo vygradovat lépe, než v díle předchozím.
No ale hlavní hrdinka mi teda vadila asi ještě o krapet víc, do toho mi začal vadit i hlavní hrdina, protože přeháněl a rozvinul docela toxic vztah. Stejně jako situace uměly gradovat, tak uměly být docela předvídatelné. No a do třetice musím zmínit, že jsem nepochopila funkci pár postav. Objevily se v lince, dokonce to vypadalo, že by mohly být i nějak důležitý pro vývoj příběhu, a následně byly odstraněny? Tak proč! :D Ve výsledku mám pocit stejný jako po dočtení jedničky, měla jsem to číst dříve. Mnohem...
No ale hlavní hrdinka mi teda vadila asi ještě o krapet víc, do toho mi začal vadit i hlavní hrdina, protože přeháněl a rozvinul docela toxic vztah. Stejně jako situace uměly gradovat, tak uměly být docela předvídatelné. No a do třetice musím zmínit, že jsem nepochopila funkci pár postav. Objevily se v lince, dokonce to vypadalo, že by mohly být i nějak důležitý pro vývoj příběhu, a následně byly odstraněny? Tak proč! :D Ve výsledku mám pocit stejný jako po dočtení jedničky, měla jsem to číst dříve. Mnohem...
gabalodon's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did the first one. We tied up some loose ends, which is always good. All of the things that made the first book special were here, too. Very magical, very creative, and I think the plot was actually much stronger and more complex. I liked the addition of SWAB as a plot point - that definitely made things more complicated in interesting ways.
However, both main characters lack a lot of agency in this one. They let the plot and far more interesting side characters drag them around from plot point to plot point. There were a lot of interesting things happening on the small scale (interpersonal relationships between friends and enemies and significant others changing and rearranging) that sometimes got lost in the very dramatic, catastrophic main conflict (for example, I think both sets of parents should have had much more of a role after they seemed to vanish from the story, Dai's whole arc in this one was sidelined and abbreviated given the significance of his predetermined role in Aza's life and the parallels set up in this story, and I think it would have been good to see more members of SWAB fleshed out as people instead of being a faceless govt organization). There's one whole sidebar in a volcano that seemed very unnecessary, when we could have maybe played more with the dynamics of the Breath and Rostrae. Some messages and lessons learned along the way were then invalidated or conflict with how things go down at the climax. This book was also much darker than the first one (sometimes unnecessarily imo).
But the biggest weakness to me was how much the main characters (mostly Jason) got so completely lost in their very dramatic teenage angst, and that takes up soooo many pages, it was exhausting. Jason's actions at the beginning were insanely problematic, and his subsequent misery (soooo much drawn out misery) doesn't mean that they don't need to have a Conversation and a long road to forgiveness, if she ever forgives him at all, which I'm honestly not sure she fully should. Also, the fact that Jason's realization of how problematic his actions were was only made in the context of having his own control forcibly stripped away didn't sit right with me, and his extreme dependency on and obsession with Aza seems like a super duper red flag to me. He has no identity without her and that's Not Great. But I understand what the story was trying to do, and there's only so much you can do in 300 pages and their relationship has been a huge anchor for the story in both books.
I also feel like Jason and Dai are overdue for at least one Conversation. And I would have loved to see Eli and Heyward be the MCs this time around, I adored them.
However, both main characters lack a lot of agency in this one. They let the plot and far more interesting side characters drag them around from plot point to plot point. There were a lot of interesting things happening on the small scale (interpersonal relationships between friends and enemies and significant others changing and rearranging) that sometimes got lost in the very dramatic, catastrophic main conflict (for example, I think both sets of parents should have had much more of a role after they seemed to vanish from the story, Dai's whole arc in this one was sidelined and abbreviated given the significance of his predetermined role in Aza's life and the parallels set up in this story, and I think it would have been good to see more members of SWAB fleshed out as people instead of being a faceless govt organization). There's one whole sidebar in a volcano that seemed very unnecessary, when we could have maybe played more with the dynamics of the Breath and Rostrae. Some messages and lessons learned along the way were then invalidated or conflict with how things go down at the climax. This book was also much darker than the first one (sometimes unnecessarily imo).
But the biggest weakness to me was how much the main characters (mostly Jason) got so completely lost in their very dramatic teenage angst, and that takes up soooo many pages, it was exhausting. Jason's actions at the beginning were insanely problematic, and his subsequent misery (soooo much drawn out misery) doesn't mean that they don't need to have a Conversation and a long road to forgiveness, if she ever forgives him at all, which I'm honestly not sure she fully should. Also, the fact that Jason's realization of how problematic his actions were was only made in the context of having his own control forcibly stripped away didn't sit right with me, and his extreme dependency on and obsession with Aza seems like a super duper red flag to me. He has no identity without her and that's Not Great. But I understand what the story was trying to do, and there's only so much you can do in 300 pages and their relationship has been a huge anchor for the story in both books.
I also feel like Jason and Dai are overdue for at least one Conversation. And I would have loved to see Eli and Heyward be the MCs this time around, I adored them.
marawii's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t do a reread of the first book so I forgot most of the characters and felt lost a bit while reading Aerie. This is sad especially since I remember that I loved the first book (Magonia) and recommended it to everyone when I first read it.
Some parts felt very slow while other parts where interesting which is why I’m giving it a 3 stars. I hate to say it when reviewing books but I have a feeling I won’t remember the contents of this book in a year (I do have a bad memory though).
I loved some quotes at the end of the book though!
Some parts felt very slow while other parts where interesting which is why I’m giving it a 3 stars. I hate to say it when reviewing books but I have a feeling I won’t remember the contents of this book in a year (I do have a bad memory though).
I loved some quotes at the end of the book though!
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
It’s been a year since Aza Ray Boyle returned to land from Magonia in another borrowed skin. She has everything she wanted: the love of her best friend Jason, her family back, and a life where she’s not dying every day. Things are normal. But now that Aza knows who she really is, what she’s capable of, the things she can do, she can’t forget that. She still sings with her heartbird Caru, but she also longs for the sky.
Jason is so happy to have Aza back, but in that happiness lies an undeniable paranoia. Jason was there when he lost Aza the first time when she died. He can think of no greater pain than losing her a second time. He sees how Aza looks at the sky, up at the clouds. He knows she’s still communicating with her heartbird. He also knows that Magonia wants Aza back. Will do anything to get her back. So Jason, being Jason, obviously has a contingency plan in place. But this contingency ends up backfiring in the worst way possible. It just may be the thing that breaks Jason and Aza.
Meanwhile, Aza’s maniacal birth mother Zal has escaped, with the help of Aza’s singing partner Dai, from the Magonian prison in the capital of Maganwetar. Zal Quel is still set on her mass destruction of all the drowners on Earth. In her megalomania she might just destroy everything, Magonians and drowners alike.
When I read Magonia earlier this year, I was just completely blown away. The mythology, the imagery, was so beautiful. Aerie gives readers more of the same, albeit expanded upon, and I was more than happy to go back to this amazingly interesting world.
This series, these two books, are Aza’s story. In Magonia, Aza is basically introduced to what she truly is. Yet in Magonia Aza was used as a pawn by her mother trying to harness Aza’s song for her own devices. So pretty much Aza’s teachings were deceptive, they tried to tailor her song to death and destruction. In Aerie we see Aza struggle with what her song actually is, in other words, we see her trying to find her own voice; which can also translate into Aza trying to find herself. She’s kind of caught in the middle. She loves her Earth life: parents, sister, Jason. But she’s tethered to so much in the sky, including her heartbird Caru. We see Aza figure out if she can fit in both places, and if she wants to fit in both places. But one thing she knows for certain is that she must stop Zal Quel.
My conclusion is: the two books in this series tell Aza’s story perfectly. Personally, I felt some of the secondary characters were a little flat here. This is especially true for Zal Quel. Villains are always so interesting in fiction, but I felt that even by the end, the why of Zal Quel’s actions were still unclear and hazed over. Maybe we’ll get more stories told in this world. The vastness of Magonia is thoroughly felt, and while I’ve enjoyed reading Aza’s journey, I would equally love more exploration and maybe to delve into the history a bit.
Overall, these two books together have been a surprise of the best kind. If you’re looking for a different type of world, look no further than the Magonia series.
It’s been a year since Aza Ray Boyle returned to land from Magonia in another borrowed skin. She has everything she wanted: the love of her best friend Jason, her family back, and a life where she’s not dying every day. Things are normal. But now that Aza knows who she really is, what she’s capable of, the things she can do, she can’t forget that. She still sings with her heartbird Caru, but she also longs for the sky.
Jason is so happy to have Aza back, but in that happiness lies an undeniable paranoia. Jason was there when he lost Aza the first time when she died. He can think of no greater pain than losing her a second time. He sees how Aza looks at the sky, up at the clouds. He knows she’s still communicating with her heartbird. He also knows that Magonia wants Aza back. Will do anything to get her back. So Jason, being Jason, obviously has a contingency plan in place. But this contingency ends up backfiring in the worst way possible. It just may be the thing that breaks Jason and Aza.
Meanwhile, Aza’s maniacal birth mother Zal has escaped, with the help of Aza’s singing partner Dai, from the Magonian prison in the capital of Maganwetar. Zal Quel is still set on her mass destruction of all the drowners on Earth. In her megalomania she might just destroy everything, Magonians and drowners alike.
When I read Magonia earlier this year, I was just completely blown away. The mythology, the imagery, was so beautiful. Aerie gives readers more of the same, albeit expanded upon, and I was more than happy to go back to this amazingly interesting world.
This series, these two books, are Aza’s story. In Magonia, Aza is basically introduced to what she truly is. Yet in Magonia Aza was used as a pawn by her mother trying to harness Aza’s song for her own devices. So pretty much Aza’s teachings were deceptive, they tried to tailor her song to death and destruction. In Aerie we see Aza struggle with what her song actually is, in other words, we see her trying to find her own voice; which can also translate into Aza trying to find herself. She’s kind of caught in the middle. She loves her Earth life: parents, sister, Jason. But she’s tethered to so much in the sky, including her heartbird Caru. We see Aza figure out if she can fit in both places, and if she wants to fit in both places. But one thing she knows for certain is that she must stop Zal Quel.
My conclusion is: the two books in this series tell Aza’s story perfectly. Personally, I felt some of the secondary characters were a little flat here. This is especially true for Zal Quel. Villains are always so interesting in fiction, but I felt that even by the end, the why of Zal Quel’s actions were still unclear and hazed over. Maybe we’ll get more stories told in this world. The vastness of Magonia is thoroughly felt, and while I’ve enjoyed reading Aza’s journey, I would equally love more exploration and maybe to delve into the history a bit.
Overall, these two books together have been a surprise of the best kind. If you’re looking for a different type of world, look no further than the Magonia series.
cosmicrusalka's review against another edition
4.0
Not AS good as the first in my opinion but just barely, honestly I didn't even want to drop it a star because I did enjoy it a lot, but just slightly less than the first.
Again the writing was breathtaking and the story had so much adventure.
Wonderful read.
Again the writing was breathtaking and the story had so much adventure.
Wonderful read.
dexmachina's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
pantsreads's review against another edition
3.0
This sequel was missing a lot of the magic of the first book in this series, Magonia.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
emmanovella's review
2.0
This bored me. I was so looking forward to this book as I adored Magonia but this was just.. meh. I was confused a lot of the time and I just.. it dragged. To be honest, this book didn't need to be written. Magonia could have very easily been a stand alone. I just stopped caring for these characters and I forced myself through the book as I wanted to love it so much. I don't know if there's a third book planned but if so I won't be picking it up :(
sydneyjclifford's review against another edition
I'm so excited for this next installment in this series! I really hope that it's going to be a series, not a trilogy. But can we stop for a moment to looks at this gorgeous cover?!