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sambam_42's Reviews (309)
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Personally I love the main Outlander books more but I do love Lord John as a character. Perhaps I am far enough into the series that I'm used to him as an older man that seeing him back as a young, rakish twenty-something is such a departure from how I currently see him that it was a bit strange. Also, mysteries and intrigues are not always my chosen format so I don't necessarily enjoy them on their own. My mind just does not work that way so I have a hard time following all the intrigues, ins-and-outs, and the whodunnits. But, after all that, it was a fun book that at least did solve one piece of a puzzle for me into Lord John's past.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beyond the fact the main characters are witches, this is a book about sisters dealing with trauma and learning how to be themselves as adults after the loss of their grandmother. Kaija and Minna suffer the loss of their mother at young ages but at such different points that if affected them differently. Kaija was old enough to remember their village with some fondness and longing while Minna harbored nothing but rage and blurred memories. This story is about how they deal with coming into those feelings, working through them, and coming back to each other.
adventurous
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one was a fun addition to the Beowulf pantheon. While fun I did find it slightly ungratifying that everything was wrapped up with a typical HEA. I have no objection to that normally but I was hoping this book would be slightly edgier. This is pretty mild, compared to the historical time frame in which it's set, and I was hoping to see a bit more of the grittier side of that life and being a shield maiden. The romance was sub-par; it didn't feel as forced as it could have been but still felt slightly superfluous. The more I sit with this book after finishing it I could find more things to nit pick about, which isn't really fair. It's a good, light, read based on Beowulf and a "could have happened this way" telling of his final battle. If you're looking for realistic Nordic adventure, this is not really it.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a beautiful story! I love how female focused it was - passed the Bechtel test on many occasions. In fact there were very few men mentioned and the majority of them were off page. It was a glorious story of the indomitable female spirit.