baknata's reviews
110 reviews

I really liked the premise of this book and wish I liked the execution more, but it really slowed down for me towards the end. I enjoyed the beginning and the world-building was really interesting. I think the plot was fine, nothing spectacular. I didn't really connect with the characters and that's kind of what made it hard for me to get through the book. They weren't bad or poorly written, I just didn't care about them. Once I got like halfway through the book, I just got so bored and couldn't wait for it to be done. I think another issue I had was the lack of tension in the last half. The villain just wasn't that compelling to me and because of this, the stakes didn't feel that high. While the villain had a good backstory, and his introduction was good, the further along the story went the worse his story got. He made a lot of empty threats that amounted to nothing, he hardly did anything that heinous during the events of the book. I didn't believe the characters were really in any danger so I was just waiting for the book to be over. Overall, I understand why people like this book, and wouldn't stop anyone from reading it, but I wouldn't reread it. 

I really enjoyed reading this book and loved the way it wrapped up the story started in the first book. For me, the pacing was not great. It was easier to get into than the first book, since the world and characters were established, but it felt like it was a cycle of intense action or emotion and then a slow down of nothing happening, and then intense again. This lead to me zoning out while reading a lot and wondering what exactly was happening. I also felt like the end battle ended up kind of anti-climatic. By then I was ready for it to be over, so I was okay with it, but they built up a lot and left it right until the end to resolve everything. Not to mention, they made a whole plan and while I didn't understand any of it, it didn't even lead up to anything. This all being said, the book still had me so stressed, which is a sign of good writing. For me, the highlight of the book was the character writing. The way Faizal writes character relationships is so compelling. I really enjoyed the addition of Altair's perspective. He was a character that stood out in the first book for me and I loved hearing his point of view and learning more about his backstory. I also liked how the side characters got more development in this one. I actually felt like I knew them and was attached to these characters, unlike the first book. I especially loved Lana, who turned out to be kinda the best. I of course loved the relationship between Nasir and Zafira. While I don't generally love a slow burn, this one had me in my feels. I was yelling at my book for them to actually talk to each other, but it felt like a realistic portrayal of how people would act in that situation. I loved how both Zafira and Nasir had to learn how to deal with their trauma on their own and not just rely on the other to fix them, even though their relationship did help them heal.

I know the end was a little cheesy but with all the pain that this book caused me it was the perfect ending. I love that they ended up together and the last line that Nasir says almost made me cry, which is not great since I was reading this at work. But even though they had a happily ever after, they didn't have to sacrifice part of their identities to end up together. Each of them is a powerful person in their own right who has their own goals and dreams but they are still together supporting each other. I think that is the best ending they could've had.

Overall, a fantastic conclusion to a great duology! 

While it took a little while to get into, this book ended up sucking me in completely. The book starts by throwing you into a fully established world, this made me feel like I was playing catch up for the first 1/5 of the book. Once I got an understanding of what was going on and who the characters were, I was engrossed in the story. I really liked the main characters, Zafira and Nasir, especially watching their relationship develop. I loved how their commonalities developed as we learned more about the characters and it was interesting to have each of their points of view since we knew things about them that the other character did not. I think they were both really strong characters and their stories are well developed throughout the book. I wish that the side characters had been developed more. I liked the characters in their little crew and I think they had fun dynamics that played well off each other, however, I didn't really connect with them as much as I wanted. We got small bits of each of their stories but they didn't really have their own arch in the book and were just used as a means to an end for the main characters. The plot itself was unique and had enough twists to keep the reader on their toes. The twists were well developed too, so I could see some coming while others took me by surprise. I can't wait to read the next book to see how these characters' stories end. 

This book was phenomenal! Deka is a great main character and her growth throughout the book is so interesting to read. This book is a really smart commentary on how western societies will use religion, specifically purity, to oppress women and how that contradicts with lots of indigenous ideologies wherein women were treasured leaders.

Especially when we learn about the true history at the end of the book and how the women were brought down and the religion was in fact created so that they wouldn't have power.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the character relationships. First we get such strong bonds between the girls. They bond over shared circumstances but grow into such close friends and the relationship, especially between Deka and Britta, is full of such strong love. I loved seeing the comparison that Deka made between her feelings for Keita and those for Britta. The development of Deka and Keita's relationship was also very well done. Seeing them develop a friendship and trust before even beginning to consider romantic feelings was so nice to read. This was the best type of development because we got intimate moments between the two of them as partners but it wasn't just instantaneous love.

The part where Keita has to kill Deka to protect her was so powerful. He sacrifices himself and goes through the trauma of killing the person he loves just to give her a chance to escape. It really shows how the trust that they have built up over the book transcends the hate and fear instilled in them by their culture.

While it was hard to get into due to pain that the main character had to go through and the self-hatred that she has to overcome, once Deka starts accepting who she is I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait for the next book to see how the characters grow from here and to see how the world building grows. An awesome read!

While this book had a lot of strong elements it was also uber cringy. To start with the good parts, I really liked the relationship between Nests and her friends. I loved seeing them finding their strength and ultimately working together to not only prove their physical abilities but also work through their emotional trauma. I think showing how Nesta was affected by the war was important seeing as realistically if someone were to go through a war they would come back w trauma. Especially the inclusion of the fire being a trigger, which shows that it isn't just the obvious things that can trigger a trauma response, but random everyday things too. 
Onto the stuff I didn't like. Most notably, the plot flow was off for me. Certain scenes dragged on so much I was yelling for her to get on with it, while other plot points are quickly resolved. This book also made me dislike most of the characters from the previous books. I guess that just goes to show that the narrator plays a huge part in how the reader sees the other characters but I just couldn't stand it. The end of the book was super rushed and clearly is trying to set up a following book, but I wish it had just resolved the conflict, this much struggle for the same cast of characters just gets boring. 
I also have an issue w SJM's writing style. Its almost as if she has like a short list of words she knows and just uses them over and over. I found myself hearing the same thing constantly which makes the long scenes even worse since there isn't even creative language used. I also listened to the audio book which probably added to my dislike since it was a different narrator who did weird voices for some of the characters and also pronounced bade wrong which drove me nuts. 
Overall, if you can get passed the cringy writting and weird pacing its a good enough book to warrant a read. Also I have to note, I don't support SJM as an author I think what she has said is unacceptable and it is very important to be aware of her views before reading her books. That being said I don't plan on reading any of her books from here on out and urge those who do plan on reading to be mindful of how her prejudices affect her writing. 

This book is one of my least favorite books of all time and I will not shut up about it. I hated Briony as a character, she was just so annoying. The first half of the book is difficult to get through and very frustrating. While the second part of the book was good, the fact that it was all a concoction of Briony's mind manifested from her guilt ruined it completely for me. I hate an unreliable narrator and even worse when the entire story isn't canon within the reality of the book. It is a total waste of time and I hate it so much. Overall, I hate it wouldn't recommend it. 

I like this book but wasn't in the right mood to read it

**WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD**
I could not have asked for a better conclusion to this great trilogy. I was beyond emotional reading this book. I loved how this book really instilled the idea from the first two books that no one is just good or bad, and good people can do terrible things in the name of what they believe is a good cause. I really liked the way that Nahri and Ali's relationship developed in this book. In the first two books, I wasn't really rooting for them to end up together, in the first Ali was more morally gray so I didn't want to root for him at all, in the second I liked him as a character, but couldn't get behind a romantic relationship for him and Nahri. This book really got me behind them. The way they built their relationship on a solid foundation of friendship and the fact they were both more concerned with saving their people and doing what's right rather than getting it on was really admirable. I also think that showed how much they really cared for each other, they didn't expect to survive and didn't want to start a relationship only to die. Their fierce loyalty to each other, which is built on mutual respect and common goals is an admirable way to build a relationship and a good example. 
The way Dara's character was handled in this book was also fantastic. Dara had to work through a lot to figure out what he really wanted and who he wanted to support. He had complete loyalty to Manizheh which stemmed not only from his familial ties with her but also from an obligatory loyalty due to her saving him from slavery and from death. He also believed in her cause, he believed she was the best person to save their people from a tyrant king. One of the most heartbreaking moments of this book is when Dara begins to stray and Manizheh does the most abhorrent thing she could, enslaving Dara. Reading that chapter was so difficult because not only did Dara lose his free will, not only was he forced to murder countless people he knew were innocent including children, he had been brought back to the worst time in his life. Most of his character trauma draws from his experience as a slave. From the beginning of the trilogy, we see how his enslavement caused him so much pain, and the one person he served loyally, who he trusted, betrayed him and took away the most important part of him. It was truly heartbreaking to read. This only got worse when Manizheh betrayed her daughter by giving up the name she herself didn't even know, so she would be enslaved as well. Nahri was abandoned by her family, an outcast forced to bring herself up on her own. She was given a glimpse of who she was and her people only to be taken advantage of by a terrible man who manipulated her and controlled her life for six years. She finally is free of him and her mother sells her out for a small bit of power. Nahri claiming her name for herself and freeing herself was one of my favorite parts of this book because it really shows how much she has been through. She no longer needs to be told who she is, she chose her name and is the only one who can say what she can do. I actually suspected Manizheh wasn't really Nahri's mother for a while. For me, it didn't make sense why Manizheh would treat Nahri so poorly when she would've been the one to abandon her to the humans. Which even more doesn't make sense, especially since Nahri still had her powers. Why would Manizheh have taken Jamshid's power but not Nahri's. Not to mention, Manizheh was so in love with Kaveh, it didn't make sense for her to have a child from someone else. I really liked learning Nahri's history, and while it was kind of just an info dump, it really tied the story together. 
Finally, I absolutely loved the end of this book. I am a sucker for a happy ending and this book really did a perfect job ending the series. First of all, this ending felt well deserved. With what we went through in this book, if the ending had been sad I don't think I would've survived it. Not only that, but the ending made sense and was built up well throughout the series. Each character had an appropriate conclusion. I loved how Dara wasn't just killed off as a villain after everything. He wasn't forgiven by the masses, which is good, but he is able to do some good and feel like he is atoning while still finding some happiness for himself. I especially loved how he and Nahri got to have a final goodbye. It was clear Nahri always held Dara in her heart and allowing them to part amicably felt right. I especially loved Nahri's ending. So many stories make their female lead have to choose between her power and her dream, and I love that Nahri was able to have both. She is a powerful leader who didn't have to sacrifice her strength to be happy, plus she gets to fulfill the dream that she's had from the very beginning. Not to mention she has a cute little undefined relationship with Ali and even gets a family in the end. With all that Nahri (and the readers) have been through, seeing her get a joyful end is all I could've wanted and it makes this book spectacular. 

This book was an unexpected inspirational story. It took me by surprise in a good way. The way that Esme's life is paralleled by the making of the first Oxford dictionary creates an easy-to-follow structure while also giving a deeper look into Esme's life and her work. I don't usually like the stories that follow a character's full life, they tend to drag and have weird pacing issues, but this one did a good job moving the story along and not focusing too long on less interesting parts. Esme's development throughout the book was interesting to read, especially seeing how she changed with age while still maintaining important character traits. Another aspect of the book I really liked was how the personal life of Esme was so well entwined with her professional life, and how the political/historical events of the time were added in as well. It didn't feel like they were thrown in just to make a point, rather they played a real role in Esme's life without her even being entirely involved. I think it's easy to make these types of feminist stories feel cheesy, but this one feels natural and well developed. My absolute favorite part of this book was the end.

While I had a hard time reading about Gareth's fate since I loved their relationship, the end of the book still left me so warm. The last chapter really made the book stand out. I loved how it showed that Esme's struggle and work to preserve the words she believed important ultimately had an impact and wasn't for nothing. I loved seeing the small bit about her daughter, who didn't discredit her adoptive mother but still acknowledged her birth mother. I love how she continues the work and the part when she sees another young woman excited to learn about words, figuratively passing the torch on, was my favorite part of the whole book.

Literary books like this one aren't always the easiest reads, but this one really stands out, with compelling writing and a well-delivered message. I would recommend this book to any word lover.