1. Shadow and Bone
January 24, 2022
A true YA fantasy novel, this book is entertaining, if a bit unsurprising. The language is effective, if in need of a bit more specificity (for my personal taste). The world is well-developed and interesting, and the mechanical concepts are satisfying to explore. The characters are fairly cliché, but not in an unpleasant way. The plot is fairly predictable, as is the act 2 twist, but that doesn’t seem to be the point. Rather than a truly surprising plot turn, what we get is a moment that matures the world and the characters, making the back third or so of the book significantly more engaging. I definitely recommend for a quick, lighter read, and I’m looking forward to jumping into the next one.
6.5/10
2. Seige and Storm
January 30, 2022
Bardugo vexes me, filling her sequel effort with a host of clichés, underdeveloped relationships, and vague language, while also providing a number of genuine moments of human emotion. In a story that is so often gloomy and tense, the spots of humor are truly funny and earned, rather than feeling like a forced mood swing. While she replaces one love triangle with...a different love triangle, she also takes big swings, especially with her secondary characters, that are very satisfying. The story is a tale of absolute power, and whether or not it really does corrupt absolutely. A fast, attention-holding act 2 in what is turning into a very worthwhile trilogy.
7/10
3. Ruin and Rising
February 4, 2022
As far as endings go, this was a pretty good one. The third and final book in this trilogy maintains the high-stakes, fast pace established in the previous two entries. Bardugo’s trend of mixing original and bold writing with heavily explored cliches continues, but the balance is better at the end of this story than it was at the beginning. She continues to take big swings, though she has a tendency to undercut them only pages later. In a story that threatens to throw every happy ending out the window more than a couple times, all the loose ends are wrapped up in a surprisingly tidy little bow–feel-good, but perhaps a bit underwhelming. Overall, a worthy conclusion to a very entertaining narrative.
7/10
All photos by Aaron Schneider
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