Meh
3 stars
This was my book club's pick for May. We follow this year's Illumicrate calendar which shows a fan created illustration of a different book each month. That and the good reviews elsewhere mean that it (or the trilogy it's the first book of) has its fans. I find that slightly puzzling because the content of the book doesn't live up to the great cover and is middling at best. Things are treated as great reveals even though they were telegraphed from a mile away or even explained in an earlier chapter. For the advancement of the plot the protagonists sometimes have to act out-of-character or foolishly and there are a lot of clicheś. The search for Lan Mom's legacy is captivating. Some of the magic is quite interesting and the question of whether it's necessary to destroy something that gives great power to have peace is intriguing. However, the author …
This was my book club's pick for May. We follow this year's Illumicrate calendar which shows a fan created illustration of a different book each month. That and the good reviews elsewhere mean that it (or the trilogy it's the first book of) has its fans. I find that slightly puzzling because the content of the book doesn't live up to the great cover and is middling at best. Things are treated as great reveals even though they were telegraphed from a mile away or even explained in an earlier chapter. For the advancement of the plot the protagonists sometimes have to act out-of-character or foolishly and there are a lot of clicheś. The search for Lan Mom's legacy is captivating. Some of the magic is quite interesting and the question of whether it's necessary to destroy something that gives great power to have peace is intriguing. However, the author doesn't give it the room and depth it would deserve. I won't read the second book in the series. #2024reads