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turrean's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The setting and the details of the mountain climbing expeditions were detailed and fascinating. I can’t think of another fantasy quite like it, though there are plenty where the heroes must make it across the mountains.
It’s a pleasure to read a story set in a non-patriarchal society. Men and women function in the roles of power in this world, as leaders, explorers, shamans, and scholars. The love triangle and the attendant thrilling kisses were thus a bit of a letdown, and solidly put this novel into the YA category.I rolled my eyes at a scene where a male character blushes and hesitates at the thought of helping a female companion out of wet clothes in a snowstorm. Bruh, you’ve been sleeping in the same tent for weeks. Has she never stopped to pee before? Have you?
It’s a pleasure to read a story set in a non-patriarchal society. Men and women function in the roles of power in this world, as leaders, explorers, shamans, and scholars. The love triangle and the attendant thrilling kisses were thus a bit of a letdown, and solidly put this novel into the YA category.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Death
ashleyskips's review against another edition
I was listening to the audiobook and I hated the narrator. I got through 25% and she was so monotonous that I couldn’t follow the story. I love heather fawcett with my whole heart and I will try for a physical copy another time
cchronicles's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
Fuck I loved this book. It’s by no means perfect but the setting and the characters (and the animals- especially ragtooth, my babbbyyy) make it just OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD.
Fuck I loved this book. It’s by no means perfect but the setting and the characters (and the animals- especially ragtooth, my babbbyyy) make it just OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
2.0
When I first saw what this book was about, before it even had a cover, I wanted to read it. The premise alone is amazing. A journey through mountains on a quest to find some ancient talisman that can save the world, sign me up! Especially when you add magic, ghosts, and witches. Then when the cover was revealed I was even more excited for this debut novel.
That being said, wow was this book a complete disappointment. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. I kept telling myself, eventually it will get more action and less walking through wilderness. Well that action occurred at roughly 90% into the book. And the big twist at the end, I probably should have been shocked and desperate to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next, but honestly I did not care one bit about it.
Now I've been super negative so far, and I don't want to be, but I really struggled with this book. I also think my expectations were way to high and it left me really disliking this book when it failed to meet expectations. If you are a fan of wandering through the woods looking for a special object while also having the risk of weather, ghosts, or witches killing you, you would probably love this book. I just found the constant walking through the forest or climbing ledges to be incredibly boring. This book had so much potential but was severely lacking. Even the ghosts and witches that are promised are not at all prominent in this world.
That being said, I had no issues with the writing and loved the scenery and the concept, I just think it was poorly executed and would have benefited from more action and less descriptions of the characters walking. My rating is solely based on how much I loved the concept of this book but also how much I disliked actually reading it. I'm sure they are people who will read this book and fall in love with the characters and the story. I'm just not one of them.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an early copy*
That being said, wow was this book a complete disappointment. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. I kept telling myself, eventually it will get more action and less walking through wilderness. Well that action occurred at roughly 90% into the book. And the big twist at the end, I probably should have been shocked and desperate to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next, but honestly I did not care one bit about it.
Now I've been super negative so far, and I don't want to be, but I really struggled with this book. I also think my expectations were way to high and it left me really disliking this book when it failed to meet expectations. If you are a fan of wandering through the woods looking for a special object while also having the risk of weather, ghosts, or witches killing you, you would probably love this book. I just found the constant walking through the forest or climbing ledges to be incredibly boring. This book had so much potential but was severely lacking. Even the ghosts and witches that are promised are not at all prominent in this world.
That being said, I had no issues with the writing and loved the scenery and the concept, I just think it was poorly executed and would have benefited from more action and less descriptions of the characters walking. My rating is solely based on how much I loved the concept of this book but also how much I disliked actually reading it. I'm sure they are people who will read this book and fall in love with the characters and the story. I'm just not one of them.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an early copy*
dahart0519's review against another edition
2.0
I was surprised how different this feels from Encyclopedia of Faeries! Not a bad thing, I think it shows Heather has some range. I also feel like this had a bit of a Raybearer vibe.
I wish I would've loved this as much as I love EoF but this was kind of uneventful and the story was kind of generic YA.
I wish I would've loved this as much as I love EoF but this was kind of uneventful and the story was kind of generic YA.
melhunt182's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017. As soon as I heard about it, I knew THIS was a book for me. Adventure, a race, a unique mountainous setting, who doesn't love the sound of that? And I'm happy to report it was really good. Not, as you can see from my rating, a perfect 5 star favourite of mine. But a solid start to the series.
The setting was stunning. I absolutely adore books with unique settings. And the whole idea of the race up the mountain, sisters pitted against each other, the magic element, it was all brilliant.
It lost me a little on the pacing. It wasn't until 60% when they even started climbing the mountain, and the journey before that wasn't exciting enough for it to be worth the wait, in my opinion. I also wasn't completley sold on the romance. Kamzin was a pretty good protagonist, but not the most memorable. And there was something a bit strange about River. I couldn't tell if he was trustworthy throughout.
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel, next year. I hope we get more beautiful settings and I hope we get more character development.
The setting was stunning. I absolutely adore books with unique settings. And the whole idea of the race up the mountain, sisters pitted against each other, the magic element, it was all brilliant.
It lost me a little on the pacing. It wasn't until 60% when they even started climbing the mountain, and the journey before that wasn't exciting enough for it to be worth the wait, in my opinion. I also wasn't completley sold on the romance. Kamzin was a pretty good protagonist, but not the most memorable. And there was something a bit strange about River. I couldn't tell if he was trustworthy throughout.
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel, next year. I hope we get more beautiful settings and I hope we get more character development.
kayana66's review against another edition
4.0
“And then I came to a place where the mountain stopped. Where there was nowhere else to go.
I had reached the summit of Raksha.”
Synopsis
Kamzin has always wanted to be a great explorer, and she has everything she needs to become one...except the opportunity to leave her village on an expedition. That is, until the mysterious River Shara, Royal Explorer, arrives in her village with one purpose: to find a guide to Raksha, the tallest mountain in the world. And only two people in the world know the way: Kamzin and her sister, Lusha.
Prose, Voice & Dialogue
I thoroughly enjoyed Fawcett's writing. The prose was relatively straight-forward most of the time--not super flowery or lyrical, but it could be at times. I couldn't find the quote that incorporated the title, but it was my favorite quote from the book and it was absolutely beautiful. Kamzin's voice didn't feel super strong or distinct, so I do wish that we got a little bit more of her personality through the prose and dialogue.
Characters
I liked Kamzin's character a lot, and although I love a magical female protagonist, I loved that she was useless at magic. It was kind of refreshing, honestly. I know that not everyone enjoyed Kamzin's character, but I liked her stubbornness and competitiveness, her knack for climbing and how she is no good at the thing she is destined to become (village Shaman). The sibling rivalry between Kamzin and Lusha added extra layers of complexity and tension that I loved. River was my favorite character, though Ragtooth was a close second. I loved Norbu as well. Though we started out the expedition with quite a few characters, we got to know all of them pretty well.
Plot & Pacing
It did take me quite a while to finish this book, and though there were also many other contributing factors (aka life getting in the way of me reading 24/7), part of the reason it took me so long is because there were quite a few dry-spells in the book where not a lot was happening. However, for me personally, the super-high-intensity scenes that were scattered throughout the novel made up for that. My one complaint about the plot/pacing was that I wish we had spent more time on Raksha. I was really looking forward to that aspect of the book, and we spent far more time getting to Raksha than we did actually on the mountain. Logistically speaking, this makes sense. It doesn't actually take all that long to climb a mountain. But I wish that Fawcett had found more ways to extend their stay, more conflicts that would have delayed their ascent. There were quite a few of these already, but I just loved that aspect of the book so much that I wish there would have been even more time spent on Raksha. I also wish we had gotten there a little sooner, because that was part of the reason that it took me longer to finish it. I found myself a little bored of what happened before they reached Raksha, aside from the actual action scenes. The twist at the end blew my mind! I definitely was not expecting that, and the last 25% or so of the book was very intense and I blew through it very quickly. I enjoyed the pacing of the story, and felt that the slower parts were well-balanced.
The Romance
I really liked the rivalry-romance between Kamzin and River. I'm a huge fan of enemies-to-lovers, but rivals-to-lovers is a good one, too. And lovers-to-enemies is almost better than enemies-to-lovers. There was a little bit of a love triangle, and I don't typically enjoy love triangles anymore, but this one was relatively subtle, and it didn't overtake the entire plot of the book. I loved Kamzin and River together, and I think they challenged each other and pushed each other in ways that helped both of them grow.
Setting
A fantasy world based on the Himalayas??? Are you KIDDING me?! It was perfect. The setting is hands-down my favorite thing about the book. It was so unique and I want to read a hundred more books in a similar setting. I love the idea of reading a book based on the early climbers of Everest, which is why I wanted to spend more time on Raksha than we did. The world-building was excellent, not just on Raksha itself, but the whole Empire. I was totally immersed in this world and invested in what was going on in it.
Overall Thoughts & Recommendation
Okay, I'm going to start this review by saying that most of the stars I gave out were because of the setting and concept. And that is not to say that there is nothing else enjoyable about this book, or that it was bad in other ways. I really enjoyed the story, and I'm looking forward to starting book two ASAP.
Trigger/Content Warnings
Some violence, sudden/unexpected death, dead bodies, grief
I had reached the summit of Raksha.”
Synopsis
Kamzin has always wanted to be a great explorer, and she has everything she needs to become one...except the opportunity to leave her village on an expedition. That is, until the mysterious River Shara, Royal Explorer, arrives in her village with one purpose: to find a guide to Raksha, the tallest mountain in the world. And only two people in the world know the way: Kamzin and her sister, Lusha.
Prose, Voice & Dialogue
I thoroughly enjoyed Fawcett's writing. The prose was relatively straight-forward most of the time--not super flowery or lyrical, but it could be at times. I couldn't find the quote that incorporated the title, but it was my favorite quote from the book and it was absolutely beautiful. Kamzin's voice didn't feel super strong or distinct, so I do wish that we got a little bit more of her personality through the prose and dialogue.
Characters
I liked Kamzin's character a lot, and although I love a magical female protagonist, I loved that she was useless at magic. It was kind of refreshing, honestly. I know that not everyone enjoyed Kamzin's character, but I liked her stubbornness and competitiveness, her knack for climbing and how she is no good at the thing she is destined to become (village Shaman). The sibling rivalry between Kamzin and Lusha added extra layers of complexity and tension that I loved. River was my favorite character, though Ragtooth was a close second. I loved Norbu as well. Though we started out the expedition with quite a few characters, we got to know all of them pretty well.
Plot & Pacing
It did take me quite a while to finish this book, and though there were also many other contributing factors (aka life getting in the way of me reading 24/7), part of the reason it took me so long is because there were quite a few dry-spells in the book where not a lot was happening. However, for me personally, the super-high-intensity scenes that were scattered throughout the novel made up for that. My one complaint about the plot/pacing was that I wish we had spent more time on Raksha. I was really looking forward to that aspect of the book, and we spent far more time getting to Raksha than we did actually on the mountain. Logistically speaking, this makes sense. It doesn't actually take all that long to climb a mountain. But I wish that Fawcett had found more ways to extend their stay, more conflicts that would have delayed their ascent. There were quite a few of these already, but I just loved that aspect of the book so much that I wish there would have been even more time spent on Raksha. I also wish we had gotten there a little sooner, because that was part of the reason that it took me longer to finish it. I found myself a little bored of what happened before they reached Raksha, aside from the actual action scenes. The twist at the end blew my mind! I definitely was not expecting that, and the last 25% or so of the book was very intense and I blew through it very quickly. I enjoyed the pacing of the story, and felt that the slower parts were well-balanced.
The Romance
I really liked the rivalry-romance between Kamzin and River. I'm a huge fan of enemies-to-lovers, but rivals-to-lovers is a good one, too. And lovers-to-enemies is almost better than enemies-to-lovers. There was a little bit of a love triangle, and I don't typically enjoy love triangles anymore, but this one was relatively subtle, and it didn't overtake the entire plot of the book. I loved Kamzin and River together, and I think they challenged each other and pushed each other in ways that helped both of them grow.
Setting
A fantasy world based on the Himalayas??? Are you KIDDING me?! It was perfect. The setting is hands-down my favorite thing about the book. It was so unique and I want to read a hundred more books in a similar setting. I love the idea of reading a book based on the early climbers of Everest, which is why I wanted to spend more time on Raksha than we did. The world-building was excellent, not just on Raksha itself, but the whole Empire. I was totally immersed in this world and invested in what was going on in it.
Overall Thoughts & Recommendation
Okay, I'm going to start this review by saying that most of the stars I gave out were because of the setting and concept. And that is not to say that there is nothing else enjoyable about this book, or that it was bad in other ways. I really enjoyed the story, and I'm looking forward to starting book two ASAP.
Trigger/Content Warnings
Some violence, sudden/unexpected death, dead bodies, grief
theru's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars - I enjoyed this book so incredibly much! I don't know what I was expecting before I started reading this but it was certainly not being completely swept away by the story and obsessing over the characters! River (new bookish boyfriend for sure!!) and Kamzin are some of my favourite characters of the year and I enjoyed reading about them and their journey so much. If you enjoyed Howl's Moving Castle and/or Sorcery of Thorns, you are going to love this as well.
laceanddaggerbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I really enjoyed this book and I totally don't get how anyone found it dull.
Set in mountain ranges with some glorious world building, Even the Darkest Stars introduces you to an interesting cast of characters on a perilous journey. I'll admit some of the twists were obvious but I couldn't help but love a certain character even if I saw the betrayal coming.
This book was incredibly enjoyable and I need the second now please.
Set in mountain ranges with some glorious world building, Even the Darkest Stars introduces you to an interesting cast of characters on a perilous journey. I'll admit some of the twists were obvious but I couldn't help but love a certain character even if I saw the betrayal coming.
This book was incredibly enjoyable and I need the second now please.