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Eileen è l'ultima maga dagli occhi blu rimasta in vita dopo la terribile Guerra della Sabbia. È pronta a mettere il suo potere a servizio del bene per proteggere Mohana, il suo villaggio, da un esercito invasore. Disprezzata dai compagni, temuta dai capi e braccata dai nemici, la vita di Eileen diventa ancora più complicata quando il principe del vicino regno di Euanthe, Finn Hadar, viene incaricato dal padre di rapirla. Desideroso di rendere orgoglioso suo padre, Finn sceglie di abbandonare Ciara, il suo amore proibito, e si imbarca in una missione nel pericolosissimo Deserto Rosso e tra le montagne nebbiose di Mohana. Ma Ciara gli ha mostrato soltanto una parte del suo oscuro una vita di segreti che ha dovuto celare... almeno finora. Mentre le loro esistenze si intrecciano e si allontanano, Finn, Eileen e Ciara sono spinti al punto di rottura dalla minaccia della guerra, da uomini potenti assetati di sangue e dal loro stesso passato. La vita per come l'hanno sempre conosciuta è ormai solo un ricordo lontano, e il nuovo mondo in cui vengono catapultati è avvolto in una turbolenta rete di intrighi, amori e violenza. Riusciranno a sopravvivere?
622 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2021
145 people are currently reading
4692 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 30, 2021
I read this book and I absolutely love it! I will admit, the author is my nephew, and so I may sound prejudiced; however, being related to greatness does not make that person any less great.
The characters are well developed and I care what happens to them. My heart is invested in the lives of Eileen, Finn, and Ciara. Though I must admit, I am slightly in love with Caster. He makes me smile.
I have had the great honor of reading many different versions of this novel over the years, starting when Garrett Curbow was only in middle school, and the story and characters came to life even back then. Now, however, the characters and the world have come alive. These characters seem to have grown up with Garrett, as each version has become more complex, and more dynamic. This is a truly entertaining story with great depth and beautiful imagery, while somehow remaining true to the original characters I fell in love with years ago.
This story has ripped out my heart many times, in many different ways. I have cried both for Ciara and because of Ciara. I have loved with Finn and questioned what love really is. I have been hurt on Eileen’s behalf and found the strength to forgive through her internal battles.
The world is well developed, but not overly detailed so the reader can creat images in their own mind simply by the imagery created by brilliant and beautiful similes and metaphors. Garrett has a gift for simple, yet elegant prose that paint word art on the page.
And while this is not a Christian book, I have found myself stopping to take a moment, as I tend to do often while reading high fantasy, and thanking our God for caring about His Creation.
Garrett is a passionate, motivated, young author with talent most of us only dream of.
Also, I know his outline for the rest of this series, and it is unique and thought provoking. I cannot wait for more!
The characters are well developed and I care what happens to them. My heart is invested in the lives of Eileen, Finn, and Ciara. Though I must admit, I am slightly in love with Caster. He makes me smile.
I have had the great honor of reading many different versions of this novel over the years, starting when Garrett Curbow was only in middle school, and the story and characters came to life even back then. Now, however, the characters and the world have come alive. These characters seem to have grown up with Garrett, as each version has become more complex, and more dynamic. This is a truly entertaining story with great depth and beautiful imagery, while somehow remaining true to the original characters I fell in love with years ago.
This story has ripped out my heart many times, in many different ways. I have cried both for Ciara and because of Ciara. I have loved with Finn and questioned what love really is. I have been hurt on Eileen’s behalf and found the strength to forgive through her internal battles.
The world is well developed, but not overly detailed so the reader can creat images in their own mind simply by the imagery created by brilliant and beautiful similes and metaphors. Garrett has a gift for simple, yet elegant prose that paint word art on the page.
And while this is not a Christian book, I have found myself stopping to take a moment, as I tend to do often while reading high fantasy, and thanking our God for caring about His Creation.
Garrett is a passionate, motivated, young author with talent most of us only dream of.
Also, I know his outline for the rest of this series, and it is unique and thought provoking. I cannot wait for more!
July 9, 2021
i wasn’t sure whether it would be a good idea to write this review, but i decided that i want to say - or write- what has been going on in my mind for a couple of days since i finished the book.
i’ll go straight to the point and say i did not love this book as much as i hoped i would. i discovered the author on tiktok like many did, and i was excited for this book as well. unfortunately, it ended up disappointing me a little bit.
the characters were not particularly interesting and both them and the plot were pretty flat. the writing style was too complex and lengthy almost for no reason, and it often felt like the scenes were not connecting with each other. i had the impression that the author did not know what he wanted to say with those long descriptions, sometimes. while the details were useful to help visualise what was happening, they often distracted me from what was actually going on.
but the reason why i gave it four stars even though i didn’t like it is that i really hope Garrett doesn’t stop writing because of people like me who didn’t enjoy his book. maybe it simply was not the right book for me. still, when i look at this book i don’t see a flop, i see a talented young writer who should keep writing, keep improving, keep trying. not because his work is not good enough, but because you never stop learning, and if you are open enough to criticism you can actually learn something from it without feeling any less capable and talented.
i know it takes a lot of courage to put out in the world something you poured all your efforts in, for everyone to read. it takes a lot of work, time and energy to write a book. i’m sure it still is worth it.
i will definitely buy whatever Garrett will write and publish next, give it a chance, and i hope i’ll change my mind. but even if i don’t, don’t ever stop for people who didn’t like what you wrote. i’m sure he’ll have a great and brilliant career if he keeps writing.
i’ll go straight to the point and say i did not love this book as much as i hoped i would. i discovered the author on tiktok like many did, and i was excited for this book as well. unfortunately, it ended up disappointing me a little bit.
the characters were not particularly interesting and both them and the plot were pretty flat. the writing style was too complex and lengthy almost for no reason, and it often felt like the scenes were not connecting with each other. i had the impression that the author did not know what he wanted to say with those long descriptions, sometimes. while the details were useful to help visualise what was happening, they often distracted me from what was actually going on.
but the reason why i gave it four stars even though i didn’t like it is that i really hope Garrett doesn’t stop writing because of people like me who didn’t enjoy his book. maybe it simply was not the right book for me. still, when i look at this book i don’t see a flop, i see a talented young writer who should keep writing, keep improving, keep trying. not because his work is not good enough, but because you never stop learning, and if you are open enough to criticism you can actually learn something from it without feeling any less capable and talented.
i know it takes a lot of courage to put out in the world something you poured all your efforts in, for everyone to read. it takes a lot of work, time and energy to write a book. i’m sure it still is worth it.
i will definitely buy whatever Garrett will write and publish next, give it a chance, and i hope i’ll change my mind. but even if i don’t, don’t ever stop for people who didn’t like what you wrote. i’m sure he’ll have a great and brilliant career if he keeps writing.
Want to read
June 28, 2021I follow the author on tiktok and YALL I can’t wait for this bookkkkk
January 16, 2025
This book was amazing I loved the characters and the story so so much. I can’t wait for the next one. Perfection🤌🏽👨🏽🍳
Read
February 18, 2022Had to re-read this before I released the revised edition with the new cover. It's always fun for me to go back and revisit this first book fully from beginning to end, to relive these characters' journeys as if I weren't the one who created them. The ending somehow still manages to surprise me. I find myself unable to breathe, waiting to see what will happen to characters whose lives I control.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this new and improved edition of Daughter of Light, and I can't wait to share what is coming next.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this new and improved edition of Daughter of Light, and I can't wait to share what is coming next.
July 24, 2021
4/5
“‘Standing up, smiling. Dazzling the world.’”
Garrett’s debut, self published YA Fantasy novel. Boy, this was a rollercoaster.
I am doing my best not to let the fact that Garrett is a close friend of mine alter any of this review or my feelings. That being said, this was an amazing debut. Garrett has been talking to me about this book since we’ve met and I’ve been excited ever since to get my hands on it. Never in a million years would I think it would be a physical book that I would buy. I got a chance to read some of his other works and it showed me that Garrett was a talented writer. So, going into this I was quite excited to see something that was polished and ready to be self published. Let me tell you my thoughts.
Garrett has an amazing way of writing. This is probably the highlight of the book. His writing style is so beautiful and descriptive, while still being impactful. I could visualize so many scenes because of his unique writing style. Whether that is through metaphors, analogies, or just in a different wording of an adjective or verb. Garrett writes some pretty good characters. His characters are so different from one another and he makes you care about them in such a short span of a book. Not even 100 pages in and he is making me tear up because of a relationship that is evolving, even if they’ve known each other for awhile. Somehow you feel like you’ve known them for a lot longer than just 100 or so pages. Garrett can write some actions scenes and keep you on the edge of your seat. I’m talking about you: the last 100 pages of the book. I was nervously sitting on the edge, hunched over my book, worried that a character was soon to be killed off. He delivers on the anxiety during a fight scene, making you scared of the outcome. It just goes to show how he can make you care so much about a character. Another thing is, Garrett isn’t afraid to kill of characters. I respect an author who isn’t afraid to kill off the characters. Not even for the sake of a wow factor, but to show the effects of war and the stakes at play. Also, this world is a fun one. The lands are unique and vastly different on each other! Lastly, he knows how to pull some twists and turns. I may have called one way before it happened, but even if you figure out any of them out I guarantee you’ll be jumping out of your seat screaming, “yes!” from being right.
I’m going lightly on this book because I know it’s a debut and self published. I know with the help of editors and a proper team that it would be super beneficial!
There are times this book can seemed too rushed. While I know it can be to keep the plot moving forward, I can’t help but wish to spend a little more time with certain characters, or to develop a scene. The ‘rush’ feeling can also make the book seem choppy in some spots. Another point is that the plot and characters can be a little weak and lacking in some areas. I see the potential in the world, the plot, and the characters. I can’t wait for editors to help Garrett expand on them!
Overall, I give this book a 4/5. It is a solid and enjoyable debut. There is never a dual moment, always moving along and tons of action and twists. While they’re some issues I saw within it, the story takes over and makes up for it. I really can’t wait to see Garrett grow as a writer and I’ll be there on the side lines cheering him on! I’m proud of you, Garrett. It takes guts to put something out, but that something is a solid debut into a fantasy world I can’t wait to see more of!
“‘Standing up, smiling. Dazzling the world.’”
Garrett’s debut, self published YA Fantasy novel. Boy, this was a rollercoaster.
I am doing my best not to let the fact that Garrett is a close friend of mine alter any of this review or my feelings. That being said, this was an amazing debut. Garrett has been talking to me about this book since we’ve met and I’ve been excited ever since to get my hands on it. Never in a million years would I think it would be a physical book that I would buy. I got a chance to read some of his other works and it showed me that Garrett was a talented writer. So, going into this I was quite excited to see something that was polished and ready to be self published. Let me tell you my thoughts.
Garrett has an amazing way of writing. This is probably the highlight of the book. His writing style is so beautiful and descriptive, while still being impactful. I could visualize so many scenes because of his unique writing style. Whether that is through metaphors, analogies, or just in a different wording of an adjective or verb. Garrett writes some pretty good characters. His characters are so different from one another and he makes you care about them in such a short span of a book. Not even 100 pages in and he is making me tear up because of a relationship that is evolving, even if they’ve known each other for awhile. Somehow you feel like you’ve known them for a lot longer than just 100 or so pages. Garrett can write some actions scenes and keep you on the edge of your seat. I’m talking about you: the last 100 pages of the book. I was nervously sitting on the edge, hunched over my book, worried that a character was soon to be killed off. He delivers on the anxiety during a fight scene, making you scared of the outcome. It just goes to show how he can make you care so much about a character. Another thing is, Garrett isn’t afraid to kill of characters. I respect an author who isn’t afraid to kill off the characters. Not even for the sake of a wow factor, but to show the effects of war and the stakes at play. Also, this world is a fun one. The lands are unique and vastly different on each other! Lastly, he knows how to pull some twists and turns. I may have called one way before it happened, but even if you figure out any of them out I guarantee you’ll be jumping out of your seat screaming, “yes!” from being right.
I’m going lightly on this book because I know it’s a debut and self published. I know with the help of editors and a proper team that it would be super beneficial!
There are times this book can seemed too rushed. While I know it can be to keep the plot moving forward, I can’t help but wish to spend a little more time with certain characters, or to develop a scene. The ‘rush’ feeling can also make the book seem choppy in some spots. Another point is that the plot and characters can be a little weak and lacking in some areas. I see the potential in the world, the plot, and the characters. I can’t wait for editors to help Garrett expand on them!
Overall, I give this book a 4/5. It is a solid and enjoyable debut. There is never a dual moment, always moving along and tons of action and twists. While they’re some issues I saw within it, the story takes over and makes up for it. I really can’t wait to see Garrett grow as a writer and I’ll be there on the side lines cheering him on! I’m proud of you, Garrett. It takes guts to put something out, but that something is a solid debut into a fantasy world I can’t wait to see more of!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2021
I didn’t finish the book. That said I must admit that the plot itself was passable, it could’ve been made interesting. The reason why I didn’t like the book is not in the plot but in the writing. It was very raw, very down to earth sometimes and sometimes unnecessarily elaborate.
While the storyline is a cornerstone of any fantasy novel, the writing must be equally profound, which, as I said, is not the case here. If you, like me, are captious about the writing style, you are most likely not going to like this book.
While the storyline is a cornerstone of any fantasy novel, the writing must be equally profound, which, as I said, is not the case here. If you, like me, are captious about the writing style, you are most likely not going to like this book.
July 17, 2021
First, I should begin this review by stating that I have minimal experience reading books of the fantasy genre. They are not generally my preferred choice of reading, which I think is very important to consider when evaluating this review.
Not to mention, I very rarely give books 5 out of 5 stars. By my standards, a 4 is still an impressive feat and means that it was an enjoyable read, one that I would recommend to others.
However, I must confess that I have a slight conflict of interest with regard to this book. Not only is Garrett family, but I drew the map displayed in the beginning. As such, it is only natural to want this book to be successful. That being said, I want this review to be as honest as possible. So here it goes…
Regardless of my connection to the book and its author, I think that Garrett is an insanely talented young writer, perhaps even the future Rick Riordan, Suzanne Collins or Sarah J. Maas of our generation. Though the intent here is not to compare him to other authors (as he should be acclaimed in his own right), the point that I’m trying to make is if he’s this good at 19 years old, think about twenty or thirty years from now…His raw, natural ability for writing is a true art form, and I believe that it could undoubtedly rival other published authors with decades more experience (& teams of editors) under their belts.
His writing style is beautifully descriptive without being so wordy that it loses its impact or clouds the meaning. For me, his writing (& humor) was one of the highlights of the book.
In addition, without giving too much away, I think that “Daughter of Light” has all of the quintessential elements of a good fantasy novel (from my limited repertoire anyways), while remaining highly original and dynamic. The fight scenes in particular were very well written, and the world-building elements felt very natural, and never forced.
Even so, though I do enjoy shifting narrative perspectives, there was one main character in particular that did not hold my interest or attention. She felt flat at times, though it is possible that my more profound interest in the lives of other characters superseded my interest in hers. You can take this with a grain of salt, it’s just an opinion…Conversely, however, there were numerous minor characters that felt so animated and real, even if you knew very little about them. Just a description of their demeanor, tone and facial expressions told the reader enough to get a feel for them. And there were some good (or rather “not *good*”) baddies.
Though I am probably being softer on this book than I would be otherwise, it does not take away from the fact that this was an enjoyable read, one that I knocked out in only a few short days. At the beginning, I was acutely aware of the page I was on and how much I still had left to read. Only to later be utterly shocked at how much I had read without even remotely noticing the page count.
There is so SO much potential here. Could it be more polished? Sure. But it’s a damn good story, one that merits further reading. And I will always read and support whatever Garrett writes in the future. I think he has a bright journey ahead, and I can’t wait to see what lies in store for him. Congrats, Garrett! :)
Not to mention, I very rarely give books 5 out of 5 stars. By my standards, a 4 is still an impressive feat and means that it was an enjoyable read, one that I would recommend to others.
However, I must confess that I have a slight conflict of interest with regard to this book. Not only is Garrett family, but I drew the map displayed in the beginning. As such, it is only natural to want this book to be successful. That being said, I want this review to be as honest as possible. So here it goes…
Regardless of my connection to the book and its author, I think that Garrett is an insanely talented young writer, perhaps even the future Rick Riordan, Suzanne Collins or Sarah J. Maas of our generation. Though the intent here is not to compare him to other authors (as he should be acclaimed in his own right), the point that I’m trying to make is if he’s this good at 19 years old, think about twenty or thirty years from now…His raw, natural ability for writing is a true art form, and I believe that it could undoubtedly rival other published authors with decades more experience (& teams of editors) under their belts.
His writing style is beautifully descriptive without being so wordy that it loses its impact or clouds the meaning. For me, his writing (& humor) was one of the highlights of the book.
In addition, without giving too much away, I think that “Daughter of Light” has all of the quintessential elements of a good fantasy novel (from my limited repertoire anyways), while remaining highly original and dynamic. The fight scenes in particular were very well written, and the world-building elements felt very natural, and never forced.
Even so, though I do enjoy shifting narrative perspectives, there was one main character in particular that did not hold my interest or attention. She felt flat at times, though it is possible that my more profound interest in the lives of other characters superseded my interest in hers. You can take this with a grain of salt, it’s just an opinion…Conversely, however, there were numerous minor characters that felt so animated and real, even if you knew very little about them. Just a description of their demeanor, tone and facial expressions told the reader enough to get a feel for them. And there were some good (or rather “not *good*”) baddies.
Though I am probably being softer on this book than I would be otherwise, it does not take away from the fact that this was an enjoyable read, one that I knocked out in only a few short days. At the beginning, I was acutely aware of the page I was on and how much I still had left to read. Only to later be utterly shocked at how much I had read without even remotely noticing the page count.
There is so SO much potential here. Could it be more polished? Sure. But it’s a damn good story, one that merits further reading. And I will always read and support whatever Garrett writes in the future. I think he has a bright journey ahead, and I can’t wait to see what lies in store for him. Congrats, Garrett! :)
July 28, 2021
(4.5/5 but i’m rounding up) and i’ll be mentioning things that are potential spoilers.
i really liked this book! like many, i’m here from tiktok. i have also been having a hard time finding a good book that i really get into, so i was kind of desperate for a good book. and i was not disappointed.
i also should say that i barely read fantasy-related books. but this was a really entertaining book that definitely broke my prejudice for fantasy books.
the imagery was one of my favorite parts of the book. i think i’m often not a fan of fantasy because i have trouble visualizing things and then i’m just lost, but i had no problem with daughter of light.
though i absolutely love this book, i do have some grievances…
although i was excited when finn and eileen met up, i think it did a disservice to ciara. i felt like finn and eileen were on their own amazing adventure, and then ciara popped up here and there.
and i was expecting the three of them to meet up by the end so the three stories made sense and whole, but it didn’t do that. i know that parts of ciaras story have to do with finn/eileen (the mountain book and the contrast with terra/light and eileen/dark), though there wasn’t a good connection that made sense.
this made it a little unsatisfying to finish the book. BUT i have hope! because i know that there are going to be more books and i’m sure a lot of those things will get fleshed out. because of that, i give a 4.5, but i am following my fourth grade math curriculum and rounding my answer; 5 stars!
there are so many great things about this book and the story telling i could write another review if i had to. overall, i am very much looking forward to the future for this saga.
i really liked this book! like many, i’m here from tiktok. i have also been having a hard time finding a good book that i really get into, so i was kind of desperate for a good book. and i was not disappointed.
i also should say that i barely read fantasy-related books. but this was a really entertaining book that definitely broke my prejudice for fantasy books.
the imagery was one of my favorite parts of the book. i think i’m often not a fan of fantasy because i have trouble visualizing things and then i’m just lost, but i had no problem with daughter of light.
though i absolutely love this book, i do have some grievances…
although i was excited when finn and eileen met up, i think it did a disservice to ciara. i felt like finn and eileen were on their own amazing adventure, and then ciara popped up here and there.
and i was expecting the three of them to meet up by the end so the three stories made sense and whole, but it didn’t do that. i know that parts of ciaras story have to do with finn/eileen (the mountain book and the contrast with terra/light and eileen/dark), though there wasn’t a good connection that made sense.
this made it a little unsatisfying to finish the book. BUT i have hope! because i know that there are going to be more books and i’m sure a lot of those things will get fleshed out. because of that, i give a 4.5, but i am following my fourth grade math curriculum and rounding my answer; 5 stars!
there are so many great things about this book and the story telling i could write another review if i had to. overall, i am very much looking forward to the future for this saga.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2024
Non so se ridere o piangere. I plank abbiamo, capito? I plank! Ma porca tro*a.
Ci sono tante cose che non vanno in questo titolo ma questa sopra citata è stata l'illuminazione che mi ha fatto capire che stavo leggendo l'ennesimo libro del piffero. In vero, il titolo mi stava piacendo. Gli stavo perdonando determinati termini che non avevano senso di esistere in questo contesto, alcuni 'scivoloni'. Ma il tutto è degenerato quando il principe viene a contatto con la maga e al contempo quando Celia svela qualcosa in più di suo. Celia vive una Londra dell'800 praticamente, veste di pelle aderente e si esercita con i plank (sì, c'è proprio scritto così). Peccato che l'esercizio che sia stato inventato/coniato negli ultimi vent'anni circa! Inoltre fino all'altro ieri stava in un castello, in un regno che pareva vivere nel medioevo. Ergo, find logic. La volontà del principe, seppur messa a dura prova prima, nel venire a contatto con la protagonista diventa nulla ma proprio che non c'è non che non riesce a farla prevalere. Il suo essere lì diventa dello spessore di un foglio di carta. Una marionetta. La protagonista poi! Odiosa, idiota, contaballe e pure voltagabbana! Lei almeno è coerente e si mostra così fin dalle prime pagine. Inoltre alcune scene avvengono completamente a caso. Avrei voluto, ma non è stato.
Ci sono tante cose che non vanno in questo titolo ma questa sopra citata è stata l'illuminazione che mi ha fatto capire che stavo leggendo l'ennesimo libro del piffero. In vero, il titolo mi stava piacendo. Gli stavo perdonando determinati termini che non avevano senso di esistere in questo contesto, alcuni 'scivoloni'. Ma il tutto è degenerato quando il principe viene a contatto con la maga e al contempo quando Celia svela qualcosa in più di suo. Celia vive una Londra dell'800 praticamente, veste di pelle aderente e si esercita con i plank (sì, c'è proprio scritto così). Peccato che l'esercizio che sia stato inventato/coniato negli ultimi vent'anni circa! Inoltre fino all'altro ieri stava in un castello, in un regno che pareva vivere nel medioevo. Ergo, find logic. La volontà del principe, seppur messa a dura prova prima, nel venire a contatto con la protagonista diventa nulla ma proprio che non c'è non che non riesce a farla prevalere. Il suo essere lì diventa dello spessore di un foglio di carta. Una marionetta. La protagonista poi! Odiosa, idiota, contaballe e pure voltagabbana! Lei almeno è coerente e si mostra così fin dalle prime pagine. Inoltre alcune scene avvengono completamente a caso. Avrei voluto, ma non è stato.
July 31, 2021
This book had no right being this good. It was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful, the balance between character driven and plot driven was perfect. I was attached to the characters in the first 50 pages and the plot was amazing. Garret needs to write the second book fast because the plot twists and cliff hanger left me shocked
July 7, 2021
I absolutely love this book the plot was great it, the characters were great and love how things were connected. I can't wait for the second book!
July 8, 2021
I loved it! So good! Can’t wait to see where the story goes.
April 5, 2022
not very captivating. honestly kind of hard to get through and the word choice isn’t right for the book. got kind of interesting at the end but still didn’t make up for the rest.
July 5, 2021
i really enjoyed this book, i’m really glad i found the author on tiktok. i really enjoyed eileen’s, finn’s, and castor’s character. serilda’s as well, i’m glad we got to see her again towards the end. this book had an interesting plot and i really enjoyed it. i continued to get less interested in what was happening with ciara as the book went on, only because i was more interested, and wanting to get back to what was happening with finn, eileen, and castor. i know it’s not centered around romance, but i was rotting for eileen and castor, i don’t know why.
the only issue for me was the fact that sometimes, when the big magic scenes were taking place, i feel like all the descriptive words distracted me from really focusing on what was going on. like, they were all just bunching up and didn’t understand what was happening. thankfully, after a few rereads, i was able to understand. pretty sure that was just a me problem.
really good book though :) can’t wait for the next one!
the only issue for me was the fact that sometimes, when the big magic scenes were taking place, i feel like all the descriptive words distracted me from really focusing on what was going on. like, they were all just bunching up and didn’t understand what was happening. thankfully, after a few rereads, i was able to understand. pretty sure that was just a me problem.
really good book though :) can’t wait for the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2021
Loved this book! Nice story and plotlines and loved the characters. Eileen and Ciara being my favorites <3 Absolutely loved the Nox and thought they were very clever "evils". I liked the different views of the same conflict, reminded me of Game of Thrones, and made it hard to know who to root for! I felt myself feeling for each side as this book did a very good job telling both the good and bad things about each. Cannot wait for the next book and to see where their stories go from here!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2021
(4.5/5)
Very enjoyable YA high fantasy read! The writing was detailed and descriptive and I loved the magical elements and the overall storyline. I pre-order the book after coming across Garrett's tiktok about the story.
My small issue personally was that multiple POVs just isn't my favorite, the first half of the book I was super intrigued by one specific character and was slightly disappointed every time the perspective switched. This got better later on in the book as all the storylines start connecting.
Overall though I loved it and read it in two days, will keep my eye out for more from this author in the future!
Very enjoyable YA high fantasy read! The writing was detailed and descriptive and I loved the magical elements and the overall storyline. I pre-order the book after coming across Garrett's tiktok about the story.
My small issue personally was that multiple POVs just isn't my favorite, the first half of the book I was super intrigued by one specific character and was slightly disappointed every time the perspective switched. This got better later on in the book as all the storylines start connecting.
Overall though I loved it and read it in two days, will keep my eye out for more from this author in the future!
July 21, 2021
So I just wrote this whole review but deleted it on accident but I loved it so much I am writing it again.
SPOILER FREE SECTION:
Wow. This book was magnificent to read!! I loved being able to support a new authors first release, and absolutely enjoying it! I am blown away by the quality of the writing and the ability for this book to keep me on the edge on my seat (or hammock) every. single. page.
Something I loved, the detail. This author is incredible with his words. His language produced the clearest pictures in my head, the sharpest smells in my mind, and pulled my emotions in every which way. He describes the surroundings and actions of the characters to a T. I was astonished by how much this book dragged me into this world!!
Something to improve, the characters. I felt that throughout the book there was many an opportunity to expand on each characters daily “vibe” I guess. I didn’t really get to dive into the habits, characteristics, or humor of each character and I was slightly disappointed. I think there was a lack of detail to their personas that made me feel less in tune with them.
I really loved reading this book and am ecstatic for a sequel. like literally DYING for it to come out right. now.
SPOILER SECTION:
Okay, Wow again. Now I can rly get into it. *This will be all
over the place sorry!*
Plot: I really enjoyed it and believe many of the aspects were unique, but also saw many similarities to books like We Hunt The Flame or Graceling. I enjoyed the plot a lot and it was so fast paced that I could read it forever. But, for me, there was a lack of real “problem” in the book. At the start, there was never really a goal defined. There was the aspect of soldiers invading to find Eileen, and Loren wanting Eileen to become queen, but there wasn’t a need for war ever, or anything that needed a solution.
ALSO can I just say I loved the fact that Eileen didn’t have a romance in the first book (I mean I low key ship her and Castor in the next one) but like it was so refreshing for her to NOT fall in love with her captors/captiees. I feel like it would have made it too predictable!!
Perspective: As for the perspective switching- I loved it!!!! I adored how Eileen, Ciara, and Finn all got their own views so you could understand the plot better. I think the use of perspective was perfect for this story!
Character Time!
Loren- literally dumbledore. that’s all I could see reading her character. the manipulative ways, never telling Eileen the full story, never explaining to her what’s happening, bringing Adara upon her with basically no warning or training, and using her as a pawn. Also the fact that Eileen always followed her even when she was mad at her. I am conflicted on if Loren was supposed to be liked or not, just like dumbledore, and I don’t think I like her but I believe she was a brilliant character.
Castor- Love of my life. would have loved to see some more sarcastic jabs from him and a bit more spice to his character, but overall I enjoyed him a lot!
Eileen- dull. I mean yes her powers and the way she evolved was super cool to read through and I didn’t dislike her throughout the book what so ever, and I don’t dislike her now, but something was missing from her and I can’t put my finger on it.
Finn- Cool dude. very cliche the whole “My father the king doesn’t love me I just want him to be proud of me”, like we have seen that a billion times, BUT I liked this cliche. I think it worked really well for the story and I ESPECIALLY loved his loyalty to Ciara and Castor. Once again, maybe more spice pls?
Ciara- OH MY GOD i love her. at first I didn’t like her bc I thought she wasn’t very important to the story but she is such a bloody brilliant character. I love love love everything about her and I also love that she found Lucas too- ship them so hard, sorry Finn. Honestly her character was so brave and fearless, but I would like to have seen more of that passion in times of the Nox invasions- like have her hit the Nox with the wooden pole, not Lucas!! anywho- she’s perf.
Terra- bad ass. that’s all. I love her.
Hmmm what else…. I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO. I know I had a lot of criticism in this but honestly I just loved it and am so excited to read more!!!
SPOILER FREE SECTION:
Wow. This book was magnificent to read!! I loved being able to support a new authors first release, and absolutely enjoying it! I am blown away by the quality of the writing and the ability for this book to keep me on the edge on my seat (or hammock) every. single. page.
Something I loved, the detail. This author is incredible with his words. His language produced the clearest pictures in my head, the sharpest smells in my mind, and pulled my emotions in every which way. He describes the surroundings and actions of the characters to a T. I was astonished by how much this book dragged me into this world!!
Something to improve, the characters. I felt that throughout the book there was many an opportunity to expand on each characters daily “vibe” I guess. I didn’t really get to dive into the habits, characteristics, or humor of each character and I was slightly disappointed. I think there was a lack of detail to their personas that made me feel less in tune with them.
I really loved reading this book and am ecstatic for a sequel. like literally DYING for it to come out right. now.
SPOILER SECTION:
Okay, Wow again. Now I can rly get into it. *This will be all
over the place sorry!*
Plot: I really enjoyed it and believe many of the aspects were unique, but also saw many similarities to books like We Hunt The Flame or Graceling. I enjoyed the plot a lot and it was so fast paced that I could read it forever. But, for me, there was a lack of real “problem” in the book. At the start, there was never really a goal defined. There was the aspect of soldiers invading to find Eileen, and Loren wanting Eileen to become queen, but there wasn’t a need for war ever, or anything that needed a solution.
ALSO can I just say I loved the fact that Eileen didn’t have a romance in the first book (I mean I low key ship her and Castor in the next one) but like it was so refreshing for her to NOT fall in love with her captors/captiees. I feel like it would have made it too predictable!!
Perspective: As for the perspective switching- I loved it!!!! I adored how Eileen, Ciara, and Finn all got their own views so you could understand the plot better. I think the use of perspective was perfect for this story!
Character Time!
Loren- literally dumbledore. that’s all I could see reading her character. the manipulative ways, never telling Eileen the full story, never explaining to her what’s happening, bringing Adara upon her with basically no warning or training, and using her as a pawn. Also the fact that Eileen always followed her even when she was mad at her. I am conflicted on if Loren was supposed to be liked or not, just like dumbledore, and I don’t think I like her but I believe she was a brilliant character.
Castor- Love of my life. would have loved to see some more sarcastic jabs from him and a bit more spice to his character, but overall I enjoyed him a lot!
Eileen- dull. I mean yes her powers and the way she evolved was super cool to read through and I didn’t dislike her throughout the book what so ever, and I don’t dislike her now, but something was missing from her and I can’t put my finger on it.
Finn- Cool dude. very cliche the whole “My father the king doesn’t love me I just want him to be proud of me”, like we have seen that a billion times, BUT I liked this cliche. I think it worked really well for the story and I ESPECIALLY loved his loyalty to Ciara and Castor. Once again, maybe more spice pls?
Ciara- OH MY GOD i love her. at first I didn’t like her bc I thought she wasn’t very important to the story but she is such a bloody brilliant character. I love love love everything about her and I also love that she found Lucas too- ship them so hard, sorry Finn. Honestly her character was so brave and fearless, but I would like to have seen more of that passion in times of the Nox invasions- like have her hit the Nox with the wooden pole, not Lucas!! anywho- she’s perf.
Terra- bad ass. that’s all. I love her.
Hmmm what else…. I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO. I know I had a lot of criticism in this but honestly I just loved it and am so excited to read more!!!
November 2, 2025
Questo libro non è scritto bene. La trama è piena di buchi e i personaggi agiscono in maniera contraddittoria. Le motivazioni dietro le azioni dei protagonisti sono quantomeno dubbie se non semplicemente banali. La traduzione dall’inglese non mi sembra benfatta, il che sicuramente contribuisce nel peggiorare la qualità del libro. Però vorrei ricordare che l’autore ha appena 19 anni e questo è il suo primo romanzo.
January 3, 2022
I thought it was absolutely amazing. I loved how the characters were written and I loved getting to know a little about there past and I loved how we got it from all of there povs.
I definitely wasn’t expecting that twist for Eileen though. Wow.
Beautifully written, I can’t wait for the next one.
I wonder what will happen with the cousins now. It was so amazing. I loved how it all fitted together at the end.
And sometimes I had to read the next chapter to find out what happened. Due to this I couldn’t put the book down.
I loved this book and can’t wait to see what happens to the characters.
I found the book via TikTok and knew almost immediately i wanted to read it. I’m so glad I chose to read it as I completely loved it and will definitely re read (a ton of times). Due to it being so good.
I will recommend this book to everyone I meet and tell them a short summary and tell them how they will absolutely love this book.
Let’s just say it’s one of my fave books now and definitely in my top 10 for 2022.
Once again I loved this book, can’t wait for the next one
I definitely wasn’t expecting that twist for Eileen though. Wow.
Beautifully written, I can’t wait for the next one.
I wonder what will happen with the cousins now. It was so amazing. I loved how it all fitted together at the end.
And sometimes I had to read the next chapter to find out what happened. Due to this I couldn’t put the book down.
I loved this book and can’t wait to see what happens to the characters.
I found the book via TikTok and knew almost immediately i wanted to read it. I’m so glad I chose to read it as I completely loved it and will definitely re read (a ton of times). Due to it being so good.
I will recommend this book to everyone I meet and tell them a short summary and tell them how they will absolutely love this book.
Let’s just say it’s one of my fave books now and definitely in my top 10 for 2022.
Once again I loved this book, can’t wait for the next one
December 26, 2021
Holy Crap!! This is so good! Can't wait for the second book to be published!
January 23, 2023
DNF
Honestly, I'm disappointed. I was excited about this book, but it was rough. I only read 155/434 pages. I really struggled to get through this book. I'm not interested in the characters at all, and the writing is making it very hard to continue.
I read this on KU and made many notes, particularly when things didn't make sense.
Before I get into the issues that I had with the book, I want to talk about what I liked.
For example, the language that the author uses is very mature, which is something I enjoy, it reminds me a lot of SJM's writing.
This book was written in 3rd person (I think it would've been better in 1st person), and we follow a few different POV's, again, similar to SJM's books (I'm using her as an example because I just finished reading all of her books, so she's on my mind HEAVY). Out of all the POV's, I enjoyed Eileen's the most.
Negatives:
The author does a really good job of painting a picture, he is pretty descriptive about scenery, but what he lacks in is the historical part of world-building. We get introduced to so many different places, people, and beings, but we get virtually no background. For example, Saoirse. I believe that is the god that the witches worship, and there is a different god that the warlocks worshipped, but we don't find out about who that actually is until past the 100 page mark, and even then, we still don't know who that is. Eileen says things like "Saoirse save me", but then will say "oh gods..." like, which is it?
Another thing that doesn't sit right with me is the Sand War. This war happened 16 years ago when the witches (who possess fire abilities) fought against the warlocks (who possess water abilities) and went extinct... I'm no physicist, but I'm pretty sure water beats out fire 10x out of 10. I also doubt the warlocks are completely extinct.
Also, witches (female) and warlocks (male) cannot reproduce, and that's all we know. We never get a deeper dive into why they can't, just that they can't., except for Eileen, she is the one and only exception. Which again, I doubt.
We got a whole 2 pages of Prince Finn sitting in class, not paying attention because he had to pee so bad. That was the only purpose of the scene. The only thing we learned was the name of a temple and that this Prince was about to piss his pants... There is just so much in this book that could've been deleted and replaced with more world-building, character development, and historical insights to this world. When you're writing a fantasy novel (this is a series, so especially here), you are typically introducing a new world, so we need to understand everything we can about it, same with the characters. I can't really picture any of them because they don't get physically described, like ever. We also don't see much of their personalities, the all just seem bland.
We don't get any info on the creation of witches and warlocks.
Winona is described as having "bird eyes and beak nose", can they shapeshift? Does she actually look like a bird, or is this an insult?
We also get this scene where Loren is telling Eileen that the King may have killed his brother, who was a warlock, and the previous king who dies mysteriously during the Sand War. All we know is that he died mysteriously... not sure what that means. But that's not even why I'm bringing this up. So this conversation happened, and Eileen acted super shocked about this discovery ("A chill prickled the back of Eileen's neck. 'He what?'"), but literally like 5 pages ago, this same conversation happened and it was just blown over... I-
Also, the whole with Queen thing doesn't make sense. There isn't a Queen, but one girl wants to be one so now she is running for Queen, but we don't get any info on the politics of this which I wish we got so that I could understand.
My biggest pet peeve in this whole book is Leon Hadar. He is the KING. Yet in EVERY POV we get, EVERYONE refers to him as Leon Hadar. Even his son... he doesn't refer to him as father, dad, King, nope... Leon Hadar. Not King, King Leon, or even just Leon... Leon Hadar. It pisses me off.
I don't want to keep ripping into this book even more... it just wasn't it... sorry, love.
I tried to keep reading it because I wanted to know if my questions will be answered, but I doubt they will be. I also tried to keep reading because the second book is coming out in 2 months and I'm hoping there is some sort of redemption.
Maybe I'll pick this up again and try to get through it. I'll keep you posted.
Honestly, I'm disappointed. I was excited about this book, but it was rough. I only read 155/434 pages. I really struggled to get through this book. I'm not interested in the characters at all, and the writing is making it very hard to continue.
I read this on KU and made many notes, particularly when things didn't make sense.
Before I get into the issues that I had with the book, I want to talk about what I liked.
For example, the language that the author uses is very mature, which is something I enjoy, it reminds me a lot of SJM's writing.
This book was written in 3rd person (I think it would've been better in 1st person), and we follow a few different POV's, again, similar to SJM's books (I'm using her as an example because I just finished reading all of her books, so she's on my mind HEAVY). Out of all the POV's, I enjoyed Eileen's the most.
Negatives:
The author does a really good job of painting a picture, he is pretty descriptive about scenery, but what he lacks in is the historical part of world-building. We get introduced to so many different places, people, and beings, but we get virtually no background. For example, Saoirse. I believe that is the god that the witches worship, and there is a different god that the warlocks worshipped, but we don't find out about who that actually is until past the 100 page mark, and even then, we still don't know who that is. Eileen says things like "Saoirse save me", but then will say "oh gods..." like, which is it?
Another thing that doesn't sit right with me is the Sand War. This war happened 16 years ago when the witches (who possess fire abilities) fought against the warlocks (who possess water abilities) and went extinct... I'm no physicist, but I'm pretty sure water beats out fire 10x out of 10. I also doubt the warlocks are completely extinct.
Also, witches (female) and warlocks (male) cannot reproduce, and that's all we know. We never get a deeper dive into why they can't, just that they can't., except for Eileen, she is the one and only exception. Which again, I doubt.
We got a whole 2 pages of Prince Finn sitting in class, not paying attention because he had to pee so bad. That was the only purpose of the scene. The only thing we learned was the name of a temple and that this Prince was about to piss his pants... There is just so much in this book that could've been deleted and replaced with more world-building, character development, and historical insights to this world. When you're writing a fantasy novel (this is a series, so especially here), you are typically introducing a new world, so we need to understand everything we can about it, same with the characters. I can't really picture any of them because they don't get physically described, like ever. We also don't see much of their personalities, the all just seem bland.
We don't get any info on the creation of witches and warlocks.
Winona is described as having "bird eyes and beak nose", can they shapeshift? Does she actually look like a bird, or is this an insult?
We also get this scene where Loren is telling Eileen that the King may have killed his brother, who was a warlock, and the previous king who dies mysteriously during the Sand War. All we know is that he died mysteriously... not sure what that means. But that's not even why I'm bringing this up. So this conversation happened, and Eileen acted super shocked about this discovery ("A chill prickled the back of Eileen's neck. 'He what?'"), but literally like 5 pages ago, this same conversation happened and it was just blown over... I-
Also, the whole with Queen thing doesn't make sense. There isn't a Queen, but one girl wants to be one so now she is running for Queen, but we don't get any info on the politics of this which I wish we got so that I could understand.
My biggest pet peeve in this whole book is Leon Hadar. He is the KING. Yet in EVERY POV we get, EVERYONE refers to him as Leon Hadar. Even his son... he doesn't refer to him as father, dad, King, nope... Leon Hadar. Not King, King Leon, or even just Leon... Leon Hadar. It pisses me off.
I don't want to keep ripping into this book even more... it just wasn't it... sorry, love.
I tried to keep reading it because I wanted to know if my questions will be answered, but I doubt they will be. I also tried to keep reading because the second book is coming out in 2 months and I'm hoping there is some sort of redemption.
Maybe I'll pick this up again and try to get through it. I'll keep you posted.
July 19, 2021
Guys I'm 100 pages in and.... Wtf is this. It is AMAZING! I mean yeah his writing needs a little work. Some Charakters are still not really described but this is his first book. Like ever and for that: Respect 👍👍👍💯
July 14, 2021
I wanted to like this book so bad but ultimately I was a little let down. I wish that the individual main characters’ stories met sooner than they did. For the majority of the book (like 300 out of 400 pages) it was following 3 “main” characters, 2 of which met up and the story with them was good, a little slow to the point but still good. However Ciara’s portion of the book in my opinion was not needed (however it could be setting up for the next book & if it is that’s good but still a lot of wasted time on that in this book).
Ultimately I think it should’ve been the Warlocks vs Witches or The Nox not both. They don’t make sense together it was as if I was reading two different books at once.
I’m rating it 3 stars because I want to see this author succeed! I hope he keeps writing, I will buy the next books in the trilogy to support him because writing a novel & self publishing it is an amazing accomplishment & it takes skill that this author definitely has! His writing style is really good considering this is his first book so that fact alone makes me excited for the next ones. I just had high expectations for this & was a little let down.
Ultimately I think it should’ve been the Warlocks vs Witches or The Nox not both. They don’t make sense together it was as if I was reading two different books at once.
I’m rating it 3 stars because I want to see this author succeed! I hope he keeps writing, I will buy the next books in the trilogy to support him because writing a novel & self publishing it is an amazing accomplishment & it takes skill that this author definitely has! His writing style is really good considering this is his first book so that fact alone makes me excited for the next ones. I just had high expectations for this & was a little let down.
January 23, 2023
The way Garrett articulates Daughter of Light had me fully immersed with Finn, Eileen, & Ciara’s story. It almost felt like you were right there with them. A book of WILD twists & unexpected turns made me crave for more. I was excited to hear that this is the first book of a soon to be trilogy & I can’t wait to see what master piece Garrett produces next. Would recommend to anyone if you want to see what the last warlock & her close ones are capable of.
August 6, 2021
I thought this book was good. The story is well developed, and I liked the characters. The one thing is though that made me take off two stars, is that there's something missing that I can't put my finger on. This book just didn't suck me in the way I want a book to.
January 18, 2023
*edit*
im not sure if the author will see this or not, but i think my review came off a little harsh and i wish id added that it's really amazing that they were able to self publish their writing, a lot of effort has clearly gone into this book, and although it did feel very long, that showed how passionate they are about their story.
*spoilers*
i enjoyed the first quater of this book as i was optimistic and i did find a lot of descriptions to be quite beautiful, but quite quickly after, the book started to drag a bit for me, a lot things started jumping out, particularly the dragged out descriptions of simple things like putting things down and everyday actions. this is what made the book drag on so long.
i found the descriptions of things became more blunt, and near the end, the way a baby was described as deceased completely shocked me - it was such a quick morbid sentence and the moment only lasted a few seconds and that was that, but it stuck with me as feeling so random and unnecessary, when the book felt simply YA previously. i will say that there was so much quick random deaths, abandonment of characters ect, big emotional things felt so casual and were quickly brushed away.
there were so many momemts when the characters were being attacked that they just stayed still, didn't run when they had a chance, or managed to somehow outrun a hundred witches with fire, it just felt so unrealistic.
i enjoyed everything about this book up until the male lead was sent on his mission. this had a lot of potential to be exciting because the male and female lead would come into contact with each other, however everything, including the plot, just went to chaos. it was simple enough in concept, the king wanted the female lead, and the female lead wanted to kill the king, but the way the prince brought back the witch, and the witch 'captured' him and his friend, and the two boys didn't try to escape or capture her at any point, or make any sort of decision, i was just so confused, and you can see that in the mess of the sentence i just wrote.
another thing that bugged the hell out of me was the entire resistance that one of the girls was part of. the resistance was described as being around for years, with hundreds of members, all sent on missions and training to become daughters and sons of light. their entire purpose was to defeat the nox (bad monsters) and learn how best to kill them. however the group is absolutely useless, they appear to know absolutely nothing, and one of the missions the girl is sent on she isn't told why she has to go where she does, just to go there, she goes, fights a nox and comes back, it felt so pointless.
now im not sure if this is a giant plot hole/ issue or not but it did confuse me that the two main magic's are fire and water, yet it was the fire people that destroyed the water people until there was only one remaining water, i would have thought this would have been the other way around.
half way through the book a lot of typos started to appear, mostly just basic words like 'as' and 'an' ect.
my favourite part (sarcasm here) was the most atrociously hilariously scene i have ever read in my whole life. basically there was a fight between the queen of witches and the last warlock in this fortress high above a city. they are in a dark part of the fortress and things are lit ablaze with fire, the warlock loses her friend and has to escape without her, she jumps off the battlements and swims to shore, finds the two boys she had captured (they had just been sitting waiting for her instead of running even though they had nothing binding them) and goes back into the city to escape via the pier. so after this big explosive fight between the leader of the witches and her, she's walking through the street, and sees the QUEEN OF THE WITCHES enjoying a CHIPPY with "grease glistening on her mouth". i couldn't believe what i was reading. after fighting a battle against a strong warlock, capturing her friend, the queen comes down from the fortress to grab a chippy? instead of looking for the warlock? i was so baffled and frustrated reading this.
favourite quote - "(her) brain spun through every possibility to keep their flower alive through winter. but ... their winter was indefinite, and no flower could survive that."
least favourite quote - "her voice is a voice that is not a voice."
"tiny pink organs spilled off his bed in a bloody tangle." ugh.
i read this book on my kindle, and gave up annotating after i read the fish and chip moment, but there's so much more stupid stuff and chaotic plot i could mention.
this review is a bit of a mess as im still learning how to write a review properly, right now it's just a jumble of thoughts, but this book had so much potential and i feel like the blunt writing, wierd sentences and stupid words the charatcers said, and childish actions of the characters really just pulled me out of the story instead of in.
im not sure if the author will see this or not, but i think my review came off a little harsh and i wish id added that it's really amazing that they were able to self publish their writing, a lot of effort has clearly gone into this book, and although it did feel very long, that showed how passionate they are about their story.
*spoilers*
i enjoyed the first quater of this book as i was optimistic and i did find a lot of descriptions to be quite beautiful, but quite quickly after, the book started to drag a bit for me, a lot things started jumping out, particularly the dragged out descriptions of simple things like putting things down and everyday actions. this is what made the book drag on so long.
i found the descriptions of things became more blunt, and near the end, the way a baby was described as deceased completely shocked me - it was such a quick morbid sentence and the moment only lasted a few seconds and that was that, but it stuck with me as feeling so random and unnecessary, when the book felt simply YA previously. i will say that there was so much quick random deaths, abandonment of characters ect, big emotional things felt so casual and were quickly brushed away.
there were so many momemts when the characters were being attacked that they just stayed still, didn't run when they had a chance, or managed to somehow outrun a hundred witches with fire, it just felt so unrealistic.
i enjoyed everything about this book up until the male lead was sent on his mission. this had a lot of potential to be exciting because the male and female lead would come into contact with each other, however everything, including the plot, just went to chaos. it was simple enough in concept, the king wanted the female lead, and the female lead wanted to kill the king, but the way the prince brought back the witch, and the witch 'captured' him and his friend, and the two boys didn't try to escape or capture her at any point, or make any sort of decision, i was just so confused, and you can see that in the mess of the sentence i just wrote.
another thing that bugged the hell out of me was the entire resistance that one of the girls was part of. the resistance was described as being around for years, with hundreds of members, all sent on missions and training to become daughters and sons of light. their entire purpose was to defeat the nox (bad monsters) and learn how best to kill them. however the group is absolutely useless, they appear to know absolutely nothing, and one of the missions the girl is sent on she isn't told why she has to go where she does, just to go there, she goes, fights a nox and comes back, it felt so pointless.
now im not sure if this is a giant plot hole/ issue or not but it did confuse me that the two main magic's are fire and water, yet it was the fire people that destroyed the water people until there was only one remaining water, i would have thought this would have been the other way around.
half way through the book a lot of typos started to appear, mostly just basic words like 'as' and 'an' ect.
my favourite part (sarcasm here) was the most atrociously hilariously scene i have ever read in my whole life. basically there was a fight between the queen of witches and the last warlock in this fortress high above a city. they are in a dark part of the fortress and things are lit ablaze with fire, the warlock loses her friend and has to escape without her, she jumps off the battlements and swims to shore, finds the two boys she had captured (they had just been sitting waiting for her instead of running even though they had nothing binding them) and goes back into the city to escape via the pier. so after this big explosive fight between the leader of the witches and her, she's walking through the street, and sees the QUEEN OF THE WITCHES enjoying a CHIPPY with "grease glistening on her mouth". i couldn't believe what i was reading. after fighting a battle against a strong warlock, capturing her friend, the queen comes down from the fortress to grab a chippy? instead of looking for the warlock? i was so baffled and frustrated reading this.
favourite quote - "(her) brain spun through every possibility to keep their flower alive through winter. but ... their winter was indefinite, and no flower could survive that."
least favourite quote - "her voice is a voice that is not a voice."
"tiny pink organs spilled off his bed in a bloody tangle." ugh.
i read this book on my kindle, and gave up annotating after i read the fish and chip moment, but there's so much more stupid stuff and chaotic plot i could mention.
this review is a bit of a mess as im still learning how to write a review properly, right now it's just a jumble of thoughts, but this book had so much potential and i feel like the blunt writing, wierd sentences and stupid words the charatcers said, and childish actions of the characters really just pulled me out of the story instead of in.
March 3, 2024
Creo que este libro se merece un fuerte aplauso. 👏🏼
He leído muchas críticas negativas, sobre todo por el lenguaje que usa o por la forma en como está escrito y no se si es por la traducción o qué, pero a mi me ha parecido bastante acertado. Los diálogos y la trama tenían un orden y un contexto, la historia iba avanzando a su ritmo, con algo de relleno en algunos de los capítulos, pero bueno, xd y casi todo el tiempo teníamos acción, por lo que no se me ha hecho nada pesado. Para mi, la escritura ha sido muy fluida, en general utiliza un lenguaje muy maduro, excepto por alguna expresión como "se cagó en todo" o "tal persona se caga en todo" que lo repite bastante y no me ha gustado mucho, pero creo que eso a sido por la traducción. Las escenas de acción están muy bien logradas y creo (no soy experta) que las descripciones de los lugares, paisajes, sentimientos, personas, etc etc, están bien detalladas y utiliza metáforas que, a mi parecer encajan muy bien con el libro; son muy poéticas. Sobre todo durante la primera parte del libro.
También es verdad, que le pongo 4⭐ porque me he informado un poco sobre el autor y he visto que ¡ÉS SU PRIMERA NOVELA!! Y encima el chaval es super joven. ¡¡Chapó!! De verdad que sí. Me ha sorprendido para bien, y mira que me encanta la fantasía pero lo que son brujas/hechiceras... no me acaba de.... nye. Pero este libro no me ha decepcionado en absoluto.
Como cualquier libro, también tiene sus puntos en contra:
No he conseguido empatizar con ningún personaje (salvo por Castor, el amigo del del protagonista masculino, y el caballo también del príncipe, que de repente matan :( eso no me ha gustado. Exijo venganza.).
El libro va narrando en tercera persona las historias de la hechicera, el príncipe y una rebelde, pero no veo del todo claro cual es la misión de cada personaje. La historia de la rebelde, por ejemplo, no entiendo que pinta, representa que tiene que ayudar o respaldar "su movimiento" o recabar información, pero en ningún momento se la ve haciendo eso. Tampoco termino de entender el porqué y el como los brujos (con poderes de fuego) exterminaron a los hechiceros (que tienen poderes de agua) xd. Por otra parte, pensaba que al encontrarse el príncipe y la hechicera habría mas conexión o se resolvería algo de la trama pero lo único que he podido entender del encuentro ha sido "te he capturado", "no, yo te he capturado a ti", "no, yo a ti" ... y al final acaban los tres (porque también hay el típico personaje gracioso) como de excursión casi cogidos de la mano xd. También pensaba que habría mas romance PERO, descubrí que este libro es el primero de una saga (no se como lo hago pero siempre me meto en sagas de verdad... no tengo tiempo para leer tanto ayuda), así que también entiendo que esta historia haya sido como mas "presentación" de los hechos, los personajes, la historia, el objetivo...
La última cosa de la que tengo que quejarme (o aplaudir, aun no lo he decidido), es en la muerte de los personajes. Sucede de repente, sin avisar a mi parecer, cuando parecía que eran personajes "importantes" en la trama ¡PAM! y no se les da mucha importancia después, como que pasan a un segundo plano muy rápido.
Pero bueno, termino diciendo que el libro me ha gustado mas de lo que esperaba. El autor tiene mucho potencial y espero que no deje de escribir, porque después de este final y este portento de libro, ya estoy esperando la segunda parte xd
He leído muchas críticas negativas, sobre todo por el lenguaje que usa o por la forma en como está escrito y no se si es por la traducción o qué, pero a mi me ha parecido bastante acertado. Los diálogos y la trama tenían un orden y un contexto, la historia iba avanzando a su ritmo, con algo de relleno en algunos de los capítulos, pero bueno, xd y casi todo el tiempo teníamos acción, por lo que no se me ha hecho nada pesado. Para mi, la escritura ha sido muy fluida, en general utiliza un lenguaje muy maduro, excepto por alguna expresión como "se cagó en todo" o "tal persona se caga en todo" que lo repite bastante y no me ha gustado mucho, pero creo que eso a sido por la traducción. Las escenas de acción están muy bien logradas y creo (no soy experta) que las descripciones de los lugares, paisajes, sentimientos, personas, etc etc, están bien detalladas y utiliza metáforas que, a mi parecer encajan muy bien con el libro; son muy poéticas. Sobre todo durante la primera parte del libro.
También es verdad, que le pongo 4⭐ porque me he informado un poco sobre el autor y he visto que ¡ÉS SU PRIMERA NOVELA!! Y encima el chaval es super joven. ¡¡Chapó!! De verdad que sí. Me ha sorprendido para bien, y mira que me encanta la fantasía pero lo que son brujas/hechiceras... no me acaba de.... nye. Pero este libro no me ha decepcionado en absoluto.
Como cualquier libro, también tiene sus puntos en contra:
No he conseguido empatizar con ningún personaje (salvo por Castor, el amigo del del protagonista masculino, y el caballo también del príncipe, que de repente matan :( eso no me ha gustado. Exijo venganza.).
El libro va narrando en tercera persona las historias de la hechicera, el príncipe y una rebelde, pero no veo del todo claro cual es la misión de cada personaje. La historia de la rebelde, por ejemplo, no entiendo que pinta, representa que tiene que ayudar o respaldar "su movimiento" o recabar información, pero en ningún momento se la ve haciendo eso. Tampoco termino de entender el porqué y el como los brujos (con poderes de fuego) exterminaron a los hechiceros (que tienen poderes de agua) xd. Por otra parte, pensaba que al encontrarse el príncipe y la hechicera habría mas conexión o se resolvería algo de la trama pero lo único que he podido entender del encuentro ha sido "te he capturado", "no, yo te he capturado a ti", "no, yo a ti" ... y al final acaban los tres (porque también hay el típico personaje gracioso) como de excursión casi cogidos de la mano xd. También pensaba que habría mas romance PERO, descubrí que este libro es el primero de una saga (no se como lo hago pero siempre me meto en sagas de verdad... no tengo tiempo para leer tanto ayuda), así que también entiendo que esta historia haya sido como mas "presentación" de los hechos, los personajes, la historia, el objetivo...
La última cosa de la que tengo que quejarme (o aplaudir, aun no lo he decidido), es en la muerte de los personajes. Sucede de repente, sin avisar a mi parecer, cuando parecía que eran personajes "importantes" en la trama ¡PAM! y no se les da mucha importancia después, como que pasan a un segundo plano muy rápido.
Pero bueno, termino diciendo que el libro me ha gustado mas de lo que esperaba. El autor tiene mucho potencial y espero que no deje de escribir, porque después de este final y este portento de libro, ya estoy esperando la segunda parte xd
May 20, 2023
Overall Ratings:
3.2 Stars for authors writing style.
2.6 Stars for plot development.
2.3 Stars for characters/character development.
Total Rating: 2.7
This is a debut novel by Garrett Curbow that was originally recommended via TikTok Algorithm. Curbow himself said the main theme of his novel was Throne of Glass meets Avatar the Last Air Bender, and he wasn’t completely inaccurate. I can see the main ideas he gets from each piece of work, such as the use of fire and water between witches and warlocks is remnant of Avatar, and the main character Eileen a close replica of Celaena from ToG. In fact, looking back, a lot of Eileen’s character growth is like that of Celaena, however readers see it over the course of multiple books, whereas Eileens growth is mostly in the one novel.
The overall arching storyline is well written, but it felt mostly plot driven with three main characters that lack an appealing depth. The main character of the story, or who really has the most written about her, Eileen is two Demensional at best. We’re thrown into her world as a blue-eyed witch and how she is the key to winning a war she doesn’t really care about nor want to fight. In the first two chapters I thought she was under the age of 14, she seemed young, scared to hurt others and a victim of her genetics, but she’s actually older and stubborn, as if she’s fighting her own plotline. Eileen’s decision to fight the war and for her ‘sisters’ didn’t quite feel like a decision she herself made, instead it felt like that was the only option and therefore the plot **had** to digress. It wasn’t until before the final battle that it actually felt like Eileen wanted to fight for more than just her own revenge. Though revenge is a great motivator, it was near exhausting to read Eileen speak only about that. The loss of her sister closer to the beginning of the novel felt surreal and even made me cry but that wasn’t because of the “connection” I felt to the characters. No, the only intimate feelings I had towards Eileen and her sister, were a projection of my own sister and the horrifying thought of losing her. Eileen has a one-track mind, and it made the book hard to get through, but her POV was the most interesting.
The second main POV of Finn Hadar was hardly an interest to me, he had no real desire to do anything, he wanted to please his father, but didn’t know how to properly fight, nor did he participate in any princely duties; his best friend knew more of royal expectations and the currents state of the kingdom than he did. The only thing he seemed to be good at was drawing, which was honestly a very small part of his life, it was mostly a hobby. His indecisiveness on everything but not wanting to be King one day simply wasn’t entertaining to me. His lack of training and respect for himself or his kingdom, made it hard to understand why he was even written that way. I was hoping for a stronger, more self-assured, character growth, but that happened in the form of his friend and sadly not for him.
Ciara is the third POV that we see in the novel, and she is beyond the flattest character I have ever read. The synopsis describes her as a “secret agent” and a “warrior” who is seemingly “fighting against a growing evil in the world—an evil that is more vicious now than ever.” She is young, naive and obnoxiously self-righteous. There was so much potential to have the “evil” that was referenced for her character to be brought up in the next book, a novella, or if the Nox were more of an issue for other characters and not just her own. The leader of the Light, an older woman who is clearly taking advantage of a young girl and her anger, is hardly leading any kind of resistance. Not only does Ciara not know of any other person participating in this rebellion, save one random man we see only briefly, she is nothing close to a warrior. It was damn near appalling to read about her dad being such an amazing swordsman that he was known by the King, but she had no skill in swordsmanship, no training of any kind from her father, and none from anyone within the rebellion. A rebellion whose main job is to “protect the innocent” from the evil Nox, creatures who do know how to murder, pillage, and sexually assault women. Her plotline could be better written if her circumstance was a more prominent feature of the story, and not irrelevant to the current storyline of the book, being Eileen and the waging war.
The story itself lacked good, emotionally connectable characters. The plotline was full of potential; the wars and political aspects needed only to be better expressed and explained through the characters themselves, not just on and off again pages of who’s who and “secrets” that couldn’t hold the attention of readers. Garrett Curbow, however, is a phenomenal writer. His writing itself was extremely well-spoken, expressive and descriptive. It propelled me to the very end of the book, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the characters. Had Ciara’s POV been removed, and there been more depth to Eileen and Finn, then I would be more interested in reading the next book and probably have recommended it to friends. I’m hoping that his ability to write characters will progress because he has the potential to be a New York Times Best Seller on writing alone, the only thing holding him back is this book.
3.2 Stars for authors writing style.
2.6 Stars for plot development.
2.3 Stars for characters/character development.
Total Rating: 2.7
This is a debut novel by Garrett Curbow that was originally recommended via TikTok Algorithm. Curbow himself said the main theme of his novel was Throne of Glass meets Avatar the Last Air Bender, and he wasn’t completely inaccurate. I can see the main ideas he gets from each piece of work, such as the use of fire and water between witches and warlocks is remnant of Avatar, and the main character Eileen a close replica of Celaena from ToG. In fact, looking back, a lot of Eileen’s character growth is like that of Celaena, however readers see it over the course of multiple books, whereas Eileens growth is mostly in the one novel.
The overall arching storyline is well written, but it felt mostly plot driven with three main characters that lack an appealing depth. The main character of the story, or who really has the most written about her, Eileen is two Demensional at best. We’re thrown into her world as a blue-eyed witch and how she is the key to winning a war she doesn’t really care about nor want to fight. In the first two chapters I thought she was under the age of 14, she seemed young, scared to hurt others and a victim of her genetics, but she’s actually older and stubborn, as if she’s fighting her own plotline. Eileen’s decision to fight the war and for her ‘sisters’ didn’t quite feel like a decision she herself made, instead it felt like that was the only option and therefore the plot **had** to digress. It wasn’t until before the final battle that it actually felt like Eileen wanted to fight for more than just her own revenge. Though revenge is a great motivator, it was near exhausting to read Eileen speak only about that. The loss of her sister closer to the beginning of the novel felt surreal and even made me cry but that wasn’t because of the “connection” I felt to the characters. No, the only intimate feelings I had towards Eileen and her sister, were a projection of my own sister and the horrifying thought of losing her. Eileen has a one-track mind, and it made the book hard to get through, but her POV was the most interesting.
The second main POV of Finn Hadar was hardly an interest to me, he had no real desire to do anything, he wanted to please his father, but didn’t know how to properly fight, nor did he participate in any princely duties; his best friend knew more of royal expectations and the currents state of the kingdom than he did. The only thing he seemed to be good at was drawing, which was honestly a very small part of his life, it was mostly a hobby. His indecisiveness on everything but not wanting to be King one day simply wasn’t entertaining to me. His lack of training and respect for himself or his kingdom, made it hard to understand why he was even written that way. I was hoping for a stronger, more self-assured, character growth, but that happened in the form of his friend and sadly not for him.
Ciara is the third POV that we see in the novel, and she is beyond the flattest character I have ever read. The synopsis describes her as a “secret agent” and a “warrior” who is seemingly “fighting against a growing evil in the world—an evil that is more vicious now than ever.” She is young, naive and obnoxiously self-righteous. There was so much potential to have the “evil” that was referenced for her character to be brought up in the next book, a novella, or if the Nox were more of an issue for other characters and not just her own. The leader of the Light, an older woman who is clearly taking advantage of a young girl and her anger, is hardly leading any kind of resistance. Not only does Ciara not know of any other person participating in this rebellion, save one random man we see only briefly, she is nothing close to a warrior. It was damn near appalling to read about her dad being such an amazing swordsman that he was known by the King, but she had no skill in swordsmanship, no training of any kind from her father, and none from anyone within the rebellion. A rebellion whose main job is to “protect the innocent” from the evil Nox, creatures who do know how to murder, pillage, and sexually assault women. Her plotline could be better written if her circumstance was a more prominent feature of the story, and not irrelevant to the current storyline of the book, being Eileen and the waging war.
The story itself lacked good, emotionally connectable characters. The plotline was full of potential; the wars and political aspects needed only to be better expressed and explained through the characters themselves, not just on and off again pages of who’s who and “secrets” that couldn’t hold the attention of readers. Garrett Curbow, however, is a phenomenal writer. His writing itself was extremely well-spoken, expressive and descriptive. It propelled me to the very end of the book, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the characters. Had Ciara’s POV been removed, and there been more depth to Eileen and Finn, then I would be more interested in reading the next book and probably have recommended it to friends. I’m hoping that his ability to write characters will progress because he has the potential to be a New York Times Best Seller on writing alone, the only thing holding him back is this book.
March 14, 2024
I found Garrett Curbow on TikTok and immediately added this book to my Kindle. At first, it was to support a small author, and as a fellow lover of fantasy I had to try it out. Now, I have to say I am SO happy I did! This novel was a fantastical adventure, with complex and mysterious magic, awesome action, beautiful romance, and political strife. The world building is complex, in a war-torn land with mystical night creatures, cursed land, and interesting politics that are slowly uncovered throughout the story. This story followed multiple individuals’ perspectives, and while at first I felt the characters to be surface-level, I soon discovered that their development grew following the devotion to their personal goals and passions. There were twists and turns throughout this novel that I absolutely loved. Curbow took me from sorrowful moments of grief, to laughing with the characters, to on the edge of my seat with suspense and action. With all of this being said, at times the storytelling was choppy, the characters surface-level, and the world-building not thoroughly explored and explained until way later. At times, I didn’t feel as deeply connected to the characters as I thought Curbow wished me to. However, I am definitely reading the second one! I believe that there is so much growth to be had in these characters, the world, and magic system. I loved Curbow’s writing and cannot wait to see how his style transforms and matures. If you are a fantasy lover, give this a try!!!
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