Summer Reading Book Club discussion

Hey guys,

Once you finish the book, post your overall impression of the book here -whether you loved it or you hated it.

TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK COMPLETELY: BEWARE OF SPOILERS.

Okay, I am going to add my thoughts now, because I loved this book too much to wait any longer...

*************** SPOILER ALERT *******************

1. I found the first 50 pages very slow and dull, and didn't enjoy them at all. I think there was to much setting the scene, and not enough action, and Meira felt a bit 2D in this part. Anyone else feel this way???
2. After that the plot became really addictive and I couldn't wait to read on. It as always full of plot twist, which I did not see coming. Like getting engaged to Theron, Spring attacking and wait, what...??? She's the queen!!! I think this was one of the best bits of the book!
3. I was totally shipping Meira and Mather, until Theron arrived in Spring, and now I really want him and Meira to get married (for love, not just they have to). He is so unbelievably cute, and honest and actually understands that she needs to fight etc.... #teamtheron
4. The ending was super too, and I was glad they escaped and Sir was alive. However I think this went a tad too fast maybe.... And I would have like to seen Nessa again.

Okay that's me out. C:

Here we go:

- So much about the story is explained via Meira's assumptions and this really bothers me. It makes it less believable. I mean, how do you know, Meira, that the R in your prisoner number stands for refugee and its 19 because you're going to be the 19th refugee Angra kills? This assumption based explanation happens so much in this book.

- Also, I didn't like Meira's character very much. She came off as very melodramatic at times.

- All of the characters seemed pretty one dimensional to me.

- Meira and Theron's relationship had so many cliches.

- I think we can all agree that the world building wasn't great.

- On a positive note, I loved the fast pace and the twists and turns.

Overall, this book was just meh.

overall!
- I wish Angra was more clever or they had explained more about him or his past.
- I agree Meira was a bit over dramatic
- I wish Theron had been more complicated and not just a nice guy
- I enjoyed the story, it had some cool ideas and moments/quotes
- I wish Mather had been moe upset when he wasnt royalty so there would have been come friction or something, but he was jst kinda like ya man stuff happens
- but I still like theron and Meira
idc if its cliche its still cute to me
I will probably read the sequel when it comes out/ whenever I get it

Just finished it last night. Now that I slept on it a bit, I'll try to find words:
- I wasn't a fan of the love/pining about Mather. It was too much at the beginning with all the facts about the world. It was also too convenient (1 guy her age around, of course they should be together)
- I started to enjoy the story from the moment she stole the locket half. I read the last 12 chapters in one sitting. Loved the twists and the pace.
- Meira was ok for me as a main character. I liked the "growing up" part, where she realized that she will really do anything if it helps winter, not just what she wants to do. Maybe a bit too dramatic there but ok.
-I agree that we get a lot of information through her assumptions, I would have liked to see that contradicted more. There could have been more major plot twists because of that (wait, the winter queen was evil and spring wanted to help and became evil in the process, what??)
- I liked Theron and hope marriage is not off the table.
-I will definitely preorder the sequel
-the end was a bit rushed, I like that it's mostly a happy ending but there might be consequences (debts to Cordell, what happened to Angra)
Overall, a solid 4 stars for me. Really glad we read this!

I posted my official review on my page but my general thoughts are:

a) god bless the ending of this book happened because it saved the whole book for me. until like, chapter twenty i was hardcore ready to two star this book and be done with it BUT MEIRA BEING A BADASS SAVED IT
b) i liked the fast pacing, but at the same time i didn't. i feel like way too much happened in a small period of time and it threw you off a bit
c) world building was shit #sorrynotsorrry
d) bless the fact that the instalove situation was fixed tbh i would be perfectly happy if no romance happened in the rest of the books and it was just 300 pages of meira kicking ass. i would read that.

- I enjoyed the general premise of it
- The world building should have been a lot more thorough and less of it should have been transmitted via info dumps
- I guessed at Meira being the queen shortly before she went to get back the first locket half. Mostly because she kept going on and on about how Mather was too good for her and he was going to be king but wouldn't be able to use magic, etc. etc.
- Now that you guys mention it... yes, Theron was almost boring because he's so nice. Reminds me a little of whatshisname, the prince from The Selection novels. I get that Raasch wanted the engagement thing to not be too horrible (and possibly she also wanted a love triangle) but a little more spunk would have done him a load of good, I believe.

I enjoyed this overall. It was fast paced and world not built greatly BUT that was okay for me. I don't need every fantasy series to be built to minute detail, sometimes it is good for them to be snappy and move along with the story

Man did the last 6-7 chapters save this for me. The world building was flimsy and after reading someone else's comments, I thinks it's because of this all being written from Meira's pov. She has know knowledge of Winter or anyplace else as they used to be and she's kept in the dark about other things purposefully. So she makes a lot of assumptions and the author seems to just roll with them without grounding anything in a more realistic way for the reader. I mean, for example, I'm still confused about why the seasons are the way the are and the rhythms as well. Is that because of magic or what? Also, some things just never get explained. Like, how is Meira able to all this acrobatic climbing. and running around in all the cities if she's never been to one before? I don't know.

Most of the characters are pretty one-dimensional except for Meira. There's really no surprises in this story. Others mentioned twists and turns but everything was so obvious to me. The only surprise was the magic and how it works and only because no one really seems to know anyway.

I will say the Meira growing as a character was cool. She knows herself pretty well and is not too over the top. I am interested to see where things go now that she knows her status in the world.

The action scenes contain all the best writing on this book. Hence why I think the last third of this book is the best. Angra is definitely a proper villain and I am looking forward to him in the next book. I won't preorder it and probably won't even buy it but I will read it.