Plus, this is an audio so I have no idea how I could get bored listening to a book but it became a real thing for me.
I liked the world building and the magical aspect of this, h I feel very confused I liked the world building and the magical aspect of this, heck I even liked Sora. However, I feel like things were repeated so often in this book. You'd think I wouldn't have missed some information due to all this repetition but yeah, I totally did. Then there's the freaking weird ass "romance" part of this book.
I just didn't get it. I will admit that it shocked me but then confused me so freaking much. It came way out of left field for me so I have no idea how I'm supposed to react to it. Am I supposed to be cheering for these two? Shipping them even? Probably not because it makes zero sense to my mind right now.
Overall, it was good but I thought it was going to be a LOT better than it was. I had high expectations that just didn't match up with this book. View 1 comment. Jan 27, Jodi Meadows rated it it was amazing. If you like anime, you should give this book a shot!
Jun 13, Amanda rated it really liked it. Circle of Shadows is a book that I thought sounded interesting, but not like anything too special. Oh, was I wrong. This fantasy tale was far more captivating than I had imagined. The world building, plot and characters were all done really well, which is rare. I found this to be a pretty fun read, although a bit slow paced. Circle of Shadows followed a group of 4 friends as they tried to protect the Empress Aki and their home Kichona from a magical attack stronger than anything they knew to exist.
I loved the way it was written. A third person omniscient narrator worked really well for this novel. While the point of view switched between the main characters, sometimes it would include a POV from someone else, like Empress Aki, which helped give a rounded view of the entire story. The fantasy world built was done well. The way magic was used in the story was fascinating. As the traditional magic of the taigas came against the much more powerful and new magic of the ryuu, it seemed like an impossible task to defend Empress Aki and Kichona.
The characters were a lot of fun to read about. I loved how the band of four friends acted. They were a bit rebellious, but it was all in good fun. They would pull off elaborate pranks and were not super uptight heroes. They were unlikely characters for the center of a story, but that is what made them so great to read about. They were not super deep, multi-layered characters, but it worked because this story was more plot driven.
The interesting relationships between the characters made for an interesting sub-plot, and the way the book ended there is clearly going to be more in the next book about their relationships. Overall, Circle of Shadows was a surprisingly good fantasy read.
I did not expect much from this for some reason, but I was happily surprised. The characters, plot and fantasy world were all good. The writing was good and everything was described so well that I could easily visualize the entire story. I want to continue with this series, but the author has other books that I really want to check out. Gemina twins, Sora and Daemon, are two apprentice Tiger warriors.
Sora completes all challenges set during their training with an unpractised ease and Daemon fights with a whip-sharp speed and skill, making them a deadly duo. But apparently not to those in charge. Their discovery, that the Empress'es brother has returned to retake the throne, is met with little interest. The pair decide it is up to them to infiltrate this new enemy's camp and save their kingdom from becoming brainwashed by a magi Gemina twins, Sora and Daemon, are two apprentice Tiger warriors.
The pair decide it is up to them to infiltrate this new enemy's camp and save their kingdom from becoming brainwashed by a magical skill they have never encountered before. However, this was the plan until one of the pair succumbed to this spell, joining the enemy pack and leaving them to fight solo for the first time ever.
The concept of this novel was intriguing from the off, as was the duo who centred it. However, as the novel progressed I found that the pace did not. Little new intrigue was added and, instead, this sometimes felt like a repetition of travel and fight scenes. It was enough to keep me reading until the end but not, unfortunately, to ensure I continue on with this series.
Feb 02, Ardent Reader rated it liked it Shelves: read-within-the-published-year , reviews , 3-star-rating. The starting was great but while reading further I felt that the same thing was repeated over and over again. But then again the world building was so good although the story began in a slow pace. The romantic side of the story was totally unexpected at the end. And there were some issues regarding the names Mischief ha The starting was great but while reading further I felt that the same thing was repeated over and over again.
Jul 30, crescentdoe rated it it was ok Shelves: disappointing-as-heck. Evelyn Skye can do no wrong in my eyes. I feel like I could go on forever about all the good stuff in this book, like, honestly? Evelyn Skye is a treasure. No star rating due to DNF status. Sora and Daemon, her gemina, or bonded warrior are about to graduate to be taiga warriors. But before they graduate the once thought to be dead Prince Gin is spotted by the pair. The Story - This book sounded so good.
I am not sure if it's just me, but I just can't read it anymore. Partly because there was so much repetition of the character's thoughts, histories, and how their relationship was. On top of all that the writing was drowning in similes. As much as I like vast descriptive worlds, too much time was spent describing all the details of areas being passed through, or outfits being worn. Less time could have been spent describing buildings and floors that weren't necessary as to moving the plot along.
With that being said, the story also felt choppy. The chapters were very short and were split between at least 5 people so the story felt disjointed. The World Building- I am a sucker for Japanese culture, and I love that this fantasy world was derived from Japanese inspiration.
My favorite part was that the warriors were each in pairs that they were bonded too so they could feel their emotions and can help calm them, etc. I am not exactly sure if it's all that beneficial to be honest, but I loved the companionship. Maybe there was more to the bonds, but I didn't get far enough to see. But that was the only thing I did like in the world building.
The magic itself was interesting, but was a little obscure. The taigas would simply place their thumb to their fourth finger and say something like "eyes like a hawk" two or three times and it would enhance their magic to see farther or other animal like traits. However, there was at one point where the commander of the taiga's didn't even use the magic but asked for a spyglass.
I thought that was a little strange. The Characters- I hate all their nicknames. I just can't. What is the purpose of them? Even though he grows up to be a big teddy bear, to me that just encourages young kids to tease others. As someone who was really thin as a kid no matter what I ate, though I was asked if I was fed at home a few times I can tell you that it can be hurtful to call someone a stick or anything relating to that.
I'm not going to go on a rant here, just thought the nicknames were unnecessary. Considering the characters are kids in a special warrior school they seemed rather immature at times, I guess I expected more from them. But not everyone can be Elias Veturious. Apr 20, mina rated it liked it Shelves: read This was an ok-ish book. Before this I read read: tried to some books that did This was an ok-ish book.
View 2 comments. Aug 15, Duncan rated it it was ok Shelves: reviewed. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. For instance, the characters who wield magic are known as Taigas. These taigas have access to magic which allows them to do things such as move quicker, be silent, leap massive heights, swim faster, hold their breath longer, stick to walls. Each is named after an animal, and I was left wondering if they could just chant about any aspect of an animal and be able to create a spell.
They are performed by chanting a quick mantra and gestures with their hands. It is stated that their magic only affects the casters, as told when everyone is surprised when someone can use magic to change the world around them.
However, there is mention of an armadillo spell being cast on the taigas clothes in order to make them like flexible armor. Which is it? Internal or external magic?
Then there are the geminas. They can feel the emotions of another person who is also a taiga after they are bonded as kids. Does everyone have this bond? None of the adults are mentioned having one, only the four main characters. And it seems almost as if this bond is in place only to keep Wolf from confessing that he likes Sora, since geminas are not allowed to be together romantically for some reason that's never explained.
And any time Wolf feels attraction towards her hes able to block her from feeling it through their link. Apparently Sora does the same because at the end it's suddenly revealed that she likes him too. It comes with no warning. Wolf is holding hands with another girl and suddenly Sora is in love with him. It feels like the magic was changed part way through the writing and certain items weren't caught.
I'm not even going to mention ryuu magic because it is simultaneously overpowered but is also handicapped because apparently each person gets a unique power even through it all works the same way? And are we ever given an explanation of how this magic was really found? I get that gods are not super into mortal affairs, but this one was just summoned with people ripping out their own hearts. I was expecting a bit more ceremony than: "a giant with green skin burst out of the ground.
His otherworldly laugh shook all of Kichona. Sora could only stare, jaw open. Zomuri swooped down and began tossing hearts in a sack, as if they were potatoes. Do these other nations have magic? It's said that the patron gods of Kichona are what give the taiga their powers. Does that mean only they have magic? If so, they have basically nothing to fear from other nations, unless they have guns and Kichona is technologically behind. As much as I've been bagging on this all so far, I do enjoy the characters.
They're all unique and have individual personalities. It's easy to keep track of them all when they have special names given to them Bullfrog croaks, Fairy flits from guy to guy, Wolf is a wolf-raised badass, Broomstick is the ironic one because he's built like a brick wall.
Also it was an interesting reveal as to Wolf's true nature. To me, the characters were one of the redeeming qualities, but it just couldn't save it for me. I didn't really enjoy much beyond the characters' interactions among each other. Every single apprentice and warrior rose from their seats and followed. It was a pledge of love and loyalty. And it was a battle cry. We follow 2.
We follow Sora and Daemon, elite warriors bond together, as they defy every rule to investigate an impossible threat facing their kingdom and threatening thier home. And I did like that part of the story. Though I did find the setting to be a little lacking, I really liked the myths and stories surrounding the magic and world history.
The action scenes were so clear and easy to follow without being repetitive or dull which was fantastic because I find that action is very hit or miss for me. Happy to say I liked the action here. I honestly never really enjoy it It was one of the problems I had with Mask of Shadows too. So while I did like the history behind the magic system, I found that the way magic as actually utilized was so boring and kinda dumb.
There were so many plot points - especially given this is the first book in a series. Things could easily have been stretched to really allow for some impact and consequences, but resolutions happened so quickly because the plot moved at breakneck speed.
All the romances were unsatisfying to me. What I did hate was the stupid romance that popped out of left field in the last 5 chapters of the book. So overall, not that great of an experience with this book. My expectations could have been too high, but I still left the book feeling underwhelmed and let down.
I liked the world history and the magical origins, but found the present day practicality lacking. I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Aug 25, Lisa added it Shelves: arc , Putting this down. So far the characters are pretty flat and something about the dialogue seems especially juvenile. Oct 31, Tani marked it as the-nope-wagon. Sounds shallow but the reviews are unfavourable. He left the public schools altogether.
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