Esteban Nishizaka Nishizaka itibaren East Amarasi, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
a book to sorta fill the harry potter void
-Loved the setting. The dry, dying land. The red dust and shifting dunes. The peaceful meadow and the crazy Hopetown. The soil-rich Freedom Fields with its glittering palace. All of it was given just enough description to paint a good picture without taking away from the action. -The entire first half of the book was absolutely amazing. I could not put it down. It was intense and emotional, and had the I-need-to-know-what-happens-next feel. Everything was perfect. -Everything goes downhill from there. The journey gets boring and unnecessarily drawn out. I felt like many of the scenes were added to just have some action, without much purpose to them. But I suppose that's because this book is more of an action adventure kind of story than one with meaningful storyline. However there were some very intense action scenes I enjoyed, so that's good. -The King. I hated him. Not because Saba hated him, but because he was such a LAME character. I mean seriously the guy refers to himself in third person and dresses up like a 16th century king. With the wig and the robes and the britches and the powdered face. Errghh. His patheticness annoyed me. It infuriated me even more that fierce, heavily armed, and ruthless warriors all obeyed and followed him. Seriously, what power did he hold over them? (view spoiler) I just really disliked him and felt that he was the worst villain I have ever read about in a dystopian novel. Maybe there were worse but I can't think of any one worse than him right now. -DeMalo. *dramatic pause* This guy was intense. I have no clue what is going on between him and Saba but whatever it is, I look forward to more of it. This guy was deadly without moving so much as a muscle. The way he is described, his actions, his limited dialogue, and Saba's reactions to him were just amazing and spot on. There is something so intriguing and mysterious about him, in exactly the right way. He is always in the shadows and watching everything. (view spoiler) I would be team DeMalo if I didn't think that Saba doesn't suit him. As much as I love DeMalo, Jack suits Saba more. They are better as a couple than Saba and DeMalo would be. Still I hope to see more of DeMalo. I like him better than Jack. -Jack. Great guy. Full of swagger and worldly experience. Understands Saba better than she understands herself. Perfect partner in crime for her. However I really disliked the way their romance developed. First off I hated the birthstone thing. It takes out the uncertainty of knowing whether you're with the right person or not. You can't just have a stupid stone tell you who your perfect guy is. That's what your heart is for. And yet somehow Saba still manages to act all confused with her feelings for Jack. Seriously? What more do you need. Lightening from the sky etching the words "JACK IS THE ONE" into the ground for you? Stupid. Plus the out of nowhere silent treatment and disagreement and tension was just so random and not needed. Also I hated that before she met Jack, Lugh was all she thought about, then she meets Jack and can't stop thinking about his eyes and his lips and his chest? The love story could of definitely gone better. But Jack was a good hero who adds humor and wit to the story, so I really enjoyed his character. -Saba. Oh boy where do I begin. I hated her behavior towards Emmi. I hated how stubborn and reckless she was and unwilling to listen to anyone but herself. Her obsession with Lugh was at times creepy and over the top. However, she was a well developed character, with plenty of flaws and just enough good things to make her story a good one. I loved her bravery. This girl was not afraid to do what needs to be done. (view spoiler) I loved her determination, and strength to keep going even when everything was against her. Also, I thought her reactions to people dying were spot on. (view spoiler) She wasn't overly emotional and weepy and she wasn't completely unaffected. Just the right amount of grief and guilt. -I had been expecting more from the cage fighting. It was just quickly done and not explored enough. But I loved the atmosphere, and the whole "Angel of Death" thing. The Gauntlet was terrifying and disturbing, which was perfect. The Chaal was another great element that just heightened the sense of crazy. -The ending was not quite as epic as I would of liked. In fact almost the entire book was not as epic as I had expected, but it was still a great read. The writing style took some getting use to, but it suits the story and Saba. There were times when I didn't feel quite as much about the characters as I should have. It lacked a certain depth and meaning to it that would have pulled me in even more. Looking forward to the next book and hoping that it gets even better.