izzy rated The Blood Traitor: 4 stars

YA, fantasy, dystopia
Storygraph: app.thestorygraph.com/profile/ijyx
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I loved Red Queen and had high hopes for Victoria Aveyard's new books, but sadly, Realm Breaker didn't get there. At all. It's a good story but it's too easy to put down and too difficult to keep reading; there's nothing really keeping me engaged. I think its problem might be including too many narrators right from the start - right when I think I might start caring for one of the characters, the perspective changes. It makes them all feel like they're just plot points, and one of them could die without making the reader feel anything about it, just as long as the plot can go on. And that's quite sad, because they're good characters. I think it would've done the book good to keep the prologue and last chapter told by the same characters as now, but to restrict the rest of the book to 1-2 narrators …
I loved Red Queen and had high hopes for Victoria Aveyard's new books, but sadly, Realm Breaker didn't get there. At all. It's a good story but it's too easy to put down and too difficult to keep reading; there's nothing really keeping me engaged. I think its problem might be including too many narrators right from the start - right when I think I might start caring for one of the characters, the perspective changes. It makes them all feel like they're just plot points, and one of them could die without making the reader feel anything about it, just as long as the plot can go on. And that's quite sad, because they're good characters. I think it would've done the book good to keep the prologue and last chapter told by the same characters as now, but to restrict the rest of the book to 1-2 narrators (i honestly think Corayne might be enough). After we've fallen in love with the characters, more could be added as narrators.
The way it is now, Realm Breaker is sadly not even letting me get close
And still, I think the story has so much potential, the characters make me curious (if it were different, i might be begging for a spin-off from Sorasa's perspective. But don't try putting 5 spin-offs into the main book), i love the little historical accuracies (finally no prince being called "Your Majesty"), and the writing style is so great, it enabled me to read over 500 pages I didn't really get to enjoy
In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is outlawed but …
First read it in 6th grade (in German), found it boring, stopped reading
Then I had to read it again for school around 9th grade, hated it, and stopped halfway through. I ordered it in English, thinking that maybe it was just the translation that made it bad, but stopped reading very quickly (still boring)
Now I found them, dusted them off and started reading book 1 again... what can I say, I love it so far
First of all, I don't remember a single page in this book that felt like I just wanted to skim it to get to the good part. The entire book is the good part, and it doesn't get boring.
Second, I love the way Holly Black writes relationships. They're the "can't trust anyone" kind of relationships, while still seeming natural and realistic. Probably because all characters have their own personality and backstory - most don't feel like they're just there as a plot point (with one exception, but that would require a spoiler warning)
Content warning (kinda) a spoiler
Oh wow, did not expect that. It's kind of the reverse to the ending of the first though, so maybe I should've seen it coming
I'm kind of putting off reading book 3 because then I don't have a lot of books left and I don't have the space for new ones. On the other hand, I just wanna be able to enjoy my books without worrying about "running out"
Content warning Spoilers!
Oh no, I liked Vivi!
But with the way she's treating Heather... shes so mean
Also I don't love straight relationships in fiction but I do like the "enemies to lovers" trope and this book is doing a damn good job at that
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in …
Echo awakened the Firebird. Now she is the only one with the power to face the darkness she unwittingly unleashed …