Caitlin Rubow

Slow burn story, expertly written

Revisado: 07-15-22

This is not a book it is an experience. The writing and narration pull you in until you feel like you grow up along side Kya. Beautiful prose unlike anything I’ve ever heard. 10/10 book.

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I can't believe I have never read this before!

Revisado: 09-01-20

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I was expecting something like Ella Enchanted or the other Gail Carson Levine books. (Charming, but definitely meant for a younger audience.) This book was true to the original fairy tail while making an interesting and full story out of it. The prose and story did not "talk down" to its audience which I appreciate in books like this. It also did not shy away from morality. This did not seem like a book for children as there was quite a lot of violence and even threats of rape. I say ages 14+ for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Full cast audio books are typically not my favorite. They like to add unnecessary editing, sound effects, and musical interludes. This one was fine. It certainly wasn't the worst full cast audio book I have listened to.

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Great story and the best narration I've ever heard

Revisado: 08-03-20

Catching Fire was always my favorite of the trilogy. It is where the story truly comes to life as the bigger plans are revealed and play out. What really makes these audiobooks over the top amazing is the performance of the narrator. She puts so much emotion and emphasis in the right places that makes Katniss truly come to life. I want to listen to more of her narrated books!

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Ella Enchanted is a much better book

Revisado: 07-28-20

Simple story, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It isn't the most original, most profound, or most entertaining book I have ever read. However, it kept me engaged the whole way through. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration as well. I have listened to another book done by this same narrator and she does a great job. If you are wanting to read a Cinderella spin off I think Ella Enchanted is a much better book.

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I'm pretty sure I just read a DnD Fanfic

Revisado: 05-29-20

I picked up this book after overwhelmingly good praise online and from fellow fantasy lovers. Halfway through the book I struggled to keep motivated to keep going. It was entertaining enough to get me all the way to the end, but that's about all I got out of this.
I will say this as praise, the band of main characters is a breath of fresh air compared to the white knight/chosen one savior archetype. Realistic, flawed, and morally gray characters will always be more interesting than a Mary Sue. I also enjoyed the banter and dynamic between the group. There were also some genuinely funny moments in practically every chapter.
The part where this story really struggled is the world. It's as if the author googled "fantasy world", clicked on the first link (which happened to be a DnD page), and copied and pasted it in to his book.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind DnD, but there was absolutely nothing creative or unique about this world. No unique world building, creatures, or magic systems.
This is not a book I will pick up again any time soon or put at the top of my recommended reading list. There are more interesting fantasy books out there that accomplish what this book does, but better. The Dresden Files, The Name of the Wind, and any of the Cosmere books to name a few.

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Incredibly Underwhelming

Revisado: 02-10-20

I remember reading this book when I was younger and in high school. I don't recall finishing it, but the premise always intrigued me. I kept this book in the back of my mind for years always meaning to go back and finish it. I added this one to my wish list and one day decided to try it again. The premise is still intriguing: an ancient family curse revolving around a creepy poem!? Sign me up! However, I was so disappointed when I actually sat down and read it all theses years later. My first problem is the narrator. She was not a great choice for this. There are so many serious topics brought up such as rape and sex. She read this book in such a cutesy girlish tone I couldn't take her seriously. She made the main character Lucy sound so immature.
My second issue is with the heroine. I like a real three dimensional protagonist with strengths and weaknesses. This girl was so one note it drove me crazy. Same with Zach too. There was little to no conflict between them and their relationship.
My last issue is the writing style itself. Like I said before, I actually found the story and premise interesting. I would still even argue that this would possibly make an interesting movie. The writing in this book fell flat. Maybe I have been spoiled for too long with great writers and my standard has become so high.... but still. This may be a "young adult/teen" book, but c'mon. Teens CAN actually READ so you don't have to oversimplify EVERYTHING with your writing. Give me something challenging and daring.

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Would make a better movie

Revisado: 10-01-19

As far as thrillers go it was pretty good and I read it through pretty quickly. It kept me interested enough to want to know what was going to happen next. One thing I found annoying about this book was how repetitive it was especially with the internal narrative going on with the main character.
The final act and climax of the story gave me emotional whiplash. Back to back to back scenes of her running from one encounter to the next. Each encounter she conveniently gains new intel about this person and she has to decide if she can or cannot trust them. It was a bit ridiculous by the end.
I felt unsatisfied after all the hype with the "rat faced man" and the man who murdered her dad and sister. The reveal of the real mastermind behind it all felt a little incomplete to me like the author got to the end of the book and just scrambled to tie it all together somehow.
I do think that with the pacing of the book this would make a pretty decent movie. A lot of the scenes, suspense/action, and flashbacks would play out better on screen.
Did I enjoy it? Sure. Would I read it again? No.

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Not as bad as I thought it was going to be

Revisado: 08-05-19

I got this book immediately after I finished the first one. After reading some of the other reviews and comments I was hesitant about it. A lot of people really didn't like the narrators because it wasn't the same girl from first book. I personally loved the narrator from the first book, but I had no problem with the two narrators for this one. I actually really liked that they separated the guy and girl voices for the different chapter perspectives. I think it made sense and I never felt like it detracted from the story. I thought they played their roles flawlessly. Both main characters were from southern states so it made sense that they added a southern accent for them. Being from Texas myself and with a husband from North Carolina it felt very natural for me and the story.
The story itself is where I had more issues. The first third was more "action packed" than the rest of the book. It lost momentum after that it felt very wandering. This entire book felt like an epilogue or a summary of the rest of their lives rather than a sequel. There were huge time jumps sometimes months and years later so the story didn't have a consistent flow by the end.
One thing I did appreciate about the story is you see both characters actually grow up. The unrealistic thing about the first book is that all of their problems seemed to go away after they met each other. Pain, trauma, and depression is never something a new relationship can fix. This book demonstrates that Camryn never addressed her pain she only pushed it away. I appreciate this development in both characters as they work through this.
I wouldn't say it is 100% necessary to read this sequel, but you do get a sense of finality to the story if you do. You've already come this far why not? I probably wouldn't reread though.

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This book is so simply... wonderful.

Revisado: 04-02-19

Out of the three books in the series Fire is definitely the best. Kristin Cashore's storytelling abilities truly shine in this book. There is so much more depth and complexity in the characters that was lacking in Graceling. You can also tell with the writing and dialogue that her writing skills have improved.

This book is so simply... wonderful.

Fire is one of my favorite literary characters because of her strengths and personality. She does not fall under the two fantasy female tropes. The first being the damsel in distress and the second being the hardened warrior who rejects femininity. Fire is neither of these things. She is kind, feminine, compassionate, intelligent, strong, and capable. She grows throughout the book in skill and character as she learns not to shy away from her "monsterness" and learns that control over her power is better than rejecting it all together.

There is romance in this book, but that is only one plot point and not the driving force. The characters start off at odds with each other, but not in a cliché rom-com type way. The tension between them makes sense given their history. As the two get to know each other and help each other throughout the book their friendship and bond is very realistic and natural.

A lot of the main plot of this book revolves around the main characters trying to stop an impending war from breaking out to overthrow the kingdom. Personally, I did not find this particularly interesting. However, there are so many character moments, relationship building, and side plots happening around this to keep me entertained despite the boring war.

This book addresses a variety of mature topics such as morality, war, true love (not just romance), motherhood, death, adultery, depression, rape, the female experience, and so much more so keep that in mind.

This book was fabulously narrated and I wish she also did the first book. I hated the full cast audiobook for Graceling. This recording was 1000x better.

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Narration brought life to fantastic story

Revisado: 03-28-19

I read this book years ago when it first came out. I loved it then and I love it now. The story and characters are deep and portray real emotions and aren't full of "Mary Sues." One thing I didn't remember about the book that surprised me this time around is what a crybaby Katsa ends up being. It felt like every other scene with Po she is tearing up which seems a little out of character for me.
For the audio recording for the most part I really enjoyed it. I have listened to other books with a full cast and in some ways I prefer it over traditional narration. The one thing I did not like about the production was the musical interludes between scenes. I found it distracting and corny. I found myself rolling my eyes every time I heard the synthesized 80's sounding dramatic "Medieval" music. I just didn't understand why it was necessary when no other audiobook I have ever listened to has that many musical interludes worked in.

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