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Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Glow in Books

Jun 24, 2019

Glow

Ned Beauman | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry

4.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

This is just going to be a quick review of the book I finished last week, Glow. I found it and borrowed it from my local library on a whim because it looked interesting, but I was sort of disappointed. Although I love the scientific references throughout the book I just found it a bit boring, honestly. It was meant to be thrilling and gripping... I just didn't feel that way.

Raf manages to get caught up in some major business involving a new drug, Glow, and a massive corporation called Lacebark. Somehow the mysterious girl he met at a party is also tied up in it, as is the friend of Raf's who recently went missing.

Somehow Raf also meets all the right people along the way, and gets accepted into helping them with their cause. I found this rather unplausable but that's just me, I suppose. My main problem was having no investment in Raf as a character, and not feeling any of his relationships with any other characters to any degree whatsoever. He just didn't feel real enough.

I honestly don't quite get what even happened. Why was Lacebark killing people? Why was Win working for them? I just got a bit lost in the end. It's a shame, because I really liked the amount of biological vocabulary scattered throughout - it made me feel like I'm actually learning things in my Psychology A-Level!

2 to 2.5 stars at a push.

Kudos

Amelia's Tea (8 KP) rated Mistborn: The Final Empire in Books

Sep 30, 2019

Mistborn: The Final Empire

Brandon Sanderson | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.4

(8 Ratings)

Book Rating

Incredible world-building. A fascinating magic system, and great lore. (2 more)

Great characters, with believable backstories and motivations.

Female protagonist who feels real, flawed, and is relatable.

At times, the action/combat scenes can be hard to follow. Not to say they aren't gripping, it can just be a confusing flurry of motion. (0 more)

A Welcome Surprise

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, as I bought it on a whim based on positive discussion around the author, Sanderson. I took this with me on a holiday, and spent 2 days pouring over the pages - it totally sucked me in!

Initially I found the book hard to get into, just for the sheer amount of information to take in, however when I got over this hump I was sucked in.
I loved the protagonist, Vin. I found her very believable and easy to root for. Without spoiling anything, her story is amazing to follow. She's not a Mary Sue, has her flaws and even failures.
In general, I loved the characters - even the hateable ones, I loved to hate them.

The world-building is incredibly extensive and enjoyable. The lore is fascinating, and this book left me dying to find out more. I ordered the follow-up book while I was still on my holiday, so that it would arrive once I landed home!

Overall I definitely recommend this book for fantasy fans.