“The choice between looking plain and pretty isn't really a choice at all. But any fool knows looking dangerous is preferable to both.”
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I didn’t expect to enjoy this quite as much as I did. I enjoyed Kristoff’s first book in the series ‘Nevernight’ plenty, but somehow I just didn’t expect the story to continue as well is it did in part two. I also knew that I would find the writing style a little self indulgent (which it was again) but I got over it and enjoyed the narrative.
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This series was the only fantasy series I delved into this year, and it was extremely refreshing to read a fantasy with a female protagonist and female characters that were more than just ‘pretty princess’ or ‘love interest of male hero character’ (I read a lot of Feist last year...)... the character of Mia Corvere is in my opinion; strong; developed; feminine and powerful. I’m looking forward to seeing her grow more in the next chapter.
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I also think Kristoff has done a good job of exploring a number of themes around feminism and lgbt issues that are often forgotten in fantasy or just explored in the interest of a straight male reader. I’m hoping to see more of this in book three also!