Hi! Thank you for reading this post of I Rant About Books. As you can see from the title, today I will be sharing one fantasy series I enjoyed, and one I didn't as much.
So, fantasy worlds.
First of all, what are they?
Fantasy universes are like hidden societies within the mundane world. Dystopian books are different because those are set in a futuristic society where everyone corresponds to the societal norm. On the other hand, fantasy is typically set in the magical side of the (present day, real-life, etc.) Earth, unless otherwise specified.
I want to keep this short, so let's dive right in.
The Hit is...
The Shadowhunter World by Cassandra Clare
Including but not limited to:
The Mortal Instruments
The Dark Artifices (My favourite.. so far)
The Infernal Devices
The Last Hours
Rating: 9/10 (Not being judgey today)
ARP Points: Usually over 25, for the thick ones...
Description Credit: https://shadowhunters.fandom.com/wiki/Shadowhunters
Shadowhunters, also known as Nephilim, are a secretive race of beings who are humans born with angel blood. They have fought demons and have lived alongside Downworlders in the Shadow World for well over a thousand years, creating their own culture and civilization within human society. Their mandate is to keep the peace in the Shadow World and keep it hidden from the mundane world while protecting the inhabitants of both worlds.
I love this series for many reasons, from its wide range of characters to complicated family trees! I haven't even read most of the branches of the series, but The Dark Artifices was absolutely amazing. Here are some reasons why, so it won't get too jumbled up.
The world is very nicely created, with limited plotholes that are barely noticeable.
The different Shadowhunter families are all represented well, even though there are so many families and so many characters within them!
The plots of the different books themselves are always intriguing, especially with this series' level of romance and action.
The romance is spectacular! The matches are all adorable, despite being unexpected.
The characters are easy to love, if not relatable per say...
Cassandra Clare's writing style is one of my favourites. She manages to squeeze in fear, hope, danger, and love all in one paragraph.
Lastly, I have to say it again! Her setting and world building is absolutely incredible. I can't imagine doing it myself EVER.
The Miss is...
Graceling Series by Kristin Cashore
Disclaimer: I KNOW LOTS OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS SERIES; YOU CAN LIKE WHAT YOU LIKE
Rating: 2/10
ARP Points: 18 ish
Description Credit: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3236307-graceling
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
UM. so.
I'll explain with my criteria for a good book. That sounds very reasonable.
Character: I do not like Katsa. I found her arrogant and spoiled, but while she realized those traits, she never expressed true remorse. She didn't deserve her love interest, especially since there was another person who was perfectly respectable pining after her in the beginning, and she just never noticed.
Plot: The plot was boring. boring boring boring. TBH, I didn't finish this book because it felt like it was going absolutely nowhere.
Setting: Similar to the plot, the world was boring. Not intricately created either; not complicated at all.
Writing Style: Nothing special, but not bad. It could definitely be a great fit with a better story and character.
Thank you for reading this post of IRAB. Tell me your opinions in the comments, in person, or @lara_murakami on Instagram! I'm also happy to answer any questions.
Love, Lara
I totally agree! If I were to do a hit and miss, it would be these two series. Although I haven't read much of Graceling yet, I read the first few chapter and it was.... Boring. The beginning was just her killing people! If the book had a captivating beginning like the shadowhunter series, I would read it. But it didn't sooooo...