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A review by headertime1981
The Broken Sands by Iren Adams
4.0
I read The Broken Sands to give an honest ARC review and just finished the story.
*Spoiler Free
I was immediately hooked on the story and captivated by the main character. Her voice and the world she inhabited differed from the typical fantasies I often read. Neylan was a refreshing departure from that, more innocent and reserved yet fiercely determined.
I felt transported to a hot and arid version of Snowpiercer, with a hint of steampunk that could have been further developed. But I was okay with it. I found the characters and the world captivating, and they held my attention throughout the book's first half.
The overall writing style was pleasant and flowed smoothly, but there were some instances where the author relied too heavily on telling rather than showing. Certain events were announced instead of being portrayed through actions, and at times, it took effort to keep track of how or why I arrived at a particular point in the story.
Certain parts of the story could have portrayed the experience of grief in more detail, particularly after the loss of a significant character. On the other hand, there were instances where the plot seemed to drag on unnecessarily.
The finale, while satisfying, left me wanting more. With only ten pages left, there was a wealth of untapped potential that could have been explored. This anticipation for more is a testament to the engaging nature of the story.
I'd rate this 3.5/5. There is a lot of room for growth here, but I'm okay reading that when the story is good and the characters are compelling enough to keep me interested, and these did. I'd read the next book in this series and other books by this author.
*Spoiler Free
I was immediately hooked on the story and captivated by the main character. Her voice and the world she inhabited differed from the typical fantasies I often read. Neylan was a refreshing departure from that, more innocent and reserved yet fiercely determined.
I felt transported to a hot and arid version of Snowpiercer, with a hint of steampunk that could have been further developed. But I was okay with it. I found the characters and the world captivating, and they held my attention throughout the book's first half.
The overall writing style was pleasant and flowed smoothly, but there were some instances where the author relied too heavily on telling rather than showing. Certain events were announced instead of being portrayed through actions, and at times, it took effort to keep track of how or why I arrived at a particular point in the story.
Certain parts of the story could have portrayed the experience of grief in more detail, particularly after the loss of a significant character. On the other hand, there were instances where the plot seemed to drag on unnecessarily.
The finale, while satisfying, left me wanting more. With only ten pages left, there was a wealth of untapped potential that could have been explored. This anticipation for more is a testament to the engaging nature of the story.
I'd rate this 3.5/5. There is a lot of room for growth here, but I'm okay reading that when the story is good and the characters are compelling enough to keep me interested, and these did. I'd read the next book in this series and other books by this author.