Once again, welcome to yet another bunch of Friday Reads reviews! We'll start with a book that was inspired in a less usual mythology and with a very different premise!
The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Chaos of Stars is a stand alone novel inspired by Egyptian mythology, pair that with the gorgeous cover and I was excited enough to preorder it.
I had read quite a few diverse reviews for it before release day, and one of the common complains was that the main character, Isadora, was hard to relate to, being too whiny and irritating. I guess I was forwarned like that but I went into reading the book with an open mind and prepared not deal with a less-than-adorable main character.
It might just be me, but I didn't find Isadora so horribly whiny and irritating. Or maybe, well yes, she is whiny and not the nicest person you can encounter but somehow I could really understand why she was that way. Isadora is a teenager, she's 16, she's the mortal daughter of immortal Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris and at the point where the story starts she's angry at her parents, angry at the world, she thinks she knows everything and that she's right and the world is wrong. In short, she's quite your typical teenager, with just a slightly more odd kinda baggage on her back.
She wants to leave Egypt and abandon her parents and her family, cause she thinks they don't care about her and she sort of gets her wish when her mother sents her to live with one of her older siblings (with a little pushing on Isadora's side). The funny thing of going through the story from Isadora's point of view is that you see what she's thinking, selfish or stupid or whatever and you can see that she realizes that she's being a stupid brat on occasion, but she keeps on thinking it's her against the world.
The story on The Chaos of Stars is really a big coming of age tale, with a fantastic mythical background, when Isadora needs to learn who she is, she needs to learn to love herself and her family, grow up and see farther than her own nose and learn to open herself to others.
I wish there would be a bit more world building and answers to some questions that may come up as to some why's and some extra explanation about some side characters... but ultimately this is Isadora's story and she and her small circle are the focus of the story and she doesn't seem to think of some bigger questions that we from the outside might focus on.
The rest of the characters are there to challenge Isadora, help her and push her into growing into a better self, but that doesn't mean they aren't characters in their own right, cause they have very distinct voices. Ry is the perfect opposite for her, with a more subtle strenght to the fiery stubborness that Isadora loves displaying.
And I can't help but mention in this review the vivid and fantastic food descriptions we get all over the book! Isadora gets to explore the world and get out of her shell, and food experiences are a big part of that. I have to tip my hat to Kiersten White, she kept on making me drool with all the food descriptions!
All in all, I loved this book enough to give it a very well deserved 4 stars and wish that there could be other companion books to answer some extra questions!
View all my reviews
The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten WhiteMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Chaos of Stars is a stand alone novel inspired by Egyptian mythology, pair that with the gorgeous cover and I was excited enough to preorder it.
I had read quite a few diverse reviews for it before release day, and one of the common complains was that the main character, Isadora, was hard to relate to, being too whiny and irritating. I guess I was forwarned like that but I went into reading the book with an open mind and prepared not deal with a less-than-adorable main character.
It might just be me, but I didn't find Isadora so horribly whiny and irritating. Or maybe, well yes, she is whiny and not the nicest person you can encounter but somehow I could really understand why she was that way. Isadora is a teenager, she's 16, she's the mortal daughter of immortal Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris and at the point where the story starts she's angry at her parents, angry at the world, she thinks she knows everything and that she's right and the world is wrong. In short, she's quite your typical teenager, with just a slightly more odd kinda baggage on her back.
She wants to leave Egypt and abandon her parents and her family, cause she thinks they don't care about her and she sort of gets her wish when her mother sents her to live with one of her older siblings (with a little pushing on Isadora's side). The funny thing of going through the story from Isadora's point of view is that you see what she's thinking, selfish or stupid or whatever and you can see that she realizes that she's being a stupid brat on occasion, but she keeps on thinking it's her against the world.
The story on The Chaos of Stars is really a big coming of age tale, with a fantastic mythical background, when Isadora needs to learn who she is, she needs to learn to love herself and her family, grow up and see farther than her own nose and learn to open herself to others.
I wish there would be a bit more world building and answers to some questions that may come up as to some why's and some extra explanation about some side characters... but ultimately this is Isadora's story and she and her small circle are the focus of the story and she doesn't seem to think of some bigger questions that we from the outside might focus on.
The rest of the characters are there to challenge Isadora, help her and push her into growing into a better self, but that doesn't mean they aren't characters in their own right, cause they have very distinct voices. Ry is the perfect opposite for her, with a more subtle strenght to the fiery stubborness that Isadora loves displaying.
And I can't help but mention in this review the vivid and fantastic food descriptions we get all over the book! Isadora gets to explore the world and get out of her shell, and food experiences are a big part of that. I have to tip my hat to Kiersten White, she kept on making me drool with all the food descriptions!
All in all, I loved this book enough to give it a very well deserved 4 stars and wish that there could be other companion books to answer some extra questions!
View all my reviews
I've read a lot of reviews on this one and so far it sounds like most people don't like it, so I'm glad to hear a good review on it. And I LOVE that it's set in Egypt! Thanks for the review, hopefully there will be a sequel.
ReplyDeleteJeann @ Happy Indulgence
Yeah, I have seen some reviews of people that didn't like the book and I can understand than Isadora ain't for everyone, but I did love the book and yeah all the Egyptian mythology references? WIN!
DeleteI asked Kiersten on twitter, so far no plans for a sequel nor companion novels... =(
I love that it's a mythological read, we don't seem to come along those too often. It also looks like Kiersten White has done her research and as a history nerd that is very appealing :) Thank for your great review.
ReplyDelete-Mari @ The Sirenic Codex
I hope you get to check it and like it, Mari!
DeleteI have read one book set in Egypt, the book wasn't great, but I loved the mythology!
ReplyDeleteI hope I get the chance to read this book soon! Your review sounds like something I'd love to read!
Happy reading!
Lis @ The reader lines
Thank you, Lis! Do let me know what you think of it if/when you get to reading it!
DeleteAw, I'm sorry you found the main character whiny. But I get it, sort of :D I do think this book sounds interesting, and I'm glad you mostly loved it. <3 thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, despite some parts where I shaked my head at Isadora I felt for her most of the time and really enjoyed the story!
Delete