Its no secret how much I love a good well-written high fantasy, one replete with intricate societal customs, political upheavel, and, of course, magic. So I was delighted when THE FLOATING ISLANDS was exactly what I wanted: a captivating and gorgeously written fantasy world.
I dont think I have the words to describe why I loved Rachel Neumeiers writing style so much. Its not purple prose-y in that poetic, whimsical, or heartachingly beautiful way that I like in other books; instead, its like the perfect prose-prose, uncomplicated diction that paints an astonishingly clear picture of the setting. You see what the characters see without needing to read ten pages of minute description per scene. Its hard to explain. It justdoes the job of descriptive prose exactly right, and thats why I call it perfect.
Araenè and Trei are wonderful protagonists with curious and unique adventures. I think Araenè will appeal to people who like reading about girls masquerading as boys to do grand things. The type of magic that she learns is fascinating and a feast for the senses, featuring glowing glass spheres, doors that dont always lead to the same places each tiem, and flavors of spieces and herbs.
Treis experience as a kajurai was cool, too, if slightly less well described than Araenè mage-learning. The kajuraihi also brings us Ceirfei, Treis friend and fellow kajurai, who is so noble, level-headed, and admirable. Mages and kajuraihi alike contribute to the protection of the Islands in a fascinating set of tense war scenes.
All in all, as a fantasy enthusiast, I loved THE FLOATING ISLANDS. It effortlessly presents to us a different and thoroughly imaged world, yet dumbs nothing down for readers. The ending is satisfying and yet hints at the possibility of a sequel, which I would most happily welcome. Definitely a book I want to reread and that Ill be recommending to lovers of high fantasy!
I dont think I have the words to describe why I loved Rachel Neumeiers writing style so much. Its not purple prose-y in that poetic, whimsical, or heartachingly beautiful way that I like in other books; instead, its like the perfect prose-prose, uncomplicated diction that paints an astonishingly clear picture of the setting. You see what the characters see without needing to read ten pages of minute description per scene. Its hard to explain. It justdoes the job of descriptive prose exactly right, and thats why I call it perfect.
Araenè and Trei are wonderful protagonists with curious and unique adventures. I think Araenè will appeal to people who like reading about girls masquerading as boys to do grand things. The type of magic that she learns is fascinating and a feast for the senses, featuring glowing glass spheres, doors that dont always lead to the same places each tiem, and flavors of spieces and herbs.
Treis experience as a kajurai was cool, too, if slightly less well described than Araenè mage-learning. The kajuraihi also brings us Ceirfei, Treis friend and fellow kajurai, who is so noble, level-headed, and admirable. Mages and kajuraihi alike contribute to the protection of the Islands in a fascinating set of tense war scenes.
All in all, as a fantasy enthusiast, I loved THE FLOATING ISLANDS. It effortlessly presents to us a different and thoroughly imaged world, yet dumbs nothing down for readers. The ending is satisfying and yet hints at the possibility of a sequel, which I would most happily welcome. Definitely a book I want to reread and that Ill be recommending to lovers of high fantasy!
I have had this book on my to be read pile for quite a while. I really enjoyed this young adult fantasy. There's some great world-building here and I enjoyed the characters and their adventures.
The story did take a bit to get going; I thought the first 60 pages or so were a bit slow. After that though I was completely drawn into the story and engaged with our two main characters.
The story alternates between Trei (a young man who has lost his whole family and arrives in the floating islands seeking his uncle) and Araene (a young woman who desperately wants the freedom given to the men of her home island and who is an exceptional chef). Both characters were equally engaging and interesting. Both characters grow a ton throughout this short novel and really start to develop into amazing people.
The story has a very classic fantasy feel to it with magic and dragons and countries at war. The writing style is beautiful and flows well making the book easy to read. I was impressed with how much was packed into this stand alone book, I really enjoyed it.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this fantasy story. It starts a bit slow but as it continued I was impressed with how much world-building, story, and character development was packed into this brief novel. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy traditional fantasy types of stories.
The story did take a bit to get going; I thought the first 60 pages or so were a bit slow. After that though I was completely drawn into the story and engaged with our two main characters.
The story alternates between Trei (a young man who has lost his whole family and arrives in the floating islands seeking his uncle) and Araene (a young woman who desperately wants the freedom given to the men of her home island and who is an exceptional chef). Both characters were equally engaging and interesting. Both characters grow a ton throughout this short novel and really start to develop into amazing people.
The story has a very classic fantasy feel to it with magic and dragons and countries at war. The writing style is beautiful and flows well making the book easy to read. I was impressed with how much was packed into this stand alone book, I really enjoyed it.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this fantasy story. It starts a bit slow but as it continued I was impressed with how much world-building, story, and character development was packed into this brief novel. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy traditional fantasy types of stories.
Excellent book! Loved it!
