Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:
Fallen Isles Trilogy
Synopsis for Before She Ignites (from Goodreads):
Before
Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.
But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.
After
Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.
No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.
Series: Fallen Isles Trilogy
Author: Jodi Meadows
# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Heat Rating: cool
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Date: September 2017 – September 2019
Source & Format: Public Library–Hardcover
Disclaimer: I stopped reading Before She Ignites at 58% (Start of Chapter 19). Find out why below…
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I adored Meadow’s Orphan Queen Duology so I’ve made an effort to read her other novels. I didn’t enjoy Newsoul Trilogy as much as I wanted to, but this one sounded promising. Dragons? Yes please!
What I Liked:
–The Premise–
I love a fantasy world that is rich in political turmoil and this one had it. There are so many secrets to uncover and that conspiracy angle really intrigued me. Especially when the plot is being told in pieces, with Mira’s POV alternating between the “before” and the “after”. I enjoyed trying to get the bigger picture of what was happening.
What I Didn’t Like:
–Blah Storyline–
Don’t go into this book thinking you are going to get an action packed novel with a girl who rides a dragon. Reread the synopsis again. This is the key statement you need to focus on in order to enjoy this novel:
Mira must learn to survive on her own
Because that’s really what this book is all about. It’s an extremely character driven story about Mira’s journey to realize that she is more than just a pretty face; that she actually has the power to do something. Which is inspiring unto itself…but not the story I wanted to read.
Or I guess I wouldn’t have minded if I felt like anything else was happening plot wise. And despite the little inklings of the larger conspiracy, I just wasn’t invested.
Will I Finish It?
I don’t think so. I didn’t connect with the characters, the romance wasn’t enough to keep me and the plot was lackluster to me. I’m sure bigger and better things were brewing but I just wasn’t into it.
My Rating: DNF
If you like character driven stories and a slower overall plot, pick this book up. The writing is great and the diversity of the cast is definitely appealing. The promise is there, I just don’t have the patience to get invested in this series.
Read if You Like: slower stories, character driven stories
Avoid if You: dislike slow stories, want more romance, want more action
- The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski (The Winner’s Trilogy #1)
- Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza (Empress of a Thousand Skies #1)
Sometimes with books like this it feels to me like the author has a checklist of Things That Make Good YA that they are working their way through. It falls flat. Every. Single. Time.
I know what you mean. There are certain trends/aspects that authors seem to be gearing their works towards lately. Usually I have the patience but this one just wasn’t keeping me invested because it did seem almost cliche?