Anja Vojinovic

added Toward Him Still to the bookshelf 4 months ago

4 months ago

Thomas is on the run, a victim of mistaken identity, haunted by his late wife and hunted, he claims,...

recommended a book 10 months ago

10 months ago

The Exiled Queen: A Roman Era Fantasy Novel It's not everyday that you see a book set in Eastern Europe during the Roman Era. The story sounded good enough, and so I decided to give it a go. The novel chronicles Princess Andrada's journey as she is married off to King Nicetas, navigating the challenging path of settling in to a new place and becoming the Queen of the Three Kingdoms. We meet a diverse cast of characters along the way. However, this is one of the places where the story fell short; none of the characters are explored as fully as they could have been. On top of this, none of the characters were particularly likeable. Andrada is strong and formidable, but she's written in a way that doesn't really make me favour her. Moreover, she spends a lot of time pining for her husband's lover, which I found a bit weird. Nicetes is a jerk. That's all there is to say. He's constantly out hunting rather than spending time with his wife, however, it is understandable based on his relationship with Una, a medicine woman. Do not get me started on Nicetes' younger brother, Dapyx. He is fifteen years old and written so poorly that it hurts. If I had a cent for every time the author makes not of his squeaky voice or his 'courage' I would be a millionaire. Dapyx is portrayed as an awkward 'night in shining armour' and he constantly comes to Andrada's aid in an attempt to, for lack of better words, get in her pants. I personally found his perspective to be pointless to the story; all we got from this was that he has the hots for Andrada. I'm sorry, I know it seems harsh, but I really did not like this character. The only two characters I did like, were Una the medicine woman and Dokina, Andrada's handmaid. Una saved Nicetas' life after he was almost killed by another king, and they fell in love. She is depicted as loyal and caring, even to the queen, Nicetas' wife. She puts aside their differences, and the jealousy since she knows the marriage was done out of necessity rather than emotion. Dokina served as a sort of comedic relief. She is joyful and bubbly, bantering with Andrada and keeping the mood light. Another downfall that caused me to knock my rating down to 2 stars was the writing style (this is a very subjective element, so you may not find this important). In my opinion, most of the writing was simple and straightforward with occasional respite. "The Exciled Queen" is classified as a fantasy, however this would be a stretch. The most prominent characteristic of fantasy that we can see is the symbol of the wish-granting bell and the gods, however this ought to be classed as a historical fiction. Despite all the complaints, I think this novel is alright, just not for me. I would reccommend giving it a read if you like historical fiction and aren't bothered by a bit of undescriptive prose.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Exiled-Queen-Roman-Historical-Fantasy/dp/B0CVSLYTD9

started following 10 months ago

10 months ago

recommended a book 10 months ago

10 months ago

I recently read Patrick Rothfuss's debut novel 'The Name of the Wind' after about five years of having it on my TBR... and let me just say, I was blown away by the imagery, the character depth and the phenomenal world building. 'The Name of the Wind' follows the story of Kvothe, a young boy, as he navigates his life's tribulations following the loss of his parents and the trecherous years he spent alone on the streets of Tarbean. Rothfuss masterfully weaves humour, darkness and tragedy into this fantasticly inspiring debut novel. Be sure to read my full review on my website!

The Name of the Wind

My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the to...

started following and 33 more10 months ago

10 months ago

About me

Hi! I’m a Anja, a second-year English student with a deep love for reading. I enjoy exploring a variety of genres and offering fresh, insightful perspectives. My goal is to connect with fellow readers and share my passion for storytelling through thoughtful and engaging reviews.