Review: The Blue Moon Narthex (Karmanic Sovereign Legion #1)

Author: N.J. Donner

Started reading: February 25th 2017

Finished the book: March 4th 2017

Pages: 360

Genres: Fantasy

Published: February 7th 2017

Source: Netgalley - Kindle Edition

Goodreads score: 3.57

My score:

Synopsis:

The balance of good and evil has been left in the hands of a thirteen year old...

Since the beginning of time, Karmanic matter worked silently and unassisted keeping good and evil in balance, until growing greed in the world meant Karma couldn't keep up. As World War I rages, the secret Karmanic Sovereign Legion works behind the scenes to help Karma.

My thoughts

I really tried to like this book and was gonna give the book 3 apples, but I feel like 3 apples is too much. I don't really feel this story. I don't care about the characters and feel like I'm not that enthusiastic about this book. So that's why I'm giving 2 apples.

Pros

• A lot of questions and mystery: At the beginning of the story a lot of questions arise. I still feel like not everything is solved, or that the explanations weren't enough. I do believe that all the mystery is a good point about this book. The book is ended with not all the questions answered, which is also strong.

Cons

• Sophie and Britten not going home: I feel like the fact that Sophie and Britten are staying with Cole for a whole year is weird. It's explained as the two of them going to an exclusive Academy. This is not even decided by the parents and these kids are 13. It felt to easy and I kept that in the back of my mind the whole time I was reading this book.
• No real tension: There was a lack of tension in this book. The so called "climax" was supposed to be exciting, for me, it wasn't. Sophie even says she was "almost killed" at some point and I don't agree on that one.
• Felt like Harry Potter: The book felt like Harry Potter to me on multiple occasions. The three friends, two boys and a girl. Going to a whole new world where they stay a year. The dead parents/father thing. The being famous and following in the fathers footsteps. I don't want to be rude or anything but it felt a bit like a rip off...
• Could't picture everything: The characters lack description and depth. The world-building could have been more detailed. I had a hard time picturing everything. Maybe if the book was 40 pages longer and the characters and world would be described better, I would feel more attracted to the book.

Overall

I really don't want to be rude and I definitely tried to like the book, but I just didn't. I feel like this isn't a YA book but more a Children's book. I feel like a lot of hard work went into this book, but maybe if the places were described with more detail, I could've loved the place and the characters. I'm not that excited to read the second part either...

So sad.

Were you ever disappointed in a book, but really wanted to like it?!