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Sophie Foster thought she was safe. Settled into her home at Havenfield, surrounded by friends, and using her unique telepathic abilities to train Silveny--the first female alicorn ever seen in the Lost Cities--her life finally seems to be coming together.
But Sophie's kidnappers are still out there. And when Sophie discovers new messages and clues from the mysterious Black Swan group, she’s forced to take a terrifying risk—one that puts everyone in incredible danger.
As long buried secrets rise to the surface, it’s once again up to Sophie to uncover hidden memories—before someone close to her is lost forever.
In this second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must journey to the darkest corners of her luminous world in a sequel that will leave you breathless for more.
But Sophie's kidnappers are still out there. And when Sophie discovers new messages and clues from the mysterious Black Swan group, she’s forced to take a terrifying risk—one that puts everyone in incredible danger.
As long buried secrets rise to the surface, it’s once again up to Sophie to uncover hidden memories—before someone close to her is lost forever.
In this second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must journey to the darkest corners of her luminous world in a sequel that will leave you breathless for more.
576 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2013
About the author
Shannon Messenger
29 books16.9k followersHi! I'm the NYT and USA today bestselling author of the KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES series and the SKY FALL series! And yes, I DO accept friend requests here--BUT! Please note: I *never* check my private messages here, so if you send me one, you won't get a reply. My real contact information is on my website: shannonmessenger.com
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December 4, 2013I know it's totally geeky to review your own book--but this book is the hardest thing I have ever written. So yeah, I'm going to tell you it's awesome! (We have to believe in our own writing, don't we? And hey, I deserve SOMETHING to make up for the sleepless nights, right?) :)
April 23, 2022
2019: 4,5/5
2022: 4/5
2022: 4/5
February 2, 2019
Epic. Different. Capturing. Can't get enough of this series. I think I'm going to stick with it till the end.
Q:
I think we could all use a little more weird in our lives. ( c)
Q:
It was a dangerous world for a sparkly flying horse. (c)
Q:
In fact, most of the great human innovations of the last few centuries happened under elvin tutelage. Electricity. Penicillin. Chocolate cake. (c)
Q:
“Each Wanderling’s seed is coiled with a single hair from the one who’s been lost,” he explained. “When it sprouts, it absorbs their DNA, taking on some of the attributes of the life they now share. Letting the lost live on.”
Those who wander are not lost . (c) Ok, this is a beautiful idea of expressing sorrow in a world where it's largely unknown.
Q:
Apparently, terrifying her only friend was better than snacks. (c)
Q:
Our long-lost elf, and the most searched-for creature on the planet, stumbling across each other in the middle of a forest in the Forbidden Cities. (c)
Q:
“Well, then why don’t you go visit him there? I’m sure Kesler would let him take a break. Or you could stay there and put your fabulous alchemy skills to use. Maybe you’ll be the one to finally burn down that ugly store.” (с)
Q:
It was a tiny thing, really. Just a small bit of encouragement.
But it meant something.
It meant everything. (c)
Q:
“School starts in a little more than a week?”
She’d known it was coming up, but that suddenly felt very, very soon. (c)
Q:
There were many, many questions racing through Sophie’s mind as she scratched her neck where the furry collar was tickling it. But the most important one was probably, “Why am I dressed like a shaggy elephant? (c)
Q:
This is our chance to show the older generations what we can do.”
“By dancing like elephants?” (c)
Q:
“I’m a few minutes late and I miss all the fun.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Stina will pick plenty more fights with me before the year is over,” (c)
Q:
Would it be right to kill them, simply because we planted them by mistake? (c)
Q:
“Only elves would call tunneling to the center of the earth ‘logical.’ ”
“And only a girl raised by humans would think otherwise.” (с)
Q:
Sophie gulped down the words like they were cold water in the scorching desert. … And for the first time in a few weeks, the future was feeling bright. (с)
Q:
“So I wagged my tail when I was supposed to flick it—what’s the big deal?” …
“The ‘big deal’ is that this was your chance to impress the faculty—and instead you’ve shown them you’re just as ridiculous as ever. When are you going to start taking your education seriously?” (c)
Q:
She hated the way he stared at her. Like any second he expected her to sprout an extra brain and use it to take over the world. (c)
Q:
Things weren’t so bad, really. How could they be when there was this cool rush racing through her, filling her with life and energy and lifting her higher . . .
“Whoa—what did you give me? (c)
Q:
Guilt is a treacherous thing. It creeps in slowly, breaking you down bit by bit. (c)
Q:
SOPHIE NEVER THOUGHT SHE’D WANT to be the creation of a band of murderers—but now she wished for it more than anything else she’d ever wished for. (c)
Q:
“I need to look around a room that Grady and Edaline don’t like me to go into, and since your job is to report everything I do—”
“That’s not my job,” Sandor interrupted. “If it were, I would’ve told them how you sneak out of bed to read by the light of the moon jars you keep in your desk.” (c)
Q:
“Really? You don’t think I look like a rotten orange?”
“No, you do. But at least it almost matches your freaky eyes.” (c)
Q:
“Mr. Sencen!” … “Would you like me to extend your detention?”
“Tempting. But I think I’ll pass.” (с)
Q:
And I’ve been thinking—”
“Oh good, at least one of us should.” (c)
Q:
“I don’t see how that’s fair.”
“I didn’t say it was fair. You either agree or you’re out.” (c)
Q:
“Your dad seems . . . intense.”
“That’s putting it mildly. Do you know we have an entire room at our house dedicated to the Wonder That Is Him? He’s covered the walls in portraits and awards and has a life-size statue of himself in the center—carved out of Lumenite, so it glows. …
“What about your mom?” ...
“She’s a perfect match for my dad.” (c)
Q:
“Of course he’s wrong,” Keefe agreed. “If anyone’s malfunctioning, it’s him—I heard him try to laugh one time and he sounded like a freaked-out banshee.” (c)
Q:
It was hard to catch something that could rip an opening in the sky and vanish into it. (c)
Q:
“Just so you know, you’re pretty much my hero now. It takes serious talent to freak out the entire Council. I may need you to give me some pointers!” (c)
Q:
“Um, who doesn’t want to know more ways to annoy people?”
“Trust me, you already know them all.” (c)
Q:
“I’ll do everything I can to guide you through this. But you’re going to have to fight hard.”
“I always do.” (c)
Q:
Maybe it was just her rushing high from mending things with Fitz and Biana, but she couldn’t help feeling like something really good was about to happen. She just had to trust, and try. (c)
Q:
“And why do we need your spectacle?” Bronte snapped. “We’re perfectly capable of making one on our own.” (c)
Q:
Sophie was afraid of many, many things.
But she wasn’t afraid of herself anymore.
She could do this.
She just had to trust. And be willing to take the first leap. (c)
Q:
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Yes, Sophie and I were having a pleasant conversation. So I’m sure this is your cue to ruin it.” (c)
Q:
But she’d already faced her deepest fears. How much worse could it be? (c)
Q:
SOPHIE SAT ALONE ON THE cold ground in a shadowy corner of the valley, watching the beams of light twist and spin above the snowcapped mountains. (c)
Q:
I think we could all use a little more weird in our lives. ( c)
Q:
It was a dangerous world for a sparkly flying horse. (c)
Q:
In fact, most of the great human innovations of the last few centuries happened under elvin tutelage. Electricity. Penicillin. Chocolate cake. (c)
Q:
“Each Wanderling’s seed is coiled with a single hair from the one who’s been lost,” he explained. “When it sprouts, it absorbs their DNA, taking on some of the attributes of the life they now share. Letting the lost live on.”
Those who wander are not lost . (c) Ok, this is a beautiful idea of expressing sorrow in a world where it's largely unknown.
Q:
Apparently, terrifying her only friend was better than snacks. (c)
Q:
Our long-lost elf, and the most searched-for creature on the planet, stumbling across each other in the middle of a forest in the Forbidden Cities. (c)
Q:
“Well, then why don’t you go visit him there? I’m sure Kesler would let him take a break. Or you could stay there and put your fabulous alchemy skills to use. Maybe you’ll be the one to finally burn down that ugly store.” (с)
Q:
It was a tiny thing, really. Just a small bit of encouragement.
But it meant something.
It meant everything. (c)
Q:
“School starts in a little more than a week?”
She’d known it was coming up, but that suddenly felt very, very soon. (c)
Q:
There were many, many questions racing through Sophie’s mind as she scratched her neck where the furry collar was tickling it. But the most important one was probably, “Why am I dressed like a shaggy elephant? (c)
Q:
This is our chance to show the older generations what we can do.”
“By dancing like elephants?” (c)
Q:
“I’m a few minutes late and I miss all the fun.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Stina will pick plenty more fights with me before the year is over,” (c)
Q:
Would it be right to kill them, simply because we planted them by mistake? (c)
Q:
“Only elves would call tunneling to the center of the earth ‘logical.’ ”
“And only a girl raised by humans would think otherwise.” (с)
Q:
Sophie gulped down the words like they were cold water in the scorching desert. … And for the first time in a few weeks, the future was feeling bright. (с)
Q:
“So I wagged my tail when I was supposed to flick it—what’s the big deal?” …
“The ‘big deal’ is that this was your chance to impress the faculty—and instead you’ve shown them you’re just as ridiculous as ever. When are you going to start taking your education seriously?” (c)
Q:
She hated the way he stared at her. Like any second he expected her to sprout an extra brain and use it to take over the world. (c)
Q:
Things weren’t so bad, really. How could they be when there was this cool rush racing through her, filling her with life and energy and lifting her higher . . .
“Whoa—what did you give me? (c)
Q:
Guilt is a treacherous thing. It creeps in slowly, breaking you down bit by bit. (c)
Q:
SOPHIE NEVER THOUGHT SHE’D WANT to be the creation of a band of murderers—but now she wished for it more than anything else she’d ever wished for. (c)
Q:
“I need to look around a room that Grady and Edaline don’t like me to go into, and since your job is to report everything I do—”
“That’s not my job,” Sandor interrupted. “If it were, I would’ve told them how you sneak out of bed to read by the light of the moon jars you keep in your desk.” (c)
Q:
“Really? You don’t think I look like a rotten orange?”
“No, you do. But at least it almost matches your freaky eyes.” (c)
Q:
“Mr. Sencen!” … “Would you like me to extend your detention?”
“Tempting. But I think I’ll pass.” (с)
Q:
And I’ve been thinking—”
“Oh good, at least one of us should.” (c)
Q:
“I don’t see how that’s fair.”
“I didn’t say it was fair. You either agree or you’re out.” (c)
Q:
“Your dad seems . . . intense.”
“That’s putting it mildly. Do you know we have an entire room at our house dedicated to the Wonder That Is Him? He’s covered the walls in portraits and awards and has a life-size statue of himself in the center—carved out of Lumenite, so it glows. …
“What about your mom?” ...
“She’s a perfect match for my dad.” (c)
Q:
“Of course he’s wrong,” Keefe agreed. “If anyone’s malfunctioning, it’s him—I heard him try to laugh one time and he sounded like a freaked-out banshee.” (c)
Q:
It was hard to catch something that could rip an opening in the sky and vanish into it. (c)
Q:
“Just so you know, you’re pretty much my hero now. It takes serious talent to freak out the entire Council. I may need you to give me some pointers!” (c)
Q:
“Um, who doesn’t want to know more ways to annoy people?”
“Trust me, you already know them all.” (c)
Q:
“I’ll do everything I can to guide you through this. But you’re going to have to fight hard.”
“I always do.” (c)
Q:
Maybe it was just her rushing high from mending things with Fitz and Biana, but she couldn’t help feeling like something really good was about to happen. She just had to trust, and try. (c)
Q:
“And why do we need your spectacle?” Bronte snapped. “We’re perfectly capable of making one on our own.” (c)
Q:
Sophie was afraid of many, many things.
But she wasn’t afraid of herself anymore.
She could do this.
She just had to trust. And be willing to take the first leap. (c)
Q:
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Yes, Sophie and I were having a pleasant conversation. So I’m sure this is your cue to ruin it.” (c)
Q:
But she’d already faced her deepest fears. How much worse could it be? (c)
Q:
SOPHIE SAT ALONE ON THE cold ground in a shadowy corner of the valley, watching the beams of light twist and spin above the snowcapped mountains. (c)
April 7, 2021
This series keeps getting better! I’m obsessed with all the twists and turns, it’s like once you think you have things figured out, there’s another layer to the story that makes you question everything. SO GOOD!
December 31, 2019
Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs
My review of book one, Keeper of the Lost Cities , aka a guided tour though my insanity with Legolas the elf
Legolas? Where are you, boyfriend? We can't do this without you.
There are elves in this book. It makes sense.
NO, handsome, we're here for the book. Exile. We return once more to the story of Sophie Foster, the magical thirteen-year-old elf with three boyfriends and four thousand super special abilities. By the end of this book, she will have four thousand and twelve! Still three boyfriends, though. This little girl is doing life right.
Seriously, this series stresses me out because I don't know which ship will win. Why do you have so many boyfriends, Sophie, you greedy little pre-pubescent? I would tell you to share, but jail bait elf boys are not exactly my type. I usually have a really good nose for sniffing out the Chosen Ship, but this is too much for me. (Keefe (Boyfriend #1). BE KEEFE. Please be Keefe? Team Keefe.)
NO, LEGOLAS, THEY WILL PREVAIL. THEY MUST. SHUT UP.
So, Exile picks up a few weeks after the events of Keeper, in which Sophie and her BFF Dex (Boyfriend #2) were kidnapped by EVIL PEOPLE doing EVIL DEEDS. Most of this wretchedly overlong book focuses on Sophie coming to grasps with the fact that the whole elf world thought she was dead and now fears her, unraveling the mysteries of the EVIL DOERS and the mysterious society, the Black Swan, and starting her second year at Hogwarts Mozilla Firefox Foxfire Academy. Sophie also visits the enormously creepy Exile with Alden, the father of swoony Fitz (Boyfriend #3). I really liked Exile. It's this creeptastic underground prison full of criminals with BROKEN MINDS. Their minds have been broken. With MAGIC. That stuff, and watching Sophie try to navigate these dangerous, jagged minds that are like quicksand, was fascinating and quite cool.
This book still has moments of ridiculousness. There is a whole fleet of superfluous characters with silly names, an endless number of fart and poop jokes (a quarter of which are legitimately funny, because I am a child), and silly world-building. Let's not even discuss the time all the little elf children have to dress up like furry elephants and do a dance. I'm expunging it from the memory banks.
Legolas! Don't make fun of the furry elephant children! Even YOU would look bad in that outfit.
Okay, no, you wouldn't.
The eye rolls, they happened. The groaning, it occurred. The threats of DNFing, they were made. And then this book did exactly what the first book did! IT WON ME OVER WITH ITS WICKED ELFCRAFT! Or, mostly, its Keefe-craft. He's by far the most engaging, funny, and even heartwarming character in the book. *builds a ship* *sets it upon the high seas* SAIL, BABY MIDDLE GRADE SHIP! SAIL!
The good stuff in this book just sneaks up on you. It's weird. Like, you suddenly become engrossed without realizing it.
"Sneaky like this? By sneaky, do you mean sexy?"
With you, I always mean sexy, Legolas.
Also, there's a pretty, shiny, friendly unicorn with wings and she's cute and yesss, animal sidekicks. of course, only SPECIAL SOPHIEFLAKE can tame her (PLUS KEEFE BECAUSE KEEFE RULES), but yayyy, pretty horse. Exile has an inglorious number of gloopy, soppy, saccharine scenes, but damn if my icy heart didn't thaw. This book has quite a lot of feels, which rescues it from the occasionally absurd world-building. Sophie suffers, and it hurts. (Also Keefe suffers and that REALLY HURTS BECAUSE KEEFE.) Okay, so she'll probably "end up" (she's thirteen, no need to marry her off) with Fitz, but whatever. There are totally feels between Keefe and Sophie. Let a creepy human adult reader dream.
Honestly. I don't know what's wrong with me. Silly book, I must have your sequel! I must captain my ship to shore! I must know the mysteries! Okay, no, I mostly want to sail my ship. That's okay, right? I start off these books going, "No, nooo, ugh noooo," and I finish them totally in love and eager for the next. Bizarre.
Yes, fine. You win again, Legolas. You always do. Stop gloating.
My review of book one, Keeper of the Lost Cities , aka a guided tour though my insanity with Legolas the elf
Legolas? Where are you, boyfriend? We can't do this without you.
There are elves in this book. It makes sense.
NO, handsome, we're here for the book. Exile. We return once more to the story of Sophie Foster, the magical thirteen-year-old elf with three boyfriends and four thousand super special abilities. By the end of this book, she will have four thousand and twelve! Still three boyfriends, though. This little girl is doing life right.
Seriously, this series stresses me out because I don't know which ship will win. Why do you have so many boyfriends, Sophie, you greedy little pre-pubescent? I would tell you to share, but jail bait elf boys are not exactly my type. I usually have a really good nose for sniffing out the Chosen Ship, but this is too much for me. (Keefe (Boyfriend #1). BE KEEFE. Please be Keefe? Team Keefe.)
NO, LEGOLAS, THEY WILL PREVAIL. THEY MUST. SHUT UP.
So, Exile picks up a few weeks after the events of Keeper, in which Sophie and her BFF Dex (Boyfriend #2) were kidnapped by EVIL PEOPLE doing EVIL DEEDS. Most of this wretchedly overlong book focuses on Sophie coming to grasps with the fact that the whole elf world thought she was dead and now fears her, unraveling the mysteries of the EVIL DOERS and the mysterious society, the Black Swan, and starting her second year at Hogwarts Mozilla Firefox Foxfire Academy. Sophie also visits the enormously creepy Exile with Alden, the father of swoony Fitz (Boyfriend #3). I really liked Exile. It's this creeptastic underground prison full of criminals with BROKEN MINDS. Their minds have been broken. With MAGIC. That stuff, and watching Sophie try to navigate these dangerous, jagged minds that are like quicksand, was fascinating and quite cool.
This book still has moments of ridiculousness. There is a whole fleet of superfluous characters with silly names, an endless number of fart and poop jokes (a quarter of which are legitimately funny, because I am a child), and silly world-building. Let's not even discuss the time all the little elf children have to dress up like furry elephants and do a dance. I'm expunging it from the memory banks.
Legolas! Don't make fun of the furry elephant children! Even YOU would look bad in that outfit.
Okay, no, you wouldn't.
The eye rolls, they happened. The groaning, it occurred. The threats of DNFing, they were made. And then this book did exactly what the first book did! IT WON ME OVER WITH ITS WICKED ELFCRAFT! Or, mostly, its Keefe-craft. He's by far the most engaging, funny, and even heartwarming character in the book. *builds a ship* *sets it upon the high seas* SAIL, BABY MIDDLE GRADE SHIP! SAIL!
The good stuff in this book just sneaks up on you. It's weird. Like, you suddenly become engrossed without realizing it.
"Sneaky like this? By sneaky, do you mean sexy?"
With you, I always mean sexy, Legolas.
Also, there's a pretty, shiny, friendly unicorn with wings and she's cute and yesss, animal sidekicks. of course, only SPECIAL SOPHIEFLAKE can tame her (PLUS KEEFE BECAUSE KEEFE RULES), but yayyy, pretty horse. Exile has an inglorious number of gloopy, soppy, saccharine scenes, but damn if my icy heart didn't thaw. This book has quite a lot of feels, which rescues it from the occasionally absurd world-building. Sophie suffers, and it hurts. (Also Keefe suffers and that REALLY HURTS BECAUSE KEEFE.) Okay, so she'll probably "end up" (she's thirteen, no need to marry her off) with Fitz, but whatever. There are totally feels between Keefe and Sophie. Let a creepy human adult reader dream.
Honestly. I don't know what's wrong with me. Silly book, I must have your sequel! I must captain my ship to shore! I must know the mysteries! Okay, no, I mostly want to sail my ship. That's okay, right? I start off these books going, "No, nooo, ugh noooo," and I finish them totally in love and eager for the next. Bizarre.
Yes, fine. You win again, Legolas. You always do. Stop gloating.
June 9, 2022
KEEFE!!!
He is literally the one who makes this series!
Alright! Time to write this review! So I have lots of thoughts but let's hit the bad first so we can end on a positive note!
I see not much has changed with Sophie since book one. She still gets on my nerves and bugs me more times than I can count but that might be because I'm not a fan of the whole "chosen one" type of trope. Like the world DOESN'T revolve around Sophie. Other people can do awesome things too and deserve their moment to shine! BUT, Sophie, I am very proud of you for blushing less in this book. There is hope for you yet! 👏👏👏
Oo speaking of good news, Fitz was terrible in this book. 🥳 And I'm not being sarcastic. Anyone else thought Fitz was a bit TOO perfect in book one? Well, good news, the dude can actually make a mistake! I definitely feel like we got more into his character, even if he is annoyingly perfect and I still prefer Sophie + Keefe. (Been shipping them since the moment Keefe came on the scene, and I think this book is hinting that I'm right. ;) *is totally proud of myself.)
While we're on the topic of characters we've GOT to talk about Keefe. Y'all his page time was literal PERFECTION and as I said at the beginning of this review, say what you want to about the book but KEEFE. MAKES. THIS. SERIES. I was very pleased for more page time with him and this better be a sign that we get more later in the series. *looks at the author for confirmation* *realizes she ain't reading this review... which is probably for the best* Also Dex is adorable. I love him SO much and his friendship with Sophie.
Also Prentice is the man. That's all I'm gonna say. I like complicated, controversial characters like mah dude Prentice. XD I. NEED. TO. KNOW. MORE. ABOUT. HIM. And I want to see more of Wylie in the series too. Okay, I have a whole list of expectations for book three now.
Speaking of which, I am not waiting a whole year to read book three as I did for number two. THIS SERIES IS ADDICTING AND I MUST CONTINUE!!!!!!!!
The plot was as spot-on as always. I found it funny how just like with book one once I hit the halfway mark in the book, I just devoured it in like a day. XD I think I was hooked quicker in this book than the first one, but the climax in book one was more gripping. So that was a bit of a letdown BUT it made up for it with an awesome ending!!!
One of my favorite parts in this book was the extra worldbuilding time we were having. This world feels very fleshed out and I enjoy spending time in it!! Foxfire is the school I wished I had gone to. XD Though not if I'm having inflicting lessons with Bronte. *shudders* I'd much rather have telepathy lessons with Tiergan!
While this has nothing to do with the book, this cover is one of my favorite in the series. *heart eyes*
Yeah so most of this review was just talking about characters, but they are what make or break a book after all!!!! I'm excited to continue this series and see where it goes!!! Onto book three now...
He is literally the one who makes this series!
Alright! Time to write this review! So I have lots of thoughts but let's hit the bad first so we can end on a positive note!
I see not much has changed with Sophie since book one. She still gets on my nerves and bugs me more times than I can count but that might be because I'm not a fan of the whole "chosen one" type of trope. Like the world DOESN'T revolve around Sophie. Other people can do awesome things too and deserve their moment to shine! BUT, Sophie, I am very proud of you for blushing less in this book. There is hope for you yet! 👏👏👏
Oo speaking of good news, Fitz was terrible in this book. 🥳 And I'm not being sarcastic. Anyone else thought Fitz was a bit TOO perfect in book one? Well, good news, the dude can actually make a mistake! I definitely feel like we got more into his character, even if he is annoyingly perfect and I still prefer Sophie + Keefe. (Been shipping them since the moment Keefe came on the scene, and I think this book is hinting that I'm right. ;) *is totally proud of myself.)
While we're on the topic of characters we've GOT to talk about Keefe. Y'all his page time was literal PERFECTION and as I said at the beginning of this review, say what you want to about the book but KEEFE. MAKES. THIS. SERIES. I was very pleased for more page time with him and this better be a sign that we get more later in the series. *looks at the author for confirmation* *realizes she ain't reading this review... which is probably for the best* Also Dex is adorable. I love him SO much and his friendship with Sophie.
Also Prentice is the man. That's all I'm gonna say. I like complicated, controversial characters like mah dude Prentice. XD I. NEED. TO. KNOW. MORE. ABOUT. HIM. And I want to see more of Wylie in the series too. Okay, I have a whole list of expectations for book three now.
Speaking of which, I am not waiting a whole year to read book three as I did for number two. THIS SERIES IS ADDICTING AND I MUST CONTINUE!!!!!!!!
The plot was as spot-on as always. I found it funny how just like with book one once I hit the halfway mark in the book, I just devoured it in like a day. XD I think I was hooked quicker in this book than the first one, but the climax in book one was more gripping. So that was a bit of a letdown BUT it made up for it with an awesome ending!!!
One of my favorite parts in this book was the extra worldbuilding time we were having. This world feels very fleshed out and I enjoy spending time in it!! Foxfire is the school I wished I had gone to. XD Though not if I'm having inflicting lessons with Bronte. *shudders* I'd much rather have telepathy lessons with Tiergan!
While this has nothing to do with the book, this cover is one of my favorite in the series. *heart eyes*
Yeah so most of this review was just talking about characters, but they are what make or break a book after all!!!! I'm excited to continue this series and see where it goes!!! Onto book three now...
April 18, 2021
~5 stars~
(Re-read 11/19/20)
I 100% liked this one better than the first. I think this one is my favorite in the series. There were of course some minor things I didn't like, but I am just going to overlook them because of my overall enjoyment.
The minor things is all the repetition that happens. I'm just convinced that Shannon Messenger just really likes certain word, but I don't. I get too much second hand embarrassment. But since that seems to be a general trend that I can't change, I will just have to live with it.
Unlike the first book, which was very much formulaic and underwhelming compared to the rest of the series, I think it finally started to develop in a better way. I realize that overall this plot has a childish aura to it, but I read this for the first time when I was at the age it was targeted towards so being back in this world is a fun time.
Other things I liked were the character and relationship developments. I also liked how we were able to dive deeper into the mystery of the Black Swan, and since this is a re-read I am now noticing the foreshadowing which is always cool.
Overall, I recommend obviously, but to the right person, and I can't wait for the next book.
(Re-read 11/19/20)
I 100% liked this one better than the first. I think this one is my favorite in the series. There were of course some minor things I didn't like, but I am just going to overlook them because of my overall enjoyment.
The minor things is all the repetition that happens. I'm just convinced that Shannon Messenger just really likes certain word, but I don't. I get too much second hand embarrassment. But since that seems to be a general trend that I can't change, I will just have to live with it.
Unlike the first book, which was very much formulaic and underwhelming compared to the rest of the series, I think it finally started to develop in a better way. I realize that overall this plot has a childish aura to it, but I read this for the first time when I was at the age it was targeted towards so being back in this world is a fun time.
Other things I liked were the character and relationship developments. I also liked how we were able to dive deeper into the mystery of the Black Swan, and since this is a re-read I am now noticing the foreshadowing which is always cool.
Overall, I recommend obviously, but to the right person, and I can't wait for the next book.
September 6, 2024
I didn't plan on reading the second book in this series so soon after reading the first one, but my library loan came in early, so here I am.
I will admit that I thought the majority of this book was slower and didn't have much revealed, which is what I was afraid of happening. I wouldn't call it a filler that can be skipped as it did have important parts, but I liked the first book more.
I did, however, like that this book had less boy stuff and crushes. Also, I'm starting to see why so many do not like Fitz as while I understand being angry, he was so rude to Sophie and Keefe was a great support to her. Keefe is winning in my book.
I have to say that it’s nice seeing good adults in this series so far that are on Sophie’s side. Mind you, she does disobey at times, but it’s never done for the sake of being rebellious. Only when she knows she’s supposed to do something and the adults won’t tell her or let her do it. Some parents might not like this element.
Main Content
Children (including our main character) are drugged, kidnapped, threatened with harm and death, hit, & attacked (by adults, up to semi-detailed); An Allergic reaction, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (including an Inflictor inflicting pain on Sophie, up to semi-detailed); Sophie has PTSD-like flashbacks of the kidnapping and will not take a sedative because of being drugged multiple times by the kidnappers; Seeing a mind being broken & Sophie almost gets caught in someone's mind (up to semi-detailed); An injured animal (she will be fine, up to semi-detailed).
No cussing, minor Middle-Grade language such as 'shut up', 'sheesh', 'shoot', 'stupid', 'ticked', 'dumb', 'idiot', 'freaking', and an unfinished 'what the...?' are used; The phrase "back the T- rex up" is used once; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Sophie lies & Keefe is called the "king of lying to adults"; Sophie is called a freak by some and calls herself a freak as well; Dealing with a mean girl at school & her comments (and other snide/prejudice comments).
While the elvian world is deemed to be very safe, Sophie is told "There's a reason violence and cruelty are unheard of in our world...our minds aren't capable of processing the guilt that comes with such atrocities--or they aren't supposed to be, at least." and if they focus on the guilt of an action, it can shatter their mind to allow darkness in.
Death isn't common in the elf world, but there have been freak accidents that caused deaths; Going to a funeral and feeling the extreme sadness of everyone there (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of grief & the families missing their loved one greatly (including for parents, a couple for their daughter, & a fiancé); Mentions of fires, deaths, and it possibly being murder and murderers.
Many mentions of the kidnapping in Book #1, the kidnappers, & the very dangerous and deadly situation for Sophie (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of some elves' minds being shattered for the Council to be able to get secrets out of them (the elf is considered "broken", they are only able to mumble and drool after it happens, and are fully dependent on someone else (not their families, though, as they've broken laws and are kept in a prison-like facility)); Mentions of injuries, pain, burns, passing out, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a couple being called a "bad match" (which is an insult and means that the couple was ruled to be genetically incompatible and that usually means their kids will be inferior or have multiples); A mention of a girl liking to gossip; A teasing mention of starting a betting pool.
Keefe's parents have very high expectations for him and show him no love, Keefe tries to laugh it off by saying that "disappointing them is actually pretty fun".
An alicorn gets the nickname "Glitter Butt" because of it's glitter poop (the words 'fanny' and 'booty' are also used in the US edition); Mentions of terrible smells (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of animal dung and pee being used for wounds; A few mentions of farts; A couple mentions of burps.
Noticing cute guys & Nearness (Sophie gets flustered, blushes, & her heart flutters); Mentions of boys, crushes, who likes who, etc; A mention of a bare-chested guard; A mention of siblings teasing their older brother about his crush and making kissing noises.
A few mentions of wanting an animal to reproduce so the type of animal doesn't go extinct.
There are special abilities like Telepath, Telekinesis, Inflicting (make someone feel certain things), & Mesmer (who can put someone in a trance) to name a few; By a certain age, the children elves are expected to "manifest" their special ability; There are Goblins, dwarves, orges, imps, banshees, dinosaurs/tyrannosaurus, saber-tooth tigers, mammoths, and other hybrid odd animals (but no mentions of evolution) (all of the animals are trained to be vegetarian); There are also mythological creatures like unicorn, alicorn, & Bigfoot; There is an emphasis on taking care of the living things whether that be trees or animals; A few mentions of students seeking "to clear the mind for true enlightenment"; A mention of the Council wanting to help guide humans to be able to "bring them out of the darkness and into a new age of light"; A mention of gnomes being able to work a miracle (of living underground and needing no sleep); A mention of books about wizards and demigods.
(See my reviews with content details of the rest of this series: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, Book #8.5, Book #9, Book #9.5, Book #10, Graphic Novel)
I will admit that I thought the majority of this book was slower and didn't have much revealed, which is what I was afraid of happening. I wouldn't call it a filler that can be skipped as it did have important parts, but I liked the first book more.
I did, however, like that this book had less boy stuff and crushes. Also, I'm starting to see why so many do not like Fitz as while I understand being angry, he was so rude to Sophie and Keefe was a great support to her. Keefe is winning in my book.
I have to say that it’s nice seeing good adults in this series so far that are on Sophie’s side. Mind you, she does disobey at times, but it’s never done for the sake of being rebellious. Only when she knows she’s supposed to do something and the adults won’t tell her or let her do it. Some parents might not like this element.
Main Content
Children (including our main character) are drugged, kidnapped, threatened with harm and death, hit, & attacked (by adults, up to semi-detailed); An Allergic reaction, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (including an Inflictor inflicting pain on Sophie, up to semi-detailed); Sophie has PTSD-like flashbacks of the kidnapping and will not take a sedative because of being drugged multiple times by the kidnappers; Seeing a mind being broken & Sophie almost gets caught in someone's mind (up to semi-detailed); An injured animal (she will be fine, up to semi-detailed).
No cussing, minor Middle-Grade language such as 'shut up', 'sheesh', 'shoot', 'stupid', 'ticked', 'dumb', 'idiot', 'freaking', and an unfinished 'what the...?' are used; The phrase "back the T- rex up" is used once; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Sophie lies & Keefe is called the "king of lying to adults"; Sophie is called a freak by some and calls herself a freak as well; Dealing with a mean girl at school & her comments (and other snide/prejudice comments).
While the elvian world is deemed to be very safe, Sophie is told "There's a reason violence and cruelty are unheard of in our world...our minds aren't capable of processing the guilt that comes with such atrocities--or they aren't supposed to be, at least." and if they focus on the guilt of an action, it can shatter their mind to allow darkness in.
Death isn't common in the elf world, but there have been freak accidents that caused deaths; Going to a funeral and feeling the extreme sadness of everyone there (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of grief & the families missing their loved one greatly (including for parents, a couple for their daughter, & a fiancé); Mentions of fires, deaths, and it possibly being murder and murderers.
Many mentions of the kidnapping in Book #1, the kidnappers, & the very dangerous and deadly situation for Sophie (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of some elves' minds being shattered for the Council to be able to get secrets out of them (the elf is considered "broken", they are only able to mumble and drool after it happens, and are fully dependent on someone else (not their families, though, as they've broken laws and are kept in a prison-like facility)); Mentions of injuries, pain, burns, passing out, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a couple being called a "bad match" (which is an insult and means that the couple was ruled to be genetically incompatible and that usually means their kids will be inferior or have multiples); A mention of a girl liking to gossip; A teasing mention of starting a betting pool.
Keefe's parents have very high expectations for him and show him no love, Keefe tries to laugh it off by saying that "disappointing them is actually pretty fun".
An alicorn gets the nickname "Glitter Butt" because of it's glitter poop (the words 'fanny' and 'booty' are also used in the US edition); Mentions of terrible smells (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of animal dung and pee being used for wounds; A few mentions of farts; A couple mentions of burps.
Noticing cute guys & Nearness (Sophie gets flustered, blushes, & her heart flutters); Mentions of boys, crushes, who likes who, etc; A mention of a bare-chested guard; A mention of siblings teasing their older brother about his crush and making kissing noises.
A few mentions of wanting an animal to reproduce so the type of animal doesn't go extinct.
There are special abilities like Telepath, Telekinesis, Inflicting (make someone feel certain things), & Mesmer (who can put someone in a trance) to name a few; By a certain age, the children elves are expected to "manifest" their special ability; There are Goblins, dwarves, orges, imps, banshees, dinosaurs/tyrannosaurus, saber-tooth tigers, mammoths, and other hybrid odd animals (but no mentions of evolution) (all of the animals are trained to be vegetarian); There are also mythological creatures like unicorn, alicorn, & Bigfoot; There is an emphasis on taking care of the living things whether that be trees or animals; A few mentions of students seeking "to clear the mind for true enlightenment"; A mention of the Council wanting to help guide humans to be able to "bring them out of the darkness and into a new age of light"; A mention of gnomes being able to work a miracle (of living underground and needing no sleep); A mention of books about wizards and demigods.
(See my reviews with content details of the rest of this series: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, Book #8.5, Book #9, Book #9.5, Book #10, Graphic Novel)
October 8, 2024
Keefe they could never make me hate you🥹🥹
Pre reread: Guys stop. This cover??? 🤌🤌😘🥺😍🥹🥹🤭
Pre reread: Guys stop. This cover??? 🤌🤌😘🥺😍🥹🥹🤭
March 22, 2021
"I think we could all use a little more weird in our lives."
I liked this book even more than the first one! Although I made the mistake of writing this review after I finished the third book and at the moment I'm more than halfway through the forth book, I'll try to keep my thoughts as coherent as possible and not spoil anything.
This has become and all time favourite series of mine and my love for this series only grows as I'm reading the sequels. It might actually be extremely close to number one! It is so good and so underrated, like why aren't more people reading it?! This should literally become the new Harry Potter!
The plot of this book was engaging from page one. I read this five hundred page book in less than three days! There's also a lot of action and I had so many moments when I was cry laughing.
I was so happy that we got more Keefe moments in this book, although I was hoping for more scenes with him since he is on the cover of this book, but nevermind that we get more and more of him as the series goes on. Keefe will forever be my favourite character in this series. There are so many layers to him and I am not even joking the relatioship between him and Sophie is one of the most precious thing I have ever encountered.
I don't really have much else to say since my thoughts of this book keep connecting with the third one, but please if you love other series like Percy Jackson or Harry potter, read this one! I promise you it is worth it!
I liked this book even more than the first one! Although I made the mistake of writing this review after I finished the third book and at the moment I'm more than halfway through the forth book, I'll try to keep my thoughts as coherent as possible and not spoil anything.
This has become and all time favourite series of mine and my love for this series only grows as I'm reading the sequels. It might actually be extremely close to number one! It is so good and so underrated, like why aren't more people reading it?! This should literally become the new Harry Potter!
The plot of this book was engaging from page one. I read this five hundred page book in less than three days! There's also a lot of action and I had so many moments when I was cry laughing.
I was so happy that we got more Keefe moments in this book, although I was hoping for more scenes with him since he is on the cover of this book, but nevermind that we get more and more of him as the series goes on. Keefe will forever be my favourite character in this series. There are so many layers to him and I am not even joking the relatioship between him and Sophie is one of the most precious thing I have ever encountered.
I don't really have much else to say since my thoughts of this book keep connecting with the third one, but please if you love other series like Percy Jackson or Harry potter, read this one! I promise you it is worth it!
December 17, 2015
That was EPIC!!!
Sophie Foster, the girl who has found the first female Alicorn in decades. She's going to train this magical creature and reveal this secret to the elves as a sign of hope, to settle the fears and desperation ofpeople elves.
Sophie Foster.
The girl who has been taken.
The girl who has been raised bymuggles humans.
She has lived in theForbidden City human world for twelve years.
She has mastered unbelievable magical skills.
HOWEVER, something in her is missing, has broken, her mind is not impenetrable anymore Someone's mind is also broken...
She believes she's made by the Black Swan. And the first and only thing that can help her is to find the Black Swan and to fix herself.
"Sing swan, spring swan,
Then let's fly.
Follow the pretty bird across the sky.
Call Swan, Fall Swan, Then let's rest.
Tucked in the branches of your quiet nest."
Sophie Foster, the girl who has found the first female Alicorn in decades. She's going to train this magical creature and reveal this secret to the elves as a sign of hope, to settle the fears and desperation of
Sophie Foster.
The girl who has been taken.
The girl who has been raised by
She has lived in the
She has mastered unbelievable magical skills.
HOWEVER, something in her is missing, has broken, her mind is not impenetrable anymore Someone's mind is also broken...
She believes she's made by the Black Swan. And the first and only thing that can help her is to find the Black Swan and to fix herself.
"Sing swan, spring swan,
Then let's fly.
Follow the pretty bird across the sky.
Call Swan, Fall Swan, Then let's rest.
Tucked in the branches of your quiet nest."
March 17, 2020
I love listening to this series on audio. I got this recemended to me so many times and just now picking it up this year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1) keeper of the lost cities ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2) exile ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1) keeper of the lost cities ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2) exile ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 30, 2020
3.5
Non spoilers:
I have to admit, this book was much better then the first. It's still a meh series, but whatever.
I'm still uncomfortable with the gnomes being poc. I don't think she ment it like that, but still. And Dex cannonly gay in my mind. I can't get it out. Grady is a person of color in my mind as well, so is Jerek, who is a character in the third book, which I am currently reading. My mind just automatically includes representation 🙃
Seems like the elves only have one body type. Or type of person at all.
Ways I Wouldn't Fit In:
-I'm mixed (though I don't really look like it)
-I have brown eyes
-My body type is more...well not big, but not skinny.
-I'm not straight
-Acne
-I'm not "perfect"
-I eat meat
-I'm human
Percy Jackson is mentioned! When she talks about her old books, she says they have dragons and wizards and demigods on the cover.
Silvery is a male in my mind, and I can't get it out. Don't know why.
Shannon needs to lay off the 'Not Like Other Girls," but I guess it's too late for that. Fitz is an ass in this book, and I still haven't forgiven him. I loved the plot in this book, no question.
And what's with weird names in books? Just once I want a Sarah, or Helen. Though I guess I can't talk, given my name.
We. Stan. Sandor. Period.
Sadly, Dex does not a big enough part for a character review. But I love you buddy! 💖
If you like:
-Amazing Parent figure's
-Strong female protagonists
-Amazing side characters
-Great plot
-Well built fantasy worlds
Then read this book!
Sophie Character Analysis:
I love her arc in this book. Her being "broken," and all. It added another layer to her. I've learned to appreciate her a lot more in this book. Compared to other protagonists especially, she's pretty decent. Though, I wish that arc would've lasted a bit longer. You know, to cool it on the "Elves Are So Perfect." But that's not her fault. I have a newfound respect for her, since she reads Percy Jackson. Her relationship with her parents is so sweet. I love Edeline and Grady to death.
Either way, Sophie is much better in this book. I feel like we could be good friends, though i'm pissed she forgave Fitz so quickly. Ge'll have to a lot more then just apologize to get back on my goid side. But I'll rant about him more in his character analysis.
Keefe Character Analysis:
Keefe, my main man! He's an MC in this book! 😁
I feel like Shannon needs to work on her humor for Keefe, make it less cringy and cheesy. We see more into his family issue's, which might be more serious then we though. I'll talk about it more in my review of Everblaze when I finish it. But he's really developed and has more layers than I knew. His banter with Sandor is freaking amazing, and I love them.
Back to Keefe. I can't wait for more information on his family life, and just more of him in general. It looks like he's a big part in the next one too!
Sandor Character Analysis:
I think he's my favorite character. I love this guy. He's so caring, but grumpy at the same time. He's honestly just an amazing character, and one of the best, if not the best character Shannon Messenger has written in this series. He also seems to have a big part in the next book!YEESSSS! 😍
Asshole Fitz Character Analysis:
I hate him so much. Everything he did to Sohpie was just so unfair, it makes me so mad! His character went down the drain, though he made an interesting character, unlike before. No offense Fitz stans. But you're already outnumbered, and i'm just adding on to the hate. I'm sure your an amazing person though!
Thoughts on Plot:
This plot is so enticing. I don't know why I love it so much. It's probably that Sophie now has a flaw! But, sadly, that's thrown out the window. Hopefully, especially since I've heard about future Viatamese characters, the ninth book will include more flaws and rep.
Final Thoughts:
This is overall a really good book. Not the best, but it brings up my overall thoughts on it. And it's a 3.5 rating I actually brought up. I almost never do that. Be glad KOTLC stans. You're welcome. Because seriously, that never happens. Be thankful, because I almost rated it three stars, but I didn't. *flips hair and walks away*
Stay safe!
Non spoilers:
I have to admit, this book was much better then the first. It's still a meh series, but whatever.
I'm still uncomfortable with the gnomes being poc. I don't think she ment it like that, but still. And Dex cannonly gay in my mind. I can't get it out. Grady is a person of color in my mind as well, so is Jerek, who is a character in the third book, which I am currently reading. My mind just automatically includes representation 🙃
Seems like the elves only have one body type. Or type of person at all.
Ways I Wouldn't Fit In:
-I'm mixed (though I don't really look like it)
-I have brown eyes
-My body type is more...well not big, but not skinny.
-I'm not straight
-Acne
-I'm not "perfect"
-I eat meat
-I'm human
Percy Jackson is mentioned! When she talks about her old books, she says they have dragons and wizards and demigods on the cover.
Silvery is a male in my mind, and I can't get it out. Don't know why.
Shannon needs to lay off the 'Not Like Other Girls," but I guess it's too late for that. Fitz is an ass in this book, and I still haven't forgiven him. I loved the plot in this book, no question.
And what's with weird names in books? Just once I want a Sarah, or Helen. Though I guess I can't talk, given my name.
We. Stan. Sandor. Period.
Sadly, Dex does not a big enough part for a character review. But I love you buddy! 💖
If you like:
-Amazing Parent figure's
-Strong female protagonists
-Amazing side characters
-Great plot
-Well built fantasy worlds
Then read this book!
Sophie Character Analysis:
I love her arc in this book. Her being "broken," and all. It added another layer to her. I've learned to appreciate her a lot more in this book. Compared to other protagonists especially, she's pretty decent. Though, I wish that arc would've lasted a bit longer. You know, to cool it on the "Elves Are So Perfect." But that's not her fault. I have a newfound respect for her, since she reads Percy Jackson. Her relationship with her parents is so sweet. I love Edeline and Grady to death.
Either way, Sophie is much better in this book. I feel like we could be good friends, though i'm pissed she forgave Fitz so quickly. Ge'll have to a lot more then just apologize to get back on my goid side. But I'll rant about him more in his character analysis.
Keefe Character Analysis:
Keefe, my main man! He's an MC in this book! 😁
I feel like Shannon needs to work on her humor for Keefe, make it less cringy and cheesy. We see more into his family issue's, which might be more serious then we though. I'll talk about it more in my review of Everblaze when I finish it. But he's really developed and has more layers than I knew. His banter with Sandor is freaking amazing, and I love them.
Back to Keefe. I can't wait for more information on his family life, and just more of him in general. It looks like he's a big part in the next one too!
Sandor Character Analysis:
I think he's my favorite character. I love this guy. He's so caring, but grumpy at the same time. He's honestly just an amazing character, and one of the best, if not the best character Shannon Messenger has written in this series. He also seems to have a big part in the next book!YEESSSS! 😍
I hate him so much. Everything he did to Sohpie was just so unfair, it makes me so mad! His character went down the drain, though he made an interesting character, unlike before. No offense Fitz stans. But you're already outnumbered, and i'm just adding on to the hate. I'm sure your an amazing person though!
Thoughts on Plot:
This plot is so enticing. I don't know why I love it so much. It's probably that Sophie now has a flaw! But, sadly, that's thrown out the window. Hopefully, especially since I've heard about future Viatamese characters, the ninth book will include more flaws and rep.
Final Thoughts:
This is overall a really good book. Not the best, but it brings up my overall thoughts on it. And it's a 3.5 rating I actually brought up. I almost never do that. Be glad KOTLC stans. You're welcome. Because seriously, that never happens. Be thankful, because I almost rated it three stars, but I didn't. *flips hair and walks away*
Stay safe!
November 18, 2020
This one takes all of the amazing set-up from the first one and catapults the series into a new level. I can tell this is the start of an amazing ride. This review will have SPOILERS for the first book...as it is the second book.
Character development:★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★★
World expansion: ★★★★★
Alright, not going to lie, Exile suffers from the mild sophomore slump. It's coming off of a dramatic series opener where its world was expanded exponentially for the main characters, and now we've got to make sense of the intrigue.
When we left Sophie Foster, elf and telepath extraordinaire, she had just been kidnapped by some rogue elves intent on killing her. She'd been tortured, threatened, and then rescued by the Black Swan, a rebel organization that we thought were the bad guys but SIKE, they might be...the good guys?
Given this altering perception of Sophie's relationship with the Black Swan and the torture inflicted on her by another hidden organization, Exile kicks off with Sophie in a relatively dark place. She's dealing with the PTSD of being captured, her guilt over her friend Dex's involvement, and the strangely intense headaches she has every time she attempts to light leap (travel through space via light beams) or use her abilities.
I found Exile to be another 5 star read, but it was a hard to get through the first 100 pages or so as Sophie was struggling so much with her headaches, inability to sleep/process her trauma, and the problems placed on her by the adult rulers, the Council. BUT, proving once again that this series is a winner, once more plot points began to unfold I found myself hooked once again into the action. Sophie's explosive adventures in Exile are just as page-turning as ever, and it ends with the perfect cliffhanger.
Like I mentioned in my review for the first book, this series pulls no punches when it comes to its narrative. It is aimed for a middle grade audience—and it keeps everything PG with this in mind—but it does tackle some serious topics and involves quite a lot of intrigue. While I was able to spot several plot points coming, I found the writing and world-building to be so good that I didn't care that I knew the big reveals. I've already read book three...and may or may have already bought the rest of the books in this series.
They're that dang good.
Blog | Instagram
Character development:★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★★
World expansion: ★★★★★
Alright, not going to lie, Exile suffers from the mild sophomore slump. It's coming off of a dramatic series opener where its world was expanded exponentially for the main characters, and now we've got to make sense of the intrigue.
When we left Sophie Foster, elf and telepath extraordinaire, she had just been kidnapped by some rogue elves intent on killing her. She'd been tortured, threatened, and then rescued by the Black Swan, a rebel organization that we thought were the bad guys but SIKE, they might be...the good guys?
Given this altering perception of Sophie's relationship with the Black Swan and the torture inflicted on her by another hidden organization, Exile kicks off with Sophie in a relatively dark place. She's dealing with the PTSD of being captured, her guilt over her friend Dex's involvement, and the strangely intense headaches she has every time she attempts to light leap (travel through space via light beams) or use her abilities.
I found Exile to be another 5 star read, but it was a hard to get through the first 100 pages or so as Sophie was struggling so much with her headaches, inability to sleep/process her trauma, and the problems placed on her by the adult rulers, the Council. BUT, proving once again that this series is a winner, once more plot points began to unfold I found myself hooked once again into the action. Sophie's explosive adventures in Exile are just as page-turning as ever, and it ends with the perfect cliffhanger.
Like I mentioned in my review for the first book, this series pulls no punches when it comes to its narrative. It is aimed for a middle grade audience—and it keeps everything PG with this in mind—but it does tackle some serious topics and involves quite a lot of intrigue. While I was able to spot several plot points coming, I found the writing and world-building to be so good that I didn't care that I knew the big reveals. I've already read book three...and may or may have already bought the rest of the books in this series.
They're that dang good.
Blog | Instagram
January 30, 2019
4 stars
I was complaining until 40% of the book, saying how this was not as good as the one before, because things weren't happening and I was getting bored. But then, after the 40% mark, it really picked up and I just couldn't put it down (and once again I stayed up late, finishing this book and now I'm regretting my life choices *sigh*).
I loved the characters (Keefe is right now my favorite) and we are getting to see more of the world.
A great second book, can't wait to get to the third one.
I was complaining until 40% of the book, saying how this was not as good as the one before, because things weren't happening and I was getting bored. But then, after the 40% mark, it really picked up and I just couldn't put it down (and once again I stayed up late, finishing this book and now I'm regretting my life choices *sigh*).
I loved the characters (Keefe is right now my favorite) and we are getting to see more of the world.
A great second book, can't wait to get to the third one.
October 23, 2022
Sing swan, Spring swan,
Then let's fly.
Follow the pretty bird across the sky.
Call Swan, Fall Swan,
Then let's rest.
Tucked in the branches of your quiet nest.
Five gleaming stars for the nostalgia of this series and for the selfless, amazing, hilarious, and beautiful Keefe Sencen, who you would never know constantly struggles with so much because he hides it so well and is so attentive to other people's problems all the time. He is perfect. Let's give him a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen.
Then let's fly.
Follow the pretty bird across the sky.
Call Swan, Fall Swan,
Then let's rest.
Tucked in the branches of your quiet nest.
Five gleaming stars for the nostalgia of this series and for the selfless, amazing, hilarious, and beautiful Keefe Sencen, who you would never know constantly struggles with so much because he hides it so well and is so attentive to other people's problems all the time. He is perfect. Let's give him a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen.
May 22, 2020
my favorite book of the series..
-Sophie finally realizing her roots, basically finding herself and jumpstarting the rest of the series
-Sophie figuring out she can teleport and heal broken minds
-the shot of limbium
-Sokeefe
-Fitz being an absolute jerk to her (his true colors showing...)
-So much other stuff I get giddy if I think about
THE COVER IS MY FAVORITE out of the rest of the series
(P.S. I'm still waiting for two of my favorite characters to pop up- quite apparent by my profile picture, as well as a certain ogre princess)
-Sophie finally realizing her roots, basically finding herself and jumpstarting the rest of the series
-Sophie figuring out she can teleport and heal broken minds
-the shot of limbium
-Sokeefe
-Fitz being an absolute jerk to her (his true colors showing...)
-So much other stuff I get giddy if I think about
THE COVER IS MY FAVORITE out of the rest of the series
(P.S. I'm still waiting for two of my favorite characters to pop up- quite apparent by my profile picture, as well as a certain ogre princess)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2016
March 6:
I haven't even read much of the second book yet, but I opened book 3 at random and found this on the first page I came to:
I just... I can't. That cheesy line... I immediately had to close the book. Well, there goes a little bit more of the already tiny amount of hope I had that these books would get better - apparently Sophie still has her life hack on and people are still telling her how amazing she is.
March 9:
Pffft! Okay... This scene of an episode I watched of Futurama today was too perfect for how I felt when I read this passage the same day.
March 13:
Well, finished it yesterday. I really was at the very least hoping to give it a two-star rating (and going by that pattern the third book might've actually ended up being decent), but... aside from just being entertaining the same way Twilight is so bad it's entertaining, I wasn't able to take away anything positive from this book. It didn't improve on anything from the first book except for it no longer being too obviously similar to Harry Potter. This series so far has just been a big amalgam of all the things I hate in a book series. And as promised in my status updates, I'll be breaking these things down into a (hopefully coherent) bullet-pointed list.
- Fluffy glitteryness. This is a problem I also had with the first book and hadn't got around to addressing in detail, but it's still relevant here: the atmosphere of this world is just too puke-inducingly tame and ideal. It's a world where no crime of any kind happens (usually), where death is an almost unheard-of occurrence, where everyone is a vegetarian (including the animals), where (if you're an elf) you live a very long time without having to worry about looking your age so long as you don't mind pointy ears, you get a cool ability that you don't really have to use for anything other than your own amusement (and you would never dream of misusing your power of course, because you're an elf and you don't commit crimes), and you're set for life financially from birth. This was the setup of the world Sophie is introduced to in the first book, a world that by its very foundation already significantly decreases the intensity factor of the series. In the beginning, I was willing to at least try to ignore how much this perfect dreamland setting irked me while reading this second book because, well, it's the second book and it's too late to change anything. But I still couldn't stop myself from snorting every time a sentence popped up describing how delicious a certain food was, saying it tasted 'of marshmallows and chocolate and a hint of something fruity.'
I do realize that it is not necessary for a book to be dark and gritty, and that this is technically a middle-grade book series (though I don't see that as an excuse... I mean even The Magic Tree House series had a sense of danger sometimes), but this was clearly written as a fantasy adventure series; it has a villain (somehow) and an ultimate goal, ergo the characters have to face trials and tribulations before the end. And when you've got characters who are as well off as they are here, I feel like the trials they face ought to be dangerous enough to compensate.
But Messenger settled for the bare minimum of conflict and misery to pit on our protagonist: embarrassment. As if this were a slice-of-life school story (*cough*like the first book). When characters aren't telling Sophie she's amazing or worrying about her safety or her feelings, they're making fun of her when she messes up her lessons or for her frequent trips to the doctor's or some such nonsense.
- Melodrama. This is going to tie in a bit with my first point, in that when Messenger isn't listing an entire spectrum of colors to describe things or coming up with names like AcheyBreak for all that medicine Elwin pours down Sophie's throat like lemonade, she's assuring the reader of how serious things actually are by making the threshold for consequences incredibly low. Meaning that characters never actually have to go through a lot to suffer. The biggest example of this would be 'guilt'; elves, it transpires, don't have the capacity to cope with guilt (which is why they don't commit murder). So when an elf does give in to guilt their state of mind literally shatters and they go insane - a full on disturbing type of insane that starkly contrasts with the otherwise glittery perfect world the elves inhabit. I feel like I should have liked this idea when it was introduced, given that I suppose it does (to some extent...) explain why the crime-rate among elves is low, but it just ended up making me laugh. The visit that Sophie and her foster parents pay to an elf who's succumbed to guilt was such a sudden shift in tone, so extreme an introduction, that it became comical to me.
Another example would be Sophie's constant visits to the doctor's. People tease her all the time about having a death wish, but it's not like her getting injured is ever subsequent to something risky she does - it's just because some things affect her more strongly. Like light. And when she does do something risky - after people tell her specifically not to - it ends up not affecting her that much at all.
No amount of pain that any character goes through felt earned. Messenger cheats her way out of having to do something too major by making the characters blow more minor things out of proportion. Like when something sad happens to one of the main characters, it didn't affect me in any way because, aside from the fact that I knew 100% that Sophie would be able to fix everything since that is literally what she was created for, other characters just kept tearing up about it. Every character. At the smallest provocation. In book 1 I'd grown to dislike Grady and Edaline for the same reason; I understand that they had lost their daughter and that no one else could empathize with them, but she'd been dead for 17 years already and their constant weeping for her got in the way of any real characterization for them.
- Plot. Or rather the lack thereof, at least for the first half of the book. I know the overarching plot of the entire series is supposed to be discovering Sophie's past and finding out more about the Black Swan and the people who kidnapped her, but it's hard to feel excited for any of that when a) we don't even know who the kidnappers are or what it is they're after, and b) the only member of the Black Swan we've seen so far is Mr. Forkle. Not to mention the fact that Sophie is not the one pushing the plot forward - she's just being led around by the Black Swan. And in regards to plot for this specific book... well I mean, there's a unicorn (sorry, alicorn) involved. And I guess this is a big deal as apparently this discovery will 'reset the timeline'. Except not once was it made clear what that even meant.
Don't even get me started on the non-science elves base their technology around. If Messenger had just decided to go the magic route - just state outright "this is magic!" - then I wouldn't question anything she comes up with. But the elves just keep giving bullshit answers to Sophie to explain the impossible things they do while at the same time not explaining anything. I mean exactly what am I supposed to take seriously when the same people who constantly talk about genetics and DNA tell me to throw everything I know about the logical and physical world (that clearly exists here!) and throw it out the window? Had the elf world been on an entirely different dimensional plane or reality or something I would buy their messed up physics, but they live on earth, with humans, who have apparently been perceiving the world and its laws entirely wrong, given that elves base their logic on laws that are completely contradictory.
- Sophie. Just... Sophie. Everything has to come back to her. I get it, she's the main character, but as I've said in my book 1 review, there's absolutely nothing about her as a person besides her hax abilities that makes her worth following as a protagonist, and she hardly does anything to further the plot on her own - she's a reactive character. Even worse than that, other characters seem only to be there to interact with her. Although unlike in the previous book, where I was jonesing for someone to give her a good smack for her stupidity, Sophie hadn't really done anything as offensive here, I couldn't help noticing how shallow and self-centered she could be sometimes - and I realize now that that's not at all surprising given that every other character's role when they get any page time is to obsess over her! These characters have no identity outside of their relation with Sophie. Now in a limited third-person narrative like this, it's understandable that the only time we'd ever see other characters is when they are actually interacting with or being observed by the protagonist - but it's still important that we feel like these characters actually do something with their time, important things even (plot-wise), when they're not with the protagonist. And I don't know about other readers but it never felt like that for me here; here, characters don't move unless Sophie makes a move. And Sophie can't make a move until the Black Swan makes a move. I'd sooner read this series if it was from the POV of the Black Swan! But instead we're treated to chapter after chapter of people worrying about Sophie, people comforting Sophie, people teasing Sophie, reprimanding Sophie, hugging Sophie, crying with Sophie, offering to help Sophie, keeping things from Sophie, Sophie Sophie Sophie.
And what makes all of this even more infuriating is that Sophie is constantly trying to push away the other characters when they come to help her! I understand what Messenger is trying to achieve here; we're supposed to admire Sophie for always pushing her friends away so that they aren't put in danger when they're with her. But personally, I can't stand it when a protagonist does this. Constantly trying to keep other, sometimes infinitely more interesting characters out of the actual plot in order to 'protect' them does not make me admire the main character, it makes me annoyed as hell. A main character who trusts their friends and works together with them are much more favorable and admirable in my opinion. I understand wanting to keep people close to you away from danger; but characters like Sophie never seem to realize that (for all her amazing powers) they are absolutely helpless on their own and the danger would be lessened by a lot if they would just let the other characters take the stage with them.
-And finally...
Just because I feel like nitpicking a little, here's a bunch of sentences that stood out to me as being the most painful examples (besides the ones I've already provided) of my earlier points - or that I just found plain stupid:
"We all think your talents are awesome."....
"I'd agree with you... but you're forgetting how remarkable Sophie is."
Oh my God yes, I get it already!
"He's not my father."
A father wouldn't refuse to help find her kidnappers.
Geez, Sophie, stop looking for every excuse to reject your foster parents. Obviously Grady has a backstory on why he refuses to help the Council.
"Sometimes it sounded like they were saying 'he's useless'."
"You're not useless, Dex."
"I was to them."
Wait, why the hell are you taking offense at your kidnappers calling you useless? You already knew they only wanted Sophie! "Oh man, I wasn't talented enough for them to use in their evil plans! I have such low self-esteem!"
If hearts could sink, Sophie's would have.
Huh...? Was this supposed to be your attempt at sounding original, Messenger? I guess a simple "Her heart sank" is too mainstream?
...which reminded her of a weeping willow - if weeping willows had red leaves and bloomed with thousands of purple flowers....
Brant pulled open the lid, pulled out a square purple puff that looked a bit like a colored marshmallow and took a bite. Pink juice dribbled down...
Yes yes I get it. Purple is your favorite color.
A delightful and dangerous adventure with complex characters and relationships you'll root for till the end of time.
To clarify, this was not a line in the book itself, just the blurb on the back. I added it because it struck me as hilariously ironic. The most ironic words being 'dangerous', 'complex characters', and 'relationships' (oh yes, like Fitz and Sophie, Keefe and Sophie, Dex and Sophie, Alden and Sophie, Sophie and her foster parents, and oh right Dame Alina and Alden - cause goodness knows that was important enough not to forget).
Siiiiggghhhh. Well, that's over and done with. Now time to go through all that agony once again in book 3; the last, hooray! Unless of course Messenger manages to pull something that'll magically make that fourth book look irresistible. If not, then I can finally move on to something (hopefully!) better.
I haven't even read much of the second book yet, but I opened book 3 at random and found this on the first page I came to:
"Stay calm" Kenric told her... "Whatever's happening you have the power within you to fix it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I've seen the wonders you work, Sophie. You just have to believe."
I just... I can't. That cheesy line... I immediately had to close the book. Well, there goes a little bit more of the already tiny amount of hope I had that these books would get better - apparently Sophie still has her life hack on and people are still telling her how amazing she is.
March 9:
"Where is this place?" she asked. "The center of the earth?"
"Exactly."
"You're serious?"
"I'm guessing humans taught you the earth's core was either a big pool of magma or a solid ball as hot as the sun."
..."Only elves would call tunneling to the center of the earth 'logical'."
"And only a girl raised by humans would think otherwise."
Pffft! Okay... This scene of an episode I watched of Futurama today was too perfect for how I felt when I read this passage the same day.
March 13:
Well, finished it yesterday. I really was at the very least hoping to give it a two-star rating (and going by that pattern the third book might've actually ended up being decent), but... aside from just being entertaining the same way Twilight is so bad it's entertaining, I wasn't able to take away anything positive from this book. It didn't improve on anything from the first book except for it no longer being too obviously similar to Harry Potter. This series so far has just been a big amalgam of all the things I hate in a book series. And as promised in my status updates, I'll be breaking these things down into a (hopefully coherent) bullet-pointed list.
- Fluffy glitteryness. This is a problem I also had with the first book and hadn't got around to addressing in detail, but it's still relevant here: the atmosphere of this world is just too puke-inducingly tame and ideal. It's a world where no crime of any kind happens (usually), where death is an almost unheard-of occurrence, where everyone is a vegetarian (including the animals), where (if you're an elf) you live a very long time without having to worry about looking your age so long as you don't mind pointy ears, you get a cool ability that you don't really have to use for anything other than your own amusement (and you would never dream of misusing your power of course, because you're an elf and you don't commit crimes), and you're set for life financially from birth. This was the setup of the world Sophie is introduced to in the first book, a world that by its very foundation already significantly decreases the intensity factor of the series. In the beginning, I was willing to at least try to ignore how much this perfect dreamland setting irked me while reading this second book because, well, it's the second book and it's too late to change anything. But I still couldn't stop myself from snorting every time a sentence popped up describing how delicious a certain food was, saying it tasted 'of marshmallows and chocolate and a hint of something fruity.'
I do realize that it is not necessary for a book to be dark and gritty, and that this is technically a middle-grade book series (though I don't see that as an excuse... I mean even The Magic Tree House series had a sense of danger sometimes), but this was clearly written as a fantasy adventure series; it has a villain (somehow) and an ultimate goal, ergo the characters have to face trials and tribulations before the end. And when you've got characters who are as well off as they are here, I feel like the trials they face ought to be dangerous enough to compensate.
But Messenger settled for the bare minimum of conflict and misery to pit on our protagonist: embarrassment. As if this were a slice-of-life school story (*cough*like the first book). When characters aren't telling Sophie she's amazing or worrying about her safety or her feelings, they're making fun of her when she messes up her lessons or for her frequent trips to the doctor's or some such nonsense.
"I can't be perfect at everything."No, of course not. Only when it comes to your plot armor, the one that resolves whatever legitimate danger or conflict there could possibly be.
- Melodrama. This is going to tie in a bit with my first point, in that when Messenger isn't listing an entire spectrum of colors to describe things or coming up with names like AcheyBreak for all that medicine Elwin pours down Sophie's throat like lemonade, she's assuring the reader of how serious things actually are by making the threshold for consequences incredibly low. Meaning that characters never actually have to go through a lot to suffer. The biggest example of this would be 'guilt'; elves, it transpires, don't have the capacity to cope with guilt (which is why they don't commit murder). So when an elf does give in to guilt their state of mind literally shatters and they go insane - a full on disturbing type of insane that starkly contrasts with the otherwise glittery perfect world the elves inhabit. I feel like I should have liked this idea when it was introduced, given that I suppose it does (to some extent...) explain why the crime-rate among elves is low, but it just ended up making me laugh. The visit that Sophie and her foster parents pay to an elf who's succumbed to guilt was such a sudden shift in tone, so extreme an introduction, that it became comical to me.
Another example would be Sophie's constant visits to the doctor's. People tease her all the time about having a death wish, but it's not like her getting injured is ever subsequent to something risky she does - it's just because some things affect her more strongly. Like light. And when she does do something risky - after people tell her specifically not to - it ends up not affecting her that much at all.
No amount of pain that any character goes through felt earned. Messenger cheats her way out of having to do something too major by making the characters blow more minor things out of proportion. Like when something sad happens to one of the main characters, it didn't affect me in any way because, aside from the fact that I knew 100% that Sophie would be able to fix everything since that is literally what she was created for, other characters just kept tearing up about it. Every character. At the smallest provocation. In book 1 I'd grown to dislike Grady and Edaline for the same reason; I understand that they had lost their daughter and that no one else could empathize with them, but she'd been dead for 17 years already and their constant weeping for her got in the way of any real characterization for them.
"I must say you're handling this very bravely. Alden would be so proud."No Sophie, that's not how it works. Different people cope with grief in different ways. Having every character even remotely affiliated with a tragedy get all choked up and puffy eyed does not make me feel the sorrow more, it just makes me exasperated. The closest Messenger got to making me feel real sympathy towards a character was in this sentence:
Would he?
Or would he think she cared less than the others who kept falling apart?
He smoothed his hair and gave her a weak smile. "It's one day at a time."You see, that's all that's needed. Aside from that answer he gave to Sophie's question of how he was coping, Alvar acted completely rationally and normally the rest of the time. Less is more. A character who is usually very cold and unfeeling trying to restrain an emotional outburst is a much more affecting scene than a character, who'd always get leaky-eyed at the mere mention of a lost friend or past mistake even before a tragedy, getting leaky-eyed again afterwards.
- Plot. Or rather the lack thereof, at least for the first half of the book. I know the overarching plot of the entire series is supposed to be discovering Sophie's past and finding out more about the Black Swan and the people who kidnapped her, but it's hard to feel excited for any of that when a) we don't even know who the kidnappers are or what it is they're after, and b) the only member of the Black Swan we've seen so far is Mr. Forkle. Not to mention the fact that Sophie is not the one pushing the plot forward - she's just being led around by the Black Swan. And in regards to plot for this specific book... well I mean, there's a unicorn (sorry, alicorn) involved. And I guess this is a big deal as apparently this discovery will 'reset the timeline'. Except not once was it made clear what that even meant.
"But I don't think she wants to be here."I don't know about other readers, but the sheer stupidity in elf logic frustrates me. As far as I could gather from the first book, the reason the elves have the Sanctuary is that they believe every creature in the world has a purpose they're meant to fulfill. Okay... maybe I could get by that, ignoring natural selection for a minute. But if you believe every creature has a unique purpose, how do you suppose they're going to act on those purposes after you've completely institutionalized them? I mean they literally force dinosaurs into becoming vegetarians... And they're so worried about an alicorn surviving on her own when clearly she's managed to do just fine without them.
Grady sighed. "None of the animals want to be here at first, Sophie. That's part of their rehabilitation."
"Then why do we do it to them?"
"You of all people should know how dangerous it is for animals in the wild. Predators. Pollution. Not to mention what would happen to a creature like Silveny if she were ever spotted by humans... The only way we can guarantee a creature's protection is to move them to our Sanctuary - and once they're here they like it."
Don't even get me started on the non-science elves base their technology around. If Messenger had just decided to go the magic route - just state outright "this is magic!" - then I wouldn't question anything she comes up with. But the elves just keep giving bullshit answers to Sophie to explain the impossible things they do while at the same time not explaining anything. I mean exactly what am I supposed to take seriously when the same people who constantly talk about genetics and DNA tell me to throw everything I know about the logical and physical world (that clearly exists here!) and throw it out the window? Had the elf world been on an entirely different dimensional plane or reality or something I would buy their messed up physics, but they live on earth, with humans, who have apparently been perceiving the world and its laws entirely wrong, given that elves base their logic on laws that are completely contradictory.
- Sophie. Just... Sophie. Everything has to come back to her. I get it, she's the main character, but as I've said in my book 1 review, there's absolutely nothing about her as a person besides her hax abilities that makes her worth following as a protagonist, and she hardly does anything to further the plot on her own - she's a reactive character. Even worse than that, other characters seem only to be there to interact with her. Although unlike in the previous book, where I was jonesing for someone to give her a good smack for her stupidity, Sophie hadn't really done anything as offensive here, I couldn't help noticing how shallow and self-centered she could be sometimes - and I realize now that that's not at all surprising given that every other character's role when they get any page time is to obsess over her! These characters have no identity outside of their relation with Sophie. Now in a limited third-person narrative like this, it's understandable that the only time we'd ever see other characters is when they are actually interacting with or being observed by the protagonist - but it's still important that we feel like these characters actually do something with their time, important things even (plot-wise), when they're not with the protagonist. And I don't know about other readers but it never felt like that for me here; here, characters don't move unless Sophie makes a move. And Sophie can't make a move until the Black Swan makes a move. I'd sooner read this series if it was from the POV of the Black Swan! But instead we're treated to chapter after chapter of people worrying about Sophie, people comforting Sophie, people teasing Sophie, reprimanding Sophie, hugging Sophie, crying with Sophie, offering to help Sophie, keeping things from Sophie, Sophie Sophie Sophie.
And what makes all of this even more infuriating is that Sophie is constantly trying to push away the other characters when they come to help her! I understand what Messenger is trying to achieve here; we're supposed to admire Sophie for always pushing her friends away so that they aren't put in danger when they're with her. But personally, I can't stand it when a protagonist does this. Constantly trying to keep other, sometimes infinitely more interesting characters out of the actual plot in order to 'protect' them does not make me admire the main character, it makes me annoyed as hell. A main character who trusts their friends and works together with them are much more favorable and admirable in my opinion. I understand wanting to keep people close to you away from danger; but characters like Sophie never seem to realize that (for all her amazing powers) they are absolutely helpless on their own and the danger would be lessened by a lot if they would just let the other characters take the stage with them.
-And finally...
Just because I feel like nitpicking a little, here's a bunch of sentences that stood out to me as being the most painful examples (besides the ones I've already provided) of my earlier points - or that I just found plain stupid:
"We all think your talents are awesome."....
"I'd agree with you... but you're forgetting how remarkable Sophie is."
Oh my God yes, I get it already!
"He's not my father."
A father wouldn't refuse to help find her kidnappers.
Geez, Sophie, stop looking for every excuse to reject your foster parents. Obviously Grady has a backstory on why he refuses to help the Council.
"Sometimes it sounded like they were saying 'he's useless'."
"You're not useless, Dex."
"I was to them."
Wait, why the hell are you taking offense at your kidnappers calling you useless? You already knew they only wanted Sophie! "Oh man, I wasn't talented enough for them to use in their evil plans! I have such low self-esteem!"
If hearts could sink, Sophie's would have.
Huh...? Was this supposed to be your attempt at sounding original, Messenger? I guess a simple "Her heart sank" is too mainstream?
...which reminded her of a weeping willow - if weeping willows had red leaves and bloomed with thousands of purple flowers....
Brant pulled open the lid, pulled out a square purple puff that looked a bit like a colored marshmallow and took a bite. Pink juice dribbled down...
Yes yes I get it. Purple is your favorite color.
A delightful and dangerous adventure with complex characters and relationships you'll root for till the end of time.
To clarify, this was not a line in the book itself, just the blurb on the back. I added it because it struck me as hilariously ironic. The most ironic words being 'dangerous', 'complex characters', and 'relationships' (oh yes, like Fitz and Sophie, Keefe and Sophie, Dex and Sophie, Alden and Sophie, Sophie and her foster parents, and oh right Dame Alina and Alden - cause goodness knows that was important enough not to forget).
Siiiiggghhhh. Well, that's over and done with. Now time to go through all that agony once again in book 3; the last, hooray! Unless of course Messenger manages to pull something that'll magically make that fourth book look irresistible. If not, then I can finally move on to something (hopefully!) better.
August 25, 2021
My head... hurts 🤯This series is soo unique and unlike anything I’ve read before.
Things I liked:
The characters were entertaining and wholesome. The first book didn’t give us much characterization (apart from Sophie) but we got to see much more of Fitz, Keefe, and Dex.
The Plot kept me wanting to read more and turn the pages. It was engaging and even though I usually prefer character-driven books, the author nailed it.
The overall story was beautiful, unique and I loved it.
Things I didn’t like:
The writing wasn’t great. Like at all. In fact, I’d say it was the worse part of the book.
This book could have done a whole lot better with more diversity. It was just too much of white straight people.
Things I liked:
The characters were entertaining and wholesome. The first book didn’t give us much characterization (apart from Sophie) but we got to see much more of Fitz, Keefe, and Dex.
The Plot kept me wanting to read more and turn the pages. It was engaging and even though I usually prefer character-driven books, the author nailed it.
The overall story was beautiful, unique and I loved it.
Things I didn’t like:
The writing wasn’t great. Like at all. In fact, I’d say it was the worse part of the book.
This book could have done a whole lot better with more diversity. It was just too much of white straight people.
November 3, 2024
Buddy read with Rue.
January 14, 2021
I LOVED IT AHHH
February 23, 2022
I just cannot handle my own obsession over this series. Holly shit. These books are SO addictive and I just want more and more and more. I love everything about this. 🖤✨ Except Fitz, cause he’s an arrogant prick that needs to die 😂
March 21, 2021
Definitely better than the first one, and Sophie being even more powerful is a wee bit more subtle here which I appreciate. She acts a bit less like a brat, which is good, and overall I like the plot better.
July 25, 2021
I read this for a middle grade fantasy vlog! https://youtu.be/0Daa8kHwbFw
These books are long but I just breeze right through them! I love the magic, the tween drama, the twists and turns (who ARE the Black Swan?), the magical school, the humor, the friendship.... Really great followup that I ate up like candy. I think this series would be great for young teens as it reads on the older end of middle grade.
These books are long but I just breeze right through them! I love the magic, the tween drama, the twists and turns (who ARE the Black Swan?), the magical school, the humor, the friendship.... Really great followup that I ate up like candy. I think this series would be great for young teens as it reads on the older end of middle grade.
January 19, 2023
Dieser Band war sogar noch besser als der erste😍 Eine spannende Geschichte über eine magisch-phantastische Welt voll liebenswerter Figuren und mit einer tollen Prota - Special Snowflake war noch nie so hinreißend🤗🤗
David Nathan spricht das Hörbuch super, es macht so Spaß zuzuhören.
Allerdings muss man bei den vielen Charakteren und Namen am Ball bleiben, deshalb geht's zügig weiter mit dem nächsten Teil🥰
David Nathan spricht das Hörbuch super, es macht so Spaß zuzuhören.
Allerdings muss man bei den vielen Charakteren und Namen am Ball bleiben, deshalb geht's zügig weiter mit dem nächsten Teil🥰
August 27, 2020
4.2/5 | This just in: The Lord of the Rings is a scam. Everything J.R.R. Tolkien told you was a lie (according to this book). Whole thing’s a ripoff, you see, of the resident Elflandia of this series.
This was very nearly a 5 star read! It was so enjoyable! Definitely has a 5 star cover.
Can I just mention…
“I’m guessing humans taught you the earth’s core was either a big pool of magma or a solid ball as hot as the sun.”
…really? Are you telling me my entire field of study is a lie? Gods this Elvin righteousness irritates me sometimes.
P L O T
You know, for a book with Keefe on the cover, the story was sorely lacking Keefe. He was nowhere for most of Exile and then suddenly everywhere in the last 100 or so pages.
Standard plot algorithm:
-Sophie does something magically impossible
-Everyone else basks in Sophie’s extraordinary magnificence
-Sophie collapses from the strain of said magical improbability
-Sophie is carried to the Healing Centre
-Everyone else cries their worries and woes over Sophie (except Keefe. He opts to take the piss out of her instead).
And scene. Over and over. It happened in Keeper of the Lost Cities and its continuing here. A very simplistic plot with slight variation this time round. Is it worth mentioning just how much I appreciated this slight variation?
I didn’t care much about the opening until Keefe arrived and made everything better. Love that dude. Anyway, we have the introduction of Buckbeak—er, Silveny. Who is Silveny, you may ask? Well, she’s this mystical, sparkly Glitter Butt alicorn that’s perfectly perfect and is the perfect pet for perfectly perfect Sophie. Honestly, I didn’t give a shit about the bloody alicorn; after 200 pages I was crying for Shannon Messenger to move ON!
On to better things, there was casual exposition here referring to the last book that worked nicely. They were subtle recaps spread throughout the book for the purpose of being effective reminders and I thought this was very successful!
I also really liked that the stakes were much higher here than in Keeper of the Lost Cities. Not everything was all sunshine and perfect Elvin rainbows; things actually went wrong with catastrophic consequences and the issues were not resolved within the next few chapters. The characters actually had to WORK to fix things. The story was surprisingly tragic, if anything, and was just so raw with emotion and accomplished in conveying a range of strong feelings from different characters – particularly Sophie. The time at which I read the sad parts I was in a foul mood, seeking some lighthearted middle grade to cheer me right up, but obviously didn’t get it and consequently almost cried a few times. I was unbelievably relieved with how the plot resolved! I do hope that the stakes remain high so that I can experience the fear I felt, the scale of emotions I felt, in future books. In other words: I hope someone dies or something because what’s a fantasy novel without the looming risk of perishing? A book that makes you feel things is obviously doing something right!
“They meant it as a joke, but…”
Sophie felt the same way when people teased her about being an inflictor – even when they were just having fun.”
This message. This hit home. It resonated with me on a personal level, being such an obscure, often overlooked problem that many people – people like me – really struggle with: jokes hurting you and you not being able to say anything about it because it’s just a joke. The fact that this was addressed makes me admire this series on a much deeper level.
Oh the advantages of having a younger lead; allows for a larger range of psychological problems to be addressed.
C H A R A C T E R S
I can’t say I’m too big on Sophie being this all-powerful entity that dwarfs everyone else around her—adults and children alike—in terms of capability.
“Hey, I can’t be perfect at everything,” Sophie retorted with a smile.
“True enough.”
Hmmmm—are you SURE about that? Could’ve fooled me. Like, how many powers is Sophie going to get? Book 2 and we’re up to, what, 5 times as many as everyone else? At this rate she’ll be looking at 15 powers by Nightfall!
Okay, sure, but, Shannon—whatever you do—PLEASE do not make Sophie a Mesmer! That’s legit the only special snowflake attribute she DOESN’T possess yet!
“Fitz shook his head. It always has to be you."
THANK YOU, FITZ! SOMEONE SAID IT!
I’m starting this new thing that I’ll put in every Keeper of the Lost Cities review from now on. I’m calling it my ‘List of Things Sophie Gets That No One Else Does Because She’s Special’:
Sophie gets to take elite classes, Sophie gets to study at the Silver Tower where typically only Sixth Year students learn, Sophie can harness this unheard of ‘brain push’ ability, Sophie is the only one to ever communicate with animals in Elvin history, Sophie gets three hot and talented guys pining after her, Sophie gets 4672846871 special powers – ya girl can fucking FLY, for Christ’s sake!
See, this is a shame seeing as, otherwise, Sophie is a really sweet, caring and genuine girl. I really wish she wasn’t portrayed as such a Mary Sue.
Onto other characters!
Keefe was great. He had a wicked sense of humour that, while at times was very much cringeworthy, somehow always managed to be charming! Slowly, but surely, I’m beginning to witness more sides to his character that don’t necessarily defy his lackadaisical demeanor but rather reinforces it in clever and meaningful ways. I can’t wait to see more from him!
Thank the Elvin Council that Fitz is FINALLY showing some character! Sure, he was a dick, but it was better than his previous cosmetic kindness! The dude’s fierce and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. His jealousy of Sophie was SO satisfying! He voiced his thoughts on how ridiculous it was how freaking flawless Sophie was! Everyone else commented on her remarkableness so seamlessly, so casually, as if it were totally rational to praise her constantly! He goes through a lot here and I can more than forgive his actions. I really hope he doesn’t revert to his archaic ways and continues to show some flaws and quirks instead.
I truly like Grady and Alden—both of whom are brilliant and believable father figures that make (mostly) wise decisions and would do just about anything for their families. I wish I could love Edaline too but legit all she does is cry. As much as I like Grady, Edaline got the short end of the stick; the disconnect in characterisation is abundantly clear.
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
On the topic of Foster’s foster parents:
“Slowly, gently, she pulled them into the light.”
The progression of Sophie’s relationship with Grady and Edaline makes me emotional because it’s just so beautiful! They all love each other so much and she completes them. Words can hardly describe.
Similarly: “The others could move on if they liked. She wasn’t giving up on him.”
Another absolutely precious relationship and the source of much of my grief with this book. Sophie cares so bloody much for Alden and I really am not sure about how I should handle it.
“Grady rubbed his temples. “So… Keefe Sencen?”
“What about him?”
“What about Dex?”
“What about Dex?”
Grady held out his hands. “Never mind.”
HaHAAA! You see, dear and oblivious parent-ish of Sophie’s, ‘tis a complicated matter. Also: you’re missing a dude.
“Lame. I vote for The Unstoppable Team Keefe! Or Team Foster-Keefe if you’re one of those egomaniacs who needs your name in there.”
ME TOO, KEEFE! These two may just be perfection. Their banter is super adorable at this point in time but what really draws me to this pairing is the sheer POTENTIAL! Whenever they interact, a million possibilities race through my head.
“Ooh, are we making Dex blush?” Marella asked as she grabbed the seat next to Dex. “That’s one of my favourite games.”
“Mine too,” Keefe said, snatching the seat on the other side of Sophie. “Though it’s also fun making Foster blush.”
Sophie felt her face get hot and he smirked at her.”
Like, what human being with a heart could possibly resist moments like that?
I’m honestly not really giving Fitz a fighting chance in this love triangle (yes, I said triangle because, let’s be real, Sophie will only ever consider Dex her best friend). I always did bomb at impartiality.
“Just like old times,” Fitz said sadly. “I used to sit right here, giving you a dose every hour, watching the bits of colour slowly return to your face and hoping you’d wake up.”
In all fairness, that was really sweet. I suppose I could be willing to see this pairing unfold as well.
My poor, lovely Keefe: your situation is horrible but your family is so damn fascinating! We’re only given little hints of his home life spread sporadically through the series and I am absolutely STARVED to know more about it! There are so many possibilities to this particular plot point/dynamic and it is delightfully mystifying. That is clever writing right there, Shannon, because I NEED THE WHOLE STORY.
… …
I have high hopes for the future of this series.
This was very nearly a 5 star read! It was so enjoyable! Definitely has a 5 star cover.
Can I just mention…
“I’m guessing humans taught you the earth’s core was either a big pool of magma or a solid ball as hot as the sun.”
…really? Are you telling me my entire field of study is a lie? Gods this Elvin righteousness irritates me sometimes.
P L O T
You know, for a book with Keefe on the cover, the story was sorely lacking Keefe. He was nowhere for most of Exile and then suddenly everywhere in the last 100 or so pages.
Standard plot algorithm:
-Sophie does something magically impossible
-Everyone else basks in Sophie’s extraordinary magnificence
-Sophie collapses from the strain of said magical improbability
-Sophie is carried to the Healing Centre
-Everyone else cries their worries and woes over Sophie (except Keefe. He opts to take the piss out of her instead).
And scene. Over and over. It happened in Keeper of the Lost Cities and its continuing here. A very simplistic plot with slight variation this time round. Is it worth mentioning just how much I appreciated this slight variation?
I didn’t care much about the opening until Keefe arrived and made everything better. Love that dude. Anyway, we have the introduction of Buckbeak—er, Silveny. Who is Silveny, you may ask? Well, she’s this mystical, sparkly Glitter Butt alicorn that’s perfectly perfect and is the perfect pet for perfectly perfect Sophie. Honestly, I didn’t give a shit about the bloody alicorn; after 200 pages I was crying for Shannon Messenger to move ON!
On to better things, there was casual exposition here referring to the last book that worked nicely. They were subtle recaps spread throughout the book for the purpose of being effective reminders and I thought this was very successful!
I also really liked that the stakes were much higher here than in Keeper of the Lost Cities. Not everything was all sunshine and perfect Elvin rainbows; things actually went wrong with catastrophic consequences and the issues were not resolved within the next few chapters. The characters actually had to WORK to fix things. The story was surprisingly tragic, if anything, and was just so raw with emotion and accomplished in conveying a range of strong feelings from different characters – particularly Sophie. The time at which I read the sad parts I was in a foul mood, seeking some lighthearted middle grade to cheer me right up, but obviously didn’t get it and consequently almost cried a few times. I was unbelievably relieved with how the plot resolved! I do hope that the stakes remain high so that I can experience the fear I felt, the scale of emotions I felt, in future books. In other words: I hope someone dies or something because what’s a fantasy novel without the looming risk of perishing? A book that makes you feel things is obviously doing something right!
“They meant it as a joke, but…”
Sophie felt the same way when people teased her about being an inflictor – even when they were just having fun.”
This message. This hit home. It resonated with me on a personal level, being such an obscure, often overlooked problem that many people – people like me – really struggle with: jokes hurting you and you not being able to say anything about it because it’s just a joke. The fact that this was addressed makes me admire this series on a much deeper level.
Oh the advantages of having a younger lead; allows for a larger range of psychological problems to be addressed.
C H A R A C T E R S
I can’t say I’m too big on Sophie being this all-powerful entity that dwarfs everyone else around her—adults and children alike—in terms of capability.
“Hey, I can’t be perfect at everything,” Sophie retorted with a smile.
“True enough.”
Hmmmm—are you SURE about that? Could’ve fooled me. Like, how many powers is Sophie going to get? Book 2 and we’re up to, what, 5 times as many as everyone else? At this rate she’ll be looking at 15 powers by Nightfall!
Okay, sure, but, Shannon—whatever you do—PLEASE do not make Sophie a Mesmer! That’s legit the only special snowflake attribute she DOESN’T possess yet!
“Fitz shook his head. It always has to be you."
THANK YOU, FITZ! SOMEONE SAID IT!
I’m starting this new thing that I’ll put in every Keeper of the Lost Cities review from now on. I’m calling it my ‘List of Things Sophie Gets That No One Else Does Because She’s Special’:
Sophie gets to take elite classes, Sophie gets to study at the Silver Tower where typically only Sixth Year students learn, Sophie can harness this unheard of ‘brain push’ ability, Sophie is the only one to ever communicate with animals in Elvin history, Sophie gets three hot and talented guys pining after her, Sophie gets 4672846871 special powers – ya girl can fucking FLY, for Christ’s sake!
See, this is a shame seeing as, otherwise, Sophie is a really sweet, caring and genuine girl. I really wish she wasn’t portrayed as such a Mary Sue.
Onto other characters!
Keefe was great. He had a wicked sense of humour that, while at times was very much cringeworthy, somehow always managed to be charming! Slowly, but surely, I’m beginning to witness more sides to his character that don’t necessarily defy his lackadaisical demeanor but rather reinforces it in clever and meaningful ways. I can’t wait to see more from him!
Thank the Elvin Council that Fitz is FINALLY showing some character! Sure, he was a dick, but it was better than his previous cosmetic kindness! The dude’s fierce and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. His jealousy of Sophie was SO satisfying! He voiced his thoughts on how ridiculous it was how freaking flawless Sophie was! Everyone else commented on her remarkableness so seamlessly, so casually, as if it were totally rational to praise her constantly! He goes through a lot here and I can more than forgive his actions. I really hope he doesn’t revert to his archaic ways and continues to show some flaws and quirks instead.
I truly like Grady and Alden—both of whom are brilliant and believable father figures that make (mostly) wise decisions and would do just about anything for their families. I wish I could love Edaline too but legit all she does is cry. As much as I like Grady, Edaline got the short end of the stick; the disconnect in characterisation is abundantly clear.
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
On the topic of Foster’s foster parents:
“Slowly, gently, she pulled them into the light.”
The progression of Sophie’s relationship with Grady and Edaline makes me emotional because it’s just so beautiful! They all love each other so much and she completes them. Words can hardly describe.
Similarly: “The others could move on if they liked. She wasn’t giving up on him.”
Another absolutely precious relationship and the source of much of my grief with this book. Sophie cares so bloody much for Alden and I really am not sure about how I should handle it.
“Grady rubbed his temples. “So… Keefe Sencen?”
“What about him?”
“What about Dex?”
“What about Dex?”
Grady held out his hands. “Never mind.”
HaHAAA! You see, dear and oblivious parent-ish of Sophie’s, ‘tis a complicated matter. Also: you’re missing a dude.
“Lame. I vote for The Unstoppable Team Keefe! Or Team Foster-Keefe if you’re one of those egomaniacs who needs your name in there.”
ME TOO, KEEFE! These two may just be perfection. Their banter is super adorable at this point in time but what really draws me to this pairing is the sheer POTENTIAL! Whenever they interact, a million possibilities race through my head.
“Ooh, are we making Dex blush?” Marella asked as she grabbed the seat next to Dex. “That’s one of my favourite games.”
“Mine too,” Keefe said, snatching the seat on the other side of Sophie. “Though it’s also fun making Foster blush.”
Sophie felt her face get hot and he smirked at her.”
Like, what human being with a heart could possibly resist moments like that?
I’m honestly not really giving Fitz a fighting chance in this love triangle (yes, I said triangle because, let’s be real, Sophie will only ever consider Dex her best friend). I always did bomb at impartiality.
“Just like old times,” Fitz said sadly. “I used to sit right here, giving you a dose every hour, watching the bits of colour slowly return to your face and hoping you’d wake up.”
In all fairness, that was really sweet. I suppose I could be willing to see this pairing unfold as well.
My poor, lovely Keefe: your situation is horrible but your family is so damn fascinating! We’re only given little hints of his home life spread sporadically through the series and I am absolutely STARVED to know more about it! There are so many possibilities to this particular plot point/dynamic and it is delightfully mystifying. That is clever writing right there, Shannon, because I NEED THE WHOLE STORY.
… …
I have high hopes for the future of this series.
October 8, 2013
Hey, can this come out, like, NOW, please?... Because I want it. NOW. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
READ:
Okay, so I literally JUST finished it. AND finished reading the Acknowledgements, of course, because I'm just one of THOSE people.
And...
O...M...G...
I've never wanted to avoid finishing a book this bad. EVER. I WAS CRYING FOR IT NOT TO END.
Usually my fangirling and *dies* suffices, but I can't even try for this review, considering even I CAN'T. Doesn't cover it.
I REALLY Can't. I just.
Okay... *Deep breath*
This book... One word... Keefe...
Can I haz him?!
I want my own personal Keefe to talk to. I can't even describe. In the first book, in those rare, wonderful moments he was in the book, I hung onto every word and swooned uncontrollably. But this book?
KEEFE WAS EVERYWHERE.
It was like a dream come true. Sighhh...
If he doesn't end up with Sophie I'm going to explode.
Sophie is exceptional in this book. Like seriously, she's fabulous. SO MANY trials and troubles and she handled them in ways I didn't even expect: I guess I underestimated Sophie Foster a bit.
Never again shall I!
Dex was... Well, I felt like every part he was in he was just getting in the way of team FOSTER-KEEFE love boat, but, you know...
AND FITZ.
WHAT THE.
He got on my nerves! I was always deciding between Keefe or Fitz for my 'team' (Because I don't SHIP the Dophie (Dex & Sophie)), but this book decided it. I can completely understand his motives, and I still LOVE Fitz, but... Keefe is the only one.
Yep.
Yep.
The plot was intense. It was interesting and fast paces and everything I was hoping for. The characters relationships all became deeper, and the story grew into something MORE.
SO.
MUCH.
MORE.
Silveny is my favorite Alicorn, ever. Even though I've never read about or seen another one, but if I had, SHE'D still be my favorite, I'm sure. I totally have a miniature 'Glitter Butt' sitting on my shoulder, along with a mini Keefe.
AW. A MINI KEEFE. HOW CUTE WOULD THAT BE RIGHT?!
But really.
I loved this book.
I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT FOREVER.
I will now have to hide until the next book that comes out... Oh yeah, A YEAR FROM NOW.
Thanks, Shannon Messenger for writing too fantastical, brilliant books that make me extremely happy and then ruin my life when their over.
THANKS.
REALLY.
I will now sing Shannon Messengers theme song:
TROLOLOLOLOL
Because I think she just likes plotting all of the ways to make us suffer more.
CURSE YOU!
*Swishes cloak and vanishes*
Poof.
*That was the dramatic POOF of smoke. In case you couldn't tell.*
READ:
Okay, so I literally JUST finished it. AND finished reading the Acknowledgements, of course, because I'm just one of THOSE people.
And...
O...M...G...
I've never wanted to avoid finishing a book this bad. EVER. I WAS CRYING FOR IT NOT TO END.
Usually my fangirling and *dies* suffices, but I can't even try for this review, considering even I CAN'T. Doesn't cover it.
I REALLY Can't. I just.
Okay... *Deep breath*
This book... One word... Keefe...
Can I haz him?!
I want my own personal Keefe to talk to. I can't even describe. In the first book, in those rare, wonderful moments he was in the book, I hung onto every word and swooned uncontrollably. But this book?
KEEFE WAS EVERYWHERE.
It was like a dream come true. Sighhh...
If he doesn't end up with Sophie I'm going to explode.
Sophie is exceptional in this book. Like seriously, she's fabulous. SO MANY trials and troubles and she handled them in ways I didn't even expect: I guess I underestimated Sophie Foster a bit.
Never again shall I!
Dex was... Well, I felt like every part he was in he was just getting in the way of team FOSTER-KEEFE love boat, but, you know...
AND FITZ.
WHAT THE.
He got on my nerves! I was always deciding between Keefe or Fitz for my 'team' (Because I don't SHIP the Dophie (Dex & Sophie)), but this book decided it. I can completely understand his motives, and I still LOVE Fitz, but... Keefe is the only one.
Yep.
Yep.
The plot was intense. It was interesting and fast paces and everything I was hoping for. The characters relationships all became deeper, and the story grew into something MORE.
SO.
MUCH.
MORE.
Silveny is my favorite Alicorn, ever. Even though I've never read about or seen another one, but if I had, SHE'D still be my favorite, I'm sure. I totally have a miniature 'Glitter Butt' sitting on my shoulder, along with a mini Keefe.
AW. A MINI KEEFE. HOW CUTE WOULD THAT BE RIGHT?!
But really.
I loved this book.
I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT FOREVER.
I will now have to hide until the next book that comes out... Oh yeah, A YEAR FROM NOW.
Thanks, Shannon Messenger for writing too fantastical, brilliant books that make me extremely happy and then ruin my life when their over.
THANKS.
REALLY.
I will now sing Shannon Messengers theme song:
TROLOLOLOLOL
Because I think she just likes plotting all of the ways to make us suffer more.
CURSE YOU!
*Swishes cloak and vanishes*
Poof.
*That was the dramatic POOF of smoke. In case you couldn't tell.*
May 29, 2021
did i spend $150+ on this series? yes. do I regret it? nope
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