Cover Image: Wind and Glass, Fire and Stone

Wind and Glass, Fire and Stone

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I didn't know that this was an omnibus/ bind up, so it was way too long. I hard a hard time getting into the story/ being immersed. The writing was too flowery. I thought this was more YA which is supposed to be a faster type of writing. This may have worked if it was more of an adult fantasy (which I generally don't read because I don't have the patience for it).

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The cover needs some work, not going to lie. HOWEVER,

this book/series is such a great read. It is kickass, and magical. Loved it

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I really liked the idea of this story, but as I was reading it I felt like I’d read this before. There was nothing new and exciting to keep me going. I’m sorry but I did not finish this book.

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Well, let me just ask one thing. Why? I mean, do you see the Divergent trilogy set into one book? No, so why did the Rayne trilogy need to be the one trilogy set that did? Not only did I feel confused but I didn't get the satisfaction of reading multiple books, or of having to physically wait or change books to get over a cliffhanger. I found the fact that the trilogy was set into one book made everything rather anti-climatic, as once a problem was presented as a cliffhanger, it was resolved immediately. I am still also wondering about the title. Why name only four out of ten of the abilities, and even then why not just name it Luminescence or something similar?

Aside from this really weird decision, I was also rather left wanting from 'Wind and Glass, Fire and Stone'. I found the fight seems seemed to lack punch and everything seemed to move quickly and jump from person to person. I felt that should the characters have been more explored, then I might have been more empathetic. I just found myself approached by a series that seemed to be a cross-over between Divergent and Delerium. Needless to say, I wasn't too impressed.

I cannot honestly say that I would recommend this book to anyone. I was left disappointed and unsatisfied. If read separately, the effect may be different but I am afraid to say that this book was not one that made me enjoy reading.

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This book reminded me of The Hunger Games and the Divergent trilogies. Starting with a seemingly perfect world where all is peace and cooperation. Rayne, a 16 year old who has not come into her powers through the Luminescence, all of a sudden develops not one, but all ten powers her civilization knows of. When she finds herself in the Othersphere she learns of the lies she has been fed and seeks to free her civilization from the lies and her new friends from their necessity to hide. This was a long book, because the entire trilogy was put in one file. However, it was enjoyable all the way through and reminded me of some of my favorite YA books.

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In a utopian society where war and murder are mere historical concepts, Rayne isn’t the average 17 year old. To everyone in her colony, she’s less. In the early hours of their second birthday, the Homo praestans experience the Luminescence and awaken to a mystical ability. But the Luminescence never came to Rayne that night.

On her 17th birthday, she awakens from a night which she never should have experienced. Desperate to learn why this is happening to her 15 years late, she soon realizes the answers lie east, in the capitol. If anyone has the answers, the ten councilors of the Pax-Atlanticus Realm will.

An adventurous detour reveals a land destroyed by war and nuclear fallout, and Rayne soon learns that everything she knew about the world and the Ancients is a lie. She encounters a species supposed to be extinct, and in this scorched, desert land, void of the sun and rain, she learns the source of her abilities and the malevolent purpose behind them. It is also where she learns there are other teenagers out there who are just like her.

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This book is a combination of all parts of the story that were published separately. I was drawn to this book by the cover and the description of the story. I enjoyed following Rayne's adventure but felt it was a bit repetitive at times. Overall it was enjoyable.

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I tried hard to get into this book! The same idea as most books of this genre....boring! Latin....um no! Although the world was amazing n the characters had promise, I jus couldn't finish! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

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This book was originally published in four parts and it does not appear that it was re-edited to be one cohesive book. That presents a small problem in that it could have been somewhat shorter and had less repetition with a little editing. However, the story itself is interesting and unique. The author has taken a chance in writing a culture that is quite different from what we know today while keeping in just enough that we recognize our world. I very much enjoyed it.

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When I started this book I did not know it was a bindup of the whole trilogy. When I found out I just started book 2. After I finished book 2 I decided to stop reading.
Mainly because I was not enjoying myself. This story is written so often, it gave me Divergent/ Hungergames/ Delirium vibes. This and me disliking the main character (and the other characters), made me decide to stop.
This book is about Rayne, who is the only 16-year old without any powers. When she wakes up on her 17th birthday she finds out she now has power, way more than all the people around her. And this is kinda where my struggles started, it was really badly explained what her powers are. Which should not be a problem, if you could understand out of the action, but I could not. Not understanding her powers made it harder to understand the action scenes.
Also there were quite some action scenes, but they felt all over the place. I could not understand what was happening, who was who, and how it connected to 'big plot'.
Since after book 2 I was still not liking/ understanding the story, it was enough for me.

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The entire concept of a utopia - in a category rife with dystopia - drew me to this book immediately. A young girl, ridiculed, and outcast because of societal standards, suddenly surpasses them all, and shes curious. A quality that is realistic in retrospect. The entire novel continues to develop with action and suspense, with non-predictability woven throughout.

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I loved this book so so much. I was on the edge of my seat and I ignored the real world while I read this book. I just had to know what was going to happen to Rayne and all the rest of them. The author built an amazing world full of so much amazingness.
This was such an empowering book that reminded me that age abs gender have no bearing on you ability to change your world for the better.
I highly recommend this book.

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I received a copy of Wind and Glass, Fire and Stone from Netgalley. I thought that the idea of a new human species with superpowers sounded fascinating and I was intrigued to see how a girl who would not get these superpowers at the same age as everyone else would go through life.

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I thought that the different superpowers were fascinating. I think that I would have most enjoyed have the superpower to support plant life. It was also very interesting to see how these superpowers were treated in different contexts.

The character development was well-done. Rayne's motives and actions are clearly detailed. She is different to the other people in her colony not just due to the Luminescence not coming to her, but due to her being adopted. I myself would have preferred a bit more depth when it came to the other nine people that Rayne trains with at the Capitol as well as some of the other major characters.

I enjoyed reading how different people reacted to the political upheaval, and how it was shown that sometimes people will not change. I think the reader can find similarities with the real world.

What bothered me was that the standard language for the new human species was Latin. Why Latin? Why was one language chosen above any others, if all the humans could understand all the languages in the world? Where was the necessity for creating a standard language?

Something else that quite bothered me is that they insinuate that the evil Homo Sapiens are evil due to them being crazy as they are the descendants of dangerous prisoners - this is ridiculous, and ableism. I could understand if the evilness of the Homo Sapiens was explained by the surroundings they grew up in - which is done later on - but blaming it on the fact that all dangerous prisoners are mentally ill (which is wrong) and that thus all their descendants are is incorrect.

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Wind and Glass, Fire and Stone had an incredible plot. I couldn't stop reading. I wish that there had been more character development for the major characters other than Rayne.

Trigger warnings: gore/violence, ableism, murder.

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The summary of this book makes it sound exactly like something I'd enjoy. Sadly, I just couldn't get into it. The language is very formal and stuff, especially in the dialogue - who begs forgiveness for their absence when they're going to get food to give the other person? I know it was supposed to sound Latin-ish, but it just kept pushing me out of the story. DNF at 26%.

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