First off
Overall Review
Keeper
Exile
Everblaze
Neverseen
Nightfall
Flashback
Legacy
Characters
Pairings
Important[]
This review was created by Ripplefluffy the RainWing.
Please do not edit this page without explicit permission from me. If you notice anything I might have misspelled, misphrased or miswritten, notify me and seek my approval before editing.
A recap of the general rules: This review is based off my own opinion. You may have a different view on the reviewed series, but that does not justify any arguing or bashing, as those could be viewed as rude or hurtful. Remember to stay respectful and civil.
Introduction[]
Hello! I’ll be reviewing the book series Keeper of the Lost Cities on this page.
So I’ll just give you guys a quick intro on my experience with the books. I started KotLC in 2015 and have been a (mostly) loyal reader/follower since then. I originally shipped Dexphie and Tiana (that’s all I remember), then I switched to Sophitz, Tiana, Darella, then Sokeefe, Tiana, Darella, and now I ship Marellinh, Kam, Sophitz and I multiship Stiana and Sophiana.
I was pretty young when I first started reading the series, and it quickly became one of my favorites, but after rereading it and also exchanging opinions with other people, I have seen some flaws in the books and I’d like to share my thoughts in this review.
Anyway, I hope you like it! (Though it’s just a review lol.)
TBD
Overall Review[]
5/5 stars
This was the first book, and probably the most simple and organized one. In this book, Sophie had to get used to a completely unfamiliar world where everything she knew is a lie, and feel like she belongs in it. It is similar to Harry Potter, but all so much harder in the sense that a) she did love her family from before, the Lost Cities wasn’t the ideal “escape”. Unlike Harry, Sophie broke down when she left the parents that had raised her b) The elves don’t have a “summer vacation” where they all become humans. They’re elves and it’s a whole new world (yeah I got the ref, but didn’t watch Aladdin) to Sophie, a world that she pretty much can’t escape. The ending was so heartwarming, and unlike the others in the series, this book was simply about a lost, broken girl finding her place and purpose in an unfamiliar place <3<3<3 It’s the most relatable of all the books. A definite 5 stars.
Characters[]
I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of all characters in this book—especially Sophie. In this book, she’s not the so-imperfectly-perfect-it’s-sick girl who’s overpowered, has a lot of stress and guilt and anxiety, often neglects and is ungrateful for her friends and has a bunch of lovesick boys (lol BlackPink ref—) chasing after her. Book 1 Sophie is real. Relatable. She has actual, real flaws. She had to suffer the pain of loss and the hardships of being alone in a completely unfamiliar world, and she got through it all—that’s admirable.
Apart from Sophie, we also saw some Biana development. Actually, most of Biana’s character development happened in this book, which is another reason why I enjoyed it in particular.
Overall Review[]
4.5/5 stars
Another pretty innocent book tbh. Towards the end of the series all these plots are getting jumbled and dumped, and that sorta drains its points:/ Exile was pretty good with the Fitz arguments, because arguments are unavoidable and all three of them (Sophie, Biana, Fitz) took something away from it. That’s a real story. I’d give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Characters[]
Okay, loved that Fitz/Biana/Sophie development. Sure, it wasn’t anything too big (okay, sorry for yeeting you to the side, Alden—), but the characters and their actions/feelings speak louder than the plot. I mean, do we, as normal people going about their everyday lives, encounter mind breaks and fires and secretly evil fiancées? No. But why is Exile so—again—relatable? I’d say it’s the characters who sort of resonate with me. Especially since I’ve been in Sophie’s shoes before—a friend getting mad at me for not being able to do more during...some misunderstanding, to sum it up. I felt—really felt—Sophie’s emotions and revelations throughout the entire book. And that was the highlight of Exile for me.
*bows* Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk~
Overall Review[]
4/5 stars
Not much to say, but the Brant plot twist was pretty cool. Also at the end when Sophie was leaving for the Black Swan, I got REALLY hyped up XD. This is also an unpopular opinion but Kenric’s death made it a lot better. Now don’t yell at me—he’s a great character, but that’s what also made him the best choice to kill off. I’m grateful Shannon got that one right. His death contributed immensely to the plot. Because of that (okay, I sound so coldhearted, sorry y’all), I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Overall Review[]
5/5 stars
Personally, I loved Alluveterre and Sophie’s time with the Black Swan. And the well-paced Fitzphie in it, and the argument with Keefe, it all felt pretty realistic. Calla’s sacrifice was touching (and pretty much the only death in the series apart from Kenric 🙄), but I didn’t cry when Keefe joined the Neverseen because a) I’m not a crier, I rarely cry b) I don’t really like Keefe tbh c) I knew it was to be a double agent, duh xD
You could say Neverseen was my favorite book. It had romance but not too much romance, a plot twist and another plot twist and realistic characters. 5 out of 5.
TBD because I forgot to write a review for this *facewall*
Overall Review[]
4/5 stars
I liked the “the dawn star rises at nightfall” phrase and how it wove in together with the plot. Apart from that, it was okay. The Dexphie rejection was sad (I used to ship it), but hey! We got our first kiss in the series! This book opened up a lot of new plots though, and while that may be good, it’s definitely not benefiting the series much. 4 out of 5.
Biana[]
She was raised to be the pretty, fragile Vacker girl, a simple shell of beauty. That must've given her so much stress and conflict on her inner self. Nevertheless, she's so strong, brave and loyal——pushing aside her own insecurities to help Sophie and the rest of the crew, nearly sacrificing herself for them, deciding to show her scars—facing her fears—instead of hiding from them. Her development is obvious: From the snobby, prejudiced Foxfire princess at the beginning of book 1 to the confident, diligent, loyal friend in Legacy, she’s gone through a lot of character development and that’s what makes her realistic and relatable. Her story touched my heart, and while she may not be too important to the plot, her character is a strong and well developed one.
Although despite how much I admire Biana, I agree that her death at the end of Nightfall could’ve sufficiently contributed to the plot line. See this blog for further elaboration.
Tam[]
What is there to say? Kam! And I love how he's devoted to protecting Linh. He may seem surly and wary on the outside, but he's actually a huge, soft, fluffy cinnamon roll #NotJustAHeadCanon. He's also a loyal, caring friend who stands fiercely by his beliefs, and will fight alongside his companions no matter what.
Tam went through a lot of character development as well, mostly to do with trust. He himself has gone through the storms and tornadoes of life, but in the end he stayed strong. Dealt with the pain a different way. He still opened up enough to accept the Keeper crew though, and in my opinion, their relationship is very special.
I also relate to Tam in a way. People say I’m often distant with strangers, though I’m the opposite when around people I trust.
Linh[]
A cinnamon roll for sure. But she's also pretty well developed. Shannon focuses on her struggles with her ability, and I really loved how she managed to come into control of the water, and accept it as part of her. Her spirit isn’t easily broken, and she always puts others’ needs in front of her own. She has a really amazing story about overcoming oneself’s self struggles and loving oneself for who one is.
I relate to Linh the most out of all the characters (well, tied with Biana and maybe Tam). I often feel like I’m the one who has to keep my friends optimistic and pull them out of the depression hole.
Fitz[]
TBD
Marella[]
TBD
Dex[]
TBD
Stina[]
TBD
Sophie[]
Keefe[]
TBD
