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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Oh, loved reading this book, I loved the concept, and the story was just so good!
The book is too slow. I'm not super interested in continuing. I don't have a connection with any character.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley but these are my opinions.
When Is tarted this book I did not realise this book has multiple parts. So I went into this book with a different expectations than I left with when I finished this book. That could have been a me thing for not reading the complete summary.
In my head I have compared this book to Gideon the Ninth but instead of space it is set in a fantasy world. Which I would say is my personal preference.
The world building in this book is a quick yet so clear you are complete sucked into it. Seeing as this is a YA book is always a plus because then at least it moves quickly.
The writing in this book is beautifully done and it truly sticks to the plot without unnecessary side quests which is a person pet peeve of mine.
This book may not have been a person favorite but I can see myself recommending this book to people who want to start reading YA fantasy
When Is tarted this book I did not realise this book has multiple parts. So I went into this book with a different expectations than I left with when I finished this book. That could have been a me thing for not reading the complete summary.
In my head I have compared this book to Gideon the Ninth but instead of space it is set in a fantasy world. Which I would say is my personal preference.
The world building in this book is a quick yet so clear you are complete sucked into it. Seeing as this is a YA book is always a plus because then at least it moves quickly.
The writing in this book is beautifully done and it truly sticks to the plot without unnecessary side quests which is a person pet peeve of mine.
This book may not have been a person favorite but I can see myself recommending this book to people who want to start reading YA fantasy
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.
This is a nice book, I liked the found family. But my gosh are most of the characters idiots. The magic system is interesting and I had hoped we could delve into it deeper.
This is a nice book, I liked the found family. But my gosh are most of the characters idiots. The magic system is interesting and I had hoped we could delve into it deeper.
After reading this for over 3 weeks, I got tires of the slow pace. It had a unique set up but it was sooo slow
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for this eARC!
It's the Three Musketeers but the musketeers are immortal magical warriors battling undead spirits! (And yes I am here for it).
I will have to say that the pacing is a bit slow in the beginning but picks up throughout the book. By the last third, you will not be able to put the book down as Rogers amps the tension up. I will say that some of the twists of the book were fairly obvious but I don't think it takes away from the overall story, it just lends some dramatic irony.
Charlotte and Luc were great main characters and I like that the 'romance' between them was more complicated than you typically see in a book like this.
There were great themes of battling the darkness within yourself and choosing to be a better person.
I really enjoyed the world and the magic system. However, the magic system and two main religions were super vague and not well defined which was disappointing.
Overall, if magical Three Musketeers sounds up your alley, I'd give this a try because it is a fun but introspective read.
It's the Three Musketeers but the musketeers are immortal magical warriors battling undead spirits! (And yes I am here for it).
I will have to say that the pacing is a bit slow in the beginning but picks up throughout the book. By the last third, you will not be able to put the book down as Rogers amps the tension up. I will say that some of the twists of the book were fairly obvious but I don't think it takes away from the overall story, it just lends some dramatic irony.
Charlotte and Luc were great main characters and I like that the 'romance' between them was more complicated than you typically see in a book like this.
There were great themes of battling the darkness within yourself and choosing to be a better person.
I really enjoyed the world and the magic system. However, the magic system and two main religions were super vague and not well defined which was disappointing.
Overall, if magical Three Musketeers sounds up your alley, I'd give this a try because it is a fun but introspective read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen, in exchange for an honest review.
In her YA fantasy debut, Lady of Steel and Shadow, Erica Ivy Rodgers wrote a swashbuckling and captivating story inspired by the Three Musketeers. This brisk-paced adventurous novel follows two protagonists (and POV characters) whose stories and fates are intertwined: the feisty Lady Charlotte Sand and the pious but tormented (those things tend to go hand in hand) Captain Luc de Montaigne.
Both Charlotte and Luc are interesting and (more importantly for me) flawed characters and I enjoyed discovering more about them, the world they inhabit and seeing how they develop. Charlotte as a character was particularly interesting to follow. She was not portrayed as this perfectly capable infallible heroine, but (true to her age in the novel) as a young woman who is starting her life journey. Like almost every person her age, she has strong convictions and firm ideas about how the world is supposed to be, she can be impulsive and makes mistakes... This made following her journey relatable and interesting.
Luc's character development was equally intriguing to follow, despite some predictabilities in the themes there which did not bother me. His struggles and anguish regarding his past, faith, choices and actions he made in addition to his attraction to Charlotte were well written and captured the reader's attention.
Regarding the fantasy world and setting the author created, the inspiration from The Musketeers and 17th-century France is there, however, the author brings her ideas and imagination to the story and creates a fascinating world. However, the author chose not to burden the readers with a lot of details about the world, its history or the magic system. Keeping in mind the target audience - younger readers who might just be dipping their toes into the SFF genre, this is not something I would hold against the author.
Lady of Steel and Straw was a gripping and enjoyable novel that would be a good fit for (younger) readers who are making their foray into the SFF genre. The story and the characters are engrossing enough to keep the readers interested and more. However, by not providing huge amounts of lore the author managed to keep the pace and avoided overburdening the novel and her readers with lore and (other) details that would undeniably be interesting, but perhaps mess up the novel's pace.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Violence