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khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Child abuse
loudaslions's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I found it a bit hard to get into at first, simply because it was a bit difficult for me to process all the world-building that is established in the first few chapters.
However, as I got to know the characters, I fell in love with them. I was compelled by every side character and story in this world Smith has stitched to the side of the Prohibition era US. The narration is written a way that is so real and allowed me to empathize with the characters very well.
The plot was compelling, and I found myself never knowing what would happen next. I had a lot of fun reading it!
However, as I got to know the characters, I fell in love with them. I was compelled by every side character and story in this world Smith has stitched to the side of the Prohibition era US. The narration is written a way that is so real and allowed me to empathize with the characters very well.
The plot was compelling, and I found myself never knowing what would happen next. I had a lot of fun reading it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
thenonmouse's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Stalking, Sexism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Religious bigotry, Police brutality, and Vomit
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
meganmsmart's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I feel like if Jamison had been left out entirely and the story was reworked into a psychological horror/thriller novel, it would have made the book so much more interesting. I didn't feel any chemistry between Luxe and Jamison and he had very little impact on the overall plot.
I thought the magic system was very interesting, with the different ideas and checks and balances. However I felt the book was a letdown on the 1920s prohibition era atmosphere. The prohibition was just a plot device, and other than very occasional slang, the way people spoke didn't sound out of place with modern day. While I love sapphic characters and rep, one of the side characters openly entering a wlw relationship I doubt would just be laughed off and thought of as cute? Inserting 2020s considerably more open acceptance into a novel set a century ago just makes it feel like the time period was picked for aesthetics and as a plot initiator, without any actual care for the ideals and perspectives prevalent at the time.
I kept going and finished because it was vaguely enjoyable, but overall just feel let down by the wasted concept. With Jamison removed and the genre tweaked, I think it could be a much stronger story and cut out at least 100 unneeded pages.
I thought the magic system was very interesting, with the different ideas and checks and balances. However I felt the book was a letdown on the 1920s prohibition era atmosphere. The prohibition was just a plot device, and other than very occasional slang, the way people spoke didn't sound out of place with modern day. While I love sapphic characters and rep, one of the side characters openly entering a wlw relationship I doubt would just be laughed off and thought of as cute? Inserting 2020s considerably more open acceptance into a novel set a century ago just makes it feel like the time period was picked for aesthetics and as a plot initiator, without any actual care for the ideals and perspectives prevalent at the time.
I kept going and finished because it was vaguely enjoyable, but overall just feel let down by the wasted concept. With Jamison removed and the genre tweaked, I think it could be a much stronger story and cut out at least 100 unneeded pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Child abuse, Racism, Child death, and Death of parent
dragonwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Revelle” by Lyssa Mia Smith is a Moulin Rouge-esque book who’s theme song is “Surface Pressure” from Encanto.
Charmant is an island of magic during the prohibition, the magic families split between day life and nightlife. The Chronoses are time travelers, politicians who rule the day, while the Revelles are charmers who woo the night, but each type of magic has its price. For however far a Chronos travels back in time, they agree 100x that, and they’re not able to travel forward. A Revelle needs to be given a jewel to be able to charm their customer, and the jewel crumbles under the use of their magic. The star of the Revelle show is Luxe, a charmer who can sidestep the usual cost of her magic and can charm anyone with the price of a migraine instead. Because of this ability, her family relies on her to keep their business afloat, a trick increasingly more difficult with the prohibition. Luxe has to charm a bootlegger, a Chronos, to provide the liquor her family desperately needs, but when she mistakenly charms a visiting mainlander instead, a star crossed love is born, leaving Luxe to choose between her family’s safety and her own life.
This book was a bit slow to catch my interest, but when it did, it had me by the throat! Revelle was one of those books where I switched between the audio and the physical, because the audio was too slow and I NEEDED TO KNOW. I easily spent half the book stressed, remembering 2/3 through that this was essentially a Moulin Rouge retelling. I was so worried! And I felt so hard for Luxe and what she was going through. The resolution was brilliant, and it made me very happy. This is a book I would reread to catch the easter eggs scattered through the story; I think it would double my enjoyment.
Charmant is an island of magic during the prohibition, the magic families split between day life and nightlife. The Chronoses are time travelers, politicians who rule the day, while the Revelles are charmers who woo the night, but each type of magic has its price. For however far a Chronos travels back in time, they agree 100x that, and they’re not able to travel forward. A Revelle needs to be given a jewel to be able to charm their customer, and the jewel crumbles under the use of their magic. The star of the Revelle show is Luxe, a charmer who can sidestep the usual cost of her magic and can charm anyone with the price of a migraine instead. Because of this ability, her family relies on her to keep their business afloat, a trick increasingly more difficult with the prohibition. Luxe has to charm a bootlegger, a Chronos, to provide the liquor her family desperately needs, but when she mistakenly charms a visiting mainlander instead, a star crossed love is born, leaving Luxe to choose between her family’s safety and her own life.
This book was a bit slow to catch my interest, but when it did, it had me by the throat! Revelle was one of those books where I switched between the audio and the physical, because the audio was too slow and I NEEDED TO KNOW. I easily spent half the book stressed, remembering 2/3 through that this was essentially a Moulin Rouge retelling. I was so worried! And I felt so hard for Luxe and what she was going through. The resolution was brilliant, and it made me very happy. This is a book I would reread to catch the easter eggs scattered through the story; I think it would double my enjoyment.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Child death, Stalking, and Emotional abuse
natashaleighton_'s review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
5.0
Lyssa Mia Smith’s decadently lush and utterly mesmerising debut is a dazzling, show-stopping gem of a book that I literally couldn’t put down!
Inspired by Moulin Rouge, and set during the prohibition on the magical island of Charmont. Revelle follows Luxe—the star of the Revelle family’s struggling, circus-style show, who, due to prohibition (and the scarcity of alcohol) are now on the precipice of ruin.
Until the son of their biggest rival, Dewey Chronos offers to take care of the Revelle family’s financial problems—If Luxe poses as his fiancée and helps him become mayor—it’s an offer she knows she can’t refuse.
But, when a chance encounter with island newcomer Jamison leads Luxe into developing feelings she’s never felt before—things start to get complicated. And the secrets Luxe has inevitably had to keep may just threaten to destroy everything (and everyone) she cares for most…
As soon as I heard about the Moulin Rouge! style premise I knew I needed to read this and I’m soo glad to say it was even better than I expected. The writing was absolutely gorgeous and soo full of detail. With every page brimming with twists, turns and magic-based intrigue that I couldn’t get enough of.
I really enjoyed the world building which was rich in detail and soo decadently, vibrantly immersive. The setting itself did give off very Caraval meets The Great Gatsby vibes (which is a mashup I didn’t even know I needed in my life) but Moulin Rouge’s influences are what stick out to me the most. As a lifelong fan of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical, it was fun to spot the little easter eggs and homages that were scattered throughout. Though of course, this is a wholly original story that brings a magic all of its own. Right down to the endearing found family-esque cast of characters.
Luxe, our protagonist, although similar in some ways to Nicole Kidman’s Satine does come across as a far more compassionate and three dimensional character, willing to sacrifice her own dreams & use her magical gifts to help the family—even at the detriment to her own health. It’s an aspect that feels out of place for Luxe to begin with but makes total sense once you delve into her life and the loss she’s endured.
I also loved exploring the complex nature of her relationships-be they the strained familial bond with her cousins Collette and Millie (whom she’s been distant with for years) or the fiercely swoon-worthy, star crossed relationship she has with love interest Jamison (who is a complete cinnamon-roll btw.)
As this is a dual POV, we do get to experience Jamison’s perspective too which I found really intriguing. As an orphan and relative newcomer to the island, Jamison is looking to find out what happened to his parents. With only a few hazy memories at hand and the feeling that he’s been to Charmont before, he embarks on a pretty emotional journey that sees him unravel some of the island’s biggest (and darkest) secrets.
There were soo many supporting characters that I loved too (particularly Collette, Roger, Trys, Millie, Trevor and Luxe’s grandmother Nana) I just wish that we’d had more time with them (and I’d absolutely love to see prequel of some kind involving Nana Revelle.)
Overall, a heart-racing and unputdownable historical fantasy that fans of Stephanie Garber will absolutely adore!
Also a huge thank you to Haper360YA for the proof.
Inspired by Moulin Rouge, and set during the prohibition on the magical island of Charmont. Revelle follows Luxe—the star of the Revelle family’s struggling, circus-style show, who, due to prohibition (and the scarcity of alcohol) are now on the precipice of ruin.
Until the son of their biggest rival, Dewey Chronos offers to take care of the Revelle family’s financial problems—If Luxe poses as his fiancée and helps him become mayor—it’s an offer she knows she can’t refuse.
But, when a chance encounter with island newcomer Jamison leads Luxe into developing feelings she’s never felt before—things start to get complicated. And the secrets Luxe has inevitably had to keep may just threaten to destroy everything (and everyone) she cares for most…
As soon as I heard about the Moulin Rouge! style premise I knew I needed to read this and I’m soo glad to say it was even better than I expected. The writing was absolutely gorgeous and soo full of detail. With every page brimming with twists, turns and magic-based intrigue that I couldn’t get enough of.
I really enjoyed the world building which was rich in detail and soo decadently, vibrantly immersive. The setting itself did give off very Caraval meets The Great Gatsby vibes (which is a mashup I didn’t even know I needed in my life) but Moulin Rouge’s influences are what stick out to me the most. As a lifelong fan of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical, it was fun to spot the little easter eggs and homages that were scattered throughout. Though of course, this is a wholly original story that brings a magic all of its own. Right down to the endearing found family-esque cast of characters.
Luxe, our protagonist, although similar in some ways to Nicole Kidman’s Satine does come across as a far more compassionate and three dimensional character, willing to sacrifice her own dreams & use her magical gifts to help the family—even at the detriment to her own health. It’s an aspect that feels out of place for Luxe to begin with but makes total sense once you delve into her life and the loss she’s endured.
I also loved exploring the complex nature of her relationships-be they the strained familial bond with her cousins Collette and Millie (whom she’s been distant with for years) or the fiercely swoon-worthy, star crossed relationship she has with love interest Jamison (who is a complete cinnamon-roll btw.)
As this is a dual POV, we do get to experience Jamison’s perspective too which I found really intriguing. As an orphan and relative newcomer to the island, Jamison is looking to find out what happened to his parents. With only a few hazy memories at hand and the feeling that he’s been to Charmont before, he embarks on a pretty emotional journey that sees him unravel some of the island’s biggest (and darkest) secrets.
There were soo many supporting characters that I loved too (particularly Collette, Roger, Trys, Millie, Trevor and Luxe’s grandmother Nana) I just wish that we’d had more time with them (and I’d absolutely love to see prequel of some kind involving Nana Revelle.)
Overall, a heart-racing and unputdownable historical fantasy that fans of Stephanie Garber will absolutely adore!
Also a huge thank you to Haper360YA for the proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
thelostartofsecretkeeping's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Gun violence
kris386's review
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Gun violence, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death
thelittlestmermaid's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Revelle was truly an enjoyable book with one of the most intricate magic systems I've seen in a YA fantasy. It draws inspiration from Moulin Rouge, which is one of my favorite movies of all time.
This book is a split POV novel, following the main characters Luxe Revelle and Jamison Port. Luxe comes from one of five magical families on the island of Charmant, across the harbor from New York. The Revelle family has the power to charm people into believing or feeling certain ways, using precious gems. Jamison is an orphan whose only desire in life is to find out what happened to his parents, that is, until he meets Luxe.
Following the plot of Moulin Rouge, of course there is a mixed identity situation, and Luxe mistakes Jamison for a different person - Dewey Chronos, the eldest son from the Chronos family. The Chronos family is another one of the magical families on Charmant with the power to travel back in time.
Once the identity situation is resolved, Luxe agrees to a fake dating situation with Dewey in order to secure liquor for her family, as this story takes place in the 1920s during the Prohibition. Magic, forbidden romances, and tragic family backstories ensue.
I have to say, this story really took me by surprise. I was always expecting one thing to be the truth, only to find out I was horribly wrong. I can't say this is the first time this has happened to me, which makes me wonder if perhaps I'm not critical enough when looking for clues. Regardless, this story was fast-paced, and I constantly wanted to sit down and find out what happened next. I adored (almost) every character. The side characters were just as, if not more, interesting than the lead characters.
For the first few chapters I felt horribly confused, but the world was explained pretty quickly, thankfully. I worried that maybe there was just too much going on, and while trying to explain the synopsis to a friend, they claimed that it sounded like too much was happening in the book. (I do think that was due to my poor explanation skills, I'm not good at being concise.) The author did a good job at balancing relationship building, magic explaining, and the mystery happening on the island without it feeling overwhelming.
To me, there were only two flaws with the book- the time setting wasn't clear enough, and the romance was too insta-love. I know that the relationship being an insta-love relationship is true to the inspiration behind the story, as Christian and Satine do have an instant romance, however I think that Jamison should have had a little more reason to love Luxe so much (other than “awooga pretty lady lemme jump off this balcony.”) As for the time era the story was set in, it never really felt like the 1920s to me. Other than a throwaway mention of flappers or a few “Cats pajamas” thrown around during dialogue, the characters felt very modern, and the setting felt ambiguous. This isn't a huge deal to me, I was more interested in the side characters (Trevor heart eyes) and the magic.
I can forgive authors for many things, but I will not forgive her for what she did to Trevor.
I would probably not recommend this book to a reader that is new to the fantasy genre, but I will be recommending it to everyone who enjoys fantasy and enjoys musical theatre. I would gladly read another story set on this island about a different set of characters. I think that the Edwardian family was so intriguing and would love to learn more about them.
Rating this 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
This book is a split POV novel, following the main characters Luxe Revelle and Jamison Port. Luxe comes from one of five magical families on the island of Charmant, across the harbor from New York. The Revelle family has the power to charm people into believing or feeling certain ways, using precious gems. Jamison is an orphan whose only desire in life is to find out what happened to his parents, that is, until he meets Luxe.
Following the plot of Moulin Rouge, of course there is a mixed identity situation, and Luxe mistakes Jamison for a different person - Dewey Chronos, the eldest son from the Chronos family. The Chronos family is another one of the magical families on Charmant with the power to travel back in time.
Once the identity situation is resolved, Luxe agrees to a fake dating situation with Dewey in order to secure liquor for her family, as this story takes place in the 1920s during the Prohibition. Magic, forbidden romances, and tragic family backstories ensue.
I have to say, this story really took me by surprise. I was always expecting one thing to be the truth, only to find out I was horribly wrong. I can't say this is the first time this has happened to me, which makes me wonder if perhaps I'm not critical enough when looking for clues. Regardless, this story was fast-paced, and I constantly wanted to sit down and find out what happened next. I adored (almost) every character. The side characters were just as, if not more, interesting than the lead characters.
For the first few chapters I felt horribly confused, but the world was explained pretty quickly, thankfully. I worried that maybe there was just too much going on, and while trying to explain the synopsis to a friend, they claimed that it sounded like too much was happening in the book. (I do think that was due to my poor explanation skills, I'm not good at being concise.) The author did a good job at balancing relationship building, magic explaining, and the mystery happening on the island without it feeling overwhelming.
To me, there were only two flaws with the book- the time setting wasn't clear enough, and the romance was too insta-love. I know that the relationship being an insta-love relationship is true to the inspiration behind the story, as Christian and Satine do have an instant romance, however I think that Jamison should have had a little more reason to love Luxe so much (other than “awooga pretty lady lemme jump off this balcony.”) As for the time era the story was set in, it never really felt like the 1920s to me. Other than a throwaway mention of flappers or a few “Cats pajamas” thrown around during dialogue, the characters felt very modern, and the setting felt ambiguous. This isn't a huge deal to me, I was more interested in the side characters (Trevor heart eyes) and the magic.
I would probably not recommend this book to a reader that is new to the fantasy genre, but I will be recommending it to everyone who enjoys fantasy and enjoys musical theatre. I would gladly read another story set on this island about a different set of characters. I think that the Edwardian family was so intriguing and would love to learn more about them.
Rating this 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Racism