Reviews

First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara

its_shannon's review

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

3.75

invaderkens's review

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

gillian12's review

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dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

kylepatrick's review

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adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

theangrystackrat's review

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challenging 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? No

2.0


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stefmar_'s review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

tabbiecat's review

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dark hopeful fast-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

1.25


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spaceoperatics's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A very fun take on magic, family, and clashing perspectives. Take the content warnings seriously.
The ending comes on too suddenly and too cleanly, otherwise it might be a 5-star.

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marstarr's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Hmm. I think this book almost does something, but it just fell short. There was such tonal whiplash in parts and it felt like it was handling really heavy and intense topics without sufficient care and without having it *mean* something. I just think if you’re going to do that much on-page rape and torture there has to be some sort of proper catharsis or narrative satisfaction at the end.  I have to wonder who the intended audience is for this book, because I have to admit that it was not me 

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cozy_reading_times's review

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3.0

3.5*
This was an interesting book but not as good as Szpara's debut novel Docile.
The concept was especially fascinating because, as a fantasy novel, one truly couldn't know whether the "magic" in the book was all just made up or held some kernel of truth. It's an exploration of pain and enduration - an obsession so deep that the psyche can't accept the truths that deny it.
The execution wasn't ideal though. At times the story dragged a little and the whole plot line of the geek enabling the protagonist simply because he wanted magic to be real, wasn't deep enough explored/discussed to justify its presence. There were also several times one had to suspend one's disbelief to still enjoy the story - which then led to the whole story seeming less serious (which seemed inappropriate due to the dark topics of the book).
There were several emotional moments and I like how the author always explored very messy themes and doesn't shy away from controversial topics. But as I said, I think Docile had a better execution and was better structured. Plus, the multi-pov story line led to a more shallow exploration of each one's personality. Docile did a better job here, too.