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jessicareadsit's review against another edition
3.0
Quick confession- I did not realize this was Book # 3 of the Diabolist’s Library series when I requested it however I do not think the story was heavily reliant on its predecessors so we can just chalk it up to me having a slight “blonde” moment in my arc- requesting.
That being said, Creatures of Charm and Hunger was definitely different. Two young girls, envious of each other, forced apart by the deviously dangerous secrets they keep in their journey towards becoming a Diabolist in the renowned societe.
The relationship of Jane and Miriam was brilliantly written by Molly Tanzer as she gave us everything- the good, the bad, the ugly and I love when writers bring new dynamics to the writing game. Sure any writer can give us two jealous girls, but Molly gave us envy mixed with love, fear mixed with bravado, lust vs. love, narcissism vs. humility and the harsh realities of religious and cultural segregation.
While I loved these characters, creatures of charm and hunger was a LOT to digest. The world of Societe was intricate and descriptive to the point of confusion. I appreciate a well built bookverse as much as the next bookist but this was a plot within a plot within a plot within a plot and oh mama, it was a lot to keep track of. I also found certain areas were exaggerated such as the issue of diabolist vs witchcraft and the decisions made by the girls but other pinnacle areas were given a quick rush through. I know we are setting the stage for the next book in the series but leaving some issues flat without justification isn’t really that great either.
Creatures of charm and hunger was definitely different from other paranormal stories out there and would appeal to those looking for new paranormal worlds, secret societies and historical fiction from WWII era.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Mariner Books and Molly Tanzer for a providing me with an arc for review.
Check out my review here: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/2020/08/05/creatures-of-charm-and-hunger-by-molly-tanzer/
That being said, Creatures of Charm and Hunger was definitely different. Two young girls, envious of each other, forced apart by the deviously dangerous secrets they keep in their journey towards becoming a Diabolist in the renowned societe.
The relationship of Jane and Miriam was brilliantly written by Molly Tanzer as she gave us everything- the good, the bad, the ugly and I love when writers bring new dynamics to the writing game. Sure any writer can give us two jealous girls, but Molly gave us envy mixed with love, fear mixed with bravado, lust vs. love, narcissism vs. humility and the harsh realities of religious and cultural segregation.
While I loved these characters, creatures of charm and hunger was a LOT to digest. The world of Societe was intricate and descriptive to the point of confusion. I appreciate a well built bookverse as much as the next bookist but this was a plot within a plot within a plot within a plot and oh mama, it was a lot to keep track of. I also found certain areas were exaggerated such as the issue of diabolist vs witchcraft and the decisions made by the girls but other pinnacle areas were given a quick rush through. I know we are setting the stage for the next book in the series but leaving some issues flat without justification isn’t really that great either.
Creatures of charm and hunger was definitely different from other paranormal stories out there and would appeal to those looking for new paranormal worlds, secret societies and historical fiction from WWII era.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Mariner Books and Molly Tanzer for a providing me with an arc for review.
Check out my review here: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/2020/08/05/creatures-of-charm-and-hunger-by-molly-tanzer/
calliebrary's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this mix of fantasy and historical fiction as it's gripping and entertaining.
The world building is interesting and I liked how it mixes historical elements with fantasy, the characters are well thought and I liked them.
The plot is enthralling and well crafted and it kept me hooked till the end.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The world building is interesting and I liked how it mixes historical elements with fantasy, the characters are well thought and I liked them.
The plot is enthralling and well crafted and it kept me hooked till the end.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
abookishtype's review against another edition
4.0
There’s a trope about how the Nazis might have won the war if they’d been able to create the atomic bomb or another similar weapon, but I’ve never seen it deployed the way Molly Tanzer uses it in Creatures of Charm and Hunger. This novel inhabits the world Tanzer created in Creatures of Will and Temper, then expanded in Creatures of Want and Ruin. The magic continues in what I think might be the best book of the trilogy. Tanzer takes that trope, blends it with the stories of two teenaged girls who are desperate to grow up—only to realize that the price is higher than they want to pay...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
ecath's review
5.0
For all that it involves Nazis, this book is incredibly gentle and kind, and Tanzer does here what she does best, showing us women who are loving and caring and flawed and capable. While it is absolutely related to the two books that come before it, you can leap in at any point, so if you want to start with this book about absolutely not-witches, and their cheeky familiar, you should do so. Oh, Smudge. You darling.
rachelmansmckenny's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite what I expected, but good nonetheless! The third book in a series of urban/historical fantasies about magic, this novel follows two teens (and a Nazi hunter) as they use their satanist powers to discover more about their families and themselves. Because there were so many perspectives, it took a little while to find the narrative thrust here and one POV disappeared somewhat jarringly in the middle. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the difference between the two teen perspectives and the ways magic was portrayed. I loved the magic world, and the undercurrents of world events.
katherineg's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
annarella's review
4.0
I liked this mix of fantasy and historical fiction as it's gripping and entertaining.
The world building is interesting and I liked how it mixes historical elements with fantasy, the characters are well thought and I liked them.
The plot is enthralling and well crafted and it kept me hooked till the end.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The world building is interesting and I liked how it mixes historical elements with fantasy, the characters are well thought and I liked them.
The plot is enthralling and well crafted and it kept me hooked till the end.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
graculus's review
3.0
Sometimes, often in the first book of a series, it seems like there's a definite temptation for an author to stick in just a little more plot than that book can handle - if there's one thing to say about Creatures of Charm and Hunger, it's that it's one of those books.
The basic premise is that our main characters, Jane and Miriam, are teenage girls who are both studying to become diabolists - to use a form of magic that involves binding demons and then using their essence to support a pact made between demon and diabolist. There's also something going on here about plants being involved but that kind of didn't quite stick in my mind while I was reading this, so I'm not 100% clear how it works. Anyway, both are about to take their Test (hey, you know it's serious when random capital letters are involved), to see if they're good enough to be allowed to make a Pact with a demon or not. At one point, they happen to discover that if they don't pass, they might be used as materia themselves, so better pass I guess?
This is all going on with a backdrop of the later stages of World War 2, which is where the slight overload of stuff going on starts to happen. There's a raid spearheaded by Jane's aunt Edith, which goes spectacularly wrong and doesn't seem to have all that clear a reasoning behind it in the first place, and also Miriam uses forbidden magic to try and discover the fate of her parents. Meanwhile, Jane has failed her Test and is also dabbling with powers beyond her control and sets off a disastrous chain of events in the family home.
There's also quite a lot of exposition, which means the pace of Creatures of Charm and Hunger drags at times. There's a lot going on here that's interesting, especially the stuff around Jane's choice of very stereotypical witch behaviour (enchanting a broomstick, cackling etc.) but the denouement around what happens to Jane's mother falls quite flat. Jane herself seems to just shrug and walk away, which is convenient for the continuation of the series but didn't ring true. So, all in all, an interesting enough book but not one where I'll be looking that hard to read any further.
On an unrelated note, I wish the author would stop giving her books very similar titles - this is the third book with 'Creatures of [something] and [something]' and they're not really a series as such as far as I can tell.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
The basic premise is that our main characters, Jane and Miriam, are teenage girls who are both studying to become diabolists - to use a form of magic that involves binding demons and then using their essence to support a pact made between demon and diabolist. There's also something going on here about plants being involved but that kind of didn't quite stick in my mind while I was reading this, so I'm not 100% clear how it works. Anyway, both are about to take their Test (hey, you know it's serious when random capital letters are involved), to see if they're good enough to be allowed to make a Pact with a demon or not. At one point, they happen to discover that if they don't pass, they might be used as materia themselves, so better pass I guess?
This is all going on with a backdrop of the later stages of World War 2, which is where the slight overload of stuff going on starts to happen. There's a raid spearheaded by Jane's aunt Edith, which goes spectacularly wrong and doesn't seem to have all that clear a reasoning behind it in the first place, and also Miriam uses forbidden magic to try and discover the fate of her parents. Meanwhile, Jane has failed her Test and is also dabbling with powers beyond her control and sets off a disastrous chain of events in the family home.
There's also quite a lot of exposition, which means the pace of Creatures of Charm and Hunger drags at times. There's a lot going on here that's interesting, especially the stuff around Jane's choice of very stereotypical witch behaviour (enchanting a broomstick, cackling etc.) but the denouement around what happens to Jane's mother falls quite flat. Jane herself seems to just shrug and walk away, which is convenient for the continuation of the series but didn't ring true. So, all in all, an interesting enough book but not one where I'll be looking that hard to read any further.
On an unrelated note, I wish the author would stop giving her books very similar titles - this is the third book with 'Creatures of [something] and [something]' and they're not really a series as such as far as I can tell.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
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