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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I bought this book after reading a thing about character creation by the authors in my monthly Scribbler writer box. The premise intrigued me and I liked the potential aspect for romance. The book kept me reasonably engaged, because I was really hungering for answers about the plot, characters, and the history of magic, but I will admit that I was left with more questions than answers.
As characters went, this is definitely a young adult book in that the protagonists are so. Very. Dramatic. At some point that’s kind of OK, but by the end, it was definitely cringe worthy.
And for the love of Brandon Sanderson, can we please stop with the “I met you two weeks ago and now I am willing to commit myself to you forever and ever” trope? This is 2024, not 1924. I’m SO SICK of this garbage. So sick of it. It’s unrealistic, sets unrealistic expectations for readers, and is completely cringe. That you can know somebody well enough to want to make that commitment after a couple drama filled weeks is so fake. Just stop.
Secondly, the authors claimed they wanted to write a story about strong women, but in the end, Fritzi still needed a male protector. A male warrior. And a male to make everything better. Which makes me feel like the authors were just giving lip service to the strong woman vibe and then still playing into the trope of the male protector. Also, as far as gender commentary goes, I this book falls into the trap of other feminist Literature where all men are bad, and all women are good, except for maybe that one token male who’s “woke” or “good”.
Next, the antagonist had no real rationalization for being the way he was. They never explained the backstory that would justify his cruelty or downfall, just that he was wicked, which feels like half-formed world building and half-thought out characters. I was really hoping for either some redemption arc or reason why Dieter became like he did. But because the authors didn’t give me any reason to continue to care about the bad guy, I will not be picking up the next book. I’m uninterested in cruelty, for cruelty’s sake or the lust for power because…yay power. I need a reason to hope for an antagonist’s redemption or to doubt the good guys.
There were a couple good things, at least, that kept my attention. The romance between Fritzi and Otto was good to start out with. That initial excitement, lust, longing, etc. felt pretty real and there wasn’t a point in the story where one of them began to doubt the other’s commitment in terms of the goal/plot. And no lover betrayal (or perceived betrayal) which is another trope I find very aggravating.
Also, Liesel and Hilde were awesome characters. The 10-year-old girl who can scry into the future and play with fire… Yes, I want more about her being a badass. And Hilde, the magicless woman with an easy-going attitude, who is also gay? I absolutely 100% love that. I need a story about the two of them taking down the hexenjaegers.
I think if the authors had put as much care into the side characters as they did the protagonist and antagonist, this would have been a fabulous book.
As characters went, this is definitely a young adult book in that the protagonists are so. Very. Dramatic. At some point that’s kind of OK, but by the end, it was definitely cringe worthy.
And for the love of Brandon Sanderson, can we please stop with the “I met you two weeks ago and now I am willing to commit myself to you forever and ever” trope? This is 2024, not 1924. I’m SO SICK of this garbage. So sick of it. It’s unrealistic, sets unrealistic expectations for readers, and is completely cringe. That you can know somebody well enough to want to make that commitment after a couple drama filled weeks is so fake. Just stop.
Secondly, the authors claimed they wanted to write a story about strong women, but in the end, Fritzi still needed a male protector. A male warrior. And a male to make everything better. Which makes me feel like the authors were just giving lip service to the strong woman vibe and then still playing into the trope of the male protector. Also, as far as gender commentary goes, I this book falls into the trap of other feminist Literature where all men are bad, and all women are good, except for maybe that one token male who’s “woke” or “good”.
Next, the antagonist had no real rationalization for being the way he was. They never explained the backstory that would justify his cruelty or downfall, just that he was wicked, which feels like half-formed world building and half-thought out characters. I was really hoping for either some redemption arc or reason why Dieter became like he did. But because the authors didn’t give me any reason to continue to care about the bad guy, I will not be picking up the next book. I’m uninterested in cruelty, for cruelty’s sake or the lust for power because…yay power. I need a reason to hope for an antagonist’s redemption or to doubt the good guys.
There were a couple good things, at least, that kept my attention. The romance between Fritzi and Otto was good to start out with. That initial excitement, lust, longing, etc. felt pretty real and there wasn’t a point in the story where one of them began to doubt the other’s commitment in terms of the goal/plot. And no lover betrayal (or perceived betrayal) which is another trope I find very aggravating.
Also, Liesel and Hilde were awesome characters. The 10-year-old girl who can scry into the future and play with fire… Yes, I want more about her being a badass. And Hilde, the magicless woman with an easy-going attitude, who is also gay? I absolutely 100% love that. I need a story about the two of them taking down the hexenjaegers.
I think if the authors had put as much care into the side characters as they did the protagonist and antagonist, this would have been a fabulous book.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
slow-paced
I thought this was very slow and it never really engaged me. There are other books with the same plot that are better reads
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Giving it a 4.5⭐️ (rounded to 5⭐️) It took a minute for me to get into this book. The world-building was just…. Ehh lol BUT
Once I got to a certain page, I was HOOKED and I could NOT put it down! So, if you decide to pick this book up, and you find yourself struggling to push through - I promise it’s worth it!
It’s a historical fantasy book and I LOVE some of the lines in here. The wit from some of the characters had me LOLing so hard I had actual tears
Once I got to a certain page, I was HOOKED and I could NOT put it down! So, if you decide to pick this book up, and you find yourself struggling to push through - I promise it’s worth it!
It’s a historical fantasy book and I LOVE some of the lines in here. The wit from some of the characters had me LOLing so hard I had actual tears
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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