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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed this book, fun one shot which is nice after having read SO MANY series this year.
adventurous
challenging
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
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this was cute and silly
I really liked this book I just wished the characters were a little more fleshed out but it was enjoyable. It's really 3 stars but just by being a standalone (or I thought it was, the story at least concludes in the end of the first book) fantasy book which I can never fine, I bumped it up a star.
slow-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
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 Solid overall, wish we had more information
I want to say up front that I enjoyed this book (which is why I'm rounding up the rating)! I generally recommend it if you don't mind master/apprentice dynamics in your romance and like a more literary style of writing. It feels almost cozy at times. You do have to read without thinking too much about the world building, though. Not because the world building was bad, but because there are many points that needed expanding upon to make them make sense.
My main critique of this book is that it lacks perspective. What I mean by that is while reading, I had a difficult time discerning how impressed I was supposed to be by certain characters' actions, or how reasonable their assumptions about each other were. The book only provides a few, very opinionated looks at massively influential bodies in the world's politics. Opinionated characters are a good thing....but it gets confusing when I don't have the 'layman' perspective to compare it to. How do the peasants, farmers and merchants feel about Conclave? About magic users generally? About the Master of Crows and those who work in his house? (We do get a sparing glimpse at that, to be fair.)
In a different, even more character-driven narrative, the narrow scope and soft lore could work. But the characters' development relied too much on outside influences, that, even after nearly 400 pages, I don't understand. There were several places where I realized I had no idea if Martise or Silhara was more justified in their assumptions about the other, because I had so little context on the world at large. That's a problem!
On pettier notes:
1. I now officially hate the words "mewl" and "keen", along with all their conjugations. It's been a long time coming, this just happened to be the book that broke the camel's back. Neither even appear that frequently, I just already disliked them going in. Apologies.
2. Why are magic light sources called 'witchlights' or 'witchfire' when magic users are called mages? What even is a mage, anyway? Is it a title? Does it have to be earned? A few people, including Silhara, are also referred to as sorcerers/something is described as "sorcerous". Is that different, or just yet another word for mage? The utter lack of consistency drove me wild (and not in a fun way).
...Anyhow, I enjoyed the tone of the writing overall, despite the terms not being consistent. I liked Martise, Silhara and the remaining cast quite a bit in isolation, but this book just needed more backbone for me to really love it. Take out the debacle with the prostitute (or Martise's ex) and give me a couple pages worth of exposition instead!
I want to say up front that I enjoyed this book (which is why I'm rounding up the rating)! I generally recommend it if you don't mind master/apprentice dynamics in your romance and like a more literary style of writing. It feels almost cozy at times. You do have to read without thinking too much about the world building, though. Not because the world building was bad, but because there are many points that needed expanding upon to make them make sense.
My main critique of this book is that it lacks perspective. What I mean by that is while reading, I had a difficult time discerning how impressed I was supposed to be by certain characters' actions, or how reasonable their assumptions about each other were. The book only provides a few, very opinionated looks at massively influential bodies in the world's politics. Opinionated characters are a good thing....but it gets confusing when I don't have the 'layman' perspective to compare it to. How do the peasants, farmers and merchants feel about Conclave? About magic users generally? About the Master of Crows and those who work in his house? (We do get a sparing glimpse at that, to be fair.)
In a different, even more character-driven narrative, the narrow scope and soft lore could work. But the characters' development relied too much on outside influences, that, even after nearly 400 pages, I don't understand. There were several places where I realized I had no idea if Martise or Silhara was more justified in their assumptions about the other, because I had so little context on the world at large. That's a problem!
On pettier notes:
1. I now officially hate the words "mewl" and "keen", along with all their conjugations. It's been a long time coming, this just happened to be the book that broke the camel's back. Neither even appear that frequently, I just already disliked them going in. Apologies.
2. Why are magic light sources called 'witchlights' or 'witchfire' when magic users are called mages? What even is a mage, anyway? Is it a title? Does it have to be earned? A few people, including Silhara, are also referred to as sorcerers/something is described as "sorcerous". Is that different, or just yet another word for mage? The utter lack of consistency drove me wild (and not in a fun way).
...Anyhow, I enjoyed the tone of the writing overall, despite the terms not being consistent. I liked Martise, Silhara and the remaining cast quite a bit in isolation, but this book just needed more backbone for me to really love it. Take out the debacle with the prostitute (or Martise's ex) and give me a couple pages worth of exposition instead!