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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I wanted to like this book way more than I did. It has queer representation which is great and still sorely lacking in the fantasy genre. The villain is a drag queen for goodness sake. It simply doesn't get more gay than that! And yet, the plot is a bit hard to follow and I didn't entirely understand the concept of reveries. This book is hard fantasy and as such might work better for those who are diehard fantasy fans. Ryan La Sala definitely has talent. He is a great writer, there is no doubt about that. I just wish he had spent a bit more time outlining the plot more and made it easier to follow. I'm grateful for this book's existence as it is much needed.
First of all, I must say that the writing style of this book is absolutely lovely and it really swept me away. That kind of prose isn’t super common in YA and I was pleasantly surprised to find it here. Based on Ryan’s Twitter account, I was expecting a more sassy and contemporary voice, more in keeping with what I’ve seen the excerpt from his second book. However, I think that the elegant prose worked super well with the dream world and really mirrored how boundaries between time and space got blurred.
I read this book more quickly than I expected to, partly because many of the action scenes are quite long. They’re broken up into short chapters, but there will be big sections of 6-10 chapters that are really all one long scene, which made it hard to stop reading because I don’t like to quit in the middle of a scene. I will say that not all of the plot made sense, especially when combined with the world building, but the dream logic of the world allows the author to hand wave a lot so I wasn’t overly bothered by it.
Kane is a good main character, but I found myself really loving the supporting characters as well, especially Ursula and Adeline and Sophia. They friend group was loving and supportive but messy and full of conflict, which made for fun reading. Having a main character with amnesia of any sort is always difficult to pull off, but Kane was still compelling even if he didn’t really know who he was.
I read this book more quickly than I expected to, partly because many of the action scenes are quite long. They’re broken up into short chapters, but there will be big sections of 6-10 chapters that are really all one long scene, which made it hard to stop reading because I don’t like to quit in the middle of a scene. I will say that not all of the plot made sense, especially when combined with the world building, but the dream logic of the world allows the author to hand wave a lot so I wasn’t overly bothered by it.
Kane is a good main character, but I found myself really loving the supporting characters as well, especially Ursula and Adeline and Sophia. They friend group was loving and supportive but messy and full of conflict, which made for fun reading. Having a main character with amnesia of any sort is always difficult to pull off, but Kane was still compelling even if he didn’t really know who he was.
I'm still processing my final opinion of this one. Right now I like it. I like the character's the representation and I definitely laughed at loud a few places.
There were definitely some points I probably should have read more carefully, but at the moment I think that's only going to encourage a re-read.
There were definitely some points I probably should have read more carefully, but at the moment I think that's only going to encourage a re-read.
LOVE IT! nice twist on the fantasy story. The author, Ryan La Sala, write with very rich and colorfull description that are just so satisfying to read! I really felt at some point that I was just chatting with a flamboyant friend about some juicy gos. :p
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well-written YA fantasy / sci-fi LGBTQ story that depicts same sex relationships as having genuine human connection and compatibility as opposed to a lot of angsty juvenile lust. There’s also a bit of fun camp thrown into the mix in the form of a somewhat sympathetic unapologetically-trans antagonist.
The author did a very nice job drawing thoughtful parallels in the story between the teens trying to navigate life being treated different because of their sexuality and knowing they are different from others because of the unusual powers they possess and have to keep secret from the people in their day-to-day lives.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Michael Crouch, did an excellent job voicing the (mostly) teen characters and did so at a really perfect pace.
The author did a very nice job drawing thoughtful parallels in the story between the teens trying to navigate life being treated different because of their sexuality and knowing they are different from others because of the unusual powers they possess and have to keep secret from the people in their day-to-day lives.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Michael Crouch, did an excellent job voicing the (mostly) teen characters and did so at a really perfect pace.
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*
Kane has had a terrible accident, yet he cannot remember anything. Police suspect that he deliberately crashed the car in order to commit suicide. Kane is sure that he would never had done it. When he encounters his supposedly appointed gender-fluid psychiatrist for an examination, he learns that things are even more mysterious and magical than he first thought...
This, according to the blurb, mix of Inception and the Magicians did disappoint because it wasn't half as good as either Inception or the Magicians. I think my high hopes are part of this mediocre review. I was not expecting a book for 14 yo but YA or adult fantasy. Well. Maybe I would've liked this better had I been a decade younger.
2,5 stars because it was partly entertaining
Kane has had a terrible accident, yet he cannot remember anything. Police suspect that he deliberately crashed the car in order to commit suicide. Kane is sure that he would never had done it. When he encounters his supposedly appointed gender-fluid psychiatrist for an examination, he learns that things are even more mysterious and magical than he first thought...
This, according to the blurb, mix of Inception and the Magicians did disappoint because it wasn't half as good as either Inception or the Magicians. I think my high hopes are part of this mediocre review. I was not expecting a book for 14 yo but YA or adult fantasy. Well. Maybe I would've liked this better had I been a decade younger.
2,5 stars because it was partly entertaining
This book has an interesting premise, and I think I would have liked it more if I were paying more attention. I listened to the audiobook and found myself getting distracted, so I think I missed some big plot explanations.
Drag queen sorceress. That is all you need to know.
A very disjointed, hard-to-follow read. I found the main character overly aggressive and hard to like. His decisions seemed really inconsistent from chapter to chapter and simply used to heighten the drama. Similarly, the plot felt a bit ham-fisted and rushed- lots of action happening in a bunch of places, but not much character development. Overall, an interesting premise, but not the best executed.