Reviews

A mostly fun romp that is kind of about learning to trust yourself to be who you are and to want what you want in the face of a society that has different notions about your worth. Also, a great sense of humor, lots of world building, including a somewhat opaque magical system, and relationships of chosen family that are complicated and entertaining,

whippycleric's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

Being dropped into a world as complex as this one, without much explanation, and immediately starting on a fast paced plot which will go all the way to the end is quite a daunting experience, but a greatly enjoyable one in this case. That being said it can leave you with a few questions sometimes but the way the world reveals itself mean none of the questions are needing an answer immediately to understand the plot or the emotions of the characters. I do however reserve the right to lower this rating if these questions are not answered in later books.

The arc of the protagonist is a little predictable but still works really well and there're enough surprises from the well written secondary characters that you don't need shocks from the protagonist as well. The world is rich and intriguing as are all the characters. It's written as the first book in a series but still works well as a standalone book which I appreciate since not all series get picked up for further publication. Fortunately that is not the case this time and it looks like at least a trilogy is on the cards. I'll be reading the rest I'm sure and thank you to @friendofgosig for the recommendation and lending me the book.

lunarchfey's review

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5.0

4.5/5 stars

I liked this one a lot! The pace is breakneck, so be prepared to just launch in because we're just going-going-going. Trust that things will fall into place! The worldbuilding around the alchemical magic system was very fun, and I enjoyed the building sense of dread as certain things started to be pieced together. I also really appreciate that for a M/M novel it had important and interesting POV female characters who were living their own lives and had their own motivations that just happened to overlap with the desires of the protagonist.

I could have done with a little more messiness to the characters: make them feel a bit more real, make me really care for them, make them really pop. At times it felt like we were getting there, but didn't quite get to the core of what made everyone tick.

The one thing that kept it from being a 5 star rating was that it just sort of... faded, in the days following. I'll snatch up the sequel when it comes out but wouldn't say that this is one that I'd reread in years to come. Still, well worth the price of admission!

nicoledelairs's review

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adventurous 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

4.25

Such a fun and wild ride! The city of Bezim feels fully fleshed out and lived in, and the characters all have a depth to them that I crave in the books I read. Every time I pick up this book I am presented with a story of adventure, humour, political shenanigans, and a sick-ass magic system. Running over rooftops, complicated card games, and bittersweet romance can also be found within these pages.
I will be recommending this book to anyone looking for a fantastic fantasy adventure novel!

glelchuk's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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