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cindikissmaximus's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rhysciar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Absolutely loved it. I ate this book up. It was ridiculously fun! First it has this awesome and unique worldbuilding, where every nation is resembled to a bug. For example there are the Beetle kinden, the Ant kinden, the Wasp kinden... every one of them has a unique set of talents and skills, some of them can fly, some of them can see in the dark, some of them are apted to machine work, some of them are just plain idiot when it comes to a simple mechanical lock... it's just genius. I knew Tchaikovsky loves bugs, but in this book it's clear to see, and clear how he enjoys making the different kind of species into humans.
Also the plot is great too, if not a bit clichéd. There's this ruthless Empire, and our main hero, Stenwold is the only one who knows that the Empire will one day attack the cities no matter how hard they would deny that. Nobody believes him, so he has to oppose the Empire in his own way: he spies, and sends his agents throughout the Empire. And when he sends out his newest agents, Salma, Tynisa, Totho and Che, we get to follow them, and explore the world Tchaikovsky built up.
I loved this book, and I'm disappointed in myself that I only picked this up now. I always wanted to read this book for years now, and I was a bit hesitant. I thought I wouldn't like it. Tchaikovsky is a hit or miss for me, but this novel was epic. There are a lot of fight scenes, which he handles greatly, and the plot is acting out fast. We doesn't really have any slow burning pages, it's action after action, and I loved it. My only concern is that I wish Tchaikovsky would be more ruthless with his characters, a little bit of torture or pain, or death wouldn't be a sad thing to see. I think it would add some spice in the book.
All in all, I really think this a great book, and I look forward to continue it.
Also the plot is great too, if not a bit clichéd. There's this ruthless Empire, and our main hero, Stenwold is the only one who knows that the Empire will one day attack the cities no matter how hard they would deny that. Nobody believes him, so he has to oppose the Empire in his own way: he spies, and sends his agents throughout the Empire. And when he sends out his newest agents, Salma, Tynisa, Totho and Che, we get to follow them, and explore the world Tchaikovsky built up.
I loved this book, and I'm disappointed in myself that I only picked this up now. I always wanted to read this book for years now, and I was a bit hesitant. I thought I wouldn't like it. Tchaikovsky is a hit or miss for me, but this novel was epic. There are a lot of fight scenes, which he handles greatly, and the plot is acting out fast. We doesn't really have any slow burning pages, it's action after action, and I loved it. My only concern is that I wish Tchaikovsky would be more ruthless with his characters, a little bit of torture or pain, or death wouldn't be a sad thing to see. I think it would add some spice in the book.
All in all, I really think this a great book, and I look forward to continue it.
gatese18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
nicdafis's review against another edition
Will come back to this. It’s good, I was just in the mood for something more literary and playful.
lisagreen65's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
3.5
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
1.0
I tried to like this book - i forced myself to read page upon page - Let us skip the fact that in the eBook version there is no separation between point of view changes, which is annoying since there are about three a chapter - I read and re-read sections - there is just no excitement beyond the first few chapters - the hook brought me in and then there was 100 pages of people walking around trying to find someone with a ton of exposition - where did the pacing go - i know that books sometimes slow down to let you catch your breath, but catch it for too long and you yawn and go to sleep - which i did frequently because this book could not keep e interested - i love the concept, but almost 500 pages to tell a 300 page story is wa-a-a-ay to much exposition and not enough happening - but that is just my opinion.
tomwright's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fun book. The magic system was awesome in that the author clearly did his research on how bugs behave.
The book was not without its problems, though. I wavered between four and five stars because of the mixed points of view. Sometimes, the author changed the point of view mid-paragraph, or mid-sentence. It was a chore to read in that sense, despite the fun of the magic system.
Spoiler
The fireball-shooting seems sophomoric in most other fantasy novels, like, "Ooh, dragons! Lighting bolts! Fireballs!" However, it felt natural here.The book was not without its problems, though. I wavered between four and five stars because of the mixed points of view. Sometimes, the author changed the point of view mid-paragraph, or mid-sentence. It was a chore to read in that sense, despite the fun of the magic system.
joliendelandsheer's review
3.0
Review on my blog The Fictional Reader
When I did a two-week work experience at Pan Macmillan in London, they were kind enough to let me pick a few books off their shelves at the end of it (which I’m honestly so grateful for). This is one of the books I picked. I had never heard of the book or author before, but the synopsis sounded intriguing enough. Plus, I wanted to pick up more books I hadn’t seen in the blogosphere yet. Not a bad decision at all!
WORLD
I can’t explain the plot without first talking about the world. So in this fantasy setting, the people are based on/kind of animals. You have the Wasp-kinden, Beetle-kinden, Spider-kinden, Dragonfly-kinden and so on. You get the gist. At first, this kind of grossed me out because I am definitely not a fan of insects and spiders. But I was actually intrigued by them.
Each race has their own looks, and attributes. For example, the Beetle-people are more heavy but very good at inventing, creating and mechanics. Spider-kinden are not that apt, but they are beautiful and incredible at politics, manipulation and persuasion. It’s really interesting to see each kind’s and person’s characteristics and talents. I do wish that the characters’ appearances were explained more. I can kind of imagine them, but it’s hard to really see the details…
As the story progresses, we get to see more of the world as the main characters travel. I did love the different settings and cities! The Collegium was interesting because it’s the Hogwarts of Harry Potter, the University of The Name of the Wind and so on. It’s where you go to learn. Then there’s the second big city in the Lowlands: Helleron. A despicable city in which everyone just wants to make money no matter the costs. As I’m writing this, I wonder whether that’s a commentary on our society. Anyway, lots of different interesting places, but again I can’t really form a description of the lands.
PLOT
So, the plot. You don’t really get much from the synopsis, do you? It’s about Stenwold and his apprentices (I guess?) trying to prevent an invasion of the Wasp Empire. Adventures ensue!
Truly, a lot happens in this book. While I had been in a reading slump for about 2 months, I couldn’t put this book down. For the first time in 2 months, I wanted to keep reading. That says something, doesn’t it? I thought the plot was really captivating, as I sat in the sofa reading for hours instead of studying or working. I won’t tell you anything about what actually happens because the synopsis doesn’t either.
CHARACTERS
This novel has quite a few main characters, so I’ll just have a little explanation of each!
Stenwold Maker: Beetle-kinden. He watched the city Myna fall and has been working his way up in the Collegium ever since then to spy on the Wasp Empire and work against them. Really enjoyed his character!
Cheerwell “Che” Maker: Beetle-kinden and Stenwold’s niece. She’s been studying at the Collegium. She often feels like the lesser one: not as apt, not as able, not as pretty. But she’s tough, tries hard and never gives up.
Tynisa: Stenwold’s protégé really. She’s Spider-kinden but has grown up at the Collegium with the Beetle-kinden. She’s a fighter -literally. She loves to fight. To be honest, she was my least favorite character because she was often arrogant. Incredibly so.
Totho: half-breed. Also studies at the Collegium and is an artificer now – so he creates all kinds of cool things. Quite enjoyed his character, and I felt bad for him because of how he was treated due to him being a half-breed.
Salma: Prince of the Dragonfly-kinden. I both loved and disliked him. He is incredibly handsome, and knows it -just like Tynisa knows she’s beautiful. But he treats his friends well and would do anything to help them -and his people.
Tisamon: I believe he’s a Mantis. He’s one of my absolute favorite characters of this book! He’s a Weaponsmaster, which apparently is really rare. His kind holds on to grudges but also to promises. He’s probably the best fighter ever. He’s from the same generation as Stenwold, while the previous 4 are young. He was also at Myna when it fell to the Wasps.
I also liked Achaeos, a Moth-kinden who is introduced much later on!
OVERALL IMPRESSION
I quite liked this book overall! I thought the concept was intriguing, the synopsis captivating and the characters fascinating. The only downside I found here is that it lacks in description. I would’ve really liked to see the world and characters described more. I do want to continue on with the series because I enjoyed it, but I won’t go running out the door to the bookstore because I need it now.
When I did a two-week work experience at Pan Macmillan in London, they were kind enough to let me pick a few books off their shelves at the end of it (which I’m honestly so grateful for). This is one of the books I picked. I had never heard of the book or author before, but the synopsis sounded intriguing enough. Plus, I wanted to pick up more books I hadn’t seen in the blogosphere yet. Not a bad decision at all!
WORLD
I can’t explain the plot without first talking about the world. So in this fantasy setting, the people are based on/kind of animals. You have the Wasp-kinden, Beetle-kinden, Spider-kinden, Dragonfly-kinden and so on. You get the gist. At first, this kind of grossed me out because I am definitely not a fan of insects and spiders. But I was actually intrigued by them.
Each race has their own looks, and attributes. For example, the Beetle-people are more heavy but very good at inventing, creating and mechanics. Spider-kinden are not that apt, but they are beautiful and incredible at politics, manipulation and persuasion. It’s really interesting to see each kind’s and person’s characteristics and talents. I do wish that the characters’ appearances were explained more. I can kind of imagine them, but it’s hard to really see the details…
As the story progresses, we get to see more of the world as the main characters travel. I did love the different settings and cities! The Collegium was interesting because it’s the Hogwarts of Harry Potter, the University of The Name of the Wind and so on. It’s where you go to learn. Then there’s the second big city in the Lowlands: Helleron. A despicable city in which everyone just wants to make money no matter the costs. As I’m writing this, I wonder whether that’s a commentary on our society. Anyway, lots of different interesting places, but again I can’t really form a description of the lands.
PLOT
So, the plot. You don’t really get much from the synopsis, do you? It’s about Stenwold and his apprentices (I guess?) trying to prevent an invasion of the Wasp Empire. Adventures ensue!
Truly, a lot happens in this book. While I had been in a reading slump for about 2 months, I couldn’t put this book down. For the first time in 2 months, I wanted to keep reading. That says something, doesn’t it? I thought the plot was really captivating, as I sat in the sofa reading for hours instead of studying or working. I won’t tell you anything about what actually happens because the synopsis doesn’t either.
CHARACTERS
This novel has quite a few main characters, so I’ll just have a little explanation of each!
Stenwold Maker: Beetle-kinden. He watched the city Myna fall and has been working his way up in the Collegium ever since then to spy on the Wasp Empire and work against them. Really enjoyed his character!
Cheerwell “Che” Maker: Beetle-kinden and Stenwold’s niece. She’s been studying at the Collegium. She often feels like the lesser one: not as apt, not as able, not as pretty. But she’s tough, tries hard and never gives up.
Tynisa: Stenwold’s protégé really. She’s Spider-kinden but has grown up at the Collegium with the Beetle-kinden. She’s a fighter -literally. She loves to fight. To be honest, she was my least favorite character because she was often arrogant. Incredibly so.
Totho: half-breed. Also studies at the Collegium and is an artificer now – so he creates all kinds of cool things. Quite enjoyed his character, and I felt bad for him because of how he was treated due to him being a half-breed.
Salma: Prince of the Dragonfly-kinden. I both loved and disliked him. He is incredibly handsome, and knows it -just like Tynisa knows she’s beautiful. But he treats his friends well and would do anything to help them -and his people.
Tisamon: I believe he’s a Mantis. He’s one of my absolute favorite characters of this book! He’s a Weaponsmaster, which apparently is really rare. His kind holds on to grudges but also to promises. He’s probably the best fighter ever. He’s from the same generation as Stenwold, while the previous 4 are young. He was also at Myna when it fell to the Wasps.
I also liked Achaeos, a Moth-kinden who is introduced much later on!
OVERALL IMPRESSION
I quite liked this book overall! I thought the concept was intriguing, the synopsis captivating and the characters fascinating. The only downside I found here is that it lacks in description. I would’ve really liked to see the world and characters described more. I do want to continue on with the series because I enjoyed it, but I won’t go running out the door to the bookstore because I need it now.
helenamt's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5