Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

34 reviews

bek_p87's review

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adventurous mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

I wanted to like this more than I did. It was an interesting concept - a man who could tell the future, a man who saw sounds as colours, and a woman who was a physicist collide in the mid-1880s - but it was slow-paced and even though a few key events happened, I didn't feel like many questions were answered. As it ended, I didn't have a good sense of how and why everything happened, and what would happen next - so much of the story was left open-ended.
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leanneymu's review

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adventurous challenging dark reflective tense 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

4.0

A compelling plot and a good cast of flawed characters, who's choices drive the story. The elements of magical realism and victoriana were right up my street, but there is also a content warning for some xenophobic language (period appropriate) so if that doesn't appeal, it might be worth giving this one a miss.
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nekoshka's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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ryan_pardue's review against another edition

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As historical fiction is wont to do, Pulley has recreated racism and Orientalism from the 19th century in a modern novel. Some readers won't be bothered by this, but after a half dozen observations about Japanese characters’ skin being too dirty, I stopped reading. Racist characters have their place in literature when used to intentionally discuss racism and its effects, but this novel simply infused microaggressions throughout the close third narration. The rest of the story simply wasn't interesting enough to put up with it. 
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obliviousstill's review

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adventurous mysterious relaxing 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? N/A

4.0

Used book store find. I liked the premise. Loved the unexpected yearning. I did not know I had picked up an LGBTQ+ book. Did not take long for me to realise. 
(I don't think I should ever reread this book because I'm pretty sure somewhere in my head I considerably shortened the age gap between Thaniel and Keita.)
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serotonone's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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cookiecat73's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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imrereads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I definitely struggled with rating this. I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, and then felt it sort of lost me for a while until about the mid-way point where I really started enjoying myself. What I really like about it is the atmosphere. If you enjoy historical fiction and the Victorian era, then I think you'll find a lot to enjoy here. I also really loved the almost cyberpunk-feel of the clockwork items! 

What I struggled with had a lot to do with Grace. Firstly I didn't really love her "not like other girls" deal, and felt like that focus took away from her likability - because I thought the premise of her was really interesting. I couldn't quite grasps why she and Thaniel liked each other though. I think the fact that I wasn't onboard with that, took away a lot for me.

On the other hand, I found this to be a easily enjoyable mystery. I'm not massive on that genre, but I love Pulley's style of writing. This didn't land as well for me as The Kingdoms did, but still a good book! I loved the dynamic between Thaniel and Mori, and I really liked the slice of life-esque beginning with Thaniel working at the Home Office telegraph apartment. 

So all over I enjoyed the book, certainly enough for me to be curious about reading the sequel. 
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clarabooksit's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense 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? No

4.25

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unablelemon's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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