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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Abandoning this bill is more a timing issue than anything.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF @ 37%.
Look. I love fantasy novels, and different kinds of fantasy at that. But the only fantasy bits to this book are the fact that it's a different world to our own, one dragon eyeball, and some interludes that tell the stories of the gods of this world. The rest of this book? Weird alternate Italy with a bunch of words and phrases that are a messed up combination of Italian and Latin.
Mostly this book is a political semi-historical fiction of some sort. There is so, so much emphasis on reading someone's facial expressions and marking their cheeks. And it is so, so boring. At 37% of the way in, I still have no idea what the point of the book is aside from Davico whining that he doesn't want to take over the family (and being a little perv) and Celia being sketch as hell.
Don't get me wrong, I like political fantasy, but I enjoy it more when the fantasy aspect is very present and there's actually some action to go along with the politics. So far, this book has been a lot of sitting around and talking while drinking tea, riding out to other places to sit around and drink tea. Even the card game they go on about is really about politics/reading people's faces.
Look. I love fantasy novels, and different kinds of fantasy at that. But the only fantasy bits to this book are the fact that it's a different world to our own, one dragon eyeball, and some interludes that tell the stories of the gods of this world. The rest of this book? Weird alternate Italy with a bunch of words and phrases that are a messed up combination of Italian and Latin.
Mostly this book is a political semi-historical fiction of some sort. There is so, so much emphasis on reading someone's facial expressions and marking their cheeks. And it is so, so boring. At 37% of the way in, I still have no idea what the point of the book is aside from Davico whining that he doesn't want to take over the family (and being a little perv) and Celia being sketch as hell.
Don't get me wrong, I like political fantasy, but I enjoy it more when the fantasy aspect is very present and there's actually some action to go along with the politics. So far, this book has been a lot of sitting around and talking while drinking tea, riding out to other places to sit around and drink tea. Even the card game they go on about is really about politics/reading people's faces.
In the city of Navola the di Regulai name is feared with a vast reach over not just there but across the world. The family runs the largest bank with much influence in a city where lies come easily and Davicio di Regulai is not so certain that he is the best to take on the weight of this family legacy. Tensions continue to rise in the city as his father continues to exert more power eventually resulting in the fall of another family and the taking in of their eldest daughter Celia to be raised alongside Davicio in their palazzo as siblings. All the while Davicio begins to develop a unique connection to the mysterious dragon's eye that sits upon his father's death.
This book is a wonderful story of a Renaissance Florentine world with the hints of a fantasy element with the dragons. The first few chapters do give you a lot of information to get you introduced to the politics, scheming, and the power players of the city. For much of the first half of the story we follow Davicio through his childhood learning the trade of being a di Regulai, something he does not think he fits into quite as well. This I found a bit weaker as he does complain a lot and it goes on for a larger portion of the book. Then we descend into the start of what I can see the rest of this series becoming with gore, bloodshed and vengeance.
The characters around Davicio in his life all twisty and well crafted. His relationship with the group who were set to train him was one of my favorites especially Cazetta, his father's assassin. I really hope to see more Filippo, Celia and Sia Furia in the rest of the series as this feels like only the very start of Davicio's story.
I would recommend this to fantasy fans who have an appreciation of Italian history, grimdark fantasy, and can handle a book that feels more historical fiction of a fantasy world. It feels as though it is likely to appeal to Dune or Name of the Wind fans. Really hoping to see a nice long series that I will savor reading.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher for providing me with an arc to read and review.
This book is a wonderful story of a Renaissance Florentine world with the hints of a fantasy element with the dragons. The first few chapters do give you a lot of information to get you introduced to the politics, scheming, and the power players of the city. For much of the first half of the story we follow Davicio through his childhood learning the trade of being a di Regulai, something he does not think he fits into quite as well. This I found a bit weaker as he does complain a lot and it goes on for a larger portion of the book. Then we descend into the start of what I can see the rest of this series becoming with gore, bloodshed and vengeance.
The characters around Davicio in his life all twisty and well crafted. His relationship with the group who were set to train him was one of my favorites especially Cazetta, his father's assassin. I really hope to see more Filippo, Celia and Sia Furia in the rest of the series as this feels like only the very start of Davicio's story.
I would recommend this to fantasy fans who have an appreciation of Italian history, grimdark fantasy, and can handle a book that feels more historical fiction of a fantasy world. It feels as though it is likely to appeal to Dune or Name of the Wind fans. Really hoping to see a nice long series that I will savor reading.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher for providing me with an arc to read and review.
I'm so confused by this book.
First half is unbelievably slow and boring. Middle part gets better when the plot takes off but in exchange, you have to sit through this God awful pseudo incest romance subplot. Davico and Celia have no chemistry-- period! Not familially, platonically, OR romantically! Funny enough, after the sex scene, the book gets incredibly good, but it's also because the pseudo incest plot goes away.
The writing is solid all around. I just don't know what the author was thinking by shoving this weirdo incest stuff in. The book would be the same if they weren't adopted siblings. I don't really like their chemistry or dynamic much. Celia gets really interesting at the end, at least. Davico kind of sucks as a character. I get what the author is going for but it doesn't work until the end.
I guess I'll read the sequel if it comes out. But wow, this book is weird. The writing for the female characters feels pretty misogynistic, though I do like a few of the female characters at the same time. There's all this sex talk constantly and it gets oldddd. A lot of the dynamics between characters don't feel very sincere-- and I know that's part of the point, but even with characters that care about each other, it just feels kinda... eh.
I know the sequel is going to have more of the pseudo incest shit and that's why I may hesitate to continue the series. I also cannot recommend this book to anyone because of it without me warning them first. If I'd been warned, I may have reconsidered reading it because I am not here for that personally. But oh well.
First half is unbelievably slow and boring. Middle part gets better when the plot takes off but in exchange, you have to sit through this God awful pseudo incest romance subplot. Davico and Celia have no chemistry-- period! Not familially, platonically, OR romantically! Funny enough, after the sex scene, the book gets incredibly good, but it's also because the pseudo incest plot goes away.
The writing is solid all around. I just don't know what the author was thinking by shoving this weirdo incest stuff in. The book would be the same if they weren't adopted siblings. I don't really like their chemistry or dynamic much. Celia gets really interesting at the end, at least. Davico kind of sucks as a character. I get what the author is going for but it doesn't work until the end.
I guess I'll read the sequel if it comes out. But wow, this book is weird. The writing for the female characters feels pretty misogynistic, though I do like a few of the female characters at the same time. There's all this sex talk constantly and it gets oldddd. A lot of the dynamics between characters don't feel very sincere-- and I know that's part of the point, but even with characters that care about each other, it just feels kinda... eh.
I know the sequel is going to have more of the pseudo incest shit and that's why I may hesitate to continue the series. I also cannot recommend this book to anyone because of it without me warning them first. If I'd been warned, I may have reconsidered reading it because I am not here for that personally. But oh well.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a surprising 5-star read! This was a random pickup because I heard something about a dragon, so I decided to audiobook it, and I’m so glad I did! The main character single POV gave me Paul Atreides in Dune vibes. A boy growing into manhood in the shadow of his family’s powerful house full of political intrigue and twisty plots. I never thought I’d enjoy something that mentioned the Italian renaissance, but the audiobook narrator adds so much emotion and flavor to the cultural words/aspects here I found myself really enjoying it, and even feeling a little sophisticated. I couldn’t recommend this book, especially the audiobook, enough! The plot, prose, and character development are all **chef’s kiss**. I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Shoutout to the plot twists and characters this book is packed with, giving the same excitement and shock as Game of Thrones!
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
this took me FOREVER to get through. the pacing in this book was agonizingly slow. it was literally just a bunch of world building - heavy on the language that was basically like italian/latin gibberish - and little to nothing when it came to character development and plot. the main character was a snooze to read about. he was clueless about everything going on. he's the heir to a mafia family but in this world the mafia is accounting??? please lol. and barely anything happened in the first 70% of the book and by the time it started it pick up, i didn't even care anymore no matter how jarring and gory some of the scenes got.
i think a big part of my disappointment was that i was expecting more fantastical elements (like, hello, dragons??? the cover???) than the political intrigue that took up most of the book. there were too many politics in play. i wanted to cry at how bored i was lol.
an extra star just for celia who was the only interesting character and aspect about this book. are we shocked that a woman was the only saving grace in this? no. we are not.
this took me FOREVER to get through. the pacing in this book was agonizingly slow. it was literally just a bunch of world building - heavy on the language that was basically like italian/latin gibberish - and little to nothing when it came to character development and plot. the main character was a snooze to read about. he was clueless about everything going on. he's the heir to a mafia family but in this world the mafia is accounting??? please lol. and barely anything happened in the first 70% of the book and by the time it started it pick up, i didn't even care anymore no matter how jarring and gory some of the scenes got.
i think a big part of my disappointment was that i was expecting more fantastical elements (like, hello, dragons??? the cover???) than the political intrigue that took up most of the book. there were too many politics in play. i wanted to cry at how bored i was lol.
an extra star just for celia who was the only interesting character and aspect about this book. are we shocked that a woman was the only saving grace in this? no. we are not.