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jdstewart1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.0
Bit confusing from the POV switches but a really good story
foxgame's review
4.0
First book in this series that sets the scene for this alternate world of ley lines and magic governed by different factions of curates. Political motives and conspiracies unravel and it’s not always clear who are the good guys or bad guys. I’m interested in how these characters evolve in book 2 as the pawns are in play.
Recommend for those who enjoy fantasy novels with politics - slightly gothic.
Received a complimentary copy of the book from BookSirens and have provided a review voluntarily.
Recommend for those who enjoy fantasy novels with politics - slightly gothic.
Received a complimentary copy of the book from BookSirens and have provided a review voluntarily.
mycupoftealcsw's review
4.0
Minor spoilers throughout.
This book has some really interesting and well thought out elements that I enjoyed, but also had a few plot points that felt incomplete and rushed.
I went into this book blind which I think was a good choice because this book is hard to really describe. It's part Blade Runner, part Divergent, part The Giver, part Third Reich, and part cold war Soviet Union but with swords and magic. And I'm sure I missed a few parts.
The things I liked about this book:
The world and magic elements: I really love all the elements of this world and the way it questions what it really means to be good and ethical. Other stories have done the "suppressing natural human emotions and desires for the greater good" thing but I haven't seen it addressed quite like this before. I love the idea of the Marks and the mystery behind them and why they flip. I also like the way ley lines take the place of a god in the spirituality of this world and they way they are incorporated into the magic system. The addition of cartomancy was also fun, especially since it came from a supposed "deviant".
The characters: all of the characters are rich and complex and who is bad and who is good is really a matter of perspective (except for those two creepy ass kids - they are definitely bad).
The physical descriptions of the characters: I really appreciate that we don't really know what a lot of the characters look like for most of the book because we only get one or two pieces of description from various characters. I thought this was an interesting choice because this is how it is in real life - most of us don't look in a mirror or at another person and see all their characteristics. We notice some things but not others, then other people notice different things, and so on.
Some things I thought needed to be more fleshed out:
The romance/love stories: both of them felt rushed and lacked adequate background to really make them make sense. I believed that they had affection for each other, but not why they had affection for each other. Malach and Nikola were more believable mainly because they have known each other longer, but Kasia and Alexei had only known each other for 4 days and one of those he was asleep. I would have liked more information or nuance to make these relationships feel more real.
More clarity on the world and history: this book is very dense and has a lot going on (which I enjoyed) but it also made it hard to keep track of at times. I think the information in the back of the book was helpful, but I would have liked more information in the text.
This book has some really interesting and well thought out elements that I enjoyed, but also had a few plot points that felt incomplete and rushed.
I went into this book blind which I think was a good choice because this book is hard to really describe. It's part Blade Runner, part Divergent, part The Giver, part Third Reich, and part cold war Soviet Union but with swords and magic. And I'm sure I missed a few parts.
The things I liked about this book:
The world and magic elements: I really love all the elements of this world and the way it questions what it really means to be good and ethical. Other stories have done the "suppressing natural human emotions and desires for the greater good" thing but I haven't seen it addressed quite like this before. I love the idea of the Marks and the mystery behind them and why they flip. I also like the way ley lines take the place of a god in the spirituality of this world and they way they are incorporated into the magic system. The addition of cartomancy was also fun, especially since it came from a supposed "deviant".
The characters: all of the characters are rich and complex and who is bad and who is good is really a matter of perspective (except for those two creepy ass kids - they are definitely bad).
The physical descriptions of the characters: I really appreciate that we don't really know what a lot of the characters look like for most of the book because we only get one or two pieces of description from various characters. I thought this was an interesting choice because this is how it is in real life - most of us don't look in a mirror or at another person and see all their characteristics. We notice some things but not others, then other people notice different things, and so on.
Some things I thought needed to be more fleshed out:
The romance/love stories: both of them felt rushed and lacked adequate background to really make them make sense. I believed that they had affection for each other, but not why they had affection for each other. Malach and Nikola were more believable mainly because they have known each other longer, but Kasia and Alexei had only known each other for 4 days and one of those he was asleep. I would have liked more information or nuance to make these relationships feel more real.
More clarity on the world and history: this book is very dense and has a lot going on (which I enjoyed) but it also made it hard to keep track of at times. I think the information in the back of the book was helpful, but I would have liked more information in the text.
porcupinesnuggles's review
5.0
Took a little bit to get into it, but then I couldn't put it down. Very noir and I loved the pictures that formed in my head with the cities and ley and everything. The characters were complex, the mystery of what is happening and who is connected to what was as complicated and confusing as any noir could want to be. Loved reading it and looking forward to the rest of the series
blueshadow's review
4.0
Fast paced fantasy noir in an eastern European inspired setting, with slight gaslamp flavor (limited technology), some mystery, lots of action, and very detailed worldbuilding, backstory, and magical system.
The plot.... the plot is complicated and twisty-turny. But we have three major characters, a sort of magical policeman haunted by his past, a woman with secrets, and the man exiled for his evil magic, plus a whole host of supporting characters. A huge strength of this book is that we get POV from each of the major characters, plus some others, which really helps develop all aspects of the storyline. The trouble really gets going soon in the second chapter, and then all mad chaos breaks out about halfway through the book. Buckle up, it's a fast ride.
So, my one problem with the book is that it's a bit confusing. The very detailed worldbuilding isn't explained in detail. We actually get a better explanation towards the end of the story, when we find out (as is wont to happen in these stories) that not everything is quite how we were led to believe.
Nearly all the characters could be classified as morally grey. There are bad guys who do good things, good guys who do bad things, and most of the characters I wasn't really sure if they were good or bad because the plot kept twisting too fast for me to keep up. But somehow I managed to LIKE nearly all of them.
This book was fast-paced and a lot of fun to read. Even though I would have preferred more detailed explanations, the lack of them kept the pace fast and there always was just (barely) enough that I wasn't actually lost, just wishing I understood a bit more. The plot is first-rate and the vivid characters really make the story. Recommended if you like action, dark fantasy, or great characters.
This is the first installment in a series. It ends at a pause in the action - not a cliffhanger, but neither is everything resolved.
Content advisory: Rated R for strong language, sexual references, a couple brief sex scenes, and brief violence.
The plot.... the plot is complicated and twisty-turny. But we have three major characters, a sort of magical policeman haunted by his past, a woman with secrets, and the man exiled for his evil magic, plus a whole host of supporting characters. A huge strength of this book is that we get POV from each of the major characters, plus some others, which really helps develop all aspects of the storyline. The trouble really gets going soon in the second chapter, and then all mad chaos breaks out about halfway through the book. Buckle up, it's a fast ride.
So, my one problem with the book is that it's a bit confusing. The very detailed worldbuilding isn't explained in detail. We actually get a better explanation towards the end of the story, when we find out (as is wont to happen in these stories) that not everything is quite how we were led to believe.
Nearly all the characters could be classified as morally grey. There are bad guys who do good things, good guys who do bad things, and most of the characters I wasn't really sure if they were good or bad because the plot kept twisting too fast for me to keep up. But somehow I managed to LIKE nearly all of them.
This book was fast-paced and a lot of fun to read. Even though I would have preferred more detailed explanations, the lack of them kept the pace fast and there always was just (barely) enough that I wasn't actually lost, just wishing I understood a bit more. The plot is first-rate and the vivid characters really make the story. Recommended if you like action, dark fantasy, or great characters.
This is the first installment in a series. It ends at a pause in the action - not a cliffhanger, but neither is everything resolved.
Content advisory: Rated R for strong language, sexual references, a couple brief sex scenes, and brief violence.
insanebookperson's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Death of parent, War, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Classism, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence
arcnemesi's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
froutluips's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0