Scan barcode
madelinejohnson918's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
leonidskies's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really, really wanted to be obsessed with this book! The concept was so exciting, the world and magic incredibly strong, and everything about it was wonderful... but I found that the characters being overwhelmingly real historical figures was off-putting. It held me back from getting really into the characters, and unfortunately made it glaringly obvious when a character was invented on top of the historical figures to make it so the entire cast wasn't men. It felt like the author was primarily interested in a couple of the historical figures and significantly less so with the others, and that harmed the balance. That said, it was a wildly entertaining read and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!
milesjmoran's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
sammy_stenger's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was gonna rate this book higher because the writing was great and the plot was semi intriguing, BUT THEN it ended with no real resolution or twist and was like “read the next one!” Cant believe i just read 531 pages of exposition marketed as a complete book. if you aren’t going to end the book at least make it shorter.
imkevbo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-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? No
5.0
Wow! What an unexpected pleasure! Great characters, great plot line and beautifully developed! I can’t wait to see where the next story leads and how it concludes!
scoobysue's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book starts slow the last 100 pages really pay off and I won’t lie it had me in tears. It’s a set up book for the sequel I’m hoping the second book starts a little faster. The friendships between characters really draw you in. I don’t like reading politics put I really enjoyed this book. It could’ve been a little more character driven because I couldn’t get enough of the characters. I would also love a book just about the vampire wars!
gamz's review
After listening to 48% of the audiobook I realized that I tuned out the majority of it and was clueless to what was going on. I had no interest in the political intrigue or in any of the characters. It bored me senseless.
bibliophilicwitch's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A thoughtful exploration of the struggle for human rights set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and how the addition of magic to history could affect and interplay with those events.
ldickol's review
4.0
The author meshes the fantasy and historical figures well. I enjoyed following the characters and seeing how the author inserted magic into some of the biggest historical events of the 1700s.