Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-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
This book was interesting, and I liked the way it dealt with really tricky questions of morality and ethics in the midst of an occupation and an oncoming war, but I just didn’t like the characters as much as I wanted to and the plot was a little slow. I really did love Arazi though, I’m a sucker for a good dragon.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This has some super interesting concepts! I loved that our MC is not particularly smart or strong or of upstanding character. They don't really want to be involved with the colonizers OR the rebellion. They just want to paint!!
I love the queer normative world that shows a variety of relationships.
There were some parts that really dragged for me. This also feels like it's the start of a series, but on the author's website, it says it's a standalone??
I love the queer normative world that shows a variety of relationships.
There were some parts that really dragged for me. This also feels like it's the start of a series, but on the author's website, it says it's a standalone??
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed the world building in this book. I thought the paint magic and automata were unique and interesting.
I liked that the main character was a painter and a pacifist for the most part, although sometimes their incompetence was frustrating. I also didn’t particularly care for the romance.
My favorite part of this book was Arazi. I wish we could have seen more of it. I enjoyed its commentary and its relationship with Jebi.
I wish there was a sequel!!
I liked that the main character was a painter and a pacifist for the most part, although sometimes their incompetence was frustrating. I also didn’t particularly care for the romance.
My favorite part of this book was Arazi. I wish we could have seen more of it. I enjoyed its commentary and its relationship with Jebi.
I wish there was a sequel!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, War
Imaginative and vibrant, set in a well-realized world. I really liked the characters and the story though I found a lot of plot resolutions to be a bit too easy and straightforward.
Loved the connection Jebi has to their art and the dragon. Very interesting art based magic system. Sadly, this is one of those books that feels like the author only wrote two acts and left out the ending because the second half of the duology is meant to be that ending and what we are left off with is a total genre shift that feels very out of place tonally.
3,5
Por un lado se lee como un tiro y me lo he pasado bien, sobre todo con la ambientación y en parte por el dragón que hace de personaje secundario gracioso alternativo al principal (personaje algo tipico actualmente). Además, la representación de colectivos como el no binario está representado a las mil maravillas. El contexto artistico tambien le da un toque distinto a la novela.
Por otro lado, es una historia bastante manida en su desarrollo y que hemos visto en mil novelas medio juveniles actualmente. Personaje joven, aprendizaje, lucha contra el mal, etc. en una historia muy lineal.
Por un lado se lee como un tiro y me lo he pasado bien, sobre todo con la ambientación y en parte por el dragón que hace de personaje secundario gracioso alternativo al principal (personaje algo tipico actualmente). Además, la representación de colectivos como el no binario está representado a las mil maravillas. El contexto artistico tambien le da un toque distinto a la novela.
Por otro lado, es una historia bastante manida en su desarrollo y que hemos visto en mil novelas medio juveniles actualmente. Personaje joven, aprendizaje, lucha contra el mal, etc. en una historia muy lineal.
There's a lot of great stuff in this book - the idea of glyphs as coding for automata, a huge metal dragon, people who can turn into fox spirits, the idea of the pigments. Unfortunately, the interesting stuff doesn't feature in the book much.
The massive metal dragon who is so prominently on the cover, it barely in the story, and even when he is, he's off page. Except for the dragon, all the characters seem flat and unconvincing. Even Jebi, the protagonist, is difficult to get a handle on, and I wasn't sold on the idea that they went straight from being an artist to being a glyph writer with no problems or training.
I wish there'd been more of Jebi and the dragon's friendship. The main romance/relationship in the book is pretty boring and, again, unconvincing. There's some plot things that happen that the main lovers never discuss, which I found odd.
Overall, this book was okay in parts, but it mostly fell flat. Far too boring and slow considering it has a dragon automata in it.
The massive metal dragon who is so prominently on the cover, it barely in the story, and even when he is, he's off page. Except for the dragon, all the characters seem flat and unconvincing. Even Jebi, the protagonist, is difficult to get a handle on, and I wasn't sold on the idea that they went straight from being an artist to being a glyph writer with no problems or training.
I wish there'd been more of Jebi and the dragon's friendship. The main romance/relationship in the book is pretty boring and, again, unconvincing. There's some plot things that happen that the main lovers never discuss, which I found odd.
Overall, this book was okay in parts, but it mostly fell flat. Far too boring and slow considering it has a dragon automata in it.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not memorable.