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_camk_'s review against another edition
3.0
Diamond City is good but not great.
First of all, Aina is actually the not a very good assassin ever. Badass, yes? Kills people, yes? Careful, keeps hidden as most assassins do? Not so much. However, she does fall flat a little bit. I couldn't connect with her repetitive inner monologues of her parents, glue and Kohl.
Ryuu could have been an interesting character but he has little to no personality.
However, the potential to ramp the espionage and action up a bit in book 2 is there and may be worth a read. Although, I'm not sure how Flores is going drag this series out over 3 books though if they are all around 400 pages.
First of all, Aina is actually the not a very good assassin ever. Badass, yes? Kills people, yes? Careful, keeps hidden as most assassins do? Not so much. However, she does fall flat a little bit. I couldn't connect with her repetitive inner monologues of her parents, glue and Kohl.
Ryuu could have been an interesting character but he has little to no personality.
However, the potential to ramp the espionage and action up a bit in book 2 is there and may be worth a read. Although, I'm not sure how Flores is going drag this series out over 3 books though if they are all around 400 pages.
onepageatatime's review against another edition
5.0
Magic: check
Assassins: check
Strong female lead with a bad ass attitude: check
Thjs book was an amazing start to a new series. I can't wait until the sequel gets released in January. The characters are wonderfully written, witty and enjoyable. They definitely stick with you. The world building is incredible and the plot is filled with a ton of action. This for me was a quick read because I couldn't put it down.
Assassins: check
Strong female lead with a bad ass attitude: check
Thjs book was an amazing start to a new series. I can't wait until the sequel gets released in January. The characters are wonderfully written, witty and enjoyable. They definitely stick with you. The world building is incredible and the plot is filled with a ton of action. This for me was a quick read because I couldn't put it down.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
Aina is very good at what she does: assassinate for others who also are unwanted and forgotten. But when a job goes wrong, Aina finds she’ll need to navigate a web of murder and conspiracy to save herself and her city.
My first did-not-finish of the year. I actually gave this book 3x my “rule” of 50-pages-to-grab-me. I was intrigued by Aina. I liked her grit and drive. I was eager to see how she survived … if she survived. But, when she messes up (view spoiler) Nope. That was too big of a leap. Just too much period. I suddenly didn’t care enough to find out what happened next. Close book, move on.
Aina is very good at what she does: assassinate for others who also are unwanted and forgotten. But when a job goes wrong, Aina finds she’ll need to navigate a web of murder and conspiracy to save herself and her city.
My first did-not-finish of the year. I actually gave this book 3x my “rule” of 50-pages-to-grab-me. I was intrigued by Aina. I liked her grit and drive. I was eager to see how she survived … if she survived. But, when she messes up (view spoiler) Nope. That was too big of a leap. Just too much period. I suddenly didn’t care enough to find out what happened next. Close book, move on.
yetimantra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
biblioamyy's review against another edition
4.0
Diamond City by Francesca Flores - 4/5⭐️
Now I know this took me a while to get through but it’s not because I didn’t love it. I actually really enjoyed it! I loved the steampunk setting the world was set it and how the world had blood/elemental magic. There was a diverse range of characters. All very likeable and well developed.
Aina, the protagonist, is an assassin and she is badass! This book is movie worthy! With all the action and the bloodiness
Now I know this took me a while to get through but it’s not because I didn’t love it. I actually really enjoyed it! I loved the steampunk setting the world was set it and how the world had blood/elemental magic. There was a diverse range of characters. All very likeable and well developed.
Aina, the protagonist, is an assassin and she is badass! This book is movie worthy! With all the action and the bloodiness
alyram4's review against another edition
5.0
I'd like to start of to say that I received an Uncorrected Bound Manuscript from the publisher. There is a high chance that some things may have been changed in the ARC editions and the final release of this book.
Many people know that I'm always trying to find more Latinx fantasy novels, as I feel that there aren't as many as there should be.
I'm super happy to say that Diamond City didn't disappoint! This was an extremely diverse book, but not adding in diversity for diversity points. It felt extremely realistic in the creation, characterization, and personalities of the characters, namely Aina and Ryuu. This book has assassins, forbidden magic (blood magic at that), religious commentary, and some of the most heart-wrenching and brutal depictions of poverty and repression that I've read recently. The writing was very well done, as it truly made you gather in all the details that we were being given as well as not giving everything away.
The plot itself was more complex than I believed it to be at first. I expected this to be a straightforward novel about escape and revenge, but there's SO much more going on! We go into politics, freedom of religion, repression, love, hate, family.... The list can go on, but it's not overwhelming in the slightest. We get just enough in order to feel the weight that our cast of characters experience, and it makes the ride so much more enjoyable. While there are a few snags in terms of pacing, everything is steady for the most part as we try to reach our end goal.
Characters are absolutely amazing! I want to say that nearly every character in here has substantial growth, but Aina is the one who develops the most. She has people coming into her life who go against her expectations, and she has to relearn that maybe the world isn't as black and white as she believes. Ryuu is a character I loved from when we were first intoduced, and unfortunately I can't say much about him without giving much away. Actually, it seems I can't say much about OUR ENTIRE CAST without giving away crucial plot points and developments. Just take my word that the characters in here are truly wonderful, and I hope you fall in love with them as much as I did.
This book is pretty damn close to a full 5/5 for me, but I give it a 4.75/5 mostly due to some of the pacing snags and wanting further development on a few things. Honestly though, it's mostly just me being nitpicky. I think this is a BEAUTIFUL debut novel, and I seriously hope this book gains more attention as we get closer to publication.
Many people know that I'm always trying to find more Latinx fantasy novels, as I feel that there aren't as many as there should be.
I'm super happy to say that Diamond City didn't disappoint! This was an extremely diverse book, but not adding in diversity for diversity points. It felt extremely realistic in the creation, characterization, and personalities of the characters, namely Aina and Ryuu. This book has assassins, forbidden magic (blood magic at that), religious commentary, and some of the most heart-wrenching and brutal depictions of poverty and repression that I've read recently. The writing was very well done, as it truly made you gather in all the details that we were being given as well as not giving everything away.
The plot itself was more complex than I believed it to be at first. I expected this to be a straightforward novel about escape and revenge, but there's SO much more going on! We go into politics, freedom of religion, repression, love, hate, family.... The list can go on, but it's not overwhelming in the slightest. We get just enough in order to feel the weight that our cast of characters experience, and it makes the ride so much more enjoyable. While there are a few snags in terms of pacing, everything is steady for the most part as we try to reach our end goal.
Characters are absolutely amazing! I want to say that nearly every character in here has substantial growth, but Aina is the one who develops the most. She has people coming into her life who go against her expectations, and she has to relearn that maybe the world isn't as black and white as she believes. Ryuu is a character I loved from when we were first intoduced, and unfortunately I can't say much about him without giving much away. Actually, it seems I can't say much about OUR ENTIRE CAST without giving away crucial plot points and developments. Just take my word that the characters in here are truly wonderful, and I hope you fall in love with them as much as I did.
This book is pretty damn close to a full 5/5 for me, but I give it a 4.75/5 mostly due to some of the pacing snags and wanting further development on a few things. Honestly though, it's mostly just me being nitpicky. I think this is a BEAUTIFUL debut novel, and I seriously hope this book gains more attention as we get closer to publication.
bookishlass's review against another edition
3.5
Content warnings: murder, drug addiction, poverty, abuse
danireneewood's review against another edition
2.0
Diamond City was...okay. It wasn't a title for me, but that doesn't mean that it won't really hit home for other readers. Something I find myself remembering is that as I reach my mid-twenties the further I am from being the target audience for YA Fiction (which is a quiet crisis that I deal with on an almost-daily basis).
Aina is an assassin, taken from the streets as an orphan and trained to be deadly by the house master, Kohl. As a result of this training, Aina holds some feelings for him early on that I just...had a really difficult time with.
Yes, I understand he took you from the streets, but it was only after he was going to destroy the building you were in along with everyone in it. And yes, I get it, he gave you a home and a "family" but only because he figured you'd be decent at killing those who inconvenience him. The one time you don't come through, the man punches you in the face and fires a warning shot at you. But you know, you owe him.
Overall, I found the world-building to be a bit confusing and under-developed, and the narrative transitions felt awkward at times. There were sections where I wasn't sure if I was reading present tense or a flashback, and ended up having to go back a few sections to figure out where I was.
Not for me, but if you enjoy assassins and action this title might just trip your trigger.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for review.
Aina is an assassin, taken from the streets as an orphan and trained to be deadly by the house master, Kohl. As a result of this training, Aina holds some feelings for him early on that I just...had a really difficult time with.
Yes, I understand he took you from the streets, but it was only after he was going to destroy the building you were in along with everyone in it. And yes, I get it, he gave you a home and a "family" but only because he figured you'd be decent at killing those who inconvenience him. The one time you don't come through, the man punches you in the face and fires a warning shot at you. But you know, you owe him.
Overall, I found the world-building to be a bit confusing and under-developed, and the narrative transitions felt awkward at times. There were sections where I wasn't sure if I was reading present tense or a flashback, and ended up having to go back a few sections to figure out where I was.
Not for me, but if you enjoy assassins and action this title might just trip your trigger.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for review.