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edluback's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ashction's review against another edition
5.0
I have to admit that I really, truly enjoyed this one!
I know a lot of people complained that it read like fanfic, but some fanfics I've read are better than tons of published fiction I've read, so that's no concern for me. This story blends mystery and social concerns with romance in a cool fantasy environment, one filled with witches and with vaguely steampunk vibes. I'm excited to continue the series (which, by the looks of it, is more of a companion-style but I'm excited about it!) and see what comes next.
I know a lot of people complained that it read like fanfic, but some fanfics I've read are better than tons of published fiction I've read, so that's no concern for me. This story blends mystery and social concerns with romance in a cool fantasy environment, one filled with witches and with vaguely steampunk vibes. I'm excited to continue the series (which, by the looks of it, is more of a companion-style but I'm excited about it!) and see what comes next.
gkepps's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chanelchapters's review against another edition
3.0
Where’s the world building and explanation of the magic system bro??
Lots of toxic family relationships in this and a rather bland romance.
The hints we got about the different species and magic piqued my interest but nothing is elucidated about them. I was left confused over so many things. The writing was very average.
I will not be continuing the series.
Lots of toxic family relationships in this and a rather bland romance.
The hints we got about the different species and magic piqued my interest but nothing is elucidated about them. I was left confused over so many things. The writing was very average.
I will not be continuing the series.
timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
OK, first novel, so I'll give it a break.
Was it very good? No.
Will I read #2? Yes.
There are enough interesting ideas here that want to see what comes next.
The world-building is weak, but I am intrigued by the complex mesh of people forcing other people to do stuff, claiming it's for the greater good when this is sometimes obviously wrong and sometimes hmm, tough call.
"Father" is a complete shit and one of my main motivations for reading #2 is the hope that he will get some kind of Promethean eternal agony as his payback.
Tristan, on the other hand, is those guys from the Stephanie Plum novels, impossibly perfect and patient. I'm also suspicious that for all the power of the Mages etc., it feels as if any one of the Illuminati or whatever they are called could turn a whole city to stone without breaking a sweat.
But I *still* want to know what happens next, and in a few hundred more pages I'll decide whether Polk is gonna make Da BIG Time (my version).
Was it very good? No.
Will I read #2? Yes.
There are enough interesting ideas here that want to see what comes next.
The world-building is weak, but I am intrigued by the complex mesh of people forcing other people to do stuff, claiming it's for the greater good when this is sometimes obviously wrong and sometimes hmm, tough call.
"Father" is a complete shit and one of my main motivations for reading #2 is the hope that he will get some kind of Promethean eternal agony as his payback.
Tristan, on the other hand, is those guys from the Stephanie Plum novels, impossibly perfect and patient. I'm also suspicious that for all the power of the Mages etc., it feels as if any one of the Illuminati or whatever they are called could turn a whole city to stone without breaking a sweat.
But I *still* want to know what happens next, and in a few hundred more pages I'll decide whether Polk is gonna make Da BIG Time (my version).
serinwalker's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.0
lizruest's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ameruck's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
hirvimaki's review against another edition
2.0
I'm of two minds here. On the one hand, I feel like Polk did an admirable job of world building, even though at times it felt a little like a cheat based on London, but totally not London. And I always like when magic has rules. I like consistency and a solid framework so that magic isn't just a gimmicky plot device (the good: Dresden Files, the bad: Harry Potter). And I really enjoyed the class structure and the depth that brought to the story. It really was the most fascinating part of this book.
And yet...there was a lot of grey in this book. Slavery being a key component to the tale, it felt...unresolved and a bit dodgey. And as to the magic of the world, I really did not understand who knows what (Does everyone (read: non-magic users) know the upper class are magic users?) and the repercussions that the various practitioners suffer (privilege or punishment) didn't seem very well explained - but perhaps I missed it. And finally, the romance. Meh. It did nothing to add to the enjoyment of the tale and in fact was distracting in that it felt shoehorned in.
I vacillated between two and three stars, but in the end I felt there were just too many little pieces that didn't fit and left me disappointed.
And yet...there was a lot of grey in this book. Slavery being a key component to the tale, it felt...unresolved and a bit dodgey. And as to the magic of the world, I really did not understand who knows what (Does everyone (read: non-magic users) know the upper class are magic users?) and the repercussions that the various practitioners suffer (privilege or punishment) didn't seem very well explained - but perhaps I missed it. And finally, the romance. Meh. It did nothing to add to the enjoyment of the tale and in fact was distracting in that it felt shoehorned in.
I vacillated between two and three stars, but in the end I felt there were just too many little pieces that didn't fit and left me disappointed.
maddoxx's review against another edition
3.0
Very confusing magic system and world building, often lacking sufficient explanations.
A+ for characters though, they alone made this book intriguing enough for me to pull through.
A+ for characters though, they alone made this book intriguing enough for me to pull through.