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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Why didn't I like this book more? Eh. Nice ideas, a bit claustrophobic character-wise, but very adequately written. It seems like we've got a strong, independent female narrator, but then she ends up-- well. Not.
I didn't care about anything that was happening, so I did not finish. I am certain lots of people would like this book very much. They are not wrong.
I didn't care about anything that was happening, so I did not finish. I am certain lots of people would like this book very much. They are not wrong.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hoooooo, boy... Well, for starters, I gave this book two stars and not one is because it wasn't wholly irredeemable! I definitely enjoyed the imaginative abilities in the novel, although when I look back on it, it's not the most original idea ever. But what can I say! I read fantasy books precisely for the worlbuilding and in-universe powers (there has to be more convenient jargon for this...). So, I'll stick to my categories below and give them according ratings:
Worldbuilding : 4/10 stars
Honestly? I feel like the author set up a fairly decent world. This particular setting is very common— posh Victorian England that's also magical, but doesn't include any of the darker aspects of Victorian society. I got immersed in it pretty well, but I would attribute some of that feeling to the fact that I've read a lot if books like this already. Now, if we're actually looking at the setting presented to us, it's not much to work off of! The places, in consequential order, are these: Literally, that is all there is to it. The most description comes out of Magician Thane's house, and even then, it was not enough to catch my interest, description-wise.
Characters: 2/10 stars
J.K. Rowling, give me strength... Alright, so I'm completely unimpressed with the characters. ALL OF THEM. I was aggravated with Ceony the most, but don't worry, I have plenty to say for the others as well! Let's start with her, anyway. She is stated as 19 years old and BY JOVE, she's so dumb and naive and lackluster! I'M 19 and that girl sound more like a 14 year old than one my age. This book wasn't even in the junior or teen section!! It is like 5-6 years below my reading level! I'm not going to use the term 'Mary-Sue' to label her because I believe that the term belongs in the fanfiction terminology, where regular people write for fun, not to get paid. But seriously, I was so fed up with the fact that Ceony was as dumb and clueless as she was naive. For eggzample: And the part that infuriated me most was when I just can't deal with such trite protagonists.
Magician Thane was no better. He was just so predictable! And by the way, author, telling his whole backstory through flashbacks that took up like 5 chapters is just sloppy. More on that later on. His first introduction baffled me. Dark, unkempt hair? Bright emerald green eyes? What other wizard does he remind me of? I will never know. Besides that, I just wasn't impressed with him. Sure, he had some good points, like when he made Fennel for Ceony, but the author totally shat on the suspense by alluding to it so obviously. I did like how he struggled to bring Lira to justice because he still had feelings for her, but better and brighter authors have written a struggle like that infinitely better. And don't even get me started on the fact that supposedly,
Lira was just pathetically two-dimensional. Also, making Lira have dark hair and dark eyes and also making her the villain? Groundbreaking.
In-Universe Logic: 2/10 stars
So, this category is mainly to test how well the author has suspended my disbelief. If rules of the universe are established, it follows that the novel should adhere to them ,even if it's not set in our world. On this aspect? Biiiiiig F. The worst offender by far is I would also complain about how
Last Thoughts:
It makes me mad that this book had a good amount of potential and was wasted on mind-numbing flashbacks and unnecessary romances. The cover art was nice, too. It's not an entirely trash-worthy book, though, so if you like hammy and predictable plots, go ahead! I can see why other people would like this, but I've read far too many mediocre books to be placated by purely the magical concept.
Worldbuilding : 4/10 stars
Honestly? I feel like the author set up a fairly decent world. This particular setting is very common— posh Victorian England that's also magical, but doesn't include any of the darker aspects of Victorian society. I got immersed in it pretty well, but I would attribute some of that feeling to the fact that I've read a lot if books like this already. Now, if we're actually looking at the setting presented to us, it's not much to work off of! The places, in consequential order, are these:
Spoiler
The ride to Magician Thane's house, his actual house, a little blurb about overhead England as Ceony's flying, and Lira's cave.Characters: 2/10 stars
J.K. Rowling, give me strength... Alright, so I'm completely unimpressed with the characters. ALL OF THEM. I was aggravated with Ceony the most, but don't worry, I have plenty to say for the others as well! Let's start with her, anyway. She is stated as 19 years old and BY JOVE, she's so dumb and naive and lackluster! I'M 19 and that girl sound more like a 14 year old than one my age. This book wasn't even in the junior or teen section!! It is like 5-6 years below my reading level! I'm not going to use the term 'Mary-Sue' to label her because I believe that the term belongs in the fanfiction terminology, where regular people write for fun, not to get paid. But seriously, I was so fed up with the fact that Ceony was as dumb and clueless as she was naive. For eggzample:
Spoiler
when she's (unreasonably) transported into Mg. Thane's heart, Ceony The Blathering Fool takes a moment to realize the people around her are apparitions/memories AND STILL SPENDS LIKE 2 PAGES TRYING TO TALK TO THEM! I thought we established this! They're! Figments!Spoiler
Ceony got into some bullshit argument with Thane's shadow about how she's awful, too. The most biting example she used? When she supposedly let her sister catch pneumonia because she wouldn't pick her up and instead did her homework! I bitterly scoffed at that part. Doesn't that sound just like an author who wants their character to have some bad karma leverage without actually presenting a decision with consequences!? Oh, poor Ceony, she's just so ambitious and studious that she almost let her sister die! Woe is her! That really puts things in perspective for a man who idly sat by while his wife became a sociopath necromancer and had to live with the guilt that he was partly responsible for her victims' deaths! Oh, sweet suffering woe!Magician Thane was no better. He was just so predictable! And by the way, author, telling his whole backstory through flashbacks that took up like 5 chapters is just sloppy. More on that later on. His first introduction baffled me. Dark, unkempt hair? Bright emerald green eyes? What other wizard does he remind me of? I will never know. Besides that, I just wasn't impressed with him. Sure, he had some good points, like when he made Fennel for Ceony, but the author totally shat on the suspense by alluding to it so obviously. I did like how he struggled to bring Lira to justice because he still had feelings for her, but better and brighter authors have written a struggle like that infinitely better. And don't even get me started on the fact that supposedly,
Spoiler
he loves Ceony! I know for a fact that early on in the novel, Mg. Thane's age is established around 30. And Ceony is 19. What the hell!? That is beyond gross, especially since there's an 11 year age difference between them! Now, now, I'm not condemning people in real life who do have age differences between their partners that are big. But, courtesy of the internet, I've adopted a perspective of when an age difference is good, and when it's not. I would not say anything if it was a person who's 40 with someone who's 29 because they're both adults who are in fairly in the same developmental stage. Ceony is still mentally a teenager while Thane has finished his education and is in the middle of his career— I feel insanely creeped out that a 30 year old is looking at her romantically.Lira was just pathetically two-dimensional.
Spoiler
Vengeful girlfriend who is evil and sees her crush as an obsession? Simply a yandere. I have nothing more to say.In-Universe Logic: 2/10 stars
So, this category is mainly to test how well the author has suspended my disbelief. If rules of the universe are established, it follows that the novel should adhere to them ,even if it's not set in our world. On this aspect? Biiiiiig F. The worst offender by far is
Spoiler
Lira's powers. So, she apparently cornered Ceony and transported her to the inside of MG. Than'es heart, right? Well, what ass was this pulled out of!? I know that Lira's an Excisioner, magician type that controls people, but how the hell did she shrink Ceony and manipulate the hear to somehow accomodate her and have pseudo-rooms!? Please, oh please, google a human heart cut in half. And besides, the magician imbues magic into the object by manipualting it, as per the book's logic! Since when can the magician alter the size of the material used? Ceony and Mg. Thane never had the ability to make paper big or small, besides cutting it with scissors. Ceony talked about smelting and how a bullet that never misses its target can be made, but did we ever hear of a Smelter who made big-ass bullets to fit in tanks by magically enlarging them? NO!Spoiler
in actuality, the heart should have been substituted with the brain, given that the brain is a human's information center, but I guess that would be too gory and distasteful for the poor author to handle. Pfeh. being in a brain would have been so much more interesting.Last Thoughts:
It makes me mad that this book had a good amount of potential and was wasted on mind-numbing flashbacks and unnecessary romances. The cover art was nice, too. It's not an entirely trash-worthy book, though, so if you like hammy and predictable plots, go ahead! I can see why other people would like this, but I've read far too many mediocre books to be placated by purely the magical concept.
3 stars because the pace was jarring at times. I’m intrigued enough in the magic system to keep reading the series.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated