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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Bored. While I do like the idea of element magic, I find the story bland. Same old romance, a girl who is a prodigy, determined to save the world.
2.5 stars.
Interesting premise with a strong, intelligent female lead? Sounds promising and there are some really interesting pieces to this story but there are major problems with the setting and time period (as most other reviews have mentioned). I'm not sure that, had the setting and language even been historically accurate, anything would have been gained from having the story set in the late 19th century since, at most points in the story, my brain automatically placed the characters and action in the present day.
Also, the entire "action/adventure" part was overly long and some good character development could have accomplished the same thing.
All that said, I have moved on to The Glass Magician since I purchased all three at once (Amazon daily deals!).
Interesting premise with a strong, intelligent female lead? Sounds promising and there are some really interesting pieces to this story but there are major problems with the setting and time period (as most other reviews have mentioned). I'm not sure that, had the setting and language even been historically accurate, anything would have been gained from having the story set in the late 19th century since, at most points in the story, my brain automatically placed the characters and action in the present day.
Also, the entire "action/adventure" part was overly long and some good character development could have accomplished the same thing.
All that said, I have moved on to The Glass Magician since I purchased all three at once (Amazon daily deals!).
Fun, and a little Harry Potter-ish. The main "adventure" section was more backgroundy/flashback-y than I expected - I think there needed to be more actual plot. But I will definitely check out the sequels.
This was a really fun and short fantasy book. It had quick world building but still gave you the amazing imagery and magic! The paper magic and the struggle between good and evil was great.
Accidentally read this in one sitting and then immediately bought the rest of the series. I really liked the characters and thought the story was different and fun.
I'm being very generous with a 3 star rating of this book. The idea was unique and interesting, but the execution was amateurish. There was hardly any character building. The reader is thrust into this adventure plot with barely any knowledge of the hero/heroine we are supposed to be rooting for. The imagery was done well in some places and terrible in others. Having said all of that, I will more than likely read the next installment in hopes that the story improves.
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg is one of those books that’s been sitting on my To Be Read list for a while. I remember downloading it to my e-reader ages ago but I never got around to reading it. Finally, I decided it was time to start whittling down my TBR list and this was one of the first books I picked up to do it with.
Like so many who have read and reviewed it, it’s a bit difficult to pin down the exact genre this book would fit into. The main heroine is 19 so does that make it Young Adult? No, not quite. The setting is a pseudo-Victorian era England so does that make it Historical Fiction? Again, no not quite. Over the course of the book, Ceony develops a kind of crush on Emery and it’s hinted that he might like her back. So does that mean it’s a Romance? Yet again, I have to say no.
For everything that The Paper Magician is not, there is one thing I can definitely say. And that is it is an enjoyable read. As with so many books, there are of course flaws. The overall plotline and story can be a bit slow and maudlin at times. The characters can be wishy-washy and sometimes one-dimensional. Some of the violence was a bit over the top as was the overall final “battle”.
Does that mean I won’t recommend it to my readers? Not at all. Like some whose reviews I read in order to write this one – while reading The Paper Magician, I was reminded of Howl’s Moving Castle (both book and movie). It too is a not quite perfect book that gets mixed reviews but there are people who love it deeply. Myself included.