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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I think this is an exceptional queer fantasy(?) - 4.5! plot was fab & well paced, enjoyed the characters a lot, v excited to read the next instalment.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Very interesting concept and engaging writing style. Something was missing because I wasn’t super invested in the romance, maybe it was poor buildup. I’d like to read the next one, but I don’t feel super passionate. It was good but not great.
I enjoyed this! Thought the execution and world building could have been a bit better but I really loved the premise and the alchemy/automa aspect of the book. Ayla seemed less developed as a character to me and as such tended to get on my nerves but Crier was incredibly fascinating. I loved seeing her question her humanity and seeing her feelings for Ayla develop over the course of the book. This is definitely a slow-burn romance which I supremely appreciated. I'm interested to see what happens in the future book (or books?), especially in regards to some side characters, and what evil plans Kinok and other antagonists have up their sleeves.
Spoiler
specifically with Storme
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this and I can’t wait to read the final book! The characters were each pretty well developed, and the plot was interesting from the very start. Once it was all set up, things did become a bit predictable, but not boring at all, still very enjoyable to read. Also love the timeline at the beginning, honestly wish more books would do that!
My only real critique is that it makes very little sense why Ayla wants to kill Crier specifically. Why not the king? He’s the one who ordered the raids and lords over the humans, literally. Crier never had anything to do with any of it! And it can’t logically be to hurt him through hurting his daughter because Ayla and humans in general are all in agreement that Automae don’t feel deeply like that. He’ll just kill everyone involved and make another daughter. 🤷🏻♀️ And on top of that, the Automae control the humans in the palace using the same exact tactic, hurting a loved one to punish the offender. But this connection is never even hinted at, much less defended or explained by Ayla.
To be honest, her wanting to kill Crier just feels contrived in an effort to drive the tension and conflict in the romance. I think because of this the romance also suffers a mild bit of “insta-love” syndrome. However I do find that easily forgiven because the book is YA, and there’s always room for some reasonable insta-love when hormones and plot dangers are in the mix.
Despite all this I really did enjoy the book and I’m picking up the finale ASAP!
My only real critique is that it makes very little sense why Ayla wants to kill Crier specifically. Why not the king? He’s the one who ordered the raids and lords over the humans, literally. Crier never had anything to do with any of it! And it can’t logically be to hurt him through hurting his daughter because Ayla and humans in general are all in agreement that Automae don’t feel deeply like that. He’ll just kill everyone involved and make another daughter. 🤷🏻♀️ And on top of that, the Automae control the humans in the palace using the same exact tactic, hurting a loved one to punish the offender. But this connection is never even hinted at, much less defended or explained by Ayla.
To be honest, her wanting to kill Crier just feels contrived in an effort to drive the tension and conflict in the romance. I think because of this the romance also suffers a mild bit of “insta-love” syndrome. However I do find that easily forgiven because the book is YA, and there’s always room for some reasonable insta-love when hormones and plot dangers are in the mix.
Despite all this I really did enjoy the book and I’m picking up the finale ASAP!
Hugely enjoyable and original fantasy story, once I got into it I had a really hard time putting it down which is one of the best endorsements I can give!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes