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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
This is one of those whimsical fantasies that pops you into the middle of the story without a lot of background to the characters and setting at first. I admit I was a bit lost at first, but I was hooked on the story by about a quarter of the way in. Jemis Greenwing is home from university and has taken a job at the local bookstore. His scholastic career was pretty dismal, his heart was broken, and he's been sickly, sneezing at everything. He's not happy to be home, the place where scandal disrupted his family, but his friend Mr. Dart is pleased to see him, even though things go haywire quickly. Jemis finds a stargazy pie in the town square (it's a traditional Cornish dish, and I won't lie, it fascinates me and is the reason I bought the book because of the title alone). Events fall apart more with cults, fires, mermaids, and exotic dinner parties.
This is a type of fantasy that I like. The setting veers between Georgian and Victorian, though the land and places are fictional. There is magic, but it's been banned, at least in some places. Oh, and there's smuggling. And some odd religions. And mysteries to solve.
This book reminds me of Alexis Hall's The Affair of the Mysterious Letter. It takes the reader on a wild ride, and I'm happy to continue it in the next book.
This is a type of fantasy that I like. The setting veers between Georgian and Victorian, though the land and places are fictional. There is magic, but it's been banned, at least in some places. Oh, and there's smuggling. And some odd religions. And mysteries to solve.
This book reminds me of Alexis Hall's The Affair of the Mysterious Letter. It takes the reader on a wild ride, and I'm happy to continue it in the next book.
Another one where I thought I knew what I was getting into, and DEFINITELY DID NOT. (A most delightful experience, in this instance.) This was a bewilderingly funny, cozy, complicated fantasy/mystery adventure featuring people Being Proper whilst uncovering the misdeeds of several secret societies (honestly, I lost count) and also some legit crime? Also there's a mermaid. And an entirely unhinged dinner party. And a sacrificial cult. I may not have known what was going on half of the time but neither did our protagonist, and I rather enjoyed experiencing it alongside him. I cannot wait to dig into the rest of this series. :+)
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Suicide
Fantasy of manners, gaslamp. Started off splendidly then fell to confused pieces and odd sequences around the halfway mark.
adventurous
funny
tense
I enjoyed the plot of the book when I was able to grasp what was going on, but unfortunately that wasn't as common of an occurrence as I would like. This felt like I was walking into a second book in a series where I didn't have the larger context of the world and characters that I would have gotten in the first book, but it actually was the first book so none of that was there. Too confusing for my liking, personally.
3.5 stars for me just after finishing. Loved the worldbuilding through bits of details, but it started to feel repetitive and fussy in the back half. RTC.
Content warnings: moderate;
Content warnings: moderate;
Spoiler
there's some present-day drugging as well as strong backstory elements of non-consensual drug use and emotional abuse; mentions of suicide.
Really fascinating mystery disguised as a comedy of manners. As usual for Goddard, the interpersonal and emotional stakes are HIGH - Jemis is going through a lot in this, which she addresses with all the love and kindness the situation deserves.
Was a little confusing at the beginning because you're just thrown into the story with a lot of talk about different people and places. A map would've been useful.
This was a fun little story and I'm looking forward to the next book. However, this could've used some editing. And better formatting for the kindle.
This was a fun little story and I'm looking forward to the next book. However, this could've used some editing. And better formatting for the kindle.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
I can honestly say this book is different from anything I've ever read, which is a good thing, I think. It's a cozy mystery set in what seems to be an elaborate fantasy world. Overall I enjoyed it, especially once the plot picked up (at Chapter 8). Several plot points resolved in unexpected and satisfying ways. On the other hand, so much happened that I would need a flow chart to work out how the various parts of the mystery ended up relating to each other... or not. (I think several plot points count as red herrings... ironic, given the book's fish-themed title.)
The opening chapters introduce characters and establish the setting without much happening. It's like the start of the rollercoaster ride where the cars are chugging up the incline to get potential energy. While I enjoyed reading about the protagonist and his relationship with his boss, I couldn't follow a lot of the text that referred to the history of the country and the narrator's family. Little tidbits were given, but not enough that I could assemble anything coherent. I really could have used a map, a timeline, and a family tree. I had a feeling the world was carefully designed and I just didn't have enough information to understand it. So, the book got off to a slow start for me.
The emphasis on manners was funny, but at times the characters would say things I didn't understand at all. It was like they were making pop culture references I didn't understand, using the pop culture of their made-up world so that I couldn't even follow along with the context of what they were saying. I think that if I'd gotten the book from the library, I might have returned it unfinished.
Once the action picked up, though, we learned more about the protagonist so that I could put the pieces together and follow the text more easily. The plot really was a rollercoaster ride, with new dips and turns appearing constantly, plus a few chances to catch your breath. I'm glad I stuck with it.
The world seems fascinating, even with only snippets shown. The basic idea seems to be it was a land filled with magic until the empire was broken apart and somehow, the magic fell apart as well. After a period of turmoil, things have settled down, but magic has an uneasy place in the society. Some people use it in secret while others no longer trust it and have found ways to replace it. That's as much as I could surmise, and I'd like to hear more about that.
I also noted that the protagonist to some extent stumbles through the plot while other people make things happen or swoop in to save the day. I didn't mind this too much; part of what makes it cozy is having that all-knowing character who can take care of things. But I thought it was an interesting direction to go, given how fantasy books so often rely on the protagonist to do it all. I liked that the protagonist had sneezing issues and wasn't presented as the classic handsome, strong hero. And I liked all the side characters with their various personalities.
The opening chapters introduce characters and establish the setting without much happening. It's like the start of the rollercoaster ride where the cars are chugging up the incline to get potential energy. While I enjoyed reading about the protagonist and his relationship with his boss, I couldn't follow a lot of the text that referred to the history of the country and the narrator's family. Little tidbits were given, but not enough that I could assemble anything coherent. I really could have used a map, a timeline, and a family tree. I had a feeling the world was carefully designed and I just didn't have enough information to understand it. So, the book got off to a slow start for me.
The emphasis on manners was funny, but at times the characters would say things I didn't understand at all. It was like they were making pop culture references I didn't understand, using the pop culture of their made-up world so that I couldn't even follow along with the context of what they were saying. I think that if I'd gotten the book from the library, I might have returned it unfinished.
Once the action picked up, though, we learned more about the protagonist so that I could put the pieces together and follow the text more easily. The plot really was a rollercoaster ride, with new dips and turns appearing constantly, plus a few chances to catch your breath. I'm glad I stuck with it.
The world seems fascinating, even with only snippets shown. The basic idea seems to be it was a land filled with magic until the empire was broken apart and somehow, the magic fell apart as well. After a period of turmoil, things have settled down, but magic has an uneasy place in the society. Some people use it in secret while others no longer trust it and have found ways to replace it. That's as much as I could surmise, and I'd like to hear more about that.
I also noted that the protagonist to some extent stumbles through the plot while other people make things happen or swoop in to save the day. I didn't mind this too much; part of what makes it cozy is having that all-knowing character who can take care of things. But I thought it was an interesting direction to go, given how fantasy books so often rely on the protagonist to do it all. I liked that the protagonist had sneezing issues and wasn't presented as the classic handsome, strong hero. And I liked all the side characters with their various personalities.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood