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joanahosta1805's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
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
5.0
I love all of the characters specially Zofia and Enrique.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood
bookishbat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
it typically does not take me this long to read ~400 page books, but this one took me a while, and i'm going to basically summarize TGW like this: something is missing.
the plot felt very underwhelming. the world-building to this version of paris + houses + forging felt very surface-level. i'm not quite sure i could explain the concept back to you. the characters also felt like something was equally missing. i could take up some personality traits and whatnot, but i really only left the novel really enjoying zofia and hypnos. everyone else felt like they had a 'set' personality that wasn't just discovered yet or just wasn't touched.
spoilers: tristan was an off-case. i never felt any emotion for him to begin with and never any emotion at the end. the saddest part was laila and the hot cocoa, not even tristan's death.
everything felt surface level and underwhelming. like i said, something is missing. BUT, this book is gorgeous with representation and diversity. i don't think i've ever read a book with such natural levels of representation.
the plot felt very underwhelming. the world-building to this version of paris + houses + forging felt very surface-level. i'm not quite sure i could explain the concept back to you. the characters also felt like something was equally missing. i could take up some personality traits and whatnot, but i really only left the novel really enjoying zofia and hypnos. everyone else felt like they had a 'set' personality that wasn't just discovered yet or just wasn't touched.
spoilers:
everything felt surface level and underwhelming. like i said, something is missing. BUT, this book is gorgeous with representation and diversity. i don't think i've ever read a book with such natural levels of representation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty
alouette's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
another complex book that it's hard to sort out my feelings for. time for a pros and cons list!
pros
pros
- the diversity!! most of the main cast was bipoc, some were also queer, and zofia (my beloved) was on the autism spectrum. that last one was really awesome to see because rarely have i come across books about characters with ASD in which their mental disability isn't the main focus but rather just a part of their character. loved it.
- banter and character dynamics! their interactions were fun with also plenty of complexities and depth, and i was rooting for them the whole way.
- the whimsy and the magic system! while it was confusing, it was also intriguing. the puzzles they solved + the magical inventions they used were fun to follow in each individual instance, and i liked the illustrations as they made new discoveries. it helped me visualize what was happening and get more immersed.
cons
- confusing worldbuilding. the intertwining of actual history with heavy fantasy elements was interesting, but we were thrown into it with little preamble and even the baseline of the main plot got hard to follow at times. the flowery writing was lovely for my imagination but did not help when trying to understand what was actually going on.
- a lack of character development. now, i don't mean that the characters weren't plenty rounded, just that they weren't dynamic. everything about them was pre-established (again, we're thrown right into this world abruptly) and they've all known each other for years. while this made for some fun dynamics, it meant that i sensed little change in any of them by the end.
- the villian...
he really came out of nowhere and i didn't even understand what the heck his magical blood powers were. when they talked about the stealing of House Kore's ring being an inside job i was expecting some betrayals, not this weirdo... - the ending... quite rushed and disappointing.
tristan deserved so much better in terms of character development and time devoted to him, and then it felt like what happened to him was absolutely brushed past, both the trauma he suffered and then his actual demise. still don't know what the heck was up with the birds, the reveal that he was killing them was super rushed and not explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Racism and Sexual content
bookish_otaku's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm thinking 3.5/5 but the ending definitely has me intrigued.
This is a historical novel with magical realism and a heist setting that takes place in France. It rings very similarly to Six of Crows, but it still manages to make its own path with a sturdy individualism in each character and an introcately planned heist. If anything, I think the heist aspect outplays that of Six of Crows, and the characters are more uniformly developed, however there were some things that sat strangely with me.
Laila's character has a huge interest in baking and that's made very clear from the beginning, but we never really get a look into WHY. I wish this had been deepened beyond what it was so that we could delve more into her character and so that it wouldn't seem like a random trait thought up just to make her seem more unique. It also didn't really have any important role in terms of the heist. I know she candied a violet to counteract poison but it wasn't all that integral it be candied. It was just her personal flare which was nice, but also didn't seem essential I just wish there had been more.
Worldbuilding was intriguing with the houses, but I'm still not entirely clear on how the magic system works. I know there is something called Forging that some people can do and some people can't and that it gives objects special qualities, but it's all a very vague understanding. I also know there seem to be some pretty powerful boulders (from the sounds of it, they're awfully chunky) called Babel stones? But I don't fully understand their connection to Forging. I also don't know if Sphinxes are forged statues or people or animals? That entirely escaped me and left me feeling blind in many scenes.
Along with worldbuilding, the book opens talking about these very confusing concepts that aren't really clarified later on. It also delves right into the characters and trying to understand who everyone is and how they're related is a lot while also trying to balance what's happening plotwise and what's happening with worldbuilding and magic.
But onto the good, because there was definitely a handful of that. First, representation. Six of Crows (yes I keep mentioning it I can't help it) is praised for its diversity, but I really loved how this book seemed to delve further in, touching on topics of what it's like to be mixed, or to be born in a position of power but have the "wrong" skin color, and on being Jewish and (not explicitly stated but from my understanding) autistic. Now bear in mind, I am not autistic, but I liked how Chokshi wrote Zofia's character. Incredibly bright (a math magician if I say so myself) and just wired differently in terms of social interaction, she struggles with how others percieve her as stupid and does her best to fit into a world that's deadset on labeling her an outcast, and then with her intersectionality as being Jewish. Her character is probably the best written in this first installment, and I'm excited to see her arch because I can tell there's a lot in store for her.
Enrique and his passion for history really shines in this story, and I loved how we got to peak into his insecurity with being mixed Filipino Spanish, but looking mostly Spanish. It's not a POV we see often in any literature, and I think Chokshi did a great job bringing it into the limelight, especially during the heist.
Gosh I loved all the details and thought put into the heist.
That ending. I don't know all I can say is oof. Something angsty this way comes. Although a final note that I can't label as either good or bad. Between this and SoC, there were some similarities that stuck out to me. Some I'm sure are purely coincidental, and some are probably heist tropes that will continue. I find an interesting parallel between Kaz/Inej and Severin/Laila. We have the mastermind of the heist falling in love with his right hand woman (secret weapon if you will) who hails from general South Asian heritage and has or had a job that was deemed lowly and made them some sort of commodity (Inej as a courtesan and Laila as a burlesque-ish dancer). Then there of course always has to be the LGBT+ entanglement (which is fine, three straight couples is boring but I'd love to see a happily single person who isn't dead). Actually, there always seems to be that intragroup sexual tension and people start to get paired off. I'm hoping we get a character not interested in relationships, just to change it up but they don't become some weird sort of 7th wheel. Being single and alive is fine too.
This is a historical novel with magical realism and a heist setting that takes place in France. It rings very similarly to Six of Crows, but it still manages to make its own path with a sturdy individualism in each character and an introcately planned heist. If anything, I think the heist aspect outplays that of Six of Crows, and the characters are more uniformly developed, however there were some things that sat strangely with me.
Laila's character has a huge interest in baking and that's made very clear from the beginning, but we never really get a look into WHY. I wish this had been deepened beyond what it was so that we could delve more into her character and so that it wouldn't seem like a random trait thought up just to make her seem more unique. It also didn't really have any important role in terms of the heist.
Worldbuilding was intriguing with the houses, but I'm still not entirely clear on how the magic system works. I know there is something called Forging that some people can do and some people can't and that it gives objects special qualities, but it's all a very vague understanding. I also know there seem to be some pretty powerful boulders (from the sounds of it, they're awfully chunky) called Babel stones? But I don't fully understand their connection to Forging. I also don't know if Sphinxes are forged statues or people or animals? That entirely escaped me and left me feeling blind in many scenes.
Along with worldbuilding, the book opens talking about these very confusing concepts that aren't really clarified later on. It also delves right into the characters and trying to understand who everyone is and how they're related is a lot while also trying to balance what's happening plotwise and what's happening with worldbuilding and magic.
But onto the good, because there was definitely a handful of that. First, representation. Six of Crows (yes I keep mentioning it I can't help it) is praised for its diversity, but I really loved how this book seemed to delve further in, touching on topics of what it's like to be mixed, or to be born in a position of power but have the "wrong" skin color, and on being Jewish and (not explicitly stated but from my understanding) autistic. Now bear in mind, I am not autistic, but I liked how Chokshi wrote Zofia's character. Incredibly bright (a math magician if I say so myself) and just wired differently in terms of social interaction, she struggles with how others percieve her as stupid and does her best to fit into a world that's deadset on labeling her an outcast, and then with her intersectionality as being Jewish. Her character is probably the best written in this first installment, and I'm excited to see her arch because I can tell there's a lot in store for her.
Enrique and his passion for history really shines in this story, and I loved how we got to peak into his insecurity with being mixed Filipino Spanish, but looking mostly Spanish. It's not a POV we see often in any literature, and I think Chokshi did a great job bringing it into the limelight, especially during the heist.
Gosh I loved all the details and thought put into the heist.
That ending. I don't know all I can say is oof. Something angsty this way comes. Although a final note that I can't label as either good or bad. Between this and SoC, there were some similarities that stuck out to me. Some I'm sure are purely coincidental, and some are probably heist tropes that will continue. I find an interesting parallel between Kaz/Inej and Severin/Laila. We have the mastermind of the heist falling in love with his right hand woman (secret weapon if you will) who hails from general South Asian heritage and has or had a job that was deemed lowly and made them some sort of commodity (Inej as a courtesan and Laila as a burlesque-ish dancer). Then there of course always has to be the LGBT+ entanglement (which is fine, three straight couples is boring but I'd love to see a happily single person who isn't dead). Actually, there always seems to be that intragroup sexual tension and people start to get paired off. I'm hoping we get a character not interested in relationships, just to change it up but they don't become some weird sort of 7th wheel. Being single and alive is fine too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, and Death
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5 I am so happy I loved this. Those last 40 pages killed me.
Reread
The ending just hurts my feelings.
The representation in this is *chefs kiss*.
Do I understand the world and magic when I’m reading this? Yes. Can I explain any of it? nope.
I honestly just love this for the characters and the relationships. The world is interesting and I love how the author incorporated some lesser know historical events in this(Human zoos tf is that???).
Reread
The ending just hurts my feelings.
The representation in this is *chefs kiss*.
Do I understand the world and magic when I’m reading this? Yes. Can I explain any of it? nope.
I honestly just love this for the characters and the relationships. The world is interesting and I love how the author incorporated some lesser know historical events in this(Human zoos tf is that???).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Death, Blood, Child death, Bullying, Sexism, Gaslighting, Grief, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Violence
cnohero's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I almost DNF'd this one. I liked the characters and I think the premise seems interesting but it just wasn't carried out all that well. I sort of had to push myself to finish it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty and Child abuse
micheala's review against another edition
4.75
This is the type of heist novel that I really enjoy. I love when the team is already friends when it starts. We do also have the aspect of the outsider/new to the team with Hypnos, but the other five have already been working together for a while and have formed bonds.
I will say that out of the six main characters, I just didn't really like Enrique all that much. He did grow on me (again) in the last third of the book, however he just wasn't a character that I vibes with. On the other hand, Zofia was probably my favourite character. I loved seeing how she interacted with the different situations and I'm hoping to see more of her POVs in the second book.
Overall I still really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to continue with the trilogy.
I will say that out of the six main characters, I just didn't really like Enrique all that much. He did grow on me (again) in the last third of the book, however he just wasn't a character that I vibes with. On the other hand, Zofia was probably my favourite character. I loved seeing how she interacted with the different situations and I'm hoping to see more of her POVs in the second book.
Overall I still really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to continue with the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Racism, Torture, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Self harm
Minor: Slavery
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